Chapter seven: One Danger Put Behind Us…
Sasuke and Sakura didn't catch a glance of Naruto after they headed to the direction where they had seen him go. Neither of them spoke a word, so deep in thought they were. Gone was the seemingly cheerful atmosphere around them, gone was Sakura's soothing and even voice. The usual darkness around Sasuke thickened and it felt like he was spreading a black aura around himself.
Sakura looked warily at Sasuke, scared if the curse seal might have taken over him. She sighed in relief when she saw that Sasuke's face was still as white as snow. The color of his skin was almost unnatural and Sakura had frequently found herself wondering why he couldn't get a tan. She did know that there were people whose skin didn't get nearly any color but they still got at least the smallest of colors when they spent much time outside. Sasuke had been outdoors nearly constantly in his life but he never tanned. Maybe it was the effect of the curse seal, maybe not -Sakura didn't know.
So… Naruto is a hunter nin, huh? Sakura's thoughts vaguely crossed her mind as she concentrated on keeping her pace up with Sasuke's. He was walking faster than normally but Sakura forgave him for not considering the kimono she was dressed in that prevented her from walking very fast. She knew he was thinking about the very same person on her own mind. The thought of meeting Naruto made her chest hurt. It had been such a long time since they had met. Now that they were inevitably going to meet, it would come down to the survival of the fittest-- the weak would be eliminated. In short, Sakura and Sasuke were probably heading towards their own death.
She had never thought that it would come to this. They would have to fight for their life and die if that was their fate. But even if they won the loss of their long lost friend would take the joy with him. She had no idea how they were going to fight Naruto, their old teammate from all the people. They had to brace their hearts and kill without hesitation, emotionlessly. I should be used to it, she thought bitterly.
The life of a missing nin wasn't easy but that's what Sakura had chosen. She didn't have any clear reasons why she had done it; she had only felt that after Sasuke left the Leaf Village behind she didn't belong there either. It just hadn't felt like a home anymore. But he had never, ever betrayed the Leaf, not with a slightest hint. Even if she had left the village and the rules were that those who left became missing nins she didn't consider herself as a traitor. Only the follower of her own path. She had realized that all that had kept her going, made her try harder to become a shinobi, made her desire to be worth something was Sasuke. And after he was gone she had nothing. When the sole reason she had become a ninja in the first place was gone, it seemed as if the world crashed down on her.
After wallowing in misery for years she had decided to start from a blank page in her life. The ticket to the future is always empty, after all. She began her new life, left everyone else behind -not that there were many- and headed for a better life. She sought new experiences with traveling across the country by herself. The life she led was hardly better but it was different. That was all she needed, to be pulled back from routines, from daily chores and classes.
After about half a year of traveling she had become stronger and her will to live was revived. She no longer felt the sorrow burdening her heart and was able to enjoy the small things in life. The sun that woke her up in the morning, the way the earth smelled after rain, the soft wind that brushed her cheek. The dark cloud over her was lifted and the rays of the sun made their way upon her again.
Many darker years followed her bright days in life but those countless happy days stayed in her memory. She had excellent memory -she always tended to forget the most painful and sad memories and the good ones remained. But one horrible image was embedded into her mind. The memory of the day when Sasuke had left the Village never left her. It was carved in her heart and she didn't even know why, but it still hurt sometimes. To think that Sasuke had left them all behind when he was so young wounded her, too.
Now there was a cloud hanging in front of the sun. A dull feeling filled Sakura as she walked with Sasuke after Naruto. Sasuke's uncaring and emotionless face didn't make her feel any better. But why should he be able to comfort her when he was probably as shocked as she? So she would have to make them both feel better, they'd be of no use if they were both moving around like lifeless dolls.
"Na, Sasuke."
Sakura quickly noted the weird feeling of his name coming from her lips. It had come so naturally that it felt like she had been calling him Sasuke all her life. Now the name on her lips felt like a tingling drop of liquid, burning its way to her memory. Her lips parted in surprise when she noticed that the feeling was good.
Sasuke glanced at Sakura. He vaguely noted being called by his first name but thought that it was still just a part of their disguise. But when he saw her slightly surprised expression he knew that it had come from her heart, not just from her mind. Her lips were parted and he couldn't help but notice the natural beauty of those pale lips. He moved his head a fraction of an inch up and down to tell her that he was listening if she had something to say.
"Un, do you think that Naruto has already been assigned to eliminate us?" Not the wisest thing to say. If she wanted to comfort him she would do better if she took his attention from the matter. And asking if they were walking towards their killer didn't really easy the tension between them.
