A Miracle Chapter 10x1, a naruto fanfic

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

((AMIRACLE;ELCARIMA))

A Miracle; Ch10.1

((AMIRACLE;ELCARIMA))

"Shin, you seem very pissed off." The white-haired photographer said.

Shin rolled his eyes. This is the biggest mistake of my life.

"Oh, boy, oh boy," Jiraiya sighed. "Every man indeed has his own… bad times. But it was very wrong of you to punch Shikamaru like that." He said. "You are still young.

"Good thing Shikamaru is a very calm boy. If he were another person, the dog-smelling boy perhaps, you'd end up in the police station."

Shin grunted as he turned the wheel. He did not know where to drop of the old man, he'll just kept on driving until he decides to go down.

"You know, Shin, you have a very different perspective of life. It's so… manipulated. I thought you were a smart boy!"

Still no response.

"I've been through this before. And trust me, you'll just regret it. Not following your self—your heart—on what you really want to do… you'll hate yourself for it. So why you still have time, do what you think you have to. Temari-san is only your manager. She is not your god. She won't kill you if you don't follow her."

"She's capable of,"

"But she won't. She's not stupid. There are lots of other good-looking males who can replace you. Hinata-chan's brother is one!"

Shin sighed.

"Talk,"

"Give me one reason," Shin finally spoke. "Why I should follow what you are saying, Old man?"

"Simple," Jiraiya grinned. "You wouldn't know what will happen. It's not like you'll be a rich man forever. Well, maybe you'll be a rich man forever, but who knows? Bankruptcy, sickness, stupidity… they're very common. Money is something which is very easy to acquire."

"Is not,"

"It's easier compared to the other things."

He stopped the car in cue of the traffic. "Other things my ass."

"The other things which only fate gives you," he smiled painfully, ignoring Shin's comment. "And fate has a way of life, too. That is, take it or leave it." He opened his door. "Past is past, Shin. Present is present. Future is future. There's nothing wrong if I would connect the things that happened today tomorrow. That's just like connecting the things that happened yesterday. Today will be your past soon. And we all know we can't return to our past."

And he left.

((AMIRACLE;ELCARIMA))

Hinata stood alone at the street, waiting for a taxi to pick her up.

For the past day, she only had one person on her mind. Her old friend.

She couldn't forget how he needed her. Sasuke. That person who fed her for three years in elementary. That guy who protected her from bullies. That guy who bravely escorted her out of town. No matter what he had previously said, the stingy words, the deathly nags…

He was still that boy who made her crying stop.

"Hey are you going to ride?"

Hinata blinked as she realized that there was a taxi right in front of her. She hesitated. "Aah!" she opened the door and hopped in. She sat on the backseat without even bothering to take her backpack off.

"Where?" the driver asked.

"I-in Konoha's residential area,"

"Any landmark?"

"A-ano, th-the street with the mini-grocery,"

"Oh," she saw him glance at her from the side mirror. "That one," he made a U-Turn.

Hinata's thoughts once again occupied her.

How come Sasuke changed? Why isn't he the good, nice and happy kid she knew anymore? Was it true? That she was the only one who hasn't changed? No matter what the answer was, she didn't know. She didn't know why… why he was so mad, so different, when before, he was very nice to that same girl.

His eyes… something changed in them. It wasn't that same, sweet pair of eyes she encountered. It was a pained one, an angry, almost vicious one. It was frightening.

Yet, why was it that he was on her mind? Why did she take care of him when he left her? When he didn't mind her anymore? Why is there… this hope… this feeling she couldn't get rid of? Why is it that all of a sudden, she wanted to see him? She wanted to…

It was perhaps too late for her to notice. The place was driver was driving was definitely not a route to her house. It was unfamiliar.

"A-ano, m-mister, th-this is not a w-way to m-my house." She said.

"No, it is, don't worry."

She almost believed him, but when she saw him look at her eyes from the mirror, she panicked. Such trouble she found in them. It was unsafe.

"I-I'm g-going down. H-how much?"

"Iie, you're not."

"D-demo—"

"I'll just take you for a ride. Come on, don't you want to have fun?" he was smiling mischievously. "You're so cute."

She felt her heart pound so hard. She was afraid. Secretly, her hands reached for the back zipper of her backpack. Her hands searched for the cellular phone inside, and once she felt its keypad, she directed to its phonebook. Hinata began to press the numbers slowly and carefully so as to not make a mistake. She hoped that Shikamaru would attend to his phone and save her. She didn't know if she was even doing this correctly.

