This is a rewrite of my story "Love Lost, Love Found." After logging on for the first time in years, I re-read my old stories with something akin to horror. I thought that my writing was excellent, but it really wasn't. I now feel more confident in my writing and am determined to complete stories for the first time.
Those who had read my story before, you will find similar elements to the previous story, but also quite a bit of differences. I hope this revised story is more detailed and entertaining.
Please enjoy
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Kiba gritted his teeth, the pain in his abdomen overwhelming as he rested against the scratchy, dark tree trunk supporting him. Tears ran down his bloody scraped cheeks, allowing the red tattoos to become more pronounced as the dirt from the previous battle was washed away. Slowly his left hand lifted from the ground to be placed against the stab wound in his side as his right hand continued to stroke the dirtied fur of his longtime companion.
'Oh Akamaru…' Kiba thought as his fingers stilled, his thumb slipping between his dog nin's closed eyes to rest on the wet nose. He could barely see the small, white chest expanding and contracting, the only sign that the pup was still alive. A sudden wave of self-loathing filled him even as the edges of his vision wavered and darkened, causing him to take a shortened gasp. A slight hiss escaped his chapped lips when he exhaled a small twinge of pain radiated from the wound, only to numb moments later. It became increasingly difficult to think, and so he let his head fall back against the dark trunk, his dark, slitted eyes slipping closed at the same time. He listened to his surroundings grow fainter while his heart beat slowed as darkened blood continued to leak between his loose fingers. Finally, he let his hand fall to the ground, the bloodied palm facing the sky above as if asking for the gods to absolve him for his past sins.
Getting separated from his teammates, allowing his best friend to take the brunt of a cruel backhand for him, and not being strong enough to live. All of these were mistakes that he would never be able to rectify. He held no delusions that help was coming. This was understood to be a classified to mission to bring a lost teammate back, although if Kiba were to be completely honest, he would have opened the gate himself to see Sasuke...the traitor... leave.
The Inuzuka was tired of seeing bright blue eyes grow dim whenever the lone heir snapped and turned his back on those that considered him nakama and wanted nothing but the best for him. Why Naruto ever bothered with the only heir of the Uchiha clan, Kiba didn't know. It was a bond he would never understand. But that's what made Naruto a light in this confusing world. Therefor when the blond asked him be a part of this mission, how could the Inuzuka say no? And if he had said yes for other reasons...well that's neither here nor there. It was too late now.
Kiba's body trembled once, twice, before stilling, and the Inuzuka could no longer hear the forest around him; could no longer feel the matted, dirty fur of his best friend beneath his fingers nor the stinging pain of the wound in his side. Despite not wanting to die, brunette felt oddly at peace. Even though his time in this world was short, he could only think of one regret.
"So this is it, Akamaru. I guess it's my time." Kiba muttered, his last words whispered out his last confession where only the birds and plants could hear him.
"I should have told Naru...that I…"
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Dark red eyes gazed down at the brunette before him, taking in the limp figure of the pre-teen. The orbs traced over the torn fishnet shirt where several bruises were already visible, peeking out from beneath the fabric, down to the deep wound where the blood was slowing as the others life force bled out. He glanced up to the face, taking in the soft and almost peaceful expression that covered the sharp features.
The strangers eyes focused on the Inuzuka's face for a few more moments before making his decision. Carefully, he removed his hands from the black robe that surrounded his body, the sound of the light cloth blending in the with song of the wildlife in the forest. His left arm slipped behind the young boy's head and the tree trunk while his right arm made its way under the brunette's sprawled legs, gathering them up into one grip. Carefully he lifted the Konoha nin, making sure not to drop the little white furball that rested on the others lap. It seemed he would take them both, then.
He braced the light body and it's passenger against his chest, ignoring the growing red stain that began to spread on his own clothing. A small smile graced the stranger's lips. Even though it seemed that the young nin was dead, the stranger could still feel the other's chakra struggling to keep his heart beating. The will of fire was not yet ready to give up.
"BRAT! Where are you?!" a dark voice suddenly cried out, causing the stranger to shift his embrace on the Inuzuka so that the other lay comfortable in his arms and protected against the strong chest. A small whimper was his only response. The man who now carried the young pre-teen could sense the enemy nin advancing on their location. He wasn't worried. He was more than powerful enough to take care of a childish sound nin, however he didn't feel like getting caught up in a conflict that was not his own.