Sasuke barely shrugged, clearly informing that he didn't want to think about it. How could he now? They weren't even sure if it was Naruto.
Suddenly Sakura jerked to a halt and pulled Sasuke's arm painfully. "I saw them!" she hissed between clenched teeth. Her eyes were wide but she still retained her reflexes. She quickly pulled them to a shadowy corner beside the wall, just in time to make themselves hidden from Naruto, who was rounding a corner.
When Naruto was past the corner they heaved a sigh of relief. Sasuke let out the breath he didn't even realize he had been holding until then. He looked at Sakura and saw the relief written over her clearly. Did she really hope that Naruto wouldn't see them? Did she really want to kill Naruto like a backstabber? Did she really want to kill one of her best friends from the past? At times like this Sasuke hoped that he could read minds. It would make life with difficult person like Sakura easier.
What was she thinking right then? Was she imagining their assault on Naruto that would come as a surprise as soon as they found a good place to attack him? Was she thinking about giving up on the whole murder? Should they even try to kill him before he gave any signs that he intended to kill them? So many questions were flying in Sasuke's mind that he became dizzy and he had to lean against the wall to regain control over himself.
During the last few years the curse seal on his shoulder had taken a stronger and stronger hold of him. It became harder to fight it each day and sometimes he lost his body completely to the dark power. During those times Sakura had been there beside him. If he had tried to hurt her it were her hands that prevented him from doing anything permanent, it was her body he leaned against when a burning fever dimmed his mind. She had done so much for him but he still didn't know why he disliked her. It would have been only natural for him to fall in love with his savior but that hadn't happened.
Maybe things between them were better this way. Every deep emotion was forbidden once you became a missing nin. Sasuke had no intentions to ruin his good reputation by falling in love -his master wouldn't forgive him if he did. And after all, a shinobi must not show any emotion.
Once they calmed themselves down, Sakura and Sasuke took their place on the street after Naruto again. "Do you think he saw us?" Sasuke asked Sakura quietly. He had been so deep in thought that didn't see Naruto coming. For once, he was grateful for Sakura being there to warn him.
"No, he would have probably stopped if he saw us."
"Or he could have hidden his surprise, unlike the people here."
Sakura didn't miss the true meaning he implied in his statement. She glared at him and saw him staring at her with empty black eyes. She sighed and patted his shoulder. "Don't take this so hard. You know that we'll die someday." She returned to her place her arm hooked around his but this time she added a little more feeling to the gesture. The hating atmosphere around them decreased and increased so rapidly that it wasn't even clear that they hated each other anymore. She had lost count in the times when she had comforted him as a friend, not as the enemy she had assured to herself she was.
Naruto, Hinata and Neji entered an inn tiredly. Neji took his money pouch from his bag and vaguely wondered why it had remained dry when he had almost drowned into the river. He handed the money to Naruto who took care of the talking with the innkeeper. After paying he received the keys to the room they were spending the night in. They began to climb up the stairs that took them to the upper floor of the building. They were halted by the innkeeper's words.
"You sure are a weird looking trio, you know? Where did you lose your eyes, missy?" The man at the counter eyed them rather suspiciously, enough to push Naruto stand in front of Hinata protectively.
"That's none of your business." Neji cast an icy glare at the owner of the inn. Hinata was more than tired already, and there was no reason to exhaust her more with pressuring questions. They had paid for a good night's sleep, not so the innkeeper could meddle in affairs.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to intrude. It's just convenient to ask sometimes -you can never know when someone very dangerous comes in." The man took a defensive side quickly and didn't ask anything more. He watched them disappear into the stairway and turned back to his work shaking his head and muttering something about jumpy young people.
In the room Naruto collapsed almost immediately onto the bed. He didn't even bother to care about staining the bed sheets with his dirtied clothing. He rolled on his back and crossed his arms behind his head looking questioningly at Hinata and Neji. The cousins were still standing and Neji was guiding Hinata to the bed. Only now Naruto noticed how tired Hinata and Neji both were. Truly, they must have had a rough journey before this.
Looking around, Naruto noticed how comfortable the room was despite its small size. Two beds framed the walls from both sides -they were western-style beds, not futons on the floor. A big window giving a sight to south stood between them. A few plants adorned the corners and spread a slight scent to the room. The light from the lamps was dim and it made him even more tired. He didn't understand why he was so exhausted in the first place -he had done nothing that would require more chakra than he was used to spend.
"There's only one bed." Naruto pointed out. "I asked for a room for three. I'll go to tell the innkeeper." He was already up and walking towards the door when Neji stopped him.
"No, you shouldn't attract any more attention to us than you already have."
