Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto...But if you are wondering why Kishimoto didn't put up this week's chapter & said he was 'gathering materials' you can blame me..
Author's Note: This was honestly the hardest chapter to write thus far, and it took one entire night and six cups of coffee to complete! Just want to say thanks to those who read the last chapter, and thanks more to those who left a review.
"Jutsu" means Jutsu name
"Inner Sakura/Kyuubi" means Inner Sakura or Kyuubi speaking
"Inner Thoughts/Flashback/Alternate Dimension" means Inner Thoughts of a person or a Flashback or Alternate Dimension when stated
Ch. 9: Bond of Brothers and A Chance
Naruto rubbed his eyes and woke up as the sunlight pierced through his window. He sat up in bed and stretched his body. He had a huge migraine on his head due to his late night encounter with an old friend.
Flashback
Naruto was slowly walking back to his apartment through a shortcut in the park. He felt a presence of another figure following close behind him for the last few minutes. The figure gradually got closer to him and was now almost a few feet away lurking in the shadows. Naruto placed his left hand on his sword hilt and started counting backwards. 3,2,1.
He quickly spun around and formed a 3 foot blade that blocked the oncoming chokuto that was aimed for his neck. A blast of energy sparked between the two swords and caused both opponent's to jump backwards in order to avoid getting hurt. As Naruto landed on his feet he looked up and gazed at the figure in front of him. He had on the traditional jounin gear with a dark blue long sleeve shirt and pants. He wore a green vest over his torso and had the Konoha hitai-ate wrapped around his forehead. He had the three tomoe Sharingan activated and was staring directly at Naruto.
"Sasuke..."
The Uchiha dashed towards Naruto with his chokuto in his right hand. Naruto quickly raised his left hand and held his blade vertically as he blocked the horizontal slash going for his stomach. He then pushed his sword against the blade and tried to force it out of his opponent's hand. However, Sasuke just used the push to jump high into the air. Naruto looked up and saw him coming down to land a strike on his head. He quickly held his blade horizontally above his head and blocked Sasuke's attack from hitting him. Chakra dispersed between them as the two blades collided and forced them both to jump back again.
Naruto looked at Sasuke and saw the same expression he had on his face during their last fight. The killer intent was clearly visible in his eyes. "Sasuke, what are you doing? What is this about?"
Sasuke stood up straight as he held his sword in his right hand. He pointed at Naruto with his left index finger as he spoke. "Shut up you fucking hypocrite! You stopped me from leaving and becoming stronger, but then you just suddenly decide to leave and it's ok? Your nothing but a selfish bastard!"
Naruto took in the words and formulated a response. "You don't understand. The path you were taking was the wrong one. You didn't have to go to Orochimaru to get stronger, you could stay here and become just as powerful"
Sasuke didn't respond as he dashed again at Naruto with his chokuto pointed forward. Naruto prepared for the attack as he held his blade in front of him. He saw Sasuke coming towards his left side, but suddenly in a flash he disappeared. SHIT! Where did he go? Naruto felt something hit his right arm as his bicep began to burn with a fury. He let out a loud scream as his right arm was scorched from the fire that was immersed from Sasuke's blade. Naruto's right shoulder went limp as the pain began to spread through his right arm. He spun around and saw Sasuke land towards the ground and sheath his blade. The flames quickly dispersed from is chokuto as it was covered.
Damn! Sasuke got a lot faster! And he manipulated his fire element onto his blade as well. He's gotten a lot stronger, and having that Sharingan won't make it any easier to beat him! Fox, what should I do?
"Those cursed Uchiha's and there damn Kekkei Genkai! He has become quite skilled with his Sharingan...but you do have a technique that can counter it...you must eliminate his eyes! yelled Kyuubi.
Naruto thought about Kyuubi's word's and instantly realized what he was referring too. He put his sword hilt back on his belt and made a few hand signs before yelling, "Kiri no Akuma Ketsueki"
Sasuke turned back to look at Naruto as he saw him make the last hand signs. Quickly the scenery around him began to change and a red fog began to cover the landscape. Sasuke tried to escape it, but it quickly enclosed around him. Instantly his eyes began to burn with great intensity and he closed them quickly. He let out a loud scream as his mouth began to burn with a fury. He dropped his sword to the ground and clutched his throat. Every opening in his body began to burn. His nostrils began to flare up, and even his shut eyes were still stinging. He tried to get out of the red mist but stopped when he heard Naruto yell out something.
