Let It Burn: Life [Sasuke Uchiha]

Chapter 29

"We have to get to Sasuke before them!" Kakashi shouted.

There was no time to waste. Whatever they had planned for the Uchiha could not be good.

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Mai couldn't breathe. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't calm down, rocking back and forth in her kneeled position. But nothing was working as the ninja clutched at the corpse in her arms, one hand caressing his blood-stained face.

"I don't understand..." she sobbed. "I don't..." A hiccup escaped her lips. "Help me understand... What were lies? Why were there lies?"

She clenched her jaw.

"Why ask me to find you if you were going to die before I reached you!" she shouted.

Crying out in anger she shook his body with force.

"I hate you! I hate you, Itachi Uchiha! I hate you! I hate... I ha... I..."

Mai couldn't say it anymore. Her heart was breaking because even with those words the Be Fong knew that they were now a lie. No matter how much she wished to believe what she said was real. Itachi and her were not so different. And through her pain and suffering was when something caught her attention.

It was beginning to manifest. And it was overflowing with power. Her mind screamed danger as another thought hit her. The Be Fong couldn't leave them. Didn't wish to. However, the ninja couldn't carry both of their dead weight after exhausting herself to reach this destination. Mai had to choose. But in the presence of either criminal wasn't a good thing. Where would she go with them? None would offer help in any way. She'd be labeled as a criminal herself.

Mai refused to abandon the Leaf, but was torn. The Be Fong was conflicted about leaving them vulnerable like this. Someone would come for Itachi's body. Either his partner, the blue skinned ninja she had passed on the way in or another member of the Akatsuki. And Sasuke. He had his new team and they were bound to show up at any moment if they cared now that the battle was over. But neither party would make it in time before this manifesting presence. Mai trembled as the waves of chakra rolled over her. Whatever this thing was it was deadly. The Be Fong was in no right mind to face it head on or risk a chase should the teen take a body.

Afterall, the ninja wasn't supposed to be here in the first place. If the Hokage or the others found out about this, it would only spell trouble. And if captured...

Screaming internally in frustration the Be Fong had no choice but to abandon the brothers. She nearly turned around and cursed her decision not to take at least one before a hand suddenly began to appear out of thin air. Tugging on the strings they catapulted the ninja into the thick foliage out of sight. Her out of control emotions caused her to over compensate the movement stumbling against a branch before her gut smacked into another painfully. The teen bit her tongue so no one would hear.

What manifested crouched on a slab of debris that overlooked the state of the brothers. It was another Akatsuki member based on the cloak he wore. The teen couldn't see his face from the orange mask. The enemy stood their, staring at both of their bodies before another member from the Akatsuki began appearing out of the ground. Mai instantly recognized his silhouette from tracking the Akatsuki during Gaara's capture. He had materialized out of the tree she hid behind.

"You're too slow," the masked man said.

"Excuse me for not being able to move at the freaking speed of light," the other snapped.