"Huh? What are you talking about?" Naruto's hand was hovering over the doorknob and he seriously couldn't recall a moment he had done something out of ordinary in the village. When Neji didn't reply, Naruto wondered if he should defy him for the insult, but then did as he was ordered. Thinking had never been his best quality so he left it for Neji and let the insult slip out of his mind.
Naruto jumped back onto the bed and watched as Neji guided Hinata to the other bed. He thought he heard Hinata's quiet protests telling that Neji could have the bed, after all it was he who carried her all the time and spent energy on that. Neji's voice was quiet but commanding and left no room for arguments. She finally meekly complied and sat on the edge of the bed not too comfortably in case Neji would change his mind and want to sleep on it.
"Umm… Where are you going to sleep, Brother Neji?" Hinata asked very quietly, pressing the tips of her fingers together.
"On the ground."
"But I can easily sleep on the floor. I don't mind…"
"I said I'll sleep on the ground."
Hinata didn't know what was making Neji so angry but she thought it was her so she shut her mouth to keep him from getting more annoyed. Hinata's head throbbed constantly and her fever still hadn't cooled down completely. Her body felt very heavy and unwilling to do as she wanted. She wanted nothing more than to lie down on the bed -or the floor- and sleep through the day. It was still a rather early morning, after all. They had paid for the night and therefore could spend their day in the room without hurry.
Naruto quirked an eyebrow at Neji's biting behavior. Oh well, he's never been the most sociable guy… He looked at Hinata who was sitting silently on the bed, trying to fight the sleep coming over her. She looked so lost somehow. Like she didn't know what to do. Naruto wouldn't have known what he should've done if he was in the same state as her -under Neji's piercing stare and the victim of his anger.
Naruto shifted and thought that he should offer his place on the bed for Neji because it was him who hadn't went through as much as the Hyugas had. He wasn't exhausted thanks to Hinata's healing the day earlier and he hadn't been in the grasp of the river for as long as they had. And they don't have a demon inside them giving more stamina, he thought wryly. Sometimes jealousy still filled him when he looked at carefree people around him. Why had he been cursed with the Nine Tails? Why did it have to be him to suffer all the consequences for the demon's actions? But he never wallowed in misery for very long -his nature didn't allow it. What was the use to mourn over lost freedom when you couldn't change the past?
"Hyuga, you can get this bed. I'm not nearly as tired as you must be." Naruto sat on the bed cross-legged and put his hands on his feet.
Neji didn't remove his gaze from Hinata but replied, "I have said it two times already. Must I repeat myself again?" The floor was a suitable place to sleep even though he had no sheets or a futon under him. He wasn't so pampered yet that he couldn't sleep on the ground.
Naruto knew that offering the bed for him wouldn't help anymore so he had to try another way. "But if you don't sleep well tonight you'll slow us down tomorrow."
Neji raised an eyebrow skeptically at this. "Who said you're coming with us?" Indeed, why had Naruto come with them in the first place? And where had he been going when he met them? Now that the events that had stormed around them ever since their meeting with Naruto had receded somewhat, Neji had more time to reconsider the situation. Naruto decided to remain silent and didn't give an answer.
A silence filled the room. Hinata's feverish breathing was now louder even though she tried to stifle it as much as she could. Naruto looked at her with worry in his eyes and saw that her cheeks were tinted with an unhealthy red color. Her breathing came in ragged gasps and she looked very weak. Her hands were lying motionlessly on her lap, forgotten, and she was clearly far from being aware of anything. It wouldn't take much longer for her to lose consciousness if she didn't lie down. Why, why did this young woman try so hard to appear stronger than she was?
"Hinata, you'll faint if you don't get some sleep." Naruto's words pulled Hinata from her thoughts and she vaguely tried to face the direction where Naruto was. She had been so lost in the blackness that it took an enormous amount of effort to try to think rationally. She faintly remembered hearing a familiar voice talking to her while she was drifting between this world and her own. Had it been the one she had heard before…?
Hinata wanted to refuse Naruto's advice and remain awake-- hardly a wise to do. But dizziness stood against her will and claimed her as its own. She collapsed over her knees and would have hit the ground if Naruto hadn't jumped from his place to support her helpless form. He lifted her unconscious body to the bed and placed her gently down. His hands remained at her a little longer than necessary and that didn't go unnoticed by Neji. His frown deepened but he didn't say anything. It was not that he cared about it anyway.
Naruto returned to his position on the bed and stretched himself to the full length on the soft mattress. The time went by surrounded in thick silence. Naruto didn't know how many minutes or hours had passed by when he heard a faint sound of talking from outside. He strained his ears and picked the voice of the innkeeper speaking with someone. The other was so quiet that he couldn't comprehend what it said but listened carefully what the man replied.
