Sry about the wait. First I had the all dreaded writer's block, then I went
on vacation. I'm also sry to say that I think this will be the last chpt of
this fic. Sry! I was already planning for this to be short but anyone has
any ideas to make it longer, please share! But if not, I'm stopping it
here.
-Setren
For the following days, Sasuke kept himself locked in his apartment, brooding. What's going to happen now? Kakashi-sensei is going to be killed in two days, and there's no way I'll let that happen. Damn, Naruto's right, this isn't like me. But, what am I to do?
And so Sasuke plotted. Breaking Kakashi out of the prison would be a fool's errand, but that's what every plan Sasuke thought up of seemed like. Each as impossible as the next. He tugged at his hair, as if pulling it out would help some relatively good ideas to come out of his head as well. It got him nothing but an even worse headache.
What to do, what to do...
Sasuke fell asleep at the table, thinking or at least trying to. When he was awoken by the whistling tea kettle, he was so much more interested in getting back to thinking of a way to free his teacher that he didn't think it was odd that the kettle should be whistling, since he hadn't even put water in it before he dozed off. So immersed in his thoughts, he didn't even notice that the high pitched whistle had stopped, until someone spoke.
"Just gonna think your day away huh?" It was Naruto.
Sasuke started and whirled around in his chair to face his friend with shock.
"Naruto? What...how...?"
Naruto rolled his eyes. "You're getting rusty, putting a lock on the door is all fine and dandy, but honestly. I expected more of a challenge from the last Uchiha clan member."
Sasuke scowled. Naruto was poking fun at him on purpose. Trying to snap him out his numb daze. It was just the thing Naruto would do. But Sasuke was in no mood for it.
"Go make tea in your own damn house, Naruto." He said coldly.
He chuckled. "Or you'll do what?" He sat down and pushed a cup toward Sasuke, but Sasuke didn't want it.
"What do you want?" Sasuke said through gritted teeth.
Naruto peered at him over the rim of his cup. "Kakashi-sensei ain't just your teacher. And I ain't letting that Orochimaru bastard kill him with out my say." He took a sip and made a face. "This the only tea you got here? Bleh...tastes horrible. I could make better rice balls than this mess."
"It was Sakura's." Was the stiff answer.
Naruto sighed. "Yeah, well." He set the cup down with a faint smile. "Am I correct in thinking that you don't want another person close to you to die?"
"Itachi was NOT close! I hated him and still hate him now! Don't you DARE assume that that man-!"
"But you DON'T want Kakashi-sensei to die."
Sasuke realized that he had jumped to his feet in his rage and had accidentally knocked over his cup. Sakura's tea was seeping all over the table and dripping onto the floor. Against the wood it looked red. Before he could say anything else, Sasuke righted the cup before any more could spill out. But he was too late. It was empty. He sat back down, staring blankly at it.
Naruto sighed again. "You always seem to dwell on the past, don't cha? Not that I'm saying that the past is crap, but once and a while, start to live in the present and you might be happier." And he got up and left.
It took a few seconds for Naruto's statement to sink in, and by that time, he was already gone. But that didn't stop Sasuke from hurling both cups at the door, shattering both of them.
Curse it all...
Sasuke brooded the remainder of the day away, sulking over what Naruto had told him and still struggled to find a solution to both free Kakashi, and not get killed in the process. But no matter how he looked at it, it all seemed almost impossible. Almost... Guess I'll just have to throw caution to the winds and hope it turns out okay. Risk wasn't openly accepted to Sasuke, and with the a big gamble such as this looming over him, sleep that night was plagued with nightmares every time he closed his eyes.
When he awoke the next morning, he found his apartment flooded with sunlight. But it didn't warm him at all. All he wanted was to just be able to curl up in his bed and when he awoke, Sakura would be next to him. Just like before. Just like always. But he knew his dream was impossible. It was in the past.
He dressed with a new found courage burning within him. For the first time in over a month he strapped on his shuriken and kunai hostler, and, with a deep breath, tied his hitai-ate about his forehead. It had been so long since he had worn it, it felt strange. At last, fighting to ignore the feeling of foreboding in the pit of his stomach, stepped outside.
People were already milling around the miniature stage in the center of the village, talking in hushed tones. Sasuke found Naruto, who, despite the occasion, gave his friend a weak grin.
"I see you've ended some form of inner conflicts with yourself, Sasuke?" asked Naruto, nodding at Sasuke's hitai-ate.
"What are you talking about? Anyways, I bet you don't even know what half those words you just said mean." Sasuke said with a short laugh that didn't hold any happiness at all.
He looked up at Kakashi and gave him a small salute. "We'll get you out of here." Naruto mouthed.
"What? We?" asked Sasuke with alarm.
