Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
Naruto's team reunites
Holding my breath, I watch as the man wearing the swirly, orange mask reappears and steps towards Danzo's body, but he does not touch it. Instead he speaks to Sasuke. From where I am kneeling on the ground I can only make out him saying things like, "I'll take the body" and then something about an eye, and "the woman; I suggest you finish her off". Meaning that Karin is not dead yet? How? She got impaled through the chest. The last thing I hear the man in the mask say is, "I'll let you decide what to do with the girl" before he and Danzo's body disappear in a whirling motion. I blink multiple times; thinking that I imagined it. But when I stop both the man and the body are still gone. Confounded by the sudden disappearance it takes a moment for the masked man's last words to resonate with me. "The girl", as in me. Sasuke is going to decide my future. Anxiously I push my hair back, even though it was not in my face. I need to get out of here. I think as I fix my eyes on Sasuke, only to see that he is looking at me too. His eyes turned from red to black. Like my father's eyes were. Like mine are. But they are not the same. Father's eyes were warm and stern. Sasuke's eyes are cold, angry and hurt. My muscles go numb and I remain kneeling on the ground. I know those eyes. It is almost the same eyes I see when I look into a mirror. The cold is caused by the solitude. The anger is from the unfairness of life as you know it being ripped away violently and without warning. And the hurt. The hurt is the consequence of floundering around, alone trying to piece together the left over shreds of your past life so that there is something solid that can be relied on. The only difference is that my eyes also carry fear. Fear of rejection, of being cast away, and losing what I had slowly gained; Akio, Naruto, and a home. It is fear that is not present in Sasuke. As I get lost in my thoughts I forget about fleeing. I have searched for answers to this giant riddle for a long, long time and now that the answers are right in front of me they are happening to fast for me to understand.
Something in my stance and expression seems to appease Sasuke as he sees that I will stay put, because he breaks eye contact with me and starts strolling over to a near dead Karin. He is actually going to kill her! I think at a point beyond comprehension. However, before he can a new, familiar voice calls out, "Sasuke!"
My head snaps in the direction that the voice is coming from, and Sasuke slowly does the same. In the distance a figure in pink approaches. "Sakura-san" I exclaim as loud as my voice can carry; hope bubbling inside of me for the first time since I woke up. Someone I know from the village is here. And she is a friend and teammate of Naruto's. Surely she will help. I think as I bounce to my feet and take off running towards Sakura. The effects of Sasuke's eyes on me are cured by the reminder that I am not completely alone. Not like him.
As I get further in Sakura's line of sight she calls, "Manami", sounding confused and anxious at my presence. I speed up, telling myself that once I am with her we can go back to the village.
But about half way there an arm appears, blocking my path, and forcing me to skid to a halt. With my eyes I follow the arm up to a shoulder and a neck, then a face only to remember that Sasuke is here. And the fact that I have to pass him to get to Sakura. Hope dies a little. Without sparing me a glance Sasuke said, "Sakura" in recognition.
Briefly Sakura glances at me before her face hardens and her eyes flash to Sasuke. Making eye contact she said forcefully "I've come to join you". Her words instantly make me frown as hope leaves me. What about the village? What about her family and career? I ask myself, thinking about how much I would hold on if I had what she has. And what about Naruto? Would she really leave him without a team? Why is she doing this?
"What are you planning?" Sasuke asked in a dark tone.
Sakura comes closer and stops about ten feet away. "Nothing. I have regretted not going with you since you first left the village", she declared. I start to shake my head at her first word. Do not do this. I plead with Sakura in my head. How can you chose Sasuke over a home, family, and friends that will not kill you after they no longer have need of you? I asked myself, thinking of the red head woman who is lying on the ground; knocking on death's door. "I will do whatever you want". Sakura finished.
Calling her bluff, Sasuke said in a non-wavering voice, "I want to destroy Konoha". Sakura's face loses its composure and twists into a look of horror at his words. I flinch and step away from him. No! Faces flash in my mind like a slideshow; Iruka-sensei, pineapple head, Chouji, Akio and Naruto. No! Not the leaf village. Not my home. Not the place where my friends live. Not where my big brother lives.
During my initial terror Sakura regains control of her expression and reaffirms her previous statement. "I will do what you want".
