AGONY

The rain pitter-pattered on the empty streets of Konoha. Cold wind blew past the windows and trees, cutting through everything in its' path like a knife. Thunder rolled in the distance, soon to be followed by a flash of lightning. It was almost like in a movie scene: the atmosphere gave the boys a sense of foreboding, as if something was bound to happen.

Naruto ran his finger along the edge of the chilled window. "Sasuke, if you had to choose between having to stop loving someone or death, what would be your decision?"

Sasuke set down the newspaper he was reading and glanced at Naruto. He looked so sad, so lonely sitting there by the window, gazing at the downpour outside.

"I'd choose death," Sasuke said without hesitation.

Naruto smiled sadly. "What about Itachi?"

Sasuke considered for a moment. That was a good question. Wasn't his life's goal to kill his brother and avenge the clan? Since when did he stop caring about that? Since when would he rather die before achieving his goal?

'Since you started loving Naruto,' he thought, answering his question.

Naruto laughed quietly. "Haha, got you there."

Sasuke shook his head and grinned. "Well, let's hope that neither of us will be faced with that decision."

The two remained silent, listening to the rhythmic rainfall outside. Sasuke stared down at the white carpet between his feet, still contemplating what Naruto had said. Until he had felt love, all he had wanted to do was kill Itachi; it was the obsession that fueled his reason for living…but now…

"Does love make you weak?"

Sasuke continued to stare at the floor. "What do you mean, Naruto?"

Naruto rested his chin on his palm. "Well…since we started going out and stuff, we sorta stopped caring about our strength, ya know?"

Sasuke tore his gaze away from the carpet and looked back at the blonde boy. "You can still be strong and love someone at the same time."

Naruto shook his head. "I don't know…I'm just so confused lately." He locked eyes with Sasuke. "Why do people not want us to be together? Do they really want to go as far as killing people?" He sniffled. "Goddamn…if I ever find these SIN people, I'll rip them apart for killing Yuko."

Sasuke nodded. "I agree." He crossed his arms tightly over his chest and sighed. "We just have to be careful and control out emotions. SIN doesn't seem like they'd be pushovers."

Naruto bit his lower lip. "You know how you told me about that girl at the ramen bar?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Why are you bringing this up again-"

The other boy interrupted him. "Do you think she killed Yuko?"

Sasuke had to stifle back a laugh. "Ha, that chick? She's a prude little daddy's girl who probably wouldn't even think of harming an amoeba."

"You never know."

Sasuke leaned back in the couch. "I guess." He breathed deeply. "But really, I can't see that girl doing anything "un-holy"."

The nervous girl pulled on the loose-fitting black t-shirt over the head and examined herself in the mirror. Tonight was the night. Tonight was the night that they were going to break two innocent lovers apart. One part of Michiko didn't want to take part in this cruel act...but another part of her liked the idea of getting Sasuke to herself.

Michiko twisted her body around, getting a good look at her back, and flipped her hair over her shoulder. Out in public, she usually put on an angelic face and always smiled, not showing what really was inside of her. But once in a while, her inner demon, her lusty, passionate self liked to take over.

"Sometimes," her mother once told her, "the devil inside of you likes to take control and start pulling the strings of her little puppet."

Michiko smiled. "My goodness, mother, I always thought you were on something. But for once you were right."

She turned around and faced the mirror again. She gingerly wrapped her index finger around the chain of her necklace that was always hanging around her neck. Ever since she came into this world and received the name "Michiko" sixteen years ago, she always had the necklace on. It was the equivalent of one of those tacky chastity rings that her friends back home were into. Her mother insisted that her daughter wear a piece of jewelry that guaranteed her cleanliness until marriage and at the same time showed her religion. The result, of course, was the necklace.

"Make sure, musume-chan," her mother whispered in Michiko's ear before she left for Konoha. "Always wear that necklace. Always remember your promise to God."

Michiko bit her lip as she reached around her neck and unclasped the golden chain. She slowly set it on the dresser in front of her, already feeling awkward not wearing it. Before leaving the room, she gazed once more at her naked neck in the mirror.

"Sorry, mother," she whimpered. "I don't know if I can still keep that promise."

And without the promise the necklace had held, the demon broke free.

The rain fell even harder outside of Sasuke's living room. Naruto was still sitting by the window, rocking back and forth anxiously, and Sasuke was sitting on the stiff couch, his chin sitting in his upturned palms. The feeling of uncertainty was almost suffocating in the small room. Something was going to happen, that was inevitable.

Sasuke shifted his tired eyes to the digital clock on the VCR. 12:08. They had been sitting there for two hours.

"Naruto, it's late-"

Naruto shook his head. "I don't care."

Sasuke sighed and leaned back in the couch, scratching his hair into a mess. "You feel it too, huh?"

Naruto nodded. "Something's going to happen. It's just a gut feeling."

Sasuke stood up off the couch and wrapped his arms around the other's shoulders. "No matter what, we're still going to be together, okay?"

Naruto squinted. "I want to believe that."

Sasuke loosened his grip around his shoulders. "What do you mean?"

Naruto closed his eyes. "Someone is coming."

Sasuke grit his teeth and took his arms completely away from him. "Naruto, I know we're in danger, but you could stop being so goddamn paranoid-"

His words were cut short by three loud knocks echoing throughout the house. Sasuke's heart found its way to his throat. Oh god…

Naruto turned to him. "Told ya."

Sasuke was surprised to find that he himself was trembling madly. "Wh-what should we do?"

Naruto shrugged. "Answer it, I guess. Who knows, it might be something good."

