Authors Note: Welcome! You have stumbled upon my fanfic! Just to get a few things out of the way before I start:
1. This is a fanfic that starts from Chapter 382 of the Manga, and departs into fanfiction from there. It actually starts right were Chapter 382 left off, so if you haven't read up to this point, it may not make much sense. I recommend that you at least to Chapter 360 to gain understanding of some of the characters that are going to be present in the story. If you haven't read up to this point, and don't want to read the Chapters, then continue at your own discretion, but things might seem random, and things may seem confusing or hard to understand. Finally, please be aware that there will be spoilers for the actual story due to the fact this picks up from Chapter 382. Proceed at your own risk.
2. This fanfic is meant to focus on romance and my idea of the ideal ending to Naruto, so excuse me if I don't have great action or miss the name of a Jutsu. I'm a pretty big fan, so it shouldn't come up too often. A lot of fanfic is also based off a theory, called "The Dark History of Uchiha: Bloodline of Tengu" by Yasha on NarutoFan's forums. Credits and props go out to Yasha for making a great theory that inspired me to write this fanfic, in turn which was based off my own idea behind how everything in Naruto was connected. This fanfic will explain the Tengu theory without breaking out of the story, but it makes more sense if you read this theory first. It's up to you – I really enjoyed reading the thread.
3. Reviewing is encouraged. By reviewing, you can relay to me things that may need change, or ideas to expand. It also allows the writer, me, to get a good idea of what the public thinks. The more reviews put in, the better I can make this fanfic! Reviews will give me ideas to help me if I get stuck, or maybe even add in something.
4. Since I tend to write in large quantities, each chapter will probably take 5-7 days to finish, considering I'm on break at the moment, spending time with my family. Things might slow down if this continues into January, as a college student only has so much time. You can expect at least 10,000 words per chapter, a good 15-30 minutes of reading, depending on how fast you read. Sorry if this is a little slow for your tastes. Think of it as a weekly release, like the newest manga chapter and anime episode!
5. If anything in here similar to some other fanfic, let me know. I don't read fanfiction often. I just like to write, and I stumbled upon this site. I thought it would be fun to do a story for Naruto. If I somehow have the same idea as someone, which I doubt, then I'll fix it up if you point it out. I don't want to steal anyone else's ideas.
6. Italic writing represents thoughts, not actual speech. This refers to moments when any character is actually thinking. Italic writing may also be used to depict sound effects. It will look like this:
What's going on? Where am I? What happened?
Or
Thunk.
If only a word is Italic, that means the person is emphasizing that word. This is used when someone is trying to say something sarcastically, or trying to point out something. It will look like this:
What the hell are you up to? Why are you snooping around my room?
Bold represents loud speech or words for a Jutsu. This is used any time a person is trying to yell, or say the name of a Jutsu/Technique. It will look like this:
"Mokuton: Moku Joheki!" (Wood Release: Wood Locking Wall!)
Without any further distractions, I bring you Chapter 1. Enjoy!
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Prologue
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Ba-dump.
Ba-dump.
Ba-dump.
Ba-dump. Ba-dump.
Ba-dump. Ba-dump.
Ba-dump. Ba-dump. Ba-dump.
Naruto felt himself reawakening as if he had been knocked out. The ground underneath him felt cold, damp like with the new morning's dew. Tiny prickles across his cheeks agitated his skin. There was something wrong. The world was still dark, and his body tingled in areas all across his stomach.
"Wha…what's going on?"
As his eyelids slowly opened, a world of vivid color began to emerge. Green stalks of grass poked out underneath his vision. The world was smeared; Naruto knew that his eyes were out of adjustment. More of the surroundings came into view, but slowly, like in a dream.
"Something's not right…I can't feel my muscles."
Naruto instinctively moved his hand to wipe his eyes. Yet, his hand didn't come. Naruto tried to move his arm again, but it wouldn't budge. Fear began to set into his stomach; he could feel the anticipation of something bad on the horizon. Cautiously, Naruto gathered his thoughts and tried to look down. No response came, and panic now replaced the fear welling in his body.
What was going on? The past and the present were blurred; paintings washed out and mixed together, images swirling in and out of his consciousness. Naruto had trouble even thinking. His thoughts came in uneven intervals; too quick and sharp, or too long and blurred.
"How long have I been here…wait…where am I?"
Bringing himself to awareness, the world began to get crisp, lines defined. Colors became clear, and figures could be seen. Across the grass, Naruto saw something familiar. A person was running towards him. They were relatively short, maybe a few inches shorter than himself. Red blurred with black as the figure continued to close in.
They wore a set of black leather gloves, swaying up and down, the fists open, reaching out to him. Naruto could barely move his eyes, but he could make out the hair, short and smooth, shimmering in the pale moonlight. The pink color almost looked ghostly white.
Until now, the world had been silent, a moment of peace among a place of chaos, like a still midnight in June. Konoha was always so pretty in June, the way the trees shined with a sheen of water over their leaves, the light rustling of the wind, the full moon high above. Moments that made you happy to have someone wrapped in your arms, laying on the still-warm dirt from midday, feeling their warmth upon your chest.
Naruto could hear the crickets chirping, the wind slowly blowing gusts across the grass, gently touching the branches of the trees. Raindrops pitter-pattered on the ground, and gently upon his cheeks every few seconds. It seemed nothing was wrong; everything should be as it was presented. Still, however, Naruto knew something was wrong; he could not feel the rain upon his skin.
And then, like a bomb going off, everything went silent as one single noise rang clear. A single yell, laced with sorrow and tears, heavy with urgency, reached Naruto's ears. It was a voice Naruto knew better than any other. It was the one female voice that would calm Naruto in any situation.
Naruto could see Sakura mouth the words as she ran towards him, her feet kicking up small splashes of collected rain, glistening in the air; the ground was slightly sinking beneath her feet, and Naruto could see her face tighten as the words escaped her lips.
"NARUTO!!!!!"
It was then that Naruto remembered. All the images came flashing back in a rush, all the information pieced back together. The past and present became clear. It was then that he remembered why he was on the ground. With all his strength, Naruto pushed to move his neck; he could feel his numbness begin to recede slightly from the shoulders up. An eternity passed as Naruto swiveled to face up. Staring back at him were cold, red eyes. Naruto would never forget them. The air began to chirp as an intense blue light formed near Naruto's chest.
Naruto heard Sakura begin to yell for a second time. Her voice faded out as it was drowned in a sea of noise. The sound of a thousand birds echoed loudly in Naruto's head. Lifting up his head slightly, Naruto moved to look down his body.
The steel protruded from his stomach at a straight angle. It glowed blue with an eerie light. Small arcs of lighting ran down its length, from the hilt to his skin. The blade shined sharply; the familiar color of red stained his jacket were the sword had penetrated. Naruto followed the blade to the pale hand holding it. Traveling down the length of the arm, Naruto realized that Sasuke had been sitting on him since his awakening.
Sasuke reared his arm back, the blue light gaining intensity.
"Goodbye…Baka." And then the light was gone.
