Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.
Title: I think I better leave right now - chapter 17
Author: Purrfectly679 - e-mail purrfectly679hotmail.com
for comments and suggestions. Feedback highly appreciated.
Rating: PG-13, angst, bad language, blood. SakuSasu, SasuNaru
Notes: No spoilers. This is a revised repost. Thank you so much to
everyone for the reviews...!
Previously: Sakura overhears Sasuke's conversation with Naruto.
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"How can I possibly make it any harder than it already is? What could possibly be harder than committing your life to someone, when someone else invades your mind and soul?"
Sakura stared horrified, eyes wide in shock at the two boys in front of her. The cup of tea she had originally prepared for Naruto laid broken and shattered upon the floor – the hot liquid seeping slowly into the wooden floor - very much like pain leaking into her own heart…
So it was true – it was true - after all the doubts, after all the suspicions… There was someone else…
Sasuke was in love with someone else…
She took a step forward, not even wincing as her bare feet came into contact with the sharp shards of glass scattered all over the floor. The physical pain was nothing compared to the agony running through her heart, the agony coursing through her soul…
Sasuke… Sasuke with someone else…? But how…? And why??
"Sa-Sasuke?" she stammered weakly, half in denial at the Uchiha's outburst of words. It couldn't be true, could it? Not after everything they had been through… Not after all the fighting, all the blood…
All the unforgiving blood…
"How am I supposed to give her my heart when someone else owns it? Is it fair? Is it really fair on her?"
Maybe it was a dream! Another nightmare perhaps? It wasn't impossible! Maybe she had fallen asleep without even realising it… Maybe the night's transpirations had finally taken a toll on her already exhausted body, leaving her passed out and sleeping on the kitchen floor…
"Sa-Sakura… Stop Sakura… You're… You're bleeding…" Naruto stammered, as he made his way towards the trembling girl. He appeared to be on the verge of a panic attack, unsure of what to do in such a situation…
And yet she paid him no heed.
It just seemed… Seemed unreal… Even if she had earlier doubts about Sasuke's faithfulness – that's all they were – just doubts! Nothing more than plain unfounded suspicion… Sasuke… Sasuke just wouldn't…! He would never do this to her… It… It couldn't be true…
It just couldn't be true…
"Sasuke?" she repeated, ignoring Naruto's advancement as a stifled sob escaped her lips. It wracked through her entire body, making her knees go weak. And not once did she look into the direction of the blonde approaching her cautiously…
"Tell me… Tell me it's not true…" she whimpered, seeming oblivious to everything around her but Sasuke. She didn't feel the pain as she finally collapsed - didn't feel the splinters of glass impaling her knees and legs, nor the hot tea that ruthlessly scalded her bare skin… She didn't feel the strong arms around her, offering her support, desperately trying to shift her away from the broken shards upon the floor… She didn't even realise as she forcefully pushed the blonde away, nor the look of utter distress crossing his features as she did so…
All she saw was Sasuke – Sasuke sitting up in bed – his eyes sad and remorseful… Even in the dark she could make out his silhouette, his posture drained and slumped, as if extremely weary… He seemed defenceless, unguarded – something very uncharacteristic of the usually stoic boy…
"I'm sorry Sakura," came the soft reply, the Uchiha's voice unusually exposed and emotional – betraying the profound sorrow and regret running deep inside.
The pink haired girl blanched, not even realising as rivulets of crimson blood ran down her pale legs. Why was Sasuke apologising? Why was he fucking apologising for something that wasn't true?! Cos it wasn't true!! It couldn't be true!
It just couldn't be fucking true damn it!
"You're lying!" Sakura spat, her eyes wide and flickering in desperation. Why was Sasuke lying to her? Did he hate her that much? Was it an excuse to postpone the wedding? Maybe he was scared!! She knew that he didn't love her… But… But…
He couldn't love someone else!!
"I'm sorry Sakura… I… I should've told you a long time ago…" Sasuke's voice was filled with immeasurable remorse, his usually composed self and emotionless demeanour mislaid.
