A/N: Thanks so much for the reviews! Sorry bout the last chap being confusing! Fo sho fo sho. As promised this update is pretty early I think. Hopefully it is haha.
Disclaimer: If I owned the Naruto series..the older Naruto in the series would have hair sorta like Yondaime's…and he would be so totally hot, though I have to say he looks pretty nice. GOOD JOB anime/manga peoples.
Warnings: Ums..just in case you couldn't figure this out yourselves, I have no doubt you are all very cunningly smart, but the words in bold in this chapter are basically just excerpts from the past, whether recent or very old. Sooo if you read last chapter, DUR, you might be able to pick up on a certain convo going on, and hopefully beam with glee as things start to make sense. Hopefully, if I wasn't to lame in producing this chapter.
But the convo isn't nearly complete, and as you'll notice, it almost seems to skip around BUT it's much more fillier than last chapter. Hopefull you'll put the pieces together. Fo sho.
Please Enjoy!!
Behind The Smile
Chapter 32: So Much Destruction, So Little Fighting Power.
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"Well for me, I had a lot of goals…"
"I had become a matchmaker for Naruto and Hinata..they are the cutest together, if only they'd realize it..but I think they are starting to get there…And Ino..I was still always trying to make sure I stayed ahead of her at everything..it all seems so silly now.."
The sky was as blue as can be, a few clouds adorning it's span. The sun was also shining brightly, it's rays decorating the outskirts of a forest. The forest seemingly cut off right before a huge cliff, which looked over more forest down below. In a certain area along this halted forest, lay a small part of the cliff that reached out, hovering even more so over the forest below. It surface was decorated with plentiful grass.
Upon lay a figure, arms sprawled out, head tiled high. A small smile graced her lips. Her emerald eyes, staring up at the sky, sparkled with unshed tears.
"I..had also wanted to become stronger.."
"Physically..for the time that might have come where I would fight, fight to bring back something that had long since been lost…"
"Mentally..for the time that might come when I have to forget something very important to me, to move on."
"Sakura..."
"If you haven't guessed already, that goal was you.."
The smile that graced her lips began to twist, changing from a small frown before stretching into a pursed line. Her throat moved up and down as she swallowed. Her breathing had finally slowed down to steady, silent breaths. For some reason she was calmer than she had imagined herself to be. She didn't care the reason, she felt lost, not completely in tune with her body and emotions. She almost didn't catch the twirk in her eyes as they spotted something that seemed odd in the sky.
This movement however, urged the bundle of tears piling up to finally spill, crawling down her face slowly seemingly without notice.
The clouds were white, nice and fluffy, there were no signs of a storm coming from anywhere else she could perceive..so why were there gray clouds, seemingly so out of place in position with the white ones? The curiosity was what led her eyes along the path of gray clouds, prompting her to sit up, turning her upper body around as her eyes sought to follow this peculiar path in the sky.
The gasp that erupted from her throat was sudden, full of surprise, horror. The movement of her body to face this event that had taken her attention, held her eyes wide was un-planned, automatic.
Same with the upbringing of her body onto her two shaky feet,;and the run to the immediate jump of the cliff, hanging more than 20 ft over the forest below. She was headed somewhere, somewhere at a very fast paste, her heart thumping in her chest widely, her eyes longing in the direction which she traveled.
----
"It's his choice to stay locked up in there, and it'll be his choice when he gets out.…He'll come around.."
As his elbow met with the unsuspecting victims abdomen, it left a horribly disfigured indentation, even as he flew a few yards back, falling upon the ground to lie still. He would not get up from that, the headband once secured tightly on his head slid over his eyes. The insignia carved in the metal resembled that of a music note, of Sound.
"..Especially with this war going on, he's not the type to sit around idly if we were to come under attack."
His cerulean eyes wasted not one more glance at the now dead shinobi as he continued walking through wreckages of a once vibrant village. Now, filled with screaming, explosions rumbling it's core, bodies decorating it's paved roads. The sounds were distant to his ears, seemingly dulled out, by the other sensations that were running through him.
