Icha-chan: OMG NEW CHAPTER!!!
Naruto: FINALLY!
Sasuke: You take too long to update this story…
Icha-chan: I've been busy! College applications, school work….
Sakura: Styling wigs and cosplaying!
Icha-chan: haha..yeah…that too…-sweatdrop-
Sasuke: Fooling around…pft.
Naruto: AS LONG AS YOU UPDATE QUICKER, I DON'T CARE WHAT YA DO, DATTEBAYO!!!!
Sasuke: Stop screaming, dobe. You're making me deaf…
Naruto: TEME!
Sakura: Oh jeez, here we go again…
Icha-chan: DISCLAIMER!
Sakura: Icha Icha Ramen does NOT own Naruto! Now on with the story!
--
CHAPTER EIGHT
It was the explosion. The explosion started it all.
The ground rumbled as the surge of tremendous crumbling filled their ears. It was as if a bomb went off right in the building.
Her chest tightened, as if someone was clutching her lungs in their hand mercilessly, her eyes locked ahead.
The green orbs stared at the end of the hall, the thinning dust revealed a newly created opening, light pouring in the cavern.
A surge of emotion choked her...but the most dominant of them made her explode into a run at full speed. She hurled herself forward, anger clearly printed all over her face as she rushed towards the outside…
She didn't hesitate, stagger or take a glimpse of her surroundings as she broke out into the light, her eyes dead ahead on the one object of her pursuit.
He stood a couple yards away, his frame slightly arched as he looked up to the top ledge of the crater. His face revealed nothing, he kept staring…
Assassin, betrayer, traitor…asshole! Her eyebrows furrowed the more she thought of his purpose of standing before her…He was there only to take away the one thing she loved the most…
Her feet skidded along the concrete ground as she slid to a halt next to the man, her arm reaching forward, snatching a handful of his shirt. His eyes widened as his head whipped back and then toward her, the wind knocked out of him as his grey eyes met with her enraged emerald ones.
Her mouth opened in a cry of anger, words were spat out instantaneously with her bubbling anger. She was so caught up in anger she almost didn't catch it…almost. As soon as the careless murmur reached her ears, she froze.
The sound was hardly above a mutter, but it was heard…that voice…that strong, smooth voice that haunted her in her dreams….that occupied the back of her mind while she moved about through each day, training, working, studying, walking, blinking breathing….
The iron grasp she had before faded. Her fingers uncurled from the fabric of Sai's charcoal shirt and her hand fell to her side. Slowly she began to turn in the direction of the voice as a mixture of emotions overtook her mind, her eyes growing wider ….there…
Despite the blinding sun threatening her to look away, she couldn't…she couldn't even blink, her eyes drifted up, agonizingly slow, her face paled and finally her sea green orbs came to meet with those oh so familiar onyx eyes….
It nearly killed her…her mouth mumbled out his name, for it was all she could register. Sasuke….Sasuke…..her mind repeated his name in her head.
She looked up at him as if she was seeing a ghost….and he?
He looked as if he couldn't care less. He was emotionless…his eyes simply looking into her own….but it felt like he was seeing right through her…
--
Sakura woke up, her hand flying to her chest as reality rushed in on her.
"What a dream…" She whispered. No, a memory…
She got out of bed. Stretching, she noticed Kakashi, Naruto and Sasuke were gone.
"…Practice!" She cried, darting her green eyes around in search of a clock.
Five minutes!
Sakura changed out of her pajamas and into a shorter version of her genin dress. Pulling on a pair of black shorts, she grabbed a granola bar from her snack stash in her drawer, some ninja weapons, and raced out the door.
When she arrived to the site, she saw Naruto sprawled out on the grass, alone, with his eyes closed. Raising an eyebrow she drew closer to him, and knelt down.
"Naruto?"
She poked his head, but got no response.
He isn't sleeping…He's in a ….genjutsu? How?
Just as Sakura was about to repel the jutsu, a voice spoke up.
"Don't."
