Recap: Then, I snarled out --with my Mind's Eye activated-- the words that would forever change my life, "All Naruto wants is to bring you back. It's what everyone wants now, myself included. So I've officially decided... Sasuke, I'm bringing your ungrateful, jerky self back home... Even if I have to break every single bone in your body to do so!"
Story Start::
Sasuke just stared at me as I glared at him. Then, he did something unexpected.
He started laughing.
And it really, really terrified me. Why? Because it sounded just as crazed as it had in the Forest of Death. Lovely. He's only getting worse.
"Heh... You really think... That you can beat me?" He asked, still chuckling.
I gritted my teeth. "I know I can. You're weak, now. You have low chakra levels. I can take you down," I stated strongly. But I wouldn't like it. Not one bit.
He smirked, chuckling darkly once again. I blinked, and in that instant, he appeared behind me. His icy, cool breath tickled my neck as he spoke, "I don't think you have what it takes. You've never had it. Killing someone, hurting someone just for the fun of it... That's not you, Minxie. You can't change who you are."
"This isn't for the fun of it," I said, "This is for my friends."
"Your friends that are all half-dead by now?" He muttered into my ear.
That did it. I spun around so fast, I almost ended up confusing myself. I don't know how, but my hand ended up going across his face, making contact with his cheek and drawing blood.
If I wasn't so royally pissed off, I would've freaked out for having smacked Sasuke.
Sasuke's head was turned to the side, and slowly, he looked back to face me, his onyx eyes blank and emotionless, although his expression showed that he was slightly surprised.
"What the hell is wrong with you!? Those aren't just my friends, they're your friends, too! What have you done!? Don't you get what's happening!? Orochimaru's a pedophile, Sasuke! All he wants is your body! He's going to use you, you idiot, like the pedophile he is! Wake up!" I shouted, grabbing him by the collar and shaking him furiously.
I didn't wait for him to respond that time. I punched him in the stomach, making him skid across the field. I jumped on top of him then, making him look directly into my eyes, my hands holding his collar securely as my knees were on either side of his waist.
"Why... Why are you doing this? Don't you see how much it's hurting everyone? How much it's hurting me? Why... Why are you..." I hated myself as I felt the tears gather in my eyes. My emotions were getting the best of me, but I just couldn't help it. Nothing was making sense anymore.
"Do you think... That I'm selfish...?" He said, his bangs shading his eyes slightly. He blew them out of his face, staring at me with that damned blank gaze of his.
"Heck yeah, I think you're selfish! You're the most selfish human being I've met on this entire planet, you infinite jerk!" I growled, holding his collar tighter.
"If you think that... Then show me. Show me... How angry you are. How much you hate me. Fight me. Win, and I'll know. Then I'll believe you. Then, I'll know that you can actually hurt me," He challenged.
"You... You..." I was so angry that I couldn't even form a sentence. No words could describe how angry I was at that point.
"I'm waiting," He taunted smugly, smirking.
I glared at him. "As you wish," I said right before punching him across the face. I lifted him up by the collar and kicked him across the field once again.
"Had enough yet!?" I growled, putting my hands on my hips as the rain poured down and soaked my hair.
"Heh... Have you?" He shot back, standing up with much effort. He was laughing about this. He found it funny.
"Did anyone tell you how cute you are when you're angry? It's unbearingly attractive, if I may say so myself," He taunted. Okay. So now he's provoking me. He sooo wants to get slapped AGAIN.
"Did anyone tell you how much of a dick you become when you're in battle?" I snapped, but inside, I was trying to figure out a plan. How could I get him back home without seriously injuring him?
"I think Naruto mentioned that once or twice while we were fighting... You know, when I almost killed him," He said smugly.
I snarled at him, my temper reaching its peak. I smacked him across the face once again, and just kept punching him and kicking him until we ended up in the same position as before: me on top of him, grabbing his collar with my hands and my knees placed on either side of his waist.
After sending another barrage of blows his way, I stopped, staring at him as the rain fell on top of us both, soaking our hair and clothes. My katana was pulled out, resting lightly in my right hand.
Sasuke and I stared at each other for what seemed like forever, my katana's shiny silver blade up against his pale neck.
