I hope you all like this chapter, I really focussed on what 'senpai' (Sakura's saviour) thinks and feels, I know he should be a bad guy, but I wanna make him a good guy, so…
Please tell me what you think about it, I really like knowing what you guys (and girls) think!!
I already have a few ideas for my next chapter, but it'll take me a while to update, I have a lot of work to do for school, and I have to write a new chapter for The Secret Behind.
Anyway, I won't stall anymore, I only have one last request, please review people, I'd like to see my reviews reaching 100 with this chapter, it would make me very happy!!
You all know I don't own Naruto!!
Monday, February 18th
It was the small things that no one seemed to notice anymore that usually made his day. Like a beautiful sunrise or sunset, the moon reflecting on a lake, a sakura tree in the middle of a clearing in spring, the simplest of things, nature itself.
He had learned to appreciate the world around him when he committed his worst sin, and since then, he valued the small things above life itself.
For instance, today, what was making his day was the smile on the pink haired girls face, it was a smile he liked to see, because it was wholehearted, happy and genuine, and it made his day. Had he been travelling with someone else, he would have to be all composed and serious, but with her, he could be himself, not someone others wanted him to be.
A smile, usually people didn't understand the meaning of a smile, because there are many kinds of smiles. There are sad smiles, apologetic smiles, guilty smiles and fake smiles, and there are also happy smiles, genuine ones, and so much more, but these days, people seemed to take a smile as a smile, no matter the true meaning behind said smile, it was just a smile. For him, that point of view was wrong.
When someone smiles, it can mean a lot, they can be sad, hurt, happy, trying to hide something, trying to say something, and there were few people left in the world that actually paid attention anymore. People cared more about what they were wearing than about feelings, and it shouldn't be that way.
After he had committed the worst sin of his life, at first he had only cared about the power, but as time went by, the power stopped meaning anything, because he knew he would always have it, so he started paying attention to the world around himself, to the smallest of things, and it was those small things that made his day, because, as it goes by doing small deeds we accomplish great things.
"This way Hayuki-chan!" he called, to which the pink haired girl nodded, that oh so genuine and wholehearted smile still adorning her features, and then turned to the street he had signalled, walking side by side with him.
A Shinobi should not feel. It's the most important rule of all in the shinobi world, yet, no one had ever managed to accomplish it completely, because everyone is born human, and its human nature to feel. Pain, happiness, anger, grief. Emotions are always present, even if a lot try to ignore them, repress them, they're always there.
She was a good example of just how much emotions were present. He knew for a fact that she was a powerful shinobi, he also knew she was one of those rare cases where an emotional person managed to deal with their feelings and become a shinobi. He knew that many people must have told her to quit, that she was to sentimental, not cut out to be a shinobi, but she had endured it all, fought with her emotions so they wouldn't interfere while on missions, and he would bet his most precious thing that, every time she came from a mission, she would cry, even if just inwardly.
He knew many people may have called her weak, pathetic, Orochimaru had tortured her with cruel words, but she was a fighter, she was strong, she was going to surpass Tsunade, he was certain, and she was going to become one of the greatest shinobi to ever be alive. Her team mates, her sensei, he was sure they all underestimated her at some point, but they shouldn't, she had the potential to become stronger than the 3 sannin together at their best, she just didn't let it all come out.
That gave him an idea, and his mind started plotting. He grinned to himself and looked at her through the corner of his eyes.
"Ne, Hayuki-chan." she looked at him with her head tilted to the side.
"What is it senpai?" she inquired. He decided that maybe he should organise his ideas better before doing what he was about to do, so he thought of a simple question that would allow him to see if she would be able to endure what he was plotting for her.
"Would you rather die protecting or live by giving up?"
Chapter 16 – Her senpai's feelings, having fun and their search
Weeks earlier, Saturday, February 2nd
The tension in the Hokage's office could almost be cut by a knife. After a brief conversation, the Hokage had become silent and was looking outside. Everyone in the office was waiting for what she would say next.
"We are not sending everyone out there." The Hokage spoke, her tone void, and she kept looking outside.
Naruto was about to speak, but Kakashi put a hand on his shoulder, when the blond looked at his sensei, this one shook his head and Naruto looked down.
"I'll allow only 3 teams in the maximum, and it will be teams of 2, no more than that, and no less either." She finally turned around to face them, and the Hokage hadn't been this serious in a long time.
"May I ask who you will send Hokage-sama?" the Kazekage spoke. The woman shifted her gaze to him before answering.
