Chapter 2
--FLASHBACK: TWO WEEKS EARLIER--
"Ah, so we finally meet. I've heard a great deal of things about you. You're somewhat of a legend in our village, you know."
"I'm flattered. I wish I could return that sentiment, but I'm afraid I've never heard of you before in my life."
Dorobou smiled at the Konoha shinobi standing before him. This admission was of course meant as a subtle insult, but that matter was trivial. "I assure you that will change after today," Dorobou answered. "Leaf Village has grown stagnant and weak. The Hidden Cloud Village will soon establish its dominance over Fire Country and beyond."
His opponent, a silver-haired Jounin, gazed at him expressionlessly through the one eye that was not covered by his mask. "You are mistaken. Your militant Raikage will only bring death and despair to your village. I've seen it happen countless times in the past."
Dorobou's smile faded. "Enough talk. Let it be known that today will be the day Kagawa Dorobou will defeat the copy ninja, Hatake Kakashi!"
The Cloud shinobi vanished, and at the same instant five shuriken whizzed toward Kakashi's head. Kakashi ducked, crossing his arms to the left of his face to block Dorobou's kick which was delivered a split-second after. Dorobou jumped back, his boots skidding across the ground. A kunai appeared in his hand and he fired it at Kakashi's throat. Instinctively Kakashi reached for his own kunai bag…only to grasp at empty space. What? What happened to--
Dorobou's kunai connected with the momentarily distracted Kakashi. The Jounin staggered, hunching over the area where the kunai had hit.
"Looking for this?" Dorobou held up Kakashi's weapon bag. "I snatched it when you were blocking my kick. Tsk tsk, you really should be more careful."
Dorobou charged at Kakashi, who was still clutching his right shoulder. Cocking back his fist, Dorobou prepared to strike, but instead froze with a horrified look on his face. The same kunai he had thrown at Kakashi was now being held by the unscathed Konoha shinobi, its business end embedded into Dorobou's stomach.
"I may not have had any kunai, but I'm a hell of an actor." Kakashi said.
He ripped the kunai from Dorobou, who crumpled to the floor. Kakashi breathed a sigh, but quick drew back his breath when Dorobou's body dissipated into a cloudy wisp.
Damn, it was a clone. Where is he hiding?
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Breathing heavily, Naruto glared at his opponent, the Cloud ninja Akito Sashikizu. While on their way to Lightning country to investigate a disturbance, Team 7 was ambushed by shinobi from the Hidden Village in the Clouds. Team 8 had been sent as reinforcements, but the Cloud ninja continued bearing down on them. These guys are no pushovers. Since when did Cloud village become so strong? Naruto thought.
"This is the end of the line for you, boy."
"Shut your trap, you bastard! I'll kick your ass! Kage Bunshin No Jutsu!"
Sashikizu gripped his sword tightly as twenty shadow clones of the blonde Konoha Genin appeared and charged at him. The first five launched themselves into the air, wielding shuriken. Tokushima looked up, giving the next five Narutos on the ground an opening. The Narutos in the air flung their shuriken, while the Narutos on the ground flung themselves at Sashikizu. The cloud ninja deflected the shuriken with one wave of his sword, and sliced through the clones in the air with a second wave. One of the Narutos on the ground brought his foot up to connect with Sashikizu's unprotected face…
Only to have it stopped by Sashikizu's forearm. The cloud ninja shot his knee out and caught the clone Naruto in the chin, sending him reeling back. Sashikizu extended the rest of his leg, kicking a second Naruto into the other three who had charged him. The four clones flew back and dissipated in a cloud of smoke, through which another Naruto slid, sweeping his leg to hit Sashikizu's one leg that was still on the ground.
Just before he could connect, Sashikizu's thrust the sword downward into the clone's left shoulder.
He's fast, Naruto thought.
But not fast enough.
