Chapter 41

I struggled to keep a straight face as Sasuke, Madara, and I walked through the front doors of our home in Konoha. We spent five days in that hotel room before choosing to resume travel. Without going into much detail, let's just say the three of us are much more comfortable around one another than before. Personally, I wouldn't have minded a few more days, but war still loomed over the country, so business has to come before pleasure.

"Welcome home, Sakura!" My face lit up into a smile as Mikoto threw her arms around me when we stepped into the family room.

Her voice wavered slightly, "We were so worried, sweetheart. We didn't know if you'd make it back alive."

Tears welled in my eyes as I tightly returned the embrace, "I missed everyone."

The queen pulled away, delicately wiping her eyes with a beautiful smile as she then hugged her son, "Honey, it must've been hard. I'm so proud of you."

She offered Madara a smile but didn't say anything. I grabbed his hand, offering him a reassuring glance. No one here knows that the tension and drama between the three of us has been entirely resolved. He squeezed it back with an expression that told me he expected things to be awkward for a while at home.

I bowed politely to the king, who came to stand beside his wife.

"It's been brought to my attention that you did not betray Konoha. Even some of the strongest men in the world would break after being killed multiple times. You have the gratitude of the royal family, Miss Haruno."

"Thank you, Sir…." A blush warmed my cheeks at how formally he addressed me, but then, I shouldn't expect Fugaku to call me by my first name. He's much too professional for that.

He gave Sasuke a firm look, nodding once as though to say he approved of how things played out in Amegakure. Then he turned to Madara, "Brother, would you join me in my office for a debriefing? I'd like to take your statement on the battle and fill you in on what's transpired in your absence." The man at my side released my hand and followed his older brother out of the room and upstairs without a glance back.

Glancing around the now-empty room, I asked nervously, "Where is everyone?"

Mikoto hugged me again, this time kissing the top of my head before speaking in a warm voice, "Sai, Ino, and the baby should be returning from the shop any minute, and-" I sensed some kind of movement near the doorway that led toward the dining room and pulled back, only to suck in a shaky breath when Sasori stood there with Deidara and Kakuzu at his side. The last time I saw the blonde man, he was dead on the floor by my hand.

A sob choked up, and I rushed over to hug him, "I-I'm sorry!"

He returned the embrace, voice wavering as he obviously tried not to cry, "I should be the one apologizing. It's my fault you were captured, and you still tried to save me."

A negating sound left my lips as I pulled back, smiling at Sasori and Kakuzu, "I'm happy to see you two are safe, too."

Sasori's eyes warmed, but he didn't offer a verbal response. Kakuzu bowed his head slightly, an aura of guilt surrounding him, "I understand if you wish to punish me for torturing you. I won't try to run; do what you must."

Sasuke's hand slipped into mine and gently pulled me back to stand at his side. I looked over to see he was glaring intensely at the long-haired man, but he surprised me by not immediately making a decision on my behalf, "I'd like to kill both of you for what you've done, but I realize there are things I still don't know."

He looked at me, the cold stare softening slightly, "I'll leave that decision to you and my father."

"Sakura, you look even more beautiful than I remember."

I lifted my gaze to the hall behind the ex-ame-advisors to see Jiraiya and Tsunade standing there, the white-haired man being the one to have spoken.

Kakuzu moved to the side so they could pass, and I frowned, opening my mouth to ask them why they came to my rescue at all, only for Tsunade to cut me off, "There's something important we need to tell you. That's the only reason we've stuck around."

My eyes narrowed, "Okay. What is it?" She looked around the room at the others, who were staring in expectation, "It's best if we speak in private."

Before I could respond, a surprised gasp met my ears, and I turned to see Ino running at me from the entrance of the room that comes from the castle's exit. I released Sasuke's hand and hugged her tightly, burying my face in her hair as I cried.

She sobbed, "Sakura, I-" "I know. It's alright," I cut her off.

When we last spoke, I was still a little mad at her for allowing Madara to secretly feed me his blood in Sonukuni. She undoubtedly witnessed Madara or Sasuke experience at least one of my deaths. It would've been a tragedy if our last words weren't in good humor.

At least now I can reassure her that things have turned out alright on the Uchiha-elder front. She gasped, pulling back to stare at me with wide eyes, hissing, "Really?"

Blushing and having forgotten she could read minds, I nodded, "We can talk about that later."

Sai approached, smiling the same grin he always does, and offered Inojin to me. I accepted the baby while trying not to be surprised by how much he'd grown in so little time. Less than two months have passed since our last encounter, but he appears between six and nine months old already. His pretty blue eyes were alert and studying my face carefully, long pale lashes framing them elegantly so he looked like some sort of doll. His blonde hair was longer than before, too.

I didn't realize I was holding my breath until he grinned, a few teeth poking out in his gums, and hugged around my neck. A happy little sound left him, and I sighed, relieved tears threatening to make me cry again.

Sai grinned, turning to pull his twin into a short hug, patting his arm casually when they parted.

"We've made sure to talk about you so he hasn't forgotten who you are," Ino stood beside me, rubbing a hand over her son's back so he'd straighten he'd look her way, "Who is this, baby? What's her name?"

