Chapter 11: Ninja way
Naruto's eyes opened in shock when hearing Hinata's scream.
He stood still, unable to concentrate on Sasuke.
He kept staring at the place where she had stood.
A strong wind began to blow, taking the dove's feather into the air, disappearing into the horizon.
Sasuke turned around, an uncaring expression on his face when seeing Naruto.
Naruto, finally turned his eyes towards Sasuke – and suddenly they turned angry and hard.
"You will pay for what you did," Naruto said in a low but mad voice.
"Then kill me and save the village," Sasuke replied and smiled sarcastically.
"I will!" he said, remembering their first fight on the same roof they were standing on now.
Meanwhile Sakura finished healing another broken arm.
Ino walked over to her.
"Are you alright? You seem tired."
"No, I'm alright," she replied, wiping the sweat on her forehead.
"You've healed over 20 people in about half an hour, Sakura. I think you can rest for a while. The rest of the cases are all minor injuries. Me and some other medical ninjas can take care of the rest," Ino said and smiled at her.
Sakura looked at her, remembering her training with Tsunade.
"Are you sure?" Sakura asked.
"You're one of the best medical ninjas in Konoha and you'd better rest so you can be at your highest potential when something big comes up," Ino reassured her.
Sakura smiled back.
"If you need help just send me a message. I won't be far," she said and Ino nodded in agreement.
Sakura left the room, her mind immediately drifting back to Naruto.
"I wonder where he is," she thought and went to look for him.
Meanwhile Naruto was charging with a clone at Sasuke.
The clone jumped up aiming with a kunai at him.
But he just blocked it with his sword.
Suddenly Naruto charged at him with his fist.
"You're so predictable," Sasuke said and activated his Chidori Nagashi.
The clone disappeared and Naruto fell to the ground.
Suddenly Naruto turned into a tree trunk.
Sasuke turned around, seeing a clone charging at him.
Sasuke smiled.
"It's just a diversion," he thought, noticing someone behind him.
Naruto stood behind Sasuke, a kunai aimed at him.
He threw it.
Sasuke stood still, not caring about the clone.
This causes the clone to land a hit, making Sasuke fall to the ground and thereby escaping the deadly kunai.
Sasuke stood up – and saw Naruto aiming a punch at him.
He stepped to the side and dashed his fist into his stomach.
Naruto tripped, a painful expression in his face.
"Y-you…"
Sasuke punched him in his face, sending Naruto crashing towards the ground.
Naruto slowly stood up when suddenly he saw Sasuke's blade dashing towards him.
He jumped to the side but still got a scratch on his arm.
Naruto stood up again but noticed that he was out of breath.
"What's wrong with me?"
Suddenly he felt dizzy, dropping back to his knees.
"D-danm! Is it still the poison?" he wondered, trying to get up to his feet.
Sasuke stepped closer.
"I thought you might be a challenge but…"
Naruto looked up, seeing his best friend standing over him.
"…you are as weak as before," he said, sword aimed at Naruto's chest.
Naruto stared at Sasuke's face.
He remembered the first time they met after Sasuke left Konoha.
His expression stayed the same. His attitude towards everyone he once cared for didn't change at all.
He was as cold and heartless as ever.
Naruto clenched his teeth in anger.
"I…I only wanted us to stay friends. I wanted to be friends with you because I thought you're cool and you know that I tried hard to be like you. I…never thought that you would turn against us. And…unfortunately…"
He closed his eyes, trying to fight the oncoming dizziness.
"…you decided to kill our friendship for the sake of your hatred - for your loved ones. But I'm not worthy of being your friend…if I can't even keep my promise I gave to Sakura," he said, while a tear rolled down his cheek.
His friend kept looking at him emotionlessly.
Suddenly Sasuke smiled.
"Finally you understood who is the more talented. So I guess you have nothing against me ending our friendship now," he said, ready to strike.
Naruto smiled – sadly.
"I'm sorry…that I couldn't keep my promise," he thought, knowing that this was the end for him.
But suddenly Sasuke stopped, a surprised expression in his face.
He felt a kunai behind him, the sharp edge touching his back.
"If you kill him, you'll be killed," someone said in a low voice, pushing the kunai against him, to show that he or she was serious.
Naruto knew who it was.
The voice was unique and unmistaken like a fingerprint.
It was a voice he even sometimes heard in his dreams and always gave him strength even in the most hardest and hopeless situations.
It was Sakura's voice – the one he would even give his life for.
Naruto's eyes snapped open, revealing surprise but also relief.
He saw part of her pink hair behind Sasuke, who had an odd smile on his face.
"I'm surprised to see you here. Are you trying to kill me – again?" he asked insultingly.
Suddenly her eyes turned furiously.
"Shut up! You were the one trying to kill me several times but I…"
Naruto stared at her.
"I've never seen her this angry before," he thought almost frightened.
"…I will kill you," she said seriously.
She heard him laughing in sarcasm, making Naruto grow angry.
"The same empty promise. You are just like Naruto. Neither you nor Naruto can keep promises. It's just empty talk," he said, sounding angry and as if hurt.
Naruto looked to the ground, guilt starting to rise inside him.
Sakura noticed his sadness.
"That's not true, Sasuke! I might have broken my promise but Naruto didn't…" she said.
Naruto looked at her in confusion – and received a smile from her.
