Escape [Sasuke Uchiha]

Chapter 54: Bad Ending

"I take it that you refuse...?" he finally responded, his statement sounding more like an irresolute question.

I looked down, frowning with a pair of downcast eyes, "I'm sorry, Sasuke. A part of me wants to go with you... but the other part of me doesn't want to abandon all of those people and memories in the village."

His voice was laced with unmistakable malice, "You mean bitter memories? Including that moment when your parents set you up in an arranged marriage?"

I swallowed a lump in my throat before I reluctantly answered, "I've come to accept that..."

His grip on my hand tightened in a threatening manner, plainly ticked off at what I said. His new clutch did not hurt me and my fingers but it still told me that he loathed the idea of me accepting such unnecessary proposal.

"You do know you can get away from it if you come with me, right?"

I replied, "I do, but I cannot bring myself to go to Orochimaru. And if I try hard enough, maybe I could get my parents to cancel it. We may never know. Plus, I don't want to leave my family and friends. Sasuke, I know that you go to Orochimaru to gain power, but why won't you stay in the village and train hard? That will solve everything."

"It's just as I said before..." the ravenette clarified, "Staying in that village will not only slow me down but make me weak as well. And with you around, I could never focus one hundred percent on my training."

"Then why..." I inquired, "...why did you ask me to go with you? My presence has inconvenienced you a lot."

He finally turned his head, darting his eyes to me over his shoulder, "I do want to get as far away from you, but I also desire to see you every day. I don't know what this feeling is, but I hate it. It is hindering me from my revenge."

I questioned, "Then... what if I also want to see you every day? Isn't it easy if you-"

Sasuke sent me an intense gaze and quickly interrupted, "You come with me then."

"It's not that easy!" my frown deepened, "I have family and friends back there. What about those people who have joined this mission to retrieve you? They have risked their lives for you and this is how you repay them? What about your team? They all really care about you! If you confess your problems to them, they will give you numerous solutions. That's what friends are for. That village is better than Orochimaru who wants to use your body!"

His eyes darkened like storm clouds, "Friends...? I don't have friends. If you are talking about my team, then sorry to burst your bubble, but I never even once consider them my friends. And about those people who have risked their lives for me, it's their faults that they chose to go after me. I won't go back to that village no matter what. So don't even bother wasting your energy in trying to reason with me because I will go to Orochimaru with or without your permission."

The anger within me boiled ferociously and I exploded, "If you go there, you will achieve nothing! He will take over your body once you reach him!"

A sudden silence arose, making me feel that I'd said something wrong. And it looked like I did for the look on Sasuke's face turned into a more sinister one, "I will... achieve nothing?"

An eerie smirk suddenly danced on his lips and he briefly laughed in such vile tone as if what I said just now was utterly ridiculous, "Then, Ayuda, tell me, what power is this that I am feeling right now? Naruto and I fought a while ago and look who's the last one standing. I haven't reach Orochimaru yet and I already feel a bit stronger than usual."

My eyes widened as I recollected a certain moment.

***

The barrel suddenly detonated, spreading dark purple smoke around the area. Naruto and I looked with wide eyes. The smoke receded from view in a few seconds, revealing someone – whose back facing us – wearing the familiar blue shirt with Uchiha crest displayed on the back and white shorts. It was undoubtedly Sasuke... but why is his hair so long and his skin a little dark?