The Red Crimson Bride

Sakura stared speechless at Naruki's smiling face. The kunoichi could see that she was boiling with anxiety. She wanted to fight right at the moment, with any person.

"Don't worry, it will end soon." she said and started to walk towards the house. Sakura frowned and put her gloves on. She won't let the redhead have all the fun. And also... she had to take Sasuke back now that Naruki agreed on helping her. "Be careful, that's all I'm asking from you." Naruki said serious with her back at Sakura. "Just...stay allive." she murmured.

Sakura gazed at her. She could see her tensed muscles on the back and also a few runes on her left shoulder. She wanted to say something about it but Naruki pulled the shirt over her left shoulder, covering the runes. Naruki leaned forward and ripped pieces of the skirt which she was wearing so she would move easier. Sakura frowned and went beside her.

"I'm ready." she said. Naruki made a smile then bit her thumb and made a few hand signs.

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu." she said and a small bird appeared from a puff of smoke. "Cut the chakra strings." she said and the bird flew away fast. Naruki turned to Sakura. "The area is filled with strings made especially for living beings which use chakra. When someone approaches, these will respond to the chakra signal and set off the alarm. Then they will know that someone is near." she said. Sakura thought about for a little, confusion written on her face.

"But what about your bird?" she asked. Naruki grinned.

"I've trained my bird especially for these strings. My bird sees the strings because she is a type which consumes chakra. She will go everywhere chakra is present. I think there's a clan from your village which uses bugs for this kind of thing." she added. Sakura nodded, the Aburame clan rose bugs for these purposes.

After a few moments, the bird landed on Naruki's shoulder. Naruki nodded and started to walk again being followed by Sakura. They walked silently paying attention to the slightest movement or sight. They were on a dangerous territory after all, and they didn't know how many members were at the base right now.

Arriving at the door, Naruki made a hand sign and the door opened by itself. She frowned.

"That's odd..." she murmured. "Wait outside, if you see something, let me know immediately." she said. Sakura nodded and Naruki entered the house.

She searched each room for anything suspicious but for her surprise there was nothing and no one. Taking a kunai from her pouch she gave the bird a look. Understanding what she meant, the bird flew away and Naruki went up the stairs. There were many rooms with beds. These were the member's, of course. She searched each one but they were empty.

The rooms were nine in total and when she reached the last one, her heart was beating fast. She gulped and put the hand on the handle. She knew whose room was. Each room had its different signature of the owner. Holding her breath she pressed it and the door opened slowly. She tightened the grip around the kunai and entered the dark room.

As she expected, the room was black. The bed was opposite the door next to a window where the curtains blocked the light from coming in. She made a few steps until she reached the middle and stared around. It was his room, she could feel it. She put her kunai inside the pouch as her heart was beating faster, she wanted to slow the beats but it was impossible, even after all those years and after all those words she was still weak when it would come about him.

Breathing rather heavily she searched it and saw a desk with a chair and a wardrobe next to it. She made a few steps lazily towards it and opened the door with a small creak. As soon as she did that, a smell covered her nostrils and sent explosions through her body. It was his smell. The thing which she adored the most in this world, beside him.

Shakily she rose her hand and touched the fabric of the clothes, they were smooth at touch. She took one shirt from the hanger and stared at it. Her nails digged deep in the material and she breathed the smell. It reminded so much of him. She felt like he was right there with her. So many things happened between them, so many words had been exchanged between them and so many promises had been made to each other. Promises...

Her head snapped and she removed the shirt away from her as if it was contagious and stared at it with rage. She made also a promise that she would kill him and that she would erase those feelings for him from her heart. The oath... Now she remembered why she was there. She shook her head in annoyance as she couldn't believe what she did a few moments ago. Her fists clenched the material and in just a second a sound of something ripping filled the room.

She stared at the two pieces of clothing in her hands and let them fall on the ground. Letting a small curse, her face turned from an angry one to a frowning one as she sensed something. Turning to her left she saw that there was another door on a wall. A bathroom perhaps. She took the kunai from her pouch and made a few steps towards it. As she went closer a sound could be heard more clearly and clearly. 'Water turned on?' she thought. Could it be that someone was there after all? And also thinking that this was his room... could it be him?

Gulping at that thought she went closer until her left shoulder was leaning against the wall. It was now very clear that the sound was one of a shower. She stretched her left hand until it reached the handle.

She was about to press the handle until a large noise caught her attention and she turned her head to her right only to see the bird flying fast towards her and letting out sound of panic. Not waiting for anything else she straightened and without taking another glance at the door of the bathroom she started to run down the stairs, without wasting any second.

"SAKURA!!" she yelled still running towards the front door where the pink haired was. In her running state she noticed the same sound coming from each room. Now she realised it, she had to get far away or she would die. But for her surprise, there was no trace of Sakura. Panicked, she thought that maybe the kunoichi was in the house but she had to get away from the house. "SAKURA! If you're inside the house, GET OUT! NOW!" she yelled as loudly as she could but there was no answer. Slightly relieved that she wasn't there she continued her way towards the door. Nothing mattered right now, only to get out of that house. She slipped through the door quickly and suddenly something pink caught her attention.

"Wha-What's wrong?" Sakura asked confused but alarmed in the same time.

"Just run!" Naruki yelled and grabbed her by the hand pulling Sakura after her. Sakura started to run as well or she would have fallen. They just made three steps that a huge sound filled air as the building behind them exploded. Naruki turned her head and saw the parts which were flying towards them. Sakura saw them too and jumped from left to right or inverse so they would dodge them.

Naruki looked behind her and saw that the flames were coming fast towards them.

