Road to Sasuke

CHAPTER 4

"So where'd you go last night? You left and didn't return until this morning." Suigetsu asked Sasuke as they sat in Ichiraku Ramen, "did you take advantage of that Anbu girl, too? You dog, Sasuke."

"What?! Of course not! Why the hell would you think--"

"You are the playboy of Konoha, after all." Suigetsu laughed.

"I am not..." Sasuke gritted his teeth.

"Oh yeah? Tell that to all those girls you've slept with." Suigetsu chuckled as they got their ramen, then he dug in.

What kind of ninja am I? That's horribly disappointing... Sasuke grunted before taking a bite from his ramen.

"Anyway, Karin and Juugo brought reinforcements, but everyone was gone by the time they got here. Well, I took care of two of them, and those two were taken for interrogation." Suigetsu mentioned between slurps.

"Ah..." Sasuke said, but he really couldn't get his mind off Sakura, which was really a first. Before he never really wanted anything to do with them. Them being Naruto, Sakura, and basically everyone in the village. But now, he thinks she could help him. Especially if she's the only one he knew that wasn't evil. He held his bowl out, "can I get this to go?"

"Hm? To go?" Suigetsu turned to stare at Sasuke as a few minutes later, he took his ramen back in a to-go bowl, "you've never really saved your food..."

"It's for someone else." Sasuke corrected as he got up, "I'll catch up with you later."

"You seem a lot more mature now, Sasuke." Suigetsu smirked, "alright. See ya."

Sasuke took the ramen and headed straight for the Hebi Hideout. As soon as he walked through the door of the medical room, he saw Sakura reading one of the medical books he had in the room, "hey. You hungry?"

"Oh yeah." Sakura smiled as she set the book away and accepted the bowl of ramen, "thank you."

Sasuke only nodded in response. He always thought Sakura was annoying, but for once, he was actually grateful for her being there with him. The only person among them that he can trust at that moment.

"So..."

"Hm?"

"What is it about the Akatsuki that makes you so interested in them?"

"Ah..." He didn't know what to say. He was originally only looking for Naruto. But now that he knows that he's actually the leader of the Akatsuki, he has to take them all down in order to get to him, "it's Naruto."

"So you're still going after him. Even after everything he's done to you?"

"Yeah. I need help. I've been caught in this... This Limited Tsukyomi of some sort, and I have no idea who put me through this. Last I remember is reading through the book of Uchiha forbidden jutsu, but... I ended up here somehow."

"So you're saying... You're not from this world?"

Sasuke shook his head, "the world I'm from, everyone is different. Orochimaru is a rogue ninja of the Leaf while Tsunade is the Hokage. All the members of the Akatsuki are really my past friends and teammates while my teammates and friends here are part of the Akatsuki, including Itachi, who killed the entire Uchiha clan and turned me into the person I am now."

"So..." Sakura looked down at her lap, "what am I like in your world?"

"Well..." Sasuke thought long and hard, but he didn't know what to say, "in my world, I'm a rogue ninja. I'm suffering the way Naruto is here. I fled the village and fought against Naruto and the rest of my former comrades, including you. So honestly, I truly have no idea if you're even this strong in my world."

"... Oh." Sakura sighed as she played with her fingernails, then sat up straight, "I feel refreshed, and a lot better. I think I could go already."

"Wait, but I need your help. To help me figure out who it is I need to defeat in order to get back."

"... But what's in it for me?"

"Uh..." Sasuke thought hard about what Sakura would want from him. Something immediately came to mind, and he internally groaned, but it was the only thing he can come up with, "a kiss?"

"What?!" Sakura gaped, "geez, you really are a playboy. Look, I'm not as gullible as all those other fangirls. Do you seriously think I could fall for that?"

She's not obsessed with me in this world... Huh... Sasuke smirked, "alright, fine. You don't have to help me, but--"

"Fine."

"What?"

"I'm in. I'll help you." Sakura said as she stood up and slipped her mask on, "but I don't want that kiss."

"That's fine with me." Sasuke smirked, feeling somewhat relieved.

"If you say you're not a playboy, then why would you make that offer?" Sakura asked as she and Sasuke left the hideout.

"Because in my world, you're obsessed with me." Sasuke shrugged, "didn't know if that was the case here."

"Hn." Sakura nodded, "okay. You head back to the village. Report with the Hokage about the Akatsuki."

"What are you going to do?"

Sakura turned to him, "who me? Remember? I have a mission to complete. Thanks again. For everything."

Before Sasuke could reply, she used a hand sign and vanished.