DISCLAIMER: I do not own "Naruto"

Chapter 26: Revelation

"This is getting so old," Naruto whined.

He and Sakura had been travelling for a few weeks. From the Uchiha stronghold, they had followed the carrier hawks through the Lands of Sound, Hot Water, Frost, and now the Land of Lightning. They were unused to the mountainous terrain and so found it difficult to keep track of the hawks. They were lucky to have gotten this far. Currently, they were hiding out in a cave barely large enough to shelter them from the pelting rain. Sakura sat by the fire, while Naruto paced the small amount of rock floor.

"Hopefully, it'll clear up soon." Sakura tossed the twig she was playing with into the hungry flames.

"I wasn't talking about the rain, Sakura-chan."

She looked up. Naruto had stopped pacing and his sapphire eyes gazed into her jade ones. "Are you saying you're ready to go home?"

"No," he said slowly. "I'm just saying that Sasuke's way too good at evading us."

Sakura sighed. "That would imply he doesn't intend on coming home."

Naruto took a few steps forward and plopped down right beside the blush-haired kunoichi. "You know I didn't mean it that way."

"What if—"

"Don't say it, Sakura."

She bit her lip and looked away. "Naruto, what if we're wasting our time?"

He dropped his head in exasperation. "Sakura-chan,"

"We're risking so much…possibly even the safety of Konoha."

Naruto gripped Sakura's shoulders, forcing her to look at him again. His eyes were intense and filled with determination. "After all the years we've devoted to bringing him back, are you prepared to just throw it away?"

Sakura couldn't tear her eyes away. "Those who abandon their friends are worse than scum," she said without a waver in her voice. "I just know, from past experience, that it's going to be difficult to convince him to come home."

"I'm surprised you'd say that," Naruto replied. He removed his hands from her and scratched the back of his head. "Of anyone I know, you're the one who's always been the most optimistic."

"Sometimes, I just need a break. Right now, I'm having trouble keeping up the energy."

"Too bad I can't give you some of mine," Naruto replied. He bounced to his feet and began pacing again. "I'm going crazy! I can't wait for the rain to stop."

Sakura smiled.

The kettle of boiling water started to whistle with the escaping steam. Sakura poured the water into two bowls of instant ramen. It was quiet as they waited for the noodles to cook. After the three-minute wait, she handed a bowl to Naruto who sat again. Breaking apart a pair of chopsticks, the two of them ate their dinner in relative silence. Naruto, of course, slurped his soup with much enthusiasm.

"So, uh," he said after gulping down a mouthful of noodles. "Do you think Sasuke's getting the letters?"

Sakura looked at him incredulously. "You choose now, weeks in, to ask?"

Naruto smiled sheepishly.

"Yeah, I think he's getting them. Last time I tracked one of the hawks, it led me straight to him."

Naruto's eyes doubled in size. "When was that?"

Sakura swallowed and then looked at him bashfully. "Well…it was a few days before we ran into that Tobi guy."

"You found Sasuke and you didn't tell me?" Naruto's voice rose in volume.

Sakura's face was turning red. "I spoke with him and we…we fought. H-he…beat me. I didn't want to worry you."

"You didn't want to worry me!" Naruto shouted. "Sakura-chan, I could have gone with you. We could have brought him back!"

"No, we wouldn't have been able to," Sakura replied quietly. "At that point, he still only had revenge on his mind. He hadn't accomplished his goal yet."

"Yeah, so?"

"Naruto, think!" Sakura glared at him. "He wasn't going to let anyone get in the way of him killing Itachi. He told me that himself."

Naruto looked back at his ramen and took another generous mouthful. "Mm, yer ri, Sak-ra."

"Don't talk with your mouth full," Sakura said, her brow furrowed in disgust.

He gulped down the remaining noodles and slurped the soup. He set the bowl down and gave a contented sigh. He rubbed his stomach and let out a small burp.

"Ugh, Naruto!" Her nose crinkled and she turned away.

"Sorry." He laced his fingers behind his head and leaned back against the rock wall. "So how much ramen do we got left?"

"Enough."

"How much is enough?"

Sakura looked at him with a sly smirk. "Enough to get us to the next town where you can buy some more."

He grinned.

