Unexpected Hearts / SasuSaku

Unwavering Resolve

Sakura slowly groaned as she stirred in the unfamiliar bed, her mind clouded with confusion. Where was she? And what had happened?

She kept her eyes shut, desperately trying to piece together the events that led her to this moment. The last thing she remembered was...

Sasuke.

In an instant, Sakura's eyes shot open as she jolted upright, her voice filled with desperation. "Sasuke?!" she cried out. She couldn't recall what had transpired after they arrived at the hospital. Perhaps she was too shocked to fully comprehend the situation.

Sasuke lifted his head from the edge of the bed, startled by Sakura's terrified scream. "Sakura, what's wrong?" he asked, his heart sinking at the sight of her anguished expression. The last thing he wanted was to witness Sakura in pain, both physically and emotionally.

Tears streamed down Sakura's face as she trembled, her voice choked with emotion. "What happened? Is the baby...?" She couldn't bear to consider the countless possibilities of what might be happening to her. She was in shock, exhausted, and badly injured. But above all, her main concern lay with the life growing inside her.

Sasuke stood up and walked over to her side, his voice filled with reassurance. "Don't worry, the baby is okay. You're okay," he sighed, feeling a mix of anger and guilt coursing through him. How could anyone be okay after enduring what Sakura had been through?

"Itachi... Is he alright?" Sakura's words flowed out in a frantic stream. Before she lost consciousness, she recalled seeing Itachi on the ground with a gunshot wound to his leg. The image filled her with even greater anxiety. If it weren't for her, maybe they wouldn't be in this state. Maybe Itachi wouldn't have been shot, and maybe she wouldn't bear the physical and emotional scars she now carried.

"He'll be fine, nothing life-threatening. They stitched up his leg, but he'll need crutches for now," Sasuke replied with a sense of relief. Thankfully, Itachi had only suffered those injuries when Sasori grabbed the gun.

Sakura looked down, afraid to ask the next question. The name escaped her lips as if it didn't belong there. Nevertheless, she couldn't help but inquire about Sasori's fate. "And... Sasori?"

"He lost a lot of blood, but they managed to stabilize him. You don't need to worry about him anymore. He'll be discharged in a couple of days, and they're taking him into custody," Sasuke reassured her. All he could do in that moment was be strong for Sakura, knowing the depth of emotions she was experiencing. The last thing she needed was any further trouble from Sasori.

More tears welled up in Sakura's eyes as she blamed herself. She couldn't help but feel responsible for everything. If only she hadn't pushed Sasuke into this partnership, if only she hadn't been so prideful... Her words trailed off, but Sasuke quickly interrupted her self-blame.

"Please, Sakura, stop blaming yourself. None of this is your fault. No one forced him to do what he did to you," Sasuke said, clenching his fists in frustration. "That man... He caused you harm even before we started dating."

Teary-eyed, Sakura could only gaze at Sasuke, a habit of blaming herself ingrained within her. She regarded herself as an easy target, always shouldering the blame for any trouble that arose. As Sasuke held her close, she found solace and relief, understanding that their safety—Sasuke's, Itachi's, hers, and their unborn child's—was all that truly mattered in that moment.

Slowly pulling away from her, Sasuke spoke with determination. "I'm going to fetch our parents. They've been worried sick. Don't worry about our friends, I informed them that you're okay, and we'll visit them soon."

Sakura's eyes widened with concern. "I can't let our parents see me like this, all beaten up..."

Sasuke's expression softened as he observed the state of his fiancée. He too disliked seeing her in this condition and couldn't fathom how her parents would feel. "I understand. I'll let them know. Just stay here and rest, alright?"