Chapter XIII: The Next Day
The sun rose, and so did the group.
Naruto and Hinata where the first of the group to get up, and Hinata went to the fire pit, and started it again.
Naruto watched her silently, and with loving eyes.
He thought back on their first date, some six years ago.
(Flashback)
Naruto had been sitting on a bench, watching the clouds go by, a slight frown on his face.
He had been thinking of Sasuke, and how he had been training for almost eight years to be able to go after him, and now he was finally recognized for his abilities.
"Sasuke! You're mine teme!" He thought as he sat there, eyes upturned, watching the puffy clouds float by.
Then the gentle pattering of feet caught his ears, and he turned to see Hinata walking up to him.
"Hinanta-chan?" He asked.
"Hey Naruto... Um... I uh... have something I'd like to ask you." She had stammered, clasping her hands in front of her like she always did when she was nervous.
"Yes Hinata?"
"I uh... was wondering if... maybe... you'dgooutonadatewithme?"
He remembered staring at her for a while, and then shaking his head.
"I'm sorry Hinata... What'd you say?"
"I... oh... nothing." She said, and started to walk away.
"Hinata-chan! Wait!" He had reached out and caught her arm in his hand.
"I'd love too."
Hinata froze where she stood, and blinked.
"R-r-really?"
"Yes!" He had answered, and she almost fainted, but managed to keep it form happening.
(End flashback)
He smiled as he remembered this and sat back at the stump with a smirk on his face.
Lee was the next up, and he dashed out of his tent, and sprang to the table, landing neatly beside Naruto.
"I see that the flames of youth reside in the three of us! To rise with the sun, such a marvelous thing!"
"Yeah... Marvelous..." Came Kiba's drawl from the third tent, as he came out, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
"Kiba-san! It is good to see that you could join us in a youthful breakfast!" Lee said, giving him his famous huge grin.
"Sure... What's for breakfast anyways?"
He sat down by Lee, and Akamaru sat next to him.
"Eggs and bacon." Said Hinata, as she pulled out the plates, and utensils.
"Good..." He replied, closing his eyes, and leaning his head against the stump.
Hinata looked around, and noticed the Shikamaru was not at the stump.
"Does anyone know where Shikamaru-kun is?"
"Oui! Shikamaru!" Naruto yelled, startling him from his sleep, and almost making him fall from the branch.
"Gah! How troublesome! Can't a lazy guy like me get any sleep?" He said, as he leaped off the branch, and walked over to the table.
"We have to go soon Shikamaru-kun..." Lee told him as he sat down next to Akamaru.
Soon the food was done, and they ate quickly and started on their journey once again.
As they flew through the branches, they didn't notice the dark shadow that was fallowing them, one with an ANBU Black-ops mask on, in the shape of a rabbit.
The solitary figure leaped silently through the trees, perusing them, undetected even by Akamaru's nose.
Keen aqua-green eyes glanced up to make sure that they had not noticed their persuer.
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Sasuke had walked the entire night, as he thought of all the good times he'd had when he was younger.
His hand traveled to the seal on his neck, cursing it silently for ripping apart the only life he really had.
"I'm really starting to think this is just someone playing an elaborate game with my life... It's really beginning to piss me off." He thought, releasing the hand that had clasped its self over the seal.
He glanced around quickly, and then he started to walk again.
The rain had been falling for hours now, not showing any sign of stopping.
He marched on, loathing the weather, and feeling down, knowing the struggles that awaited him sometime in the future.
"I've become strong Itachi... I've hated you, and loathe you... This time it'll be your turn to bleed." He thought, glancing up one last time at the iron-grey sky, as it poured its waters all over the land.
Lighting lit the sky like a beacon, sending its shockwaves of sound down to the earth below it in grumbling fury, like wolves on the hunt.
Sasuke didn't even flinch, he just moved on, a solitary figure among the shroud of darkness, like a mockery of his life, and a reminder of his betrayal of Konoha.
"I will make you bleed Itachi... Bleed for all the wrong you've done me."
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(Of Brothers)
The Uchiha brothers where always seen as the ideal of the clan.
Both displayed very high degrees of talent, and skill, though Itachi's achievements had surpassed all other known Uchihas in history, becoming as powerful as a jonin at the age of 13, while Sasuke (though clearly talented) was ignored, for he was completely overshadowed by his older brother.
This never seemed to hurt Sasuke, with the exception of his father, who seemed to play favorites with Itachi, leaving Sasuke to think that his dad didn't care about him. His father showed no real interest in Sasuke, even when the boy asked him to teach him jutsu. His father scolded him constantly for messing up with the Great Fireball jutsu, while he seemed to always be singing praise of how Itachi had done on his missions.
Sasuke looked up to his brother, idolized him, and wanting to become like him. Itachi did help Sasuke out, but most of the time, he gave excuses to not deal with his brother, much to the disappointment of Sasuke.
And now, even as Sasuke hates his brother, he had done the one thing he'd wanted to do all throughout his childhood...
He had become his brother...
He had turned to the darkness, like his brother.
He had abandoned his home, like his brother.
He had hurt those around him, like his brother.
He sought power, like his brother.
For all his hatred, loathing, death wishes, disappointments, and sorrows... he had become the one thing he hated most...