Chapter 32: Protection for the weak.

"This time I'll be the one to protect you. You better take a good luck at my back"

Haruno Sakura.

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Sasuke kept the second level curse pill in his mouth. As soon as he was going to exhale his last breath he would swallow it as his desperate last gamble. He coldly regarded his enemies. He was weaponless. Another one of his brilliant ideas, no wonder he was called a genius. He had used his last combat pill. He would start suffering the effects of withdrawal in an hour at most

He grinned. Win or Die. If he got away from the trap he would go after Itachi. If he died, he would finally rest. He had one chance. He would rush forward and try to force his way out. Every second wasted decreased his chances of escape at the same time increasing the likelihood of more ANBU appearing.

The sky was a swirl of grey clouds amongst a black sky. Chakra started to gather in Sasuke's hand. Kakashi stood in his way and prepared to counter. Around his sensei the ANBU had their weapons ready. Sasuke started to move forward. It was time for the last fight. The only bad part about the situation is that he didn't get to smoke one last cigarette.

Abruptly a lighting strike illuminated the soon-to-be battlefield, and a massive shadow loomed over them. The shinobis quickly adopted a defense position against their new menace. A white tiger stood, looking at them with a disinterested expression. Somebody was on top of the tiger, staring at the young Uchiha.

Kakashi quickly recognized it as the white tiger that Sakura had learned to summon. That somebody with so few chakra reserves had managed to summon an animal of such a great amount of mass was an extraordinary feat.

"SASUKE!" An angry voice called out. Sasuke looked at the person riding the tiger. Once again, in a dark forest in a clouded night they met; Uchiha Sasuke, a boy who in the middle of the carnage had become a soldier with a tragic quest, and Uchiha Sakura, a girl that because of love had learned too much about pain.

Sasuke glanced at her and quickly looked away. Even when he had tried to stay in the Leaf, when every second had been hell, he had tried hard to avoid watching her wounds. They were symbols of his failure: He hadn't been able to protect her.

Sakura jumped from the tiger and stood in front of him. Sasuke didn't budge. He didn't look at her either. He was positive she could turn those green eyes into sharp blades that could carve deep into his soul.

"Everybody get out!" She yelled.

"What?" One of the ANBU asked.

"EVERYBODY GET OUT OF HERE!" She demanded.

Kakashi glanced at her, next he looked at the ANBU in charge of the mission.

"Let's get out of here. I accept all responsibility." He said. Zatoino, the ANBU captain nodded. He had been appointed by the Hokage as head of the mission, but Kakashi had saved his life a few times. Moreover in Sasuke's current state, there was no telling what the young Uchiha might do. People who have no will to live usually will try anything, no matter how farfetched and wild. Zatoino didn't want to be responsible for recklessly endangering the lives of his men, no matter how well equipped and trained they all were. Signaling his men, the other ANBU moved away. Obviously, they kept their ring around the two of them, but just out of earshot.

Sasuke and Sakura felt like if they were alone, two binary stars in an empty universe.

"You shouldn't have come." Sasuke observed. He didn't want Sakura to see the darkest part of him. He tried to use his will to keep the seal in check… and failed. Sakura wordlessly got closer at him. He wanted her to back off, walk away and leave him to his solitary agony.

Finally she stood near him. He still wasn't looking at her. So there was no way he could avoid the punch that surprised him. He staggered and she punched him again in the gut. He was already expecting the third attack, but he couldn't raise an arm to protect himself. A well-directed hit knocked him down. The pill fell from his mouth.

He got up. He still refused to look at her but at least the curse seal was gone.

"Look at me." She ordered.

Sasuke thought about a way of explaining her why he didn't dare to look at her. One of the main reasons he had ran away was because it was torture to see her blind in one eye. It was his fault, if he had been stronger, he would have protected her… if he had more power…

"Look at me!" She repeated. She grabbed his face and forced him to look at her by sheer violence. He jolted. Looking at him were two angry emerald eyes.

"H-H-How…?" He moved a frightened hand around her face. Her right eye stood unmoving. "It's fake" He understood. Deception clearly heard in his voice.

"I got it four days ago. It looks real."

"It's still a fake." He countered. Fake like her right leg.

"At least I got you to look at me without you looking away in pain." She observed. The light tone of her words deceived the hard words. He lowered his head.

"I told you we had to break up." He whispered.

"I know what you said. It won't work. I won't go away that easy. I know how you feel about me. So stop the act."

Sasuke didn't answer. Sakura could never tell whether his eyes were vexed or revolted when he was serious like that. It was almost better when the anger or pain made his eyes honest.