Slowly, the gray light began to darken into an impenetrable black. The clouds still loomed in the sky like an ominous shadow. Rain fell so hard that it felt like the water droplets were being thrown at the earth. It made Sakura wonder if she could melt an ice cube if she threw it hard enough. In the midst of her musings, lightning ripped down from the clouds and brightened everything in a split second of blinding light. Thunder followed instantly with a resounding crash and Naruto jolted upright from his sleep. The lightning brought Sasuke's Chidori to Sakura's mind. She watched as the trees blew in a wild dance and smiled as it reminded her of Naruto's exuberant personality. The wind, rain, and thunder mingled to create a song of power. There was no way she would find sleep with such a symphony going on.

Naruto lifted himself to his knees and joined Sakura. He sat with his knees bent and his back hunched. He rubbed his eyes for a brief moment, attempting to banish sleep, and then propped his arms on his knees. He sighed. Sakura watched him as he stilled. Naruto was always so animated, but lately, he seemed very subdued. And angry. She supposed that it was natural, considering the circumstances, for him to act that way. They'd been travelling almost nonstop and stealth was a requirement—they were ninjas after all. Naruto had certainly matured as a shinobi. So they hadn't spoken much and whenever they did, his words were laced with irritation. Anything regarding Sasuke was sure to induce bitter frustration—and probably a headache. She was experiencing many of the same feelings.

She was also starting to feel guilty. Naruto should have returned to Konoha, but because of some irrational devotion to her, he had stayed by her side. She couldn't live with herself knowing that she was the one who had placed the heavy burden of bringing Sasuke back on his shoulders.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

"For what?" Naruto looked over at her, his blue eyes were groggy.

Sakura smiled but didn't answer. She leaned her head against Naruto's shoulder and closed her eyes. He stared at her and thought that she must be really tired. He let his head fall on top of hers and closed his eyes once again. It occurred to him in that moment that his feelings for Sakura had changed. He wasn't sure when it happened, but at that moment, at her touch, he felt nothing. Sure, he was comforted by her presence, but there was no elation, no tickling sensation in his stomach, no heat in his face, no fumbling for words to say…nothing. He had waited so long for Sakura to be this close, but he knew she would always love Sasuke. It was a fact. It was a fact that Naruto no longer held a grudge against. If he felt anything, it was sorrow that she had to suffer the way she was. He'd punch that jerk's face in when he got the chance.

In all honesty, Naruto was disappointed things couldn't have been different between him and Sakura, but he wasn't brokenhearted.

The next morning, Naruto woke to a dead weight on his arm, silence, and bright sunlight. The rain had stopped. He blinked a few times and then glanced to his side. Sakura was still asleep. He chuckled when he saw that she was drooling on his sleeve.

He sat for a moment and wondered why he was suddenly thinking of Hinata. Images of last night's dream came flooding back to him—he'd dreamed of running alongside her and Yamato as they searched for Sasuke all those weeks back. He'd been on quite a few missions lately with the dark-haired girl and he was surprised to find he missed her company. He wondered if she was alright. Was she back in Konoha or still with the search party?

Sakura moved. Naruto looked down at her and firmly shook her shoulder. Her eyes fluttered open and she yawned.

"You ready?" Naruto asked.

Sakura drew a hand through her dirty hair. "Give me a minute to wake up," she replied groggily.

"Hey, uh, Sakura-chan," Naruto chuckled. "You got a little drool—"

"What?" Sakura screeched and she ran the back of her hand over her mouth.

Naruto grinned. "You awake now?"

Sakura glared at him. "Naruto, you're such a jerk sometimes."

"Heh hehe, I guess that's good 'cause you like jerks."

"Tch, shut up," she smiled. "Don't make fun of me, I can't help that I look like a disaster right now."

He shoved his shoulder against hers playfully. "You look beautiful, like always, Sakura-chan."

Her cheeks reddened and she shoved him back.

They ate a quick breakfast before returning to their hunt. As they were jumping from branch to branch, Sakura felt an uncertainty growing in her heart. Something wasn't right. Something was completely wrong. She couldn't tell what, but she trusted her instincts. The search party was gaining on them as well. She wasn't a tracker, but she could pick out Kakashi's chakra signature well enough to know that he was very close. She would have to carry out her plan soon if she wanted to shake Kakashi off her trail. Every time she thought about it though, guilt clawed at her. She had to keep reminding herself that this was for the best.

As she and Naruto stopped for a quick lunch, Sakura looked at him and smiled. He could tell that it was forced.

"Sakura-chan, what's up?"

She bit her lip. "There's something we have to talk about. You see…I love you."

