Disclaimer: I don't own nor have I contributed to Naruto in any way! Nope! None!
Sky-eyed Kitsune: My my I have been away for a while, ne? ^^; I don't really have an excuse. This chapter has been done for a very long time, but I had trouble thinking of whether to continue it, making it an insanely long chapter, or to cut if off somewhere and make it very short. So I jammed out some more lines and decided that this was a good medium between the two. Well exams are almost over, so Gomi is still studying like a mad person on crack. Thus he does not have anything to input in this little blab you see for every chapter because he only had time to translate the chapter, do a quick grammar check and then go back to studying. So please apologize any rushed mistakes in advance! ^^
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Reviewer Replies-
I'd like to let you all know now, I have stopped replying to reviewers because I've got so many that it tends to take an hour to do so! X0 But please know that I treasure each review I get, and read them all. In fact when I read them they made me smile in the way that a writer does when they've realized that they have a reason to write! So sincerely, thank you all who take the time and read and review! I will though be answering questions if someone doesn't understand one part of the story or something along those lines. ^^
Reviewer Questions:
No Inquiries.
"Cemetery Drive" by MCR
This night, walk the dead
In a solitary style
And crash the cemetery gates.
In the dress your husband hates
Way down, mark the grave
Where the search lights find us
Drinking by the mausoleum door
And they found you on the bathroom floor
I miss you, I miss you so far
And the collision of your kiss that made it so hard
Back home, off the run
Singing songs that make you slit your wrists
It isn't that much fun, staring down a loaded gun
So I won't stop dying, won't stop lying (are you there at all?)
If you want I'll keep on crying (do you care at all?)
Did you get what you deserve? (are you there at all?)
Is this what you always want me for?
I miss you, I miss you so far
And the collision of your kiss that made it so hard
Way down, way down
Way down, way down
Way down, way down
Way down, way down
I miss you, I miss you so far
And the collision of your kiss that made it so hard
When will I miss you, when will I miss you so far
And the collision of your kiss that made it so hard
Made it so hard
Way down, way down...
Chapter Ten: Collision
--
Temari remembered the nights when her father was still alive. He was gone often, and when he did come home it was a celebration. Late at night when Temari couldn't sleep she used to tug at his sleeve and ask for a bed time story. Her father would lead her back to her room and tuck her in snugly, sitting on the edge of her bed and opening up a small book with bright colors dappling the front cover and spine.
He would tell stories of knights and princesses, of impoverished families and the genies that brought them wonderful riches. Her father's voice lulled her into a comforting sleep, and when her eyelids became too heavy, she would fall into the warm abyss of dreamland.
"Daddy?"
Temari's father stopped in the doorway, his hand hovering over the light switch. He looked back at his daughter with kind eyes.
"Hm?" he said.
Temari fingered her light blue blanket.
"All of those stories end so happy," she said. "Does everyone's story end like that?"
Temari's father paused to think, then said gently, "Yes. I suppose in the end, everyone does find their happy ending."
Then Temari met Naruto.
Then she knew that not everyone's story had a happy ending.
White.
Blond lashes fluttered weakly, and the first thing Naruto distinguished between them was completely white.
He let his eyes open completely, blinking away the dizziness cast over them from fainting, and saw the ashen ceiling hovering above him.
He sat up, wincing, to find that he was lying on a white marble floor. The room he was held in was large, with white walls and one pallid door that seemed to intermingle with the wall so perfectly that it was if it wasn't even there.
Naruto looked down to check his bullet wound, and was surprised to find it wrapped with white bandages, stained red from his blood. From what he could feel when he moved, most of the pain was still there, though he had to admit it wasn't nearly as bad as before.
Naruto closed his eyes as he tried to remember what had happened before he blacked out from intense pain. He remembered Zaku, hitting the wall, falling to the floor, and…then it was all smothered in darkness.
He reopened his eyes, and his blue orbs fell on something that he had not seen upon first casting a glance around the room.
