Title: El Bimbo

Author: sky75rk

Standard disclaimers apply.

---

Eighteenth Channel: Inevitable

"Don't hate me, Naruto. This is because they hurt you…"

---

The air was crisp and damp. The moon hung surprisingly low and it was magnified, giving the impression that it was nearing earth. It looked like it was interpreting an omen.

There was a gunshot.

Not surprising.

It was the time where the Japanese were invading and conquering the neighboring countries. The soldiers were given the freedom to exploit the new territory and explore the limits of its boundaries. The Japanese, with their bayonets in hand, marched in different directions.

Then the gunshot was heard.

A blonde soldier that looked like an American, their worst enemies, ran out his quarters to inspect about the fired shot. The fact that he was half American caused other people among them to not completely trust him, but his knowledge in the battlefield proved to be a strong asset to the country that he was given the chance to prove his loyalty and here he was, a high ranking official.

There was no peace anywhere, and the blonde has to cope up with the fact that it was their fault. They were destroying the peace, and he didn't want that. Not exactly.

He arrived at the scene and saw that there were few Chinese people that were shot and the women were beaten. "What do you think you're doing?" he asked grimly, the edges of his patience was wearing thing for he was exhausted.

"Showing them who's the boss," said the arrogant reply of one of his soldiers and an obedient dog beside him barked in agreement.

"What was the order I specifically reiterated?" he asked again, his eyes turning ice cold and the soldier shuddered to be the directly gazed upon the eyes of a cold-blooded man. Not that he was not one anyway.

Nevertheless, he acknowledged his mistake. "To not make a move on everyone until you tell us to do so," he said. He was rewarded with a punch in the head that sent him flying across the road. The soldier dusted himself and stood up again, waiting to be dismissed. He knew better than to go against his superior.

"And you deliberately disobeyed. Why?"

"Because they needed to be taught a lesson in respect. They were not cooperating," was the curt reply.

Naruto took a step forward. "Maybe you're the on who doesn't know how to give respect may--"

"Maybe you should stop on your tirade and shut up," Naruto's sentence was cut off. "We are instilling in them fear so they would know their standing now that we're here. If you continue on being kind hearted to our captives, ideas will start coming on in their heads,"

Naruto frowned at the remark. "Sasuke, you know that I would still like to value the lives of these people, just like how we value ours. Life is not to be taken for granted,"

"And they know that of course," was the acid reply. "They know that they should be careful on how they act because they need to value their lives. Now that we are the ones holding it,"

"I want them to trust us. Is that hard to ask? Making them fear you will not make them trust you,"

"Yes, but making them fear us will make them follow what we say,"

They had their heated glares on, trying to convince each other. The dark-haired soldier with the same rank as he smirked when Naruto decided that he should just let this go.

He left.

As well as the soldier that witnessed the argument.

Sasuke smiled in triumph.

---

"No Naruto, I won't let you suffer any longer. When you are born again, no matter how many times you meet them, they will never be able to touch you, to gain you or to have you."

---

A cry was heard once again, and this stirred the sleeping blonde and his worn out looking comrade from their sleep. Immediately, purely on instinct, the blonde jumped out of bed and started dressing to go out. The other followed suit.

They arrived at where the captured women were staying, others with their clothes torn and dirt was smudging their faces. Tears streaked down their cheeks as Naruto and Sasuke's soldiers were continued with their cruel method of foreplay with them.

It dawned to him that his soldiers were raping them.

"HAVE YOU NO SHAME?" roared the angered superior. "DO YOU SOLDIERS NOT KNOW ANY MORALS?"

The soldiers froze from their spots and slowly stood up straight to collide with a very angry and very strong Naruto. They proceeded to file into a single line when a voice stopped them.

"Let them have their fun, Naruto. Let them taste the victory,"

A smile full of contempt.

"What are you saying? Will you let other people do that to your own countrymen?" an exasperated but not desperate question was the only thing he was able to state back. He wanted Sasuke to take his side, not to go against it. Can't he see that what they're doing was totally and utterly unfair? Wasn't it enough already that they took all their belongings and possessions for their own? Why can't they just let them live out their lives peacefully?

"Naruto, you do understand that they are not my kin, so I don't give a damn," was the retort. It was heartless.

Just like he was.

Those gentle smiles and the sweet words of forever… they were just lies. Lies of what he was because this is the truth. The cold, hard truth.

It was enough for him; he couldn't take the oppression any longer.

He wanted peace, that's why he joined the war. They convinced him that it was only the first step in achieving their lifelong dream.

Only it had been a hoax. It was not the truth after all.

