Disclaimer: I'm pretty sure I don't own Naruto

Shoutout to: FicsFromAnAnbuNin, Saki-Hime, Andreia453 and ImCutePoison for your lovely reviews and those who had favourite and follow this story.

Author's Notes: Maybe this time Hinata will save Sasuke *wink* *wink* hint. The next update will be next week, Saturday or Sunday. For the time being… ok look I have about 7 weeks left to update this story before my laptop gets taken away and hopefully this story is complete by then.


Chapter Eight

As a ninja, death was very common in their daily life. A higher rank mission means a higher chance of death – casualties, the least. Yes, they are very familiar with death but it doesn't mean they are used to it. You can never escape from death. Every single person in the world will taste death.

Hyuuga Hinata would risk her life to save the ones she loves. She chose to become a medical nin because she wanted to save lives as much as she could.

The air she was breathing screamed death. It's impressive how much damage the Akatsuki could do to a single village. The Hyuuga pulled the toddler close to her. The poor child was crying and screaming for his mother, who was crushed under a wooden beam. "Your Kaachan would not want you crying," Hinata comforted the boy, wiping the tears away. "You have to be strong for your sister. I want you to follow the others to a safe place. Can you do that?"

The boy sniffed and nodded, tugging his sister with him. Hinata released the boy from her embrace, following the crowd to a hideout. She watched at the pair disappear with the crowd before she turned around, her Byakugan activated to find for more survivors trapped under the rubbles.

The Hyuuga was so absorbed in finding the survivors; she didn't even notice a member of the Akatsuki dropping down from the roof with a metal bar in hand, intending to kill her. she felt the hairs on the back of her neck rose and looked above her, eyes widening, she barely dodge the oncoming attack.

"Hinata!" she heard Sakura calling out her name, a frenetic look on her face. She twisted her body to look at her enemy. He was walking towards her. Multiple piercing on his face, orange hair, and the one called Pein, the Leader of the Akatsuki.

Hinata could not move it was as if her body was glued to the ground. She could only watch as the S-rank nin advance with the metal bar gripped in his right hand, his face impassive. Everything went in a blur as he dashed towards her and the attack was intercepted by another figure.

She stared at the red and white fan decorated on the upper of his high collared shirt. Pein jumped back a few step, a calculating look passed his features. Sasuke turned his head slightly towards her, eyes still glue to the man – she could see the Sharingan blazing. "Go now, Hinata. I'll hold him off," he said firmly, raising his katana in front of him. "Get Naruto or Kakashi or anyone."

The Hyuuga Heiress gapped at him, mouth open to protest but no words were formed on her lips. Sakura pulled her up to her feet after the last Uchiha moved towards Pein. Hinata turned to her Sakura's emerald green eyes pleading silently. Her gaze shifted back to Sasuke and Pein exchanging blows after blows before settling back to Sakura.

The pinkette removed her hand. "Sasuke-kun won't die," she assured her. "Let's find Naruto before anything bad happens to him."

Hinata nodded, a plan was brewing on her mind. She ran along with Sakura, her Byakugan activated to search for the orange clad shinobi. She was going to save Sasuke and no one could change her mind. She would risk her life to save her friends! She would risk death to save her family! She would risk everything to save –

Sasuke.


Uzumaki Naruto stood on top of the Hokage Monument, swallowing the fact that Konoha was in shambles. What was left of the shinobi of Konohagakure had evacuated the villagers to a safe place and now defending the village from the Akatsuki. Chunins and lower were supposed to stay with the villagers to keep them safe but a handful of them went back to the battlefield to help the Jounins.

"It's sad, isn't it?" a female voice invaded his mind. "Everything we had here is lost."

Naruto gave the blonde a side glance. "You don't believe that do you?"

"Honestly, Naruto this is not the time to give one of your pep talks," Ino mumbled.

"Can't help it that I'm optimistic." Naruto grinned despite their current situation.

