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Chapter 30

I smirked cheekily at the eerie pale kid with the constant smile on his face as he strapped on strange metal cuffs onto my wrists. They were unlike any handcuffs I had seen before, and I studied them carefully. I saw a small keyhole that was on the top of my right wrist, and frowned as I concentrated. Chakra was running through them, but…my chakra wasn't being suppressed. If I just exerted a bit–

The moment I tried to expel any chakra, stabbing and excruciating pain shot through my entire body. I barely managed to remain silent as I writhed on the ground for a few moments. I couldn't control my body, it was on fire.

And then, it was over.

Gasping for breath, I struggled to sit up. The boy smiled slowly at me.

"I was about to explain the consequences of using your chakra, but I see that is no longer necessary."

"No shit Sherlock…" I spat, only to receive a small smile of contentment in return. This guy was really starting to creep me out, and I huffed as I turned my head away from him. I sat very still, concentrating on how to get out of here.

But without my chakra…that was going to be a challenge.

It was literally suicide to consider fighting them all off using hand-to-hand combat, especially because my hands were linked together in front of me, proving to be even more of a hassle.

What pissed me off the most was that I had let myself get captured so easily. I had been so confident, thinking that I could easily escape. But now look at me, unable to use my original escape plan and stuck here without use of my chakra. Sasuke wouldn't be coming, so I had to figure out a way to escape by myself.

I put my hands on the ground in front of me, and struggled to contain my excitement when I realized that there was a small senbon – it was old, a ninja passing by in the past must have dropped it accidentally – on the ground by my hip, and leaned back against the tree, brow pinched as if concentrating very hard. I needed to have the guard – I heard Naruto call him Sai – think I was thinking of using my chakra again. Sai was sitting across from me, keeping an eye on me as he carefully observed the other members of his squad.

I waited until he looked away, and quickly used my chakra again, this time exerting a much larger amount.

The pain sent spots of white flashing before my eyes, searing through my veins like molten metal, and I couldn't help but let out a shriek as I slumped over on my side, my back facing Sai, my hand arched over the partially hidden senbon. I struggled to push away the lingering pain in my system, closing my eyes. I remained perfectly still, so he would think I was unconscious.

I heard footsteps come up behind me, and a foot nudged my back. I remained limp, and a voice spoke softly to another person nearby. The team was speaking in a group behind Sai, which meant that the area behind me was completely unguarded. For ninja, these people were pretty trusting. Maybe they hadn't gotten it into their heads yet that I wasn't just a pretty face. I could be dangerous if I needed to be, but now I needed to act helpless so that Sai wouldn't suspect anything.

"I think she's unconscious, Kakashi-sama."

I heard Kakashi sigh. "Those chakra cuffs are lethal, I wouldn't use them normally, but she's a student under Sasuke. If I'm correct about how far Sasuke's skills have progressed, this girl may be even more skilled than I am at this point."

"I doubt it, Kakashi-sama. A ninja who is careless enough to get captured by the enemy is not skilled."

"She was promised a peaceful meeting…it is not foolish to have faith in others."

"To have faith in the enemy is like running into battle with only a helmet to protect you. Suicidal." I heard Sai say calmly, and I scowled internally at the peaceful contentment to his voice.

Kakashi sighed again, and moved away. I waited until a few minutes had passed, and slowly and carefully gripped the senbon and slowly…slowly shifted so that it would be right above the keyhole. I opened my eyes, and carefully inserted the senbon into the lock, careful not to move my shoulders or neck.

Every second seemed like a week, and every minute seemed like an eternity. I felt nervousness building up in my chest as the silence seemed to crush me. Did Sai know what I was doing? Were they all waiting for me to escape, and then kill me? Was I ever going to manage to pick this lock?

I stopped whenever I heard footsteps approaching, and often heard Naruto and Sakura talking quietly to Sai, asking if I was still unconscious. Sai told them yes, and I would hear Naruto comforting Sakura as the two of them moved away again.

