SasuHina fanfic

SasuHina fanfic

In the beginning –back in year 06--, I thought that the pairing of SasuHina was too crack for me. Despite that, I started a fanfic about them, just to see what happens. And now, in this last chapter, I've come to actually like this pairing. I admit, they're not in my faves category, but still, I can't help but go "Aw…" at every cute picture I see of them. (picture, not fanfic xD)

Feel free to make fanarts based on this :D. But please, show me!!

Oh, and another thing. Yes, this is the last chapter. I appreciate you all taking the time and reading. Thank you so much for your support! It was a fun experience, and very thoughtful, too. Enjoy, and Happy New year! (January 2008)

The final day

All seven of them were gathered around a weak fire with fish on sticks stuck to the ground around the flame. Each minute seemed to get colder as the sun got ready to set. It wouldn't set for another few hours, but already, the sky seemed to be a transition of colors, from a darker blue, to a brighter orange right along the line of the sea in the horizon. The clouds were a cotton-candy pink. This image reflected off the water.

"S-Sasuke-kun, aren't you cold?" asked Hinata, sitting between Sasuke, and the person she supposedly liked, Naruto, to her left side.

Sasuke -- still wearing his outfit half-on, so his chest was bare -- shrugged. But it caused pain to spread from his wound. His shoulder was definitely not healed yet. The Uchiha cringed forward a bit, sending Hinata into panic.

"Sasuke-kun!" She placed a hand on his chest to hold him up, and another hand on his back for securer support.

"Sorry," said Sasuke with a raspy voice. He turned his head to give Hinata a more appropriate response, but stopped when he found how close their faces were to each other. He turned away quickly, straightening himself up.

Hinata felt her cheeks warm up, and turned away as well, taking back her hands and putting all focus on the small bon fire.

Things had been a little more awkward between the two since ever since Sasuke had woken up in Hinata's arms the hour before. The tension had almost passed, but new tensions were rising.

To her left-side, Naruto sat cross-legged. He was in a pout, and his hands were in fists on his lap. His slouching, plus the slightly narrowed eyes, only showed how irritated he was.

Next to him, on his left-side, Kiba had an identical look on his face, but a low, soft growl rumbled in his throat.

Shino was next to the dog-boy. He only pushed his glasses farther up his nose; a mutual sign that he was entertained by both boys' reaction towards Sasuke and Hinata.

Neji, next to Shino, was a little more clueless. He waited patiently for the fish to finish cooking. They started to brown nicely, and a salty aroma flowed delicately in the air.

Shikamaru, sitting between Neji and Sasuke, only paid mind to the bonfire, and the cooking fish. "This fire is too small." He commented as he stood up.

"I'll be back. We've run out of that special coal, so we need more wood."

The boys nodded at him. "Be careful." Said Hinata in her usual high voice.

Shikamaru nodded at her, and was off.

It was light enough, but somehow the woods he stepped through looked dark. Must be because the sun was not over head anymore.

It grew quieter with each step he took away from the group. The only sounds heard were his footsteps against roots and sand, and the distant hushing of the beach. His head was down as he walked, spotting for any potential fire wood.

"Ah, found one." He squatted down to grab a large piece of dried wood. When his hand was only a few centimeters away from it, he paused. It looked unusual. So out of place from all the other pieces of wood in this wilderness. Like it was set there on purpose. Eyeing it, he noticed what looked like a thin string of chakra tied to the top end. The end of the string seemed to lead deeper into the trees, where it was almost completely dark. "Tch," he stood up.

"How troublesome." His eyes grazed over the string and to where the end of it would be. "I'm not stupid." He then began to walk away from it, but not towards the group. His mission of finding firewood was not done yet.

Although, now Shikamaru's guard was up, he failed to realize that he had walked into an open area. A grassy meadow, with colorful blossoms contrasting the greenery. A large boulder to the side. It was like a decorated garden. Shikamaru stopped in his tracks at the sight. Was this an illusion?

Surely he would have seen this place in the time he was here. But this was his first time. It sent a feeling of premonition into his body. He braced himself. Something would be coming.

His fears were granted when a low, dry chuckle pierced his ears. The sound came from somewhere in the meadow, but it didn't look like anyone was there. Shikamaru took his hands out of his pockets, and he went into a fighting stance.

In scanning the area, his eyes became fixated on the boulder that was a few feet away from him to the side. The low chuckle had turned into giggling. The type of giggling you'd hear from a teenage girl. This caught Shikamaru by surprise. The sound was so familiar.

From behind the rock, a girl with blonde hair tied up in a ponytail stepped out. Her blue eyes, lacking pupils, were bright. A toothy grin on her smooth, pale face. She stepped out with her hand on her hip.

"Ino…" Shikamaru was gawking now. "Ino…?" he could hardly believe it. He felt his heart sore at the sight of her.

"But… you're dead." His voice was soft. A whisper.

Ino approached him with her usual strut. She stood in front of him, a bright smile still on her face. She looked just like her cocky self.

But the words she said clashed with her facial expression. Like she was mocking him.

"I wouldn't be dead if you'd been quicker."

That felt like a sword had been plunged through Shikamaru's heart. "I'm sorry!" he said, putting his hands out so he could grab her by the shoulders and pull her to him.

But his hands gripped at nothing. Somehow, she had moved, and was now sitting cross-legged on the boulder. Shikamaru gawked at her some more. It was too quick a movement for her.

Ino winked at him. "There you go again, slow-poke."

She sounded just like her. She moved just like her. But yet, the words were not hers. Shikamaru composed himself, and placed his fisted hands back into his pockets. His eyes were closed, and head bowed.

"You're not real." He said. Pain in the tone of his voice. "This is an illusion."

It was as if he was chanting to himself.

Ino tilted her head, and now a confused expression was on her face.

"What're ya talkin' about?" she asked, swinging her dangling legs at the edge of the boulder like a child. "I'm as real as that out-of-date ponytail behind your big head." She said it like a tease.

Shikamaru slowly took his hands out of his pockets, and put them together with the index fingers pointing up. Before doing anything else, he gave Ino one last look.