Before Sasuke can respond something inside of me propels me forward. As I am taking steps towards Sakura my hands curl up into fists and I do something I rarely do. I yell. "No you cannot". I scream only at Sakura, believing that Sasuke is a lost cause. "Konoha is our home. You cannot help destroy it! You are so lucky to have a home!" I take a step closer. Neither of them are looking at me as they have not broken eye contact with each other but I know they are listening to me because neither of them has silenced or talked over me. "What about your family? And Naruto nii-san?" I shout at her, trying to reason with her. My shoulders start to shudder as the thought of losing another home and another brother weighs down on me. Without my permission salty tears start to fall from my eyes. "We need to go back to the village and warn everyone!" I attempt to take another step closed to Sakura but Sasuke's arm lashes out and catches me around my chest. Before I can even put up a fight he pulls me into him.
"Prove it", He demands, drawing Sakura's attention away from me and back to him. Despite all the sounds of protest I make. Not even my swinging arms and kicking legs warrants any of their attention. They are going to hurt Konoha and there will be nothing I can do to stop it. I think as a steady flow of tears leave my eyes. "Kill her", Sasuke ordered, pointing to Karin with his free hand. "She's useless to me now. You can replace her".
Sakura gulps before pulling out a kunai and starts walking towards Karin. As she gets closer and closer to the near dead red head Sasuke turns the both of us so we can watch. "Do not do it!" I yell in between sobs and my failed attempts of breaking free. "Do not do what he tells you to do! What about Konoha?" But Sakura keeps on coming closer and closer to Karin.
She stops right over the body and pauses. A pained look crosses her face as Sasuke pushes me away from him, causing me to stumble and land on my bottom a few feet away as he steps behind Sakura. I have to get out of here. I think as I leap to my feet. My heart is racing so much that I can feel it beating against my chest. I have to get back to the village and tell everyone what is going on. I cannot lose another home! Another brother! I start running, completely turning my back to Sasuke and Sakura before I hear a high pitch chirping sound. Without thinking about it I turn around only to see that Sasuke has charged up another lightening attack. What is he doing? I ask as I keep looking behind me as I run; not watching where I am going. He starts to fall into a lunge, with the lightening attack reaching out; aiming for Sakura's back. What? I do not understand what is going on. But before Sasuke's attack can land a blur gets in a way. Only to reveal seconds later that the blur is Kakashi. I slow to a walk and then to a dead stop before turning around. Is he here to save Konoha? Or is he here to destroy it to? Breathing heavily as I cry I become frozen in place at a loss of what I should do. Do I stay here and tell Kakashi all that I know about this situation? Or do I make a run for home even though I do not know where the village is?
In movements too fast for me to track Sasuke separates from Kakashi and Sakura; standing in between me and his old comrades. "Sasuke", Kakashi starts. "End this".
A short moment of silence passes before Sasuke un-expectantly throws his head back and releases an insane laugh that chills me to the bone. How am I… Why am I related to this guy? Sasuke stops laughing only to list off, "My brother, mother, father, and my clan. Return them and I'll stop. One is not enough!" He yells gesturing behind him at me. For just a second Kakashi glances at me before training his eyes on Sasuke again.
"Do not make me do this", he said calmly to Sasuke.
"As if you can succeed" Sasuke retorts without a pause.
There is a break as Kakashi talks to Sakura so low that I cannot hear. A moment later Sakura hoists Karin over her shoulder and jumps off; leaving Sasuke and Kakashi to face each other. Not another fight. I think as I reach up and rub my eyes. I look away just long enough to miss the start of the fight. Kakashi and Sasuke have somehow abandoned the ground and are fighting on top of a nearby river. In a sudden spike of chakra Sasuke's giant purple skeleton appears once more. The skeleton lashes out at Kakashi. But he dodges, forcing the skeleton to slap the surface of the water, creating a brief mini rain storm. How powerful is Sasuke? That he can keep fighting with all of the chakra he has already used?
Their fight pauses as it looks like they are talking. But from my distance I cannot hear them. Looking across the way I can make out Sakura's form hunched over Karin. Should I go over there? If Sasuke tried to kill her does that somehow mean she was not planning on leaving and attacking Konoha? But before I can make up my mind Sakura abandons Karin where she is and runs into the fight. Behind Sasuke she waits, searching for an opening. So she really was not planning on leaving Konoha? I ask myself, still extremely confused. With a Kunai she is ready to stab it through his back. However, Sasuke senses her at the last moment. Turning around he pushes her back. In one movement he grabs her throat with one hand and steals her kunai from her with the other. "Sakura!" Kakashi yells as Sasuke's swings the kunai closer and closer to Sakura. At the last minute before impact a blonde flash leaps in between them. Whisking Sakura away as it comes into focus. "Naruto nii-san!" I yell out. Never in my life have I been more happy and scared to see him. Happy because I know he will somehow makes things better and scared because he might get hurt; fighting someone he cares a lot about.