Sakura spun around, kunai ready and looked up. Sasuke stood several yards away, his face expressionless and his eyes were Sharingan red.
What's going on…
Concerned, Sakura stood up and began to walk towards Sasuke.
"Sasuke-kun, why did you place Naruto in a genjutsu? What's—"
Her eyes widened as she dodged the blade of Sasuke's chokuto.
"Sasuke!"
He swung again, advancing towards her with incredible speed and once again she dodged.
"Sasuke, why—"
"You….my brother…."
"What?!"
Sakura sent a kunai flying straight into the shuriken Sasuke had aimed at her. The next set landed straight into the trunk of the tree she stood in front of a second before.
"You both make me sick!" He moved his hands so fast she couldn't register what jutsu he performed before the Fire Ball Jutsu was already raging towards her.
The plume of fire grazed the edge of Sakura's elbow as she moved out of the way. She hissed in pain, the burn irritating the skin. Looking back at the raven haired male, she narrowed her eyes, gathering an immense amount of chakra to her palm before racing forward.
Meanwhile, a twisted smirk spread upon his lips as he began to form Chidori in his own palm.
"I don't know what has gotten into you, so you better start talking!" She cried out, at the last second, Sakura sent her fist straight to the ground, creating a crater beneath her feet.
Sasuke's eyes widened. He has expected her to charge right at him, like Naruto would have with Rasengan…
Sakura watched as Sasuke poofed into a log.
"Wonderful…"
She ducked, as a kunai sailed right above her head and glanced around.
Sasuke didn't try to hide himself, but instead charged right at her.
Duck, dodge, duck, dodge…This was becoming exhausting! Sakura growled, frustrated. She couldn't get a punch in! Just what was his problem?!
"Sasuke!"
Gasping, she held a kunai against the blade of his sword, the sword coming dangerously close to her neck. Green eyes locked onto red ones.
"Sasuke, what the hell is wrong with you!" She shouted, staring angrily into his eyes.
"I saw you and Itachi at the lake, Sakura. And I heard everything."
Sakura's eyes widened slightly, her mouth opening but no words came out. What could she say?
"Are you alright?" She mentally smacked herself. Of course he wasn't! Why else would he be acting like this?!
Sasuke chuckled darkly.
"My entire life has been a lie, Sakura. What do you think?"
Sakura pushed him away from her using her feet and jumped backwards.
"When were you planning on telling me, Sakura? Or were you going to just continue talking behind my back about it with ITACHI!"
He threw another round of shuriken.
Sakura dodged.
"What did you want me to do, Sasuke? Run up to you in the middle of the night and start ranting on about it all?! Even if I did do that you wouldn't have believed me!"
"What makes you so sure?"
"Since the day you left, Sasuke…Since the day I woke up on that fucking stone bench, back in Konoha, knowing you decided you could trust Orochimaru to give you more power and strength than our team could!"
"You're right…Orochimaru did give me more power than I could ever obtain in Konoha, Sakura….he's not one of the three sannin for nothing, and in the end, I ended up killing him and Itachi. I doubt I could have accomplished that much by staying."
"You wouldn't know that because you never tried."
They were silent for a minute, both glaring at each other.
"I didn't decide to keep the information from you, Sasuke…Itachi did."
"He told you Sakura…he told you! Why would he do that?"
"I don't know!"
"Sure you don't."
"How would I know?"
"I'm not stupid, Sakura. I know how he looks at you…And last night you lied about taking a shower just to see him! If you were going to start fooling around with him, you could at least be decent enough to break up with me first."
"Sasuke…how could you even think that?! Kami, you're such an arrogant oblivious asshole!"
Sakura turned, running away from the raven haired Uchiha and into the forest. Sasuke stood where he was, his fists clenched to his side.
Naruto came up behind Sasuke, who stood watching Sakura's form fade as she ran further and further away. The wind tossed his raven locks about his face, Sharingan eyes slowly fading to onyx.
The younger Uchiha felt a hand on his right shoulder.
"Awake already, dobe?"