"What're you waiting for?" He asked, coughing up blood. "Finish it. Prove to me that you're not that weak, needy little girl you've always been."
I glared at him, drawing my katana back. I lifted it up and swung it down, making it make contact with...
With the ground.
He was right. I couldn't do it, no matter how much he provoked me. No matter what he said or did, I'd never stop seeing him as my Sasuke.
Without saying another word, I stood up off of Sasuke and turned away from him. I stared up at the crying gray sky, wondering why life was so complicated.
I heard shuffling from behind me, but I still didn't move. Then, I felt someone come up behind me, their breath tickling my neck. I knew it was Sasuke, and I hated the fact that I was enjoying this. I loved being this close to him, feeling him so close to me...
Which is really perverted and nasty so I'll just shut up now.
"Just like I thought," Sasuke muttered from behind me, "You'll never change. You won't kill me with those blows... How're you planning on bringing me back, Minxie? Or are you just filled with those same, empty threats?"
"Hn... No witty comebacks? No sarcastic remarks? Not one?" He continued. "Come on, Minx. We both know how much you want to say something. Or maybe you're finally starting to realize... That I did all of this? That this is all my fault?"
"It isn't your fault," I muttered.
"I chose this," He insisted, sounding more forceful than before. "Now just leave me the hell alone."
"I can't, Sasuke. Because whether you believe me or not... I love you," I said, still not turning around to face him. "And it's because I love you... That I'm not going to let you do something as stupid as this. Please, Sasuke... Just come back home."
"Begging? Heh, you really must be desperate. But I already told you, I'm not coming back home. I told Sakura, I told Naruto, and now I'm telling you. How much more convincing do you people need? I'm not going back to that worthless village, Minxie. Give up," He said. Why was his tone different? Did my 'I love you' actually get to him?
It can't be. I mean, we were fighting, after all.
"I can't give up, Sasuke. I won't give up. I know you. This isn't you. Why are you trying so hard to make sure I give up? Why, Sasuke? There has to be a reason. Just like there's a reason you stood in our so-called worthless village so long. You just aren't telling me why," I argued, finally facing him with strong eyes.
There's something he's not telling me. He's trying too hard to make sure I don't follow him, that I don't get involved. Why?
"You want a reason?" He asked harshly. "Here's your reason. I don't want you to get hurt, Minxie. If you don't leave me alone, you'll get hurt. When I left Konoha... I cut off all ties with everyone, you included. I never wanted to see you again, I still don't."
Okay. I'll admit it. Those words stung. A lot. But I couldn't just give up. Not now. I'd gotten this far.
"But now... I guess it just can't be helped. The only way to show you that I've changed... Is to hurt you," He concluded. Then, out of nowhere, his arms wrapped around my waist.
The next thing I knew, I was plummeting straight towards the water below us, falling off of the First Hokage's statue.
I fended off Sasuke's blows as I prepared for the impact of the cold water. Once I was underwater, I held my breath as best as I could, struggling to get up to the surface.
I gasped once I was met with oxygen once again. Next thing I knew, I was walking on the water like Jesus.
I would've freaked out if I wasn't fighting my boyfriend at that moment.
I concentrated my chakra as best as I could, making sure that I didn't fall through the water and drown. That'd just be a sad way to end this already messed up story.
I looked around, my eyes searching for raven hair. However, I saw nothing. Sasuke was nowhere to be seen. Could he have escaped? But how did he move that quick? Where the hell is-
Something grabbed my heel from the water and pulled me in, dragging me back down underwater. I struggled to get away from the hand that was clasped around my ankle, but it was no use.
When the hand finally let go of me, I thought I was safe, but in reality, I wasn't. I realized that, too, when kunais flew threw the water, aiming directly at me.
I refrained from having a mini panic attack as I dodged the kunais easily. I used that moment to claw my way back up to the surface. I let out a gasp as my hands, held up by chakra, floated on the water, allowing me to pull myself back up into a standing position onto the water.
What I didn't expect, however, was for there to be someone already there. And that someone was Sasuke. He smirked down at me, shaking his head at my soaked form.
