Chapter 35 - Sakura Shines

Ekyt stood near the window at Sakura’s bedside. He desperately wanted to do something, but he didn’t know what. Studying didn’t seem appropriate, but neither did actually (shudder) touching her. Every time Ekyt had hugged Sakura, she had been the one to initiate the hugging. He’d never kissed her. He was convinced that he himself was the kiss of death. Everyone close to him wound up hating him, or being evil. It led Ekyt to wonder if he had CHOSEN to become a loner, or if it had been forced on him. But there wasn’t much he could do either way.

Ekyt closed his eyes and bowed his head. He heard Sasuke come in, but didn’t acknowledge him.

“Has she woken up yet?” Sasuke asked, after a minute of silence.

“No. It shouldn’t be much longer, though,” Ekyt replied, chancing a glance at the partially-healed Sakura. She was still sleeping peacefully, which was a good thing, he guessed.

Sakura stirred a little, and tried to sit up. She flopped back down, eyes closed, breathing heavily from the pain. Or so Ekyt thought. Inside Sakura’s mind, however, something else was going on.




Subconcious:

Sakura wandered around, wondering where she was. And why, for that matter. The last thing she remembered was the knives hitting her. This place was foreign. It was where the Leaf Village was- but the Leaf Village was different. Sakura realized that was because she saw the Uchiha Clan’s dojo, and it was in tact. No blood, no police tape, nothing. Just the dojo. And- a younger Sasuke! Sakura started toward him.

“Bye mom!” Sasuke called, running toward the academy. BOOM! Sasuke had hit someone. Cringing, this younger Sasuke smiled and apologized.

“I’m really sorry about that! I’m just in a hurry to get to the academy!” Sasuke said, getting to his feet and bowing his apology.

“Oh, okay! Right! Have a good day, Sasuke!” Sakura said, smiling back. Little Sasuke waved, then took off, weaving in and out of people on the crowded street.

Sakura put her hand down, sort of freezing up. This is weird…why did I just see a younger Sasuke? If HE’S here, that means…

“Hey, watch it, lady! Future Hokage coming through!”

Sakura was nearly bowled over by- Naruto? It was, unmistakably, a younger Naruto. Even now, Sakura had to hold back from hitting him. Sakura watched as Naruto pantsed a random guy, knocked over a fruit stand, demolished a garbage can, and dove through the legs of a pursuing chunin- a younger Iruka!

“Wow…this is the weirdest thing…if I’ve seen Sasuke, Naruto, and Iruka, that means I’ll see…”

“Wow, you have pretty hair!”
“Yeah!”

Sakura heard two familiar voices. One was her own. The other, she knew, belonged to younger Ino.

“Oh, thank you!” Sakura said, smiling and blushing at the compliment, though she wasn’t sure why. I just complimented myself? How desperate is THAT?!

“You should totally do that with your hair, Sakura!” the little, blond Ino said teasingly.
“No way! You know Sasuke likes long hair!” little Sakura shot back, causing both girls to giggle.


Sakura watched the two scamper off. I must be about 9 here…that makes Naruto 8 and a half, and Sasuke 9…this is when we were just starting in school…the ninja part, I mean. This is so weird…why am I seeing this? Or living it? Or whatever’s going on?


The next thing Sakura knew, she was looking at the Uchiha dojo. As she was walking up to it, the Third Hokage greeted her amiably.

“Ah, good morning!” the Third said pleasantly, holding his pipe out to the side for the moment, surveying the village.

“Y-yes it is, Lord Hokage,” Sakura managed to say.

“It’s days like this that make you wonder how war could even exist. Everyone is coexisting, the village is growing. Even the tenth anniversary of the demon fox can’t dampen the spirits of the Village. They’ve got so much heart, to continue on after that. Even though it’s been almost ten years, that isn’t the sort of thing anyone forgets…” The Third took a puff on his pipe, still smiling, even though his words were chilling, in a way.

“Only one of us is really suffering, I guess…” Sakura said, thinking about Naruto.

