Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ With arms wide open ❯ Naïveté ( Chapter 7 )

A.N: I would like to thank all readers and reviewers for the constant patience and love you show me. I hope you will enjoy this chapter and forgive me, for this is far from my best.

Flashbacks

Thoughts

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Chapter VII- Naivete

 

"Sakura wait!" Lee cried after the running girl. He wanted to find out why she bolted out of the room like that.

If it's somehow Naruto's fault i... Lee lost his line of thought when he noticed that Sakura was finally slowing down. Only when she reached the first trees of Konoha's enormous forest did she stop completely.

Despite being so far behind her, Lee saw her stand in front of the great oaks, her head bowed and shoulders shaking, like a little child seeking compassion and understanding from an elder.

She's crying...

Lee contemplated to just leave her to her thoughts. He couldn't help but notice that up until now, his presence only brought frowns to her usually smiling face. Maybe giving her some time alone isn't such a bad idea.

Sighing with disappointment, Lee decided to let her be but before he could look away from the girl, he caught her falling to her knees like a dry leaf in a rainy autumn afternoon.

“Saku-…”

Afraid that something serious has happened, Lee approached her as quickly as his legs let him and crotched by her side.

“What's wrong?” He lifted his hand to Sakura's shoulder but the said girl shied away from his touch. She wasn't looking at him or the trees, but concentrated on some nonexistent point on the ground.

Lee started to seriously worry.

“Sakura… Please, the ground is wet and muddy. You'll catch a cold if you stay like that.”

But the pink haired girl paid no attention to his words. She was no longer crying, but the rain falling on her head made it look as though she was.

“They say that history has a tendency to repeat itself.” She spoke in a voice so low, that Lee almost missed her words.

“But up until now, I refused to believe that Sasuke's life was nothing but a big plan for an even bigger betrayal. I couldn't bring myself to admit that the only history and future he may have is made of his thirst to avenge the death of his parents, and nothing more!”

Taken aback by her words, Lee wasn't sure if he should say something. He wasn't even sure if his presence was acknowledged.

For some reason he knew that what he was witnessing wasn't meant for his eyes. The feelings hidden between the spoken words were just too personal for Lee to understand, too unfamiliar.

“You don't understand many things, Lee.” With that said, Sakura turned to the surprised boy and added in a voice filled with pain. “He loved him, Lee. The kind of love only few of us gets to experience.”

Lee listened to the girl and waited for her to calm down. After a few moments realization hit him.

“…When you love someone you let them go.” The boy whispered dreamily and looked up the sky.

The pain no longer evident in her voice, Sakura spoke, clueless. “What are you talking about, Lee?”

Too absorbed in his revelation, Lee almost forgot that he wasn't alone. He glanced at the girl whose knees were still deep in the mud and a look of sheer curiosity painted on her face.

I love this girl. I am sure of that, thanks to you Naruto.

Lee then smiled at the girl and helped her up.

“The last time I saw Naruto before his hospitalization, we had a fight.” Lee began. “It started as a normal everyday argument and turned into a lesson I should have learned a very long time ago. Unfortunately, only now I realize what Naruto was trying to tell me.”

“You're not making any sense, Lee.” Sakura said honestly while wiping the mud off her knees.

But the boy did not reply and just went on with his reminiscence.

“He told me that I had no idea what real love was. And I got angry. So angry…” Suddenly overwhelmed, Lee averted his gaze from the girl's. “So angry that all I wanted to do was hurt him. Because I knew love, and hearing it being reduced to naught made me go mad.” He faced Sakura again and continued, his eyes softening.

“And then he said the following - `Sometimes, when you love someone you just let them go.'

I don't know if it was the rage that made me ignore that statement, or perhaps it seemed to be the usual insignificant things that are voiced by Naruto, but now I understand that it was no less than a confession. In a way, it was the closest Naruto ever got to admitting being hurt.”

Sakura looked at the boy standing before her for a long time before speaking. “Well, that explains the deadly chakra flowing between you two in the hospital room.”

Covering his eyes with one hand, Lee groaned. “I tend to act without thinking. I'm such an idiot.”

Sakura took this chance to be the honest friend she is. “Well, you did take things a little too far today.”

“Ugh…” I should be ashamed of myself, the boy though regretfully and a moment later, he felt a cold palm touch his cheek.