"You aren't going to fight back? You've gotten soft," He observed with a smirk on his face. He grabbed my shoulders and easily pushed me back into the water.
Bubbles ensued from where I had just fallen into the water for about the fourth time that day. As I floated calmly through the water, my limbs spread out and bubbles of air making their way to the surface as I held my breath, I tried to make sense of what was happening in my head.
Was Sasuke really trying to hurt me? Why... Why would he do that?
Why? Why is he doing this to me? To everyone?
My body floated up to the surface, and I stared up at the cloud-filled gray sky. The rain fell on my face, although it changed nothing. I was already wet from having almost drowned twice.
"I just don't get it," I muttered, breaking the small moment of silence, "Why, Sasuke? Why are you doing this? I... I just can't understand... Why?"
"Why am I doing this? That isn't your business now, is it?" He said after a while.
I risked a glance at him, and it was then that I noticed how much he really had changed. His eyes... They had lost their light. Sure, they never had much light to begin with... But now, there was nothing in them. It was pure darkness. Through his eyes, I saw his soul. The soul whose heart was frozen into pure nothingness. Whatever warmth I had built around it... It was fleeting.
"I... I guess you're right about that," I murmured sadly. I stood up, my chakra keeping my standing form on top of the water.
"But you see, Sasuke... One thing you don't get... Is that by hurting my friends, by harming Naruto..." I began, letting my voice trail off. In seconds, I was across the lake, pinning Sasuke against the rocky wall.
"You've made this my business," I hissed. "Didn't you even consider what you were doing once? Didn't you realize how much it would hurt everyone? Don't you understand that my friends -your friends- have risked everything to get you back? Do you not get the value of a life? Huh, Sasuke!?"
Somehow, my hand had made its way across his face once again. Who knows? Maybe a few more slaps will wake him up.
"You obviously don't, since you're doing this! By making this choice... You've endangered everyone's lives, and you've wasted your own! You think Orochimaru's gonna just give you the power!? No, he isn't! He's going to use you for your body! That's not only dirty and nasty, but it's just plain disturbing!
"And another thing! Why would you follow Orochimaru? Why are you going into the darkness, Sasuke? The dark side does NOT have cookies, man! Trust me; I've been there in this crazy dream experience thing... Anyway! About the cookies... Yeah, there aren't any cookies on the dark side! All they have are some nasty, deformed things that REALLY need plastic surgery! That's not appealing, and it's not right, either!
"Like I said before, Sasuke: Wake the hell up! Wake up before it's too late," I shouted, staring at him with serious eyes. I know, I know, the cookies thing may have been a little crazy... But I was being completely serious.
Besides... Everyone loves cookies. They're the things that make life worth living.
"But that's the thing, Minxie. I am awake. I've been awake for a while, now. To who I am, to what my future is... I get it now. I'm not like you or Naruto or Sakura. I can't just live happily, having the bright future that everyone things I have. My dream, my true goal in life... It's rooted in the darkness and in the past. By being in the darkness, I'll have gained the power to defeat Itachi. And if I can get the power to finally kill him from Orochimaru... Then I really don't care what happens to me or my body, so long as I obtain my revenge," He said.
I stared at him, my mouth hanging open in shock. What the hell was he talking about? How the... How can someone just have no regard for their life, nor for the lives of others? Has Sasuke really been this selfish? Has he always been this selfish, or is that just occurring now? Or have I just been to blind to see it?
I stared into those onyx eyes of his, hating myself as they hypnotized me once again, just like the always did. Except now... Those eyes didn't bring me peace or comfort or wonder. They brought my pain and sorrow.
As I looked into his eyes, I finally voiced the thought that I was so afraid to think of the entire since the start of the mission.
Do I really want to bring Sasuke back?
He's changed; there's no denying it anymore. To actually want to hurt me... This is him. It's not some illusion. This is really Sasuke. I know how confused he is by just looking into his eyes. And I've been hanging onto that this entire time. Hanging onto the memories we share, the love I have for him, the hope I have that he's really just so misunderstood... But how long can I keep doing that? Especially... Especially now, that he's just admitted to not caring about his own life.