"Wha?" Naruto's blue eyes shot wide open. He stared at her dumbly. "I-I think I heard you wrong. Can…you say that again?"

"I love you, Naruto," she replied bashfully. "There's nothing between me and Sasuke. There never has been. I've been stupid to love someone so immersed in revenge."

Naruto's mouth dropped.

"I'm only looking for him now because he's our teammate. Honestly, I don't even know him anymore," Sakura continued boldly.

Naruto clenched his jaw and his brow furrowed. He gazed at her with hard eyes. "Why are you saying this?" His voice shook. "Don't joke around, it's not funny."

"I'm not joking," she replied earnestly. "I realized that it's insane to continuing longing for someone who's so dangerous. I had to grow up." She smiled. "That promise, Naruto…you don't need to keep it. We can go home."

"Why now, Sakura?" Naruto asked. "What happened?"

"Nothing," she answered with outstretched arms. She neared him and wrapped her arms around him, burying her face in his shoulder. "The truth is, Sasuke only gets further from me…but you have always stayed by my side. You've never stopped encouraging me. I'm realizing more and more each day who you are. You're not just a mischievous little kid anymore. You're becoming a great and powerful man who'll do anything to protect those he loves. I've been watching." She sighed and began whispering. "All Sasuke has ever done is seek revenge and break my heart. More and more, he's becoming someone I can't follow. But you're right here where I can hold you. You make me feel safe."

Naruto pulled her away from him and gripped her shoulders. "Shut up, Sakura!" He glared at her angrily. "I told you this isn't funny."

"Naruto?"

"I hate it when people lie to themselves."

Sakura smiled. "I'm sorry, Naruto."

Suddenly, there was a burst of smoke and Sakura was gone. Naruto thought to hold his breath, but it was too late—he had already inhaled the halothane vapor. The sweet-smelling gas made his head feel heavy and his vision fog. Moments later, Naruto was on the forest floor watching as the world turned black.

"S-Saakura-chaan," he slurred seconds before he lost consciousness.

But she he was already gone.

She followed her hawk with speed and determination. There was nothing to feel guilty about…right? She had just lied through her teeth by proclaiming her love for Naruto, but it was to stop him from feeling guilty about breaking his promise. Sure, she was robbing Naruto of said promise, but she had to do this.

She had to confront Sasuke alone.

She would surprise Sasuke, she had promised him that much. And, yes, she had left Naruto unconscious in a forest where the Akatsuki were sure to be running around. But Kakashi would find Naruto long before anyone else. She had faith in her old sensei. This had to be done—there was no reason to feel guilty.

After an hour of battling with her inner self, Sakura came to a break in the woods. There were mountains surrounding a large temple and the ocean on the farthest side of her. She heard loud clashing, so Sakura shirked the light and remained hidden amongst the shadowy trees. She looked out to see Sasuke and his team. They were fighting a fierce battle against a large man, but that wasn't what made Sakura's eyes widen.

It was the terrifying black cloak with red clouds worn by…Sasuke.

~.~.~

"The men from Akatsuki specifically told us not to kill the jinchuuriki, Suigetsu," Juugo droned.

"Don't worry. I can still feel his chakra," Karin replied.

Sasuke shuddered as the sudden feeling of being watched flooded through him. He shrugged it off, focusing his attention on the current battle. The dust settled and he watched with mild interest as Suigetsu's Seversword was knocked from his hands. Sasuke supposed it was time to intervene.

He stepped forward slowly as he pulled out his katana. The jinchuuriki grinned at the new challenge. Sasuke sped forward and, with only a few quick steps, his sword was swinging down toward the large man called Killer Bee. Bee retaliated and Sasuke found the Executioner's Blade swiftly approaching him. With a few swift and graceful moves, Sasuke jumped from his feet, planted his blade through the hole of the Seversword and landed a kick on Killer Bee's chest. A confusing moment later, Killer Bee released the handle of the Seversword and began mumbling as he scribbled in a small notebook. Sasuke landed on his feet, lifted the Executioner's Blade and tossed it back to Suigetsu, who caught it with a smirk.

"Now I'm pumped," the jinchuuriki said. "Thanks, bro. You gave me an idea for a freakin' crazy rhyme." He reached for the swords that were strapped to his back and began to rap. "And since I'm bored, baby, you can taste my sword, and I don't mean maybe."