Not one foot in front of him, was a sleek black handgun. It shone in the light and reflected Naruto's face.
Naruto's heart stopped completely, then started again rapidly as he reached forward. He shivered as his fingers brushed against the cold metal, and he closed his eyes. The feeling was familiar…comforting…
Naruto wrapped his hand around the gun, his index finger resting on the trigger as he cradled it gently.
Flashback—
"Haku…" Naruto murmured, watching in confusion as his best friend loaded a gun and held it out to him.
"Here," Haku said. "It's for your protection."
Naruto slipped his hand uneasily into the gun, his eyes never leaving Haku.
"But…"
"I can't risk you getting hurt," Haku cut him off, loading his own gun quickly.
Naruto shivered and pulled his jacket more tightly around him. He leaned against the side of the ally way, his breath protruding from his lips in white wisps as the air chilled it even before it had left his mouth.
"Haku…" Naruto tried again.
"I'm sorry Naruto," Haku said, kneeling down and holding the blond's head between his hands. "I never wanted to get you involved in all of these gang wars."
Naruto grinned a little.
"I-it's ok," he said. "I just wish it wasn't so damn cold!"
Haku smiled and rested his forehead against Naruto's.
"Stay here until you see the flare go up, alright? Use your gun to protect yourself." Haku placed his hands on Naruto's that was currently holding his gun, and gave them a light squeeze. He lifted the hands and pressed his pale lips against them in a soft kiss before quickly standing up and running out of the ally, flagging a sharp left as the sound of a barrage of bullets being fired followed him.
--End Flashback
Naruto rubbed his index finger up and down the trigger fondly. He pulled out the ammunition.
One bullet.
He closed it again with a soft click, and stared at the reflection of himself that bounced off of its onyx chrome color. He lifted it slowly, almost delicately as if it would break, until he was staring down its barrel.
This was it. This was the last thing he would ever see in this life. This was what his whole life had been leading up to.
This was his final escape.
Naruto closed his eyes as his grip tightened around the handle. All motion of thoughts stopped. All sensations were sedated. Any sound was numbed.
All except the bang of a bullet released with a pull of the trigger.
Sasuke crossed his arms impatiently.
Of all times why did Shikamaru choose now to be extra late!?
In front of the raven were Shino, Lee, and Neji. They pulled their coats tightly around themselves, the winter wind biting fiercely and licking up their exposed skin.
"That's it, we don't have any more time to wait," Sasuke abruptly said, breaking the silence between all of them.
"Aw, I'm hurt. You're starting without me?"
Sasuke turned around and saw Shikamaru standing there, his bored face on and his hands shoved in his pockets.
Sasuke nodded to him.
"Meet up with Kurochi if you find them. Search everywhere…anywhere. This is serious." Sasuke paused and took a deep breath.
"He could be dead now."
A large black nose sniffed the ground eagerly, ears erect and tail alert and swaying back and forth.
"You sure about this?" Tenten said uneasily, her arms crossed as she shifted on her feet. "Akamaru isn't like a trained police dog y'know."
"He can do it, just watch!" Kiba said.
Akamaru whined and looked up at his master.
Kiba took off Naruto's jacket slung around his shoulder and leaned down to let the dog sniff it yet again.
Akamaru gave the jacket a forlorn lick, missing the blond human, and dropped his nose back to the ground.
He had walked them from the east side of the city back to the northwest, and still had found nothing.
Kiba looked over at Tenten when he suddenly heard sniffling, and the girl crumpled down to the sidewalk, sobbing with her face in her palms.
"H-he's….something terrible has h-happened! I-I just kn-know it!"
Kiba leaned down and placed a comforting arm around the girl.
"Hey, we'll find him," he said gently. "Naruto wouldn't go out without a fight."
The duo lifted their heads as Akamaru started barking suddenly, his tail wagging fervently. He ran forward and tugged at Kiba's sleeve harshly with his teeth before running ahead.