Naruto quickly dashed towards Sasuke with his chakra sword in front of him. Just as he was about to make contact with Sasuke he yelled out: "Yon Fuu Akuma Higyou"
Sasuke forced himself to open his eyes and all he saw was Naruto right in front of his face. He was unable to defend himself as he saw a yellow light covering Naruto's blade. He saw four flashes of light strike him and disappear in less than a second. Naruto went past him and landed on the ground. The red mist quickly dispersed away and Sasuke tried to turn around. However, he couldn't get his body to respond to the actions he wanted and fell onto his knees. His body wasn't correctly reacting to the messages his brain was sending. He tried to move but his body stayed limp. He let out an angry scream as he fell to the ground and laid on his stomach.
All Sasuke could do was lift his head up and rest his chin on the ground. He averted his eyes up and saw Naruto in front of him placing his sword onto his belt and standing next to him with his arms crossed against his chest. "What the hell did you do to me you bastard!" he yelled.
Naruto just shook his head as he looked down at his former comrade. "I manipulated the lightening element onto my blade and struck the four major nerves in your body that control your arms and legs. Right now your nervous system is confused because I created artificial electrical impulses that have screwed it up. Whenever you try to move a certain body part your nerves won't react properly because of the new interference"
Sasuke closed his eyes as the rage boiled inside of him. How do I keep losing to him? How does he keep getting so damn strong! What have I been doing wrong!
Naruto saw the look on his face and tried to think of something to say. He stood there for a couple of minutes before something came to him. "Sasuke...why did you want to gain power so badly? Your already strong enough to almost cut off my enitre right arm...why do you need even more power?"
Sasuke looked up at the blond shinobi. He tried to move his body but he was still limp. He felt some weird things pulsing through his body but they were to faint to recognize. "You will never understand me. I need power so I can defeat him. He was the one that took everything away from me. He took everything I ever cared for and made me witness it twice. I will never forgive him for what he has done. Because of him I'm all alone...I will have my revenge and restore my clan's honor by killing him"
Naruto looked down at Sasuke. He saw a few tears running down his face and he couldn't help but feel sad inside. "Sasuke...trust me I understand your pain"
"Shut the fuck up! You will never understand what I went through! You can't come close to the pain I have suffered. The pain of being alone...never being able to see them again...I will never be able to find peace if I cannot bring justice to their deaths" yelled Sasuke.
Naruto had his arms crossed against his chest as he took in his words. "Alone...being by yourself...no one to turn too...no one to look out for you...trust me Sasuke...I know your pain all to well.." Sasuke looked up at him. "How about this Sasuke...Let us both understand each other's pain and see who has it worse...I know that Sharingan of your's can make me witness it, and I have a technique that can do the same. Let us both decide who has it worse and then justify whether what we did was right or wrong"
Sasuke continued to stare up at Naruto. This Naruto was different from the one he had remembered. Of course he had grown physically, but he also had grown mentally; he was more mature now. "How the hell I'm I supposed to get up with my body like this? I can't move a damn muscle!"
For the first time Naruto laughed out loud. "Don't worry you'll gain your motor functions back. I'm pretty sure you must be feeling some weird sensations going around your body right now. Those are the artificial pulses I put in your body that are screwing your nervous system up. All you have to do his manipulate your chakra for lightening to match their rhythm and then your body will return back to normal"
Sasuke took in Naruto's answer and proceeded to do as he said. He matched his chakra to the rhythm of the fake pulses and felt them disappear. As soon as they were gone, his body felt agile again and he was able to move. He was fatigued greatly and slowly stood up and faced Naruto. They both were in front of each other and were only a few feet away. They looked directly at each other and just stared for a few minutes. Sasuke was the first one to speak. "So I guess we will do this at the same time then huh? Fine, in the next minute we will both do our techniques at the same time and see who had it worse"
Naruto just nodded his head as he began to prepare for his technique. He closed his eyes and focused on all his negative thoughts and experiences. He did this for half a minute and then used his chakra to push them into his eyes. As he felt the technique getting ready and the minute being over he opened his eyes quickly.
"Tsukuyomi" yelled Sasuke.
"Akuma Seidou" yelled Naruto.
Both shinobi's were instantly thrown into the alternate dimension that were created.
