Naruto chased Sasuke down until they came to a large waterfall seemingly guarded by two giant statues. The statues were facing each other while using the seal of confrontation. Naruto stood on the head of one while Sasuke stood on the other.
"Sasuke! Are you done running now?!" He yelled. With the sound of the rushing water between them, it was all he could do. He saw Sasuke's shoulders tense briefly before the Uchiha finally turned around. Naruto was shocked to see a pattern of black flames on the left side of his face, including his eye which had turned his iris a golden color and his sclera completely black.
"Naruto," Sasuke said.
"Who else would it be?! What are you doing?"
"I knew you'd be the person she sent, but I'm honestly surprised she also didn't come."
Naruto thought back to the worried yet unwavering look in his teammates' eyes as she wished them luck. The Uzumaki smirked. "I'm sure she'll be here soon," he replied.
Sasuke could barely hide his shock. "With a broken arm? Hinata's not stupid."
"Funny. You sound awfully caring for someone who's leaving."
The Uchiha's eyes turned into a glare. "You don't know anything. You haven't changed at all; you're still just a loser."
"I'm not the one defecting the village here. Okay, so Itachi's still stronger than you. Did you think he would suddenly stop progressing? He has six years on you! This comparison crap is stupid. You're still gonna bring him home!"
"All these years of training and there's nothing to show for it!" Sasuke yelled, finally losing his composure. "There's no one left in the village to teach me. It's only holding me back!" Sasuke couldn't think of staying another day trapped in his brother's shadow.
The expectations of his father. The weight of his mother's sorrow. He couldn't do it anymore. Itachi had ruined their lives. In a perfect world, he would've stayed. Shisui would be alive. Itachi would be the heir. He could've lived his life the way he wanted. But…his thoughts went to the girl he was leaving behind. In the past, he would have been adamant that being with her was worth it, and that he could endure it all as long as she was by his side. Now, however, she was nothing but pain. She betrayed him and didn't regret it.
After this, there was nothing they could be to one another.
"It doesn't matter anymore," he eventually said. "Like I told Hinata, I'll be back with Itachi. I just don't know how long it'll take. I need to do this, Naruto."
"I can't let you leave. I can't. Choji, Neji, Kiba and Akamaru, Shikamaru, Lee, and Hinata… They're all fighting for you," Naruto voiced.
"I didn't ask any of you to do—"
"It's what friends do!" He shouted.
"I don't have any friends. The moment I left the village, I had no one."
"That's bullshit and you know it! What about your mom? Is she not your mother anymore?!" Naruto couldn't believe what he was hearing. He had always known that Sasuke considered himself more of a loner, but he also still had people he regularly talked to and got along with others.
"She hasn't felt like a mother to me in years," Sasuke finally admitted. Most days he was taking care of her and worrying about her. Every day, he was afraid he was going to come home to her lifeless body. He was afraid she would stop having her good days altogether. He was afraid she would just give up…because he wasn't enough for her, and maybe he would finally have to admit to himself that he never was. "I'm going to follow my own path. Nothing is going to stop me, not family and not old friends."
"You can't… mean that."
"And why not?"
"To follow the person who's done so much harm to our village, it's not like you," Naruto reasoned. Sasuke had always been so patriotic.
"If he can grant me the power I need to bring Itachi home, then I'll do what needs to be done. My days of playing ninja like a child are over." He had done nothing but waste time since Minato had taken the hat. All the missions, the chuunin exam as well—it all meant nothing.
Naruto felt each of those words like a punch to the stomach. "Playing ninja? Don't reduce our comrades to children! They're risking their lives! You are pathetic! You're just like your brother, so willing to drop anyone you consider weaker than you. And with your inflated ego, that's everyone."
Sasuke turned with a half-hearted wave. "I don't have time for lectures." Then he began walking away. Naruto's anger flared. He remembered Lord Third's funeral and Sasuke agreeing that it is the duty of the shinobi to stop their rogue ninja, especially those who are searching for power. He thought of his teammates, but he specifically thought of his father who was bedridden due to people like Orochimaru and the Akatsuki.
Before he could stop himself, he ran and launched himself toward the boy he had always considered his best friend. Sasuke turned just in time to be tackled onto his back and instantly took a punch to the face. As though he couldn't feel it, Sasuke looked up at him with eyes filled with nothing. No emotion.
"Leaving the village is already paying off," Sasuke spoke evenly. "Do you think I could've gotten this strong if I stayed?" Naruto grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and rammed his head into the Uchiha's nose, causing it to gish blood.