"Sakura! Why are you lying?" he thought.
"…and I almost forced him to break it."
"W-what are you talking about?" Naruto asked her confused.
She smiled at him but he noticed that her eyes were sad.
"Your promise you gave was not just for me, right? You gave this promise at same time to Sasuke – and even to yourself. And you didn't break it. You're still trying to bring Sasuke back – even by fighting…to death. As long as you have your determination you'll never break this promise, remember?" she said.
Naruto stared at her in bewilderment.
"The Naruto I know wouldn't give up so easily. He would never give up on Sasuke. And…as long as you…have me, you'll have enough strength to keep fighting. That were your words," she smiled, her cheeks reddening a bit.
Naruto's bewilderment slowly vanished and was replaced with a smile.
"Y-you're right, Sakura!" he said and slowly tried to stand up.
"But unfortunately you're too late," Sasuke said and raised his sword once again to finish his friend off.
Suddenly Sakura grabbed his arm that held his weapon and tried to pull it back.
"You're not as strong as you pretend to be. You're not even holding me back properly," Sasuke said, slowly pulling his arm forward again.
She tried hard to stop his arm from moving but he was stronger than she realized.
"I have to stop his arm from moving," she thought, noticing that her grip on him was starting to loosen.
She had only one choice.
She had to stab him with the kunai!
She pushed the kunai slightly forward as a warning.
But he wasn't intimidated and moved further forward with his arm.
"You leave me no other choice," she thought and pulled the kunai back to strike.
She stopped for a short moment, realizing that her hand was shivering.
"Do it!" she urged herself.
She tightened her grip on Sasuke's arm, managing only to slow him down for a moment.
"You're not going very far like this," he said proud.
She looked at the kunai, trying to calm herself down.
But it was useless.
She had to do it now or she'll never do it at all.
Sakura closed her eyes so she wouldn't be confronted with the horrible scene that she was about to cause.
She wanted to dash it forward but she was hesitating.
Her eyes turned to his back.
She stared at him, trying to overcome her hesitancy but somehow she remembered the times when he was in her team.
The times that she missed so much.
She saw all the happy moments they used to have before her eyes – so clear as if they happened just a day ago.
One of the moments was when she almost kissed him.
She smiled sadly, realizing that he might never overcome his hatred and remembering that he used to call her 'annoying' just after that moment.
Her eyes filled with tears.
"It was…in the forest of death…" she murmured.
Sasuke didn't care to look around.
"It was all because of him – because of Orochimaru."
Naruto managed to get up to his feet, though they were shaking.
"W-what do you mean?" he asked.
"When those sound ninjas attacked, Sasuke came to help. But he lost control over himself."
"What are you trying to say?" Sasuke asked now, not understanding her at all.
"Y-you couldn't stop. I'm sure you would have killed them if you were allowed. All because of that cursed seal."
"So? I don't have it anymore."
"And still…you seek revenge not caring about anyone," she murmured trying to keep from crying.
"That's because nobody ever cared about me otherwise people would have tried to stop Itachi from killing my family. Or they would have at least not try to pretend that nothing happened. And you…you would try to support me instead of fighting me," he said a hateful expression in his face.
"Believe me…I tried…but in the end I couldn't," she thought, remembering the time when she hugged him, preventing him attacking the sound ninjas.
She tightened her grip on the kunai and on Sasuke's arm.
"But this time…I will," she thought, dashing the kunai forward when she suddenly noticed his blade coming towards her.
"I won't stop…even if you have to kill me," she thought, not moving from her spot.
Suddenly the blade stopped.
She saw with surprise that Naruto stopped it with his hand, causing her to stop her attack too.
But that was a mistake.
Sasuke smiled triumphantly.
"I guessed that you couldn't dare to kill me. You both are too weak," he said, making them feel insulted.
He activated his Mangekyo Sharingan but before Naruto could warn Sakura, he noticed black flames on his sleeve.
Sakura noticed Naruto hastily taking off his jacket.
"What's with him?" she thought, when she heard a rustling sound under her.
She looked and to her shock she saw a small flame starting to eat on her boot.
"I have to be quick," she thought but was punched in the face before she could react.
Sasuke turned now to Naruto, trying to slash him.
But he blocked with a kunai.
"You're too easy," Sasuke smiled, landing a hit with his fist and sending him to the ground.
Naruto tried to stand up, but needed to fight with the dizziness first.
Meanwhile Sakura managed to get her boot off, seeing that the flame got bigger. She tried to assist Naruto but was almost out on chakra and needed to rest a bit.
Sasuke stood over his best friend, smiling down at him.
Naruto tried to stand up but was too enervated by the poison.
"Goodbye my old friend," Sasuke said, not showing any sadness.
"I'll never farewell my friendship with you. Not as long as I live," he said out of breath.
He closed his eyes, starting to feel exhausted.
"Damn! I should have listened to…Sakura!" he thought when he fell unconscious.
Sakura saw the scene and wanted to stand up again but still was too weakened from healing all the injured people.
Sasuke lifted his sword when suddenly he heard a distant voice.
"Y-you have to stop."
Sasuke turned around and saw someone lifting himself up onto the roof.
"Neither your team nor I will ever give up on bringing you back."
His eyes opened wide in surprise.
"That's my ninja way!"
It was Hinata!