Sakura's mind reeled in utter mortification – the raven-haired boy had finally lowered his defences in her presence for the very first time… She had actually seen some kind of emotion flicker across his usually passive face…
But why was it sorrow? Why was it regret?
And why the fuck was he still lying to her?
"Don't lie to me Sasuke!" she yelled, as tears brimmed her green eyes, distorting her vision of the dark room. "If you're unhappy, just tell me damn it! Stop making up pathetic excuses and hiding behind them!"
"I'm not making up excuses…" Sasuke murmured weakly. "I… I can't marry you Sakura… I… I love someone else…"
"Shut up Sasuke you bastard!" Naruto suddenly yelled, interrupting the dark haired boy and, at the same time, reasserting his presence in the room. He immediately diverted his attention to the trembling girl on the floor, his expression full of anxiety and concern. His instantly voice softened. "Ignore him Sakura, he doesn't know what he's saying! The alcohol just fucked him up a bit, and he's being an idio-"
"Don't you fucking take my feelings lightly, Naruto…" the Uchiha growled, disrupting the blonde's speech, severe danger lacing his low tone of voice. His softly spoken regretful words were gone, replaced by ones of utmost anger. "This isn't easy for me you know! I've told you everything - I've been to hell and back, so don't you ever dare ridicule me! Don't you ever fucking dare disregard my feelings!"
Sakura tensed as she felt trembling arms wrap around her, lifting her gently off the floor and off the broken glass. Sasuke's words still echoed in aimlessly in her mind…
"I… I can't marry you Sakura… I… I love someone else…"
It couldn't be true could it? Sasuke… With someone else?? Is that why he kept disappearing for days on end? Did he disappear just to meet her? Just to continue their forbidden affair?
But why did he agree to marry her then? Why did he agree to marry her when his heart belonged to someone else? Why did he lead her on? Why lead her on when he knew that he meant the world to her? He knew that she would've gladly died for him damn it!
Just what had she done wrong? She had given everything to him! Every fucking thing! She had given up her entire life for him 5 years ago, and she was willing to give it up all over again… She had offered her heart on a silver platter; she had even devoted her soul… What more did he want? Just what more could he possibly need?
She had been there for him, throughout the whole Itachi ordeal… Throughout the pain, the training, the injuries… Throughout the tears, the hurt, the hopelessness…
She didn't even complain when he randomly disappeared for days! She didn't scold him, nor force him to act against his will… She hadn't yelled at him, insulted him… She had been nothing but patient!
God, just what the fuck did she do wrong?
"I… I don't understand… Sasuke?" Sakura murmured weakly, tears pouring relentlessly from her eyes, rivalling the rain still pounding against the window. "I… I haven't done anything wrong… Have I? Tell me… Have I done something wrong?"
"Tell me damn it!" she cried, as sobs overtook her body. Naruto instinctively tightened his arms around her to provide comfort, but this seemed to have no affect upon the pink-haired girl. "Tell me! What has she got that I don't? Is she prettier? Sexier? Smarter? Or what? Tell me Sasuke! Tell me what's so special about your fucking little whore?!"
All this earned her was a flinch from Naruto, followed by a few hushed murmurs, soft words trying to calm her, coaxing her to believe that everything was going to be alright…
She didn't listen. How could things be alright? How could they ever be alright? What did the blonde know? Nothing bad ever happened to him! He knew nothing about pain! He knew nothing about how it was like to suffer!
He had no fucking right to say anything!
"I'm not giving up on you!" she muttered, her eyes becoming hauntingly blank. "You hear me? Whatever she's got… I'll be her! I'll be her for you… Just… Just tell me what to do!! I'll do… I'll be anything for you…"
Tense silence descended on the room.
"Are you listening to me Sasuke? I'm not giving up! I don't care what you say – we're getting married Sasuke. We're. Getting. Married..."
