Title; Seraphim

Disclaimer; Nope I don't own any of the Naruto characters.

Chapter Thirteen;

I was expecting a more explosive beginning to the battle, I didn't get that exciting opening; instead a plain but expensive looking black sedan pulled up and three men stepped out; the driver I recognised by his pristine white double crested suit and dark hair tied up in a ponytail as the dead large man's former partner, he seemed calm and collected despite the danger I felt radiating from him.

Another of the men I recognised as the police officer who had visited me asking about Sasuke; he looked far less composed then his comrade seeming to have an animal fury attached to the way he stalked towards Sasuke, he wore the same or at least a similar uniform to before but had some kind bizarre face paint on; the third man to leave the car couldn't exactly be called composed like the first man as he seemed to be just vacant instead, sunglasses and a hood prevented me from telling much else about him.

All three were heavily armed; I spotted two machine pistols attached to the belt of the pony tailed man; the officer carried a revolver, similar to the ones Sasuke carried but slightly different in shape, on his belt and what looked like a shotgun slung over his back; except for the plain looking handgun held by the third man he didn't appear to be carrying any other weapons, I didn't let that fool me though.

I got an ominous feeling from these men, I suddenly didn't want to know exactly what Sasuke's limit was; Sasuke himself seemed unnaturally composed simply standing and reattaching his sword to his belt, no fear darkened his face and there was no coiled tension in his back.

"Where's your comrade?" asked the ponytailed man taking the lead, I recognised that they were talking about me now.

"You shouldn't concern yourself with such questions Nara. Right now all you should be worried about is me." Threatened Sasuke his presence suddenly changing from calm and relaxed to his more familiar intimidating harsh one.

Somehow it was comforting.

"That's a bold statement Uchiha, it's three to one!" growled out the police officer…somehow I wouldn't have been particularly surprised if the man suddenly got down on all fours and started barking.

"Kiba!" cut the ponytailed man his voice sounding oddly scolding.

"He's got more than two seals…he couldn't have killed Choji like that if he didn't, you should be able to tell that." Commented the ponytailed man to the police officer- Kiba; Kiba for his part scrunched up his nose and sniffed the air hesitantly before snarling and glowering darkly at the Uchiha.

"Shikamaru, I smell a Snake." For a moment I was slightly amazed, had that man been able to tell the shape of Sasuke's seal from smell; or was the 'snake' comment a reference to something else.

"I don't recall killing Choji." Offered Sasuke, I saw the pony tailed man's brow tighten at the comment.

"You may as well have." Returned the man, Nara as Sasuke was calling him.

"So self-defence is a crime now?" prompted the Uchiha taking a couple of steps to his left almost leisurely he ignored the other two and focused only on the ponytailed man.

"You know that's not what you did. What are you getting at Uchiha?" demanded the pony tailed man.

"You're a pretty smart guy from what I've heard, but you seem ignorant to me. I know exactly what I did Nara, do you know what you do though? You hunt people down and murder them simply because they won't bleed and die for Konoha." Answered Sasuke, a genuine fury lined his words and it shocked me for a moment.

"Don't get self-righteous on me you son of a bitch, I serve my Order out of loyalty, faith and understanding; we have reasons for the dark things we must occasionally do." Returned Nara no less passionately.

"You reasons of course being greed and arrogance…there's no alternative then; when two men meet in battle believing they are right and just…one of those men must die." Spoke Sasuke with a chilling resolve underlying his voice.

"Yes Uchiha, one man will die today." Agreed Nara.

Quietly I heard Sasuke chuckle; I saw his right hand ghost to the handle of his blade, all three of the men raised their weapons ready to fire and the snow began to fall.

Slowly small crystalline flakes filled the night shy; there was no howling wind or anything else one would associate with a snow storm, only the light icy powder raining down on the four men.

It felt inappropriate I thought.

And then I felt my mind swim as the image of Sasuke facing forward became nothing more than a blurred watery image.

Desperately I begged my mind 'Not now, not now'; as the world began to fall away I heard gunshots ring out, men scream and shout furiously at one another and the lightning's furious crackle and screech.

"Sometimes I wonder if I'm actually alive." Spoke the Uchiha as I stumbled over my words, my tongue twisting gracelessly around the syllables as my mind tore itself apart in search of the words I wanted to say.

"W-what?" my long dead and forgotten lisp had returned and my eloquence and vocabulary had been seemingly misplaced but I didn't care, not right know.

"I feel like maybe it's all been just a dream, or a nightmare; so many years and all I can seem to recall is pain and dying, again and again." He continued his eyes were glassy as if he actually were in a waking dream.

