The Calling
By ShinobiSpirit
--------------------------------------
The night was calm and cool, a soft breeze brushing against the slick surface of the window's translucent glass. Sasuke stared out through his own reflection, watching the town that didn't seem to understand the meaning of sleep. Then again, he wasn't sure he did either.
Restless nights like these were few but rare; he felt a luring presence that didn't allow his body to ease. Perhaps he was being irrational, seeing as how there were thousands of people still wandering around the sleepless town. It could be anything, and yet nothing, all at the same time.
That is, however, when he made the mistake of ignoring his own instinct. With seconds to spare, Sasuke slipped out of the way and swooped Sakura up from her futon just before a loud explosion erupted from the very spot he was standing, followed by the shattering of glass. Intoxicating smoke filled the room, rendering Sasuke temporarily blind.
'Damnit..' This wasn't good. Not only could he not see, but he also couldn't tell if the others had managed to escape the blast unharmed.
"Very clever.." He heard a smooth, deep voice utter cockily through the thickness of the smoke. "I shouldn't have expected any less."
That voice.. he was certain he had heard it before. Who was it? What did they want? Had they been following them the whole time? 'I should have caught this.. damnit.' Sasuke clutched his fist at his side, his grip tightening around the limp girl tucked safely under his arm in both frustration and anger. What was he going to do?
'Think.. come on.' Sasuke exhaled calmly, closing his eyes in concentration. He was at a great disadvantage in this situation, so he decided he'd even the odds a little--when he opened his eyes, sharingan was revealed.
"Ah.. the famous technique of the Uchiha bloodline." The voice echoed throughout the spacious room. "So you're the one who's going to kill Itachi, huh?" A faint chuckle erupted from the stranger's throat. "Good luck."
Sasuke's jaw tightened; that had definitely hit a nerve or two. Gently, Sasuke turned and lowered to set Sakura down on the ground. "How do you know Itachi?" He asked darkly as he stood, his back now facing the intruder with the utmost confidence.
The stranger raised his eyebrows in amusement. "What makes you so sure I do?" A smirk crossed his lips. "You're a spitting image of him, anyway. It was easy to guess." He took a step forward, the weight of his feet causing the wood beneath him to creak. "In any case, this doesn't concern you."
Sasuke's eyes widened in alarm. "What?"
"Shocking, isn't it?" He laughed again, this time out of pure hysterics. "You're so used to being the one everyone's after. I'm not surprised to see you so shocked."
Sasuke didn't understand. If he wasn't after him, then who was he after? Then it finally hit him; he was after Sakura. What for, though? Why her? He wasn't aware of anything she had done to acquire the attention of someone like this guy. All this time, he thought they were after him. 'I see.. they took Naruto knowing Sakura hated him, so the only way she'd come to his rescue is if I urged her to do so. I was just used to get to her! Damn!' His fists clenched at his sides. 'I should have never convinced her to come.'
"I'm assuming that from your expression, you've figured it out." The stranger took another heavy step forward, purposely edging the raven-haired boy on. "Why don't you be a good boy and hand her over?" Now that the fog had settled, Sasuke could see the stranger's face as he smiled. "She's worthless to you anyway."
"Why.." Sasuke began, his eyes fierce with deep hatred for the stranger. "Why are you after her?" However, instead of getting the answer he wanted, he felt a strong presence behind him, and he knew it wasn't Sakura--it was the stranger. 'What?! He's fast!' Sasuke thought, his body frozen in sheer shock. 'Damnit! Move! Move!'
Cold laughter filled Sasuke's ears, sending a shiver down his spine. "Don't worry.. we'll take good care of her." With that, the strangers voice echoed through the room as he vanished in a cloud of smoke, taking Sakura with him.
"Farewell.. Uchiha Sasuke."
---------------------------------
"Hurry! Up here!"
"There!"
"Good, he's still breathing!"
"Sasuke? Can you hear me?"
Sasuke's eyes slowly opened, his vision slightly blurred. Where was he? What happened? All these questions buzzed around in his head as he sat up, feeling the support of someone's arm around his shoulders. His vision now clear, he turned his head to look at TenTen.
"Oh, good.. you're okay." She sighed in relief. Lee came up behind her and crouched in front of Sasuke, his expression both sincere and serious at the same time. "Sasuke.. where's Sakura-san?"
Sasuke turned his head away, not certain how he should answer that question. How could he? It was like admitting he allowed his last remaining teammate to be taken hostage. Which, in a way, he kind of did. He felt.. ashamed. Why did his body freeze up like that?
Lee looked down sadly, feeling that he should have done more to protect Sakura. He more or less broke his promise to her, and that made him feel disheartened. One thing was certainly clear, though; if Sasuke couldn't even protect Sakura from the attackers, their enemies were more than just worthy adversaries. If they weren't careful, they themselves could die in vain.
----------------------------
Short. I know. I just thought it would be amusing to leave you hanging like this.
SS = Likes to joke too much. 3
