Chapter 1: Sasuke's Retrieval
The air was filled with a special sort of tension, which can only be found in the thickest of battle. The plain was small and void of any living creature, despite being surrounded by a forest. A sole man was surrounded by an army of orange-clothed teenagers emanating a strange crimson chakra. Although the odds were far against his favor, he did not seem to flinch with this confrontation.
His long, white hair was carried by the breeze that entered the battlefield. As he moved, his long sleeves were an afterimage to the graceful dance he was performing. The Curse Seal of Earth engraved on his chest was the most unique aspect of this man's appearance. His v-shaped shirt brought his Curse Seal to attention. He wore his seal with pride, a symbol and reminder that he was once useful for his precious master Orochimaru.
The young blond, on the other hand, was very nervous. His shadow clones could do nothing to halt the majestic dance of his abnormal opponent. Left and right, shadow clones were dispelled into smoke, being annihilated by the thrusts of his enemy's mysterious weapons. The boy found it equally odd that the weapons were protruding from his hands. His frustrations were increasing as he watched the battle slip from his favor. Nevertheless, the boy was intently focused on the battle.
The man continued to move, stabbing clone after clone with his unique weapons. He was not moving in the same reckless pattern as the boy, evident by his unique footwork. He moved in a way that allowed a seamless flow of his weapons from foe to foe, striking down and removing with every step. Eventually, the clearing was filled with smoke, swept away by the eastern breeze that arrived.
A single leaf blew in front of the boy's eyes, obscuring his vision briefly. But the boy had already seen what the man with the curse mark had done. As the smoke departed, only the man stood at the center of the clearing, his emotionless expression staring deep into the eyes of the crimson-cloaked shinobi.
"And then there was one." The man proclaimed. His name is Kimimaro, the most talented ninja of the "Sound Five." Orochimaru was very proud of Kimimaro and his skills, and was looking forward to transferring his consciousness into him. However, Kimimaro was inflicted with a disease that rendered him incapable of moving. What followed were a botched assassination of the Sandaime and the loss of Orochimaru's arms. Kimimaro's sense of worth drained rapidly after his immobility, and he felt guilty that he was no longer of any use for his beloved master. The retrieval of his master's next "vessel" was the only way he could atone for his failure.
'Damn…He's really good…' the teen thought. 'Even with all those shadow clones, not a single blow landed…'
The teenager was Uzumaki Naruto, a shinobi of Konohagakure. His mission is to retrieve the shinobi inside of the casket next to Kimimaro. He vowed to Haruno Sakura, his childhood crush, that he will bring him back to Konohagakure, no matter the cost. He was not about to fall short on that promise.
However, his growing frustrations at the turn of the battle were evident. A cold sweat dropped from his forehead, and Naruto was clenching his fists tightly. His calm whiskers on his cheeks were enlarged and ferocious, like a fox at the climax of his hunt. His eyes, normally blue, were a deep crimson color, and his pupils were slit instead of round. He was clearly angry at the circumstances, but he was infuriated at his inability to even touch his opponent.
Unexpectedly, a dark red smoke was released from inside the casket. Naruto could hear the cracks and tears of the cover of the casket. His heart was racing; he did not know what was happening to his friend.
"It's almost time," Kimimaro said. "The first step of Orochimaru-sama's ambition…"
The casket exploded violently, which made Naruto's heart jump in anxious terror. As the smoke and debris cleared from the explosion, a silhouette was visible to all. Naruto just stared in awe, as his slit pupils returned to a round shape and his iris reverted back to his normal cerulean.
A boy as young as Naruto emerged from the smoke and debris. His long, white hair blended with the receding smoke, but it slowly changed into a dark black. He wore a blue short-sleeve shirt, with a red and white fan etched in the back, the symbol of the mighty Uchiha clan. The right side of his shorts was tightened by bandages, typical of shinobi attire. The appearance of the man that emerged from the casket brought comfort to Naruto's psyche, as he recognized it immediately.
"…Sasuke…" Naruto said in disbelief. He couldn't believe that Sasuke had emerged from the casket unharmed. But that disbelief was quickly overturned by feelings of relief and bliss.
Uchiha Sasuke's head jump slightly, reacting to the voice he heard. He was staring into his hands, wondering about the surge of power he had just felt. He turned his head towards the voice.