I've always known this. I've always known that I'm second place to his revenge. But the more time we spent together in the village... The more I saw you changing, Sasuke. It's why I started believing... Believing that you were different. That somehow, some way... I was beginning to mean more to you than your revenge.
But then your brother showed up again, and he screwed everything up. Now, here we are, me holding you by your neck against Madara Uchiha's statue in Final Valley, Naruto, unconscious, above us, and our friends, each of them injured.
The truth is... You've done this. It's your fault. And I know that. But yet... Why am I trying so hard to deny it? Why am I always making up excuses for you? Why is it that I, no matter what you say or do, can never stop forgiving you? Why can't I just hate you for once?
Why the hell do I love you?
Piecing things together in my mind, I still found myself searching for answers. Even if I checked down to my deepest thoughts, gone into my most trusted secrets... I couldn't find the answer. Why did I love him? And why so much?
As the memories began to play right before my eyes, I saw just why I loved him so much. Sure, he could be a complete jerk... Well, he was a complete jerk. But then there were other times when... When he could make me feel like something. When I felt special, like I was on Cloud 9. Those moments, when he made me smile, when he actually smiled himself... They were worth every ounce of heartache.
I didn't know when it happened, but I was crying all over again. Tears streamed down my face silently as Sasuke and I never broke our intense gaze.
"This always happens, somehow..." I murmured, a sad smile on my face. "I just need to look at those eyes of yours... And then it's just silence. All questions are answered. No worries, no problems... It's just us."
I looked down, my hands leaving his neck. "But I don't think that's going to happen anymore. I've never been able to read you, but you can read me. So, tell me... Do you know what I'm thinking? Do you have any idea what I'm feeling right now?" I continued, turning around, my back to him.
He stayed silent, so I let myself finish. "I don't think you do. So I'll just tell you. I'm thinking... I'm thinking about everything we've been through. All the memories we've shared, all the happy moments we've had... And then I realize how lucky I am to have met you. I realize... How much I love you. But I just can't get an exact reason as to why. All I know is that I really do love you. But the thing is... I love my friends, too. And it's because of that love for them... That I'm prepared to go against what you want just to keep you safe from yourself."
And that's when I brought up my elbow to his chin, knocking him out cleanly with much ease. His body went limp, and I caught him before he hit the ground.
"I hope you can forgive me for that... But you really needed to shut up. If cookies don't convince you, you're obviously on drugs," I whispered, stroking his face.
I placed him down on the floor gently, making my hand signs.
"Summoning jutsu!" I said, and that's when Mai appeared out of thin air.
She smiled once she saw me, but as the heavy atmosphere hit her, that smile slowly faded. She stared at me with concerned, icy blue eyes.
"Dear one... What has happened here?" She questioned, looking at both the unconscious Naruto and Sasuke.
"It's a long story," I said quietly, "But I need your help. I've got to get both of them back to the village, and I need to see Lee and Gaara. I'll tell you on the way there."
I made my over to Naruto, picking him up and gently placing him on Mai's back. I did the same to Sasuke, although I strapped him to her back securely, making sure he wouldn't be able to escape if he woke up on the way there.
I picked up Sasuke's Konoha headband, staring at the slash across the Leaf symbol. I slipped it into my pocket quickly, mounting onto Mai's back with a blank expression.
"Where am I headed, exactly?" Mai asked me.
"That way," I directed, pointing forward, "Just follow Gaara and Lee's scents. The rain shouldn't interfere too much, right?"
She sniffed the air and shook her head. "No, not when they're this close. In a few minutes, we should be there," She said. I nodded, and she looked up at me and then at her surroundings.
"Hm... How ironic... For Naruto and Sasuke to choose this place for their battle," She stated sadly.
"Final Valley... Why?" I muttered in confusion.
"This place... It's where the first Hokage battled with Madara Uchiha. That was many, many years ago, but even today, the legend lives on. Final Valley... It's known as a place of end. It was rumored that the legendary battle, the one that everyone's been waiting centuries for... That battle will take place here, just like the battle between Naruto and Sasuke did," She said.
"You mean... The battle that I'm supposed to cause?" I said, gulping.
"... Yes," She answered solemnly. "But do not fret, dear one, that battle won't be happening any time soon. That's what I'm here for, to ensure that. Now... Mind telling me how this whole mess started?"