"Yes!" He snarled. "But you're so busy being a damn loser that you think this is the only way! You know what he does to people. He manipulates them! He doesn't care about anyone. Look what he did to my dad! Look what he did to Lord Third! Hinata and I nearly died fighting Kabuto."
Sasuke, who had been giving nothing but a hard look, slightly widened his eyes at the news.
"We didn't tell you because we didn't want to upset you. We almost died trying to get our hands on him. If it wasn't for Tsunade-baa-chan, we really would have. It's not that you're leaving the village, because I think we can understand that… It's that you're leaving to follow a guy like that!
Sasuke said nothing.
"More importantly, he's just obsessed with you because he wants to use your body as his next vessel! The power he's offering is only going to benefit him. And you're an idiot if you think we're just gonna let you run off to join someone like that." By the end, Naruto was panting with anger.
It was silent with nothing but the sound of chirping birds flying overhead, their shadows gliding across the statue they were on.
"If I can bring Itachi back and fix my mother, none of that matters to me," Sasuke said eventually. "If I can accomplish that, then it'll have been worth it."
Naruto glared. "If that's the way it is, then I'm just gonna have to drag your ass back home. We can all work harder to get stronger together, and we can get your mom some help!" He was coming up with solutions on the spot, but part of him knew that he wasn't going to get anywhere with him.
Sasuke laughed in his face. "Life must be so easy when you're not from a noble clan. I think I'm actually envious. Naruto, I'm leaving and if you're so set on stopping me, then I'll just deal with you here."
The Uzumaki was growing frustrated, but he knew this was going to turn violent. So he decided he was going to get a headstart. In a flash, he pulled out a kunai and shoved it into the back of Sasuke's hand, pinning him to the rock. The Uchiha let out a yell of pain before pushing Naruto back with his good hand and kicking him in the stomach. Both seemed shocked at the results; Naruto hacked out blood and his ribs cracked as he flew back down into the water.
Sasuke smirked at the burst of power that was suddenly coursing through his body as he pulled the kunai out and stood up. Then, he felt a sharp pain in his curse mark just before the black marks on his body receded. He thought back to the seal Kakashi put on him and reminded himself that he had to break it. The power he felt was worth it. He was even able to ignore the flash of his mother's face that appeared in his mind.
Back in the water, Naruto cursed and tried to remain calm. Sasuke was much stronger than he was yesterday when they fought on the roof of the hospital. This Sasuke was driven by anger, hatred, and tainted power. He no longer knew who that boy was and he suddenly felt anxious for Hinata to catch up. He needed to stop him before it got too out of hand.
He swam to the surface and climbed on top of the water, making eye contact with his smirking bastard of a best friend before breaking out into a run. When he jumped up, Sasuke flew down, meeting him in the middle and delivering a powerful kick to the Uzumaki's side. He was promptly sent back down into the water.
Sasuke began speaking when the blonde surfaced. "Go back to the village. Take everyone with you, Hinata included."
Naruto clenched his jaw. "Why, ashamed to face her?"
Sasuke tilted his head. "You really know nothing, do you?" He sounded so genuine that Naruto raised a brow. "Of course. She wouldn't tell you either."
"Tell me what?" He asked.
"She's been meeting with Itachi," he revealed. "Speaking with him, and even giving him medicine she makes."
At this, Naruto froze and tensed up. Then his eyes moved back and forth as if searching for something. Sasuke watched as he seemed to find the answer before looking back up at him. "So that's why she was acting so strange after all of that," he said aloud. Her nervous behavior, feeling undeserving of Sasuke's love, and the words she had begged him when he was barely conscious. It was all clicking.
If he had been told that information without having spent time with her after and seeing how affected she was, he would've been angry. He understood now why Sasuke had been so unpleasant to her and why she was so resolute she had deserved it. But still, Hinata had never done anything malicious to her loved ones and he was positive there was more to the story. More that he would have to ask her about later.
Naruto grinned up at Sasuke, frustrating him. "What do you have to smile about?! Don't you understand how big of a secret she's been keeping from us?!"
"I do. But I also trust Hinata with my life. She wouldn't do anything that risky without a good reason. I'm upset, sure, but I trust her," he explained.
Sasuke glared. "She betrayed us. You're just clouded by your love for her!" He shouted.
"You don't trust her?" He asked, ignoring the jab.
"Not anymore."
"Then maybe you never trusted her to begin with," he pointed out. "I was around her a lot after we saw Itachi again and her behavior… It was like she was terrified the entire time. She wanted to rush back home so Baa-chan could heal you, but her hands would sometimes shake like she was nervous. I don't know if I should even tell you this, but she told me—"
"I don't care. You and Hinata are nothing but dead weight. I need to leave and get stronger. It won't be forever," the Uchiha assured him. "I'll be back. I just need to do this, Naruto."
