Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Broken, Inside and Out ❯ Chapter 1 ( Chapter 1 )

Niara: never mind…

 

Disclaimer: Don't own `em

 

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Broken; Inside and Out: Chapter 1

 

Sakura Haruno, the last remaining member of Team 7, sighed and shoved a hand through her long pink hair, her pale green eyes dark as she gazed out at the woods that surrounded the village. Her ANBU mask hid her half-dead expression from the two shinobi on either side of her, one from the T&I department, the other from her newest squad. She hated living like this, waiting day after day for news about her two lost friends. The shinobi to her right, Aika Mitsuragi, sighed, her tone betraying her annoyance.

 

“Why are all of us really needed here?” she muttered. “It's not like we have anything to worry about since the Sound have been so silent lately.”

 

“Because,” Sakura growled out, trying to force her annoyance down, “we still have enemies. The Akatsuki are still out there and the Sound may not be as silent as we think. We can't afford to get lax just because no one has attacked us recently.”

 

Aika snorted and crossed her arms. “You know that is just a load of bull from the higher ups. It's not like any of us fought in the War.”

 

Sakura stiffened, her eyes blazing behind her mask. “I did.”

 

She kept her face forward, eyes locked on the dark woods that moved back and forth in the wind. She ignored the looks that her companions were giving her, knowing full and well that neither of them had realized that she was one of the Konoha 12. There was no noise after that, nothing.

 

The kunoichi kept her gaze directed out at the woods, watching constantly for the signs of movement. Then she stiffened. “Send a signal down the line. Tell them it's a lone figure. Unsure if there are more. I'm moving to intercept.”

 

Sakura leapt off the ledge before either of the other ninja could protest, streaking towards the figure in she had spotted. She knew that her movements were too fast for them to follow, for them to be able to report her position, but she didn't really care. It came with training beside two of Konoha's most powerful ninja most of her genin career. She broke to the right the second she hit the trees, her eyes hunting for the flicker of movement she had spotted.

 

There!

 

She moved with speed that belied her size, appearing before the dark, stumbling figure before it really had a chance to react. “Who are you and what is your business here?”

 

The man, for it was definitely a male, despite the length of his raven hair, looked up at her masked face, dead, soulless black eyes meeting hers thru her mask. The kunai in her hand fell to the ground and her mouth fell open in shock. She absently noted that his hitai-ate was tied to his arm, no slash marring the leaf symbol of their village, her mind coming to a halt as she gazed at the thin, skeletal, older face of her once teammate.

 

“Sasuke…”

 

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He stumbled through the woods blindly, his eyes unseeing, his body in so much pain. It hurt to keep walking, but he had no choice. He had to reach the village. He had to return. He had to deliver his master's message and gain his freedom.

 

There was blood running down the side of his face from a thin, jagged cut where he had been attacked earlier that day, the wound untended and growing infected. Still, he stumbled on, trying to find his way through the familiar darkness to the light he knew was out there, just waiting for him to arrive.

 

Up ahead, he could see the break, the place where the trees ended and the empty field that now surrounded Konoha on all sides began. He only had to walk a little further and he was there. A figure appeared in front of him, halting his progress. It was an ANBU, judging by the black uniform and petal strewn mask. She held a kunai in one hand, her other hand clenched as if in preparation to throw a punch.

 

“Who are you and what is your business here?” That voice, he knew that voice. Only, the voice he remembered was so much younger, more annoying, less…hollow.

 

He looked up, not wanting to believe it, his eyes meeting what he knew to be a set of pale green ones through the slits where her eyes were. Her kunai fell from her had to land with a soft thump on the ground, completely forgotten by both of them. She was shaking, her entire frame, so thin and fragile looking, vibrating with her shock.

 

“Sasuke…”

 

The Uchiha took a step forward, hand raising as if to reach out and touch the woman. He barely lifted his foot before he collapsed, his body at last giving into the exhaustion now that he had ceased. His last sight was of Sakura, running to his aide, just like before.

 

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Itachi stared at the flame that tipped the candle absently, his fingers stroking the head of his beloved pet yet again, a habit he had developed of late. Sasuke had to have arrived by now, there was no doubt of that in his mind. The younger of the Uchiha Brothers was never one to give up and that hadn't change, not even after Itachi had finally broken him to his will. By now, he was in the loving care of the people of Konohagakure no Sato.

 

Everything was going according to plan.

 

He tugged at the blond strands a little more forcefully, making the younger man at his feet look up at him, empty blue eyes meeting his flinty ones. Itachi ran his fingers down the scarred face of the man, tracing every feature with an almost loving hand. He wrapped his other hand in the blonde's hair and lifted, forcing the ninja into a kneeling position.

 

“You know what I want, Kazuki,” Itachi whispered, thumb ghosting over the thin scars on each cheek gently. “You know what to do.”

 

The blond did as his master asked, hands rising to move the fabric of the older man's pants out of the way so that his mouth could caress the flesh. Unknown to Itachi, in his own mind, the Kazuki was thinking, the gears turning faster than his expression reveled.

 

Yes, everything was going according to plan. His plan, that is.

 

Soon, it would all be over.

 

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Niara: so…yeah…still have no clue what I'm doing, but I do know what Kazuki's plan is and what Sasuke is going to do in Konoha. Thanks to any of you who bother to review!

 

By the way, any suggestions as to who will be helping Sasuke mend while he's in Konoha are welcome. I think I'm going to do something with Sakura, so please don't suggest her. I don't really care who it is. Thanks.