"Sasuke, what the hell are you doing with these guys!?" Naruto asked excitedly. "Let's head back! Come on!" He was shaking his fist around in excitement, as he couldn't contain his positive emotions.
"Naruto…?" Sasuke asked. He was confused. The last thing he remembered was being attacked by 4 shinobi. They said he was going to be brought to Orochimaru, but Sasuke was opposed to the idea. There was no way he was going to Orochimaru, even in his pursuit of power. Orochimaru was just too psychotic in Sasuke's opinion, and he was not a viable source of power. In spite of Sasuke's resistance, the 4 shinobi overpowered him in combat, and then everything went black.
Sasuke stared at his hands again. Maybe that is where his sudden surge of power had come from. But he felt…uneasy. Indeed the power was tremendous. But…but he did not get this power on his own. It was not something he earned, and he did not like that.
"Naruto, where are we?" Sasuke asked. "Why are you here? I could have sworn that I was in my home, resting."
"Sasuke…" Naruto said. "Sasuke, these creeps just suddenly kidnapped you! Hokage-sama ordered Shikamaru to bring you back, and he chose me, Neji, Kiba, and Chouji to help him bring you back." He summarized the events that occurred while Sasuke was trapped in the casket.
Sasuke was furious. 'So THAT'S what happened' he could not believe he was bested by a bunch of Orochimaru's misfits. He felt like a pawn, like he was just another part of that psycho's grand scheme. Sure he acquired some power as a result, but Sasuke was not a person to be trampled with.
Kimimaro turned towards Sasuke, astonished. He could not believe that Sasuke was still standing in the plain. Worse still, Sasuke appeared angry at the prospect of being a tool for Orochimaru's ambition. He thought the power of the Curse Seal of Heaven would compel him to immediately seek out Orochimaru, especially with the power boost of the casket's seal. Apparently he was wrong.
Sasuke began to approach Naruto, but he was stopped by Kimimaro.
"You will go to Orochimaru-sama." Kimimaro demanded. "Orochimaru-sama has called you to be a part of his great design, and I will not allow otherwise."
"Piss off, freak." Sasuke replied. He followed his response with a sweep kick, but Kimimaro jumped out of the way. A brief smile appeared in Sasuke's face, eager for the new challenge. Anyway that he can boost his skills he welcomed openly. But he was not about to let Orochimaru do as he pleases.
Kimimaro caught himself with his hands. He returned to his feet, in a battle ready stance. He was going to bring Sasuke back to Orochimaru, he resolved, whether he lived or died.
"Naruto, who's the freak with the ugly dots on his forehead?" Sasuke asked.
"I don't know," answered Naruto. "The asshole came out of nowhere and stole the casket with you from me and Shikamaru. I came over to stop him but man this guy's tough."
"Oh really?" Sasuke replied. Maybe this oddjob was more powerful then he looked. His blood began to rush at the thought of fighting a new and strong opponent. Sasuke took out his hitai-ite, or ninja headband, and wore it on his forehead. A huge smile appeared on Naruto's face after seeing that action.
"Naruto," Sasuke said in a commanding voice. "Do not get in the way. This is my battle now. I will not let any of Orochimaru's freaks think they can have their way with me!" Sasuke was very enthusiastic about testing his newfound power. Even if it was a gift from Orochimaru, it was there and it would be a waste not to use it. He was not going to enter the Curse State, however, knowing the consequences of that action.
Kimimaro got himself ready. He thought back at what Kabuto-sensei, Orochimaru's aide and trusted confidant, said while he was incapacitated: "He possesses a seal with equal power to your Earth Seal." Kabuto had said. "…which is the 'Heaven' seal…Not only that he's got a Kekkei Genkai." Kabuto had warned him about Sasuke's "assets," as Orochimaru would put it to be. "…Hehe…I wonder who is stronger, you or him?"
Kimimaro thought that as well. Now the opportunity had come to test Sasuke's strength. He slowly removed the rest of his weapon from inside his body and pointed it towards Sasuke's position.
"I've heard that you have a Kekkei Genkai, a bloodline limit." Kimimaro said. "Well, I've got one as well, and my Shikotsumyaku has never been defeated. Do you care to try?" He held both of his weapons in his hands, and stared at Sasuke with a fiery determination.
Sasuke only smiled. He wasn't expecting his opponent to have a Kekkei Genkai. He was reminded of his battle with Haku, how difficult it was to assess and defeat the Crystal Ice Mirrors. He also remembered that his battle with Haku awakened his Sharingan. Perhaps, this battle may further enhance his ocular abilities.
