DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.

Webs of Deception

Chapter Eleven

What Happens Now

He was suffocating...

Sinking like quicksand within the overflowing emotions that were clawing at his insides, making him internally bleed...

The trees that passed his vision were in a blur as he sped through the forest. His foot stumbled over a uprooted tree root causing his body to fall forward and toward the forest floor. He caught himself with his outstretched arms before he landed on the ground, face first. His long bangs covered his tightly shut eyes as his body took in ragged breaths. Replenishing his burning lungs with much needed air but no matter how much breaths he took in, it wouldn't stop the constricting in his chest, making it so hard to breath...

Sasuke swallowed deeply as he slowly opened his eyes halfway. He felt sick. His stomach churning relentlessly and then had a sudden urge to puke when his blurry vision landed on the back of his bloody hand. 'Naruto's blood...' he thought solemnly, the sun dried leaves crinkled beneath his hands as he dug his nails into the ground and gripped dirt and leaves within his grasp, while his body convulsed and emptied his stomach on the ground.

He lifted his arm to his mouth and wiped the mess off of his chin with his sleeve. A tear fell down his pale cheek silently as he stared blankly at the contents of his stomach. He then lifted his bloodied hand to wipe the tear and sweat away but just before it touch his skin he realized what he was about to do. And stopped his hand in mid-air, slowly moving his dull onyx eyes over to the half dried blood caking on the back of his hand.

He unconsciously flexed his hand, 'I didn't do it. I didn't do it. I didn't do it...' he denied in his mind over and over as he watched the drying blood move with the muscles of his hand. He rose on wobbly legs and began to run clumsily forward. Ignoring the sickness he still felt churning in his stomach.

He just had to get away...far away from what he did...

Silent tears ran down his face and with each tear he shed, he felt like a part of his soul was leaving from where it belonged. Dripping and soaking into the dirt below, returning it back to the earth. He lifted and used his arms to poorly shield his body from low hanging tree branches. Tearing the black sleeves of his shirt and inflicting small scratches across his arms. And as small lines of blood appeared and stained his shirt sleeves, he stumbled again but regained his footing quickly and kept going.

He couldn't deal with this...all of this was too much for him to handle at once...

He felt like he was cracking, on the verge of breaking...and he knew if he stopped running that he would break into a thousand pieces... Because he couldn't understand how he could do that to Naruto, to the person he claimed to love so much. But if he loved him, how could he hurt him like that? To strike him out of anger...But then again, if he didn't love him, it wouldn't hurt so much that he felt like he was being squeezed to death from the inside out.

No matter how much he wanted to keep moving, his feet subconsciously slowed as the crack within himself began to lengthen, sending pain shooting throughout himself. A sob caught in his throat, his feet halting in taking anymore steps as he completely shattered. He brutally dug his fingers in his hair and screamed out from the crushing feeling that was consuming him. Then his body collapse on all fours to the forest floor.

The flood of tears that he's been unsuccessfully trying to hold back, he let freely flow. The salty liquid endlessly cascaded down his cheeks while broken sobs escaped from his throat, filling the surrounding atmosphere with sorrowful cries...


Meanwhile, Jiraiya and Itachi helped the battered Naruto up off the ground, flinging one arm over each of their shoulders so he could lean against them. Crimson blood seeped from the blond's face from various wounds and either dripped to his bare chest or to the ground as they headed back into the house.

Tara trailed back a couple of steps, taking a quick glance at Sasuke when he bolted toward the forest. She stared in that direction for a moment, her eyes filled with a distinct sadness before she brought her attention back at the matter at hand and quickly followed the others inside.

They entered the house and immediately went to the kitchen and to the sink. Shikamaru glanced up from what he was reading to see Naruto's condition. When he saw that he was still alive, he went back to reading with a barely audible mutter of, "Troublesome..."

Jiraiya and Itachi removed Naruto's arms from their shoulders and let him steady himself against the counter. He wobbled a little, then leaned most of his weight on his arms. Already feeling his face swell from the damage that was caused.

"I swear, if I ever get my hands on that little prick..." ranted Jiraiya lowly. His eyes glaring menacingly at the innocent flooring.

