Recappy From the Last Chappy: The pain she had felt in that memory stabbed at her heart a little, but she soon smiled, smally. "Believe it, everything worked out for the best. . . . " Everyone looked at her. "But even if we seemed to get stronger when we were apart, I still don't want to be." Her eyes met with Sasuke's. "I want . . . to be with you." Then, she moved her eyes to look at the other two. "All of you, hopefully forever."

Sasuke did not look away from her. Him, Naruto and Sakura were silent. Naruto then smirked and put his fist in the center of their cove. Krystal grinned and put hers in, too. Sakura was next. When Sasuke did not put his in, they all looked at him expectantly. A few moments of being under their stares seemed to be enough to coerce him into slowly touching his fist to the center. His teammates smiled with closed eyes. He showed no emotion but to let the corner of his mouth turn up about a millimeter.

Later, when they were back in the Village, they carved the letters "NU + KH + SU + SH" into a tree permanently right below "TEAM SEVEN."

Chapter Thirty-two: Devil Beside Her

Naruto stood in front of the mirror with half-opened eyes, drowsing from the lingering feeling of a previously unconscious state of mind. He felt obliged to fix himself up in some way, actually take time and effort to look nice. Today was the day, hopefully, when he would be single no more.

Yawning, he scratched through his bed-head and reached for his toothbrush. First mission: tackle morning breath. Girls do not appreciate morning breath. The mint flavor of the toothpaste, its intensity, began to help wake him up.

He did not wake fully, however, until after he had the orange capris covering his lower half and was splashing water onto his face. Next, he let the water pool into his hands and wet his hair, helping along neater spikes when he shook his head like a dog. He grinned at himself. What a foxy beast. A real lady killer. Hinata did not stand a chance.

The finishing touch to his facial appearance included his headband, proudly tied around his forehead. He pulled on the rest of his normal outfit with finesse, so as not to ruin his look, and was on his way. Before he was far gone, withal, he briefly returned for a green sac containing his "princess" outfit, seeing as he did still have his "assistant-assistant" duties.

He did not know, though, that he would not be making it to the Hokage Building so soon. Just as he passed by an alley, he was unexpectedly pulled in. A blunt, heavy force challenged the back of his skull; Naruto had been too late in reacting. Mumbling something about "Hinata-chan," his body hit the floor.

From the shadows, Sasuke stepped forward to the blonde and lifted him by his armpits, dragging his unconscious body deeper into the darkness. That way, people passing by would not see him. His wrists were bound together with twine. That twine was put through a metal loop Sasuke found in the wall and tied to a long plank of wood. It was unlikely to keep Naruto for long, should he regain consciousness, but it would possibly buy some time.

Sasuke adopted Naruto's appearance and picked up the green bag. Once he looked inside at its contents, a grin that was too wide for Sasuke and too malicious for Naruto crossed his face. He left that alley as "Princess Uzumaki Naruto."

You know, it probably hasn't even been a month since you were running errands around here . . . so why the hell can't you remember where the Old Hag keeps all the mission requests? Yin snapped as he kicked a stack of files on Tsunade's desk. They trembled, but he evidently had not hit them hard enough to knock them over. How lame can ya get?

Now now, Yin, his opposite crooned. Yang was unusually serene, sitting with her legs crossed and upturned palms laid on her knees. Her pointer finger and thumb touched. She had her eyes closed and she floated in mid-air. Calm yourself. . . . Thy words are harsh. You should be more calm— Gasping, her eyes lit up and she began clapping her hands together. Let us meditate together! I and you, harmonious and peaceful—hum with me, Yin! Aum. . . .

He frowned. Says the Drama Queen! Harmonious? Peaceful? US? I'd sooner PUKE!

Sasuke (as "Princess Naruto") disregarded these meaningless exchanges between his insanities. With difficulty, he was trying to quickly obtain the mission requests he was searching for. The Hokage must have rearranged things in the time betwixt the present and when he had been in Shizune's service.

