Chapter 11

I'll be honest, I hit the wall with this story, but I'm slowly getting it back together.

Last time on Darker Path

Closing his eyes, he was just drifting off when suddenly the sound of something exploding, made him shoot up. Seconds after Sasuke threw his door open. "Naru, there here"

Seems they were also early. Great...

Eyes fluttered open, greeted with the sight of the ceiling of the guest room, Sasuke had been given when they had arrived in sauna that morning. Sitting up on the bed he was currently laying on, though he had no idea why, he flinched at the sight of angry, sad blue eyes. He had seen many emotions play across that face, yet never had anger been something that was associated with him. Naruto walked over to him in quick, measured steps.

"Sasuke" Again he flinched, as the tone used told him in was in trouble, that whatever words were about to leave the lips of his precious blond was important. "How could you be so careless? Do you have any idea how close you were to dying! I thought- I thought you were stronger than this, that you could handle it. Maybe, maybe I was wrong. Perhaps, I should have-"He looked down as he closed his eyes, dare he say it..."I should have left you alone, back at the hideout."

Shock and pain filled those endless black eyes. "What?!" Sasuke was suddenly on his feet; he took hold of Naruto's arms and pulled him close. He searched his eyes, looking, hoping for any sign that what he said was a joke, a lie even. Naruto would never leave him, he loved him. He would not leave like his family left him. "I don't understand. What did I do? Tell me so I can fix this." He pleaded urgently.

Naruto met his eyes, slowly pushing himself away from the comfort of Sasuke's hold. "Teme, do you even know how you got here? What was the last thing you remember?"

"I was fighting that guy, just like you told me to"

"Then what?"

"Well I...I..." Sasuke blinked, his mind was busy trying to find the answer, but came up with nothing. He couldn't remember for the life of him what happened, but slowly bit's started to piece its self together.

They had quickly ran outside to find Gaara already waiting for them, as well as sand ninja rushing around, trying to find who it was attempting to attack them, (like they stood a chance). An explosion to the left of them caught their attention, giving them enough time to duck as a giant bird flew extremely close to their heads, the sound of laughter coming from a blond standing on top of the creature.

Naruto having past experience with each member of the Akatsuki could easily figure out just who they were dealing with. He turned to Sasuke and Gaara, "Teme, this is your test for now, the guy on the bird is Deidra, he makes objects that explode, and tends to fight at a long range distance. I know you're a close range fighter most of the time, so I want to see how you do. Your goal is to kill him. Gaara, since we came to deal with the Akatsuki, you just need to keep an eye on Uchiha and step in if something is about to happen to him." Sasuke opened his mouth to argue that he didn't need a babysitter, before Naruto cut him off. "Sasuke, it's not I don't think you can handle it, but it's just a precaution if things don't go well on my end. Meanwhile I will go find the other member." The other two nodded, showing they understood the plan. Gaara jumped off ahead, with Sasuke staying behind as Naruto had suddenly tugged onto his sleeve. "Here, take this" Naruto placed a small blue pill in the Uchiha's hand. Sasuke brought it up to examine it closer. "What is it?" Naruto smiled. "It's a chakra boost. You have less than me and Gaara so it should help. This way, you will be able to finish your fight much faster." Seeing the eager look Naruto gave him, how could he refuse? He quickly swallowed the pill as the sound of another explosion had them turn to witness a building being blow up, figuring that a good enough sign to get going they sped off to their targets.

It had started off well.

He had captured the Akatsuki member's attention easily enough. Resulting in a mass of tiny bug like bombs raining over him, he was faster though and seemed to almost vanish before his opponent's eyes, reappearing on another building, closer to Deidra before jumping at him, kanta drawn. However this type of attack had been expected and another, bigger bomb was thrown at him, exploding in a matter of seconds. Deidra turned around, expecting the attack to have hit, but was surprised when he felt the presence of the dark haired shinobi coming fast from behind. He jumped off his trusty bird just in time to see it sliced in half. The landed opposite each other, studying the one in front of them, awaiting their next move.

Suddenly the blond smiled, putting his hands in bags that rested at his sides. "You're pretty fast, un. Tell me, what do you think of art?"

Sasuke's brow rose at the seemly odd question. "Hn, what does art matter when I plan to use your head as a gift?"

"Because, un" He pulled his hands out, throwing clay birds towards Sasuke. "Art is a bang, un!" The birds suddenly came alive, flying and swooping around Sasuke, each time he would take a swing at one they would move a away from him. Then they dived at him, falling from the sky, they shot down Sasuke, having enough of this, shot out a chidori beam, causing them to try and change course. One didn't make it and took a full on hit, destroying it in an instance. The other ended up colliding with a nearby building. He discharged his beam, only for a wave dizziness to overwhelm him. 'Where did that come from?'