But the Third Hokage was gone. He was replaced by a blood-stained Uchiha dojo, and a pile of corpses. Sakura gaped in shock.
This is when Itachi…could I have stopped it? No…no, I’m like a spectator. I can interact, but I can’t change anything. This is so hard to watch…


Sakura didn’t have to watch long. The next thing she saw was Ekyt. It was strange, though. He was older than the others, about twelve, thirteen. He was wearing a yellow belt and holding a wooden sword. Sakura smiled at the sight.
This must be when Ekyt started that sword martial art he talks about…look at him, and that little wooden sword. (giggle) I wonder if he ever knew what he would wind up doing with swords later on?

But the next thing Sakura knew was an older Ekyt, sitting in his room, shaking. Tears streaming down his face.
“Why? Why am I so different? Why do I have to suffer? Why doesn’t anyone understand?! I’m just a burden! Damnit!”

Sakura felt a tear herself. This must be the anxiety…Ekyt doesn’t talk of it anymore…but I know how painful it must have been, going through that with no one understanding. I wonder how he fights it off in battle? And why is he alone?



Next, she saw Naruto alone, in his room. There was ramen in front of him, but he wasn’t eating it. He was crying.
“How come I’m different? What’s wrong with me? Everyone’s so mean to me? What did I ever do to them?”
Naruto got up, wiping away the tears. He stood on his chair, nearly upending the ramen in the cup in front of him.
“I’ll show them! I’ll show all of them! I’m going to be Hokage someday, and I’ll be better than any of them! I’ll be the greatest Ninja in the Village, and everyone will finally be nice to me! Believe it!” He declared to himself.



“Why? Why, big brother? Weren’t you strong enough?”
Now Sakura saw Sasuke. He was sitting by himself, on a totami mat in a gym. There was a small opening next to him, leading into the ground.
“How could you, Itachi? And why? Why did you leave me alive?! I was such a coward! I hate you, big brother! I promise, I’ll kill you for what you did to the whole family! I’ll kill you!”



Sakura thought that was the end of the disturbing images. But she was in for a surprise. Now she was seeing all of them, only the same age as Sakura now. Except Ekyt, he was nineteen. So it was like the present.


Naruto was eating with delight at Ichiraku. But behind him, a red tail was growing. Soon, Naruto was the demon fox. He snarled and growled. As quickly as it had happened, it ended. Naruto was cringing in pain, his skin bubbling, burns all over his body.


Sasuke walked around aimlessly. His curse mark suddenly began to spread.
“AGH!”
Sasuke fell to his knees, clutching the mark on his neck. But, just like Naruto, the image changed quickly. Sasuke was still on the ground, wincing in pain. Before Sakura could reach him, the image faded.


Ekyt sat by himself, two scrolls in front of him. One was his own, the white scroll emblazoned with “ShoBu” on it, the other a scroll containing advanced jutsus. That was when Ekyt put a hand to his heart. In his hand was his blue chakra, on his unmasked face, there was the unmistakable look of irrational pain. It was the kind of pain that made you think of cutting your own hand off with a dull kunai knife, just to stop thinking about the pain in your mind.
This image ended quickly, too.
“I have to be stronger. I have no one but myself to count on…I wish it wasn’t like that…but that’s how it is. Now, study! You have to be stronger!”


Finally, Sakura was outside again. This time, no one was around but her, and a few birds, singing sweetly. She recognized the place as Lone Pine Hill.
Then there was- a crow? Sakura frowned. Somehow, a crow didn’t fit in with everything else. It was just kind of…there. It looked Sakura in the eyes, then made a loud ‘caw’ sound. Sakura shooed at it, but it wouldn’t leave. It was like it was…mocking her.
Before Sakura’s eyes, the crow grew larger and larger. It opened it’s beak wide, and bent down to swallow her whole.


End Subconscious



Sakura screamed, trying to ‘wake up’. She could SEE the outside world, but this…whatever kind of world it was, had her trapped.


Ekyt ran across the room.
“Genjutsu…Sakura, it’s genjutsu! Fight it! You can do it!” he urged.
Sakura was clearly trying, and failing, to do just that. She was half out of it, but her mind was being pushed to the brink. The genjutsu was too powerful to break on it’s own. In her mind, the crow was swallowing her, and she was hanging on for dear life, as it began to laugh, like a human.

In the real world, Ekyt saw no other choice. He had tried to break the hold with his normal chakra, but it was too weak. His Blue Chakra would do it, but pumping ‘hate’ into Sakura’s body wouldn’t help it, just the opposite. It would do MORE damage.

