Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Wasted Years ❯ Ch. 11: I Knew ( Chapter 11 )

Wasted Years

by Mizerable

Ch. 11: I Knew

* * *

His fingers grazed over the inscription with a detached sense of fascination. The etched words painted him in a much more flattering light than he actually deserved.

"What's it say?" Yanagi asked, crouching close to the stare at the markings she couldn't interpret.

"It says I died," Sasuke replied numbly. He had died three years ago, hadn't he? He couldn't deny how much of a struggle his time away had been, making him wonder if he had been in hell all along. That would make Yanagi the devil after all and perhaps that was an accurate description. He did things with her, to her, that he could never have imagined. Stole. Killed. Fucked. For all intents and purposes, she owned his soul and he had no choice but to follow her every order. Coupled with that deal she made with the Leaf, Sasuke was completely hers.

"Does this say "death"?" Yanagi inquired, her fingers echoing his path. Sasuke blinked in surprise, momentarily forgetting she couldn't read. It was in these moments when he would realize none of this was a dream, nor was he dead. If this were hell, the devil would never struggle as much as she did. "It's my name," he murmured, "This stone is where the names of Leaf shinobi are carved after they die in battle." Yanagi nodded faintly, her eyebrows drawn in concentration. She startled just a tad when Sasuke took hold of her fingers and traced them along each stroke, sounding out each part. Yanagi's eyes focused intently on the characters, her fingertips memorizing the feel of his name against her skin.

Not once had Yanagi ever indicated she actually wanted to learn such things. She had survived this long without it. It certainly didn't seem like something important to know by now. Besides, as long as he was there, she claimed he could do all the reading for her. Sasuke could admit he was somewhat humbled by her interest in his name. For such an unruly and wise woman, it was amazing how easily she could remind him of a child. Not that he would ever tell her such a thing.

"It's a little odd to find you here, don't you think?" Sasuke didn't even bother turning around to face the voice. He already knew who it was. Yanagi glanced over her shoulder only to find one eye looking back, as the rest of the man's face was concealed. "I guess it is strange to visit my own grave," Sasuke mumbled. Yanagi's hand was reaching for her shuriken but Sasuke put a hand on her shoulder to call her off. "What brings you here, Kakashi?" Sasuke kept his voice even and ignored Yanagi's raised eyebrows. She said once she wanted to meet Kakashi… "I doubt you're here to pay your respects."

"No, I did come here for that. Heroes deserve respect." Sasuke didn't miss out on the sarcasm. Obviously Kakashi wasn't counting him as part of that class.

That was very much the truth. Kakashi unfortunately wanted to believe Sasuke was dead, not a traitor. How a man could turn his back on everything and everyone for so selfish a gain was beyond his understanding. He knew it was impossible to stop a man bent on revenge; he could perhaps even understand it. But the fact that Sasuke most likely fought and survived Itachi and still chose not to return home angered him a great deal. A young man who understood the feelings of abandonment and loneliness better than anyone must have realized how greatly his absence would affect those left behind.

"I told you before that the worst thing a person could do is betray their friends," Kakashi stated flatly.

"I had none to betray," Sasuke answered, eyes narrowed.

Sasuke really had transformed into something terrible. He had always been cold in his younger days, but Kakashi would have thought Sasuke still had some kind feelings for his former team, just as they had of him. Three years later and Kakashi couldn't forget the sound of Naruto's screaming the day he was told Sasuke died. Nor could he forget the amount of times Sakura would start crying and not even realize it. She could be training or eating or walking and the tears would just start flowing but she never noticed after hurting for so long. But by now, Sakura had no tears left. She poured out everything that she was and was just empty inside now. Both of them suffered so greatly over a person that didn't even care.

"I ought to kill you right here."

Kakashi noted the Aohi leader didn't seem too pleased with that statement. He knew he couldn't do a damn thing now that Jiraiya made that deal with her.

"I wouldn't go makin' any threats if I was you," Yanagi declared, her hand reaching for the handle of her sword just in case.

"I'm aware of the situation," Kakashi answered gruffly. Well, no one was lying when they told him how protective she was of Sasuke.

"Why do you defend him so fiercely?" Kakashi doubted she would give a straight answer if he flat-out asked of her feelings for Sasuke. She didn't seem to be the emotional type, though perhaps she had a better sense of loyalty than her companion. She was the leader of the Aohi, after all. They may not be the most savory of folk but even they must share some sort of common bond of camaraderie. She was likely just protective of her crew.