The way he walked foreshadowed that of impending doom for any who crossed his path. It spoke of a deep, writhing anger, slowly seeping out, becoming part of his every movement, his every attack. He walked, letting his senses take in his all of his surrounding, perceiving all the destruction. There were shinobi all around him, fighting, killing, getting killed. Those who bore the carved insignia of a leaf on their forehead protectors snapped there heads to him, eyes wide with recognition and surprise, supporting the theory that they hadn't seen him in quite some time. There was also relief.
He also spared them nothing but a glance, his raging yet calm cerulean eyes seemingly looking for someone, and it seemed nothing could stop him.
He carelessy tossed a kunai, his eyes not having to follow as he knew it would hit it's impending target. He killed any and all opposing shinobi he saw, whether they came at him or cowered away. He would kill them all.
As expected, more came, unknowing to their guaranteed deaths. One by one, they went down, doing nothing to halt, nothing to impede his advance. As more and more came, he proceeded to dispose of them with much faster speed, his slow walk inching forward in pace. It wasn't long before he was running, his eyes wildly searching; there was a hint of worry. Emotions steadily starting to grow stronger.
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People, civilians were running everywhere, screaming, trying to find a safe place to hide. Among them were ninjas, shinobi.
They were fighting. Killing. Dying. Some, trying their hardest to protect those scrambling, running away, trying to find some refuge, some place safe, but now, there was none. Some, were opposite, killing the helpless, fighting the ones who seemed to protect. The many headbands adorned various places of their bodies gleamed, reflecting the burning fires.
Explosions were apparent every few seconds, more and more rubble falling down, more and more fires starting.
It's fires brilliant, it's walls, adorned with huge gaps standing tall, it streets filled with clashing shinobi.
This was the Hidden Village of Konoha.
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"What would you be Neji?"
"Neji!" Her voice seemed muffled, almost drowned out by the sounds of weapons clashing, of battle cries. She threw another kunai landing it expertly in the throat of another. She fought her way through till she could see him once again.
"A rock."
Her view moved through the whole crowd of fighting ninjas as she located the source of her searching. It seemed there was almost a straight line of free space between them, an opportunity, one that was fading quickly.
"Neji!" She cried out again.
It was then that her chocolate eyes caught sight of shimmering pearl, it's irises expanding in size for a short moment before returning to their serious, in depth concentration. The holder of the eyes swiftly moved pointed hands into various points on various people. Around him, shinobi, all adorned in Sound headbands were falling quickly, resembling the effect of dominos. The chakra points attacked were fatal.
His eyes refocused on the one who had shouted his name, spotting her through that brief straight line of opening.
"Only the wind?"
"Tenten!" As soon as the name escaped his lips the opening that brought them insight faded, more bodies of fighting shinobi filling it's depths. As he continued to fight, his eyes sought to find her again, his body sought to move ground, a goal seemingly impossible at the moment. There were too many, and they were coming to fast. He could do nothing but remain in place, continuing to fight.
".. If the wind were to suddenly go away, almost as suddenly as it had came..the rock wouldn't know what to do."
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"Those Sharingan are useless to you this battle. You may be able to see my every move, but your body is not fast enough to keep up."
His body preformed a series of sideways flips, using his two legs to land blows to two Sound enemy. Right after he grabbed the same two Sound nins and smashed their heads together, rendering them unconscious. More came at the taijitsu specialist. A green spandex body suit could be perceived only a fraction of a second as its wearer seemingly disappeared and reappeared behind one of them, planting his two feet on the shinobi's shoulders.
Shocked, the enemy looked up, only to receive a smirk.
Rock Lee lifted both his feet, moving them in different directions, one in front of the nin's head, and one in the back. Attaining all the force he desired, he brought his right foot; which was in the back, to the Nin's head with incredible force. He flew forward to the ground.
Lee went with him, landing on the shinobi's back. He catapulted off of him, performing a back flip while letting his feet meet the heads of two others, bringing them stumbling towards the ground.
As he found a small moment of rest, he dropped down to one knee, quickly unbuckling the mechanism that held the weights to his ankles. From the small drop not even a centimeter from the ground, the weights impounded the earth, leaving small craters beneath them.
It was the more shinobi came at him. He almost didn't avoid the attack, having to solely rely his actions on prediction, these ones seemed to fight differently than the ones before, their movements faster, smarter.
At that moment he found himself desiring the eyes that would allow him to see his enemy's actions.