With as much gentleness as he could garner, the silent man jumped onto the nearest branch while simultaneously cloaking his chakra. The young nin in his arms hardly emitted any chakra, so he didn't have to worry about alerting the enemy to which direction he took. Adjusting his hold on the nin one last time, the stranger disappeared, cloaked in the darkness of the forest.
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"Sasuke! Listen to me! You are my nakama. Please come back!" a haggard Naruto shouted, the corners of his eyes shining with unshed tears. His jaw felt swollen from the well placed punch seconds...minutes…hours ago. The blond had lost track on how long he and the Uchiha heir had been fighting, Naruto mostly on the defensive while Sasuke attacked with precision and focus. The landscape around both was littered with craters where their bodies had landed when one managed to get the upper hand.
"Nakama? You are no such thing to me. I don't need anyone to hold me back," Sasuke answered, his newly formed clawed wings catching the body of the younger nin, compliments of the curse mark inked permanently on the side of his neck. Naruto only had time to take in a small breath of air before he was flung against the side of the mountain. The rocky surface broke apart to make way for the new obstacle, small and large rocks littering the ground before a body landed upon them. Naruto coughed, specks of blood flying from thin lips as he raised a shaky hand to wipe the residue away.
"You're wrong, friends don't hold you back," Naruto said as he struggled to stand. His chakra was almost depleted and his body on the verge of exhaustion. He wouldn't be able to keep this up for much longer. Still, he had to try.
"It's the bonds you form that make you strong! They give you something to fight for," the blonde finished as Sasuke walked up to him, eyes slitted in disgust.
"Then why are you so weak?" the Uchiha responded before he struck, the sole of his left sandal digging into Naruto's side as he kicked the other down.
"Look at you, Naruto," Sasuke added while placing his foot on top of the others chest. "Who is the one with has back on the ground? Why are you fighting so hard for something that never existed? I feel nothing when I see you below me, except for triumph!"
Naruto winced, bright blue eyes staring worriedly at his friend...ex-friend? He wasn't sure. How could it have gone so wrong? He thought that by coming here, by showing Sasuke that he was loved and treasured, that it would change the others mind. Naruto had believed that there was good still left in him and that he was just being lead astray by his burning desire for revenge. But now, he wasn't so sure. What was it that Kiba had said?
'I can smell the evil on him…'
Naruto had ignored that assessment, sure that Kiba was wrong and that he was projecting his own prejudices. After all, it was no secret to the village that the Inuzuka and Uchiha heir seemed to hate one another. They often had to be separated from one another when a fight broke out between them, and most of those fights had centered around the blond himself. More specifically, how Sasuke treated the boy who tried so hard to befriend him.
He should have listened.
"If you need more proof of my will, Naruto, I will be happy to show you. I can go back and kill all of those so called bonds," At this, the blond began to struggle, hands gripping tightly onto the foot holding him down. He dug his nails into the soft skin, trying to cause the other to let go in pain, but Sasuke didn't so much as flinch.
"Sakura, Shikamaru, Chouji, Neji…Kiba," Sasuke teased. At the last name, Naruto growled and using the last of his strength, he managed to lift up and away from him. Sasuke took a couple of steps back to avoid falling, a stony look on his aristocratic features.
"I fucking knew it," hissed the Uchiha as dark storm clouds rolled in from the south, as though they were summoned by the others mood. The shadows that fell across straight nose and strong jawline darkened. The other nin looked absolutely furious. Naruto pushed himself up into a crouch, a small kunai held in front of his face for protection. The blond's facial expression matched the raven's perfectly.
"You talk of our bond as if it's something special, and yet you form a stronger one with a useless dog," Sasuke spat.
"Don't talk about him that way," Naruto growled; and Sasuke huffed in annoyance, his eyes taking on a dangerous glint.
"Let's finish this," he said. Naruto nodded and slowly stood. Carefully, he spread the fingers on his right hand, summoning the rest of the chakra he had left. The wind around the blond rose, whipping his short hair around as a blue ball formed, resting a couple of inches above his palm.