I’ve got to think happy…but I can’t! She’s so close to a mental collapse! I’ve got to try! What’s happened that’s happy? I’ve only used this chakra when I’ve felt hate! I need to feel happiness! Come on! Think! What’s made you happy? Of course! That kiss! That hug and kiss! Focus on that! Focus!
Ekyt forced his chakra to his heart. It was blue in color, but it didn’t hurt. It felt…good. Ekyt knew he had done it. A distant part of him wondered how, but he dismissed it. Instead, he put the chakra in hand and put a hand on Sakura’s forehead, putting his chakra into her, to break the genjutsu. Only after he did it did Ekyt realize it might have some kind of effect on Sakura.


Subconcious:

Sakura felt a surge of warmth. Just as the crow was going to swallow her, Sakura grabbed it’s beak and forced it’s powerful halves apart. That’s when she saw it was Itachi that was trying to swallow her. Sakura smiled and cocked her fist back.
WHAM!!!


End Subconcious


Sakura say up in bed, her cuts mostly healed. She had never felt so…free. Happy. But the medic in her was worried. As if reading her mind, Ekyt spoke up.

“It’s not drugs. It was a genjutsu you were in, a really powerful one, I had to use my emotional chakra to break it. The others are standing guard…” Ekyt looked away. Sakura cocked her head.

“Ekyt-kun…what’s wrong?” Sakura got up, too happy to feel pain.

“It’s my fault you got hurt…I wasn’t strong enough…” Ekyt’s voice was strained with emotion. “I’m sorry...” Ekyt couldn’t meet Sakura’s eyes. He looked at the floor instead, gloves hands clenched in anger and frustration at his own inability to protect.

“It’s not your fault! Besides, now, I feel…incredible! Your chakra is so wonderful! It felt like my dreams came true, at least for a little while!” Sakura was leaning next to him, looking out the window. She saw that Ekyt’s face was unchanged, and there was even a tear in his left eye.

Just like…in that genjutsu…he’s acting just like that! I wonder if it was all true. Everything I’d seen…it’s happened already…

“Come on, you’re only human. Besides, how many times have YOU taken the knives for ME?” Sakura joked, fixing her hair and smoothing her skirt.

“I know…But…ask the others. I would have done anything. I wish it HAD been me.”

Ekyt stood away from the window; he still couldn’t face Sakura. Only now did Sakura see Ekyt’s wounds. They had been bandaged quickly and poorly. It was evident that Ekyt had come straight here after he killed the Itachi clones.

“I live for very few people, Sakura. I would die for anyone, if they had a chance at life. But the people I really care for…there are so few…I would do anything for the people I care about. Even if it meant death. I would protect them, with everything I had. I’m a loner…so the few people I have mean everything to me. In Konoha, I’ve found more people to care for. I feel like I’ve let you down if I let you get hurt in a senseless mistake. I was so cocky, facing Itachi. I had him beaten, I saw through his jutsu. I was so stupid to think that. And…I…I’m…”

Just say it! Tell her you love her! Say it, now! What can she do? Just say it! SAY IT!

“Ekyt-kun…I was happy to do it for you.”

(Grab)

Sakura was holding Ekyt’s hand. Both their hands were ungloved for the moment. This was another first for Ekyt. Her hand…I’ve seen it destroy boulders, crush bones…but now, it’s so tender, and comforting…I’ve got to stop this. I’m in love with her. But I can’t tell her…she’s got Sasuke, and a million other options. What would she want with someone like me? I’m not playing the same game, hell, I’m not even in the same league. And who am I kidding? She could never care for a guy like me. I’m worthless…I couldn’t even protect her! What kind of warrior am I?! I’m weak!



Sakura giggled. Playfully, she tapped Ekyt’s head with one finger.

“I know what’s going on in there…” she said slyly. Immediately, Ekyt’s jaw fell to somewhere between his chest and knees. She knows?

“You’re beating yourself up in that lil’ head of yours. Well, stop it! (giggle) I’m a kunoichi, I’m going to get hurt. It’s how you reacted that meant so much to me. You care, and I know that. So stop beating yourself up! I don’t know many guys that would sit at a girl’s bedside like that. Even the times in the past, when you watched me while those dreams were happening…you never asked anything in return. I won’t pretend to know the rest of your thoughts, but I know that you’re kicking your own @$$ in your head.”

