🧙 WHO: Sakura Haruno -&- YOU! ⚔️️ WHAT: Various things 🕒 WHEN: The course of Sakura's stay 🗺️ WHERE: All over the Isle of Avalon! ⚠️ WARNINGS: Warnings in thread headers
( Wild Hunt [event] • Sasuke's Camp in the Woods • Sasuke Uchiha • o2.22.22 )
[ Tsubaki is chittering anxiously as she finds her way into Sasuke's camp alone, by now expertly navigating the traps that he'd set up, bypassing each one in turn to reach him. It wasn't uncommon for Sakura to send her familiar ahead to alert Sasuke to her approach, just in case he would rather she not catch him in the middle of something (She doesn't care to try to imagine what those "something's" might be, that's why she takes precautions!). Today, however, the mongoose is particularly agitated as she reaches the younger shinobi, stops, hisses, and then begins to weave between his legs and feet before darting back in the direction she came.
Tsubaki can sense what Sakura hasn't yet picked up on.
The kunoichi in question drops down into view moments later looking worse for wear, with several bruises and cuts too large to be made by kunai, but too precise to be made by the claws of a beast. Sakura pays it no visible heed, even though she clearly MUST be in pain, a bit of blood is even still trickling from the corner of her mouth. Aside from a brief flicker of relief upon finding him Sakura's current state, expression, and quickened breathing suggest that it's urgent. ]
[ Sasuke is idly throwing Kunai at a nearby tree when Tsubaki comes rushing into his camp. Sakura comes by often enough that mongoose itself isn't alarming, but her urgent, frantic movements definitely are. Immediately, Sasuke is on edge. He jumps to his feet and is reaching for a weapon the same moment Sakura drops down from above.
His eyes go wide when he sees the state she's in, his body tensing, his expression shifting from shock to rage. If his curse mark were still active, it's easy to imagine what would happen. The look in his eyes is the same as back then, back when he'd woken to find her injured and at the mercy of Dosu and his team. ]
[ Sakura hadn't forgotten. How could she ever forget? The way that Sasuke looked when he'd gone after those shinobi from the Sound, the brutality as he'd broken that man's arms. Back then that had frightened her, loathed as she'd been to admit that she was capable of being scared of the boy she liked. It's different now though, she's grown up even if he hasn't, and she understands now just what sort of terrifying things people can be driven to do in the name of love.
Especially an Uchiha.
So maybe once upon a time in her childhood, Sasuke getting angry apparently on her behalf would have been flattering and even a dream come true there's no room for those childish fancies here. She's surprisingly calm and while she continues to speak with some urgency it's not at that same initial level of excitement. She reaches an arm out to gesture back the way she'd come with one hand. ]
The natives are calling it the "Wild Hunt", they just turned up out of nowhere- four knights at the head of an army of wraiths in the sky! The natives and non-combatants are being evacuated.
[ There's more but she makes herself stop there so he can process. Truthfully a part of her (a small part) wants him as far away from the danger as possible, but the better part of her knows better. Knows that he's probably the most reliable backup she's got here, respects his fighting prowess even if he still has yet to grow into it, and knows that even if Sasuke did remain oblivious to the danger he'd never forgive her for keeping him in the dark. That's not a line she'd want to cross... again. It never ended well in the past, their attempts at "protecting" him. It wouldn't do any good now, even if she were so inclined. ]
No one has been able to stop them. I think it would be best if we stick together for now.
[ His eyes follow where she's pointing even if he can't see the trouble from here, eyes narrowing at the unseen threat. He makes note of what she says, tucking away the information for later. Given Sakura's wounds and the fact that no one has been able to stop them, this "Wild Hunt" must be powerful. He's smart enough to know he won't make much of a difference, but that's not going to stop him from doing something. ]
No.
[ He doesn't elaborate on what he means. She's right, of course. Sticking together is a good plan, and if he weren't planning to look at the threat himself, he would likely agree. Right now, though-- ]
Stay here or go home, you need rest.
[ He's already calling on his magic, reaching into his well of power to try and heal her. If he gets that far. ]
[ Silence. Silence is Sakura's initial answer, and she seems genuinely surprised by his if her staring is any indication.
Then Tsubaki freezes. Stops dead in her tracks. Bristles, even, and backs away from them both as Sakura ducks her head. If Sasuke weren't currently shorter than her he might've found her gaze obscured.
