DISCLAIMER: I do not own "Naruto" and am in no way associated with it's writers or producers.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It was still very dark and wet in the forest. The sky still black with thunder and lightning. The rain not stopping.
Naruto stood high up in the trees, breathing hard, looking at Sakura. His eyes were shaking. Naruto had just done something he never thought he'd live to see the day to: she was just inches away from destroying Hinata, and Naruto had kicked Sakura away, saving Hinata's life at the last second.
Naruto's face was racing with fear and confusion, trying to piece together what happened. This can't be happening, Naruto thought. Sakura trying to attack Hinata?
Behind him, Hinata began coughing out loud. Naruto immediately turned his head to her in fear and jumped beside her.
"Hinata!" Naruto cried out to her.
"Na…..Naru …..to?" Hinata whispered. "You…….." but Hinata stopped and kept coughing, collapsed on her stomach.
"Hinata!" Naruto yelled. "What happened?! What's going on?!"
Tears were coming out of Hinata's eyes. "I……failed……I'm……..not….gonna……. make….." and Hinata just coughed more.
It became evident to Naruto just how terribly Hinata had been hurt. He could see blood on her lips. Hinata could barely move, coughing terribly and holding her stomach.
In the other branch, Sakura began getting up, realizing Naruto was there; realizing Naruto was the one who stopped her. She stared at the two in shock with her cold emotionless frown.
Naruto angrily turned his head to Sakura.
"What did you do to her?!" Naruto shouted at Sakura.
But Sakura was silent. She just stared back at Naruto, standing like a motionless demented statue. Naruto angrily stared back with his eyebrows down, shaking in disbelief.
"Answer me Sakura!" Naruto screamed. "What did you do?! What have you done to Hinata?!" he cried out.
After another long moment, Sakura finally suddenly started to smile. In a sadistic manner, Sakura smiled like she was happy: happy to see Naruto, happy like she was in love.
"hehehehe……..Naruto….." Sakura finally whispered.
Naruto's confusion and disbelief was slowly sinking in, after what Shino and Kiba had told him back at the village.
***FLASHBACK***
Back in town, Shino and Kiba had just confronted Naruto at the ramen bar. Naruto suddenly froze and looked at Shino in confusion.
"Huh? Me getting hurt…… what the heck are you guys talking about?" Naruto asked them.
"Well, you tell us." Shino said. "You're teammate, Sakura, told us you were badly hurt in a training accident. That you needed their help?"
"Huh?" Naruto remembered back earlier in the day. "Well, I mean I was training today practicing tree climbing; and I did fall off one of the trees, but I managed to grab on another branch before I hit the ground. I'd never let myself get hurt like that!"
"You sure?" Kiba asked. "Cause when Sakura came to us, she seemed really scared and worried. She begged Hinata to go into the forest with her for you. She insisted just Hinata and not us!"
"Sakura and Hinata? What heck do….." Naruto asked.
And then at that moment, Naruto froze. He knew right away something was wrong. Very wrong! If Sakura had wanted to lie to Hinata and take her into the forest, (and Hinata of all people) something was very wrong! And Naruto could only think of one slight possible explanation why.
In an instant, Naruto jumped up suddenly stormed out of the ramen bar; running as fast as possible for the forest.
"I knew it!" Shino said. "Something was wrong. Hang on Naruto! We're coming with….."
"NO!" Naruto screamed back, still running. "Stay out of this! This my problem! I'll handle it! Stay out!"
Shino and Kiba watched Naruto in shock as he ran out of sight, and in such a sudden instant. "I've got a bad feeling about this" Kiba said.
***END FLASHBACK***
In the forest, Hinata coughed a little more. Naruto was losing his patience. 'This can't be happening to me' Naruto screamed in his head.
"Naruto" Sakura whispered still smiling. "I'm so happy to see you. Yet you still have a really bad habit for bad timing."
"What?" Naruto yelled.