Though right now, his question seemed to have the gears in her mind turning. Perhaps she heard all the other questions that had been spoken within the one he asked. It would be interesting to hear what she had to say.

Why, indeed…

"I protect Uchiha 'cause he's one of my important soldiers," Yanagi stated, not surprising either men who heard her. It was the truth. He was so very valuable to the Aohi and he was a great help to their efforts, but something about her answer felt empty. Like she was missing something important.

"And he's as close to a home as I've got."

The words came out though she wasn't even sure that's what she meant to say. They felt real enough, despite her surprising sense of insecurity. Kakashi's visible eye widened slightly, before relaxing into his usual lazy gaze. So these two were probably more than just traveling companions, after all. Even after all this time passed, Kakashi found himself dumbfounded that Sasuke would indulge in such a relationship before he killed Itachi. Whether they loved each other or not was irrelevant. Whatever Sasuke felt for her kept him by her side for three long years and likely built a strong sense of trust between the two. Trust that he never even gave his own teammates.

Now that his immediate anger resided, he could observe how relaxed Sasuke seemed with this woman. Though he got the feeling she could be relaxed no matter who was nearby. It wasn't something he would want to admit, but perhaps the fact that Sasuke got out of this village and away from the place that haunted him so terribly…Maybe he reached some sort of peace within his troubled world. That was all well and good, but it was no wonder Naruto was as upset as he'd been after returning home. The relationship these two possessed was bound to stir up some painful emotions in some cases.

"While I doubt you have intentions of remaining here…When this fight is over, leave Konoha and never return."

"First you get pissed at me for leaving, now you'll be angry if I stay?" Sasuke couldn't help but sound a little irritated. What the hell did these people want from him? "Are you afraid I'll really become like him and destroy your precious home?"

"It'll break her heart if she finds out you're here," Kakashi declared with a somewhat somber tone. He would not stand to see that girl suffer anymore. Sasuke ground his teeth and restrained himself from cursing about this. Just like with Naruto, his former teacher was horribly protective of her. Was it really necessary to bring her up all the time? It's not like they were ever involved…

Yanagi's curiosity was piqued again. It didn't take a genius to figure out what girl Kakashi was talking about. What a shame…She wanted to meet this Sakura.

Approaching footsteps signaled the arrival of another person and everyone's attention was drawn to that direction. "Oh, Kakashi-sensei. I haven't seen you lately," Sakura greeted, incense sticks and flowers nestled comfortably in her hand. With everything that had been going in regards to unearthing the Akatsuki's plans, she hardly had any time to see her teacher.

Kakashi felt what could probably be as close as he could come to panicking. There was no way to distract Sakura long enough for those two to leave. There was nothing he could do to stop this. How had he not sensed her approaching?

"Sensei, what's…wrong…"

The items once clutched by her fingers scattered across the ground. The words she tried to form in her mind and force out of her mouth came out as small, incoherent squeaks. It couldn't be…He was…He…

"Sa…su…ke…kun?"

Her voice trembled. Her body trembled. She felt as if she might faint at any given moment. Was this an Akatsuki trick? Was she hallucinating? Dreaming?

Yet another mysterious arrival.Uchiha sure knew a lot of people. Whoever this girl was, she was rather beautiful. Soft features, expressive green eyes, fair skin. The girl probably came from a rather comfortable home. Judging by the shuriken holster strapped to her thigh, it seemed the girl was also a ninja. Somehow Yanagi found that a bit hard to believe. What was with all the pampered kids in this village?

She looked pretty damn upset right now, too. Her boy wasn't fairing too well when it came to his former villagers, considering how upset they all became as soon as they saw him. It sort of made her wonder what he did that was so wonderful that when he was gone, they were left with such immense pain. Maybe she should ask this girl.

"Sakura," Sasuke murmured, his features completely blank. If he was feeling anything right now, he wasn't letting it show. Yanagi, however, felt something jolt within. This was the girl. This was the girl Sasuke left behind. Every time they fucked, he was seeing this girl's face. Somehow, she felt less intrigued to learn about this Sakura now they were face to face.

"How-How are-" The words simply wouldn't form. She couldn't even ask it.

"Sakura, you need to calm down," Kakashi spoke gently, "There are important things you need to be told." She gave the vaguest of agreements and continued to stare wide-eyed at Sasuke.

"Obviously, Sasuke didn't die as previously thought," her teacher began and she couldn't help but feel her lips begin to form a hopeful smile. He was alive. Sasuke was alive!