"Yeah, 'we'." Said Naruto, giving Sasuke a thumbs up. "Ain't gonna let you have all the glory."
Sasuke sighed gratefully. "Thanks."
The two waded through the crowd around to the back of the stage where there were less people. Sasuke's heart was beating very fast, he felt uneasy. He supposed the feeling was justified however, and tried to push it away to a corner of his mind and tried not too think too much on it.
Orochimaru, under his disguise, stepped up onto the platform. Sasuke clenched his fist. This was it. Very quickly, as though as they had practiced it countless times before, Naruto and Sasuke drew out a fist full of shuriken each and threw them, landing them skillfully on the chairs of the death row inmates, severing their bindings. Again, as if it had been rehearsed, Kakashi and they others leapt away from the stage and scattered. Kakashi appeared beside Naruto.
"Thanks." He breathed. "I was starting to worry a bit."
"Ha! You give our loyalty too much credit, sensei!" laughed Naruto.
But Sasuke wasn't paying attention to Naruto's and Kakashi's conversation, he was looking at Orochimaru. He had just turned around to see the trio, wearing a very ugly face indeed. Sasuke pushed two kunai into his teacher's hands.
"I think you'll need these."
Kakashi nodded, his eyes too were now fixed on Orochimaru. All around people were screaming, pushing to get away. Too get them moving faster and to make room for a fight, Kakashi vanished and reappeared in the center of the crowd, scaring many into a out right run away from the ninja.
Mean while, Naruto was performing his doppelganger technique, filling most of the area where prospectors had been with countless clones of himself. Now it was Sasuke's turn. Deciding it would be best to fight at a distance, he preformed a jutsu that his fingers had practically memorized.
Mythical Flower no Jutsu!
Bright flames consumed the stage, quickly reducing it to ash. Sasuke had not seen Orochimaru leap away, but he didn't count him down yet. As a follow up, Sasuke preformed Chidori and waited, letting his chakra dance around his arm, waiting, waiting. His Sharingan eyes were roving around the area, searching for any sign of the twisted ninja. Naruto and Kakashi (who too had chakra roaring around his hand in his own Chidori) watched as well. There was no way Orochimaru had perished in that one attack. He was alive, biding his time, searching for a vulnerable target from his little hiding spot.
"Sasuke! Behind you!"
Sasuke whirled around and jumped out of the way as about fifty shuriken came in his direction. This wasn't like Orochimaru at all... he didn't fight like this. He couldn't hear Naruto, or even the crackle of chakra from his Chidori. Was this one of Orochimaru's tricks?
Mist creeped around his legs, eventually consuming everything. Sharingan now useless, Sasuke kept his ears pricked for any sound. But there wasn't anything. He was becoming unnerved now. He didn't like situations like this.
Out of now where came two sickenly familiar eyes came into focus. Sasuke gulped. He tried not to look into them. Last time he looked into Orochimaru's eyes, they showed him a vision of his own death.
There it came again. The excruciating pain of death washed over him, he was screaming. Screaming so loud he couldn't hear the maniacal laughter coming from Orochimaru's direction. He couldn't hear Naruto, or Kakashi, or anyone else. Everything was black.
The pain had numbed to an ache by the time Sasuke brought up the courage to open his eyes. Naruto was leaning over him.
"Sasuke?!" Naruto asked, and Kakashi, Neji, and Hinata gathered around. They all looked very worried. Hinata had tear stains on her cheeks.
"What, what happened?" Sasuke mumbled, not even attempting to sit up. Orochimaru was gone, so, why did he still hurt so much?
"Orochimaru attacked you. When he was hiding in the mist." Said Kakashi quietly.
"Huh? But, I'm okay, right? It doesn't hurt so much any more. I-." to prove what he was saying Sasuke tried to sit up, but the moment he tried to move, his head started to spin and black spots began to obscure his vision. When he lied back down, they did not go away.
"We were able to get away." Said Naruto, his voice shaking. "Kakashi- sensei had picked up your body, but..." He shuddered, and turned away.
"I'm surprised you woke up at all." Said Kakashi. "We tried our best for you."
"So... in other words, I'm on my death bed?" asked Sasuke slowly, though he knew the answer. He was going to die. It was just as it dawned on him, that everything started to dim. Perhaps the world had already started to fade away before he had realized it, but it was his denial that kept him from believing it.
"Well, at least you'll be able to see Sakura again." Said Naruto, in a slightly strangled voice.
"No, I ...don't think...that I deserve...something like that..."
"What?! Sasuke, you-!"
But Sasuke didn't get to hear what he was. Naruto's voice got farther and farther away until he couldn't hear a thing. The world was now a swirling black mass.
