Chapter 54: The bonds between them

The first knock was always answered.

And there were never second or third knocks after the first time the doo to their house opened...or at least, there wasn't supposed to be a second knock, let alone daily tries that lasted over an hour. Dark eyes wandered to the clock hanging on the wall, well aware that another set of eyes followed his track, and the only living inhabitants of the Uchiha compound shared the same question.

Would he actually come again today?

Like clockwork, the knocking sounds shattered the silence that had been asphyxiating them for weeks now. And just like the boy had been doing every day since that first open door, the voice of the village prankster began to call out. First, their names, followed by some light pleading and continuous mindless chatter about nothing and anything. Telling them about his day, what he'd seen or heard around town earlier today as if Kagome didn't close the door in his face after all but telling him not to bother showing his face again. Maybe Naruto was too much of an idiot to understand the subtle implications, or perhaps, he didn't care. It didn't matter; the door wouldn't open.

The dull thud of his hand hit the table as Sasuke was drowned by the blond's chatter.

Angry steps had him in front of the door in seconds, hand right in above the sliding door only to freeze. If it was him this time, who opened the door. If it was him who shouted at the prankster to leave and never come back. If it was Sasuke, who went all out, fist first, then finally, the message would get through the blockhead. And he would give up...like everyone else did...

Right?

Fingers trembled right before closing in a tight fist, only for him to turn around, his back silently hitting the door before sliding down in frustration. Moments later, he could feel a familiar weight lean against him. Sasuke looked at the girl who now had nothing but him left, there were dark circles under her eyes that matched his own, and he could tell her clothes were looser than they were before. Letting out a sigh, he unclenched his hand, wrapping it around her hand and pulling her into his lap before closing his eyes again. He could feel all the exhaustion of the last few weeks slam into him as he heard the girl sigh as well.

They wouldn't open the door, not today.

Somehow though, he could feel sleep creeping up on him, and Sasuke could tell Kagome's breathing was slowing down too. With the silence broken by Naruto's constant chatter, he could feel them both finally fall asleep.

"Why the hell should I care about you?"

It took only a single hand for him to raise the moron up. He could feel it, the strength given the cursed seal flowing through him. Closing his hand in a fist, he could see the anger and fear mixed in the blond's eyes, fear of ending up alone. The punch sent Naruto flying halfway through the waterfall. Looking back at Kagome, the Uchiha could see her flinching...still, she remained quiet. She wouldn't intervene.

This time...this time it would be Sasuke who told their best friend to fuck off.

For the sake of their goal...for Naruto's own sake, this was the better option. And if this broke their bond, well, any and all sacrifices would be worth it as long as they managed to succeed.

Not wasting a second, the blond was up and running towards him. Forcing a smirk to his face, Sasuke jumped down. This would be a decent opportunity to test the power Orochimaru was offering. Dodging the fist aimed at his face was easy, as it was for his kick to connect with the prankster's head. His form was atrocious as it always was when Naruto got angry.

The blond did not fall, though.

Admittedly, the blond was being smarter with the use of his clones. There was just no way to avoid the kick at the end of the clones-chain being in midair as he was. It didn't really hurt, however. Not the hit, and not the impact against the stone statue of his ancestor.

"Did that wake you up?!" Naruto's anger dripped from his voice.

"Yeah...I've been awake this whole time..." Sasuke said; he had to stop the blond from following them. "I've woken from a dream by my foolish self...who wished for a future with comrades drunk with the assurance of peace...we're both awake now. And that's why we left the village, why we sought power." Numbness spread through his knuckles as he punched his childhood friend. "That is not the future we seek anymore."

"You're actually serious about this..." It was easy to tell the blond could barely believe what he was saying. "Dammit..."

"I'm serious." Sasuke forced himself to smirk. "Isn't it obvious already?"

"Do you...no longer consider me a friend?" Pain laced every word. "After all these years together?! Are they just meaningless now?!"