Seconds later, Killer Bee was wielding seven short swords. In reply to the outrageous and offending stance Killer Bee took, Sasuke performed the hand signs for his Chidori. He channeled the electricity into his Kusanagi and rushed forward to strike, confident that Killer Bee wouldn't be able to block. He was proven wrong to the shock of all who watched.

"I'm the Hachibi, you can't hit me. I float like a butterfly and sting like a bee!"

A moment later, Bee brought one of his many swords down in an attempt at a death blow, but he was blocked by the Executioner's Blade held firmly in Suigetsu's hand. Bee was so preoccupied with the two in front of him that he failed to notice Juugo approaching from behind. Juugo's whole right arm had succumbed to the mutation of his curse. He slammed his armored fist into the jinchuuriki's face, causing him to stumble back. Instantly, Karin ran forward and dragged Sasuke from the fray just in time to avoid the flying boulders created by Juugo's enraged battering of the earth.

"Sasuke…are you…alright?" Karin panted.

"Hn," he replied without looking her way.

Sasuke's gaze was set on the form of Killer Bee standing placidly atop the broken rock.

"Let's all go after him, Sasuke!" Suigetsu said. "He's insanely strong. We need to dig in and fight to kill. If we don't, we won't be able to defeat him."

Sasuke nodded and sprinted forward to join Juugo and Suigetsu. Juugo swung his fist in all directions trying to land a hit on the jinchuuriki, but Bee was surprisingly quick and dodged the giant fist. In a second of carefully planned deception, Suigetsu took a hit from Bee and his body instantly liquefied. Sasuke saw the opportunity and again activated his Chidori and struck at both his teammate and opponent. The two screamed from the intense voltage. Sasuke pulled Suigetsu back as a half-mutated Juugo fell from the sky. His beastly fists slammed into the earth, but he knew instantly that Bee had evaded the devastating blow.

"He's gone," he mused aloud.

Sasuke looked at the redhead with fierce eyes. "Karin!"

"I know," she drawled. She closed her eyes momentarily as she concentrated. Five seconds later, her eyes snapped open and she pointed toward one of the limestone peaks. "Over there!"

Sasuke turned toward Juugo and stepped into his giant palm and was launched into the sky. He sped through the sky and had the strange sensation of weightlessness for a brief moment before his eyes caught sight of Killer Bee. He was shrouded in a bubbling cloak of chakra that took the shape of his tailed-beast. It reminded Sasuke of Naruto when they had fought at the Valley of the End. He knew that if he took a direct hit from Bee, it would have severe consequences. At the last moment, just as Bee threw his punch, Sasuke managed to change his course. He landed roughly, but suffered no harm. Killer Bee on the other hand, was on a direct course for the other members of Taka. Sasuke watched with wide eyes as dread hit his stomach like a rock.

"You guys will be the first to burst!" Bee sang gleefully.

Sasuke was given only a split second to make a decision—his life or those of his teammates. It had never been a choice for him. He had always been one to protect those who depended on him.

His body moved on impulse in a speed far greater than even the jinchuuriki's. He intercepted Killer Bee not a second too soon only to feel an agony he had never known. The pain was too much for his mind to handle and he instantly blacked out. Juugo caught Sasuke before he hit the ground. There was so much blood, he was drenched in it. The skin and muscle was torn from his chest revealing the very shattered innards of his body.

"His chest is completely blown away," Juugo whispered in horror.

In a moment of haste, Karin pulled the collar of her shirt away from her neck and shoulder. Juugo looked at her and frowned.

"It's okay, Karin…I'll heal him. You're chakra is too depleted from tracking. If you attempt to heal him, it'll cost you your life."

"What're you going to do?"

"I'm going to fuse with his body and give him some of my own flesh and chakra," he answered as he lowered his hand to Sasuke's chest. Pieces of flesh began to melt from his arm and cover Sasuke's open wound, healing and regenerating as it integrated with his body. "Since he's compatible with my cursed seal, he should be able to handle this."

"Disillusionment and destruction await! That will be your fate."

Taka turned to the sound of the rapping. They were all equally shocked to see giant, squirming tentacles attached to the body of a demonic ox—the ushi-oni.

"I'm gonna bully you 'cause I'm a longhorn bull!"

"His chakralevels are offthe chart. Ifwe stay, we're dead!" Karin's words were all jumbled from fear. "Juugo, aren't you done yet?"

