Elizabeth Culmer (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
edenfalling) wrote2005-03-27 09:48 pm
edenfalling) wrote2005-03-27 09:48 pm
Entry tags:
[Fic] "Tides" 00, "Tension, Before" -- Naruto
Okay, I give up. Clearly Naruto has become a secondary fic-writing fandom for me instead of a temporary departure from my usual HP stomping grounds.
Team 7 friendship with overtones of something more, Sakura POV. Potential future fic, taking into account everything through manga chapter 253. So yeah, there are some potential spoilers, but they're quite vague.
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Tension, Before
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Seeing Sasuke again after all these years is strange, and Sakura's not quite sure what to feel.
Anger, yes, there's some of that. Actually, there's a lot -- what was he thinking, leaving them behind and running off to the Sound? True strength isn't curse seals that twist your body until you're barely human anymore. True strength isn't being alone with no human ties to slow you down.
True strength is knowing that your friends keep you sane, that your friends give you a reason to keep fighting, and that your friends will lend you their own strength whenever you need it. Even if they're complete idiots the rest of the time.
So yeah, Sakura's angry.
But she's also limp with relief -- Sasuke is still Sasuke, still the one in charge of his own body, not just a flesh puppet for Orochimaru to wear. She's thrilled that their rescue mission worked, that she and Naruto and Kakashi got the drop on him during his stint as a gate guard, that he's back in Konoha and safe. She's worried that Sasuke won't want to stay when he wakes up, or that Kakashi won't be able to spin his reinstatement in Leaf-nin ranks as a clever psychological strike against both Orochimaru and Akatsuki (in the person of his brother... and why didn't Sasuke ever tell them about Itachi?) and the council will execute him as a traitor.
And deep down where she won't admit it to herself -- she's so over that crush, and she can see now that he never loved her back, not that way -- Inner Sakura is drooling over his face and his hair and his body... slim and tall and covered with tight muscle, and she'd bet a month's salary that Sasuke's even more flexible now than when he was twelve...
She's pretty sure nobody but Tsunade would take her up on that bet, and everyone knows that if Tsunade has any luck gambling, something's very wrong with the state of the world.
"Sakura-chan? Hey, hey, Sakura? Sa-ku-ra!" Naruto waves a hand in her face and Sakura blinks at him, still surprised that she has to look up an inch or so to meet his eyes. "Oh, good, you're awake. I thought maybe you passed out with your eyes open."
Sakura's about to bash him reflexively for insinuating that she'd fall asleep before Sasuke wakes up, but then her conscious mind catches the genuine concern in Naruto's voice and the not-quite-pain in his blue eyes, and she lets her hand fall harmlessly to her side. "Not until Sasuke wakes up and we know what the council decides."
"Yeah. I hope the old geezers hurry up." Naruto huffs out a deep sigh and shoves his hands into his pockets, staring at Sasuke. Their former teammate is strapped to a hospital bed in this barred and warded room, and fresh rings of black symbols wrap around his bare shoulder, containing the curse seal. To Sakura's trained eyes, the three marks pulse with muted but malevolent intent; for the moment Orochimaru's power is quiescent, but she doesn't trust it to stay asleep. Neither do Kakashi and Jiraiya-san -- which is why Naruto is in this room. If Sasuke breaks loose, if he can draw on the curse seal even through the wards, nobody but Naruto has the power to stop him.
Sakura's here because she refused to let Naruto face Sasuke alone. If things go wrong, if Naruto has to play executioner, she's going to be right here beside him. She won't let him carry that guilt alone. Besides, she has warding scrolls in her pockets; even if they won't stop Sasuke, they might distract him long enough to give Naruto a clean strike.
Neither of them really wants Sasuke to suffer, not even if he's warped himself enough that he might not be their Sasuke anymore.
And if Sasuke comes to his senses, if he listens to their arguments and offers of help, if he's willing to stay, there's no way on earth Sakura's going to let the boys have their reunion without her. Nobody's going to leave her behind anymore. Naruto knows that now. He's seen her fight. He's seen her heal. Sasuke will learn that soon enough.
If he wakes up and he's their Sasuke, then even if the council decides against him, they won't let him go. Before Kakashi and Tsunade left for the council meeting, Kakashi reminded them that ninja who don't support their comrades are lower than trash, and Tsunade stretched and commented idly that Akatsuki was probably Konoha's number one enemy these days, and she really hoped someone would think of a way to strike at them.
Sakura knows that even if they take Sasuke and run, no Anbu or hunter-nin will chase them. Naruto's still uneasy about leaving Konoha without official permission -- he loves the village almost as much as his small collection of precious people -- but he hates Akatsuki more than Sakura thought he could hate anything. Itachi is part of Akatsuki. Itachi thinks of Naruto as a thing, as a container for the Kyuubi. Itachi thinks of Sasuke as a thing too -- as an experiment of sorts, as a catnip mouse for a bored tiger. Itachi thinks Sakura is even less than that; to him, Sakura is nothing.