Yamanaka shook her head. That's the Naruto she remembered, always smiling through everything like it was nothing. Out of the blue, she felt two different chakra approaching towards them. She felt Naruto tensed beside her then relax when two figures burst from the trees.

Sakura's eyes widen slightly in shock. "Eh? What are you guys doing here?" she asked, eyeing the Chunins. "Weren't you supposed to be with the villagers?"

"Sakura-chan, do you really think that we're gonna miss out all the fun?" Naruto exclaimed. "You are gonna join the rest of us, right?"

She gave him a glare. "Of course, baka!"

"So cold, Sakura-chan," the blond stated, rubbing his arms as if it was cold. He peered at the two kunoichi finally realising that Sasuke wasn't with them. "Ne, where's Teme?"

All eyes were on Hinata, who was staring at something beyond their limit, her expression marred with worry. Then shifted back to Sakura fidgeting feeling their eyes on her. She opened her mouth to answer but she was interrupted when they felt a strong gush of wind, sending them towards the trees.

"What the fuck was that?" yelled an angry Kiba once the wind died down.

A couple of groans and a few feet shuffling, scrambling to investigate the cause for the disturbance. They stood there wide eyes and mouth agape at the sight before them. In the middle of Konohagakure laid a huge crater covering two third of the village. "H-how –" Lee started but broke off. None bothered to continue. Is this the power of the Akatsuki? How will they defeat them?

"Hinata!" Naruto heard Tenten's voice shouted as the Hyuuga Heiress jumped from the monument. Naruto being Naruto, went after her without hesitating. Even though Hinata landed first before Naruto but he was fast enough to catch her. She shot him a look – a pleading look, begging him to let go of her wrist.

"Look," Naruto started, he could feel the others coming down towards them. "I don't know what's going on with you and Teme but open your eyes, Hinata-chan. If you go there," he pointed with his free hand towards where he hoped was Sasuke was, "you'll die."

"Naruto-kun, you don't understand."

He grabbed both of her shoulders and shook her slightly. "Listen to yourself, Hinata!" he yelled, dropping the honorific. Naruto never drop an honorific before - not even when he's serious.

The Hyuuga blinked the tears that threaten to fall. "W-we made a promise once," she paused, recalling the time he gave her the necklace. "'When we become shinobi, we have to keep each other alive,' he said to me once. And I – I intend to keep my promise."

Naruto released his grip on her. So Sasuke does have a heart after all. He watched her as she hastily wiped her eyes with her sleeves. She didn't want anyone to see her crying. When the others arrived at where they stood, Naruto turned around and the next thing he knew, he was flying and slammed into a ruined building. He looked up and saw Sakura with a murderous aura surrounding her. "I'll kill you myself if you die this time," she growled, pulling him by his orange sweater. "Now go save, Sasuke-kun."

"Say no more," he said, scrambling towards his teammate was – hopefully still alive. None of them would bear to see Hinata in tears.


Sasuke pushed himself up in a crouch, his katana was thrown away from him when Pein used his Shinra Tensei – a jutsu which he can't copy and have never seen before. Was this the reason why he was classified as an S-rank missing nin? And those eyes…he knew them.

Rinnegan.

You might as well say that it was the highest level of the Sharingan. He read somewhere that once you achieved that level, you can never deactivate them. It might as well been a myth since no one have ever seen one…until now (1).

Sasuke reached towards his face and wiped the blood that trailed down from the corner of his mouth. In the past he had defeated two Akatsuki members: one a shinobi from Iwagakure, who specialised in bombs and one his own beloved older brother. Add the snake sannin to the list too. This one could not be any different from the others.

"I did not expect you to be the one as the enemy," the man begins. Sasuke noticed that not a single one of his attacks had appeared to harm the man – save for the ripped sleeve. "I should have recruited you earlier than I had planned to."

Despite his current state, he held his head high; refusing to show that he was actually in a bad state than he let on. "I would never join the same organisation Itachi had joined," Sasuke spat.

Pein smirked. "I highly doubt that you will survive this fight. Your chakra is running low. Most of the Konoha shinobi are dead."

