Broken Routine

As promised. (Dodges angry fire)

Chapter Five

No one commented on Sakura’s little excursion. They did, however, comment on her living arrangements.

“You’re staying with us.” said Sasuke, Naruto, and Kakashi simultaneously. The girl blinked several times in confusion. “But you all live in different places.”

“Kakashi-sensei, we’re moving in.” Naruto stated, without skipping a beat. The man just nodded. Sakura looked from him, to her sensei, to Sasuke, who looked right back.

“Guys…you can’t – I can’t…I can’t ask you to do that.”

“You’re not asking Sakura,” said Sasuke. “We’re offering.”

“Actually more like demanding,” supplied their teacher. “We’re a team. It’s what teams do.”

Sakura’s voice wasn’t as strong as it should have been. It was still the quiet, shell-shocked, pain-laced voice that it had become over the last twenty-four hours. But it was what she said that mattered.

“Thank you.”

--

The funeral was as large and depressing as that of the Third Hokage’s. Sakura’s pink hair stood out more than ever against the sea of black-clad mourners as she muffled her tears into Naruto’s side. No one really knew what to say to this girl, the one who had lost both parents on one fateful night.

The endless string of “I’m sorry” blurred into a meaningless buzz, and by the end Sakura wanted to yell at them all to be more original. People who said “I’m sorry” usually meant “I’m glad it was them over me.”

The truly sorry people didn’t say “I’m sorry” because they knew “sorry” didn’t help. They said “I’m here if you need anything,” of if not that, they reached out with a hug, a shoulder or hand squeeze, a comforting gesture, because that helped. That helped ease the throbbing pain of loss, if only for a little while.

They say time heals all wounds. Sakura didn’t know how long it would take for this particular, gaping, permanent wound, but she knew it would be a long time. It would be a long time before she would be able to think about her parents, talk about them, without the pain sending her reeling. It was twistingly ironic really. That Sakura had always wished she could understand what Sasuke had gone through, what he felt.

Now she did.

--

The soft ‘click’ of their ninja sandals was the only really identifiable sound as Team Seven headed home together. Sakura was flagged on either side by her boys, Kakashi a few paces behind them. The girl was still a little shaky, still a little teary. She was trying to hold it on they knew, at least until they could be behind closed doors.

“She’s still crying? Honestly. It’s as if she’s the only one allowed to hurt.”

Sasuke stiffened, the annoying familiarity of the speaker grating on his nerves. Naruto had heard it too. The Council Representative stood several feet behind them, talking to a companion who looked as unpleasant as he. Both teens stopped walking, the third taking notice when Kakashi almost walked right into her.

The masked man raised his visible eyebrow, and student and teacher looked back at the other half of their team. Neither faced the right direction.

“Naruto? Sasuke-kun? A-Are you coming?”’

The blonde didn’t turn to answer Sakura’s tiny question. He didn’t turn so she wouldn’t see the flaming rage burning in his eyes. “We’ll be there in a minute, Sakura-chan.”

Her brow wrinkled in confusion, but said nothing as her sensei put a hand on her shoulder and gently guided her forward. They would make it all the way home before the boys returned.

If Sasuke didn’t hate that guy before, he certainly did now. Swiftly, silently, he and Naruto walked the twenty feet to their target, barely resisting the urge to pull a ninja and just throw some kunai at him. The Kyuubi vessel tapped an impatient finger on the Representative’s shoulder.

“Excuse me, sir, but we’d like a word with you.”

The man stared at them, and Sasuke recognized that ill-disguised fear in his eyes. “Me? What could you possible want to speak to me about? I have no business with demon containers and traitors.”

The pair decided to pretend the last nine words hadn’t been spoken. “Perhaps not, Representative,” conceded Sasuke, his voice dripping venom, “But it seems you and your friend here have a little business with a certain kunoichi we all know.”

“I’m afraid I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Both men backed up ever-so slightly, moving towards the side of the hospital. Naruto fixed them with that hard, icy glare that almost never came up.

“Oh, I think you do.”

“Leave us alone.” The companion attempted to glare down the Uchiha, but failed miserably. Naruto clicked his tongue with a sarcastic smile. “Sorry, no can do. See, Sasuke and I don’t take too well to people who insult our teammates. What was it they said again, teme?”

