Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ The Moon On Fire ❯ Clues to Nothing ( Chapter 9 )

Chapter 9

Clues to Nothing

 

 

When they returned to the house, Mizuki had immediately gone to her room to put her new clothes away and had not come out since. Which was perfectly fine with Sasuke. He cleaned up a bit and went out to the pavilion to relax. But the tense feeling in his heart would not go away.

 

“Why her? What exactly is Itachi after? Why put her through so much terror and pain? Has he snapped? Will I be able to stop him? Will I be able to protect her?” The thoughts swam around his tired mind unceasing. He rubbed his temples, willing the pounding thoughts away but he wasn't the type who was able to relax easily when he was faced with question that had no answers. “I don't think I can defeat him this time.” He thought back to his last encounter with his brother. In the end, he had been forced to rely on the level two power of Orochimaru's curse mark. But that power had done more damage to his body than Itachi and he had promised Sakura and Naruto that he would never rely on its power again. He looked at his hands. “Will I be able to keep that promise if it comes down to it?” He said aloud without intending to.

 

“Sasuke?”

 

Sasuke jumped and spun around. “I can't believe she snuck up on me! Was I that out of it?” His annoyance turned to concern however when he saw her face. She had changed into a pair of blue pants and a light purple top that was very flattering but her face was pale and her eyes red.

 

“Can I ask you something?” She said in a very subdued voice as though she didn't really want to know the answer.

 

Sasuke fought back the concerned feeling and said flippantly, “Sit down.” He motioned to a chair near his own. Mizuki sat in the chair but looked at her lap for several seconds before sighing and looking at Sasuke.

 

“You know what happened to me don't you?”

 

Sasuke was silent for several moments. He should have known this was coming. Sakura had insisted Mizuki not be told anything about what had happened to her until she had been healed. Even when she'd recovered, when she'd asked about it, Sakura laughed it off. She would reassure Mizuki that her memory would come back in no time and there would be time to deal with it then and changed the subject.

 

“We have a good idea yeah.” Sasuke said quietly.

 

“Do…do I want to get my memories back?” Mizuki looked straight at Sasuke, who for all his casual expressions, didn't know how to answer. Mizuki saw this and smiled grimly. “I thought so. I know Sakura-san is just trying to protect me but not knowing anything about myself or what happened to me is driving me insane. All I've managed to get are jumbled and disjointed images that don't make sense. A sky and ground tinted red. Red rain falling in my eyes. I can hear laughter sometimes too when I'm by myself and it's quiet. Horrible, maniacal laughter that I almost recognize...”

 

“It was an illusion Mizuki.” Sasuke interrupted quickly. “That's what Genjutsu is. Nothing more than an illusion.”

 

“There was nothing illusory about it.” Mizuki said sharply. “Illusions can't hurt you. I almost died! I read about Genjutsu while I was in the hospital, well you know I did. It affects the mind, it doesn't harm the body; not like mine was anyway. If I'm forced to remember the things he made me see through hypnosis what will happen to me? I can't get a straight answer from Sakura but I know you'll tell me the truth. All sarcasm and hard feelings aside Sasuke I'm asking you please. What did he do to me?” The look in her eyes was terrified and desperate.

 

Sasuke looked away from her eyes quickly as he fought with his own mixed emotions. He had never agreed with Sakura about keeping everything from Mizuki but he was in no position to be telling her everything either. He realized quickly however that what she was really worried about was being put under a Genjutsu again tomorrow. He thought he could placate her without telling her anything important.

 

“You've got to understand Mizuki. We don't understand everything that's happened to you yet nor why. The only thing we're totally sure of is that Itachi used the Mangekyou Sharingan on you to produce a Genjutsu so strenuous on your mind that your body believed it was being harmed. For every injury you saw in your mind, the same thing happened to your body although no one was physically touching you. But this is a special trait that only Itachi has. I'm not saying that remembering won't hurt your mind, I'm sure it will be traumatic in fact. But physically you will not be harmed. I can promise you that. For what it's worth anyway.” He had intended the last to lighten the mood but Mizuki seemed to not notice. He could see her hands shaking but as he spoke, the shaking lessened. She closed her eyes and sighed.

 

“Traumatic huh? Yeah I'm sure it will be too.” She said quietly. She stood up and walked past Sasuke before saying, “Thank you for telling me that much Sasuke. I appreciate it.” She walked a few steps before Sasuke called out to her.