With his back turned and his sword embedded into the ground, Sashikizu was completely vulnerable to the Naruto clone charging at him from behind. The clone jumped with his foot extended…
and was impaled by Sashikizu's sword, which he had pulled out of the ground and jammed through his own chest.
Naruto and the rest of his clones stared in shock as Sashikizu stood and removed the sword. The sword had no blood on it, and Sashikizu appeared to be unhurt.
The cloud ninja smiled. "My sword is surrounded by my chakra, so I am immune to it. Now it is my turn."
With the sword still in his hands, Sashikizu formed hand seals. "Tsurugu no senpuu!" Sashikizu's body started rapidly spinning as he extended his arm with the sword, becoming a glowing, blurry funnel. Using the momentum from his rotation, he swiftly swept across the ground and bore into the rest of Naruto's clones, dissipating them nearly simultaneously. Naruto himself barely had enough time to jump clear. He landed several feet away and grimaced in pain as he clutched the cut on his shoulder.
How did he hit me? I was still at least a couple of feet away from his sword.
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A few yards away, Sai and Sakura stood warily, facing the third Cloud shinobi, Shiga Hangeki. Unlike the other two, this ninja remained silent, waiting for the duo's first attack.
"Alright Sai, we need a plan." Sakura told her teammate.
Sai's brow furrowed in thought. Then his eyes lit up. "I've got it. Leave it to me, Ugly Dog."
Sakura's glare shot daggers at Sai. "If you call me that one more time, I swear I'll…" But Sai had already started moving toward his target. As he was running, Sai reached behind him and produced a kunai, which he flung at the cloud ninja. Komatsu easily evaded the knife, but something was trailing it that stretched all the way back to Sai's satchel. Komatsu stared in confusion. What the…?
Several drawings emerged from the open scroll attached to the kunai and held by Sai at the other end. Catching Hangeki out of position, large ink-black birds converged on the ninja, their claws outstretched. Hangeki's hands flickered, and he was enveloped by a dark grey cloud. As the drawings entered the cloud, there were several flashes of light, and ink splattered on the ground. Hangeki emerged, his hands still forming the boar seal. His arms shot forward, and the cloud lunged toward Sai. Sai moved to dodge it, but the cloud matched his movements and overtook him. A large bolt struck his body from inside the cloud and Sai dropped to the ground.
"Sai!" Sakura shrieked.
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Kakashi sniffed the air, trying to detect Dorobou's scent. He couldn't have gone far, Kakashi thought. The Dorobou who took my weapons bag was real. He must have created a clone right before he charged at me. Out of the corner of his eye, Kakashi saw a flash of movement, and he quickly dodged a kunai that went whizzing past him.
"Another mistake," a voice said.
A wire tightened itself around Kakashi's ankles. The Jounin lost his balance and fell to the ground, only to be met by Dorobou descending from above. His knee plunged into the small of Kakashi's back, but the weight under him suddenly gave way, and Dorobou was touching nothing but the ground.
So this one likes to use clones too, Dorobou thought. He quickly surveyed the area, failing to hear "Doton: shinju zanshu no jutsu!" from the ground. A hand broke through the dirt and grabbed Dorobou's ankle. Kakashi built up his chakra to complete the technique, but a sharp pain hit the hand that had emerged from the ground, and Dorobou's ankle disappeared from his grasp. Kakashi used his other hand to break out of the ground, barely having enough time to block Dorobou's incoming punch. Kakashi jumped back, eyeing Dorobou in surprise as he attempted to dislodge the shuriken from his bloodied right hand.
Dorobou grinned broadly. "Unfortunately for you, your familiarity in Lightning Country has allowed me to collect data and research your techniques, then adapt the appropriate countermeasures. You are at a disadvantage, Kakashi-sama."
Kakashi continued to fix his gaze on the cloud shinobi. "Good for you. Then you must be quite familiar with what I'm going to do next."
He clutched his forehead protector and pulled it up, revealing his left eye.
