Chapter Text
The icy wind stung Sasuke’s face. In an attempt to avoid his oblivious wife for just a while longer, Shadow was only traveling at a leisurely pace. Last night, Akuma did something unforgivable and that was to lie to Sakura about his identity. The prince’s teeth gritted as he imagined the pinkette’s devastation when she eventually finds out. He couldn’t hide the truth from her. It was wrong enough that he didn’t immediately come clean about it upon waking this morning.
Sakura had just been so charming with her bashful glances and sweet words of appreciation during breakfast. Sasuke was grateful for an excuse to head to town to buy some clothing and supplies because he needed time alone to prepare himself to ruin the wonderful bond they’d built before Akuma did what he did.
‘She’ll blame herself for not noticing. That’s just how she is,’ he mused with a frown. ‘It’s always her first instinct to take responsibility for everything bad that happens. That’s just how she was raised.’ It was a trait the prince desperately wished wasn’t fact. How many times had the poor woman been unfairly punished for deeds that weren’t her own over the years? If her spoiled sister and narcissistic brother were any hint, the number was large.
A deep sadness chilled him more than the winter weather as they neared their honeymoon cabin. The Curse had spoken to himself after Sakura fell asleep last night. He’d expressed words of great regret and pleaded with the prince to allow him to explain to the clueless woman. Such desperation was extremely out of character.
Sasuke was beyond livid and refused. He had half a mind to begin locking himself up at sunset like before so nothing like this happened again.
‘She’s my wife. Mine. That beast had no right.’ An odd, territorial anger began warming his chest as he thought about the tense situation. ‘Sakura even made it clear to him that she’s chosen me over him, and he still betrayed her trust.’
If Akuma wasn’t literally sharing his body, Sasuke would love to tear him to shreds.
The seething man attempted to calm himself while dismounting Shadow and guiding him into the stable. It was difficult because yet another person had proven themselves untrustworthy. First, her father sent her to die, then, her brother committed an unspeakable act, now, the demon she’d taken a risk by befriending had lied as well. She’ll be heartbroken when she finds out.
After slinging the pack of supplies onto his back, Sasuke sighed and began trekking through the snow toward the cabin. He lifted his tired eyes onto the door, only to drop the sack in surprise. Multiple sets of footprints were left in the snow, almost all of them too large to be his wife’s. The door was ajar, too.
Fearing the worst, Sasuke rushed inside, “Sakura!” No response came.
He hurried through the den, eyes pausing on the half-chopped vegetables sitting on the cutting board next to a large knife. Praying he was wrong that she’d been taken, the prince threw the bedroom door open only to have his fear confirmed. Her name left his lips again, more breathlessly. Little puffs of breath were visible in the cold air as he helplessly looked around at the abandoned cabin for any sign. None were to be found.
She was gone.
Sasuke immediately left for the capital, riding as fast as possible with only a few short breaks so Shadow wouldn’t become exhausted. When he approached the palace gates, a few guards began jogging over, obviously not recognizing his unruly appearance. “Stop there-” “Get Itachi. Now!” He cut them off, the fire of the need to locate and rescue his wife fueling his rage.
Moments later, the first Uchiha prince appeared. He was visibly confused by his younger brother’s demeanor, “Sasuke? What are you-” “They took her!” He was still panting for breath from riding so hard for many consecutive hours. The man was utterly exhausted but couldn’t bear to rest when so much was unknown.
Itachi motioned for the guards to tend to the horse before guiding his brother into the castle, “Sakura? Who took her?”
Sasuke spat angrily, “I don’t know. She was only alone for a few hours. I made sure the area was clear before I left!”
“Nephew? This is unexpected. I was sure your honeymoon would last longer,” Madara smiled teasingly, oblivious to the situation.
“Sakura’s been taken, Uncle. We should act immediately,” Itachi’s gaze was fierce with concern.
Madara’s grin melted, “Of course. Tell me where to send my best and it shall be done.”
After getting all the information they could from Sasuke, they demanded he bathe, change his clothes, and rest.
One of the maid’s brought tea to his room, and Itachi joined him for a glass. It was nearing sunset, so the demon was sure to take over soon. “Drink, Brother. It’ll help you sleep.”
“I don’t need sleep. I need to find Sakura,” the prince bit, but he took a sip anyway. Regardless of his desperation, he knew he’d be useless if he didn’t maintain his health.
All was silent for a few moments, the elder Uchiha prince studying the younger one. Eventually, he sighed, “To think the princess would be forced to undergo such hardships again.”
A quiet sound of agreement left Sasuke. He was unbelievably upset with himself. No matter how badly he needed some alone time, he should’ve known better than to leave his wife defenseless. If he’d only brought her along, or packed more supplies for their trip to begin with, she’d be preparing to rest in one of her feminine nightgowns right now.
“You don’t suppose her family is involved?”
Sasuke’s frown deepened, if possible. He shook his head, glaring into his teacup, “If they are, they won’t escape with their lives.”
Surprise met Itachi’s face, only to quickly sink into bittersweet understanding, “Perhaps this is why she was taken.”
This, too, Sasuke had considered, though he was stunned to hear his brother say something so obviously treacherous to the king.
‘There’s no proof that Madara has done anything, but the possibility can’t be ruled out. He’ll do anything he deems necessary to protect the family name.’ His hands shook. His emotions were spiraling out of control. He downed the rest of the tea in one big gulp, ‘I can’t let her die. Not now, after everything she’s done for me.’ The thought of somehow co-existing with Akuma wasn’t positive, but it was preferable to losing the one person in this life who was honestly and truly innocent.