"No… Yes, three people… I don't remember… Yes, a spiky hair…"
Three people and a spiky hair? The depiction was rather exact, as if the person was looking for someone. But who would be looking for a group of three and a spiky--
Oh, shit.
Was somebody looking for them? Or him? Then he mentally kicked himself on the back. Who'd be looking for him? He had done nothing wrong -yes you have- and had absolutely nothing to do with anything -yes you do, you little bastard. What was that annoying voice in his head just now? He rolled his eyes and turned on his side to face the wall. He found the wallpaper very interesting at the moment he laid his eyes on it. He traced the lines of the detailed picture with his finger not really knowing what else to do.
Naruto got lost in his thoughts and the present and didn't notice the pair of dark eyes following him from the outside.
The day passed by without the three caring about it. Everyone had their own questions to dwell in and they wanted to solve the puzzles their minds created. Everything had just gotten so confusing after the journey to the Lightning Country began. It had only been three days but it felt like years. So much had happened so quickly that the events swirled in Neji's mind like a tempest, and he couldn't make any sense of them. He wanted nothing more than to lower his head on the floor and sleep the unwelcome experiences away but he didn't allow himself to do so.
He had told Naruto and Hinata that they would spend the night in the inn but he knew they couldn't. Giving information to a stranger was dangerous so he wanted to hide the actual time of their departing. They would leave when the night came. Not only was it safer to travel during the time of darkness, Neji had always preferred night to day. The sun gave away too many emotions, too many actions -intentional or not.
The stars slowly crept to the sky and the lively village began to wind down. Naruto had been sleeping restlessly for almost the whole day -he had only woken up to complain that he was hungry. No longer could Neji hear the sounds of mothers calling for their children, nor the steps raising dust from the road. It was good this way -in the times of an approaching war people should rest as much as they could. Be as calm as they could. Live their lives to the fullest. It was a difficult task and hard to fulfill.
And then, when a lone ray of light from the moon entered the room a shadow blocked the illumination. Neji immediately recognized it as a human being judging from the shape of shoulders and head in its silhouette. Neji didn't move an inch but pretended that he was asleep. He closed his eyes slowly as the figure put his hands against the window. If it was a spy from the Cloud Village Neji would gain the surprise attack. He performed the Byakugan without a seal and observed the stranger from behind closed eyelids.
Hinata shifted slightly and pulled the sheets closer against herself. She had slept through the day and her fever had cooled down. The figure immediately nailed his eyes on her as she coughed. He loomed just outside the window and only now Neji remembered that they were in the second floor. How was the person outside the window then, even moving rather effortlessly? Neji deepened the space of his sight and settled his eyes on the form's feet. A strong light spread from them and Neji had to turn away to not get blinded by it. Was he standing on chakra? Was it even possible to make a standing level with chakra?
Then the sound of the glass shattering waked Naruto. He didn't move a bit and tried to look like he was still asleep. Hinata was awake too and remained in her position. Everybody knows how dangerous and stupid it is to reveal one's state to an enemy. The attacker didn't have much of a brain to shatter the glass, though. Did he seriously think that they wouldn't wake up after the racket he caused? Or was his intention to wake them?
The shadow entered the room from the window and landed on the ground in a shapeless form and began creeping towards Naruto's bed silently. Neji's vigilance was strained to the maximum but he didn't dare to move in case the attacker had something up his sleeve. He opened his eyes slowly and vaguely wondered why the assailant tried to kill Naruto first, not Hinata who he was supposed to eliminate. The shape neared Naruto and took a kunai out of his cloak. Neji started to think if Naruto was awake at all because he didn't do anything to protect himself.
When the kunai lowered on Naruto's throat the ninja jumped quickly out of the deadly weapon's way. He landed easily on his feet facing the opponent. Naruto had quickly pulled his katana from his back when he was flying through the air. Neji had not seen Naruto carrying a weapon and deduced that it must have been summoned by jutsu. Naruto took the sword calmly in both hands and flipped the blade so that it pointed straight at the assailant. The sharp edge glistened in the pale moon light and illuminated Naruto's face making him look like a ghost.
The moon made Naruto's eyes look like almost black and his hair shrouded in silver. Neji surveyed the moment from his position of leaning against the wall cross-legged. It was a surprise that the enemy hadn't fled immediately at the sight of Naruto but stayed in his place. It was like the two staring at each other were fighting the battle in their minds -Naruto's eyes blazed with pure battle lust. Or was it the Nine Tails that made him desire so much for the blood of others?