"Sakura…It's late…Let's talk about this in the morning…" Sasuke seemed to revert back to his usual cold self with ease. His voice was completely devoid of emotion – an immense contrast to the regretful and angry person only a few moments before.
"We're fucking getting married you hear me?" Naruto flinched as the pink-haired girl shrieked in his arms, aggravating her wounds, spilling even more precious crimson blood. "I've given up too much for you! It's always been about you, you, you! Well what about what I want huh? What about my fucking needs?"
"Sakura, don't-"
"YOU SHUT UP YOU!" she screamed at the blonde in frustration, tears spilling out of her eyes in distress. "You knew all along you bastard! You knew all along yet you never said anything! I was wrong about you Naruto… You were supposed to be my friend!"
"My friend Naruto…" she choked, the emotion overwhelming her, as she roughly shoved the blonde away. "You were supposed to be my friend… Bet you had a good laugh at my expense…!"
"It's not like that, I-"
"Go away Naruto…" Sakura muttered coldly, the initial fury fading to bitter disappointment. "Get out – get out of here… I… I never want to see you again…"
"Listen to me!" Naruto rasped in desperation.
"You betrayed me Naruto!" Sakura shouted, tears splattering all over the floor, mingling with her crimson blood and the now lukewarm tea. "You betrayed me! There's nothing more to say! I thought… I thought I could depend on you! You… You knew all along and yet you never said anything!"
"How could you do that to me?" she whispered hoarsely, the heartbreak evident in her voice. "How could you sit around and listen to my problems… How could you comfort me when you knew that he was with someone else? When you knew what was wrong all along…"
"I'm… I'm sorry…" Naruto whispered weakly, as he slumped dejectedly onto the floor. She didn't see the disbelief and regret in his eyes, nor the angry blame that he directed at himself. She didn't notice his tears - silver tears that flowed freely, mixing furiously with hers… Tears betraying the utter pain and agony he felt inside…
She didn't see the hopelessness in his eyes…
"I… I trusted you…" she murmured weakly, as she clenched her eyes shut in desperation. "I trusted you and you betrayed me…"
"I'm… sorry…" the blonde repeated hoarsely, as silence once again filled the room.
Sakura bit down upon her bottom lip, urging herself to wake up… This was just too much like a bad dream… None of this could really be happening, could it…? It just had to be a fucking nightmare! She couldn't be deceived by both of them in one night damn it!
She couldn't lose both of her most important people…
"Tell me Naruto…" she slowly opened her eyes and stared at the blonde, her tears blurring her vision. "Was it worth it?" she choked. "Whatever… Whatever sick joke you were playing… Was it worth it?"
"That's enough Sakura," Sasuke muttered coldly.
"You can shut up as well!" the pink-haired girl retaliated harshly, her head spinning around violently to meet the Uchiha's glare. "You are in NO position to tell me what to do!"
"I… really am… so… sorry…" Naruto interrupted the two, his whisper barely audible. She was so absorbed in her own anger that she didn't notice as his usually bright blue eyes became hauntingly bare, as if his life and soul had been prematurely sucked out from within him…
As if he had just lost all his will to live…
"Just leave Naruto…" she murmured weakly, as her resentment drained away her remaining energy. "It hurts… You don't know how much it hurts… I… I don't want to see you again…"
"I never want to see you again…"
She was only mildly aware of a body slowly standing up, and stumbling unsteadily on his feet. She continued to cry as the one person she had confided in – the one person she had put all her trust in – slowly turned his back on her and walked out of the room…
"I never expected you to understand…" she whispered softly, the figure freezing in mid-step at the sound of her voice. "You've never been hurt… What would you know about suffering?" she slumped wearily, the words spilling from her mouth before she could fully comprehend the severity of her words.
"After all - what would a demon know about pain?"
The sound of a front door clicking shut was all that greeted her ears 5 seconds later.
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"Maruuu!" a voice whined, dragging the poor slumbering boy back into the world of consciousness. He groaned and rubbed his eyes wearily against the bright light. Why the hell was it so bright anyway…?