The soldiers were now grinning their sadistic grins and with the other superior's assertion and approval, they started again. The women shouted and struggled.

Naruto turned away.

"Where are you going? You're not going anywhere," it was an order, and he was supposed to comply.

Supposed to.

The intensity in his eyes magnified and the moon seemed to swallow his entire being as he walked away without any words that accompanied his leaving.

But Sasuke knew what would happen. And the moment he realized that he won't be able to stop him rendered him useless.

He was aware that Naruto hated violence, and joined to stop it. But he only propagated it. Sasuke was doing the very thing that Naruto hated.

"Stay alive okay? We are going to live through this and have a peaceful existence," he once whispered to him. It was a silent promise.

Sasuke jolted back to reality when bombings broke out. The soldiers halted their activities and in a flurry, they hastened to retaliate.

Sasuke ran to find out if Naruto was safe, but when he saw a battered and burnt pieces of metal that came from what he knew was Naruto's jeep, he was sure.

Nothing will be able to bring him back to him.

---

"No matter how hard they try, no matter how devoted they are, they will only hurt you, Naruto. So hear me, for this I will cast…"

---

There was a bloody and torn body outside his house, and for the first time, he had the urge to save it.

Their house was the source of refuge for the Chinese that went into hiding, those who escaped and was scared into coming out in the open. He was aware that the Japanese will soon reach their place, but they will hold their ground.

No one can take what he rightfully owns.

He walked slowly towards the body, and the twitch of his arm indicated that he was still alive. Neji noticed the tattered uniform of a war soldier and the blonde hair made him conclude that the man was an American. He also knew that the Americans were fighting to fend the Japanese off. This led to his decision to help the man.

Neji carried the man and took him inside. There, he asked his cousin to take care of the blonde man and to call him if he ever wakes up. His cousin nods a little, and proceeded to clean the blonde's wounds, and she blushed, when she discovered that she had to remove his clothing to fully do her job.

Neji went straight down the kitchen, where he told one Chinese who was in charge of cooking to boil him some soup. The Chinese smiled and asked him why. Neji said a new one was taken in.

The cook just smiled again and scooped some newly cooked soup and added some more food. Neji told him that the man could not possibly eat solid foods yet in his condition. The cook merely replied that it was for him. Neji thanked him and silently left the area with the food in tow.

When he entered the room, he noticed that the bed was empty and the one occupying it was nowhere to be seen. Silently, his mind went into overdrive, as a number of unpleasant accidents found their way into his head.

He immediately dashed out of the room to send for someone to look for him. Then he turned around and to try and search for him within the vicinity.

He ran with neck-breaking speed and his hair flew behind him. He did not see the person in front of him, staggering slightly.

They collided, both the person Neji did not see and him. Neji skidded backwards while the other person fell down the floor. Neji opened his milky white eyes to see whom he collided with and to his surprise, he saw the person he was looking for in the first place.

"What are you doing here? Don't you know that you shouldn't move yet, not in your condition?" he asked brusquely, straightening up at once and helping the boy onto his feet. When the blonde's knees wavered, Neji propped up his other arm and supported the blonde on the back. They walked silently back to the room to and laid the blonde carefully on the bed.

"What's your name?" Neji asked again, realizing that the blonde hasn't talked at all since he woke up.

The blonde merely looked at him with his blue eyes wandering around the room once in a while, scanning every corner, every surface as if searching for a way out.

But why?

"I'm talking to you, shouldn't you at least give me an answer?"

Those brilliant shades of blue looked his way and suddenly, he can't speak. There was something different, entirely enticing about those eyes that Neji just couldn't explain. Something deep, like you are just falling and falling but you won't reach the bottom until it hit you hard.

"Uzumaki… Naruto," he said slowly, Neji coming out of his trance in that instant and focused his eyes away from those blue ones. His mind absorbed the information given and gave his name in return.

"Hyuuga, Neji. That's my name. What happened to you? How did you end up here?" The questions kept on spilling out of his lips, wanting to know everything that occurred in the blonde's life and how he ended up with him. And he quietly thanked the gods that he did.

Without knowing why.

"I…" Naruto started, faltering. "I… there was an explosion and everything blacked out. I was in my jeep… and…" he was clasping his head now, trying his best to remember what happened prior the explosion. He felt the headache coming in a vicious speed and he fought to quench it.

Neji saw his future predicament and pushed him down to lie on the bed, advising him to rest and telling him that he'll wait until he can think clearly again, when he's not so concussed. Naruto nodded meekly and closed his eyes.