Dorobou's grin faded.
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Sakura stared in horror at Sai's motionless body. Hangeki slowly approached, kunai drawn. He glared at Sakura coldly, but then looked back at Sai and widened his eyes. The former ANBU member's body had dissolved into a thick black ink. Hangeki refocused in time to raise his kunai and block the real Sai's attack from above. As his jo staff and Hangeki's knife connected, Sai yelled out "Now!"
Without hesitating, Sakura charged at Hangeki, her fist at the ready. Hangeki noticed her attack immediately, but did not notice Sai's jo staff had transformed into a black snake which had wrapped itself around Komatsu's body. "Game over, Cloud Guy," Sai said triumphantly. Struggling against his bindings, Hangeki looked on in terror as Sakura closed in.
Then one side of his mouth curved into a smile.
As Sakura swung her arm, Hangeki freed his hand and grabbed her fist. The kunoichi gasped. How is he able to block it?
In her shock Sakura did not notice Hangeki had freed his other hand, which had started to glow. Hangeki shot his second hand out and connected with Sakura's chest. Sakura flew back several feet, rolling on the ground before slumping to a stop.
Looking back at Sakura in astonishment, Sai grunted in pain as Hangeki's knee connected with his stomach. He quickly backed away as Hangeki used his kunai to free himself from the rest of his bonds.
"What did you do to Sakura?" Sai asked, narrowing his eyes at the Cloud shinobi.
For the first time since the battle started, Hangeki spoke: "I have the ability to reverse the polarity of my chakra in order to absorb and repel an enemy's chakra in the same strength it was delivered. Your friend just received the blow she was about to give me."
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Sashikizu laughed when he saw Naruto's surprised look. "That's not a normal taijutsu technique. My sword also charges the air around it, causing damage to anything in the general vicinity. And that's not all…"
Instead of finishing his sentence, Sashikizu ran at Naruto, his sword drawn. Naruto grabbed a kunai from his satchel and raised his arm to block, but something was wrong. My arm won't move! What's going on!? Naruto labored against his incompliant limb as Tokushima drew closer, a lethal glint in his eye. Finally he took his other arm and moved his dead arm into position just as Sashikizu's sword connected with the knife. The cloud shinobi laughed again. "Having some trouble? The charged air also disrupts nerve connections causing temporary paralysis."
Naruto glared at his opponent as Sashikizu's sword slowly bore down on his kunai. I don't have enough strength to hold him off! I need to get out of this…
Sashikizu brought his foot up and smashed it against Naruto's chest, sending the Genin sprawling. He then raised his sword into the air and brought it down with a swift thunk.
What? Bodies don't make a thunk sound…
Sashikizu suddenly found his sword embedded in a log.
"Ha! I only need one arm to beat you!" Sashikizu heard a voice behind him. The cloud shinobi turned and saw two Narutos charging at him, holding between their hands a glowing ball of swirling chakra.
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"Well, this is surely a great honor." Dorobou regained his composure and regarded Kakashi wryly. "I hear only a privileged few get to see the Sharingan."
"'Privileged' isn't exactly the word I would use," Kakashi replied. "But, 'to each his own,' I suppose."
Dorobou's quick-moving figure became hazy as he leapt into the air and threw more shuriken at Kakashi. Kakashi prepared to dodge, but instead jabbed his elbow past the back of his head. The clone which had been ready to grab him from behind keeled over, and Kakashi flipped the body over his shoulder to protect his front side. The shuriken dug into the clone, which promptly dissipated. That clone was only created a second ago from a long range, Kakashi said to himself. This guy has very advanced control over the shadow clone technique. Naruto could learn a thing or two from him.
Kakashi quickly stepped back as another Dorobou clone burst through the ground, his fist shooting past Kakashi's chin. A second clone burst out of the ground underneath the position where Kakashi had moved, but the Jounin was no longer there. Swinging his leg in a roundhouse kick, Kakashi's foot connected with the second clone's back, sending him crashing into the first. Both clones dissipated.
