C.M.D: It's been a while since I last posted a chapter on this. I apologize... faeries kidnapped me, forcing me to do manual labor while taunting me with sasunaru goodness. *Ahem*... Anyways, it's time for the thank you's. THANK YOU FOR REVIEWING: Bloodhill, AnonymousAuthor13, KatrinaEagle, AkakoChiYuki, Mrs Hatake Itachi, crumbs02, FtMAiden, AttackoftheRamen, Stargazer, cluelessninja65. I hope you all enjoy this update!
The sun sunk beneath the horizon -the signaling flare of the battle at hand- bleeding red across all of Konoha. Like shadows, the resistance force rushed to the Palace, unseen and unheard. The men that stood guard were handled with extreme precision, put out of sight. Then, came the next step: getting inside the palace without setting off an alarm. They scaled the outside walls, climbing higher and higher, until they crept through the ceiling windows of the Sultan's dining room.
A small ledge followed the rectangular shape of the room, and the invaders used that to run across, converging at the end.
Sasuke padded softly across the dining halls upper ledge, slowing down as he approached the end. Shikamaru and Sakura were both there already, perched on opposite ends. As he came up behind the brunette, they turned to face him.
"Sasuke... we've reached the end. And there's guards swarming the floor," Sakura said.
"Orochimaru's taking no chances," Shikamaru added.
"What do we do?"
Sasuke peered over the edge, seeing that what his cohorts had said was true. Walking among the pillars in their immediate vicinity was at least thirty of Orochimaru's men. The raven pursed his lips a little in thought, turning to face the others. Under Kakashi's insistence, and because it was his own coercing that this attack was even going underway, Sasuke had been placed as captain of this mission. His commands were the group's actions... and they all waited for the next order.
"Sakura, Ino, Shino and Kakashi...," he started, looking at each individual when he called their name. "You'll drop to the floor. Take care of the lesser guards. The rest will come with me. As of this moment, Orochimaru is in his chambers, getting ready to sleep. We don't know what will happen once we drop, so we need to get to his room fast. Every minute wasted, is a minute for him to gain the upper hand. Let's do this quickly, but right. Is that clear with everyone?"
A round of nods responded.
"Then on my count," Sasuke instructed. "One..."
Daggers were thrust into the ledge, stabbed deeply in the stone. Double-checking that no sound had been heard, that they were unnoticed still.
"Two..."
Rope was brought into the light next, tied securely in place. Knots tightened, a couple tugs to ensure that neither rope or dagger came free. A nod to their captain, and everything was set to go.
Sasuke took a small breathe. "Three... DROP!"
Sakura and Shikamaru jumped over the ledges, swinging to the floor quickly. They let go once they were close enough, tumble rolling and jumping back onto there feet in an instant. One guard was knocked to the floor, unconscious, and another had his throat slit. Within the expanse of a mere few seconds, two guards were already out of commission. There was a collective gasp, as finally the two soldiers were acknowledged, already four more soldiers hitting the floor from above.
"Intruders!," a guard yelled out, turning and running away. His fellow companions were turning at the alarm, charging at the invaders. "Intru-!"The man was cut off with a swift kick to the head, courtesy of Ino. The blonde, finished with the guard, turned around and quickly dived into the battle.
By now, the entire resistance force was on the floor. The two opposing groups collided with one another, creating a wild melee. Fists were thrown, kicks launched, daggers and swords ripping into flesh and creating a spray of crimson. Guards were falling faster than the soldiers were, thankfully, but more guards were arriving on the scene; having heard the commotion. In the midst of it all, Sasuke was plowing forward, trying to get out of the chaos. He had his sword drawn, striking down any foe that stepped in his path. But it was getting to the point now, that he was just elbowing people out of his way.
The raven jumped and ran over bodies starting to pile on the ground, blood coating the stone, creating a muddy, slippery mess. Behind him, thankfully, he could hear his other comrades following behind him; administering their own damage where needed along the way. Finally they broke away from the larger mass, and they were rushing ahead; closer and closer to Orochimaru. The screams and yells of the bloody feud grew quieter behind them.
Shikamaru drew up to Sasuke's side, and the man did a quick intake of how many of the soldiers were with him. Only four. The number was less than half of the planned amount. The Uchiha frowned, knowing that the rest of his group had been caught in the fight back at the dining hall or lost.
"Shikamaru," he shouted. "Location!"