 

“Mizuki have you remembered anything more?” Suspicion was evident in his voice.

 

Mizuki did not turn around but there was distinct disappointment in her voice, “Nothing that would be of any use to you.” Then she walked back into the house without another word.

 

XXX

 

It was late when Sasuke finally retired. Mizuki had not come out of her room again and he assumed she must be asleep by now. He checked through the house one more time for the sensor traps he had set. If Itachi made it into the village and tried to get into the house, a reaction would be set off with Sasuke's chakra, waking him up immediately. Similar traps had been set up outside of the hospital room while Mizuki was there. After satisfying himself with the preparations, he went to his room, stripped down to his shorts and crawled into bed.

 

He was sure he hadn't been asleep long when he heard it. His eyes shot open and he sat bolt upright, straining to hear it again. His chakra remained calm so he knew the house was still secure. But had the sound come from outside? He stood up carefully and walked over to his window. He could see the whole backyard from his window but could detect no movement and he couldn't sense his brother anywhere. He had almost convinced himself that he was hearing things when he heard it again. A soft but pained whimper. His head automatically turned in the direction it had come from. Mizuki's room! He crept as quickly and quietly as he could to the hallway and stopped in front of her door listening intently. He could hear her whimpering more clearly now but there was no other sound. If Itachi was in the next room, Sasuke was determined to take the advantage of surprise. He focused his chakra and within an instant he was in the room, the flickering of his body slowing till he was solid again. He immediately activated the Sharingan and threw himself into a fighting stance..

 

But no one was there!

 

He stood up straight and his eyes went back to normal. He looked around the room for any traces of entry but everything was quiet and still, except for Mizuki.

 

Her covers lay on the floor in a heap and Mizuki lay on the far side of the bed, clearly asleep but in the grips of what must be a horrific nightmare. Lying on her side, beads of sweat ran down her face which was in a painful grimace and her fists were clenched. As Sasuke watched, she tossed her head and groaned. Tears formed in her closed eyes and ran down her cheeks.

 

Sasuke stood beside the bed staring at Mizuki. Her appearance now bore an uncanny resemblance to the girl he had first seen over a week ago twisted and tortured in the sand village. But she had slept peacefully in the hospital since her return to Konoha. If she'd had any nightmares Sasuke had been unable to tell. Perhaps it was a result of their talk earlier. He hadn't seen her that upset in a few days, and the sudden changes this day had brought had to be wreaking havoc on her subconscious. Whatever the reason, standing beside her bed watching the tears run down her face, an uncomfortable pressure started in Sasuke's heart. She looked so small and fragile at that moment. A night and day difference from the girl who drove him crazy with every word she spoke and every smile he knew she forced. He felt like he was seeing her for the first time. Seeing past a barrier that, asleep, she didn't have the energy to put up. “And here she was trying so hard.” He thought with a mixture of annoyance and sadness. His brain told him to wake her up and end her misery but when his body started to move, that's not what happened.

 

When he had time to think about it later, Sasuke could not (or would not) figure out what came over him; after all, he couldn't stand this girl. His oath to protect her was his duty, nothing more and nothing less. But at this moment, as he sat down then drew his legs up on the bed, nothing entered his thoughts other than how he wanted to comfort her and make her pain go away. Suffering was nothing new to him, he'd seen his best friends in circumstances more terrible than this and he had been able to carry on with his missions. But he remembered the look in her eyes earlier when she had begged him to tell her the truth. All the strength she'd shown up until that point was crumbling away and as much as he had fought it and tried to deny it, the pain and loneliness in her eyes had ripped at his heart. And it was his heart now that took control and most surprising and annoying of all, he let it.

 

Praying feverently that she wouldn't wake, Sasuke laid down next to her and very gently pulled her to him. Her face against his chest, he could feel her tears hot against his skin and he hugged her more tightly to him. He ran his hand through her sweat-dampened hair, brushing it back from her face. Her entire body was rock hard with fear. He breathed calmly, willing his body to relax and for her to feel it. After a few more tense minutes, her clenched fists began to loosen and her breathing slowed. He could feel the muscles in her body begin to relax. Still sound asleep, she stretched her neck, seeking out the pillow and Sasuke used the opportunity to slip his left arm underneath her neck. Her head now supported, she yawned deeply and sighed. If possible, she snuggled herself even closer to Sasuke, her head resting on his shoulder, just underneath his chin. Her breath was incredibly warm against his neck. Sasuke locked his arms together behind her back, enclosing her in as much comfort and warmth as he could muster. Soon enough he felt the last of the tension in her body leave her and within a few more minutes, she was deeply asleep; somewhere past dreaming. He didn't move, he hardly dared breathe for fear he would wake her now that she was sleeping peacefully. But he didn't let go.