"I was all planning on coming straight back to the village when this was over, so I could finally tell you how I feel about you Naruto." Sakura said. She sighed smiling. "But, I guess not everything goes according to plan, now that you're here."
"What do you mean?" Naruto growled, growing impatient. "If you don't start telling me what you did to Hinata…….."
Sakura began giggling.
"Hinata got exactly what she had coming to her." Sakura finally spoke. "I poisoned her!"
Naruto's eyes shot open. "Wh…….what?"
"Hinata tried to steal you away from me Naruto! And I just couldn't let her get away with it!" Sakura's demented frown came back.
Just then Naruto froze in shock. Thunder roared. 'What?' Naruto thought 'Hinata…… stealing me………… from you, Sakura? What the heck does……'
"Hinata's reached the end of her line, Naruto!" Sakura told him. "I poisoned her with a poison that's specifically designed to devour all her chakra down to absolute zero. In no more than sixty minutes, the poison will take its full effect, killing Hinata for good. But that wasn't my intention. I only poisoned her so she'd be weakened, and then I could kill Hinata myself!"
"You what?!" Naruto shouted in utter disbelief.
Lightning flashed in Naruto and Sakura's eyes, still staring each other down, Naruto still kneeled beside Hinata.
"Naruto…." Hinata whispered.
A picture of Sakura flashed by in Naruto's head. All he could think about was how sweet and happy Sakura used to be. Smiling and laughing in the sunshine. The picture faded from Naruto, seeing Sakura dark and cold in the tree, standing hunchbacked with an angry psychotic frown.
"I'm sorry you had to find out this way" Sakura said. "But like I said…….. she tried to take you away from me Naruto! Now she's paying the price."
The rain was still coming down, and in no sign of stopping.
Naruto's heart just stopped; in utter shock and disbelief by what Sakura told him. It was finally sinking in to Naruto, but he still didn't believe it. 'Sakura tried to kill Hinata……… because of ME!' Naruto said to himself. 'Because Sakura thinks Hinata stole me from her? …….. Then that means….. Sakura's……. she…….'
Sakura's bizarre happy loving smile came back.
"I know I've been blind all this time Naruto, and I'm sorry." Sakura whispered. "But I finally came to realize the truth, after all this time…….. that I've loved you……..Naruto…….. I love you!"
Thunder roared again as Naruto looked at Sakura with his face shaking. So that was it. Naruto, didn't know if he could believe it, but it was confirmed: Sakura had fallen mad for Naruto.
"I don't believe it….." Naruto finally whispered. "You've really lost it this time, haven't you Sakura?"
But Hinata coughed again, still collapsed in pain on the branch. Naruto looked back at her, realizing she was gonna die. As much as Naruto wanted to stay and figure out his confusion towards Sakura, he didn't have time. Naruto need to rush Hinata back to the village…… to a hospital, if he had any hopes of saving her.
Naruto began walking toward Hinata, but Sakura suddenly shot a kunai in front of him. He gasped.
"Going somewhere?" Sakura growled, now frowning.
"Huh…..What the?!" Naruto turned to Sakura in shock and anger.
"If you're planning on taking Hinata to help her, I'm afraid I can't allow that." Sakura told Naruto. "I brought her here so I could kill her, and that's exactly what I'm gonna do!"
Lightning flashed again. Both Naruto and Sakura's blood boiled with emotion.
"And no one is gonna stop me." Sakura growled. "Not even YOU, Naruto!"
"What?" Naruto growled at her. "Is that a challenge?!"
"Please Naruto" Sakura said. "I don't wanna fight you. But if you don't get out of my way, you're gonna give me no choice!"
"Oh really?" Naruto taunted in anger. "I don't wanna fight you either Sakura. But you already gave me no choice, but to attack you. If you even think about laying another hand on Hinata, I'll……….I'll……."
Sakura smiled. "See Naruto? You do love me back, and you don't wanna fight me neither."
Naruto froze for a second. "Wanna bet?!"
"Now get out of the way Naruto!" Sakura shouted. "Or I'll destroy you!"