She stared back. "Shika…" her face transitioned to sadness, and she slipped off the rock to approach him.

"I'll disappear again if you do that." It tore him apart to see such a face. But he knew what must be done. He closed his eyes tight, but was still reluctant to break the jutsu that was tricking him.

"Shika, please," begged Ino. She was closer now. Close enough that she was caressing Shikamaru's cheek with her hand. That caused him to hold his breath.

"I don't want to disappear again." It sounded like she was about to cry. That only put more pressure on Shikamaru whether to break the spell or not. He loved Ino. Always had. Her death almost killed him, but still, there he stood. Crippled but still strong.

"I'm sorry," he breathed through clenched teeth.

"Shika—"

"Release!"

Everything became quiet again. He opened his eyes, and saw the meadow was gone. So was she. And her touch. "Ino…" his heart was aching yet again. Reminded of what precious thing he had lost.

"Impressive." Said a chilling voice.

Shikamaru almost jumped. He turned to the direction of the voice, and his eyes grew wide when he saw who it was coming from. "Orochimaru." He hissed.

"To think you'd give in to your heart's desire. I underestimated you."

The man with long black hair, white skin, and a loose robe stepped out from the shadows, into a streak of dim light. A satisfied, but surprised smile stretching his lips.

"You're sick," said Shikamaru.

"I'd like to think so." Joked Orochimaru with little humor.

It was just him, and the snake-man. If he could take this guy out, then the group wouldn't have to worry about anything while looking for the jade stone. He had to keep Orochimaru distracted.

"What do you want?" he asked, stretching his shadow ever so slowly towards the pale figure. The trees gave enough darkness to supply his shadow jutsu.

"You know what I want." Replied Orochimaru sleekly.

"Sorry to tell ya, but I have no idea where the stone is." Replied Shikamaru casually. His shadow still stretching.

"That's alright." Said Orochimaru, his grin seemingly growing more devious.

"I have no use for you, or those other five. I only need Hinata." He stepped forward. Like he was giving Shikamaru more advantage.

"You are but a dead tree in the middle of the road. You need to be moved aside."

So close. The shadow was so close. Just a bit more.

"Heh. You can try." Challenged Shikamaru. Shikamaru took a step forward.

"I think I will." With a slight nod of his head, Shikamaru was suddenly wrapped in chakra strings, and violently pulled back with such force, that his feet were off the ground.

The strings slammed his back against a large tree. He let out gasp and coughed out blood from the sheer impact. The strings weren't done with him yet. They began to circle him. Tie him against the tree. It was so tight, Shikamaru felt that they would pierce through his clothes, into his skin. Then the strings began tying his neck against the tree, as well as his head. He couldn't move at all. Breathing was painful.

His head began to swim from the lack of air in his lungs, and his body throbbed from the sudden impact and the pressure of the chakra strings. At this rate, he would not make it. Fighting back was useless.

Everything blacked out slowly. The only thing keeping his body from going completely limp were the strings holding him in place.

An insect caught Shino's attention. It had crawled up his shoulder, and squeaked something into his ear. No one noticed, and this relieved the bug-boy. According to the insect, something drastic had happened, and he didn't want to cause panic into the group when they were finally relaxed.

"Shikamaru-kun is taking a while..." said Hinata.

"Yeah," agreed Naruto. "It doesn't usually take him this long to gather—"

"I'll go look for him." Cut in Shino. This caused Kiba and Hinata to sit up straight. Even through the glasses they could see the worry in Shino's face. They've known him long enough.

"What's going on?" asked Kiba, a growl growing deep in his throat.

Shino stood up, and pushed his glasses farther up his nose. Then placed both hands in his pockets.

"It's nothing. I bet he's just having trouble with the amount of wood he's carrying. My bugs will guide me. Don't worry about it."

His tone was cool, calm, and collected. But his former teammates were not convinced. Kiba began to stand, mouth open in protest, but Shino held up a hand. That was enough to keep the dog-boy quiet.

"Kiba, please refrain from opposing me. I'll be back with Shikamaru."

With that, and a quick movement of the hand, he was gone. It was too fast a motion for Kiba to catch him.

Everyone only looked on, surprised. They've known Shino, but not as well as Kiba and Hinata.

Hinata had her hands in fists on her lap. Her eyes concentrated on the fire that was dying slowly.

Sasuke eyed her. The light of the fire reflected off his dark eyes. It hurt him to see her look so worried. More worried then usual. Unsure of how to comfort properly, he only patted her back. She looked at him, and smiled slightly. This alone warmed his heart. He looked away, and put his gazes on the fire. Hinata did the same. Naruto noticed this gesture.

With his lips still in a pout, and a cheek puffed, he asked, "What're you two smiling about?"

Both answered without looking at him, "Nothing."

Shino wandered about, walking cautiously with both hands in his pockets. As if to catch something, he put one hand out in front of him. Then put a finger of that hand to his face. An insect was on it. He nodded at the insect as if in conversation. No words were exchanged. Only the sound of steps crunching on dead leaves occupied available ears.

In what felt like half an hour, Shino stopped. A tree shadowed over him… and something else. When he looked up, fear and anger flowed through his body. He felt his heart race, and the blood rush.

"Shika…" his mouth felt stiff, as did his body. Still, he managed to approach the boy; a hand reached out to make sure what he saw was real.

His shaky hand touched Shikamaru's leg, and twitched as he drew it back. With narrowed eyes, he could see that the boy was tied with many, thin chakra strings. "Orochimaru…" he spat in anger.

What sounded like a hissing laugh pierced his ears, and caused him to stand cold, stiff.

"You called?" said a voice that sent chills down the bug-boy's spine.

Shino twisted his body to look back slightly. Sure enough, there stood a pale man with damp, black hair, and a loose robe.

"What have you done to Shikamaru?" he asked coolly with that hint of anger burning in his voice.

Orochimaru chuckled.

"Wouldn't you like to find out?"

"You're sick."

"Everyone keeps saying that."