Finally, in the bottom drawer of her desk, he found the object of his hunt. Separated by dividing folders, the papers seemed to shine like uncovered treasure. He pulled out a pile of C-rank missions, sat at the desk, and began looking through them. He needed a mission that would be outside the Village and easily looked over; C-rank, normally reserved for either skilled genin or fresh chuunin, most likely would be where he would find one that met his ultimatum.

Yang, after she finished making doe eyes at Yin, closed them and returned to an apparent meditative state. For a moment, she was not even humming, and then she opened her eyes again. Why do we seek this mission? Bandages still adorn your body, Sasuke-kun. And will Tsunade-sama not assign you one when you are healed?

"I'll make Sakura check my wounds later," Sasuke (as "Princess Naruto") replied whilst he read through the requests. So far, there was no progress. "But I need something to buy time after I leave. So long as no one catches me, then if the Hokage thinks I'm on a mission, no one will be sent after me for awhile."

Yang accepted the explanation and closed her eyes . . . prior to shooting them open again and falling on her bum. Leave? LEAVE?! She stood and stomped over to Sasuke. It cannot be so! Please, Sasuke-kun, speak that it was a jest; say we shan't leave for sure. . . .

Yin snorted. When do ya know this guy to kid? Bimbo!

Tears rolled down her face. Nay. . . . Nay! Nay! Nay! To hinder Naruto-kun, I said naught of the injustice. Putting yourself on an extra mission, breaking in, alack, I pardoned. And now . . . my kindness has been far too taken advantage of! I—I—I—I—! I dun wanna goooo! You hast accepted your feelings . . . and been enlightened to hers. Why?!

"I'm not explaining again."

The baddie's face became flushed under the tan of his face as he hoofed over to Yang. She did not see, but he was scowling, and it would look to one like he raised his arms to hold her. Then, he lowered them, snorting as his hands turned to fists. You're so stuck in your fairytale delusions and drama that you weren't payin' no mind to motive, were ya? He doesn't wanna love right now, moron, he needs to follow the path of hate! So, he's leavin' her behind. Hmph. I don't think it'll do much good, though.

Sasuke (as "Princess Naruto") stopped on a request he liked and finally gave full attention to the insanity whom had spoken previously. His look was inquisitive. "What do you mean?"

Man. . . . Bein' away from her won't be enough. You're practically always thinkin' 'bout her—yeah, it's annoying as hell—so what makes you think you won't be distracted? How do you know you won't be compelled to come back? Even if you're gone, and not in contact with her . . . you'll know she's here, you'll have the option. . . .

The boy's expression remained the same, keeping eye contact with his inner baddie.

Yang finished wailing. W . . . what are you suggesting, Yin?

He did not look her way, nor did he address , he was saying, You know what I'm sayin' . . . don'tcha? In this case, a distraction like her won't be eliminated—, he drew his thumb across his neck, —'til she's gone. . . .

A throbbing pain originated from the back of his head, ailing him more as he neared an awake state of mind. The position of his body felt strange, sloping in an uncomfortable way with a strain on his shoulders. He opened his eyes. Dim lighting encased him, yet he recognized the alley, and soon remembered what had taken place.

Growling, he fought against his bonds. Attempt Number One was not a success. Attempt Number Two consisted of him bringing his mouth close to the twine and biting his way through; it failed. "Dammit!" Then, he used his brain and twisted his body so his front faced the ground. From this position, he could comfortably move to stand, and did. He saw that the plank he was tied to was rotting wood, easily breakable.

After making this discovery, he smirked to himself and pulled on the twine until the wood pressed against the metal loop securely. He checked his bearings and then with one kick, shattered the weak wood. As the coil fell from the wood, it loosened around his wrists, thus he freed himself.

"I did it!" he jeered, pumping his fist in the air. This action brought his attention to the Sun's position in the sky. Expert he was not in telling what time it would be, but he certainly knew that it was too far West; he grabbed his head. "Crap! Tsunade baa-chan's gonna kill me! I'M LATE!" The carrier of the Fox scrambled to find his green sac, could not, and quickly gave up, dashing madly toward the Hokage Building.

Meanwhile, long farewells were being given at the Village Gates. One male, one female. The adolescent boy's hands were tangled up in the young woman's long red hair at her head and the small of her back. Because of the day's heat, she did not wear a blazer over her black blouse, yet despite it, they held each other closely. The packs for her travels were nearby.

