Chapter Text
I.
“...savage and formidable Potencies lurking behind the souls of men, not evil perhaps in themselves, yet instinctively hostile to humanity as it exists.”
― Algernon Blackwood
The first time it happens; he genuinely wants to kill them.
He's full of hatred, righteous fury and so much energy and power that he doesn't know what to do with it besides fight and harm and just keep going until something breaks.
Until justice is served and those who hurt one of his beloved people are brought to their knees at her feet begging for mercy, only to be received with the same cold merciless actions that they imposed upon her.
Sakura, their usually pristine-looking teammate, who always takes great pride in her looks and cares enough about her appearance to bring combs and mirrors to missions, looks nothing like herself right now; her skin is broken and scarred, marred with dirt and blood and horrible bruises and inflammation, her usually long, soft and beautiful pink hair is chopped off, short and uneven.
And worst of all, her beautiful, easy-going smile is gone, replaced by a scared frown and a pain ridden grimace, even as she looks up at him, the loving gaze that she usually graces upon Sasuke even when he rarely responds with a smile of his own, it’s gone, completely replaced by fear.
“It’s their fault.” Whispers the voice inside his head. “They deserve to die.” It growls, low and dangerous. “You have the power. Kill them.”
It feels like a beast inside him, gnawing its teeth, just trying to claw its way from his guts through his blood and his weak, human flesh. To break free to do as it wishes.
Because it can.
But there's consciousness underneath it all; deep inside, the beast it's not just a beast, it's human, it understands and thinks.
It feels.
Deep inside, the beast has a name, and the name belongs to a human who has always been weak, cowardly, useless:
Uchiha Sasuke.
Gnawing his teeth against fear, and rage and the limited power inside that never feels like it's enough; not enough to protect his family, himself, Naruto or even Sakura.
Sakura who is weak, who is soft and sweet and generous with her affection.
Sakura who shouldn't get hurt, who shouldn't be touched. Who should be under Naruto’s and Sasuke’s watchful eyes at all times if she’s not under the protection of Kakashi. Because that’s the way it has always been ever since team seven officially formed, because they all agreed on it, even if they never officially talked about it.
Sakura, who is laying on the ground by his side now; bruised, shaking, bleeding and powerless.
The sight of her making the voices that come from the back of his head louder, more restless, like a cobra hissing before snapping.
The mark doesn't scream at him; it doesn't force his hand at all.
It whispers.
Someone touched Sakura, someone dared to hurt her, to beat her up, cut her. To mock her and humiliate her.
Someone tried to kill her.
It really doesn't matter if they tried to kill Naruto or Sasuke himself. What would it really matter if they did?
They would just be dead, that's it, that would be the end for them, just two kids with goals too big who died before their time, who lived a miserable life and died a miserable death.
Naruto is like the sun; bright, warm, blinding, all-encompassing like a comforting hug and scolding hot, suffocating like a humid day in the middle of summer.
If Naruto wasn't there, if he died. It would be like walking a life condemned to a perpetual winter; cold, bleak, hopeless and gruelling. But Sasuke would survive, and he would force Sakura to survive with him.
Sasuke is like the moon; forever split into a dark side and the brightness gifted to him by the love bestowed upon him from his beloved people. Forever bound to shine only as a reflection of other people’s greatness and light.
If Sasuke was to die, for his team it would be like living without reflection, never really understanding just how great they are, how much love they can give, because Sasuke wouldn’t be there for them to feed his needy, hungry little heart with the affection and purpose that they’re always willing to give up to him selflessly.
But they would survive, they would survive, and they would thrive, even if maybe just a littler gloomier, with a little less drive.
Sakura, however, she’s like the earth under their feet; grounding, secure, constantly growing and forever loving.
Warm in the summer, cold in the winter, active in autumn and thriving with life in the spring. Perfectly balanced inside a universe that doesn’t make any sense.
If Sakura was to die then there wouldn’t be anything else, the ground beneath them wouldn’t be there and after her there would only be an infinite fall without any hope for a bright future with sunny days or calm nights with serene moons.
If Sakura was to be killed, there would only be a monster left in Sasuke’s place, just the hunger and the hate living deep inside his skin, so it would only be fair that this trash quivering in front of him, got a taste of the monster they were willing to create.
The first time he wants to tear them apart.
But Sakura asks him not to and so, the monster stops.
“If she wants.” Grumbles the monster. “We can spare them, if she wants.”
Because Sakura is merciful.
II.
It was the Shadow cast by the strange
Fear, never wholly exorcised.― Algernon Blackwood
The second time he just wants everything to stop; he wants the whispers to shut up and the hunger to recede.
He wants Sakura to look at him like she trusts him again, like she used to do when smiled at her dear Sasuke-kun, reassured that nothing could happen to her if he was there to protect her.
He wants her to stop trembling at the mere sight of his marked neck.
The voice in his head blame this man who is trying to steal his chakra, if this man wasn’t such a parasite, then the mark wouldn’t be forced to lend him more power to reach his goals. But the man is a parasite and he’s getting in the way and the scared look on Sakura’s crying face it’s his fault.
“Kill him,” whispers the voice in a hissing drawl, “he’s nothing but a step on the way, he’s nothing. Just kill him.”
Sasuke smiles, he can taste his blood already, can feel the rush of victory. He only needs to give into this power; he just needs to give in to the desires and wishes of beast inside.
But Sakura is afraid of the monster, she’s afraid of the beast. She doesn’t want to see the monster win, just her Sasuke-kun. And hadn’t she been hurt enough?
“Just this one time.” Agrees the beast.
Sasuke can fight with his own power; he can win on his own terms.
At least for now.