Sasuke hesitantly left the room and forced his feet to carry him to the front door. He could've sworn that his heartbeat was so loud that the people outside could probably hear the nervous thump-thump. His shaking hand clasped the doorknob and he pulled the door open. Cold wind and rain blew into the house.

"Uchiha Sasuke, I presume?"

Three lone figures were standing on his porch step, all dressed in black and soaked to the bone from the downpour. The one who had addressed him was a tall man no more than three or four years older than himself, the stench of cigarette smoke reaching his nostrils even with all the wetness. There was a second man, slightly shorter than the first, with a thick blanket of stubble under his chin and dark brown hair reaching down to his shoulder. And the last figure, a teenage girl, had limp blonde hair and the unmistakable innocent face…

Sasuke gulped and pointed at Michiko. "You!" He pointed his finger at her. "What the hell is going on here?"

The man in front, the one who reeked of tobacco, stepped forward. "Don't talk that way to my sister, trash!"

Sasuke was still staring at Michiko, his teeth bared. "What's going on? Who are you, really?"

Michiko smiled sadly. "Still Michiko, Sasuke-san."

The shorter man scoffed. "Such honor towards such an unworthy being."

"Don't be such an ass, Shinji," the man in front chuckled. "It's just unrequited lust."

The girl's pink face was visible in the dark. "Naoki, please…"

The one known as Naoki sighed. "Yes, yes. I know you're anxious. So…" He took another step into the light and Sasuke could get a clear view of the man's grin and his dark, malicious eyes. "We've been watching you and your disgusting little acts of blasphemy."

Sasuke crossed his arms. "That's pretty damn sick."

"Like you should be talking," the one who was labeled as Shinji remarked.

Naoki laughed. "No kidding. So where's your little boyfriend, huh? We need a few words with each of you."

"I'm right here."

Sasuke felt a hand grasp his shoulder and suddenly Naruto was standing right next to him. He turned to Naruto, his heart pumping ever louder.

"Naruto, go! Now!"

Naoki shook his head. "Neither of you are going anywhere until we rid the world of your abnormal and not to mention sickening relationship."

Naruto's eyes turned to slits. "You're SIN, aren't you?"

Naoki's lips formed into a tight grin. "Correct. SIN has been around for nearly a hundred years, doing the task of the Lord's soldiers and cleaning up this tainted world. My gift from my grandfather before he perished was the inheritance of this organization." He ran his fingers through his wet hair, still smiling. "Ah, he was too soft. Good thing SIN has a much better leader now."

Naruto's body shook with anger. "YOU KILLED AN INNOCENT LITTLE GIRL, BASTARD!"

The grin slid off the man's face. "Me? Oh no! The one who killed that little cripple was my dear little sister."

Sasuke's jaw dropped as he glanced at Michiko, who kept her eyes glued to the cement. "Wh-why?" Anger built up inside his body. "Why did you kill her?"

Naruto yelled and leaped forward. "What is your problem, you goddamn bitch! How could you do this!"

A split second later, Naruto was held off the ground by his collar, a knife in Naoki's hand pointed at his throat. Sasuke remained frozen, but his heart kept hammering. He was going to kill Naruto…that bastard was going to kill Naruto!

"DON'T YOU DARE SPEAK LIKE THAT TO HER!" Naoki roared. "TRASH LIKE YOU SHOULDN'T EVEN BE LOOKING AT MICHIKO!"

Michiko trembled. The demon that had broken loose inside of her was starting to whimper and back off. She didn't want to even be there anymore, having to endure the speechless stares her 'Sasuke-san' was giving her.

Naoki glared at Sasuke. "If you don't break up with this little ass-wipe, I will kill both of you!"

Sasuke regained his voice. "You're shitting me," his voice trembled.

Naoki held the knife closer to Naruto's neck. "Break up with him and…" He glanced back at his sister. "And be my sister's man."

Sasuke's lower lip shook slightly, fear finally engulfing him. Dear god, what was he supposed to do? He looked from the shivering Naruto to Michiko, who faced the ground with her eyes closed. He might've imagined having sex with her, but she could never replace Naruto. Besides, she was a murderer.

But…he couldn't be responsible for Naruto's death. That would be hell.

"Sasuke," Naruto gasped for breath. "Just do it."

Sasuke spun around and looked at the other boy. "Naruto…"

Naruto smiled weakly. "I don't want you to die for me. Just do it."

Sasuke felt his eyes water. Naruto felt the same: he didn't want Sasuke to die. But…he knew he couldn't live without Naruto. And yet…he was right. This way, he would save both their lives.

Sasuke took a long shuddering breath. "Alright. I'll-I'll stop seeing Naruto and…I'll be with her from now on."

Naoki dropped Naruto to the floor, a look of triumph on his face. "Good choice, Uchiha, good choice." He turned to the other two. "Our work here is done. Let's move out. And don't forget, Uchiha," he gestured to his sister. "You're to see her or the deal is over."

Naoki walked off the porch step, followed closely by Shinji. Michiko stared at Sasuke and Naruto, her lip twitching.

"I…I'm sorry."

Before either of them could respond, she hopped off the porch steps and followed her brother into the dark.

Silence hung over the two boys, the rain and wind still blowing in through the open door. Finally, Naruto stepped outside, not daring to look at his now ex-lover.

"I guess this is goodbye."

Sasuke held out his hand to stop him. "Wait, Naruto-"

But too late. Naruto was already running away from him, tears mixing in with the rain. Sasuke stared after him before slowly shutting the front door.

The rain continued to fall all night.

A/N: "Musume-chan" means "daughter" in Japanese. It's good to have a mother who speaks Japanese in my family.