Naruto and Hinata: Stories After "The Last"! (Bi-weekly Updates)

An Old Friend Returns: Part Six

Enjoy the thrilling conclusion of "An Old Friend Returns"! ~~

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Sasuke crashes through the wall of the inn; boards snapped and fell from the ceiling and a lull came between the shinobi for what seemed like hours, but in reality, it must have only been a second before Naruto pounced from the fresh hole in the wall after the dark-haired devil he called his friend. Sasuke had landed on his feet, as he always had, and appeared to be unscathed. Sakura and Hinata jumped from the room right after the pair.

"Sasuke..." Naruto grits his teeth, facing off with the man he spoke by name. "You've crossed the line this time. How dare you ever suggest that you're going to take Hinata way from me...I've dealt with that once, and never again!"

"What about me, Naruto?" Sakura sulks, spurring Hinata to look over at the forlorn pink – haired girl with curiosity. It's as if the wheels in her head are turning...

"It can't be helped, Naruto." Sasuke has a small, almost undetectable twitch in his eyes. "Hinata will be mine. She's – my new sun." his words came out like vomit, his stomach contracted, and his eye unhidden by his bands kept a firm look on the blonde hero of the leaf.

Naruto felt nothing but rage in that moment, as he charged ahead at Sasuke. He would throw a doubly hurtful statement such as that...he hardly knew who he was. If he seriously thought that Naruto would let him betray him like this...he was dead wrong.

"What about our bond?" Naruto's voice became gravely, as Sasuke jumped away to avoid his attack. Naruto found his figure once more, unrelenting force in his direction.

"You know our bond is far beyond that." Sasuke retorted plainly. It was...something of a mixed response based on his others – one could take it as a diversion, a simply truthful statement, or a shot at his inability to sever something that ran generations long. Whatever it was, it's not exactly what Naruto meant...

"Not ours!" he barks, "Mine, and Hinata's!"

This was sufficient in grabbing her attention; not even Sasuke had a rebuttal. Naruto throws a couple of punches, to which Sasuke evades them skillfully, but refrains from counterattack.

"We may not have the same fate that you and I do – maybe I should just consider myself /lucky/ for our lives to have crossed paths instead of chalking it up to some greater power..." he paused, before continuing the attempted assault. "But when you have someone to be strong for you when you're weak, and they do it without the promise of destiny...that's the strongest connection you can make!"

"Sasuke, don't you hurt him!" Sakura called out to the pair, quite ironically considering Sasuke had oddly yet to throw a punch...Hinata's eyes danced between the pair; her heart felt full to hear Naruto speak about her in such a way. This fight between them...it wasn't real....

Say something, Sasuke! Tell him what you told me!

Swing, swing, again and again Naruto's fists rocketed forward in a miss – until a final move was about to finally make contact with his face...and he knew this one would connect.

"That's why I can't just let go of her so easily!" he proclaimed, his knuckles minimizing the space between them closer and closer, until Hinata threw herself between them.

"Naruto, wait!"

His heart dropped, his force only stopping a mere inch from her face, his whole being not understanding why...why she was...protecting him...protecting a love that she'd already given to him? His eyes dimmed, his look softened, and his shoulders slouched. He was calmer though not content, as his chest puffed in and out. He loved Hinata...but if she loved Sasuke, now, after the mistakes he had made, was he a reasonable force to keep them apart?