Alternate Dimension
Naruto was at the Uchiha compound at night. The full moon illuminated the night and cast a bright white shadow on the ground. Instantly Naruto become shocked at the sight before him. There were dead bodies everywhere covered in blood. The streets were littered with men and women who had been gored without mercy. Then he suddenly saw a little boy running into the compound, it was a younger Sasuke. The look on his face was the same that Naruto's had been. He began to panic as he looked around at the dead bodies of his clan and started running through the streets. Naruto followed behind him as the younger Sasuke was going to each house and gazing upon the dead bodies. He then went into one room and saw his dead parents on the ground.
The younger Sasuke instantly fell to the ground and held his head at the gruesome sight. It was depressing Naruto to see the poor boy wallowing in tears as he saw the bloodied bodies of his parents on the ground and his older brother standing in front of him. Naruto saw the younger Sasuke's body go limp for a second and fall to the ground.
"Why did you do this brother?" he asked.
"They were just a measuring stick to test my strength against" said Itachi.
He then saw Sasuke run up and try to attack his brother, but instantly fell to the ground as Itachi launched a punch to his abdomen. Sasuke looked up and saw the dead bodies of his parents. He instantly became scared and ran away from Itachi begging him to not kill him. Itachi told him he wasn't worth it and that in order for Sasuke to kill him he must dwell himself in hate. The last thing that Naruto saw was a young Sasuke falling to the ground and crying his heart out.
Sasuke was in the middle of the streets in the village. He was surround by demons everywhere. There were all sort's of different colors and shapes. There were some who had over a thousand sharp teeth coming from there mouth and razor sharp claws. There were those who had multiple body parts including: heads, arms and legs. The site was horrifying to Sasuke as they all encircled around him. A purple demon with six eyes pointed at him. "You pathetic human! Why do you continue to stay in this village? Why don't you just die already so we can devour you flesh!"
Sasuke stared at the figure. It was the most ugliest thing he had ever encountered and was plain disgusting to look at. Suddenly all the demons flashed and he saw them take the appearance of people from his village before transforming back. Another green demon with six arms pointed at him. "You retched being! Your very existence annoys us to no end! Will you not leave before we eat your carcass?"
All of the demons lunged at Sasuke and four of them grabbed his arms and legs. Sasuke tried to struggle out of their grasp, but they held on tight. He saw the demons beginning to claw at his body and he screamed out in pain. He stared all around him and saw the demons flashing into humans and then back into demons. He saw a demon grab his leg and started to chew on it. Sasuke screamed out in pain as his leg was ripped off. He couldn't believe what was happening to him. The demons were covered in his own blood and he felt each part of his body being torn at, yet he remained alive to witness it. He kept turning his head around and saw the demons flashing into people of his village every few seconds.
Suddenly he felt a jolt of pain in his abdomen and looked down to see a demon tear his stomach and his intestines spilling onto the ground. He yelled out a massive scream as the pain hit him, but he still remained arrive miraculously. Sasuke felt it go on for hours and hours as the demons continuously tore at his body and began to devour him. What troubled him even more was that they kept turning into people from his village and it was just plain horrifying.
End Alternate Dimension
After what felt like an eternity, but in reality only lasted one second, both shinobi's fell lifelessly to the ground and just laid there. They were both mentally broken and destroyed. They felt as if their brains had melted and their hearts had stopped. Each one of them felt the pain that the other did and finally realized why they had to get stronger.
"I'm sorry" they both said simultaneously.
Naruto slowly stood up on one knee, resting his left elbow on top of it as he held his head in his palm. Sasuke was on both knees as he used both his arms to lift himself up. After a few minutes both stood up and looked at each other. They stared at each other, neither blinking or speaking for minutes.
"Naruto...I'm sorry I never understood your pain...being alone and hated by everyone...how could those bastards do that to just a child? I can't believe you went through all that shit your entire life and still managed to pull through..now I see why you did what you did" he said.
Naruto looked at Sasuke directly. He had his head down and his hands in his pockets. Naruto simply shook his head as he spoke. "No Sasuke, I'm the one who should be sorry...I was all alone from the beginning so I never knew what it felt like to have people important to you..You had that and lost it all in one night because of that bastard...I understand why you want him dead...but, I think I have a better idea"
Sasuke looked up at a somewhat smiling Naruto and raised his left eye brow in confusion. "Naruto, what do you have in mind?"
