(Rin's pov)
Every time. Every punch. My nails slightly dug into my arms as I listened to the red head beat Naruto to her heart's content. And every punch Naruto took. An image of Sasuke...the Sasuke I know that's come to be...came to mind.
'Naruto why? Why are you going this far for him? What will you receive in the end? Their hatred is too much for you to carry. Just tell them what they want to hear. Stop sacrificing yourself for nothing.' For once in my life I was begging Naruto to stop this.
For once in my life my heart began to feel again. Anger, sadness, the need and want to protect my comrade. The background music of the women's continuous punches never ended.
I'm not sure how much longer I could conceal myself. Half an hour went by and the punching finally stopped. I peeked slightly from behind the tree I stood in and my eyes slightly widen.
The woman was panting as she watched a pummeled Naruto stand up against the shed wall. Blood dripping down his face with one eye closed shut. The female growled. "You bastard. Let me make this clear! "She shouted.
My hair covered my eyes as my nails dug deeper into my skin until my arms were slightly bleeding.
"No amount of pummeling is going to make me feel better! I won't stop until you start talking about Sasuke!!!" I watched as she ran forward ready to punch Naruto.
(3rd pov)
Karui was so close to his face when suddenly her hand was caught. She gasped from surprise. Between her and Naruto stood Rin who's hair still covered her eyes. Sai was behind holding Naruto up as support while watching from behind Rin. Karui still put force into her fist despite it being caught.
"Don't interfere. He asked for this." She said threateningly.
Rin continued to stand there, holding her bloodied fist in her hand. Rin slowly looked up. Her eyes held a murderous yet dull glint in it making Karui slightly flinch. Too struck with fear, Rin's hand clenched on Karui's fist making her gasp.
Before she could respond Rin sent a powerful punch to Karui making her fly back into her brother's arms.
"If you want to fight it out then come." Rin said deadly. Blood from her arm dripped down to the tips of her fingers. "Rin....stay out of this.." Naruto said behind me.
"Be quiet idiot! Why do you have to get beat up on Sasuke's behalf?!"
"Shut up. It's my choice."
"But....when I met Sasuke, it almost felt like a new light, a new goal, gave me meaning. He had somewhat understood the darkness I was in and over time we grew a bond. A bond I'm not willing to let go of. That's...the kind of bond I want with you, Rin," Naruto's sincere voice echoed in her head from the day they stood under the rain.
Rin's fists clenched tighter. "Sasuke....he's your precious friend right? But yet he continues to hurt you. That's no friend that you should put your life on the line for. "
"........"
"I don't care what darkness you carry, I'll carry it with you. It doesn't matter who or what you were in the past. You're a ninja of the hidden Leaf and a comrade to me. That's what being a Ninja of the Hidden leaf means.....so...stop calling yourself a monster and running away...."
Rin clenched her teeth. "You're such a hypocrite."
Without her own consent her sword began glowing a black hue and soon it surrounded her. The darkness soon grew into a shape of a unfamiliar beast with white eyes and a twisted, disgusting smirk that looked to be consuming Rin.
Her hair that was in a short ponytail came out and was flying around. Omoi couldn't believe his eyes. Karui and him both felt fear run in their veins as they looked into Rin's glowing eyes.
"You still have some fight in you right? Come. I'll give you a fight you can't return from."
Despite her fear, Karui pushed away from her brother. Her stubbornness getting the best of her. "Ah. Bring it monster!" She was about to run forward when Omoi came behind and grabbed her back.
"Oi Karui do you even realize who you're challenging! There's no point in beating him up anymore!" He shouted.
"Naruto!" Sai gasped. Rin suddenly snapped out of her blood thirsty trance. She placed her hand on her right eye and forcefully pushed back the darkness into the sword. When she was finished she turned back to Naruto, ignoring Omoi's and Karui's argument.
Naruto was sitting on the ground with Sai beside him. Rin knelt in front of Naruto and gently tipped his chin upward to force him to look at her. Her lips pursed as she looked over his face.
"Tch. You have no one else to blame but yourself idiot. " She growled making Naruto look back down. She looked at Sai. "You take care of him. I'm done with his stupidity." She spat before standing up and jumping away.
Naruto's head was still bent down as he watched his blood drip on the ground.
~Time skip~
On a large stack of woods laid Rin with her arms behind her head as a pillow and a senbon in her mouth. She couldn't remember the last time she just relaxed like this, the feeling was foreign but good.
'I'm changing too much. Soon I'll be calling those people my comrades.' She thought spitefully.
She stopped moving the senbon in her mouth when she heard the crunching of grass below. She took her senbon out of her mouth and placed it in her hair. "What do you want idiot?" She asked knowing full well who it was.
"For earlier," came Naruto's voice, "I wanted to thank you and apologize if I had upset you."
"Shouldn't you be resting after that useless beating you got." She asked with a rude tone. "I'm all bandaged now and the swelling in my cheeks have gone. But I do have to admit that girl does pack a punch!" Naruto said sheepishly with his famous smile.
He expected a bland, sarcastic response from Rin but got none, making him slightly frown. "Rin can you come down here so we can talk." he called up to her. There was a few seconds of silence until he saw Rin approaching the edge of the stack of wood, still on top.
"What idiot?"
"I also wanted to tell you that Kakashi-sensei, Yamto-sensei and I are going to the Land of Iron. I'm going to try and convince the Raikage to spare Sasuke."
Rin merely scoffed. "So they reward stupid behavior with stupid decisions. How grand."
"It's not stupid! Sasuke might be controlled by the guy who controlled Pain which makes him innocent!" Without warning Rin began laughing. Not a merry laugh but one filled with sarcasm and ridicule.
"You just don't get it do you?" She asked rhetorically in an airy laugh before straightening up to look at Naruto. "Sasuke isn't being controlled. This is the new him. He doesn't want to be saved." she said with contempt.
"That's not true. I know the old Sasuke is in there somewhere."
"And what if you're wrong? You haven't been by Sasuke's side in so long. How do you know?"
Naruto was quiet, before tightening his fist and looking at the ground.
"I feel it. He's just being like this cause he's lost like how I was. He isn't surrounded by his friends or anyone he can rely on. I know that if I continue to push he'll finally realize. So that's why I won't give up. I can't become Hokage till I bring him home and I made it my personal mission to bring him back!" He said with confidence before looking up at Rin with a smile.
Rin's face was expressionless as she looked at Naruto's smiling face. She sighed and hopped down. She stood in front of him with a void look.
"Can't save an idiot who turns into a fool." She quoted before walking past Naruto.
"Rin."
She stopped in her footsteps to hear what he had to say. "I want you to come with me. I know you have a strong connection to Sasuke and feel the same way I do. We leave soon."
A breeze danced by the two, with leaves as its partner.
Rin continued on walking as if she hadn't heard a word he said.