SALVATION

CHAPTER 2: CLOSE YET SO FAR

“We’re close. Stay alert,” Sakura heard Kakashi’s voice say over the radio.

Pushing the button on her earpiece down, Sakura said, “Yes.”

“Naruto…,” Sakura began, looking over at her best friend and current partner. Currently it was just Sakura and Naruto. Deciding it was best to split up to cover more ground, Kakashi divided up the team and they each took off in separate ways.

Naruto just nodded his head in understanding. His face was etched in extreme determination and anger, but his eyes conveyed something else entirely. This was the way that Sakura and Naruto were alike and different from Sasuke. They both could hide every emotion, but their eyes would still tell the whole story. It is both their strongest yet weakest assest.

Currently Sakura could read many emotions flooding through the round, blue eyes of the boy running beside her. Two of the most prominent though were hope and sadness. Sakura could understand him completely, as she had the same feelings swimming inside her at the moment.

It would be soon and they would see Sasuke again, and that thought alone was enough to make her knees weak. They knew that this time they had to succeed, because for Sasuke, there just wouldn’t be another chance. If they did not bring him home tonight, Orochimaru would win and they would both lose Sasuke forever.

Tears started to gather in the corner of her eyes at the idea of losing Sasuke forever. She loved him with every fiber of her being. She did when she was twelve and that did not fade at all over the span of time that they had been apart.

Sakura often wondered if Sasuke ever thought of them, wondered how they were doing, if they had gotten stronger, but she shook her head of those thoughts. It would just bring her despair if she contemplated such things.

She knew that Sasuke was no where near the same person he was when he left Konoha. She knew he was stronger, but that wasn’t the only thing that had changed. Sasuke was cold and dark.

But she also knew that deep down within his ice cold heart there was some good. She had seen it countless times when they were a team. He would be there to protect her and Naruto, backing them up when they both needed it. They were close and she knew nothing could take that away. Sasuke’s heart could be contaminated by the need of revenge and hatred, but the dark could not crush the light, only mask it for awhile.

She would make him see, no wait, they would make him see. Both she and Naruto would bring Sasuke back. They would remain true to their other part, no matter what he did, because that’s what people did for someone they love; they would lay down everything they had, give everything they could give for Sasuke, and there was just no changing that.

Suddenly light hit Sakura’s eyes and she noticed they were nearing an opening. Slowing down, she looked over to see that Naruto was doing the same.

“We should mask our chakras’ and conceal ourselves behind some trees while we get a good layout at what’s ahead,” Sakura told Naruto.

Naruto nodded his head in agreement and they both jumped down to the ground, making sure to be as silent as they possibly could.

They both hid behind trees, Naruto a little closer to the opening then Sakura. Sakura looked around the tree, trying to see up ahead what was around them, but she couldn’t make anything out.

“Naruto, what can you see?” Sakura whispered.

“It seems to just be a field. I can’t really see anything,” Naruto began, but then he stopped for a moment. “Wait, I can see something up ahead. It looks like an entrance is on the side of that hill.”

“Are you sure?” Sakura said.

“Positive. That’s where he is Sakura, I know it,” Naruto said, looking her straight in the eyes.

Sakura nodded her head, knowing to trust Naruto’s instincts.

Sakura radioed Kakashi. “Kakashi-sensei, we found an entrance up ahead.”

“Where are you located? Me and Sai will come meet you,” Kakashi replied.

Sakura informed them of their location. “Naruto, Kakashi-sensei and Sai are on their way. We’re to wait here for them.”

Naruto didn’t reply, he just stared straight ahead.

“Naruto? Did you hear me?” Sakura said.

Again-no reply. Getting frustrated Sakura was about to yell his name when Naruto turned to Sakura with a really serious face.

“He’s moving Sakura, we have to go now. We can’t wait,” Naruto said.

“No, we have to Naruto. It was an order from Kakashi-sensei!” Sakura protested.

“Listen Sakura, it’s now or never. We have to go. Just radio Kakashi and tell him we’re going in. They can just meet up with us, but we have to go, now!” Naruto almost shouted.

Nodding her head, Sakura ran up to Naruto. Together, they both took off toward the entrance.

“Kakashi-sensei, we had to leave. I’m sorry, but you know why. You will see the entrance when you get to the location I informed you about. Come in and meet us!” Sakura said.

“No, Sakura and Naruto, you two need to wa…,” Kakashi said.

I’m sorry Kakashi-sensei, Sakura thought before she flipped off her radio. She knew it was dangerous, but she just didn’t want to hear him protest the whole way. They needed to be silent and she needed to concentrate. Well, the truth was she didn’t need the guilt or the realization that what they were doing was suicide: running right into Orochimaru’s hideout to save a person who obviously didn’t want to be saved.

As they neared the entrance, their movements slowed. They both stopped right next to the entrance.

“This is it Sakura. Like I promised, I’m going to bring Sasuke back,” Naruto said, a bright grin on his face.

Sakura laughed a little and grabbed his hand. “And like I promised, we’re going to do it together. We may be like the legendary sannin, our respective teachers. You, Jiraiya, me, Tsunade, and Sasuke, Orochimaru, but history is not going to repeat itself. We’re not going to let Sasuke get away. Remember our first assignment, to retrieve the bells from Kakashi-sensei?” Naruto nodded his head and Sakura smiled at the memory. “And do you remember the lesson we learned that day?”

“Teamwork,” Naruto uttered. That simple word meant so many things to the two of them. Both thinking of all the moments they shared together, both good and bad.

“Let’s do this Naruto,” Sakura said and Naruto smiled.

They both turned around and made their way into the entrance, knowing there was no turning back. Everything was on the line, and they were not going to lose.

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