Yet another installment of MnM. Leave a review, or not. I sure think they're swell though!

Part Four – Betrayal

Standing at the eastern gate he inhaled the early morning dampness lingering the air as he secured the straps of his rucksack. 'This is it… Good bye Konoha.' Without turning around he stepped through the gate and out to freedom. The feeling of shackles coming off made his back straighten and a small smile to settle over his lips. The regret of leaving the one he loved, only a dull reminder in the back of his head as he stared at the green scenery in front of him. However, not many steps later someone called his name, causing him to stop. Frowning he turned around.

With his back hunched over and hands on his knees Naruto stood panting like a dog trying to regain the control over his breath.

"Naruto?" He spoke the blond's name confused, silently wondering why the other was there. Only hours ago Naruto had told him he never wanted to see him again. He nervously gazed over to the guards on top of the city wall. 'Please don't make him cause a scene.' He begged. He did not have the time to bother fighting them if they awoke any suspicion of him leaving the village for good.

"Sasuke, please don't go." Naruto spoke again, his eyes pleading. "Don't leave me again…"

Sasuke thanked the gods Naruto wasn't talking with his normally loud voice. "Don't ask me that Naruto. I have to." He answered calmly. "I can't live a life knowing the murderer of my clan is still out there. You can't ask that of me."

"Then let me be a part of it! I know I can help you, you don't have to face this alone!" Desperation was evident in the blond's voice as he spoke, and it made his heart clench when he answered.

"You can't. I have to do this alone. I have to know the truth behind my clan's slaughter."

"When will you see revenge is not everything? You can't let it consume you!" Naruto's voice grew louder and the desperation was quickly replaced by anger. "I won't let you! You have to fight me first!"

Stealing a quick glance at the guards, he saw they were now watching them both closely. He had to leave now or else they would figure him out. "Dobe... Tell Sakura I'm sorry." His eyes eased up and a sad smile crawled onto his lips. The next words he spoke very softly. "I love you." It quickly died in the wind and the next second Sasuke was gone.

However, Naruto had heard it. His eyes budged as they watered up and he struggled to breathe. His knees grew weak and he fell to the ground. 'Why?' he thought. "I love you too." His reply fell for deaf ears.

Xx

He was almost there, kicking off a last branch Sasuke landed gracefully with a soft thump on the damp ground. Quickly observing his surroundings he soon found a foreign chakra signature. "Whoever you are, come out."

First there was the rustle of leaves before a man came out from behind the trees. The man wore a wide smirk and his golden eyes almost seemed to glow of mirth. He was a bit taller than himself, his hair a strange green color, and his skin was slightly tanned. Sasuke narrowed his eyes and put up his mask void of any emotion. "Who are you?" He cautiously asked, his eyes staring straight into the other's cold eyes. First impression was everything, if he let his eyes wander away or even blink he knew the other would lose respect for him.

However as the man was only a few steps in front of him, said man tripped over his own feet and fell face down in the dirt. Whatever respect Sasuke had held for the man, it was gone now.

"Ugh" He heard the man groan before crawling up on his feet again. "That hurt." He commented to himself with a whiny voice. On the outside Sasuke looked bored but on the inside he wore a deep frown. 'What an idiot.' He thought.

After brushing off the dirt off his clothes the man held out his hand as he grinned. "I'm Akuun, but you can call me Akuun. Nice to meet you…"

The only thought that crossed his mind was 'is this guy for real?' as Sasuke stared with arrogance from the outstretched hand to the guy's face and then back. Emitting a grunt Sasuke dryly spoke his name.

"Ah Sasuke-kun, I shall call you Sasuke-kun!" The boy said but less than a second later Sasuke pulled out a shuriken and pressed it to the guy's neck. Growling dangerously he hissed. "Call me that one more time and I won't hesitate to cut up that throat of yours." They were not on the same level and he had not joined Orochimaru again to make friends. He knew then and there that from then on, he had to thoughen up and not let anyone in. Not even idiots. From experience, they had a nasty way of nestling themselves into his heart.

Akuun thickly swallowed and with wide eyes nodded. As Sasuke let go he quickly rubbed at his neck. "Let's go."

"Yes Sasuke-sama!"

Xx

Sakura stood in the kitchen making breakfast when suddenly there was a loud knocking sound coming from the kitchen door. Calling out for the person to come in she watched a blond mop of hair enter. "Hey Naruto!" She greeted happily, but upon seeing Naruto's stone cold face; concern washed over her and so she quickly asked what was wrong.

However Naruto remained silent as he dropped down on a seat by the table. Sakura frowned feeling genuinely worried about the blond. "Seriously Naruto, what's wrong?" She pressed while growing nervous. Had someone died? She had only once seen her friend look so defeated. The thought scared her.

"He's gone…" Naruto mumbled and put his hands to cover his eyes. "He fucking left... Again."

Sakura furrowed her eyebrows as she could not figure out who it was the blond possibly meant but even as she voiced her question it dawned on her. "Who Naruto? Who left?" She demanded her voice taking on a tone of desperation.

"Who do you think?" Naruto uncovered his eyes revealing an frustrated glare. "Sasuke. That bastard packed his stuff together and left. He left!"

Sakura suddenly felt very heavy as she landed ass flat on the chair beside her. "What do you mean he left, left to where?" In matter of seconds her body had gone numb. She had finally started believing the brunet was back, and now he had left again? How could that be, they were friends weren't they?!

