An overnight stay

Bloodshed

"NOOO!!!!"

There was a fast movement that would come out as a blur in one's vision. While Sasuke angrily and shockingly screamed and Neji was too shock to even move from his position, the boy who could also put down his life to protect his best friend, jumped in where the scythe would surely hit the flesh of the pink haired girl.

Hinata, from the outside, immediately ran towards the window and started pounding on it just like what Ino did when she saw Sakura.

"Naruto!! NARUTO!!"

Tenten followed the suit and pulled Hinata before she could injure herself after the glass had broken.

"But Naruto is--!!" Hinata exclaimed when she felt Tenten's hands on her forearms.

Tenten could feel the stress in Hinata's voice and actions, "They will get out of there. They will. Now we should avoid coming near the windows before that psycho throws that scythe!"

From the inside, as the events unraveled, Naruto was now crouching in front of Sakura, gritting his teeth in pain from the attack he just received. Sakura, who had finally come out from her senses, realized the situation. Though she had already lack strength to move further, she shakily reached out Naruto's shoulder and touched him.

"Na...Naruto..." She voiced out audibly.

Little recovered from the wound, Naruto was relieved to know that his best friend had finally came out from her own darkness. With one eye shut and the other weakly opened, he still flashed a grin to her.

"Sa...Sakura-chan... Are you--are you alright?" He asked although there's a hint of struggling in his voice.

Sasuke and Neji could no longer contain the anger, which they were controlling for a few moments ago, that they both stood from their fallen location and had their eyes focused on the man who had brought down his weapon on their friend.

'I will never forgive you for attempting to kill Sakura as well as hurting that dobe...' Sasuke talked in his thoughts, refering to the psycho in front of him.

'I will not let you hurt my friends again...' Said Neji while preparing his battle stance.

------------------------------

Going back from the outside, Shikamaru decided to help Naruto and Sakura since Naruto had received such wound. He asked Hinata and Tenten to watch over Ino, who still had her hands clutching at his T-shirt.

"Ino, let go. I'm gonna get Sakura and Naruto out of there." He explained while prying her fingers on his shirt.

Like Sakura, Ino was experiencing such fear and might as well imprisoned in her own world. She was trembling. Trembling because of the rain that poured cold liquid on her skin and because of the fear she's feeling. Hinata and Tenten pulled Ino from Shikamaru when the girl proved that she wasn't even listening to what Shikamaru was trying to tell her. After a few seconds or so, Shikamaru was walking forward to the window where Neji smashed it using a chair. He ignored the glass shards from the window frame which sliced his flesh when he entered.

'How troublesome...'

------------------------------

Neji and Sasuke started attacking the psycho killer, but whenever they tried to hit him square in the face, they were easily thrown back. Sasuke was thrown on the hard wooden closest that he had almost spit out some blood. Neji was thrown to the chairs across Sasuke's direction. He had to cover the back of his head so that he will not be suffering any concussion on the head. However, both young men received wounds on their flesh. They're bleeding.

Bleeding...

But they have ignored it. They will not be bothered by those wounds because they will make this killer pay for the crimes and actions he did to their friends. And since, literally, he's a psycho, the possibility of being killed is high. Even if they were afraid to face death, they will do everything to save their friends. As for Sasuke, he will do anything to protect the person whom he loved the most.

If needed, he will kill.

While panting, Neji painly rose up from his fall and was clutching his left arm. The left arm was under his battered body when he was thrown back and he thought that it was numb already. But like the cuts and wounds he received from earlier attempt to injure the killer, he ignored it. Right now, he was busy thinking of any ways on how they will stop the killer or render him immobile. It seems that he's a lot stronger when he was holding a weapon. His fist, though slow when hitting, were strong, too.

Slow...

Both him and Sasuke were fast and yet their attacks were still inferior to this merciless killer. If only they could hurt him at the same time, the damage that they can make will be the same as his attacks. Neji smirked in that thought.

'I'm a real genius.'

Gasping for breath, Neji looked at Sasuke, "Sasuke!"

When his name was called, he forced himself to looked at the person who had called him. He was kneeling in a genuflect position and was breathing hard.

'What now Neji...' He thought, gritting his teeth when he felt his wounds stung.

"Let's attack at once. He's slow but his blows were strong. Aim for the head and render him immobile." He explained while struggling to keep his balance.

With that Sasuke nodded and slowly stood up from his position. Gasping for air to prepare himself, he saw Neji readying on his plan. He had noticed those points, too, but he was busy at his rage to even make a plan out of it. His conclusion says that Neji was really a reliable person.

------------------------------

"Arrrggh!"

Naruto cannot stand upright because the serious injure on his back stings every time he attempts to move. Sakura was aiding him a little but it seems like she, too, does need an aid. She just couldn't dispatch all the events that happened in one night. She still has that certain fear lingering within herself. But... for now she must set all those things aside because one of her closest friend needed her.

