The Hunt

Chapter 1

Rain and Blood

Sasuke stumbled over a root and lost his balance. He cried out in pain. Blood trickled down his arm. He had finally escaped from Orochimaru's clutches but at a devastating cost. He was beaten up badly. He put his hand over his cut and stood up and started running again. Only to stumble and fall after going about two yards farther.

"Sakura!" He yelled as he got to his knees. "Why did you do this to me?!"

Blood trickled into his mouth and down his chin. He felt a drop of water on his face. It was rain just what he needed. He got to his feet and started onward again. It was pouring now. He fell to the ground again. He now lie motionless now not willing to move.

"Sakura.... I need you where are you?" He asked before he coughed up blood. "Someone? Anyone?"

Sasuke blacked out for a moment. "Please I don't want to die..." He winced the cut on his arm was getting worse. "Some on help me!" He was miles from the nearest village. No one was going to hear him. Unless there was a scout out or he was near the Leaf Village and Kiba heard or picked up his scent. He knew he was going to die well before any one found him.

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Sakura ignored everything that was going on around her. She was focused on what Naruto was yelling about. "Slow down Naruto." Sakura growled. Naruto slowed down.

"Word is Sasuke ran from Orochimaru. He's no longer a bad guy." Naruto said happily.

Sakura scoffed. "Just because he ran doesn't mean he isn't a bad guy Naruto." Naruto stared at her in disbelief.

"But Sakura you love him." Naruto said.

"I use to love him. I don't anymore." She said.

"But what about-." Naruto was cut off.

"That promise is long gone Naruto." Sakura yelled.

Naruto didn't say another word. "Sasuke isn't one of us anymore." Naruto shook his head but kept his mouth shut. Sakura turned and started to walk away. Some one grabbed her arm. "Naruto I said it's...." Sakura stopped. It was Kiba who grabbed her.

"Listen I picked up a scent when I went out earlier today. I was looking for something I left in the forest. The scent I picked up was blood. It was Sasuke's blood. I couldn't find him anywhere, but he's out there and he's badly wounded. We need to search for him." Kiba said.

Sakura pulled her arm away from Kiba. "No I don't need to find him. I don't care what happens to him." Naruto and Kiba were both dumbstruck.

"You don't care?" Naruto asked.

"Sakura what happened to you?" Kiba asked.

"He's not one of use Naruto." Sakura said again. "And what happened was Sasuke hurt me. He left me on a bench in the middle of a storm!"

"Sasuke is one of us Sakura-chan! He's always been nothing's changed he's are friend he's are comrade!" Naruto shouted.

Sakura twitched. "Then go find him, Naruto if he's so important!" With that Sakura turned and ran from the two.

"Sakura! Wait, Sakura!" Naruto yelled.

Kiba put his hand on Naruto's shoulder. Naruto looked at him and Kiba shook his head. Naruto hunched his back and nodded sadly. An instant later Naruto shot up. Kiba jumped. "I'll find Sasuke and bring him back and prove to Sakura he's one of us!" He yelled confidently. "And that's a promise, believe it!" Kiba shook his head.

"You just had to ruin the moment didn't you?" He asked.

"What? How did I ruin the moment?" Naruto asked dumbfounded.

"You said believe it you idiot." Kiba replied.

"Jerk." Naruto muttered.

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Sasuke reached out and grabbed another hand full of dirt. He used all his strength to move. He winced in pain when he laid down on a rock. 'Damnit...' he thought. He looked ahead of him he had no idea where he was at. "Sakura, Naruto, Kakashi-sensei!" He yelled. "Please help me!" Of course there was no answer.

"Please don't let me die..." Sasuke cried. "I'm not the enemy!"

Sasuke took a deep breath. "Naruto-san you've gotta save me!" Sasuke stopped yelling and gave up it didn't matter if he died Sakura hated him anyway.

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Naruto slipped his arms through the straps on his backpack and headed for the door. Before he could get the door open there was a knock. He opened it.

"Sakura I don't care that it's been along time since I made my promise to you but I'm going to bring Sasuke back." Naruto said.

"Naruto I'm coming with you." Sakura told him.

"I thought you said you didn't care." Naruto said.

"Naruto I still love Sasuke with all my heart but it's hard to accept that he's not the bad guy anymore." Sakura said. "It's been almost four years since we've seen him."

"Do you think he knows?" Naruto asked.

"No the only people who know is you, me, Tsunade and Itachi." Sakura replied.

Naruto nodded. "Let's go Naruto." Naruto followed Sakura until they reached the village gates.

"Ready?" Naruto asked.

"Ready." Sakura replied.

"Let's roll." Naruto said confidently.

Sakura nodded and smiled. He never changes… Sakura said to herself. Naruto walked outside the gates and waited for Sakura.

"C'mon now we're wastin' daylight." Naruto said.

"Right." Sakura said shaking her head.

Sakura followed Naruto slowly. It had rained heavily earlier that day. The ground was mostly mud and puddles.

"Sakura… How is he?" Naruto asked.

"Fine… He's with Tsunade right now." Sakura replied.

"That's good." Naruto replied.

Naruto's face suddenly looked puzzled. "I think…" Sakura chuckled.

"He'll be fine." Sakura said.

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"Sakura!" Sasuke yelled again. "Please tell me your out there!"

Sasuke slammed his head into the mud. "This is hell!" Sasuke lifted his head and spit the dirt out that had gotten into his mouth.

"I'm such an idiot. What kind of person leave's a girl on a bench and expects her to save him?"

"One who wants to die." Some one said.

Who ever it was stepped on his back. Cutting off any air supply Sasuke had.