A Promise to Keep Until I Die

I leaned against the tree and sighed. Kakashi wasn't very punctual. He was already three hours late.

"Where is he?" Naruto complained. "He was supposed to be here!"

I closed my eyes and smiled. "He's obviously not very punctual," I said peacefully. I could ell they were starving but I wasn't. Breakfast was an important meal and I wasn't about to miss it just because my sensei said I would puke. Puking is better than starving in my opinion.

"I'm here!" Kakashi announced, appearing in a tree.

"You're late!" Naruto and Sakura shouted simultaneously.

I stood up and stretched. Kakashi set a timer on one of the training posts and turned to us.

"Here are three bells. Your assignment is to take these from me before the times up. The timer is set for noon. Those of you who don't get a bell before the time's up don't get lunch. I will tie you to one of those stumps over there and eat my lunch in front of you. You only have to get one bell so one of you will definitely fail and be sent back to the academy. If you want you can use shuriken and kunais. You won't succeed unless you come at me with the intent to kill."

"But you'll be in danger!" Sakura said worriedly.

"Yeah! You can't even dodge a blackboard eraser!" Naruto said confidently.

"Those with no talent usually bark the loudest so we'll ignore dead last here and start when I say-"

Naruto and I moved at the same time, our movements in perfect sync. I charged Kakashi to distract him and Naruto went at him with a kunai. Kakashi dodged my attack and stopped Naruto in the blink of an eye. I barely even saw him but he somehow ended up behind Naruto holding the kunai to his neck.

"Calm down, I haven't even said start yet," he said calmly. "But it seems like you're ready to come at me with the intent to kill. Hm, seems like I'm beginning to like you guys. No begin."

Everyone scattered except Naruto. I made a clone to help him if he needed it and silently headed off to find Sasuke and Sakura. If we were going to beat Kakashi I knew we would need to work together. That was probably the whole point of the stupid exercise anyways, teamwork. If I was lucky they would listen to me.

I found Sasuke hiding in a tree, watching Naruto and Kakashi. I tapped him on the shoulder and he turned to glare at me.

"What?" he whispered irritably.

"We all need to work together," I whispered back. "That's the only way we can-"

"Yeah right," he hissed. "You'll all just get in my way!"

I glared at him. "Can't you just listen to me this once?" I asked angrily.

"Why should I?" he sneered.

I left without saying anything and went in search of Sakura. I had almost reached her when I was suddenly overwhelmed with the desire to prove myself. My mind was flooded with Naruto's memories and everything he had gone through. It was like the nightmares I got from Sasuke. They were nothing but memories filled with pain. I couldn't see or hear anything except the memories. I felt myself starting to lose consciousness and even though I fought it, I was dragged into darkness.

*******

"What happened to Hazuki?"

"She was passed out."

"Do you think she'll wake up soon?"

I opened my eyes slowly and smiled at Naruto. "Baka," I said weakly. "Course I'm gonna wake up."

"Hazuki! You're awake! What happened? Why were you-"

"Naruto, give her time to breathe," Kakashi said calmly. I turned my head and found Sasuke and Sakura to my right. Sakura seemed a bit worried and Sasuke looked emotionless as ever but at the same time his eyes seemed to have a bit of emotion in them. Problem was I didn't know what that emotion was.

"How long was I out?" I asked.

Kakashi chuckled. "Long enough for you all to pass. It seems you were the only one who figured out that you had to use teamwork. Of course, you then passed out for some reason..."

I looked up at the ceiling and then realized I was at home in my bedroom. I sat up slowly and leaned back against the wall. I knew they all wanted to hear the reason I passed out but that was my business and Naruto's.

"What happened after I passed out?" I asked.

"We failed and I got tied up. Then Kakashi sensei gave us another chance but Sakura and Sasuke weren't supposed to feed me but they did! Then Kakashi sensei showed up and said we passed. Then they untied me and we brought you back home. We've been waiting for you to wake up ever since!"

I smiled when I saw how happy he was to finally be a ninja. I looked at Sasuke and Sakura who had stayed silent.

"Thank you," I told them sincerely.

"Why are you thanking us?" Sakura asked confusedly.

I laughed. "Mostly I'm thanking Sasuke because he no doubt offered to feed Naruto first which was probably what made you offer. But I'm thanking both of you because if it had been adults who already knew what they needed to do they would have ignored that and let him starve. So I'm thanking you both for caring even if you won't admit it."

"Why wouldn't adults feed him?" Sakura asked.

"Some would and some wouldn't and the reason why is Naruto's secret to tell."

Naruto gave me a grateful look although I could see the sadness in his eyes. Sakura looked curious but she must have noticed something in my expression because she didn't say anything. Sasuke on the other hand...

"What secret?" he asked. I glared at him.

