Dark •Sequel to Bright!•

A Moment of Peace

•Sasuke POV.......... oooOooOoo•

I told the other three to wait for the signal, and brought the blonde along with me. Ever since she had given me her answer, and told me her choice, I wasn't sure if I would let her out of my sight. My life had only ever had one purpose, defeating Itachi. That is what I always thought, but somehow this girl showed me something different.

Akari was the most infuriating person, sometimes even more annoying than Naruto himself. She was angry, and was like a firecracker. You never knew what she was going to do, or how she would react to everything around her. Most of the time she was calm and collected, except for the days her head wasn't in the right place. Those days were the ones that she would snap and yell over everything.

Yet despite her unpredictable personality, she was still an insanely gorgeous girl. Everyday she grew even more beautiful, every time I saw her I thought I was seeing a new version. Even if the past few times I was sure she would kill me. Until this last time, she was different. Akari was more herself than she had been in years. She had stopped using the fox for power, and her emotions were more in check. The look of hatred towards me had faded. Yet, the look of guilt was surely washing over my face every time I saw her exposed shoulder.

I had hurt her in a blind rage, back before I had learned what Orochimaru's true plan was. Akari had seen that he was a bad idea from the very beginning. The last thing I had ever wanted to do was hurt her, but yet I did. That was something I wouldn't forgive myself. Akari did though, she forgave me for my slip up. She forgave me for hurting her like I did. I was sure that she was going to pick Kiba, after all he had the potential to give her the life she desired. Akari didn't though, like the stubborn person she was, she stuck with me.

"Sasuke?" Akari whispered, staring at me. I hadn't even noticed that I was staring at her.

"You're such a distraction," I mumbled stepping closer to her, pulling her closer to me by her hand.

"I, what did you call me?" I smiled at her confused stuttering.

I pulled her into me, placing my hand on her face as I leaned down. I placed my lips against hers, noting how the kiss was better than the first. She seemed a bit shocked at my actions but quickly pushed herself closer to me. I let go our still intertwined hands and placed my hand against the exposed skin on her back. I slightly dragged my nails against the skin, and she let out a small moan into the kiss before wrapping my hair into her fingers.

We both pulled a way, both trying to catch our breaths. Akari's blue eyes showing more against her pink tinted face. She then glared at me before pushing back to point a finger at me.

"Don't think that just because I chose you means you can just kiss me whenever, we have a mission after all remember?" Akari said firmly and I just laughed. I leaned down and caught her in one more kiss before turning and walking again.

"Well, then let's go, let's finish this together Akari Uzumaki." She caught up to me walking beside me.

"Speaking of together, Sasuke when this is over, are we going to go back to the village?" Akari asked hopefully, and I felt a bit of guilt. I had no intentions of returning to the village, but I knew that it was what she wanted. There was nothing more I wanted than to make her happy, but yet I felt as if we could be happier floating around from place to place together. I also hadn't told her that there was one other person I needed to kill, whoever it was that assisted Itachi in killing our clan.

Akari would never be happy though, not being in the village. She had her ties there, her main reason being Naruto. I knew that Akari had cared for me, but I also knew that she cared for her brother more. She also had formed close bonds with a lot of other people. Trying to get her to leave them all again, leave them all permanently would prove to be impossible. Maybe I could go back, once I had killed the second person. Play along with their childish games, all to be with her.

"We will worry about that once this over with, don't worry Akari." I grabbed her hands once more, grinning at how she squeezed it tightly.

-Akari-

I sat with Suigetsu, Jugo, and Karin as we all waited. I couldn't even focus in on their antics, just on the fact that Sasuke and I were supposed to do this together but fish face wouldn't let me go with him. Suigetsu challenged the other guy to a fight, while Karin and Jugo both grew annoyed with his antics. Both of them worrying about Sasuke, we all were.

"You know, you would think you would be worried, considering these guys want to capture you." Karin said in a snarky tone.

"We don't want her, our leader doesn't want us to take her for her tailed beast, she has another purpose to our cause." A man who resembled a plant said as he raised up from the ground. We all looked in shock.

"So it's over already huh Zetsu?" Kisame said grumpily looking at the plant man.

"Yes," Zetsu said calmly.

"And? Sasuke where is he?" I said shakily staring at the two in front of me.

"He is fine, he won the battle." Zetsu said calmly again, his voice was soothing though.

"Where is he then?" Karin asked him, her voice just as worried as mine.

"He is fine, he was taken to the eastern hideout," Zetsu informed us all, "you three should head that way now, but not you Akari, your teammates are heading this way you should wait for them at the sight of the battle."

"What? No I am going with them to him?" I snapped and Zetsu stared at me.

"You'll wait for your teammates, you and Sasuke will meet again young one." Zetsu's voice seemed to switch to a deep and crankier one.

"Throw off the Leaf brats Akari, we will get back to you eventually okay?" Suigetsu said, placing a hand on my shoulder. I wanted to snap at him for calling them brats, but I just nodded.

"When you see him tell him I'm going home, I'll wait for him where we promised." I sighed, looking at Suigetsu hopefully. He gave me a knowing smile before departing with everyone else.

I went forward towards the sight of the battle. Stopping at the black flames that covered everything. There was no way pass them, but just as I was about to turn back, I saw the group of eight coming towards me. Naruto looked at me with a face of relief. All while Kakashi looked like he was about to explode.

"Damnit Akari, we thought that Itachi had taken you." Kakashi snapped, breaking his usual uncaring attitude. Everyone seemed a bit shocked by his obvious amount of care.

"No, I found Sasuke, and tried staying with them so I could bring him back but we got separated, just pass those flames is where Sasuke fought Itachi." I pointed, and Kakashi stared at me.

"And? What happened?" Kakashi questioned.

"Sasuke won, Itachi is dead." I confirmed his question and he nodded. Both Naruto and Sasuke let out small gasps.

"Wait, how do you know that Akari?" Naruto questioned and I looked at my brother sadly.

"A member of the Akatsuki told me, he also told me Sasuke was no longer there, I'm not sure where he went," I felt guilt wash over me as I lied straight to his face but then I quickly changed the subject, "I learned something though, they don't want the half of the fox sealed inside of me, they want Naruto, they said I have another purpose for them."

Everyone looked at me with a bit of shock, and I stepped closer to my brother who looked completely defeated. He was so close to catching up with Sasuke again, but yet couldn't get there. I pulled Naruto into a hug and let him hold me back tightly.

"I won't let them get you though Naruto, they'll have to come through me first, and as far as Sasuke goes he is going to come home soon, I just know it." I whispered into my brothers shoulder as he squeezed me tighter.

If only I had realized then the road ahead of us would be, and how long it would take for Sasuke to actually come back home.