The world began to fade out; colors once again swirled together.
Sakura's yell resonated for a second, and slipped away into a world of black.
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Chapter 1: Bonds
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"…Not!"
Naruto's Rasengan dissipated in midair. Naruto could feel his balance slipping. Spinning as fast as he could, Naruto turned to face Tobi. Something was glowing slightly red inside the hole of Tobi's mask; Naruto only saw it for a moment before it disappeared. Touching the ground, Naruto pushed backwards, and retreated to the group. Kakashi and Yamato quickly stepped in front, and Yamato's hands were already clasped into a seal.
"Mokuton: Moku Joheki!" (Wood Release: Wood Locking Wall!). Large pieces of wood came erupting out of the ground. The forest rang with the cracking of wood as a half-dome of wood pillars formed. It spanned large enough to cover the entire group – it was at least 30 feet across and 20 feet tall.
Yamato braced for an attack. However, after a long pause of silence, he looked towards Kakashi.
"Kakashi, is he moving?"
"No… He's just standing there. He hasn't even lifted a foot yet. Don't let your guard down, we don't know the extent of his strength yet." Kakashi's face was tense; Yamato could tell that this new Akatsuki's behavior was troubling Kakashi.
Naruto relaxed the tension in his body slightly. Damn… What just happened? I was sure that my Rasengan connected. He stood there, and it kind of just went right through him… well, so much for a quick surprise attack…
Tobi let out a small chuckle. At first, it started out softly, but soon, Tobi burst out into a fit of laughter. Tobi clutched his sides, and keeled over. His voice rang clear among the silence.
Sakura's contorted in confusion. She had heard and fought Akatsuki before. How could this guy be from Akatsuki? Sasori and Deidara were so…serious. This guy is standing before a group of 8 shinobi, laughing. His personality doesn't even fit his age; he's acting like a child. Is he seriously trying to fight, or did he just shrug off Naruto? Sakura couldn't hold it in any longer.
"Who the hell are you, and what the hell is so funny?" Sakura's hands were trembling. Naruto turned to face Sakura. He had seen that face before. Things were about to get bad: really, really, truly bad. Sakura shuffled underneath her jacket, and slipped out of it, letting it fall to the ground. He could see Sakura clench her right fist together. Chakra was gathering there, building more and more concentrated by the second.
"Who am I? Who am I? You know, that's a pretty good question. I guess… I don't really know myself. Well, I kind of do, but I couldn't tell you. Let me think about this for a second…hmm." Tobi brought his hand up and placed it on the bottom of his mask, cocking his head slightly upward, appearing to be thinking heavily. A vein on Sakura's forehead began to throb. She was about to crack.
"I guess I could say that I'm…me! Whoa…that sounded pretty philosophical. I should write a book on it! I'm sure that everyone would like it, maybe not Itachi though…" Tobi began to draw figures in the air, as if figuring something out. Suddenly, he raised his right hand and pointed his index finger up.
"Oh, and to answer the other part. It's just that it's been a while since I saw Mokuton. I just realized how much I miss it. I thought of this one moment…" Tobi chuckled to himself. "And I guess because your face is so ugly. You must have trouble picking up guys where you live, eh?"
You could have heard a pin drop. Naruto saw Sakura disappear in a flash. A pink blur traveled the short distance between the group and Yamato's barrier. Naruto watched in amazement as Sakura pushed off from the top of the barrier, catapulting herself 50 feet into the air. Sakura reared back her arm, and came falling down faster than seemed possible. Tobi stood there, looking up at Sakura. Naruto watched carefully; whoever this guy was, he wasn't moving. Naruto made sure to watch Sakura's fist. It came within a foot of him, and then the rest happened too fast for Naruto to catch.
The ground shook violently, and the air became cloudy as debris was launched into the air. Chunks of rock came flying towards Yamato's barrier, which resonated with a loud thump as each piece collided with the wood, leaving dents or cracking the surface. Cracks zigzagged across the ground; Naruto could feel the ground loose it's stiffness. With a uniform movement, Naruto and everyone else jumped backwards. Trees nearby groaned as their roots lost their footing, and came crashing down.
Naruto gasped as he surveyed the damage. The entire hill that Tobi had been standing on was gone; what was left of it was a pile of rubble. The ground within 20 yards of the impact had sunken in; large cracks laced the ground, and there was a gaping hole at the center, the point of impact.
Sakura stood hunched over, breathing heavily. Slowly, she raised herself upright, and Naruto could see the gleaming in Sakura's eyes. Sakura was really angry, and Naruto almost felt compelled to leave at that very moment.
"Well, well. Ugly and Angry. Has a guy even given you a hug before?" Sakura immediately looked up, searching, her head swinging quickly.
Tobi was leaning against a tree trunk, straight ahead of Sakura. He looked bored; Tobi gently dusted off his cloak, and adjusted his gloves slightly. Sakura's mouth opened slightly, and her teeth were clenched. Sakura's muscles tensed, and she shifted her weight forward. Sakura's movement was stopped suddenly. Kakashi was standing behind Sakura, with one arm tightly wrapped around her waist.
"Sakura. You of all people should know what you're supposed to do right now. We need to figure out his abilities, but we can't do that if you go running around, risking your life trying to punch him. Calm down. Got it?" Kakashi gently let go of Sakura and backed off.
"Shannaro… Yes, Kakashi-sensei." Sakura eased her muscles, and slowly watched Tobi.
"You guys sure are mean. I'm just trying to talk, and you guys are trying to punch me, even though it's 8 to 1! I don't think I want to hang out with you guys anymore." Tobi twiddled his thumbs together.
Hinata had been watching for long enough. Quickly, Hinata formed a seal underneath her coat. "Byakugan!" Veins appeared around Hinata's eyes, and the world began to change in color. Focusing on Tobi, Hinata let out a small gasp.
Whoever this man was, he had more chakra then Hinata had ever imagined a person could have. However, something didn't seem quite right. Some of the areas in his body contained a lot less chakra than his other limbs. Even stranger, Hinata saw something that couldn't be possible.
This man's chakra was tinted a strange, purple color. It contained mostly blue, like a normal shinobi's chakra, but there was a good portion of red chakra, mixing with his own. Hinata had only seen this red chakra once before. She had only seen it inside Naruto when he had defeated Neji.
"Kakashi…sensei…" Kakashi turned to look at Hinata. He could see that Hinata was worried about what she was about to say.
"That man…he isn't normal…he's got the same kind of…chakra as…Naruto-kun…" Hinata averted her gaze. Kakashi stood, transfixed. How could this Akatsuki have chakra like Naruto's? Naruto is the Jinchuuriki for the Kyuubi. He is the only one that possesses the ability to harness it and use it for his own purposes. Kakashi turned quickly to face Tobi.
"Everyone! Get back! This Akatsuki is highly dangerous." Kakashi brought up his hand, and quickly pulled down his mask, exposing his left eye. It gleamed in the dim sunlight, and the Sharingan was visible.
"But, all he can do is just phase through attacks, Kakashi-Sensei." Kiba's sounded unsure and shaky.