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The sound of snapping twigs, and rustling grass could be heard as slow footsteps came one after another. Also, the sound of running water accompanied this, along with the whistling of various birds.
He had his eyes trained ahead of him, his goal to focus only on the path ahead. Though calm and composed, he seemed in a hurry to try and pass this part of the forest he was in, seemingly a clearing. After a few more steps he came to an abrupt halt, letting out a sigh of irritation. His onyx eyes reluctantly rolled to look at the cabin to his right. They lingered there for a while, seemingly in contemplation, or more so self chastisement. He looked ahead once again, a look of contempt adorning his eyes. He then took his first step to his right, in the direction of the cabin.
He paused at the door.
Flashback
He used his foot to push open the door, his hands occupied by the woman his arms. His lips occupied by the woman in his arms.
End Flashback
He quietly entered, the door producing a slight creak as he did so. The only source of light in the cabin was that provided by the small beams of light peaking through the window; hardly enough to provide much light. Though he needed none, he was able to move around easily through memory. He made his way to where he knew the bed was. He looked down at it.
Flashback
From their standing position, he slowly lowered them down, letting her back gently fall onto the bed, her head onto the pillow. He gently went down with her, his lips never leaving hers.
End Flashback
He slowly, almost reluctantly sat down on the bed. He brought a hand behind his neck, slowly rubbing it. He then clasped his hands together, leaning forward. He was very frustrated, not knowing why he had even come in here, why he was sitting here. The last place he wanted to be.
It only reminded him of things he wanted to forget, of things that should not have happened.
Flashback
He sat on the edge of the bed, his hands clasped together, his body slightly leaning forward. After a while he sighed, slowly rubbing his neck in frustration.. As he did so his gaze traveled to the sleeping face of the person lying in the bed. She looked peaceful, content. She was tightly wrapped up in the blanket, an exposed leg slightly peaking out.
End Flashback
Letting out an agitated noise he shot up from the bed, making his way towards the door. He pushed it open with so much force that it was knocked off it's hinges. He immediately stepped over the tumbling continuing in the direction he was going before, though this time moving with much haste, seeking to cover as much distance as possible.
"Sakura..what you want..it's impossible."
"What is it about being with me that is so hard?"
"…"
"Sasuke, tell me. I'd really like to know…Impossible? You leaving the life of an avenger is impossible, after all the sacrifices you made, after all the pain you suffered. That's impossible..yet you did it. You finally did it.. Why can't you do it again?"
His onyx eyes squinted slightly, frustration evident.
"We live different lives…"
"Different lives?"
"I kill people. You save them. I'm an S-class criminal, you're a highly respected Kunoichi."
"Does that really matter?"
"You can't live happily always running away. Never going to Konoha to see your family, friends."
"I won't say it wouldn't be hard..but… missing them is nothing to missing you. I'll go with you, wherever, for however long.."
"You can't leave everything you've worked for."
"I can. And I would in a heartbeat."
"Why?"
"Because you're worth it."
Flashback
She made her way in front of him, closing the distance between them. His head was slightly tilted up as he looked down at her. She could feel his discomfort, the want to step back, but his pride bid him stay.
She gently reached for one of his clenched hands, grasping it with both of hers. She then looked up, catching his eyes. She continued to bring his hand up further, bringing it to touch the place above her heart.
He slowly lowered his gaze to look at his hand. He could feel the hard pounding of her heart, it's fast, desperate beats. It made him even more so uncomfortable. In a small, controlled panic, he had tried to casually pull his hand away, but Sakura held it in place, grasping it even tighter.
"Please stay with me." Her statement was honest and thrilling in it's vulnerability.
End Flashback
It was then that he came to an abrupt halt. He stood there a few moments, his head bowed down, his fists clenched.
"I decided a long time ago..I don't care how much it hurts, I don't want to forget you. I won't…You can leave..but don't do so expecting me to forget you.. after months, years, because I won't."
He slowly lifted up his head, revealing his troubled, contemplating eyes. His whole body began to tremble as he stood there.
"I've done a lot of things these past years. When you find out, what makes you so sure you'd want to be with me?"
"..I already know that.."
"Know what, that I've killed hundreds of people, innocent people? Women, children. Men who simply looked at me the wrong way?"
"..Everyone..has done things they're not proud of."