"Well well, color me impressed." Sasuke said, removing a kunai from his pockets. "But regardless, your ability doesn't change the fact that you're a freak of nature, and that you've pissed me off."
Even though Sasuke knew now that his opponent had a Kekkei Genkai, he was not about to activate his Sharingan. He needed to know what his opponent's true abilities are before he can use them. Besides, if his opponent was weak, it would have been a waste of chakra.
Sasuke began to dash towards Kimimaro. His new speed utterly surprised him. He balled his left hand into a fist and delivered an arm punch to Kimimaro's ribs. He did not know what hit him.
Kimimaro was flown back, but managed to recover in the air. As he landed, he felt a slight tinge of pain on the left side of his body. He had not expected Sasuke to be so fast, but that punch was equally surprising. If he was not a member of the Kaguya clan, Kimimaro would have surely broken several ribs.
Naruto, on the other hand, had his eyes wide open in astonishment. He knew that Sasuke was never this fast, ever since he was put into a comatose state by Gaara of the Desert in the Chuunin Exams several months ago. He also knew that Sasuke had woken up recently, just after he and Jiraiya had returned to Konohagakure with Tsunade. Maybe Orochimaru really did have a lot of power to offer to Sasuke. Naruto shook his head, trying to get that thought out of his mind. Sasuke would never bend to the whims of Orochimaru, and Naruto knew that.
Sasuke shook his left hand. That punch actually hurt him too. Why were that man's ribs so strong? He then thought about the weapons that protruded out of the man's hands. He was slowly beginning to realize the secrets of the Shikotsumyaku.
"Hey!" Sasuke shouted. "Your Kekkei Genkai…you can enhance the growth and durability of your bones, can you?"
"An excellent observation," Kimimaro admitted. "My Kekkei Genkai allows me to augment the growth of my bones by accessing my body's calcium deposits via chakra. I can expand and contract my bones whenever I desire. As a member of the Kaguya clan, our skeletal structures are unique as well. My bones are more dense then tempered steel. You will not break them easily, at least, not in your state."
Kimimaro's last response was an attempt to persuade Sasuke into entering the Curse State. He hopes that, by entering the Curse State, Sasuke would realize the potential power that Orochimaru-sama was offering.
"No thanks asshole," Sasuke replied. Although these revelations are startling, he was not about to give up and use the Curse State. He was adamant about not falling into the hands of that crazed killer.
Kimimaro repositioned himself into his battle stance. He hurled himself towards Sasuke, tightly wielding dual bone swords. He slashed at Sasuke, but Sasuke was too fast. Sasuke dodge the slash, then followed with a punch to Kimimaro's stomach. Kimimaro jumped out of the way, and then swung his sword at Sasuke's right shoulder. Sasuke spun to avoid the attack, placing him in the perfect position for a roundhouse kick. Kimimaro blocked, but he was reminded of Sasuke's newfound power. The impact of the kick left a bruise on Kimimaro's arm, and the bruise hurt intensely. While Sasuke was recovering from his roundhouse kick, Kimimaro slashed downwards towards Sasuke's head. Sasuke dodged once again, seeing small strands of hair being cut from his head. Sasuke now realized that the bone swords were very sharp, and he had to avoid them at all costs.
Regaining his bearings, Sasuke attempted to stab Kimimaro with his kunai. Kimimaro read through the attack and grabbed Sasuke's arm with his own. He followed up with an elbow to Sasuke's head, launching him towards the ground. Kimimaro then tried to stab Sasuke with his bone sword. Sasuke used his right hand and foot to thrust himself out of the way of the stab. While airborne, Sasuke took some shuriken from his pockets and threw them at Kimimaro, which he deflected with his sword.
"Your taijutsu is impressive," said Kimimaro. "You are putting up much more of a challenge than that orange-clothed idiot."
"Hmph," Sasuke replied, landing safely on the ground ready for more. "If you are comparing me to that loser, you've got a long ways coming."
"HEY!" Naruto screamed angrily. Yet, Naruto was very happy that Sasuke was back to his normal, albeit arrogant, self.
Sasuke threw two more shuriken at Kimimaro, and Kimimaro was ready to deflect them again, but the shuriken curved away from him and landed harmlessly away from his position. When he turned to face Sasuke, he was in the air, tossing another shuriken at Kimimaro's head. He ducked, and the shuriken landed a meter behind Kimimaro.
