#ssm20d2

Amongst all of them, the pinkette was the one who had changed the most. Apart from mastering the medical ninjutsus and healing the entire shinobi alliance during the war, she had grown taller and stronger until she became this admirable woman who was sparing with Sai right in front of him. His mismatched eyes followed her moves, and he couldn’t help but notice how clean and powerful they were as she blocked the attacks with her own blows. Her eyes moved fast, too, as they were constantly examining her opponents’ moves, and even from afar, he could tell she was very aware of their new teammate’s openings. Though he still didn’t know much about her new combat skills, he was sure she could’ve ended him many times already.

She had turned into an impeccable kunoichi, indeed, and that diamond on her forehead was not the only evidence of her victories. There was confidence in her expression, lightness in her feet and the way her body moved and stretched was just—

He could feel his cheeks growing hotter, and he knew it wasn’t only because of the blood going down to his head. Apparently, he had been staring at her for too long, trapped in whatever nostalgic thought that had crawled from his childhood memories, and even if she hadn't noticed, it was still not something he would’ve normally done. It was odd and very unlike him to do such thing, but considering all the changes going on, perhaps, that was just another thing he was going to get used to.

Perhaps, that was also a part of his new normal.

Or, at least, that was what he thought.

“Oi, Teme, quit staring at Sakura-chan. It’s getting weird-ttebayo.”

The blonde’s voice caught him by surprise, and suddenly, the Uchiha was reminded that Naruto was also there by his side. For he was also with his legs hanging on the tree-branch, his golden locks, though shorter, were also being affected by gravity. His cerulean eyes were glaring at the Uchiha, and it was possible to see them judging him for staring at his girl best friend.

“What? Don’t be ridiculous, Dobe. I was not staring at her.”

“Yes, you were! You were checking her out and you haven’t heard a single thing I’ve said, you bastard.”

“Tch, you’re delusional.” Sasuke closed his eyes in annoyance, a pout taking over his lips. “And besides, I’m pretty sure it was nothing important since you were the one saying it.”

“It was very important, you jerk! I was talking about this new jutsu I’m gonna use to beat you! ”

“Shut up, you moron! Don’t make me kick your ass!”

“Hmph“ He scoffed, a foxy grin spreading across his face. “You can certainly try and get your ass kicked again-ttebayo!”

“Bring it on, the—“

“Oi, knock it off, you two!” Sakura shouted from across the training grounds, her sparing session clearly interrupted. Her hands were resting on her hips, and her brows were knitted in a very angry expression. “Shannarou! Just focus on your own training! Don’t make me go there and smack your heads!”

Both the boys widened their eyes in surprise, and as soon as they looked at her expression, they understood she was very serious about the smacking part. It would take her no more than 5 seconds to get to them, and they knew that, if she did, their heads would hurt and she wouldn’t let them come back to the training grounds that soon.

They bit their lips, then, swallowing dry and staying silent as the two, stubborn boys they are. After a couple of seconds, Sakura and Sai resumed their activities, focusing on their own moves, and leaving the boys to their own training routine. For all the pinkette cared, they could argue all they wanted later as long as it didn’t escalate to a battle between titans that would hurt them and destroy the entire village.

Perks of giving god-like powers to two idiots, she would say.

And even if they didn’t agree with her, their previous actions were all she needed to prove her statement.

“I guess Sakura-chan just saved your ass, Teme.” Naruto whispered, his abdomen flexing as he focused on his training.

“Tch, as if.” Sasuke scoffed. “Now will you just shut up? Sakura is going to get mad at us again.”

“You shut up! This is all your fault-ttebayo!”

“My fault!? How so!?”

“You were the one eating her alive with your eyes and getting all worked up with your hormones, you pervert!”

At the blonde’s loud words, a wave of embarrassment rushed through his face and it was as if he could feel his cheeks on fire. His lips went agape as he was at loss of words, and the simple idea that the Haruno girl could’ve heard those words made him want to be swallowed whole by the ground.

What on earth was wrong with that idiot?! How could he say such things like that?

The Uchiha’s eyes started to look around desperately, frantically moving from Naruto to the pink haired girl. The tips of his ears were as red as two tomatoes now, and listening to those words reverberating inside his head wasn't helping at all. 

Eating her alive 

His heart stated beating faster, his mouth going dry.