A soft voice left his lips as he cheesed, "Auntie!" The word was slightly muddled because he was still so young, but it was apparent Inojin knew what he was trying to say.

It was such a sweet scene that I felt like I was going to get a cavity. A small laugh left my lips, and I gently hugged the baby to my chest, "That's right. Good job!"

After greeting everyone for a while longer, I excused myself with Tsunade and Jiraiya because whatever news they had to share was obviously important, or else they would've just told the Uchihas and asked them to pass the message along rather than wait for my return. We went into the garden, which didn't have as many plants blooming due to the time of year.

"First, I want to ask what happened in Kakurega. Why did you two treat me like that after realizing who I am? I thought we…." I trailed off, unsure of how to finish the statement.

Jiraiya frowned guiltily, "We're sorry. You must know it wasn't because of anything you did. If we'd known you hailed from Konoha the whole time, we wouldn't have taken you in."

My brow furrowed, eyes dancing between him and the blond woman to his left, "But why?"

"Because it was too dangerous for you to be near us. You were in danger there, so we did what we had to do to make you leave."

What? I thought they kicked me to the curb because Amegakure had attacked their bar. I had brought them danger, not the other way around.

Obviously picking up on my furthered confusion, Tsunade sighed, "He's gonna beat around the bush, so let me just say it. Our master's third fledgling; it's Orochimaru. There's a strong possibility that he's not dead."

It felt like the blood in my very veins froze. He might be alive? "That's impossible! I watched Sasuke-" "It's happened in the past."

My mouth clamped shut, my hands in fists at my sides.

Jiraiya frowned, "Around nine hundred years ago, maybe a little longer, is when he tried to…. Well, I won't go into details, but that's when he went too far with his obsession with Tsunade. We killed him that day."

I shakily stepped to the side to place a hand on the tall plant box, eyes glazed over as Tsunade continued.

"As you're already aware, he obviously didn't stay dead. We're not sure how, but he was revived. He wasn't allied with Amegakure yet, so it couldn't have been Yahiko. We think he did something to alter his DNA while experimenting on himself but never managed to figure out the truth."

If that disgusting snake is still alive, there's no way of knowing if he'll try to hurt one of us again. Until his death is confirmed, the fear of not knowing will hang over our heads. It's just not fair. We're on our way to defeating Amegakure and preventing the next great war, and now I'm given this awful news.

"Remember Anko? She was the purple-haired woman that works with Shizune." I nodded, lifting my gaze to Jiraiya's.

"She'd been acting as a mole for us. When you and Sasuke were rescued from Otogakure, she was away and never managed to locate Orochimaru again before news of his death began circulating. We've had an ear to the ground ever since and heard multiple rumors that one of his hideouts in Iwagakure had become active about a month before meeting you. Anko has been trying to use her connections to verify if it's him or not."

Swallowing hard, I straightened my spine, "Thank you for joining the others in Ame, and thank you for telling me this now. Until Yahiko is dealt with, I can't afford to focus on anything else, but as soon as he's dead, I'll happily help in any way I can."

Tsunade's frown deepened, "Very well. We'll take our leave, then. Good luck with your endeavors, and don't break your seal again, or you may not survive next time."

They turned to walk toward the exit, but I stopped them, "Wait! Are you sure you don't want to stay? You're in danger just as much as me if he really is alive. Wouldn't it be safer to remain here with everyone else?"

Jiraiya grinned widely, lifting his hand in a casual wave, "Nah. Castles aren't really our style. We'll send letters, though. Till next time, princess."

So, the pair left.

I went inside, hurrying up the stairs and to the door of Fugaku's office, where he and Madara had yet to emerge. When I knocked, it opened, and I pushed myself past my second master, closing it behind me.

"Sakura, what's-" "Orochimaru might be alive."

The king stood from his desk slowly, "Impossible. Sasuke killed him in this very castle."

I nodded, turning to meet Madara's gaze with concerned eyes, "Tsunade just told me that they killed him once before, a long time ago, and he came back." His jaw flexed, eyes leaving mine to dart to his brothers.

The room was silent for a long time, but Fugaku finally spoke, "One battle at a time. Our focus will remain on Amegakure. Once this is over, we'll begin the search for Orochimaru."

When I left the office so they could continue their debriefing, I found Sasuke in the family room with the others and discreetly pulled him away, up the stairs, and into our bedroom. Then I broke the news to him, too. His face fell, "Why didn't they tell you before now?"

I shrugged, and he crossed the room to fall onto the bed, sighing. I lay down beside him in a calmer manner, "You killed him once, and you're even stronger now, so it shouldn't be hard for us to win again. We just have to find him first."

That evening, after dinner, I went down to the cellar with the boys to visit Hidan, who was chained to the very same cot Obito had used. When his magenta eyes landed on me, they erupted in a fiery red, and he tried to tear free to, my guess, attack me, "I swear, when I get my fucking hands on you, you're gonna wish you were never born!"

My eyes glowed right back, anger boiling in my stomach, "I should be the angry one. You left me to die, Hidan! At least you're alive."

