A/N: Sorry this chapters a little short, but that's where it felt right to end it. I actually like this chapter, despite... well read and see ;) -Evil laugh- Yes Sybil Corvax it is them! xD Thanks to cutiekyoto for her constructive criticism and Aiirin for her long review. Heck thank you ALL reviewers. You are my sky :)
Claimer: all un-Masashi Kishimoto material is mine.
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or the lyrics used in this chapter.
Kiretsu
Cracks
Sanity, trust,
They're like glass
Though resistant to many blows
It only takes one hard hit to shatter.
-----x-----
Sakura walked ahead of Naruto, lost in thought. Kita was faithfully at Naruto's side, entertained with the colours the sky painted around the time the sun goes to sleep. They were fading now, and a deep blue was taking their place, ready to welcome the moon.
'The curse that Orochimaru put on them during the Chuunin Exam… Kakashi-sensei says it's fine now, but…' Sakura stopped and turned around. Naruto also came to a halt and looked up confused. She looked so worried and scared, and he couldn't understand why.
'Why does it feel as if something bad is coming?'
-----x-----
"Who are you guys?" Sasuke asked as Kari backed up closer to him her leg brushing against his.
"The four sounds," the one with six arms said with a smirk. He was darkly tanned, his dark hair pulled up into a spiky ponytail. An Oto hitai-ate was around his forehead. "I'm Kidoumaru of Toumon."
"Same, I'm Sakon of Seimon," another guy said. He had silver hair that that covered one eye that almost reached his shoulders, a sickly pale complexion and by the look of it, an odd taste in make up (judging by the green lipstick and purple eyeliner). What seemed to be another head was coming out of the back of his neck, the face hidden by a mop of silver hair.
"Same, I'm Jiroubou of Nanmon," stated the last male. He was large, in height and width with three stripes of orange hair.
"Same, I'm Tayuya of Hokumon," the only girl said harshly. Dark pink hair slightly covered her face and reached her mid-back. She wore a black hat with bandages around her forehead. She practically oozed bad attitude. All four wore outfits similar to what Orochimaru had worn in his grass-nin disguise during the Second Chuunin Exam.
They suddenly shot off, running around them at high speed. Kari stayed close to Sasuke, not daring to leave his side. Kidoumaru shot towards them and aimed a punch at Sasuke which grazed the Uchiha's arm. Sasuke pressed down on the six-armed mans back and while Kari kicked back the one named Sakon into the trunk of the tree, Tayuya landing next to him. Jiroubou came up behind Sasuke, who hooked his arm into Kidoumaru's bow and blocked Jiroubou's punch before throwing them both over his shoulder and into the other two. But when the smoke cleared, only four logs lay there. Following Kari's gaze, he noticed them standing on the building behind him.
"I'm in a bad mood right now," Sasuke said. "If you want to fight, I won't hold back."
"Heh, don't talk big, weakling," Sakon said. "Well come on, I'll play the 'do re mi fa so la ti do' for you, to break your ribs!" He said using his finger to beckon Sasuke. Sasuke shot forward, pushing Kari back in a way to say he would handle it. Kidoumaru went to step forward but Sakon beat him to it. "I'll do it!" Sasuke pulled out wire and blocked Sakon's kick, he wrapped the wire around his legs and smirked reeling it in and pulling him down on to the roof. 'He got both my legs with the strings…' Sakon thought angrily, bringing his arm up to block Sasuke's kick. He grabbed hold of the Uchiha's ankle and then his follow up punch and kick, with both his arms being used to defend himself, Sasuke went to punch Sakon in the face. "Hm, let's hear some good sounds," Sakon said with a smirk. "Do!"
"N-nani?" Sasuke cried as blood rushed out of his mouth.
"Re!" Sasuke gasped as he was thrown back towards the tree trunk, Kari managing to catch him before he hit it. 'Where the hell did he attack from?' "Your bones have a low tone. Let's hear a higher pitched sound ne?" Sensing an attack coming from behind, Sasuke and Kari jumped up, avoiding Kidoumaru's kick. Sasuke was caught off guard when a spider web was spat at him, attaching itself to his arms and throwing him. Kari landed on a branch and tried to stop herself from freaking out.
'No, no, no! Anything but spiders! Not spiders! Kari get a hold of yourself th-they're just spiders! Spiders can't hurt you it's nothing to be afraid of!' she thought hysterically.