Hormones

He began sweating, and he felt something burning down his throat.

Pervert 

His eyes drifted to her legs, going up to her face and her rosy lips.

Sakura. 

At that moment, his heart skipped a beat, and in a matter of seconds, he could feel his upside-down world spiraling. The embarrassment became too much, and soon, he lost control of his balance, falling face-first on the ground. He closed his eyes, bracing for the impact as his body made a loud noise when it hit the dusty floor. 

Uchiha Sasuke was down. Even if he hadn’t fallen from a place high enough to actually hurt him, his pride as a ninja was ruined. Once he opened his eyes, he saw his best friend laughing at his face, a shy tear escaping his eyes. Naruto’s voice was annoying, and he made a mental note to punch him for that as soon as nobody was looking. He placed his hand on his lower back, massaging the area that had made contact with the hard ground, and at that moment, he just wanted to go home and hide his face somewhere.

But things wouldn’t be that easy.

He closed his eyes once more, and that was when his ears finally captured the sound of rushed steps coming towards him. For he knew who was coming, he chose to linger in the darkness for a couple of seconds more than he should, only then deciding to open his eyes. As expected, the first thing he saw was the green of her orbs, and though he was still too embarrassed, it was undeniable that her eyes calmed his heart.

“Sasuke-kun!? Are you okay? Are you hurt?” She was now crouched near him, her hands carefully reaching to his torso so she could help him up. Her worried eyes were scanning him clinically, looking for bruises, and he could hear the concern in her voice as she spoke to him.

“Aah.” He said, not wanting to worry her any longer. He let her help him sit up, and their proximity didn’t go unnoticed by him. His nostrils were invaded by her floral scent, and it made it harder for him to face her directly. “I'm okay.”

“Are you sure? Do you feel any pain?”

“Does your ass hurt, Teme?” Naruto teased, then, jumping down from the branch and standing near them. Sai was now next to him, too, and suddenly, the Uchiha started to feel a bit claustrophobic with all of those people surrounding him.

“Naruto, knock it off!” Sakura scolded him, her eyes now glaring at the blonde.

“Tch, I’m fine, really.” Sasuke said, looking at her with a soft expression on his face. He felt more relaxed now, and even if he was still embarrassed, at least he felt like he could breath normally. 

“What happened?”

“Yes, Sasuke-kun” Sai started, that creepy smile on his face. “Could it be that you forgot the basics of being a ninja?”

“Oi, Sai! Not you, too!” Sakura said and Naruto had to suppress a giggle.

“What? It was a valid question.”

“No, it was not! Shannarou, if you two are going to keep making fun him, you’d better as well get going!”

“It's okay, Sakura.” The Uchiha stated, her eyes returning to him. Sai kept looking at them and Naruto just crossed his arms across his chest. There was a pout on the blonde's lips, and it pleased him to see such scene. “Gravity happened. I just lost balance, that was all.”

“Are you sure? Did you feel anything strange? Did you get dizzy or something like that? Do you feel like throwing up? Do you know where you are?”

“Tch, you’re clearly overreacting now, Sakura.” He started, sighing at her worried stare. “I’ve said I’m fine already. No dizziness or anything like that.”

“Not even a sudden heat?” Naruto asked, mockery evident in his voice.

“No.” The Uchiha glared at him, and that only made the blonde grin even wider.

“Promise?” The pinkette asked, her eyes filled with a sincere concern. Normally, she knew there would be no reason to be asking all of those things just because of a minor fall, but since they were still recovering, he knew Sakura was being overprotective towards them. She was wearing her heart on her sleeve ever since the end of the war, and he figured it didn’t cost him anything to be more sensible around her.

“Yes, I promise."

“Okay…” She nodded, tugging a lock of her pink hair behind her ear. “I guess we should call it a day, right? Why don’t we go grab something to eat at Ichiraku?”

“Now you’re speaking my language, Sakura-chan!” Naruto jolted, throwing his hand in the air. Even if the blonde wanted to work out a little longer, he could never say no to ramen.

“What do you say, Sasuke-kun?” She looked at him, her round, green eyes giving him no choice. She probably didn’t know the effect she had on him, and perhaps, that was for the best.

“Sure. Ramen should be nice.”

“Great!” She smiled. “You're coming too, right, Sai?”