"We're in the main hallway," the brunette yelled back. Before the assault, they had studied the palace's architect, getting a visual on the rooms and hallways. It had been decided that, with the probability of having zero chances to pull a map out during the battle, Nara would be the navigator. He memorized the entire layout of the palace, and now Sasuke waited to hear the path they needed to take. "Orochimaru's moved himself to the Sultan's chambers, so we need to make our way through several hallways before we get to there. I believe we'll meet his army in between."
The hallway suddenly shook, and before either of the teenagers could comprehend what had just happened, the wall imploded behind Sasuke and Shikamaru. They skidded to a stop, turning around and looking at the damage. Smoke filtered out of the large hole that had just been opened in the wall, chunks of rock falling to the floor and smashing into tinier, jagged shards.
"What the hell's going on?," Chouji coughed, raising an arm to his face. The smoke was starting to settle, but its dust filled the soldier's lungs, bringing tears to their eyes. Through the haze, they could see a shape beginning to form- a man was stepping out of the hole and into the hallway.
"Oh, look!," a deep voice chuckled darkly. "Some rats for me to crush."
The dust cleared, and they saw a large, lumbering man standing among the debris that he most assuredly created, dividing the already small group into two. He was mostly bald except for some hair that grew down his head in three thin stripes on either side of his skull, pressed together in individual mohawks. He wore a simple white tunic with no sleeves, a black and white circle design portrayed near the bottom of shirt, on a flap. A large stretch of purple robe wound around the man's rotund belly, tied in the back in a bow. His beady little, black eyes looked at each of the soldiers, taking in the tense fighting stances and drawn weapons. He smirked at them.
"Chouji!," Shikamaru cried from the other side, looking at his best friend worriedly. The big soldier was glaring the stranger down, fingers flexing.
"Neji, Kiba….," the Akimichi started, not bothering to look at the other two males behind him. "Go on ahead with the others. This guy's mine."
"What? Are you crazy, you fat tub of lard!," Kiba shouted. Neji, beside him, said nothing; looking at Chouji with a calculating look.
Unlike usual, the brunette did not rise to insult about his weight. His gaze remained still fixed on Orochimaru's soldier, eyes narrowed with determination. "Did you forget what our real objective is?," he pointed out. Kiba fell silent, sharing a look with Neji, turning his gaze to Chouji's back once more.
"Alright…," the Inuzuka conceded. "Just don't get killed, man."
The two soldiers skirted around the giant man, meeting on the other side with Sasuke and Shikamaru. The Uchiha was already pulling away from the scene, starting to sprint ahead. But Shikamaru remained glued to the spot. Kiba had to grab his arm, roughly pulling the Nara along. "C'mon!," he yelled at the protesting brunette. "We've gotta move!"
"But, Chouji-!"
"He'll be fine! Chouji's man enough to take that block head. Now we've got a mission to complete. Move Shikamaru!," Kiba commanded. With a little reluctance, the genius turned around and ran to catch up with his comrades, the Inuzuka right on his heels.
"That's a little brave, don't ya think?," said Jiroubou, watching the others disappear up the hallway, before turning to fully face his opponent. He crossed his thick arms over his chest, sneering at the smaller male. Chouji didn't answer him. "Taking me on single-handedly… what makes you think you could possibly beat me?"
Chouji dropped into a fighting stance, spreading his legs to equally distribute his weight and ensure balance, raising his arms and clenching his fists. "I don't care about beating you…," he calmly replied to the arrogant gibe. "It's all about stalling. Whooping your ass will be a bonus."
Jiroubou's smirk stretched into a wide smile. Chouji tensed; waiting for the first move.
The hallways echoed with distant footsteps, the intruders coming closer with each passing second. A man hung sideways from the wall, hidden by the shadows of the rafters, watching as people rounded the bend. "Hmm… seems like a couple pests managed to get by Jiroubou," said quietly to himself. A smile worked its way to his lips. "Let's see if these flies can slip past me."
It was only the three of them, not including Akamaru, who was running alongside them. Neji twisted his head to look at Kiba and Shikamaru behind them. Nara still had his thoughts on Chouji. Understandable, the Hyuuga knew. It was hard leaving a comrade behind to fight an enemy that far surpassed them; but the mission took priority above all yes. Chouji made his sacrifice, knowing that his own life was small in comparison to what the consequences of failing would mean. Turning his head around front, Neji felt a cold chill come over him. His brow furrowed, and his lips pulled into a dark frown. '… something's not right…,'he thought uneasily.
