Escape [Sasuke Uchiha]

Chapter 45: Naruto's Reassurance

"It seems like you have dispelled the illusionary technique from that woman," stated Kisame.

The Sannin then placed the unconscious woman down on the floor, letting her back rest against the wall as he said, "You're a disgrace to all men, using your eye to hypnotize a woman to separate me from Naruto and Ayuda. So you're after Naruto, after all."

"No wonder Kakashi-san knew. I see now. You were the source," said Itachi, locking his Sharingan eyes on Jiraiya, "It is an urgent order by our organization, Akatsuki, to take Naruto-kun with us."

Their organization? Akatsuki?

Jiraiya sternly declared, "I won't hand Naruto over to you."

"We'll see about that," said the older Uchiha.

"Very well," Jiraiya stood up straight, "I will get rid of you two here."

Just then, Sasuke's seething voice turned everyone's attention to him, "Don't interfere..."

The ravenette had gotten back on his feet, his body wobbling for a few times before he managed to steady himself. He growled, "The one who's going to kill him... is me!"

I was speechless. Itachi just showed us how invulnerable he is by diverting the Chidori with no effort at all, and he still wants to fight him? The difference in their strengths is unmistakable. Itachi is a lot more stronger than him!

Sasuke looked daggers at Itachi who soon gave his response, "I have no interest in you right now."

Those words had undeniably ticked Sasuke off even more. The glower on his face deepened noticeably while he balled his hand into a fist and charged at him, "Shut up!"

One of Itachi's legs rose in no time and kicked Sasuke with enough force to throw him across the hallway. The young Uchiha grunted in agony when he reached the end of the hallway, his back slamming into the wall with a loud thud.

"Sasuke!" I called worriedly before I started sprinting to get to his aid. I heard another set of footfalls behind me and I surmised it was Naruto who either ran to his teammate's aid or launched himself at Itachi.

However, the both of us came to a screeching halt when Sasuke shot his eyes at us, shouting, "Naruto, Ayuda! I told you not to interfere!"

The younger Uchiha then picked himself up slowly with great exertion, "I told you before... I've lived up until now... for this moment... for this day!"

He rushed towards Itachi once again with his right fist prepared. However, despite his determination and persistence, Itachi still succeeded in eluding his attack and punched him with powerful strength, sending him back to the same wall he had bumped into before.

"Sasuke..." Naruto whispered with wide eyes.

"I'm not through yet..." I heard Sasuke speak out. His broken left wrist twitched rapidly as if Sasuke tried to move it, but it seemed to have been damaged severely to the point he... no way...

Since I couldn't contain the mixed emotions within me anymore, I ended up shouting, "You idiot! Don't you realize that you are seriously injured right now?! You cannot form hand signs anymore!"

I paused for a brief moment, catching my breath. It was that moment that I realized my voice resounded through the long, hushed hallway; the others had remained quiet and listened to my angry outburst. Reina called lowly, "Yuda-chan..."

I ignored her and continued with my eyes trained on Sasuke, "You need to get your hand treated immediately! If you don't, then... how are you going to defeat him...? So please... stop being so stubborn. Please don't fight him, Sasuke."

Sasuke responded with pure silence. He had kept his head down throughout the whole time I spoke to him, but I knew he was listening. I really hoped that the silence he produced after listening to my words would mean that he was considering it. I really wished he would stop provoking Itachi and listen to me or at least pay attention to the wounds Itachi gave him. I was desperately clutching onto that small hope while I waited for his answer.

However, that small hope was mercilessly shattered by the same boy who I tried to reason with. After a few seconds of silence, he lifted his head up, scowling at his older brother and said, "You don't understand, Ayuda. This is the day I've been waiting for my whole life. I have trained my hardest so I could kill him once and for all when I see him. So... today is the day I will kill him!"

What...? Doesn't he realize that he can't fight Itachi properly now that one of his hands is broken? He will not win this fight. So why are you being so stubborn, Sasuke? I'm worried about you. You haven't even glance at me ever since you came here. Well, you did look at me but that was when you told me and Naruto not to interfere and you looked at us with nothing but anger in your eyes. Besides that, you haven't look at me yet... with those gentle eyes that I adore so much.

There was this heavy emotion that made my chest felt heavy. It's like every ounce of this unknown emotion had put a lot of pressure in my heart. This undetermined feeling nearly overwhelmed me and I found it hard to vanquish it. My eyes started brimming with warm liquid and it was then that I realized I was going to cry.

I quickly pushed down that feeling, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to leave my eyes. I don't want to cry right now... not in front of them.

Sasuke added, "This is my battle..."

"Very well," said Itachi, making me think of the worst-case scenario. What? Is Itachi agreeing to fight with Sasuke?

Jiraiya and Reina had noticed this too for they began taking a step forward as if attempting to stop Itachi, but they were impeded by the shark-like guy who held out his blade in front of us, grinning, "You heard him. This is a battle between those two. Let's not interfere."

I watched with deep fear as Itachi ambled closer to Sasuke who had not yet risen to his feet. And when his big brother reached him, Sasuke stormed, "Bring it on!"

The older Uchiha delivered a hard blow to his stomach, silencing him in an instant. And he did not stop there. He ruthlessly rained blows on his little brother in various areas. Each hit was very strong and painful, judging from the loud noises they produced.

Tearing my eyes off of them, I immediately turned to the two adults behind me, "Reina-oneesan, Ero-sennin, please help him! If this goes on, Sasuke will...!"

"That's right!" Naruto joined in with an upset look, "We shouldn't just stand here and watch them!"

"You two are deaf, don't you?" Kisame spoke up instead of the two adults we were talking to. The blue-skinned man added, "Your friend just told you not to interfere and you still want to go against his wish. If you disturb them now, your friend will hate you... probably forever."

"I'm fine with Sasuke hating me. He already hates me, by the way... even before we were put into the same team..." Naruto admitted truthfully, attracting my whole attention to him. He then impressively said, "I'd rather have him hate me forever than have him die by the hands of that guy over there. Right, Ayuda?"

He sent me a smirk, but not in a bad way. It was entirely in a good way. In an impressive way, I must add. His blue eyes glimmered with reassurance – reassuring me that everything will be fine. His words and his confident demeanor made me see him in a new light. I was truly impressed... and moved.

I copied his smirk and looked up at Kisame, "That's right."

The grin on Itachi's partner's mouth had dropped vaguely, "Hmph, how sweet, but I will have none of that. You will have to deal with me first before you go to them."

A boyish scream unexpectedly reverberated all over the hallway. I instantly recognized it as Sasuke's voice and threw my gaze back to the two Uchihas.

Itachi had pinned Sasuke on the wall by his throat. The ravenette parted his lips widely, emitting more screams of agony, drowning the reassuring feeling Naruto had put in me.