"I'm sorry Naruto... I'm so sorry..." The words were like a mantra rolled off of her tongue.

But all Naruto could ever do was smile at her, assuring her that he was still fine. Sakura crouched beside Naruto and pulled his left arm gently placing it over her shoulder. Her free hand searched for anything that could aid them to rise up, right on time though, Shikamaru came from the outside and helped the both of them to get the hell out of the place.

"Oi Naruto don't push it too hard. If these broken glasses hit that wound of yours, it'll hurt a lot."

Shikamaru took Naruto's other hand, and like Sakura did, he also placed it on his shoulder. After which, he looked to Sakura.

"Sakura, I'll take care of Naruto. Go ahead."

Knowing what he asked for, she gently let go of Naruto and looked back at them. Naruto who was still struggling to keep his balance looked back at her, feeling that she hasn't moved after she let go of him.

"We'll be right behind you." And he weakly smiled.

Even though it pained her that she wasn't able to help her buddy, she nodded at them. She looked back at Neji who was looking dangerously at his opponent, likewise Sasuke, who showed her such care when she needed him.

'Guys...' A tear already forming in her soft jaded eyes, 'Thank you for saving me...' And to that she ran to the broken glass window to escape.

------------------------------

Wakku wandered his eyes for a second. He was slightly ignoring these punks who were trying to stop him. However, when he spotted his target already escaping the hell he was creating, he did not controlled his frustration and dashed towards her.

He wasn't fast that both of his young foes followed him. Shikamaru and Naruto heard the coming running footsteps towards them that Shikamaru immediately brought Naruto on the safe corner and covered him. He was conscious that Sakura hasn't been able to get out completely. Her upper torso did but not the lower. He looked behind him only to see the raging Sasuke kicked the left elbow while Neji jumped, stepped the man's back and landed in between the shoulder blades. It was like Neji was sitting on him on the shoulders. After placing himself in place, he brought his weight backwards as he was bending, reaching the floor. He crossed his legs under the man's chin so that he would be choked.

And he knew he succeeded on that because he heard the man's choking sounds.

Sasuke, who had kicked the elbow, making it numb, turned to kick the stomach. After getting back on his two feet, he dashed again and avoided the hand that had the weapon. He jumped back from that and dashed again to hit the forearm and then grabbed it. The remaining option that he had in his mind was to...

Kick him straight in the face.

...And he did.

There was blood coming out of the man's mouth as Sasuke connected his strong kick on his jaw. Neji, upon knowing what Sasuke did, immediately released his legs on the man's neck. When he slid down, his hands reached the ground to get balance and have his feet landed clean on the ground, too.

Both of them were panting.

But relieved because the killer fell on his back roughly touched the ground.

And he was unconscious, too.

Shikamaru and Naruto, who were staring at them gasped for breath of relief when they saw the killer down on the ground.

------------------------------

Hinata was too busy comforting Ino after they found some shelter under the roof of the front door of the mansion. Few minutes ago, they, Hinata and Tenten, both decided to stay under some shelter before they got themselves a serious cold and well, it will just make this matters serious and troublesome. Now, that Hinata was tasked to stay with Ino, Tenten went back to the spot where they saw the other gang and the killer.

She was crawling out of the window now. Finally, her pink damp hair came out of the house!

Tenten ran as fast as she could when she saw her friend crawling out of the window. When Sakura felt someone was coming near her, she looked at the direction where the strong presence came from and to that she was delighted.

'Tenten!!' She gleefully shouted in her mind.

"Tenten!!" And she shouted happily.

When her brown haired friend came to her, she was helped to get her body out of the window. After landing on the ground, Sakura was hugged by Tenten, telling her also that they were all worried about her. Sakura hugged back and started crying all her anxieties. They ignored the pouring rain on them. But it seems like it would stop any time.

"I'm glad you made it out!" Tenten happily said and hugged Sakura tighter.

"Me... too... I'm so sorry for running away like that..." She said between her cries and did the same when Tenten tightened her embrace.

Tenten rubbed Sakura's back to comfort her and added, "Shh... it's over now. Let's go to Hinata and Ino." She pulled Sakura to meet her eyes.

Knowing that she's safe with her friend, she nodded and stood up. Of course, with Tenten's help. They ran towards the two girls, waving, allowing them to know that one of their friends had managed to came back to them... alive.

When both Sakura and Tenten managed to get themselves under the same roof, Ino hastily grabbed Sakura just to be sure that her best friend was fine. Hinata and Tenten almost cried watching their friends crying as if they had lost someone, well, almost. While her brown eyes roamed under the rain, she spotted a familiar mountain bike recklessly thrown at the front gate of the mansion.

"Hey! Isn't that--"

------------------------------

Everyone inside was panting in whatever the reason would be, well of course, there's someone who wasn't moving because he was unconscious. Naruto couldn't believe that all of this had ended in a matter of seconds, right after Sasuke managed to kick his face, make him landed on the ground. He forced himself to remember that he will never make this kid be mad at him or 'this' will happen to him.