But no, he'll get a very clear look at the way her facial features harden, and her fists slowly ball at her sides. ]
[ He had been focusing on her wounds, but the tone of her voice causes him to glance up at her with a raised brow. And yeah. Yep. He does get a perfect look at her expression. He had been expecting her to push back a little, but he wasn't expecting her to look like she was about to punch him in the face.
Sasuke pauses what he's doing, the flow of healing magic slowing to a stop. ]
[ Sasuke's healing magic had come a long way since they first began training together, and for a moment that soothing of the pain her wounds were causing was just enough of a distraction that Sakura didn't IMMEDIATELY explode.
You know, until he doubled down. "Did. I. STUTTER???"
Somewhere in the back of Sakura's mind, it's alarming how quickly the anger boils to the surface, one moment a heat creeping just below the skin and the next a volcano well beyond the point of merely threatening to erupt. She was in full-on meltdown mode now, and nothing was going to stop it as she makes a grab for the front of his shirt-- probably in vain, but hell if she's not going to try. ]
What the HELL does that mean?! Do I look like I'm still helpless to you or something?!
[ As soon as she starts reaching for him, Sasuke leaps away. The course of this conversation is baffling in more ways than one, Sakura's explosive reactions leaving him reeling. He had gotten used to how different she was from the Sakura of his time, and they had fought once before, when he came back from the dragon, but this...
There's no rhyme or reason to it. He could understand her being a little annoyed, had been ready to turn her down when she inevitably insisted on them staying together for safety's sake, but this. The ferocity of her anger doesn't match the situation. Not in the slightest. ]
Yake a look at yourself, you'll just slow me down.
[ He really, truly, isn't trying to be an ass this time. ]
[ Her fingers close around empty air but for the moment Sakura doesn't give chase. Her final vestiges of control are fraying quickly at the edges when Sasuke delivers the final blow.
"But take a look at yourself, you'll just slow me down like this."
Ouch. That one fuckin' STUNG. We've bypassed imagined slights and landed right in SORE OLD WOUNDS territory.
The anger on Sakura's face until that moment had simply been flat out anger- annoyance taken to an unhealthy extreme, but now she looks well and truly hurt and offended. Green eyes widen while her brow remains deeply furrowed-- deeper still if anything --and her nostrils flare briefly as her muscles visibly tighten around her jaw, pupils narrowing sharply with flaring emotions. The next words to come out of her mouth are harsh and pointed, loud enough that her throat feels slightly raw after. ]
That's JUST LIKE you to say that! Why is it that every time things get hard your first thought is to abandon us?!
[ One fist smashes into the tree beside her with the force of her anger and a flare of healing magic of her own, reinforcing her shoulder, arm, wrist, and fist to dampen the impact. The tree isn't so lucky, and with a sickening crack she smashes a hole through the trunk. ]
[ Something cold settles in his stomach as a thought begins to take form. It's nothing more than an idea, an inkling, the slow feeling of pieces falling into place. Sasuke doesn't want to put those pieces together, though. He doesn't want to theorize, doesn't want the implications in her words to take root. So he tries to push what she says off to the side, to deal with never.
But much as he tries, he can't help but be hyper-aware of the headband resting across his forehead and the deep slash that still mars its surface. It's heavy. He resists the urge to rip it off.
Instead, he focuses on Sakura and the way her emotions twist in pain, as if he had burned her. It doesn't help. It only brings the situation into sharper focus, only makes things that much worse. His hands clench at his side. ]
What are you talking about? I've never--
[ Even though she's not aiming for him, he dodges to the side out of reflex, watching as she blasts a hole in the tree with her fist. ]
[ She's not letting him off that easy, the rage won't let her, and she charges forward again, this time aiming the next fist at the ground he's standing on. ]
SHUT UP! I WON'T!
[ As the ruckus of the impact slowly begins to fade it becomes obvious that something is going on beyond the wild mood swing. The dust settles slowly and whether Sasuke dodged or evaded the damage some other way (though part of his campsite certainly didn't), Sakura stands amidst the ruptured bits of earth with a sheen of sweat appearing along her skin. That fast breathing from before has turned into something labored instead, and the flush to her skin makes it obvious that she's running a high fever. ]
I begged for you to stay, or to let me help you and you still...! Then and now!