"Just listen to me right now! Get back! I'll take care of this!" Kakashi moved forward towards Tobi.
"Oooo! You got a Sharingan! Wait…why do you only have it in one eye? That's kind of funny!" Tobi chuckled as he pointed at Kakashi.
"I don't know who you are, or what you are, but it ends now." Kakashi stood upright, and closed his eyes. He stood perfectly still, his body rigid like an edge. It seemed like Kakashi was in deep thought.
"Now really, I really don't think that I should be worried. You guys don't seem very strong. Maybe I will just get going…I've got a lot of stuff to do!"
Kakashi opened his eyes. Naruto immediately recognized what had happened; he had seen this technique before while chasing Deidara. Kakashi's Sharingan had changed: the tomoe were now connected together to form a triangular shape. It had three triangular sections that swirled at the top to form a circle in the eye. At the center, the three pieces met and left a hole where the pupil should be.
Tobi let out a small gasp. "Wow! You even have the Mangekyou Sharingan. That must have taken a lot of work to get. How did it feel to kill your best friend?" Tobi brought his hand to his neck and pretended to slice across it, letting his head fall to one side, and making a choking sound.
"I should be asking you how you know about the Mangekyou Sharingan and it's requirements. You're going to tell me." Kakashi formed a new seal with hands.
"I don't really feel like it. It's interesting that you got the Mangekyou Sharingan instead of Sas…whoops! Almost let out a little too much there!" Tobi placed his hand over his mouth, and another hand over his eyehole. "I shall speak no evil, and see no evil! Ah, I wish I couldn't hear you though. You sound like an evil dude."
"What do you know about Sasuke!?" Naruto's yell resonated loudly, echoing for seconds before it eventually faded out.
"Nothing! I was going to say…um….let's see…uh…" Tobi scratched the top of his head lightly. "I'll tell you next time, Naruto-kun. We'll see each other soon, trust me." Tobi then brought his hand down and gave Naruto a thumbs up.
I've had enough of this guy. He may have some valuable information, but I just can't let him get away. I've only got one shot if I want to have enough energy when we find Sasuke. Well, it's ready. I hope this guy is as stupid as he puts on, but from what Hinata saw, I'm afraid we may be dealing with…him. Maybe Jiraiya's inference was right…
The air around Tobi's leg began to twist and contort. It looked as though space itself was bending. Floating in the air appeared to be a single black spot. It was unnatural, though. It wasn't just black, it was nothing; the color didn't exist to describe it because it wasn't a color. The bending intensified, and Tobi's leg began to contort with it.
"Hey! Did I say you could use Amaterasu?!" Tobi quickly swung his hand towards the black hole.
Naruto saw the same light again. Underneath his mask, a faint red light was glowing. Naruto had seen it when he passed through him, but it seemed slightly stronger now. It seemed that the light was coming from directly behind the eye socket of the mask; it was coming from where a person's eye should be.
Everyone waited in nervous tension. Sakura had heard from Naruto about this technique on their way to the Heaven and Earth Bridge. Naruto described it as, "A really cool bending thing that tore off Deidara's arm! It was so cool! It was bending his arm, and then it closed and took his arm with it!" However, Sakura was still intrigued. If this technique did what Naruto said, then this guy was making a big mistake by throwing his hand towards it.
Suddenly, the hole disappeared. Kakashi couldn't believe his eyes. He hadn't closed the hole, why did it suddenly collapse? Did this guy seriously just stop his Mangekyou Sharingan Jutsu?
"Ouch! I wasn't being very careful, was I?" Tobi's armor near his leg had been cracked, and his glove had vanished. Suddenly, Tobi looked down at his hand and became very quiet.
"Well, I need to take my leave. I'll be back to see you again, Naruto." Tobi's voice had gotten different. Unlike minutes before, it lost it's goofy quality, and now sounded extremely serious, laced with anger and malice. Without another word, Tobi disappeared, hiding his hand underneath his cloak.
Naruto's mind was racked with thought. Why did he get so serious all of the sudden? It's reasonable that he knows my name, but how did he know about Yamato-Sensei's Mokuton? Or Kakashi-Sensei's Sharingan? Things don't make sense, dattebayo!
Sakura let herself fall onto the ground in frustration. Something weird had just happened. Sakura was unsure if anyone else had seen it, but the hand that Tobi's glove had been pulled off was seriously damaged.
His hand looked extremely burned and scarred. It had been lined with scar tissue, and some parts of it appeared to actually be recently burned. The flesh looked like it had aged, decayed over many years. Still, Sakura had only caught a glimpse; Tobi had placed his hand inside his cloak as soon he had looked down at it.
"Kakashi-Sensei, Yamato-Sensei. What are we going to do next?" Naruto walked up to Kakashi, placing his hand on his shoulder.
"Despite our recent encounter with this new Akatsuki member, we will continue with our first objective. Naruto, your clone spotted Sasuke not too long ago, right?" Kakashi moved his mask back up, covering his eye.
"Yea. He's a little northeast of here, I think." Naruto moved towards the forest with quick, paced steps.
"Wait! Naruto-kun…." Hinata's armed was extended out, but when Naruto turned, she quickly drew it back.
"Yes, Hinata?" Naruto didn't sound happy at all. Hinata could see the fierce look on Naruto's face.
"Sasuke is northeast of here…at the old Uchiha hideout…but…there's…people with him." Hinata pushed her two index fingers together out of habit. Hinata quickly caught herself and stopped.
"Wait…How many are with them?" Sakura looked at Hinata just as sternly as Naruto. Both had a fire in their eyes.
"There's…4 people at the perimeter of the hideout…it looks like 2 of them are fighting. Inside the hideout…there's…there's…"
"There's what?!" Naruto grabbed Hinata by the shoulders, yelling loudly in her face. Hinata's face began to turn red.
"Uh…uh…Sas…uke…and…Itachi…" Hinata's eyelids began to droop. Kiba quickly moved to catch Hinata. He had seen this often enough to know that Hinata was about to faint. As predicted, Hinata fell out of Naruto's hands, and Kiba quickly scooped Hinata up.
"Does she always do that?" Yamato tapped his foot impatiently.
"Yea…just around Naruto. She'll be up in a minute." Kiba smiled nervously to Yamato, setting Hinata against a tree.
"She better be…Kiba." Naruto had to look away as Yamato raised his eyebrows. It was the creepiest look he had ever seen. It was almost like it sucked the life out of you. Kiba nearly yelled, and began shaking.
Sakura sighed and picked up her cloak from the ground. After dusting it off, she threw it back on, adjusted it, and walked up to Naruto. Yamato-Sensei needs to stop doing that. Taking a deep breath, Sakura looked down, and clasped Naruto's hand in hers. Naruto looked up, slightly surprised, with probing eyes. Sakura could see that he was searching, looking for the reason.
"Let's get Sasuke back…together this time, Naruto." Sakura smiled lightly. Naruto's hand was cold; Sakura could tell he was brimming with anxiousness and anticipation. Naruto's face slowly curved up into a smile, and Naruto walked towards the forest ahead of them, pulling out of Sakura's grasp. Naruto paused for a second, seemingly staring into blank space.