Not once...Sasuke realized now, not once had the blond ever cared about the prestige of the Higurashi heiress or the Uchiha main branch family member...unlike all the others around them that only saw pawns when they looked at the two children they'd been. Naruto hadn't cared at all, and oh how had the Uchiha looked for excuses to get rid of the boy back when they first met, only to get annoyed when he discovered the blond really wasn't trying to use them as his parents had often warned them.

"That answer...doesn't matter anymore." Derision and scorn were all he could allow to be heard in his voice. "Right now...you're just in our way."

"...why?!"

"Why?" Forced laughter came out of his throat. "Now, there's a stupid question...we just don't care for pulling your weight any longer."

From the very beginning, the two boys had known exactly what to say to get in each other's nerves. What words to say to trigger the other...and what would hurt the other the most. Their friendship had always toed a fine line between teasing and insults that both boys were careful not to cross, and when their tempers pushed them too close to that line, Kagome had always been there to pull them back before any of them could say something they would regret.

Once before, Sasuke almost chose to leave him behind, back during the bell test that now felt like a thousand years ago. He'd made the decision then; to abandon Naruto, to become hated because nothing mattered more than Kagome. An easy decision, he remembered, and it was the same now. Because right now, what the girl desired more than anything was finding Itachi, figuring out the truth, and her safety was now compromised too; there was no other way to work around it. No outsmarting anyone to make sure they could remain together or wordplay that would allow them to get their way.

Not this time.

There would be no interruptions, no turning back, or holding back either.

They raced towards each other, chakra keeping them standing as they ran up and down the statue, their fists connected in the middle. Stepping to the side, Sasuke allowed his hand to slip by, quickly grabbing a kunai as he kept running down. Metal clashed against metal when the blond focused on blicking his attack.

Easily distracted.

He failed to catch the Uchiha, pivoting and running back up, his foot hitting the blond's chin in a painful kick that sent him back to the water. At least, the prankster wasn't sinking this time, chakra quickly stabilizing him on top of the lake.

"You really don't get it, do you?" Sasuke mocked. "We're finally on track to get what we really desire; the time for babysitting you has already run out. You only cause us...cause her problems, so get out of our way!"

His hands rushed through increasingly familiar seals, his chakra turning into electricity in his hand that dug a wedge in the stones he was running down. Nothing but the worst would keep the blond down.

"...bastard." Smoke appeared to show yet another clone at Naruto's side. "I'll beat you back to your old self!"

Chakra gathered on his best friend's hand, similar enough but different from his own. The new secret technique the boy never got a chance to show off...the one he learned from a legendary Sannin. Pullin back as they raced towards each other was not an option then.

Water rose around them when the jutsus met, the different chakras fighting for control, and Sasuke could feel his arm straining from the effort of physically pushing forward against a technique he couldn't break. Shit. This was as much chakra as he could put into the jutsu. And yet, Naruto wasn't being pushed back.

At last, the energy exploded, his electricity dissolving along with the blond's wind technique, sending them both flying backward. Their speed sent them to crash against the water surface. Liquid threatened to enter his lungs as he sunk for a second before Sasuke could force his limbs to move once more against the push of the waterfall. Using chakra to grab a hold of the water surface to hail himself off, the Uchiha could only grasp as he breathed in the fresh air.

So, in the end, this was how things were.

He'd supposed as much, considering the power difference between the people who taught them those techniques. There was no way the Chidori could defeat that jutsu in a straight contest. Anger swelled inside him...this...this was another reason why they couldn't stay.

This fucking place had nothing for them to learn.

Simply getting them stuck with jutsus that would never give them the power they needed to face those who'd betrayed them. Probably too scared of them following in the Uchiha family's treasonous path but too greedy to ever let go of their bloodlines. Happy to keep them just weak enough to manipulate and use them as puppets, dancing to whatever tune those fuckers wanted.

Not anymore.

They would leave.

They would leave even if it meant sending his only friend directly to the hospital.