"It happened just today on our way back from our mission. We ran into sound nins and one of them told me Orochimaru was there. He said something to Sasuke… I don't know what, he wouldn't tell me. But Sasuke mumbled something about the Uchiha slaughter."

Sakura only nodded, not trusting her voice. Suddenly she felt as if she had taken the beating of a thousand men. Her heart ached at the once again betrayal by her – or what she had thought was – friend.

Forcing herself to speak she softly asked, "But.. How do you know he has left? Maybe you're wrong?" She knew her hopes were futile, she could feel it from the marrow of her bones but her heart would not accept it. Her heart wanted to believe in Sasuke. It wanted to believe that they did share a bond together. That it had not only been her imagination.

"I saw him leave." Naruto whispered. "I even saw him before… I tried but he wouldn't listen."

"You mean you could've stopped him?" Sakura asked slightly peeved. "Yet you didn't?"

Naruto shook his head no. "His mind was set Sakura-chan. I tried, believe me but I couldn't… You know, I wanted to beat him unconscious and tie him to me so that he had to stay. But what good would that do? I want Sasuke to stay for me, for us, but he left of his own free will."

Sakura stared at Naruto in a different light. Never before had he sounded so wise, or old. Her hands rubbed at her stinging eyes as she tried to force down the rapidly growing lump in her throat. "I guess you're right." They fell into a comfortable silence, neither knowing what to say.

"When are we going to tell Tsunade?" Sakura eventually broke it.

"We have to tell her?" Naruto knew his friend was right, but at the same time he felt protective of Sasuke. He did not want people to think of him as a traitor. If he was marked as a missing nin that meant they would.

"Naruto." Sakura warned, knowing exactly what the other was thinking as the same thoughts bothered her, but she knew what they had to do. It was the only right way.

"We could go now, just give me a few minutes..." Sakura nodded, agreeing with Naruto. Waiting a few more minutes was only fair enough. She glanced over to her half made pancakes. Curling her lip she suddenly wasn't hungry anymore. 'Sasuke, you idiot.' The tears that had threatened to fall earlier now streamed along her cheeks.

Xx

If watching Sasuke leave had been hard, then telling Tsunade was harder. For each uttered word of betrayal, missing, and threat a dagger like stab twisted his heart. From then on Sasuke was a missing nin and a criminal. Again. Once it finally was over Naruto found himself mindlessly walking to the Uchiha's house. Maybe he wanted to hold on to some piece of Sasuke that wasn't corrupted but at the moment all he felt was darkness.

Upon entering the now empty home Naruto spotted a white piece of paper on the floor. Unsure of what to make of it he read the letters spelled out in black ink; 'Naruto'. 'It's a letter?' He frowned but unfolded the white sheet and began to read.

"I had to go.

The things Orochimaru speak of, I need to find out the truth.

I'm not going to apologize and I don't want forgiveness.

I can't let anyone slow me down anymore.

Don't follow me."

Naruto reread the letter again. 'Slow me down?' His nostrils flared as he crumpled the sheet in his hands and threw it on the floor. Sasuke thought Naruto was nothing more but someone to hold him back? The thought hurt, a lot. In other words Sasuke concidered Naruto useless.

He stepped over the crumpled up paper, growing more annoyed by the mere sight of it, and moved further inside the house. The lingering silence felt eerie. When no one else was around it was extremely lonesome. He found himself wondering how the other had felt living alone in the big mansion with so many bad memories haunting him.

His feet moved on their own accord and he soon entered the brunet's room. It smelled strongly of the other's scent. He clenched his hands into fists. The photo frame he had thrown to the floor the other day still laid on the floor. Broken shards of glass scattered around it, however the picture was gone.

Naruto frowned. 'Bastard. You say that you don't care but then you go and take that with you'. Not knowing what else to do he lay down on the bed. It gave him comfort as if it was his own. He inhaled the strong scent of Sasuke and closed his eyes. Maybe if he wished hard enough, the brunet would be there when he opened his eyes.

"Gaki you better stop this moping or I swear I'm going to make you pay." He suddenly heard the fox say from inside its cage.

Naruto snorted. 'As if.'

"I will sing." Kyuubi snarled.

'I'll just shut you out then.'

"So you think pathetic moping's gonna bring you Sasuke back?"

'It's no use Kyuubi. What I told Sakura; I can't make him stay if he doesn't want to himself.'

"Oi, skip that crap for humans you idiot. If you want him just torture him until he stays. That's what I would've done."

'That's the difference between you and me. I'm realistic, so stop with your moronic ideas.'

"If you have that attitude no wonder he left you behind. If all you can do is sulk I wouldn't need you with me either. What he needs is someone like me, someone strong, and someone whose willing to kill for him."

Naruto furrowed his eyebrows, feeling confused. 'Waddya mean..?'

"I say prove him wrong you idiot. Prove to him you are worth fighting beside, show him you are willing to help him no matter what that help includes."

Naruto stared at the ceiling over him as he thought of what Kyuubi had just said. For once, the fox's words made sense. If he wanted Sasuke back, if he wanted to help him - he just had to prove he was worth fighting beside.

With a new found will, Naruto narrowed his eyes. "I'll prove my strength to you Sasuke. I will have you. Believe it!"

/END PART FOUR - Betrayal