She did not desire to, but Hayden drew back a little, so Kiba's hold loosened. While she fumbled with something on her wrist, he kept his hands on her hips. Having trouble, she glanced her eyes from her task to his expression; it was pouty, like a pup. "Please stop looking like that, Kiba. . . . This one doesn't want to leave, but this one has no choice. This one's already exhausted this one's welcome pertaining politics."

He sighed, "I know," and held her tight again, resting his forehead on her shoulder. As he spoke, he kissed her neck a few times. "You were . . . only here . . . a few months . . . though. It seems so short."

"Yes," she agreed, cupping his face. A long kiss was planted on his mouth. "This one has something for you. Something personal. . . ."

"Oh?" he asked, intrigued. "One of those dirty surprises, I hope."

She laughed. "No, it's an innocent surprise." Pulling away, she produced a solid metal bracelet with a single amethyst dangling like a charm. "This was given to this one when this one was small," she said. "The stone, amethyst: it's 'mystic' power is supposed to be for healing and, in come cases, love. When this one misses you . . . or feels bad . . . this one wears it." His hand was pulled from the small of her back and she put the bracelet on his wrist. "This one wants you to have it."

Kiba looked at it blankly, though his mouth formed a smile. "I really am whipped . . . but not in the fun way."

"It's what you get for being this one's," she said, amused. "This one also figured that it might be easier to keep on you than this one's letters."

"Yeah, that's true." Again, he tightly hugged her and kissed her.

Not far away, an interrupting cough from a third party separated their lips. Zakuro had one hand on her hip and the other still near her mouth, in a fist. That hand was brought down to the other hip. "The valedictions of the young are always so touching, however I am pressed for time and cannot leave until she is on the other side of those gates. You would have my deep gratitude if this were a smidgen expedited."

The couple faced each other, pecked a few times, and reluctantly released each other. "Sorry, Miss Zaki," they chorused, making the woman twitch. First, it was the informality of the name that had bothered her; now, foremost, it made her feel so old. They could as least drop the 'Miss.'

Kiba helped Hayden to pick up her pack, pulling the strap over her head to sling on her shoulder. She thanked him. Her face was turning a soft shade of carnation as she stared at him and he stared back. "This one will miss you."

"I'll miss you, too."

"Don't go falling for some other girl, now, y'hear?" It was said in a light tone, whereas on the inside, it held a sense of solemnity and worry.

"I won't," he replied soberly. He cradled the back of her head, kissed her long and hard one last time, and touched the warm metal of his forehead protector to her brow. "I love you."

She smiled. "This one loves you, too. . . . Bye."

"Bye."

From there, Kiba would watch as Hayden left, until she disappeared, completely, from his sight.

Damn . . . Hayden's leaving for Britain, and Naruto-kun's on Assistant-assistant duties. . . . Who'm I supposed to hang out with? Krystal wondered to herself whilst walking Konoha's streets by herself. She yawned, bored out of her mind, when she remembered that the Chuunin Exams were closer than ever. Sasuke had promised to help her train.

With a new objective in mind, she picked up her pace for a jog and skimmed the area. She did not see Sasuke, nor for awhile did she see a familiar face that could direct her to him. When she had circled the village and not found him, she slowed down a little, annoyed. He's probably already at one of the training fields. . . . They're so many. . . .

"Hinata-chan!"

Krystal stopped at the sound of Naruto's voice. From the sound of it, he was nearby; she confirmed so with the quiet response of a fellow light-eyed Hyuuga teen. Listening carefully, she pinpointed their location, near Amishurabe (Konoha's Odango Shop.) As it seemed, "Princess Naruto" had caught Hinata just before she entered the store. Business was slow, so very few people were near. Krystal could successfully hide, see what was happening, and listen in.

Naruto's back was to Krystal, so she could not see his expression. She did note, however, that he scratched the back of his head. He had barely said anything, yet, and Hinata was blushing. "Listen, do you wanna . . . maybe. . . ." He hesitated, wondering if this truly was what he wanted. What if she fainted again? Krystal-chan did say that could diminish over time. He thought it over a few moments more.