"Hm," Sasuke muttered, smiling. He was forming hand signs at an alarming rate. "Katon: Fireball Jutsu!" Suddenly, Sasuke released a massive fireball from his mouth that blazed towards Kimimaro. It was slow and easy to dodge, so Kimimaro jumped backwards. However, the giant ball of fire ignited some wires connected to the multiple shuriken in the area. The fires were now racing towards Kimimaro faster than the fireball.
"What?" Kimimaro asked, his eyes widening. He realized all the shuriken were connected with a single thread of flammable wiring, now located all over his position. Quickly, the fires engulfed Kimimaro, and Sasuke landed safely on the ground. Sasuke stared at the blazing mess, but he took out his kunai nonetheless. Underestimating an opponent was the fastest way for a shinobi to die.
Kimimaro spun rapidly to disperse the fires. Sasuke noticed that Kimimaro now had bones protruding all over his body. This must have allowed him to have a larger spinning radius.
"The Dance of the Willow," Said Kimimaro. "With this, I extend multiple bones from my body to be used as weapons. My very movements become deadly as a result. But this is not the last of my dances, Sasuke-kun."
Sasuke visibly twitched at the use of the "kun" honorific. He's already had his fill with Sakura and Ino bombarding him with it. He would very much appreciate it if his opponents not pester him in the same way.
"I have no interest in dying from boredom during one of your ballets." Sasuke said mockingly. "I still have my own ambitions to fulfill." Sasuke had a brief flash of his brother, Uchiha Itachi. Sasuke was not going to die before he killed his brother.
"It's time for you to witness another one of my dances, Sasuke-kun," Kimimaro said, retracting the bone swords back into his body. Kimimaro allowed the right side of his shirt to slump over to his arm. Suddenly, one of his bones erupted from his shoulders. Sasuke was disgusted by the sight, but Naruto almost threw up. It certainly was not a pleasant sight to see. Kimimaro removed the bone from his shoulder, which turned out to be another bone sword. This one he wielded with one hand.
"This is the Dance of the Camellia," Kimimaro explained. "This bone is far sharper than the ones I attacked you with earlier. It can slice through air itself." Kimimaro suddenly lifted his right hand and pointed it towards Sasuke. He propelled his fingernails towards Sasuke at high speeds. Sasuke began to run, trying to dodge the nails. 'Man this guy really IS bizarre' Sasuke thought. The barrage of fingernails continued as Sasuke ran, a testament to the Shikotsumyaku's rapid bone growth. The barrage halted, leaving Sasuke to wonder why. But the sun blacked out for an instant, and Sasuke turned his head towards the sky. Kimimaro was descending fast, bone sword in hand. As he fell, Sasuke managed to avoid the downwards thrust, which forced the sword into the ground.
That did not stop Kimimaro. Alternating hands on the handle, Kimimaro backhanded Sasuke. Sasuke flew backwards, sliding violently across the ground upon impact. Once again, Sasuke was impressed with the bone density of the Kaguya clan.
Forcefully removing his sword from the ground, he dashed towards Sasuke. Trying to use the momentum of his dash to further enhance the power of his thrust, he aimed for Sasuke's lower torso. Sasuke sidestepped to dodge the blow, but Kimimaro anticipated the move. Expertly recovering from his momentum, Kimimaro performed a spin attack with a large radius. Sasuke lowered his upper body to the ground and stopped his descent with his hands. He feebly attempted to kick Kimimaro on his ribs, but Kimimaro dodged by backflipping. His kick was an attempt at creating space. Kimimaro was relentless with his attacks, and refused to provide Sasuke with his much need space.
Sasuke recovered with his hands, only to find Kimimaro rushing at him yet again. But Kimimaro was much faster with his thrusts, managing to inflict shallow cuts on Sasuke's face and arms, despite his superior speed. There was no way out of the barrage of thrusts, and Sasuke was completely on the defensive.
'Shit!' Sasuke thought. 'This guy is so much faster than he was when we started fighting! Maybe this is the real power of the dances…If I don't do something quickly; he'll thrash me into a corner!'