Sasuke's eyes fluttered open a moment later. The first thing he noticed was that his chest tingled strangely, causing his eyes to look down. The skin was new, but slightly darker than he remembered. On closer inspection, he noticed that it looked grafted. He turned to Juugo and saw how much younger he appeared. He looked like a kid.

"Juugo," Sasuke said in surprise. He felt a strange unworthiness and guilt for what Juugo had done.

"I can't let you die…you're all I have left to remember Kimimaro."

"Come on, hurry up! We have to get out of her!" Karin shrieked.

A giant wave formed and rose higher and higher into the sky, Suigetsu at the peak. He neared the Hachibi dauntlessly.

"You're a water ninja," the Hachibi's deep voice resounded through the clearing. "You have the advantage here."

"I'll handle this," Suigetsu said to the rest of Team Taka. "You guys get out of here."

"Suigetsu…" Sasuke mumbled, again surprised at the selflessness of his teammates.

Karin pulled Sasuke up. "C'mon, Sasuke."

"I won't let you go, you fools!" the Hachibi roared.

He lifted his head and breathed out an increasing ball of black chakra. As the ball of chakra reached it full power, it instantly minimized in size before exploding. Fortunately for the members of Taka, Suigetsu's tidal wave was able to absorb the entire destructive force. Suigetsu, on the other hand, went flying and fell to the ground in a mess of liquefied shinobi.

"Look at the idiot!" Karin said. "There's no way we can run. What do we do, Sasuke-kun?"

Panting, Sasuke looked at each face before him. They had all made sacrifices, taken risks, and now they were in immediate danger…because of him. Just like Kakashi, Naruto, and…Sakura.

He turned to the snarling beast before him. He closed his eyes in a moment of decision. When his eyes opened, his scarlet Sharingan took on the shape of a kaleidoscope star as the black flames of Amaterasu ignited. The Hachibi howled in anguish and fell into the water in a vain attempt to squelch the flames. Still yowling, a giant tentacle flailed from the water right towards Team Taka.

Karin screamed which thrust Sasuke into alertness. He created a Chidori Spear and sliced the tentacle straight through. It fell to the water and sank heavily. The other end of the tentacle thrashed from pain and hit Karin, who caught fire from the contact. Sasuke cursed.

"Karin's done for. Let's get out of here before Amaterasu gets us too!" Juugo yelled.

"Wait," Sasuke replied.

He never liked Karin—still didn't—but he couldn't just sit by and let her die in such a terrible way. She had helped save his life. He didn't want the guilt.

He wasn't a killer.

Sasuke activated his Mangekyou Sharingan and focused intently on the fire that ate at Karin's robe. The flames began to die out and soon enough they were gone. Sasuke gripped his head as the weight of what he accomplished took hold of him. He had put out the eternal black flames.

"Juugo, get Karin!" he ordered brusquely. "Now!"

Juugo stared wide-eyed as his mutated arm extended and took a hold of the unconscious girl. He pulled her back to him and threw her over his shoulder. "What did you do, Sasuke? The fire is gone."

Sasuke looked back to the burning ushi-oni. This power...this power was incredible. With the Mangekyou, he could salvage this mission. With this power he could uphold his end of the deal and leave the Akatsuki.

He could leave.

Through the kaleidoscope's vision, Sasuke glared at the Hachibi and willed the black fire away. Again, as with Karin, the flames died out and the man, Killer Bee, was left floating in the water.

"Looks like he's still alive," Juugo said.

"We don't have to kill him. Let's hurry and get him to Madara," Sasuke replied.

At the cry of a hawk, his charcoal eyes turned to the sky and he saw the bird circling above.

Sakura was here.

Knowing she had been watching, Sasuke was now very glad he hadn't allowed Karin to die.

~.~.~

Sakura's knees gave way and she fell against a tree trunk in shock. Her jade eyes were wide and filled with tears.

"Sasuke-kun…"

A/N: Sorry for the two week wait, guys. I hope this longer chapter makes up for it. So what do you think? You excited yet? You'll all love what I have in store for the next chapter. It's exciting, I'm excited just writing it. As always, thanks for beta-ing goes to Sakura's Indecision. You ROCK! And thanks to everyone who's been reviewing. I love you! I'll try to have the next one uploaded sooner, but we'll have to see. I have big plans. And just a reminder, the reunion will be dedicated to who ever has left me the most reviews. So if you haven't reviewed, hit that button! Go back a leave reviews for other chapters too! Well, until next time...

See ya!