"Instead…" This was going to be so painful for her. He really didn't want to be the one to always break bad news to her. But by now, the truth was something she earned. "He chose the path of a missing-nin…abandoning his home."

Her face cracked as her short-lived happiness dropped away. There was no way. There was no way he would do something like that!

"That can't be true…" she whispered, "That can't be true! Sasuke-kun wouldn't just abandon the Leaf like that!"

He knew this wouldn't be easy for her to accept. Sakura was such a gentle and kind girl. She could never imagine the one she held such deep feelings for could become a traitor. In some regards, she was more naïve than Naruto.

"I know it's hard for you to accept…But he's returned not as a Leaf shinobi, but as a member of the mercenary group Aohi."

Sakura's mouth opened to argue with him but she paused. Why wasn't Sasuke defending himself? This was obviously all a lie.

"Sasuke-kun?" She could barely even sound out his name. Her feet felt like lead as she numbly moved closer to him. Her shaking hand reached out to touch him but lost her courage just as her hand hovered above his cheek. It wasn't even until now that she was able to notice the scrapes on his face, the torn clothing. He had been in a fight recently and it must have been a fierce battle. Noting the details, she was able to take in the fact he grew a great deal, as the top of her head now only reached his chin. He was so thin…

How much did he endure since he was last home?

Sasuke felt as if he shouldn't be as amazed as he was. Why the hell was she still so obsessed with him after all these years? He treated her like dirt constantly when he was around and then left her and the entire village behind. Did she spend all this time stupidly grasping to the last time they saw each other. She must have realized it didn't mean anything. She had to.

"I'm only here to fight the Akatsuki. When it's all over, I'll be leaving this place for the last time," Sasuke confirmed.

Sasuke was a traitor.

Sasuke abandoned the Leaf.

Sasuke abandoned her.

The hurt was filling up and overwhelming all her senses. She spent three years mourning him and he most likely hadn't given her a second thought. All she suffered through so unnecessarily was forming into a completely unfamiliar and blinding anger. Instinctively, her hand came up and connected to his cheek with a resounding slap.

Of all the people he expected it from, he never thought the day would come when she would be the one to lash out at him. Not that he hadn't necessarily earned it. He really hadn't expected her to be the one to hit him so hard that his teeth were left rattling, the familiar tang of blood filling his mouth. She had become much stronger since he last saw her.

"You bastard!" she cried, "How could you do this to us!?"

He knew damn well to hear "me" instead of "us."

"I believed-All this time, I believed in you, Sasuke-kun!"

Sakura took off in the other direction, ignoring Kakashi as he called after her. She needed to get as far away from there and him as possible. For all his faults, she never expected Sasuke to betray her. And yet her heart had belonged to him all this time, while he never cared for her.

Why did Naruto ever choose to stay with a girl like her?

Why was she such an idiot!?

Sasuke could sense Kakashi's anger but it really didn't register in his mind. Sakura was a fool to cling to those emotions over these long years, emotions he never returned and never could. He lost control a few times physically and that was it. He was an idiot back then, anyway.

Though somehow after seeing her again, he couldn't help but feel the strangest hint of loss.

* * *

Sakura prayed he received the call-back order and had already returned. Screaming his name, she pounded incessantly at his door. A very exhausted and startled Naruto finally answered and Sakura all but barged into his home. "Sakura-chan?"

"Naruto, he's-he's-"

She knows!

He could feel himself growing more and more angry by the minute. He made it damn clear that Sasuke was a dead man if he went near Sakura. Screw whatever deal Jiraiya made! He'd kill Sasuke for this. That Aohi girl wasn't strong at all, anyway. He had managed to catch her easily enough. The village would survive well enough without the help of those two.

The recognition on Naruto's face was unmistakable. Sakura could barely get her words out but he seemed to already know exactly who she meant. But that was impossible! How would Naruto know Sasuke was alive? If he did, he would have told her immediately.

"You…you already know?"

"You could say that," Naruto said and pointed to the band-aid on his cheek.

Naruto and Sasuke fought? But Naruto was away on a mission. He was chasing the one who hurt her-

"Who was your target?"

Naruto exhaled heavily and leaned against the wall. He hadn't wanted to tell Sakura any of this. It was only going to upset her. But it didn't look like he could hide it anymore. If he didn't tell her, someone else probably would.

Someone like Sasuke.