"We won't make it!" Sakura yelled in agony. Seeing that there wasn't any chance of escaping them by running Naruki grabbed Sakura with both hands and threw her with full force away from the fire. Sakura couldn't even realise what was happening that she found herself flying towards some trees in the distance. "Naruki!" she yelled but the redhead disappeared in fire.

She flew away and landed on a tree from the forest which was surounding the area. She tried to catch any glimpse of Naruki but unsuccessfully as the smoke covered all the area and everything was burning. She tried to walk but right then she felt pain coming from her leg and saw that she had a deep cut because of the sharp objects which had been sent from the explosion. She put her hands on the cut and green flame surounded it meaning that she was healing herself.

After she finished she decided to jump down and look for Naruki. As she did that something caught her attention and she turned around to see what was wrong.

"Aaaahh!"

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Naruki pulled herself towards safety with rapid movements and landed beside a tree panting hard. Safe from the fire, she straightened shakily from the ground and stared around for any trace of her companion. She saw that the house was burning hard down to pieces and the smoke covered the whole sky. She realised that the 'shower' noise was coming from the exploding tags. Then, a scream filled her ears and she noticed that it was Sakura's.

"Sakura!" she yelled but nothing.

Naruki was worried, something happened to Sakura. Maybe some of the Akatsuki members got her? Still panicked she straightend and pulled the wires which she used to grab herself to the trees and put them back in her pouch. She closed her eyes while making a sign. She stayed a few seconds like that then opened her eyes shocked.

"Kuso." she murmured and started to walk away from the tree. She removed the already burnt parts of her clothes and started to run fast. She saw that Sakura's chakra flow was very weak and that she was injured badly. Scolding herself saying that it was her fault that this happened she quickened her pace. She had to save Sakura.

While she was running a sound made itself heard and she stopped. Naruki noticed it and saw that her small bird escaped the fire as well. She turned to it and the bird chirped happily. She sent a worried and confused look to the bird in the same time. "Please, scan the area for any Akatsuki members and-" she stopped.

Wind started to blow behind her and chills went through her body. Her red eyes went wide open and turned to blue-green. She didn't expect it to be so soon. She didn't see this coming. The bird chirped happily and flapped her wings as her second master was there as well. Naruki couldn't breathe, couldn't move, couldn't do anything at all. She just stared hopeless at the bird. She noticed also something hot hitting the back of her neck. She knew what that meant but in the same time she didn't. She leaned her gaze as a tear, just one escaped her right eye and fell down her cheek. She felt it how it reached her chin then fell down until it made contact with steel.

Steel. That was right. Not her steel but the one's which went through her chest. She stared at it trembling, she could see her reflection. She was white, her eyes were losing colour and she felt numb. She couldn't feel anything at all but one thing she could feel. The hot breath hitting the back of her head. As she stared at the blade she saw red liquoir dripping from it. Her blood. She started to shake, blood escaped her lips too and she could feel that this was her end. She was so close to achieve her goal but yet... she was far from doing it.

But even in those moments she couldn't help it but smirk and blush in the same time. It wasn't the usual red tomato one but a very very slight pink.

"Not even in this moment you won't say something?" she whispered and turned her head a little. Her eyes of a moribund stared into red crimson ones with three tomoes. The owner of the eyes frowned but kept his state.

"What it is to be said to a dying person?" he asked. Naruki smiled and chuckled but as she did that pain went more through her body making her stop.

"This is the second time you do this, don't you?" she asked breathing hard and coughing. "Ne, Itachi?" she said and a slight shade of red traced her eyes but disappeared quickly.

"This time there won't be mistakes." he said and pushed harder in her making her scream loud. She couldn't maintain her yell, the pain was too big. She tried to bit her lip to stop the yell so he won't feel good that he was causing pain to her. As he did that his body reached hers and he could feel her cold one against his hot one. She shakily rose her gaze at him but she stared at him worried not with anger or rage.

"What happened to Sakura? My companion?" she asked rather silently. Itachi rose an eyebrow at this thing, Naruki wasn't the person to care about others.

"She is dying at the moment we speak." he said coldly. Naruki didn't say anything but a smile crossed her lips.

"No, you're wrong... she will survive and live on happily." she said.

"Unlike you." he whispered. Naruki's smile didn't broke but continued to stare at him. She forced herself so she won't lose her consciousness. She had an amasing will power.

"I haven't answered your question." she grimaced. Itachi stared at her confused. "The one with the words of a dying person." she continued. "There aren't many words but only one.... and that's sorry." she said. "The one you were... never... good... at..." she said.

"Only fools believe in things such as forgiveness." he whispered in her ear. She didn't make a move at all and he retrieved the sword from her body. Naruki let out another sound of pain and he backed away as her lifeless body started to fell towards the ground on its back. She gave him one more look and tried to get up but the pain was too big. She untensed and closed her eyes not breathing anymore. He watched it and sheathed his katana. He leaned over her and stared at her face. Her beautiful face.

He stretched his right hand and removed some of the locks of her now shorter hair from her face. He traced his fingers over the forehead, eyelids, nose, cheeks and lips and stopped. He touched her soft, rosy lips again then retrieved his hand.

"Deidara was wrong back then." he said and lowered his hand and touched ther pool of blood which gathered around her. He sank two fingers in it and retrieved them. He rose them and drew something on her chest near the suprasternal snotch then he straightened up.

He made a few steps but stopped and turned around.

"It's better if you stay dead now. If you come back it will be only suffering for you." he murmured and walked again through the trees.

He didn't take not even a single glance and disappeared. The body which he left behind remained in the same position being lighted by the fire of the building which exploded.

A few meters away, between some bushes, a pair of brown eyes watched the whole scene and the owner showed himself. Looking around, the person made a few steps and reached the lifeless body. He leaned over it and stared at the face of the woman. A smile crept on the person's lips.

"At last, I found you, dear." a feminine voice said.