Sakura pushed herself up onto the windowsill. Wagging her finger, like Ekyt was some bad puppy, she winked and finished her theory on his mind:

“You’re a protective type. You need people to protect. Well, I’m not exactly the helpless girl type, but I AM still a girl. And every girl…wants to be cared about. So, I guess I’m saying…”

Sakura leapt down and pushed Ekyt’s forehead protector up.

“Thanks for caring.” As soon as the words left Sakura’s mouth, she kissed Ekyt’s forehead, the one part of him that had remained unscathed.


For his part, Ekyt was in a state of disbelief. But, sadly, he thought that he knew what was going on. She’s just being friendly…I can’t say I’ve ever seen her kiss anyone, except Lee on the cheek once to shut him up…but still…(Ekyt looks over at her as she sighs at her torn clothes)I need to be stronger. I need to protect her. And Naruto. And Sasuke. And anyone else I can. Naruto is going to be Hokage, Sasuke is incredibly strong already, and getting better every day, Sakura is going to surpass Tsunade…that leaves me. What can I do? For once, I’m going to answer positively: I can do a whole hell of a lot. It’s time to go to work.

“So, what happened to me, anyway?” Sakura wanted to know. “It was like a genjutsu, but with no one to cast it…”

“Those kunai were dipped in a poison that somehow created a genjutsu. That, or something like a post-hypnotic suggestion thing,” Ekyt replied, sounding unsure. “I’ve never really seen anything like it. It shouldn’t come back on it’s own, that much I’ve figured out. It seems like Itachi used Tsukuyomi, but played it you specifically. It didn’t attack you physically, and I’m not sure what you saw, but if I had to guess, I’d say Itachi tried to play on your mind, on your memories, somehow.” Ekyt had given this a great deal of thought.

“Oh. Well, as long as you killed it,” Sakura said pleasantly.

Ekyt tried to smile. “It was interesting. I used every weapon in my aresenal to kill the Itachi’s. You should have seen the look on the clone’s face when I used my iron fan on it. I forgot I even had the thing…”

Sakura giggled. The thought of tough ol’ Ekyt using a fan to kick a clone’s @$$ WAS funny. That’s when Sakura saw two bunches of flowers, both equally beautiful.

“Oh, who left those?” Sakura asked.

“Um, well, that one (right one) is from me. It was the least I could do, considering this is my fault…and the other one is from Sasuke.”

Suddenly, Sakura felt a lot better. Confused, but better.


“Hey, can we come in yet or what?! Don’t hog her!” Naruto pushed Ekyt aside as he barreled into the room.

“How are you feeling Sakura-chan?”

And he and Sasuke, were off and running with questions. Ekyt slunk out the door. He had hoped Sakura wouldn’t notice the flowers until he had left. Too late for that. Just one more thing to take care of. Kakashi stopped Ekyt as he was leaving.

“I hope you don’t mind the fact that I let you face Itachi alone. I didn’t meant to desert you- I wouldn’t have done it if I wasn’t sure you couldn’t handle it,” Kakashi told Ekyt.

“I appreciate that, sensei. It means a lot that you think that much of my skills. If it was someone else, I might question them, but you know what you’re doing.” Ekyt said with a wave over his shoulder.

Kakashi smiled. He’s a good kid…I hope his heat with the town goes away. He’s really a staple of our community, in a way similar to Iruka. Not to mention this is ruining part of his dreams- ‘to be the one anyone can come to with problems’. They won’t come if they don’t trust him…




“Of course, sure. No one’s bought that land. It would be good to see it used for something,” Lady Tsunade told Ekyt.

“Good to hear. I’ll hire builders and get to work. I plan on a 3-story place, plus a basement. I just need approval…”

Tsunade waved her hand. “It’s your land, kid. Go for it. Just don’t dodge out of missions for too long, okay? I’ve got some C and B ranks waiting for you. Apparently, you impressed Ebisu, and he voted for you to be made a chunin. Now, you just have to convince the other members of the council, the ones that hate your guts now -_-‘.”

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