As the Uchiha turned, a fist slammed right into his cheek. The Uchiha stumbled backward, his hand instantly raised to his bruising cheek. His eyes were Sharingan red again.
Naruto stood before him, his body trembling with anger.
"Go after her."
Sasuke narrowed his eyes.
"No."
Naruto slammed another fist towards Sasuke, this time hitting the Uchiha's gut. Before Sasuke could blink, the kyuubi container was holding him up by the collar of his shirt, growling.
"I am so sick and tired of watching you rip Sakura to bits and pieces, teme! She's done nothing but love you with every inch of her soul! Now go catch her before I lose it."
Naruto's blue eyes were starting to turn red, his whiskers becoming more pronounced.
Naruto tossed the Uchiha away, in the direction Sakura had taken off.
"NOW"
--
Sakura's legs burned, her lungs hurt and her eyes were blurred with unshed tears. Yet she continued running, running away from everything that happened back there. She didn't want to think about it all, but she was afraid of what Sasuke's action meant…what his words indicated. Had they even indicated anything at all? Were they still together?
The questions ran around in her mind, tears finally escaping and racing down her cheeks. She swiped the back of her hand harshly across her eyes only to find that the tears wouldn't stop. Her pace slowed to walk until she couldn't take a step further. She wiped her eyes again.
Her knees gave out, and she fell to the ground. She didn't care though. The physical pain running up and down her legs…the ragged breathes she took from aching lungs was nothing compared to how her heart felt.
She closed her eyes, allowing herself to crumble…soft sobs racked her chest.
Sakura was so wrapped up in her own troubles that she hadn't noticed anything at all about her surroundings…or the person in the shadows…
--
"Almost perfected, un!"
Deidara was packing up his clay from the ground. He got up extra early this morning to try to practice and enhance his jutsus…
Once I've got this newest technique down, I can challenge Danna again, un! And after I win, I will make him admit I was right about what true art really is!
The blonde was heading back towards the camp site when he heard a thud. Deidara immediately masked his chakra as he crept toward the origin of the noise.
Slowly peering over the trunk of a tree, he pulled out a wad of clay, prepared to attack.
That is…until his pale blue eye met with a familiar pink haired girl's form.
"Sakura!" He cried out, shoving the clay in his bag and rushed towards her. Sakura's eyes widened, her head snapping up to see Deidara.
The blonde crouched next to her, his hand extending to brush her hair out of her face. His eye narrowed as he noticed her red eyes, tear stained cheeks, and frown.
"What happened, un?"
Sakura choked down a sob, pulling away from his hand and wiping her eyes again.
"I….It's nothing…."
"Like hell it's nothing! Sakura-chan…you're a mess!"
"Heh, thanks…"
Deidara sighed, grabbing her and pulling her up with him. They both stood, Sakura looking away as Deidara gritted his teeth in annoyance. Not that he was annoyed with her…just the fact that she was avoiding his question.
"You can tell me, Sakura...." He left out the –chan purposely to get her attention. It seemed to work, being that Sakura's sea green eyes focused back onto his one exposed pale blue orb.
He stared at her expectantly.
"Not here…not here…" She muttered. Deidara nodded.
"Okay…"
Deidara took her hand, and began to go towards the camp site. He assumed it was okay to head back since Sakura willingly followed, even quickened her pace.
Once they were within camp grounds, he felt a tug on his hand. He looked over at Sakura who nudged her head in the direction of the cabins.
He grew more curious as she lead the blonde artist past her own cabin and towards another labeled….10.
Sakura let go of his hand and knocked. It didn't take long before someone answered the door.
"Hey, what's up, Forehead-girl?"
Sakura gave a weak smile.
"Can we hide out in here for a while?" She was surprised with how shaky her voice sounded. Ino's eyebrow rose slightly and she nodded, stepping aside to let them in.
Sakura found Shikamaru and Choji playing Shoji on one of the beds. Choji was frowning, trying to figure out his next move in the game while Shikamaru lazily looked up.
"Yo."
