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A Meaning In Death by antilogicgirl

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A/N: This is a complex piece, involving many characters from the Naruto gang. There is much OOC, but that's my favorite thing. I love molding the characters, but not so much that it'll freak people out too much.

Warning: there are some things in this fic that might not be suited to those who are of fragile disposition. In other words, there are suggestive situations, mention of nudity, as well as dark behavior on part of Sasuke.

That being said, I would also like to say that it will probably be pretty long. I usually try to finish a piece before posting it bit by bit, but I'm up to page 45 (in Microsoft Word), and it is far from done. I need input. Please review. I'll remind you at the end of the chapter.

Legal Stuffiness: Uh, I don't own Naruto or any of the characters that pertain to it. However, the character of Morimoto Risa, as well as the plot and story of this piece do belong to me!

Flashbacks denoted by ***xxx*** at beginning and ending of section

Time: approximately six years after Sasuke goes to Orochimaru.

Place: Konoha.

-----
Chapter 1: Two Men Through the Window

January 24. Journal of Morimoto Risa

I met a man today. Two, actually. I was showering. Odd place to meet a man, right? But that’s how it happened. I was nearly done in the shower, and I heard this deafening crash come from my bedroom. I turned off the water and hurriedly wrapped a towel around myself. When I reached the bedroom, there were two men standing in the middle of the floor, staring each other down. One had long, dark hair, and his clothes were so dark blue that they were nearly black. On his back was an odd symbol, like a fan, red and white. The other had short, spiky blond hair, and eyes like the sea. He saw me first, and apologized for them bursting into the window, which was now demolished.

The dark man turned his black eyes on me, and I felt a chill go through me. It was as if I were an insect to him. My mouth worked, and I couldn’t speak. Under his eyes, I felt so helpless…I hate feeling that way. The blonde man saw the way that the dark man was looking at me. He spoke again. “Sasuke, don’t touch her. She has nothing to do with this.” I wondered for a second what it was he meant, and then this Sasuke pulled a kunai, grabbed me, and held it to my throat.

“Move and she dies. You know I will, Naruto.”

And, me being the weak moron that I am, I fainted. Now, here I am in bed, where I have been for about six hours, it seems.

-----

Naruto sat across from Sasuke, who was bound and gagged. “Bastard,” he growled. “What did you have to go and grab that girl for?” He had been trying to get an answer out of his former friend for some time. Now, he just asked the air, knowing that even without the leather strap keeping him from speaking, he still wouldn’t tell him. The problem with using someone as a shield is that they have to stay upright. When she’d fainted, Naruto made his move, and secured him.

The dark-haired young man glared over at him. It had been a year since Sasuke had killed Orochimaru and taken over as the resident evil nut-job of the universe. He and Naruto were now both twenty years old. In the process of him attempting to murder Tsunade, he had killed Sakura instead, and showed absolutely no remorse for slaughtering her. It was hard for Naruto to hate, but if hate were possible for him, then every ounce of his hatred was aimed at the man before him. “I wish I could kill you right now. But, Tsunade-sama has better plans for you.”

Sasuke’s eyes widened. He seemed slightly frightened. “Oh, yes. She wants revenge. Sakura was like a daughter to her, asshole.” He felt his rage flaring again. “Why, Sasuke? Why did you have to kill her? She loved you! She loved you more than her life. That’s why she—“ Naruto clamped his mouth shut, shoving the memory of Sakura’s dead eyes away. The funeral would be the next day. Sasuke would not be attending. Tsunade had very interesting plans for him, as Naruto understood it, and he wished he could be there when the sick bastard was broken, bleeding, and crying. He wanted to see pain on Sasuke’s face. He wanted to know that he was, in fact human.