Naruto looked at him directly. "Itachi killed everyone in your clan because of some bullshit excuse...I understand that you want to kill him to get revenge, but if you kill him it's like you are letting him off the hook easily by not making him suffer for what he did. I think I have a better idea then just simply killing him...do what he did to you; take the one thing that is most precious to him..."
Sasuke took in his words and started to think them over. What is most precious to him? I don't think he cares about anyone but himself and his power. Wait...that's it...that's what most precious to him
Sasuke looked up and saw a grinning Naruto, and couldn't help but grin him self. "Take out his eyes huh? Well you sure have gotten a bit smarter dobe"
Naruto smiled at his comrades remark. "Thanks for the complement teme, but I wouldn't go around insulting the great Naruto-dono if you know what's good for you"
Both shinobi's just stood their and laughed at the familiarity shared between them. Sasuke looked up at Naruto and stared directly at him. "Naruto, you are my greatest rival and best friend...but most of all you are the closest thing to a true brother..." Naruto looked at his friend and just grinned. "I wouldn't have it any other way Sasuke. We will get stronger together and achieve all our goals!"
Sasuke picked up his chokuto and put it back in it's sheath. He walked up to Naruto and stood next to him. He put out his right hand in front of him and offered his respects. Naruto looked down and simply placed his own right hand on top of his as they both shook their hands in union.
End FlashbackNaruto let out a yawn as he got out of bed and headed for the shower. Today was going to be a good day. At eight he was to pick up Sakura from her place for their date. Naruto smiled as he had everything planned out. He picked the perfect place for them to eat, he had acquired a new outfit last night, and he got the Hokage to slip him some cash for his services (20 million ryou to be exact). Naruto got out of the shower and walked over to his couch in just his boxers. He sat there and just thought aimlessly. Wow...I never thought I'd ever see this place again...it's good to be home I guess...hey fox, I finally got what I wanted, but I still feel like there are somethings that are missing..
"Gaining respect was indeed why you initially got stronger, but there are those who still are after your power" said Kyuubi.
Naruto closed his eyes and began to ruffle his hair. His new power was a gift and a curse. He was indeed one of the strongest shinobi in Konoha now, but there were those who were quite possibly even stronger than him and wanted his power. You mean Akatsuki fox...Yeah, I meet Itachi and that blue shark guy when me and Ero-sennin went to get Tsunade-baachan...Why are they after me anyways?
"I do not know myself to be sure, but they were initially after me when I was sealed..that was still over six years ago..We do not know what there goals are now" said Kyuubi.
Naruto just shook his head and got up off the couch. He looked at the clock and noticed it was around two o' clock. He went and walked into his kitchen and opened up his pantry to get a dozen cups of instant ramen and set some water to boil. Knowing Sakura-chan she won't let me order any ramen, so I guess I better enjoy it before tonight!
Naruto opened each individual pack of ramen and pour the boiling water into them. He got a a pair of chopsticks from a drawer and began to consume as much as he could to satisfy his stomach.
Naruto knocked on the blue door of Sakura's apartment. He was so nervous that he was practically shaking. It's funny how a person can live in hell for over a year with nothing but demons as company, and yet be afraid of a single woman. Naruto wore a blue long sleeve collared shirt with a red sports jacket over it. He wore a pair of dark blue pants with black dress shoes. He had his hitai-ate wrapped around his waist as a belt. Maybe I'm being too formal...I mean it's just a simple date...I hope Sakura-chan doesn't take this the wrong way..
The blonde shinobi was broken from his inner ramblings as he heard the door opening and Sakura stepping outside. All of his previous thoughts were thrown out off his head. Sakura was wearing a light green kimono with a red sash tied around her waist and had on a pair of white sandals. The edges of the dress had white flowers aligned across it and her hair was pulled back with her hitai-ate. She wore light makeup on her face and had a pair of pearl earrings on. Sakura reached out with her left hand and closed Naruto's wide open jaw. She gave out a small giggle from seeing his reaction and could tell he wasn't expecting her to dress like this. Shannaro! We sure got him!
Naruto stopped staring at her and shook his head vigorously. "WOW! Sakura-chan you look great! I mean you always do, but tonight you look extra special nice!" Sakura gave out a small laugh at the boy's remarks. "You don't look too bad yourself Naruto, It's nice to see you have at least some fashion sense. So where we going?"