Finally, fifteen minutes later, I managed to unlock the cuffs, and the moment I did the chakra seemed to seep out of them. My unlocking it must have disabled the chakra channels within the metal, and now they were just ordinary cuffs. I remained perfectly still as I made it so that it looked like the cuffs were still on my wrists, and then made an exaggerated motion of coming to, wincing as I sat up, blinking dazedly around me. Sai was still sitting across from me, and he smiled at me as I scowled.

I looked around. "Where is everyone?"

"Kiba, Shino, Hinata and Yamato went to track Sasuke's scent in the direction you described half an hour ago, and the rest of us are here in case Sasuke manages to outdistance them and comes back to rescue you."

I smirked, and leaned my head against the wood. "That's not going to happen. It doesn't even matter anyway, not anymore."

Sai was about to ask why, but suddenly, Kiba and the rest of the tracking group appeared about ten feet to my left. Yamato's eyes were furious, and Kakashi and the rest of them walked over to see what the news was. I could tell the moment Kiba looked at me that they had discovered my lie. I tensed as Yamato spoke curtly.

"She was lying. The scent that was Sasuke's was merely a piece of cloth carried by a bird…Sasuke hasn't been in that area for days."

I shrugged as everyone's eyes were suddenly on me. "What? So I lied…it's not that surprising. But I am surprised that you actually believed me. To have faith in the enemy is like running into battle with only a helmet on, and you guys just screwed yourselves over by trusting me."

I accentuated my point by snapping out of the cuffs and leaping over to Hinata, landing right behind her as I quickly and efficiently pressed against the pressure point in her neck. She went limp, and I didn't bother catching her, as Kiba was leaping at me, his eyes full of betrayal and pain.

"You–!"

I ducked as he swung his fist at me, and I saw the hesitation in his eyes as his hand brushed by my cheek. I smirked, and slammed my foot into his chest.

"Stay focused, Dog-boy, being all mushy and sentimental is going to get your ass kicked one of these days."

I turned and started running away from the camp, and I heard Kakashi yelling orders behind me.

"Stay with the camp! Sakura, Naruto, follow me!"

I rolled my eyes, and poured on the speed as I raced through the undergrowth. I heard the ninja following me, and concentrated on forming the signs for teleportation. I couldn't outrun them forever; I needed to get far enough away so that they wouldn't be able to catch up.

Just as I was about to complete the last hand sign, I felt the ground rumbling under my feet, I lurched forward suddenly. I had to throw my hands out to steady myself, and I glared back at the monstrously strong Sakura for disrupting my escape plan.

I faced them, and saw that only Sakura and Naruto were standing there, and turned just in time to see Kakashi reaching to knock me out. I quickly looked at his hands, not allowing myself to be captured by the Sharingan again. I leapt out of the way as the jounin swung at me, and the area around us blurred as we exchanged lightning fast blows.

But I was faster than he was, and I was outpacing him. I raced around him, and flipped out a kunai. I was about to stab him when a gloved hand appeared inches from my face, and I dropped to the ground as Sakura flew by me. From the ground, I pushed my foot upwards, solidly connecting with her abdomen and sending her sprawling into the upper branches of the nearest trees. Naruto rushed into the fray, and I jumped up to land on his shoulders as he stupidly twisted so his upper chest was free for attack, and flipped over him to send a punch into his face.

His eyes widened as he staggered backward, and I whispered as I punched him again, this time in the stomach, holding his arms so that he was slumped over my shoulder. He wheezed for breath, his cerulean eyes sad. I wanted to hug him close and say how sorry I was. But I couldn't.

"I told you, Naruto…I may curse your name and try to hurt you, but I will always be your friend."

Naruto sucked a big breath through his nose, and he looked as if trying not to scream. "If that's true with you, then it's true with Sasuke too."

I blinked, at a loss for words, and Naruto suddenly shifted into attack mode, his hand tightening around my arm and swinging me around to slam into a tree trunk. I coughed harshly as I struggled to breathe, and ducked hurriedly as Sakura's fist once more appeared. The tree shattered into pieces with a groan as I rolled out of the way, and I suddenly heard a strangely familiar chirping. It was the Chidori!