I see, Kakashi thought. He's reading and countering my movements by creating clones in strategic positions. If I can focus my Sharingan enough, I can predict the motion of the clones and determine where he's controlling them from.
The clones attacked again. Kakashi blocked the first attacker from the left and then leapt back, dodging a flurry of kunai that had been unleashed in his position as a trap. Turning in the air, he delivered a flying kick to the clone who had matched his movement from behind. As he landed, he grabbed one of the kunai stuck in a tree and flung it above him, impaling a clone who was about to descend on him from above. Suddenly Kakashi's eyes sensed movement near the position of the first clone. He's up there in the tree forming hand signals.
Kakashi grabbed another kunai and turned, crouching and stabbing another clone in the stomach. As quickly as he had done this, Kakashi removed the kunai and turned again, flinging the kunai at Dorobou's exact position.
Just before his hand released the knife, his aim faltered. Dorobou, caught off-guard by the kunai that whizzed by his ear, tumbled out of the tree in a clumsy attempt to dodge it. Kakashi, seeing his opportunity, extended his arm. Chakra in the form of electricity manifested itself in his hand, and the Konoha Jounin charged at the Cloud shinobi.
"Chido--"
Just before he reached Dorobou, a heavy dizziness passed over Kakashi. His vision became hazy, and he lost his balance. What is happening to me…?
Kakashi fell to the ground, the chakra in his right hand fading. He could hear Dorobou's laughter pierce through his disoriented mind. "Feeling a bit under the weather are we? I suppose I'm lucky the poison kicked in when it did, or your kunai would have hit me."
Kakashi looked up at the blurry figure standing over him. Poison?
"Those weren't any ordinary clones you fought off," Dorobou continued. Each was created with a poison cloud I manifested with my chakra. You see, I did study your
Sharingan, and I also came up with this ingenious counter attack. So either the clones beat you up, or you die from the poison they give off when they dissipate."
His hands began forming seals. "Taiju Dokukage Bunshin no jutsu!" A hundred clones appeared surrounding Kakashi, who was still kneeling on the ground, his head spinning.
Dorobou laughed again. "It's a lose-lose situation, Kakashi-sama. You won't survive for much longer."
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Sashikizu gazed for a moment in awe as Naruto advanced, the spiraling ball of chakra glowing his hand. This guy has a lot of power for a Genin, he thought. I might have underestimated him. No matter, I'll finish him off now.
Sashikizu sheathed his sword and quickly formed hand signals. Naruto rapidly closed in, his attacking arm extended back. "It's too late for you now! Rasengan!" The Konoha shinobi pushed the spiral toward Sashikizu's chest…
And his arm swept through empty air. Trying to slow his momentum, Naruto staggered and landed on his knees. What the hell--
A searing pain ignited in Naruto's stomach. He looked down in shock to see Sashikizu's sword sticking out of him, covered in his blood.
"The blade has come in contact with your spinal cord. You will be unable to move."
Sashikizu's voice sent a feeling of dread through Naruto. He tried to turn and face his opponent, but found that Sashikizu's words were true. Instead, he lost his balance and slumped to the ground. "How…how did you…"
"It's called the body flicker technique. It was used by your own Yondaime Hokage if I'm not mistaken. Tsk tsk, don't they teach you any history in those Konoha schools?"
Naruto managed to turn his head toward the cloud shinobi. He glared as the shinobi walked over to him and placed his foot on Naruto's shoulder.
"You fought well boy, but it will soon be over for you. I'll be sure to make your death quick."
