Summary
What if Orochimaru tricked a vulnerable young Naru into swearing loyalty to him? But Naru knows nothing of the man she swears loyalty to, as time passes she'll grow to regret her choice. She'll learn the hard way, you never shake hands with the devil.
Chapter One: If Only.
Crack!
An echoing clap of thunder shook the forest followed by bright flashes of lightning quickly following its noisy companion. Darkening rain clouds swallowed the sun casting small rays of sunlight down on the earth before they closed up enshrouding the land with a sullen atmosphere. Gusts of wind began to howl swaying trees and sending animals scurrying for cover of the impending rainstorm.
With one last boom and flash of lightning the heavy clouds broke and began to pour buckets of ice cold rain on the earth below.
A river roared as it filled the shallow brooke of the deep valley swallowing the lower ground creating thick mud on the ridges.
A girl grunted and strained with all her might hauling a boy up from the rising waters to the higher ridge where he'd be safe. Her body trembled as the icy rain soaked through her clothes making it harder than ever to move herself and her victim. Her teeth chattered loudly together as she pulled one last time falling back, losing her grip on the boy watching him smack down in the mud, she heaved for air as the temperature and her rapidly beating heart made it difficult. She looked through her bangs to the boy, his body unmoving, she wondered a grim thought, was he dead, did she actually do her order?
"Sasuke?" She called, her voice raspy and painful, drowned mostly out by the rain. Her once happy and full of light and life blue eyes were clouded darker in sadness and desperation as she stared at her teammate.
She struggled to her feet, nearly collapsing again and again until she stood over his body taking in his raggedy image. His lean and handsome face was littered with bruises, scrapes and blood that began to wash away, his hair splayed around him in the mud. His normally clean tall collared blue shirt and white shorts now littered with mud and blood as well, and a few rips decorated them.
A small swish sounded before her once proud Konohagakure hitai-ate that once matched his, fell from her forehead and to the earth next to the seemingly dead Uchiha. The metal plaque bearing the village mark had a precise and deep cut through the symbol; the mark of a rogue ninja.
She squeezed her eyes shut tight, they burned from the unshed tears, painfully she lowered herself to the ground, her lips quivered at the image below her and lifted her arm towards him. She cried out in agony as pain ricocheted through her limb, up her shoulders and down her back, she pulled her arms close, willing the pain to fade away.
Taking a few deep breaths she tried once more, her arm slowly reaching him stroking his cold cheek before sliding down to his throat and pressed two fingers just below his jaw. The fast rhythmic pounding of his heart proved he was very much alive, just unconscious from their recent battle.
"I … I'm sorry." She whispered, leaning over his face. "I wish this didn't happen."
She lovingly stroked his bangs from his closed eyes. Echoing laughter pulled her mind away from the current time, visions danced in the pouring rain until she blinked them away. She gently leaned down and pressed her broken lips against his in a gentle and loving kiss before pulling back. "I'm sorry Sasuke, really I am, but I have no choice." She told him in his ear before struggling to her feet once again.
"Naru, I think .. I think I love y-" Memories once again assaulted her brain making her cover them quickly furiously shaking her head.
"STOP IT!" She pleaded, her golden locks stinging her face as they whipped her with her movements.
"N.. Naru?" She gave a quiet gasp before wiping the sorrow from her face and stretched a triumphant smirk across her lips looking down at him.
"Please… don't do this." He struggled, his face contorting in pain as he struggled to move. She clenched her jaw, her teeth biting her tongue wanting so desperately to say 'Okay, I won't leave you ever.' but she couldn't.
"I am, I told you already nothing you say or do will change my mind. It's my decision, my life and it's what I chose, so give up Uchiha." She spat maliciously giving a snort before turning her back and walking towards the cliff.
"Never." His voice echoed before he slipped unconscious again, she cupped her hand over her mouth sobbing quietly gripping the stone wall with all her might.
Slowly she climbed up the wall of the valley avoiding the unnatural holes put in the stone by their battle. She looked down at the Final Valley, her last bridge she crossed to start her new life. The founders of their village battled it out much like she and Sasuke in this very spot. Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara, it was a battle of epic proportions until Madara fell. Statues of the men were carved on either side of the created valley, both giving the seal of confrontation.
The wave of familiar chakra reached her making her look at the forest leading to Konoha, it was racing towards them, no doubt hoping to make it in time, but he wouldn't, he was late, like normal, always late.
It was now or never, while the easy route was to stay, to hope and pray to be put down on the spot, she knew it would never happen. She pulled her arms close to her chest, shivers of the cold and pure fear traveled through her, she stepped backwards again and again letting the dark forest behind her swallow her up. The eerie forest would lead her along to her new village and her master in Otogakure.
She traveled slowly, the battle replaying over and over, with one last look back she sent a silent prayer for her partner, one day she would explain, one day she would apologize to his face, to his conscious face. She couldn't hesitate again, surely it would come back to haunt and punish her, he had to be watching her.
'If I had been smarter, or said something to one of them sooner, they could have done something, if I hadn't been so stupid! If that day didn't happen… I - I'm so sorry Sasuke.' She cried out in her mind. She cursed the people that caused this to happen, if they hadn't treated her so poorly, she wouldn't be leaving, she wouldn't be abandoning her friends, she wouldn't be getting the label of rogue, the label of a real threat, a threat that must be exterminated on sight. She wouldn't have had to battle and nearly kill her best friend and maybe love, all for a real snake in the grass. If only that day didn't happen those years ago, the day she shook the devil's hand.