A/N: How's life for everyone? How's summer? XD
So is anyone going to see the Harry Potter movie 7 part 2 (so long to write!) this Thursday? Or Friday morning, you know, whichever? I want to go, but no one can send us back! *sob* and apparently it's illegal to walk in the city from 11 pm to 5 am…weird! Someone pointed out to me that last chapter, it might've looked like 'Sakura's grandfather' when I'd really meant Tsunade's fighting alongside Madara. Hope no one got too confused! And in the A/N of the last chapter, it said that Choji's dad hadn't died. I was referring to the canon, not my story. Because obviously my story is kinda skewed :) I think it was because I stuck that right behind the 'Shizune is awesome' part…
I love the quotes this time. (In Dark Angel. Random, but yeah I love them) Again with the skipping around in POVs—they're basically progressing toward the main battle thing in this chap. And I caved into using a common Japanese name… you'll see.
Disclaimer: Do I really need to say it now? OF COURSE Naruto's mine! Mph mppph mpph! *sounds of being dragged away*
Dark Angel: Chapter Nine
Never long for anyone from the past. There's a reason why they never made it to your future. –Anonymous
A million words couldn't bring you back, I know because I've tried. Neither could a million tears, I know because I've cried. –Anonymous
The sun dawned to reveal a mass group of shinobi by Konoha's main gates.
As if the sunrise was what she'd been waiting for, the Hokage raised an arm for silence. Instantly, the ninjas milling around stilled and stared at their leader. Tsunade wasted no time getting down to business.
"Konoha-nins! I have called you here for a reason. No doubt you've all heard of the Suna attack by now and have a vague idea about this mission. Most of you assume it's a mission to help Suna, correct?" A barrage of 'yes's rose from the audience.
"Well, this is no ordinary mission! It is to be treated as an S-class one, in fact, because you all have been specially chosen for your talents—why? Because this is no ordinary opponent. We will be dealing with the Akatsuki."
Immediately, hushed murmurs and questions were exchanged among the crowd as they reveled in the newest information. Akatsuki? Specially chosen? Are we supposed to fight them?
They gradually quieted again to let Tsunade speak. "I speak the truth when I say this. We don't know what to expect—but know that all of the Akatsuki are there. They attacked Suna barely three days ago, and have by now most certainly recovered, if they were harmed at all in the first place. Your mission: aid Suna!"
A jounin called from the crowd. "What if we encounter an Akatsuki member?" By now, all of Konoha's elite had heard about the infamously legendary black-and-red group of missing-nins. "Kill or capture?"
"I suggest you run," Tsunade answered, folding her arms across her chest. Her head was secretly killing her, but if one judged her by appearance, they would've said she'd never looked better. Shizune eyed her mentor worriedly from the side of her eye. I really regret letting her drink that much… Meanwhile, the audience was getting rowdy again.
"Run?" Incredulous whispers erupted once more. "She wants us to run. What kind of shinobi will the Sand think we are?"
"Yes! Run. The Akatsuki are not to be underestimated! Even the weakest one can kill you with the flick of a finger. Your mission is to aid Suna and that only, understand?" Tsunade's voice was loud and commanding. "Although, of course, you will have to fight them. But under no circumstances is anyone going to attempt to capture or kill. Value your life more than battle for once, Konoha!"
A beat of silence. Finally, "Understood, Hokage-sama." Tsunade smiled, satisfied. She didn't want to lose any more manpower than necessary. Konoha wasn't ready for another war, let alone this minor battle that could turn major in the blink of an eye.
She only wanted the best for her village, after all.
"Depart!"
On the command, the shinobi streamed out from the gates, instinctively taking to the forest, separating themselves into their assigned cells. They would run nonstop until almost at Suna; then, the leaders would allow a break to recuperate and gather chakra for the anticipated fight. Tsunade watched as the last jounin disappeared into the shadows.
"I hope they turn out fine," she mumbled.
Tsunade really needed more sake.
Especially since that dratted feeling still wouldn't go away.
Sakura's team stuck close with Team 8. Both were three-man cells.
Yamato-taichou was in the head, along with Shikamaru, and Sai and Choji took the middle. Sakura and Ino leapt through the trees next to each other. This reminded her of the times she and Ino would race each other to class, refusing to let the other win. Now, their life was a more easy friendship than intense rivalry.
Something was still troubling Sakura, however.
"Ino," she said quietly, not wanting her teammates to hear. "I don't get why Tsunade-sensei said for us not to capture or even kill any Akatsuki. Doesn't she want us to take those—" She choked a bit, filled with hate for the Akatsuki.