"I can't let you ruin your life like this, not by going to Orochimaru," he replied. "I just can't."
Sasuke held up the kunai that was stained with his blood, arming himself. "Don't make me seriously hurt you."
Naruto laughed. "Would you kill me?"
"I don't want to, but I would if that's what it comes down to." Sasuke knew Naruto would easily call that bluff.
"Then you're really an idiot. Kill me, then. But just know that you'll never be able to see your mom again. Bringing Itachi home would be impossible. You'd be hunted down," he explained.
"Using your position in the village?"
"I'm not using anything. It's just a fact. You say you're going to come back, but killing me would be burning that bridge."
Sasuke smirked. "Which is why I'll just have to get you close enough to death to make you stay down," he retorted with a half-shrug. "I'm sure I can unlock it that way as well."
"Unlock what?" He questioned. He didn't like that look in Sasuke's eyes.
Sasuke only smirked before he threw the bloodied kunai at him, the Uzumaki easily dodging it. However, he was caught off guard by the plethora of shuriken and barely managed to dodge those. It was Sasuke's specialty, so he couldn't really find it in himself to be surprised when he spotted the wires that had been attached to the weapons and he was promptly slammed against a boulder, trapped. He could only curse for being so careless.
He looked up at Sasuke only to see him completing a set of hand seals he instantly recognized. It was one he often complimented with a wind jutsu. His eyes widened as he realized just as serious Sasuke was about injuring him as much as he could possibly get away with, though he had stabbed him earlier. He couldn't be too mad.
Naruto could only watch as he released a fireball that followed the wire he had between his teeth and headed straight for him. He remained calm and swiftly reached for one of his kunai and tossed it up to his mouth, the wires being easily cut. He dropped down, charged chakra to his feet, and flew up through the flames directly at Sasuke.
They couldn't waste time on words anymore. They knew what the other wanted; there was no point.
They met in a flurry of fists and kicks, both dodging and seemingly equal. It wasn't until Sasuke activated his sharingan and began gaining the upper hand, kicking Naruto high up into the air and jumping to meet him. Sasuke pulled his fist back and delivered a powerful punch to Naruto's cheek, causing the Uzumaki to shoot back down from the strength of it. He crashed into the water, sinking down and down, his lungs filling with water.
Sasuke stared down where Naruto had hit, his sharingan deactivating. He wasn't worried about Naruto dying as the blonde had explained Hinata would be coming shortly. He needed to be gone by then. She was the last person he wanted to see. He was angry, but he also felt like she could shake his resolve and he couldn't risk that.
Suddenly, his attention was caught on a shadow rising and Naruto was breaching the surface, panting heavily. Then, he watched as Naruto climbed on top of the water and looked up at him with determination.
"There's no way two friends can fight as harsh as this, as ruthless as this!" Naruto exclaimed. "I don't want to hurt you, Sasuke."
"It's because we're friends that we need to fight this way. It's the only way. I don't want to kill you, and I won't. Getting you close enough should be enough," Sasuke replied, repeating his past words. Naruto noted the pain in his voice.
"That's the second time you've said that. What the hell are you talking about?!"
Instead of answering once again, Sasuke began running down the statue at an incredible speed, causing Naruto to run across the water at him before shooting up into the air. They met in the middle, delivering powerful punches to each other's faces. Naruto's strike, however, wasn't on the same level as Sasuke's and he once again hit the water.
Now, Naruto was becoming angry. Normally, he could hold it in and not let it bother him but Sasuke closing off communication broke the dam he'd built up, causing all the anger to come rushing to the surface. Before Sasuke could attempt to make another attack, the water around Naruto shot back, Sasuke stumbling back as he looked into Naruto's red eyes. Just like before, he was shaken by the pure hate radiating off of him.
"To the brink of death?" Naruto snarled, snapping his sharp teeth. "You'd have to kill me before I let someone like Orochimaru get you!"
Sasuke glared. "Why do you care so much?!" He shouted back.
"I'm your friend, you asshole! Since we were babies, and I'm not about to let that snake desecrate your body by using it for his crimes," he growled. Then, Naruto thrust his palm out, causing a wave of pure chakra to shoot across the water and hit Sasuke, throwing him back and off balance. The Jinchuuriki rushed across the water in a flash and delivered a powerful punch to Sasuke's stomach, the Uchiha coughing out blood just as he had done to Naruto earlier.
