Title: Life Goes On
Author: nikki (nikkichan0829yahoo.com)
Chapter: 6/?
Chapter Title: Changing Minds
Genre: Romance
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto. Enough said. The title was from the song, "Life Goes On" by Leanne Rhymes (is that the right spelling?).
Warning: YAOI. OOCness?
Author's notes: Well... Dunno what to say... Err... Enjoy.
-Chapter 6: Changing Minds-
Sasuke didn't want to kill Naruto. He just had to hurt him, to keep Naruto away from him. He wanted to push the blond away. It was the only way he could avenge his clan.
"Sasuke?" the man said in a confused tone but the voice was unmistakenly familiar.
Sasuke could not help but want to rip him apart. But it did not occur to him that the man before him was different from the last encounter.
"Itachi..." he growled out. His focus shifted from the blond who followed him from their village to the man who appeared out of nowhere.
His brother made no move to pry him off as he wrapped his hands around the ex-ANBU captain's throat.
-----
Naruto's eyes narrowed at the realization of who the man was. He had thought that Sasuke's older brother would have backed off for the meantime. The fact that he had appeared before them again was bad.
What was worse was that Sasuke was really quite out of it and was likely to act before thinking.
He didn't have much time to ponder long before his teammate lunged for Itachi's throat.
-----
What could have possibly happened? Itachi wondered as his own little brother loomed over him with hands around his neck. What had Renji done now? The hands on his neck were shaking, hesitant in applying the pressure their owner had originally intended.
"Why?"
Sasuke's question hung in the air. Itachi remained silent.
"Why aren't you fighting me?"
"Should I be?" Itachi asked back.
"Yes, dammit! I spent these past few years training and even sold my soul to that damned snake bastard just so I could kill you! And now you're making it easy?!"
I'm so sorry, Sasuke. I didn't know...
"Why? Mother, father... Why did you kill them?"
Itachi thought for a moment on what to answer. He could've given a lot of them and most would have been lies but he opted for the honest one.
"I didn't."
"What?"
"I didn't kill them."
This was rewarded with a punch that he made no move to block. Above the pain stinging his cheek, he could hear Sasuke calling him a liar.
"I didn't do it, Sasuke."
The blow to his other cheek stung as well. Itachi could taste blood in his mouth. He had bitten his tongue a bit too hard. The coppery taste filled him with bitterness and sadness over memories of their clan's penchance to keep secrets.
Sasuke sneered above him. "Let's say I humor you and believe that you didn't do it. Who did it then? Kakashi?"
"It was someone who looked like me but wasn't."
"Don't toy with me!"
"It was my twin, Uchiha Renji."
Sasuke froze. "What? Is this a joke?" He jumped off the older Uchiha, keeping a good distance between them.
Itachi sat up. "It's not. He supposedly died after you were born... But it was all a lie. They lied to me."
"That's not true. You're lying!"
"I wish it were that simple. But things never are," the ex-ANBU said as he peeled the bandages covering his face.
When he was done, Sasuke was looking at him in shock.
"You, your face..."
Itachi traced one of the scars on his left cheek. "If I was lying, I wouldn't have been carrying the scars he gave me."
-----
It was the slight rustling of leaves that alerted Sasuke that they had more company coming their way. He had glanced a moment to the source of the sound and looked back to see that his brother had his ANBU mask on.
Several nins jumped out of hiding. Sound nins.
"Sasuke-sama, Orochimaru-sama sent us here to ensure you a safe arrival."
"We will handle these two nins with ease," on said arrogantly.
It was only then that Sasuke remembered that Naruto was with him. He had been so single-mindedly focused on his brother and his story that he had forgotten. The blond had heard everything.
"Sasuke. Don't go."
The younger Uchiha looked back at Naruto. His Sharingan still flaring.
"I promised myself that I'd bring you back. Even if you'd hate me forever. I don't care. I'm not letting you go." The determination in the blond's eyes made Sasuke's heart skip beats and his Sharingan to falter even for a moment.
"Naruto, I..."
