Chapter 3

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!"

The scream pierced my euphoria like an arrow through the heart. Sakura was somehow standing near the door, tears flowing down her cheeks and shaking with fury.

I grabbed a hold of the Sakura on my lap and pulled her head up.

It wasn't Sakura.

It was Hinata.

My body froze, my heart stopped. What was going on?

For several seconds there was nothing but silence. I stared at Hinata with complete and utter shock. She was Sakura only minutes ago. Was this a trick; was this some type of evil prank?

I grabbed the girl on top of me and threw her off. She landed several feet away with a loud thump. I knew exactly what it looked like and I had to let the real Sakura now what happen.

I pointed at the girl on the floor and let fly my defense.

"I thought she was you Sakura-Chan! You know I would never cheat on you. Please believe me, she must have been using genjutsu to look like you. Believe it!"

I could tell by Sakura's look that she didn't buy a single word, even If it was the truth. She rubbed the corners of her eyes, clearing the tears away, then hissed "Bullshit."

She sucked in a breath of air and raised her voice, letting us know who was in charge. "That bitch has been fawning over you since we were in the academy. What did she do Naruto? WHAT DID SHE DO TO SEDUCE YOU! Wait, don't tell me. I bet this has been going on for weeks, months, hell maybe even years. All While I just sat idly by, the ever loving girlfriend oblivious to her man's unfaithfulness."

This couldn't be happening; I've been in love with Sakura before I knew what love was. I've never had thoughts about any other women in my life. She was the only one. "You know I love you Sakura-chan. I've loved you before you knew my name, loved you when you ignored me and drooled over Sasuke. I love you and would never do anything to destroy our relationship. You have to believe me, this isn't what it seems." I turned franticly towards Hinata, who was now covering herself up with her previously discarded clothing. "Please Hinata, tell her you tricked me. If you really cared for me, you would tell her the truth!"

Hinata's eyes went wide with fear. She started to mutter. "I . . . uh . . . I tr . . ." She didn't finish. Over Hinata's attempt to clear my name, Sakura's voice boomed.

"Don't you even dare. She would do anything for you Naruto. I bet you had all this planned out. If you got caught, just blame Hinata. IS THAT IT NARUTO? I know what I saw. Hinata, NOT ME, was on you." For a split second she let her hard exterior falter, and lowered her head in a silent cry. I wanted to run and grab a hold of her. I knew however, any such attempt would result in my hospitalization. Clearing her nose and wiping her eyes again, she slowly raised her head. "I don't have time to deal with this." She said in an uneasy calmness. "I have a mission to do." She regained her composure and walked towards the counter and grabbed a piece of paper.

My heart was in my throat. I didn't want her to leave thinking what she thought. She had to know.

I pleaded with her. "Please wait. Please, you must know what happen."

Her only response was the sound of the door opening and her walking out. She paused for a split second and looked straight into my eyes.

She swallowed hard. "Naruto, I'm sorry. The wedding is off."

The door slammed and she was gone.

I dropped to my knees. How could something like this happen? My life was perfect. The villagers loved me and I was to become Hokage in a mere three months. Best of all, the girl I loved for so long was finally to be my wife. In only a matter of minutes the most meaningful person to me was gone. Then it hit me.

It was her fault.

I turned around and faced the devil. She was sitting down, arms wrapped tightly around her legs. She was crying, her sobs echoing throughout the room. She deserved it. She did this.

I lowered my voice. "You."

She looked up at me. He face twisted in complete fear.

My sadness quickly turned to anger. My blood boiled the more I looked at the whore in front of me. I released a demonic voice. "If you were anyone else Hinata, if you were anyone else, I would kill you! NOW GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!"

She shot to her feet, crying profusely all the while. She tried to apologize, but it never came out. I looked straight into her pale eyes with as much hate as I could.

"I'm so sorry Naruto-Kun. It wasn't supposed to end like this!" She finally chocked out. My response was to simply point at the door and growl.