"You see…I found out that Sasuke was the one who injured Hinata…" Naruto began softly, "He was declared a fugitive and I joined the Hunter-nin to find him."

He could see Sakura had slivers of hope on her face amidst her confusion and hurt. She probably thought he wanted to bring Sasuke home and make everything the way it used to be. God, he didn't want to say it. He didn't want to tell her. But being Naruto, which entailed being hotheaded and speaking before he thought, he just blurted it out.

"I'd gone looking for Sasuke with every intention of killing him."

What?

Sakura was hurt and betrayed over discovering the truth about Sasuke; that much couldn't be denied. His leaving finally forced her to realize he probably never cared about her at all and that hurt more than anything else. She didn't care if he felt the need to leave his duty as a Leaf. Sasuke was troubled enough and maybe serving here was too much of a burden for his weary soul. But not even a letter. No goodbyes. He was just gone and would leave again, regardless of what she felt.

Because she was and would always be nothing to him.

But she didn't wish death upon him by any means. In these three years, it wasn't as if he threatened the Leaf in any way. Her mind instantly recalled Hinata, though. Maybe she was just being foolish and idealistic again. Maybe he had become something horrible, an enemy.

But that didn't explain-

"You would kill him?" she whispered, "You would kill Sasuke-kun?"

"He's a traitor."

"He was our teammate!"

"That never mattered to him, now did it?" Naruto spat, "He's only alive because that pervert sennin made a deal with him and the Aohi. If given the order, I'll be sure to kill him myself."

Who is this?

This is Naruto?

"You hate killing," Sakura reminded him.

"And I hate him a whole lot more. He betrayed the Leaf and his duty as a shinobi. He deserves to die for it."

He deserves to die for hurting you so badly.

"He must have had some reason for leaving. Sasuke-kun wouldn't just abandon us without a purpose," Sakura's hands were balled into fists now. She couldn't tell if she wanted to just start crying or scream now.

"A ninja doesn't get to choose whether or not to leave. We serve the Leaf and what he did goes against everything being a shinobi stands for!"

"Do you hear yourself!? You make it sound like we're just a bunch of tools for the village!" Sakura shouted, "That goes against everything youstand for!"

Naruto couldn't find his voice now. Was he the one saying these things? He never even acknowledged that he believed such things. Somewhere along the way, he lost his freedom in the midst of the lives he took in the name of Konoha. Perhaps now that he had killed at all, he could finally look back and realize how disillusioned he was with his work. He never wanted to be a killer. He never wanted to be a Hunter. He just wanted someone to see him.

Even if meant being acknowledged by an opponent just as each died.

"Sakura-chan, I know he hurt you by leaving…But why are you still defending him?"

"Because I still love him!"

Her hands flew up and covered her mouth, as if she could push those words back inside. But she couldn't. She couldn't take it back. She never wanted to admit it, even to herself. She was sure she loved Naruto and knew she would be devastated if she were to lose him. But no one could ever captivate her so greatly, as Sasuke had. Now the words were said and she couldn't change anything.

She opened her mouth to apologize but Naruto waved her off. He pulled Sakura into a warm embrace and hid his face in her hair so, for once, she couldn't see him. "I know…I've always known." She held him tightly, so tightly, choking back sobs against his neck.

"Sakura-chan…I don't think this is gonna work anymore."

* * *

The dream was over.

It was completely senseless for Sakura and himself to stay together anymore. She tried to love him and some part of him recognized that, the part that wasn't hurting. Sasuke hadn't even been back to Konoha for twenty-four hours and he managed to screw up everything. And, of course, the bastard didn't give a shit.

Either way, Naruto wasn't pleased about being dropped into the cold water of reality again. He supposed that's what brought him to this place. If Leaf ninja knew a cure-all medicine, it came in the form of many overturned shot glasses. Naruto wasn't a drinker. He definitely saw no purpose in eating or drinking anything that tasted that nasty. But he was pretty fucking desperate by now. Anything to help him run away from his crumbled illusion didn't seem like such a bad idea by now. He had a couple shots already but wasn't near being drunk yet. After all, he never figured out how extraordinary his metabolism was because of the Nine Tails energy.

But something was starting to bother him. He kept feeling as if someone was watching him. It was slight at first but he really couldn't ignore it anymore. When he found the person sitting at the end of the bar, he was more than surprised to see Hinata with a drink in her hand. Her eyes dropped away as a remnant of her shyer days and she returned attention to her drink. She never even noticed Naruto moved until his shadow was cast over her.