"I am sorry Sakura. I've already made up my mind." He coldly said

"And what's your plan then? To force your way out of here? There are at least fifty jounins here. They'll kill you!"

"A possibility" He admitted shrugging. She slapped him again, and this time it really stung.

"Why won't you understand? I prefer to die rather than losing you!" She yelled.

"It's you who doesn't understand. I'm dead. People around me die." Long pause. "I am better alone. I'm sorry. I don't want to hurt you. "

"If you are going to hurt me, then hurt me" She said getting even closer.

Sasuke didn't move, but he didn't back away either.

"I won't let my team mates die" She quoted. Sasuke violently shuddered.

"This isn't about me. It's about Naruto isn't it?"

"Why are you talking about him!" Sasuke yelled startling her. He continued with a more relaxed voice. "It's not about Naruto. That idiot got himself killed. I…"

Another slap interrupted him.

"Don't talk like that about your best friend." She ordered.

"HE'S DEAD! IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ME BUT HE'S DEAD!"

Sasuke's words seemed to echo endlessly in the silence that had now gripped the forest. His breathing faltered, but didn't say anything else.

"No one blames you for what happened."

"You don't know anything." He hissed. "I was…" His words faded.

"You what?"

The tired soldier turned around, intending to get out of there. Sakura grabbed him and forcefully turned him around.

"You what?"

Sakura waited. After minutes of silence, the boy finally resigned himself to speech.

"… I was… late… I arrived there. They were fighting, Naruto and him. I saw him; I saw his blade getting closer to Naruto. I ran." Sasuke closed his eyes. He was there again, with Naruto smiling at him and getting his guard down. Itachi, the remorseless creature bound by him by the threads of blood and fate, was ready; his terrible aura again moving forward. His best friend was unaware. Before his words could make it to his throat he was already running… One lifetime ago he had ran and saved Naruto's life, even stopping all the needles with his own body. So he ran again, only to arrive too late, only to fail. "I'd have stopped it… I would have… but… I… I… couldn't… I… Naruto was… His head… flying… I was hugging his body and wondering… why the head was missing and… and…" He was trembling as he covered his face with his hands

Sakura then unexpectedly hugged him. He struggled to get away.

"It's fine. Even if it's just today, it's fine. Trust me." She murmured.

"I… I... " A tear was struggling to leak from his eye. The other eye was starting to moisten

"It's fine" She repeated softly, her commands hypnotic to the stoic man that always so desperately struggled to keep his guard up and his feelings under control.

And Uchiha Sasuke, the self-proclaimed avenger, jounin of the Hidden Leaf, strongest of the new batch of ANBU and presently a missing-nin, started to sob, losing himself into her arms. Their embrace released his pent-up demons, frustration and self-loathing anguish.

He quietly sobbed barely making any noise, still clinging to her like he was clinging to life itself. In many ways he was. The last time he had cried he had been seven years old, the day after he had come out from his sharingan-induced coma. Since that day he had started his revenge, passion and rage as fuel, fear and vengeance as destination. He was always courting death as a lover, like a firefly dancing for its death around an unforgiving flame.

"I should have died." He whispered between sobs. He didn't even know if he was referring at that time when he failed to save Naruto, or maybe that time when his brother stood over the bodies of his parents. Maybe he shouldn't even have been born.

"No. To die is easy. But you must struggle for life. Until that last moment we must struggle together. And together, we will survive. No matter how bad it is, I'm with you. We will move forward together." Sakura firmly said.

The two stood still. They were nothing but two shadows embracing in the dark of the night as the wind rustled through the leaves of the trees.

Both Kakashi and Zatoino were wearing night-binoculars. The visibility wasn't perfectly clear, but they could see the shivering Uchiha being hugged by Sakura.

"I can't believe he is really crying." Zatoino commented. It looked somehow disturbing.

"Why not? After all, he's just a kid, not yet sixteen." Kakashi answered "Sure a surprisingly mature child, haunted by bitterness and guilt; but still, he's just a kid."

"A kid…?" Zatoino wondered. He had seen the young Uchiha in action. He had been deadly effective, mortally serious, dead-silent… He just couldn't think of him as a kid. "Sorry, I've read his profile. I don't think he's just a kid."

"No. He's just a lonely kid. When others spoke about dreams, he only spoke about his curse. When others had friends, he was afraid of even getting close to other people. When his family was killed, he only moved forward and forward as fast as he could, trying to keep from ever looking back. When his best friend died at the hands of his brother in front of his eyes, he just kept pushing ahead. However at the end, he's just a kid who has suffered too much." He concluded as he resumed his watch of his two young students.