Hinata looked up at him with hopeful eyes—when she was not diverting them with embarrassment from staring for too long. Her heart pounded harshly, pumping blood quickly through her body and muddling her brain. She was ready to swoon, but held onto consciousness with deliberation. If she was going to be asked what she thought, if she was not dreaming. . . . "Na . . . Naruto . . . kun?"

Hurry up, you idiot! You're pausing too long! Krystal shouted with her thoughts.

"Oh, sorry . . . spaced out." He inhaled, having made his decision, and grinned. "Hinata-chan . . . think we could go out sometime?"

With open-mouthed excitement, the timid girl nodded her head in an uncharacteristically vigorous fashion. This, however, made her too dizzy to hold onto consciousness, and she began to tilt back. Naruto, for once prepared in this situation, grabbed both her hands. Her body did not hit the floor, but was held at an awkward angle.

"Dammit, I knew I should've waited! Baa-chan's gonna kill me again if I don't get those reports. . . ." Naruto dragged her limp body over to one of the wooden benches for Amishurabe customers and gently laid her on it. He had to admit, while she did hold a strange expression on her face, something about her was . . . cute. "Wait . . . that was a 'yes,' right?"

Krystal came out of hiding and approached him. "I think it'd be pretty safe to assume that's a yes."

"Krystal-chan?!" Naruto exclaimed. Before she could reply, he brightened and asked, "Hey! Can you look after Hinata-chan 'til she wakes up? I really have to go and I don't want to leave her alone!"

Deciding that any comments she had could wait, Krystal said, "Yeah, sure; I'm free as a bird at the moment."

"Really? Thanks!" He turned to leave, was about to run, but then paused to say: "Oh! And when she wakes up, tell her I'll pick her up tonight, once my duties are over, okay? Thanks!" He left.

Krystal waved after him. Then, she looked at Hinata's unconscious form. Well . . . aren't you the lucky one? she thought in a bitter sense and immediately felt ashamed of herself. Who was she to begrudge her cousin—half-sister, actually—happiness? Was she not the one who had told Naruto to give Hinata a chance?

She sighed. Jealousy was not very becoming. She wished the feeling would stop. Ravenous, green, envious, and hurtful. Taking her eyes off Hinata, she looked at the Amishurabe stand. Maybe some of her favorite food would help.

Around him rain pitter-pattered down from the shadowed heavens, where gloomy clouds eclipsed the stars, to liquify the Earth beneath his feet. Indiscernible was the amount of time in which he had been there, an hour or a few minutes, as in this downpour, even the second listed would have soaked through his Uchiha turtleneck. The same was likely also true for his bandages, which could turn out to be harmful, but Sasuke was not concerned.

He stood inside the gate of the Hyuuga Estate, but outside of the surrounding halls with a hard, some would determine emotionless, expression. His eyes were fixated on her—the infamous distraction's—window. All, omitting the song of rainfall and a lone cricket, was silent.

Not often was Sasuke faced with a situation to which the solution was unsure. Most times in his life, he could make certain, calculated decisions—even non-speculated ones with little or nil regret. This girl. . . .

Accompanying him, was Yin. Since the rain's weightiness prevented him from flying, the baddie was on top of his head. The rain seemed to dampen his mood; every drop that hit him made him twitch, and with the water's multiple and quick successions, he looked to be shivering uncontrollably. Yang was—or so Yin had reported—sleeping.

So . . . we're here. What now? Ya gonna keep starin' or are ya goin' in? asked Yin. Then, he mumbled to himself, I hate the rain. . . . Much longer, and I'll melt!

"You don't need to be here," Sasuke stated, "you're annoying."

The devilish bad seed snorted. You don't have to tell me twice! Now just get it over with already. He disappeared.

Unknown to Sasuke, Krystal sat atop the roof of the interlocking estate. She watched as he stared blankly. Krystal, too, was soaked to the bone. More comfortable in her wear, to accommodate to weather, she wore a red jacket, unzipped with the hood up. It trailed along her sides as she sat with her knees drawn up and her mouth and nose hiding behind the arms she had folded across her legs, making her eyes visible only.