"I'll send Naruto, since the Kyuubi can help." Gaara nodded. "Sai will go with him." She looked at the mentioned people, who gave her a nod.
"Then, since you offered to help, I'd like to send Kakashi with you." The kazekage nodded, and so did Kakashi.
"And finally I'll send Yamato and Sasuke." The last 2 nodded, well, at least Yamato did, Sasuke just stayed quiet.
"Do you have anything to say about this?" Gaara shook his head.
"Only that we should start from where Naruto's team found something." The Hokage nodded.
"You'll leave tonight, and once you reach the fight scene, break up."
"Hai." Everyone cooed.
"Dismissed." And then everyone started getting out of the office, only Sasuke stayed.
"I presume you have something else to tell me." The Hokage narrowed her eyes, he didn't even try to sound polite.
"While you're out of the village, you won't be working." She stated. "Once you return, you will work the time you were out."
"So basically, if I stay out 2 months, I'll be working 2 extra months." The Hokage narrowed her eyes further.
"Basically, yes." He gave a curt nod and left the office.
"Damn brat." She muttered and then took her sake from the drawer to her right, she was certain the council was going to nag her to no end when they knew about this.
Weeks later, Tuesday, February 19th
When he got up, the girl in the other bed was still sleeping. When he had rented the room, he had asked a room with 2 beds, he figured he wouldn't spend as much money, and sharing a room wasn't that bad, it's not like he was gonna attack her or anything, which he wasn't.
She was sleeping peacefully, and he wondered what she was dreaming about. Was it a dream about herself? About what Orochimaru had made her go through? Was it about the last few days? He was curious, but he kept that curiosity to himself and walked to the bathroom, her dreams were personal, they were hers to know, and to tell if she felt comfortable to do so.
He decided to take a quick shower, and so he did. When he got out of the shower, a few minutes later, he knew she was awake, mainly because he heard light footsteps inside the room. He quickly dried himself and got dressed, then fixed his hair and brushed his teeth.
As he saw his reflection he grinned childishly, he knew he should be serious, everyone expected him to be serious, but being serious simply wasn't in his nature. He had always been the most childish, clumsy, goofy and reckless of the family.
He could still remember his brother looking down, his arms crossed over his chest, one hand rubbing his temples, the fingers of his free hand tapping his side and his foot taping the floor while he mumbled "Why does my aniki has to be so childish" when something happened. He also remembered that each time that happened, he would come to stand next to his otouto, a grin on his face, and then he would jump over his brother's back, grin still in place, and tell him to relax and stop worrying. His otouto would always end up rolling his eyes with a sigh and a smile.
His grin faded, and he looked down at the sink of the bathroom, of everyone in his family, the person he missed the most was his brother.
He shook his head, he shouldn't be remembering the past.
The image of a blond man in the exact same pose as his brother came into his mind. His senpai, he missed him too, it was like having his brother next to him again, but it was someone else, someone that would beat the crap outta him every time he did something stupid. He laughed to himself, deep down, he knew, he just knew that he pissed his senpai off on purpose, because after he beat him up, if there wasn't anyone else around, the blond man would smile, that smile he used to get from his brother, and it was a routine, because he missed his brother, and now he missed his senpai too, and there was no one else that could fill the void in his soul, even if just barely. The world was so empty, so lonely.
He felt a lump forming in his throat, and he knew that if he kept it going he was gonna end up crying, and he didn't want to, because he shouldn't, because he couldn't let his past get the best of him, and so, to free his mind of the past, he acted on instinct, he did something that he knew always worked, that always took him out of his memories. He pushed his fist back, and then slammed it on the mirror in from of him, making the mirror break in small pieces and fall to the floor. Pain.
Seconds later the door of the bathroom opened to reveal a worried looking pink haired kunoichi.
"What happened senpai?" she questioned, and he could feel the concern in her voice, it engulfed him like a tsunami wave.
He stood there, his head looking down at the sink, his fist still on the broken mirror, his knuckles digging in the broken shards of glass, blood slowly running down his hand and dripping into the sink. He truly was an idiot.
"Senpai?" she was starting to feel scared. And that made him snap.
He lifted his head and looked at her with a childish grin, his left hand, that wasn't injured, scratching the back of his head, his right one on the sink.
"I'm sorry Hayuki-chan, I didn't meant to scare you." He saw her sigh in relief and walk closer to him.
"You're childish senpai." She mumbled and took his injured hand. He stood silent, watching as she focussed on his wound and healed him, taking the small shards of glass from his knuckles gently and then letting her green chakra heal the wound.