He then delivered an abundance of punches into his torso before kicking up against his chin. Sasuke flew back, rolling against the water before catching himself upright. He was so caught off guard by Naruto's strength that he didn't have time to do anything but watch as Naruto brought his fists down on his head, causing him to shoot deep into the water, creating a solid hole.
A few seconds later, Sasuke came shooting out of the water and Naruto quickly went after him. They exchanged blows, with Sasuke taking the brunt of them before Naruto kicked him down against the water. Just as Naruto was shooting straight for him, Sasuke sent a fireball up towards him but Naruto let out a loud, chakra-filled yell, shooting the fire right back down at him. Steam from the flame shot up into the air as a giant ripple was created. Sasuke could barely stand the pressure of the water.
Without another delay, Naruto landed on top of him, taking him down into the water and delivering attack after attack as Sasuke tried to swim to the surface. Even in the water, the Uzumaki was deadly, shooting across in different directions at speeds that Sasuke couldn't track. When Sasuke was finally able to break away, Naruto followed and they both exited the water at the same time. The blonde uppercutted him but before he could fly back, Naruto grabbed his legs and spun him around at a fast speed before slamming him into the wall.
Dirt kicked up and Sasuke was now in a crater, but Naruto didn't let up. He was on him, grabbing him by the collar. His eyes had returned to their original blue color and the surge of chakra was gone.
Naruto growled. "Will you finally see reason?! Orochimaru is only gonna hurt you. I don't care if he can make you the strongest shinobi in the world; he's only going to kill you! I've seen what his brainwashing can do!" The look of pure devotion in Kimimaro's eyes and his voice, he was sure it was going to haunt him.
Sasuke slowly opened his eyes and still managed to glare at him despite the blood coming from his mouth. "Just shut up. You don't understand, Naruto!"
Naruto could only wait for him to explain.
"You don't know what it's like! My brother left me, he hurt my mother, and my father doesn't give a single shit about me other than making sure I'm just as smart and powerful as Itachi! You have two loving parents, but you don't know what it's like to lose a sibling!" Sasuke was in agony. "Every single day, since that bastard left, I had only a depressing home to look forward to. My mother can barely function on her good days and I haven't seen my parents exchange a single word in years! I can't do it anymore, Naruto. I'm suffering! I don't care if Orochimaru wants to use my body as a vessel, if he can get me out of that goddamn house and give me the power I need to fix my family, then I'm going to do it!"
Sasuke tackled Naruto and they fell down against the water, but both quickly got to their feet.
"You have a family who loves and understands you. So, why? Why can't you just let me go?"
"Because you're the closest thing I have to a brother. It's true that I don't understand that bond, but ever since we've been a team training under Itachi, I wondered if that's what it's like to have a brother," Naruto replied sincerely. He never knew why his parents never had any more children, but he had always wanted to be an older sibling. Maybe he could've understood Itachi more, and even Hinata. Maybe he would know the right things to say to Sasuke right now or know what to do to it at all. "So I'm gonna stop you, no matter what it takes."
Sasuke, though both touched and pained at those words, shook his head as he wiped his blood off his chin. "It's too late. I have to do this," he said as he pulled his forehead protector and tied it on properly. It was then that his final tomoe developed into his left eye, completing his sharingan. "Come on!" He got into his fighting stance.
Naruto's eyes held the pain he was feeling. "If that's the way it is, then why put on your forehead protector?"
Sasuke smirked. "This is me fighting you as an equal, but you still won't be able to get a scratch on my forehead." Then Sasuke was rushing for Naruto. Before he could make contact, however, he was just barely able to move his head back in time to dodge the incoming arrow. He slid to a stop and both he and Naruto looked in the direction it came from.
Hinata was there holding her bow, panting, and sweating right next to the lake. "I won't allow you to hurt him, Sasuke," she said, her eyes holding conviction.
Sasuke smirked. "That arrow was aimed at my head. Trying to kill me?"
She shook her head. "I knew you'd dodge it." She unsealed another arrow. "I know what you're trying to accomplish, but I will not allow you to use Naruto. If you want that power so badly, you'll have to use me." She shot the arrow, causing Sasuke to jump back, putting more distance between him and Naruto, whose eyes widened at her words.
"Willing to sacrifice your life for—"
"Yes," she interrupted, her voice strong. "For my comrades, I would willingly accept death if it was going to allow them to live."
"And for Itachi?" Sasuke jabbed.
Hinata clenched her bow and arrow tighter. "You already know the answer," she pointed out.
"Say it."
"Yes," she replied with no hesitation. "For Itachi-san as well. One day, you'll come to understand."