That said...there was no point in using what was basically a useless attack since the only result would be another stalemate, just like before. Too many more of these, and Sasuke had no doubt Kagome would end up trying to stop them. He knew it had to be taking all the self-control the girl was capable of, all to remain waiting on top of the statue. With any more explosions, her worry would win over, and she'd end up jumping in.

It wouldn't work out like that.

There was no doubt that those in the village would buy into their little charade, but not Naruto. It would've been easy for Kagome to place the boy under a genjutsu once more; even if the boy were to realize it and break it, it would probably be too late to stop them. But he wouldn't stop going after them. If the girl were to show any indication of caving in, Sasuke could easily see the idiot ignoring orders and leaving the village to look for them, maybe even going rogue if it meant getting to them. No...she could not intervene now.

So he had to put Naruto out of commission.

The new Hokage was fond of the prankster, of that they were sure. And the woman was the legendary medic...crimson eyes narrowed. As long as the blond could keep pulling off that technique, he wouldn't stop...it depended on the use of his arm, didn't it?

With quick jutsus and execution, creating an opening wouldn't be hard; the Chidori would hit then. As long as it only hit the shoulder, the Godaime should be able to heal him. Making use of the cursed seal should give him the edge. With the warning given by the Oto nins on his mind, he moved.

"Do you know, Naruto..." Pitch black, ink-like stains spread through his skin, power rising with them. "That if both you and your opponent are first-class ninjas, you can only read inside each other minds when your fists meet. You do not need words. You are naive, Naruto, if you think we can keep up this stupid little game."

Chakra rushed across him; his hands moved through the hand seals. The fire from his jutsu was definitely stronger than usual. A taste of the power gifted by the cursed seal. Forcing the blond into the position he needed was easy; his kick connected without issues, sending his best friend back into the water once more. Using the time it took for Naruto to stand back up again, the Uchiha landed and raced after the blond. His fist hit his cheek once more, disorienting the boy long enough for Sasuke to close his hand around the signature orange jacket. It was as if the boy didn't weigh a thing when he lifted him in the air.

The sound of chirping birds filled the air, the Chidori forming in his hand. Sasuke could feel the boy begin to struggle, probably trying to get away. It was too late; his hands pushed forward, the electricity piercing through his friend's flesh. Warm blood sprayed on his face, nausea swirling, battling with the satisfaction of feeling the raw power flowing through his veins.

"The bones in your shoulder are shattered." Somehow, his voice remained cold. "You cannot use your right arm now. You cannot make seals or use that jutsu anymore. You are done for."

Pulling off his hand took more effort than he thought.

Crimson eyes scanned the ground around him, looking for a patch of rock he could leave the prankster on before his gaze snapped back to the boy. Chakra was surging from Naruto...visible crimson chakra was coming off of him in waves. Pain screamed from his wrists; the blond's hands were wrapped around his in a punishing grip.

Fuck.

Pushing the boy off, Sasuke cursed silently.

The Kyuubi's chakra. This was the Kyuubi's chakra, and it was far more powerful than what he'd felt in Wave. Blue eyes tinted as crimson as his own, pupils changing form, and for a heartbeat, Sasuke could swear he saw the afterimage of the giant beast behind the bow...the gaping hole on Naruto's shoulder healed in just seconds.

"Sasuke, you won't go to Orochimaru!" His voice held something off to it. "Even if I have to break the bones in your arms and legs, I will stop you!"

This was bad, way too fucking bad. At least, the blond seemed to be so hyper-focused on him to the point that Naruto seemed to have forgotten about Kagome. If things continued this way, if the moronically emotional boy kept losing control, then it wouldn't stay that way. After all, Gaara had confirmed that those beasts reacted to the Higurashi's kekkei genkai and tried to hunt it.

Crimson eyes locked into the shape of his childhood friend, his best friend, before he lost himself to the anger and fear of loneliness...Sasuke would knock him out.

There was a boy hiding in the bushes.

A boy she did not recognize, one she'd never met before

"Hello."

