A Hellbound Soul

Chapter Three
It's Been Far To Long

Disclaimer: Naruto and related characters are not mine.
Authors Note: Alrighty, now that I got past those first two chapters the third is coming to me MUCH easier. I've got LOTS of plans for the future of this story *rubs hands together eagerly* Now to see if I can FIT everything into the story line and STILL MAKE SENSE! Thanks for the reveiws. I can't wait for more! *hint hint*
Here I go!
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Sasuke had been surprised to find that it was Naruto who came to care for him every day as he slowly recovered from the bruetality of the beating he had taken. The damage had been more extensive then he had thought. He had broken two knuckles, cracked his nose, broken three toes and gotten more cuts then he had ever remembered taking.

After their trip to the hospital, Naruto had been quiet. Even when he came into the room to care for him the blonde said nothing, unless he was asked a question. Then he would answer and lapse again into silence. This on it's own shocked Sasuke. Naruto had always been loud and obnoxious on the occasion. This quiet Naruto was aggititating him.

Currently he was laid back in the bed he had been given in the spare room, wearing black silk pjamas that Naruto had found to fit him and reading a small novel for lack of anything better to do. Sakura had given very stronge instructions that Sasuke was NOT to get out of bed. And Naruto was apparently in agreeance for he had not let Sasuke anywhere either. Insisting it was better for the broken toes to heal. Of course, Sasuke knew broken toes did not call for someone to be completely bed ridden.

He flipped the page of his book just as the door creaked open. Sasuke glanced up to see the quiet Naruto enter. He was holding a roll of bandages and a wet cloth. It had only been three days since they had found him. Without a word the blonde pulled up his chair and began to undo the banadages on Sasuke that needed to be changed, doctors orders. Sasuke put down the book. He always did, hoping in the back of his mind that Naruto would actually talk to him for once. Putting the book down invited conversation. After several minutes of silence Sasuke could take it no longer.

"Why aren't you talking to me!?" Sasuke snapped at the blonde. He had seemed the normal Naruto when they had rescued him. Or maybe he had just been dillusional and dreampt the whole thing.

"Why did you walk off on me?" Naruto replied cooly.

"What??" Sasuke asked, sounding extremely confused.

"The day we gradutated High School. You promised you would come to the grad Prom. You promised Sasuke. And you never showed up. When I went to your house, you were gone. Just movers saying that you'd gone off to live with your brother. But you never left an adress, never left a phone number. You just left. Why?" Naruto replied, he had been dieing to say this for a long time it seemed. It had just taken Sasukes small push to get him to finally break and spill. The raven haired Uchiha looked at Naruto in shock. He had never really thought Naruto had liked him. All through high school and grade school they always faught. Rivals to the bitter end. Why did Naruto CARE that he had not left him anything in return? Or broken one stupid promise?

"... Prom I really was going to come to Naruto. I got jumped on my way there by Akatsuki... They dragged me off so I couldn't make it," Sasuke replied, his voice quiet and somewhat feeble. He winced as Naruto prodded cruely at his nose 'accidently'.

"And what about moving?"

"I didn't think you cared. Honestly Naruto, we always faught. Hated each other, didn't we?"

"... We were rivals. We did not hate each other. There's a difference. I was really hurt when you ran off without a word. And to move in with your bastard of a brother? The guy who ruined your life! I don't get you," Naruto replied, somewhat emotional. Sasuke was beginning to think he liked the quiet Naruto better then the emotional one. And he missed the loud one even more. How much had he changed in the year that they had not seen each other?

"..."

Naruto snorted at Sasuke's lack of a response and finished up. He stood up stiffly, thrust the stool across the room and began to storm off.

"Naruto..." Sasuke called, looking torn between swallowing his pride and asking forgiveness. Naruto paused and looked over his shoulder. Sasuke truely did struggle inside. Which he should not have. He had inside always like Naruto. The loud mouthed, optimist who never gave up. On several occasions they had both saved each other from dangerous situations. And shared more fun moments then one together. Sasuke cursed himself mentally. "I am sorry... I wish I could explain everything but I really... I really can't," Sasuke replied helplessly.

Naruto seemed for a moment unsatisfied. "I don't know if I'm ready to forgive you yet. Oh yah. Your crutches came in yesterday. Sakura says your free to wonder where ever you want now," he added with a mischevious grin and disappeared through the doors.