"That sounds about right." Naruto slowly began to walk forward, his hair lightly swaying in a gust of wind.
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"I see you, Dead." Sasuke's voice echoed slightly, then was carried off by the wind. Small leaves scattered across the ground rustled. Itachi did not move. He stayed still, simply staring back at Sasuke. The moment dragged on as if it was an hour. Finally, Itachi moved to speak.
"Little brother…I don't think you have that power yet." Itachi's face remained impassive. He brought his hand up to his chin, covering his face except for his eyes.
Sasuke's body could barely stop shaking underneath his cloak. Those cold eyes stared back at him, studying his every move. Sasuke waited, looking for an opening. He did not have time to waste reminiscing with his brother. It was the time that Sasuke had worked so hard for. It was time to kill Itachi and gain his vengeance. There would be no hesitation, no chitter-chatter.
Thunk. Sasuke stood over Itachi, his sword piercing right through Itachi's heart. Itachi stared down in surprise at the blade, and then look up at Sasuke. Something in those eyes seemed out of place. Itachi took a hold of Sasuke's blade, and pulled it closer to him. Itachi stared straight into Sasuke's eyes.
"See…it is as I said. You still lack the power to kill me." Sasuke tried to pull his sword free, but Itachi kept a firm grasp upon the sword. "You lacked the hatred to do what was necessary to beat me. You have taken the wrong path, Sasuke."
"I WILL DEFEAT YOU!" Sasuke pulled as hard as he could, and Itachi suddenly let go of the sword, sending Sasuke flying back. Quickly leaning forward, Sasuke landed upon his feet, skidding backwards a yard or two.
"Foolish little brother…not only do you still lack the hatred, but after training with that…snake…it seems you've lost your Uchiha cunning as well." Itachi wiped the blood from his hand upon the stone throne he had been sitting on.
"What do you mean? I've become stronger than you, Itachi!" Sasuke came towards Itachi, his Kusunagi sword glowing electric blue. Sasuke grinned in satisfaction as the sword pierced through Itachi's stomach, blood running down it's edge. Sasuke let his muscles relax. It was over.
Itachi looked up and grabbed Sasuke by his shoulder. With one movement, Itachi threw Sasuke across the ground. Slowly, Itachi pulled the sword out of his stomach, and threw it to Sasuke.
"Why haven't you realized the truth?" Itachi's wounds then began to hiss, healing themselves beyond the extent of any medical ninjitsu. Sasuke gaped in amazement. The only other time he had seen regeneration of this scale was in Naruto.
Sasuke's face twisted in puzzlement. Why is Itachi still alive?! Why is he still walking? Why was he able to heal his wounds so quickly?
"When are you going to shed your skin and fly, like a hawk?" Itachi slowly walked towards Sasuke. His steps echoed across the ground, and Sasuke yelled, bringing himself up to his feet. An intense blue light formed in Sasuke's hand, and the air filled with the chirping of birds. Lunging forward, Sasuke plunged his hand into Itachi's chest.
"Chidori!"
Blood splattered across Sasuke's face. However, what he saw was unbelievable. Where Itachi had been pierced, Itachi's Chidori had killed crows. The mangled bodies of crows surrounded his arm, and bled profusely. Sasuke wrenched his arm his arm from Itachi's body, and jumped backwards, ready for a counterattack. Sasuke slowly thought over all the recent events. He thought of what had Itachi said, and what had happened instead of Itachi dying. It then dawned upon Sasuke.
"Itachi…I see it with my eyes now." Sasuke smirked. Reaching down, Sasuke picked up his Kusunagi sword, and placed it back in his right hand.
"What do you see with those eyes…Sasuke?" Itachi stood still, his eyes focused upon Sasuke.
"You've had me in a Genjutsu all along, haven't you?" Sasuke charged forward, swinging his sword. Itachi quickly brought up a kunai, parrying the blow.
"Maybe you've learned a bit. Why don't you show me more?" For the first time since Itachi left, Sasuke saw Itachi smile, just a bit.
"That's pointless. If you aren't going to attack me, then I'm just wasting energy." Sasuke put his Kusunagi sword back inside its casing, and stood upright, watching Itachi.
Silence stifled the air. Sasuke's muscles were tensed, ready to defend from an attack. Itachi's behavior didn't make sense. Slowly, Itachi turned around and sat back upon the stone throne, bringing his hands together, and rested them upon his lap. Sasuke decided that it was time to break the silence.
"Itachi…I guess until I can get out of this Genjutsu and kill you, I might as well get some answers." Sasuke walked forward towards Itachi, stopping a few yards away. Itachi must have been thinking; the wind was no longer blowing, and the sun had not moved since the moment Sasuke appeared. Itachi didn't care about maintaining the illusion of reality. Sasuke had already seen through it, so there was no point in keeping it going.
"Tell me…how did you capture me in this Genjutsu?" Itachi seemed to smile again. He stared quietly at Sasuke, running his eyes from Sasuke's feet to his face.
"It's like I said, little brother…you are weak. You refused to obtain the power needed to beat me." Sasuke laughed to himself.
"Do you really think I'd fall for that? I know why you want me to take that path." Sasuke knew he was gaining the upper hand of the conversation. Itachi remained silent, passive, staring straight into Sasuke's eyes.
"Do you think I didn't read about Sojobo?" Itachi looked slightly surprised; Sasuke knew that he had found a sensitive spot.
"I see. You did listen to me that night." Itachi now stood, and walked behind the throne. Itachi looked up at the painting on the wall. The center had a character, surrounded by 9 tomoe, shaped like tails.
"But Sasuke…I know that is not the real reason why you didn't obtain the Mangekyou Sharingan." Itachi continued to inspect the painting.
"Don't kid yourself, brother." Sasuke stepped forward, moving in closer to Itachi.
"You couldn't kill Naruto then, and you can't kill him now." Itachi turned and threw his kunai. Sasuke easily dodged it. Itachi remained still after his throw, only staring back at Sasuke.
"That's not true!" Sasuke's voice echoed loudly. Unconsciously, he had thrown out his hand, pointing at Itachi.
"I didn't want to give you the power of the third Mangekyou Sharingan. I know what you're planning." The expression on Itachi's face changed. And then, something that Sasuke would have never predicted happened.
Itachi laughed. He brought his hands to his stomach, and laughed. Sasuke knew that it wasn't a fake laugh as well. It scared Sasuke; Itachi had never laughed since Sasuke knew him. And here he was now, 15 years later, laughing to himself. After a few seconds, Itachi brought it down to chuckle, and then recomposed himself.
"Stop trying to lie. I know that you couldn't kill Naruto, so you decided to try to gain power from Orochimaru, instead of obtaining the Mangekyou Sharingan" Itachi slowly began to walk towards Sasuke. Following Itachi's pace, Sasuke stepped backwards as well.