[ Her muscles visibly tremble, and abruptly her knees give out. Crashing down to one of them and bracing on her hands, she stares up at him, anger still burning in her eyes even as illness begins to take her over, and one has to wonder.
What if instead of her seeing Sasuke as he is or if she's seeing the phantom in her mind. ]
Even after all this time you're telling me it's still not enough?
[ Again, he throws himself out of the way, this time to avoid a blow he can't be sure isn't aimed for him. And again, her words slam into him with a force that takes his breath away. He really can't avoid it, can he? There's no backing away from this knowledge, no way to deny the truth with any kind of conviction. There's nothing else she could mean, after all, and nothing else that would fit the rest of the picture.
Sasuke, at some point in the future, leaves the village. He doesn't know how or why, at least he can't be sure of the why, but he will leave, and if Sakura's reaction is anything to go by, it does not go well. He wishes he could say he wouldn't do something like leave, but Sasuke knows himself. If it was the only way he could defeat Itachi, no matter the cost--
He doesn't have any more time to process before Sakura is dropping to one knee, her breathing more labored than it should be. His gaze snaps to her, and it doesn't take a genius to realize she's sick. Really sick. ]
Sakura!
[ He rushes towards her, heedless of any other attack that might come his way. He's reaching for his healing magic before he's even reached her side, this time with desperation. For once he's glad he was given healing magic over some of the more offensive possibilities. If he didn't--well. He doesn't want to think about that. ]
What's wrong? Why--[ His gaze shifts to the remains of his camp, scanning for her familiar. The mongoose had been acting weird before Sakura appeared, maybe...]
[ She is well and truly out of the moment then. It feels like her skin is crawling and her tongue is too thick for her mouth all of a sudden. He's right. She'd just slow him down. She'd only be a burden... again.
Why is it always like this? Why is it that her best is never good enough for him? She'd thought she was past this, but then why does it still feel like she's lesser in his eyes? When was the last time she saw him back home? Was it... when they tried killing one another? Was--
Panic swells alongside the anger, which refuses to subside and is in fact only growing more volatile the longer that Sakura is trapped inside her own head, a genjutsu entirely of her own making, and in it Sasuke isn't there to try to help her. He's trying to kill her, like he nearly did to Karin- his own ally. Like he did to Danzo, the interim Hokage!
There's an attempt to slap his hand away, but all of her strength is quickly sapping away, and so the gesture becomes no more than a harmless pat as her fever worsens and the wounds begin showing rapid signs of infection.
Her vision swims, the images of Sasuke in the clothing given to him by Orochimaru in direct conflict with the image of Sasuke on the day he left the village, which is in direct conflict with the actual Sasuke standing in front of her now. A flicker of clarity, and the realization. "I'm sick? But when did I...?"
And then for an instant, just for a brief instant her eyes clear, the anger dissipating enough for confusion and then concentration. It's hazy, but while she's got a moment of lucidity-- ]
Don't... don't let them touch you...! Sasuke, don't...
[ But the words trail off as Sakura suddenly sways and collapses sideways towards the ground, eyes falling shut and consciousness slipping away.
Tsubaki is nearby, and when Sakura collapses she begins shrieking and hissing, visibly upset. Rushing back over now that she's lost consciousness the mongoose nudges at the unconscious Sakura's face before looking back up at Sasuke, almost expectant. She can't speak the human language, but her stare is telling.
"What are you DOING?? If you can't heal her yourself, call for help already!" ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
ragingblossom) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
isleofavalon2022-02-27 01:19 pm
✿ •||• The end will begin with the sound of approaching hoof beats
[ Tsubaki is chittering anxiously as she finds her way into Sasuke's camp alone, by now expertly navigating the traps that he'd set up, bypassing each one in turn to reach him. It wasn't uncommon for Sakura to send her familiar ahead to alert Sasuke to her approach, just in case he would rather she not catch him in the middle of something (She doesn't care to try to imagine what those "something's" might be, that's why she takes precautions!). Today, however, the mongoose is particularly agitated as she reaches the younger shinobi, stops, hisses, and then begins to weave between his legs and feet before darting back in the direction she came.
Tsubaki can sense what Sakura hasn't yet picked up on.