“Oh, yes. Eating together is a good way to strengthen the bonds!”

“Good! I’ll just go grab my things, wait here.”

“I'll go help you.” Sai said, simply.

In a fast move, the pinkette was up on her feet, and before she could walk away in order to retrieve her stuff, she reached out with her hand and helped the Uchiha stand. She offered them a soft smile before departing with Sai, and he couldn’t help but feel his chest growing warmer at the sight.

She really knew how to make him feel better. His lips twitched upwards at the thought of seeing her like that, and—

“God, you’re pathetic, Teme.”

Once more, Naruto’s bothered voice interrupted his train of thought, and if he had been considering to smile the moment before, it was all gone now. His stoic expression was back and the Uchiha was once more pissed at his best friend.

“What is it this time, Dobe?”

“Don’t you think it’s already time for you to tell Sakura-chan that you like her?”

“What?” He sounded surprised, his eyes widening at his words. “Stop saying weird stuff. My relationship with Sakura is not like that.”

“Oh, really? Then how is it? You don’t actually believe you two are just teammates, right?”

The Uchiha stood silent for a while, trying to think of the words he could use to describe his relationship with Sakura.

How was his relationship with her?

Though he had tried to think about it a couple of times before, he would always end up settling for letting time guide them. He knew their relationship was not the same as the one he has with Naruto and the rest of the people around him, but never before had he reached a conclusion.

Was she another friend? Just another teammate?

No. None of those options felt right. Sakura was more than that. She has always been more than that. Could it be that Naruto was actually right? Could it be that he really liked her ?

Sasuke really didn’t know. At least not yet. There were still so many things he yet had to understand about himself before he could actually dwell on these feelings. His feelings for her— whatever they were— deserved more than his broken self, and he wanted to give them some time so he could finally be true to his emotions.

Perhaps, soon, he would be ready. And perhaps, then, he could reach the answer his heart already knew so well.

“Hn, it’s none of your business.”

“Tch, you bastard.” Naruto scoffed. “All I’m saying is that you should just make up your mind already. Sakura-chan is probably the most amazing girl ever, and well, you guys have history.”

“…I’ll think about it.”

“You should! After all, you can’t always blame gravity for falling in love-ttebayo!”

A silly grin took over the blonde’s face, and before Sasuke could even answer anything, Naruto was already running towards the pinkette. His lips were left parted for an instance, but he soon closed them as he allowed those words to sink in.

Falling in love, uh?

He really didn’t know. 

But perhaps, like gravity, there were just certain things he couldn’t control.

“I mean, I get it, he’s got the looks but, he is like on his own world most of the time” she chatted as she continued to make mannerisms with her hands in an attempt to get the recently applied nail polish dry.

Sakura vaguely thought “He doesn’t seem that all over the place when we hang out”. A thought her best friend could totally read in her open book face.

Rolling her baby blue eyes, she scoffed. “Of course, you wouldn’t notice that”.

She didn’t get the chance to recall further from that time, brought back to their present conversation as Ino turned her away from her reflection on her mirror and hurried her up to get her sandals on their way to the graduation ceremony.

Since it was today, the day they officially left behind their last moments of young girls playing around and became kunoichi.

Naturally, Ino greeted everyone loudly and excitedly. On the other end, equally loud and excited was Naruto, greeting back and waving effusively at Sakura while he screamed her name.

Sakura smiled gleefully nowadays, Sasuke noticed as he spotted her approaching the group, long gone was the petite girl that had a secret hideaway to be her own self. She was her own self at plain sight, and a selfish part of him had hoped she had kept that part of her as a secret between them, just like many things had stayed through the years after that one summer day.

Another part of him, which was the bigger proportion, was pleased to see her confident and radiant like the blooming cherry blossoms, melting with the scenery and making it glow brighter.

It was never that he tried to prevent from noticing Sakura as a woman, she was pretty ever since a little girl. She simply got prettier as the years passed by and he certainly was not the only one to notice that.

He was the only one to never say anything about her appearance though. To him, what had interested him the most had not been her bright and pretty colors, even if he agreed they were unusual and lovely, but rather the way she continuously challenged herself.

And maybe, he had missed more than one opportunity to voice it out. But it was a fact that he was not the only one affected by how pretty Sakura Haruno was.