"I know," Ino agreed, also keeping her voice low as she continued speaking.
"What is it that the Hokage isn't telling us?"
Hinata was regularly scanning the area with her Byakugan, checking for incoming threats. Her team was nearer to the front, because with all Kiba and Shino and Hinata's skills, they could very easily be a scouting team. Kurenai was leading their cell, and Hinata could hear Kiba's conversation with their sensei.
"So how's your kid? Is she big now?"
Kurenai smiled. "Yes, Akane is almost five. She'll be entering the Academy soon." Hinata smiled too, hearing how Kurenai's voice grew softer, as always, when she was talking about Akane. Akane was beautiful, just like her mother, but Hinata could tell already she would have Asuma's personality.
It was while she was smiling that she saw it.
"Hinata! What's wrong?" Kurenai asked as her student suddenly faltered and nearly missed a step on the branch. The entire team halted as they gathered around Hinata, her breath coming too fast to be normal.
"Is she hyperventilating?"
"No, I think she's just in a slight shock," Shino answered Kiba. "Give her some time. Hinata, what did you see?" As always, only worry for his teammates could bring out his more talkative side.
Hinata focused on calming her heartbeat and closed her eyes, taking deep breaths. She didn't know why, but she suddenly felt the urgent need to lie. "I saw…a-a house. A tree-house." That wasn't exactly a lie, really, she assured herself. Hinata had seen a tree-house. That just wasn't what made her falter.
Kiba frowned, still sitting on Akamaru. "What's to get worked over about that?" But Akamaru whined underneath him, uneasily. "What is it, boy? Strong traces of chakra?"
"The house looks like it's been recently inhabited, but there's no one there now," Shino reported. A stream of bugs flew back into his jacket sleeve. "The chakra Akamaru must be sensing is from further on. My bugs say that there's what looks like a churned up mud-field out there. By a cliff."
Hinata nodded shakily, pretending that that was it. Because she knew that what she'd seen was really no big deal, to them, at least, and they needed to keep going to Suna instead of wasting time over her. "I-I'm okay," she assured them. Shino was expressionless; Kurenai had a faint note of worry in her red eyes; Kiba flat-out looked like he didn't believe her. "I really am! We need to go, anyway. F-for our mission?"
Her sensei finally nodded, sighing. "If you feel bad, Hinata, tell us and we'll stop. Okay?" Hinata nodded, and the cell started moving again.
Hinata tried to forget the eerie sight of black and white—even in her Byakugan state, she could tell the color; it was that powerful—chakra, not quite mixing in a not quite human body, vanishing into the earth.
They would only tell her it was her imagination, anyway.
"It's time."
Itachi stood, effortlessly, pocketing the ten wickedly sharp kunai—that really had no right to be that sharp—and heading toward the entrance to the cave. All six Paths of Pein were in attendance as well. Konan was waiting outside with them. Zetsu, having delivered his message of Konoha coming, stretched. "Let's separate," White Zetsu urged.
"No. It's only a waste of chakra if we do it now. Wait till later," the more sensible side ordered. The White side groaned, grumbling something like "You always say that". "Then you should learn to listen more!"
Madara walked out last. His blood was boiling for this fight already—he wanted desperately to pay the Kyuubi brat back for taking his arm. One could replace eyes, but he couldn't very well reattach his arm when Kakuzu was dead, could he? It was a very good thing that Madara knew how to concentrate chakra without two hands to form a seal.
"Is your brother coming?" Madara asked Itachi. He turned to look at the former, red eyes disdainful and not revealing any secrets of their owner. Madara wondered if Itachi would just ignore him—he didn't.
Itachi had faced front again by the time he answered. "Yes, he is. Just finishing some business with an acquaintance in the Land of Water…"
Well, that was a disappointment. "Looks like you won't be able to finally kill him this time, Itachi." It took too long to travel from there to here. Itachi didn't bother replying this time.
And Madara had been so looking forward to finally having a chance to talk to Sasuke too! He swore, sometimes, if he didn't know the whole truth, he might've thought that Itachi was being overprotective of his younger brother…despite claiming that he'd cut all ties with the Uchiha clan.
But Madara did know better, and he knew that while to outsiders, Itachi's 'overprotective-ness' might have seemed like betrayal to the Akatsuki, to him—let's just say it worked out perfectly fine. For now. He didn't need Sasuke just yet, after all.
"Towards Suna, then," he said.
Tendo turned towards him, no emotion as usual. Most of the other Akatsuki members had started across the desert, Itachi and the five Paths included. "Are you going to use that silly Tobi farce again? We're up against harder enemies this time…it would not be wise to keep letting your playful instincts take over."