The was some, again sarcastic, chin stroking. “Something like: ‘I can’t believe she’s still crying?’ Well I hate to break it to you Representative, but that’s usually what people do when they lose someone close to them. They cry.”

The officially terrified man opened his mouth, but Sasuke was on a roll. “What else did I hear? ‘It’s like she’s the only one allowed to hurt’. Has Sakura forbid anyone else from feeling? From crying? No she hasn’t.”

“She’s not the only one!” The Representative burst out, “She’s not the only one who lost someone dear! My colleague is gone too!”

“And our condolences to his family.”The curse mark pulsed in time with his rage. Double sealed, that thing was. By Kakashi and Tsunade. But it still responded to Sasuke’s hate. “But did you watch him die? Did you defend him until you bled? Did he beg you to run? To get away? Was he willing to pay the ultimate price just so you would live to see the light of another day?”

The Uchiha was far beyond livid. “Did he hear you scream?” He shoved the man against the wall. The Hokage would probably kill him for this, but at that point Sasuke could have cared less.

“But she is a kunoichi.” piped up the second, “She should have been able to protect her own—”

Whiskers and fangs became prominent as Naruto grabbed the man by the collar and rammed him into the brick, part of it crumbling as he did. “Finish that sentence and you’ll never speak again.”

The Council Representative glowered from his seat on the ground. “The Godaime will hear about this! Make no mistake.”

“Oh yes,” Sasuke said dryly, “I’m sure Lady Tsunade will be thrilled to hear you’ve been disrespecting her apprentice on the day of her parent’s funeral.”

Naruto stifled a snort. The two shinobi had one last order.

“If you ever speak ill of Sakura Haruno again, we will not hesitate to hurt you. Her honour and reputation will not be tarnished by scum such as you. And don’t think you can hide; we will always find you.”

“Aren’t you going to sleep?”

The question fell from Kakashi’s lips as he stood in the doorway of Sasuke’s bedroom. The boy sat in his desk chair, cleaning a kunai slowly and deliberately. He said nothing, just shook his head. He didn’t have to say anything to Kakashi, because his sensei knew why. It was why he wasn’t sleep either.

And sure enough, about two hours later, a whimper could be heard from behind the closed door across the hall.

Sasuke had understood the reasoning behind Sakura’s impromptu training session the night before. If you were physically exhausted, then you were also mentally tired. This meant no dreams. It was a tactic the Uchiha himself had used many times growing up; a desperate attempt to escape the nightmares that plagued him.

But it wouldn’t work for Sakura. Not tonight, not with three extremely over-protective teammates carefully watching her every move. Not this time.

He rose from his chair as a rumble of thunder distorted the first scream. Her door was unlocked, saving him the trouble of having to break it down. Sakura was tossing and turning; beads of sweat visible on her pale face as she muttered fearfully. Sasuke crept to the side of the bed.

“Sakura.” Nothing.

“No…mom—dad…no please…please…mom!” Sakura bolted upright with a scream, and Sasuke grabbed her shoulders.

“Sakura!”

She thrashed violently, crying out, sobbing. “No! Let me go!” The boy gripped harder and gave the girl a shake. “Sakura! Sakura, it’s me. Wake up. You’re dreaming.”

With a jerk, her eyes snap open; broken jade glass swimming with tears. They darted around, forcing her brain to establish her broken reality. “S-Sasuke-k-un…oh, God…I-I’m sorry…”

Sasuke tried to refocus her attention. “Sakura.”

“I-I woke you d-didn’t I…”

“Sakura.” Louder this time. It worked, and she trembled in his grip. “It’s okay, Sakura.”

The young medic was silent for several seconds. Then her shoulders shook with noiseless sobs. Tears flowed freely as Sakura burrowed her head in the crook of his neck and curled up against him. Sasuke ran his fingers through her hair, slowly, methodically. He rocked them both slightly as he whispered what he hoped were comforting nothings into the night, banishing its’ demons.

Author’s Note: Please don’t hate me! (Dodges pointy objects) Sorry of Sasuke’s a little OOC. I like to think he cares, alright?

Reviews mean you haven’t lost hope yet. Please?

Annie