Author's note PLEASE READ: Spoilers for those not up to date with the manga!!!
This story takes place some time AFTER the current manga chapter-when Naruto comes face to face with Sasuke for the final time. At this point, Naruto has completed his training and Orochimaru has taken over Sasuke's body. However, just as with the last body Orochimaru took over, some of Sasuke's consciousness is still present.
The story opens with Sakura, Naruto, Kakashi, Yamato, Ino, Choji, Shikamaru, and Sai battling Orochimaru, Kabuto, and the sound nins.
And also I'm going to make this as "realistically possible" to the manga as I can.
And also note this fan fic does have some cursing...except for that hope you all like it
Chapter One: In the Thick of Battle
"Ino!" Sakura yelled above the noise. "Help Kakashi while I finish with Choji!"
Ino nodded and rushed across the battlefield toward the copy nin. Kakshi's wounds were minor and easily taken care of by basic medical jutsu. Sakura had her hands full with more serious wounds.
"Thanks," Kakashi said, tossing a sound nin out of the way. "Heads up!"
Landing a solid punch on one enemy, Ino spun away as two more advanced. "No problem!" she called out, deftly dodging and fighting her way into the fray.
All around was chaos. Bodies lay strewn across the parched land and still the sound ninjas kept coming. It had been a trap, a trap they had suspected, but still squad 7 could not give up the hope that it might be their last chance to save Sasuke. So they had willingly set themselves up, but had kept reasonable reinforcements watching there backs just in case something went wrong or they couldn't handle the odds against them.
Though the two teams were more than well matched for the sound nins, Orochimaru had the advantage in numbers and the Konoha shinobi were growing weary. More reinforcements were on the way, but Kakashi was not sure if the other squads would reach them in time. Out of the corner of his eye he glimpsed at Sakura, wearily fighting off enemies as she tried to heal the innumerable injuries that threatened the lives of her comrades.
Naruto and Sai remained near her, though Naruto began slowly fighting his way towards Kabuto.
Kakashi shook his head, resting momentarily while the sound nins regrouped. Most of their charka were spent. It was coming down to a hand to hand battle. He glanced up to the hill where Orochimaru sat a top the giant Manda. He had yet to order the snake into the battle. "That bastard," Kakashi thought. "I wonder how much of Sasuke is left in that body…"
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"Kabuto! Come on and fight me face to face!"
Kakashi said then stopped in mid-swing and glared at Naruto across a sea of faces. "I'll finish you before you even get to Orochimaru-sama! He won't even have to lift a finger in this battle!"
They both rushed at each other with hatered in there eyes.
Naruto reserved his chakra, choosing to pummel Kabuto with his taijutsu instead. He would need all the energy he had for Orochimaru.
Or Sasuke as it now appeared.
With a fierce roar, the two enemies clashed.
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Sakura's hands were hurting from all the healing and her body worn from fighting, Sakura looked up from the sound nin she had annihilated. She blinked, attempting to remove the bleariness from her eyes. Quickly, her gaze sought out Kakashi, he was whirling dervish amid a mass of attacking ninjas. Next, she found Ino her confident rival, injured and fighting back-to-back with Shikamaru.
"N-Naruto" She whispered, searching the confusion.
There! In the shadow of the hill!
No! She thought to herself. He needs to conserve his strength! She wanted to go to him, but she had to conserve her own strength as well. If Naruto won her the chance, she'd need every ounce for Sasuke.
A hand on her shoulder shocked her back into reality, but the voice that accompanied it was of her team mate.
"You hag are you worn out already?" Sai said giving her a smirk. "If we weren't fighting the enemy I wouldn't hesitate to knock your lights out." He smilied then nodded his head then disapeared fighting off the other Sound shinobi. He knew as well as she did, what needed to take place.
A look of thanks passed between them as the former ROOT member moved stealthily towards the two-man battle.
Another shadow fell over Sakura
"Hnnnnn!" She hit the ground, the air forced out of her lungs. Someone had attacked her from behind.