"It all started when pairs of siblings wanted to reunite," I began, and she started running off into the distance. I told her everything as the rain beat down on us, which I was glad for. The rain hid my tears.
But I knew it wouldn't last forever. Nothing good ever did.
~*~
"Minxie!" Lee shouted the second Mai stepped foot in the sand-covered clearing. It had stopped raining at that point, and finding Lee and Gaara had been simple enough.
"Hey," I said, forcing a very fake-looking smile. "Gaara, I need your help. Sasuke's going to wake up soon, and I'm not sure if those bonds I created are strong enough to hold him. But your sand is, so..."
"I've got it," The redhead said simply, walking over to Mai and I. He helped me get Naruto off of my snow white leopard, and I gently placed him down onto the soft grass. I directed Lee to stay near his tree with Naruto, because Gaara and I already knew how ugly this would get.
Mai bent down, putting Sasuke within reach. The Uchiha began to stir, and it was then that I realized how pressed for time we were. I placed my hands on the bonds that strapped him to Mai's back, looking at Gaara for confirmation.
When the redhead nodded, I ripped off the bonds quickly, and Sasuke fell onto the grass. His eyes opened then, but Gaara was already one step ahead of him. He enveloped Sasuke in sand, dragging him away from Mai and pinning him against a nearby tree in a cocoon of sand.
Mai looked at me, and I nodded. She didn't need to see the inevitable argument that was sure to come. She gave me a final look of reassurance before disappearing into a puff of smoke.
Sasuke's onyx eyes were wide open at that point. He struggled against Gaara's sand, and for a few seconds, it looked like he'd actually break free. I turned to Gaara, a look of worry on my face, but Gaara merely shook his head, his gaze narrowing at my raven-haired boyfriend.
Finally, Sasuke stopped struggling, knowing that Gaara's hold on him wouldn't weaken in the slightest.
"Well, well... Look at that. Even you, the psychotic redhead, came to join in on the fun," Sasuke said with a smirk, looking at Gaara with blood trickling down his bottom lip. Gaara shifted behind me, but his expression remained indifferent.
"She keeps you sane, doesn't she? But I know this is all just some facade. It'll break in a little while. No one goes from a psychotic, killing machine to a normal, sane person in a few weeks, not even you. In a few more seconds, you'll snap, just like the monster you really are," He said easily, and I glared at him.
Before Gaara could say anything back to him, I started on another rant, "Shut up! You are the most arrogant, self-centered, jerky, idiotic, condescending bastard I have ever met in my entire life! I'll have you know, if Gaara hadn't been here, Lee would've died! He saved Lee's life, more than you've ever done! He's not going to snap, as you put it! And right now, the only monster here is you, you endless jerk!"
"Don't you get it? You have people who care about it! Everyone... They all risked their lives for you, the selfish, ungrateful brat who wants to go with Orochimaru just for power! And in truth? You didn't deserve any of it. So shut up now. I want a few minutes of peace while we're going back to the village," I snarled, glaring up at him with a fierceness I didn't even know I possessed.
Lee's eyes widened, and even Gaara looked surprised. Who knows? He was probably just not used to having people defend him.
"So even after all of this... You still want to bring me back to the village...?" Sasuke asked, tilting his head slightly at me.
"Obviously, if I've put up with you this far," I said, scowling at him.
He looked down at the grass-covered ground. A wind passed by, making his ebony bangs dance slightly.
"I wonder... After I tell you the truth... Will you still think that way...?" He murmured, his eyes never leaving the ground.
I was just confused. "What...? What truth?"
"The truth is... I never loved you," He whispered, this maniacal grin on his face.
My jaw dropped and Lee let out a gasp. "Wha... W-What?" I stuttered out.
"I didn't stutter. Honestly, Minxie... Did you really think that I could ever love you? I know you've been noticing it. I did as well. So I waited... Until you'd finally realize that our whole relationship... Was only a lie. Us being together... It was of mere convenience. The last of the Uchiha and the last of the Takeda... It was only natural that we should be together. With your reputation, once I dated you, I became even more known than I was before," He said simply, and I felt the tears gather in my eyes as I stared at him with my shocked expression.