Feeling that she had watched over him long enough, she stood, which caught Sasuke's eye. "Why don't we go inside?" Krystal asked. "You'll get sick if you stay out too long."

The answer took awhile to form. He thought about going in, seeing how things had changed since his last visit. "I'm not staying long," arrived his reply.

"Oh." She hopped down from the roof, landing not far in front of him, but not with grace. As her foot touched the mud, she slipped, nearly falling, but saved herself by grabbing onto Sasuke's shirt. He recoiled, but held her arms in order to aide her in steadying herself.

"Thanks," she said quietly and stood upright. When neither let go, he noticed that her visage was slightly enkindled. Her eyes met his, deciding not to be bashful. "So . . . what brings you to my neck of the woods?"

Expression unchanging, voice virtually monotonous as before yet almost annoyed, he answered, "You."

She smiled. An instant in which wishful thinking did not disappoint. "I thought that might be it, but more specifically . . . what do you want with me?"

The Uchiha's only response was to lift his hand and brush a bang from her eye. Clearly, he could see himself reflected in her pearlescent orbs. There was something about his appearance in them that he did not know what to make of. In her eyes he was a strong, romanticized man, someone who had faced more sadness and hurt than the average shinobi his age.

Yet, there was more. Ambition, an unwillingness to release. A wicked gleam that darkened his features, endangering any unsullied essence of him that she still seemed to discover inside him. There was a touch of realism that amplified the fantastic demons that were visualized within.

He was the devil beside her, an entity to be feared yet explored, something forbidden yet exciting.

Gently, his knuckles brushed against her wet cheek, traveling down in a fashion that sent shivers down her spine. She dithered forward, held back. Her grip tightened on the folds of his shirt as her muscles tensed. His knuckles stopped when the one of his pointer finger was at her chin. Past the curtain of hair and the hood of an open jacket, his hand cupped around her neck.

Right now, so easily, he could cut off her air, and his one distraction would be gone. Finally, he could sever the last tie or bond that kept him in this village. A complete path to hate was just under his palm, palpitating with a tantalizing feat.

"Our bond . . . will never be severed."

"Sever all ties, break all bonds. Only then will power truly be yours."

An alarm went off in his head. Killing her was just as bad—if not worse—than killing his best friend. He had held back in the Valley of the End, when Naruto had attempted to keep him in the Village by force. If he had killed Naruto, then he would have the mangekyou sharingan, would be well on his way to having vengeance, and possibly never would have come back to realize these feelings he had. On the other hand, he had not wanted to be like his brother.

A scroll he found in Konoha's archives revealed a light path, one where being with the one he held most dear would give him power, as well. That path must be a lie. Anyone in the pursuit of that type of power would not have a "pure" reason for doing so. What was pure?

Another thought occurred to him: Krystal was more precious to him than Naruto had ever been. Killing her would definitely bring him the most powerful form of his advanced bloodline. Possibly due to the magnitude, it would be the strongest possible of the Uchihas' doujutsu.

The conjecture strengthened his incentive a little, and his hand tightened, but not enough that her breathing was forestalled. He was still hesitating. For awhile, he had been staring at that hand; now, he dared himself to look into her eyes again. The shadows had grown.

Curiously, he took a look at her overall countenance for the first time since she had asked what he wanted with her. In it the things he viewed from her eyes were more manifest. Fear was definitely preeminent, yet she made no move to stop him. Eerie, it was almost as if either she was submitting to him or he had somehow gained her trust. Hard as she tried, sometimes one's naivete could not be overcome.

He also noted that her entire body seemed to glow fluorescent pink. Her cheeks were particularly rosy. Lips parted, brow furrowed, eyes still fixated on him both fearfully and hungrily, she held up little resistance. It had not come to his attention until then that she had both of her hands on the arm poised to strangle. He felt his face begin to burn up and scowled. Of all times, for these feelings to rise up; it was inconvenient.

Momentarily, as Krystal swallowed, Sasuke felt her throat expand then shrink back again in his hand. He finally answered her as realization struck him:

"I thought I was going to kill you . . . but I don't want to."