"Explain it to me now!" He yelled.
She shook her head. "You're too angry right now. You've always been angry, and look what's happened. The curse mark is feeding off of it."
Naruto shook his head. "None of that is important right now. We just need to bring him home, we'll deal with everything else later," he said. He needed her to focus on right now.
"I'll support you," she assured him.
"Good." He looked back at Sasuke who was visibly shaking with anger from Hinata's words. "Let's do this, Sasuke."
The two charged toward each other, with Hinata following closely to the side after sealing her long-range weapon. Naruto and Sasuke exchanged blows, watching as Sasuke fought off any clones Naruto sent his way while still keeping his momentum. When she saw him catch Naruto in mid-air, she made her move. Just as Sasuke was about to use his kunai, Hinata thrust her palm out.
"Wind Style: Gale Palm!" She managed to blow Naruto out of the way while also catching Sasuke off guard.
Sasuke glared at her but went after the blonde as he landed on his feet. "I never imagined I'd be fighting my own teammates like this," he said as he threw a punch.
"If you thought we'd just let you go to someone like Orochimaru, then you must really think all of this has been for nothing!" Naruto countered as he dodged and threw his own punch. "We almost died trying to take him out so he couldn't hurt you anymore!"
"He's going to give me what I need now," Sasuke argued as he managed to land a kick. Just as he was about to land another one, he found himself being blown back by a strong gust of wind. He hit the ground near the lake, grunting. When he made eye contact with the Hyuuga, he was surprised to see such a hard look in her eyes. He knew how much she disliked the snake Sannin, but he'd never seen that look in her eyes. It was…hateful, a word that didn't match her. He almost didn't recognize her.
He pushed those thoughts out and got to his feet as Naruto charged for him. Because Naruto was no longer using the chakra of the fox sealed away inside of him and Sasuke had unlocked all six tomoe in his sharingan, he could easily see the oncoming attacks as well as swiftly dodge and counter them. But it was hard when Hinata was constantly interfering. When he glanced at her, he found her panting once again. She was running low on chakra.
He smirked and made a few hand seals, ones that she immediately recognized. She couldn't risk giving it more power with another gale palm and she didn't have enough chakra for a decent vacuum palm. She rushed for Naruto, who was getting back to his feet, and just barely managed to make it to him and get him out of the way but her ankle got caught in flame. She set Naruto down on the ground, wincing at the burn.
Naruto groaned. "There's so much more power behind his attacks now," he panted. Then he noticed Hinata's ankle. "Are you okay?!"
She nodded. "Yes, I'm fine." She got up and put her hands on his back to heal whatever she could quickly.
"You burned her, you asshole!" Naruto yelled at the Uchiha.
"Then she shouldn't have gotten in the way," he replied easily, ignoring the pang of guilt.
"It's okay, Naruto. We're in the middle of a battle. I'm prepared to die." She finished healing and stepped back.
"You can't baby him forever, Hinata," Sasuke pointed out.
"I'm providing support as his teammate."
"I'm also your teammate. Will you not support me? Or will you also choose him over your fiancé?"
"I can support you if you come back to the village. If you leave, just as you told me earlier, you will no longer be my fiancé," she responded. "As it is, you're choosing Orochimaru over us."
Sasuke clenched his fist. "I'm choosing power, not him."
"I don't think it really makes a difference. You're still going to him." She was trying desperately to hold back her anger, but it was becoming increasingly difficult, as was her desire to fight. But she was going to do her best to aid Naruto as a medic, and she recognized that this was partially her fault. If she had Sasuke's trust, maybe she could have actually kept him from leaving.
"I suppose you're right."
Hinata wanted nothing more than to hug him, hold him, and tell him he wasn't alone, but she didn't recognize him anymore. The air around him was different and dark, all-consuming even. Her heart squeezed. "I'm sorry for failing you, Sasuke. Even if we don't see eye to eye right now, I hope you at least know that I'm just trying to do what I can to help."
It appeared to be the wrong thing to say as Sasuke stood a threatening step forward. "You're helping the wrong person!" He shouted. "Maybe he's manipulating you or something, but you should still know how wrong it is! Hinata, if word gets out, you could be imprisoned. You could be killed, and he knows that. He doesn't care about your life or your family!"
She shook her head. "I've made my choice, and I'm going to live with it."
Sasuke glared, clenching his jaw. "And so am I."
Naruto looked back up at Hinata. "Stay back," he warned. She moved to the side and watched as they began fighting once again. She intervened when she could, but she was nearing the end of her chakra. All that running at a constant fast pace, using her chakra to hit Tayuya, and all the Gale Palms were catching up to her. When Naruto was thrown back and she saw Sasuke coming in with a kick, she moved before she could even think, instinctively blocking him from Naruto.