She cursed her thoughts when Kidoumaru managed to spit out his spiders thread and attach it to Kari's side. She let out a choked cry and was slammed into the tree, the sticky substance binding her to the trunk.
"Arachnophobic?" Kidoumaru mocked, smirking as goosebumps sprouted on Kari's skin and her pupils dilated. Sasuke was rammed by Jiroubou and was sent flying towards Sakon.
"Next will be the 'mi fa so' combination," Sakon said and went to strike but Sasuke ducked and kicked him up into the air. He appeared above him and rammed the heel of his foot into Sakon's abdomen, quickly followed by his elbow and then his fist.
"Last!" Sasuke cried, spinning and kicking him into the roof. "Shi shi Rendan!"
-----x-----
"Ittadakimasu!" Naruto and Kita cried as a fresh ramen was placed in front of them.
"Sakura-chan, come on, eat up!" Naruto cried after he swallowed a mouthful of noodles. "The chashuu ramen here is the best dattebayou, ne Kita-chan?"
"Hai!" Kita cried as Teuchi broke some chopsticks and gathered some noodles to put into Kita's mouth. As Naruto was his best customer and usually brought Kita along, it had become a ritual of sorts that Teuchi or Ayame feed her when they weren't busy, so Naruto didn't have to all the time. They knew how to treat their customers well! Besides, Kita hated getting food all around her muzzle. Sakura just looked sadly at her food, not touching it.
"Don't worry, it's my treat this time," Naruto said happily "Ne Ojiichan?"
"Treating girls to ramen, you've really grown up Naruto," Teuchi said fondly.
"E-e-eh?! What are you talking about?! Sakura-chan and I have a very important matter to discuss and I treat Kari-chan now and again!" Naruto cried, blushing at what Teuchi was suggesting. "G-g-girlfriend…? It's nothing like that…" He blushed and looked round at Sakura, hoping for a blush but dreading a fist. To his surprise though, she wasn't even paying attention. "Sakura-chan?"
"Eh? Gomen Naruto I spaced out," Sakura apologised. "Looks delicious!"
"Saa, tell me about Sasuke and Kari-chan while we eat," Naruto said going to shove more ramen in his mouth only to pause at the sorrowful look on Sakura's face.
"Sasuke-kun… told me not to tell you. It's all Orochimaru's fault. Kakashi-sensei said they'd be fine and I want to believe that, but when they fought Gaara, it… again… Earlier when he fought you, Sasuke-kun had that same face again. That's why… I…"
"Orochimaru, huh?" Naruto asked putting his chopsticks down. Kita's ears perked. "I met him the other day."
"Where?" Sakura cried.
"While searching for Tsunade no Obaachan. He was up against Ero-sennin and Obaachan. He's very strong and very dangerous. And Kari-chan despises him; she reacted so violently just at the sight of him, at his name…" Naruto said, and Kita's ears lowered.
"That…"
"Daijoubu dattebayou! Sasuke would never accept that bastard's invitation, Kari-chan wouldn't let him!" Naruto said returning to his bowl and eating with gusto. "He doesn't need to that since he's really strong dattebayou. I guarantee it."
"Aa!" Sakura said with a smile, Naruto's words reassuring her.
-----x-----
"What would Orochimaru-sama want with weaklings like these?" Sakon scoffed, holding Sasuke up by his ankle. "Kimimaro would've been a better choice."
"Let him go," Kari hissed, feeling her canines lengthen in her mouth.
"Well, as long as you stay in this shitty village, you'll be no different from an average person. You won't get any stronger."
"I said let him go!" Kari cried, her chakra cutting her free from the web. She didn't get very far, Kidoumaru appearing behind her and easily gripping her arms and legs.
'Nande? I felt I connected on every combo. Yet it seems like he didn't take any damage.' Sasuke thought.
"If you keep playing ninja games with your buddies, you'll just rot," Sakon said. Kari growled, eyes bleeding into a darker, brighter red as Kumouri smiled wickedly in her cage.
"You're getting angry aren't you ko? You want to shut them up, make them pay…"
"Come with us," Tayuya said, landing in front of the Uchiha. "That way, Orochimaru-sama will give you power." Sasuke's curse mark burned and Kari felt the sting course through her body.
