What We Never Said

Chapter 4: Mixed Rage

"Why did I even think this was a good idea?!" Tsunade screamed at me a few days later, I was sitting on the other side of her office desk, sulking.
She had returned to the village a few days ago; completely unannounced. Sasuke was wrapped in the blanket that I was letting him use while the temperatures dropped, which may not have been a huge deal, but Kiyoshi had filled her in on everything that had happened in her absence.
Literally everything.
My eyes narrowed, I did feel terrible that I had broken her one rule that no one was supposed to see Sasuke. But I didn't regret anything that had happened. I wasn't sure if Kiyoshi had seen everything that had happened inside the cell- but he could hear some of the commotion that had happened: like Naruto coming into the cell to assist me, my constant crying- there was a lot he for sure knew.
She pinched the bridge of her nose, breathing out a heavy sigh. Her blonde hair was tassled around in a messy ponytail. I could tell that this has become a major stressor for her now.
"I don't know what to do." She admitted, spinning her chair to look outside the window. Her eyes were as lost as my head was.
I knew this could turn into some serious repercussions. I could get into a lot of trouble for disobeying the direct order of a Hokage. Kakashi was the major influencer of no one being allowed to see Sasuke at this time. Was she going to report me to the Hokage? What did this entail for Naruto? Would he be punished as well knowing that there are orders that Sasuke was not to have any visitors?
I breathed out a sigh, allowing my eyes to move past her to stare outside as well.
The afternoon was quiet- which was usual for a sunday. Normally children from the hospital were outside playing on the grounds below her window. This wasn't a quiet room to be in most of the time due to the commotion outside.
But today there wasn't a person in sight.
"I'll report myself to Kakashi." I answered, moving my eyes back towards her. "It was irresponsible of me to break your trust and Kakashi's orders- it had nothing to do with you. It was all me."
"Sakura: no." Tsunade responded back, spinning her chair back around to look at me in the eyes. Her expression was growing irritated. "I'm not allowing that traitor to ruin you anymore- and going to Kakashi will just make this situation worse."
"His name is Sasuke!" I exclaimed, slamming my fists onto her desk. I felt the heat start to move into my face as I angrily stared at her.
She didn't know Sasuke. She didn't know him before he left, besides the time she had healed him before he left, and she wouldn't even understand. Kakashi thought that he had failed me by allowing us to be together. He thought that if anything was to happen to Sasuke- that I would had been the one to stop him. And I almost was- but he knew that Sasuke was still one of us. This has just been a mess of a few months after the war to figure out what to do.
Tsunade's face was just as red as mine as the door opened behind me, and my stomach dropped. I could sense Kakashi's chakra behind me.
"What's going on in here?" Kakashi asked calmly. I knew he had no idea of what had happened the past few days- but looking at the expressions on our faces; i'm sure it wouldn't be too hard to put the pieces together.
"I don't know lord Hokage-" Tsunade spat towards my direction. "Apparently Sakura has something she'd like to report to you about."
I looked back and forth at the two of them- trying to form a comprehensible sentence. I must had struck a nerve with Tsunade, which bothered me slightly. I hated being on the receiving end of her anger; but someone needed to stick up for Sasuke.
I breathed out a sigh, looking down towards the ground as I decided to escape from the death glare coming from Tsunade.
Kakashi was startled by me rushing past him out the door- but didn't stop me. I had a feeling that Tsunade was going to turn me in as soon as I was out of the room- but I honestly didn't care at this moment.
As I escaped the walls of the hokage tower- I was met with a sudden cold breeze that made my teeth instantly chatter as soon as the doors opened. The summer was finally starting to transition into fall, and it was a lot colder than normal.
Anger wasn't the best description of what was going on in my head: it was a force that even the devil himself would cower upon.
I was so furious. Naruto had discussed with me last night about his plans on asking Hinata out on a date. He had finally started to realize her feelings towards him- and was starting to reciprocate them. I, of course, gave him the best ideas a girl could hope for. But that had already felt as if I was stabbed in the gut.
Why was I in such a complicated relationship? Why wasn't I that easy to love? What was wrong with me? Why was I cursed to love someone who was the most complicated thing on the planet?
I breathed out a sigh, spinning in the opposite direction from my home. I high tailed it to the jail. I knew everything boiling in my mind was going to explode- and I had just the person I wanted to explode on.
I was going to get in trouble anyways- might as well ride this sentence out.
"Kiyoshi!" I screamed as I opened the doors at the top of the stairs. He jumped from his spot- not expecting someone barding into the cell screaming his name. "How dare you!" I shrieked.
He removed his mask, showing his startled expression. "Sakura? What's wrong?" He asked in a calm, controlled, voice- trying to pretend to have no idea why I was so furious with him at this moment.
Was he really that dense?
"You reported me to Tsunade?!" I shrieked at him. Throwing my hands angrily in the air. I had a feeling that I looked like a total crazy person- wild hair, wide eyes, and a look that could kill.
Kiyoshi just stared at me, his eyes lost in thought. His brown eyes grew dark, as if he was truly concerned for me at this moment. What made him think that he had any right to input on my life? He didn't know me. I don't know him.
He breathed out a sigh, closing his eyes briefly to meet my gaze with his own. He was trying to collect himself before he answered me, he probably didn't realize that dealing with an angry pink haired chick was going to be in his job description. "Someone had to do what's right: Sakura." He simply answered.
I felt the anger start to boil under my skin. My hands moved and were clenched to my side. I had to withhold every urge in my body to fly across this small space between us and punch him through the wall into Sasuke's cell.