Sasuke hissed, "For now."

Madara agreed, "Not for long if I have anything to say about it."

The silver-haired vampire cursed under his breath, sitting on the edge of the cot and running a hand angrily through his messy locks, "I gave you the damn keys, didn't I?"

I tried to step forward to make him meet my eye again, but Sasuke grabbed my hand. That didn't stop me from biting back, "Yeah, as the ceiling was already caving in. We didn't make it out in time, you asshole!"

Hidan's eyes darted to meet mine, fading back to their usual magenta. To our surprise, he spoke softer, "Then how are you here?"

My face paled as I recalled the excruciating event that followed the dungeon's collapse in Amegakure. Pointing at my forehead, I glared at him harder, "It broke. Do you know how dangerous that is? I could've killed everyone in the castle and myself!"

"...is that what that light was?"

I nodded, rage climbing higher, "The only reason I'm here is so I can look you in the eye and tell you that I won. I know why you did what you did, but that doesn't change the fact that you left me there to die."

Red reappeared in his gaze, and he sneered, looking me up and down, "Did you tell them yet?"

My glare fell, "Tell them what?"

His lips tugged into a grin, "Tell them how you begged on your knees for me to spare you. They deserve to know how weak you really are. How pathetic."

They were at my side one moment, and then in the next, Sasuke was fighting Madara to try and get past him so he could murder Hidan.

The prisoner just laughed, continuing to mock me, "Or, you can tell them how you cried out for them while you were being drained."

Madara froze, turning to glare down at him with eyes alight, "I suggest you shut your mouth, or I'll sew it closed."

"I hate you," my face was burning hot, tears in my eyes, and I held Hidan's glare for a long moment.

He got angry again, trying to muscle his way out of his chains, "I fucking hate you, too, bitch. You disgust me."

I left Sasuke and Madara down there with him without another word. Not only had I purposefully not told them those awful details, but I thought Hidan and I had grown to understand each other at least a little. He gave me those keys, after all. Before my imprisonment, he wouldn't have. I'm ashamed of my weakness. Hidan was right. I begged him to stop. I cried and pleaded for one of the Uchihas to rescue me. Even now, he hasn't laid a finger on me, and I feel as defeated as if I had just fought twenty rounds with a beast.

Despite all that, the thought of Hidan being killed made me sick. It was all the bond, I know, but it still made me hate myself. He knows it, too; that's why he said those things.

Running the bath upstairs, I unbraided my hair, tears falling slowly as I tried to calm down. Arms wrapped around me from behind, and I looked into the mirror to see Sasuke resting his chin atop my head, dark eyes on my face.

I averted my gaze, wiping at my cheeks, "I'm fine."

He unzipped my dress, sliding it off my shoulders and moving onto my bra, fingers slow and calm to contrast my chaotic thoughts. When we were in the bath, he washed my hair. Sasuke was trying to cheer me up, I realized, but it only made me feel guiltier. The fact that I'm so upset over words just proved that I'm pathetic and weak.

"Sakura." I made a sound of acknowledgment. He rinsed my hair, soothingly running his fingers through it to remove any tangles, "We're not judging you."

Turning swiftly, I faced him with a half-hearted glare, "How are you not, though? Nothing he said was a lie. I begged him, Sasuke. It should've never happened, no matter what they did to me."

His eyes narrowed to match my energy, "You were being killed repeatedly."

I huffed angrily, "To give someone like him the satisfaction; you don't understand!"

"Yes, I do!" His voice raised, making my irritation disappear beneath my surprise. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and repeated softly, "I do."

My mind reeled. How would he understand? Unless….

"Sasuke?"

His eyes opened to meet mine, and I could see the discomfort behind them, "I begged him to release you. Sitting there hearing your heartbeat get weaker, smelling your blood…. I had to try."

My tears fell more heavily when I realized his eyes were watering slightly. I cupped his face, not knowing what to say. What I want to do is apologize that he was in such a low place because of me, but that'd only anger him.

"I didn't think you'd kill yourself for my sake." I tried to back away, but his hands grabbed my waist to keep me still.

"What did you expect me to do? They'd killed me so many times by then. I couldn't let you experience-" His brow furrowed, and I closed my eyes with a sigh. Calmly, he pulled me closer, wrapping his arms around my middle. I returned the embrace, looking at his shoulder with a frown.

"You were impressive when we fought." A humorless scoff left my lips, and I turned my face into his neck, closing my eyes. "If that battle had been the first time we met, I would've been in awe."

I mumbled sleepily into his skin, "I was under orders. None of that skill was mine."

"Because you were beautiful. Covered in your enemy's blood, I was still surprised."

Blush heated my entire body, and my eyes shot open, "S-Sasuke, why are you saying this kind of thing all of a sudden? You never-" "I should."

I pulled back, and he allowed me to, enough to meet his eye, "Did someone say something to you? You don't have to change a thing for me; you know that."

He kissed me slowly, taking his time as though trying to show his emotions through the act. When he pulled away, he shook his head, saying nothing else.

There'd be no continuation of the conversation, at least tonight.