"I won't let you hurt them," Naruto whispered. He would die before he allowed Sasuke anywhere near the village that housed his friends, especially the Inuzuka. The Uchiha followed suit, electricity jumping from his palm as the sounds of a thousand chirping birds filled the air. As they stood facing one another, the clouds grew heavier and heavier until finally one let go of the liquid it held inside.
As the first drop of rain hit the soft earth, the two struck. The surrounding area lit up, as though the sun had broken through the clouds and the landscape trembled at the enormous power the two created. Debris from the ground and surrounding rocks launched into the air and were flung out towards the trees that were bending from the force. A howling wind twisted around the power source, removing any living thing from the vicinity. It seemed as though it would never end, and the chittering and crackling noise grew louder and louder until...it suddenly stopped.
A silence filled the area which just a few seconds ago seemed as though it was screaming, and in the middle of the crater that was created by the two nin lay the blond. He was unable to lift his right arm, the broken bones grinding against one another causing sharp pain to shoot up into his chest. The bright orange clothing was so torn there was no hope in saving it. Dull blue eyes gazed forward, half-lidded. The dark sky had broken up seconds prior, allowing the light to shine through on the broken figure lying on the ground and the one standing right above him, glaring down.
The curse mark on the Uchiha had receded so that his figure looked more human. His dark top had a large hole in the chest, showing a bright burn mark right in the center; proof that he had at least been injured in the struggle. His right arm hung limply down by his side. Slowly, he knelt down until his twisted face was right above his once friend's. He noticed the other boy briefly glance in his direction before closing his eyes, prepared for whatever fate the Uchiha had in mind. Sasuke smirked.
"I'm not going to kill you, Naruto," he said. Naruto's eyes snapped open to look into Sasuke's own. The raven chuckled at the questioning look in the others blue orbs and continued on.
"No, I'm going to wait. I want you to become stronger, Naruto. That way when I destroy Kiba right in front of you, you will finally know what it's like to lose somebody you love, and be helpless to stop it."
Naruto's expression morphed into one of horror as understanding filled his eyes. But before he could say or do anything, Sasuke quickly stood and delivered a hard kick to the side of his head, and Naruto knew no more.
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Naruto awoke to the sound of beeping machines and a painful headache, each of these senses telling him that he was, indeed, alive. He lay there for a couple of minutes, just breathing slowly while listening to the people walking in the hallway and the shouts of children playing just outside the window. When he became more tolerant to the throbbing in his head, he attempted to open his eyes. The first attempt ended with his eyes scrunched shut once more and a hiss escaping his lips as he dealt with the sudden, sharp pain that had enveloped him. The second was more successful and he was able to focus his gaze on the white ceiling above him.
As he stared, his temporary forgotten memories began to resurface. Unbidden tears gathered in the corner of his eyes, but he blinked them away. No, he would not cry, not over the Uchiha. After all Naruto had done to try to befriend the silent raven, to form a bond with the other as he had not really done with anyone before; he felt heartbroken and angry. As the Uchiha's words echoed once more in his mind, the blond unconsciously clenched the hospital sheet into his fists. Sasuke had threatened Kiba. Naruto silently promised himself that he would make sure the Inuzuka was protected. As he had stated before, he would not allow Sasuke to hurt any of his friends, especially one that Naruto secretly wished would become a little more.
Before he was able to think on the betrayal any longer, the door to his room slid open. Naruto turned his head to greet the pinkette who had just walked in.
"Oh, Naruto! You're awake. Good," Sakura said, evidently pleased. The blond forced a small smile before allowing his face to become passive once more. How could she appear so happy to see him when he had broken his promise to her? As if reading his mind, Sakura expression morphed into one of worried compassion. Gently, she placed one of her soft hands on top of his left fist, and Naruto was slightly surprised to feel his body relax a little into the hospital bed. Everything that needed to be said between them was communicated through their gaze, as Sakura's intense green eyes bore into the blond's own blue.