Then, when many long moments had passed by without either of them moving, the invader let out a furious yell and lunged at Naruto. Naruto was ready for the attack and positioned the sword rigidly between them just at the moment the opponent came near. The attacker speared himself to the sword and the sharp blade glided easily through the soft flesh in his belly. Blood gushed to dye Naruto's hands in its red color. Naruto's eyes gleamed in the darkness and he raised his hand to his mouth to lick the blood from it. In the moment he did that the corpse leaning against him turned into a puff of smoke.
Naruto's eyes widened hazily as a kunai from behind him was taken to his throat. The edge of the weapon drew a thin line of red on his skin. He didn't move but gripped the handle of the sword tightly. "You would do wisely to put that sword down…" The hiss echoed in the room making the hair in Naruto's neck rise. Neither he nor Neji could see the person holding the kunai, for the darkness behind Naruto was so thick that it seemed to be alive.
At first Naruto hesitated to drop his weapon but when he glanced at the direction of the Hyuga following his every move his reluctance was washed away. His eyes told him clearly that Neji wouldn't let him be killed, at least not without resistance. The sword dropped from Naruto's hands and landed on the floor with a loud clanging. After a moment that felt like forever the weapon stilled and ceased from ringing. The kunai on Naruto's throat moved slightly and no longer touched his flesh.
"Now, kill the girl on the bed." The cruel emotionless voice shocked Naruto. Shocked was an underestimating; Naruto was downright terrified by the freezing tone so unlike any other sound he had heard before. He refused to obey and when he didn't move the kunai's blade dug into his throat making a small stream of blood run down to his collarbone. Naruto winced slightly at the pain but mentally braced himself for worse. He knew his attacker was merely amusing himself. The pain he was enduring at the moment could be nothing compared to what would happen if the skilled attacker stopped playing.
Hinata had heard the order and slightly stiffened. She grasped the kunai tied against her thigh and edged it slowly away from the pouch. Neji was silently watching the event from the corner where he was sitting. It was fairly easy to sense every movement the man in the cloak made with his Byakugan even though he knew Naruto wasn't able to see the invader behind him. Neji's only hope was that Hinata would do something to defend herself when -not if, but when- Naruto came to fulfill the order he had been given. The attacker knew how to torture mentally, that was obvious. So sooner or later Naruto would lose his mind or give in willingly and he'd kill her.
Naruto began to feel his will to decline getting fainter and fainter. Was it such a bad idea to kill Hinata, after all? She had always loathed herself so he'd actually be doing a favor for her by killing her. And if taking her life meant that he would live, then it was okay too… Naruto's eyes slowly closed and opened for a few times before he started to approach his victim. He pulled a kunai from his pouch and took a few steps closer to her. All the time, there was a small but determined voice in his head, yelling at him to stop whatever he was doing.
The voice was angry, not at all as friendly and kind than the other voice speaking to him and encouraging him to go on. The gentle voice assured him that everything would be okay after he killed the girl -who was the girl anyway? On the other hand, he didn't like killing but he supposed that he wouldn't like dying either, if that was the punishment for disobeying. The mean voice reminded him of the voices that had abandoned him when he had been young because of the Nine Tails. It screamed at him to stop and get some brain into his rotten body. The tone wasn't nice, not nice at all.
So he neared the girl. The girl was probably a murderer, anyway -why else would he have to kill her? What kind of person would kill innocent people? The girl didn't look very intimidating, though. She looked more like she was scared herself, with sweat trickling down her jaw and a hand nervously grasping a kunai. That pale hand -it reminded him of something. It was a fragile yet very beautiful hand, not a hand of an assassin. Overall, she didn't look evil at all. Dark blue bangs covered her slightly sweating forehead and light colored clothing shielded her lithe body.
Naruto's hand wavered. There was no sense in killing the girl unless he asked her if she was indeed a murderer or not. He slowly reached out his other hand to touch her shoulder and wake her up but the gentle voice, now with a slightly commanding tone, told him to not touch her. Only kill her. Brutally, without giving her a chance to protect herself. Instantly, without giving her a change to feel the pain. Coldly, emotionlessly.
Naruto raised his hand. The kunai glistened in the moon light as if the lonely eye in the sky wanted to reveal the weapon. With a quick stroke it would be over. The voices were still battling in his mind but he heard them only vaguely and could barely decipher the tones. The angry voice had almost given up and was now sounding like almost praying for him to stop. He listened to it for a moment and hesitated a little.
The attacker watched, pleased, as the boy he had manipulated was slowly losing the control of his own mind. The boy had a particularly strong will but that had been crushed under him as well as the hundreds of people he had used before to his own dark intentions. But just as a small smirk was tugging at the corners of his thin lips Naruto hesitated. This startled the attacker, as this was the first time someone had enough strength to oppose his wishes. His control over Naruto decreased for a small while and in that brief second Naruto tore himself away from his reach.