Neji stayed by the bedside all through the night.

---

"There will be happiness and they'll only find it with you. But they won't have the chance to hold on to it,"

---

There was another explosion and the ground shook. Plasters of cement from the ceiling came tumbling down and fell onto the blonde's face. His hand annoyingly brushed it away, and Neji helped him. Then in a heartbeat, Naruto was asleep again.

There was a small smile that appeared in Neji's lips. It was funny how the blonde would sleep through almost anything when given a chance. He figured that this guy is probably a soldier that never experienced the beauty of sleep ever since the war started. He cursed the bombings outside, as he thought of the people that was caught in it and the possibility that the blonde would awake as it went off. Then, as he thought of his musings, it sounded foreign and stupid in his mind. It was the first time he ever thought that way.

Naruto, as the blonde told him, curled to the side, his back now facing the wall and his hair framing over his tanned face. His nose tingled and he scrunched it in his sleep and it gave Neji the incentive to brush it away like what he did to the cement that fell a while ago.

He did that.

He knew what was coming. And somehow, in the back of his head, he also knew that he was afraid that this would come. It was too soon, too dangerous for all of them. But he couldn't help it. There was nothing that could prevent it.

It was inevitable.

And it scared him.

---

The tent of the commander was dark and morose, and the soldiers under him thought that he was away. Yet, something told them that he was still there, inside.

"Commander?" a low voice asked as the person peeked inside the tent. It was where the commander slept, with the other one, and the place where they held the meeting whenever the need arises and there was no time left to figure another place out.

Right at the moment, the whole place was a mess, and with the little light the flashlight provided, the said person had to go through a whole lot of mess to search for his missing commander. He had a gut feeling that the commander was watching him, although he can't find where.

"What are you doing here?" an artic voice emerged. Kiba stopped in his tracks.

The soldier scratched the top of his head and made an expression that seemed to him like he was caught doing something illegal. "I… ah, was looking for you," he answered warily, awaiting the impact and the reply, which probably said: 'don't ever come inside without my permission,' with a glare that will wilt him to match that statement.

But seconds passed, and there was none. Only a low question, "Why?"

Kiba breathed a sigh of relief and smacked himself for doing that. The commander hated that action. So of pausing for another while, he just immediately answered the question. "Shikamaru confirmed that Commander Naruto was able to survive the prior explosion. He reports that he saw nothing that resembled a toasted corpse in the remains of the jeep and that he probably was only knocked away by it,"

Sasuke had his eyes closed. "Why didn't he tell me that himself?"

Kiba gulped. "Because… because he said it was too troublesome," there was a hint of amusement in his voice, but he dare not allow his other commander to spot that.

"I… see," Sasuke said slowly. "You may leave now," he dismissed Kiba and Kiba went willingly. Sasuke sat down on the stool beside him and rubbed his forehead. He hadn't told Shikamaru to go investigating.

And when did a military tactician go and investigate a bombing site himself anyway?

Thus, he concluded that Shikamaru knew more than he let on.

And for once, he was thankful for that.

He was regretting it. The words that drove the blonde away, and all of this were caused of his addiction to power. He wanted to say he was sorry, and tell him to go back and finish the war with him. But he was missing.

And on that, he made a decision.

He was going to find him.

---

Seven days have passed by so easily, and Neji found himself visiting and caring for the wounded blonde more often. He left the house duties to his cousin and trusted that matters be taken care by her. Hinata understood and offered that she can help him whenever he needed one.

Naruto was looking outside, the window still closed but the transparent glass allowed him to have a peek. "You're early," he said suddenly and Neji smirked.

"Waiting for me now, it seems," he retorted and found himself staring into those azure orbs he can't get enough of.

A carefully raised brow. "Waiting? Maybe expecting. You always come on time that there was no reason for me to wait."

Neji laughed. "I do, right?" Naruto nodded and motioned Neji to sit at the chair that was situated beside his bed.

"It has been a week and you still haven't told me where you came from. You're American right?" Neji asked again, as he did everyday. Naruto looked away. He couldn't answer.

"What's the matter?" the Hyuuga asked when he noticed that Naruto was clenching his fists too hard.

"I… it's nothing. I just remembered something," Naruto smiled again. It was a sad smile. "You would probably hate me when you know anyway, so I might as well tell you. It's no use evading you like that," the blonde said and Neji straightened. He had a bad feeling about this.

"Naruto…" the pale boy started. "Naruto, I can't ever hate you. You know that," Yes, it has only been seven days, only been a week, and yet, Neji was sure. This feeling was concrete and real.