"Are you losing your mind? Why would I not be able to kill Naruto?" Sasuke's face was tightened with anxiousness. Itachi was drawing out this Genjutsu, but Sasuke couldn't figure out why.
"That's simple." The wind picked up again, blowing heavily. Itachi's cloak flapped in the wind, swaying erratically.
"You think of him as a brother." Itachi smirked again, and the wind picked up harder than before. Sasuke was at a lost for words. Itachi may have been messing with him, but he was saying things that Sasuke didn't want to believe himself.
"I didn't want to obtain the Mangekyou Sharingan because I don't want you to succeed in your goals." Sasuke drew his Kusunagi sword.
"I know why you killed our clan. I refuse to obtain the Mangekyou Sharingan!" Sasuke lunged out, slicing at Itachi. Sasuke's sword passed right through Itachi without any resistance.
"It seems I've struck a sore spot, haven't I?" Sasuke sneered at Itachi, backing off once again.
"My relation to Naruto is unimportant to my reasons. If I had obtained the Mangekyou Sharingan, then you would have had 2 users, bringing you closer to releasing Sojobo! I refuse to allow you to become his container!" Sasuke gripped his sword tightly.
"Well, that's unimportant. You may have refused to obtain the Mangekyou Sharingan, but I have already found the three users I need. I heard from Deidara, before you killed him, that Kakashi had obtained his own Mangekyou Sharingan, and has control of Amaterasu." Itachi's eyes gleamed for a second.
Sasuke was blown away by this information. If Kakashi had obtained a Mangekyou Sharingan, then who did he kill to get it? Sasuke knew that Kakashi valued friends more than anything else. Kakashi would never kill his friend in order to obtain the Mangekyou Sharingan. The questions would have to wait.
"That's still only 2! As long as I don't obtain it, then you will not unseal him!" Sasuke laughed slightly, speaking in a mocking tone. Itachi didn't even appear to be phased.
"Again, you assume wrongly. I already met a man with the 3rd Mangekyou Sharingan I need. He's a man that's truly interesting, although I think we differ on our reasons. I never though that going to Akatsuki would accomplish both ends of my goal."
No, it can't be true! There aren't any Uchihas left! It's just Itachi and me. Kakashi possesses the Sharingan, but that only makes 3. How could there be another? Did Itachi leave someone alive? Sasuke's head was filled with contradiction and turmoil.
"Who is this man? You murdered our clan in cold blood. The only people that own the Sharingan now are you, Kakashi, and I." Sasuke's voice was met with a cold gust of wind. Sasuke waited for a response, but received none.
"Wait…did you leave someone else alive?"
Itachi turned around and walked back towards the stone throne. Looking up, Itachi stared into the sky, watching the clouds passing by. Sasuke couldn't tell if Itachi was losing focus in the Genjutsu, or just thinking to himself and enjoying his own, engineered scenery.
"Funny…you are now considering the ridiculous, now that I've confused you. But, I guess that it is the ridiculous truth behind this man." Itachi chuckled to himself again, and sat down upon the ground. He had not averted his gaze. Itachi still stared into the sky, admiring the clouds, or so Sasuke thought. Itachi's passive attitude was angering Sasuke. Itachi was answering all his questions indirectly.
"Tell me now!" Sasuke screamed out at Itachi, raising a clenched fist at him, and then slammed it against the ground, cracking the stone. Sasuke could barely contain himself. He needed to know who this man was. His identity was the key to preventing Itachi from achieving his dark goal. Sasuke had decided long ago that he would do whatever he could to prevent Itachi's plan; if Itachi succeeded, then things could go horribly wrong.
"Why should I reveal that to you? You will either continue to pursue me, or kill the man who I mention to you. I know you won't kill Kakashi; Kakashi is too important to you." Itachi finally switched his gaze from the sky, facing Sasuke for a second. However, Itachi returned his attention to the clouds.
"Don't question my determination! I've pursued you for the last 7 years, and I can certainly kill Kakashi; he's just a teacher to me!" Sasuke was shaking with anger. Itachi had not only questioned his methods, but Itachi was also questioning the extent to which Sasuke would go to prevent Itachi from reaching his goals; his determination to kill Itachi.
"Just like you can kill Naruto? I know that you realized killing Naruto would have thwarted my plans as well." Itachi stood up, and turned to face Sasuke.
"Shut the hell up!" Sasuke's yell seemed to be amplified by the tension. It rang clear, and did not echo off the stone. Itachi raised an eyebrow.
"Sasuke…still so quick to anger. You must learn patience, after all. It will take many years before you are ready to kill me. And even then, you will need the power of the Mangekyou Sharingan." Itachi jumped, and Sasuke prepared himself.
Itachi landed upon the top of the throne, his feet barely fitting upon the small stone section. Itachi had his arms crossed, and was once again looking to the clouds. Out of curiosity, Sasuke looked to see what Itachi found so interesting in the clouds. One of the clouds was shaped like an eye: Itachi's eye with the Mangekyou Sharingan.
"I will not become a pawn in your plans!"
"You already have by pursuing me."
Silence came once again. Sasuke did not know what to say. Itachi was taking everything Sasuke said and turning back against him. Sasuke did not know why Itachi was so confident; being caught in his Genjutsu wasn't an accomplishment. Itachi had been developing his Genjutsu for years.
"I think that telling you a little bit might encourage you. Listen carefully. This man…he travels in disguise. I met him in Akatsuki. We are pursuing the same goal, but I think he has different reasons, only time will tell. I'm going to continue to work with him, but I'm going to keep my intentions a secret." Itachi seemed to be reflecting on his own words, almost as if he didn't believe them himself.
"Who is it?!" Sasuke was nearly overwhelmed with the anticipation.
"His name is…" Itachi suddenly stopped speaking, and tilted his head, as if he was listening for something. Sasuke noticed that he seemed distracted.
"Hmm. It seems that I'm going to have to tell you the next time we meet. Your friends are here." Itachi jumped off the chair and began walking in the opposite direction of Sasuke.
"Who?" Sasuke stood still. Itachi could be trying to lure Sasuke into following him. Itachi stopped in his tracks, and turned to face Sasuke. His eyes had changed. Itachi's eyes now were activated with the Mangekyou Sharingan.
"Naruto and Sakura. Stop pretending that you don't know... it's most unbecoming of you, Sasuke. I'm going to have to cut our little talk here."
Sasuke moved towards Itachi, but time seemed to slow down. The closer that Sasuke got to Itachi, the blurrier the world got. The Genjutsu was fading; Sasuke knew that he would have to attack Itachi as soon as he got out of it.
The world suddenly went dark, and Sasuke felt his mind begin to get fuzzy.
Itachi… I will get my revenge…
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The sound of clashing metal rang through the air. Kisame ran forward with a yell, swinging low with a diagonal slash. Suigetsu parried the attack quickly, and swung with a counterattack. Kisame ducked and brought Samehada around in a circle. Seeing the attack, Suigetsu jumped backwards, landing lightly on his toes. Kisame let out a hearty laugh.