It was simply gravity, to fall with spring approaching. To fall for spring, gently and preciously.

“So even you, huh” Sasuke was brought back from his thoughts by a lazy and sluggish voice. Turning his head to the side, he spotted the Nara genius. Instead of answering, he settled to simply arching one of his brows, a silent inquiry. The boy with the high pony tail sighed as he scratched the back of his back “Even you think the smart girl of our generation is far from reach”.

He grunted and went back to ignoring him, the genius walked away with the cue. Both hands behind his back making his sluggish way towards his happily snacking best friend.                                                          

Sensing he was alone again, Sasuke dared to glance back at Sakura, who seemed to be reprimanding their loudest classmate about how he continued to be immature despite becoming a ninja as of today.

He could relate. He may be a teenager, but even if he wanted to be as aloof and cool as his older brother, when it came to taking the next step closer, he was still a kid.

While she brightened up the place with her presence and intelligence, he was still overshadowed by his older brother. But that, was an insecurity he had made the mistake of sharing with her once before. He feared her was now the boy foolishly insecure of his older brother’s figure. Which he was, but it was not the kind of cool thing someone would tell to someone you wish to be cool in front of.

“Sasuke-kun!”

Even so, she was the kind of girl that would make you feel like you’re the best of the world, just by being greeted with her genuine smile.

Or so it’s what he thought, because when they were close to the other, neither of them realized that standing together, they had become the center of attention.

“We’ve made it! Congratulations, we are ninjas now” she said once she stood just a few steps away. Holding her bandana still on one of her hands, Sasuke glanced at it.

“You should be wearing that too” following the line of sight of his, Sakura realized she was talking about her shinobi band.

“Oh, you’re right, I might ask Ino to help me with it” She might throw a fit if she messed the hair she so diligently tried to stylish earlier, Sakura thought absentmindedly.

“Hand it over” he said as he extended his hand towards her, and Sakura blushed.

She might be the best of her class, the youngest girl in qualifying the perfect score on her graduation exams, but she continued to be young and lovestruck. Although it had always been him the one to make her falter over and over, it had been years of comradery and yet, she kept tripping and falling harder.

Certainly, Ino wouldn’t mind her hairstyle be a little different if she told her it was Sasuke-kun who had fixed it, right?

He sinks back down on the ground in defeat, body shifting back to his normal human form.

.

.

Sakura carries a basket in her right hand as she treads through the forest, in search of a medicinal berry plant that is supposed to grow around the area. She peaks behind trees and bushes only to find other kinds of fruit plants or poisonous ones.

She kicks a pebble in frustration before she starts hearing a voice.

Please. Help me. She turns around and nobody is behind her. She walks a few more steps and hears the same voice.

Help me. She turns around again, examining the area around her, but again no sign of anyone.

As she’s lost in thought she accidentally missteps her foot and tumbles down a small hill, hitting branches along the way before stumbling into a large pit. She lies face down on the ground before she slowly gets up. She dusts her knees and hands when she hears a voice of a man.

“Who are you?” She immediate shoots up, looking for the source of the voice. She sees a silhouette cautiously approaching her from the dark. She gets up slowly, trying not to agitate the being. As the man approaches her, she’s able to trace his figure, wings spreading wide behind him, hair longer than his shoulder. As he steps into the light, she’s able to get a good look at him and widens her eyes.

“Did the universe graciously award me with free food?” The man tilts his head to the side, grinning sinisterly. He walks around Sakura, eyeing his prize.

“But you don’t eat people.” There’s no way a human would eat another human. At least that’s what Sakura believes.

“You think I won’t kill you?” The man threatens as he leans over to her ear. Sakura looks indifferent and it bothers him. All the people that’s seen him would either display fear or terror. But she doesn't seem to show any evidence of that. He quirks an eyebrow and walks away.

“What are you?” Sakura inquires. The man chuckles in amusement.

“You tell me.” He turns around to face her. He notices how she eyes him carefully.

“Were you the one crying for help?” He’s surprised by her question. He’s surely been trying to get out of this hole this whole time, but did he ever cry for help? Not that he knew of. “Your voice sounds familiar. I kept hearing pleas for help earlier.”

“Hn.” Deciding that she’s just a nobody, he shifts back to his normal form. Sakura watches in awe as the man standing before her now looks just like any other man. His dark raven hair just long enough to cover his ears, his skin white but just a tad bit tanned, his eyes as dark as onyx, muscles toned.