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Sakura lay on the ground, attempting to catch her breath. Hangeki's attack had done more than wind her, however. When she tried to get up, a sharp pain denied her muscles any movement. He must have broken several of my ribs and my collar bone, she thought. She looked up and saw Sai still engaged in battle with Hangeki. Hopefully Sai can hold him off long enough for reinforcements to arrive. She wondered about how Kakashi was doing. His battle had separated him from the rest of the group as the Cloud shinobi he was fighting attempted to cut off Kakashi's ninja dog, Pakkun, whom Kakashi had sent back to Konoha to request backup. She then wondered about Naruto.
That was when she heard his yell.
Sakura dragged herself toward the sound, maneuvering her body painfully through a row of thick brush. She came to a clearing and saw him. Her eyes widened in horror as she saw the sword sticking out of his back and a cloud shinobi was standing over him, laughing.
I have to do something, Sakura thought, Another shooting pain in her chest reminded her of her current state. There's not enough time to heal myself using the normal technique…I have to use the second level, the one Tsunade-sama taught me last week, but it uses up all of my chakra…
It doesn't matter. Naruto will die if I don't.
Sakura formed the seals, and the chakra appeared in her hands, glowing a bright green. She put them over her chest. This should only take a second. Hang in there Naruto.
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Sai crouched low to the ground, his jo staff in hand, as Hangeki's attack passed over his head. He brought up his staff and jammed it in Hangeki's ribcage. The shinobi grunted and staggered back. Sai capitalized on his opponent's momentary opening, delivering an elbow into the same spot the staff had connected. Hangeki doubled over and fell to his knees. Sai brought up his staff to strike a finishing blow on Hangeki's head, but the cloud shinobi recovered and shot the heel of his hand upward, hitting Sai in his forehead protector. Sai suddenly found himself hurtling through the air, his back slamming against a tree. He looked up and saw Hangeki's extended hand, glowing the same way it had when he hit Sakura. His polarity technique must work with metals as well, Sai thought.
Sai turned to check on Sakura's condition, and was surprised to find that she wasn't in the spot where she had landed. It was then he heard a yell.
"Naruto!" Sai called. It sounded as though his teammate was in grave danger. I have to find a way to get to him.
He heard Hangeki's voice behind him. "kumoton: ranmyaku no arare!" Instantly, the sky became dark above Sai. He looked up and a hailstone the size of a baseball crashed into his skull. Sai stumbled, and another hailstone caught him in the shoulder, sending him to the ground. Sai dove for a small nearby outcropping in a hollowed tree, taking several more hailstones in his back. These aren't ordinary hailstones he thought. They're almost as hard as steel. Reaching the outcropping, he looked out and saw Hangeki's figure on the other side of the shadow cast by the dark clouds, his hands still forming a seal.
Sai winced in pain as he shifted his position. Those reinforcements better come soon. I don't know how much longer I can hold out.
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The clones advanced on Kakashi, who managed to get to his feet, his vision still blurred. With the help of the Sharingan, Kakashi dodged their movements, but the poison was moving through his system, slowing his reflexes. He caught a clone's kick to the chin and fell back, barely able to duck as another clone's fist sailed over his head. I can't keep up with this, he thought. The poison will continue its course through my system and my chakra will eventually run out.
It's now or never.
Kakashi jumped clear of the crowd of clones, buying himself enough time to form hand seals. Dorobou and his clones eyed Kakashi intently. What is happening with his eye? It's changing…
"Oh shi--"
"Mangekyou Sharingan!"
Kakashi bored his gaze into the crowd of clones with his pin-wheel eye. Suddenly, a violent wind swept through and surrounded Dorobou and his clones, and a black swirling mass opened up above them. As the mass extended and enveloped them, the clones were hurtled into the abyss, which then began to shrink and eventually disappeared into nothingness.
Kakashi collapsed onto the ground, sweat dripping from his temples. He looked over at the real Dorobou, who had managed to free himself at the last instant, but was also collapsed on the ground, panting fiercely.
"I'm guessing that technique didn't turn up in your research." Kakashi said.