This relentless barrage forced Sasuke's cards. He was hoping he did not have to use the Sharingan, considering his newfound speed and power. But the boosts were not enough to overwhelm his opponent. The color of Sasuke's iris changed to a blood-red, with two tomoe orbiting the pupil of both eyes. The instant Sasuke activated the Sharingan time itself seemed to have grounded to a near halt. Kimimaro's blindingly fast thrusts, as perceived by Sasuke, moved at a snail's pace. Sasuke's dodges were now smoother, much to the surprise of Kimimaro.
As Sasuke dodged the repeating thrusts, he noticed that the strikes were irregular and difficult to examine. He couldn't find a pattern, so he had to continue dodging while looking for an opening to reveal itself. That didn't take too long though, much to Sasuke's relief.
Kimimaro now winded his arm farther then his usual quick thrusts. This move would have easily been missed, but Sasuke's Sharingan immediately found the slight fluctuation of attack. The thrust was intended for Sasuke's liver, aimed far lower than the other stabs. As Kimimaro lunged forward, Sasuke dodged and delivered a precise uppercut to Kimimaro's elbow.
Kimimaro dropped the sword harmlessly to the ground, grabbing his arm in agony. Although the Kaguya had rigid bone structures, joints were still susceptible to dislocation. Kimimaro had never felt this sort of pain before, struggling to walk backwards and holding his flaccid arm. Kimimaro looked up to Sasuke and saw the smirk on his face. Sasuke knew it was time to finish the battle, so he back flipped several times to gain some distance from his opponent.
Performing hand signs faster than the eye can read, a massive surge of electric chakra engulfed Sasuke's left hand. The amount of chakra was so intense it covered the radius of Sasuke's body with a lightning aura.
"Chidori!" Sasuke screamed. He dropped his left hand to the ground, supporting it with his right arm. Kimimaro relocated the joint from his elbow, much to his painful displeasure, only to stare in awe at Sasuke's electrical might.
"This battle can't go on any longer," Sasuke announced, with a hint of triumph in his voice. "My Chidori will penetrate through your 'impenetrable' bones, and it will kill you." Sasuke took off, faster than he ever was during the bout.
It was all too fast for Naruto to even comprehend. He could not see what happened and how it occurred. All he could see was a massive blunder on Sasuke's part.
Sasuke prepared to strike at Kimimaro's heart. Kimimaro braced himself, placing his left foot behind him and crossed his arms over his heart. As Sasuke neared Kimimaro's vital organ, he saw a large bone piercing his left arm. The electric chakra dissipated into the air, which was followed by an inhuman shriek of despair.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Sasuke screamed in anguish as the bone retracted back into Kimimaro's right knee. He grabbed his left hand, as if his life had depended on it, and dropped to the ground. The pain was truly unbearable. Kimimaro's bone went through both his radius and ulna, fracturing them in the process. Sasuke was only a couple of centimeters from Kimimaro's heart.
"I can't believe that I was forced to use the Dance of the Larch against you," Kimimaro said, panting. Although the pain of the dislocation had lessened, it was still bothering him to move. "I never thought I would be hard-pressed to use my ultimate defense in this battle. Kabuto-sensei was right about you; you are going to be a wonderful vessel for my master."
"Sasuke!" Naruto shouted. Immediately, Naruto formed 20 shadow clones, and they all meagerly charged at Kimimaro in an attempt to protect his friend. Kimimaro merely stood still, initiating his Dance of the Larch whenever a clone tried to attack him. The reckless and predictable behavior of Naruto's clones only made their demise easier. Naruto's frustrations began to reemerge, recognizing the futility of his clones in this battle.
After disposing the last of the clones, Kimimaro turned towards Naruto. His face was masked with a cold indifference, unusual considering his elbow was dislocated and he was almost killed mere minutes ago.
"Enough with this child's play." Kimimaro said in a slightly irritated tone. "My master desires Sasuke, and this nuisance has squandered valuable time. I shall kill you and bring the vessel to where he truly belongs."
"I won't let that happen!" Naruto screamed. "Even if I can't beat you, I will NEVER allow Orochimaru to make Sasuke his pet!"
"Na…Naruto…" Sasuke said wearily. He struggled to pick himself up to a sitting position. His left arm is completely numb and limp from the bone fracture. He won't be able to battle as efficiently anymore from this point on. He'll have to rely on Naruto if he were to have any chance of turning this battle.
"Why do you care so much about Sasuke-kun?" Kimimaro asked with a curious tone. "Why risk so much to save someone so deposed to the darkness?" Kimimaro can tell from exchanging blows with Sasuke: He had some sort of heinous goal to achieve, and nobody was going to stop him.