"You really impress me, Suigetsu. So young, but you've already become a master swordsman. Even against my Samehada, you wield Zabuza's sword as if it was your own! I appraise your skill" Kisame gave a slight bow, rolling his free hand in circles.
"Kisame-Senpai, I'm touched. However, there's no need to get mushy with me!" Suigetsu smirked, and charged forward. Kisame ran forward to meet Suigetsu, and once again, the sound of scraping metal resounded off the stone walls and ground.
Suigetsu pushed his sword forward, smiling as he exchanged strength with Kisame. Suigetsu knew that Kisame was letting him push Samehada back. Suigetsu noticed Kisame's muscles tense, and quickly ducked, only to hear the air hum above his head. Suigetsu could feel a small amount of his chakra leave him as Samehada barely passed over his hair.
Seeing an opening, Kisame quickly stabbed his sword in front of him to prevent any attack to his legs, and slapped his hands together, forming a quick succession of seals. Suigetsu's eyes widened. Crap! I'm too close! I'm not going to be able to get away in time! Suigetsu jumped backwards, and Kisame's words seemed to come in an instant.
"Suiton: Bakusui Shoha!" (Water Release: Exploding Water Shockwave!). Water erupted from Kisame's mouth, shooting out. The blast hit Suigetsu in the body. Water continued to pour out at a rapid rate until the entire floor was flooded with water, about 2 feet deep. However, when the water cleared, Suigetsu had disappeared. Zabuza's sword lay upon the ground.
Karin let out a large laugh. "Stupid shark! Suigetsu's natural environment is water! You just gave him the upper hand!"
"Phh. Why don't you just be quiet and mind your own business." Kisame pointed Samehada at Karin.
"Well excuse me, you… freak!" Karin shook her fist at Kisame. Juugo stepped back away from Karin. After seeing the look on Kisame's face, Karin quickly retracted her fist, and started backing up towards Juugo. Kisame looked like he was about to smash something; his eyebrow was twitching.
"Why you little, red-haired bi…" Kisame was cut short as a form of water appeared below him. The form quickly ascended, and delivered a punch straight to Kisame's jaw. A sickening thud sounded out, and Kisame went flying upward. While in midair, Kisame regained his balance, and landed on an elevated piece of wall, at least 10 feet above the water.
Suigetsu's form poked out from the water. His face took shape, but remained clear and water-like. Only Suigetsu's eyes seemed to gleam with an unnatural light. Kisame was impressed. This boy had learned to meld with water. Suigetsu's head solidified, and his face became defined.
"A mistake on your part, Kisame-Senpai!" Suigetsu raised a watery finger, shaking it back and forth.
"Don't get too cocky, Suigetsu." Kisame grinned, and, without warning, threw his sword at Suigetsu. Suigetsu yelled at the sword landed in the water. His form lost its solidity, and his face splashed back into the lake within a second. Kisame jumped down into the lake and pulled Samehada out of the water.
"You think I didn't realize that you spread your chakra all across the lake, and then condensed it whenever you wanted to solidify? You might want to go back into your normal form; I want a good spar, and you can't lose to me this early!" Kisame grinned, and placed Samehada by his side.
Slowly, the surface of the lake seemed to change. The water began to reflect light differently, and it seemed that the water was swirling towards a central point ahead of Kisame. The water began to rise up from the lake, and the forms of Suigetsu's legs began to appear. Within seconds, half of Suigetsu's body was outlined.
Kisame waited patiently, tapping his foot against the water, creating small splashes. Finally, Suigetsu's entire form rose up from the water. It hung in the air for a short period of time, almost like a phantasm. Like painting, parts of Suigetsu's figure began to fill in with color, creating a truly bizarre spectacle.
Once all the color had returned, the body solidified, losing its wavy, water-like qualities, and gaining the rigid, bold lines of a solid object. Suigetsu walked away from Kisame, picking up Zabuza's sword up from the water. Swinging the blade to quick-dry its keen edge, Suigetsu once again raised his sword, and turned to face Kisame.
"A true warrior and thinker. You never cease to impress, Kisame-Senpai." Suigetsu shrugged and slowly began creeping forward.
"Always trying to put on a good show." Kisame planted Samehada in the ground once again, and formed another series of hand seals. Suigetsu stood crouched, ready for the incoming attack.
"Suiton: Suiryudan no Jutsu!" (Water Release: Water Dragon Blast Technique!). A large serpentine form arose from the water, forming the rough form of a dragon. The dragon roared, and charged forward at Suigetsu. Suigetsu smiled and pulled his sword back.
With a yell, Suigetsu dashed forward, slicing through the water dragon. Starting at the mouth, Suigetsu sliced the dragon horizontally in half, dispersing the water. Suigetsu ran through the length of the dragon, and the water fell limply back into the small lake underneath.
"Not bad, not bad." Kisame smiled and formed another hand seal.
"Mizu Bunshin no Jutsu!" (Water Clone Technique!). Suigetsu knew this technique all too well - a favorite of ninja hailing from the Hidden Village of the Rain and Hidden Village of the Mist.
The water next to Kisame quickly collected, forming to a rough outline of Kisame's form. The water then got stiff and rigid, and the colors of Kisame and his clothing appeared on the clone. The new Kisame grinned and pulled the Samehada off his back.
"Two on one? Now that's not very fair!" Suigetsu dashed forward, slashing out at the real Kisame. The clone jumped out and blocked Suigetsu, and proceeded to swing in counterattack. Suigetsu parried and stepped back.
Kisame's clone continued the onslaught. Blow after blow, the clone brought a relentless assault, swinging furiously, giving no quarter, no time for Suigetsu to break free. All Suigetsu could do was defend himself. However, Suigetsu knew he could not keep this up forever; each blow that resounded off his sword chilled his hands. Suigetsu had already known about the legendary Samehada. His chakra was slowly being drained, and each swing of the clone's sword could testify for that.
Finding an opening, Suigetsu broke free from the duel, and jumped high into the air. In a flash, Kisame's clone followed, and swung in midair. Suigetsu leaned back and barely dodged the slice, but felt a good portion his chakra leave him as the blade scraped the shirt over his stomach.
Kisame saw this as his chance. Running forward, the real Kisame moved to strike from below at the falling Suigetsu. He was falling fast, and unaware of the real Kisame's actions. It was a perfect attack point, and the advantage was in Kisame's favor. The clone reared back to swing downwards, from the right hand side. Kisame brought up his Samehada from the bottom, swinging from the left.
What happened next became blurred. A large explosion went off, sending water and stone pieces flying in all directions. Something was coming from the surrounding forest at an extremely high speed.
Two spinning tornados, criss-crossing, came flying straight towards Suigetsu and Kisame. Both spread apart, and angled back towards each other. At this point, Kisame realized what was going on.
Both tornados collided upon Kisame's clone, which dissipated into water droplets, raining upon a small section of the makeshift lake. Kisame gasped in surprise, and jumped out of the way, letting Suigetsu crash into the water. Kisame quickly jumped backwards as the two tornados landed nearby, and slowly stopped spinning.
