---------
At first Sasuke came to try and protect his friend. But as he ran up a cliff to see Naruto fine, staring down as his own brother tumbled to the earth...well, all focus of that drained. Now the only thing he could even care about was the figure that seemed to crack on the deadly cliffs below.
"Itachi!" He cried out, wasting no time as he suddenly tried his best to stumble down the side of the cliff, not caring if he slipped or how jagged the rocks were. His feet were slightly accustomed to such terrain since he had been trained to hunt on any surface, but it still nicked a bit. But that didn't matter, not now.
Finally getting to the bottom, he stared, horrified, at the sight of his brother. A figure he had always looked up to, someone who always seemed so strong and untouchable, now lay broken on rocks smeared with his own blood. His hair was sprawled out in all directions, some sticking to his face. Glassy red eyes moved to peer over at his visiting brother, most likely seeing him for the last time. "Outoto..."
Sasuke reacted over initial shock, and kneeled down next to him, scanning over his injured body. "Don't speak, you'll only waste your energy...we have to get you help.." Just as he was about to call for someone, a hand clasped weakly around his wrist.
The older male shook his head slowly, painfully. "It's no use. I won't make it."
The way the statement was said so bluntly, so carelessly brought tears to the young hound's face. He stuttered, "D-Don't say that! You'll be fine..."
"Sasuke.." The quiet, yet stern tone caused those black iris to fix upon his older brother's face. "The only thing you can do now...is remember me...remember me, and remember who killed your own brother..." For a minute Itachi looked pained. "How could your own friend do this to you...would you still be a friend to my murderer...? Would you, Sasu...ke..."
The words died in a gurgle as Itachi's eyes lost all sign of life, and his erratic breathing slowed to a stop. Even though he was slowly drowning in his own blood, and becoming even paler with death, he still looked handsome, as he always did. In fact, he looked like he could of been sleeping...
At first the now only single Uchiha couldn't believe that his brother was dead. It didn't hit him as he stared blankly at his brother...no...not his brother, a body that was once his brother. This was now a corpse...a broken shell. No, his brother was gone, he realized, tears now starting to stream down his face. Killed...by...his own friend...why..?
Would you still be a friend to my murderer, Sasuke?
...Naruto...he thought, eyes turning to glare murderously at the cliff where the blond had once stood, now nowhere to be seen.
Naruto, on the other hand, didn't waste time as Sasuke went down to see his brother. Fearing that someone else might come along, he turned and ran in the opposite direction, not caring if he was actually getting farther away from his house.
Tears ran down his face as he thundered through the trees, stumbling and blindly fleeing from that place. His rough pace was only injuring his feet more, but he tried his best to ignore the aching pain.
Fate decided to get him to slow down, because suddenly a root caught the blond's foot and he tripped, roughly crashing to the ground and landing on his wounded arm.
Rough pain shot through his body, and he cried out into the silent forest. Quickly rolling over to relieve the weight on his arm, he puffed out, tears still freely falling. But it was more than the pain which caused him to cry.
I just...I just killed a man...
Curling up on his good side in a feeble position, the fox choked out a sob, feeling disgusted and horrified with himself. Digging his sharp claws into the palm of his own hand, he shared the emotional pain that his friend must of been enduring right now.
I'm sorry Sasuke...I'm so sorry...he thought in anguish, pain and exhaustion causing him to slip into darkness.
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This somehow felt familiar...
Naruto felt like he had been in this position before. Like he was sitting on a bed of cloud and cushion...as if floating and dreaming without a care in the world.
But suddenly pain started to itch at his body, and he knew this couldn't be real...
So, opening his bleary eyes, he found himself with arms wrapped around him, securely holding him as he was carried. At first, he wished it was Sasuke, holding him so safely like this...but at a glance at silver hair, he recognized it immediately.
"...K...Kakashi..?"
The old crow glanced down at him, still keeping up his quick pace. "You're awake...how are you feeling?"
Naruto never felt a need to butter himself up to his sensei. "Like shit."
His mentor gave a ghost of a smile before looking worried again, staring up at the road so he wouldn't lose his balance. "You've been out for a long while...I tried to wrap your wounds, but I wasn't really prepared for this..."
At first Naruto was confused, still slightly disoriented. But at the flashes of memories, he frowned, tilting his head down and trying not to go down through a breakdown again.
He snapped his head up at the sound of a worried voice, calling to him. "Naruto!"
Kakashi set him on his feet carefully, and the blond suddenly found himself in a hug, gentle and mindful of his wounds, but still filled of emotions. "Thank god..." Tsunade murmured into his hair, petting it softly. "I thought something terrible happened to you..."
Shoulders shaking, the Uzumaki tried to keep cool, but failing. He sobbed into her shirt, clutching it tightly. "I killed someone..."
Tsunade pulled back, obviously shocked. "What?"
Another sob. "I killed someone...he was chasing me, and he tried to kill me...but still...I'm such a bad person..."
"Ssshhhh..." His step-mom tried to calm him. "It's alright...let's go treat your wounds first. Then you can tell me what happened."
Both Kakashi and Tsunade supported him between themselves, slowly making their way back to the small farmland. Time seemed like a blur to the still injured and slightly delusional boy. Before he realized it, soft fingers were pressing a cold, wet rag against the wound on his arm, cleaning the blood and dirt from it.
"...Am I dozing off...?" The question was mumbled quietly.
"Slightly...but that's alright...you're tired..." the voice he always knew he could rely on was like a melody in his ears, and at the relaxing feel of gauze being applied to his arm, he nodded off again.
He could worry about things in the morning...
--------
"..."
"...You do realize that this is your fault, boy. You've cost me one of my best hunter's life."
"...Yes, sir."
"This will weight on your mind forever...won't it?"
"Yes sir."
"Are you willing to cooperate now? Are you still willing to protect the whelp who killed your own blood?"
"..."
"Well? Speak up, boy."
"...No, master."
"Good. Now, tell me all you know about him..."
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Naruto knew it wasn't going to be a good day. Not when you wake up with a major headache and you feel like shit.
Groaning, he opened his eyes at the sound of voices. They sounded like angry words being exchanged. Realizing he was in his room, he slowly sat up, rubbing at his forehead, realizing it was wrapped with gauze. Most likely Tsunade's work...yeah, he remembered little bits and pieces of her care last night...
Slowly sitting up and wincing slightly because of his achy muscles and injured feet, he shuffled over to the door, quietly opening the door and stepping out into the hallway. The voices were louder now. He recognized Tsunade's vocie and someone elses...someone unfamiliar. Only a few words could be made out. "Menace...damage...catch..property..."
He poked his head around the corner to peer at the front door. Tsunade stood in the doorway, obviously not allowing her visitors to come in. From around her, he could see a tall, pale man. He reminded Naruto of a snake...the young boy shivered. He didn't like that man. He seemed threatening...Not caring to look at the creepy man, his eyes shifted to the figure next to the snake-man.
Only to have his own blue eyes meet with a pair of black irises. Naruto's breath hitched in realization.
Sasuke...
Feeling ashamed, and having no right to stare, he shifted his gaze to the floor, still feeling that heated gaze upon him. Backing up so that the hallway shielded him, he let out a shallow, quiet breath, slowly returning to his room.
Though he still felt uncomfortable, as if those deadly eyes were boring holes into the wall to get at him...
----TBC----
:0 Poor Naruto! That bastard Itachi, he still fufilled his mission even as he was dying! Now Sasuke hates Naru's guts! -oh noes- What will happen?!! R/R and it shall be revealed soon!