Sorry Sakura, but going to see you would be too much to ask for. Itachi, I guess now we'll be spending eternity in hell now. Now I'll be able to ask you a few questions, like why you keep asking me to do all these impossible things.
END
-Setren
For the following days, Sasuke kept himself locked in his apartment, brooding. What's going to happen now? Kakashi-sensei is going to be killed in two days, and there's no way I'll let that happen. Damn, Naruto's right, this isn't like me. But, what am I to do?
And so Sasuke plotted. Breaking Kakashi out of the prison would be a fool's errand, but that's what every plan Sasuke thought up of seemed like. Each as impossible as the next. He tugged at his hair, as if pulling it out would help some relatively good ideas to come out of his head as well. It got him nothing but an even worse headache.
What to do, what to do...
Sasuke fell asleep at the table, thinking or at least trying to. When he was awoken by the whistling tea kettle, he was so much more interested in getting back to thinking of a way to free his teacher that he didn't think it was odd that the kettle should be whistling, since he hadn't even put water in it before he dozed off. So immersed in his thoughts, he didn't even notice that the high pitched whistle had stopped, until someone spoke.
"Just gonna think your day away huh?" It was Naruto.
Sasuke started and whirled around in his chair to face his friend with shock.
"Naruto? What...how...?"
Naruto rolled his eyes. "You're getting rusty, putting a lock on the door is all fine and dandy, but honestly. I expected more of a challenge from the last Uchiha clan member."
Sasuke scowled. Naruto was poking fun at him on purpose. Trying to snap him out his numb daze. It was just the thing Naruto would do. But Sasuke was in no mood for it.
"Go make tea in your own damn house, Naruto." He said coldly.
He chuckled. "Or you'll do what?" He sat down and pushed a cup toward Sasuke, but Sasuke didn't want it.
"What do you want?" Sasuke said through gritted teeth.
Naruto peered at him over the rim of his cup. "Kakashi-sensei ain't just your teacher. And I ain't letting that Orochimaru bastard kill him with out my say." He took a sip and made a face. "This the only tea you got here? Bleh...tastes horrible. I could make better rice balls than this mess."
"It was Sakura's." Was the stiff answer.
Naruto sighed. "Yeah, well." He set the cup down with a faint smile. "Am I correct in thinking that you don't want another person close to you to die?"
"Itachi was NOT close! I hated him and still hate him now! Don't you DARE assume that that man-!"
"But you DON'T want Kakashi-sensei to die."
Sasuke realized that he had jumped to his feet in his rage and had accidentally knocked over his cup. Sakura's tea was seeping all over the table and dripping onto the floor. Against the wood it looked red. Before he could say anything else, Sasuke righted the cup before any more could spill out. But he was too late. It was empty. He sat back down, staring blankly at it.
Naruto sighed again. "You always seem to dwell on the past, don't cha? Not that I'm saying that the past is crap, but once and a while, start to live in the present and you might be happier." And he got up and left.
It took a few seconds for Naruto's statement to sink in, and by that time, he was already gone. But that didn't stop Sasuke from hurling both cups at the door, shattering both of them.
Curse it all...
Sasuke brooded the remainder of the day away, sulking over what Naruto had told him and still struggled to find a solution to both free Kakashi, and not get killed in the process. But no matter how he looked at it, it all seemed almost impossible. Almost... Guess I'll just have to throw caution to the winds and hope it turns out okay. Risk wasn't openly accepted to Sasuke, and with the a big gamble such as this looming over him, sleep that night was plagued with nightmares every time he closed his eyes.
When he awoke the next morning, he found his apartment flooded with sunlight. But it didn't warm him at all. All he wanted was to just be able to curl up in his bed and when he awoke, Sakura would be next to him. Just like before. Just like always. But he knew his dream was impossible. It was in the past.
He dressed with a new found courage burning within him. For the first time in over a month he strapped on his shuriken and kunai hostler, and, with a deep breath, tied his hitai-ate about his forehead. It had been so long since he had worn it, it felt strange. At last, fighting to ignore the feeling of foreboding in the pit of his stomach, stepped outside.
People were already milling around the miniature stage in the center of the village, talking in hushed tones. Sasuke found Naruto, who, despite the occasion, gave his friend a weak grin.
"I see you've ended some form of inner conflicts with yourself, Sasuke?" asked Naruto, nodding at Sasuke's hitai-ate.
"What are you talking about? Anyways, I bet you don't even know what half those words you just said mean." Sasuke said with a short laugh that didn't hold any happiness at all.
He looked up at Kakashi and gave him a small salute. "We'll get you out of here." Naruto mouthed.
"What? We?" asked Sasuke with alarm.
"Yeah, 'we'." Said Naruto, giving Sasuke a thumbs up. "Ain't gonna let you have all the glory."
