Betrayal
"Sakura-Chan, Kakashi Sensei, what's going on?" Naruto tried to lighten the mood by chuckling, but it came out as a nervous laugh. Something was really wrong. He wasn’t supposed to feel nervous around the people who were the closest with him, who made him feel happy and safe. But the hostility, and their eerie silence, was creeping him out.
And quite frankly, it made him panic.
They were in the secluded woods of Konoha, where Sakura and Kakashi insisted they train here, their voice cold and stern. It perceived him as odd, since they never train here, not when the sunlight couldn’t reach them, making them unable to see their moves and tactics.
The blond Kyuubi tried to pester them with more questions, but both of them stayed silent, unmoving. He felt hair stand behind his back, and his stomach began to churn as they began to advance near him. Naruto couldn’t do anything but back away, until his back hit the nearest tree.
What was happening? Why are they acting like his enemies?
He wanted to put his guard up, but these were his comrades, his friends, and the person he even considered as a guardian. He couldn’t bear to hurt them.
And that was his biggest mistake.
Out of nowhere, Kakashi’s ropes began to surround him, and he was bound on the tree. Naruto let out a surprised yelp, and tried to break free, but to no avail. The ropes were too strong.
“Kakashi Sensei! Sakura-Chan! What are you doing?!” he cried out, and struggled with the ropes. And finally, he started to panic, as the grey haired Jounin came near him, and uttered with the coldest voice possible.
“I am not your Sensei anymore.”
He felt as if he was doused with ice water, but tried to keep his fear and panic at bay by screaming at both of their faces.
“What is the meaning of this? Sakura, is Kakashi nuts?”
But Sakura just stayed silent, with a sad expression and tears on her face. Naruto shook his head, still in confusion and in disbelief.
“Sakura-Chan?” Naruto finally stopped screaming and demanding for answers, and croaked out the statement with impending doom, fearing the worst as his pink haired friend came closer. He saw tears stream down her face, and suddenly, as quickly as it came, it was replaced with an unreadable but cold face.
“I’m sorry, Naruto,” Sakura whispered, and stabbed him multiple times on the stomach. Naruto felt numb at first, and was confused as to why he felt that way. His confusion turned into a full blown panic when he felt warm blood flow from his orange jacket onto his tanned hands as he screamed in panic and all he could think was “Did Sakura actually stab me?”
Due to the adrenaline, he felt no pain whatsoever. However, the rising panic was causing him difficulties to breath, causing him to hyperventilate and gasp for air.
“Sakura! Kakashi Sensei!” he screamed with all his might, and suddenly, suddenly, right at that moment, the dull ache on his wounds ramped up, and he felt agonizing pain. It was as if he was whacked at the same place multiple times, but it hurt so much more.
He screamed again, but the pain made it come out as a gurgle instead. Sakura smirked and crossed her hands, as if enjoying her handiwork. It was as if her pain and anguish on her expression mere moments ago were faked.
How could she….. They were friends, were they? There must be an explanation… for everything…..
Kakashi, however, didn’t even look at him, and opted to scan the forest for any potential people who could stumble upon them, his Sharingan activated. Naruto felt his heart hurt, even more than the wound on his stomach.
Does Kakashi Sensei, my teacher, my guardian, hates me this much until he can’t even bear to look at me?
“You are nothing to us, Naruto. All those times we spent and trained together were only for our own benefit. But however, you got too strong, and we can’t let that happen. We need to be stronger, so we can rule the entirety of the Shinobi World. And your dream of wanting to be Hokage will stop us. People will bow down to you, not us. Thus, you needed to go.”
“Plus, your strength could overpower the Akatsuki, and we know you would never pick their side. I’m sorry, but I hope you understand.”
But Kakashi didn’t sound sorry at all. In fact, he sounded repulsed. His words sliced his heart like a knife.
Naruto felt his eyes water out of sadness, and the pain was also too much to bear. He tried to gasp for air, but the effort seems futile. He could see stars and felt dizzy. Sakura’s stab must be stronger than he thought. That thought alone made his thoughts wander further.
“So all those times, even when you were using me, meant nothing to you?” he whispered, feeling drained, and tired due to the blood loss, and the revelation that he was receiving at the moment.
“That’s not our top priority, right Sakura? I’m glad that someone comes to their senses regarding this whole idea.” Kakashi said cooly, and actually had the nerve to open his Icha-Icha Paradise while Naruto was bleeding profusely, his life hanging on the lines.
I can’t believe they were actually murderous, lying, psychopaths… Naruto thought miserably, trying to hold himself for as long as he could.
After what felt like hours, but it was just minutes, a figure with a long billowing cloak with red clouds appeared before him. Naruto felt his heart drop into his stomach as he realised who it was. The panic he initially had was replaced by full blown fear as his eyes met with the red ones of the original Uchiha bloodline.
“No... is Sasuke going to come with the both of you?” Naruto whispered brokenly, as his older brother laughed out loud, his voice full of malice.
No, not Sasuke too, especially not Sasuke…
“My idiot brother doesn’t have the same goals as we do,” the older Uchiha said, and for a brief moment, he let himself sigh in relief. But that feeling disappeared abruptly as he felt another stab pierce through his chest. Naruto let out a howl of agony, as Itachi Uchiha laughed in glee.
“Goodbye, Naruto. Send regards to my brother in the afterlife. That idiot will be next.”
The last thing he saw was a flurry of movement, and he felt himself getting pulled into the darkness.