She let out a blood-curdling scream as all his strength hit her in the metal plate before dropping to the ground to clutch at it. She could hear Tsunade's warning in her head and apprehensively looked down with tears in her eyes, she could see the metal had bent but it had not broken through her skin.
When Naruto heard her scream, he saw red. The chakra from the fox that he had lost a grasp on came back in full force. "Sasuke!" He hollered. "You're going too far!"
Sasuke's eyes were still focused on Hinata's slightly bent arm. It was curved down, and he'd felt metal when he made contact. Usually, he was exceptionally good at being able to stop mid-attack and change tactics, but he had been so clouded by getting to Naruto that Hinata being there hadn't registered in time for him to evade. When he looked up at Naruto, he noticed that the aura around him was back to that evil chakra, but this time was more similar to the time on the bridge when they were in the land of waves. The red chakra was shooting out of him and shooting the water everywhere.
Hinata looked back at her friend with tear-filled eyes, shocked at his state. She had never seen him using the tailed beast's chakra. His features had taken on a change that she, weirdly, thought suited him. They didn't look out of place at all to her.
"Naruto, I'm okay!" She assured him. "I shouldn't have jumped in so recklessly, but my…body just moved. I didn't want you to get hurt."
Naruto's eyes went to her. "He shouldn't be hurting either of us!" He snarled before looking back at his opponent. "You're my best friend and I don't care if you think I don't have a right to say anything just because I don't have a brother."
Sasuke, though uneasy, didn't back down. "You'll never understand what it's like to be in someone's shadow! You don't get it, Naruto!"
"I'm in my dad's shadow!" The blonde argued. "And now that he's as sick as he is, I'll never be able to fight him fairly. I'm never going to get out of his shadow!" Naruto understood all too well how it was to be in that position, but while Sasuke could get stronger and eventually beat Itachi fairly, he didn't have the same luxury. If he fought his father now and won, he wouldn't be able to trust that he earned that victory.
Sasuke looked at him shocked. He never knew Naruto had felt that way about his father. He knew he hated how gone Minato was, but he never knew he wanted to prove he was stronger. Yet, it made sense. If his father was Hokage, Sasuke knew he'd want to do the same thing.
"You've never once thought about how I felt, did you?!" Naruto all but screamed. "You're so caught up in yourself that you haven't given a damn about what me and Hinata are going through! So don't stand there like you're the only one who's got a right to be pissed off!"
"It's my life!" Sasuke argued. "I'm paying attention because I'm the one living it!"
"And yet here we are, trying to talk you out of making a mistake because friends do that for each other! It would've been easy to just let you go, but we're fighting for you. Because while it may be easy for other people, it isn't for us! We can't just walk away."
Hinata looked back and forth between the two, worried, but she also didn't know what to say. Naruto was right, but Sasuke had always been concerned for her home life due to the Hyuuga Elders. But it was his anger and his inability to control it that made her hide things from him. She also understood where Sasuke was coming from, and knew that this was something he had to do. Going to Orochimaru, however, was something she could not accept.
If he was leaving to travel and learn new jutsu with anyone else, she would wish him luck.
With how heated things were becoming, Hinata wasn't sure she was going to be able to keep up. She watched, struggling to keep up with the speed at which they were fighting, feeling useless for being unable to help. She wasn't strong enough. She was injured once again. She wasn't as fast. She didn't have a large amount of chakra, not like they did.
Hinata could only watch as she held her injured arm against herself to keep it steady.
Kakashi sprinted through the woods at a speed he thought his old sensei would be proud of, with his summon Pakkun leading the way. He felt panicked and exhausted from the mission he had barely returned from. When Tsunade had given him the news of Sasuke's defection, part of him wasn't surprised but he still sprinted out as fast as he could.
Unfortunately, he hadn't made it very far out of the Hokage Tower when he was stopped by Danzo.
"Ah, Kakashi, how was your mission?" the man asked, though he seemed amused with how rushed the Jonin was. "You seem to be taking the most these days. We're very lucky to have you."
Kakashi halted, biting his inner cheek to keep himself in check. Tsunade had mentioned keeping the situation under wrap, and Danzo was someone he very much wanted to keep in the dark… especially concerning a Uchiha. He would use whatever he could as leverage against the doujutsu users.