As swiftly as he could, Shino turned and threw shuriken stars at Orochimaru's direction. He could hear them cut the air, and stop at the trunks of trees… meaning he hit nothing. When he looked, and focused, there was no target. Orochimaru had disappeared.

Shino pushed his glasses further up his nose. His posture looked casual, but his guard was up to a high level.

A chilling laugh echoed through the trees. Then suddenly, the ground began to shake. Shino did his best to keep his balance; spreading his feet apart, crouching down, placing a hand on a nearby tree. Birds chirped, and flew out of their homes. Squirrels and other small animals did the same, except on foot.

Through the rumbling, he heard sounds that pierced his ear drums, and crawled into his gut. The sound that signified who his enemy was; who he was dealing with. It brought his hairs on end, and created goose bumps on his skin.

The sound of rattling, and hissing. Loud enough to stop a living being cold in their tracks. Namely Shino.

A giant, brown snake --large enough that each scale on its surface can be emphasized-- rose from the ground approximately two arms' length away from the bug boy's feet. The dirt around it moved to the side, welcoming its appearance. The trees in its way happily fell over, and rocks and pebbles rolled away noisily.

Shino used up precious moments frozen in awe and fear at the creature in front of him. Behind him was Shikamaru's body, momentarily forgotten.

Along the beach, the rest of the group felt the rumble as well. Not as strong as where Shino stood, but strong enough. The sands shifted, as did the people on it.

Each individual braced themselves through the rumbling, knowing they were safe from the harm of falling trees, but still waiting for the movement to stop.

Through the shaking, Sasuke viewed the forest through one open eye. He noticed the birds flying away. It seemed normal enough. Then he saw small animals scurrying away from the trees. Unless there was something in the forest, shouldn't animals be staying in their little homes in the event of an earthquake?

Opening both eyes half way, he shifted them around the greenery, narrowing them to get better focus. Something caught his attention. Something growing in the middle of the forest. That definitely wasn't normal.

To be sure, he activated his Sharingan, both eyes wide open. His mouth gaped open in shock.

Hands over her head, Hinata looked over to Sasuke, noticing his open mouth, and red eyes. "S-Sasuke-kun?"

"It's that thing…" his voice sounded strained, almost like a hoarse whisper; as if he didn't want to say anymore. "O-Orochimaru…"

Everyone in the group gasped, and either turned or looked up to where Sasuke was focused on.

In the distance, where the orange of the sunset stripped the bright blue of the sky into a darker shade was the silhouette of a snake; its mouth open, its tongue flailing about. When its stringy body was exposed a good deal, the shaking of the ground stopped.

"Wh-what the hell is that?" asked Naruto in amazement, though his eyes were wide with fearful memory.

Neji and Hinata had activated their Byakuugan, and Kiba could only trust what his eyes could see.

"Oh no," Hinata's voice held despair.

"What is it? What else do you see?" prompted Kiba, his eyes still on the horizon.

"Shikamaru-kun… Shino-kun…"

Neji looked at his cousin, then put his gazes back on the giant snake. This time, his eyes shifted, looking for the meaning behind his sister's petrified expression.

His mouth gaped open at found sight. "I see them." Was all he could say.

Naruto gritted his teeth, then stood. Determination was burning in his blue eyes.

"We gotta get to them! Before that thing—"

"No!" Interrupted Neji. Everyone looked at him surprised.

"I'll get those two, and bring them back. Then I'll lead that snake here, and we'll fight it together."

Sasuke said nothing. His eyes went back to concentrating on the snake; Neji's plan was simple, and there was a high chance that it wouldn't work. But there was more meaning behind it then the others realized, and Sasuke had a gist of it.

Hinata was uncertain. Little noises left her throat, finding words to say. Naruto looked down at the Hyuuga boy; hands balled into fists, teeth gritted, eyes narrowed and angry.

Kiba had on a similar stance, except he was sitting, and his eyes were

wide with surprise at Neji's plan.

"That's a stupid plan!" argued Naruto. "What if the snake gets you? Shikamaru and Shino will be gone by then!"

"Trust me on this!" Neji spat back. "Besides, unlike you, I carefully plan out my movements. I'll be safe."

Naruto could only glare at him in response.

He seemed content with that.

With silver eyes glinting, he stood.

"Neji-nii-san!" called Hinata.

Neji twisted his head to side to look at her.

"Be careful." She said.

Unsmiling, Neji only nodded, then ran off towards the forest. He disappeared into the shadows of the greenery.

The four left behind could only stay where they were, and watch him off.

The giant snake stared down at its bug-boy prey, and the body behind it. What sounded like a laugh gurgled from its throat.

"Will you sacrifice your comrade's body for your life? Or will you both be eaten together?" Orochimaru's voice echoed.

Shino looked up with his mouth gaped open. Sweat beading on his face.

The snake didn't give much time for the boy to answer its question. With a loud hiss, it lunged down on where he stood. Shino quickly dodged it, leaping behind him, and slamming his back against Shikamaru's limp body. He landed with an "Oof!" on one knee.

Twisting his body, he eyed his companion. If Shikamaru was dead, he could easily leave him there, and save himself. No point in saving something that could be of no use.

But over the years, he had grown to be one of his trusted friends. He wasn't as cold as he had been in the past. Shikamaru was more then just some boy in the same village.

Quickly, he summoned his bugs, mentally telling them to eat at the chakra strings that held Shikamaru in place. A normal kunai would not cut through them.

When the snake rose again, its yellow eyes seemed to stay on Shino, locking him in place. He couldn't move. Fear gripped at his gut. His heart raced immensely. What he saw in those demonic eyes was more then just the reflection of his face. There was blood, rapid movements, death. His death.

The snake came at him with its mouth wide open. He could do nothing but stand, and wait for it to engulf him. When darkness surrounded him, his ribs felt the sensation of being crushed, and he could taste the blood as it gurgled out of his mouth.

At least, that was what he saw.

As a scream left his throat from the vision, he realized what the power of this snake was: To show you one way you'd die, and to make it your fear. Unless he got control of his body once more, he'd die the way he feared. And if his body could not move, then his bugs could not move either.

