Haha, yeah. Hey. Yo.

I haven't visited this story in so long I thought I was due to post the flashback first (not the case, apparently) so my actual greeting text is in the flashback instead. Whoops.

Enjoy! I'm not back with a vengeance, unfortunately, but I really do love this story. I appreciate all of you who still do too.

Promises Not Made are Promises Never Kept

Chapter Thirty-Three: Misfortune

Sasuke leaped up into the stands to gather with his teammates as the world started to fall apart around them.

"Orochimaru is making his move!" Kakashi exclaimed as he watched Sasuke vanish with his team, battling enemy ninja as they went. "We need to protect Sasuke!"

"What are you talking about, Sensei?" Sakura asked as Sai scoffed. "What's going on?"

"Not you, Sakura!" Her teacher snapped, making her jump. "You two start gathering the civilians and get them to the safe houses! Anko and some of the other teachers will help you. Go- now!" With that, the two were ordered away as Kakashi looked around, dust in his eyes and screaming in his ears as a battle erupted on the rooftop of the middle stands. "Goddammit- where's Naruto?!"

"Sasuke, we need to get you out of here!" Zabuza told him as they made their way away from the arena – away from the chaos. "If that snake man is back, that means he's coming for you!"

"Not just that, I don't think," Sasuke replied, pausing and turning to look at them. He motioned to the arena. "Look."

His companions all turned to see a massive purple snake bursting through the wall of the arena, curling around the tower where the Hokage had been witnessing the matches as what seemed to be a shield of musical notes flickered to life beneath it.

"He's going for the Hokage first," Sasuke stated as they watched. "For the time being, he doesn't want me. We need to focus on eliminating the Sound ninja and driving them back. I can't just leave these people to fend for themselves! Innocent people are going to be caught in the crossfire!"

"Fine, I'll stay here, but Inaré and Haku are staying with you and you are leaving the city!" Zabuza ordered.

"What, so we can all be captured by an ambush team that's just waiting for us to leave? Come the fuck on, Zabuza!" Sasuke exclaimed. "We're not leaving. No way."

Zabuza scowled at him but knew fighting with him was pointless.

"Fine," he snapped. "We'll go back. Just keep control of yourself."

"I'm fine," Sasuke whined defensively. "I'm not angry anymore, promise."

"Eh, whatever," Zabuza snapped. "I'll believe that when this all goes down without you pulling your shit."

Sasuke opened his mouth to spit out an angry retort when the hollow crash of stones and bricks aimed their attention at the outer walls, where they saw three massive snakes – all baring Orochimaru's mark – rising up out of the forest and laying assault to the sentry guards as they punched holes through the battlements.

"That's going to clear the way for reinforcements," Haku breathed as they watched in dread. Sasuke turned to face his teacher.

"Zabuza-"

"We're on it, brat," the man said, cutting him off. "You go back and get as many people to safety as possible. We'll handle these idiots until the Konoha ninja arrive."

Sasuke smiled gratefully.

"Thank you."

Zabuza rolled his eyes and clapped Sasuke on the top of his head.

"Don't do anything stupid," he stated. "We'll meet up afterwards."

Inaré's hand graced Sasuke's, and she kissed him on the cheek.

"Stay safe," she cooed to him before she and Kaoru took off running after Zabuza. Sasuke looked over at Haku and met his gaze, and for a split instant an innate feeling of dread coursed through his system.

Unaware, Haku gave him a warm smile, and reached up to gently touch his face.

"We'll see each other soon," he breathed before following in the others' footsteps. Speechless, Sasuke could only watch him leave.

"Are you all right?" Ragnarok asked him, as he felt the familiar presence settle heavily on his right shoulder. Sasuke's gaze flickered down to the ground before looking back up to where the others had vanished.

"I think so…" he murmured out loud. "I'm not… quite sure though."

"Come, little lion," the god pushed. "You have a job to do."

Wordlessly, Sasuke broke out into a dash and headed the opposite direction of the city walls – back towards the arena.


He just knew it. He knew it as soon as the remaining Sound Ninja – along with Kabuto, damn the bastard – erected the shield around Orochimaru and the Hokage to keep out assistance. He knew as soon as that monstrous purple serpent appeared in high in the air above the arena.

Find Sasuke, find Sasuke, find Sasuke- I have to find Sasuke-!

"Sasuke!" He called, the city streets he ran through surprisingly quiet and motionless for all the chaos that was taking place in the arena. "Sasuke! Sasuke!"

He left the taller buildings of the village and headed into the more rural area, running across a bridge into a clearing that was normally used for public exercise and gatherings.

"Sasuke?" He called out loudly. "SASUKE!"

"Well, well, well…" he heard a gruff voice behind him, and suddenly the hairs of his neck stood on end. "What have we here? The fox boy."

Silently, Naruto turned, and his eyes fell upon two men standing on the water to one side of the bridge, both in red and black robes and one holding a massive sword across his shoulders. Swallowing, he turned fully to face them, even as every instinct in his body told him to run. He fought it, though. For all his fear, this was nothing. This terror – this was nothing compared to the sheer, gutless horror he felt when that monster came out of Sai's book during the preliminaries. This fear, he could handle.

This fear, caused only by mortals, could be defeated.

"Isn't this great?" The man who had spoken previously continued, his skin of strange bluish tint and his teeth nothing but canines. "Aren't we lucky, Itachi? To find him so quickly? And so very alone?"

The other man, a large majority of his face hidden behind the robe's high collar, nodded.

"I do agree, Kisame," he murmured darkly, making Naruto swallow as the blonde realized that not running had probably been a very bad idea. "Very lucky indeed."

End Chapter Thirty-Three: Misfortune

Short. Yeah. Sorry. You know I can't resist them cliff-hangers. Onto the flashback, where Sasuke becomes one with Ragnarok!