"Because Sasuke is…Sasuke is…" Naruto hesitated. He didn't know what Sasuke felt about him, and he worried that his revelation would strain his relationship with Sasuke. He clenched his fists tightly, finding the resolve to finally expose his true feelings for Sasuke.
"Sasuke is my best friend!" Naruto announced fervently. "Everything that we've done together, all of our laughs and all of the pain…all of the progress and all of the hardship…all of it will be lost forever if Sasuke goes with Orochimaru! I won't let Sasuke die! I won't let him fall to the darkness!"
Sasuke was stunned at what Naruto was saying. 'Is that how he really feels about me?' Sasuke thought. 'Do I really mean something to him?' Sasuke has not had these feelings since his family was killed by Itachi. Sasuke and Itachi had an unbreakable bond back then. His brother would happily have given up his life if it meant to protect Sasuke.
That all ended after the Uchiha massacre. Sasuke remembers the intense fear he felt after confronting Itachi, who had just finished killing his parents. Running to escape the fear, he only stumbled upon an avenue filled with corpses. Blood was littered all over the floors, walls, and ceilings of buildings. Hopelessness and despair clouded his mind as Itachi exited his parent's house, blood soaking his clothing. Yet, for some reason his life was spared. Itachi had told him: "There is no value in killing the likes of you… My foolish brother… If you want to kill me… curse me! Hate me! And live a long and unsightly life… Run away… run away… and cling to your pitiful life." Those words were Sasuke's driving force, his reason for living.
Sasuke took Itachi's words to heart. He vowed that he will kill Itachi and restore the Uchiha clan to its former prime. He closed himself off from everyone else, believing that concepts like "friendship," "camaraderie," and "love," would hinder his pursuit of power.
Yet Sasuke finds himself looking back on his time with Team 7. Naruto was an obnoxious runt, always yelling and screaming, running headfirst into every and all conflicts that befell his team. Sakura was even more annoying, hanging on to every word that he said, and not having the power to defend herself. Hell, even Hatake Kakashi, his sensei, was less reliable than Sakura most of the time. He always came to meetings and missions late, and overindulged himself in reading Make-Out Paradise more often than not. The Sasuke from back then would not have seen Team 7 as the ideal group to grow stronger. But their individual and unique quirks had rubbed off on him.
Kakashi really did care about his students. Sasuke remembered what he told him when they fought against Momochi Zabuza for the first time: "I won't allow my comrades to die. I'll protect you with my life. Trust me." Kakashi would never abandon his friends and teammates, and that meant something to Sasuke.
Sakura was truly loyal to Sasuke. At first, it was aggravating fangirlism that caused her to blindly follow Sasuke around. But she realizes that there is more to Sasuke then the dark, detached loner he portrays himself to be. Even if she is weaker than the entire world, she would always defend Sasuke until the very end. Sasuke has come to respect Sakura's passionate commitment.
Naruto, Sasuke had to admit, was a very powerful ally. His growth was remarkable, and their rivalry always kept him on his toes. He never gave up and he never backed down from a challenge, strictly following his Nindo, his "way of the ninja," to heart. It's even inspired Sasuke to find the courage within him to continue fighting, even against impossible odds like the battle with Zabuza and Orochimaru, where he was hopelessly outclassed. Naruto truly was…truly was the best friend a man can ever have.
Something watery was dripping down Sasuke's cheek. At first, he thought it was sweat. This high-speed battle was wearing him out, and he lost a lot of chakra from that failed Chidori. But this drop of water streaming down his face was coming from his eyes. Was he really shedding tears? Did his teammates really matter to him?
"Sasuke has a home in Konohagakure!" Naruto continued. "People are worried about him. People are waiting for him to return home! He has friends that are willing to risk EVERYTHING so that he doesn't lose all that he worked for! Creeps like Orochimaru don't even know the first thing about Sasuke!"
Sasuke smirked. 'Hmph, I really am weak.' Sasuke thought. 'If I fought Itachi now, I would get killed in an instant.' He found it odd, but he didn't care. Naruto's words struck a chord in Sasuke's isolated heart. He did have people in Konohagakure that liked him for who he is. And right now, his best friend was out there fighting for both of their survival. He needed his help. He started to get off the ground.