Kisame noticed something out of the corner of his eye. A large cloud of buds now launched at him from behind. Kisame quickly jumped into the air, swinging Samehada on the way up, wiping out a couple thousand of the tiny bugs.
Kisame looked down below at the lake. Suigetsu had merged into the water; Zabuza's sword was lying in the water, and Suigetsu had disappeared. Karin and Juugo had retreated a couple yards back, watching the fight from a distance. Where the two tornados had landed, a young shinobi, from Leaf no doubt, stood crouched with a gigantic dog next to his side. The remaining bugs retreated towards another shinobi who was covered from head to toe in a coat.
Where the hell did these guys come from? Did they follow Sasuke? Wait… if they are tracking Sasuke, that means that these guys came with…
Kisame's thoughts were interrupted as 5 Naruto's came flying out of the forest. A large swirling ball of chakra was forming in the hands of one, and all 5 flew through the air towards Kisame.
Shit. Going to have to fall back down…
Kisame quickly shifted his weight, and let himself fall down, just in time to avoid getting hit by the chakra ball. Naruto's clones went flying overhead, and the real Naruto tried to connect with the Rasengan. It missed by an inch or two, and Naruto's momentum carried him past Kisame.
Kisame touched the ground lightly, but noticed a pink and red blur coming down from the sky, with the sun shining brightly behind them. Kisame jumped as hard as he could backwards, but was too slow. Sakura's fist came down, colliding with Kisame in the chest, and smashing him into the ground under the lake. Due to the direction he had been moving, Kisame skidded across the lake, backwards, creating small craters on each impact.
Whoever had just Kisame had just laid a heavy blow. Kisame could feel his muscles cry out in pain as he slowly slid to a stop. There was no permanent damage, no internal injury. It just hurt like crazy. It was even hard to try to get up, but after a few seconds, Kisame managed to push himself up from the ground.
Standing before Kisame, the scene had changed quite radically. The craters caused by the impact of Kisame created holes in the ground, slowly beginning to drain out the water that had accumulated on the floor. Kisame noticed a portion of water to his right that had not moved at all; Suigetsu was probably waiting to come out at the right time.
Taking a look forward, Kisame gazed over his opposition.
Naruto and Sakura stood next to each other, with Kakashi and Yamato behind them. Kiba, Akamaru, Hinata, and Shino stood together, slightly spread apart from the first group. Everyone was ready, weapons drawn, crouched slightly.
"I see…I guess it was only a matter of time before you guys showed up again." Kisame squinted his eyes, as if trying to spot something.
"Oh…is that you, Naruto-Kun? It's been a while! You've grown impressively! I asked Itachi what you looked like now, but he gave me the cold shoulder, like usual…"
"Where is Sasuke?" Naruto's voice was laced with anger, but it remained flat.
"He's talking to Itachi right now. I can't let you see him yet." Kisame pointed Samehada at Naruto. "You'll have to get through me first."
Without warning, Karin and Juugo ran forward, jumping over the 2 groups, and past Kisame. Karin turned around and yelled out as they were running, "Suigetsu! Get your butt going! We're leaving right now with Sasuke!"
Kisame had not been paying attention, and at the mention of Suigetsu, Kisame turned to see Suigetsu running off towards Juugo and Karin. Suigetsu turned his head around and waved back.
"Kisame-Senpai! Thanks for the sparring! It was fun!" Suigetsu smiled for a second, and then turned around, catching up with the other two. Sakura instinctively moved to follow. Kisame stepped forward and shoved Samehada into a crater that he had made while skidding backwards.
"I'm afraid that I'm going to have to keep you here. After all, you attacked me, so I think it's time we settled the score." Kisame laughed to himself, and quickly shook his head, shaking out small drops of water from his blue hair.
"Shall we?" Kisame's mouth opened to reveal a sharp-toothed grin.
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Sasuke's eyes opened, and he quickly pulled out his Kusunagi sword. There was a blur in front of him…the cloak was black. Without thinking, Sasuke swung out, and the figure moved out of the way.
"What the hell are you doing, trying to kill me?" Sasuke knew that voice. Suigetsu's voice would always remain annoying in Sasuke's mind.
Sasuke's eyesight began to return, and he could feel a large hand on his shoulder. Juugo must be behind him, and Sasuke could see a bright red color out of the corner of his right eye; Karin for sure.
After a few seconds, Sasuke's memories came flooding in, and his eyes shot open. Suigetsu was standing in front of him, and Juugo and Karin were standing slightly to his sides.
"Itachi! Where's Itachi!?" Sasuke didn't even bother to pay attention to the sword he had in his hand. Suigetsu quickly moved out of the way once again.
"Stop that! Itachi passed us on our way here. We thought he had killed you, so we rushed double time to get here." Suigetsu could tell that this wasn't the right answer; Sasuke's face tightened with anger.
"Where is he now?" Sasuke shrugged off Juugo's hand.
"He's about 30 seconds away, back the way we entered from." Suigetsu pointed back towards the entrance to the hideout.
Without another word, Sasuke sprinted forward, moving in large bounds. Suigetsu, Karin, and Juugo stared at one another for a second, and Suigetsu shrugged his shoulders, raising his hands.
All three quickly followed suit and moved to catch up with Sasuke.
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Naruto prepared himself. This was it. Another Akatsuki trying to get in the way of getting to Sasuke. This is it, the final straw. Before Naruto could move, a figure bounded into view, landing next to Kisame. Naruto couldn't help himself from gasping, and Naruto heard Kakashi gasp as well.
"Kisame. It's time to go. We're done here." Itachi stood quietly, facing the Konoha ninja.
"Do we have to? I was just getting to the fun part!" Kisame seemed to be pleading, laughing slightly. However, as soon as Itachi looked at Kisame, he stopped laughing, and placed Samehada on his back. Without any words, both took off, in the direction of the sun. Naruto stood, transfixed.
Before anyone could make a move, Sasuke appeared over the building, along with Suigetsu, Karin, and Juugo. They stopped quickly, and Sasuke stepped forward, locking his gaze with Naruto.
"Where did Itachi go…Naruto?" Sasuke's voice was cold, lacking any hint of emotion.
"It doesn't matter Sasuke. You're coming back with us." Naruto walked forward slowly, and stopped 3 yards in front of Sasuke.
"If you won't tell me, then I'll just ask Karin." Sasuke turned to Karin, and stared at her impatiently. Karin didn't understand at first, but then realized that Sasuke wanted to know where Itachi was.
"Oh…uh…hmm….Itachi went towards the west. He's about 1000 yards ahead." Karin shifted her glasses. Sasuke turned back to return Naruto's stare.
"Let's go." Sasuke broke the eye contact, and turned to the west.
Naruto caught the movement out of the corner of his eye. Before he could reach out to stop her, Sakura moved forward and appeared in front of Sasuke. Sasuke raised an eyebrow, and brought his hand behind his back, with his hand on the hilt of his Kusunagi Sword. Sakura's face looked like it was made of stone: It stayed constant, unchanging, and contained a serious look that Naruto had never seen before on Sakura; a look of pure determination.