Naruto finally stood up again. "You and what army?!" Naruto put his fingers together releasing his chakra. "Multi Shadow Clone jutsu!"
And suddenly, about twenty Narutos appeared, surrounding Sakura everywhere in the tree branches; all around her above and below. With an evil confident smile, Sakura got up. "Heh. Fine then! Bring it!"
Sakura jumped out towards Hinata again. Two of the Narutos guarding her immediately jumped at her, kicking Sakura back away. But while she was being thrown back, Sakura tossed two shurikens at them, killing them and making them disappear. Four more Narutos from the branches above leaped out at Sakura together. Sakura leaped up and punched and kicked two of the clones at the same time, then quickly caught the leg of the third Naruto clone and swung his body at the fourth one. All four of them fell out of the tree and dissipated.
At that moment, all the rest of the Narutos jumped after Sakura at the same time. Sakura angrily fought back, staying confident with intent to kill. She'd spin around as quickly as she could to punch and kick more than one clone at the same time to kill them. Two of the Narutos grabbed her arms and tried to restrain her down to the branch. Sakura however, with her super-human strength, was able to toss them away, throwing them into a couple more Narutos. She kept fighting.
But suddenly the branch where Hinata was caught Sakura's eye. Hinata was gone.
"What?" she gasped.
At that moment all the remaining Naruto clones jumped and piled ontop of Sakura all at once. In a burst of anger, Sakura shouted as she used her super-strength again to blow them all off her, as several of the Naruto clones were destroyed.
Sakura glared down thru the forest. "You little snake!" she growled.
---
Out further in the deep forest, the real Naruto was carrying Hinata in his arms, running and leaping thru the trees in the forest as fast as he could. Trying to get a dying and helpless Hinata back to the village to a hospital; Naruto had to save her before they were out of time. The rain was still pouring thru the trees on them.
Hinata lifted her eyes up to Naruto as he was leaping with her.
"Na…..naruto….." Hinata finally whispered.
"Huh?" Naruto looked down at her, still running.
"I'm……..sorry, Naruto" Hinata whispered thru her pain. "This is all my fault. I failed."
Hinata was about to cry. She was happy Naruto had come to save her, but she felt she was on her last limb.
"What?" Naruto whispered.
"I just…… wanted…….. you to know Naruto……. In case I don't make it." Hinata began whispering. "I know……. this could be our last time…….. but I just want you to……"
"Don't talk like that Hinata!" Naruto yelled to her. "You're gonna make it! I promise. We'll make it. Just stay strong for me Hinata!"
Hinata looked back up. "You……sure?"
"Believe it!" Naruto told her. "You're strong and you know it. I'm not gonna quit and neither are you Hinata! You're gonna be okay. I promise."
In all her emotional and arsenic pain and suffering, Hinata brought a smile, leaning her head against Naruto's chest for comfort. They had to stay strong. Hinata's confidence was reinforced. With Hinata cradled in his arms, Naruto looked down to her in agony.
'I can't believe this is happening to me!' Naruto thought. 'Hinata, on the verge of dying right here in my arms……….. and now Sakura's lost her mind and thinks she's in love with me?……
'I just hope my shadow clones can hold her off, long enough for me to get Hinata to the hospital……….Until I can finally figure this out……….Sakura……… what happened to you………. I won't let you kill Hinata!' Naruto's mind raced in confusion and sorrow.
In Tsunade's office, her and Kakashi were still sitting and standing, looking out the window at the rain pouring on it as the storm blew over the village. Their moment of relaxing was quickly interrupted when they heard the room door open.
Lightning flashed threw the window as Kakashi and Tsunade turned to see Shino and Kiba standing in the doorway.
"We need to talk……….. now!" Shino said.
Naruto came out of the trees with Hinata, as they had come to a raging river. The rain was still pouring heavily. More lightning flashes came. They were both getting soaked. Focusing the chakra to his feet, Naruto ran across the raging river as fast as he could carrying Hinata. They made it across and immediately they were leaping in the trees again.