"Sasuke, what the hell are you talking about?" it was the first thing I'd said to him in nearly twelve years, I was a little disappointed with myself.

"I'm just talking to myself Hinata, was there something you wanted?" his voice wasn't cold like I expected it to be; like I wanted it to be, if he were angry or spiteful then this would be easier.

"I-I wanted to know w-why?" I asked, there were a lot of other things I wanted to ask him and this may be my last chance; but this one was the most important of them.

"I don't know why Hinata." He answered me honesty ripe in his voice, he stepped a little closer to me and placed his hands on my shoulders.

I let him.

"They say that our seals understand the truth far better than we ever can; when I thought she was going to choose you I suddenly felt terrified, more frightened than I have ever felt before. My seals were screaming at me to move, to do something." He explained, one of us had moved and we were closer now; but I didn't know if it was him who moved or if I had.

"When she chose me instead I didn't feel any fear…I felt relieved and a calmness in my seals, for the first time I felt right; at peace." He spoke and I realised that our faces were mere inches apart now, our bodies were pressed against one another.

"What is that supposed to mean Sasuke; you're going to die tonight and I-I…" I gasped and clutched at the words I so desperately wanted to say but couldn't get out.

"Say it Hinata." He prompted softly.

"I…I don't want you to go." It was only half of what I wanted to say, and he knew it.

I felt him pull me close and I rested my head in the crook of his neck, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to fall; there was a loud clamber as one of the rooms decorative doors opened, the silver haired man entered the room.

"Sasuke it's time." Spoke the man solemnly, unlike Sasuke's other two close friends this man didn't seem to bear me any ill will; and suddenly just like that Sasuke had let go of me and began to walk away, I felt cold…outside and in.

"S-Sasuke I-I." I heard my voice crack as I tried one last time to tell him how I felt, even if it betrayed the memory of my sister; even if I was supposed to hate him instead.

"I'm not going to die Hinata, I'm going to see if I can wake up from this nightmare." Called back the Uchiha, he didn't pause in his step or turn to look at me; he didn't rush back to me for one last kiss.

He just walked away.

I regained consciousness to the noise of gunfire, slowly and carefully I crept towards the mouth of the alleyway and caught sight of the on-going battle; the street was covered in snow now, I was too actually come to think of it; I first noticed Sasuke, he was in the centre of the three and seemed to be mostly unhurt but I did see a flash of red on the left side of his torso.

His three opponents were also mostly unharmed with only minor cuts decorating them, they seemed particularly cautious to avoid getting close to the Uchiha avoiding close attacks and keeping the dark haired man busy with a flurry of gunfire; Sasuke for his part seemed only interested in the ponytailed man moving carefully closer to him.

Somehow I got the feeling that Sasuke was winning, after all they could only fire so many bullets before they ran out.

I was content to hang back until suddenly the imposter police officer, Kiba, quirked his head to stare directly at me; I felt my blood run cold for a minute as a wicked animalistic grin spread across his features.

"Shikamaru, I've spotted his accomplice." Shouted Kiba, I heard Sasuke swear harshly.

"Don't break formation Kiba!" roared the ponytailed man; Kiba however didn't seem to be paying any heed to his comrade as he began to bound towards me like a wolf on the hunt.

Things began moving faster now, the man-wolf Kiba continued to race toward me; Sasuke had stopped chasing the shadow man and was now sprinting toward Kiba at a breakneck speed; the hooded man moved to intercept Sasuke and the final man in the white suit made an odd hand sign but otherwise didn't move.

For my own part I had drawn my own guns and fired at my attacker, he dodged the shots easily and I felt a cold sweat trickle down my back.

Then Sasuke showed me exactly why those three had been so cautious, just as the last bullet I had fired passed harmlessly by Kiba's head the bullet changed direction moving unnaturally at a ninety degree angle and directly into the fake Officers skull; a look of absolute shock and horror was the last thing I saw on his face before the bullet crashed out the other side of his head.

The hooded man stood behind Sasuke his back to the dark man, there was a soft thud as the barrel of the man's gun fell to the ground and a sharp clack as Sasuke sheathed his still blade; the hooded man crumbled falling into the dyed snow bisected at the hips.

Two of them in mere seconds, how frightening.

The snow continued to fall slowly burying the bodies, the remaining man in white, Shikamaru, stood alone facing Sasuke; somehow he didn't seem afraid.

"And here I thought that I wouldn't be able to catch you twice." Spoke the well-dressed man casting a solemn glace at the remains of his comrades. I suddenly realised why Sasuke wasn't moving, he'd been caught by the man's shadow technique helping me.