Kneeling down, the Higurashi Kagome tilted her head as she tied to get a better view of the small trespasser that had shrunk back into the shrubbery. As her reply, the girl got a hiss and a pair of narrowed cerulean eyes throwing kunais at her. Oh, he was definitely angry, she could tell, but there was also something else inside those eyes. Fear...and...loneliness. She could see it clearly in that gaze, just like she saw it on her own reflection whenever she ended up waiting inside the main house for Itachi and Sasuke to come back alone.

Because until they were there, it didn't really feel like a home. The Uchihas were not her family; that fact had been drilled into her as far as she could remember. Those who shared her blood were all dead, obliterated for clinging on to foolish ideas of peace, or so Fugaku-sama repeated. No matter how many dresses and praise she was showered with, at times, she felt more like an ornament the clan head had picked up and liked to show off. A pretty, potentially useful, little thing that didn't quite fit with the rest of the people inside the compound. So, she bit back her groans of pain when the training got too hard and learned not to cry because that was a show of weakness that could be used against her. The bright azure that looked back from the mirror, a constant reminder that she did not belong.

At least, not until Itachi or Sasuke were back and she felt loved once more. And these eyes in front of her...they were so similar...so she smiled.

"You know, you're not supposed to be here." Or anywhere close by, going by the decidedly not-Uchiha features. "Itachi reserved the training grounds for the day."

"So what?!"

Yep, definitely still angry. Still afraid too.

Now that she took a closer look at the boy, she could see the scrapes the kid had gotten from moving around the bushes and probably getting scratched against trees. But there were also bruises that looked too serious for them to be caused by accidents. The orange shirt was ragged and dirty, and his shoes did not look cared for at all. And the young heiress was sure now, wherever this boy lived, he did not fit in. Did not belong.

Like that, her decision was made.

"Why are you here?" she asked. "Are you hiding from someone?"

Because she couldn't think of another reason why one might try to sneak into the compound of the clan that manned the military police of the village.

"Why do you care?!"

Ignoring the rude response, it was all the girl could do from wincing and instead remain smiling just as happy as she'd done before.

"I know! I have a great idea!" With a clap, Kagome's grin widened. "Let's go find Itachi!"

"What?"

At last, there was more confusion than anger in his response. The boy would not be found hiding inside the bushes, Kagome decided. Grinning, she extended her hand towards him.

"Come one!" Cerulean eyes narrowed down. "If Itachi helps you hide, then there's no way they can find you."

"Why...?" A small hand hesitantly reached out.

"Because he's the best." That wasn't the question he'd asked, but she ignored it. "Oh, right, I'm Kagome, Higurashi Kagome."

To her relief, there was no recognition when it came to her name. Instead, the boys seemed to hesitate right before touching her hand, his mouth opening and closing only to reopen once more.

"...Uzumaki Naruto."

"Come on then, Naruto-kun." Not giving the boy the chance to back away, she was the one who closed the gap, reaching out and closing her fingers around his own dirtied ones. "Let's go and get Itachi."

One pull, and the boy was running behind her as they made their way back to the center of the training grounds. Fugaku-sama had given them the afternoon to train, to which the Uchiha heir promptly informed them that hide and seek was an efficient way to better their tracking skills.

"Oh, I know, why don't you stay?" She smiled as she looked back. "After you hide, you can play with us, Sasuke and I always get found fast, but maybe the order can change now if there is someone else with us."

She pushed the boy through his doubts, even when Sasuke's reaction was just what she'd expected, but worried that the kid behind her would vanish, she refused to let go of his hand. It would be fine, harsh beginnings or not; they would all get along.

Terrible didn't begin to describe what that first meeting was for the two boys that would somehow become long-time friends. Back then, Kagome hadn't been able to tell exactly why, although thinking about it now, it made sense. Sasuke's insecurities about being replaced had been hit hard when someone new entered into their lives. Still, she'd persisted in having the boy over, and while stupidly capable of making the other angry eventually, the two boys also became friends. Begrudgingly, at first, and openly after her attempted kidnapping.

