Swirling in the dark, inky dye,

Two beings dance,

Like galaxies in sky,

Falling in and out of a trance,

A touch, a reach across the void,

Never to happen again, future devoid

It was never supposed to happen.

The day wasn't supposed to come, not ever!

And even should it come to pass, I never thought it would happen like this.

"S-Sa-ai..." The words dropped like heavy mercury from the blond boy's mouth, which happened to be spitting up blood.

A tanto had imbedded itself deep in the boy's side, and he began to crumple to the ground.

I rushed forward, running to my teammate, already abandoned by its killer.

SAI!!!

Death isn't what I thought it was, and I realized it on that day, because when I reached him, he was dead.

No last words.

No last breaths.

No last touch.

Nothing.

Just empty eyes staring sightlessly. So what if I am a med-nin, the sight made me nautious.

Naruto.

The happy, idiotic boy I thought was the bane of my life, was dead. In spite of his will to live, in spite of my medical jutsu abilities, in spite of the power of the Kyuubi – he was dead. Sai's betrayal had sliced through it all like a hot knife through butter.

Hot, enraged tears rolled down my cheeks.

HOW?!

How could anyone murder their teammate in cold blood, kill their friend without a trace of sorrow?!

Sai! You monster!

Something closed around my body, and my furious fist raised to meet it.

I am showered in ink.

"Now you're going to try and kill me too, you fiend?!" I screamed up at the apathetic root member, who was astride a great ink bird.

"Ugly. We have to escape, or we'll be killed," he responded, not seeming the least bit phased by what he had just done.

Escape?

Oh. Right.

Bile rose in my throat as I saw Sai's reasoning. Across from us stood to Akatsuki members, Kisame and Zetsu, the former advancing at a slow but steady pace, a grin plastered on his face at the prospect of killing, while Zetsu looked more troubled at the sudden demise of their target.

How could he?!!!

How could he have killed Naruto to make us escape. Sai! I knew he was a lot of things, but I never would have guessed a coward.

My hatred for that boy soared, and my fist clenched.

And then I was suddenly wrenched from the ground.

"Wha -?"

I struggled, but it was no use. Sai had become accustomed to my strength, and poured enough chakra into his ink in order to match it.

"SAI!!! LET... ME... GO!"

I'd rather die than be saved by the likes of him.

He ignored me, just as I knew he would. I thrashed and I tried to punch, but it was all futile.

I seethed in the iron grip. As soon as we got to where ever it is that we were going, there was going to be hell to pay.

I could understand Sasuke' see the reasoning, at least. I could even almost forgive him. But Naruto? Just what sort of demonic traitor would do that?

I hate you. I'll never forgive. Ever.

My tears fell, splattering the ground with wet dots to far away for me to see.

And then I saw it.

In the other claw of the bird, hung the boy, the one I should have trusted all along. Naruto.