Naruto leaned over the sink and spit a good amount of blood out of his mouth before he could say, "Ero-Sennin, it's my own fault that I'm like this. I didn't fight back..." his voice holding no resentment or anything in that matter, it was just blank. While his sapphire orb in his non-swollen eye was dull and distant, like he was lost and trying to find his way.

He turned on the tap, smearing some blood on the handle, while Tara checked for any internal damage. There was some damage in his stomach area but much of it was already mostly healed. She raised her hand higher, just below the ribcage, to make sure that the build-up was undisturbed.

After letting out a sigh of relief the build-up was undisturbed, she moved to work on the wounds adorning his face. But her hand was gently swatted away, "Don't waste your chakra Tara. You know I'll be healed completely in half an hour."

She huffed indignantly, crossing her arms across her chest. "Why didn't you fight back, Taichou? He could of killed you if we didn't step in." she asked, ignoring what he said a moment before, as she stilled healed some wounds discreetly.

Placing his hands underneath the flowing water, he cupped them together and filled the hand made bowl with the cool liquid. He bent low and splashed the water within his hands on his face, cleaning off the blood. "Cause I hurt him...so, he has all the right to hurt me..." he said as he watched his diluted blood go down the drain.

Itachi shook his head with a audible sigh escaping his lips. "He wasn't the only one that got hurt in that situation." he stated blandly, not liking the logic that always seems to come out a little twisted from that blond head of his.

More blood seeped out of the wounds and out of his nose when he said, "No, but I'm the reason why he got hurt..." The coppery taste within his mouth became too much again, so he bent back down and spit more blood into the metal sink. "I'm just wondering how he figured out about 'Tachi?" quickly changing the subject to something else.

Jiraiya looked away sheepishly and scratched the side of his face at the same time. "Well...that's kind of my fault..." he reluctantly admitted, causing three heads to turn in his direction. "What!" he exclaimed, "He knew about the brat..." swinging his hand in Naruto's direction before he continued, "...so I thought he knew about Itachi too!"

Naruto turned back to the sink, a part of him not really caring. His heart was hurting, and it was a hurt that couldn't be healed with a green glowing hand. It was deep and the wound was only cutting deeper the more he hurt the raven. "Oh well, he was gonna figure it out eventually." his voice low and solemn, he then splashed more water on his face to wash off the newly accumulated blood.

His ears picked upped the hasty footsteps entering the house and murmurs of, "What the hell..." then his eyes snapped up when the appearances of Ryutaro and Hikko came running into the dining room.

"Did you know that..." began Ryutaro with his thumb pointing behind him and in the direction of the destroyed front door, but once he caught sight of Naruto's battered face, he froze for a moment while Hikko gasped at his appearance. Naruto waited a moment and mentally counted down the seconds before Ryutaro exploded loudly, "What the hell happened to you?!"

"Uchiha." Jiraiya stated simply.

"UCHIHA!" his voice showing the disbelief he felt that Sasuke did that kind of damage to someone he was suppose to love. How could he? "That's it! That dipshit is off my likable list! Where the fuck is he?!" whipping his head in all directions to find the youngest Uchiha.

Naruto scoffed and ignored the recent outburst to correct the white haired sannin, "It's what happens when you get your ass kicked."

Ryutaro snapped his head to Naruto and exclaimed, "You don't get your ass kicked!"

"I do when I let it..." he said as he walked out of the kitchen and toward the exit of the dining room. "I gonna go and get cleaned up and changed." he informed over his shoulder at the others. When he passed Hikko on his way out, she asked worriedly, "Are you sure you're alright Naru-chan?"

He gave her a nod and a soft smile, "Yeah, I'm fine." but right when he said that, some blood decided to trail itself down the side of his face. 'Ohhh, perfect timing...' he thought sarcastically. He wiped the bad timing blood away with his hand, causing some of the red liquid to smear across his cheek and he reassured Hikko again the he was fine before she would go on and on about it.

Ryutaro gave Jiraiya and Itachi a look for letting that happen to the blond in the first place, even though they couldn't see said look from under his dragon mask, he was still giving a pretty nasty one.

"Yo brat!" yelled Jiraiya to Naruto, just remembering the reason why he was here in the first place. He moved around the kitchen counter and to the archway of the dining room's exist.