 

He didn't know how long he lay there, listening to the sound of her breathing. He told himself he must not fall asleep lest she wake up before him and discover what he'd done. But he could feel her heartbeat, strong and steady, thumping next to his own and it was having a hypnotic effect on him. He felt his own body relaxing and the strangest feeling had come over his heart. The tension and uncertainty that had plagued his every sense since the start of this crazy mission was slipping away and he felt himself falling into what he was sure would be the best sleep he'd ever had. But with a start, just before sleep could take him, he came fully awake and chastised himself. He couldn't allow himself to let down his guard. Mizuki's life was depending on it. Slowly and very, very carefully, Sasuke slipped his arms out from around Mizuki's body and with the reflexes he prided himself on, whipped a pillow under her head before it had moved an inch. Mizuki didn't even twitch. Then just as carefully, he crept out of the bed and out the door. He ignored how cold he suddenly felt as he got back into his own bed.

 

He tried to call forth the feeling of peace again but the world seemed suddenly more dark and unforgiving. The vice closed around his heart once again and when he finally did fall asleep, his dreams were haunted by dark red eyes so similar yet so different from his own.

 

XXX

 

Mizuki awoke the next morning more relaxed and refreshed than she could ever remember feeling. Which was strange considering she could remember having a nightmare the previous night. But she could no longer remember what had been happening in it. She decided it wise to not dwell on it. She was sure she'd be reliving a true nightmare soon enough. She dressed in black pants and a blue t-shirt and standing before the mirror, put the vial of sand Gaara had given her carefully in her pocket. It had become her good luck charm over the last few days. The only thing around her that brought her comfort. She believed with all her heart that Gaara would protect her if she needed him. She'd tried to convince herself the same of her leaf protectors too. Especially Naruto. For every sincere smile he had given her over the last few days, she'd felt her fear of him fading but just as she'd manage to convince herself that her fear of him was baseless, she'd look at him and suddenly see in her mind's eye; a red sky, red light, and cruel laughter. Her heart would start thumping like crazy again and she would be right back where she started.

 

“You know what's really strange?” She said to her reflection. “I've met several other people since coming to Konoha and yet none of them have triggered the same reaction of fear like Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke and Kakashi. Well maybe Tsunade-sama but that's different. She's just a scary person when she wants to be. Ino is great and Neji…well…stop it you're acting like a stupid teenager.” She chastised her reflection but couldn't keep the smile from her face. She wasn't sure she'd be any good at Taijutsu but she figured she'd enjoy the lesson just the same.

 

Despite the nervousness she felt about her first memory retrieval session Mizuki left her room with a smile on her face, which disappeared in a flash when she saw Sasuke sitting at the kitchen table drinking tea. He looked to be in a supremely bad mood.

 

“Well good morning sunshine.” She said warily as she passed him to get some tea for herself.

 

Sasuke said nothing but continued to inspect the table while sipping his tea.

 

“Fine.” Mizuki took her tea and sat at the table opposite her moody bodyguard. She sipped at her own tea not knowing that Sasuke's bad mood was because of her, only not in the way she would have thought.

 

“That was a stupid thing to do. What the hell was I thinking?” He asked his brain for the hundredth time. And for the hundredth time, he got no answer. “I can never do that again. Next time I'll just give her a good smack and wake her up. That's what I should have done in the first place.” Even after telling himself that it was a momentary lapse of compassion and nothing more he couldn't stop the whisperings that had started in his heart. He sat immersed in his bad mood until Mizuki's impatient voice cut through the fog.

 

“It's getting late Sasuke. Hadn't we better get going?”

 

Sasuke looked up shocked. “When did she come out?” He thought to himself annoyed. He could hear Ino's voice in his head from yesterday. “Looks like our mysterious new friend is having an effect on you after all.” He stood up and put his tea cup in the sink far more forcefully than necessary. Mizuki jumped at the loud noise and shot him a nasty look.

 

“I'm sure that wasn't necessary.”