Sakura and Naruto will be more than happy to help Sasuke kill his brother, if he'll accept their help. If he's still their Sasuke. If they can reach him through the tunnel vision, the curse seal, and the years of Orochimaru's influence. If not... well, they'll kill Itachi anyway and bury his eyes in Sasuke's grave.
But Sakura hopes it won't come to that. Sasuke has so much to live for, if he'd only open his eyes. He has her. He has Naruto. He has Kakashi. Maybe he lost his birth family, but he can build a new one the way Naruto has. She'd like to be part of his family.
...As a sister, she tells herself, smothering a blush and pushing Inner Sakura back into the depths. She's over him, she really is, and she couldn't ever go back to making Sasuke her whole world anyway. She couldn't shut Naruto out anymore.
"Wake up already, bastard," Naruto mutters, but the insult lacks any bite and his eyes are worried.
Sasuke groans. His eyelids flutter.
Sakura inches a bit closer to Naruto and waits for the shape of her future to come clear.
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End of "Tension, Before"
Continue to First Steps
Read the clean version here at ff.net
---------------------------------------------
Team 7 friendship with overtones of something more, Sakura POV. Potential future fic, taking into account everything through manga chapter 253. So yeah, there are some potential spoilers, but they're quite vague.
---------------------------------------------
Tension, Before
---------------------------------------------
Seeing Sasuke again after all these years is strange, and Sakura's not quite sure what to feel.
Anger, yes, there's some of that. Actually, there's a lot -- what was he thinking, leaving them behind and running off to the Sound? True strength isn't curse seals that twist your body until you're barely human anymore. True strength isn't being alone with no human ties to slow you down.
True strength is knowing that your friends keep you sane, that your friends give you a reason to keep fighting, and that your friends will lend you their own strength whenever you need it. Even if they're complete idiots the rest of the time.
So yeah, Sakura's angry.
But she's also limp with relief -- Sasuke is still Sasuke, still the one in charge of his own body, not just a flesh puppet for Orochimaru to wear. She's thrilled that their rescue mission worked, that she and Naruto and Kakashi got the drop on him during his stint as a gate guard, that he's back in Konoha and safe. She's worried that Sasuke won't want to stay when he wakes up, or that Kakashi won't be able to spin his reinstatement in Leaf-nin ranks as a clever psychological strike against both Orochimaru and Akatsuki (in the person of his brother... and why didn't Sasuke ever tell them about Itachi?) and the council will execute him as a traitor.
And deep down where she won't admit it to herself -- she's so over that crush, and she can see now that he never loved her back, not that way -- Inner Sakura is drooling over his face and his hair and his body... slim and tall and covered with tight muscle, and she'd bet a month's salary that Sasuke's even more flexible now than when he was twelve...
She's pretty sure nobody but Tsunade would take her up on that bet, and everyone knows that if Tsunade has any luck gambling, something's very wrong with the state of the world.
"Sakura-chan? Hey, hey, Sakura? Sa-ku-ra!" Naruto waves a hand in her face and Sakura blinks at him, still surprised that she has to look up an inch or so to meet his eyes. "Oh, good, you're awake. I thought maybe you passed out with your eyes open."
Sakura's about to bash him reflexively for insinuating that she'd fall asleep before Sasuke wakes up, but then her conscious mind catches the genuine concern in Naruto's voice and the not-quite-pain in his blue eyes, and she lets her hand fall harmlessly to her side. "Not until Sasuke wakes up and we know what the council decides."
"Yeah. I hope the old geezers hurry up." Naruto huffs out a deep sigh and shoves his hands into his pockets, staring at Sasuke. Their former teammate is strapped to a hospital bed in this barred and warded room, and fresh rings of black symbols wrap around his bare shoulder, containing the curse seal. To Sakura's trained eyes, the three marks pulse with muted but malevolent intent; for the moment Orochimaru's power is quiescent, but she doesn't trust it to stay asleep. Neither do Kakashi and Jiraiya-san -- which is why Naruto is in this room. If Sasuke breaks loose, if he can draw on the curse seal even through the wards, nobody but Naruto has the power to stop him.
Sakura's here because she refused to let Naruto face Sasuke alone. If things go wrong, if Naruto has to play executioner, she's going to be right here beside him. She won't let him carry that guilt alone. Besides, she has warding scrolls in her pockets; even if they won't stop Sasuke, they might distract him long enough to give Naruto a clean strike.
Neither of them really wants Sasuke to suffer, not even if he's warped himself enough that he might not be their Sasuke anymore.
And if Sasuke comes to his senses, if he listens to their arguments and offers of help, if he's willing to stay, there's no way on earth Sakura's going to let the boys have their reunion without her. Nobody's going to leave her behind anymore. Naruto knows that now. He's seen her fight. He's seen her heal. Sasuke will learn that soon enough.
If he wakes up and he's their Sasuke, then even if the council decides against him, they won't let him go. Before Kakashi and Tsunade left for the council meeting, Kakashi reminded them that ninja who don't support their comrades are lower than trash, and Tsunade stretched and commented idly that Akatsuki was probably Konoha's number one enemy these days, and she really hoped someone would think of a way to strike at them.
