Loyalty (Sasuke Uchiha)

The faint squeaking of little mice echoed in my ears, stirring me awake.

I opened a single eye to see a little mouse sneaking through the cracks of the door.

With a snap of my finger the mouse was split in half, leaving behind a small puddle of ink.

I sat up in bed, combing my fingers through my long, tangled hair. I turned my head slightly, a feeling of uneasiness washing over me.

Something strange this way comes.

I made my way quietly to the exit, opening the door slowly.

Popping my head out, I looked from side to side to make sure no one was in the hallway.

Clear.

Now, off to make my way to Sasuke. Maybe he could figure out for me what this odd feeling was.

And besides, I'm still feeling rather weak from Father sucking the raging chakra from my body.

I stood still, closing my eyes and focusing on Sasuke's chakra. When I finally sensed his faint chakra, I performed a simple hand sign, my chakra enveloping me as I disappeared from sight, swiftly pursuing Sasuke's presence.

My eyes widened at the sight before me when I had reached the door to the room Sasuke was sleeping in.

Sai.

I grinned. What do we have here?

I stood right behind Sai, making sure the detection of my chakra stayed at an absolute zero.

I rose an eyebrow as I watched three ink snakes making their way to Sasuke, sliding their way up his bed and hovering right above him.

Hmm. Maybe I should do something.

"Who's there?"

Of course, Sasuke wasn't actually asleep.

A slight gasp escaped Sai's mouth. "So, you do know I'm here. Well, regardless I still have the advantage."

"What do you want?"

"Well, if you mean Lord Danzo, his objective is to bury you.

But me, I have come here.. to take you back to the Leaf."

My eyes widened in surprise and my jaw dropped in sync.

Sai?

"When I first started out, I did so with the sole intention of ending your life. But then.. Naruto changed my mind."

I smiled. Naruto, eh? That annoying.. yet admirable brat.

"You share something with him, a bond of friendship that Naruto is desperately holding onto. And I'm here to protect it."

Aww! How cute!

"A bond?" Sasuke spat bitterly. "Is that really your excuse for waking me up?"

My eyes widened when Sai gasped in alarm, pulling his hand to his face as he performed a hand sign.

The snaked suddenly doubled in count as they all wrapped themselves around Sasuke.

Dammit.

I performed transportation jutsu just as the explosion blew off.

Sasuke you bastard. You could've killed me you prick.

I knelt on the edge of the cliff, looking down at the mess of a crater Sasuke had just blown off.

I still made sure I kept my invisibility jutsu cloaked around me, not wanting to get involved in this. Anything involving me just ended horribly on the opposing end.

At least a part of that poor excuse of a den was destroyed though.

I glanced to the side as Sasuke appeared next to me, staring down at Sai with an empty expression, hand on his hip.

Tch.

Footsteps grew louder as Sakura's pink hair came into view. She ran out into the open, grabbing Sai by his collar.

"Alright, enough! Tell us what you're really up to! How many times were you gonna betray us before-"

"Sakura." Sasuke spoke coolly.

I watched in amusement as she froze in shock.

And then her head slowly turned to Sasuke, eyes widening in shock, mixed in with relief. There was also a raw emotion of longing towards Sasuke in her eyes, which really annoyed me. She released Sai, as she continued to watch him, almost as if she couldn't believe she was seeing him with her own two eyes.

I rolled my eyes. Sasuke is attractive now, but come on, he's not that attractive. Compared to Naruto, at least. Maybe we could switch partners...

"Its you.." She whispered. "Sasuke.."

And then a few moments later Naruto appeared into the open.

I grinned as I watched him below, shifting my body so I could see him better.

"Sasuke.." Naruto whispered.

I glanced to the side, looking up at Sasuke's expression.

If I weren't as weak as I am right now, I would say there was a certain emotion in Sasuke's eyes as he stared down ad Naruto.

He looked.. relieved, somehow.

They all just stood there for a few silent moments, staring each other.

This was awkward for me.

I stood up slowly, turning on my heel and about to walk off when Sasuke's hand on my wrist stopped me from leaving.

I gasped, shocked that he could see me.

And he wasn't even wearing his sharingan. Plus, I made sure that my chakra could't be sensed at all.

So how?

I glanced back at him, his eyes focused on mine. He hadn't even equipped sharingan, but he was looking right in my eyes.

And his eyes were pleading me to stay.

He turned his attention back to his friends as he released his hold on me slowly.

"Well, Naruto. You came too." He spoke in his bored monotonous voice.

Since Sasuke didn't want me to leave (which I had no idea why he needed me here), I sat back down on the ground beside his standing form, resting my chin in my hand as I admired Naruto's face.

He really had grown into quite an attractive fellow.

"I assume Kakashi is here?"

"Unfortunately, Kakashi couldn't make it, so I'm here in his place." The ANBU shinobi said as he walked out into the open.

"Team Kakashi has come to escort you back to the Leaf."

Aww. How cute. If only it wasn't my Father who had a hold over Sasuke, I knew for sure he would go.

"Team Kakashi.." Sasuke spoke as I watched his eyes roam over them.

I frowned as Sai removed his quite small blade from his back, raising it at Sasuke.

"I knew it! Sai don't!" Sakura cried.

"So that guy's my replacement? I thought the team already had a weakling. He was saying something about wanting to protect the bond between Naruto and me."

"Sai?" Sakura looked at him expectantly. "I thought your mission was to assassinate-"

"Its true. I was given a classified mission to find and eliminate Sasuke. But I'm through following orders. From now on, I think for myself... Naruto, I think you can help me remember, and bring back those old feelings I thought were lost. Things that were once important to me.

I really don't know that much about you, Sasuke. But I do know that Naruto and Sakura would be willing to risk everything for you. They don't want to lose their connection with you. They would give anything to protect those bonds."

I shut my eyes, blocking out the rest of Sai's words. This was just getting too personal now, too touchy feelly, and I really did feel awkward being in this position.

"You're right." I opened an eye when Sasuke spoke again. "I did understand. And that's why I severed them!"

I glanced up at Sasuke's face, seeing him tremble slightly in anger.

His eyes widened slightly for a brief second, before he narrowed them once again.

"You see, I have a different bond now."

Sasuke paused as he met his friends' expressions.

Naruto was glowering at him, eyes boiling in anger.

They stood there for a few silent moments, staring at each other.

"And that bond is between my older brother and me. Its the bond of hatred."