Sasuke sighed gratefully. "Thanks."
The two waded through the crowd around to the back of the stage where there were less people. Sasuke's heart was beating very fast, he felt uneasy. He supposed the feeling was justified however, and tried to push it away to a corner of his mind and tried not too think too much on it.
Orochimaru, under his disguise, stepped up onto the platform. Sasuke clenched his fist. This was it. Very quickly, as though as they had practiced it countless times before, Naruto and Sasuke drew out a fist full of shuriken each and threw them, landing them skillfully on the chairs of the death row inmates, severing their bindings. Again, as if it had been rehearsed, Kakashi and they others leapt away from the stage and scattered. Kakashi appeared beside Naruto.
"Thanks." He breathed. "I was starting to worry a bit."
"Ha! You give our loyalty too much credit, sensei!" laughed Naruto.
But Sasuke wasn't paying attention to Naruto's and Kakashi's conversation, he was looking at Orochimaru. He had just turned around to see the trio, wearing a very ugly face indeed. Sasuke pushed two kunai into his teacher's hands.
"I think you'll need these."
Kakashi nodded, his eyes too were now fixed on Orochimaru. All around people were screaming, pushing to get away. Too get them moving faster and to make room for a fight, Kakashi vanished and reappeared in the center of the crowd, scaring many into a out right run away from the ninja.
Mean while, Naruto was performing his doppelganger technique, filling most of the area where prospectors had been with countless clones of himself. Now it was Sasuke's turn. Deciding it would be best to fight at a distance, he preformed a jutsu that his fingers had practically memorized.
Mythical Flower no Jutsu!
Bright flames consumed the stage, quickly reducing it to ash. Sasuke had not seen Orochimaru leap away, but he didn't count him down yet. As a follow up, Sasuke preformed Chidori and waited, letting his chakra dance around his arm, waiting, waiting. His Sharingan eyes were roving around the area, searching for any sign of the twisted ninja. Naruto and Kakashi (who too had chakra roaring around his hand in his own Chidori) watched as well. There was no way Orochimaru had perished in that one attack. He was alive, biding his time, searching for a vulnerable target from his little hiding spot.
"Sasuke! Behind you!"
Sasuke whirled around and jumped out of the way as about fifty shuriken came in his direction. This wasn't like Orochimaru at all... he didn't fight like this. He couldn't hear Naruto, or even the crackle of chakra from his Chidori. Was this one of Orochimaru's tricks?
Mist creeped around his legs, eventually consuming everything. Sharingan now useless, Sasuke kept his ears pricked for any sound. But there wasn't anything. He was becoming unnerved now. He didn't like situations like this.
Out of now where came two sickenly familiar eyes came into focus. Sasuke gulped. He tried not to look into them. Last time he looked into Orochimaru's eyes, they showed him a vision of his own death.
There it came again. The excruciating pain of death washed over him, he was screaming. Screaming so loud he couldn't hear the maniacal laughter coming from Orochimaru's direction. He couldn't hear Naruto, or Kakashi, or anyone else. Everything was black.
The pain had numbed to an ache by the time Sasuke brought up the courage to open his eyes. Naruto was leaning over him.
"Sasuke?!" Naruto asked, and Kakashi, Neji, and Hinata gathered around. They all looked very worried. Hinata had tear stains on her cheeks.
"What, what happened?" Sasuke mumbled, not even attempting to sit up. Orochimaru was gone, so, why did he still hurt so much?
"Orochimaru attacked you. When he was hiding in the mist." Said Kakashi quietly.
"Huh? But, I'm okay, right? It doesn't hurt so much any more. I-." to prove what he was saying Sasuke tried to sit up, but the moment he tried to move, his head started to spin and black spots began to obscure his vision. When he lied back down, they did not go away.
"We were able to get away." Said Naruto, his voice shaking. "Kakashi- sensei had picked up your body, but..." He shuddered, and turned away.
"I'm surprised you woke up at all." Said Kakashi. "We tried our best for you."
"So... in other words, I'm on my death bed?" asked Sasuke slowly, though he knew the answer. He was going to die. It was just as it dawned on him, that everything started to dim. Perhaps the world had already started to fade away before he had realized it, but it was his denial that kept him from believing it.
"Well, at least you'll be able to see Sakura again." Said Naruto, in a slightly strangled voice.
"No, I ...don't think...that I deserve...something like that..."
"What?! Sasuke, you-!"
But Sasuke didn't get to hear what he was. Naruto's voice got farther and farther away until he couldn't hear a thing. The world was now a swirling black mass.
Sorry Sakura, but going to see you would be too much to ask for. Itachi, I guess now we'll be spending eternity in hell now. Now I'll be able to ask you a few questions, like why you keep asking me to do all these impossible things.
END