Disclaimer: You already know I don't own Naruto, so why bother?

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

Author's Notes: Honestly, I'm not really good in writing the fighting scenes but meh. You know most people would complain how little reviews they got and I'm just here feeling lucky that I actually got reviews! Also anyone here watched One Punch Man? Its bloody awesome. Go watch it. The next update will be on Saturday or Sunday. For the time being… Sorry about the late update by the way.

Chapter Nine

Uchiha Sasuke was considered as lucky to be able to stay awake despite the metal bars protruded on his body and the amount of blood he lost. He looked across him, Naruto in the same position as him. He knew that no matter what, Naruto would stay alive – at least that's what he thought. The Kyuubi itself wouldn't risk dying in the hands of someone who is unworthy.

He tried to keep himself awake but he found it hard. His eyes were dropping and he felt the sudden urge to sleep. His eyes had faded back to their original colour. Just as Sasuke's eyes were about to drop he saw a figure landed not too far away from him. He recognised that dark hair; it was the same shade as his and those kind black eyes anywhere.

Okaasan?

Why would his mother be here? Isn't she dead? The figure that looked like his mother had her gaze fixed on Pein, who was stabbing another metal bar into Naruto's hand. The Uzumaki gave out a sharp gasp as it was connected to his body. She did not even flinch.

Sasuke blinked, he was hallucinating. No, was he dead? He blinked again and saw that the spot where he had seen his mother standing was replaced with Hinata. His fingers twitched and tried to reach out for her but he couldn't, a groan to escape from his lips.

When he caught her gaze his mouth moved, forming her name but no voice produced. Useless as it seemed, he pleaded with his eyes, begging her not to fight Pein. Leave! His eyes screamed. He would not risk it! The stakes were too high. She would die if she engaged him in battle.

She tore her gaze away from him and dropped down to a battle stance, her palm outstretched towards Pein. His eyes went wide and his mind was screaming for her to stop. "Gomen, Sasuke-kun but I have to break my promise," he heard her whisper.

At that moment, he felt like he was seven again. He stood in his parent's house and could only watch as Itachi killed his beloved mother. Her eyes, showing no signs of life stared back at him. He could only cry back then.

And now he felt as if he was witnessing his mother's death all over again. Only this time it was Hinata.

What could he even do? He couldn't even move without damaging his body any further. Heck, he didn't have any energy to even move. To answer his previous question: No, he could not do anything to save her. He could only watch as each time Pein threw an attack at her, he felt like a stab to his heart.

Hinata was on all fours, pushing herself up to her feet but her legs trembled and she fell. Pein stood across the field, an amused smirk on his face. She was at her limit and yet, she continues to fight. She crawled towards Naruto slowly. The kunoichi reached out and gripped the metal bar in her hands.

The Uchiha watched as Hinata proceed to remove the bars one by one, her lips moved to speak to Naruto. Sasuke shut his eyes closed. He couldn't bear watching her with the dobe like that. Naruto might have been dating Sakura but Hinata still held some feelings for the dobe.

Sasuke gasped sharply and his eyes flew open as he felt a stinging and sharp pain from his arm. His onyx black eyes met Hinata's lilac eyes. Didn't she hurt him enough already? He watched as Hinata moved her hands towards his left arm, her hands glowed green. He could feel his muscles stitching back.

"Hinata…" his voice croaked. When she didn't respond he tried again. "Hinata, stop." Only then she stopped, her hands no longer glowed green and was curled up into a fist. "You're… wasting your chakra... if you heal me."

"No," she protested, her eyes were brimming with unshed tears. "I-I need to heal you. You'll die if I don't!"

"But you will if you don't stop. I'll be dead anyway," he whispered. "Leave me, Hinata. I'm a lost cause."

The Hyuuga looked at him sharply, the tears spilling from her eyes. "I won't leave you this time! Didn't we promise to look out for each other?!"

"It's a promise, you hear?"

For that moment, his eyes soften and reached out with his newly healed arm to wipe the tears from her face. Her breath faltered as she witness the soft smile on his face. "You shouldn't cry. You look better if you smile," Sasuke stated.

Despite his words, her lavender eyes were filled again but she returned his smile. Hinata didn't know where her confidence came from when she leaned down and captured his lips. Her lips were softer than it looked – and salty from the tears.

But it was short-lived as darkness claimed him as one of their own but the taste of her lips against his lingered in his mind.

The Akatsuki had done more than destruction; lives were taken away not just shinobi but also to the villagers while the rest are injured – or unharmed. Haruno Sakura would have continued healing the others but felt a tug in her gut to search for survivors. Kiba and Tenten had volunteered to follow her. Kiba and Akamaru would be a great deal of help for the keen sense of smell. Tenten because she wanted to search for Hinata – spending a whole lot time with Neji does take a toll in her; generally she didn't want Neji to worry about Hinata more than she does.

"They're not far from here," Kiba informed them. "But Naruto is not among them. It's just Hinata and that Uchiha."

Sakura nodded as they followed the Inuzuka. Konoha was left in crumbles. A handful of shinobi had died during their encounters with the Akatsuki. It might take years for Konoha to return to its former – that is if there will be no more invasions.

The medical nin snapped out of her reverie when she heard Kiba yelled, "Found them!"

Her medic mode was on when she saw the Hyuuga Heiress hunched over Sasuke's stilled form. Every now and then, Hinata's chakra flickered. Her chakra was already low to begin with.

"What the…?"

