A/N: Alright the beginning of Always Alone had begun. So for each chapter I'm going to give a song that plays along with what is happening during the chapter (I listen mostly to alternative bands so don't expect rap or anything…). For this chapter the song will be for the whole story. This story unlike Never Alone will not have as MUCH a dark sasuke. Hes still pretty dark, because if you have been reading the manga you would know that hes well…acting interesting –cough-hesgonecompletlynuts-cough- Also this will be a romanced themed story and not involve as MUCH violence and angst as Never Alone, well until near the end…hmmmm…Oh also I have decided that I will write a few lemons for this story, but they will be in latter chapters…(I need to work up the bravery)
For those who are just starting to read this, Always Alone is the prequel to Never Alone. You do not have to read Never Alone to understand this story, but I would be happy if you did read it anyways. I hope everyone enjoys Always Alone!
A note on the side, my main focus between the two stories is going to be Never Alone, I would like to finish that before I get too deep into Always Alone. For that reason I will update one chapter of Always for every two of Never.
Song for Story: Haunted~ Evanescence
Disclaimer: Do you guys ever get bored of reading all the 'I don't own Naruto' things? Cause you would think that the world would know by now that we fanfiction writers do no own naruto. And im willing to bet that we never will. Sorry it's just a fact of life.
Long lost words whisper slowly to me (I know your still there)
Still can't find what keeps me here
When all this time I've been so hollow...inside
"…It's over now."
Rumble.
"Please…Please j-just let it go."
"But-"
"No! You need to let it go! Y-You need to let him go!"
"Sa-"
"The promise is through! It's not what I want anymore. I-I've given up on him returning and It's time that you did too. H-He's not coming back…I don't…You need to stop…I don't want you to hurt anymore."
Pause.
"………No I…"
"Please! Please j-just…"
Sob.
"…just one more time. One more try at retrieving him…then I'll give up…I'll give up if I can't bring him home."
"Naru-"
"Just one more time!!"
Silence.
"O-ok. J-just one more…once more."
Watching me; Wanting me;
I can feel you pull me down
"Are you all prepared for this mission?"
"Hai!" came the eight monotone replies.
"Then time to head out! Mission begins now!" all nine ninjas ran out of the gates and toward the destination that this final retrieval mission was to begin at. They kept together in a large group for now since they had a good three days journey until they would reach the region in which the mission would truly begin. The last known sighting of Sasuke Uchiha.
A blonde haired man ran next to the only two kunochi that would be present on this mission. He fell into place beside them before he turned toward the one that ran with an almost absent minded look, despite the fact she ran focused with the rest of the group.
He paused for a moment before he spoke to her.
"Sakura…are you sure you want to go on this mission? You know you don't have to…"
Anger pulsed in Sakura's veins and she turned to glare at her team member only to see that he really did have a generally concerned look on his face. She found herself momentarily lost in the eyes that although were soft were concern, were thick with the emotion of determination.
She took one small calming breath before she spoke back to him.
"I'm fine Captain!" she smiled slightly when he grinned at the name that he had earned for this mission. Sakura had the sinking feeling that Tsunade would be assigning Naruto quite a few more missions on which he was leader. After all he had done for this village there was no more denying it, and the thought made her heart ache. He would soon be too busy to talk to her and constantly ask her on dates or to go eat at Ichiraku Ramen. Too busy to spend all his free time with her and be her best friend. Her very best friend.
He must have seen something in her expression that showed the loneliness she was feeling, because he quieted and just ran beside her. She had a feeling that he believed that she was in pain over Sasuke and this mission. Which wasn't necessarily untrue, just not what she was thinking about at that moment.
In truth she didn't want to go on this mission at all. She had been willing to give up on Sasuke and the pathetic attempts at returning him to the village. He was already considered a major threat to all the villages and despite him being not truly being responsible (or more like successful) in the capture of the Raikage's brother, or rather the container of the Eight tailed binju, it was unlikely he would ever truly be allowed to return to the village.
Tsunade had agreed with Sakura when she had awoken from her comma. When she learned of Danzo's stunt and Sasuke's attack on the kage summit she had been less than happy. Furious would be more accurate. Danzo had not returned from the summit. Him and his followers obviously knew that they were in danger from Sasuke and turned there asses and fled. Wimps. Tsunade felt that with this last attempt (note the attempt) to return Sasuke they would make him a truly missing nin. One that if returned to the village, would have to face death.