He gulped.

"Oi Naruto, let's go." Shikamaru said, forcing him to get up. This lazy fellow knew that Naruto has wounds but they really have to get out of here to tend that injury from a safer place.

"Yeah. Thanks for covering me..." Naruto managed to say and forced himself to get up from the fall.

Neji was relieved, but he knew it wasn't entirely finished. This is a temporary victory in which they have to use to get out of this mansion as soon as they can just before this man wakes up. Still feeling tiredness in his body, he forced himself to straight up and walked towards Sasuke.

Actually, he cannot help to admit that Sasuke was terribly strong when he was so angry.

'A short-tempered idiot...' He thought and smirked at the subject of his thoughts.

Sasuke was sitting on his butt to the ground, legs spread out and his both hands behind him to support him. He was breathing hard, well it was exhausting after releasing those moves just to render the killer immobile and unconscious. Like Neji, he knew too well that this is not a permanent victory. This is the only time they could escape.

Looking at the person standing in front of him, he thanked him by nodding his head and lowered it to get another air. Neji crouched down and slid his arms below Sasuke's armpit, helping him to get up. The Uchiha accepted the aid and helped himself, also, to get up. He looked at Naruto and Shikamaru who were both taking the window exit in difficulty, that's because Naruto has a wounded back.

"Let's go. Sakura was already out." Neji actually means that, "Sakura was safe."

Sasuke smirked at it and looked back at the person who had tried to kill his special someone. He narrowed his eyes on him and cursed him in his mind. How he wished he could kill him, but it's not part of his life. He never killed anyone even if he was tempting to do it. Slowly turning their back away, Sasuke and Neji faced the direction of where they knew they would be safe.

'Finally...'

------------------------------

He could hear some footsteps walking away from him. He knew it came from those brats who were trying to stop him from killing the pink-haired girl. Feh. If they were trying to escape that easily...

They're wrong!

Slowly and silently, he rose from his lying position. He could not felt the scythe anywhere beside him that he decided to get one of his favorite daggers inside his coat. When he arranged his vision, he focused himself to the spiky black haired boy and the other boy with long hair. He had taken it a fact that they were strong kids but he would never let them get away.

Never!

Unfortunately, when he stood from his position and was walking towards the two boys, he could not stop the creaking sounds which belong to the friction of his shoes to the floor. He saw the kids jerked and reacted by wheeling their heads to his location. Their eyes widened in shock.

Without thinking, he dashed towards them, dagger on his hand, aiming for the wounded kids.

Further... A little more further...

And he would see another bloodbath in this house...

But...

The kids shut their eyes when they knew there's nothing they could do to avoid it. They've tired out themselves too much that all they could do was walk. They could no longer have a decent fight like what they did earlier. Nonetheless, death was never the answer when they saw the psycho dashed to them.

Actually the blade did not even touched them.

Opening their eyes, they saw a figure of a young man in front of the killer. They did not know what happened but it looks like the killer stood frozen in his place. His eyes wide and some blood gushing down from his mouth. Sasuke narrowed his eyes further as if the young man was rather familiar to him.

Slowly, the young man turned his body to face Neji and Sasuke. To that, Sasuke erased the doubts from his thoughts. He was right!

"Aniki!"

(To be continued)
------------------------------
(SDA)
Author's Note: (sighs) I really hate our strict-almost-choking-rules that our "professor" left for us. And now I was even scared to not to get late in his class! (ooops wrong place... I was not suppose to place it here...but then...literally... I'm overloaded!!) (Itachi enters the scene only to say, "You're not Kakashi right? Is there any other--" I butt in, "Aww shut up this is really my problem!)

Ahem, so here goes the second to the last chapter. A slight cliffy but it seems like it's too clear that they're all saved. Getting out of that hell was rather hell itself. The move that Neji did to stop Wakku from coming after Sakura again, was actually Gackt's move in MoonChild. I know some peepz do not know anything about it so there's no need to explain it in here. And oh, the pairings are SO clear, ne? I've just focused on SasuSaku since I'm an avid fan of these couple. I don't know what happened that I made Itachi appear in this story. Oh well, I can't let the kids kill the killer, since they're just students and so young. I didn't say that Itachi does all the dirty work, besides he can't let the killer kill his precious little brother, ne?

Say, who believes that Sakura would end up with Naruto in the real story? I got this information from Karen. I just wanted to find out the truth about it. I do hope it was just an assumption or someone else's opinion.

So uhm, I don't know when to update the last chapter but I hope you guys would stick around with me. I can't tell that I'm that successful, since I'm too limited in my story-telling (oh! So I got my first critic to myself!) Sometimes I can't just say what I wanted to say. (sigh) Guess I have to read more :P Thanks for staying with me! Just wait for the next and last one chapter!