‘It’s for this exact reason that Madara might’ve had her taken. If she’s killed….’ He couldn’t even finish the thought.
“You’ve little reason to put your faith in me, but I’ll do what I can, Little Brother. I promise you this.”
It was unspoken between the brothers that Itachi was keeping numerous secrets. Expecting him to confide in the banished prince would be foolish. Sasuke nodded once, not moving from the table as the first prince excused himself for the evening. He’d just have to trust that Itachi was a man of his word.
One day of searching every inch of the kingdom passed, then another, and more. Before Sasuke knew it, a month of sleepless nights and restless days had passed. He could feel his sanity slipping. Sure, small clues of Sakura’s whereabouts had been found, all by the kingdom’s magic users. The fact that he wasn’t sure if the king was lying about the reports was driving him insane, but Itachi’s promise to do all he could helped him barely hold on.
‘Where is she? Is she scared? Are they treating her well? Is she hungry or cold? Does she think I’ve abandoned her?’ The questions were endless and refused to cease.
One night, while staying at an inn with a small group of soldiers, Sasuke was interrupted from his worries by a sudden presence behind him. He smoothly brandished his sword, swinging around and onto his feet to point it at whoever’d appeared, “Explain yourself before I behead you.”
To his surprise, a familiar face was there. The wizard who’d visited his estate with Itachi stood proudly, his overbearing physical presence unable to be entirely ignored. ‘His name is Kisame, right? Itachi seemed to trust him.’ Sasuke still didn’t lower his blade, though, because the muscular man had appeared like a ghost in his personal room. His intentions were unclear.
“The first prince sends his regards,” Kisame spoke gruffly, with little emotion.
“Itachi sent you?”
“Yes. There’s been a discovery.”
Sasuke put pressure on his blade so that it dug into Kisame’s chest. If he pushed any harder, it’d surely draw blood, “What is it?”
“It seems one of the men involved in the princess’s disappearance is someone I’ve personally worked with in the past. He’s a mercenary.”
Sasuke’s blade lowered ever so slightly, “What does this mean?”
Kisame’s eyes narrowed, but otherwise his expression and tone remained the same, “After our last encounter, I did some research on the man, so I’m familiar with some of his known hideouts. If we’re lucky, he may be keeping her at one.”
“I’m asking-!” Sasuke paused, having raised his voice. He took a calming breath before trying again with a better grasp on his composure, “I’m asking what this means for my wife.”
This time, the wizard’s stoicism dropped, if only slightly, “Hidan is bloodthirsty and short-tempered, but he takes his jobs seriously. So long as the princess isn’t defiant and his mission is to keep her alive, I believe he won’t seriously harm her.”
The prince nodded slowly. The idea that the poor woman might’ve been dead all along crossed his mind the moment he realized she was taken, but he wouldn’t entertain it until he saw proof with his own eyes. If he thought about it too much, it became unbearable to even sit and exist.
So, early the next morning, the small group headed out in the direction of the closest known hideout of Hidan’s mercenary group.
Kisame had joined them, claiming to be following the royal family’s orders. Sasuke still wasn’t sure if he could trust him, but what other choice did he have? Aimlessly searching for the past month has yielded almost zero results.
Each moment he was apart from Sakura and unsure of her safety, the more unstable he felt. His last memories of her were the sweetest of them all, the image of a bashful bride the morning after spending a night together. They’d entrusted one another with their souls. They’d become one, so the Uchiha man felt as though he was only half of a person in her absence.
The group traveled throughout the day, and Akuma took over once the sun was set. They didn’t stop, though, because they were nearing the first hideout. Using the cover of night, it’d be easier to sneak around unseen if it so happened enemies were present. Akuma was filled to the brim with self-disgust. He was desperate to find Sakura if only to apologize for betraying her trust. Hell, he’d abandon this realm of his own volition so long as she just came back safely.
‘The last thing I did to her can’t have been that.’
The demon hadn’t felt such emotions ever in his life. This month in her absence had been a rollercoaster of adapting to such human sentiments. He wanted to run away from it all, but he was no coward. Whether or not she hated him for what he’d done, Akuma wouldn’t let his flower be taken by anyone else.
So, he rode with focus and ferocity. Suddenly, a dark building became visible in the distance. It was semi-camouflaged into the forest with thick branches and trees covering most of its appearance. If he wasn’t in control of this body, Sasuke might not have noticed. Akuma had enhanced senses, though, so he easily spotted it.
Eagerly, he shook the reins of his horse to speed it up. The blue-haired wizard shouted at him to not stray too far ahead of the group, but he ignored it. In fact, as the disguised building came closer, the anticipation was too much to handle. Akuma leapt off the horse and sprinted in that direction, energy stinging his fingertips as he readied himself to disembowel any who opposed him.
Just before he could reach the small house, Sakura’s faint scent met his nose. He skidded to a stop, neck turning quickly to the south. ‘She was recently here but not anymore.’ The demon’s blood boiled with frustration. ‘So close! I was so close to finding her!’
The others in the search party caught up, Kisame asking, “You found something?”
“They left within the last twenty-four hours. We should follow while I can still detect her scent.”
The wizard nodded, “Let’s search this place quickly, then.”