His mind scrambled for a way out of this mess. Nothing that came to mind seemed to work. All hope was lost.

The snake let out a hiss, and opened its mouth, only to snap it close.

"I'm sorry…" said Shino through gritted teeth. He directed those last words at the people he would let down because he could not fight back.

Cringing, he closed his eyes, preparing for the pain ahead. He heard the sound of the snake giving one last taunting hiss before it came at him; its body slithering rapidly over the gravel.

"Shino!" Neji had pounced on the bug-boy, dragging him out of the way of the snake. At the same time, he snatched Shikamaru's body from the tree, just after the insects had finished eating at the chakra strings that held him.

The giant snake only ended up crashing and biting at trees that were in its way.

Neji, with Shino and Shikamaru wrapped in either arm, skidded on his back on the forest floor a few meters away from the attack. His head felt like it was swimming momentarily, and his back felt slightly burnt.

"You just stood there! What's wrong?" he asked, sitting up and slipping his arms out from underneath both bodies.

Shino propped himself on trembling elbows. He could only stare at what would have been the end of him.

"N-Neji…" he said, his voice shaking, showing the fear had affected him more then anyone would suspect. "I don't know. I… I couldn't move, a-and…"

The sound of rattling and hissing ceased him from saying anymore. His eyes under the shades widened from the sight of the snake turning its head slowly to face him and his comrades. It flicked its tongue. He held his breath.

"Snap out of it!" Neji had jumped out in front of him in defense before the giant snake could go any further. It had lunged forward too fast for even Shino to notice, especially in his current state.

Neji held one hand out towards the snake, controlling a jutsu that looked like a net of blue electricity, shielding them from harm. The other hand he held under his chin with two fingers touching his lips. His silver eyes were strained and concentrated. The skin that surrounded them pulsed, and the veins were popped out like roots under his skin. Sweat beaded on his face. The light reflecting off his jutsu caused them to glisten.

The creature let out a loud, hissing roar as it bounced off the giant net. Sounds like lightning and static echoed through the air. Acid saliva sputtered out of the snake's mouth, and melted anything it landed on.

"Go! Get Shikamaru and return to the others!"

Shino looked on, his mouth gaping open. All attention still on the snake. He was so close to death, everything felt hazy, and unreal.

"Damn it, Shino!"

Under his shades, he shut his eyes, and with weak legs, did his best to stand.

"I'm not just going to leave this to you." Though his voice was low, it was also determined.

Neji turned his head to look at him from the corner of his eye. From what he heard, from what he could see, Shino wasn't going to back down any time soon.

For moments, all they could do was look at each other until one accepted the situation.

"Fine," said Neji, turning away, and dropping his arm, making the bright net disappear. He spread his feet apart from each other, bent his knees, and stretched his arms from his body with hands pointed towards the enemy; his fighting stance. Shino walked up next to him; his body recovering from shock. He himself went into his own fighting stance; feet spread apart, shoulders tensed up, hands up and ready to summon his insects.

Both were ready for anything that would come at them.

Or so Neji thought.

"Things will never change," a voice that sounded like a mix of many pierced through the Hyuuga boy's ear. His eyes widened in shock.

"Even if you save the village, you will still be under Hinata. You will never be in a class higher then her."

Who was speaking? There was something familiar about the voice. Surely it couldn't be…

Slowly, he lifted his chin, eyes scanning the snake from its large body that touched the ground, to its head that hovered over him.

He only saw the snake. It's glinting yellow eyes, a tongue that flicked out of its mouth every moment.

"You'll always be working under Hinata's family. You being one of the savior's of Konoha will change nothing."

He let out a gasp from realization.

It was his father's voice who spoke, mixed with the many voices of members of his family. Orochimaru's was one of the more distinct voices as well. It sent chills down the boy's spine.

"Shut up." He spat.

Shino looked at him, surprised. "Neji?"

He was ignored.

"Changes have already occurred, and will keep occurring. I'm not the same boy from the preliminaries. I now know that things can't stay the same forever. Don't think you can intimidate me with old thoughts!"

The snake opened its mouth in what looked like a taunting laugh. Then it snapped its jaw closed, and continued to look down upon its prey.

"Why don't you prove that fact to me?" challenged the snake. "Show me what you've got."

Neji composed himself back into fighting stance. No more words were exchanged. Only action.

"What's going on?" Kiba asked, agitated. He bit onto his bottom lip at the suspense. From what he could see, trees were falling down, and dust flew in the distance. The silhouette of the snake creature occasionally came up or launched down. It seemed like a chaotic battle.

"Hey, what's happening?" asked Naruto angrily. There was no reply. Sasuke and Hinata were too caught up in what they were seeing.

"Neji-nii-san…"

Hinata felt so helpless, and once again useless. The burden of being left to watch, left to sit back and wait, created a swirl of guilt inside of her. Even if she was to fight, there was a high chance she'd die in the process. That thought wasn't much comfort.

The snake reared upwards, and opened its mouth, giving one, final roaring hiss. Then it plunged downward, disappearing in a cloud of dust and a rain of trees.

Sasuke's eyes widened. He felt his body tremble, and his jaw had dropped, leaving his mouth gaping open. Sweat beaded on his temple, and slid down his skin. What made the hairs on his skin stand was Hinata's scream. She had seen it as well.

"Hinata!" Kiba and Naruto went on either side of her, hesitating on whether to lay a hand on her. The best they could do was worry.

The Hyuuga girl had on a similar expression to that of the Uchiha boy. But her trembling hands covered her gaping mouth, and her knees had failed her, making her drop to the ground. Her eyes were still attentive on what was seen.

"Hinata, hey! What did you see?" urged Naruto, squatting so he was at her level.

Kiba gritted his teeth, and twisted his body so he was facing Sasuke.

"What happened…?" he asked, breathing in slowly to keep calm.

Sasuke had his eyes closed, and his face turned away. He looked pained. Regretful.

"Shino…Neji…Shikamaru…" he choked, his voice trembling and cracking slightly. "They're…"

Kiba turned away, staring at the direction his comrades had gone to. "No way…"

Sasuke did not need to continue. Both energetic boys understood.