"Thank you. It went very well, Danzo-sama," he said politely. "Unfortunately, I'm in a rush. I seem to have eaten some spoiled food, and it's going right through me. How embarrassing." He chuckled in faux embarrassment and quickly rushed off with the most sincere apology he could make. He wasn't an actor, but even Kakashi was impressed with how real it sounded.
He felt uneasy. Both Naruto and Hinata had gone after him. His once cute little team of genin had become chuunin and was at risk for losing each other in the process. He should've made them wait another year before taking the exam, then maybe Orochimaru wouldn't have gotten to Sasuke.
No, maybe if he had talked to Itachi more, made more of an effort, then he wouldn't have felt so backed into a corner when Shisui died. Maybe if he'd pushed the matter regarding Danzo with Lord Third… so many things he could've done. He failed his team.
"Kakashi, we're coming up to come people. Injured, but okay," Pakkun said. He nodded.
It wasn't long before Shikamaru came into view, followed by the Suna genin, Kiba and Akamaru, a Konoha medic, Lee and Haku.
"Kakashi-sensei," Shikamaru called out as they all came to a stop.
"Is everyone okay?" He asked. "Haku?" The newly-named Hatake bowed his head politely.
"Kiba and Akamaru got the worst of it. I just have a broken finger," Shikamaru explained. "Haku really saved Gaara and Lee's butts. All of them, really."
"I'm surprised you noticed, being so busy ogling your girlfriend, after all," Temari teased. The Nara rolled his eyes but felt his heart skip a beat at Hinata being called his girlfriend.
"You have blood on you," the Jonin pointed out.
Shikamaru looked down at himself. "Oh, this isn't mine. It was my opponents. Hinata punched her arm off," he clarified. Everyone grew quiet.
"I guess she's learning more than medical ninjutsu from Tsunade-sama," Kakashi said, breaking the silence. "Okay, so give me the rundown. What am I going to be walking into with those three?"
Lee raised his hand. "Sasuke doesn't seem like he's in his right mind anymore. When I last saw him, he wouldn't even look at Naruto and then disappeared."
"Troublesome," Shikamaru sighed.
Hinata couldn't stop the scream that tore from her lips when Sasuke drove Naruto's head into the ground from a tremendous height. She couldn't move as Sasuke let go of the Uzumaki's body and they both watched as he rolled down into the water, floating on the surface. He looked lifeless.
Finally catching her breath, she got to her feet and ran across the water. "Naruto!" She cried out as she made it to him. She gathered him up into her arms, tears in her eyes. "Sasuke, what have you done?!"
The Uchiha was too busy heaving into the ground to hear her. He was shaking. He had just killed his best friend. It wasn't an accident. He knew what he was doing, but the momentum had picked up so fast that that move was the logical next step against an enemy. Only it wasn't an enemy. Not really.
Hinata tried to heal what she could, but his neck was severely injured. She needed to get him to a hospital. "If he dies, I will never forgive you," she spoke. "I told you to kill me! You're angry at me, so take it out on me!"
Sasuke froze, looking back at her clutching onto their teammate. "I—I didn't…"
Suddenly, an orange glow began bubbling around the Uzumaki, causing Hinata to hiss and pull back. It had burned her. Sasuke rushed over and they watched as Naruto slowly rose to his feet as though his fall was in reverse. When they came face to face, Naruto wasted no time in punching Sasuke in the face, causing the Uchiha to fly back.
"N—Naruto," Hinata whispered. She gasped when the aura from the red chakra increased and she felt genuine fear. It didn't feel like it was Naruto anymore.
Sasuke held his face, groaning loudly. The power from Naruto's red charka exploded out, causing ripples in the wave and Hinata to fall back. She moved to get out of the water. It was too dangerous.
Naruto went after Sasuke, eyes bewildered and in shock. Sasuke was genuinely willing to kill him, he'd proven that much. And yet all he cared about was bringing Sasuke back home. He wasn't mad at him for nearly killing. The Uzumaki chased after Sasuke, who was constantly on the defense. His Sharingan could still keep up with Naruto, but his body wasn't fast enough and none of his fire jutsu were working as his red chakra seemed to be protecting him.
Crouched behind a rock, he peeked around in time to see Naruto's fist coming for him. He barely managed to avoid it by ungracefully rolling out of the way and stumbling to his feet. He'd caught sight of Hinata at a safe distance and felt relief that she was out of harm's way. Because of this, Sasuke was caught off guard and fully took on the kick Naruto landed on him.
He cried out as he slid across the ground before hitting a large rock, being tossed up from the impact, and finally landing in the side of the cliff at a high speed.