Still hugging Sakura, Sasuke hastily rubbed the rest of the tears away with the palm of his hand. He was feeling warm, for the first time since the person with the goofy smile stopped smiling forever.

"I am not very good at needing somebody. I have always tried to do things alone" He tried to explain.

"Maybe, but now you have me. Sasuke, I love you."

"I love you too." Sasuke admitted. He tried to put in words his feelings. He didn't mind admitting just to himself his own mistakes. His problem was with the "admitting it aloud" part. "I wanted you to hate me. I thought it would be better than me hurting you. I was a fool."

"You were." She didn't like Sasuke talking like this, like a kid in a confessional. Still, she knew he had to get it out of his system.

"I should have tried talking it with you."

"Of course."

"I feel like dirt."

"You should."

"I'm sorry." Sasuke pleaded "Will you ever forgive me?"

"Kiss me and I'll think about it."

Onyx and emerald met a second before their lips. They forgot to breathe as their lips melted. They looked at each other. Even in the darkness, they could see each other smiling, their faces glowing with happiness. Green fireflies illuminated them.

"Sasuke, we are going home." Sakura tenderly announced. She helped him on the white tiger, which had remained inconspicuous during the whole exchange. He held onto her. Just her touch soothed him. Sakura realized that he was burning with fever.

Immediately the tiger took them to the edge of the ANBU siege, straight where Kakashi was standing. The tiger jumped over him and as he watched his two students in the air he wished they could fly away. Orochimaru, Itachi, the Leaf, the Sound, revenge, honor, good, evil, vengeance… they would be happy if they could be away from everything that was tying them down… However as shinobis from the Leaf, they would be hunted if they tried to escape.

They were going in a straight line to the Leaf.

"So now what?" Zatoino wondered.

Kakashi sighed.

"Now you'd do me a great favor if you stayed around for a while, and let me go back to the Leaf first. Sasuke still went AWOL. It'd be uncool if he were to be back just to be executed."

"Sorry, I can't back you up there." Zatoino explained. "My orders were to bring him back dead or alive. I can't just let him arrive alone in the Leaf"

"You still owe me one for that time in Rock country. Killing those innocent villagers was a very high security risk." Kakashi answered glaring at his former ANBU team-mate.

Both shinobis locked glares for one second. Just one second.

"I'll have my men looking at the clouds for twenty-four hours. That's all I can do." Zatoino decided

"Thanks." Kakashi answered as he got ready to run.

"I fell sorry for the girl. That Sasuke will not stop with his revenge. That kind of people never know when to give up."

"That's the training we give them." Kakashi admitted, as he ran after the white tiger.

The second-level curse pill lied there, forgotten.

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The trembling had started one hour after they had left the forest. Sakura knew that Sasuke had become addicted to the combat pills. She didn't think it could be that bad. Six hours after they had started their travel back Sasuke barely had any control left over his motor skills.

The guards in the Leaf were very stunned when they saw the white tiger, almost as much as when they saw the Uchiha missing-nin.

She didn't offer any explanation as she raced straight to her home. She estimated that the Hokage would know about her arriving with Sasuke in twenty minutes. In twenty-five an ANBU squad would be knocking on her door. She had to proceed fast.

She carried Sasuke inside. He was trying to put an act of being tough, but he could barely move. They entered the secret tunnel that extender under the Uchiha district. An involuntary groan escaped from his mouth as she put him down. She looked at him. She needed to make a deal with the Hokage, but she was reluctant to leave him alone.

"There are ten ANBU around your house" Somebody with a relaxed voice observed.

Sakura spun around grabbing a kunai.

"Hinata?"

The white-eyed shinobi smiled a warm, disarming smile. Sakura hasn't seen Hinata smiled since Naruto had died. Still, she didn't have time to waste thinking about it.

"I need to make a deal with the Hokage. Could you take care of Sasuke for me for some minutes?"

"I'll do it" She said immediately with her charming smile.

"If the ANBU storm off the house I don't think they will be able to find the tunnel… If they do… I can't ask you to…"

"I'll hide him and protect him with my life. Sasuke and you are my good friends." Hinata interrupted. "You helped me when I was in trouble. I'll help you. I don't forget."

The last word struck a weak cord in Sasuke's memory. Sakura nodded. She kissed Sasuke again and quickly left. Hinata smiled at Sasuke. It wasn't the same smile as before. It was harder, colder.

"I didn't expect you to be back, Sasuke-kun." Even the "–kun" sounded mocking "Did she force you or have you have come on your own?"

"I guess she forced me, but that's ok. It's time I talk to Naruto. I still have to visit his grave."