"I'll admit it. You're strong, Minxie. You've always been strong, and you get stronger every single day. Gaining your trust, getting you to fall in love with me... It was not only easy, but convenient. Plus, it's not like you're an ugly girl... So, really, you weren't disappointing. You were entertaining, in fact.
"Still, that doesn't change the fact that the only reason I even looked your way was because of who you were. Your heritage made me look at you, not you yourself. So in truth... I never loved you. How could I? You're as useless as Sakura. The second I recognized that you were actually worth something, you clung to me like a helpless child. You think I'd ever love you? Yeah, right. I couldn't even respect you.
"Then there's the fact that you just can't choose who you really care about. One second, you're with me, the next, you're flirting with Kiba. There's absolutely nothing special about you, Minxie, there never was. The only think special about you... Is your heritage. If you weren't a Takeda... I wouldn't have even known of your existence.
"People like you, living in the happiness of the world, ignorant fools blinded by trivial things such as love... You make me sick. You say that you know so much about loneliness, but that's just a lie that you use to gain sympathy. Sure, you might've had a screwed up past... But look at you now. You have everything, and still, you're as ungrateful as I am.
"Honestly, Minxie... How were you fooled by this? I used to think you were smart, but I guess appearances really are deceiving. How in the world could I ever love you? Plain brown hair, pale skin... The only think remarkable about your appearance is your eyes. Of course, who cares about your eyes when people realize your personality type? You're a selfish, spoiled, ungrateful brat who isn't at peace until everyone's attention is on her," He continued, and I flinched, feeling myself step back a few feet as tears fell down my face.
"I never realized it until now, but... You're just like Itachi. Don't think I don't know what happened with your clan, Minxie. Their slaughter... It was all because of you. You did it. You're a murderer, a curse... I can't stand being around you.
"It's about time that you realized the truth. Every single part of our relationship... Everything we went through... It wasn't real. Everything about you and I... We were together out of convience, not love," He finished.
His voice trailed off, and his jaw started to clench and unclench rapidly. He closed his eyes, and I could've sworn that I saw a tear make its way down his face as he said the last part, "I don't love you, Minxie. In fact, I... I hate you."
And that last sentence killed me. I let out a terrible, chocking gasp that signaled the tears about to roll down my face. I slumped down onto my knees, staring blankly at the grass in front of me as tears fell from my eyes. I made a few more choked-sounding sobs, but the rest of the while, I was silent.
Like a tidal wave, my world was crashing down onto me. To be truthful, I had never been heartbroken. Not once had I ever felt the pain of a broken heart. But now, I was feeling it straight-on, hitting me at full force.
What hurt the most was knowing that in every single aspect... Sasuke was right. Everything he said had been right. He played on my most awful insecurities, and manipulated them to be used against me.
Knowing that didn't make me feel any better, though. Because no matter how much I tried to deny it...
He was right.
What was I? A curse. A murderer. An ungrateful, spoiled brat of a princess who had everything but appreciated nothing.
Why didn't I notice it before? It had never made sense for someone like Sasuke to like someone like me. Of course us getting together was only on convenience. He would never really be able to love me. Someone like me didn't deserve to be loved by someone like him.
Everything my reflection had told me was true.
Someone had wrapped an arm around me, but I didn't care. I just kept staring at the space of green grass in front of me, wanting more than anything for the earth to just swallow me whole.
"What in heaven's name is WRONG with you, Sasuke!?! How can you just say all those things to Minxie and still LIVE!? I used to think you were strong, I used to respect you... But now, I see the truth! You are nothing but an ungrateful JERK! You do not deserve to live, you do not deserve to breathe... AND YOU SURE AS HELL DO NOT DESERVE MINXIE, YOU COMPLETE JERK!!!" Lee shouted, and it was then that I realized he was the one who had come to sit next to me in comfort.
"Shut up..." Sasuke hissed after a while, looking away. His face glistened with tears, and he refused to make eye contact with anyone.
Lee, of course, wasn't pleased with that response. And, apparently, neither was Gaara.
Gaara's hand balled up into a fist as he stood next to me, and his sand started to squeeze tighter and tighter around Sasuke.