Kagome had never quite gotten it, though, that insistence to fight with one another.

After asking once, Itachi had simply shaken his head and told her that sometimes, people just had odd ways to show they cared and not to worry too much about it. Every time it felt like the taunts became insults, she'd jumped in, careful not to get injured herself when they came to blows. Nothing good would come out of her getting wounded, and as the years passed, the Higurashi heiress became an expert on stopping things before they went out of control...

Well...they were definitely out of control now.

Were she anyone else, there would be bruises on her arms from where her fingers were digging into her skin in an effort to keep still. She couldn't, not anymore.

And then, it slammed against her, the Kyuubi's chakra crashed in the edge of her senses. Even despite the fact that she'd made a point to remain on top of the statues, far from the two fighters.

Shit, shit, shit.

The Kyuubi's chakra was slipping again...

Of course, in a direct confrontation with Sasuke, the blond's emotions would explode. Of fucking course, the trapped beast would try to take advantage of the boy's distress. She was jumping down before her actions fully registered, chakra holding her to the side of the statue to see Naruto rush at the Uchiha. His speed way faster than what any of the clan heirs were used to.

Fire burst from the water, only for the jutsu to be sent back by a wave of chakra in what had to be an impossible move. Chakra alone should've never been able to do that...there had been no hand seals, nothing at all. And then, the boy was gone, sinking into the water to follow Sasuke. After an eternity, she could see the Uchiha being sent upwards, crashing into the statue beneath her, immediately followed by the blond.

"Wake up already!" Naruto was yelling, pain and anger mixing and dripping from his words. "If you're still not sure, I'll break you like a stick and bring you back immobile."

This was going too far.

If this kept up, then...

Would a genjutsu work in this situation? Miroku-san managed to use one on Gaara, but it hadn't been enough to hold against Shuukaku's influence. Would the fox have the same effect on the boy?

She could see the blood and hole on Naruto's shirt, a place Sasuke should've injured that now showed not even a scar. There was a good chance attacking pressure points was useless, and Kagome wasn't sure her non-lethal poisons would take effect soon enough or even hold up against the insane level of healing of the Kyuubi's chakra. Without the physical strength to pull him back and that healing factor...other than an immediate fatal blow...what could she even do?

Reiki.

Gaara reacted to reiki...but if she used it...her senbons had cut through the sand with the same ease as they did normal chakra. There was so much more space between the sand and the redhead's actual body, however. How would the host react if hit directly by it?...fuck...she had to do something.

"Shut the hell up," Sasuke snarled. "What do you know about me? What do you know about Kagome? About being betrayed? Someone like you, without family or siblings...you had nothing in the first place! What the hell do you understand about us!"

A kick had the blond back in the air, struggling to hang off the statue with chakra, and for a second, crimson locked into azure. Shivers ran down her spine as Kagome understood the silent words sent her way. Not yet...she wasn't to intervene yet.

"We suffer because of our bonds!" There was more desperation than anger in Sasuke's scream. "You don't know how it feels to lose them! To have everything you thought you knew turn into a lie!"

"...I don't understand about real families or siblings..." She had to strain her hearing to listen to Naruto's words. "But...when I'm with Iruka-sensei, I wonder...I wonder if it feels like being with a father...when I'm with you and Kagome...I wonder if it's like being with a brother and a sister..."

"Is that why you're going this far for us...?"

"For me...you two are the first bond I've ever had." Despite Naruto's apparent calmness, Kagome could still feel the fox's energy. "That's why I must stop you."

"I see...come then..." Sasuke's words were a reminder to remain still. "If that's the case, I'll break those bonds!"

"Break them..."

"I said it before; if anything stands between us and our goals, then I will destroy it..." This was cruel...cruel to all of them. "If you try to use this bond to bind us, then I will break it all the same...anything that becomes a burden will be obliterated...come."

