NARUTO LET IT DIE
(Author's Note: Re-uploaded without the lyrics. The story with the lyrics can be found in my Deviantart gallery. I do not own the characters)
Naruto was done with it. He was done with ALL of it. Done with chasing down Sasuke, done with trying to please Sakura, done with everything.
Man it felt good to admit it. Even with his teammates looking at him with shock and betrayal all over their faces
"What do you mean you done with it?!" Sakura practically screamed at his retreating backside while Kakashi, Sai, Yamato, and (standing a few yards away) Sasuke just stared; All four shocked speechless.
"I mean exactly what I said Sakura, I'm done trying to catch Sasuke in hopes of dragging his sorry ass back to the village just so you can have your eye candy back." Naruto casually replied. He could hear Sakura spluttering indigently over his response. She could pretend that everything would go back to normal, back to when they were all at their happiest, if only Sasuke would come back to them, for the rest of her life as far as Naruto was concerned. As for himself, he was done sharing that delusion with her. He was done acting like a hopeful fool.
Naruto was tired. Tired of chasing something that he knew, had always known, could never be caught. Did they expect him to do this for the rest of his life? Like hell he would. He had seen the result of such a life and it wasn't pretty. Hadn't his sensei Jiraiya wasted most of his life tracking down a teammate already too far gone, swallowed whole by the darkness? He had promised to bring Orochimaru back into the light and everyone saw how well THAT went. Plus he was getting sick of Sakura lying to him, saying things like how she had fallen for him, just so he'd keep on doing what she wanted him to do. From now on she could do things herself for a change.
"Naruto how dare you say that to me!" Sakura screamed. "You swore to me you'd bring him back! You promised! Didn't you say it was your ninja way to never go back on your promises?! I KNOW you; I know you can convince Sasuke to come back! And don't you dare say you can't because that would be a load of crap! If you can convince that Akatsuki guy Pein to change his ways than you sure as hell can bring Sasuke home! You're just acting like a spoiled brat! In fact, you should be ashamed of yourself, turning your back on your teammate just because you feel too lazy to even try to-"
"Sakura do us all a favor and kindly SHUT THE HELL UP!" Naruto suddenly screamed out, shocking Sakura into silence and surprising the others. Kakashi and Sasuke's eyes widen; Since when did Naruto talk to Sakura that way?
"Say what you want Sakura, but don't you DARE say I didn't try because that's a lie. I DID try. Hell, I tried to bring him back a lot harder than YOU did. In fact, if memory serves, all you did was cry and moan about it." Naruto shot Sakura a poisonous glare as her said that last part, watching as she silently gasped. She brought her hand up to her cheek as if he'd slapped her, the color slowly draining from her face.
In his mind Naruto heard Kurama praise him, "Nice one kit." "Shut up," Naruto mentaly shot back, "I'm not in the mood." "Gotcha, I'll be quiet." Naruto allowed a small, bitter smile to grace his face as he thought of the irony of the moment; Of everyone present, it was the demon of all people (well, beings, since the Kyuubi wasn't human and therefore technically wasn't a person) who understood how he was feeling.
"Naruto," Sai spoke up, his hand half-heartedly reaching out to his departing friend with a confused, hurt filled look on his face, "I don't understand; I thought your ninja way was to take care of and to help those you care about?" Sai was lost and afraid, wondering what had happened to the boy who had taught him what it was like to feel again.
Naruto sighed before sending Sai a small, sad smile. He made a mental note to make it up to the young artist. This argument had nothing to do with him and Naruto sure as hell hadn't meant for Sai to be caught, much less hurt, by the cross fire.
As gently as he could, given what he was feeling right then and there, Naruto answered him. "It IS my ninja way Sai and it always will be."
Sai's confusion deepened. "Then why are you-"
"Don't you get it Sai?" Naruto interrupted, shaking his head before locking his gaze with the others who were all staring at him. "I just don't care about Sasuke and Sakura anymore."