Naruto stood still halfway up the stairs in mid-step, his expression slightly annoyed as he looked at the older man. "When you're done, I need to speak with you about a idea Tsunade planned up for the protection of the chuunin exams." Naruto nodded his head weakly, then ascended the rest of the way up the stairs.

As Jiraiya turned on his heels, he said to anyone willing. "Someone has to get the Uchiha. He has to be here for this conversation since he's the Anbu Captain."

"Ohhh! I'll get him!" volunteered Ryutaro immediately with a twisted grin on his features as he cracked his knuckles. Having an unreachable inch to beat the guy for a few minutes.

"No, I will get him." stated Tara, her tone not leaving any move for Ryutaro to argue. Which, the latter visibly deflated and began to sulk, he never got to have any fun. 'Dammit...'


It was eerie silent while Tara made her way through the forest where Sasuke's chakra signature was coming from. The leaves beneath her feet making crinkling noises with each step she took. Her cloak billowing slightly with the small wind blowing through the area, cooling the over-heated atmosphere of the summer heat.

At first, when she saw that Sasuke had hurt Naruto out of anger, she was angry at him for doing such a thing to her Captain...but then she felt ashamed for feeling that. She had no right to judge, not when her past actions were almost the same as his. But unlike him, she went a lot further than just battering her love. So she could understand, that if the circumstances were overwhelming, that you could hurt the one you loved most. Possibly hurt them to the point of no return...

And she knew that Naruto understood too. The reason why he didn't or couldn't blame Sasuke for acting the way he did. Because of certain circumstances, he too caused pain to the one he loved. Maybe not physically but he hurt him none the less. And then his strange logic came up with the solution that if Sasuke hurts him back, that it would even out of what he did to the raven. Which in the end, only hurt the youngest Uchiha more.

She sighed deeply, feeling sympathy for the two lovers that only seem to hurt each other. But she hoped that they didn't go down the same dark path that she blindly took. Which Sasuke was so close to walking down, that it scared her. She didn't want to see it happen to them. Because she was almost certain that if he went down that path as blindly as he was hurting Naruto, than it wouldn't of just destroyed one life...but two.

And she didn't want either of them to become like her. To become so blind by the raging emotions within yourself that you kill your own lover...

Tara was brought out of her depressing thoughts when she spotted a figure crouched against a tree in the distance. And her heart tugged at the sight. He had his knees pulled up to his chest with his arms encircling them, his forehead resting limply on his knees. Like a scared child hiding from a monster lurking in the dark.

She carefully closed the distance that was between them, being cautious not to step on anything that would startle the raven. Which if startling happened, it could result in him instinctively attacking the possible threat. Meaning her...

"Uchiha-san..." her voice sounding small and wavered slightly.

When she didn't get any reply or any kind of movement from him, she bent down and hesitantly lifted her hand toward him. Planning on tapping his shoulder to see if he was asleep or not. But before her hand got even an inch closer to him, he spoke coldly, "Leave me alone." Which startled her, and here she was worried that she would startle him. Heh...how things work out...

She brought her back and rested it with her other hand on her bent knees. "If it'll help any, Taichou is going to be fine. He's already healing."

Sasuke continued to stare blankly at his clothed legs. 'No it didn't help...' It didn't change the fact that he hurt his dobe. His dobe...he shouldn't be his...Naruto wouldn't even have to heal anything if it wasn't for him. No...he can't be his...not after this...

"Leave me alone." he repeated to the older female. Who, upon hearing this again, stood up and stared intently down at Sasuke. "I'm sorry, but you don't have the time to sulk out here alone. You're needed in a discussion about the protection of the chuunin exams." she spoke evenly and all business like.

'That would involve seeing Naruto...' he thought dejectedly. Then said firmly, "No." In all its plain and simple form.

Tara was surprised that he was going to ignore his duties but wasn't surprised by the fact that he didn't really want to see Naruto at this time. Not right after what happened, its understandable that he needed some time to get his emotions in order...but unfortunately for him, time wasn't currently on his side.

A sorrowful expression crossed her features at the thought that he had to deal with all these things that were destroying everything that he thought he knew. But he didn't have time to deal with them at his own leisure. He had duties to take care of...

