{Unchained} - SasuSaku Asylum Story

{King's Men}

Sakura breezed through her mandatory meeting with Tsunade after the session, nodding and agreeing with whatever she was saying just to get out of there early. She needed a breather, a break.

Tsunade seemed to be satisfied with the lack of usual stubbornness and resistance from Sakura, so she happily dismissed her within ten minutes.

Sakura rushed home, skipping her usual phone call with her friend. The second she was alone outside, she felt cold sweat all over her body. A thousand crippling thoughts flashed in her head: how could he tell he was her first patient? Had she messed up? Why did she tell him about that dead body? She'd kept that story to herself all these years, too embarrassed to tell it to anyone.

The memory of all her middle school friends screaming, crying, and calling their parents while Sakura stood behind the crowd in the locker room trying to get another peek at the deceased man was engraved in her brain. She wanted to be scared, but the novelty of it all made it impossible for her to look away.

And Sasuke Uchiha. How did he ask all the right questions? Could he read her mind? No, it's impossible. Was he just that perceptive? Yeah, that sounded like a more scientific explanation. Is this what happened to Shizune? Did he poke at something so raw and existential that Shizune couldn't bear the weight of it?

This wasn't a game for Sasuke. This was a gamble. Gambling with sanity, dignity, safety. He'd risk his safety to tell his stories, and she'd risk her sense of self. Did he derive pleasure from all that?

Sakura stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, took out her notebook from her tote bag and leaned it on the nearest tree to write down all her thoughts.

Her wrist moved on its own accord to write down words her brain couldn't even follow. His bruises. Why were they bleeding? She knew the police beat him up from their reports. Sasuke had tried to attack a whole group of them. So stupid. So reckless. Was he looking to get beaten up?

And he said he could leave at any time. What did he mean by that? She underlined that question in her notes three times. His hands were tied behind his back this time. It seemed like it hurt, but he never showed it. It must have put even more strain on his scars-whatever. That was beyond her pay grade.

And he said her voice was melodic.

Sakura brought her notebook to her face and pressed it against her forehead, eyes closed. She probably shouldn't write that down.

She had to go home and really think about the future trajectory of her sessions. So far, she considered them more or less successful since Sasuke revealed about his family past.

"I really have to start going on the offense," she mumbled to herself as she turned the corner to her street. "He's been guiding the sessions more than I'd like. I need to establish the motivation for his past crimes, and figure out whether he's likely to kill again."

Warden Naruto Uzumaki had a hard time relaxing his clenched fists as he stood inside the elevator, which always seemed to take forever to reach floor 3 of Konoha Psychiatric Institute. He didn't usually mind the wait, but sharing that tiny space with a man he'd love to strangle with his bare hands made everything much more troublesome.

"You look happy to see me, warden." Attorney Marcus Mitarashi always had a way with his taunting words.

"You're lucky I don't break your jaw right here right now, you piece of trash," Naruto spat on the floor.

"Hmm... Let's see.. Assault and battery, intimidation, menacing, disorderly conduct, intimidation, harassment, obstruction of justice... which criminal charge should I pick? Or should I go with all of the above?"