Sakura waved at the two of them.
Shikamaru's mouth twitched into a frown when he saw the blonde akatsuki member behind her, and then looked over to Ino.
Ino seemed to be giving him a pointed stare and Shikamaru sighed.
"Choji, feel like getting a bite?"
Choji's face instantly lit up as the plump ninja smiled.
"Sure!"
Shikamaru and Choji stood up, and while Choji passed by completely oblivious, Shikamaru glanced at Ino, exchanging words through their eyes as he continued out the door.
Once the two boys were out of sight, Ino closed the door to the cabin and cleared her throat.
"I haven't seen that face in a while…" Ino whispered, catching Sakura's eyes as she did so.
Ino remembered the first time she had saw Sakura wear that same broken expression. When Sasuke had betrayed the village and left her pink haired friend alone on a bench near Konoha's gates. Seeing the same expression know scared her.
Fifty bucks says it was Sasuke.
"He….uhm….I…." Sakura's eyes watered and she bit her lip, unsure how to explain.
"Okay…how about we start off with some basics? Why is he with you?" Ino pointed at the tall blonde artist.
Before Sakura could reply, Deidara had started to respond, his hands now crossed in front of his chest.
"I found her in the forest, a ways away from the camp site, yeah."
Ino paused, looking at Sakura for confirmation. Sakura nodded.
"Okay…" Ino stepped away from the door, motioning the two to follow her into the back of the cabin.
Ino pulled out a chair for Sakura and then sat opposite the kunoichi. The table was small and round, but fit fine in the tiny 'kitchen' of the cabin. Deidara took a seat on the right of Sakura.
"Now…how about you start off at the beginning?"
Sakura blinked away gathering tears and inhaled.
"Well…I guess it all began last night…"
Sakura frowned, her eyebrows furrowed.
"I headed for the showers, but I ended up bumping into Itachi…."
Deidara's eye narrowed.
"And uhm…we started talking and soon Itachi told me something, regarding to Sasuke…and neither of us realized Sasuke was actually listening in…It was something he probably wasn't ready to hear or learn about…"
Sakura's eyes were focused on the table as she recalled the events.
"What exactly did Itachi say?" Ino asked hesitantly.
Sakura frowned apologetically.
"I…I don't think I can say…" Her eyes locked onto Ino's.
"It wasn't really my business…and it isn't my story to share…but it was something that deeply affected Sasuke…So the next day I was heading to our meeting spot for Team seven. Our squad decided to start training together again…But when I arrived, Naruto was trapped in a genjutsu…"
She pulled at the hem of her dress.
"Kakashi wasn't expected to be there for another two hours, so it was supposed to be just me, Sasuke and Naruto…but Sasuke…he already took care of Naruto so he wouldn't interfere, I guess…."
"And..?" Ino leaned forward, preparing to hear the next part.
"Well…Sasuke started to advance upon me, starting fighting with me. He was pissed and I could only defend myself, dodging his attacks and countering his weapons with my own. Finally he started accusing me of betraying him, of going behind his back….when I got the chance I ran."
Sakura closed her eyes as Ino rested her head in her palm, thinking over the details.
"What did he say?"
"…he said if I was going to start fooling around with Itachi…I could at least have the decency to break up with him…"
"Sounds like jealousy…" Deidara commented.
"Sounds like a complete jerk!" Ino scowled.
Sakura folded her arms on the table and lay her head on top of them.
"I know…that's not it though….I…I don't know what to do…I don't know if we're…we're…"
Sakura eyes filled with tears again. She growled.
"I hate crying!" She burst suddenly, pounding her fist to the table. Ino pouted her lips while Deidara smiled bitterly.
"Then you should stop…" He said, catching tears before they could slide down the side of her face.
Sakura sniffed.
"I should….I shouldn't waste tears on someone like him…"
"Exactly." Ino replied, standing up. Her lips broke out into a grin as she leaned closer to Sakura.
"I got just the remedy for this situation!"
Sakura blinked.
Deidara glanced at the platinum blonde, full of doubt.