 

“Let's go.” Was all he said and he walked out the door. Mizuki looked after him shocked. Then she threw her own tea cup in the sink and ran after him.

 

“What the hell crawled up his butt and died this morning?”

 

Forty five minutes later Mizuki sat on a plain wooden chair in the middle of a black room with scrawls all over the floor in white chalk. There was a single light directly above her and she couldn't see five feet around her in any direction. It felt more like an interrogation than something that was supposed to help her and even looking forward to her lesson with Neji that afternoon wasn't making her feel any better. She squinted at the darkness to her right. She knew Sakura and Naruto were there, and Sasuke was on his way but for some reason that made her feel worse. She didn't know why but she didn't want them to know what her memories held. She shocked herself by realizing that she didn't want to hurt them. And she somehow knew that whatever lay trapped in her subconscious, it would hurt them just as much as it would hurt her.

 

“Are you ready Mizuki-chan?” A voice suddenly came from the darkness. Mizuki looked to her left as a shinobi wearing a strange animal mask came into the light and stopped just a few feet away from her.

 

Mizuki tried to stop her voice from shaking. “No. But let's do it anyway.” The Anbu shinobi opened his palm and drawn in the centre was a small swirl.

 

“Please focus on this symbol.” Mizuki stared at the swirl and amazingly, it began to rotate! She had been afraid that her nervousness and her irritation with Sasuke's even worse than normal attitude (which had gotten a whole lot worse when they had gotten to Anbu headquarters. One of the Anbu had taken Sasuke aside and said something that seemed to really upset him. He had rudely told her to go on, he'd be there in a minute.) would keep her from being able to concentrate but within 30 seconds of the swirl beginning to rotate, the Anbu snapped his fingers and Mizuki was out like a light.

 

Naruto stood beside an extremely irritated Sakura and watched the Anbu put Mizuki under with apprehension. He could hear Sakura's annoyed sighs but he ignored them. He had found her waiting just outside the building where the Anbu were housed but she had not been happy to see him.

 

“What are you doing here Naruto? Don't you have duties this morning?” She asked grumpily.

 

“They can wait. Mizuki-chan is more important.” He replied stopping next to her.

 

“That's why I'm here. If things get too heated I will be able to help her. You don't need to be here.”

 

“I gave Mizuki-chan my word that I would protect her and no one is going to stop me from doing it. Not the old hag and not even you Sakura-chan.”

 

Sakura felt stung. In all the years she'd known Naruto, he'd never spoken to her like he'd been doing in the last several days. Usually he would whine at her for being mean to him and in the next breath he'd try to get her to agree to a date later as compensation. Since they'd started this mission however, he'd been quiet and almost cold with her. She couldn't even blame Mizuki for it because it had started before they had met her. But she knew that much of his recent attitude had a lot to do with Mizuki and even though she would admit it to no one, not even herself, she hated it. Naruto was changing, pulling farther away from her and putting himself as close to Mizuki as possible.

 

Naruto knew very well how he was talking to Sakura and although the last thing he wanted in the world was to hurt her, he felt himself unable to stop. He couldn't have pinpointed when it started but he knew his heart was pulling itself away from Sakura. He also knew it was focusing more on Mizuki. He told himself that it was only because she was so alone and, knowing what loneliness was like, he wanted to save her from the pain. But when she had stepped out of the change room in that dress. He had felt like someone had sucker punched him straight in the chest. The way her hair fell just so on her shoulders, the way the dress fit her figure perfectly, even how red her face had been. It had awakened a feeling in Naruto that he thought he would never feel for anyone besides Sakura. And if his desire to protect her had been strong before, it was undeniable now. So he had put off the errands Tsunade had given him and instead come to the memory retrieval session. The trouble he would be in later didn't matter. He had promised Mizuki he would protect her and he never went back on his word.

 

“That was fast.” Sasuke murmured quietly as he walked up beside Sakura causing her to gasp in surprise. “I thought Neji said it would take more effort than that.”

 

“Where the heck have you been?” She whispered to him but he shook his head. “She's not in a Genjutsu yet.” Sakura corrected him annoyed. “It is going to take a lot of effort to infiltrate her memories, it's just easier if she's unconscious. That's why they hypnotized her first. Hypnosis doesn't need chakra to be effective.”

 

The Anbu who had hypnotized Mizuki snapped his fingers a few times close to her face. She didn't even flinch.

 

“Heh. She can sleep through anything.” Sasuke muttered to himself.