Naruto shook his head. He knew what Neji meant, and he was surprised. It was only a span of seven days. "No. You will hate me," he insisted. "But I can't lie to you any longer,"

Neji listened.

---

"Because they will foolishly let you go… and turn away,"

---

He was caught. And the rope tied around him was too tight that he could not get the chance to reach his swiss knife and cut himself loose. He had been so stupid!

The Chinese were talking about him, he was sure. He could see them looking at him every now and then. Probably thinking of numerous ways to torture me. As if I would let that happen. He scoffed. He wouldn't let them.

Another man came inside. He had a grim face pasted and his eyes were narrowed. He walked into the light and saw that the man was also Japanese. "What are you doing here? Aren't you Japanese?" he found himself asking.

"Yes, I am. But they are my family," the other pale man told him equally with the same icy voice. "And I kill those who hurt them,"

Sasuke glared back. He was not going down without a fight. "I won't let you," he replied simply.

"And why is that?"

---

Naruto had his face lowered, his wild, blonde hair covering his face and his fist held tightly into a ball. He didn't want Neji to hate him. He did not want to lose someone else!

And yet, he had to go and tell the truth.

It was a stupid move, he knew. But he couldn't help it. His conscience just wouldn't let him keep it all inside.

There was silence, and then they were informed that some Japanese soldier was found lurking about and caught.

Neji immediately stood up and said nothing, followed the Chinese man room. And in his heart, he knew that someone else he cared for would be in deep trouble.

Sasuke. Was the first name that came into his mind, and this made him stand up in haste and proceed to where he thought Sasuke was held.

He asked directions, and he was thankful that in the span of one week, he was able to learn basic Chinese. The girl he asked showed him where the longhaired man was and he ran to the site.

The door was closed and there were people standing outside, mostly Chinese. He recognized one girl that was introduced to him as Neji's cousin. "What happened?" he asked, heaving.

The timid girl looked straight ahead with a serious face. "Some…guy in the Japanese army was caught and is being interrogated by Neji-niisan," she answered.

"What did he look like?" the blonde was afraid, and he found himself praying.

"Some brunette guy with short hair. I think he had black eyes and pale skin,"

Naruto froze.

---

"And why is that?"

Sasuke smirked. "Why should I answer you? You're not my superior,"

Neji, at that moment, lost it. He pulled back his arm and hit the Japanese. Sasuke's head was thrown back and held a split lip. "What?" he taunted still. "Is that the best you've got?"

The Hyuuga's anger doubled. He reached out his hand and told the Chinese guard to give him the gun. "I think you should say your prayers now, soldier. Because I won't let you finish what you've come here about," the trigger was so close. And he was serious about pulling it.

The door opened with a loud bang. And a blur of yellow and white rushed in front of him. "Stop, Neji. Please," there was pleading in his part, and he was desperate.

"Why? Why are you doing this?" Neji asked. "Stay out of this!" he barked suddenly, and the blonde flinched.

"No," he glanced at the person behind him. "It's been a long time, Uchiha Sasuke,"

The prisoner raised his head at the sound of his name upon his savior. The familiarity of it was something he longed for and looked for. And a single name went out his bruised lip.

"Naruto…"

And at the exact moment, the story that the blonde told Neji was proven to be a fact, and the person that Naruto told him that he loved sat in front of him, immobilized. Then and there, the anger flared again.

He hated people who betray him.

And worse, he hated people who take away what was rightfully his.

There was a gunshot.

And Neji couldn't help anything much less say anything, but say sorry.

And as the lifeless body fell into the ground, another was heard.

It was wrong, yet at the sound of the second shot, he had no regrets.

---

"When you will be the only person to make them whole,"

---

-Cue: Harmonia-

A/N:

Finally, after a long time, it is done.

I'm really sorry for the delay, as you may notice, this is entirely an AU. The last channel was basically the ending of the entire story, and this is just a follow through on that one. I'm really sorry that Neji seemed to be the bad guy in the story and that Naruto belonged to no one. I know you all voted, and the winners were those who wanted SasuNaru… so, in order to express my apology; wait for the alternate ending that will contain a SasuNaru.

In Gaara's part, I couldn't find a place to put him. After all, he really isn't one of the main characters, and in the ending, he was not included, so I felt no need to include him here. Hey, I love Gaara, but in this fic, he's just a minor character.

The italics are the curse laid upon Neji and Sasuke by Tsunade. You can recognize it via the seventeenth channel.

Thanks for all those who supported this fic. You guys totally rock, and I hope that you will continue reading the other things I have in store for you guys…

Review?