Naruto's speed was still increasing, closing the distance between him and Sasuke in a second...only to be dodged with ease. In fact, this time, the Uchiha didn't seem to have a problem anticipating the blows coming his way. His reaction time far too exact to be human as he not only avoided the boy but hit and kicked the blond with little effort...had the sharingan evolved during the fight?

In any case, the match wasn't equal anymore. In fact, it all pointed to this being the end. A tremulous sigh escaped the girl before her breath caught in her throat.

Because if the Kyuubi's chakra had felt explosive before...it had nothing on this...

Visible crimson chakra covered her childhood friend, refusing to vanish and, instead, taking form around him as it settled in a form that resembled that of a fox...a crimson fox with a single chakra tail behind him.

There was no comparison; the movements from before and after that red shroud of chakra covered the blond were as different as night and day. It was taking him all he had to keep ahead of the attacks, even with the new form of his sharingan.

Pain exploded on the side of his head as he was sent flying. The chakra itself moved to hit him despite the fact that Naruto's fist had missed the attack...this was the Kyuubi itself then...and the demonic fox couldn't be anticipated. Shit...this was the exact kind of scenario Sasuke wanted to avoid. Already, Kagome was hanging halfway down the statue, probably looking for the right moment to jump in.

No, he had to end it.

Close combat was too dangerous to risk it...the fire from his Katon was as potent as it could be, rushing ahead, and yet...it broke against the chakra cloud around the bow...was it protecting him?

It was unreal. This whole thing shouldn't even be possible, so why...

The chakra moved again, reaching through the several meters and all but launching him into the air. Only his sharingan allowed him to see Naruto close the distance with a jump, crimson chakra already prepared for another hit as he fell.

"DON'T!"

The blond failed to react.

But he could see Kagome stopping on her way down. She couldn't come here, not when their childhood friend was so obviously out of control and could switch targets at the flip of a coin. Besides, he still hadn't used up all of his resources yet...letting go of the seal was probably easier than it should. Sasuke could feel the power of the cursed mark take over, overflowing like blood through his veins. He had to be careful now.

"You really don't know when you quit, do you?" Really, if the blond had been calm, he would've picked up the strain in his taunts. "You won't have a chance anymore..."

Hands flew through the seals as the feeling of electricity rushed through his arm once more...there was still one more boost he could achieve; he could feel it...but the Uchiha remained as he was. Things weren't quite as dire yet. As long as it could get through the crimson chakra, it would give him enough time to deliver a hit that would render the blond unconscious.

In front of him, Naruto stayed on four legs, chakra accumulating in his hand as they both raced forward.

This had to end here.

No matter what.

Crimson eyes saw it before it happened. The trajectory they were on...and Sasuke cursed...because the blond wasn't stopping, wasn't even thinking about trying not to get hit, and if this Chidori connected...it would be a fatal blow.

His steps faltered, hesitating as he attempted to pivot to no avail...his arm lowered, but there was no way left for him to avoid it...his best friend hit would land right on target.

Closing his eyes, he prepared for the pain to come.

Warm blood sprayed on his face, the agonizing scream deafening to his ears...and yet...the pain failed to appear. Sasuke opened his eyes...and his blood froze.

Because the crimson liquid on his face, it wasn't hit...nor was it his voice that ripped the silence open...it was hers.

Kagome had come down, after all, pushing him to the side of the impact he couldn't avoid. Taking his place in the last second...and he could see Naruto's hand piercing through her shoulder, crimson chakra mixing in with her blood as she hung from his arm. Limp, feet not touching the water surface thanks to the momentum of the hit...

And now...his blood burned.

A/N: Happy Halloween! I honestly wasn't sure I would be ale to update since I got sick (a throat infection, already went to the doc) but somehow, here we are. Episode is a bit shorter but I had to cut it somewhere. And now we get a bit of Sasuke's perspective, a different one from canon since their relationship is different than it was with the original team 7, and well this will all hit heavily all of them.

As always, thank you guys so much for reading and any and all review/criticism/comment is greatly appreciated.