Itachi chuckled behind his mask. "I take it that we have a truce for now, Sasuke. The sooner we finish here, the sooner your blond friend can take you home."
It did not take long for them to beat all of the Sound nins. Gaara and the others had arrived to help. Some time during their reunion with Kiba, Shikamaru, Chouji and Neji (who was currently being carried along by Gaara's sand), his brother had vanished. (Much to the confusion of the rest since they didn't really know who he was.) Along with the answers to Sasuke's questions.
As the others walked through the gates, Sasuke paused outside, not sure if he should walk back in or not. Naruto, noticing his hesitance, stayed with him. Sakura waited at the gates, watching them warily.
"You shouldn't really think too much about it." When Sasuke didn't respond, he continued on, "I've never really lost everyone I cared about like you have so I don't really know what you're feeling. I don't have a right to say this but... You shouldn't really live for what your brother wants. You should do what you want for a change. I mean, do you really want to be like that weird, cross-dressing snake bastard?"
The image it conjured to mind had both of them laughing. The younger Uchiha felt his burdens lift from his shoulders. He took a deep breath. "Naruto... Thank you..."
The blond looked at him wide-eyed for a moment before smiling. It was a beautiful smile that the raven-haired boy wanted to see more. It was then that Sasuke changed his mind, an occurrence that doesn't happen often. He would no longer live to kill Itachi. He would live for himself to become stronger for the people he cared about. He would live for his parents' share of life. If Itachi was telling the truth, he would find out one day whether or not it was true. But for now, he would be himself.
Naruto grinned at him and held out his hand. "Let's go back."
Sasuke could not help but smile.
-----
TBC
Author's notes: Well, that was fast. I finished this quick. Figured that whatever scenes I may type next would not really fit well with the chapter. I don't know how to describe fight scenes. Describing things is one of the things I know I'm no good at. I will try to update soon while my Itachi muse is still up for the job.
I know, I know. It's too short! I promise I'll make the next chapter longer! Stay tuned!
Please review!
Started: May 19, 2004
Ended May 20, 2004
Author: nikki (nikkichan0829yahoo.com)
Chapter: 6/?
Chapter Title: Changing Minds
Genre: Romance
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto. Enough said. The title was from the song, "Life Goes On" by Leanne Rhymes (is that the right spelling?).
Warning: YAOI. OOCness?
Author's notes: Well... Dunno what to say... Err... Enjoy.
-Chapter 6: Changing Minds-
Sasuke didn't want to kill Naruto. He just had to hurt him, to keep Naruto away from him. He wanted to push the blond away. It was the only way he could avenge his clan.
"Sasuke?" the man said in a confused tone but the voice was unmistakenly familiar.
Sasuke could not help but want to rip him apart. But it did not occur to him that the man before him was different from the last encounter.
"Itachi..." he growled out. His focus shifted from the blond who followed him from their village to the man who appeared out of nowhere.
His brother made no move to pry him off as he wrapped his hands around the ex-ANBU captain's throat.
-----
Naruto's eyes narrowed at the realization of who the man was. He had thought that Sasuke's older brother would have backed off for the meantime. The fact that he had appeared before them again was bad.
What was worse was that Sasuke was really quite out of it and was likely to act before thinking.
He didn't have much time to ponder long before his teammate lunged for Itachi's throat.
-----
What could have possibly happened? Itachi wondered as his own little brother loomed over him with hands around his neck. What had Renji done now? The hands on his neck were shaking, hesitant in applying the pressure their owner had originally intended.
"Why?"
Sasuke's question hung in the air. Itachi remained silent.
"Why aren't you fighting me?"
"Should I be?" Itachi asked back.
"Yes, dammit! I spent these past few years training and even sold my soul to that damned snake bastard just so I could kill you! And now you're making it easy?!"
I'm so sorry, Sasuke. I didn't know...
"Why? Mother, father... Why did you kill them?"
Itachi thought for a moment on what to answer. He could've given a lot of them and most would have been lies but he opted for the honest one.
"I didn't."
"What?"
"I didn't kill them."
