my one in million

chapter 8

"Killing me won't bring them back." Madara said, what little of his face he could see through the broken part of the mask was smiling.

That smile didn't last long, as Naruto charged at him with monstrous rage and the silhouette of nine tails trailing behind his every move. Madara just laughed as he easily evaded every attack, like a cat playing with it's food.

Sasuke could do nothing but watch, the cold stone behind his back was the only thing holding him up; Naruto had dragged him there after beating him to near death. The blonde had his share of injuries, but summoning the healing chakra of the nine tails allowed it to both heal and consume him. Now he had enough energy to start an attack on the legendary Uchiha but as usual, he lacked the tactic.

It was ridiculous, really, that the two boys who were best friends were destined to fight in the same battlefield as their great grandfather's, for the same reason and over the same village.

The only difference was that he wasn't his great grandfather.

Even with broken arms, a swollen eye and several broken ribs, he found himself tackling Madara in a moment of madness at the exact same instant that Naruto charged in without really planning it. Madara was surprised that the boy who had been comatose just five minutes ago had suddenly found the will and power to switch sides; he was a few split seconds too slow to dodge the unplanned Double Lariat Sasuke and Naruto had used. Sasuke had copied it off Killer bee but had no idea why Naruto would know of it, it was either a convenient coincidence, or a once-in-a-lifetime miracle. Betrayed, the masked nin managed to jump away from the deadly combo but not before sustaining some damage to his already fragile body.

It didn't take long to finish him off from there.

The opponent's body was still, and instead of sharing a victorious high-five with Naruto, they resumed their fight in an attempt to decide a clear victor.

They were both flat on the ground, staring at the orange sky, by the time the rescue teams found them; there was a great deal of commotion really fast.

The barking of dogs, noise of people shouting and the forest faded away to the soft lull of wind and grass. A single figure stood in the middle of the field, her stringy hair dancing in the breeze and the rim of her white sundress brushed her knees when she turned.

He couldn't see her face, but he knew she was smiling.

The last time he saw her, he was sure someone interrupted them while she tried to guide him to the other side. This time, there will be no interruptions.

Her footsteps in the grass were silent, as if someone had somehow turned the volume down and forgot where they put the remote. "You look better." She'd said; her voice gentle but her face a blur. "You'll be okay."

He wanted to ask where he was, wanted to know if this was a memory, purgatory or hell; there was no sound even when his lips parted and air left his lungs.

"Dying? No, it's not the problem… I just think it's going to be sad to go through life without having anyone that loves you." Without warning, her arms wrapped around him and she let her head rest lightly on his chest, listening to his heartbeat.

He didn't know what was wrong with him, her embrace was genuine and affectionate and he wanted nothing else but to hold her to him and hide, hide from everything. In this suspended world, he wasn't allowed to move, either. Being held during his life in this manner was unlikely; more so if he was in hell, so this must be a world where he was tested by never having what he most craved.

Eventually, the moment was over and she pushed away.

"Did you know? Today is a good day. Everyone is doing great, the snow is melting, and she is awake again." Her hand rose up to tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear, her head was turned away from him.