Using Naruto's sudden appearance as a distraction Kakashi lunges at Sasuke. Causing them to run and leap all over until they both land with Kakashi on the side with Sakura and Naruto while Sasuke stands alone. Naruto puts his hands into a hand sign, making two shadow clones. But Kakashi blocks their charge before stepping forwards himself. Is he going to fight Sasuke alone?
Both Sasuke and Kakashi start up the same lightening attack. But before Kakashi can attack Naruto's clones hold Kakashi back and the real Naruto lunges at a charging Sasuke with a swirling condensed ball of air. Both of their attacks meet head on causing the water to swirl all around them; blinding them from my sight. Before the area they are in erupts into a gigantic explosion of electrified water. Sending Sasuke and Naruto flying in opposite directions. Kakashi catches Naruto and the white pasty figure appears out of nowhere and saves Sasuke. I do not understand. Where did he come from? I thought his neck had gotten snapped back in that room with all of the village leaders. This is too much. I think as I raise my hands up to my face and rub my eyes. As if it is my visions fault that nothing is making sense. Seconds after the white figure appears the man win the orange swirling mask appears out of thin air again. No one moves and both sides talk to each other. A few moments later Naruto steps forward and says something that I cannot hear from my position. But in response Sasuke yells out "What do you want? Why won't you let me go?"
In which Naruto responds in an equally loud voice. "You're my friend!" I blink in confusion. After all Sasuke as done to him, all the trouble he has made Naruto still considers him a friend? How? I do not think I could forgive Akio if he did what Sasuke has done. Naruto is, without a doubt, one of a kind.
After a long tense moment, the man with the swirly orange mask places a hand on Sasuke and they, along with the pasty white fellow, disappear. And this time they do not reappear.
Naruto, Sakura and Kakashi stay standing on the river before Naruto suddenly collapses with his skin a weird color. Sensing no more danger I run towards the edge of the water and call out, "Naruto nii-san". Reminding everyone that I am here.
Kakashi leaves Naruto in Sakura's hands before jumping over to where I am standing. I flinch back at his fast and unpredictable movement. "Maa, you're a little worse for wear he said with fake pleasantry in his voice.
I ignore the comment, knowing that I look like a street urchin at the moment. Instead I ask, "Naruto nii-san" in a concerned, tired voice as I finally stop crying.
"He'll be ok in a bit" Kakashi assures as he looks me over with his non red eye. "He'll want to hear about why you're here though", he said; which translates to Konoha will have a lot of questions for you. "Wait here for now", He said as he turns and walks over to the spot where Sakura had left Karin. I turn my attention back to Sakura and Naruto as a breeze comes and makes me shiver since my upper back is exposed thanks to my torn shirt.
Sakura helps Naruto over to dry land before reaching in her back pouch and pulling out a syringe. She quickly stabs it into his thigh, before sitting and watching his skin return to its normal color. I walk over to them, still shaking from all of the aggression I have seen today. "Naruto nii-san?" I ask again. Needing his reassurance that everything it over and that we are all going to be okay. However he is groaning and moaning too much, complaining of being sick to be able to answer me properly. Instead Sakura looks up and gives me a small guilty smile.
"He'll feel better in a little bit", she explained as her eyes wander down to my scrapped knees and the other scratches on me. "Come sit in front of me and I'll look you over", she ordered, sounding like a doctor.
I shake my head and take a step back. "You told Sasuke you wanted to help him destroy Konoha", I said, mistrust clear in my voice.
Sakura looks down with a deep frown etched on her face. "I didn't mean it. It was just a ploy so I could get close to him".
I give her a long look; not understanding her words, but praying that they are true. Before I can respond Kakashi approaches the three of us with Karin resting on his back. "Let's go". He said, leading the way into the forest.
We walk for a while before coming across Lee, Kiba and his dog, and Sai all passed out on the side of the road. Usually I would ask what happened, but I am done trying to understand things. Holding onto Naruto's jacket I lean into him and stare at the shinobi and canine lying down in front of us. The only thing I can think of is returning to Konoha. "Wake them up Sakura", Kakashi orders.