"I found pleasure in killing people.."
"Though..not anymore, right? See Sasuke, you can change, you just need to let me in..please.."
Something was happening to him. He began replaying events in his mind, calculating, thinking. Regretting. At that moment, he felt like the most idiotic moron. Lately he had been making the biggest mistakes he would ever make in his lifetime. If there was anytime, it would be now. He would change. He would correct all those mistakes he had made.
He would fight once more for something that was important to him. Sacrifice whatever necessary, be it his pride, or even his life.
Sakura
He took off, in the opposite direction he had been traveling, along the same path he had traveled before. He ran as fast as he could, his determined eyes longing in the direction he traveled.
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"I had been right next to her.." His voice was full of discontent, a sort of worried irritation, guilt.
"Shikamaru, It's not your fault man. You didn't know it was going to explode."
Flashback
He was leaning across the counter, his elbow bent up, providing his hand to be foundation for his head to rest on. With his free hand he literally dropped the money into the customer's hand, pushing the bundle of flowers in the same direction, doing nothing to make eye contact.
The woman gave him look of haughtiness before snatching the flowers and walking away from the counter. He seemed to notice this, snarling at her back as she waked out the door. He was not in a good mood.
Just as soon another woman came from behind the counter, out of a room that was no doubt filled with even more flowers. Her once again long, blonde hair swayed behind her. Her blue eyes sparkled as she looked at the bundle of flowers in her hand. Just as soon they looked in curiosity at the woman just exiting the shop.
It only took a moment for everything to click in her head.
"Shikamaru!" Her voice was soft, not at all aggravated, yet reprimanding. She seemed to be in a good mood. "Stop scaring away the customers. And stop scowling."
He sighed, his eyes lazily traveling to watch her as she placed the bundle of flowers in another vase. He looked away as she turned towards him. In his peripheral vision, he noticed that she stayed in that position facing him, still not moving. Curiosity drove his eyes to glance back at her, noticing that she was looking at him.
Seemingly on que she jumped right in front of him, trying to startle him. Instead, he simply remained in his leaned position on the counter, lazily looking at her. He still looked irritated. A huge smile on her face, she leaned towards him.
"Shikamaru.." The tone to her voice was soft, enticing.
Shikamaru let out an annoyed response, his eyebrow lifting.
"CHEER UP!!" Simultaneously both of her hands planted themselves on either side of his face, making a light slapping motion. Just as soon she turned away, a huge smile still on her face. She made her way into the back room again.
Shikamaru shook his head, letting out another annoyed grunt, only this time, a small grin momentarily replaced his scowl.
"Troublesome girl.."
He continued leaning his chin on his hand. His eyes moved to the door as he heard someone coming. Though his expression grew curious and his head lifted off of his hand as the person entered.
"We're under attack!!" The messenger immediately disappeared out the door once again.
What?
Letting out another grunt of annoyance, he lazily walked out the shop. It all looked pretty normal to him. He let out another annoyed grunt, getting ready to go back inside. But he paused as he caught the sound of the Konoha Bells ringing. Along with that of a distant explosion, one strong enough to cause the whole ground of Konoha to tremble.
Just as soon his eyes caught sight of something small traveling towards the area where he was with a sort of curved flight. It seemed to be falling. His eyes widened when he realized what it was.
"Kuso!" He dropped on to the ground preparing to run inside the shop. His intention to bring another out.
He had no time as an explosion deafened his ears, a flash blinded his sight, and a blast sent him flying, rendering him unconscious.
End flashback
His mouth twisted as an aggravated noise erupted between clenched teeth. One of his hands were positioned on his ribs, corresponding the look of pain that also adorned his face. It was also adorned with blots of dry blood.
The two sank from their jump in mid air only to push off another rooftop as they continued. Their eyes took the role of searching every street.
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It could be heard from miles away.
The screaming, the clashing of weapons.
"Why Sakura? Why do you keep doing what you're doing?"
"..What am I doing?"
"You're not stupid, Sakura."
"Maybe I am. I know how much you hate me, but I can't stop what I feel for you. I don't want to."
"I can't believe you! If you would listen to me, I could give you more than enough reasons why I'm exactly what you DON'T need! I haven't cared about anyone but myself and that's not about to change!"
