Chapter 54

"There was so much blood. It's hers, but it smelled different somehow," Madara whispered as the three of us, plus Sarada, entered an inn room. 

We tracked the scent of Sakura's blood to this little village a few hours' drive away from the crypts, where it disappeared without a trace. Either she's alive and stopped the bleeding, or she's been dead all along, and someone decimated her resting place. 

I said nothing while laying on one of the beds with the baby resting on my chest, one of my hands holding her there so she wouldn't roll off. 

Hidan did, though, because he never shuts his mouth, "Let's bargain, shall we? If she's alive like I know she is, then you have to let me go free. If she's not, you can do whatever you want to me." 

"We can already do whatever we want, you imbecile," Madara growled. "And if she's somehow alive, you didn't do anything to resurrect her, so why would we ever reward you?" 

"Because you two are too caught up in your feelings to sense her like I am. Otherwise, you'd have fuckin' left Konoha days ago." 

"You-" "You can sense her right this moment?" I cut off my uncle's following response with my own. 

The silver-haired vampire scoffed, "This shit hasn't let up since it started! I told you, Dumbass, she's probably doing it intentionally." 

Madara and I shared a look before I rolled onto my side, cradling the now-sleeping child in the crook of my arm as I glared, "What exactly are you feeling? Explain it." 

Hidan's cocky expression fell into an awkward one, "...She's terrified and hungry. It feels like she's not fully in control of herself." 

It's just grief playing tricks on the man. It has to be because Sakura's dead and never coming back. I can't think otherwise, or it'll be like learning of her death all over again when we find the truth.

Fuck. 

Every detail he gives us makes me more hopeful that Sakura is out there somewhere, waiting for us to find her. The thought of her waking up in that stone coffin with no way out makes my chest tighten with worry, but if she does anything out of character, she'll break down upon calming. If what he's saying is true, the woman's lost her grasp on reality like she's done a handful of times since being turned. 

Madara said what I was thinking aloud, "She could be slaughtering villages as we speak." 

"Or someone stole her body to drain it," I said quietly, trying not to let any emotion show. 

"If they were after her blood, they wouldn't have left so much at the scene of the crime, Idiot," Hidan scoffed. 

He's right.

Since we foresaw this search taking longer than initially expected, we decided to play it safe by finding some blood amidst this town in case we have no access later. Madara stayed in the room with the baby while Hidan and I left first. 

Immediately, the menace scoped out the sluttiest woman he could find, which was no surprise. I followed at a distance in case he was lying and attempting to escape. 

As irritated as I am to be in Hidan's presence, the only strong emotions weighing my mind and shoulders are directed at Sakura. I'm seconds away from taking my kid and retreating to Konoha because I know I can't go through this again. Chasing a dream that'll never become a reality like this is picking at wounds that never healed in the first place. 

The scent of blood met my nose, and I stopped walking to lean against a brick wall, Hidan having enticed his prey down the alleyway a bit. My throat burnt with thirst, but all I could think about when it came to blood was how much of it surrounded Sakura's body when we found her. 

Every time I close my goddamn eyes, I can see the image of her desperately trying to protect our daughter though she couldn't see well enough to recognize her own masters. The whites of her eyes were dark, but it was impossible for her eyes to turn red with how weak she'd become. Her skin had already begun to lose the color of life, the bright ivory becoming dull gray. I think sheer stubbornness is the only thing that kept her alive long enough for us to find them. 

It was all over her face, the determination to protect something so innocent. 

My heart broke when I saw that because I think I already knew that she was gone. There have been a tragically high amount of times I've witnessed Sakura on the brink of death, but it never felt as real as that day. 

When Mina died all those years ago, the woman Sai and I fought so viciously over, I thought I'd discovered the true meaning of loss, but I was wrong. Nothing has ever hurt like this. I didn't know emotions could cause physical pain, but it does. 

Each step I take feels like torture because what's the point anymore? I love Sarada in a way I never thought possible, but I also know she'll be cared for by Madara, Ino, and the rest of my family. I can leave. I can go to where Sakura is. We can be happy again: together. 

It's too selfish. That's why I haven't acted on these relentless, cowardly, yearning thoughts. Giving in to this grief would betray the promise I made. If I go through with it and somehow end up in the same place as someone as good as Sakura, she'll hate me for leaving Sarada parentless. 

A familiar scent tore me from my daze, my neck turning swiftly to the opposite end of the alleyway where Hidan was still feeding. 

It's him. 

I took off in a sprint in that direction, eyes alight with rage. Yahiko's nearby, somewhere in the distance. The wind had carried his scent to me as though fate wanted me to have my vengeance on him. And I will. 

A few minutes later, I arrived at the edge of town, facing a thick forest. My eyes searched the dark for any sign of movement, and my nose lifted slightly to try and catch another whiff of the bastard. Neither came, but I did hear snarls from somewhere close amidst the tall trees. Yahiko's fighting someone. 

