Title: Set Fire to the Rain
Author: mitsuki0tennyo (Mitsukino Tennyo)
Disclaimer: I don’t own Naruto, if I did I would’ve changed some outfits. As some (like Sasuke original Shippūden outfit) make me cringe.
Fandom: Naruto
Pairing: SasuSaku (Uchiha Sasuke x Haruno Sakura)
Rating: M-15 / T
Word Count: 717
Summary: As he woke up from his surgery, Sasuke realized he loved the scent of her signature perfume, every time he smelled it he could almost imagine the white ume blossoms that accompanied her very being.
Shiraume… hakubaikō…
He woke up feeling slightly groggy, even with the darkness that surrounded him and his eyes feeling slightly numb. But the scent of white plum blossom, the soft scent of Sakura’s trademark perfume enveloped him, calmed him. He heard Madara talking to him about his new eyes, but only the man’s last sentence made any sense.
“That’s fine, I can feel Itachi’s power flowing through me.” Touching the bandages that covered his new eyes, Sasuke’s lips forming a cruel smirk.
“That’s good.” The older Uchiha sounded… pleased with himself. It vaguely reminded him of Orochimaru and Kabuto actions.
“Can I heal him? His eyes, can I heal them?” Sakura sounded slightly worried, but he wasn’t really surprised as she had not been very happy the moment she heard Madara was going to do the surgery. The elder Uchiha didn’t answer the pinkette vocally but seconds later Sasuke felt Sakura’s gentle hands touch his eyes. She went over each nerve, each blood vessel before focusing on his… no Itachi’s eyes.
“Do your eyes still hurt?”
“No.”
“I’m going to remove your bandages.”
Finally the stripes of fabric came off and Sasuke opened his eyes. Sasuke blinked rapidly as his eyes slowly got used to the artificial lights of Madara laboratory. He focused on the pink and red blur that was hovering over him. Slowly the hazy figure became clearer until he stared in Sakura’s worried green eyes.
“How are you feeling?”
“Fine.” He nuzzled the crook of her neck, taking in her delicious sweet scent. He felt her breathing hitch as he started nipping on the tender flesh of her neck. “I love the way you smell.”
“How sweet.”
Sasuke growled, he had forgotten Madara hadn’t left the room. “What do you want?”
“I want to talk with you, Sasuke-kun.”
“Then talk.”
“Alone.” Although his mask hid the action, Sasuke knew that Madara was looking at Sakura, watching as she shifted her stance, ready to strike him down should the man attack her.
“Sakura,” Sasuke whispered her name firmly. It was an order and the pinkette knew it, he had ordered her to leave.
“I will go check on the others,” she responded quietly. Sakura came to a stop at the doorway, turning to stare at Madara a final time, searching for any hidden intentions. Not finding anything, she sighed and left the room, closing the door behind her.
“Such a lovely girl, useful too.” Madara stared at the door Sakura had exited seconds ago. “It’s rare to find such a skilled combat medic-nin and I’ve heard she is a genjutsu expert too. What is her elemental affinity?”
“Raiton.”
If Madara remembered correctly, it was an elemental nature in which Orochimaru didn’t particularly excel in while Sasuke did. And according to Zetsu, she had used Raiton techniques when she crossed paths with Sasori and Deidara two years ago. “Ah, so you must have taught her.”
“I taught her the basics, but she learned the rest from Orochimaru’s scrolls.” He remembered those days when a fourteen year old Sakura had studied the snake’s books and scrolls, memorizing every single theory, advantage and flaw behind a technique.
“I see… either way I wanted to talk about our partnership—”
“I will capture the Hachibi for you, but after that we will part ways.”
“…Might I ask why, Sasuke? We could help each other, we both want to see Konoha’s destruction.”
“Because I have nothing to gain from our mutual alliance. I do not seek Konoha’s destruction, not the way you do, if I did I wouldn’t be any different from the council.” From the corner of his eye, Sasuke looked at Madara as tried gauche the ancient Uchiha’s emotions underneath the orange mask. “I don’t need your help to kill Danzō and the others, as for finding them… I can wait. Let them get comfortable with idea that I’m not coming after them, that they are safe from my revenge. I’ve waited nine years to avenge my clan, I can wait some more.”
“What made you come to this… particular conclusion?”
“I remembered something Sakura once said to me, a long time ago.”
“Oh, and what may that be?”
A sinister smirk appeared on Sasuke face as he stared at the elder Uchiha. “That I’m nobody’s puppet.”
(02. Fair As Spring ←| Love Like Winter |→ 04. Rolling in the Deep)
Author’s Note: This chapter is dedicated to Asha3, ILoveSxS, HasiVA and of course my wonderful beta-reader halfkyuubikat. It takes place after a few days after Louder the Thunder while the next chapter will take place day before this one. Inspiration for this chapter was Rurouni Kenshin: Tsuiokuhen (Rurouni Kenshin: Trust & Betrayal) OVA series which in turn is based on chapters 165 to 179 of the Rurouni Kenshin manga.
mitsuki0tennyo 
Thnx for the dedication once again! 🙂