Without further words, she ran out and I found myself alone. For the first time in thirteen years, being alone didn't mean just being by myself. It felt just like then, before I had friends, before I had the villager's love.

Before I had Sakura.

I got up to put my cloths on, the previous events replaying over and over in my mind. There was so much evidence that the girl I was with wasn't Sakura; missing scars, different movements. I just let it pass; I was too caught up in the moment to care.

A horrible thought struck my mind and I realized something that could change everything. Hinata and I didn't use any . . .

My legs burned; the pain a welcomed distraction from the thoughts in my head. I was leaping from tree to tree, nothing but a blur.

Naruto and Hinata, two names that filled my heart with sorrow. Two people that were my fiancé and close friend, people that in just an instant turned my entire life upside down.

I shook my head furiously. I'm a ninja; a ninja doesn't get caught up in pointless personal matters when you're on a mission. A love life is frivolous when it comes to the well being of comrades.

"When we get back, we are going to wail on both of them something good right. I can't believe this shit. I'm so pissed."

Of course we are I thought to myself. Of course we are. Until then we will have to let our anger out on someone else.

Think of the mission, think of the mission, think of the mission.

It was futile. I couldn't focus. Every tree I leapt pass, every cloud in the sky looked like a Naruto and Hinata in each others arm. My heart raced with every minute, my face burned.

I landed in a clearing. It was the meeting place for my mission contacts. It was supposed to take me a day or more to reach here at a casual walk. With the rage I gathered after witnessing Naruto and Hinata, I charged here at top speed, making it here in only several hours. The workout did little to calm my nerves. I needed to do something to take away the thoughts.

I glanced around the clearing, and remembered the piece of paper in my vest pocket. Taking it out, I read the code phrase to myself. It was such a stupid phrase, something Naru . . . never mind that. I just needed to say the phrase and then I'll get in contact with someone.

I breathed in the fresh air and spoke loudly.

"Coco bird in the sky, Coco bird in my eye. Tomorrow's sun is today's moon. Open your wings and dance to the tune."

I felt the ground below me shift unnaturally, my surroundings blurred and warped. Where an empty clearing was, a small encampment now stood. Before I had a chance to think, I felt the cold steal of a kunai on my neck. An all too familiar voice spoke with no mercy.

"You're early Sakura. Why?"

I clenched my fists hard, my knuckles turning dark red from the pressure. The reason . . .

"The earlier the better right? You have injured, let me see them." I responded calmly. The kunai was taken away from my neck. Turning around, I stood face to face with the leader of the Jounin team; Shikamaru.

He sighed, "There is only one. It's Ino and her wounds are pretty much taken care of. She's conscious, but can't move her body. We need you to take a look at her."

I nodded. Finally something to take my mind off of my own personal problems. I followed Shikamaru to a nearby tent. Inside, Ino laid, all of her clothing was removed accept for her underwear and brawl. Her body was covered in bandages, all of them soaked through with blood.

I ran to her side in frantic worry. "Oh god Ino, its looks bad. What happen?"

Shikamaru spoke up from the tent's entryway. "She asleep, but it wouldn't matter. I told you, she can't move, not even enough to speak. All she can do is blink and grunt."

I nodded in understanding and looked up at Shikamaru. "So what happen?"

He began to tell me the tale. He told me that there was supposed to be a bandit camp about a half mile away. They were wreaking havoc on the small towns that dotted the Fire Country landscape. The towns got together and paid Konoha to send out some Ninjas and take care of things. Problem was they weren't just bandits. The camp was an elaborate genjutsu. It looked like a small settlement of only ten roughed up losers. It became much worse. The camp was actually holding over twenty bandits and several teams of Jounin ranked missing-nins. Shikamaru said there was one leader, yet they had no idea who he was, or what he looked like.

The night before, Shikamaru and his team barged in with a perfect plan to take out everyone. Their plan backfired horribly when the genjutsu was released and an ocean of bandits and missing-nin chased them away, leaving himself and Chouji in bad condition and critically wounding Ino.