Hinata had begun to cry. She held herself, arms crossed over her chest, and face down. Sounds of sobs came from her throat, and she was shaking her head.

"No, no, no, no…"

Naruto bowed his head, temporarily shadowing the pain in his eyes. He stood up, and turned his body towards the greenery where the snake slowly raised its head. His hands balled into tight fists, and his teeth were clenched tightly.

"Bastard!" He shouted, and began to run forward with a roar. "I'll kill you!"

Suddenly, he was knocked back by a punch on the cheek. The force was hard enough to send him flying backwards. His back skidded on the sand.

"You idiot." said Sasuke in a rather agitated voice. Kiba and Hinata looked at him shocked, having to appear so suddenly in front of a rampaging Naruto.

The Uzumaki sat up, and wiped with the back of his hand from his mouth to the impacted cheek. "What the hell was that for!?" he cried angrily, standing up.

"Want me to kill you, too?"

"You'll die before I do." Replied Sasuke bluntly. His gazes went past the yellow-haired boy to the long-haired maiden. Her face reflected how devastated she was, but she looked calm enough.

"We need to hide." instructed Sasuke. Hinata nodded. With Kiba's help, she was able to stand on shaky knees.

"Where to?" asked Kiba.

Hinata turned to Sasuke for the answer. Her body felt too weak to activate the Byakuugan. Sasuke stared ahead with his Sharingan. His pupils moved rapidly from one direction to another. He pointed forward to where the trees and a rock wall meet.

"There's a spot there. It's well hidden. I can't guarantee the security, but it will be out of the snake's sight." He said.

"Whatever works." said Naruto. He stood next to Hinata, and looked at her with a worried expression. She was slightly slouched, her forehead beaded sweat, and her knees and hands were trembling.

"Can you make it?" he asked gently.

She looked at him with a weak smile. "I'll be fine. Thank y-you."

Then she turned to Sasuke, who was also looking at her with concerned eyes.

"Lead the way." She said, still hiccupping little sobs.

Sasuke nodded, and the four of them were off at such speed that with the naked eye all that is seen of them is a blurred dash.

In the distance they could feel the snake move. Its slithering body caused the earth to tremble under their feet. Its occasional screech of warning curdled the group's blood, but they ignored it with what effort they could. Eventually, they had made it to a cavity in a rock wall. It looked to be an abandoned home of an animal. Cobs occupied the sides, and veins had begun to grow around it, almost covering it. Kiba had had to pull the some growth out of the way so as to fit their bodies. But he made sure that once they were in, they would not be seen immediately.

"Hinata, get in first." said Sasuke. She nodded and hastily climbed in.

"Naruto, go." said Sasuke after she was settled.

"Why don't you?" he argued, his pride blinding the actual problem.

Sasuke grabbed his collar and pulled him so his face was only inches from an angry Uchiha. "I said, go." he repeated.

Naruto gulped, but did not budge. They stared each other down for seconds that felt like slow minutes before Naruto finally set aside his pride and climbed into the cavity after Hinata. He was angry, but he knew he could not blame the Uchiha. Sasuke was just worried. If he truly felt disdain for Naruto, he would have left him out with the snake creature. For that much, the Uzumaki was grateful. They were still friends after all… Of course, he would never admit it.

"Okay, Kiba—" before finishing, he had been shoved into the cavity by the remaining boy. His face had landed on Naruto's back, and he was so surprised, he sat up with a gasp.

"Kiba-kun!" called Hinata. The dog-boy had on a serious face, and he put a finger to his lips, encouraging the girl to keep her voice down.

Sasuke, at this point, had turned his body, and his mouth was open in an attempt to complain to the dog-boy, but he simply held his breath when the first blow came. It wasn't from that of the snake.

Naruto and Hinata cringed in the deep shadows of the cavity from the sound of Kiba's body being pelted against rock, and bones being broken. His moans haunted them. Sasuke had crawled near the edge of the opening, still camouflaged in the shadows, but his eyes could see. Guilt ate at him once more. If he were to help his comrade now, he'd basically be giving Hinata to Orochimaru on a silver platter. That, among other things, was the last thing he wanted. He gritted his teeth.

"Had enough, Kiba-kun?" asked the sickly, smooth voice of Orochimaru. Kiba gritted his teeth, and used the rock wall as a crutch to hold himself up. His arm was around the area where he would have broken ribs. Blood was already trickling out from the side of his head, and down his chin from his mouth. He didn't respond to Orochimaru's question. "Tell me where my Jade Stone is, and I might just let the three of you go."

All three boys were shocked. Had he known that specifically they have been on this beach all along? Hinata was not surprised, merely frightened. Her arms where over her head, and she was curled up in fetal position. Tears were still streaming from her eyes, making them ache.

He won't let you go, she thought. He'll kill us all!

"Go to hell!" said Kiba, spitting blood mixed with saliva at Orochimaru. The excess hit the man in the cheek, making his skin seem much paler then it really was.

Kiba did not even know what Orochimaru meant. As far as he knew, they had not found the Jade Stone. In fact, this whole encounter seemed meaningless. In his eyes, Orochimaru was beating at children for candy that they didn't have. Then a thought occurred to him. Did he mean a member of their party? Was the stone, in fact, a metaphor for an actual body? His head was throbbing at just the thought. Too much comprehension.

Orochimaru frowned at the boy's response, and wiped the blood from his cheek. He stretched out an arm towards Kiba, and it had transformed into the head and body of a snake that easily came around the boy's neck. It squeezed enough that Kiba was not able to breathe easily. His throat begged him to cough, but nothing could get in or get out of that tube.

"I could kill you right now," threatened Orochimaru. "just like your dog. He didn't die quickly and painlessly you know." he said this with a tone that was matter-of-factly, making the anger in Kiba grow even more.

"What do you mean?" the dog-boy croaked. He gripped at the snake's body, squeezing it. It only hissed and tightened around his neck in response.

"Though, it wasn't by my hands, your mutt was literally ripped apart." Having said that, Orochimaru gave out a chilling laugh. The usual that sent shivers down one's spine. "It was quite a treat to hear."