"I made reservations at the new Fondue restaurant that just opened up. Tsunade-baachan told me the food there is pretty good" he said. This time it was Sakura's jaw that fell open. "Naruto, I heard that place has five star service! Are you sure you can afford it?"
Naruto just gave her a smile and dismissed her remarks with a wave of his hand. "It's no problem Sakura-chan! But, if you rather go out for some ramen instead that be no problem either!" Sakura just shook her head before speaking. "I think we should stick with the first one since you already made reservations"
Naruto gave her a nod as he jumped up off her stairs and landed at the entrance. Sakura just laughed as she closed her door and walked down to him. The restaurant was only ten minutes away from Sakura's place so they both walked side by side in the streets. As they were walking, Sakura couldn't help but notice people stepping out of their way and creating a path for the two of them. She turned her head to the left and looked at Naruto who didn't seem to notice any difference in the way people were reacting to them.
They arrived at the restaurant and Naruto opened the door allowing Sakura to go in first as he followed after her. They stood in front of a man dressed in a black tuxedo who was attending his post at a stand. Naruto walked up to the man and pulled out a small card from his pocket and handed it to him. "Reservation for two, Uzumaki Naruto" The host looked up from his position and his eyes instantly popped from his sockets. He stretched out a shaking right hand as he grabbed the card and looked it over. After he finished reading it he looked back at the two shinobi's and nodded his head. "Right this way Na-Na-Naruto-dono"
Sakura raised an eyebrow at the man's nervousness and at his addressing of Naruto, who simply had a grin on his face. They both followed behind the man as he led them to a private booth and placed two cups on the table and poured some tea into them. Naruto placed the order of Fondue Bressane for the two of them and the man in the black tuxedo just nodded as he quickly walked away. Sakura couldn't help but feel a little weird at the way people were treating them. Naruto had indeed changed a lot since they last meet, but never had she seen people act so strange around him. "Um Sakura-chan are you ok? You look like you have something on your mind" said Naruto with a hint of concern in his voice.
Sakura snapped away from her aimless gazing and looked at Naruto. She gave him a sincere smile before speaking. "It's nothing really Naruto, I just want to say thanks for taking me out to such a nice place"
Naruto was about to say something but their waitress had arrived and brought in a sliver pot with warm melted yellow cheese inside. She placed the pot in between the two and put a plate of assorted meats in front of them. Both Naruto and Sakura picked up their Fondue forks and simultaneously said, "Itadakimasu" before they proceeded to pick up a piece of meat and dip it the pot. The taste was incredible and the flavor was simply prodigious! Even Naruto had to admit it tasted almost as good as ramen and it wasn't too long before he was constantly dipping his fork every five seconds. Sakura was about to yell at him about having proper table manners, but just giggled at the Naruto's carefree nature. I think that's what I missed about him most..he's always so open and does whatever he wants...I think maybe...
"Uh Sakura-chan are you sure your ok? You've been dazing off a lot. Is there something you want to say?" Sakura looked up at him and saw him have a worried look on his face. "No Naruto just enjoying this great food!" she said cheerfully. Naruto just nodded as he put his fork down on his empty plate and took a sip of his tea. He looked back up at Sakura and saw her staring directly at him. There was a sudden silence between them and Naruto decided to make some conversation. "So...Sakura-chan, What have you been up to lately? Been doing a lot of training? That punch you gave me was a lot stronger then usual. I haven't been hit like that since me and Ero-sennin went to get Tsunade-baachan!"
Sakura gave a small laugh as she took a bite from her fork and placed it down. After swallowing she spoke. "Well the reason it was so stronger is because I was Tsunade-shishou's apprentice for a few years. She taught me how to control my chakra, as well as perform medical ninjutsu"
Naruto gave her a surprised look that brought a smile to the pink haired girl's face. Damn! If the old hag has been teaching her then she must really be strong! I better watch what I say to her unless I want to lose a few billion brain cells!
Naruto heard Kyuubi snort in the back of his mind. "This is exactly why I should be in control...Scared of simple female..You truly disgust me...You have no problem killing my kind without any hesitation, yet you fear this woman in front of you..how pathetic..."
Shut the hell up you damn furball! Sakura-chan is twice as scary as any demon when she gets angry...
Naruto's conversation with Kyuubi was broken when he felt something sharp poking at his nose. He averted his eyes in front of him and saw Sakura stabbing him with her fork. "Hello! Earth to Naruto! Anyone there?" Naruto simply brushed the fork aside with his right hand and looked back up at a grinning Sakura. "Yeah I'm still here Sakura-chan there's no need to start stabbing me! Anyways, looks like we are done with the main course; how about some desert?"