Is it Madara? My feet moved quicker at the thought because that meant my daughter's near the enemy, the man responsible for her mother's death. Why would he risk her life like that? The sounds of fighting became louder as I approached, two figures wrestling on the ground with blood, claws, and bright red eyes flashing about. 

As soon as I came close enough that a regular human might be able to see, I froze. It was, indeed, Yahiko there, but he was on his back with claw and bite marks dusting his entire body and face. A hand was around his neck, and when I followed it up to its owner, my breath stuck in my lungs. 

It's her. 

And Yahiko's hand was embedded in her chest, a tight grip around her heart without a doubt. 

Her name left my lips in disbelief, in unbelievable grief because I'd been wrong. She was alive, and I'd been reluctant to come find her. Now, she's going to die again. As soon as Yahiko moves, it'll be over. 

I'm too late. Again. 

Neither vampires heard me because the moment my lips moved, so did they. My legs nearly gave out from under me when Sakura growled, more akin to a wild animal than herself, before easily breaking his arm so he couldn't move his fingers and tear out her heart. Then, she punched him. Again. And again. And again. 

Yahiko rolled on top of her, attempting to grab her wrists and succeeding. I stepped closer, still completely dumbstruck, but froze again when Sakura kicked his stomach before tackling him to the ground with a snarl and burying her teeth in his throat, holding him down with her nails digging into his arms. 

The orange-haired vampire's movements slowed to a stop, and I finally moved. Nearing the bloody woman still draining him, I stared with wide eyes, tears filling them to the brim. Sakura's hair was long, wild, and dirty with blood and dirt, as was her skin, but it was her. 

Bright red eyes snapped up to lock onto me when a twig snapped under my shoe, narrowing threateningly as she lifted herself. 

It's her. She's alive. 

A violent, terrible, and wonderful pressure built in my chest as I watched the woman wipe some of the blood from her mouth with the back of her hand while coming to a stand, failing to remove any of it because the bottom half of her face and everything from the elbow down was coated with the red substance. 

Something wet ran down my cheeks as I whispered, "...Sakura…." 

"...I know you. I know I do, but I-I can't…." A hoarse, unhinged voice met my ears, and I realized it was Sakura trying and failing to gain control of herself. 

I took another step forward, and she shook her head, "Don't! You need to get away from me before it's too late." 

Only when I tried to speak did I realize I was pretty much sobbing, but it did little to loosen the tightness in my chest, "It's really you…." 

The woman whined like she was in pain, stepping away as I continued trying to approach. 

No. I won't let her disappear again. Not this time and never again. 

One moment, we were staring at one another, and then we were fighting like she'd been with Yahiko, though I didn't try to injure her. 

"Look me in the eye!" I growled out, pinning her hands to the forest floor and leaning over so our faces were close. 

She kept her eyes closed, hissing, "Why are you attacking me?" 

My chest heaved as I begged her, tears dripping onto her bloody face, "Please look at me." 

Sakura didn't listen and forced herself on top of me, obviously making an effort to avoid meeting my gaze, "I don't want to kill you, but you're not giving me much choice!" 

I held her hip with one hand as she wrapped one of hers around my throat, nails drawing blood with how hard she squeezed. 

Heat began to rise to my face as I struggled to breathe, but somehow, my body knew what to do. Rather than fight more, I released her. She pinned my arm down with her free hand, but my other was free. I touched the side of her face with trembling fingers, feeling how warm the skin beneath my palm was and gasping because I couldn't hold my breath much longer. Tears blurring my vision, I brushed the hair out of her face. 

The act seemed to startle Sakura because her eyes snapped to mine, and then I made her loosen her grip around my neck. Before I could try making her remember me, the portions of her skin not covered with blood seemed to pale, and bright red turned to emotional, emerald green. "...S-Sasuke…?" 

She recognizes me.

I wiped at her tears with my thumb, searching her face while feeling just as much disbelief as her expression held, "Sakura." 

The hand around my neck became gentle and trembled as it slid up to cup my face, as did the one that'd been holding my other arm. Then, my mouth moved independently. Words left my mouth that I couldn't choke back, no matter how wrong the timing was, "Marry me." 

Grief sullied the beautiful woman's face as she burst into tears and nodded.

A smile met my lips as she pressed her forehead to mine, closing my eyes as she did.

Sakura kissed me, sobbing, shaking, and covered in blood. 

Cautiously, I ran my hand into her hair, wrapping an arm around her to pull her closer and feel the warmth against me. I can hear her heartbeat, and it's the most wonderful sound in the world. 

A moment later, she ended the kiss because she was crying too hard. I held the back of her head as she collapsed onto my chest in a sobbing heap. Letting my head fall to rest on the ground, I stared at the sliver of the night sky through the trees with tears running slowly down the sides of my face. 

It can't happen anymore. It won't. I won't let it. I don't care who I have to kill or what I have to do; Sakura's never going through something like this again. 

And I'll never take for granted what I have again because I now know what it's like to have it all ripped away.