Sakura knows that even if they take Sasuke and run, no Anbu or hunter-nin will chase them. Naruto's still uneasy about leaving Konoha without official permission -- he loves the village almost as much as his small collection of precious people -- but he hates Akatsuki more than Sakura thought he could hate anything. Itachi is part of Akatsuki. Itachi thinks of Naruto as a thing, as a container for the Kyuubi. Itachi thinks of Sasuke as a thing too -- as an experiment of sorts, as a catnip mouse for a bored tiger. Itachi thinks Sakura is even less than that; to him, Sakura is nothing.
Sakura and Naruto will be more than happy to help Sasuke kill his brother, if he'll accept their help. If he's still their Sasuke. If they can reach him through the tunnel vision, the curse seal, and the years of Orochimaru's influence. If not... well, they'll kill Itachi anyway and bury his eyes in Sasuke's grave.
But Sakura hopes it won't come to that. Sasuke has so much to live for, if he'd only open his eyes. He has her. He has Naruto. He has Kakashi. Maybe he lost his birth family, but he can build a new one the way Naruto has. She'd like to be part of his family.
...As a sister, she tells herself, smothering a blush and pushing Inner Sakura back into the depths. She's over him, she really is, and she couldn't ever go back to making Sasuke her whole world anyway. She couldn't shut Naruto out anymore.
"Wake up already, bastard," Naruto mutters, but the insult lacks any bite and his eyes are worried.
Sasuke groans. His eyelids flutter.
Sakura inches a bit closer to Naruto and waits for the shape of her future to come clear.
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End of "Tension, Before"
Continue to First Steps
Read the clean version here at ff.net
---------------------------------------------
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And even if Sasuke's a complete bone-headed idiot with a stick up his ass, massive tunnel vision, and very little comprehension of how his actions affect other people, I do kind of like him. And I hope he's salvageable. (If only for Naruto and Sakura's sakes.)
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So. EEEE angry!sakura, eee! relieved!sakura!! she's so -- aww. *cuddlesquishes*
not just a flesh puppet for Orochimaru to wear.
o_o i really like the expression. the mental image is so deeply disturbing.
XD I love the way you summarize the situation, how they got him back and XDDD!! about that line about itachi.
she's so over that crush
We believe you, hon.
I love that she's able to see past the crush now, and yet still wants his body. *^_____^* *pervs on flexible!sasuke with her*
*snickers at the line about tsunade*
the genuine concern in Naruto's voice and the not-quite-pain in his blue eyes
;_;!!! *cuddlesquishes naruto*
description of tiedup!sealed sasuke = OMGSEX.
Oh the fact that they know he might be twisted beyond recognition, and yet still want to be there, still hope... ;;_;; heartstrings: *zing!*
If he wakes up and he's their Sasuke
*melts in puddle of goo* *waves ot3 flag*
yes! run away with him!!! ;__; ohhh now i want to see it, see what happens, because you have a few scenarios and ahhh i want more. I love thinking about the possibilities, but i want to know what you think would/could happen. And i've never seen a sakura-and-naruto-run-away-with-sasuke fic before. it's always been various levels of reaccepting him into konoha with various levels of freedom -- i really want to see how sasuke would react to them following him. bet he'd be really angry at first, because right now he's pretty sure he doesn't need them, never has and never will. pretty sure he doesn't believe he should have a right to any sort of loyalty too.
XD yay for kakashi and tsunade's discreet meddling.
If not... well, they'll kill Itachi anyway and bury his eyes in Sasuke's grave.
*shivers* wow, that would mlake a great darkfic. But dead!sasuke.. no please. ;_; if you wrote it, i'd just HAVE to read it, and my angst tolerance doesn't go that high. x_x
couldn't ever go back to making Sasuke her whole world anyway. She couldn't shut Naruto out anymore.
*waves flag* *wavewavewave* ahhh that's so perfectly perfect! Team 7 OTP in two sentences. ;___;
*shivers* now i want to know what happens. but it also feels complete, like they have an infinity of possibilities in front of them. my imagination is working overtime now. In fact I'd kinda like to see a few of the possibilities... XD *demanding*
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As for perving on Sasuke... well, his personality needs a bit (a lot!) of work, but you can't deny he's pretty damn good-looking.
...
I am considering the atractiveness of a pen-and-ink 13-year-old kid. *feels dirty*
no subject
*is dirty right along with you* XD
also, you inspired me. DAMN YOU. *tries to keep the fic at manageable length*
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I really like this ficlet. I'd really, really like to see it turn into a real story. There isn't nearly enough good Naruto fiction out there--even at this length, that's one of the best pieces I've read.
Which isn't meant to be nearly as backhanded as it sounds...>_>;;
http://www.stateofsintari.com/ <--a Naruto fic contest. It's specifically for people new to the fandom. I don't know how many of these you have--if you have more than two pieces posted, then you might consider entering.
*really wants you in her fandom, after reading that*
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You can thank Asuka and "Teamwork" for dragging me ass-backwards into Naruto; I've been here since around Christmas. :-)
no subject
*thanks Asuke kindly*