"What happened senpai? Is everything ok?" she asked looking up at him, her eyes worried. He grinned childishly.
"Well, you see… it's… well…" Damn it, why was he still not able to answer such a simple question? It had always been his brother who managed to come up with good excuses. "I didn't like the mirror!!" great excuse, he felt like hitting himself, but he grinned sheepishly, and saw her cross her arms in front of herself, her head lowered, one hand came up to massage her temples and her foot began tapping the floor.
"You're so childish senpai… so childish.' She mumbled and he couldn't help but smile. Maybe there was still someone that could fill the void. He walked closer to her and ruffled her hair, he guessed that jumping on her back would be hurting her. And he spoke the words that only those who understood him, worried, cared would hear from him.
"Don't worry 'bout it and relax, it's not like I blew up the room!!" he grinned sheepishly again, and he heard her sigh, and he knew she rolled her eyes, and then she looked up with a smile, that smile that only his brother and senpai would give him. And he was glad, because somehow, the world didn't seem so lonely anymore.
He took her hand, seeing she was already dressed (baby blue capris, a white spaghetti strap top and a small white jacket, with sleeves that covered her hands and baby blue ballerinas) and then he started dragging her away from the room.
"C'mon Hayuki-chan, I'll buy us a cake!!" he cheered (like Naruto would cheer before going to eat ramen.) and the girl giggled, letting herself be dragged away.
"You truly are childish senpai!!" she said while giggling, and he just grinned wider. He didn't mind being childish, he never had.
Weeks earlier, Friday, February 8th
Word was spreading fast, and Kakashi didn't like it. Word that Orochimaru was still alive shouldn't be spreading so fast. He gritted his teeth, it was as if Orochimaru was doing it on purpose, showing himself so everyone would know he was back.
And word that he had plans to join the Akatsuki again was also spreading fast, and that was even worse, because if he joined Akatsuki, in Sakura's body, it would be a disaster for everyone.
He and Gaara were currently on a village near the Rain city, Naruto and Sai had gone to the Grass country side, and Sasuke and Yamato had gone to the other side of the Rain country, where neutral territory stood.
He sighed and looked at the Kazekage, that was doing a great job not being noticed, his gourd had been sealed in a scroll, and his kanji mark was well hidden under shinobi face painting, said paint being the same shade as his skin.
"What do you think about this?" he quietly asked the red haired diplomat. Said boy glanced at the silver haired man and sighed.
"It's bad." He replied curtly. Kakashi nodded, it certainly was bad, Orochimaru being alive, and wanting to join Akatsuki, yup, really bad.
"Maybe we should ask around?" Gaara pondered on those words.
"I agree." He approved with a nod.
Elsewhere, somewhere in the Grass country
Naruto looked around and ran his hands through his blond spikes in frustration.
"This is so…. Huh." Sai raised a brow, sure, he was getting frustrated of only finding dead ends, but at least he wasn't in the village, stressing over what others were doing.
"Let's ask around, maybe someone knows something more specific." Naruto looked at the artist-nin and sighed.
"Do it kid, maybe someone knows something. He's been here, but I can't figure out where he went." Naruto sighed again, the Kyuubi wasn't as all mighty as everyone made him seem, not that he was complaining.
He nodded at Sai and they walked into a bar. The bar was filled with shinobi, and the bartender, as soon as he saw them, raised a brow, looking at them suspiciously.
They sat at the counter, and ordered water and dango, eating something wouldn't hurt, they had been searching all day.
"What are you kids doing here?" the bartender asked, suspicious of their presence. Sai raised a brow of his own, while Naruto looked the man up and down.
"Why do you care old man?" Naruto snickered and took a dango to his mouth. "We're searching a friend of ours, we haven't seen her in a while." Since when was Naruto such a good liar??
"A friend??" Naruto shrugged. Since when was the self proclaimed Hokage so casual??
"Yeah, she's got pink hair." The bartender, once again, raised a brow.
"We believe she was travelling with another friend of ours, he has long black hair and yellow eyes." Sai added, with Orochimaru, nothing was certain, he could be travelling with her body, or have already used one of his creepy jutsus to cover her body up, so it would seem it was really him. It was disturbing.
"Yellow eyes you say?" Naruto nodded, trying hard to act composed and casual, it was never his thing, but if he had to, he could.
"There was a guy, he had these weird eyes, and he certainly was an idiot, he made himself seem all high and mighty."
"Do you remember where he went?" Sai asked, fighting the urge to get the answer he wanted by using his ANBU training.
"I think he said he was travelling to the Rain country, but I'm not sure." Naruto didn't lose any time.
