Chapter 21

"I wonder if the house is still standing." Sasuke asked himself as he stopped on a tree branch. He looked back at the village. "Nope, no fire or screams." Sasuke sighed and turned back forward. "What are you doing out here little brother?" Sasuke's eyes widened. "What do you think? I'm on a mission, and Konoha guards spotted you, so I'm out here to keep watch, but… you came to me." Sasuke said drawing a kunai. "Hm? They spotted me? When?" "Don't give me that bull shit! You're not prefect Itachi!" "I know but… I just got to Konoha right now." Sasuke looked at Itachi confused. "What?" "I don't know how they saw me if I wasn't even here in the first place."

Sasuke took out his mission scroll. "Yesterday… what?" "Hm?" "It says they spotted you yesterday." "I wasn't here little brother." Sasuke thought before narrowing his eyes. "You're lying. I'm not falling for your tr-." "I'm not lying, little brother. Actually I'm a little disappointed, though, that guards are actually out here looking for me before I even got here." Sasuke smirked at put his mouth to his head phone. "I found Itachi." Sasuke waited for the other Ninja's to appear or answer but when five minutes past with no response he got even more confused.

"Looks like your little Konoha Ninja's aren't coming, little brother." "Where the fuck are they?" Sasuke growled looking around. "Language little brother." "Fuck these, I can take you down without help!" With that Sasuke lunged at Itachi. "DIE!!"

"Sasuke is not an object Sakura!!" Naruto spat back. Sakura smirked. "Like you really care about him. You didn't spend one second looking for him when he left. I spend ever second looking for him!! What did you do? Oh yeah, fight him and get a hole punched threw you and lose. You don't care about him and he doesn't care about you." Naruto took a step back and looked to the ground as she pulled her hands to her chest. Sakura was right. If she didn't care back then, then why did she care now?

Flashback

Sasuke lifted Naruto up by the neck. "I'm sorry Naruto, I have to go to Orochimaru, I must kill my brother!!" Naruto gasped for air. "Why Sasuke? " She gasped again. "If you… kill your brother… you'll have no one left." Sasuke's eyes widened. "If… if you kill me… you'll only have… Sakura…" "No… the oth-." "You've broken… so many hearts… Sasuke…. If you leave… you throw away what you had…" Naruto gasped. "I won't let you…" Naruto's eyes started to grow red. "…you're my friend Sasuke… I have to save you from… yourself." "I'm sorry Naruto. I must obtain power to kill him." "…then you've lost everything…" With that Sasuke chidori-ed Naruto. "SASUKE!!"

Different flashback:

"You gonna go after him?" Naruto paused before taking a breath.

"No…"

"Hm? Why not?"

"He was serious about it. It doesn't matter what I do or say, he wants what he wants. I'm not going to stop him if that his dream."

"I see… Well if you're alright with seeing him turn it the dark side," Kakashi sighed. "Then the others will have to do it without you." Naruto looked out the window. "So be it… it's his life he's ruining."

Different flashback:

"SASUKE!!!" "Naruto… stay back." Sasuke groaned as he held his stomach. "So Sasuke!! I won't let him-." "Stay back!!" Naruto stopped. Itachi kicked Sasuke in the stomach sending him flying back into the wall. "SASUKE!!" Naruto ran forward. "I said stay back, Naruto!! I don't want you to get hurt!!" "Aw, little brother, what sweet words." Again Itachi punched Sasuke. "No Sasuke! I care too much to see you hurt!!" Naruto lunged out but Jiraiya appeared and stopped her. "Don't worry Naru." Jiraiya made a hand sign.

End of flashbacks

Naruto faced twisted into a confused one. Those weren't times when she didn't care. She cared. She didn't want to see Sasuke get hurt, but she let him do what he needed to do. Sasuke was determined to go to Orochimaru and Naruto wasn't going to stop him or bring him back if that's what he really wanted. Naruto looked into Sakura's eyes, determined, she straightened up. "I care about Sasuke more than you could ever comprehend." "Ha! If you cared, you would have helped us get him back instead of ditching to Akatsuki." "That was MY decision ok!? I left for a reason!! My own reason! So don't come to me with you're bull shit cause I don't want it." With that Naruto huffed and stormed off. "And for the record! Who's the one who had the guts to fight him and get a hole punched threw!!? Huh!? That's right! ME!" SLAM!!

That's the last thing Sakura heard before the house fall silent. "Bitch." Sakura muttered. "You don't know how close you are to Sasuke, and I want that so bad."

Sakura sniffed and bragged herself to the fridge. "But I can't let this get me down… I have plans… big plans." Sakura smiled laughing under her breath.

"Hm, you think you can beat me Sasuke? Foolish little brother." Itachi smirked dodging Sasuke's attacks. "Damn it, where is everyone?" Sasuke muttered to himself. "Damn it, I need back up." Sasuke quickly made a shadow clone and sent it off to Konoha. Itachi smirked, "How's my little Naru-chan doing?"