Panting, Naruto turned to face the emotionless shinobi before him. Naruto's eyes flamed frighteningly as he questioned over and over in his mind why the hell he had tried to kill Hinata. He was blinded by rage and lunged at the invader with the full of his might intending to kill him with one blow. But the stranger wasn't so shocked of the turning of the tables in the fight that he'd let Naruto gain the surprise attack and was prepared for the powerful blow that met his chest viciously. But no matter how much he braced himself the foot connected with him very painfully, making him stumble backwards. Leaning against the wall he wiped the blood running down from the corner of his mouth.
Staring at Naruto incredulously he quickly performed a seal and launched his attack on his victim. But just in the moment he pulled out a kunai and jumped at Naruto something wet splashed on his throat. He reached a hand to touch the underside of his chin but snapped the hand away at the stabbing pain he felt. There was a clean cut in his throat, a lethal slice just over the main veins in his neck. He felt the blood flowing down his chest from the horrible gash. How come he hadn't felt what had hit him? He turned around rapidly, only now noticing that it was impossible that Naruto had made the wound.
He saw two silhouettes against the pale moon light flowing to the room from the broken window. Both figures wore long robes and it was rather futile to try to comprehend if they were men or women. The other had a kunai in his hand and there was blood dripping from the tip of it to the ground and on his sandals. His shoulders were slouched and he looked at the intruder from behind his eyebrows with a murderous glimmer in his dark eyes. The expression in his eyes was that of utter disgust, as if the person in front of him was offensively obnoxious.
Now the assassin realized that with the two more people he couldn't win even with his powers. A drop of sweat slid down his face and his eyes began to reflect the storm of emotions he futilely tried to hide. He backed against the wall trying to come up with a plan to save his own neck. He suddenly felt the vigorous pain in his throat doubling and was forced to bend down. He stared at the floor with his hand gnawing his throat, trying to prevent the blood from flowing through his fingers, his mouth opened in a silent scream of pain. The torturous wound was enough to drive him faint from pain and in a few moments he slumped to the ground, only half conscious.
He coughed and blood dyed his lips in its red color. "Nice… timing." The hand he had been holding on his throat fell limply to his side and his head rolled to the side the eyes still staring at them. He still breathed weakly, as if trying to grasp the last moments of his life. Naruto walked to him, pulled out his sword and in a second the enemy's head was parted from his body, ending his pathetic life. He pulled the sword back to himself and swept the crimson liquid with his hand and returned his weapon to its scabbard.
Then, turning to face the new intruders who had entered the room he gestured for Neji to stand up with him. If the two strangers had bad intentions he'd need the help from the Hyuga. Neji slowly stood up, suspicious about the other intruders. Why hadn't he decided they'd leave earlier? They could have avoided all of this if he had not been so reluctant to leave.
However, it was not possible for them to escape anymore; they'd have to face the two strangers and fight them if that was what they wanted. Judging from the speed of the other one who had killed the man they were incredibly powerful. Of course, speed was not everything but the accuracy and silence of the stroke were also very impressive. If Neji didn't have his advanced Kaiten he wouldn't be so certain that he was nearly impossible to injure. But he had Hinata to protect and that would slow him down considerably so he couldn't overestimate himself.
The two were silent as the grave but the second one glared at his companion with eyes that could kill had they been capable of doing so. His eyes blazed and Naruto noticed a familiar color in them: blood red. Combined with the pitch black dots swirling in the irises he could only come up with the solution that the man before him was the man he was supposed to kill, the reason why he had been sent on this mission. It was the man who had abandoned his village, turned out as a traitor, helped Orochimaru to nearly sweep the Leaf Village away from the world map, and killed numerous men who were his former shinobi comrades. Uchiha Sasuke.
Naruto's eyes widened without him even noticing it. He couldn't do anything despite the fact that he had been preparing himself mentally and physically for the reunion. The Uchiha could have easily avoided meeting him but instead had chosen to help him. He was downright shocked and could only stare at him in disbelief. The only rational reason for Sasuke to come to him was that he had come to kill him. Naruto knew that he was strong enough to face his former rival proudly but who was the one who accompanied him?
The taller one of the two, Uchiha, then snapped one harsh word to his companion. His eyes blazed with fury as the person didn't move the least bit but instead shook his head vigorously. The silence between the two prolonged as the Uchiha glared at the other one murderously and the victim of his behavior stood his ground. Sasuke then grabbed his arm and fled from the broken window behind them. After landing on his feet the companion still in his grasp he began to run hastily along the wide street that spread before the inn.