"Thanks old man." He exclaimed and turned to Sai. "C'mon Sai-teme." And they were out the door, the money they had slammed in the counter still trembling in the counter. The bartender blinked, that was weird.
Elsewhere, neutral territory west from the rain country
They had been travelling for a few days now, and so far, there were a lot of dead ends, and not so many good clues as to where, exactly, Orochimaru was.
"Do you know where he could be?" they were currently questioning a man around his 40's, who had told them he had heard about someone with Orochimaru's description.
"Not exactly, but I heard he was heading to the Rain country a few days ago when I was in the Grass country." The man replied. "I don't know anything else about him."
"Thank you." Yamato thanked and they started to walk away.
"Rain." Sasuke mused. "The bastard's planning to join the Akatsuki again." And suddenly it all made sense, when he had seen the bastard, it had been in the Nara forest, where 2 Akatsuki had been defeated, where he could get his hands on one of the Akatsuki rings.
"Why do you think that?" he glanced at the older man and then back at the street they were walking on.
"What else is there in Rain that would attract Orochimaru?" he glanced at the older man again. "Orochimaru always wants something to satisfy his greed, and what better than Akatsuki now that Sound is being controlled by Konoha and Suna?" Yamato nodded, getting his point.
"I see." He mused. "Then let's go." Sasuke nodded, the sooner he found his Sakura the bet- wait wait wait.
"Wait, where the hell did that come from? Since when is she 'mine'?" he was confused with himself, but he kept his well schooled blank face on, leaving that though to think about it later.
Weeks later, Tuesday, February 19th
She giggled when he pouted.
"C'mon Hayuki-chan, it'll be fun." He whined and tugged on her hand harder.
"It's a playground senpai, it's for small children." She shot back, and then he let go of her, pouting and crossing his arms over his chest, then turning her back to her.
She tilted her head, and suddenly she felt heavy, and sad.
"Senpai?" she called, but he ignored her. She took a step forward and touched his shoulder. "Senpai?" she heard him sniff, and when he looked at her, she blinked, and felt guilty.
When she touched his shoulder and called him, he looked at her with a childish pout and puppy dog eyes. He saw the guilty look she had.
"Can we go?" he whined, and he knew he had won. She sighed and then answered.
"Fine, we can go senpai." As soon as she ended he was grinning and spinning her around, his arms holding her waist firmly so nothing bad would happen.
"You'll see, it's gonna be fun!!" he exclaimed, letting her go, and then took her hand and started dragging her to the playground he had seen when they had arrived to the village.
He didn't care it was for kids, it was fun, and he liked to have fun, he wanted her to have fun, because he had worried her that morning and he felt bad about it, so he had to make it up to her.
When they got to the playground, a few kids were playing in the sand, their mother's watching over them, and as he glanced at the pink haired girl, he saw her looking at the women, something like embarrassment in her face.
He stopped when he reached the swings, and then he sat her down on one. She looked up at him, and he grinned, then walking to stand behind her, and then he started pushing her lightly.
At first he knew she was embarrassed, but then he started pushing her harder, and she started giggling, and having fun, like he had intended, and he was glad!
The women there were looking at them reprovingly, but he couldn't care less, they didn't understand, they couldn't understand, neither how he felt, neither how she felt.
He knew that he needed these simple things to keep living, it was childish, but it was the truth, and he was sharing his childishness with her, showing her, even if he didn't say anything, that the small things were what mattered the most, and he knew, the moment she smiled, that she understood what he was trying to say, to show.
"Are you having fun Hayuki-chan?" she was still giggling when she looked over her shoulder and nodded.
"Hai!!" he grinned, proud of himself.
"See, I told you!!" she kept giggling and jumped from the swing, then running behind him and making him seat on the swing she had previously been on. She then walked back behind him and started pushing him, and he couldn't help to, in around 2 years, feel happy, he had found someone that understood, that cared, and for him, that was rare.
"It's your turn senpai!!"
Around a week earlier, Wednesday, February 13th
The 6 of them had reached Rain, and met there, and after a day, they had concluded that Orochimaru wasn't there anymore, and all the rumours that had been spreading, had suddenly stopped. It was suspicious.
He narrowed his eyes, and, seeing his team mates doing the same, he was the first one to act, Sharingan activated, and with speed that the bare eye couldn't follow.
The poor nin never knew what hit him until he was pinned to a tree, his hand around the jounin's throat, his eyes void, but scaring the hell out of the nin.