"It's pointless if we force you to come," Kidoumaru said, his two free hands settling on Kari's sides, trying to stop her thrashing. "You must decide."
"Orochimaru-sama sure gave us a troublesome job. So what's it gonna be?" Sakon asked impatiently, while Kari felt Kumouri's Chakra prickling under her skin. "You comin', or not?" Sasuke was roughly thrown into a wall and with a sharp kick Kari finally managed to free herself of Kidoumaru, sliding in front of Sasuke with wild crimson eyes. "Make it clear. I feel like killing these weaklings for being so hesitant!"
'Sasuke no…' Kari thought as her curse mark burned, markings spreading down her left arm. 'I can't… don't… don't!'
"Try it!" Sasuke growled his Sharingan activating. The tips of Kari's hair looked to be dipped in silver and the left side of her body burned. Kumouri was thrashing in their cage, despite Kitai's attempts to restrain her. Kokoro had gone into a sort of conscious comatose state, her eyes open but devoid of attention as the curse mark disrupted their Chakra.
"You're releasing the cursed seal?" Sakon asked. Sasuke shot forwards to attack but was easily thrown back. "Temee, you're not the only one Orochimaru likes," Sakon said lifting his hair to show the worm-like ink splatter appearance of his seal's markings. "You shouldn't be using your seals so carelessly. By the way, it seems like you can't seem to control your seals. If you stay in the released state for too long the seal will eventually consume your bodies. It seems like you're only in the first stage so the speed at which it spreads is slow. Once it completely takes over your bodies, you will lose yourselves… forever." Sasuke's markings receded, allowing Kari to force hers back too. She felt sore and drained, but her anger and need to protect Sasuke kept her up. "And you." Kari's eyes narrowed into a glare as he addressed her. "You're body rejects your seal, if you don't learn to control it you'll die within months, probably weeks."
"In return for gaining power through the cursed seal, you will be under Orochimaru-sama's control. We have no freedom. In order to gain something you must throw something away. What is your purpose? Is it to stay in this jolly village and lick each others wounds? And then forget everything… about Uchiha Itachi?" Tayuya asked.
"Don't forget your purpose. This village is nothing more than a shackle. You should just break such worthless bonds. That way… you will be able to gain an even greater power," Sakon said.
'They're targeting Sasuke's revenge…' Kari thought while her growl increased, eyes blazing. The wind whipped around her as Chakra started to leak from her body, her teeth sharpening, fur going static. Her growling turned to snarls, the beast-like sound startling Sasuke. She felt her nails sharpen and curl around her fingertips as her muscles tightened.
"And you," Tayuya said while the sound four seemed to grow wary. "You have no control over that which lies within you. What is there to stop you from loosing control and destroying this peaceful little village? What's to stop you from butchering all those innocent little people?"
Jackpot.
Kari's eyes widened and her Chakra faded.
'She… She wouldn't hurt anyone in this village! Sure her control was slipping a little but she had Kakashi and Naruto to help her… and Jiraiya and Tsunade!'
"Those eyes before, you lusted for out blood didn't you ookami-ko?" Sakon asked, smirk back in place.
'Blood… When… when I bit Itachi…'
"It tasted wonderful didn't it?"
"Orochimaru-sama can teach you control.
'No, Orochimaru is the enemy! He did this to me and Sasuke! He did this!'
"He won't turn his back on you if you become a monster."
'He did this! He's the reason I'm like this! I'm not a monster!'
But if he was the cause of the problem, of course he would know the solution?
'NO!'
"Don't forget your purpose!" Sakon cried and they jumped up towards the moon, disappearing and leaving nothing but leaves in the wind.
"Sasuke…" Kari said looking around at him. He ignored her, holding out his hand to catch a leaf, Itachi's face loomed at him and he crushed the leaf in his fist. "S-Sasuke…"
"Leave me alone," he muttered. Her ears shot down and her eyes widened in hurt.
"Sa-Sasuke…"
"Get lost!" he snapped, jumping to his feet and turning away from her.
"They're lying! You won't get power there he'll destroy you! It's all lies!" She cried desperately grabbing hold of the end of his shirt, but her hand was roughly slapped away. "Sasuke! You can't be considering it?! Sasuke they're lying!" she said pleadingly.
"It's no lie your losing control though is it?" he snapped harshly.
