Never Again: A Naruto Fanfiction

Chapter 23: Tired

Naruto saw the fireball coming towards him, already feeling the heat even though it was still several feet away from him. He took his hands out of his pockets and quickly made two hand seals. "Water Style: Water Bullets!" 

A single large bullet of water came from his mouth and met Sayuri's fireball, the two jutsu colliding as it created a heavy mist that surrounded the top of the hospital roof. Naruto knew exactly what was going on in her head and how this would play out.

If he beat her, she would seek out Orochimaru in the search for more power. That much was evident. If he lost, she would be glad for the power and still go to Orochimaru for more. He couldn't even fake a stalemate because she knew exactly what he was capable of. A frown marred his features. 

He knew what he had to do. 

He disappeared in a yellow flash and reappeared right behind Sayuri before grabbing the younger Uchiha by the throat and lifting her up in the air. He hated what he was about to do. But he needed to do it. If she were anything like Sasuke, then he had to make sure she had to get stronger.

Even if she didn't get stronger here. He laughed inwardly. Had he grown to care about the person he once called fake? The person who had replaced Sasuke? His brother? He shook his head. Now was not the time for such thoughts. He had to make sure she went to Orochimaru. 

"Did you really think you could beat me?" His voice was cold and Sayuri's eyes widened as she gasped for air, kicking at Naruto's body and clawing at his arm and hand, her nails raking at his skin as he bled. But he didn't even flinch. He just looked at her with those cold blue eyes that were devoid of any human emotion.

They were dead. 

"Did you really think someone who Itachi didn't even think was worthy of killing could beat me?" He threw her to the ground, the teen coughing slightly as she massaged her throat. She would kill- 

Her thoughts died instantly as Naruto glared at her, releasing all of his Killing Intent on the girl just as he did at the academy when they had become Genins. The look in his eyes, the kunai in his hands, the way his face only looked at her with pure loathing. Her body was trembling as she imagined several ways of dying, all at the hands of Naruto. 

"I'm disappointed in you. Just a bit of Killing Intent and you're a shaking mess? How can you say you'll kill Itachi with such hatred in your voice yet lack the resolve to get stronger? You can train all day and night, but as you are now with that sentiment in your heart you will never get as strong as me, let alone Itachi." 

"Naruto. . ." Sakura whispered as she watched her two teammates fight, no, they weren't fighting. Naruto had already won. She knew it. He knew. And Sayuri knew it. But even then, he was going too far! Didn't he care about her? 

"Soon I'm going to go on a training trip with Jiraiya," Naruto spoke, shocking Sayuri even further. "I'm going to reach a new level of power than even Itachi couldn't dream of. What are you going to do while I'm gone? Certainly, you won't just lay around and stay being weak. What are you going to do, Sayuri? I beat you in a spar. I showed you a hint of my power and you're sitting on the ground cowering. What are you willing to do to catch up?" He bent down to his knees and leaned to her ear. 

"Don't you want to kill Itachi? If so then you need to get all the power you can get. I'm not going to make the decisions for you, Sayuri. But one day you're going to need to see the things that aren't just in the village. Let me give you a bit of advice," He wasn't speaking any louder than he had to, this was for Sayuri's ears and Sayuri's ears only. 

"Your best chance at getting stronger is going to Orochimaru." He whispered. Her mouth opened slightly. How had he read her mind? What was he? 

"You're not him," She whispered, the marks on her face disappearing back into the curse mark. "You're not Naruto!" She shouted as tears welled up in her eyes. Naruto took a step back, his eyes widening as the killing intent disappeared in an instant.