His eyes started to carry upwards, drawn by the butterflies in his stomach, and was surprised to see a mass of sticky, spider-web threads heading toward the soldiers. Before anyone could grasp what was going on, Neji threw himself in front of Sasuke, daggers drawn. He swung out his arm, catching most of the thick web, a few loose strands latching onto the rest of his figure. The company halted, shocked by the unexpected assault. All eyes jumped to the ceiling as someone laughed, landing on the dark-skinned man who hung there. He wore the same outfit as the stranger before, and they knew him to also be one of Orochimaru's soldiers.
A grin on his face, he looked down at the intruders. "It's been awhile since I've had someone decent enough to play with. Let's make this enjoyable, alright?"
Neji refused to take his eyes of the man. "Go on ahead," he said to the others behind him. "This one's mine."
With only a moment's hesitation, they were starting off again. "Dammit!," Kiba growled as he passed by the Hyuuga. "I get the next one!"
"Kiba, this isn't a competition," Shikamaru scolded, hot on the dog-boy's heels. Kidoumaru turned to the fleeing soldiers, his grin turning vividly dark.
"Hey, wait a minute!," he called. "Where do you think you're going?" He moved to give chase to the other teens, but found himself plastered to the wall the next second, face pale with shock. Daggers rung all around him, their shiny blades having sunk into the rock, just inches from his own flesh. His black eyes dropped to Neji, the raven cutting the last of the spider threads off of his arm. Holding his daggers tightly, the Hyuuga glared up at his attacker.
"I'm your opponent…," he said lowly. "Or did you happen to forget?"
Akamaru was leading the pack now. Wary after the last two confrontations, the remaining soldiers were keeping a sharp eye out for any more of Orochimaru's henchmen. Their eyes flitted from the floor to ceiling, peering ahead and behind them, as they ran deeper into the palace. Suddenly, Akamaru came to a sudden halt, Kiba almost tripping over his dog. The large canine had his nose in the air, sniffing at something that the other's couldn't smell. Akamaru started to growl viciously, his hackles rising.
"Hey, Akamaru? What's wrong, boy?," the Inuzuka asked, tensing. There was only empty space ahead of them, walls on either side. No threat was within sight, but Akamaru continued to growl. "Why you growling?," Kiba questioned, confused.
To their horror, the wall before them started to ripple in one spot. Slowly a hand began to merge, fingers curling at the air, before the palms pressed on the more solid parts of the wall heavily. Almost as it were water, a figure was slipping into view from the rock, turning to face the comrades. His shoulder-length steel hair covered a fair portion of his face, giving enough of an eyeful of narrowed, black eyes and green lips pulled into a cruel smile. Apart from the brown beads around his neck, he was dressed like the last two enemies they had run into. He was number 3, in Orochimaru's personal army.
"Gotten past Jiroubou and Kidoumaru, I see," the stranger said in a low voice that belied his feminine appearance. "They sure have grown rusty these past three years," he continued, criticizing his partners. "Don't worry, I assure you won't be getting past me."
Before the others could respond, Kiba said with loud disbelief, "He came through a fucking wall?" Shikamaru frowned at the outburst, and Sasuke practically rolled his eyes. The Inuzuka quickly shook off his shock, stepping forward to address Sakon.
"Kiba… are you sure you can handle him?," Shikamaru asked uncertainly behind the brunette.
"What, are you kidding me?," Kiba replied indignantly. "There's no way I'll let myself be bested by Chouji and Neji. Go on ahead guys!"
Sasuke didn't need any further prompting. He was already racing past Sakon. Shikamaru looked back at Kiba momentarily, then sprinted off, hurrying to close the gap between him and the Uchiha. Kiba turned his full attention to the girly man, who had pulled his entire self out from the wall by now. "Jeez man," Kiba boasted. "You chose the wrong guy to follow. Against me and Akamaru, you won't stand a chance!"
Sakon grinned, drawing his sword as an object slither out from behind his back, curling in the air and turning to the Inuzuka. To Kiba's horror, it was a head, with Sakon's exact features. The other face gave him the same green-lipped sneer. "What makes you think I'm alone?"
Kiba swallowed sharply. So much for an advantage.