"That's—!"
"Just get out of my sight," he hissed and with that he took off, disappearing from sight. She slid to her knees trembling as her sight blurred with tears.
"Sasuke…" she whispered as fresh blood rolled down her pale cheek. It was silent, only the wind's caress was her answer. "I'm not a monster… I'm… I'm not!"
The silence unsettled her and she felt her heart tighten realising Sasuke wasn't coming back.
"I'm…. I'm not… I'm not a monster… "
I'm not... Am I?
-----x-----
"Thank you!" Teuchi cried after Naruto had paid him. The blonde boy grinned, picking up Kita before rushing after Sakura.
"Aa! Sakura-chan I'll walk you back!" Naruto offered, noticing how it had gotten dark out quite early.
"It's okay, you don't have to," she said simply.
"Nande? Nande? Walking around at night is dangerous dattebayou!" Naruto cried and Kita nodded before yawning.
"It's still light, and the moon is bright. I'll be fine," Sakura reassured him.
"Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked concerned.
"Naruto, arigatou, but I want to go back alone."
"You sure?" he asked uncertainly.
"I'll be fine! Make sure Kita-chan gets back safely."
"She's staying with me as it is dattebayou!" Naruto laughed. "Bye Sakura-chan!" he watched as she disappeared, smiling to himself before that smile weakened and then disappeared completely.
'Sasuke… Can't you see what you're doing to Kari-chan and Sakura-chan?'
-----x-----
Kari sat with her head hidden, her arms wrapped tightly around her knees. Her crying had subsided, but she was still shaking, rocking back and forth.
"I… I'm not a monster…"
Like a mantra she repeated it over and over.
"… I'm not a monster…"
"… I'm not a monster…"
"… I'm not a monster…"
She knew it was true, so why did she keep saying it?
"… I'm not a monster…"
"… Not a monster…"
"… Not a monster…"
'Sasuke…'
What would happen if he left the village? Her eyes snapped open.
What would happen? People weren't allowed out the village were they? That was what missing nins were right? What happened to missing-nins? What about hunter-nins like Haku? What would they do to him if he left?!
She jumped down and started running. He would know… and he wouldn't ask too many questions…
She would just say she was curious that's all.
Kari ran faster her hand clutching her shirt over her heart. It was beating so fast from fear she thought it would burst through her ribs then and there. Tsunade's necklace bounced against her knuckles as she ran.
They wouldn't kill Sasuke would they…?
She saw her destination ahead and picked up her pace. It was just a little further that was all. Just a little further…
"Oi, OI! You can't go in there!" a guard blocked her way and pushed her back, but she was already too stressed. She couldn't deal with this now. She had to know, and to know, she had to see him.
"Get out the way!" Kari cried and flooding Chakra into her fist, she caught the guard in the gut before he could react. He went flying back and the two guards to relieve him of his duty came running up, as well as his partner that had gone for a bathroom break.
"Oi!!" they cried and managed to grab both her arms, while the other hooked an arm around her waist, his other hand grabbing her tail. She struggled as if they were bringing a pot of burning water towards her, flailing and twisting desperate to break free.
"No! NO! Neji! NEJI!!"
-----x-----
"Kari-neechan?" Hinata thought out loud. She could have sworn she heard her voice…
"Oneechan, Kari-chan's out the front fighting the guards and screaming for Neji," Hanabi said with a puzzled expression. Her confusion was doubled when Hinata whipped away from her without so much as an explanation. "Right… I'll just wait here shall I?"
-----x-----
"Neji! Neji-niisan!" Hinata cried, rushing into the branch quarters. Neji was sharpening kunai in his room and looked up irritated when Hinata burst in.
"Hinata-sama wh—"
"Niisan! Kari-neechan's out the front calling for you!" Hinata cried and Neji raised an eyebrow, wondering why this fact made Hinata so frantic.
"So?" Neji asked. Hinata usually brought Kari with her when she wanted to see him. She'd come by early mornings to train before, but rarely at night.
"H-Hanabi said she was screaming a-and fight the guards!"
'Why the hell didn't she say that to begin with?!'
He wasted no time rushing out his door, Hinata quickly following behind. He rushed out towards the front gate, beginning to hear her cries.
"Kari!" he cried and her head snapped up and her struggles doubled.
"Neji!!"
