Chapter 75 - Arc XI: Companionship- Chapter 2

“How is Azami?”

Yuji flinched, and he knew that Sakura saw it. There was no point in hiding it, he supposed.
“She’s…well, she’s got some guy back home, I guess. So it wasn’t going to work out…”
He sounded overly casual, and that made his reply more awkward. He mentally cursed himself for telling the unabashed truth at a time like this. He should have just said ‘good’, for that was true- She was doing good. It was he, Yuji, that had the problem!

Sakura stood up and went over to Yuji. She stood in front of him and gently took his hands.
“I am so sorry, Yuji.”

Yuji nodded, renewed feelings of sadness hitting him. He deeply regretted ‘losing’ Azami. He didn’t know this Kojiro guy, but despite what he told Azami while pretending to be a good sport, he really did want to rip the bastard limb from limb and-

“Yuji?”
He looked up.

Sakura was holding him lovingly, his head in her chest. There was nothing sexual about it for either of them. Simply two people down on their luck licking each other’s wounds. Yuji was about to thank her when the situation changed.

Sakura pushed him backward off his feet, lowering him gently to the ground before straddling him. Before he could protest, she held his shoulders down and kissed him. With her chakra control, she could neutralize even his Ten no Kishootsu chakra. He was literally helpless to stop her as her lips met his aggressively. There was no saying no until she let up.

“To hell with him,” she snarled, unbuttoning her top and flinging it aside. She tore Yuji’s shirt off. She ran a hand down his bare chest, feeling the goosebumps that had risen from the cold air. She sighed happily- he was human after all, she thought. He seemed ‘real’, rather than a product of a scroll’s words. She leaned back in and kissed him more passionately. She was so confused and desperate over Naruto that she wanted nothing more then her erstwhile protector- a boy who had admitted loving her despite promising to give her up- to be with her.

“Sakura…” he said softly. But she shook her head violently. She began to kiss his neck, marking it with little bites, knowing that he would enjoy the roughness behind it. Even as she set about tasting his body, she answered his question.

“No! Don’t you understand? I was in love with him! And he has the nerve to tell me that it isn’t real?! It feels real! It is real!”

She tapped Yuji’s ki point three inches below his navel, and he felt like his wrists and ankles were shackled down. Which they were, really- with the invisible bonds of chakra. The skill of Sakura as a medic was amazing to him, even now. Though it was less amazing as the feeling of her tongue on his right nipple. It made him blush, really for the first time. She was not single; therefore no threat, so there was no need to feel worried or embarrassed. But she was breaking the rules! He couldn’t let her do this! And yet, he was powerless. What harm would it do?

Let me count the ways…

Sakura continued her rant. “You wanted me, didn’t you?! Well, now I’m yours! Where in this prophecy does it say anything about you and I being together being wrong?!”

“It doesn’t,” Yuji admitted calmly. “But I promised Naruto I wouldn’t pursue you…”

Sakura looked at him, tears in her eyes. She was silently begging him not to do this. But his unwavering stare, with eyes that shone with loyalty, finally led her to back up a little, though she did not redress or release him.

“He told me he loved me, and lied. Do you think he cares about me? You care, don’t you?”

“Yes. I do. And believe me, I don’t want to say no to you,” Yuji told her, his gaze firmly locked on her, still not raising his voice. God knew he didn’t want to say no; not now! “But a promise is a promise. And if you ask me to, I will make you a promise…”

“What kind of promise?”

Yuji drew in a breath, at least partly to show how serious this was to him. He knew the prophecy was an esoteric concept at best to Naruto and Sakura. That was the point of him existing, he supposed. “I promise to break the prophecy. I will find a loophole and I will use it destroy this damning prophecy, whatever the cost.”

They were staring each other down now. Yuji was doing his best not to stare at her breasts, which had so lovingly held his head in a shared moment of pain just a minute ago. Now they were teasing him. What he desired he could not have.

And why not? Because I promised? Why does that sound so pathetic? Why can’t I just let her do this? Naruto broke her heart. That bastard doesn’t deserve her! So why…
Why am I stepping aside like this? I don’t want to. I want to hold her. Why is it so wrong? Why is it a sin? Why is everything always verboten to me?

Sakura kept him there for a while, studying him.
“Damn your integrity,” she said finally, loosening up a bit. She released his chakra restraints, but did not get off him.

“Damn my integrity,” he agreed, nodding sagely. If she only knew how bad this sucked for him…

“I could order you to do this, you know. And you’d have to obey, right?” she asked him, eyes still brimming with unshed tears that made his heart yearn for her. If only he could damn his duty and take her in his arms…

He heard himself reply: “That’s true.”

“You’re lucky that’s not my style.”

“I’m lucky? How do you figure?” he quipped. “This damned thing…it’s given me power…but at what cost?”
He shook his head, deciding it was his turn to tell her something big.
“Even though I am simultaneously Yuji/Kimihiro and Ten no Kishootsu, I can feel the division. ‘Kimihiro’ desires power; Ten no Kishootsu grants it. But ‘Yuji’ wants love…I am still not whole.”