Solely after saying this did he notice a minute sense of dread leave her features and that her shoulders relaxed a little from a shrugged position. Even if she had not said it aloud, he would have received her message: "I don't want to die."

He continued to stare as she, without much haste, pulled his hand away from her neck. Her hand, the one mirroring that one, took ahold of it and let the bondage sink to their sides. Since he was not saying anything, and he had for some reason not let go of her hand, she asked, "Why did you come to kill me?"

"Because . . . I like you."

"People generally don't kill the people they like. On our last mission, you even said, 'If I didn't like you, you'd be dead.' Even by some stretch you like Naruto-kun, I know, that's why you haven't killed him either."

Looking away, Sasuke recollected his thoughts. "That day . . . you said you loved me—," Krystal looked away embarrassedly, "—and then you said you hated me . . . and that our bond was broken. I don't think it was. Our bond . . . will never be severed." He looked at her again. "What do you think now?"

". . . ." She would not say. He felt her palm start to sweat, and saw from her profile an uneasy aspect of her physiognomy. Of course, he already knew the truth, but part of him wanted to hear her say it to him. It did not seem as if that would happen. However, then she looked at him, puzzled. "'Our bond . . . will never be severed.' That's what you said, just now, right?"

He frowned, but nodded. He did not want to be the one to confess first.

She breathed in deeply. As she spoke, she looked more and more unsure."So then . . . what you're trying to say . . . is you really like me? Like . . . l-like the way I . . . love you?"

He smiled darkly, a response she had not expected. What also caught her by surprise was when his free hand went for her neck again, but instead of closing around it, slid behind and forced her closer to him. Their mouths collided roughly, meshing with great enthusiasm. The intensity of their flaming passion as their lips met, savored, parted, and met again to repeat the glorious process, was not doused or reduced to embers by the rain, but rather fed and strengthened by it. Not a sole part of their bodies was dry, and the only way to achieve any type of warmth in the chill was to touch.

If they had not known any better, if the storm contained thunder clouds, they would think they had nature's fluorescent lighting tunneling through them, exciting their interiors, and in some cases, exteriors. The 'thunder' was the racing of their own hearts, made preeminent through the shush of a constant sheet of water droplets.

The two shared one more abruptly prolonged kiss in which their faces drew away slowly. Still close, Krystal opened her eyes a little, but with difficulty. There was a buzz in the back of her mind, and her eyelids felt heavy with bliss. She kept her eyes on Sasuke. Even he held a genuine smile, the widest she had ever seen on his face.

Nothing could suppress the giggles erupting within her esophagus as her left hand spooned his cheek. Finally . . . he was all hers. Every bit of him. She was allowed to love him, hold him, kiss him, protect him, taste him, touch him, be with him because he felt the same. It was okay to feel like this. It was a titillating feeling, one that made a possibility for an argument that some of the wetness adorning her cheeks was not from the rain.

She bit her lip. "Hey, er . . . are you sure you don't want to come inside?" When Sasuke did not say anything, she added sheepishly, "N-not like that, just . . . when I wake up in the morning, I wanna know right away that . . . this wasn't a dream."

Without more being said, Sasuke nodded.

Yang appeared in an insanities' signature cloud of smoke into a dark room, rubbing raw wrists with a pouty expression. Yin was not far behind, seemingly a tinge annoyed. Look, I couldn't have ya comin' in and interruptin' him once he made his decision! THAT'S why I tied you up!

Yang covered her ears, upset. I shan't hear it! You hath stopped me from carrying out my duties as Sasuke-kun's conscience! What if, cause pinned on you, he made the wrong decision?! Methinks I shall no longer speak to you, Yin!

To himself, Yin muttered in a humored tone, Is that supposed to be a punishment? Then, he said, It's not like I was there to tell him what to do, either! Damn rain. . . . Where—?

Yin, where are we?! It's so dark! she squeaked, darting behind her opposite.

(So much for not talkin' to me. . . .) That's what I was gonna ask, Bimbo—Hey! Hey! Face offa my neck! Face offa my neck!