 

“What the hell does that mean?” Sakura suddenly said a little too loudly.

 

“If you cannot be quiet, you'll have to leave.” One Anbu spoke up.

 

“Knock it off you two. This is important to Mizuki-chan.” Naruto whispered harshly. Sasuke ignored him but Sakura shot him a dark look. He was completely focused on watching the process in front of him. The stung feeling hit her again and she forced herself to look away.

 

Three other Anbu had approached the chair where Mizuki sat unconscious and they formed a crude circle around her. They made a series of seals with their hands with lightning speed and then stopped. They appeared to be focusing very intently. All was silent and still for several minutes and then suddenly the Anbu on the left gave out a soft groan.

 

“Are they going to be able to do this?” Sasuke whispered almost inaudibly to Sakura.

 

“If I could heal her with no chakra then they can do this.” Sakura said simply.

 

Several more minutes passed by and Sasuke was starting to get fidgety. The Anbu that had stopped him when he and Mizuki had arrived had given him the worst possible news. The body of an Anbu guard had been found yesterday a few hundred yards outside the village walls. The body had no visible marks but a post mortem showed that his otherwise healthy heart had endured an extreme amount of stress over a very short period of time and had a fatal attack. In other words, he had been frightened to death . The other Anbu were sure it was the work of Itachi and had given Sasuke instructions from Tsunade that even while Mizuki was with Neji, Sasuke was to stay close by. They had not been able to determine if Itachi had entered the village yet but it was clear that whatever was going to happen, it would be going down soon. Kakashi had the Anbu on even higher alert around the village but Tsunade had made it clear that their first priority was to maintain the safety of the villagers. When it came down to protecting Mizuki, Sasuke would likely be on his own. He tried to shake his now even more horrible mood and focus on what was happening to Mizuki but in the dark it was extremely hard so he looked to Naruto for distraction but he was still staring intently at Mizuki where she still sat unconscious and unmoving in her seat.

 

Sasuke knew his best friend better than anybody and Naruto's change of attitude towards Sakura had not gone unnoticed by him. He knew Naruto had felt frustrated in the beginning at not being chosen to protect Mizuki. He knew Naruto felt as though his strength wasn't being acknowledged. But he doubted highly now that strength had much to do with his wanting to constantly be by Mizuki's side. “Sakura may have played stubborn a little too long.” He thought a little sadly. Sasuke had not said anything but he had been lying awake in his sleeping bag the night that Naruto had promised Mizuki he would protect her. He had heard the conviction in Naruto's voice and knew that if necessary, Naruto would die to protect Mizuki and he would do it willingly, not just as part of his duty. Sasuke couldn't even say that much. His expression softened as he thought of his best friend's determination. “It's how he saved me after all. If we all make it through this alive, I'll have to remember to have a talk with the both of them about stubbornness and admitting their feelings.”

 

He saw Naruto's expression darken and looked to where his gaze was directed only to see Mizuki's face contort suddenly into a fierce frown. He put his attention fully on her as one of the Anbu broke his concentration and knelt down in front of her.

 

“Mizuki-chan can you hear me?” He said slowly.

 

Mizuki tilted her head as though she was having a hard time hearing him but then answered, “Are you talking to me?”

 

“Yes I am. Is your name not Mizuki?”

 

“No.”

 

“Could you tell me your name please?”

 

Sasuke could hear Naruto and Sakura inhale audibly. He felt himself involuntarily tense as well.

 

“No.”

 

Three very audible exhales could be heard from the darkness.

 

“Why not?” The Anbu pressed on.

 

“I…” She paused and frowned again. “I don't have a name.”

 

The Anbu switched tactics. “Can you tell me where you're from?”

 

Again a frown of deep thought then, “No. I don't have a home.”

 

“Hmmm.” The Anbu thought for a second and then, “Can you tell me where you are right now?”

 

“In a dark room.” A pause. “I can't see very well. Everything's blurry and it looks red.”

 

The three leafs in the darkness leaned forward once more.

 

“Why is it red?” The Anbu asked carefully.

 

“Because he's playing another game.” A smile lit her face now.

 

“Who is playing a game?”

 

“Itachi of course.” She said this in a manner that said she thought everyone should know the answer. Her tone had changed. She was no longer frowning. She was smiling as though the memory was a pleasant one but her hands remained clenched tightly.

