Unholy Love | SasuSaku

In the Care of Strangers

"Time, which sees all things, has found you out."

Sophocles, Oedipus Rex

Sakura's POV

Sakura stormed back to her cell, her heart racing with a mixture of embarrassment and fury. She clenched her hands into fists, the memory of her hair cover falling playing on a loop in her mind. It was her fault. She should have been more careful. How exposed had she felt in that instant, standing before someone with her hair tumbling down for all to see. And to him, of all people.

She closed the door behind her, leaning against it for a moment, her breaths coming quickly. The look on his face when he saw her... it was subtle, barely a flicker of surprise, but she had caught it. And the way he had spoken to her, mocking her beliefs, her devotion to the gods... the nerve of that man.

Sakura pressed her lips together tightly, trying to calm her thoughts. She had spent years here, in this sacred place, dedicated to a life of prayer, of peace and of healing. And yet, in less than a day, these soldiers -these men of war- had disrupted everything. And this man. The mere thought of him made her blood boil. She started pacing the room nervously.

Just then, the door to her cell creaked open slightly and Ino slipped inside, her eyes bright with excitement. "Sakura, you won't believe what I just found out," she whispered conspiratorially as she closed the door behind her.

Sakura straightened, folding her arms over her chest. "What is it now, Ino?" she asked, though her tone was more weary than irritated.

Ino crossed the room quickly, perching on the edge of Sakura's bed as she leaned in. "I spoke to the soldiers. Well, one of them, anyway," she said, her voice hushed with excitement. "The tall, handsome one I was telling you about. His name is Sasuke. And he's an Uchiha."

Sakura's stomach dropped at the mention of the name, her eyes narrowing as she absorbed the information. "Uchiha?" she repeated, her voice tight.

Ino nodded enthusiastically, oblivious to Sakura's growing anger. "Yes! I had no idea he was a lord. Can you imagine? We're sharing the monastery with one of the most powerful men in the land!"

Sakura was appalled at the revelation. One of the very men responsible for the bloodshed and the endless wars that plagued their land was here. Not just a mere soldier, but a lord, a man who commanded armies, who wielded power and influence with the flick of a wrist. The idea that he, a man who initiated war, could speak to her with such arrogance and condescension was infuriating.

"So that's why he thinks he's entitled to everything," Sakura muttered, her voice laced with venom. "Lord of war, bringing nothing but suffering and death."

Ino blinked, taken aback by Sakura's harsh tone. "Sakura, they're not all bad," she said softly. "I mean, Sasuke didn't seem so-"

"I don't want to hear it," Sakura snapped, cutting her off. She turned away from Ino, her anger flaring hotter by the second. She couldn't believe how easily Ino had been charmed by this man and his title. Men like Sasuke fought their wars, destroyed lives, and yet people still admired them, still looked up to them.

Ino fell silent for a moment, clearly sensing the tension in the room. She shifted on the bed, her earlier excitement fading slightly. "I'm just saying," she said quietly, "that maybe he's not what you think." With that she got up slowly and left the cell to give Sakura some space.

Kakashi's POV

At midday Kakashi lay back against a pile of linen pillows, his injured leg aching but mind alert. Naruto sat at his side, looking a bit restless as he eyed the man's bandaged wound.