"I have a few questions." He spoke, and the rain-nin choked. "And if you want to live, you'll answer." The nin nodded, and he loosened his hold on the man's throat, but only so he could speak. His team mates were still hiding in the trees.
"What do you know about Orochimaru, and make it brief." The nin nodded and choked again.
"He managed to get a body and wanted to join Akatsuki."
"Just like I suspected." He mused to himself.
"What did Akatsuki do?" the man looked nervous, so he glared at him, and he could swear the man squeaked.
"Word came out that Leader sent a member to eliminate him." Sasuke tilted his head lightly. "I don't know who though." The man added quickly.
"Where did they go? Orochimaru and the one that's gonna eliminate him." The man choked again.
"River country I think." Sasuke raised a brow, as if asking why. "Grass doesn't particularly like us, so the River country would be the best choice, since fights are not allowed in neutral territory and the Fire country is trying to eliminate Akatsuki." Sasuke nodded once and let the man fall to the ground. He then walked away, disappearing in the shadows.
"So?" it was Gaara who spoke.
"Akatsuki wants Orochimaru eliminated, it seems they went to the river country." The Kazekage nodded.
"I would propose we break up in teams of 3, since we have less to search, one team would go by the west and the other by the east routs." Kakashi proposed.
"Let's just go Kakashi-sensei." Naruto mumbled, he wasn't comfortable being here.
"Naruto will go with Gaara and me. Sai and Sasuke will go with Yamato. Any arguments?" there were none. "Then, Yamato's team will go west, and mine will go west.
"Hai."
Around 2 weeks later, Saturday, February 23rd
"Are you ok Hayuki-chan?" he asked, after organizing his ideas he had started 'training' her (he had started 3 days ago to be precise, in the 20th), and right now he knew she was exhausted.
"I'm fine senpai." She said smiling. He let out a sigh, even if she was dying, she still said she was fine.
"You sure?" he felt her nod against his shoulder, and he let the subject drop. At least she had let him carry her piggyback style.
"What do you wanna eat?" he asked when the village came into sight and the forest started fading away.
"Something warm." He heard her mumble against his shoulder, she really was exhausted, tomorrow he had to go easy on her.
"Ok." He replied softly, and as he walked into the village he knew she was asleep, and he could feel her breath on the crook of his neck.
As he walked down the street towards the inn, almost all the girls he walked by glared at the girl he was carrying.
"Stupid girls." His brother or senpai would have hit him. "They think we're a couple." He mentally laughed, from the outside, it would very much seem they were a couple, but he knew better. He wasn't in love with her, nor she with him. They were just… close to each other… like siblings…
Now that he thought about it, he was getting too attached to her, like he had been too attached to his brother and to his senpai. He was doing something he shouldn't, and he knew that there were 3 possible endings for this situation.
The first was the worst, when she got her memories back, she would hate herself for befriending someone like him, run away, never talk about what happened again, forget about it, move on, and he would be alone… again.
The other was less dramatic, when she got her memories back, she would just run away, never talk about what happened, keep it a secret, everything would be forgotten, and he would be alone… again, but at least she wouldn't hate herself.
The last one was too perfect, and he knew it was the less probable to happen. When she would get her memories back, she would run away, think about what happened, they would keep friends, she wouldn't hate herself, and he wouldn't be alone anymore.
He was sure that the last one wouldn't happen, he was sure he would end up alone in the end, and he would never be able to talk to her again, unless they were fighting.
He sighed and readjusted her so he could carry her better, there were things he could never stop doing, no matter how hard he tried, like befriending people he shouldn't and let them fill the void, only to feel alone and empty in the end.
He shook his head and cut his thoughts short, no matter the ending, he was going to enjoy the now, teach her how to use her inner strength.
His brother would be proud of him, his brother had always been gentle, ready to help, while he had been egoistic, but his brother had changed him, and deep down, he was glad.
He cut his thoughts short when he heard her mumble something, and he couldn't help but smile.
"…stop reading that pervert book sensei…" he didn't know if she would remember her dreams, but she was starting to remember, he hoped that he could at least teach her everything he had in mind before she remembered everything. For once, he wanted to do something good, even if nobody would ever know, because he wasn't telling anyone, and he was sure she wouldn't tell anyone either.
I did this chapter listening to The Gazette and Greenday!! (why am I telling you this again??)
Anyway, forgive my randomness!!
Isn't that little scare with a GO written on it inviting?? C'mon people, who know you want to click it and write a good review, ne?? I know you do, so don't be shy!!
XD lol, I sure am random!!
Love you all my beloved fans, Kaori-chan!!
I'll update as soon as I can!!