“Woah you can do that?” There are millions of questions swimming in her head. He takes a seat on his previous spot, leaning back on the wall. He’s definitely got little to no energy to harm her. She notices how weak he seems and offers him an apple she managed to pick before stumbling down. She walks over to him, carefully as to not give him any bad ideas.

She extends the fruit towards him. He eyes it carefully, debating whether or not he should take her offer. Before he could even decide, his hands accepted it. She kneels in front of him.

“Do you have a name?” A name? Sasuke can’t remember the last time someone calls him by his name.

“Sasuke.” Sakura gives him a warm smile.

“I’m Sakura.” Sasuke notes how interesting of a name it is. Sakura.

“Why are you down here? Can’t you get out?” She notices how large but relatively shallow the pit is. Surely a person like him would be able to get out easily.

“I can’t.”

“What do you mean you can’t?” His frustration starts to grow from her lack of understanding. Does he have to articulate the state he’s in? He abruptly stands up and summons his wings. He tries to fly out and as always, can’t seem to hover more than three feet above the ground before he gets pulled back and falls.

“I can’t.” He puts extra emphasis on the last word. Clearly, she should understand what he means by now. She doesn’t say a word as he sits back down and slumps.

“I’m sorry.” She suddenly perks up and jolts. “Wait I have an idea! I’ll go out and go back to my village to get some help!” Sakura beams up and starts to get up to climb. Sasuke chuckles dryly.

“They won’t help you. No one will.” As if ignoring his words, she begins to climb, and not long after manages to pull herself out of the pit. She looks back again at Sasuke, still sitting on the same spot.

“I’ll be back! Don’t worry!” She quickly runs back to get some help. Sasuke goes back to devouring the fruit in his hand as one thought comes to mind.

So naïve.

.

.

Panting, Sakura finally arrives at her village and walks up to the first person she finds.

“Please you have to help me. There’s a man stuck in the bottom of a pit and we need to help him get out.” The man’s eyes widen at her words.

“At the bottom of a pit? You mean in the woods?” He violently points towards the direction of the forest.

“Yes yes! Now you need to help me! I’ll try to find another person to help us.” Suddenly the man stops in front of her path.

“Are you crazy? That’s no man! It- it’s a monster! He killed so many people!” Sakura’s excitement now turns to confusion before shifting to disbelief.

“No, that can’t be true.”

“Oh and have you seen this monster?”

“Yes! But he was-“

“It’s all just an illusion! Last thing you know, he’ll get on you and slash your throat!” Sakura subconsciously touched her neck. “I am not gonna let him get out of there!”

That can’t be true. Sakura isn’t gonna believe in what he says. There must be something more to it. Deciding that she needs answers, she goes back to find him. To find Sasuke.

She keeps repeating the man’s words. She runs back to the pit, and peeks over the ledge.

“Sasuke?” She sees him still sitting on that same spot, knees bent and head held down. He looks up when he hears her call.

“Well are you gonna help me?” He gets up, excitement is evident in his face.

“Um I have a question. How did you end up here in the first place?” Sasuke’s frown sets back in place. He looks at her and straightens himself. He tries to read her expression, and the way she’s crouched on the ground, just barely peeking over the ledge, as if she’s shielding herself. She doesn’t even bother to come down and talk to him. Instead, resorting to talking from a safe distance where she knows he can’t get to her.

“You’re afraid of me.” He concludes.

“What? No! I just have some questions that’s all.” He notices how flustered she is, way different from how she acts the first time they met. If she wasn’t afraid of him then, she’s clearly afraid now. Sasuke clenches his hands.

“Tch. You’re just like the rest of them.” He retreats back to the darkest part of the pit, the one that’s covered by shadows, and takes a seat.

Sakura realizes that man might have been wrong anyway. Sasuke is not a monster. It’s true that he might look like one when she first found him, but he hasn't shown any sign of intentionally wanting to hurt her. She’s not going to let that man’s words get to her. At least not until she hears Sasuke’s side of the story.

She slowly slides down the steep wall and lands with a thud. She confidently walks over to him and takes a seat beside him.