"I visited it two days ago. It was my first time since the funeral." She talked, almost to herself. "I finally decided my path."

Sasuke's eyes opened to the maximum. He ever so slowly glanced at her shinobi companion. For a second his tired senses showed him a ghost. The black clothes that Hinata had worn since Naruto's death suddenly seemed dangerous and threatening.

Sasuke shakily rose to his feet. There were many people that had been angry with him after he came back bringing news of Naruto's death. Not only his brother had been the murderer, but he had appeared without any injuries

The Hokage was one of them.

"You finally decided on what?" He asked as he collapsed again. He was too weak to fight.

"On many things: My path on life, my future, my way of living, and above all, about my hate." Hinata monotonously commented.

Hate was useless. Revenge was useless. Sasuke hadn't wanted anybody walking his path to hell. He also had known how easy to manipulate were people with their hearts broken. He had experienced it first-hand.

"Kill me." Sasuke ordered

"What?" Hinata asked.

"If you are truly committed to the path of revenge, you must kill me. I am the one responsible for the death of Naruto, anyway. I was too weak to save him." Long breadth "If you kill me you will become an outlaw. That way your path will be set. You won't be able to run away. My brother will also hear about my death. Maybe he will concede you a few seconds of his time to kill you. Are you ready to harden your heart and kill me?"

"Is that so?" Sasuke asked. He had wanted to concentrate Hinata's confusion and hate in him. That way she wouldn't do anything stupid like chasing Itachi on her own like Gaara.

It had seemed like a good idea at the time.

Hinata wordlessly put on his ANBU mask. She wasn't Hinata anymore. She was Little Mouse, rookie ANBU member.

She was also holding a kunai.

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Kisame was following Itachi. They were supposed to be team-mates, but Itachi never shared his opinions with him. After he had mentioned that there was some wind (he still didn't know which wind that idiot was speaking about. It had been a damn sticky hot day), he had said "Come". He had followed, even when Akatsuki's clear orders were to lay low in there. Why? He wasn't sure. Fear of Itachi? Emotion of the carnage that was sure to appear whenever his brooding team-mate was acting strange?

At first he imagined that they were going after somebody. That was fine. What was the point of living if you couldn't kill anybody? He got cranky if he spent even one day without slaying anybody. He would even start to gain weight after a week without any massacre.

Only after they had travelled for one full day in a zigzag pattern with Itachi carefully erasing their tracks, he started to think that they were fleeing from something. That meant that Uchiha Itachi was running away from something.

That wasn't fine.

No, it wasn't fine at all.

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OMAKE

"Come" Itachi said. Kisame followed. They crossed rivers and mountains, meadows and oceans, plains and cordilleras.

"Come" Itachi said. Kisame followed. Mighty armies fell against their power. Invincible warriors were killed.

"Come" Itachi said. Kisame followed. They coursed through the valley of death and fought against Cerberus and Hades.

"Come" Itachi said. Kisame followed. Empires crumbled. Countries ceased to exist. A million lives were lost.

"Come" A naked Itachi said from the bed. "Sweety" He added with a wink

"AAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGHH!" Kisame answered and he didn't stop till reaching the other side of the world.

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It has been a long time since I last updated this chapter. I'd like to promise you something: This chapter it's going to be finished. I usually hate when writers leave their stories unfinished, betraying all the fans that have been loyally following for a long time.

So, don't worry. I promise you the story will be finished. Don't forget to send some feedback about your opinions on this fic.

As you can see, the plot of this story is quite complex. First we have the relationship between Sakura and Sasuke. However Sasuke doesn't seem interested in ending his dream/curse/mission/whatever. Also, we have some characters that seem to have missions of their own, like Hinata and Itachi, and don't seem interested in giving them up.

Well, if you are liking this story, I'll say the famous words from the song of Frank Sinatra "You haven't seen anything yet".

When I write my characters, I like to write them with flaws and three-dimensional. I totally HATE mary-sues. There are many writers that make their main characters perfect, with everybody friendly and in awe of the main character. All the secondary characters' personalities are subordinated to that of the main character. I dislike that. In my fiction, there are many characters with conflicting agendas and reasons of their own.

I also dislike character-bashing. Some writers seem obsessed with pointing out only all the bad points of the characters they hate. They don't seem to mind if the writing suffers as a result. It's a pity they waste their time. I admit there are some characters I profoundly dislike, but you would never guess who from my writing. When I write about a character, I try to point out both the good and the bad points.

Well, that's all folks. If you liked/disliked this chapter, don't forget to write. I still have my goal of reaching the 500 reviews.

Peace