Gone [Naruto fanfic]

#27

I told Temari everything, which wasn't at all easy(especially the part about how I couldn't be sure what would happen if I told anyone, but told Kakashi-sensei anyway).

She was pretty pissed at that.

At the beginning, she was extremely upset that I hadn't told her. But after a while, she began to understand the predicament that I was in.

"Do you-?" She started to ask, but I cut her off.

"No, I don't know if Gaara will survive or not. I only know about things up to a certain point." I said, frustrated at my own ignorance.

"Oh...." She trailed off. Silence stretched between us as we gazed up at the night sky and the stars glittering above.

Several minutes passed by. As I was getting up to go back inside, my legs froze, then collapsed beneath me. My gut twisted with a strange kind of pain that knocked the air out of my lungs. I gasped, struggling to breathe. An image flashed in my eyes.

A dark place, a huge bubble of pale blue chakra, a thin stream of red chakra being sucked away and sapping my strength.

I grabbed Temari's arm as the image faded from my vision.

"Temari!" I gasped, still trying to recover.

"What's wrong?!"

I look into her eyes.

"They've started."

                        *******

We ran at top speed through the trees, following Pakkun.  I knew that Itachi was going to show up soon, and I was ready.

Naruto and I were in front, while Sakura, Kakashi, and Lady Chiyo ran behind.

I could see that the trees opened up into a clearing ahead. Taking a deep breath, and ran through everything in my mind.

"Wait!" Kakashi said suddenly.

We stopped at the treeline, our bodies tense.

Itachi stood in the clearing in front of us, still and stoic.

I stepped forward.

"You guys go, I've got him." I said.

"But Amira-"

"I said GO!" I swiveled my head to look back at Kakashi-sensei, "I know who my opponent is, and I did not come unprepared! Now hurry up and leave! The Kazekage's life is at stake!"

I could feel the hesitation and uncertainty of everyone behind me.

"Kakashi-sensei," I said more quietly, "please trust me."

After several seconds of tense silence, Kakashi finally nodded, and then they disappeared into the forest.

I stood there, more terrified than I have ever been. My stomach twisted itself into painful knots.
I've faced tough situations before, but this was Itachi Uchiha for goodness sake.

A minute passed.

Neither me nor Itachi had moved an inch.

"Make your move." I spoke, deliberately looking him dead in the eye.

I always made a point not to be the one to start a fight, and to try negotiation beforehand. The first bell test with Kakashi had been an exception, since I knew I had no other choice if I wanted to be trained by him to become a shinobi.

Itachi's sharingan swirled into existence as he stared back at me. I could feel the chakra from his genjutsu being aimed at me, trying to trap me inside it.