SeikoTuNeR: This is my entry into Krakensghost's 2008 challenge. I hope you enjoy this. Blah blah, I know. I'm working on Blondie.
And a quick note, just so I don't lead anyone on with the fact that the two main characters are Naruto and Sasuke, AND this is rated M. There is absolutely no romance between the two.
Disclaimer :I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from writing this.
Of Flesh and Steel
Chapter 1
Kakashi had been summoned to the Hokage the second he was within eye sight of Konoha's gates. His mission had lasted longer than he would like, but it couldn't be helped. Due to it's nature it was more tedious than anything else. Politics and shinobi definitely do not go hand in hand. Kakashi's reputation proceeded him as his presence alone was good enough to keep the peace between two warring clans at an industrial city near the border.
Kakashi sauntered in the building and let himself in to the Hokage's office offering a low wave at the Chunin in front. Tsunade had an unusually serious look on her face.
"Please don't tell me Naruto and Sasuke fought again and caused major property damage.. I swear I'll have those two pay for the water towers." He knew this had something to do with those two.
"Well, the good news is that no, they haven't fought and caused any sort of property damage."
The Sharingan user gave a sigh of relief but stopped.
"There's no bad --?"
"Sasuke has left the village with four Sound shinobi, presumably to take Orochimaru's offer for more power. I sent Shikimaru approximately twelve hours ago with a squad of Genin consisting of Naruto, Neji, Kiba, and Chouji to bring him back. Unfortunately, the estimated trajectory path leads them straight through the Valley of the End."
There was an awkward silence as Kakashi processed this.
"What about Sakura?"
"She was the last person Sasuke spoke to before he left. After she gave me a report, I left her to her own devices."
"I'm going after them."
"I'm not stopping you."
Kakashi sat down to regain his bearings.
"Towards the Valley of the End?"
Tsunade nodded.
"Did the investigation unit come back with a report from that area?"
Tsunade arose from her chair holding a folder, but then abruptly sat back down and threw the folder at Kakashi.
"Whatever is going on there, it's not normal. The entire unit came back delirious. 'Came back' as in the only reason they're here is because one of them managed to send press the distress signal. Ibuki can't confirm if it's genjutsu or just some sort of mental breakdown."
Kakashi scanned the investigation unit's report. It didn't make any sense. It spoke of giant metal tanks, bombs that could wipe out cities... The word 'nanomachines' was used repeatedly, but wasn't explained. It didn't end there. A few of the others wrote of gods of abnormal powers, though some Kakashi reasoned, could simply be explained through use of jutsu, but other things didn't add up. The six man investigation unit's report, before it became an incoherent mess, could be categorized into two distinct patterns. Technological and mythological.
Two of the six individual reports blabbed on about machines, scientific mumbo jumbo Kakashi couldn't understand, and interestingly enough, bizarre names. Psycho Mantis and Laughing Octopus to name a few. The other four wrote as if they were in some sort of fantasy world where magic and gods exist.
Kakashi looked up.
"I don't understand...They wrote this like some sort of journal entry and they're..in whatever world they think they're in."
Tsunade nodded. She pulled out three more folders.
"These are from Sand, Rain, and Mist."
Kakashi's eyes widened as he read on.
"They're own shinobi experienced similar crazed episodes...But they were investigating an entirely different area. These places aren't even in our county!"
"You knew this and you still sent those kids after him?!"
Tsunade glared at him.
"I just received the trajectory calculations an hour ago. But we do not have anyone fast enough to catch up. Which is why you're here! Track them down, assist Shikamaru and his squad beforethey reach the Valley of the End."
The Copy-Cat ninja was already gone.
In another time, in another place, Kakashi would reach Naruto and Sasuke after the conclusion of their epic battle. Sadly, Kakashi had only just barely summoned Pakkun as Naruto stood over Sasuke's broken and lifeless body.
The rain hid the blond haired boy's tears.
In another time, in another place, Kakashi would pick up an unconscious Naruto and bring him home, careful in trying not to wake him. However, horror would flood Kakashi's senses as dark and foul chakra lingered in the area. The foul dark chakra of the demon fox that Kakashi could never forget. And the vile chakra the Jonin had grown accustomed to feeling from Orochimaru's curse seal.
He would only be able to gape in horror as he kneels by Sasuke's ravaged and broken body. The boy's fingers nearly all broken, bent at unnatural angles. Arms twisted and deformed, looking as if a giant had simply bent every joint in the opposite direction. But what horrified Kakashi the most would be the fist sized hole in Sasuke's abdominal.
Hatake Kakashi would carry Uchiha Sasuke's dead body back to Konoha a broken man.
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