"…now there's only one…"
Sasuke glanced back at Shikamaru, running at his heels, keeping silent with the Nara's comment. Shikamaru pulled his eyes from the ground, catching the Uchiha's gaze. "Three out of four…," he added. "There's only the female left…"
Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "Are you worried about the others?," he asked coldly. Shikamaru did not answer, but he had no need to. It was obvious to see where the genius' thoughts lied at this moment. "Clear your head," Sasuke commanded. "Whole lives depend upon the succession of this mission."
Shikamaru glared at the Uchiha. "…shut it Uchiha," he growled. "I know what I'm fighting for… and the price for it all. But I wonder…" The brunette trailed off, pulling up a little closer to the raven. "What are you fighting for?," he accused. "You don't give a damn for these people, that's clear. So why?"
Silently, the raven put on a new burst of speed, pulling away from the Nara and disappearing from sight. Shikamaru frowned, but did not follow. He was having a bit of a difficult time breathing at the moment, and didn't feel like straining himself to catch up with Sasuke.
What are you fighting for?
Shikamaru's question rung in his head, repeating itself constantly, not letting the Uchiha shake it off. Nara's accusations had been right: he didn't care much about Konoha, or that Orochimaru was ruling it as Sultan. He could sooner leave the city to the evil advisor's machinations, and be content with himself for the rest of his life. But there were a few things that Sasuke couldn't ignore, and they were the only reason why he was here in the first place, helping the others reclaim the village. His lungs burned as he ran, his feet barely brushing the floor before he quickly propelled himself forward, closer to the Sultan's chambers.
In his mind, the raven was facing a wall of memories that were threatening to overwhelm him. They ran like water before his eyes, blurry and disoriented somewhat. But the voices that accompanied them came through clear; the more significant memories piecing together like a jumbled tapestry, painting their scenes across his eyes like a stain-glass window. Flashes of his brother, blood-soaked and covered in shadows, looming above him…
His young body beaten and bruised; slipping away from merchants as he scrounged for another day's meals, sneaking in through high windows to see treasures that once filled his own house before his parents' were brutally murdered…
The twisted, broken forms of their bodies strewn on the floor….
"Come now… don't you want revenge?"
Sasuke could hear Orochimaru hissing into his ear. He was there again that day, arms shackled behind him as he stood before the man. The advisor's face was pulled into a twisted grin, bizarre yellow eyes studying the preteen as if he was contemplating on eating the child. Waiting to hear what the advisor had to say…
Remembering when his brother held the sword point to his throat, unmindful of the tears and snot that covered his young sibling's face, pleading for his life. "Grow and get stronger…,"the words twisting out of the white noise in his head. "Then maybe you'll be able to kill me."Itachi's only mercy, filling his heart and soul with anger and bitterness…
Sunlight suddenly filling his vision, driving away the darkness. Sapphires gazing at him from under a fringe of golden hair. The brows were furrowed, the lips pulled in an angry pout. Angry eyes changed, shed broken tears. "Teme,"slipped past those glorious lips, and his heart thudded painfully. An insult, but those same lips smiled at him; blue eyes glowed for him. Tan hands reached for him: open, inviting, warm…
"It's a fair bargain, I think,"came the snake's hiss again. "A lamp,"the golden boy disappeared before his eyes, snuffed out by the darkness, "for the revenge of your murdered parents."
Sasuke opened his eyes, coming back to the real world. He focused on only the strain of his muscles, and the sweat on his back, reveling in them for a moment. But he couldn't avoid the vision that he had, the stroll through his memories. Shikamaru had been right; Sasuke wasn't fighting for the sake of the village. He was fighting for himself, for the fact that he had been so easily duped by Orochimaru, a lonely child hell-bent on making others suffer. He was fighting for the chance to strip the advisor of the power that Sasuke had given him; fighting to reclaim the lamp.
More than that… He was fighting to save that gold-haired boy from the shadows of his mind, and return him to reality, with the hope of once more receiving those smiles and accepting hands. Fighting for that person who had become his everything….
"Wait! Sasuke!"
Shikamaru rounded the bend, finally catching sight of Sasuke. "Sas-eh?," the Nara said, having started to call the raven's name before noticing the other person standing beside the Uchiha. "Lady Tsunade?," Shikamaru cried, doing a double-take. "You're here? What about-"
"The others are fine," Tsunade answered. "I have my own business to handle." She did not go into detail what that business might be. She glanced at Sasuke, and the raven in turn looked at Shikamaru.