“Look, Sasuke. I’m just a little confused, that’s all. The way people call you, they called you a killer. I don’t want to believe them.” Silence fills the gap between them. Sasuke lets out a long sigh before he starts to explain himself.

“I never meant to kill them. I was just trying to protect myself. Two men were trying to rob me, and I suddenly was itching to kill them. The bad side of me came out and did it. Ever since then, that part of me would sometimes take over, even though I told it to shut up. So I was locked in here.” Sasuke brings his knees closer to him, sounding defeated.

Now that she knows his story, she only has one question left for him.

“Well, do you wanna get out of here?” Sasuke looks at her and struggles to find the answer himself. Should he? Maybe it was right for them to keep him here. So that he won’t be able to hurt anyone else. Sasuke thinks to himself

“I don't know.” She’s finally beginning to understand where he’s coming from. He’s the one who’s afraid. He’s afraid of hurting people, of not being in control of his own impulses.

Now that Sakura understands, she can finally make her decision. She stands up, resolve clear in her eyes.

“If no one’s gonna help you get out of here, then I’ll do help you. I’ll do whatever I can to help you.” Sasuke chuckles in amusement. This girl is surely still naïve that for a second, she makes the impossible sound possible.

“Tch. Good luck.” Sakura kneels back down in front of him, placing her hand on his shoulder.

“I don’t believe you’re a monster. And I’ll make everyone believe that. But you have to work with me.” Sasuke takes a good look at her. He tries to guess what she’s thinking. Her eyes, filled with determination and courage, suddenly make him believe that she’s capable of doing so. That he might not be a monster after all. He dismisses any positivity from his mind and shifts to face away from her.

.

.

True to her words, she tries everything she can to help him. And that begins by bringing him food. Visiting him from once to twice a day, she’d bring any food she can find. Meat, berries, fruits.

They’d make a small firepit in the middle and enjoy their meal together. She’d tell stories of her childhood, of the village where she grew up in, of her family, of her dreams. And he’d always listen.

Once or twice he’d be brave enough to share his childhood. How he lost his parents pretty early on. How it was always just his brother and him against the world. How he misses him.

Sakura takes note of how deep his emotions are. How he feels and observes things. How he’s very much a human being unlike what everyone says.

Some days, he’d transform to show him his other side. A part of him is always worried that his impulses would kick in and try to harm her. But Sakura would always argue that he’d only do that as self-defense. She always believes he would never try to hurt her. At least intentionally.

She’d admire his long hair, the skin that make up his wings. She’d bravely touch them, and he’d feel every small touch of her fingers, sending electricity through his body.

Other days, they’d be lying underneath the clear sky, stargazing. Even though their vision is blocked by the trees overhead, they can still make up the small beads adorning the sky. They notice the moon always shines the brightest, lighting up their surroundings, never leaving them in total darkness. As they lay there in silence and admiration, Sasuke instinctively looks over to her, marveling at his star. How could a small woman have all the courage in the world? How could she suddenly walk into his life and bring so much warmth? How could she have the power to chase away his darkness?

He doesn’t know when, but he knows his heart is no longer beating for just himself.

.

.

Sakura is just on her way to see him when she’s approached by four men. She’s barely at the ledge that leads to the pit when they warn her.

“Sakura. Step away from the ledge.”

“Sato-san. What are you doing here?” She notices how one of them is carrying a machete, while the others are carrying similar weapons. She suddenly changes her stance to a defensive one.

“He’s far too dangerous to be left alone. We know you’ve been trying to get him out.”

“But he’s not dangerous at all! He’s just misunderstood.”

Sasuke notices the commotion from up ahead and peers his ears to listen.

“Please, he’s a human being just like the rest of us!” She truly believes every word she says. Sasuke can’t believe what he’s hearing. She’s actually defending him. She’s the only person in the world who’s truly on his side now. He can’t describe the warm feeling in his chest.

“I’m sorry Sakura-san, but you need to step aside. We don’t want to hurt you.”

“No! I won’t let you get to him! You’ll have to go through me!” All fired up, she drops the basket she’s holding to the side.

One of the men sets aside his sword, afraid he might hurt her, and starts swinging his fists at her. Having received some self-defense training, she’s able to dodge every attack gracefully and lands a blow to his stomach. Staggering behind after her blow, he and another man starts lunging at her. She ducks to dodge a punch and jumps to the side to avoid the other man’s machete.

