I'll just write.../sweatdrops/ it seems that when I created this story...I thought I had clicked on the Naruto category...but it seems that fan fiction didn't change it and kept it in the Ai no Kogi category...Gomen minna.
/Break blah break blah break blah break blah break blah break blah break blah/
Naruto paced around the living room. How long was the mission and why all the secrecy?
"Come back alive Sasuke...just come back alive" he said to himself. A knock on the door disrupted Naruto's pattern of pacing. Naruto felt something cold at the pit of his stomach as he walked towards the door and opened it. His eyes widen at the sight before him.
"Na...ru...to" he staggered as he fell forward.
"Sa...Sasuke!" shouted Naruto as he grabbed Sasuke before he collapsed onto the ground.
"Hey...don't...don't you dare die on me" Naruto said nearly shouting as he stared at the wound.
"Who did this?" he asked as he saw the cut going from his shoulder down to his left thigh. Naruto stood up and grabbed Sasuke, flinging his right arm over his neck.
"Hang on...Tsunade-baa-chan should help" Naruto said as he ran as fast as he could towards Tsunade's office.
Tsunade was dozing off, her head slowly reaching the desk. The door slamming against he wall made her jump back up.
"Dammit! Do you know...Sasuke? Naruto?" Tsunade quickly stood up and ran, grabbing Sasuke from Naruto's grasp.
"Help him..." Naruto said out of breath.
"Wait outside" Tsunade commanded. Naruto shook his head.
"Wait outside now...I can't heal him properly with you here...I will save him Naruto...rest assure" Tsunade said as she ripped the top part of Sasuke's uniform. Naruto nodded and reluctantly left the office, waiting outside. Now Naruto was pacing in front of Tsunade's office worriedly.
Tsunade revised the wound carefully, making sure that she didn't make it worse. She placed her hands over his chest and began to heal his wounds.
"Hang on Sasuke...come on...you can do it" whispered Tsunade as the gap slowly began to close. Sasuke slowly opened his eyes as he stared at the ceiling.
"At least you're awake now" Tsunade said as she sighed in relief.
"Where's Naruto?" asked Sasuke.
"He's outside waiting...I'll tell him to come in" Tsunade said as she stood up. Sasuke quickly grabbed her wrist and stopped her.
"Don't...not yet..." Sasuke pleaded. Tsunade looked at him confused.
"What's going on Sasuke...where's Kisame?" she asked him. Sasuke averted his gaze.
"He's still alive..." Sasuke said.
"What...Kisame's alive?" asked Tsunade. Sasuke sighed.
"Itachi...he's still alive" Sasuke explained. Tsunade's eyes widen.
"That's why Kisame was nowhere to be found" she said as she sat down on a chair next to the sofa, where Sasuke was laying down.
"Hokage...I need your help" Sasuke started. Tsunade looked up, her expression one of puzzlement.
"I...have to stay away from Naruto...our relationship has to end..." Sasuke said.
"What?" hissed Tsunade, keeping her voice down so Naruto wouldn't hear. Sasuke closed his eyes as he retold everything that happened after he lost consciousness.
/Flashbacks...annoying I know.../
Sasuke opened his eyes wearily, taking in the surrounding. He winced as he looked down, noticing the wound that his brother had given him with his katana.
"You're awake...otouto" Itachi remarked as he stepped up to Sasuke.
"Itachi..." growled Sasuke, who tried to move but found himself, bound to a tree.
"I'll get straight to the point...you see this?" he asked as he raised his gloved hand to meet Sasuke's gaze.
"I thought it was your power...your strength...I thought that you finally reached that peak...the peak that would determine whether you were stronger than me...or weaker than me. But to find out that the kyuubi's power was behind such strength...it's a little...shameful" Itachi said. Sasuke glared at his brother, his hands trying to break free from the ropes.
"Listen to me otouto...I can give you another chance to fight me and kill me...but there's a small...catch" Itachi said as he crossed his arms, his half masked face staring at Sasuke intently.
