Tomatoes

Genre: General

Rating: K+

Disclaimer: Naruto I not own.

Author's Notes: Requested by Essyllus. Hope you enjoy! This turned out depressive...but I had all intentions to make it a happy/humourous drabble but it just didn't come out like that. /sigh/ I guess I'm just not cut out to write happy stuff.

Please R&R…Thanks! (Really, please review /begs/)

Remember…request.

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Tomatoes.

That's the thought that first came to my mind and I don't know why. Maybe because tomatoes and blood share the same red colour, maybe because it reminded me of that ridiculous D-Rank mission we had to do together all those years ago, or maybe I'm just insane.

Whatever the reason: that was my initial thought.

Tomatoes.

Isn't that odd? Out of all the things that would cross my mind at that moment it was tomatoes.

Perhaps it was because her heart felt like a tomato in my hand. Or perhaps it was because the squelching noise my arm made as I removed it from her body was the same as the squelching noise tomatoes make when you step on them.

Six years ago… six years ago I broke her love-struck heart. I find it hard to believe that it was really that long ago. Sometimes it feels like yesterday.

I'm an avenger; I strive for power and strength. Nothing more: nothing less. I'm not supposed to let trivial things like friendships and emotions get in my way.

Years ago my sensei once told me not to use the Chidori against my comrades, he told me to only use it to protect them. But she's not really my comrade anymore, not since I left all those years ago.

He'd be disappointed if he saw me now. Not that it matters to me; I haven't talked to him in years. I don't care what he thinks about me, I don't care what anyone thinks about me.

At least, that's what I tell myself everyday. It's my mantra, it's who I am. If I say it enough times I'm forced to believe it. Besides, I can't turn back now. There's no way they'll let me return anymore, not after what I've just done.

Tomatoes.

Such a weird thought; even for me.

But I know that this was just one more step, one more building block to gain the strength I need.

I broke her heart once, today I destroyed it.

I cut a lock of her pink hair to keep and I don't know why. Maybe to remind myself of what I'm capable of? Maybe to remind myself that the past is no more?

No.

I did it to preserve my sanity; I did it to keep the past alive.

Because even though I deny it everyday, there's still a small part of me that misses the old Team 7.

But I don't know why.