"None of your business baka!" I snapped. "I already told you-"

"Enough," Kakashi said firmly. "Sasuke drop it. Hazuki is right. That secret is not something to be taken lightly."

I scowled at him as Naruto's happiness was completely crushed. He hung his head looking miserable. Kakashi is a complete baka. He was only making things worse!

"Naruto..." I started but he stood up and left. I glared at Kakashi and Sasuke.

"You are both morons!" I snarled. "Next time keep your mouths shut! All you did was make him feel worse!"

"Feel worse for what?" Sasuke asked coldly. "It's not like he has anything to be guilty for and the only thing he has to be sad of is his parents being dead."

I was up in a flash and I slapped Sasuke across the face. "You have no idea of the pain Naruto has endured his whole life!" I snarled. "You only know what it's like to hate but you have no clue what it's like to be hated by everyone! He feels guilty even though he shouldn't and that's probably never going to change! For one in your life Sasuke, stop being a selfish cold hearted bastard! You of all people should understand some of what he's going through!"

I ran out of the room, leaving them all speechless. I was sick and tired of Sasuke being like that though! He used to be kind and fun to be around. Now he was a cold hearted jerk and I was really starting to hate him. All he ever did was treat people like trash. He only helped them to get what he wanted. I felt tears burn in my eyes as memories of the old Sasuke surfaced.

I ignored the tears and ran through the village shouting Naruto's name. I asked everyone I passed if they had seen him but no one had. I tried looking for him in all the places he would usually be but I couldn't find him. I finally realized the where he was at. It was the only place I hadn't looked.

I took off running.

*********

I found Naruto passed out on the ground. He looked exhausted. I sat down beside him and looked up at the darkening sky. The sun had almost completely disappeared from the horizon.

"Hazuki."

I scowled but didn't turn around. "Go away Uchiha."

"No."

I reached up and wiped my eyes as Sasuke sat down beside me. The tears had started falling as soon as I sat down. With the tears came the memories. I missed the Sasuke who could laugh and smile, who knew me as well as Naruto did. I missed the way he could always cheer me up when even Naruto failed to do so. I missed talking to him. The most painful of all the memories suddenly played through my mind.

It was after the funeral of his entire clan. He hadn't shed a single tear. We were siting under a tree by his home. I was waiting for my parents to stop socializing. I wanted to go home, change, and then find Naruto. This whole thing had me seriously depressed. I had loved Sasuke's family probably more than my own. They had welcomed me and never judged me. They were family to me and now they were gone.

"Sasuke, things will get better," I said softly. He didn't say anything, just stared up at the sky. His face was void of emotion and it scared me.

"I will avenge them," he said suddenly. His voice was cold and hard. He wasn't acting like the Sasuke I knew.

"Sasuke, killing Itachi won't make you feel better," I said worriedly. "Besides, he's still your family even if-"

"He is not my family!" Sasuke shouted, furious. "Nor will he ever be family again! He's a traitor and a murderer and I hate him!"

I backed away from him, frightened by his outburst. Sasuke never yelled when he was angry, especially around me. He knew it scared me.

"Killing him won't-"

"Shut up," he growled.

"Sasuke-"

"Shut up! I hate you Hazuki! I hate you! Just go away! I don't want to be friends with you! I always hated you but you tagged along after me like a lost puppy! I hate you and I don't ever want to see you again!"

I stood up angrily. "Fine!" I shouted furiously. "I guess I'll just leave and you can suffer alone! I hate you Sasuke Uchiha!"

I ran off without looking back. A week later I left my parents house and moved in with Naruto. I cried every night for a year and the nightmares started a month after the funeral. I hardly talked for weeks after the funeral and no matter how hard Naruto tried it was two years before I smiled again.

"I'm sorry Sasuke," I said quietly, tears filling my eyes again.

"For what?" he asked, sounding surprised.

"For saying I hated you. For not being there when you needed friends the most. For not talking to you, for everything I should have done but didn't."

"I'm the one who should apologize Hazuki," he said quietly. "I shouldn't have told you I hated you when I didn't. I was just so angry.... I didn't realize I needed you there until it was impossible to get you back. I should have apologized.... I'm so sorry Hazuki."

I looked at Sasuke in surprise. He sounded like the old Sasuke. The one who showed his emotions and smiled. He didn't sound at all like the cold hearted person I had accused him of being. I started crying and I hugged him tightly.

"Friends?" I asked, pulling away.

He smirked. "I think that's obvious baka."

I whacked him on his head for the name calling and we were soon rolling about, laughing and calling each other names. It was ridiculous and we woke up Naruto. I stopped goofing around and helped him stand up. He had completely drained his energy. When he stumbled and nearly brought us both down Sasuke helped out. We managed to get him home and in bed where he immediately fell asleep.

I sat down on my bead and yawned. All the days events were starting to take their toll. I was ready to sleep. Sasuke said goodbye and I gratefully collapsed into a deep sleep.