Had Sasuke come after all?

I should've been more careful. I turned without considering who it could possibly be, only to find Kakashi holding the crackling energy in his palm, and he was already running towards me, mere feet away.

I saw a flash of orange, and suddenly Kakashi lost in a cloud of dust as a familiar chakra flared. I coughed as dirt floated into my mouth, and looked up to see someone I never imagined would come and save me.

Juugo stood, feet spread apart protectively in front of me, his skin leathery and rough as he turned to smile at me. His power was activated, and one eye was black with a yellow pupil. Kakashi was struggling to sit up in a small crater, his breathing painful and labored as he gingerly touched his side.

I know how it feels, buddy.

Suddenly, a fist slammed into my gut, and I was blown away from Juugo as Sakura stood where I had been seconds before, her eyes determined even with Juugo towering over her. I flipped so I landed on a tree trunk, parallel to the ground, held there by chakra as I put my hands together.

Fire welled up in my chest as I expelled the flames from my mouth, and Sakura only just managed to get out of the way, her shorts singed slightly.

I ran towards her, and felt Naruto appear behind me. I didn't have time to react before his arms held me immobile. Sakura's mouth was grim, and she raised her fist in preparation to strike. I kicked at Naruto, but the boy wouldn't budge.

Sakura's wrist was suddenly held in a vice-like grip, and that gloved fist stopped inches from my chest. Sakura's eyes widened as she turned to see who had stopped her, and her mouth dropped open in shock. Naruto's lips parted, and one word was spoken by both him and Sakura.

"S-Sasuke?"

It was Sasuke alright. The only difference was that right now, Sasuke was very, very fast and very, very angry. The rage streamed off of him in waves, and he looked up at Naruto with eyes that were so cold I shrank back. He only spoke three words, softly and coldly, but all three of us flinched as if he had been screaming.

"Let her go."

Naruto straightened, and his eyes were firm as he tightened his hold. "How can you care about Hikari this much, and yet throw Sakura and me away like trash? What the hell, Sasuke!"

Sasuke didn't answer, and Naruto's eyes flashed dangerously as Sasuke shifted, so fast that he became a blur. Suddenly Sasuke was holding a kunai to Sakura's neck, his other hand twisting her arm behind her back painfully. I struggled to get free, but Naruto, always so scatterbrained, didn't notice that his arm was around my neck. I chocked, and Sakura yelled Naruto's name as Sasuke's eyes bled crimson.

"I'd let beautiful go if I were you…Sasuke's not one to idly make threats." Suigetsu hissed, and he was behind Naruto in an instant, kunai held against the blonde's throat. Dots swam in front of my eyes as Naruto instinctively tightened his hold. Sasuke seethed, his voice somewhat less composed now, his eyes murderous.

"You're choking her!"

Naruto looked down, and let me go hastily, his eyes filled with shock as I fell to my knees, coughing and gasping for breath. Suigetsu knelt beside me hurriedly as Sasuke roughly threw Sakura in Naruto's direction. Naruto's arms came up to catch his teammate, and I glanced back at them. They were motionless, staring at the boy that had once been their friend.

Kakashi came out of nowhere, and Sasuke's arms were around me so fast that it took my breath away, and suddenly we were in the air. I felt leaves and branches whipping at my skin, and put my arms around Sasuke's neck, instinctively burying my face into his chest.

We were running so fast that no one had a chance of following, and Juugo, Suigetsu, and Karin quickly fell behind. Naruto and the others were nowhere in sight – I assume that Juugo and/or Suigetsu managed to injure them enough to stop them from following.

Sasuke's arms were tight around me, and I couldn't help but notice how warm he was. His bare skin felt nice against my cheek, and I sighed as I pulled away, looking up at the Uchiha. His face was blank as usual, that brief anger from before was now absent, and I marveled at how beautiful and dark his eyes were.