Kiba felt his face heat up. His blood boiled to the extreme, and the pupils of his eyes had thinned into slits. The fangs of his teeth seemed to have grown big enough to be noticed, and so did his claws. They squeezed at the snake arm until it scarred, and Orochimaru had had to draw back, hissing. But a satisfied smile was on his bitter face.

"You… bastard!" growled Kiba. With a roar, he lunged at the snake man. But Orochimaru easily dodged to the side, and with a kunai, slashed at Kiba's side.

Sasuke's head was well into view out of the cavity. Naruto beside him. Both attempted to crawl out of the hole in an attempt to help Kiba, but they both felt a tug at the scruff of their necks.

"No, you can't!" begged Hinata as quietly as she could. Her voice was shakier then usual. "You'll both get killed!"

"But—" both were about to argue before they heard the sound of a body impact upon the ground a few feet away from the cavity of the rock wall. All three stared with gaping mouths as Kiba stubbornly tried to prop himself on his elbows. Failing, he glanced at what remained of the group, his eyes still in slits. Though his body was weakening, determination could be seen in those eyes. A kick in the stomach from Orochimaru made all three cringe, and Hinata closed her eyes, unable to handle the sight.

Her heart beat rapidly, her hands were clamped over her ears, and she gritted her teeth. Everything seemed to be falling apart. Kiba was going to die. He had been with her, protecting her for all these years, and soon he would be no more. That thought ached her whole body.

When it seemed like her heart was going to burst, a warm atmosphere overcame her, and it felt as though a breeze was blowing up from where she sat. She refused to open her eyes, for fear of seeing the body of one of her close friends.

Naruto and Sasuke noticed a green haze, coming from behind them. They turned, and Naruto was the only one who let out a sound of surprise.

"Hinata…?"

Sasuke's eyes were wide. Though both boys saw a girl with flowing, dark hair, and a green aura radiating from her body, Sasuke saw the Firefly Princess being reawakened yet again.

Orochimaru stopped in the midst of giving the dog-boy another kick. He turned and saw the gentle, green glow. His lips stretched in a hideous grin.

"Ah, there you are." He said. Kiba, with one eye half open, looked up at his enemy in confusion, and with best efforts, turned to the direction of the green glow. He felt surprised. So this green gem had been a metaphor after all. The real stone they had been looking for had been beside them the whole time. Their hope for the village. It was Hinata.

Sasuke let his body move at this point. As Naruto stared in awe, captivated by the glow, Sasuke crawled towards the maiden, and reached out a hand. "Hinata," She was still in fetal position, and he had only touched her head in attempt to comfort her. He himself felt comforted from the warmth of the green haze. Suddenly, he felt the warmth leak into his body through his hand, and he saw the glow in his arm. Quickly, he drew back his touch from Hinata, and eyed both his hands. He was growing that gentle green.

It wasn't just the warmth he felt in his body. Something else curdled as well. Something hidden. He watched as his skin seemed to darken and pale into a gray.

"Sasuke!" exclaimed Naruto. "Your hair, your eyes…" Sasuke could see the devastated, but amazed look on Naruto's face. It reminded him of something from the past. Their last battle.

That's when the Uchiha realized. "My real self." He murmured. "It's back."

He could feel the power flowing through his veins like blood. To be specific, at that point, he felt invincible.

Naruto quickly moved to the side and crawled next to Hinata, avoiding contact with her for fear that he would transform into Sasuke's similar state. Except with the inability to control himself. Hinata still glowed, and she didn't seem to move, except for the flow of her hair and clothes.

"Ah, have I not seen this form of you before, Sasuke-kun?" said Orochimaru, approaching the cavity one step at a time. Kiba attempted to crawl out of the way, but only managed to flip onto his stomach with excruciating pain.

Sasuke came out of the hole, and stood confidently in front of it. His nails were claws that were stretched at his sides, and his teeth were bared. His schleras were black, but his pupils were whitish-yellow. A black mark that shaped like a tilted 'X' marked from between his eyebrows to the tip of his nose, and under each eye. His lips were black as well, and his hair had grown longer, and duller. The true form of his inner power. Sasuke was not glowing green anymore. All peace had left him. His body craved to kill, and there was no moral behind it.

By this point, Hinata had stopped glowing, and she fainted, tilting to the side. Her head landed on Naruto's shoulder. Naruto looked at her surprised.

"Hang in there!" he said, supporting her body with one arm.

"S-Sasuke-kun… please be … careful…"

His eyes then diverted to Sasuke's back, and he could feel the power surging out of him. Orochimaru looked like he was more then ready for this upcoming battle.

As a thought occurred to him, he swallowed a lump that had formed in his throat.

Had he, yet again, lost Sasuke to power?

The shocked expression on Naruto's face felt permanent. Hinata had fainted by his side, and behind Orochimaru was Kiba's body, beaten and fading.

"It feels good, doesn't it, Sasuke-kun?" asked Orochimaru, licking his lips with his long tongue. One side of Sasuke's lips twitched upwards in a smirk. That was his only response.

"You can keep that power, only if you give me Hinata-san."

The smile on Sasuke's face faded.

"Otherwise, I'll have to kill you." Orochimaru took out a kunai knife from his robe, and positioned it so he would be ready to block.

Sasuke crouched. Then, he lunged. Orochimaru pressed forward as well, and it looked like the two would hit each other head on. Sasuke's clawed hand gripped at Orochimaru's wrist. The Kunai was so close to the Uchiha's face, but he pushed forward. Then he disappeared, and Orochimaru was left to stagger forward briefly. Suddenly, he was sent flying through the air by a kick that sent him against a tree. Sasuke stood where Orochimaru once did, placing his leg down slowly. He had disappeared again when a Kunai came his way at eye-level. It struck a tree.

The snake-man was on one knee, panting. The hand he had thrown the kunai with was on his shoulder; the side that struck the tree. His black hair was a mess that covered half of his pale face.

"Quite good, Sasuke-kun… we truly miss you at the organization."