Sakura rushed over to them and kneeled on the opposite side of Hinata. She took a good look on the Hyuuga, tears ran down her cheeks. It made Sakura wonder: how far was Hinata's relationship with the last Uchiha? As far as she had seen their interaction, they appear as friends but she, however, had never seen them utter a single word before the Uchiha left the village.

Pushing her thoughts aside, Sakura hovered her hand over Sasuke's wounds and begin to heal them as Hinata retract her hands, leaning against Tenten as she had almost passed out. Little by little his torn muscles and flesh begin to mend but he did not open his eyes.

His eyes were stubbornly closed. She was half way through healing him when she realized that he had no pulse. She pressed her ear to his chest, just to hear that single heartbeat. She straightened her body slowly, her eyes drifted towards Hinata, willing herself not to cry.

No.

No.

No.

Then a thought struck her. Chakra. Even if the heart stops beating, chakra would still flow within the body but it would only last a few minutes before the chakra stops flowing body. With determination coursing through her veins, she went back to work. Her hands glowed green as she moved from one injury to another.

She will never let Uchiha Sasuke die – not today anyways.

Exhausted, Sakura smiled weakly. All his injuries had been dealt with and all they needed was for him to wake up. Not long after that, Sasuke sat up abruptly, gasping for breath. His dark eyes squinting, regaining his surrounding before realizing that they were watching him. He turned his head and his eyes flickered to Hinata then Tenten and Kiba before settling back to Hinata – he was fully aware that Sakura was at the opposite of the three.

"Didn't I tell you before that you shouldn't cry?" he asked the Hyuuga, a smirk tugging on his lips.

Uzumaki Naruto could not have felt this satisfied in years. Someone should give him a pat in the back. The villagers had finally notice him as a shinobi – not the vessel of the demon fox. Sakura finally returned his feeling after Kami knows how long. And let's not forget the fact that his best friend/rival was here back in Konoha.

But Sasuke usually spend his time in his house doing Kami know what. It's not like he didn't visit the brooding ninja. He did but he had missions to worry about – and Sakura. He wasn't as free as like back when he was a genin.

The blond burst into the hospital and went to the nearest person, asking if they had seen Sakura. Following the directions, he found her exiting one of the rooms. He called out her name and she looked up, surprised and ran over to him. She pulled him into a hug – that could crush his ribs – before pulling back and narrowed her eyes, checking for any injuries.

"Sakura-chan, I'm fine. See?" he assured her, spreading his arms and dropped his hands after seeing the convinced look on her face. "Where's Sasuke? The last I saw him, Hinata-chan was trying to heal him."

"He – he lost a lot of blood," she answered, her voice low. She cleared her throat and spoke louder. "He was practically dead when we arrived but somehow he made through it."

"Where is he?"

"Here," Sakura said, walking towards the room she had come out from. Her hand was reaching the handle when they heard the voices coming from the room.

"Konoha is different without you, Sasuke-kun," he heard a soft voice spoke. Naruto turned to Hinata with a raised eyebrow, asking for an explanation.

Sakura mouthed Hinata's name as if it solves everything. But still. What is exactly their relationship?

"Sasuke," they heard the male said. Naruto and Sakura were practically pressing their ear against the door to hear them talking. "I don't bother with the honorific anymore."

"T-then don't call me T-Tomato-chan anymore," Hinata stuttered, her voice raised an octave.

Naruto's eyes widen in disbelief as he heard the great Uchiha Sasuke chuckled. "I suppose you are – sadly – too old for that name."

"You're still mean to me, Sasuke," Hinata accused. He could almost imagine Hinata pouting.

"No," Sasuke responded, his voice low. "I'm not the same Sasuke you knew before I left. If you're asking for the old Sasuke, he doesn't exist anymore."

"Then why are you still here?" Naruto and Sakura could almost feel the change in temperature. Hinata's voice was colder than they had witness before. "What is holding you back? Its not like you have someone you care about in Konoha."

There was a pregnant silence before they could hear sheets rustling and a surprised gasp. "Baka," they heard Sasuke spoke but they had to strain their ear hear him properly. "I told you before; you are the only one I care about."

The orange-clad ninja was taken aback by his words. He removed his ear from the door and looked at Sakura who had the same dumbstruck look as him. What the hell had just happened?

Meanwhile, someone – a man could be seen walking into the Akatsuki headquarters in Amigakure. The man bypassed the security easily. He was, after all a part of the Akatsuki. Tobi was the name he had used when he had officially the Akatsuki.

Uchiha Obito was the name given by his parents.

Obito pushed the door to his room and shed the cloak at the doorway. He moved to his bed and kneeled by it, removing his damaged orange mask. It's useless to him anyway. He pulled out a case under his bed and placed it on the bed. He unlocked the case, revealing a war fan that was used by his grandfather, Uchiha Madara and a pair of clothing the Uchiha had worn during theShinobi Warring Clans.

He fingered the material, feeling the texture. Oh, it has been forever he had worn clothes with the Uchiha insignia attached. He turned his head slightly when he felt Zetsu's chakra.

"I trust you have Nagato's body," it wasn't a question.

"It was harder than I expect."

"Hn," was Obito's response, turning his attention back to the items in front of him. "All the pieces are now in place."

Next time on Never Alone, Ever Again

"There's no point in hiding anymore. You know how I feel about you. Or do you want me to remind you?"

"Ano… Sasuke. Why did you ignore me when we were genin?"

"Oh I know Nee-chan can handle you herself. I'm just here to remind you that."

"It belonged to Otousan once. As I understand, it belongs to the clan head – your family. Mikoto-san, I want you to take it and give it to Itachi and Sasuke."