She rose slowly, her arms betraying her as they shook with weariness. The sound nin leered down at her, his hands performing the seals he would use to take her down.
Suddenly, he stopped in mid-motion and his eyes rolled back into his head. The body crumpled to the ground to reveal a smirking Yamato. "Come on, Sakura. On your feet." He lifted her up unceremoniously. "We need to get to Naruto."
She cast a worried look towards the direction Sai had gone. Yamato needed to be nearby in order to suppress the demon fox. The success of their mission depended on it.
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From his aerial perch Orochimaru watched the battle with amusement.
"See this Sasuke? They still think there is a way to save you." His taunt received no reaction from the faint presence that refused to leave its body. But he knew how to get to Sasuke. "Funny how, after I kill your former friends, I'll go on to destroy Konoha. And after that… why…I think I'll leave Itachi alone. I mean why would I want to risk my new neck by doing something so foolish? Even if I did in fact choose to fight Itachi then this new body of mine would die. I can't have that now not for all the trouble I went to, to get this far."
An angry shimmering laced with sorrow flooded Orochimaru's mind. He smiled, "So your still trying to fight me knowing it's imposible Sasuke-kun?" He started laughing.
"I want to be immortal and now that I have your body and your Sharingan as well I can copy any jutsu I desire I soon will be unstopable. I didn't get here by being foolish Sasuke-kun. Chasing after Akatsuki is worse than a death wish."
The strange sensation increased and Orochimaru's smile disappeared. He doubled over, fighting the strong will of Sasuke. When he regained control, he turned his gaze back to the battle, but his mind was elsewhere.
Which each new body he took, the sannin noticed a little more of each person was left behind. His last body held just traces of its former owner-slight resistance and a small amount of awareness. Sasuke's body, however, retained a larger portion of the Sasuke's mind. Mostly it was just perceived emotions, but sometimes Orochimaru could hear the boy speaking inside his own mind.
It lead him to wonder if with each new body would present a harder and harder battle for control, or if it was simply the marvelous strength of the Uchiha clan's gennius .
Orochimaru watched solemnly as Kabuto bounced grotesquely off the ground and rolled to the base of the hill.
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Sai lowered his fist he took out his Sketch book and his paint brush and started to girn he drew a pitcher on his sketch pad then all of a sudden a tiger jumped out. He looked at his creation and ordered it to attack Kabuto. The tiger pounced on top on Kabuto and started maling him.
He watched as Kabuto was trying as hard as he could to get the beast off of him but it was no use. Sai left his drawing there with Kabuto brushing the dust from his garments, "You two have fun now." He said smiling he then dashed to Naruto's side.
"Go. I'll deal with the others just go after Orochimaru for now."
Naruto opened his mouth to argue but was silenced by the approaching Yamato's steely gaze. "He's right Naruto. The Leaf shinobi can't hold out much longer until reenforcements come. We need to do this now."
Giving them his best good guy impression, Naruto grinned at Sakura and Yamato. He let his gaze linger on Sakura's face last. I'll get Sasuke back for her. And I'll protect my friends.
"Hai! Let's go!" He pointed up at Orochimaru. "I'm taking Sasuke back to Konoha ! And you're not part of the deal!"
He growled.
"Naruto!" Yamato grasped his arm, "remember, you don't need to use the foxes chakra! Remember what you learned! You to are strong you get your power from your friends belive in that and the power you didn't even know you had will be drawn out of you." Yamato said smiling.
"We'll be right there with you," Sakura made a fist. We'll help you bring Sasuke back. "You both know what you two have to do right?" Yamato asked both Naruto and Sakura they looked at each other and shook there heads. "Now remember I'm not entirly sure this plan is going to work but we won't know if we don't try it. Move out!" They then ran toward the hill where Orochimaru was standing watching the battle.
Kakashi paused to watch the three distant figures advance up the hill. He turned back to the action. If they could just hold out a little longer, the other two teams would arrive soon.
Remember to read and review please!!! And I'll start chapter 2