"Mmhhmm…" he mumbled before rolling over and promptly returning to the enticing realm of sleep…
"Maru…"a soft voice growled dangerously. "You promised!"
"Yuh huh…" the boy unconsciously agreed, before snuggling deeper into the warm duvet. So warm and fluffy…
"Shikamaru!" the voice was edging impatience.
The dark pony-tailed man opened his eyes reluctantly and frowned. Ino had called him Shikamaru. She never called him Shikamaru unless it was something serious…
He sighed despondently. Just what had he done wrong now?
"Yes darling…?" he murmured weakly, before he was swiftly and violently shoved out of his warm comfortable bed. He hit the hard and cold floor with a resonating thud.
"You've slept enough…" the blonde haired girl pouted. "It's 11am already…!"
"So?" he muttered, crossing his arms in irritation. It was only 11am for God's sake! It happened to be one of his rare days off, and he was planning to stay in bed till at least noon!
"Sakura, remember?" Ino glared, as if daring him to forget.
He sighed dejectedly as a vague memory of promising to visit the pink haired girl popped up into his mind. But why did he have to go? After all, he didn't really know anything about her… And they hardly ever spoke!!
"Come on then…" the blonde haired girl whined impatiently. "Let's get going… Geez you're so lazy Shikamaru!"
The dark pony-tailed man sighed glumly. Why did everything have to be so troublesome? And now he had to visit the Uchiha's first thing in the morning… He rolled his eyes. What a great way to start the day…
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Hinata stood nervously in front of Naruto's apartment. It was around 11.30am… Not too early and not too late… Naruto should be home right? She hoped that he wasn't asleep… The last thing she wanted to do was to disturb or annoy him in any way…
She hid her head in her trembling hands as the full realisation of the situation hit her… She was outside the blonde's apartment! She was actually standing outside his apartment…!
Gah just what the hell was she doing there?!
She clutched a bunch of invitations tightly against her chest, as if to remind herself that she actually had a purpose there. Basically, it was going to be Neji's birthday in a few days, and she wanted to throw him a surprise party… Hence the unannounced visit…
She flushed as a memory of Naruto hugging her drifted into her mind… Gah just how was she supposed to face him now?!
'Come on Hinata!' she murmured to herself. 'You've come all the way out here – so there's no point turning back now…'
Whimpering slightly, she raised her hand and knocked shakily on the front door. And then she waited.
And waited.
After about 2 minutes of silent uncertainty, the dark-haired girl decided to knock again.
No answer.
She frowned, her nervousness vanishing almost immediately as her curiosity took over. She knew that Naruto didn't have any missions today… So if he wasn't at home… Then where was he?
Sighing a little dejectedly, Hinata slipped a single invitation under the blonde's front door before walking slowly away from the apartment. She was actually slightly relieved that he wasn't at home – at least that meant she could put off talking to him a little while longer… But a bigger part of her was actually quite disappointed…
To be honest, she kinda missed him…
She glanced at her bundle of invites and smiled slightly in reprieve. At least there were only a few more to go through… She decided to go visit Kiba and Shino first, since they both lived relatively close to Naruto… Then Ino, and Shikamaru…
She chuckled softly in amusement. It was soo obvious that they were together!!
Her smile faded as it reached the last invitation. Sasuke and Sakura. A shiver ran up her spine – her last confrontation with the raven-haired boy hadn't gone too smoothly… He had been so dark… So angry… And she still didn't know what she had done wrong!