He chose that moment to look down at me, and I felt immediately at ease. With Sasuke, I was safe, I was secure. Nothing could hurt me in the warmth of his arms, nothing could even come close.

But something was wrong with the way his eyes sparkled in determination, and I had a sinking feeling in my stomach as I realized that something had happened in relation to Itachi.

I cleared my throat. "What happened?"

"I will kill Itachi in one of the Uchiha bases."

"He told you to meet him there?"

"Yes."

I bit my lip as I saw the way Sasuke's lips twitched into an excited smirk, his hands tightening around me at the prospect of extracting his revenge.

We came into a large clearing that had several enormous boulders lining the opposite side, and saw a large cloaked figure sitting leisurely on one of them. His skin was light blue, and his face was shark-like and vicious, sharpened teeth showing as spoke, beady eyes on Sasuke.

"Itachi would prefer if you went alone from here. He's waiting."

I nodded, and slowly loosened my grip around Sasuke's neck and reached down to touch the ground with my feet. Sasuke let go of me, and I turned to smile at him. I couldn't find words to say in that moment, and Sasuke was silent as he stared at me.

Sasuke stared at the girl before him, the way her golden hair spilled over her shoulders, the way her eyes seemed fill his entire world. The way her hands were still touching his arm, as if wanting to stay connected for as long as possible.

He wanted to step away and let himself be pulled by that hatred that had been boiling inside of his heart for all those years, but something made him stop. The light of the sun was shining behind Hikari, and he found himself staring at the way the light played on her hair and on her skin.

It felt like if he let her go, he was letting go of that last ounce of sanity left in his being. If he let her go, his mind would be consumed into a flaming inferno of revenge and hatred.

Sasuke wanted to believe that that was a good thing, but somehow couldn't quite force himself to accept the idea.

That day a year ago seemed like a dream, that day in which she had fallen into his arms. How had she done it? How was it that now – after all those months, after all those tears of hers and after all his confusion – she was his top priority? Wherever she went, Sasuke's eyes automatically followed. Every time she laughed, he felt the constant coldness in his chest easing somewhat. Every time her skin brushed against his…his heart pounded a foreign rhythm in his chest.

Sasuke's teeth clenched together in anger as those feelings threatened to overwhelm him, and he struggled to contain his emotions as Hikari spoke.

"Make sure you come back, Sasuke. I'd rather Itachi get away then you dying in the process."

Sasuke nodded jerkily, his eyes flickering towards the place where Itachi was waiting. Anticipation curled in his stomach, and Hikari read his expression easily, smiling slightly as she reached up towards the cheek where her bandage was taped.

"Here, I'll take that off. You're healed by now anyway, so–"

"No." Sasuke said quietly, and gently grabbed her hand that was still near his face. He didn't know why he wanted to keep the bandage on – the wound underneath had long since healed – but it felt almost like Hikari had left a part of herself in that small bandage. When he touched it, he could feel the warmth of her fingers as she cared for his injury, he could see the fierce strength to her eyes as she prepared to fight, he would feel the sunny brightness of her face when she found something amusing.

Hikari stared at him, her eyes perfectly level with his. Sasuke had always been slightly unnerved by the fact that she was as tall as he was, but now he cherished it. It allowed him a perfect angle to stare deep into her eyes.

Sasuke leaned forward, his mind traveling down less innocent paths as he realized that if he just moved forward a few inches, they would be–

Itachi's face flashed before his thoughts, just as the sounds of the rest of Team Hebi approaching filled the silence. Hikari blinked in confusion as Sasuke tore himself away, and began running towards the Uchiha base.

He had almost…kissed her.

The thought made him angry, because it had distracted him from his hatred. His feelings – were they feelings? – for Hikari were pulling him away from his goal. He wanted to avenge his clan, that was all.

And after that?

Sasuke didn't allow himself to think about it, and continued onward towards the place where Itachi would finally meet his doom. But the thought still remained at the edges of his mind, and his fingers instinctively reached up to touch the bandage on his cheek.