"Wait, Sasuke, don't go"

Sakura grabbed hold of his arm, her green eyes wide and pleading.

"Stay with me"

Sasuke glared at her, shoving her roughly away, watching with hating eyes as she fell sprawled on the floor, sobbing quietly.

"Don't you dare touch me you bitch" He growled before sprinting off in the direction Naruto had gone.

---------------

Naruto ran wildly through the crowd, trying hard to ignore the angry glares of the people he passed, a streak of yellow against the crowd.

He deafly heard someone yelling his name, footsteps closing in behind him.

Was someone chasing him?

Chasing = bad.

Bad = run.

His mind was mixed up, thoughts too murky for him to comprehend, the only thing he was taking was the sound of the footsteps behind him.

Faster.

Faster.

Faster.

He kept running, tears streaking down whiskered cheeks.

"Monster!"

The word was ringing in his head, much too loud, making it impossible for him to understand any of his jumbled thoughts.

"Monster!"

"Naruto!"

He was still running, running, he vaugely registered that he was no longer in a crowd anymore, the only sound he could hear were those footsteps.

Coming closer.

He sped up.

"Naruto!"

Who was saying his name?

"Monster!

He screamed, feeling someone tackle him, pulling him down onto the ground in a struggling heap.

"Let go! Let go! Let go!"

His eyes were squeezed shut now all he could do was throw random puches, struggling wildly against the arms he felt wrapped around his chest.

Someone was touching him.

He flailed wilder then before, struggling hard against those strong arms.

"Don't touch me! Don't touch me! Don't touch... Don't... Don't..."

His words began to fade and slowly he began to sob, leaning against the body he felt holding him, leaning into the warmth of the embrace, feeling tired and weak.

"Don't..."

Sasuke kissed his cheek gently, holding him carefully against his chest, as if he might break the sobbing boy.

"Shhh... Don't cry Naruto, don't cry..."


---TO BE CONTINUED---