"I see that you can still move, Sasuke-kun," Kimimaro said. He was rather impressed with the Uchiha's endurance. He would most definitely make a suitable vessel for his master.
Sasuke twitched in pain. Barely supporting his left arm with his right, Sasuke managed to stand up and look at Kimimaro. His limp arm began to dangle grotesquely, but Sasuke was not about to just forfeit his life. He activated his Sharingan, yet his vision was more clear now than when he was dodging the Dance of the Camellia. He could predict Kimimaro's movements much more accurately, even in his idle stance.
Naruto stared at Sasuke for a brief second. He couldn't tell from the distance, but it appeared that Sasuke had three tomoe orbiting his pupils instead of two.
"Naruto…thank you." Sasuke said, breathing heavily. "Let's kick this freak's ass!"
"Yeah!" Naruto replied. He gathered back together and produced 50 more clones. Naruto is known for not faltering, even if his tactics fail him over and over again. Sasuke reminisced the numerous occasions in which that was the case.
"You never know when to give up, do you?" Kimimaro asked. Although he was battered by his battle with Sasuke, he did not appear to have lost a lot of stamina, and relocating his elbow no longer pained him.
"You're an idiot," Sasuke said. "I am Konoha's top rookie of the year. I can kick your ass even with this limp arm of mine. Naruto over there is Konoha's number 1 hyperactive knucklehead ninja. There is no way in hell that you can beat us together." Deep down inside, Sasuke really wanted to say that.
"SASUKE YOU BASTARD!" screamed all 50 of the Narutos. "I'LL DESTROY YOU WHEN WE GET BACK HOME!"
"I'd like to see you try, loser." Some things never change.
All 50 Narutos simultaneously charged at Kimimaro. He reverted back to his first dance, the Dance of the Willow, and began to gracefully dispel all of the clones.
"Naruto!" Sasuke shouted. "Charging at him maybe the only thing you're good at, but it's not going to work this time around! Listen to what I say and let's coordinate an attack together!" Sasuke immediately began analyzing Kimimaro's movements and shouting counter-maneuvers at the Narutos, who proceeded to follow word for word. It was tough, but his new perception made reading Kimimaro very easy. Directing an assault with 50 clones also looked like it could have been Sasuke's forte.
Sasuke's commands were making their mark. Kimimaro was underestimating the Narutos, but as soon as they started listening to Sasuke, their attacks went from unorganized and random to coordinated and exact. Kimimaro was now unable to keep up with the torrent of attacks from the Narutos. His movements were fluid still, and his attacks were accurate. But the Narutos began to land well placed hits. The hits were small for Kimimaro, but they added up very quickly.
Naruto was ecstatic. During this whole battle, he could not damage his nimble foe. But with Sasuke's help, he is pressing Kimimaro to go on the defensive. His morale was rising, and as a result the clones became more daring and ferocious.
With the battle in Naruto's favor, the clones began to gang up on Kimimaro. They jump at him in an attempt to restrain him and prevent him from breathing. They piled up one after another until a massive cluster of clones overwhelmed him. Naruto began to jump for joy, but Sasuke face-palmed with his good hand. This was not a part of his plan, but the advantage turned to their favor so it did not hurt either.
"Enough," shouted a voice from inside the pile of clones. Clones became smoke as Kimimaro rotated swiftly, breaking away from the clone pile easily. "This game grows tiresome."
Kimimaro shifted his strategy now. At first, he went easy on the clone barrage, thinking it would be the same reckless charge that Naruto seemed capable of. But with Sasuke and his Sharingan, the clones began to read his movements. They were actually hitting him, and the attacks started to annoy him. So he decided to go more serious and perform his ballet with two different dances: the Dance of the Willow and the Dance of the Larch.
The clones couldn't touch him now. Not only was he on the offensive with the Dance of the Willow, striking down clones where they stood, but his body naturally lengthened his bones when a clone came close to attacking him. There was no way to actually damage him now.
Naruto became distraught at the shift in the battle. His happiness was short-lived, and now his clones were back to being decimated. With the Kyuubi, the Nine-Tailed Fox demon, sealed inside of him he was in no immediate danger of depleting his chakra reserves. But he grew weary of the stalemate that seemed to drag on.
Sasuke, on the other hand, was thrilled. After getting caught by Kimimaro's ultimate defense, he was determined to break it down using the Sharingan. Now that Kimimaro was taking this battle seriously, he could finally analyze the Dance of the Larch and find effective countermeasures.