"You have three options...option number one, you refuse to fight me and I kill you now...then kill your beloved Naruto and take kyuubi away. Option number two, you fight me now...die...and then I take the kyuubi regardless...or option number three" Itachi stated. Sasuke narrowed his eyes.
"You lay one finger on Naruto and I swear Itachi"
"I don't think you are in any position to threaten me...especially if the life of your loved one is in my hands...imagine otouto...to have the thing you loved most stripped away from you...all over again" Itachi mused.
"You sick bastard" spat out Sasuke.
"Option number three, I set you free now...and in one month from today we meet...I will give you one month to train your hardest and defeat me. However, if you choose this option, you must destroy the relationship between you and the kitsune carrier" Itachi said.
"What the hell are you talking about?" asked Sasuke.
"You end your relationship with him...he hates you...you become alone again...and you train harder than ever. In one month, if you beat me...I will forget about you and Naruto...and I will leave you two alone...that is...if you let me live after you've defeated me. If I win, however, you will see how I kill your beloved Naruto...take the kyuubi's power away from him...and kill you with his powers" Itachi said as he glared at his brother.
"So what will it be...hurry up Sasuke because time's just run out" he said.
/End flash back/
Tsunade leaned back on her chair and began to ponder.
"So you chose option number three then..." Tsunade said. Sasuke nodded slowly.
"I'll get stronger...and I'll defeat him. I will protect Naruto with everything I have...but I need your help" Sasuke said.
"Why do you need my help?" asked Tsunade.
"I need you to support the demise of our relationship. If you refuse to support my decision to end the relationship...Naruto will suspect of me...and may find out what's going on. He's smart...maybe smarter than what we think" Sasuke said. Tsunade sighed. She knew she had to make the decision, even if it hurted Naruto, but his life was more important than his feelings at the moment.
"Very well...Sasuke...I'll find a place for you to live alone and away from Naruto...and a place to train. Kakashi will visit you and you can begin your training. Once you have defeated Kakashi, I will send another shinobi to train you...and this shinobi...will be a hard one" Tsunade said with a smirk. Sasuke bowed down slightly.
"Thank you...for understanding" he said.
"I think...Naruto should come in now..." Tsunade said. Sasuke nodded, though he felt the anxiety of hurting the one he loves the most. Tsunade walked up to the door and opened it.
"Naruto" she called out. Naruto immediately stopped pacing and walked up to her.
"Well?" he asked. Tsunade stepped aside to allow Naruto to walk in. Naruto walked up to Sasuke and smacked him upside the head.
"You idiot! You're going to give me a heart attack one of these days!" he shouted. He sat down on the couch and hugged Sasuke.
"But at least you're alive...care to explain what the hell happened in that mission?" asked Naruto. Sasuke gently pushed Naruto away.
"I nearly died...and I realized a few things" Sasuke said.
"Like?" Naruto asked.
"I realized that in my future...you are not in it" Sasuke stated in his stoic form. Naruto looked at him confused.
"What are you talking about?" asked Naruto.
"Naruto...you will never give me what I want the most...face it...this will never work" Sasuke said as he removed his wedding band from his finger and gave it to Naruto.
"There's no point in trying to deny it anymore. I need someone who can give me children...not someone who can't. It will never work out between us Naruto. By nearly dying I discovered how stupid this is...and how stupid we are for believing that we could love each other. Naruto...you annoy me" Sasuke said. Naruto stood up, his gaze fixed on Sasuke.
"Is that so?" he questioned calmly, maybe too calm for Sasuke's taste.
"Don't worry Uchiha...I won't be in your way anymore" Naruto said as he turned around and walked away, leaving Tsunade and Sasuke alone.
"I think you over did it" Tsunade stated. Sasuke shook his head.
"That's the only thing that hits the spot...bring up family and children...and he gets all tense...that was the easiest way I knew to get him away from me..." Sasuke said as he looked at the retreating back of the blonde. /I'm sorry Naruto...but I have to do this...for your love...I have to betray you/ he thought.
/Break blah break blah break blah break blah break blah break blah break blah/
And another chappy done...enjoy minna.