She’s able to get in a groove and dodge every single attack they throw at her, frustrating them even more. That’s when another man comes up from behind and swings his sword at her feet. He scrapes her ankle, succeeding in wounding her. She yells in pain before she falls back, blood oozing out of the wound.

“I’m sorry. You brought this on yourself.” Sasuke hears her scream for pain and his blood starts boiling. He’s not going to let them hurt her for defending him. He feels so hopeless being down there and not being able to protect her.

He transforms and starts flapping his wings. He manages to ascend for a few feet before he’s held back by that mysterious force. He uses all his strength to break free but it just keeps holding him back even stronger. His desperation grows when it starts pulling him closer to the ground. But he refuses to concede. He needs to get out. To get to her.

That’s when he gives a final push, and is finally able to break free. As if a rope has just been snapped, he flies out of the very pit that’s contained him for years and soars through the sky. Sakura and the four men watch as he flies up above their heads, awe never leaving her eyes.

Sasuke lands in front of her, covering her from their line of sight. Anger is now seeping through him. The men all fall to the ground, trembling in fear.

“You’ll pay for this.” He takes a step towards them. He hasn’t even noticed that Sakura has made her way to his side, grabbing his hand.

“Sasuke don’t!!” She tugs him forcefully. He glares at her. “Please stop.” He sees desperation in her eyes. But not just that. He sees sadness as well. But never fear. His expression softens and he transforms back to his normal self.

The four men take their chances and run from there as fast as they can. Sakura drops back to the ground, pain shooting up from her leg.

“You're hurt.” Sasuke eyes the gash on her ankle.”

“It’s fine.” She rips a part of her skirt and ties it around the wound, trying to stop the bleeding. Now that that’s taken care of, her attention falls back to Sasuke.

“Sasuke! You- you were able to get out!”

“Aa.”

“But how?” He’s at a lost for words. He himself doesn’t know how he managed to get out.

Sakura tries to get up but almost trips at the pain that shoots up her leg. Sasuke steadies her.

“You need help.” He instinctively tells Sakura to get on his back, swinging her arms around his neck and grabbing her legs behind the knees. He begins to walk towards her village.

“I’m proud of you.” She manages to whisper. He plays the words in his head over and over again, feeling a tug in his heart.

When they reach her village, they are greeted by a mob of people, all carrying swords, sticks, and fire. Standing in front of the crowd is the four men from back there.

“Not a step closer.” One of them pointed his sword at them. Sakura gets off Sasuke’s back and limps towards the villagers.

“Wait! Look, I know you guys are afraid of him. He might’ve attacked some people back then, but that’s not him. That’s not his true self.”

“He’s cast you under a spell, hasn’t he?” One of the villagers claims.

“No! I’m not under any spell. I’ve gotten to know him, his true self and he’s just a human being like all of us. He’s not some monster you can cage. He never meant to hurt any of those people. Please, just give him a chance. I promise he’ll never hurt anyone ever again.” Sakura pleads in front of everyone. A part of Sasuke feels calm now that someone has his back. But a part of him feels pained to see her like this, being casted out by her own village. If this is what his freedom means, then he’s willing to spend the rest of his life in that retched pit.

“Sakura.” Sasuke slowly steps towards her. Just then, an old woman appears from the back of the crowd. She slowly makes her way to them.

“So you managed to break free.” Their gazes turn to her, all equally confused. Except for Sasuke. Sasuke begins to flare.

“You! You locked me there!” He points at her, anger or something softer than that starting to become evident in his voice.

“I did. But you managed to break free.” Sasuke lowers his finger. “You’re only able to break free from your shackles the moment you learn how to love.” Sasuke’s eyes widen at this.

The old woman’s gaze turns to the pinkette standing next to him. Sasuke follows her gaze and can see how confused Sakura is.

“Dear, it’s you who has set him free.” How is that possible? Sakura questions herself over and over again. “You showed him who he truly is. And helped him learn to love. You were even able to control his emotions.” Sakura remembers then at the forest, when she was able to stop him from hurting those men. Sakura doesn’t realize the impact she has on him. She turns to face him.

Hearing all this, the villagers start lowering their weapons.

True to her words, Sakura did help him. She’s able to free him from his shackles. And she did it in the most selfless way possible.

.

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