Then Hinata's eyes shot open.
"Naruto!" she cried out.
"Huh?" Naruto looked to her.
"Sakura's right behind us Naruto!" Hinata yelled, having spotted her with the Byakugan. "She's gaining on us!"
"What?" Naruto yelled in shock looking back. "That's Impossible!"
Naruto couldn't believe it. 'How the heck did she get past my clones so fast?' Naruto thought. 'Oh man! I can't outrun Sakura like this if I'm carrying Hinata's weight…… I'll never make it without her interfering.'
Still leaping, Naruto looked back at Hinata. Her eyes nearly shut, her head leaning against him. Naruto just couldn't bear knowing Hinata was in this much pain and dying on him.
'And for what?!' Naruto thought with an angry frown. 'All because Sakura wants to kill her? Kill and innocent little girl like Hinata, for me?!'
Realizing Sakura couldn't be much further behind, Naruto finally stopped. He laid Hinata down, up against the treeside high in the branch. Naruto wasn't gonna have a choice.
----
Outwards, Sakura was leaping after them thru the dark wet forest. She had an emotionless dark frown. Her eyes were set on only one thing…….. catching and killing Hinata……. Nothing else.
In a sudden instant, Sakura leaped passed one of the trees and saw two kunai blades fly past her. A ninja string was attached to both the blades.
Sakura gasped before she could react. The string caught and wrapped around Sakura's arms and body. The two blades swung around the tree a couple more times, wrapping her even more.
Finally Naruto appeared in front of her catching the blades. Angrily as hard as he could, Naruto pulled the string back, yanking Sakura back hard into the tree, wrapping and tying her up as hard as he could!
A surprised Sakura starred at Naruto. Naruto was starring her back in the eyes. Gritting his teeth. Frowning his eyebrows.
"I'm warning you Sakura………" Naruto angrily growled.
Having been taken by surprise, Sakura began smiling; that loving bizarre smile at Naruto.
"Wow, Naruto" Sakura spoke up. "You're feisty! I love that. I never realized you had it in you all this time."
Naruto knew right away there Sakura was demented. "I'm warning you. Back off Sakura!" he growled again.
And Sakura's cold frown came back. "Why?" she whispered. "Why Naruto? So I can let that little bitch get away with what she did to you? And me?!"
"Have you lost you're mind, Sakura!" Naruto yelled at her.
The rain still coming down like tears. Naruto was still holding the strings and Sakura tight against the tree. It was silent for a moment. Sakura's head went down.
"Don't you get it, Naruto?" Sakura whispered with tears in her eyes. "I'm doing this because my eyes have finally been opened to the truth……. To you. I'm doing this because I love you, Naruto!"
Naruto's body was shaking in anger and sadness, but he tried to calm down.
"And I know deep down, you still love me to. You always have, haven't you? I was always the girl of your dreams, wasn't I Naruto?" Sakura said smiling.
Naruto's eyes were twitching badly. He to felt like he was gonna cry to. But not exactly for the same reason as Sakura.
Deep down, Naruto was trying to see if he could recollect his feelings towards her. He remembered a dream he used to have, seeing Sakura on top of a hill, in the bright orange yellow sunshine. Naruto always smiled to her cause he thought she was beautiful. But everytime, Sakura would only star back at Naruto, emotionless. Her eyebrows down, not wanting to smile back. A heavy breeze of wind would blow between him. Naruto would smile trying to walk up the hill to Sakura, but he would never reach her.
They looked to each other in the rain.
"You say you love me, huh?" Naruto whispered back. "Is that why you always treated me like dirt? Is that why you always hit me when I did something little to annoy you?!"
Although he once had a crush on her, Naruto had never once suspected Sakura might feel the same way towards him, because Sakura never did anything to show it, until now.
"You know I never meant it" Sakura whispered.
"You've always told me you were in love with Sasuke!" Naruto yelled. "I knew it couldn't have been true, but you never acknowledged me the way I did you, Sakura."