Hinata bit down upon her lower lip, her breath faintly hitching in fear. Whatever she did, she fervently hoped that he wasn't still pissed off at her… Because unlike before, she didn't have Naruto to protect her this time…
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Naruto was walking. He had been walking ever since he had left the Uchiha household - just walking mindlessly - oblivious of his surroundings, unaware of his destination… He travelled wherever his two feet took him, as turbulent thoughts rushed furiously through his mind, confusing him, hurting him…
He wasn't aware that he had been walking for nearly 8 hours straight, never stopping, never ceasing his steady pace… He had walked through the storm without even so much as flinching, the rain drowning him yet cleansing him at the same time... He wasn't even aware of being dangerously close to the village outskirts, where rogue ninjas were a frequent occurrence…
He finally collapsed under a tall oak tree, the weariness from the previous day's training and the lack of sleep catching up to him. His clothes were already dry, and although he wasn't physically cold, he felt perversely like ice inside…
He smiled bitterly, his eyes lifeless, his soul bare… Even the great Kyuubi's power wasn't enough to melt his frozen heart…
"You betrayed me, Naruto!"
He clenched his fists tightly together as onslaughts of tormenting memories attacked him head on. He didn't mean to hurt her! He had never wanted to hurt her! She was one of his first friends… One of his only friends… Why didn't she see? He had tried so hard! He had tried so hard and yet somehow, he still managed to hurt her…
He was so fucking useless! Why couldn't he do anything right?
"What so special about your fucking little whore?"
Naruto smiled bitterly – he wasn't special… He wasn't special at all, unless it involved hurting other people… He had an extraordinary knack for ruining other people's lives…
He sighed. He knew that Sasuke didn't love him… They had nothing together! They were nothing but a consequence of pent up teenage hormones… Sasuke could never love him, no matter how much he managed to convince himself otherwise…
Maybe it was just for the sex… Maybe the Uchiha did only want him for sex – not for love, and definitely not for life… After all, love and sex could easily be confused… Maybe he was nothing but a fucking little whore... A little whore that could be easily used and effortlessly replaced… A worthless little demon whore…
"I never want to see you again…"
The blonde shut his eyes tightly, as tears of frustration threatened to spill from them. He didn't blame her… Not really… He deserved everything he got and more… Just what kind of friend was he anyway? Just what kind of friend fucks around with the other's fiancé? He had committed the ultimate betrayal, and now he had to pay the ultimate price... She was going to hate him...
She was going to hate him like everyone else did.
"What would a demon know about pain?"
Maybe she was right… Maybe the villagers had been right all along… Just what did he know about pain? The only pain and suffering associated with demons was the fact that they caused it… They did nothing but destroy… Caused nothing but devastation…
Maybe… Maybe he was a demon… It would make sense after all… At least he had some kinda excuse for his actions, right?
So maybe he was a demon…
Maybe he was nothing but a life wrecking demon…
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Sasuke woke up with a splitting headache, as the sound of a door being slammed alerted his awakening senses. He rubbed his eyes groggily, before recollections of the previous night slammed roughly into his brain.
Sakura knew!
He sat up in bed as a surge of nausea immediately rushed through him, followed by a smaller wave of utmost relief… At least the secret was out now in the open – he no longer had to hide…
And he no longer had to lie…
He sighed wearily as erratic memories rushed hazardously though his mind. He remembered Naruto leaving while it was still raining… Then Sakura had run to their shared bedroom in tears… Then he remembered falling asleep shortly afterwards, as the alcohol finally took a toll on his already exhausted body…
He winced gingerly as another spasm of pain attacked his head. Ugh whoever invented alcohol must be rolling in his grave…
Blinking away the bleariness from his eyes, Sasuke noticed with dismay that his room was a complete mess. Broken glass and a strange coloured liquid adorned his wooden floor, accompanied by the distinctive metallic stench of blood… He grimaced in distaste. Tea, mixed with blood, mixed with tears…
Not exactly a pleasant combination of aromas…
Taking a deep breath, the Uchiha slowly positioned his aching legs out of his bed. He immediately reached for the glass of water positioned upon his bedside table, and gratefully downed it along with a couple of aspirin. God, how he hated to depend on drugs and medicine, but sometimes desperate deeds called for desperate measures…
Placing the glass back upon the table, he sighed wearily before instructing his unresponsive limbs to react and stand up. His legs immediately gave out at the sudden command, causing him to collapse ungracefully upon the floor… A stray shard of glass impaled deep into his right calf, but he felt no pain… He felt nothing… He felt nothing but numbness…
He sighed resentfully. God he was a mess…
Raking a hand through his coarse hair in distraction, he was suddenly attacked by a new wave of stale cigarette smoke, from the club no doubt. The stench clung to him, as if bonding with every particle of his being, choking him, suffocating him… As if daring him to forget about his guilt, his shame… He blanched in disgust.