Sasuke saw that the retraction and enlarging period of the dance was constant. It took 4 seconds for the bones to extend, and 3 seconds to retract. It was during the retraction period that Naruto could successfully land an attack. But Naruto was too slow, Kimimaro was now in the offensive, and his clones simply did not have the explosive power to do lasting damage, especially against a skeletal structure as fortified as Kimimaro's. If only his injury was not too severe…
Kimimaro's performance was proving too much for the clones. Once again, he eliminated all of the clones in the clearing, leaving only him, Sasuke, and Naruto.
"I will kill you." Kimimaro proclaimed. "I will bring Sasuke-kun back with me to Orochimaru-sama. There will be no more threats." Kimimaro began to perform the Dance of the Camellia. With his sharp blade at hand, he sprinted towards Naruto, fully intent on ending this prolonged battle.
"Shit!" Naruto said. He quickly made a shadow clone and started to form a Rasengan, his signature move. This was a life or death predicament now more than ever. If he wasn't fast enough Kimimaro would surely kill him.
"No, NARUTO!" Sasuke shouted. He cursed his injury. He couldn't do much with one arm, and he was still in a lot of pain, which hindered his speed.
It was too late. Naruto could feel Kimimaro's emotionless eyes close in to his face. He could see the dots in his forehead, characteristic of a member of the Kaguya clan. His Rasengan was not complete and he could not counterattack. 'It's all over' he thought. 'I'm about to die. I couldn't protect Sasuke, my best friend. I wasn't able to keep my promise to Sakura. Guys, I'm sorry…' He shut his eyes tightly, bracing himself for the inevitable...
Hello Everyone! Hoped you enjoyed reading this fanfiction!
I have recently been reading Naruto fanfictions like Team 8, Uzu no Musume, and Patriot's Dawn. I was truly inspired to write my own after reading all of these quality works. So here we are.
It was difficult to get a premise going. I wanted the fanfic to be a Sasuke-centered piece, with all the Naruto-centered pieces littered around the internet and what-not. However, I did not want it to be a stuffy "SasuSaku" romance, like most of the Sasuke-centered fanfics in this site. I wanted it to be an adventure, where Sasuke has a chance to have a fa more sophisticated development than canon. But how could I find a divergence point where Sasuke doesn't actually end up all evil and shit?
I thought deeply about this, then I thought about Sasuke's growth in the beginning. Like the time he saved Naruto from Haku's attack. And the time he actually valued Sakura's safety over his own when fighting Gaara. That was some great character development. Then he met Itachi and turned evil. That is when I got my idea.
"What if Sasuke never met Itachi when Naruto went to find Tsunade?" Suddenly, limitless opportunities presented itself.
You see, after his defeat by Itachi, Sasuke was forced to reevaluate his entire time training. He comes to the conclusion that the village simply was not allowing him to progress as fast as he truly desired. That is when he made the decision to seek out Orochimaru for tutelage. At that point, he went from trying to define himself to become pure evil (albeit badass pure evil). From then on, his development just went under the gutter, literally.
If he never met Itachi, Sasuke would not have to reevaluate his training. As such, he would be more open to the villagers and their attempts to befriend him. Sasuke had already thought of Naruto as his best friend far before meeting Itachi. So his character now has the potential to develop more and more.
Now I have sooooooo many ideas on how to lead this story. This is going to be a long story, as told from the point of view of Sasuke and other characters. There will only be one Original Character, as I don't want my story to be littered with many different OCs. You won't meet the OC though until much, much later in the story.
People are going to die. You will get upset. But it's going to be the ride of your life. That being said, I need help with editing and revising. I spent hours proofreading this chapter myself, and I am fairly confident in the results. But I am only one person, and I can't pick up all of the mistakes I make. I also can't tell if certain plot decisions I make are interesting or bland.
If you truly like what you saw here in this chapter, please PM me with interest in editing. You get a sneak preview to chapters, and can even help me make decisions about the plot. Of course, you'll have to read 20 pages of work every week and make important edits, but this will help the story grow and progress in the long run.
As with my other fanfiction Conflicting Resolves this section will be used to answer any and all questions pertaining to this story. If I miss an update, I will notify you on the reason at this section.
For now, please relax, rewind, and enjoy the story of Sasuke, as he seeks the True Pathes to Power.