This was rewarded with a punch that he made no move to block. Above the pain stinging his cheek, he could hear Sasuke calling him a liar.
"I didn't do it, Sasuke."
The blow to his other cheek stung as well. Itachi could taste blood in his mouth. He had bitten his tongue a bit too hard. The coppery taste filled him with bitterness and sadness over memories of their clan's penchance to keep secrets.
Sasuke sneered above him. "Let's say I humor you and believe that you didn't do it. Who did it then? Kakashi?"
"It was someone who looked like me but wasn't."
"Don't toy with me!"
"It was my twin, Uchiha Renji."
Sasuke froze. "What? Is this a joke?" He jumped off the older Uchiha, keeping a good distance between them.
Itachi sat up. "It's not. He supposedly died after you were born... But it was all a lie. They lied to me."
"That's not true. You're lying!"
"I wish it were that simple. But things never are," the ex-ANBU said as he peeled the bandages covering his face.
When he was done, Sasuke was looking at him in shock.
"You, your face..."
Itachi traced one of the scars on his left cheek. "If I was lying, I wouldn't have been carrying the scars he gave me."
-----
It was the slight rustling of leaves that alerted Sasuke that they had more company coming their way. He had glanced a moment to the source of the sound and looked back to see that his brother had his ANBU mask on.
Several nins jumped out of hiding. Sound nins.
"Sasuke-sama, Orochimaru-sama sent us here to ensure you a safe arrival."
"We will handle these two nins with ease," on said arrogantly.
It was only then that Sasuke remembered that Naruto was with him. He had been so single-mindedly focused on his brother and his story that he had forgotten. The blond had heard everything.
"Sasuke. Don't go."
The younger Uchiha looked back at Naruto. His Sharingan still flaring.
"I promised myself that I'd bring you back. Even if you'd hate me forever. I don't care. I'm not letting you go." The determination in the blond's eyes made Sasuke's heart skip beats and his Sharingan to falter even for a moment.
"Naruto, I..."
Itachi chuckled behind his mask. "I take it that we have a truce for now, Sasuke. The sooner we finish here, the sooner your blond friend can take you home."
It did not take long for them to beat all of the Sound nins. Gaara and the others had arrived to help. Some time during their reunion with Kiba, Shikamaru, Chouji and Neji (who was currently being carried along by Gaara's sand), his brother had vanished. (Much to the confusion of the rest since they didn't really know who he was.) Along with the answers to Sasuke's questions.
As the others walked through the gates, Sasuke paused outside, not sure if he should walk back in or not. Naruto, noticing his hesitance, stayed with him. Sakura waited at the gates, watching them warily.
"You shouldn't really think too much about it." When Sasuke didn't respond, he continued on, "I've never really lost everyone I cared about like you have so I don't really know what you're feeling. I don't have a right to say this but... You shouldn't really live for what your brother wants. You should do what you want for a change. I mean, do you really want to be like that weird, cross-dressing snake bastard?"
The image it conjured to mind had both of them laughing. The younger Uchiha felt his burdens lift from his shoulders. He took a deep breath. "Naruto... Thank you..."
The blond looked at him wide-eyed for a moment before smiling. It was a beautiful smile that the raven-haired boy wanted to see more. It was then that Sasuke changed his mind, an occurrence that doesn't happen often. He would no longer live to kill Itachi. He would live for himself to become stronger for the people he cared about. He would live for his parents' share of life. If Itachi was telling the truth, he would find out one day whether or not it was true. But for now, he would be himself.
Naruto grinned at him and held out his hand. "Let's go back."
Sasuke could not help but smile.
-----
TBC
Author's notes: Well, that was fast. I finished this quick. Figured that whatever scenes I may type next would not really fit well with the chapter. I don't know how to describe fight scenes. Describing things is one of the things I know I'm no good at. I will try to update soon while my Itachi muse is still up for the job.
I know, I know. It's too short! I promise I'll make the next chapter longer! Stay tuned!
Please review!
Started: May 19, 2004
Ended May 20, 2004