Sakura knew the only reason that Tsunade even considered allowing the Uchiha back was because he would be needed essential to the ongoing hysteria that was involved in the announcement that the 4th great ninja war had begun. Tsunade knew that if Sasuke were to return to the village, we would if not win, then gain the momentum that was needed to kick the asses of all the remaining Akatuski members.
But Sakura knew that this mission would fail before it began. The reasons being as such (1) the chances of the group even locating the Uchiha were slim to none and (2) even with Naruto's great improvement and strength, detaining Sasuke was probably going to be impossible. She didn't even consider bringing Sasuke home by peaceful transitions as potential. No, Sasuke would never willingly agree to return to Konoha.
Never.
When Naruto had told Sakura what the Akatuski member with the mask had said about Itachi not being evil, she found it truly hard to understand and believe. Did it really matter though? All it did was fuel Sasuke's hate toward the world; toward everything.
This was the reason she did not want to accompany the mission, because in the slight chance that the group did meet up with Sasuke, she would have to look at his face; into his eyes. The eyes that were uncaring, the eyes of a man that could kill his best friend, the eyes of someone who would never love her.
She felt horrible thinking that. She didn't want to remember how she had tried hard again and again to gain some sort of affections from the boy. Never once would she gain any and she knew that she never will. She wanted to be happy and for a while she began to think that Naruto would be the one to give her that happiness until she saw the way he had started to look at Hinata.
Like right now for instance.
Bonking him on the head with her fist, she pouted slightly before speeding up to run next to her Sensei, leaving Naruto behind rubbing his head. Hinata who had been running next to Naruto went ever so slightly closer to check if he was ok.
Sakura felt a light touch on her shoulder blade and saw that Kakashi had patted her on the back, trying to comfort her. She snorted at such a stupid gesture, but whispered so quietly that she knew that no one but herself and Kakashi would catch her, "Thank You."
She would have not come on this mission at all, except that it was all but thrust down her throat. Tsunade had forced her to accompany the group. She had said that Sakura was needed for her medical ninjutsu. No one else would do, because if anyone faced Sasuke and was injured the only possibility they could survive was if they had the best healing them. Sakura was the best of the best. She groaned inwardly.
The group continued running for the next five hours before the first break was issued. The team that had been chosen for this mission were the following: Naruto, Hinata, Sakura, Kiba, Neji, Shikamaru, Lee, Kakashi, and Sai. The group was obviously picked for good reasons. Sakura, being the best Medic Nin in Konoha and having super human strength. The two Hyugas for their byakugan, Kiba and Kakashi for their sense of smell and tracking abilities, Shikamaru for his IQ, and Lee and Sai as battle personal.
Exactly what was need for the impossible mission that had been destined to fail? Ugh! When did she become so pessimistic? She lifted her up looking at the sky trying to lock away her thoughts of doubt from her head. The sun was barley visible in the sky, dusk had arrived. The group started to form a small fire and either sleep around it or just rest and eat.
She sat in a tree a few yards from the group just gazing into the sky, watching as one by one hundreds of thousands of stars started to shine in the night. The moon was just a few days from being full and was large and beautiful.
She found herself looking so often into it, because she knew full well that despite everything that was happening and what the world was coming to, this was the same moon that Sasuke saw as well.
Fearing you; Loving you;
I won't let you pull me down
The group was moving faster than before. To Sakura's surprise Pakkun about three hours ago had caught a small sent of Sasuke and was leading them toward that direction. The group had been in search for around five days now. Tsunade had given the group seven days to locate Sasuke before she considered the mission a failure and called the group back home.
Sai was to report with one of his ink animals everyday to the Hokage and inform her if they had caught any sign of the Uchiha. For the last five days there was not a sign of him anywhere. Sakura had become completely convinced that the group would not locate him in the next two days. She was even happy about that fact. Naruto would soon keep his promise to end his search of Sasuke and Konoha could finally move on from the past.
That is what Sakura truly wanted; to move on.
To stop living in the past, a past that seemed unreal to her now. So that's what she made it. Unreal.
Then around noon, Pakkun had abruptly stopped and started sniffing the ground urgently. When he notified the group that he had located Sasuke's sent a mixture of emotions flew throughout the group.
Naruto was excited of course.
Neji, Lee, and Kiba were apprehensive.