"Let her go!" Neji shouted and after a nod from Hinata the guards dropped her, Neji rushing forward to steady her but not prepared for her to completely collapse. "Kari what's wrong? What happened?"
"She just barged in and demanded to see Neji-san," one of the guards said. "She knocked out the guard standing watch and we rushed to apprehend her.
"B-but surely y-you've seen her b-before?" Hinata asked.
"She could've been a spy, or a disguise jutsu. The main house's safety takes priority."
"Kari, Kari look at me," Neji said, lifting her upper body as her eyes seemed to glaze over, her breaths coming in short ragged pants. Blood slipped through her lips and her face was chalk white. She could feel the blood flooding out of her curse mark and the searing itch and burn down her left side. "Kari who did this to you?!"
"G-get…"
"Get what? Get who?" Neji asked desperately as her hand grasped his shirt.
"Tsu-tsunade… Kashi… Sa-Sasu… ke…" her hand fell limp at her side and her body went floppy. Neji placed his ear against her chest listening carefully.
"Kuso!" He cursed and hoisted her up, rushing out of the compound.
"Oniisan!" Hinata called after him, but he was already gone. "T-take care of Kari-neechan, Neji…"
-----x-----
"Hold on, you'll be ok Kari, you'll be ok!" Neji cried as he rushed towards the Hokage mansion. He had no idea where the Copy-ninja or the Uchiha would be and reasoned that she needed medical attention before anything else. As he ran, he almost collided with Naruto.
"Neji—K-Kari-chan?!"
"Find Uchiha and bring him to the Hokage!" Neji bellowed, not slowing his pace to explain. Resisting the urge to follow and check his best friend he, turned and ran. He'd find Sasuke, and he had better get some answers when he did.
-----x-----
"Maa, I've just been on a mission," Kakashi sighed while Tsunade gave him a withering glare.
"You're a Jounin, stop whining. Besides this is urgent."
"It's always urgent, and it's usually something a Chuunin would probably be able to cope with and then you send Genin on missions more suited to my rank." He didn't mean to be disrespectful and snappy, but he hadn't even slept yet and he was already being thrown on another solo mission.
"I give them out as they come, Hatake! I can't help it if all the Jounin and ANBU are out on missions can I? It's not my fault Konoha was attacked!" Tsunade fumed. She really did choose the worst time to become Hokage; she needed some good sake right now.
"Aa, I'll get right to it," Kakashi sighed, but before he could poof away the door was slammed open. Tsunade stood up angrily about to scold whoever had just barged in, but her words died in her throat seeing the Hyuuga prodigy holding an unconscious, pale as death Kari.
"What in the world happened?! Never mind, lay her on the floor, you can tell me as I work," Tsunade instructed and Neji laid her down Kakashi kneeling next to her only to shift Kari up so her head was resting on the Jounin's lap while she muttered about 'breathing'. She placed a hand on Kari's sternum and her hand glowed green.
"She ran into the Hyuuga compound after knocking out a guard and supposedly started screaming for me. Three guards held her back and I was alerted by Hinata-sama. When they let go of her, her struggling stopped and she collapsed, asking for the both of you and the Uchiha," Neji explained.
"Sasuke?" Kakashi asked. Neji nodded while he gripped her hand.
"Kuso," Tsunade hissed when blood started flooding out of Kari's mouth. "I'm missing something, what the hell am I missing?!"
"Hokage-sama…" Kakashi said and her brown eyes snapped to his. He untied Kari's hitai-ate, revealing her blood stained neck and shoulder. "Her body rejects it."
"I can't remove it," Tsunade said her hands pressing over the bleeding mark.
"What are you talking about?" Neji demanded but Kakashi shook his head, shooting the Hyuuga a stern look.
"We need to focus on Kari for now."
-----x-----
Sasuke's hands were buried in his pockets as he trudged along the deserted street. His mind was a mess with thoughts, possibilities, consequences… He just felt so torn.
On one hand there was Itachi, his revenge, his family. For that he needed power.
On the other hand there was Naruto, Kari, Kakashi, Sakura and Kita (yes he admitted he had a bond somewhat with the little wolf). They gave him something else; they eased the emptiness and pain.
But they couldn't give him power.
But if he left and fulfilled his goal, he'd have nothing to return to.
