Threads Of Fate

Threads Of Fate

Things Fall Apart

Naurto: Thread of Fate

Chapter 1 - Things Fall Apart

"It's a promise of a lifetime!"

Naruto pounded his fist into the practice dummy outside the ninja academy's training area. He tried to drown out the words the echoed inside his head with the sound of his fists hitting wood. It only fueled his anger more as the voice in his mind seemed to get louder with each blow. His blond mane now felling in his face, drenched with sweat which also dripped into his eyes and blurred his vision. The genin had been striking the oak wood dummy for so long that his hands had long gone numb from the pain.

I will bring him back, Sakura-chan!"

Another fist went flying into another arm on the dummy, this time blood starting to drip from his knuckles. The voices of inspiration cut to his very soul. Over and over, the image of a hopeful Sakura replayed in his mind like a movie stuck on repeat.

". . I promise!"

Blood gushed from his knuckle with the next blow. He ignored it and continued to strike the dummy. For the first time in his life, Naruto had failed to keep a promise; compared the self doubt that plagued the young man, the pain of his hand was nothing. Self doubt was a rare thing for Naruto because he was very much a mind-over-matter type of individual. However, at the valley of the end he has failed to bring back his former teammate. That failure not only affected him but Sakura-chan as well.

In the last three weeks, Sakura had not been her cheerful and sweet self. Sense he and the rest of Shikamaru's team had returned her whole personality changed. She had taken to smiling a lot, yet it wasn't a smile the young shinobi recognized. Naruto knew better. He was a master of using a smile to hide his true feelings, and he could tell right away the girl was hurting inside. He did give her credit for trying to hide her pain. However, he noticed little things about her that some of the others in the village might have missed. She didn't have the same skip in her step when she made her way around town. When she wasn't training with him and Kakashi-sensei, she kept her eyes down and they always looked so sad. She had also stopped scolding him about his behavior, which worried him the most.

Of course, Naruto felt he was to blame for the young girl's behavior. That was what he told himself and nothing would change his mind. If he had just brought Sasuke back in the first place, she would still be smiling, she would still scold him and he would never have to see those sad emerald orbs.

"Don't worry, Sakura-chan! Leave it to me!"

Tears started stinging his eyes, the voices now sounded like they were coming from everywhere around him. Why wasn't he strong enough? Why couldn't he do what was needed? Why couldn't he bring back Sasuke?

"Dammit. ." Naruto said to himself. "Damn that Sasuke!" He emphasized his last words with another strike to the dummy, leaving fist-shaped blood stains. "Why did you have to make Sakura-chan cry!?"

As much as he tried to convince himself that it was his former teammate's fault, he still couldn't shake his own feelings of guilt. Sasuke, that idiot! He thought as another one of his blows nearly cracked the dummy. The blood from his fists were now dripping down his sleeves and soaking through his jacket. Why did he have to go and mess up a good thing? We were all happy and on our way to becoming great ninjas! Naruto tried to fight his tears back, but he failed miserably. His breathing was becoming labored and he struck the dummy with more force. You had everything! You had the Sharingan, people liked you, you were a genius ninja, Sakura-chan cared about you. . .

Naruto stopped hitting the dummy and collapsed to his knees, his eyes now dreary and red from the tears as they flowed freely. His cerulean orbs were now completely devoid of emotion and he couldn't help but feel the familiar emotions of hurt and loneliness. He had let down the girl he loved. It didn't matter to him that she didn't return his feelings; he was hurt because he couldn't keep his promise to her. It had been the one thing no one could take away from him: Naruto Uzumaki always kept his word no matter what. It had been his way. Now it wasn't true anymore.

He looked down at his hands, now bruised and bloody from his workout. "I'm not going to give up, Sasuke." He said to himself silently. "You're coming back because I promised Sakura-chan I would bring you back. I don't care if I have to beat you till you're senseless."

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"You're not concentrating hard enough! Try again!"

Tsunade stood over Sakura as she scolded her for what seemed like the one hundredth time. The young girl was breathing hard and her red dress has become tattered. Her training with the Fifth Hokage started at dawn and her progress had been slow throughout the day. In fact, her overall training as Tsunade's apprentice had been slow going with little progress. She had been proud of herself to having the courage to ask her if she would take her on an apprentice, but at the moment her lack of success had given way to second thoughts.