"They let you out of the hospital?" he asked. It was a simple and easy question.

"Yes…I'm well enough to return to duty now," Hinata answered slowly. Alcohol tended to strip away the iron walls she had so carefully constructed, leaving her a little more vulnerable. And here she thought liquor was supposed to make people bold…

"He's back, you know…Here in Konoha."

Hinata gave a curt nod but chose not to voice her opinion on that. Kiba and Shino had been concerned enough when they both learned this afternoon that Sasuke was not only her attacker, but that he was now in their village. Personally, she wasn't all that worried. When she found Sasuke, he was a man who acted out in desperation. He didn't want word getting back to Konoha of his existence so he attempted to kill her and would have if that woman hadn't intervened. But now that the secret was out and he was even forced to return, whether she lived or not was of little consequence. She doubted she had anything on an individual level to fear from Sasuke. Whether he turned out to be a true threat to the village was another story.

"It looks like you faired better against him in a fight, though," Hinata stated rather humorlessly.

"I guess," Naruto replied with a shrug. Hmm, perhaps the fight didn't go as well as it seemed. Hinata was tempted to use her Byakugan to see how extensive his wounds were. Instead, she chose to-

"Do you want to stay for a few more drinks?"

Naruto took a seat by her side to state his affirmation. He wasn't really sure why he accepted her offer, since he kind of wanted to be alone tonight. But, in all honesty, Naruto hated being alone more than anything. More so than killing. More so than Sasuke. He wasn't too sure what to even talk about with Hinata. That time he visited her in the hospital seemed so surreal now. She was so cold at first, then showed him that painful wound, and even let him rest his hand nearby it on her tummy. He also apologized for upsetting her all those years ago…and of course fled afterward. He couldn't explain it but the whole experience just left his cheeks burning and it was pretty damn embarrassing. He certainly didn't want Hinata to see that.

Hinata could sense Naruto was getting lost in thought and she almost didn't want to bother him. But it was a rare chance for them to even have the opportunity to speak with each other. She wasn't about to let it go to waste, no matter how nervous she felt inside. She kept it simple, only asking about his thoughts on the Akatsuki. It was a neutral subject, a safe subject. He explained how he fought some supposedly "weaker" members, probably mere messengers and informants, and that even they were quite powerful. It made her wonder what the more powerful shinobi of the group would be like. It certainly wasn't a thought she cared to entertain any further.

Perhaps it was the liquor's fault, but the question slipped from her mouth.

"Why are you here instead of with Sakura-san?"

A look mixed partly of regret and partly nostalgia passed over his features. It was a look she could never once recall seeing Naruto display.

"Things…didn't work out with us."

They broke up. Hinata didn't need him to explain the reason why. With Sasuke back in town, old wounds were likely torn open. Hinata almost got angry over it, thinking of how Sakura betrayed Naruto's feelings all these years. Almost. But she was certainly no better. In fact, she did exactly the same with Kiba.

This called for another round.

Tonight she and Naruto shared the bitter drink of longing.

How very ironic.

It was also ironic that tonight was the night where the two of them just talked for a change. Unable to touch the topic of relationships, the conversation was pulled into an introspective light. Fears and flaws and changes that they saw in themselves were drawn out.

"I don't want to be so alone anymore."

"I only wanted to be stronger."

"I killed to be noticed."

It was the same. All their worries had been the same. Naruto wondered how he never noticed this before. Were he and Hinata always this similar? It was just another reason he wished he could take back these past three years. If he had fixed things between them back then, would they be in this same place in life now? Would anything have changed?

Maybe he was actually drunk by now. Otherwise he must have lost his mind to ask such a question.

"Hinata, it's late…" Naruto announced as he stood, noting how she tried to hide her displeasure over his inevitable departure, "Do you…Do you want to come home with me?"

Hinata's head snapped up to look at him with wide, disbelieving eyes. Did Naruto just ask-She nodded her head dumbly and followed him out of the pub.

He had to be drunk. Why the hell was he bringing her home? It was already pretty late and by the time they got to his little apartment…Maybe he should just walk her home. He didn't want the poor girl to stay out all night, especially since she just recovered from that nasty injury. Part of him absently wondered if it left a scar. She had such pale skin so it would be pretty jarring if there were a mark there still. He wondered if she would show him-

He'd lost his mind. He'd completely lost it. He never had thoughts like that except in regards to Sakura. He had to be drunk. That's it. He needed to send her home. Naruto blinked and realized he was already opening the door to his own place. When did they get here?