Yang apologized and obeyed, searching through the darkness with trembling fear. Then, her eyes caught sight of a bed with two people laying in it. Further investigation showed them to be Sasuke and Krystal; he had her in his arms, and her face was on his chest. Both had changed into dry clothes; for Krystal, it was her pajamas, and as for Sasuke, some of Neji's clothes that Krystal had snuck since her cousin was on an outer-village mission.

Realizing their location sooner than her comrade, Yang gasped, let go of Yin, and attempted to jump up and down as she clapped her hands enthusiastically. Since she was in mid-air, though, it looked more like she was having some sort of seizure. Yiiiiiinnn! He didn't do it! He didn't do it! My Sasuke-kun made the right decision—I'm so—so—so—so happy!

Not nearly as psyched as Yang, Yin simply looked at the couple. Hmph. Well crap, what're we gonna do now? He totally made this decision on his own. Ya weren't there to guilt him, and when I left, I thought he was gonna stamp 'er out. . . .

Yang stopped springing and gazed at him curiously. What do you speak of?

He turned his attention to her. Don't ya get it? He doesn't need us. . . . Our work here's done—Aw crud, don't start bawlin' now!

Familiar dews forming in the corners of her eyes and she sniveled. But . . . but Yin. . . . Parting is such sorrow. . . . A . . . are you sure?

He nodded and held her hand. I kinda liked this guy, too. . . . Look at it this way, though. . . . Any brat o' his's probably gonna be screwed up like him, so we'll see 'im again soon. . . . Though it doesn't look like they shagged each other yet (feel like I taught him nothin'!)

She sniveled again and looked at him. Promise? Promise that we will watch over his little angels?

Yeah yeah sure, whatever. I'm tellin' ya, they ain't gonna be no angels, though, Yin replied.

Yang smiled and planted a big, wet kiss on his cheek. The baddie's face turned red, but it was not from anger. He gandered to the ceiling and wiped off the little bit of slobber, yet did not comment. One would almost say he smiled a little. Both of Sasuke's little insanities disappeared; not, however, in their usual smoked-puff. They faded from existence in a sparkled cloud, holding hands, Yang's cheek planted against Yin's chest, not to be heard from for years to come.~*~*~*end of chapter 32

End of Chapter Thirty-Two

Next Time on .:Roses are Red:.!! Chapter Thirty-Three: When a Red Rose Turns Black (Finale)!!

One the while, one of the most respected Konoha shinobi, formerly the most ostracized, sat behind his desk receiving terrible news. Sixth Hokage Uzumaki Naruto could not keep the horror from his eyes as a feline ANBU mask, kusanagi, and a silver-chained necklace with a small rose pendant was placed in front of him by a somber, bird-masked operative.

Naruto swallowed. "Sasuke's . . .?"

The ANBU nodded.

Aki's Author Corner

Hola, kiddies!! Yeah, it's been awhile since I've posted, but... schoolwork and break up blues -sweat drop- Which, I've discovered gaming to be quite remedial for that -nods- Anyway, this is the penultimate chapter of .:Roses are Red:., but fear not, for there is a sequel. This is by far my most favorite of all the chapters, original and rewritten :D I'm still in the midst of writing the next one, though, so who knows if it'll steal first place or not?

So anyway, about this chapter.

In the original, Sasuke and Krystal finally paired up in chapter fourteen, so needless to say, it was dragged out quite a bit this time around. One reason that makes me favor this way more is that there was much anticipation, right? I don't think I've ever written such a suspenseful scene XD My beta reader was freaked out even though she knew the outcome beforehand. In the original, it was much nicer, sweeter, and spontaneous---Sasuke was quite out-of-character, more of a dream boy instead of himself, as well -smacks forhead- I believe this version leaves him more in-character.

Writing a dark Sasuke makes him so much more sexier, too, in my opinion.

Oh, by the way . . . my beta reader has recently been working on a one-shot, for me, that pertains HaydenXMaboroshi. When it has been completed, I shall post it on here. Presently, the title is Kindred. Hopefully, she shall finish it soon.

I dunno what else to say, though, and I have to post this on another site before one of my shows comes on, so... hasta la bye-bye! And God bless you for reading!