"I have no right to say this, but as Anbu Captain you have to put your emotions aside and deal with them on your own personal time. But right now is not that time, so you need to get back to your house and get cleaned up and have a discussion about the chuunin exams with my Taichou. If you want to or not."

She half expected him to lashed out at her to some degree. But that never happened. He merely stood and began walking in the direction of his house without a single word or any kind of emotion crossing his face. She stood still, watching his figure walked almost like a robot. All of his steps seemed to be lifeless and lacked their usual arrogance they used to hold in their strides.

Another wind billowed her cloak as she began to tread back to the house. Right behind the youngest Uchiha...


Sasuke stepped through the back door of his house, inwardly praying to any God that would listen, that Naruto wasn't sitting in a chair at the kitchen table. He knew he had to see Naruto eventually, more like within the next ten minutes, but he didn't want to see him when he himself looked like the walking dead. Either way, he will probably still look like the walking dead, but at least after a shower and a change of clothes, he'll be a clean walking dead. Without the puke bits, dirt and...someone else's blood smeared all over him.

He walked into the dining room with Tara close behind. And thanked whatever God that listened that Naruto wasn't anywhere in sight. Because the people that were in the room were Jiraiya, Shikamaru, Itachi--to his displeasure but he didn't have the energy to pissed right now--and two other people he wasn't familiar with.

One was a female with fiery red hair that fell to the middle of her back in waves and vibrant golden eyes. And the other was a male with short unruly, pure white hair and deep-almost navy blue eyes. But even though he didn't recognize their faces, he recognized their black cloaks as being Akuma.

Once his presence was known, the male with white hair immediately bolted into a standing position from his chair. Which, with such a sudden action, made the wooden chair he was sitting in topple to the floor. His eyes were to almost slits from how fierce he was glaring at the raven. But before he could shout any kind of profanities in Sasuke's direction, Itachi, who was sitting in the seat next to him, gripped his arm in a vice grip. Ordering lowly with a hint of painful repercussions if he disobeyed, "Sit down and be quiet."

The male snapped his slitted eyes to the oldest Uchiha with slight disgust in their depths. "Itachi!" he growled out at the older male.

Said older male gave a hell of a lot more deadly glare at the white haired male. Who knew better than to do anything to piss the eldest Uchiha off, so he reluctantly backed down and turned to roughly grab his fallen chair. He placed his chair upright and sat upon it like a child throwing a tantrum. But of course he didn't do all this without sending one last glare at Sasuke and then to continually stare heatedly at him.

Sasuke continued around the table, giving a quick glance at Itachi as a silent thanks of sorts without even realizing it. Itachi, in return, gave a curt nod in acknowledgment.

Once Sasuke was out of the dining room and could be heard ascending the stairs, the red head female asked, "Are you sure we should let him go up there alone with Naru-chan up there too?" concern showing in her voice. Part of her couldn't really blame the Uchiha for his actions but she also couldn't dismiss that he didn't do them either. Which caused her to worry for one of her best friends.

"He didn't try to kill Itachi-san again so I think he should be fine." stated Tara with her arms crossed and staring back and forth between Ryutaro and Hikko, who had their masks and hoods off. But before she could comment on this, Ryutaro burst out yelling, "HE TRIED TO KILL ITACHI TOO!!" while slamming his balled up fist on the wooden table.

The volume of his voice echoed throughout the house and reached the ears of Sasuke, who was undressing and preparing to get into his western style shower. He stalled in his movements and closed his eyes with regret flowing in his veins. It wasn't the fact that he tried to kill Itachi, he could care less about him but it was the 'too' part of the outburst that affected him more than anything.

It meant that he didn't just hurt Naruto, he attempted to kill him. To snuff out that fire within those sapphire orbs with his own hands. And he had this sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, that he would of done just that if someone didn't stop him.

If someone didn't stop him...

Something wet hit the back of his bloodied hand, then ran down to the side and drop to the tile floor. He lifted his other hand to his pale cheek and felt wetness. 'When did I start crying again?' he wondered as he let his hand go limp by his side. And here he thought he ran out of tears to cry.

He gave a emotionless chuckle, 'Everything just wants to prove me wrong lately...'