Out of the corner of his vision, Sasuke could see the unhappy expression of Gaara, at having another building being in need of repair. He figured he should make this quicker than it was currently going. Dizziness finally fading, he looked up in time to move as a bunch of clay creatures swarmed towards him. With so many different clay bombs heading towards him at different speeds, Sasuke turned on his Sharingun. Now able to see each movement he could manoeuvre his way around them, bringing up a chidori to the unaware Deidra who had been too busy blabbing about his "art"

Deidra slowly stood up. Shock was written on his face as he looked into familiar eyes. At least he now knew who he was fighting. "So, your Itachi's little bother? Un." A smirk spread across his face. "Tell me, how is the rest of the family? Oh, never mind, their dead" He laughed as rage fuelled Sasuke's body to attack. He moved, deadly, swiftly and precisely as he ran and jumped at his target. How dare he! Blow after blow he struck the blond. Yet his mind craved, called for blood to be spilt. However his body had other ideas. He collapsed to his knees, Sharingun fading away. Again he was assaulted by dizziness and fatigue, his chakra running low. How though? He normally had more than this, plus Naruto had given him that pill. Was this idiotic art freak really that strong?

Sasuke tried to stand but could only just manage to kneel, before another attack was sent his way. Unable to move he used some of the little chakra he had to send thousands of chidori needles at the clay monster heading his way, stopping it before it could reach him.

Deidra was also getting low on chakra and clay now. But seeing the state of the younger Uchiha he knew he could win in a single, grand move. Collecting all that he had left, he started to create a form that would completely destroy not only his associate's brother but also this pathetic village.

As for Sasuke, he could only watch the humongous clay form heading straight for him as his vision turned black.

"If I hadn't sent Gaara along with you, you'd be dead along with the village."

Sasuke looked down in shame. How could he have been so weak, so stupid? "Naru, I'm sorry. Please forgive me."

Naruto sighed. "It's not that I don't forgive you, of course I do, teme."

Hearing his old nickname Sasuke raised his head back up. Naruto brought a hand to tenderly stroke Sasuke's cheek. "You should know I can't stay mad at you. I love you." Naruto wrapped his arms around Sasuke's neck as he felt arms around his waist. Lips met softly and briefly. Sasuke sighed in relief, before smiling slightly; a warm feeling was felt in his chest at hearing Naruto say he loved him. It was something he rarely did. How nice it would have been for that feeling to last though, instead it was ripped away with what he was told next.

"Sasuke, I don't think you should come along with me anymore. I can't be with someone weak. I'm sorry."

Sasuke felt his blood freeze. Wha-what? Was Naruto, his Naruto trying to break up with him. No. No, no, no, no, no! "No. You can't. Naruto what are you doing. Tell me this is a joke!" Sasuke stared at Naruto, his eyes begging to hear what he wished. Naruto looked the other way, refusing to see the strong ninja in front of him break. "Sasuke, what I plan to do will be hard; there will be times even I may be close to death. I can't look after you. And if you can't protect yourself...I can't have you with me. I have a year before I join the Akatsuki, I could train you but I don't know if that would help you in anyway. You're so weak."

Sasuke couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Please" he whispered. "Please, give me another chance. I am- I can be stronger. Please, you know I would do anything for you, I can't lose you. Not you."

By now Sasuke had a death grip around Naruto; one arm was held securely around his waist, the other around his shoulders, while he buried his head into that soft golden hair.

"Okay. One more chance. That's all. Now I need to go-"before he could finish he found his lips stolen in an almost fiery kiss. He could feel everything Sasuke was feeling in that moment, relief, joy, lust and love. Consumed by it all, he felt light headed, all he could concentrate on was the hot mouth that was working almost perfectly against his own, and on those hands that had started to roam across his body. Pulling away when they finally needed to breath, Naruto remembered he had to go, least he get caught in the moment and things went further. Despite the appeal now was not the time.

"Sasuke I have to go." Slowly he removed himself from the warm body holing his own. "I will decide what to do with you tomorrow." Sasuke nodded silently, wishing they could stay as they were just a bit longer, as he watched Naruto leave the room.

Outside, Naruto was met with the sight of Gaara leaning against the wall, arms folded across his chest. "That pill wasn't to help with chakra, quite the opposite. So, why did you give it to him?" Naruto looked back briefly towards Sasuke's room. "Because, Itachi will know what is going on and will try to tell him the truth. That is why I need him to have to completely rely on me, that he believes I am the only thing he needs. Pleasing me should be the only thing on his mind. I know how he thinks, once he get's something stuck in his head he never gives up, without a very good reason. I need to make sure he picks me, over his brother's wishes."

"Will it work?"

Naruto smirked and started to walk away once more.

"Just wait and see"