"For once in your life, you're going to make his attitude useful, Forehead-girl! You're going to pull the same act he has for the next week! I guarantee he'll be crawling back to you in no time!" Ino smiled proudly at her plan while Deidara sighed.
"How is that supposed to work, un?"
"Easy. Guys like Sasuke always want what they can't have, ne?"
"uh…"
Ino rolled her eyes.
"He wanted power. He wanted revenge. He did anything he could to get his hands around those two things, right? How many years has he wasted pinning away for that? How much effort, sacrifice…"
Deidara stood up next to Ino and covered her mouth.
"So he's going to just all of a sudden find Sakura ignoring him and instantly chase after her?"
Ino yanked his hand off her mouth. Luckily for her, his hands were bandaged. She glared at the other blonde.
"He wants Sakura for himself. He obviously is extremely jealous of his brother for getting her attention."
"He ended our relationship, Ino!" Sakura snapped. Ino waved a head at Sakura.
"Oh please. He never said it was over…he just suggested you break up with him if you and Itachi were indeed intimate...He's jealous of your relationship with Itachi, Sakura."
"…"
"Itachi was like…Sasuke older brother and idol, right? But he caught his girlfriend and brother telling each other things he didn't know about…really important things…and not only that but he knows Itachi has the hots for you, SO he gets so enraged he tries to take it out on you, get some answers, scare you into doing what he wants you to do."
"Scaring me?" Sakura repeated softly.
"Yes. He made you run away, didn't he? He knows how important you are to him. He knows you'll stew it over in your mind, and he probably thinks you'll be so scared to loose him that you'll stop talking to Itachi all together."
Deidara clicked his tongue to the roof of his mouth in disgust as Sakura continued to stare back at Ino, thoughfully.
"Ya know…that kind of makes sense…" Sakura thought aloud.
Ino gave her a victory sign and laughed.
"Of course, I'm a genius! You can thank me anytime now!"
"Ino-pig…"
"Kidding!"
Sakura stood up from her chair and walked towards the front of the cabin, her back to the two blondes.
"I think…I'll try it….We'll test your theory, Ino-pig…" Sakura's voice regained confidence with each word and as the pinkette turned around, she looked almost 100% again.
Deidara smiled, relieved as Ino continued grinning.
"Sasuke Uchiha…" Sakura muttered, looking back out the cabin window.
"You may be clever….."
She narrowed her eyes.
"But I'm the cleverest."
--
END OF CHAPTER!
Deidara: Whew, that was long...and how dramatic, yeah!
Tobi: tobi was no where in this chapter!
Deidara: You don't matter right now! Finally the story is actually progressing, un!
Sakura: I just hope it all works out…
Ino: Forehead-girl, you need more faith in me…
Sakura: whatever, pig.
Itachi: Oh what a problem I have caused….*smirks*
Tobi: Now for the review responses!!!!!!
RESPONSES:
KCNF:
Tobi: *is tackled*
Deidara: Oh jeez, un…
Tobi: Ah, we spoiled a reviewer!
Deidara: ….uh….sorry, un?
Tobi: SORRY! Tobi shall put spoiler warnings in the summary, yesh! *glomps"* Tobi is a good boy!
--
Mari Santoro:
Sasuke: hn…
Itachi: Get over it, foolish little brother….You had a whole story to get over the fact that Sakura has attracted many men…
Sasuke: Oh just shut up!
Itachi: I'm just pointing out the obvious….and now you've just screwed yourself with that fit you had back in this chapter…
Sasuke: -grows redder with anger-
Deidara: Yeah! Now the men who actually deserve Sakura-chan get a chance, un!
Sasuke: You stay away from her you--!
Deidara: TOO LATE, YEAH! –runs off to steal Sakura's heart-
Itachi: Foolish little brother….
Sasuke: -growls- GET BACK HER YOU BLONDE HE-SHE!