Sasuke had killed twelve ANBU and Sakura, as well as critically injured both Yamanaka Ino and Inuzuka Kiba. But it had only taken a small miscalculation on his part to deliver himself into Naruto’s hands. It would have been what Shikamaru called “checkmate.” Naruto drew a long string of beads from his pocket. Wrapping them twice around Sasuke’s neck, he made a few hand seals, and then watched as the chakra bit into the dark-haired man’s neck, sinking in and weakening him. His eyes bulged. Naruto smiled. Even if that had not been part of his orders from the Hokage, he would have used that jutsu.

It sucked chakra out of Sasuke, nearly to the point where it would kill him, as well as sapping his physical strength. At the moment, Naruto didn’t need to have him bound, but he didn’t want to take any chances. “I’ll have to go to the girl’s house and apologize tomorrow after Sakura’s funeral. You bastard. Asshole. Jerk.” He couldn’t think of any more names to call him. “I still don’t understand why you used her as a shield. You don’t even like women!” But there had been that look in his eyes…Just like when Sasuke had gone after Hinata.

Neji had been furious. He left the village for three months, and came back battered and bloody. After he finally tracked the bastard down, his battle with Sasuke had lasted days, but in the end, he couldn’t kill him. Hinata had cared for his wounds personally. They were now both broken. Broken by Sasuke. Because of that, they clung to one another.

-----

Naruto, still wearing his funeral garb, knocked on the door of the apartment he and Sasuke had wrecked the day before. The same girl answered. He smiled nervously. “Hi. Um, I just came to tell you that I’m sorry I broke your window. If you like, I can pay for it to be fixed.”

The girl shook her head. “Won’t you come in…?”

“Gomen. My name is Uzumaki Naruto. I’m a special jounin of Konoha.” He stepped inside the apartment. “I was pursuing the other man you saw. He is a great criminal. He has killed many people, and betrayed the village.” The girl was nodding slowly. He decided to change the subject. He didn’t want to talk about Sasuke. “Your accent is familiar. You wouldn’t happen to be from the Wave Country, would you?” The girl blushed, nodding again. “Oh. You know the bridge they built about eight years ago now?”

“You mean the Naruto Bridge…?” Her eyes widened, and Naruto smiled. He nodded. “You’re THE Naruto? Wow. I’m pleased to meet you!” She bowed formally, and Naruto waved her off.

“Come on, there’s no need for that. But can you tell me your name?”

Again, she blushed. “Morimoto Risa. Please, Naruto-san, sit down. I was about to make tea. Will you have some?” Naruto nodded with a smile, and made for the couch. He sat, and listened to the girl moving in the kitchen. A feeling of guilt came over him. ~Sakura loved tea,~ he thought, ~but she won’t have it again. Damn you Uchiha Sasuke! You’ll burn in the darkest hell for what you’ve done!~

After a few moments of gripping the couch cushions and fuming, the young man made a conscious effort to calm himself. He did not want to alarm Risa-chan when she came back in. Instead of thinking of Sakura, he tried to think of this girl he had met just yesterday, the day his friend was killed. She was tall, with long hair the color of walnuts. Her eyes were a bright, clear green, lighter than Sakura’s. If he had not been so busy tying Sasuke up and restraining him the day before, he would have had more time to admire her long legs, and the smooth skin of her chest.

He had put her to bed after brushing the debris off of the covers, and pulled the blankets up to her chin. She had smelled like a mild soap, and ginger. Leaning back on the couch, he closed his eyes. A small smile found its way to his lips, and he thought of how he had given Sasuke a swift kick to the stomach before he’d scooped her up from the floor and walked her over to the bed. It was a pleasant thought. What was not pleasant was the look in Sasuke’s eyes when he had turned to Risa the day before. It was just like what Hinata had said.

***xxx***

Hinata had been soaking in the Hot Springs District, in one of the women-only bath houses. The air had been misty, since the day was cold, and she sat with her back against one of the large rocks in the water. Breathing deeply, she moved her arms lazily over the surface of the water. Watching the ripples, she was content. Her day had been good, and this was the perfect end to it. She smiled, leaning her head back against the rock and closing her eyes. A solitary bath in the hot springs was just what she needed.