A figure had appeared out of nowhere behind him, and it grabbed at his neck and lifted him up. Sasuke let the menace dangle. He was tall enough. Orochimaru choked, and drool had trickled from his mouth, but despite his position, he smirked and began to laugh. Sasuke's eyes went wide. What he held in his hand that appeared in a puff of smoke was a snake, and its head dangled lifeless from his grip. Sasuke threw it to the side in disgust. His eyes shifted from one side to another. His heart was beating rapidly.

Naruto had his eyes shifting as well. Everything was too fast, and he was almost jealous for not having such speed. His eyes caught the bloody body of Kiba, and he achingly wanted to grab it and keep it by his side. Kiba wasn't dead. But his body was too weak to move by itself. Still… if Naruto were to leave the cavity, he'd have to bring Hinata's body with him, and at the same time, put them both in harms way. If he were to leave Hinata in the cave, that would give Orochimaru a chance to take her away. His eyes widened when he saw something shuffle the bushes behind Kiba's body. "Sasuke!"

Sasuke turned in response, and caught the movement. But at the sight of it, he couldn't move. His eyes were permanently wide, and his mouth gaped open. His body twitched, and he fell on one knee. Suddenly, he was feeling weak. It was the same for Naruto. It felt like energy was being drained out of him. Kiba was helpless. But his body was in too much pain to feel the growing of weakness.

Orochimaru came out of the bushes, though his figure was shadowed at this point. The sun was on the brink of setting. The sky had darkened enough to show the face of night. In his hands he held what looked like a gourd from the Village of Sand. From the mouth of the gourd, it looked like mist was entering it. But from where?

Sasuke focused, and fought weakness to stay standing. When he looked at Kiba's body, it looked like it was smoking. It was the same with the cavity in the rock wall. The smoke radiated from the bodies and into the mouth of the gourd. Naruto felt energy leaving fast. "S-Sasuke!"

It made sense. This was how the villagers were killed. Their energy had been absorbed.

"A new kind of jutsu…" said Sasuke. "But… why didn't you just use that on the rest of the group…? Why did you have to make them fight?"

Orochimaru smiled widely, and held the gourd forward. "It was much more fun that way." He began to approach forward, and with each step came the painful sensation of Sasuke's life force steaming out of him. It was worse on Kiba, for his body was already on the brink of no life.

"Why do you reveal it now?" asked Sasuke. Orochimaru stopped an arm's length from the boy.

"Because I thought I could handle you. I guess not." He cradled the gourd.

"I've discovered another way to stay alive forever. It saves the hassle of looking for a young, strong body, and switching souls. With this gourd, I can absorb other life forces. The best thing is it only works for me, because I made it that way." Orochimaru howled in his chilling laughter. In that time, Sasuke forced his legs to move forward. They felt like extra weights on his body.

"Orochi…maru…!" He lunged forward, temporarily forgetting his losing of energy. Orochimaru easily slid to one side. Sasuke attempted again, but faster. It was a useless game of cat and mouse. Naruto was quickly growing fed up.

"Damn it…" At the same time that he felt the energy flow out of his body, he could feel the boiling of his blood, and his heart racing faster then possible.

"Damn it… damn it… damn it…" Claws began to replace the nails on his fingers, his whiskers grew thicker, and fangs began to make themselves visible in his mouth. His eyes diverted to red, and the pupils had turned into slits.

He eyed the situation. All he had to do was destroy the gourd. Then maybe, just maybe, things would end. He jumped out of the cavity, and pounced at Orochimaru. The snake man didn't count on this. He failed to dodge as Naruto clawed at his back, ripping the robe. The gourd slipped out of his hands, and flew into the air. Time seemed to slow at that moment, and Orochimaru's exclamation sounded distant. "No!"

But the gourd did not fall. It did not shatter. Someone had caught it. Someone that Sasuke had been after since the day he was left alone as an Uchiha.

"Itachi." The name sent a bitter taste on his tongue. Though, his body ached to kill, his mind was rational enough. He didn't know what to do. His body stood still, and his eyes stayed on his big brother as Itachi examined the gourd.

"I've been wanting my hands on this." He said, placing what looked like a cork screw over the mouth. Everyone felt their energies rising shortly after.

"Itachi-kun," said Orochimaru, crawling towards the Akatsuki member, and staggering to his feet. "Give me the gourd."

Itachi only looked at him, then at the gourd. "This?" While one hand held it from the bottom, the other caressed the sutra on it. Then suddenly, it was ripped off. Orochimaru screamed. "You fool! Now you will never be granted with the power you sought!" Shortly after that was said, he was coughing out blood. Looking down, he saw a blood, clawed hand, reach out of his stomach. Naruto had stabbed him from behind.

"I don't want power from someone who was defeated by a child." said Itachi. He threw the gourd against the rock wall, and it shattered. There was nothing inside but mere air.

Orochimaru's mouth gaped open, and both blood and drool trickled out. "B-bastard…" He fell to his knees and onto his face when Naruto jerked his hand out.

That was the end of Orochimaru.

Itachi began to walk away.

"Wait!" called Sasuke, taking a step towards his brother. Itachi stopped, and turned.

"Fight me!"

Itachi closed his eyes and looked away.

"I said, fight me!" Sasuke took another step forward. His brother sighed. "No." he answered.

"What?"

"It wouldn't be fair."

"Itachi!"

"I wouldn't want to be defeated by the demonic side of my brother."

At that Sasuke stopped with his mouth open, about to say something. Itachi looked at him one last time before walking away.

"Find me when you're in better control."

"Ita—"

Then he was gone, seemingly disappearing from thin air. The rational side of Sasuke was at awe. Had he just been praised by his brother? And at the same time, insulted? He was strong now… defeat of the other would be easy.

Still, the chaotic side was dominant, and it hadn't been able to do the killing it wanted.

In a sudden surge of energy, Sasuke let out a cry, and his eyes in slits looked at Naruto; the thief of his prey. Anger thrived in his veins, and he lunged forward.