Shimatta…
He knew Kari would never forgive him. She depended on him and wouldn't be able to heal from the wound of abandonment. If he left, it would kill her inside. Sakura would be heartbroken and Naruto… Naruto would hate him for what he did to the girls. Kakashi would be disappointed with him too.
But he couldn't let that temee of a brother walk around free. He had sins to pay for and Sasuke was the only one that could kill him. If he let go of revenge his soul would never be at peace.
Kari, Sakura, Kakashi, Naruto… Naruto?
"Sasuke!!" Naruto hollered as he ran full speed towards him, and the Uchiha was surprised to see he was angry. Had Kari told him?
"What?" Sasuke asked, ready to block should a fist come his way.
"Kari-chan's hurt! We need to get to Tsunade no Obaachan!" Naruto cried grabbing hold of his wrist and attempting to drag him.
"Hurt?" Sasuke asked puzzled.
"She looked in a bad way dattebayou! C'mon we have to hurry!"
'Hurt? But she was fine when I left… Please don't tell me she hurt herself!'
"Sasuke hurry!" Naruto cried in desperation and finally the Uchiha relented and followed after the knucklehead ninja.
-----x-----
"The bleeding is slowing," Tsunade said as Kakashi pulled the golden strands away from the blood. He pulled her bangs out of her burning face, stopping them sticking due to the sweat on her brow.
"We're here!" Naruto cried bursting in but stopped when he saw the state she was in. He'd taken at least half an hour to find Sasuke, so this must be serious if it was taking so long. The fact she was so unconscious and still unsettled him. "W-what happened?" Naruto asked, voicing Sasuke's thoughts. The green faded from Tsunade's hands and she sighed.
"Thanks for your help Neji, we'll take it from here," Tsunade said wiping her brow. Though he looked about to protest, his upbringing allowed him to force it back down.
"Hai, Hokage-sama." He released Kari's hand and stood exiting the room, but not before giving a long hard glare at the Uchiha who he deemed at fault. Once he closed the door behind him, Tsunade waited a moment before beginning to speak.
"Anything you want to tell me boys?"
"Neji said she'd asked for Sasuke, so I got him and brought him back here. I sent Kita-chan home first so I didn't worry her," Naruto explained. "Kari-chan!" he cried, rushing over when her eyes fluttered open but Tsunade shooed him back saying she needed space. Her eyes flitted to each person before sighing softly.
"Care to explain?" Tsunade asked, giving Kari a stern look. It wasn't unkind, merely concerned. Kari closed her eyes so she wouldn't look to Sasuke.
"I was training and the seal acted up when I used too much Chakra," Kari said slowly, clearly groggy. Tsunade's lips thinned, not believing her story.
"And Neji?"
"I wanted him to close my Chakra points in case I lost control."
"If he'd closed your tenketsu in the state you were in you could've died," Tsunade said.
"Better than loosing control…" Kari said and sat up smiling slightly. "Gomen for worrying you all."
"Kari-chan," Naruto said and she walked over to him placing a hand on his shoulder.
"It's fine, I'm okay aren't I? Don't worry about me so much," she said gently and was worried to see tears build up in Naruto's eyes.
"I can't," he said choked. "Every time something bad happens it's always you that gets hurt!"
"Naru…"
"Why can't it be someone else for once?! Why can't I get hurt instead?! Why—?!" He was cut off when he was pulled into Kari's arms.
"Shh… When you get hurt, I get hurt too through the pain of bonds. Only mine becomes physical. Better that I get hurt than both of us hm?" she said, running her hands through his blonde locks while he buried his face into her shoulder, arms locking tightly around her waist.
"I don't want you to hurt anymore…"
"Pain is a part of life, as much as I wish it weren't, it's necessary in life," she said softly. "But friends make pain easier to deal with, so you ease my pain." She felt his tears hit her neck, hot and raw. "Please don't cry Naru…" she whispered as tears tickled her eyes.
"I can't…"
It seemed as though they'd forgotten the Hokage, their sensei and the Uchiha. Kari softly sang to him in an attempt to soothe him.
"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine,
You make me happy, when skies are grey,
You'll never know dear, how much I love you,
Please don't take my sunshine away…"
Letting go of him she pulled Tsunade's necklace over her head and put it over Naruto's. She gently kissed his cheek and brushed his tears away, smiling softly at him.