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Pain exploded in Naruto's body as Sashikizu ripped the sword out of his stomach. "That wasn't lethal, but the next one will be." The cloud shinobi assured him. "I have to admit I was out of position in my haste to evade your attack." He raised his sword, whose blade glinted in the sunlight. "I told you it was the end of the line." He swept his blade toward the Konoha Genin…
But his arm was blocked by a gloved hand.
"Sakura-chan!"
Sakura stared down the surprised Sashikizu. "Don't touch him," she said fiercely. Naruto stared at her in amazement, but noticed something was wrong. Her breathing was heavy and irratic, and sweat trickled down her forehead. Oh no…is she out of chakra?"
"Sakura-chan, don't! He's too strong, he'll--"
"Shut up, Naruto!" She cut him off. "I can't let you have all the fun. This guy's mine."
A kunai appeared in her hand and she lunged at Sashikizu, who jumped back. "Well well," He regarded Sakura with curiosity. "Come to try your hand at defeating me? You really don't look too well. Maybe you should have gotten your other dark-haired friend to come fight me instead, or that masked freak."
Sakura reached into her satchel and pulled out three shuriken. Strafing to the right, she threw them at his midsection. Sashikizu easily blocked them with his sword and turned toward Sakura, but she had already reached him. Sweeping out her leg She knocked Sashikizu's legs out from under him and he fell to the ground. In an instant, Sakura was on her feet, kunai in hand. She lunged at Sashikizu's throat, but his sword was there to block her attack.
Suddenly the kunai she was holding sent sharp pains into her hand, causing her fingers to lock around its handle. She staggered back, clutching her wrist. Sashikizu was on his feet, ready to strike with his sword.
Sakura moved to evade, but it was too late. Sashikizu's sword sliced through her left shoulder. She cried out in pain, falling to the ground.
"Sakura-chan! You bastard, I'll kill you!"
Sashikizu turned to Naruto. "You are in no position to make threats, boy," he scoffed. "The girl will get what's coming to her, and so will you."
Naruto struggled to get to his feet, but the paralysis overpowered him. I need to get up! I need more power! I need…"
Naruto retreated deeper into his mind, and found himself standing in a room with a large cage, a place he at one point never wanted to see again.
"Come out, damn fox! I need your chakra!"
A pair of enormous, red eyes and razor-sharp teeth emerged from the darkness behind the cage. The Nine-Tailed fox glared at Naruto, his eyes reflecting daggers of fire.
"What's this? You dare come back after you completely rejected my gift to you? Your childishness and cowardice appalls me. Why should I lend you anything now that you've stated you don't need me?"
Naruto's memory jumped back to the time he had found Sasuke in Orochimaru's lair. He had refused to use the Kyuubi's chakra then, saying he preferred to rely on his own power. He'd never thought he'd be so forcefully regretting those words.
"Please," Naruto pleaded. "Please just this once, lend me something…anything…"
The fox boomed with laughter. "So we're back to pleading now, are we? Just look at yourself. Not even able to use your own so-called power. You do realize the only reason you're alive is because of me? Without me, you are nothing. Since you seem to have forgotten that fact, I'm not going to give you anything. Perhaps you'll come to your senses after you've experienced the pain of loss."
"No! Please, I--"
"Get out of my sight, kid. You disgust me."
Naruto continued yelling, pleading, cursing at the caged fox, but the eyes and teeth slowly faded back into the darkness.
Emerging from his mind, Naruto stared in desperation at Sakura, still on the ground, and Tokushima, looming over her, sword in hand.
Sashikizu formed hand seals and raised his sword. The sword crackled with electricity as he drew back the blade, and plunged it into Sakura's back. It emerged out of her chest as blood splattered on the ground. Her eyes widened in terror, then her pupils rolled back into her head as she slumped onto the dirt, unmoving.
"NNNNOOOOO!! SAKURA-CHAAAAN!!"
