Road To A Darker World
Chapter 4
Gone With The Wind
(Sasuke's new sword is the one he uses in the New Era. Just so you know.)
Gaara sat at his desk, contemplating recent events. It had been just over a week since the reported destruction of the Hokage Mansion and the disappearance of the Fifth Hokage, creating a power vacuum in the Leaf Village that the elders sought to fill by seeking out a Sixth Hokage. It was reported that Tsunade had left, possibly to visit someone in another village, and that she should be back within the next few days. However, Gaara couldn't help but feel that something more sinister was at work, especially with there having been no word of Squad Seven's return from the Final Valley. Unbeknownst to Gaara, however, he would be seeing Naruto and Sasuke very soon. And that the forest around the Final Valley had burnt to the ground, along with the bodies of Kakashi and Sakura. Or that the world would soon follow. The world that he had known being nothing but a reflection in those shining red eyes.
"HELP! SOMEONE'S ATTACKING US! NO! NO, DON'T! DON'T KILL ME! PLE-" Silence.
That first word was all it took for Gaara to rush out of the tower towards the gates of his Village. He was horrified by the impaled and bisected corpses that now littered the sands of the desert Village. The most horrific thing he saw, however, was Sasuke beheading a villager just as the Kazekage approached. The smirk he wore was… unsettling.
"Long time no see, Gaara. Sorry about the mess. I just decided that this was the best way to lure you out. There are some people that I think you'd like to see. Naruto, Tsunade, come."
"What did you do to them?"
"I'm getting tired of repeating myself. I killed them. Then I made them two of the Paths of Pain. Naruto is the Deva Path, and Tsunade is the Naraka Path. You're going to join them as the new Preta Path. By the way, what do you think of my new blade? I would have come to this village earlier, but I decided to pay Orochimaru and the Sound Village a visit to get this made as a replacement to the one I had before. It suits me, wouldn't you agree? Soon, it will be bathed in the blood of the remaining Kage. Including you, Gaara. I'm going to settle what I began 3 years ago. After all, we didn't get to finish things back then. Or at the Five Kage Summit. Of course, we both know who's going to win."
"Sasuke Uchiha… How far gone are you? Has your power of darkness consumed you?"
"Consumed me? Before, my eyes couldn't see a single truth. Couldn't separate reality from the lie I was living. Now, I see all things clearly." He activated his Rinnegan. "Both light…" Followed by his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan. "… And darkness. Because of that, I have power. Divine power. But enough talk. Now, we settle this."
"Sand Tsunami!" Gaara launched a wave of sand at Sasuke.
"Gaara, Gaara, Gaara. I thought that you, of all people, would know what happens when sand meets fire. Fire Style! Fireball Jutsu!" Sasuke launched a ball of fire, which then collided with the wall of sand, turning it into glass. "Chidori Blade!" Sasuke charged his sword with lightning, then threw it, shattering the glass and on course to run Gaara through. Gaara remained in place, unflinching, his sand blocking the blade. "Did you really think that was meant to hit you? That was just the decoy." An explosive kunai connected with Gaara's sand, making it into glass as well.
"It's over! Chidori!" Sasuke activated his signature move, coating his arm in electricity, before rushing at Gaara, his hand colliding with the wall of glass, shattering it and sending razor-sharp glass shards flying everywhere, implanting themselves into the ground and buildings, as well as one slicing Gaara's cheek, and another cutting Sasuke's shoulder. When the smoke faded, Sasuke's hand was through Gaara's left shoulder, the latter clutching his arm in pain. Sasuke then picked his sword up off of the ground and impaled Gaara through the stomach. He then formed a Chidori Current, coating his and Gaara's bodies in electricity, shocking Gaara.
"I could do this all day. But, I wonder, just how long can you hold on, Gaara? Wanna see something else I got in my trip to the Sound Village? I'm sure you'll recognize it." With that, black flame-like markings spread across his body. "Remember this? It's the Curse Mark I received from Orochimaru." Images of Sasuke clashing with the Tailed Beast that once inhabited him flashed through Gaara's mind.
"Sasuke… As long as I live, I will protect this village and its inhabitants. You will not touch another Sand Villager."
"That's fine for two reasons. The first is that you've already failed at protecting this place. The second is that I only killed them to draw you out. I plan to rule the united shinobi of this world, not commit genocide."
"Even if you kill me, this village still has Temari and Kankuro to depend on."
Sasuke grinned. "Is that what you think? They were my first victims. They were nothing I couldn't handle. Mere appetizers for the main course."
"D-Damn you."
"If I had a quarter for every time someone's said that to me. Chidori Blade!" Sasuke covered his chokuto in lightning Chakra, zapping Gaara and causing even greater pain to the young Kazekage.
"It's been real Gaara, but I'm afraid it's over now. Amaterasu!" Sasuke created a stream of black flames from his right eye, lighting Gaara ablaze, leaping away before the flames could spread to his own body. He extinguished the flames once he was certain that his adversary was dead, before launching a fireball at the Kazekage Mansion, burning to the ground, just like what he had done to the Hokage Mansion in the Leaf Village. Thus another village become an eternal symbol of the terror that the world would soon see. And the Hidden Cloud was soon to follow.