"Sasuke.."
"I should never have.I can't believe I actually tried to- and we..."
Her tears sparkled in a trail behind her. She didn't know why she was crying. She didn't really care. Her mind was focused on the path ahead of her.
"I wish we never met."
As she ran, she grew closer and closer to the sounds, closer and closer to the village that was under attack. Her sight of Konoha had long since been gone from the time she jumped off the cliff. All that caught her eyes was an extended path of forest. Her heart was beating wildly, her breathing somehow slow, yet desperate.
Everyone..hold on
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A small group of shinobi jumped out of the way as a giant snake fell to the ground, simulating a small quake as it did so. It let out one last hiss before it became still.
"This is bad…" Kakashi muttered as he looked down at the snake, who's head surpassed the size of his own body. His eyes then traveled to look around him, at the destruction. His keen sense of smell only nauseated him as his nostrils breathed in blood. His superior hearing only provided headaches as explosion after explosion rocked Konoha, weapon after weapon clashed, and battle cries and screaming echoed.
"Tell me about it." The deep voice of Asuma came from his side as he also stood, taking deep breaths to catch his breath.
They looked back to the snake lying on the ground.
"Do you think?" Might Gai pondered gravely, with suspicion.
"But it's been three years. His new body must be decaying by now. He wouldn't risk coming out in the open, starting a war unless he was expecting-." Kurenai cut off in the middle of her sentence. Looking at the others as they all thought of the same thing.
"Sasuke.." Kakashi spoke as if he had just figured it out. They all seemed to agree silently.
"Why would he expect Sasuke to come here? There's no reason for an S-class criminal to return, it'd be suicide." Asuma tried to deny.
"Him coming out into the open after all this time proves that he is very confident Sasuke will come here. Why, I don't know." Kakashi finished.
They all didn't add to the discussion, agreeing now was not the time to discuss. Coincidentally, all their gazes shifted to the source of more rumbling, another large snake not to far away.
"Should we help him?" Asuma grinned.
There was a lone shinobi fighting it, seemingly doing a good job on his own. From a distance, the figures qualities looked similar to that belonging to the legendary sannin by the name of Jiraiya.
"I don't know, it's kinda fun watching."
They all shared a grin before jumping up on the rooftops, seemingly making their way towards the giant snake.
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"It was a mistake. It will never happen again."
"Haaagh!" She let out a small battle cry as she shoved her fist into the ground. Instantly the ground in front of her cracked, breaking up the earth as a powerful tremble broke up more ground yards in front of her. Surprised, but cut off yells could be heard as all the shinobi in the area were caught in the tremble falling with the tearing ground.
The group of maybe a hundred shinobi bearing the headband for sound were no more. Her emerald eyes scanned the area in front of the gates, which was now broken up on no small part due to her, though free of any hostile.
Her eyes then caught sight of all the destruction past the gates, inside.
She couldn't believe what she was seeing. There were bodies everywhere. The roaring of the flames was nothing compared to the screams, at a much more discernable noise from the close proximity. She began to slightly tremble herself.
The walls surrounding were still standing, thought huge gaps and cracks were evident. Inside, past the gates, she couldn't count the thousands of shinobi crowding every space, both on street and rooftop. Her heart threatening to jump out of her throat, and her slow, shaky breaths becoming more and more frequent, she started walking towards the gates.
When she stepped past the gates, her breath halted as she got another look. She abruptly stopped, her horror stricken eyes looking up past the gates.
This moment was brief as she caught sight of a group of enemies coming her way. Even as they were running at her, her emerald eyes shifted to look at the destruction once more, seemingly trying to get over the shock. She then refocused on the enemy. She let out an un-discernable noise, a release of breath. Without another glance, she started walking, soon picking up her speed till she was in full sprint towards the enemy.
"Do yourself a favor, and forget about me."
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Thanks for Reading!!!
Hope it wasn't so bad! And those little excerpts I put in there, the ones for Sasu/Saku, definitely was not all of them from the convo, just main, huge bits and pieces. Buuuut I think that's all I'm gonna put. Yep, so definitely by next chapter you'll understand even more so the futuristic scenes from last chapter.
The REAL action will start next chapter!
So get ur popcorn and whatever else suits your fancy and enjoy!..well when it comes out.
