Title: Hunter

Chapter 3: Freedom

Author: Meg The Monster

Characters do not belong to me.

Side note: I'm far behind on the real reasons as to why Sasuke really chose to attack the village so I created a possible idea. So if you have read into what really happened, I do apologize :(

The plain colored walls started making him sick, but he never faltered. His expression hadn't changed. It had been three days, and he still hadn't said a single word to the ANBU officers. He just stared at them, grinned a couple times when they would threaten him, and return to his sulking, cool appearance. His confidence never faded once. He was a tiger; silent and deadly. They momentarily stepped out of the room to speak with another officer. He just sat there, staring at the window, wishing the blinds were up so he could read their lips. He had an innate ability to do that. They came back in, confidence in their eyes. Now he was a bit startled. "It's all over, Sasuke. We finally know the truth about your plan to attack the village." They could see the visible startle in his eyes. "Naruto came forward with the truth. He's been talking to police this whole time. You planned to come here, destroy the town, all to exact your revenge for your parents?"

Now he cracked. "That's a lie," he snapped.

The officers looked at him startled. He hadn't cracked for three days and suddenly he was speaking up? He was finally saying something to them? "Then why did you come to the village? Why did you really return then? We need some answers!"

"You already have a written statement. Why would mine prove useful to you?"

"Unless you plan to end up in prison for the rest of your life or a possible death sentence, you'll need to have some sort of defense."

Sasuke rolls his eyes. Again with the death and imprisonment threats. Frankly it was getting old. He paused for a bit before speaking. "The plan was to attack the city as a decoy." They stare at him. "Our real target was the government of this village. The ones that ordered the hit on my parents. The ones that ordered the death of my family by way of Itachi." No response. "You know what I'm talking about. Do not play me for the fool. I can see it in your eyes that you know exactly what I'm talking about."

Both the officers exchange looks, and then look back at Sasuke. "I wasn't an ANBU member during that time. I was in training to become one, but even I know what you're talking about."

"As I thought," he says coldly. "You know exactly what I mean. I came for answers. Why was the hit ordered? What brought them to make that decision when the Uchiha served this village so loyally and honorably as a police force and soldiers? Murdering heroes. How does that make sense?"

The officers conversed with each other privately. "If you give us answers, then I'll give you answers," one replied. The other seemed a bit disgruntled.

Sasuke scans the man's eyes, and could only find he was telling the truth. "Fine. What answers do you want?"

"Who was involved? What was the basis of your attack? Why was the Akatsuki involved? What does the plan have to do with Naruto Uzumaki or even Sakura?"

"One at a time, please. There's no need for impatience."

Members weren't important. We just came together as a group. I was chosen as the leader, but I never fully thought the plan through. It formed on its own by everyone's contribution. Not one member can be singled out as forming the idea, but I can be singled out for planning on where the attacks would occur and training. The basis was to infiltrate the government but attack the village as a decoy. The Akatsuki had been involved from the beginning since finding out about the death of Itachi. They tracked me down. They had a similar desire to destroy the village.

Now you ask how Naruto is involved? They sought after the Nine-Tailed Fox and knew I had been on his team. I was, in a sense, sent with the intent to attack the village, destroy the government, and kidnap Naruto. They knew before I would ever make it to the village, Naruto would find out about my coming and track me down. I was a ploy to lure him out of the village so they could obtain his demon. In essence, I was sent out to kill him.

I didn't expect to meet him outside the village to be honest. I thought I'd meet him closer in under your protection or on the front line in the village, ready to fight when I made my arrival. When I saw him, I readied myself. I could tell he had grown stronger. I had been given word ahead of time that he had been trained under Jiraiya by the Akatsuki. I never thought Sakura would be there with him. I could tell just from a glance that she had grown stronger since I had left. She wasn't near as fragile as she had been. She looked as if she could fend me off in a fair fight. Not win, but surely get close. We had a silent exchange when they jumped in the clearing. Naruto, of course, was the first to speak up. Sakura stood close by, as back up I figured. A few words later, and finally he gets to the interesting part. "Why are you returning to the village," he yells at me.

I taunted him. "I can't return to the village without hysteria breaking out? Pity. I was hoping no one would notice my presence. Apparently the ANBU made it back to the village and reported me. Well if you must know, it's for you Naruto. But it's more than just you. My team is a couple miles back. We're hear to destroy the leaf village for what they did to my family."

He wasn't going to take that as an answer, as expected. He'd grown so much, but he was still as stubborn as ever. "So it's the revenge thing again," he says. "Haven't you gotten revenge against your brother? Isn't that enough to satisfy you?"

I felt like pressing my knife against his neck and ending it. "You don't even know the whole story so stay out of it! Unless you want to die, move out of my way," I tell him. I was growing so angry with him at this point. He was so clueless. He'd never understand. He never had a family to love and then have them ripped away in cold blood.