Her solitude was soon interrupted, however, by the feeling of another’s presence. Her eyes opened lazily, then they widened in alarm. Standing there, more than knee-deep in water, was Uchiha Sasuke, the successor to the rule of the Village of Sound. He looked down at her with a mixture of contempt and a sort of twisted desire that frightened her.

Sasuke reached down and took hold of the back of her hair, pulling her up slowly and steadily. Oddly enough, it wasn’t really hurting her at all. “Sasuke-kun…” She couldn’t think of what to say. His eyes were burning into her, and she could not look away. She felt his other hand remove her towel. It was at this point that she seemed to realize what was about to happen. Hinata’s once unsure voice changed rapidly. In a very firm tone, she said, “Let go of me.”

He leaned closer to her. She could feel his breath on her face as he looked into her eyes and said, “Why should I, Hinata-chan?” And he moved his face down to her neck, softly kissing translucent skin. She shivered involuntarily. Sasuke’s hand released her hair, and he backed her against the rock. Hinata’s mind revolted at the thought of what he was doing. Finally, as his hands moved over her body, she had had quite enough.

“Because, Sasuke-kun, if you don’t let me go, I’ll be forced to hurt you.” That made him laugh. It was a cold, empty sound, and for the barest of instants, she pitied him. Anyone who seemed so empty was surely worthy of pity, weren’t they? But when he looked back at her with those eyes again, she had no pity. Compassion was for those who really deserved it, and he did not. Her hands planted themselves firmly on his chest, and she pushed him away.

He slid back a few feet, giving Hinata just enough space to enter her fighting stance. Sasuke’s mouth curled in a smirk. “You planning to fight me, Hinata-chan?” Grim determination set into her features, and she activated her Byakagun. She nodded. Sasuke raised an eyebrow, and said, “Hai. Hajime, Hinata.” She began, using techniques learned from her father. None of them seemed to work.

Hinata’s stance changed slightly, and her style became tighter, more regulated, and then, she broke into a series of fast movements that Sasuke recognized. Neji had been teaching her, and she used his sixty-four hands technique on Sasuke, closing off his main chakra openings. He seemed not a little frightened of her, as she advanced on him. “Sasuke-kun, if you don’t leave, I’ll have to kill you. For Naruto’s sake, I’ll let you go.” And he had run. Hinata fell with a splash to the ground, wishing to drown herself.

When she got home, she cried in her room for two days, not allowing anyone in. After the second day, Neji had broken her door in. She told him everything. His eyes had been a white fire, filled with a new anger, a new hatred. “Please, please, onih-san…” she had begged him, “Please don’t go!” Hinata clung to him, as he sat stiffly, trying to stand. A moment later, he relented. She held him tightly.

His hand touched her face, gently. “Hinata-sama, please. I promised to protect you. Let me at least pay him back for the crime he nearly committed.” Hinata’s eyes had searched his face, trying to find the reason for his sudden rage. It was more than just his vow of protection. There was something else…and then she saw it. At the heart of that fire in his eyes, was the reason, and the cause for it. “I can’t let him hurt my Hinata-sama. I can’t let anyone ever hurt you. I would rather die.”

He had held her for a long time, strong arms surrounding her, and she felt safe. Only then was she able to stop crying. Her tears dried, and he continued to hold her, that fierce look never fading from his eyes. When she became sleepy, he carried her to the bed, and covered her with the blankets. As she drifted off to sleep, she felt his lips on hers, a light, chaste kiss. His voice whispered to her in the half-dream she found herself in. “Let me protect you, Hinata…forever.”

***xxx***

He heard the clinking of cups, and her footsteps coming back from the kitchen, and these had broken his reverie. She served the tea, not looking him in the eye. It was like dealing with Hinata-chan, only he had a feeling that this modesty and timidity were not genuine. “Risa-chan?” She looked at him. “Are you ok? You seem kinda…I dunno, nervous.”