Sighing, Sakura spoke softly. “You are right. Naruto is hurting. You cannot hear it in his voice, but you can see it in his eyes. It is always there - the deep blue. And yes, some of it is due to Sasuke's disappearance but even more was caused by Sasuke's presence in his life.”

Taking Lee's hand off his face, the girl gave him an understanding look before going on.

“Letting go of something you want to keep is hard. But knowing that if it stays, it will never be yours is even harder. I think both of them understood that perfectly.”

Lee's eyes widened considerably and he asked in disbelief. “Are you implying that Naruto KNEW that Uchiha will leave again?!”

The girl shrugged her shoulders. “I think we all somewhat guessed that Sasuke will not stay. As you have probably noticed, his departure didn't come as a huge surprise to anyone.”

“True. But do you think Naruto really `let him go'?”

The smallest hint of pain touched Sakura's eyes when she spoke. “I'm afraid he never had him to begin with.”

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

-Somewhere in Konoha forest-

 

Sasuke ran. He didn't know where but he trusted his legs to take him as far away as possible.

“What are you running from, Sasuke?”

The Uchiha couldn't bear to hear that voice anymore. He, unlike the others, wasn't fooled. Every time Naruto spoke, Sasuke heard Kyuubi's growl echo in his voice... Plotting, poisoning Naruto's mind...

That fox is the source of all our problems. Soon he'll be gone…

“In a hurry, Sasuke-kun?”

The said shinobi stopped abruptly. He could recognize that hiss from miles away.

“Orochimaru…”

Turning to the legendary nin, Sasuke saw him grin and lick his lips.

“Missed me already? Or have you finally realized what a huge mistake you made by coming to me for help?”

“What are--”

Sighing, Orochimaru shook his head mockingly. “Oh Sasuke Sasuke… Let me fill you in. I am sure you stuck the kunai between Naruto's ribs as we practiced. But instead of separating him from the Kyuubi, it will bind them together even more, until Naruto will completely lose control and simply disappear. Oh, and guess who will stay? The demon fox of course.”

With that said, he smiled and held his chin up, proud of himself.

Sasuke couldn't believe what he was hearing. “You… I told you not to touch him!”

“And I told you not to trust those who already betrayed you once. Especially not me…” Orochimaru smirked evilly before speaking again. “You surprise me Sasuke. Did you really expect me to miss the opportunity to get rid of Naruto and take a hold of Kyuubi?” In response to his taunts, Saskue just growled deep in his throat, cursing the fact that he was right.

“You did?! Oh how naive of you, Uchiha-san.” Obviously, Orochimaru found this very amusing. He noticed that Sasuke was angry and ready to tear him to pieces any moment now, but seeing him hurt and fill with guilt was so satisfying that he didn't feel like stopping anymore.

“I admit that when you first came to me, I was sure you had all the intentions to kill me. After all, I constantly lied to you and made you almost kill your best friend! But when you said you needed my help, I was… astounded, to say the least.”

“But I asked you to get rid of the fox without hurting Naruto. You told me you could do it. You promised--...”

“I keep my promises when I know I will gain something from it.” Orochimaru interrupted him in a stern voice. “When you asked me to make Naruto's life easier by extracting Kyuubi out of him, you actually asked me to go against my own... 'evil' nature. I couldn't possibly do that, now could I?

So I betrayed you, again. But then again, isn't it your hobby too?”

My hobby? Sasuke wondered what the snake-man was going about.

“What do you mean?”

“Oh but didn't you betray Konoha? And that fox-boy, didn't you betray him twice already?

I must tell you, I am proud of you." He said and put a hand on his chest to emphasize the point. "I always believed that those who put a mission before everything else are true shinobis. But if your mission is revenge, you are nothing but a killing machine.” Approaching the boy as he spoke, Orochimaru whispered. “As you can see, we are not so different after all… Sasuke-kun.”

Stupified, Sasuke stood still. He knew that walking was currently out of the question. Orochimaru's little tirade left the boy shaking from head to toe, unable to perform the simple task of breathing. He didn't think Orochimaru will let him leave and neither did he expect to feel a wet tongue slither from his jaw, across his cheek and into his ear, making his stomach turn upside down from disgust.

Oh god…

But the slippery organ was soon gone, along with his owner, leaving the Uchiha heir to his guilt.

“What have I done…”

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TBC...?