Sakura gave him a smile but felt like he would end up spending too much money. "No Naruto it's alright I'm not in the mood for sweets" Naruto gave her a quizzical look before speaking. "Are you sure Sakura-chan? You know they have some excellent chocolate fondue served with your favorite fruit"
Sakura gave him a shocked look. How does he know what my favorite fruit is? Maybe he's just guessing...But before Sakura even knew it, the waitress had arrived and placed a small pot of melted milk chocolate in the middle of the table and two plates of strawberries in front of them. Sakura looked at Naruto with a shocked look but Naruto on the other hand had a foxy grin on his face. "Naruto, how did you know I liked strawberries?"
Naruto gave her a small laugh before answering her. "Well because whenever we went on mission together, I always saw you have a pack of strawberries in your lunch. You practically devoured them the instant you opened your lunch!"
Sakura smiled as she heard his words. She picked up her fork and grabbed a piece of fruit before dipping it in the chocolate and bringing it to her mouth. The taste instantly hit her mouth and brought a wonderful sensation to her. Wow...he really does know a lot about me...and he's always does so much just for my sake...why? Why does he always do these things especially for me?
"Maybe it's because he really likes you" said inner Sakura.
What do you mean? He likes a lot of people, but he always goes out of his way just to make me happy..I don't deserve this kind of treatment..Yet, he continues to do it without asking for anything in return...What is it that makes hims do all this for me? What does he want from me?
"Are you serious? Look into his eyes girl! He wants your love! He wants to be with you! I think it's time you gave him a chance already!!!" screamed inner Sakura.
Sakura brought another chocolate covered strawberry into her mouth and let the sweet juices roll around in her mouth. The taste was zestful and simply scrumptious that Sakura couldn't help but shiver with delight.Naruto...you really are an amazing and kind person...I'm not someone who deserves this kind of generosity..You deserve someone much better than me..
They both finished their desert and Naruto paid the bill. They exited the restaurant and Naruto walked Sakura back to her place. It was around ten o' clock and moon illuminated the streets. They both walked together in silence and Naruto occasionally turned his head around to look at Sakura who was simply walking with her head cast down. What's the matter with her? She looks like somebody told her that her dog died or something...Did she not like our date? Damn it! What did I do wrong this time!
They had both arrived at the entrance to Sakura's apartment when she finally spoke. "Naruto.." he turned to his right to see her looking up at him. "Yes, Sakura-chan?" he asked curiously. Sakura stared into his sapphire blue eyes as she opened her mouth to speak. "Thanks for tonight and everything..but, I don't think we should be doing this anymore..It's not right..."
Naruto gave her a small frown. He was afraid she was going to say something like that. "Oh...Is it because of Sasuke? I'm sorry that I didn't know you two were together, I guess I shouldn't have just assumed..." The reaction that Naruto got was not what he expected to get in a million years. Sakura actually snorted at his comments. He looked at her questioningly wondering what she was going to say. "Naruto..are you really serious? I'm not a twelve year old girl anymore..I'm not as naive as I used to be. Did you know the night that Sasuke left I approached him"
Naruto's eyes opened up in shock as he never heard this part of the story. Sakura ignored his expression and continued. "I told him that I loved him with all my heart. I begged him to stay with me. I told him I would do anything for him, even help him in his revenge. When he didn't respond to me, I told him to take me with him so I could help him in anyway possible. And do you know what he said to me?"
Sakura looked up at Naruto with tears in her eyes. Naruto just squirmed inside at seeing her like that. "He told me I was annoying..." she sniffled as she wiped some tears from her eyes. "After that, I told him to not leave, and that if he did I would scream out loud...Before I knew it he was right behind me and he said 'thank you' to me" Naruto raised an eyebrow in confusion wondering what Sakura was saying. Sakura looked away from him before she spoke again. "That's what he said before he knocked me out and walked away from the village. But, he didn't just walk away from the village that night...He walked away from my heart as well..." she said before she broke down in tears again.