"I know now, Naruto" Sakura whispered still crying. "And I'm sorry. That's why I'm willing to leave that all behind us."
A small flash of lightning flickered in the sky above. A small roll of thunder followed.
Sakura's loving smile came back to Naruto. "I love you Naruto. And I know you don't truly feel the same way towards Hinata as I do for you."
Naruto turned his head back towards the forest. Further out in the trees, he left the weakened Hinata with one of his clones to guard her while he dealt with Sakura.
Naruto was crying now to.
"Please Naruto" Sakura pleaded. "Come back with me. We don't need her. You love me to Naruto."
Naruto finally whispered back. "You still have you're head in the clouds, don't you Sakura?"
"Huh?" Sakura gasped.
Naruto's head was down. "Unlike you Sakura, I finally woke up to the truth." He was rubbing the tears in his eyes. "You're right. You were once the girl of my dreams, for quite a while. But after spending so much time with you, I realized how blind I was. I finally realized my crush on you Sakura was just that…….. just a crush. Like your crush on Sasuke."
Sakura began frowning still crying.
"You and I had no chemistry." Naruto kept saying. "Even if we hooked up Sakura, it would've never worked out in the end. I finally realized I had to let you go and find someone I could relate to. Someone I had more in common with and who felt the same way about me that I felt for her. That's how I found Hinata."
All was silent among them for a short moment. Sakura was shaking her fists, wanting to wipe her face.
"And that's just it, Naruto" Sakura replied. "Don't you see where I'm coming from?"
Naruto, still pinning Sakura to the tree curiously glared at her.
"Love is blind, just like everyone tells us." Sakura said. "Hinata has blinded you from the truth Naruto: from your true affections and your never-ending love for me. That's why Hinata has to die! To pay the price for interfering with us!"
"Now let me go Naruto!" Sakura angrily shouted at him.
Naruto angrily looked at Sakura. "You're not getting any where near……"
"I said, I'll stop at nothing until Hinata's dead, Naruto." Sakura creepingly whispered. "Now let me go and get out of my way………. Or I swear, I'll kill you to, Naruto!"
A huge flash of lightning lit up the forest for a moment. Naruto and Sakura locked eyes.
At that moment, Sakura suddenly used her super-strength to break and snap the string, flexing her arms out. In a sudden burst of psychotic anger, Sakura charged at Naruto about to punch his lights out. Taken by sudden surprise, Naruto gasped and jumped back, retreating away from Sakura to the branches two trees away.
Naruto and Sakura starred in each other's eyes. It was still pouring hard rain.
"I'm warning you, that's enough!" Naruto angrily shouted to her. "You don't want to go down this road with me, Sakura!"
But Sakura just angrily looked back, with her cold demented frown.
"I told you already Naruto." Sakura growled back. "I'll never stop until I've killed Hinata. And if that means I have to kill you to for getting in my way……… so be it."
Naruto's blood was boiling heavily. It was becoming all too apparent there was no way around it. There was no turning back for Sakura. Naruto never wanted it to come to this.
"You really have gone insane Sakura." Naruto shouted to her. "You say you're madly in love with me, yet you're threatening to kill me………. just because I'm doing something you don't like……….. just like after the Bikochu mission, huh?!"
Sakura's blood was boiling to. Both Naruto and Sakura had angry vengeful faces with tears in their eyes.
"Say what you want, Naruto!" Sakura shouted. "If that's what you're gonna choose is Hinata, so be it!"
Lightning struck again. Loud thunder roared thru the forest.
"I'll DESTROY you, Narutooooo!" Sakura screamed finally jumping forward.
Finally they'd had enough. Immediately Sakura and Naruto started charging after each other thru the trees.
"I'd like to see you TRY, Sakuraaaaa!" Naruto screamed back.
Lightning flashed and thunder roared. Naruto and Sakura finally reached and jumped at each other…….. All stood still as the two just inches away…... about to fight and clash in mid-air!
TO BE CONTINUED