Blood, tears and now smoke…
Could his morning get any worse?
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Naruto felt a piercing gaze upon him long before he acted upon the sensation. Although he was physically drained, his senses were still in full working order, thanks to the tremendous stamina of the demon fox. But he knew he wasn't in any condition to fight – he was just too tired, his mind too confused…
"I don't have any money…" he muttered dully, after a moment's silence, although deep inside he was hoping fervently that he hadn't accidentally stumbled across a gang of rogue ninja's. He had heard stories about them – great ninjas that had been exiled from their village for ruthless and corrupted deeds – forced to go on the run, striving for existence in the wild…
He knew that they were dangerous – living in the wild obviously strengthened one's physical well-being, as well as reinforcing the mind and the soul… There was even the chance that they were even stronger than Kakashi sensei – a former ANBU member and a highly esteemed jounin… What was that famous saying? Something about adaptation and survival of the fittest? Naruto shook his head wearily in confusion…
Maybe now wasn't the best time to get philosophical…
The blonde frowned as he felt another presence enter the scenario. Was there two of them? How was he supposed to take two of them on in such a weary condition?
"I said I don't have anything…" he muttered loudly, concealing his inner nervousness with an immaculate display of confidence. Maybe having a façade was useful in some circumstances… Especially circumstances where bluffing was a crucial part of the game…
An uncomfortable silence settled around the oak tree. Naruto sighed wearily. Even now he was treated indifferently… Even now he was spied on, victimised… Couldn't a guy mourn in peace? Why couldn't they just leave him alone?
Why did they never leave him alone?
After a few tense moments of hesitation, the blonde felt his anger start to build. Why was all this happening to him? What the hell did he do to deserve all this? After dealing with Sakura and Sasuke only a few moments ago, he now had to cope with this?
Everything was just too much… It was all too overwhelming…
He finally had enough…
"If you're going to attack me, just get it over and done with already…" he yelled in irritation, anger rushing through his veins as he finally snapped. Bitter emotions surged through his body – memories of Sasuke, Sakura… The pain, the hurt… The betrayal…
"Come get me then! Or are you too fucking afraid?!" he screamed, his pent up frustration bursting out with every word. Maybe he was playing with fire, but who the fuck cared? Maybe it wouldn't be so bad… So what if he were risking his life? It wasn't as if anyone would actually worry… No one would be concerned…
No one ever cared!
Naruto stumbled uncertainly to his feet as he heard a soft rustle of leaves. He tensed reluctantly as he realised that the enemy were finally going to reveal themselves… He secretly hoped that they were strong… Strong enough to kill without prolonging the pain…
He sighed to himself in resentful resignation. He had endured enough pain for one lifetime.
Maybe the end wouldn't be so bad…
Maybe it wouldn't be so bad after all…
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Sasuke came out of the bathroom feeling reasonably refreshed. His pounding headache had dulled to a somewhat bearable hum and the stench of cigarette smoke had finally left his presence. The water was proficient in relaxing him, washing away the dirt, the guilt, the shame…
He stumbled back to his 'temporary' room unsteadily, before cleaning up the broken glass and the spilt tea from the wooden floor. Fortunately, he managed to dispose of the glittering shards without further incident, although a subtle scent of blood could still be tasted in the air…
Scanning the room for any further disruptions to his habitually immaculate setting, his gaze settled upon 2 random items of clothing abandoned hazardously in the corner. A vague memory of Naruto attempting to borrow his clothing sprung into his mind, but he immediately discarded the wavering thoughts. He decided to leave the garments as they were, knowing very well that touching them would probably bring back the oh-too-familiar scent of the blonde boy…
He shivered inwardly as the memory of Naruto's lips invaded his mind… So soft… So gentle… And yet so desperate… And to think that it had been less than 12 hours ago… Less than 12 hours ago he had been in the arms of the blonde... Holding him, needing him, tasting him…
"I can't… I… I'm sorry Sasuke…"
Only 12 hours ago that he had been cruelly rejected…
"This is wrong… This is too wrong!"