 

“Which game is he playing?” The Anbu looked towards the three leafs in the corner and even though they couldn't see his face through the mask, they had an idea what expression he was making. It probably matched theirs.

 

“He's trying to make my chakra disappear. That's why everything is red.”

 

Even the Anbu could not suppress a gasp.

 

“Do you know how he's doing it?” The Anbu asked tersely, unable to keep his voice from rising.

 

“No. He does it all the time. He makes it disappear then he makes it reappear. It's like magic. It makes me feel weird but it's funny too.”

 

Her expression suddenly changed. A frown spread itself across her features and genuine fear entered her voice.

 

“What's wrong Mizuki-chan. What do you see?” The Anbu asked quickly.

 

“Stop calling me that!” She practically yelled. “It's not my name!”

 

“I apologize. Please tell me what's happening.”

 

“I don't…I can't…” Her breathing became more rapid and her head darted quickly in different directions as though even with her eyes closed she was still trying to see all around her. “I don't understand…What do you want from me?”

 

“What does who want? Itachi?”

 

“I don't understand. What do you want? Why does it hurt? I didn't do anything!”

 

“Mizuki-chan relax. He can't hurt you.” The Anbu placed a hand on Mizuki's head and made a seal with the other hand. He muttered a few words but instead of relaxing, Mizuki's voice became even louder.

 

“Stop calling me that dammit!” She yelled. “I told you I don't have a name!”

 

“But everyone has a name.” The Anbu prodded.

 

“I don't.” She insisted. “Only human's have names. I don't have a name! I don't have a name! I don't have a name!” Her voice became louder and louder and it was joined by a tone of almost hysteria. Her eyes still closed, she pounded her fists on the arm of the chair.

 

“I don't have a name! Only humans have names! I don't have a name!” She screamed louder and louder still.

 

“Stop it! Snap her out of it! Stop it now!” Naruto yelled, ignoring Sakura's attempts to grab his arm and running over to Mizuki where her agitation was increasing more still.

 

“Stay back Naruto-kun!” The Anbu held his arms up.

 

“Like hell! She can't handle much more! You have to release her!” Naruto would have run right to the chair but Sasuke caught up to him and put his hand on his shoulder. Naruto stopped and looked at his best friend.

 

“She can handle it Naruto. You said yourself that she's strong.” Sasuke's face was stoic as always but Naruto swore he could detect a tinge of sorrow in his voice.

 

Naruto didn't say anything but watched as Mizuki pounded the chair arms and yelled over and over that she didn't have a name. The Anbu placed his hands over Mizuki's own and forced them still so she would not hurt herself. Mizuki's eyes flew open and tears flowed freely from them. But she was still deeply in the hypnotic Genjutsu and she did not see the person in front of her keeping her still. She continued to scream about not having a name. She was growing increasingly intelligible. Naruto was about to move again when suddenly the other three Anbu who had been still as statue's standing about Mizuki, yelled “Kai!” at the same time and then dropped to the floor, clearly exhausted.

 

Mizuki instantly went quiet and her head dropped to her lap, her hair falling in and obscuring her face. Everything was quiet for a few seconds then the silence was broken by quiet sobs coming from the chair. The Anbu holding Mizuki's hands let go and they flew to her face as her sobs became louder. The Anbu backed away and Naruto shook Sasuke off and ran to Mizuki. He dropped to his knees in front of her and put his hands on her shoulders. She jumped a mile and moved her hands to see who had her. It took a few seconds but she sobbed, “Naruto!” She threw her arms around his neck and dropped to the floor beside him crying. He wrapped his arms around her and whispered soothingly to her.

 

Sakura came up beside Sasuke and they were quiet for a few moments, watching Naruto trying to comfort the distraught Mizuki. Sakura watched with dark eyes. She felt horrible for Mizuki and she still felt somewhat annoyed at Naruto's actions but inner Sakura said logically. “Better Naruto than Sasuke right?”

 

“Right.” She answered herself and ignored the little pang that told her she was lying.

 

“What was that?” Sasuke asked.

 

“Oh god did I say that out loud!?” Sakura turned bright red and was glad the lights were still out so he couldn't see. “Um…I said, did you hear what Mizuki-chan said just before the Anbu released the jutsu?”

 

“Yeah I did.” Sasuke said somberly.

 

It had barely been distinguishable from her hysterical crying but just after Naruto's first outburst, Mizuki had yelled,

 

“Itachi took my name! He took away my name!”