"She says that Orochimaru's not in his room," he told the brunette, who had was at the moment catching his breath. "He's back in the dining hall. His men were decoys."
"Are you serious?1," Shikamaru growled, straightening up. The Nara was understandably upset. The change of Orochimaru's location put a wrench in their plans, giving their hard-worked advantage over to the advisor. Before he could vent further though, Tsunade walked to the wall on her right, grabbing the tapestry and pulling it back. Behind it was a square hole, large enough for an adult to slip inside as long as they bent down.
"What's that?," Shikamaru asked, goggling at the hole.
"A secret tunnel," Tsunade explained. "There are dozens of these all around the castle. It's how we escaped with the prince when Orochimaru took over. It will lead us to the servants' quarters by the dining hall." The woman stepped into the darkness, gesturing for the other two to follow here. Sasuke quickly clambered into the tunnel, turning around to wait as Shikamaru approached the hole.
The brunette paused, one foot raised to step inside with his comrades. "Someone's coming…," he said, just as a twisted, haunting melody began to fill the hallway. He looked over his shoulder to the right, not moving.
"Move it, Nara!," Sasuke hissed, as the music rose in pitch. He didn't want to wait until the enemy had rounded the corner and saw the secret tunnel. It was the only thing going for them right now.
Shikamaru shook his head, pulling his foot back. "No…," he replied. "I'm staying. My friends are all fighting those monsters on their own. I can't run away now." He paused. Phantoms were beginning to rise from the shadows, curling and swaying to the twisted notes. Shikamaru caught sight of a foot down the hall.
"You and lady Tsunade go on ahead. I'll deal with this one in the meantime," he told the Uchiha. Not waiting for a reply, he dropped the heavy tapestry, smoothing it back into place. "Let's do this…," he mumbled to himself, turning to face the stranger.
Tsunade stepped out of the dusty tunnel, walking forward a few paces to give room to Sasuke. The raven held back the tapestry as he too clambered out of the dark, letting the old clothe swing back into place behind him. "This is where we part, Uchiha," Tsunade said to the teen. "I have my own business to take care of with a man named Kabuto. Right down this hall lies the dining room. I leave Orochimaru to you."
Sasuke looked to where she pointed, nodding his head in acknowledgement. He started to walk, but Tsunade's voice halted him once more. "I don't know if you have the strength or if you can be trusted to face Orochimaru on your own," the blonde woman said gravely. "But of this, I'm sure… you are not your brother."
The words were short, but their message rang clear. Satisfied, Tsunade tipped her head to the raven, heading off in the opposite direction. Sasuke watched her only for a moment, before he turned away and continued on to the dining hall.
Like ghosts, voices trailed after his every step; the soundtrack to a boy's death march. As he got closer, the words began to rise, becoming stronger. He could hear them: questioning, accusing, pushing.
…What are you fighting for? He was fighting for the only things that mattered to him anymore.
….Why have you come back Sasuke? To fix something that he had wrongly broken.
… you're weak…. He denied that. He wasn't a child any longer.
'I will fight with my own strength,' he said to the ghosts. Their voices argued back.
Sasuke, you're not strong enough to face Orochimaru…. That would remain to be determined.
….you are not your brother… No, he wasn't. He could never be that vile person.
….I don't know if you have the strength… He was strong enough
Continuing his thoughts, as if he had not heard the words just whispered in his head, Sasuke opened his eyes. The black irises were blood red, three tiny commas slowly beginning to spin inside. '… and I will win!,' he shouted in defiance.
The voices melted away; before him stood the large, wooden doors of the dining hall. Sasuke placed his hands on the two doors, and with a deep breath, pushed them open, stepping inside.
C.M.D: I have probably made everyone go back and re-read the previous chapters. I realize that it's been that long, and I am deeply ashamed of myself. But, at least you got an update, right?
On a happier note, despite my somewhat chaotic schedule, I am actually in the process of fixing up the doujin version. Yes! I'm not just talking about doing it, but really am. I'll inform you once I've started posting on deviantart.
Okay, one last thing before I release you readers to review... Which Disney story would you like to see re-written, sasunaru style? You can suggest any title in your reviews. From those mentioned, I'll pick one and start plotting out another fanfic. Ok? Good, now REVIEW!