I gasped, realizing what exactly what he was going to do.
"Gaara, no! Please, no! Don't... Please..." I begged, shooting up from my spot on the ground and running over to the redhead. I put my hand over his own fist, looking at him with tear-filled eyes.
"Please..." I muttered, my lip quivering.
"Even after he said all of that to you?" Gaara asked in disbelief.
I looked down. "This isn't about me, Gaara. This is about my friends who all sacrificed their lives to get him back. This is for my team, for Naruto and Sakura, who both want more than anything to bring him back," I said, keeping my voice from cracking.
"Besides... If that's what he thinks... Then that's it. I can't magically transform into something he cares about, especially not when everything he's said has been completely true," I finished quietly.
He stared at me, seeming to be arguing with something in his head. Finally, his fist unclenched, and I let out a sob of relief.
A silence fell in the clearing, and I remained immobile next to Gaara, my hand still over his own.
I turned to Lee, trying not to wince as I noticed the unconscious Naruto still against a tree. "We should start moving. We've got a long way home, and I really need to check on-"
Suddenly, a maniacal laugh echoed through the clearing. I jumped as Gaara's arm was instantly in front of me, pushing me back and away from the laughing source.
I turned to see a man dressed in black, standing next to Sasuke. Something about him seemed awfully familiar, but I just couldn't place it.
When he turned to face me with glasses and white hair, I realized who exactly the man was.
"Kabuto," I hissed out, glaring at him. But honestly, I was just confused. What the heck did he want now?
"Minxie," Kabuto greeted, smirking at me. He looked around at the scene, shaking his head as his gaze landed on me once again. "So I take it that you aren't on our side?"
"Hell no! A pedophile and a maniacal medic nin are hardly good company to keep," I snapped, and he chuckled.
"What a shame... I'm sure Sasuke would've loved to have your company," He said, and my heart panged with pain at Sasuke's name.
"Well... Everything happens for a reason, I suppose. But don't worry... I promise to take good care of your precious little Sasuke," He assured. My eyes widened as I realized what exactly he was going to do.
Kabuto pulled out a small glass container from his pocket and threw it at Gaara's sand. Smoke clouded my vision, and Lee began to cough along with me.
When I could see clearly again, black flames were covering Gaara's sand. And Sasuke was nowhere to be seen.
My jaw dropped and I gasped, feeling like I was having some sort of heart attack.
No. This couldn't be happening... After everything we'd just done, he couldn't just... It couldn't just...
My mind couldn't form what was happening into words. What I did know, however, was that I had fallen onto the floor again. I was covering my face in my hands, crying my eyes out. I kept calling Sasuke's name, putting a hand over my heart as it clenched and clenched with the pain of heart break.
The uncomfortable silence that had gathered in the clearing had broken, due to my inhuman sobs. Lee was calling my name, trying to catch my attention and calm me down, but it didn't work. Nothing would work anymore.
I felt a hand on my shoulder, and this one was so much more calm than the one that was shaking my arm. Hesitantly, that same hand's arms wrapped around my hands, and I was pulled into a very comfortable chest. I relaxed against the chest, knowing it had to be Lee.
"Minxie..." I almost stopped breathing. That voice surely wasn't Lee's. It was way too calm and sensual to be Lee's.
Opening my eyes, I saw red hair, and it was then that I realized that I was being comforted by Gaara.
If I wasn't so heartbroken, I would've turned tomato red and had a heart attack from pure happiness.
But I was heartbroken, so I said nothing. Instead, I stayed silent, taking in the comfort greedily. The only noise I made was my choked-sounding sobs.
Eventually, even those died down, and I heard people exchange words in the clearing. I didn't bother to listen, however; I didn't care.
The voices continued, and I heard nothing of what was said. I was no longer in the clearing. I didn't even feel that I existed anymore.
Was that what it felt like to be heartbroken? To have so much pain in your heart at once, to feel like dying, to question even the right to exist? Why... Why would anyone want to feel that?
What's the point of love if it just hurts you in the end?
I fell into darkness, then, my eyes shutting as I continued wondering the purpose of love in this already screwed up world.