"You should worry about yourself rather than being concerned about me. Now tell me, how did you get those eyes of yours?" he demanded, pulling out a kunai from his weapon pouch.

"Perhaps I would tell you," he mused. "But definitely not today." With that Pein advanced towards him. Sasuke flicked the kunai towards him and moved to where his blade was laid. Before he could reach his weapon, he was dragged towards Pein by an unnamed force. He lost his footing and received an uppercut. He groaned as he landed on the hard ground.

He climbed back to his feet and made a set of hand seals before executing the jutsu. "Katon: Ryuen Hoka no Jutsu."

A number of dragon head-shaped fireballs were launched towards Pein. Sasuke panted, feeling quite satisfied. The jutsu after all had taken a huge amount of chakra. He walked towards his katana and picked it up; just by feeling the weight of the katana was enough for him. But he knew that the fight had just begun.

The Uchiha held the katana in front of him as the smoke cleared, revealing yet an uninjured Pein. He furrowed his brows. He was sure that it hit his target. His chakra was running low. He could probably do a jutsu or two – that if the jutsu takes up a small amount of his chakra – before he passed out. All he needed now was some miracle to happen.

"That was quite impressive, Teme," a seemingly annoying voice broke the silence. "But I think you've gotten soft. I'm impressed not a single injury on him."

The annoying shinobi moved beside him. "Where the hell have you been, Dobe?" he asked, he was furious that the dobe had the gall to show up late. "Been making out with Sakura have you? I should have known not to send them to call you."

For a minute, Naruto had forgotten about the S-rank nin. "Seriously teme, if I hadn't shown up, you would've been dead by now. Show some gratitude will ya."

Sasuke mumbled incoherently under his breath before expressing his gratitude. "Fine," he admitted. "Naruto, I'll help you just this once."

Just by the sound of his name, the Kyuubi vessel turned his head towards the former avenger with shining eyes. "You called me 'Naruto'," he sobbed.

"Nani? Don't give me that look. Just focus on who the enemy is alright, Dobe?"

Naruto grinned and made a hand seal, his signature move. "Kage Bushin no Jutsu!"


Her head snapped up when she heard the explosion. Her hands no longer glowed green. Hinata had been helping Sakura along with Ino healing the injured. She could no longer stand and watch as the battle goes by. There was always the possibility of Sasuke dying. Sure, Sasuke is strong but even the strongest fall.

She left her post, ignoring Sakura's attempt to stop her. There was no way she's going to let Sasuke or Naruto die. Sacrifices are made during battle.

By the time she arrived, both Sasuke and Naruto were sprawled on the ground, metal bars buried deep through their stomach, legs and arms. Just looking at the sight, her stomach felt sick. Each surrounded by a pool of blood. No, they're not dead!

She slide down and went nearer, burning with determination. Pein looked over his shoulder before stabbing another metal bar into Naruto's hand. A slight movement caught Hinata's eye.

The Uchiha moved his head slightly to look at her. "Hinata," he mouthed her name. His half-lidded eyes begging her to leave the battle. They both knew the chances of her to be dead were high.

Tearing her gaze away from him, she dropped down to a battle stance. Her palm outstretched towards Pein. She needed to remove the bars from Naruto before moving to Sasuke. Naruto after all is their triumph card.

"It's a promise, you hear? In that way when we become shinobi, we have to keep each other alive."

"Gomen, Sasuke-kun but I have to break my promise," she whispered to herself, channelling her chakra to her hands. All she needed to subdue the Leader and then heal Sasuke.


(1) Ok I have to admit this part is basically not a fact. I think but idk I just write what I thought would fit.


Next time on Never Alone, Ever Again

"What the…?"

"He – he lost a lot of blood. He was practically dead when we arrived but somehow he made through it."

"Baka. I told you before; you are the only one I care about."

"All the pieces are now in place."


Author's End Notes: Yeah, yeah, the ending is shitty. The next chapter will be the continuation of Pein's invasion and the aftermath. I hope the fighting scene is not that bad.