And only 12 hours ago that he had his heart shattered beyond repair…
He shook his head roughly as he felt the familiar pain rise up in his chest, droplets of water splaying freely from his wet hair. Not now… He couldn't think about him now…
He had to stay strong – he couldn't afford to think about him now…
Sighing ever so slightly, the Uchiha proceeded to ravage his closet for something suitable to wear, as his mind raced unnaturally. He was determined to tell Sakura everything – no more running, no more hiding… She deserved the truth…
His stomach clenched uncomfortably as the realisation of the situation sunk in. He had to tell her everything…
And once again, he had to break her heart…
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Naruto's entire body tensed in anticipation as his watchers finally revealed themselves. His heart raced erratically as the shadow of one person emerged within his field of vision. He waited anxiously, but after a couple of tense seconds, it was evidently clear that no one else was going to join the solitary figure anytime soon…
One person? But wasn't there at least two?
The blonde's pulse raced furiously as his whole body tensed up in suspicion. Maybe someone was still hiding out there and watching? The blonde focussed his remaining chakra to his senses, increasing his overall awareness. His eyebrows bunched in uncertainty – he was almost positive that he had sensed at least two people only a few moments ago, but now all he could sense was the one…
He shrugged – maybe he had sensed a squirrel or something back then…
The dark figure walked closer towards the tall oak tree, causing the blonde's breath to catch unwillingly in his throat. Even with his diminishing attentiveness, Naruto could deduce that the person possessed an extremely dangerous aura… The air particles surrounding him seemed to vibrate vigorously, the energy so great that it was almost visible…
Terrifyingly like the chidori jutsu, except with the entire body…
Naruto shivered in trepidation. How was one person able to retain such immense power…?
The figure walked progressively into the light, and all the blonde could do was wait and stare. He felt as if he were under a strange trance, as if removing his eyes from his opponent for even a split second would immediately instigate his inevitable death…
Ever so slowly, the dark figure became gradually visible to Naruto's eyes. He could immediately tell that it was a man, due to the broad shoulders and the strong limbs that he possessed. He was tall, and appeared to be wearing a dark cloak of some sort… The blonde frowned inwardly… Something about his silhouette… Something… Something just seemed... so familiar…
The man stopped abruptly, his face still indistinguishable within the shadows of the forest. Naruto felt nausea run to the pit of his stomach, as his heart pumped his blood furiously around his body. He had never felt so much apprehension in his life… It was nearly impossible to fathom, the copious power radiating from that one individual…
Then all of a sudden, the man appeared right in front of Naruto's eyes. Blue eyes blinked in utter mortification – he didn't even see him move! How the hell did he manage to move so damn fast?!
Whimpering silently in morbid fascination, Naruto slowly raised his head to meet his intruder's eyes…
They were red, crimson… Like blood…
Sharingan?!
His heart stopped.
"Sasuke?!"
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End chapter 17
lol Finally something happens....! So now you know who the mysterious shadow is Well done to everyone who managed to guess right (which was.... just about everyone lol) scratches head guess I'm not so good at hiding things...
And sorry for the constant character switching O.o' It kinda gave me a headache as well . Ooh ooh angry Sakura... SCARY! And does anyone else feel really really sorry for Hinata?!
And finally - if you would like to join the mailing list, please leave me a review with your email addy in it, or mail me purrfectly679hotmail.com!
Thanks for reading! Ja ne!