Snow Glare [SasuSaku]

Chapter Eight

Sakura sunk into her plump sofa, silently peering out into the remains of the garden she had been so proud of days earlier; the flowers she once spent tender hours of the morning attending to were imprisoned by frost, undefended and ultimately massacred in her short absence. Such a waste.

Two whole days had passed since Sasuke's imprisonment and not a lot had occurred, partly due to the fact that she was still struggling to process all the conversations that had taken place during the whirlwind of events that had taken place; but in all honesty, she was simply at a loss of what to do. Sasuke was such a delicate topic for all who lived in the village; viewed by most as the boy genius turned criminal who threw his life away to plot his revenge.

Dropping her head in defeat, the pinkette let loose a heavy sigh, her eyes fluttering closed as she heard the front door unlock from behind her; something she had grew accustomed to due to Ino's love for barging into her humble abode without warning. Despite how rude her friend's actions were in theory, company was exactly what she needed right now despite her unsocial behaviour since returning to the village two days ago.

Two pairs of feet trudging loudly through her home, a somewhat irked vibe emanating from the pair of visitors as they drew closer. I don't exactly need to be told off right now. If that's what this is about they have another thing coming, Sakura thought to herself as she flipped over, sitting upright only to be greeted by a blunt uppercut to her chin, sending the unsuspecting kunoichi flying behind the sofa head first.

"Where on Earth have you been!" Tsunade howled, her fist still extended as she turned to Ino who was meekly standing at her side.

Eyes bulging, Sakura rubbed her chin as she slowly got to her feet; looking out at the two furious women before her. To be honest she had expected a visit of sorts from her master, one that was more pointed and emotional than the discussion they had days earlier, but Tsunade's approach still managed to catch her by surprise. Pressing her eyes closed the medic plaited her arms under her chest, averting her gaze as she shifted; "I'm sorry."

"Sorry?" Ino repeated, her voice dripping with frustration as she threw her hands up in the air dramatically. "You don't talk to us after vanishing for days, and all you say is that you're sorry? I need details! What happened? Why were you with him?"

Sakura smiled as she silently noted the concern and irritation present in her friend's voice; "I know. It's just hard to know where to start, so much happened in such a short period of time."

"Then you better get started. It's clear that you have a lot to tell both of us," Tsunade replied coldly, frustration evident in her tone as she eyed her student carefully.

I guess I deserve that, saying nothing for two days doesn't help anyone; Sakura notes with a sigh, her hands running through her pink tresses as she took a seat back on her sofa, eyes fixed on the wooden floorboards. "There is a long story and a short story, the short story is that Sasuke needed my help due to medical reasons," she explains slowly, her troubled eyes slowly drifting upwards, locking with Tsunade's. "He was that desperate that he came into the village himself, knowing full well how he is perceived by the villagers and authorities."

Sakura's eyes remained steady as her voice waivered; emotions threatening to overflow as she tried her best to explain his situation without giving away too much information about his current state. "Sasuke never received the help that he requires from me. I know that if you release him into my care instead of letting him remain the jail he will not cause trouble, he doesn't want to start anything, he just needs help. I can vouch for him Tsunade-sama, please..."

Sighing, the older woman took a seat at the kitchen table, her hands massaging her temples as she lost herself deep in thought for a moment. "Don't you get tired of always trying to protect him?" She replied tiresomely as she looked up at young woman before her; "I was like you when when Orochimaru went rogue, but there was a point when I could no longer defend him."