Unknown to Naruto, Hinata and Neji, for the second time in three days a she was mistaken as a he.
Sasuke's grip didn't loose around Sakura's arm as they ran heading nowhere in particular. The woman behind him couldn't keep up with his pace and soon his hand was the only thing that kept her from tumbling to the ground while it was also the only thing that kept her in the insane speed. The grasp was painful and she bit her lip preventing the small suffocated breath from escaping. She couldn't stand the way he thought he was in command, dragging her around like this. He had always tended to be the bossy one in their missions even though he had never showed that kind of characteristic during their years at the Ninja Academy.
Finally she mustered enough strength to pull herself away from his grip and stopped abruptly, refusing to continue following him like a meek dog. He stopped, too, after feeling the powerful tug as her arm escaped from his hand. He didn't turn to face her but kept staring forward along the street that not very far from them split in two and continued to his left. He didn't show any signs of quickened breathing after the fast run even though Sakura was on the verge of fainting from the lack of oxygen. It was probably the obi she still wore around her waist tightly.
They stood like that for a long time before Sasuke broke the silence between them with a simple, yet very accusing question. "Why?"
The word split the cold night air like a dagger cutting flesh. Sakura's breathing had returned to its normal silent rhythm. She stood there, facing his fury with her hands clenched in fists. Her right hand gripped a kunai so hard that her knuckles went white. She wondered if she had ever been in such a dangerous situation with him before, it was night, he was furious and the curse seal made his emotion unstable. He could easily attack her and even though she could keep her defense quite easily she didn't even want to think what could happen if the curse spread.
She pondered her words carefully before giving her answer. Indeed, why hadn't she killed Naruto when she had the chance to do so? She had just found her hands refusing to move and her legs shaking beneath her, preventing her from doing anything. She had, for a second, felt the bond connecting the two recreate itself and was forced to back away from their plan. She just couldn't kill him. She couldn't kill the man who had so intently promised her that he'd protect her and had sworn to be with her until the end of his life. Maybe she was foolish for wasting the second she had had to complete the assassination but for some reason she didn't regret it for the least bit.
In the instant Sasuke finally turned to face her and she saw his expression she knew that she should regret it. He was frighteningly calm even though the blood red Sharingan eyes were full of hatred. But she didn't back away because she had the guts to stand up against him unlike most of other people.
"Come on, stare at me with all your might", she snorted despite the small feeling in her stomach telling her she would do better if she kept her mouth shut. She stared back at those emotionless eyes knowing that he wouldn't use the Mange Sharingan against her. She did not know the reason but every time he had had the opportunity to crush her with his bloodline's supreme technique he had refused to do so. So this time it wouldn't be a difference, right?
"What the fuck do you think you were doing?" Sasuke spat at her. If she had killed Naruto then they would now be freed from the burden of yet another hunter nin after them. With a few long strides he had closed the distance between him and Sakura and was gripping her shoulders painfully. He ignored the feeling to shake her violently enough to force the answer out of her mouth, and instead stared at her so furiously that even the bravest would have cowered before him. She did neither of the possibilities; she made no answer and did not fall back.
She resisted the urge to spit at his face and took a step backwards to escape the threatening aura he was spreading around himself. Not letting go of her he duplicated her actions and after a few moments Sakura was firmly placed against a stone wall and Sasuke. Only now did she show any signs of being afraid, she drew in a wavering breath which didn't go unnoticed by Sasuke. He pushed her shoulders hard against the sharp stones in the wall and she cringed slightly as a particularly sharp stone cut on her skin drawing out blood. She was very aware of the danger in the situation now. Why hadn't she thought about it before she had decided not to kill Naruto? She definitely preferred her own life to Naruto's.
Sakura realized that Sasuke's seal had broken and the black marks were spreading across his sickly white skin. She also saw his teeth clenching firmly together as the signs of him trying to stop it. His fingers now dug into the fabric of her kimono with a frightening strength as he focused on settling the curse behind the seal Kakashi had so many years ago carved on him. He was forced to shut his eyes in concentration but even when Sakura saw her chance to escape she found herself unable to move. She had never seen him battling with the seal so heatedly.
Why was the curse seal putting up so much of a fight now, of all times? It was not that he was particularly emotional right now, Sakura knew that he had been angrier before although she had hard time recalling any exact moments. Was it because of her? What kind of influence could she have on him?