Naruto, shocked, blocked his face by forming an 'x' with his arms, and he felt his back impact against a tree; hard enough that the tree dented. Naruto let out a cry, and kicked the dark-haired demon. Sasuke flew back and landed on both feet with one hand dragged on the ground.

"Sasuke!" shouted Naruto, lunging forward with his bloody hand stretched out in a jabbing position. Sasuke easily dodged and kicked Naruto's back so he slammed against the rock wall. Particles of rock came raining down, and Hinata slowly awoke from the shaking.

Naruto was suddenly angry. There had been a hidden longing to defeat Sasuke; to have him begging for mercy because of his ruthlessness. It had been sleeping inside him for as long as he could remember. From the day Sasuke had left him to now. And now, it had been awakened. There was no stopping the Uzumaki.

It was the same for Sasuke. He had wanted Naruto dead in the beginning. Maybe that feeling of guilt had been a cover up all along. Now he had a chance to redeem himself… for not killing Naruto in the past.

"Naruto!" Sasuke grabbed Naruto by the collar and punched him, letting him go in the process so that he was sent sprawling backwards.

Naruto sat up and wiped his lips, then grabbed Sasuke by the waist and got him on his back so he was straddling him. He quickly took a kunai out from his pocket, and stabbed at Sasuke's head. But Sasuke grabbed the boy's wrists, and the knife was held between them with its point deathly close to Sasuke's eye.

"STOP!" The call was too faint to be heard. Sasuke arched his back so that Naruto bounced off his stomach, and he used that as an opportunity to switch the position and steal the knife so that it was Naruto who had to worry about his eye getting stabbed.

"Sasuke-kun! Naruto-kun!" Hinata, despite the blood rushing to her head, jumped out of the cavity, ran towards the two, and grabbed Sasuke from behind.

So while Sasuke straddled Naruto, Hinata had her arms around Sasuke from behind and pressed her face against his back.

"Stop! Stop it, please!" She was crying.

Sasuke and Naruto paused, and processed her voice. As soon as the sun had disappeared, leaving the area pitch black, a green glow had subsided part of the darkness. It came from Hinata.

"Sasuke-kun… put the knife down… please…" Her voice was suddenly calm.

So was Sasuke. His hair shortened, his eyes softened, his skin brightened, and his claws disappeared. The knife, he placed aside, and Naruto's eyes were wide. He let out a breath of relief, and his expression softened as well. He was soon back to his blue-eyed self.

"Sasuke-kun…"

"Hinata…" Sasuke got off of Naruto, and turned so that he was holding Hinata against his chest. Her glow was truly warm, but that was only one reason he wanted to hold her close. "Let's go home." She nodded.

It had already been two weeks, and still, their bodies ached. Kiba's injuries weren't completely healed, but he was strong enough to sit up on the futon he was required to stay on for about a month. Hinata was also required to rest, but she helped nurse each boy.

"Naruto-kun, don't move too much if it still hurts." She requested gently.

"B-but I need to go!" he complained. Hinata blushed.

"A-alright. Tsunade-sama!" The blonde woman came into the yellow tent. "What is it?" she asked.

"N-Naruto-kun needs t-to—"

"Oh, I see."

Tsunade approached the boy on the futon and carried him like a damsel. His eyes went wide and his face went red from embarrassment and anger.

"Baa-chan! Wh-what are you—Put me down!" Tsunade only nodded and carried him out. "Yeah, yeah." And they were out of the tent.

Hinata could not help but giggle after letting out a sigh. Kiba was laughing, though he cringed with each breath. Sasuke laid flat on his futon, staring up at the yellow ceiling. Hinata stopped smiling and went over to him, going down on her knees so she was at least a level closer to him.

"Is something wr-wrong, Sasuke-kun?" she asked. He looked at her, than put a hand to her cheek. She blushed, but didn't pull back.

"You still stutter." He said.

"I-I'm so-so-sorry." She responded, currently hating herself for being so shaky.

"It's fine." He lowered his hand, and kept his eyes on her. "It's you after all." A half-smile twitched one corner of his lips. Hinata's face grew even redder and it seemed as though her breath got caught in her throat. Then she looked down so her bangs shadowed her eyes. She took Sasuke's hand in both of hers, and held it against her cheek.

"Thank you."

Sasuke could feel a trickle of a tear wet his finger, but he did not complain.

Kiba looked on in awe. He was amazed, not just of how Sasuke was sweet to Hinata, but of how he wasn't completely jealous. In fact, he was relieved. A smile stretched his bruised lips, and he looked away.

Outside, Naruto had finished his business, and he trudged towards the Hokage with an angry face. "Tsunade-baa-chan! You didn't have to carry me!"

Tsunade laughed. "You were as light as a feather, just like a woman. It was no problem at all." Naruto gawked.

"Y-you just called me a woman!"

"Yes I did."

"Why you—"

Tsunade leaned in –but not too much, for Naruto was close to her height--, and placed a kiss on his forehead. That kept the Uzumaki quiet. His face was slightly red but from embarrassment.

"Thank you again, Naruto, for your efforts, for this village. You truly deserve to be Hokage." she said with a smile as she drew back. Then she began to walk away when a group of children began to gather up around the boy.

They were all tugging at his band-aids, arms, and pants. Despite doing different things, they were all saying the same thing: "Thank you!"

At this, Naruto felt his heart warm, and he smiled. Tears almost welled up in his eyes, but he held them in.But then the smile disappeared when an epiphany occurred to him. He knelt down on one knee –wincing in the process--, and placed a hand on a little boy with glasses that looked just like Shino's, but less suspicious. The children around him made noises of awe, and the boy with his head being touched had sparkles in his eyes.

"There's more then one hero here." said Naruto. "And if it weren't for them, I wouldn't be here."

His heart ached as memories of his deceased group flowed through his mind.

Neji and Shino making him angry with their smart remarks. Shikamaru and him fooling around in the village and causing harmless havoc.

"But you're still a hero." said the child with Shino's glasses. "You didn't have to help save Konoha, but you did."

Naruto's eyes were wide with surprise. The smile returned to his face.

"Thank you." He ruffled the child's hair, then began to walk back to the yellow tent.

End