"NARUTO! Did you leave me in bed to torment me!?" Sasuke yelled after the closing door. He knew for a fact he heard Naruto snigger. Grumbling, Sasuke made his way across the room, limping on the foot with it's shattered toes to a dresser across the way. A suit case of his clothing had magically shown up on the door step the day before. Sasuke knew Itachi had dropped it off. It was not hard to figure out where Sasuke was. He was positive Akatsuki had watched them pick him up.

Sasuke was quick to put on a pair of shorts and a short sleeve shirt before hopping out the door. "Naruto! Where are those crutches?" Sasuke yelled as he hopped down the hall, stuffing a wallet into one of his pockets. If he was going out, he was going to need to some money.

Naruto rounded the corner, holding a pair up for him. "Come'n get 'em," Naruto teased, waving them around infront of his face grinning. Sasuke hopped after Naruto who took to retreating from him. His amusement obviously growing as Sasukes anger rose to higher and higher levels of aggitation. Sasuke wondered again why he had missed this Naruto. For it seemed the one he remembered was back in full force. Evidence enough that Naruto had been fairly willing to give Sasuke another chance.

After several tries and yelling at Naruto for being a moron he got his crutches and informed the blonde he was going for a walk. Naruto laughed and made a cruel joke about him going for a 'hobble' not a walk before Sasuke was finally out the door. And he was very obviously fuming.

"Idiot blonde," Sasuke snapped at the air peevishly as he walked on down the streets, looking incrediably ungraceful with the crutches he had never used before. He was so busy complaining and muttering about Naruto that he did not notice Itachi was following him. The older brother keeping just out of sight of Sasuke, waiting until his younger brother got far enough away from the bustle of these streets to do as he had been told by Orochimaru.

Sasuke contiued on. He rounded a corner of the block and started heading towards a small food place when he was yanked into a side ally off the empty street. He made a yelping noise but it was muffled back a hand firmly pressed against his face. Which hurt like hell considering the stitches and injuries from when Kabuto had taken his advantage and stomped on his face. But Sasuke was glad his nose had not broken. The crutches clattered to the ground and Sasuke was thrown against a wall. The hand still clamped firmly over Sasukes mouth.

The younger Uchiha began to squirm the moment he realized it was Itachi who had gotten a hold of him. A cruel smirk came across the elders face, it was useless really. Sasuke knew he could not get free, especially in this condition. So instead he took to glareing at Itachi with such venom he might have actually caused pain were his own sharingan out.

Slowly, Itachi took his hand off Sasukes mouth. A look on his face that clearly stated if Sasuke made so much as a squeak out of line Itachi would not hesitate to bring him to the brink of death. "What do you want?" Sasuke hissed in a low voice. Earning a moment of silence to which Itachi double checked no one was around to hear them.

"I want to make sure you don't open your mouth about anything you know," Itachi replied, he made little effort to stay quiet. This in itself showed his confidence that they were well alone and out of the way of people. Sasuke felt his stomach sink at both Itachi's words, and the prospect of being alone.

"Wasn't beating the hell out of me enough? I'm not going to say anything about head quarters," Sasuke snapped peevishly. His frustration at Itachi rising. He could barely wait for the day he could finally rip out his brothers throat. He would make Itachi suffer. Suffer just like Itachi had made him and his family suffer. All for them.

"But that's the thing Sasuke kun. It's not just head quarters. I don't want you to say another word involving Akatsuki at all. We don't need the police knowing you have information. This is just a warning little brother. Next time I won't be so nice," Itachi hissed. If only Orochimaru had not specifically told him to be carefully with little Sasuke. Itachi had been disgusted to find that Orochimaru had taken a fancy to his little brother. It was bad enough the snake man had gotten obsessive over himself. But Orochimaru knew Itachi was to hard a catch, so he went for the younger. It was sickening.

Before Sasuke could answer, Itachi was gone. Just as quickly as he had come, the man had faded back into the shadows. Sasuke collapsed to the ground, wondering what manner of luck had saved him from Itachi's cruelty. He would have to thank it later. Gathering his crutches and his dignity back about him the Uchiha contiued to the restaraunt. He would say nothing of this to anyone. Because he had been lucky once. Odds were, he would never be that lucky again. Especially when concerning Itachi.
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Chapter three is completed! I hope you enjoyed my little introductory chapters here. Because that was really what these three chapters were. Now that I have most of the stuff I want started let us move on to the next chapters!
Reveiw please!