Hinata was now using her byakugan to see as too much dirt was blocking her normal vision. She saw Sasuke falling down to his hands and knees out of the crater his body made upon impact and was shocked to see him laughing. His entire body was covered in those marks she saw in the Forest of Death, instilling fear into her hair. She watched as they completely covered his skin with a wide cross mark going black down and across his nose. His skin turned gray, his lips went dark violet, and his hair grew much longer and turned a pale blue color.
She didn't recognize either of her friends.
They struggled and fought against one another, with Sasuke gaining the upper hand and kicking Naruto back. Both Naruto and Hinata watched in shock and thinly veiled disgust as two large hand-shaped wings began sprouting from Sasuke's back.
Naruto could only see Orochimaru behind that look in Sasuke's eyes, and he knew his friend was more than likely gone. He didn't feel all that confident that he could save him, but he wasn't going to stop trying, not even if it killed him. He hoped it didn't come to that as he didn't want Sasuke to be labeled as a rogue nin, just like Itachi. If he could help it, he wasn't going to allow that to happen. He had Sasuke's mother to protect, at the very least.
Abruptly, Sasuke hissed out in pain, groaning as he slightly curled in on himself. But only a second later, after Naruto got back to his feet, they knew what would happen next. Sasuke charged a chidori to his hand as Naruto did the same with his rasengan.
It was just like what happened on the roof but on a grander scale and Hinata began running toward them, trying to stop them just like before. She was halfway there when their attacks met, causing a huge burst of power to emit across the area, blowing her back into the water harshly.
Sasuke's hand slipped to the side, to his advantage, and pushed his arm into Naruto's shoulder. Naruto's nails made contact with Sasuke's forehead protector, incidentally scratching through their village symbol. Their chakra continued integrating, creating a huge, black sphere of concentrated power before it eventually exploded.
Hinata broke through the surface of the water with a gasp. She looked around at the mess that had been created and frantically looked around for her best friends, fearing they had killed each other or even destroyed each other's bodies but she choked back a sob of relief when she saw them just off to the side. Naruto was done, unmoving, as Sasuke stood above him and she quickly climbed out of the water to rush to Naruto's side. They were both back to normal, thankfully.
She slid to a stop and dropped down to her knee as she began providing medical ninjutsu to Naruto's body, relieved to find that he was still alive. She cursed herself for not being able to use both hands but was thankful she could still even move her injured arm. Slowly, she reached for a kunai and tossed it at Sasuke's feet.
"This is your chance," she said quietly. "I've seen what you're willing to do, what you're willing to become."
"Hinata…" He began but stopped as the rain began falling. She moved her gaze to the side when she heard a clinking sound and saw Sasuke's forehead protector come to a stop beside Naruto's head. She stared at it for a moment, noting its similarity to Itachi's, before looking back up to Sasuke, only to see that he was no longer there.
She moved her gaze back to Naruto and continued healing him as best as she could.
"Hinata."
It was Kakashi. She didn't make a single move to look at him, only concentrating on Naruto. Her bangs covered her eyes from his gaze.
"Hinata," he repeated. Finally, she looked up and Kakashi can only describe the look in her eyes as empty and void. "I was too late. Please forgive me." He walked closer and knelt by Naruto's other side.
"This rain is too heavy to track his scent in," she finally spoke. "I…couldn't do anything to stop them or to even help. I should be the one asking for forgiveness."
Kakashi could hear the anguish in her barely audible voice. He then noticed a forehead protector beside Naruto's head and sadly noted the slash through the village symbol. "This wasn't any fault of you, Naruto, or Sasuke. Us adults should've done a better job." When he looked back at her face, he didn't know if it was the rain or tears running down her cheeks. Frankly, he didn't want to know. He didn't think he would be able to handle that right now.
"We need to get him home. He needs proper medical attention. It's not as immediate as before. I couldn't chase after Sasuke even though he was also injured because I couldn't risk stopping the flow of medical ninjutsu to him." She needed her sensei to know that she did not just let Sasuke leave.
He looked down at her injured arm and winced at the slight bend of it. It was starting to become a purple color and no doubt was painful. "I know," he assured her. "So do you." Hinata helped him settle Naruto on his back before they started the journey back to the village, in complete defeat.
Hi! We hope y'all enjoyed the long-awaited battle. It was a very difficult scene to write out. I had to go over it many times, making sure the dialogue made sense, accounting for the changes to canon, and making sure the description of the battle made a lick of sense. I'm not too sure about that last one, but hopefully it was enjoyable! After this, there are two more chapters left.
I'm about 25k words into our next sasuhina fic (which will be a marriage of convenience au)!
-hina
NEXT UPDATE: 05/11/24