Finally, after some time of Sasuke's desperate fighting to regain control, he won. His grip on her didn't loosen, though. On the brink of giving into his exhaustion, his head dropped against Sakura's. His skin came in contact with hers and the feeling was like a freezing splash of water against his face and he snapped back. He noticed now how close to Sakura he actually was, not that he really cared because they had been much closer before but right then the closeness felt disturbing.
He pulled himself away from her, just enough to put an inch between them but didn't let go of her shoulders. He firmly held her against the wall, as if trying to squeeze the answer from her with his body. But she did not give in. She stared stubbornly at him, with her jaw set firmly in a repulsive expression.
"Answer me." Sasuke's words came out barely above a whisper and his breathing was ragged as if he had ran many miles instead of fighting a battle with his own turmoil. It was interesting for Sakura to see the Uchiha to be so exhausted from a mental fight when he was hardly ever tired from a physical fight. She was well aware of her lack of an answer but decided to stay silent for a few more moments to watch him.
But when he didn't move or do anything else but stare at her with those blood red eyes Sakura sighed in defeat.
"I just couldn't kill him. I apologize for my mistake in failing to do so", she replied shortly in a cold tone. She had no desire to tell him that the feeling of friendship towards Naruto in her had resuscitated.
"There's more to it. Spit it out or do I have to force the answer out of you?"
Sakura shrugged her shoulders not really wanting to let him to know more than needed. Why was it so important anyway? It was not like they couldn't try to kill Naruto again, was it? She looked questioningly at Sasuke and saw that he was deep in thought. She cut in and uttered her thoughts aloud. "Why does it matter to you?" She was honestly curious to know what reasons he had to treat her so roughly and pinning her against the wall to hard that she started bleeding. What gave him the right to do so? She could have, of course, stabbed him to the side with her kunai but didn't think that it would be wise considering the mission they had been assigned to do. Their master wasn't the type to be very forgiving, to state it simply.
Finally Sasuke came to the conclusion that Sakura was not talking about the assassination and released her. He took a few steps backwards, giving her the space to breathe easier. Sakura almost sighed in relief when the realization that nothing was going to happen hit her, but held in her breath suddenly to slowly exhale instead. She took few steps forward and halted when she was standing right next to Sasuke.
She brushed her clothes with her hands and then decided to get rid of the obi around her waist. She pulled the long black robe similar to Sasuke's over her head and dropped it to the ground. Then she reached for her back trying to untie the knot of the obi. After a few moments of futile fingering she had to admit that she wasn't very successful and cast a questioning look at Sasuke. He was, gladly enough facing the other direction and didn't see her pitiful attempts on getting rid of the belt she had herself tied.
"Uhh… Uchiha? Could you help me?" She swallowed the last bits of her pride and asked help from the man who was known for his coldness towards others.
Sasuke, a little surprised when asked help turned to Sakura who was battling with the piece of garment on her backside. A shadow of a smirk nearly appeared on his pale lips but he quickly suppressed it and reached for her shoulder to turn her around. She dropped her hands away from the obi and left them on her sides. Sasuke couldn't see the knot in the darkness very well but after a short moment of fingering it he saw what the problem was. She had simply pulled the obi too tightly around her, making it nearly impossible to open without help.
He tugged at the ends of the fabric to no avail, only making it tighter around Sakura. She gasped when her lungs couldn't fill properly and was forced to stagger a step forward. "Stay still or I can't untie it", Sasuke commanded. Sakura's breathing didn't help the process at all. Sakura tried to stay still but one especially powerful yank almost made her fall over. "Stay still!" he snapped at her angrily.
Muttering something to herself she rested her hands against the stone wall firmly to stay up. Sasuke behind her was muttering something too and she could almost feel his breath tickling the skin in her neck. Another strong tug drew a grunt from her and she nearly saw stars in her sight due to the lack of oxygen. "Can you please tie it a little tighter so that I can breathe easier?" she asked dryly, leaning her forehead against the wall.
"As you wish."
He yanked the obi forcefully and the space for Sakura to breathe decreased still. "Shit! Don't take it literally!" she nearly shrieked at him, after flying against the wall painfully. Sasuke chuckled slightly but then became serious as the problem with the belt was still not solved. How could she have tied it so tightly? Well, he was to be blamed on a part of it, too. He grunted and yanked the obi and it miraculously loosened. Sakura let out a hiss and turned around, gathering the fabric to her hands. She then ran a hand through her hair and handed the obi to its original owner.
"Thanks for the lending. I'll keep the kimono for a while, though."
Stuffing the piece of clothing to his sleeve he snorted. Sakura picked her robe from the ground and pulled it on her again, making sure that it hid all her weapons. What they were going to do now, she did not know but one thing was clear to her: she was never going to wear proper kimonos after this.