Naruto couldn't stand to see her like this and grabbed her in a comforting hug. Sakura stood in his embrace as she sobbed away in his chest. Naruto just brushed the back of her hair trying his best to solace her. He felt angry at Sasuke for doing this to her and couldn't wait to knock the living shit out of him. "Don't worry Sakura-chan, I'll make sure Sasuke pays for what he's done to you"
Sakura laid her head against his chest as she wiped the tears from her eyes. "No Naruto it's not his fault. You can't force someone to love you if they don't want to. That's what I realized that day...that my love for him was a one-sided crush..." Naruto continued to stroke her pink hair trying his best to think of something to say. "Hey don't worry about it Sakura-chan, you still have me"
Sakura grimaced at his words and broke away from his embrace. Naruto gave her a confused look as she simply stared at the ground. "No Naruto, what I meant earlier was true. We shouldn't do this anymore because I don't deserve this kind of treatment. You are always so nice and kind to me. You go out of your way just to make a stupid girl like me happy...Even if I don't give you anything in return" Naruto was about to say something, but Sakura beat him to it. "When we were younger, I always called you annoying, and made fun of you..But, you still went out of your way to protect me..and I never once thanked you. I was just a complete cold hearted bitch to you"
Naruto was taken back by her choice of words. He couldn't believe Sakura was acting like this. Sakura let a few more tears fall from her eyes. "During the Chunnin exams when Gaara attacked me, I thought Sasuke-kun was the one that saved me, but he told me it was actually you...and then when he left, you were the one that brought him back for me. Then when Orochimaru invaded and the whole village was about to be destroyed you came back and saved not only me but everybody in Konoha...But, did I ever thank you? No..because once again I was just a complete bitch..."
Naruto couldn't stand to her hear talk like this. It was making feel deeply sad inside. "Sakura-chan, stop saying such things...I don't need you to thank me...You being happy and smiling is all the thanks I ever need..." Sakura looked up at Naruto and saw him giving her a warm smile, but she couldn't return it. "Naruto, you need to stop all of this...I told you I don't deserve any of this..You should be with a person who can make you happy instead of you always trying to make me happy...I'm just a stupid little bit..."
She couldn't finish her words as Naruto had grabbed Sakura by her waist and pressed his lips against hers. The kiss was forceful yet soft at the same time. Sakura tried to break away, but couldn't due to the fact that Naruto held her tightly and as well as a part of her that didn't want to leave. They stayed in that position together for a while. The two of them enjoyed each other's taste and could feel the ecstasy running through their bodies. Sakura started to feel lightheaded and realized that she needed to breathe.
This time she forced Naruto off and attempted to gasp in air into her mouth. She looked back up at Naruto who had a few tears fall down his eyes. "Sakura-chan, don't ever talk like that about yourself ever again. It pains me to hear you saw those words. You are the most beautiful and sweetest girl I have ever known. Everything you said was completely wrong. If you want to thank me then do it by being with me...At least give me a chance to be with you. Because when I'm with you I feel at peace within myself. When I see you smile, I can't help but smile myself; and when your sad it pains me as well...So please...just give me a chance..."
Sakura stared directly into his teary eyes. How could she refuse this boy? He did so much for her and all he asked was for a chance for them to be together. All he wanted was her to be with him. Why he wanted to be with her so much she couldn't understand. But that was the least thing she could do for him.
Before Sakura even knew it, she lunged at Naruto and caused the pair to fall to the ground. She interlocked her lips with his, and wrapped her arms around his neck. Naruto put his arms around her waist and brought their bodies closer. The kiss was fierce yet passionate at the same time. They both pressed their tongues against one another and began a rhythmic dance. The feelings building up inside of both them were incredible. Naruto felt as if he could die right there and have no regrets. Sakura just enjoyed the sense of warmness circulating through her body.
Soon enough came the time for the pair to breathe and they both broke away. Naruto just looked up at Sakura's face and looked directly into her emerald eyes; he could see her giving him an amorous smile. He smiled right back as he spoke again. "So I guess this means yes huh?"
Sakura gave him a small giggle as she wiped the remaining tears from her eyes before speaking. "How's this for an answer?" she said as she closed the distance between them and implanted another sweet kiss on his lips.
Kiri no Akuma Ketsueki - Demon's Blood Mist (mine!)
Yon Fuu Akuma Higyou - Four Strike Demon Seal (mine!)
Tsukuyomi - Moon Reader (original)
Akuma Seidou - Demon's Sanctuary (mine!)
Author's Note: Thanks for taking the time to read this newest chapter, and your comments/suggestions are much appreciated.