The kunoichi in question drops down into view moments later looking worse for wear, with several bruises and cuts too large to be made by kunai, but too precise to be made by the claws of a beast. Sakura pays it no visible heed, even though she clearly MUST be in pain, a bit of blood is even still trickling from the corner of her mouth. Aside from a brief flicker of relief upon finding him Sakura's current state, expression, and quickened breathing suggest that it's urgent. ]
Sasuke! There's trouble!
no subject
His eyes go wide when he sees the state she's in, his body tensing, his expression shifting from shock to rage. If his curse mark were still active, it's easy to imagine what would happen. The look in his eyes is the same as back then, back when he'd woken to find her injured and at the mercy of Dosu and his team. ]
What happened?
[ Who did this? ]
no subject
Especially an Uchiha.
So maybe once upon a time in her childhood, Sasuke getting angry apparently on her behalf would have been flattering and even a dream come true there's no room for those childish fancies here. She's surprisingly calm and while she continues to speak with some urgency it's not at that same initial level of excitement. She reaches an arm out to gesture back the way she'd come with one hand. ]
The natives are calling it the "Wild Hunt", they just turned up out of nowhere- four knights at the head of an army of wraiths in the sky! The natives and non-combatants are being evacuated.
[ There's more but she makes herself stop there so he can process. Truthfully a part of her (a small part) wants him as far away from the danger as possible, but the better part of her knows better. Knows that he's probably the most reliable backup she's got here, respects his fighting prowess even if he still has yet to grow into it, and knows that even if Sasuke did remain oblivious to the danger he'd never forgive her for keeping him in the dark. That's not a line she'd want to cross... again. It never ended well in the past, their attempts at "protecting" him. It wouldn't do any good now, even if she were so inclined. ]
No one has been able to stop them. I think it would be best if we stick together for now.
no subject
No.
[ He doesn't elaborate on what he means. She's right, of course. Sticking together is a good plan, and if he weren't planning to look at the threat himself, he would likely agree. Right now, though-- ]
Stay here or go home, you need rest.
[ He's already calling on his magic, reaching into his well of power to try and heal her.
If he gets that far. ]no subject
Then Tsubaki freezes. Stops dead in her tracks. Bristles, even, and backs away from them both as Sakura ducks her head. If Sasuke weren't currently shorter than her he might've found her gaze obscured.
But no, he'll get a very clear look at the way her facial features harden, and her fists slowly ball at her sides. ]
... I'm sorry, what?
no subject
Sasuke pauses what he's doing, the flow of healing magic slowing to a stop. ]
You heard me.
no subject
You know, until he doubled down.
"Did. I. STUTTER???"Somewhere in the back of Sakura's mind, it's alarming how quickly the anger boils to the surface, one moment a heat creeping just below the skin and the next a volcano well beyond the point of merely threatening to erupt. She was in full-on meltdown mode now, and nothing was going to stop it as she makes a grab for the front of his shirt-- probably in vain, but hell if she's not going to try. ]
What the HELL does that mean?! Do I look like I'm still helpless to you or something?!
no subject
[ As soon as she starts reaching for him, Sasuke leaps away. The course of this conversation is baffling in more ways than one, Sakura's explosive reactions leaving him reeling. He had gotten used to how different she was from the Sakura of his time, and they had fought once before, when he came back from the dragon, but this...
There's no rhyme or reason to it. He could understand her being a little annoyed, had been ready to turn her down when she inevitably insisted on them staying together for safety's sake, but this. The ferocity of her anger doesn't match the situation. Not in the slightest. ]
Yake a look at yourself, you'll just slow me down.
[ He really, truly, isn't trying to be an ass this time. ]
no subject
"But take a look at yourself, you'll just slow me down like this."
Ouch. That one fuckin' STUNG. We've bypassed imagined slights and landed right in SORE OLD WOUNDS territory.
The anger on Sakura's face until that moment had simply been flat out anger- annoyance taken to an unhealthy extreme, but now she looks well and truly hurt and offended. Green eyes widen while her brow remains deeply furrowed-- deeper still if anything --and her nostrils flare briefly as her muscles visibly tighten around her jaw, pupils narrowing sharply with flaring emotions. The next words to come out of her mouth are harsh and pointed, loud enough that her throat feels slightly raw after. ]
That's JUST LIKE you to say that! Why is it that every time things get hard your first thought is to abandon us?!