Naruto screamed as he channeled all his energy into moving his sagging limbs, but try as he might, he couldn't move. Finally, his stamina gave out, and he crumpled to the ground in a fetal position, breathing and perspiring heavily. Tokushima approached him, the sword still glowing with electricity and red with Sakura's blood.
Is this…Is this how it's going to end? Paralyzed and on my knees, with the one person I care about the most dead and gone? No, it can't. I still have to…
Sashikizu raised the blade above Naruto's head.
"Time's up, boy." He said.
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Dorobou rose to his feet, picking up a kunai. "You'll…pay…for that, Kakashi-sama," he hissed.
Kakashi, dazed from the poison and lack of chakra, lay helpless and could only watch as Dorobou staggered over to him. The cloud shinobi raised his knife...
And was knocked back by a large growling mass of white fur.
Akamaru landed on the surprised shinobi, who was smashed face first into the dirt. The great dog dug his claws into Dorobou's back, barred his teeth and barked loudly.
"Nice! Great work, Akamaru!"
Inuzuka Kiba emerged on the scene and ran over to the incapacitated Kakashi. "Kakashi-sensei, are you all right?"
Kakashi slowly sat up and rubbed his head. "Yeah, I'll be fine." He smiled at Kiba through his mask. "Your timing couldn't be better."
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Sai watched as Hangeki approached his position, his right hand still glowing with chakra. Where did this guy get all this power? I've never seen anyone with these types of techniques. By saving himself from the falling hailstones, Sai had also seemingly sealed his fate, cornering himself within the small outcropping.
Hangeki loomed over the tree trunk and raised his fist, ready to strike. However his ears perked up and he held his hand up in hesitation. Sai could hear it too. A faint buzzing sound was gradually growing louder and louder.
The cloud shinobi let out a surprised yell. The chakra-fist he had elevated to attack Sai was now covered in a mass of insects. The buzzing sound reached thunderous proportions as bugs swarmed out of nearby trees, covering Kometsu's body. Hangeki continued to shriek, trying desperately to clear the bugs off his body.
A hooded figure dropped down from above the outcropping and turned to face Sai. Sai instantly recognized the dark glasses and high collared jacket.
"Nice of you to show up, bug-man." He said.
The Konoha chuunin sighed. "I'd prefer it if you'd just call me Shino."
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"Jyuken!"
The explosion knocked Sashikizu off his feet. He lost his grip on his sword and flew back, crashing into nearby bushes. Hyuuga Hinata ran over to Naruto, blushing fiercely.
"Naruto-kun! Are you okay? Are you hurt?"
Naruto stared in disbelief at Hinata. He tried to speak, but the words were difficult.
"Sakura-chan…check…Sakura-chan…"
Hinata rushed over to were Sakura's motionless body lay. "Byaukugan!" she looked at Sakura intently, then gasped, putting her hands over her mouth.
"Naruto-kun, I'm sorry, but…I can't detect any chakra flow. I'm afraid she's--"
"No!" Naruto yelled. "Don't say it! She's not…" The pain was too much for him. He lowered his head into his hands, tears forming in his eyes
Hinata, overcome by the sight of Naruto crying, started crying as well. She could do nothing except kneel down and put her arm around him.
Kiba, Kakashi, Sai and Shino eventually made their way over to Naruto, Hinata and Sakura. ANBU members had accompanied Team 8, and proceeded to detain the cloud shinobi. When the rest of Teams 7 and 8 heard of Sakura's death they stood in silence, surrounding the trio.
The forest that had once been immersed in the sounds of battle was now quiet, and the only sound that could be heard was the convulsive sobs of one Uzumaki Naruto.
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List of original japanese terms and phrases (anything that doesn't show up in Naruto anime or manga):
Tsurugu no senpuu—"whirlwind of the sword"
Taiju dokukage bunshin no jutsu—"mass poison shadow clone technique"
Kumoton: ranmyaku no arare—"cloud release: hail of chaos"