Finally she looked away, moving her hand at the same time to turn mess with the flowers that were sitting by Naruto's bedside. The blond hadn't noticed them before, and he was oddly touched that somebody had cared enough to send him flowers. The blond opened his mouth to speak but quickly erupted into a coughing fit. Sakura made a few soothing, shushing sounds as she handed him a warm glass of water. Naruto nodded in thanks before parting his lips to allow the water to flow down his sore throat. After a few mouthfuls, he handed the glass back to Sakura so she could set it back on the bedside table.
"How long have I been out for?" he asked, wincing at the raspy quality of his voice. Sakura paused before looking straight at him. He deserved that much as her teammate.
"When Kakashi-sensei found you, you were in bad shape. Almost all of your chakra had been depleted, not to mention the numerous injuries across your body. You almost died of blood loss, and if that didn't then the swelling of your brain would have. I can't believe anything could have fractured that hard head of yours," she joked before becoming serious once more. "We had to put you into a medically induced coma. You've been asleep for six days, Naruto. Today is Wednesday," she finished.
"Ehhhhh!?" Naruto yelled, his body pushing forward of its own accord before seizing up in pain. He lifted his right arm in the familiar motion to rest against his chest, only now realizing that is was wrapped in a tight cast.
"BAKA! Did you not hear the part where you were critically injured!?" she shouted, green orbs raking over the body before her for any signs of bleeding. When she was satisfied that there was none, she placed her hand on the blond's chest and forced him back down to rest against the bed and soft pillow.
"I'm sorry," Naruto replied, knowing that he had worried Sakura when she was being so kind to him. "I just can't believe I've been asleep that long...what happened to the others?" he asked, hoping that they weren't as injured as him. After all, it was partly his fault that they were assigned to the mission in the first place.
"Well, I'm fine, thanks for asking" a voice answered, and both the occupants turned to see Shikamaru standing at the entrance, leaning against the open door.
"Hey Shikamaru!" Naruto laughed, using his left hand to wave the lazy nin in. The Nara pushed off of the frame and wandered in, a smile upon his lips.
"I'm glad you're alright!" the blond said, noting the others clean and almost flawless appearance. Shikamaru turned his calculating gaze on to the injured nin and held up his right hand. Naruto's eyes zeroed on the lone finger wrapped and splinted.
"This is about it," he replied, and Naruto chuckled, holding his ribs as he did so.
"Only you could come out of a fight with only a broken finger," the blond replied. Sakura lightly shook her head and smiled while Shikamaru winced, moving his left hand and placing it behind his head, scratching the course hairs. Naruto noticed the wince and a serious look over overtook his face.
"What happened to the rest of the team? I remember Lee coming to help with the bone guy," the blond asked and Shikamaru nodded.
"Lee is fine, just a couple of scrapes and bruises. He was out of the hospital within an hour. Gaara managed to arrive just in time to save him from any real harm."
"Wait!" interrupted the blond. "You mean Gaara saved Lee?"
Shikamaru nodded, "Yes, it seems that our Hokage made a peace treaty with the Sand Village, and to show their support, the Sand sent Gaara and his siblings to help with our mission."
"Oh…" Naruto said, taking in all the new information. He relaxed further into the bed, his eyes moving to stare at the ceiling. "Who would've thought? I knew Gaara had some good in him" the blond smiled.
"Yes, it seems so," Shikamaru agreed, and continued on: "Chouji and Neji were both critically injured and each had to be rushed into the emergency rooms. They are still in there, so no there is no news yet. I was heading to Chouji's room when I heard you scream" Shikamaru said, and Naruto looked down at his hands, the left clutching his blanket in a tight grip. 'Neji….Chouji….'he thought, hoping the other two would pull through. Bright blue eyes glanced toward the Nara once more.
"Hey Shikamaru. You didn't say anything about Kiba yet. How is he?" Naruto asked, and was met by silence. Sakura looked toward the window with a haggard expression that did not fit her youthful face while Shikamaru looked down at the floor, hands in his pockets. A knot formed in Naruto's stomach, his eyes widening and tan skin paling a little. Shikamaru noticed the alarmed look on the others face and held up his hands in a placating gesture.
"Naruto, he isn't dead." The blond's look softened a little, though it was still there.
"Then what happened. Why are you acting like this?" Naruto questioned
"Naruto…Kiba…he…" Shikamaru stumbled, trying to find the words.
"He has disappeared. We don't know where he is"