Sakura kissed him again, this time much more innocently, on the forehead. She held him by his shoulders at arm’s length to study him. She looked into his eyes, gave him a brave smile and told him a simple truth:
“You are loved, Yuji. Whether you’re ‘Heaven’s Temper’ or ‘Kimihiro’, there are people waiting for you to come home. Don’t ever think you’re really alone out there.”

She released Yuji. But he didn’t move. He just lay there for a moment before answering with a quiet sadness in his voice.
“…The loneliest place, Ojousama, can be a crowded room.”

Sakura had heard him say that before. She understood it somewhat, but decided to ask him about it. What did either of them have to hide at this point? She’d just made a fool of herself, and come to within an inch of ripping his clothes off and having her way with him. She was now before her loyal friend and servant less than fully clothed. And it didn’t get any more innocent with him half naked as well.

“…I have power that I know I’ve earned. I have a cause. A clear, personal cause. And yet, I’m empty inside. Like a part of me is missing. I don’t know for sure it’s love that would fill that gap within me, but just now…your attention…your desire on me…”
Blushing heavily, Yuji looked up at Sakura, met her gaze quickly, then turned away shyly.
“…It made me feel whole. And that’s why I’ll do anything for you. Because I love you.”

Yuji got up on one knee, taking the time-honored servant’s pose, with one fist planted on the ground, his head bowed in deference. His eyes were squeezed shut. He spoke with surprising intensity for someone who was just on the verge of depression.
“Even if nothing can ever come of that love, I will honor it, Ojousama!”

Sakura sank to her knees to be on his level, but he sunk his gaze even lower. She was not going to be denied.

“If you won’t look, then listen!” she demanded fiercely. “If you love me, then find happiness! Being miserable is no answer!”

“There is no happiness, Ojousama! As long as I serve you and Naruto-dono, I will have, at least, a purpose for living. Without that…”

Sakura knew she was taking a gamble, but at this point, it didn’t matter. She had inadvertently made things much worse with her selfish desires. She had to make things right.

“Yuji, if this is how it will be, then there’s only one option: If you cannot obey me and at least attempt to find happiness, then I will do the one thing in my power that both you and I, and Naruto too…the one thing we’ll all regret:
I will break this prophecy myself by dismissing you as my servant. That will end this prophecy that has caused so much misery!”

“Were you to do that, Ojousama,” Yuji told her solemnly, his voice laden with worry and regret, “My death would only follow. I am bound by blood to this unholy covenant. For me, there is no escape except for death.”
He smiled at her, meaning his next words.
“But…that’s not to say I mind my position. I am content. At least, with work. (My personal life really sucks, ‘tho)”

Whose death will it be that shatters this prophecy? Mine? Or yours, Sasuke? Make no mistake- if you even attempt to hurt anyone, I will have no reservations about ending you. No more wondering. Make your move if you’re going to…
--
--

Shoki had become proficient in medical ninjutsu quickly. He knew first aid, and even a few life-saving techniques. His mind wasn’t following what his body was doing, and somehow remembering independent of thought. He had finished dissecting mending the broken wing of a bird that had hit the window earlier. Normally, to see life given back to something or someone so bound by injury made him smile. But today, he was seeing three of that bird, and only in snapshots.

The scroll said this would happen. So that means it’s almost over. Will I be blind after this? Or…

Before he could finish that thought, Sakura came in to check his progress. She also seemed distracted.

“You did good. A clean mend.”

He barely heard the praise. His eye had jammed on the image of the bird, and he couldn’t get it out. He was trying not to panic so as not to worry Sakura, but his courage was failing quickly.

“The eye again, huh?”

Shoki nodded, rubbing at his eye. “It’s almost over. I’m so afraid of going blind…”

Sakura held his hand comfortingly, giving him a smile he couldn’t see.
“It’ll be alright. If something goes wrong, we can fix it. So no worrying about it, ‘kay?”

Shoki could hear the smile in her voice. He felt his first crush developing right then and there. He could understand why Yuji-senpai liked this girl so much. She was so kind. Her hand was warm and comforting; a light in his darkest hour. Had Shoki not know for sure it was wrong to be with another man’s girlfriend, he would have kissed her. Or at least tried to. Really, their age difference wasn’t so big.

“Thank you…”

“No problem. Anything I can do to help?” she inquired brightly.

Well, actually, there was. Something that wasn’t too difficult. What could it hurt to ask?

“Lady Sakura, could you take me to see Asuna-chan? The scroll said something about pure water being helpful somehow.”

Sakura bent down and picked Shoki up, carrying him piggyback.
Right, that scroll he hasn’t shown to anyone yet. I suppose it’s only natural to want to learn about your lineage first. He probably told Yuji by now.

“We’ll pick up Yuji and Asuna on the way to the temple, okay?”

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