Shikamaru was deep in thought and Sakura suspected that right now he was thinking of battle strategies against the Uchiha.
Kakashi seemed indifferent, but in his one visible eye he seemed to have a determined light that rivaled Naruto's.
Sai emotionlessly sent an ink hawk with a note that would report to the Hokage that the group had picked up a sign of Sasuke.
Hinata to no surprise was nervous.
And Sakura was horrified.
As the group ran faster than before toward the sent trail that the ninja dog was tracking, her mind went into overdrive. This was not supposed to happen. They were supposed to not find a trace of Sasuke and then return home.
Her mind panicked at the thought of them actually finding Sasuke. She almost felt sick at the thought of how Naruto would run full throttle to fight him. Sasuke would have that same emotionless face on.
Oh Kami! What if Naruto was hurt! She knew that Sasuke would not kill him, as long as he was still a member of Akatsuki. They still need Naruto, and that at least gave her the relief to know that Naruto would not be killed in a fight with the Uchiha. But the others of the group were not as lucky. In fact she knew that Sasuke would not hesitate in killing all of them, her and Kakashi-sensei included.
Fear raced over her body and she feared for all the friends she had made over the years. She would gladly die for them, but that couldn't be done. Since if she gave her life it meant that any of them could die from injuries. She was unable to be a liability.
Could she ever be anything?
The group traveled quickly through the forest, all of them deep within their own thoughts. Tension was spread thick among them and even Naruto didn't attempt to break through it. She was starting to think that no one would speak again when she heard someone faintly curse.
"Shit."
Everyone stopped dead when the dog stopped moving. For a moment Sakura thought to her relief that the dog had lost Sasuke's sent, but then when to dog turned with his hackles raised and fear in his eyes, she knew that it was something else.
What if Sasuke was near?
"I'm sorry," he whispered urgently, "I was so focused on tracking the Uchiha's sent that I didn't notice the group coming toward us."
Naruto stepped forward.
"Sasuke?" he asked his eyes wide with hope. How could he look like that when Sasuke would only come to kill them?
The dog nin shook his head to side to side, indicating that Sasuke was not the one coming toward them. Naruto's face fell.
"I don't recognize the sent. It's a large group though. Around 20." He sniffed the air briefly before continuing, "No there are 23 of them. Most have a fairly average chakra level, but some seem stronger. Maybe six or seven of them are jounin level, the rest chunin."
The group nodded, all of them understanding that they were under attack.
"How long?" Naruto asked. Sakura was impressed with how much he had changed. He no longer rushed into battle; instead he learned information before he attacked. He was becoming a leader.
"They are coming fast. I would estimate their arrival in ten minutes. No six would be more accurate. I'm sorry there is nothing else I can do. You all know I'm not the fighting type." He turned his small head toward Kakashi, who nodded.
"Summon me once you guys win." he proofed out in a cloud of white smoke. Sakura had to admit she liked how he had said his goodbye as a statement of their winning. It obviously worked well on the rest of the group, who were smiling as well.
Shikamaru stepped forward. Sakura should have known he would develop a plan in that small amount of time they had learned of the appending attack.
"All right guys, here is what were going to do…"
Hunting you, I can smell you - Alive
Your heart pounding in my head
They stood hidden among the trees waiting. They had only a minute left at the most, till they arrived.
Sakura stood upside down on one of the tallest trees, atop the tallest branch, hidden from sight from the ground below. The dense foliage even hid her pink locks of hair from the line of sight of others. Her chakra was hidden well; even the areas were her feet were connected to the tree could not be sensed. Then again she had the best chakra control of the group, so it wasn't that surprising.
She held six kunai, three in each hand. They fit between her gloved fingers, in position to be thrown easily. Her index finger twitched in reflex of the awaiting danger that was about to appear. She had already placed some chakra into the knifes. The weapons would go through the tree branches and if someone was hit by one it slice all the way through the body and undoubtedly end that person's life.
The rest of the group was well hidden. They were all in the positions that Shikamaru had assigned them. Now all that was left was to wait.
She heard a faint rustling beneath her and then the quiet jingling of a bell. She couldn't help but smile at how easily they had fell into the trap as she launched her kunai down upon the confused Ninja below her.
Watching me; Wanting me;
I can feel you pull me down
Saving me; Raping me;
Watching me...
A/N: And it has begun!! As always reviews, favs, and alerts are awesome and loved!!
~Halfkyuubikat~