[ One fist smashes into the tree beside her with the force of her anger and a flare of healing magic of her own, reinforcing her shoulder, arm, wrist, and fist to dampen the impact. The tree isn't so lucky, and with a sickening crack she smashes a hole through the trunk. ]
no subject
But much as he tries, he can't help but be hyper-aware of the headband resting across his forehead and the deep slash that still mars its surface. It's heavy. He resists the urge to rip it off.
Instead, he focuses on Sakura and the way her emotions twist in pain, as if he had burned her. It doesn't help. It only brings the situation into sharper focus, only makes things that much worse. His hands clench at his side. ]
What are you talking about? I've never--
[ Even though she's not aiming for him, he dodges to the side out of reflex, watching as she blasts a hole in the tree with her fist. ]
Damn it, you're not making any sense! Calm down!
no subject
SHUT UP! I WON'T!
[ As the ruckus of the impact slowly begins to fade it becomes obvious that something is going on beyond the wild mood swing. The dust settles slowly and whether Sasuke dodged or evaded the damage some other way (though part of his campsite certainly didn't), Sakura stands amidst the ruptured bits of earth with a sheen of sweat appearing along her skin. That fast breathing from before has turned into something labored instead, and the flush to her skin makes it obvious that she's running a high fever. ]
I begged for you to stay, or to let me help you and you still...! Then and now!
[ Her muscles visibly tremble, and abruptly her knees give out. Crashing down to one of them and bracing on her hands, she stares up at him, anger still burning in her eyes even as illness begins to take her over, and one has to wonder.
What if instead of her seeing Sasuke as he is or if she's seeing the phantom in her mind. ]
Even after all this time you're telling me it's still not enough?
no subject
Sasuke, at some point in the future, leaves the village. He doesn't know how or why, at least he can't be sure of the why, but he will leave, and if Sakura's reaction is anything to go by, it does not go well. He wishes he could say he wouldn't do something like leave, but Sasuke knows himself. If it was the only way he could defeat Itachi, no matter the cost--
He doesn't have any more time to process before Sakura is dropping to one knee, her breathing more labored than it should be. His gaze snaps to her, and it doesn't take a genius to realize she's sick. Really sick. ]
Sakura!
[ He rushes towards her, heedless of any other attack that might come his way. He's reaching for his healing magic before he's even reached her side, this time with desperation. For once he's glad he was given healing magic over some of the more offensive possibilities. If he didn't--well. He doesn't want to think about that. ]
What's wrong? Why--[ His gaze shifts to the remains of his camp, scanning for her familiar. The mongoose had been acting weird before Sakura appeared, maybe...]
no subject
Why is it always like this? Why is it that her best is never good enough for him? She'd thought she was past this, but then why does it still feel like she's lesser in his eyes? When was the last time she saw him back home? Was it... when they tried killing one another? Was--
Panic swells alongside the anger, which refuses to subside and is in fact only growing more volatile the longer that Sakura is trapped inside her own head, a genjutsu entirely of her own making, and in it Sasuke isn't there to try to help her. He's trying to kill her, like he nearly did to Karin- his own ally. Like he did to Danzo, the interim Hokage!
There's an attempt to slap his hand away, but all of her strength is quickly sapping away, and so the gesture becomes no more than a harmless pat as her fever worsens and the wounds begin showing rapid signs of infection.
Her vision swims, the images of Sasuke in the clothing given to him by Orochimaru in direct conflict with the image of Sasuke on the day he left the village, which is in direct conflict with the actual Sasuke standing in front of her now. A flicker of clarity, and the realization. "I'm sick? But when did I...?"
And then for an instant, just for a brief instant her eyes clear, the anger dissipating enough for confusion and then concentration. It's hazy, but while she's got a moment of lucidity-- ]
Don't... don't let them touch you...! Sasuke, don't...
[ But the words trail off as Sakura suddenly sways and collapses sideways towards the ground, eyes falling shut and consciousness slipping away.
Tsubaki is nearby, and when Sakura collapses she begins shrieking and hissing, visibly upset. Rushing back over now that she's lost consciousness the mongoose nudges at the unconscious Sakura's face before looking back up at Sasuke, almost expectant. She can't speak the human language, but her stare is telling.
"What are you DOING?? If you can't heal her yourself, call for help already!" ]