Chapter Fourteen; The Truth is Revealed

"Sasuke I've gotta go and try to stop them." She said. "Then, I'm going with you." He told her. "No, you can't. If you set foot in the village you'll be killed." She told him. "If that is the chance I take of being with you then I'll take it. I'm never going to make the mistake of letting you out of my sight again. I'd do anything for you Sakura, even lay my life down for you." He told her as there grew a moment of silence. "And what about Naruto?" she asked him as there grew another moment of silence.

"How can I protect someone who tried to kill you?" he asked her. "What!?" she cried. "You're still talking about that!? For the love of God Sasuke that was an accident!" she yelled. "You know Naruto can't control his actions when he's under the power of the Nine-Tailed Fox! I mean I've already forgiven him, so why can't you? Especially when it's under a matter of life and death!" she exclaimed as he touched her cheek and gazed into her eyes. "Because I love you." He told her as she quickly grabbed his hand and threw it off of her. "Then act like it!" she cried before she took off up through the trees faster than he could blink.

"Sakura wait!" Sasuke cried as he watched her speeding above him, but it was too late. She was already gone. Sakura tried to hold back her tears as she rushed back to the hidden leaf village. As soon as she got there she saw Naruto with Kakashi and a bunch of ninja hounds down below her. She quickly leapt down to the ground. "Sakura!" Naruto cried as he quickly embraced her. "Where in the world have you been?" Kakashi asked her angrily as she hugged Naruto back. "Never mind where I've been." She began as she slowly let go of him.

"Listen to me Naruto, you have to get out of here, it isn't safe for you right now." She told him. "What do you mean that it isn't safe?" he questioned as she took a deep breath. "Orochimaru has sent Itachi after you because he wants to kill you. Sasuke said something about wanting your chakra." She said. "You saw Sasuke?" Kakashi asked her as she simply just nodded. "Well if you did, then where is he now? Why didn't he come back with you?" Kakashi questioned her anxiously. "I'd rather not talk about it." She began sadly. "Let's just say you were right Naruto, I can't trust him. He lied when he said that he loved me." She said as a tear rolled down her cheek.

"No, trust me he didn't. He's always loved you Sakura ever since we were kids. I know because he made me promise to take care of you and protect you at all costs when you were knocked unconscious." He explained. "He did?" she asked him. "Yes," he began with a nod. "he said that he didn't want to ever lose someone precious to him again." He told her flashing her a loving warm smile. "In fact I wish I had enough guts to tell the girl that I love how much she means to me." He said with a heavy sigh as his smile slowly faded and he hung his head.

"Hinata." Sakura realized when ironically at that moment all three of them quickly turned their heads and Naruto grabbed ahold of his kunai knife. "That sounds like her!" he exclaimed. "Don't worry Hinata I'm coming!" he cried as he turned around and rushed straight back through the gate. "Naruto wait!" Sakura cried as she and Kakashi went rushing after him. Sure enough down the corner Itachi was lifting Hinata up into the air by her throat and squeezing it with his hand. "If you don't tell me where that precious boyfriend of yours is, then I'll make you talk. How's that sound?" he questioned when suddenly Naruto threw a kunai knife into the fence post making Itachi turn over to look at him.

"It sounds like a bunch of bull!" he yelled. "Now, let her go! It is me that you want isn't it!? You want my chakra." He said as Hinata slowly turned her head and looked up at him. "Naruto," she said with a gasp before she tried to fight away Itachi's grip. "Hinata listen to me, I'm sorry I ran away from you before. I was just afraid to tell you that I was in love with you." Naruto told her as she suddenly gasped again and turned her head to look back at him. "What?" she asked him. "Actually, I think I've always been in love with you. But it's only now that I have enough courage to admit it." He told her. "Oh Naruto," she began as she blinked away her tears. "I love you too." She finished before she looked back down at Itachi's hand and bit it with her two front teeth.

Itachi gave out a yelp of pain and dropped her in surprise. Hinata hit the ground and started running away as fast as she could. "Come back here you little brat!" Itachi yelled grabbing ahold of his injured hand and trying to go after her but suddenly Naruto stepped out in front of him. "No." he growled as the red chakra started encircling him once more. "YOU LEAVE HER ALONE YOU GOT THAT!?" he yelled feeling his eyes turn back to the evil colored red and his fingernails extend back into claws while the lines on his face stretched.

"Naruto, be careful." Kakashi told him when suddenly Itachi grabbed ahold of Naruto's neck with his other hand and slammed him up against the back of the fence. "Naruto!" Kakashi cried frantically as he watched him turn his head from side to side and gave out a huge roar as he continued to struggle. "Now if you don't mind, I'm going to drain all your chakra from your body and give it to Lord Orochimaru." Itachi told him as he stared into his eyes. "Over my dead body!" Kakashi snapped as he placed his hand down and grew a chidori. Meanwhile Sakura just stood there feeling helpless. She gave a sad sigh and hung her head because she didn't know what else to do.

Hinata continued running through the forest before she ran into Sasuke. "Sasuke!" she cried as she suddenly stopped and tried to catch her breath. "Hinata what is it, what happened?" he asked her. "You have to come back with me." She began. "Naruto's in trouble." She told him as he just looked at her solemnly. "I don't know what I can do." He told her. "Just please come with me, I love him and I don't want to see anything happen to him." She said as Sasuke heaved a sigh and slowly hung his head and thought of Sakura.

"You know what the saddest part about all of this is?" Itachi began. "The only reason that Sasuke stopped being your friend is that he was trying to protect you from me." He told Naruto when suddenly he stopped struggling and gasped. "You see Sasuke saved your life. He knew that if the friendship that he had with you continued he'd have to kill you if he wanted to gain enough power to destroy me. That's how much he loved you." He explained as Naruto slowly softened his face and thought about his friend. "Sasuke." He whispered with all the strength that he had left before a tear rolled down his cheek.