He just stood there, like a great ape. "I'm not going anywhere," he says. "Not until I get some answers. What would want with me? I can see you joined the Akatsuki, but what's the real reason you want me? Just to take me back them, let them kill me to remove the nine-tailed fox, and then destroy what's left of me? Is that all I've become to you? Nothing more than an assignment?"

He knew. He already somehow knew I was there to lure him. It threw me off that he was expecting me to come to find him. He'd been so dim-witted when I left and now, somehow, he was sharp enough to know this was the intended plan. So I stand there, debating what to say. I could see Sakura, weak and becoming weaker but her eyes were so set on me. She looked ready to jump in front of Naruto and take the blow before he could. "You've changed," I finally decide to say. "You used to be some dim-witted."

"I've grown since you left. That much shouldn't be that much of a shocker. People change and grow in order to achieve their dreams."

"And what dream was that? Become a hokage to a village that called you a monster for years and tormented you?"

"To prove I was strong enough. To prove that despite what any outsider might say, I'm strong enough to withstand it. But not just that. I trained until my bones broke, my body ached, and my chakra shrank to near nothing to find you and rescue you."

I just stare at him. He was still, after all this time, fighting for me? Why? Why was he so stubborn to even try? "This isn't how we should be. Standing in front of each other, blades to our throats, ready to kill the other if one false move is made. We should be fighting as comrades. As friends. You had a chance to kill me before and never took it. You had the chance to end my life and you opted out. And you know why? Because if you really hated everything about that village and your past, that blade would have already been across my throat and I'd be dead, regardless of the Akatsuki."

Sakura could see the fury in my eyes apparently. She struggled to her feet, ready to fend me off. I pressed my knife against his neck a little harder. Hard enough to receive the same reaction. "You're such a moron."

I didn't know how fast he moved, but he managed to dodge my blade, replace his kunai back into his pouch, and slam a fist across my face. I landed on my feet, regained my composure, and aimed my blade towards him, moving faster than he could see. When the dust cleared, Sakura coughed blood on my blade and fell to the ground, unconscious. That's about when other ANBU members arrived, including Kakashi and Might Guy. A few mistakes on my part ended with me on the ground, hands held by pure chakra, and here in your office, discussing what happened. I never relieved anything to him. I simply left him in the state he must be in now; angry and still wanting to know the truth.

What's the truth? I never meant to kill him. Although my intended plan was to lure him, I was never going to let the Akatsuki get a hold of him. World domination may be nice, but it's not the goal I've set for myself. I went along as if it was. Let the others believe I wanted to achieve that dream. I knew after we handed over Naruto to them, they would come after us and destroy us. I knew it from the beginning.

Mouths wide open, no one could believe what they were hearing. All this time, they never expected this from him, who had been hardened by years of training under a man such as Orochimaru. Sasuke just glares at them. "You got your answers. Now I want mine. Why was the hit ordered on my parents?"

"If you come in tomorrow night, I'll have the hokage come in and personally discuss the matter with you. I, myself, am not allowed to share that information by order of Tsunade herself."

"I thought so."

"There will be an exchange of information. I will keep my end of the bargain. But right now, we're out of time. An officer will escort back to your cell."

Sasuke felt bitter, but inside he could feel his heart soften. He'd finally find out the truth. He needed to know.

Naruto stares at them. He had already told the rest of the story. Why was he still sitting here. He needed to know about Sakura. He wanted to find something to eat. He was also pretty sure he left the water running in his bathroom sink. They finally came into the room. They looked startled. "Can I go home now? I told you my side of the story."

"So did Sasuke." Naruto could feel his breath escape him for a moment. "He never intended on killing you, Naruto. In fact, he was downright sure he wouldn't even hurt Sakura. He came to warn you."

Now Naruto knew he wasn't able to breathe. Sasuke came… to save him? "His mission was to lure you from the city. The Akatsuki wasn't far behind him either. In fact, when they learned of his kidnapping, they retreated quickly. ANBU stationed ahead reported spotting them not 1,000 feet away."

Naruto finally took in air, but he wasn't sure if it actually was considered breathing. He just hung on every word they were saying. The officers waited for him to respond, but nothing came. "You're free to go now. We'll call if we need any other information."

Naruto waited for them to leave the room before a single tear dripped from his eyes. He'd known all along. A smile crept to his face. Naruto wiped his eyes and walked out of the room, just in time to see Sasuke exiting his room. Both their eyes locked on one another. Naruto smiled at him. Sasuke's face didn't change from the dull look Naruto knew for, but he could see the corners of his mouth turn slightly. Naruto turned to walk away, a grin still on his face. "That much closer," he says to himself.

The end! The series is over. I know what you're thinking. Sad face. Or Angry face. Whatever you choose. I couldn't continue the story. I have others I'd like to get working with. I wanted to end on a good note though. I hope you guys enjoyed it though.