Slowly one by one they wake up. "Why is Naruto here?" Kiba asked, sounding really out of it. "And the girl?" He adds on once he notices I am here. His dog barks in agreement to his questions.
"I'll explain what I can as we walk", Kakashi said.
Still holding on to Naruto I listen as Kakashi explains what happened to the events that he saw and why Karin is here. And after he was finished Lee pipes in, "That doesn't explain what Manami-chan is doing here".
All of them look at me. Even Karin from Kakashi's back. I look down and tighten the hold I have on Naruto's jacket. "Oh yeah!" Naruto suddenly exclaimed, making me flinch at the change in volume. "What are you doing here?" He asked.
Idiot. I call him in my head. Did he really just now think of that? Taking a deep breath I open my mouth and said, "I… I was looking for Naruto nii-san back in the village yesterday. Or at least I think it was yesterday. I do not know how much time has passed."
"Why were you looking for me?" Naruto interrupts.
Instantly remembering the photo in my pocket I let go of Naruto with one hand and reach into my pocket. Carefully I pull out a damaged photo that is all crinkled and slightly torn around the edges. Holding it out to Naruto I said, "I found this picture in the rubble and was going to return it to you so I can apologize for making you run after me that morning when I ran off without my shoes and started to punch you". I explained in a quiet voice. Hoping that the others would not over hear, but of course they are shinobi so they heard. But they did not comment, which I was thankful for.
Naruto takes the picture from my outstretch hand and smiles down at it with a fond expression as I go back to holding onto his jacket with both hands. "Thanks Manami" he said with excess cheer.
I look back down at my shoes as all the memories of what happened next comes flooding to the surface of my head. "But before I could find you this man appeared in front of me and hit me on the neck; making me pass out." I can feel Naruto tense at my words through his jacket. Everyone is quiet as we continue walking in the direction of home. The only sounds are our footprints and the howling of the wind. "When I woke up I was in a large room with the leaders from the main ninja villages and their body guards. They talked about something concerning jinkurichi and forming an alliance. But the Raikage did not want to talk about that too much. He wanted to get revenge for something by killing Sasuke. When that topic came up the man representing our village, Danzo, brought my presence up. It was one of his body guards that took me from Konoha. Danzo was the one who wanted me to be there. He said I was a peace offering for the Raikage. Danzo said that the Raikage could use me to get Sasuke to come to him so he could kill him. Danzo then explained my whole story and about how Tsunade kept my family a secret". The air around all of us gets tense as they are all listening intently. I can feel Naruto's eyes on me and it makes me feel just a little bit safer. "But before the Raikage could respond chaos started and that white pasty creature appeared so followed by Sasuke. At the sight of him Danzo grabbed me and fled. He ran really fast but as far as I can tell Sasuke chased after him because he intercepted Danzo." I pause as I start shaking. "He told Sasuke who I was, and he… he decided to use me as a shield" I force out before I start to cry again. I was so scared. I had not been that scared since my family was murdered. "But Sasuke got me away from him and threw me out of the way. They fought and fought until Danzo died." I gulped and briefly glance at Karin, to see that she is not looking at me. "But not before Danzo had taken her hostage", I said nodding in Karin's direction. "Sasuke aimed to kill them both to get to Danzo", I said between tremors and sobs; not able to get that image of Sasuke impaling the both of them at the same time out of my head. "And", I started slowly, trying to regain myself. "And that's when Sakura-san came". All are silent as they let my words sink in.
"What happened to your shirt, Manami?" Sakura asked softly.
Sniffling as the last of my tears fell I answered, "It got ripped when Sasuke pulled me from Danzo".
"So" Naruto starts in his rarely used serious voice. "You know who you are now?"
I frown and my brow furrows as I grip Naruto's jacket so strongly that my knuckles start to turn white. Do I know who I am? I know my last name now; Uchiha. But is that really who I am? Based on what I saw today I do not think I want to be an Uchiha. I do not want to live my life being that alone and that angry. But can I ignore my blood. "I know my last name now", I said carefully, as I do not really know what I am saying. "But I do not know if I belong to that clan. So even though I know who my family is now can you still be my big brother?" I asked, looking at Naruto with a tearstained face for the first time since I started telling my side of events.
Naruto smiles softly down at me as the other discretely mind their own business. Naruto eyes glow as he says with some of his usual energy, "I'll always will be you brother. Believe it!"