"Tsunade!!" Sasuke yelled running into Tsunade's office. "Sasuke what are doing here? You're supposed to be-." "On a mission I know! But I need back up, no one was responding." "So you're a clone. And back up for what? What has Naruto don't now?" "Naruto? Nothing, she's with Sakura." "What?" "You sent me on guard outside the town remember?" "I didn't send you on a mission Sasuke." "But Sakura gave me a scroll with your signature and everything. She said that she was taking care of Naruto." "What!? I never said this!" "No time now, I need help! Itachi's out there!" "Itachi!?" Tsunade lunged forward. "Let's go!"

"UGH!" Sasuke said as he hit a tree. "Give up little brother you can't beat me." Itachi said slightly panting. "Naruto is mine, and I don't care if she doesn't want to come back. I'm taking her with me." "You'll never have her, bastard!!" Sasuke sprang forward at his brother. "SASUKE!!" Sasuke didn't look back he keep at his brother.

Tsunade glared at Itachi before helping Sasuke out. "Ah, Tsunade. You've come to join us." "You'll never take her away." "Right to the chase, eh?" Tsunade smirked dodging a fist. "Right to the chase." Itachi flew back when a fist connected with his stomach.

"Hm." Tsunade smiled putting her hands on her hips. "Let's do this Sasuke." "Hai…"

Itachi spat out some blood and wiped his mouth on his sleeve. "Bitch." He muttered as he got up. "I don't have time for this. Naruto will be mine." Itachi jumped up into a tree. "I'll be back." Itachi said when he spotted 12 other ninja appearing.

"Itachi…" "He'll be back." "I know." Tsunade turned to Sasuke. "But we'll be prepared." She smiled making Sasuke smiled as well. "AH!" Sasuke fell to his knees and coughed up blood. "Sasuke!" Sasuke held his stomach. "Get him to the hospital!!" Tsunade yelled to the others, who obeyed without question.

Naruto came down stairs. She looked around for anymore traps. "Sakura…" She muttered wiping the blood from her lip. Sakura had rigged the house, and Naruto had walked into each one of them unaware. "Monster…" Naruto glared. Sakura glared back then smirked. "Have fun?" Naruto just glared more. "What? Don't be mad at me." "Why not!? I'm in this death trap house till Sasuke gets back!!" "Hmmm… he won't come back till you're gone." Naruto looked around before stepping forward a bit. "Don't be afraid, you can't get out. Lucky for me you have those braces on." Naruto looked down at her wrists. "When I get out of these," Naruto looked back up at Sakura. "You're first."

Sakura smirked, "Oooh, I'll take that as a complement. I'm flattered, really." She said putting a finger to her down lip.

RRRINNNGGGG RRRRRIINNNGGG!!! Sakura sighed getting up from the coach. Before Sakura could ever start walking to the phone, Naruto picked it up. Three kunai flew at her from nowhere. She quickly dodged them and said, "Help-… What!?... He…" Sakura inched closer trying to hear. "No…Sas…" Naruto slammed down the phone and bashed for the door. As she made her way to it, traps were set off, cutting her in many places. "Naruto!" Sakura called out chasing after her. She would NOT leave this house. "Shut up Sakura!! I… I have to!!" Sakura's eyes widened when she heard the chokes and sobs in Naruto's voice. Naruto opened the door and ran out, ignoring that she was bleeding form head to toe. "Sasuke… I'm coming… I care… I do care…" She muttered to herself as she ran through the village to the hospital, Sakura hot on her tail.

Naruto burst through the hospital doors and up to a nurse. "What room is he!!??" "Oh my goodness! You're bleeding! Let me help you." Nurse reached out but got her hand slapped away. Naruto glared, "Where is he!? Sasuke Uchiha!!?" Nurse looked at Naruto with fear. "R-room 314." Nurse said shaking. Just then Sakura came in panting; Naruto was hard to keep up with. "Thank you!" Naruto said before hurrying off.

"What's going on, nurse?" Sakura asked. "Is she your friend?" "No, I hate her. But still, what's going on?" "I-I don't know, she just came in and asked for someone's room." Sakura paused before she squeaked out a, "Who's?" She regretted asking once the words left her mouth, but she waited for an answer still, fearing it.

Naruto stormed down the hospital, pushing aside doctors and nurses of the sort. "Sasuke…" She turned a corner. "Sasuke…" Naruto repeated his name all throughout the hall till she came in his door. She stopped and stared at the doorknob. She paused before opening the door. "Sasuke…"

"Uchiha…" "W-what?"

Sasuke Uchiha…

That name rang in her head. Sakura's eyes widened in fear. Was this her fault? "W-what's he doing h-here?" The nurse shrugged. "Don't know. They just rushed him in here." Sakura took a step back. "What…?"

"Hm?"

"What room?"

"What-."

"What room!!?"

"Room 314."

Sakura rushed off. Room 314. Room 314.