Her right eyebrow rose, and a spark ignited in her eyes. “Wouldn’t you be nervous if someone who saw you nearly naked one day showed up at your door the next day?” Her voice had taken on a tone that reminded him far too much of Sakura. ~Oh, this is bad…it’s too soon. You know this is bad, right?~ “I mean, I nearly fainted when I opened the door. It’s not every day that a girl meets a man under such a strange circumstance.”

Naruto nodded wisely. She was blushing again. He tried not to smile, but failed miserably. She simply reminded him too much of Sakura. “Hai. I hope you weren’t too embarrassed?” His clumsily probing question seemed to take her by surprise. “I didn’t mean to pry, it’s just that you’re blushing.” He smiled into his teacup. ~Why am I talking to her like I used to talk to Sakura? She’s not Sakura. She’s Risa.~ But just then, she did something that Sakura would have done, only slightly altered. Fast as any taijutsu that Kakashi used, she reached over and took his cup from him with one hand while smacking him on top of the head with the other.

Handing his cup back to him, she said, “Now, I don’t think that’s any of your business, is it, Naruto-san?”

“Itai! Oi. Drop the –san, will you? If you’re gonna hit me, you should just call me Naruto. Everyone else does.” She smiled, nodding. He felt a lump begin to grow on his head. She was very much like Sakura, indeed. But then, she did something that was un-Sakura-like. She ran from the room, returning a moment later with a plastic bag, full of ice. She set it on his head.

“Gomen, Naruto. I lost my temper. It’s always been a problem for me. Why are you looking at me like that?” Her brow furrowed. His eyes widened. ~She’s not Sakura…not Sakura…not Sakura…~

“You just remind me of someone, that’s all.” He sipped his tea, while holding the bag of ice with his other hand.

“Who do I remind you of?”

“Someone very special. Someone I’ll never meet again.” He turned and looked out of the window, removing the bag of ice from his head and letting it sit on the couch next to him. “She’s dead. That man I was chasing yesterday, he killed her.” He was not sure why he was telling her these things. Was it because she was like Sakura? Probably. “I wanted to kill him for what he did. I wanted to make him hurt, make him pay. He killed the one person in the world who truly loved him. She did, you know. How, I’ll never understand, but she loved him more than she did her own life.”

Naruto did not need to turn his sad blue eyes to her to know that she was staring hard at him, an expression of surprise on her face. He didn’t want to continue, but now that he had begun, he couldn’t stop. He told her everything.

“His name is Uchiha Sasuke. He is one of the two remaining members of the Uchiha Clan. His brother killed the rest. Sasuke was mostly ok after that until Orochimaru, one of the Legendary Sannin, marked him with a cursed seal. It gave him power, and he wanted more. He wanted power so that he could kill his brother. Orochimaru wanted to use him as a container for his spirit. He was immortal, you see. He transferred his memories, power, and spirit into a new body every so often.

“Sasuke went to him willingly, but somehow managed to keep from being used as Orochimaru’s container. Then, a year ago, Orochimaru’s body was found, and a new ruler appeared in the Village of Sound. Sasuke had killed Orochimaru. He had taken the man’s power. He had become so arrogant, so hungry for power, that he had killed anyone who stood in his way, including his master. Then, just yesterday, he tried to kill the Godaime. He only succeeded in killing twelve of our best ANBU, as well as Haruno Sakura. She tried to reason with him, to stop him. He just used a terrible jutsu, and cut her down. I can still see her eyes when the Chidori tore through her…”

He felt tears course down his cheeks. They had been held back during the funeral. He promised himself that he would not cry. Now he had broken that promise, and in front of a total stranger. All because she looked like Sakura.

“Naruto…” He turned his head to look at her. To his surprise, she was crying. She rose from her chair and came to sit next to him on the couch. Risa took his hand.

-----

A/N: Oh, he doesn't stand a chance, does he?
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