"Sakura…I don't need your petty love talk. Move. Now." Sasuke spoke slowly and calmly. Naruto was ready to jump in at any moment, but it seemed that things were working so far.
"Sasuke, I'm not going to let you leave this time." Sakura crouched down low, and silence overtook the group. Naruto swore he could hear the clenching of Sakura's fists underneath her gloves. Looking around, it seemed that everyone else had the same idea: let Sakura do this on her own, but intervene if necessary.
"Sakura…Have it your way."
Naruto saw the hilt of Sasuke's Kusunagi sword move slightly, then he was gone. Before Naruto knew what had happened, he was already standing right in front of Sakura. However, something wasn't right. The look on Sakura's face was one of shock and pain…
Sakura could feel her body go numb as the electricity flowed from her stomach to the other areas of her body. The pain seemed to vanish, and time itself was slowing down. Reaching out, Sakura touched her stomach, and brought her hand up to her face. The entire palm of the glove was covered in blood. Sasuke leaned forward, and whispered into Sakura's ear.
"Sakura…I never loved you, and now I never will. Say hello to my clan in the afterlife for me." Quickly, Sasuke pulled his Kusunagi sword out, and placed it back in its hilt. Sakura felt her strength leave her legs; the ground came closer as Sakura fell to her knees. Someone was yelling something, but Sakura couldn't hear it. The world became silent and blurred, and slowly, Sakura felt her eyelids close shut, with Sasuke's words echoing in her ears.
Naruto didn't even think. His brain had stopped processing the situation, like he had been taught so many times to do. As his feet carried him forward, Sasuke looked back with those red eyes of his. He smirked slightly, and jumped forward, towards the west. Juugo, Suigetsu, and Karin followed immediately.
Naruto slid on his knees as he reached Sakura. Naruto could feel everyone else rush in behind him, but their voices fell on deaf ears. All Naruto could see was Sakura, all he could think was Sakura. Naruto took in the image: Sakura's headband had fallen off, her hair messy upon the ground. A single trail of blood ran from the corner of her mouth. Sakura's were clutching her stomach; her shirt was now covered in a spot of red, and it was growing every second. Naruto could see Kakashi form medical ninjitsu in his hand, and place it over Sakura's stomach.
Nothing registered in Naruto's brain. He could see, but not understand, and he could hear, but not listen. Naruto felt his emotions begin to take over all and any thought that may have been going through his brain. Only one thing remained, one thought, one image, that stuck in his thoughts.
Sakura.
Naruto felt something change. His skin was beginning to burn, and he could feel his features changing. Naruto yelled out in anger as his skin began to burn off, revealing the flesh underneath. His vision became dark and clouded. All Naruto felt was anger. Then, in a single moment, everything disappeared, and the world went dark.
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"Everyone! GET BACK!" Yamato screamed as loud as he could. Everyone jumped back, and looked at Yamato for further instruction
Naruto is changing so quickly. He is going straight into the 4-tailed state. Sakura must have been the trigger. This is bad. I need time to prepare the technique. He's done already?
Naruto's body had changed drastically. No longer did Naruto resemble himself. A miniature sized Kyuubi stood in Naruto's place. The chakra was so intense, that Yamato had trouble standing there. Yamato could already see that it was burning Naruto's flesh and then repairing it; the shield around Naruto was beginning to get blood red. It wasn't Naruto that stood here now: it was a 4-tailed beast.
Naruto released a roar, and the ground shook beneath Yamato's feet. The entire forest towards the west leveled flat with the force of the yell. A dark ball of chakra began to form in front of Naruto's mouth, and Naruto brought his four tails forward. The chakra ball continued to gain size. It was colored black, with a small mix of red.
Suddenly, the ball compressed itself into a ball the size of a pool ball. With a gigantic roar, Naruto released the chakra ball, and everyone watched in horror. The chakra ball completely destroyed all the trees that had just been leveled. And in a single moment, the world seemed to get dark, except for the brightness of the explosion.
When the explosion went off, the wind blew with intensity comparable to a wind tunnel. Hinata, Kiba, and Shino grabbed onto the nearest wall and held on tight as their bodies were swept into the air. The wind continued to blow for a few seconds, and then died down.
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Sasuke sighed as he discarded his burnt garments. If he hadn't seen that attack ahead of time, they would have gotten caught in that 5 km blast radius. It was sheer luck that he was able to warn Suigetsu, Juugo, and Karin in time. Since when did Naruto get so strong?
"Jesus, I'd hate to mess with that kid." Suigetsu discarded his cloak, it had a multitude of burns.
"That's unimportant. We're continuing our pursuit of Itachi." Sasuke quickly checked himself to make sure he had his Kusunagi sword.
I'm coming…Itachi. You can't run forever…
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Yamato was sweating profusely. Okay, it's ready. It's now or never!
Yamato formed a multitude of hand seals. "HOKAGE SHIKI JIJUUN JUTSU! KAKU'AN NITTEN-SUISHU!" (Hokage-style submission Jutsu! Kaku-An's Enlightened Return!)
Within a second, Yamato appeared behind Naruto. Yamato reared his hand back. Naruto turned around to face Yamato, and sucked in air to roar once again. Yamato smacked his hands into Naruto's chest, and Naruto's face went blank.
As soon as Yamato's hands connected, large wooden pillars erupted from the ground, in a circle around Naruto. Yamato jumped back, and the pillars converged on Naruto. Within seconds, Naruto's form slowly began to return to normal, and Naruto looked more human again; he no longer looked like…a monster.
Yamato's jutsu ended, and the pillars disappeared. Naruto now laid upon the ground. His body was still red; Naruto's skin hadn't grown back yet. Yamato quickly picked up Naruto, and put him on his back.
Kakashi turned off his medical ninjitsu. "Yamato, I've wrapped and treated Sakura, but I've only healed enough to keep her alive for another 2 hours. We need to return to Konoha immediately." Yamato looked at Kakashi intently. They had always differed in that respect: The mission or the shinobi.
"I agree. Everyone, we are terminating our pursuit of Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Sasuke. New mission priority is to return straight to Konoha. Once there, we will seek immediate medical attention."
"Agreed." Without another word, everyone departed into the forest.
Naruto could feel his entire body yelling in pain. Opening his eyes hurt, but Naruto opened them just slightly in order to see. Trees were passing by quickly; Naruto figured he must be on someone's back. Suddenly, Naruto was struck by an urge to pass out.
As Naruto's brain began to slip away again, a single thought escaped.
Sakura-Chan…don't…
Die…
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Authors Note: Well, I hope you enjoyed the first chapter to the story. I don't know how many chapters this story will end up being, but I hope I can at least get it to Chapter 10. Chapter 2 should be out by the weekend after Christmas, depending on how much shopping I have to do this weekend, and how much time I'll spend with my family/ playing with my new presents.
Make sure to review! It really helps. If you notice anything wrong, review! If there were things you liked, review! I think you get my point. Hope to see some comments soon, and I hope that you have enjoyed the story so far!
Until Next Time
- Yondaime-Sensei