It was a small apartment but the empty ramen packages and general untidiness definitely placed Naruto's personality throughout. Hinata was amazed she was able to concentrate enough to even form that thought, considering how loudly her heart was pounding in her ears. Unable to find a chair without clutter, Hinata hesitantly took a seat on his bed and wouldn't be at all surprised if her entire body was beet red.

Even if they couldn't completely accept it, both knew that somehow this wasn't just friends spending time together. There was a taut rubber band pulled between the two and no matter how much they pulled on the opposite ends, they were unable to run away from this.

Naruto took his seat by her side and swallowed hard. He was being a complete idiot, unable to push away that funny feeling that was usually devoted to Sakura. Something was compelling him to act on it with Hinata and if he were the thinking type, he might have analyzed this. But he was Naruto. He acted on his feelings.

"Sorry," he murmured and Hinata looked at him inquisitively before his lips brushed against hers. After all these years, after all this time, Naruto finally showed her some form of affection. It felt different than Kiba, less desperate. There was confusion and surprise and realization in the kiss. After all, Naruto didn't understand at all how attraction worked and had no clue that the reason he had been watching Hinata from afar these last few years was exactly that reason.

He felt almost overwhelmed when Hinata responded to his kiss, her hands now gripping his arms gently. It was a strange and rather pleasant feeling to be kissing her, a different kind of nice from Sakura. It felt new and rather exhilarating that when he pushed her back against the mattress, she was looking at him and only him. She could see no one else but Naruto Uzumaki. It made him wonder just when Hinata had first truly "seen" him. With her tonight in this bed, he didn't feel like he was second to anything in her world. That in itself was somewhat humbling.

Now able to see her belly again, his hand ghosted over her puckered wound.

"Does it hurt?"

"Everything is fine," she replied with a gentle smile and softened eyes, something most people never saw from Hinata anymore. Tugging Naruto's shirt over his head, he grimaced slightly over his aggravated bruises. That fight with Sasuke earned him a fair amount of damage. He was fortunate to have the Nine Tails energy to speed up his healing.

"Are you okay?"

"It doesn't take me long to recover from anything."

Hinata gave a slight nod and signaled for Naruto to continue. Lips presses to lips, skin against skin, eyes seeing only the person before them. This felt a lot less like forgetting the pain and a lot more like learning something new. Impatience was starting to dominate every action, tossing cloth carelessly aside. Naruto tugged his buckle loose and froze, trying to force down the lump in his throat. He wasn't very knowledgeable when it came to this stuff but he was certain enough this was a big deal. This was something special but with Hinata stripped beneath him, her hands curled near her head, it was hard to pause and figure out just what was really happening. Naruto, after all, wasn't one for thinking.

It was the sort of awe that could almost be akin to a child's surprise upon seeing the beauty of their first full moon. Splendid and a little startling to discover just how small one was in the world. Maybe it was the distant moon, the smallness, that left people filled with a loneliness, why they had to fill each other. Finding his way inside, both stared back each other with the same wide-eyed amazement. Hinata moved beneath and around Naruto and he gave up remembering how to breathe.

* * *

Something jolted him from the haze of sleep. Staring at his ceiling, it took him a moment to collect his memories and remember why there was a warm body pressed flush against his this morning. With a drowsy smile, he smoothed Hinata's hair as she stirred and clung to him. But it was the precise and deliberate knocking that reminded him why he woke up in the first place. Slipping from the bed, he didn't bother searching for his shirt and stumbled towards the door. When the hell did people start visiting him all the time? He secretly wished it wouldn't be Sakura. She was a wound that would he would always wear proudly on his heart but he could never lie to himself. He was resigned to the fact that her heart was always Sasuke's. Perhaps that's why he was able to bring Hinata home last night. It was an old injury that only had the band-aid ripped off. It stung but he could survive this. Hinata always had been a fantastic healer.

"Yeah?" he opened the door to discover who his visitors were.

Sasuke?

No. It wasn't Sasuke. The man had Sharingan eyes but there was something harder and colder in his gaze, something that told Naruto this person was dangerous.

"So this is the Nine Tails child?" Itachi murmured.

Her instincts were screaming danger and she was immediately awake now, charging towards the open door with a kunai in hand.

"Naruto-kun!"

Silence and empty spaces were all that screamed in response.

All Hinata found of him was a pool of blood in the doorway.

To be continued…