A C C E P T A N C E

D I S C O V E R Y

Ayuka's POV

Anger and concern pumped through my veins, boiling my blood as I ran through the light mist. My bare feet slapped against the ground rapidly, submerging in puddles left unseen by my worried eyes as I focused on nothing but the chakra pulsing all around me. Branches scratched at my arms, birds flew in the opposite direction overhead, and my hair stuck to my face with a mixture of shower water and sweat, but none of those details were more important than the Amaterasu flames engulfing the leaves overhead.

Tears stung at my eyes.

Sasuke.

I grit my teeth as another wave of his intoxicating chakra wafted over me, mixed significantly with another energy that I had become far too familiar with over the past few years.

Suigetsu.

I shook my head.

That dumbass...

When I awoke this morning to empty sheets, disappointment filled my heart. He knew better than to openly challenge someone with chakra as powerful as Sasuke's. He knew that even with our training, he wouldn't stand a chance against an opponent like that without me. We needed to work together as a team. My chakra and his skills. Together. But, he probably knew that I wouldn't want to fight Sasuke, and his hot-headed temper coupled with his enormous ego obviously out weighed my want for him to stay safe.

I suppose he thought that he was protecting me, but I needed to face Sasuke on my own with words and not fists.

I couldn't run from my nightmares forever.

Up ahead, the unmistakable scraping of metal against metal echoed through the tree. I funneled more chakra into my legs, forcing myself to keep running and running and running. The branches began thinning out, the sounds of their fight became louder, and then suddenly I could see them...

Just as Sasuke plunged his sword into Suigetsu's side.

No!

Sasuke pulled his sword away almost immediately, causing blood and water to gush out from the wound he inflicted. The mist ninja hit the ground with a thud, yelling out in pain as he tried to cover the hole in his side with his watery hands. His entire body was a liquified mess, and his face was contorted into the most agonizing expression.

In that moment, my whole world turned red.

N-no.

My heart began to race.

Suigetsu. My best friend. He was... He was... He sacrificed everything for me... and now he was...

No Ayuka, snap out of it.

I grimaced and clenched my fists, forcing the unthinkable from my mind. None of my fears were going to come true. Suigetsu wasn't going to die. I wouldn't allow it. I couldn't.

As Sasuke began forming the hand signs to his chidori, I felt a new determination in my heart and my feet became unglued. I rushed forward, making signs of my own as I watched Suigetsu try to crawl away from the impending attack. A blood smear formed along the ground in his wake.

I'm not going to make it.

Sasuke's chidori flew through the air, aiming right for the water logged ninja. With blurred vision, I stopped in my tracks and slammed my hands on the ground.

Earth Style! Flexible Mud Wall!

Tears threatened to fall but I swallowed them back as best as I could, watching as my jutsu barely absorbed the mass of electric energy in time.