Kami-sama, please!

"Don't be afraid!"

She accidentally pressed the call button without even finishing Shikamaru's name. She fell silent for a while, but then realized that she had to talk. She had to make Shikamaru know where she is. Anyway, he is a smart guy, he'd realize this quickly. "D-demo w-where are y-you t-taking me?"

"Oh, it's just a little dark building near the city. You know it very well. It used to be a restaurant."

"D-demo th-that's… that's not—"

"Just shut up!"

((AMIRACLE;ELCARIMA))

Shikamaru merely scratched the back of his head as he heard his cellular phone's call. It bothered his sleep.

He quickly shut it off, but just when he pressed it, he caught a glance of the name of the caller.

Shikamaru immediately pressed the redial button. Unfortunately for him, and perhaps more for the caller, the other line was busy.

((AMIRACLE;ELCARIMA))

Shin slowed down the car as the orange light lit up. He tightened his grip on the wheel. Having the old man was not very helpful.

Suddenly, his cellphone rang. He got it from his pocket and looked at the screen.

TEMARI

Why would I want to answer?!

He threw his phone to the floor of his car. "Annoying bitch," he muttered as he returned his focus on the road, waiting for the cars to move.

"Oh, it's just a little dark building near the city. You know it very well. It used to be a restaurant."

"D-demo th-that's… that's not—"

"Just shut up!"

((AMIRACLE;ELCARIMA))

"Ino? What is it?"

"Oh, Shikamaru, good thing you called!" the girl sighed at the other line. "Why did you put down the phone?"

"Gomen," he said. "What is it?"

"Ano, you see my car stopped running in the middle of the street. Will you be able to come here and help us?"

"Oh, okay." He said unenthusiastically. "Where?" He stood up and headed to the garage.

"Near the residential area,"

"Alright," he hung up, just when he realized that his car wasn't there. "My car's with Kiba…" he pondered before sighing and scratching the back of his head. "How troublesome,"

((AMIRACLE;ELCARIMA))

Shin blinked as he heard the small, shaky voice of the girl. He realized that it was his cellphone which was in loudspeaker mode. It somehow answered, or pressed, the call button when he threw it on the floor.

"I-iie! I have t-to go home!"

"Oh come on. I'm going to take good care of you. Promise." It was a muscular voice. Shin immediately sensed trouble.

"I-iie, M-mister, please… h-have pity!"

A car door opening, then closing. Then, it opened once again.

"I-iie! Please!"

"Just come on—"

Beeeeeeeeeeeeep

Shin froze. At first, he didn't know what to do. Was it really happening? Hinata… that girl is…

He remained frozen, still not knowing what to do. He felt his body twitch. There was no reason, to him, to check what was really happening, if something was really happening. No reason at… all…

"Is not,"

"It's easier compared to the other things."

He stopped the car in cue of the traffic. "Other things my ass."

"Iie," he quietly told himself. "Don't let it come to you."

"Today will be your past soon."

The cars slowly moved. "Iie… she's a part of the past."

"And we all know we can't return to the past."

"Damn,"

"And fate has a way of life, too. That is, take it or leave it."

"I mustn't get carried away." He continued to mutter. "I'm the only one remaining… this wouldn't benefit me…" He struggled hard to fight the small voice in his mind, asking for his help. "She…"

"It's you who always remembers the past."

"It's not—me."

"Why did you have to come back?!"

And it was true.

Why?

The moment, the exact moment, he stepped on Konoha, there was one thing, one person on his mind. One person he searched, one person he longed to see. And at the exact moment he knew he saw that person, he let go of his desires and went for his goal. No, it was not his goal. It was another one's goal, and at the same time his pride. Just when that person he had looked for a long, long time, showed up not just by chance, but by fate, he would stop. And it was only until there. Or was it only until there?

That voice, that expression, those eyes…

How could he ever want her to change?

He suddenly came to his senses. I must not let myself regret…

"Forget your past. That's the key to this success. Continue this, Shin. You're living a new life."

Shin shook off the voice of his manager on his mind. Once the traffic cleared, he sped up his car.

If I can't return to the past, then I must make my present…

He turned right. He knew just where to go.

"I'm Sasuke."

"I'm not Sasuke anymore."

And he knew just what to do.

…As meaningful as the past.

((AMIRACLE;ELCARIMA))

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