Itachi: He's always so angry…
Kakashi: I can't believe I died….-mourns-
Itachi: …-pats on back- don't we all? –looks over at mari- Brasil….hey, why not. –goes off with thoughts of Brasil-
Kakashi: I never felt so alone….-runs off towards some random camp fire- FATHER!!!! WHERE ARE YOUUUUUU!
SharinganAnbuSakura:
Itachi: -smirks-
Sasuke: -scowls- What do you mean I got enough? She's my girlfriend!
Itachi: and you decided not to appreciate her as much as we do…
Sasuke: Oh please! Go find your own girlfriend to hang all over, already!
Itachi: they could never compare to Sakura…
Sasuke: You seriously make me sick…And my hair is NOT a CHICKEN'S BUTT!
Sasori: I wonder when I'll come in…
Hidan: AND ME TOO! Come on, Dammit!
Deidara: Hee-hee…I'm in this chapter, yeah. –grins proudly-
Sasori: …dunce…
Hidan: Ugh. It's probably because you're such a woman.
Deidara: You're just jealous, un!
Hidan: Whatever! I have more important things to do that talk to some Barbie-man and a fricken puppet! Like…Pray to Jashin-sama!! HA!
Sasori: What a nutcase…
Deidara: Aren't we all, un?
Orochimaru: I'm not a clone of MJ! I am a Powerful SSSSSSSSSSSSSnake SSSSSSannin!
Itachi: Keep telling yourself that….denial…-walks off-
Deidara: Yeah, un!
Sasori: …-walks off-
Orochimaru: curse Michael Jackson and his reputation! –walks off sulking-
--
Heulwen:
Itachi: woo, I get a hug.
Kisame: I didn't get a hug.
Itachi: you don't get a lot of things…
Kisame: ….i know…
Itachi: yeah well. Thanks for the review.
--
Naru-Vampire:
Itachi: Update….
Deidara: Yay more love, un! I don't know about marriage though…I'm too young!
Sasori: …-ignores everyone-
Sakura: I'm so emotional…
Sasuke: And you cry too much…
Sakura: -glares- Jerk! –whacks Sasuke- But yeah, thanks, Naru!
--
Missimpossible1352:
Icha-chan: I know I know! Gomen! I totally forgot! But thanks!
--
All I Want For Xmas is Ikuto:
Sasuke: ….so I do….-glares at Itachi-
Itachi: …I think I heard a cow mooing…I'll just be on my way then…-creeps silently away from fuming Sasuke-
--
1-complicated-girl:
Sakura: Yeah….i guess it was kinda a moment…-blushes-
Sasuke: HEY NO BLUSHING FOR ITACHI!
Sakura: AH! Where'd you come from!?!
Itachi: Haha…foolish AND jealous little brother…-snickers-
Sasuke: -glares-
Deidara: Yes, I agree! More DeiSaku, please, yeah!
Gaara: I'm still not mentioned at all…-gloomy cloud hovers over head-
Sakura: I'm sure next chapter will be better for you, Gaara. –wink wink hint hint-
END OF REVIEW RESPONSES!
Icha-chan: SO I am so sorry this wasn't up faster. I've been busy again, but since it's a winter break for me, I'll be sure to update the next chapter a lot faster, I promise! The story is getting too good to simply push aside, ne? More characters will appear in the next installment, and SORRY for anyone who got bombarded by all the spoilers within the last few chapters! I totally forgot to put the spoiler warning! I'm guessing this story will be able 5-10 chapters longer until it ends and then there will be the sequel!!! I know this story started off as a mini series, but now….its so much more, eh? Yeah…
Itachi: So what about the sequel?
Icha-chan: well…this is the mini sequel…and the story after this will include a time skip, the overall conclusion of this whole dimension problem, as well as a finalized pairing, as well as back to the school setting!
Itachi: ….well anyway…-turns to readers- Review if you want the next chapter before the end of the week!
Deidara: Hah, Itachi, we all know you just want to find out if you and Sakura…ya know…-wink-
Itachi: -blinks and then pushes Deidara into a pit of alligators- Review….-mangekyou sharingan-