"C'mon!" Kiba said, standing up abruptly and tugging Tenten with him as they sprinted after the dog.
Sasuke pulled up his collar against the freezing wind as he ran forward.
When Naruto had left the Sabaku house he could have gone downtown or to the countryside.
Something told Sasuke the blond hadn't chosen the latter of the two.
He ran by people on the sidewalk, shoving and pushing his way through the crowd as they shouted and cussed him out. But he didn't care. He wanted, no, needed to see Naruto safe.
Sasuke stopped abruptly in front of a closed store and caught his breath.
He looked at his reflection through the window, and froze when he saw a pair of crystal blue eyes staring back at him.
Sasuke shook his head quickly and looked back at the window to find his own onyx eyes once more.
Sasuke's heart tugged and he banged his fist on the shop window. He had never been so worried in his entire life as much as he was now. He leaned his head against the window and shut his eyes.
"Where are you…!?" Sasuke opened his eyes and almost gasped when he saw a red stain on the cement beneath him.
He bent down to it and ghosted his fingers over the tinge. He lifted his head a bit to the side ally around the corner, and he stood up and carefully walked over to it.
This time he did gasp at what he saw.
"K-Kiba! Slow down, I can't run that fast!"
Kiba didn't pay any heed to Tenten, and kept sprinting ahead with her in tow by means of his hand.
He wasn't stopping, not when Akamaru was on Naruto's trail. He would carry the girl if he had to!
Akamaru sped around a corner and skid to a halt, his owner almost running into him.
"Why'd you stop?" Kiba said. He let go of Tenten and looked up as Akamaru whined. His chocolate eyes met onyx.
"Uchiha," he seethed. "What're you-" he stopped short when he saw the helpless look on Sasuke's usually strong and emotionless face.
Kiba, Tenten and Akamaru walked beside Sasuke and stared down the ally.
"No…" Kiba breathed.
"Oh my god…" Tenten whispered, bringing her hands to her mouth as tears spilled over them.
The ally way would seem ordinary to any onlooker who spared a three second glace, but on inspection there were many more things to be seen.
Blood covered the ground in a crimson trail and the floor was scuffed.
Sasuke walked forward, the trio following behind him slowly. The ally smelled soggy and overlapped the scent of blood and rust that seemed to seep from the walls. Further up the patches of blood began to stop, and then suddenly ran into large splatters of it pooling on the sides and center of the walls.
In the middle of one puddle was and empty gun shell beside what looked like a necklace.
Sasuke leaned down and tentatively reached forward. He bit his lip as he grabbed the necklace and held it in his palm. He wiped away the frigid and partially dried blood from the stone in the middle, and it revealed a crystal blue color matching Naruto's eyes.
"That's Naruto's necklace!" Tenten suddenly shouted, rushing forward and kneeling beside Sasuke.
She ran a finger over the blood splattered stone, her tears never stopping.
"We…we're too late…" she said.
"We don't know if this is his blood," Sasuke said, trying to brush off the sense of hopelessness that had blanketed his shoulders in a cold embrace.
"Akamaru can tell," Kiba said, his voice much softer than its usual level. "Akamaru's been with us during gang fights…he knows the scent of Naruto's blood."
Kiba urged the white canine forward.
It slowly padded its way to the largest puddle of blood as if cautious, and gave it an experimental sniff. Akamaru's ears dropped as he turned his head back to Kiba and let out a soft whine.
Kiba's mouth hung open a bit, the lost hope weighing his jaw down.
"So…that's it," he breathed, his breath seeping from his lips in white trails as they met the freezing air.
Tenten stood and backed up from the blood, shaking her head as she tried to contain herself, failing as even more tears dropped down her cheeks. She stopped and turned around abruptly when she ran into Kiba by accident, who seemed to be rooted to his spot.
He quickly pulled her close, and she gripped his shirt tightly as she sobbed.
