Chapter 20: Blood of my Blood, Sin of my Sin
The waves of pain slowly left him, and his strength departed with it. Suddenly, he rose from the ground without willing himself too.
*What the...?*
He chuckled to himself as he heaved his form upwards. Throwing his head back, he broke into a maniacal grin.
"Bastards...still tainting the air with your putrid breath? I will do this world a favor by ceasing your repulsive toxins from poisoning it further." And yet these words were not his own, even though he said them. He no longer had control over his being. Uchiha Sasuke had become a marionette.
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"Neji!" Sakura shouted as she ran towards the Hyuuga at the other end of the hall. When she caught up, she was breathing heavily, and it took her a few moments before she was able to speak again.
"So...I guess we all heard about Tenten huh?"
"I guess so." Neji replied nonchalantly.
"I really want to go see her, but I know I can't. Hey, what are you doing up this early anyways? I mean, I couldn't sleep so..." Sakura trailed off, not wanting Neji to ask why she had trouble sleeping.
"I always wake up early. Maybe you just haven't noticed it before." Neji replied only what was required of him. Sakura sighed heavily.
"I guess I just wanted to talk to someone. You know, about what’s going on. I've been so worried, and when I saw you I knew that you're always so distant, so I thought maybe you wouldn't mind talking, just to let things out for once." Neji listened silently. What she said was true; he had always been a distant person. But he didn't mind it. Much like Uchiha, he believed that people should keep to themselves, and not meddle in others affairs. Though of late he had to admit that being alone was becoming less and less of a welcome thought to him. It seemed the more he shrugged it off, the more it reared it's ugly head at him.
"I suppose I just like to keep to myself. Being with people is fine sometimes, but I don't tend to like being around them too much." Neji concluded after his own mental assessment.
"I see." Sakura noted thoughtfully. "Well anyways, me and the others are always there for you if you need us." Neji nodded, and then Sakura departed to hopefully find someone else to share her feelings with.
*I know you guys are there for me...but still, is this not my destiny to be alone?*
Neji sighed, yet again brushing off his inner struggle.
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"Sasuke, what are you doing?!" Itachi yelled from across the exam arena. Yet even though his younger brother heard him, he could not respond.
"Don't bother Itachi." The older Uchiha averted his gaze from Sasuke to Kabuto.
"What?" Itachi questioned; obviously confused.
"You can't do anything. They put a Kokudo in him. Sasuke's being possessed by Soyako and Orochimaru." Kabuto explained. Itachi was dumbstruck. How many more people were they going to do this to?!
"How do we stop it?" He yelled back to the sound traitor. Kabuto sighed before replying. He knew this wasn’t going to go well, and he didn't like it at all either. But there was no other way. They didn't have a choice.
"We don't." He replayed as calmly as he could. Itachi stared at him blankly. What the hell did he mean, 'we don't'?!
"I'm not controlled anymore am I!? So we can stop it!" Kabuto sighed again. The Sound and Akatsuki members were diminishing, and it was obvious that both of their leaders were getting impatient for victory.
"You were lucky Itachi. You were hit in the exact place where they put it inside of you and were freed of it. But that's not going to happen with Sasuke. We have no idea where it is, and we would have to rip him apart before we ever found it. You have to understand Itachi, there's nothing we can do. The only way we can save you brother is...to kill him."
Itachi stood frozen for a minute. This couldn't be happening. Not now. Not again. Of his own free will, he now had to kill the only family he had left?! Bullshit! There had to be another way...yet even as he thought it, he knew he was only denying the truth. When he returned his gaze to the place where Sasuke was, he found the spot empty.
Whipping around in every direction, he only had a second to dodge the attack at his heart, hitting him in the left shoulder instead. As he turned to face his attacker, to his horror he saw in him his younger brother. And he knew...knew there was nothing else that could be done. And even though it hurt so much, he couldn't do a thing. His brother was the only person left he could relate to. He was the blood of his blood, sin of his sin. And even though Sasuke despised him now, it didn't matter. As long as he still had someone; as long as he still hadn’t lost everything.
"Itachi! Kill him!" Kabuto yelled as he struggled with an Akatsuki member in battle. "If not for yourself, than for him! Just do it while you have the chance!"
*Even if he dies...being controlled is no way to live...*
Itachi tried to stay true to his thoughts. For Sasuke's eyes betrayed the illusion. It was also obvious that while he had not been able to see anything that went on while he was being controlled, Sasuke could see everything that was going on.
*I have no choice...*
And it was with that thought in mind, that Itachi plunged his katana through his brother's heart and out his back.
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Gaara stood rooted to the ground.
*Wha...What?!*
"I love you Gaara." Tenten repeated. But it was impossible. How could he, being what has was, be cared for by another being? How could another being love him?!
"I...don't understand." He admitted. "You can't love me. You're - you're just lying so you can use me like your pet. So that Konoha can use me as their weapon." He hissed. It just couldn't be true; he was a hated monster that lived for himself. Period.
"I can, and I do. Just because of what has happened in your life, doesn't mean that you have to live as they wish you too. You're not their weapon; you're a person! But only you can decide how you want to live - as their tool, or as yourself." Tenten finished quietly, and sighed before continuing.
"I understand...if you don't share my feelings; but no matter what, I'll always be there for you. I'll always be your friend..." Tenten trailed of before closing her eyes and snuggling closer to Gaara's neck. The sand shinobi was still in utter shock. How was it possible? But before he could ponder this, the part of him that had wanted her to stay took over. And he knew what she meant to him.
"I...I love you too." Gaara stuttered, wondering if she would hold to what she had just said. Tenten pulled away from him for a moment to look into his eyes. Returning her gaze, he smiled weakly, but truly. In turn, she returned his smile with her own affectionate one, and returned to resting her head on his shoulder and snuggled against his neck.
"You should go lay down." Gaara said robotically, yet with a hint of worry in his voice.
"I will. But I'm going to watch the sunrise with you here fist." Was her reply. And for the rest of the morning that stood in silence, knowing that one bird had freed another.
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His eyes grew wide as blood slipped from his lips and down to the floor. He weakly touched the blade in his chest before collapsing to the ground; facing towards the sky. The last thing he saw was the stars splashed across the endless blanket of sky, and then the darkness took him. And Uchiha Sasuke's eyes closed, and embraced oblivion.
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