And speaking of Sasuke- I noticed something move through the small window of the metal door that separated us from his cell. I glanced up, watching Sasuke sit on the side of his bed. He wasn't moving. And it was hard to tell with the amount of things in between us- but he was just staring at the ground. I couldn't help but wonder what he was thinking at this moment. Did he feel bad about what was going on? Did he understand what was even going on?
His gaze moved from the ground, to the direction of where I was. I flinched- not expecting his attention to be drawn to my exact location. I could see the lettering of the seal over his eyes perfectly. But that's not what made me shiver- it felt as if Sasuke was looking through the bindings into my eyes. As if the seal and cloth wasn't there covering his gaze.
I felt much calmer than I was feeling seconds ago. Watching Sasuke as he was, what it appeared to be due to his eyes being sealed, starting off into nothing. I knew deep in my heart that I did what was right. He wasn't the same man that had lost his mind for several years.
This was the Sasuke Uchiha we would have had if the village didn't fail him. We all let him down- allowing him to go through undiagnosed mental health issues on his own. Not even batting an eye. Just because he is physically a strong person. But forgetting that a strong person can only handle so much trauma.
My eyes flickered back to Kiyoshi. "What would had been right was for you to mind your own business." I answered back in a dark voice that I hardly even recognized, turning around and walking silently out of the prison.
The amount of anger that I was feeling when I first entered the prison was gone. It was the same feeling I get when I sleep on an emotion- and it was almost freeing. It was amazing the effect that Sasuke could leave on me just watching him. Just his presence alone could calm me down.
I walked back towards my house in a rush, rubbing my hands up and down my cold arms in a failed attempt to warm them up. The autumn air was starting to really get to me, I didn't notice earlier how cold it was until now.
No one welcomed me into the house as I entered through the front door- which wasn't surprising. It was late. Mom tended to go to sleep earlier than average. Dad, on the other hand, typically would stay up to make sure that I got home okay. But it appeared most of the lights were off- besides a smaller light in the living room.
I flipped on the light in the hallway as I entered the home, slipping off my shoes. My thoughts were starting to pull themselves together the farther I had gotten from the prison. What even was that back there? I wanted to kill Kiyoshi. I wanted to punch him 5 feet under into the ground. How did I get over that feeling so quickly?
An image of Sasuke had flickered into my head, his gaze moving towards mine. It was the same position I found Sasuke in before he turned his head to the ground. But instead of his eyes being covered- I could see them. And this time- his eyes were glowing red.
I shivered, pusing that image out of my head. I hated seeing his sharingan . I had no idea why it made me so uncomfortable. Maybe because it was always associated with bad memories? Some of our worst days were accompanied with those eyes.
"Sakura?" My father's voice called out from the doorway that entered into the living room.
'Who else would it be..?' I muttered to myself internally.
"Yeah dad- it's me." I answered, walking into the living room.
He was sitting in his chair in the corner of the room, his lamp beside the recliner was the only light in the room. He was doing his nightly puzzle- which is typically associated with staying up waiting for me to return home. He didn't like going to bed when not everyone was home.
"Ino came by with that boy Sai." He told me as he was placing a piece of the puzzle together. "They were wondering where you were. They mentioned that they were worried that you got in some sort of trouble?" His brow furrowed with concern. "Is everything okay?"
"Yeah..." I started, placing myself on the couch in front of him. "I just managed to tick Lady Tsunade off. I think everyone could hear us yell from across the village."
"That crazy woman..." He muttered, moving his attention from his puzzle to me. "I don't understand how you can tolerate her."
"Sometimes I don't even understand either." I answered with a soft chuckle.
He gave me a soft smile, repositioning himself in his chair. "How has that boy been... Sasuke wasn't it?"
I flinched, not expecting him to touch that topic. Which was slightly odd for him. He wasn't the one to bring up Sasuke. His beliefs went along with Tsunades- he didn't trust him. Especially with me. The last time my father was ever informed of something that happened on a mission- he threatened that he himself would go find Sasuke himself and kill him with his bare hands for ever trying to lay a hand on me.
And he knew exactly what Sasuke's name was.
"He has been doing better." I answered simply. "I'm not really supposed to disclose too much about him. But he's better. He'll live."
"Ah." He muttered, moving his attention back to his puzzle. "What a shame."
I exhaled a deep breath, not wanting to have this discussion with him. I pushed myself off of the couch and started to head into the hallway towards my room for the night.
"Sakura." My father called again, before I was able to escape the living room.
I paused, holding my hand on the entryway. I didn't want to turn towards him and face him. If he saw my face right now- he would be able to pull together the thoughts that were in my head right now. "Yes dad?" I asked in a soft, quiet voice.
"Don't let Sasuke drag you down the wrong path." He muttered. "You're doing so well for yourself- and you're making everyone in the village proud... you and Naruto care about that boy too much for your own good."
I breathed out another sigh, thanking Kami that this conversation wasn't going in another direction. "I don't think Sasuke's the same as he was a month ago." I answered, but gave my dad some comfort, "but I don't blindly trust him, so I'll make sure to keep my distance." I turned to my dad to give him a soft smile. Sometimes it wasn't bad to lie to give someone else comfort.
"Thank you Sakura..." He muttered, relief filled his features. "Don't always trust boys; especially one like him. Once you start finally seeing a man... you'll understand."
Oh dad if only you knew.
"Of course dad; goodnight."
"Goodnight Sakura- Sleep well."