"No, this isn't it…this…" Sasuke curled his fist until his nails cut open the soft flesh on his palm. "He's not gone, he can't…he can't be!"
Sasuke looked down at Naruto's necklace in his clenched fist, and then back down the alley.
He shook his head as the beginnings of fatal tears stung the back of his eyes, and sprinted down the alley.
Kiba watched the raven go as he held Tenten close. He didn't bother to stop him, wherever he was going. It didn't feel like it really mattered anymore.
Sasuke's eyes were glued to the floor as the splotches of blood continued on down the alley, He made a sharp turn into an abandoned shop, following the red trail like his life depended on it. He flew through the shop, running down one hall until he reached a door hanging lopsided by one hinge.
He kicked the door all the way off as he ran through back, out into another alley outside. He felt his cheeks become wet as tell-tale tears escaped, but he didn't bother to pause and wipe them away.
He flew past buildings and dove over fences as the trail became thinner. It finally stopped completely and Sasuke did too. He panted, catching his breath as he looked up for the first time from the ground.
In front of him was a dilapidated mansion. The structure looked close to collapsing, the pillars holding the gargantuan roof up cracked in various places, black ivy trailing up their necks.
Sasuke took a few steps forward when his eyes found a collapsed sign in front of the abode.
He leaned down and wiped the dirt and muck from it with his sleeve, reading the blurry and scratched words.
Sanin Sound Estates
Naruto stared at the hard marble floor with misty eyes.
He let his hand slack and the now empty black gun clattered to the floor. His body shook violently, the muscles in his right shoulder internally spazzing as they tried to pump more blood to where a black bullet was now firmly lodged.
Naruto looked at his trembling hands listlessly, both splattered with his own blood from the shot.
He couldn't do it. He couldn't break his promise to Haku.
--Flashback
"Hey Naruto."
"Ne? Naruto said, looking up from the horizon his eyes had been resting on. It was near twilight, the sun close to setting as faded pinks and purples dappled the scarlet sky. Naruto and Haku sat on the docks outside of town, their legs dangling off the end as they watched the day grow fainter.
"Promise me something and don't ask why, ok?" Haku said, his eyes still staring out over the darkening horizon.
"Sure," Naruto said, a confused look passing over his face.
"Promise me that you'll live my life for me."
"…wha-"
"Promise me."
Naruto paused to scan Haku over, not missing the melancholy settled in those gentle eyes. He wasn't entirely sure of what Haku was asking of him, but he would do anything to make his best friend happy.
"I promise."
Haku finally looked at the blond and smiled softly. He reached forward and cradled Naruto's head between his palms, closing the space between them with a tender kiss.
Naruto felt his heart leap up into his throat and he froze. He finally registered what was happening, and realized that he didn't want it to stop quite yet.
Naruto tugged Haku's shirt, bringing him closer as he kissed back for the first time.
--Flashback End
Naruto lifted his head when he heard a faint chuckle echo in the empty room.
"Too much of a coward, eh?"
Naruto squinted his eyes as a door opened and a figure stood in the shadows. It walked forward, shutting the door, and stepping into the light.
Naruto wished that the gun he had shot still had that one bullet in it, just so that he could strike down the bastard that now loomed over him.
"Orochimaru."
Le gasp! Lordy this just gets more and more angsty doesn't it? Xp Well my friends, we don't have much longer to go. Maybe two more chapters and an epilogue and that will be all. I have planned a sequel for this fiction a long time ago called, "Thanks for the Venom". (The title is based on a song by MCR cause it really suits the sequel) Let me remind you all one more, yes, ONE MORE time that if you're expecting that next chapters to be all fluffy frilly save the day and Sasuke and Naruto live happily ever after, then just stop reading right now. Seriously. I mean it! Cause the angst is gonna keep cranking out until the very last sentence.
New poll on my profile about this fic. Check it out!
Sky-eyed Kitsune
Translated by Gomi-kun