Chapter 10

Hey all we're getting caught up to our writing so the chapters might start being posted a little farther apart. Now's the time for any critiques or suggestions that you may have for my co-writer and I. Please feel free to comment and as always there are pictures posted up on my co-writers pintrest page under Tsukiange. This one's a little short but I hope you all enjoy.

Shizuko's POV

"Lie, he'll be okay. I can heal him." I bent down to tell her, but she didn't move at all.

I got up and ran over to Sasuke's still body, Please don't be dead…

Bending down I examine the senbons piercing his body. What the…

"Guys! None of these are lethal, he aimed for points that would make him appear dead, only passed out, Sasuke's alive!" I exclaimed happily.

Even though he was alive he was still badly injured from getting hit by Haku so many times. I used my healing light jutsu and began to heal him. I watched the scene unfolding in front of me with Zabuza taking out Gato and lying besides Haku.

"Lie….?Lie.." Sasuke started to awaken looking around.

"Sasuke, please stay still I haven't finished healing your wounds." I coaxed him as I keep him still with my glowing hand.

"Shizuko? What happened to Naruto… Lie...The guy in the mask?" He asked as he struggled to get up. I knew he could not be deterred. so I lent him my strength.

"Everyone is o… alive." I choked up at okay as I felt Lie was not okay, a part of her felt broken as she held the kunai to my throat.

"What's wrong with her?" He stared at Lie, struggling to get up. I sighed as I stood with him, having him lean as we limped to the group standing around Lie.

"Hey, what's wrong? Did you break a nail." Sasuke cockily asked Lie, though his eyes held worry. At his voice Lie's posture stiffened before looking up, her hair falling around her face. She looked feral.

"No, I'm fine. No need to concern yourself with me." She dismissed us coldly as she stood and walked away going into the crowd that gathered from the village.

"Are we late?" a confused Inari asked holding a crossbow in his hand the adults behind him with their weapons.

"Sorry, everything has already been taken care of, guess we got ahead of ourselves." Kakashi rubbed the back of his head as the village started cheering.

Hours later

I knelt next to Naruto at the grave where Zabuza and Haku lie. I bowed my head and offered a prayer to the sky for them to find each other in death.

"Is that what it means to be a shinobi? To be a tool for destruction and death? Is this the life of a shinobi?!" Naruto breaks the uneasy silence with his yelling. I knew the answer, but I couldn't bring myself to say we were always only tools when it came to others gaining power. We lived and died for their power.

"Of course baka. That's why we learn how to attack and kill people. All in the name of power." Lie answered darkly as she stared out on the edge of the cliff as the sun was going down in front of her. The others say nothing, as they know it to be true, none of us can look at each other.

"Well I refuse to accept that," I looked up at Naruto, "I'm going to make my own way in life, with my own ninja code, believe it!" He passionately exclaimed. I could not help but smile at his optimism and believe it. Grabbing his hand I pull myself up and squeeze his hand. I see Sasuke and Lie smirking and Kakashi looking pleased with his one eye.

"I believe in you" I whisper to him. I took comfort in his never ending will power. Yet in the pit of my stomach I had a bad feeling of what is to come and if our team will make it through.

A week later

It has been a week since we left the bridge builder and his town. Only a week and a lot of things changed in such a short time. The town actually came up with a name for the bridge, they're calling it the Naruto Uzumaki Bridge. Naruto was so ecstatic he was bragging for days about it to Sasuke, how he saved him and was the hero.

Naruto and Sasuke rivalry got worse when we got back, Naruto is still trying to be "cooler" than Sasuke. Both always trying to one up the other in the small missions we've been getting. Most of it ending with Naruto getting hurt and looking bad.

Lie…. Lie hasn't even looked at me much and I can feel her walls coming back up as she struggles. She won't open up to me, often just taking dinners to her room and shutting the door. She's shut everyone out, refusing to even rise to the bait of Sasuke making fun of her. I don't know how to help her. A part of me is afraid, I've been told our mission in life was to destroy the darkness and the demons. But, she's my best friend and not just a demon.

I started noticing Naruto more. I don't know what's wrong with me. He would start talking about Sakura and asking her out. Everytime I could feel my stomach drop and I would get nauseous at the thought of them together. I don't like the feeling, it feels wrong. So, I just smile and always tell Naruto next time, even though a part of me wants to run from the feeling and him.

After the bridge fight I've been feeling so weak, so ashamed, how could I have ever expected to be a Knight of Angelus if I could not fight. In the cover of darkness I've been leaving the house to practice my Villages hidden jutsus, what I could remember since I didn't have the book on me. In the back of my mind I flashed back to the darkness of Lie when I practice and I shuddered when I think about what I may have to do one day if the demon takes over and Lie isn't Lie anymore.