"You look better when you smile Naruto."
With that she turned and walked out, Sasuke shooting Naruto a look before he followed shutting the door behind him.
"Will she be okay?" Naruto asked, looking around at the two adults.
"Kari's strong, Naruto," Tsunade replied, not giving a straight answer. It seemed enough for Naruto though because he managed to force a smile.
"Of course she is, she's my best friend. Kari-chan's going to be the right hand woman of the Hokage someday," Naruto said and left the room.
"Knowing him it'll be joint Hokage," Tsunade said with a weak smile. "Or maybe Hokage's wife."
"Tsunade-sama…"
"I'm sorry Kakashi," she said cutting him off and holding out a scroll. "I know you're worried to death over Kari, but I need you to be a shinobi and carry out this mission."
Kakashi accepted the scroll, his expression grim behind his mask.
"The sooner you leave, the sooner you'll return. Just don't rush and become careless. Kari would never forgive herself if you were hurt," Tsunade said reaching into her draw and pulling out a sake bottle. She certainly deserved it in her opinion.
-----x-----
As soon as they arrived home and away from prying ears Sasuke took hold of her shoulders and forced her to face him.
"What really happened?" he demanded. He was slightly disturbed at the way she suddenly seemed to shut off. Was she still upset by what he said?
"My body rejects the curse mark Sasuke." Her voice was flat. She'd been so caring with Naruto, pulling him into her arms and singing to him to comfort him. And this was what Sasuke got? The door to her soul slammed in his face.
"What the hell is the matter with you?" he hissed and he caught her spark in her eyes.
"Oh I don't know Sasuke, let's think shall we?! You and Naruto try and kill each other on the roof of a hospital and Sakura gets caught in the crossfire, you get jumped by four of Orochimaru's cronies and they tell you to leave the village that I'm supposedly going to destroy because I'm a monster, my body shuts down because of everything and now Naruto's terrified I'm going to be dead when he wakes up in the morning! I should be absolutely peachy!!" she shouted getting in his face as her eyes bled red, his Sharingan activating in retaliation.
"And all of that's my fault?!"
"You're seriously considering it aren't you?! You're thinking of leaving us all behind while you go running to that snake in hopes he'll give you some nice free power! You think that's the way forward?! Sell yourself into slavery and debt to get forbidden jutsu that will wind up killing you if he doesn't first?! How do you know he won't rip the Sharingan from your head and leave you to die in a ditch somewhere, huh?!!"
"I—!"
"No. You don't know. You think you do; and that you can just take what he gives you and kill him if he bothers you! He's a Sannin you baka! He could kill you in a few seconds flat! And don't bring up the Forest of Death because we both know he was holding back! He can do all kinds of horrible twisted things that could be worse than death! You think this is what your clan wanted?! For you to go get yourself killed and be some experiment?!"
"You know nothing about my family!" Sasuke seethed, Sharingan spinning dangerously.
"Maybe not, but I know you Uchiha Sasuke, no matter how much you claim I don't!"
"You know nothing about me!!"
"Really? So I don't know your jutsu, your movements, your strengths and weaknesses?! You don't think that I actually paid attention when you opened up to me a little or when you showed that maybe, yeah, you actually do care about your team-mates and friends?! YOU THINK I DON'T CARE ABOUT YOU?!!"
She was crushed to his chest and let out a startled gasp. It was then she became aware of the stickiness on her cheeks. 'When did I start crying?'
"I know you do," he whispered. He tightened his hold on her, gripping hair and clothes tightly in his hands. "I know you care…"
And that's when the sobs properly came. Her wails shook him to his bones as she buried her face in his chest gripping the back of his shirt in a death grip, knuckles white. Her whole body shook despite his tight hold as she cried.
No, this wasn't crying.
It was the edge of heartbreak and insanity.
"Onegai, don't leave me Sasuke! Don't leave us, please!" she begged her voice thick with tears. "We're your friends; we'll find a way… Even if we don't always show it we love you, you're a part of us…" He listened patiently to her broken ramblings. "You understand that don't you? You understand that we love you? That no matter how much of a monster I became I'd never intentionally hurt you?!"
"You're not a monster Kari…"
"I'm scared Sasuke…" she admitted crimson tears rolling relentlessly down her cheeks. "I'm so scared…"
"So am I Kari… So am I…"