They barely escaped with their lives.

During his explanation, I was putting my all into seeing what was wrong with Ino. It was pretty bad; about ninety-eight percent of her nerves were severed internally. Nothing that couldn't be fixed though.

"Shikamaru, this might take a while to fix up. But with some time she will be fine." Shikamaru nodded, relief clearly visible on his face.

"I want you to get her healed enough to at least support herself, then I want you to take her back to Konoha."

I shook my head in disagreement, "No, we will all go back, there is no reason for you to stay."

Shikamaru shook his head, "We need to keep tabs on them, they know we are here somewhere, they might move and if they do, we need to watch them. If anything happens I will send Hokage a message. You shouldn't worry about us."

He left the tent, and walked out into the now darkening sky. I was alone with Ino, and had a job to do. For just a split second, the images of Naruto and Hinata leapt into my mind. I quickly shook them off and got to work. It would take a lot of my Chakra to heal her damage. I needed plenty of focus.

Several hours passed, my focus never wavering. With each minute, a nerve was reconnected, a motion retained, a feeling once again acquired. Drops of sweat were beading down my face. Ino is my closest friend; I won't let her stay like this forever. She will be fine.

More hours passed.

"Sakura?"

The glow of my hands stopped and I snapped out of my trance. "Ino?"

"Hey, I was wondering when you would show up. You know you're always late. Never there when I need you." I could tell she was just kidding, she's always kidding. Yet I didn't take the bait like I usually did. I didn't have the strength, the voice that broke me out of the healing trance also allowed other thoughts to enter my mind.

I said something that immediately alerted her to there being something wrong. I agreed with her.

"What's wrong? I know it has nothing to do with me. Spit it out."

Hinata and Naruto. Naruto and Hinata.

I couldn't tell her, not now. I was so drained. I slowly got up and headed towards the tent's flap. "I'll tell you later, I have to get some sleep."

I stumbled slowly over to the makeshift tent Shikamaru made to accommodate me in the chance I needed sleep. Entering it, I let myself go and fell onto the sleeping mat.

I entered the welcoming embrace of darkness before my head hit the pillow.

I watched behind a tree. Over in the village square stood the person I loved for so long. He was holding hands with a beautiful black haired woman. They looked so in love. They were made for each other. What right do I have to mess them up?

NARUTO IS MINE, NARUTO'S MINE!

They ate ramen at his favorite stand, and sat on a special bench in the park. He was so handsome, his blond hair shined brightly, giving him the glow of an angel. He bent down in front of the dark haired girl, and took out a ring. Oh, he's going to ask her to be his wife. Good for her.


NO HE ASKED ME! HE ASKED ME!

She said yes and they live happily ever after. I didn't though. I grew old, yet they somehow stayed young. I withered away in front of their eyes, a horrible person with no one to love me. I was lying down in some sort of rectangular box. The boy who I loved was standing over me, looking down; His face still that of a young man's. He spoke, first it was silent, and then it slowly came to me.

"Sakura, Sakura, so pink and weird. Sakura, Sakura, so Pink and weird."

He made a hideous smile, the dark haired girl with the ghostly eyes appeared next to him. They both began to chant.

"Sakura, Sakura, so Pink and weird. Sakura, Sakura, so Pink and weird."

I'M NOT WIERED. I'M NOT WEIRD!

I let out a scream for them to stop. Yet nothing came out accept dust. I was decaying away, and the figures above me began to blur out.

I was in a coffin, I realized that now. I wanted to cry, this couldn't be happening.

"Sakura, Sakura, so pink and weird."

The coffin's lid slammed shut.

I rocketed up, just in time to doge a huge fire wave that destroyed the tent I was in. I back flipped a couple of steps, landing in the center of the camp. Shikamaru and Chouji joined my side immediately.

Chouji spoke the obvious. "We have company."

I unbuttoned the pouch on my side and took out a kunai.

With confidence I announced to our little group. "Let's take care of business."

They both grunted in agreement.

TBC