At the same time both Shikamaru and I raised our weapons; Sasuke simply raised his empty hand mimicking Shikamaru, I was aiming for the shadow man and he had his weapon levelled for Sasuke's head.

It was a bad position, the man had nothing to lose; his order would simply find him again, maybe it'd take twenty years or so but he'd be back; if Sasuke died I would surely soon follow and they'd find and capture us while we were defence-less.

Suddenly I heard Sasuke begin to chuckle lowly to himself, surprise splayed across the Nara's face and I'm certain that my face reflected something similar.

"Is that what you think happened?" asked Sasuke his voice dark and intimidating, even though he hadn't aimed his question at me I had to fight not to visibly recoil.

"Your trapped Uchiha, quit your bluffing." Returned the Nara with a snarl, then his eyes widened for a brief moment and he collapsed.

I held my breath for a moment not quite comprehending what exactly I'd just witnessed, then I glanced at Sasuke; I saw the single tear of blood trailing down his cheek from his right eye and I knew that Sasuke had done…something.

Whatever it was obviously wasn't enough though as with his mobility restored the Uchiha quickly drew one of his guns and fired a shot into the fallen man; then he started down the alley, I followed at his heels.

"Your hurt." I commented after a couple of minutes, after we were far enough away from the recently deceased that I wouldn't have to worry about throwing up when I opened my mouth.

"It's nothing to worry about." He brushed off my concern nonchalantly as if he'd been scratched my a kitten, not shot in his side.

"At least let me have a look Sasuke." I protested spotting a bench nearby and dragging the injured man with me; surprisingly me didn't argue with me, just gave in with a soft sigh. I examined the wound to amazingly find the skin already beginning to knit itself shut.

"This wound happened just now didn't it?" I asked confused.

"I heal quickly." He spoke by way of an answer, at my sceptical look he tapped his left forearm and I understood the hint; a regeneration effect was part of his Snake seal, made sense I supposed.

"The bullets still lodged in there though, it's got to come out." I commented, and then proceeded to choke when he drew his knife and handed it to me. It wasn't ideal but I decided to try it anyway, there was something expectant in Sasuke's gaze that I didn't want to disappoint.

"How did you do it?" I asked suddenly hopping to distract him from the pain, he should definitely be on some medication right now.

"Do what?" he asked in return seeming a little confused.

"Come back…I've been remembering some things, and…it seemed like you were sacrificed or something, instead of me." I didn't have to say any more as he interrupted with an 'ah' of recognition.

"So you've remembered that incident." He commented a ghost of a smile gracing his face.

I awaited his answer.

"I came back for you Hinata."

"Stay away!" shouted the blonde man, Naruto a voice in my head whispered, he moved forward stepping defensively in front of the other man in the alley way; I couldn't make out the other man's features due to the hood and sunglasses he wore, yet I knew exactly who he was.

"Naruto…what are you doing?" I asked the man, clearly confused about…something.

"What the hell does it look like I'm doing Hinata, I'm taking him away." Answered the blonde man eying me carefully, no doubt he was stretching out his senses to check the area.

"Why?" I asked, I thought it was a fair question, after all my first love was putting himself in mortal danger and fleeing with what was left of my second love…there were other parts of this oddity that I simply preferred not to think about.

"The hell do you mean why? Do you know what she did to him?" demanded the ferocious man; I saw the other man shiver likely in fear at his words, the motion couldn't have been any more alien for his body; or at least it should have been.

"What does it matter Naruto, he's a ghost; don't throw your life away for hi-" I didn't get to finish what I was going to say, I was cut off by the audible crunch of his fist connecting with my cheek.

"Don't you dare!" he growled lowly, eye's red and I realised that he still blamed me.

Because that idiot thought he could play hero without any consequences; I even almost believed it too when I saw him again, both of his seals working; but he couldn't remember and he became a goddamn ghost.

"Y-you hit me." I whispered shocked to the core, I hadn't known Naruto to be anything less than completely chivalrous before now; did this ghost of a dead man mean so much to him.

Should I be the one taking Sasuke away…no, it wouldn't do any good; Sasuke wasn't coming back, whatever was standing before me now was nothing more than a cruel joke of fates.

"Hinata…if you come after us again, or talk about him like that; I will kill you." Promised Naruto and I knew that he meant it, and worse than my body I knew that he was threatening my very soul.

Try as I might I couldn't shake the feeling that something horrible was going to happen to them, and I was playing a part in that by not helping.

Okay folks that's chapter 13, it's kinda short and it's a little late but that's sadly due to a misbehaving laptop; please get back to me with your comments and feedback, I love to hear it.

Once again sorry for the delay.

Chapter 14 should be up within ten minutes to make things up to you. :)

R&R