Madara refrained from sighing, just barely. He wasn't sorry he had used Tobi as an alias—it was just fun to toy with Gaara—but he knew this time it wouldn't be as well accepted. And while Nagato shouldn't be saying things like that too him…well, Nagato wanted 'world peace' and all.
Something entirely different from Madara's own goals, but you know, he didn't have to know that.
"I think this time," Madara began slowly, reveling in his words. "I'll be myself, and let the world begin to know the first true tastes of pain!"
Satisfied, the Path turned away.
Madara smirked, hidden under his mask as he began to leave himself. His sentiment had been mostly truth, really…just a small lie at the end.
He wouldn't let the world begin to know the first true tastes of pain.
He would unleash pain on them, pain they'd never seen before.
By killing the jinchuuriki they were all just too attached to.
What a perfect plan.
What was this?
Naruto was struck with a strangely familiar sense of déjà vu—one that wasn't entirely pleasant—as he looked over the wrecked village of Suna.
It wasn't destroyed the way Konoha had been: buildings demolished, bodies strewn. It was in a much subtler tactic, or so the Kyuubi informed him. Take away their buildings and people—that's called plain and simple obliteration. That was how the Kyuubi preferred to do things.
Take away their villagers, harm them, kill them…but don't touch their buildings, giving them false hope that they might survive—yet knowing in their hearts they would be wiped out sooner rather than later—letting them recover…well, that was much crueler. A snake's way of doing things.
Naruto couldn't really say which way he preferred more, but neither way bothered him at all.
The blonde ninja went so far as to just sit down on the highest level of Suna's stair-step walls, watching as robed med-nins went from this building to that one, carrying stretches laden with dying or injured people.
How long had it been since they'd been attacked?
Judging from the way most people have bandages and seem to be taken care of, I would say around three days.
There was the answer to his question then. Ah. They've been recovering nicely, then, haven't they? Naruto swung his legs, watching the busy movement far below him. Kinda like ants, his mind suddenly supplied him.
Seeming so strong—until you kill them with one well-placed foot.
There seemed to be no civilians out—had they been killed, perhaps? All of them? Unlikely, true, but after seeing what Pein had done to the village, all bets were off. Who knew the Akatsuki's true skills but them themselves?
And that exactly was what made them such good prey.
He sighed, nostalgically. Naruto had a very good feeling that at least one Akatsuki would die—and soon, by his hands—but only one? That was a disappointment. Couldn't be helped though if Konoha was coming.
Naruto would admit it. He had no sense of intuition at all, except involving his prey and such. Kyuubi was the one more talented in that area, and he'd sensed Konoha getting ready to move a day ago.
Konoha.
Konoha.
While the words might've been the same, the way they were said were not. Naruto's was in no way wistful—he'd given up on the Leaf, the day he'd learned they'd given up on him—but more of a gentle surprise and pleasure. Basically—more prey.
The Kyuubi's on the other hand… Revenge was the first thing on the fox's mind. The word was anger infused, yes, but had more of a bloodthirsty edge. How a beast would say it if a beast could talk.
And the Nine-tails was definitely a beast.
Then what does that make me? flitted across Naruto's mind before a more pressing subject occurred to him. I wonder what Gaara's up to. Did he die already? I hope not… Sand against fire. Who would win?
Me, obviously, the demon fox snarled. He doesn't even have Shukaku anymore! I wouldn't be surprised if he was dead.
That's a bit harsh, he thought mildly. Dead. Gaara? Well, it definitely wasn't impossible. He'd died before, once upon a time when Naruto was still good. Good. What was good? The differences between black and white; evil and good had blurred so much that Naruto himself sometimes couldn't tell which side he was on.
The Kyuubi grinned in his golden cage, words practically fizzing with excitement. The Akatsuki's coming too… Right now. I can't wait for the blood…
You're not going to come out, Naruto warned him (when had he started to refer to the fox as him and not it?).
His reply was a spine-crawling chuckle, just a bit delirious and just a fraction insane. You don't want to hurt your little Konoha friends, huh?
Naruto's outside face was as impassive as his inside. I don't want to rely on your power anymore. It's time to put what I actually learned to use. Like the Sage state. The Nine-tails didn't respond; as always, evil intent leaked from him, barely masked.
Figuring he'd get no more talk from the demon until the fight began, Naruto stood and pulled up his hood, masking his familiar hair once more, getting ready to trek back toward the desert. As a habit, he reached into the cloak's inner pocket, reaching for… nothing.
Right.
The headbands had fallen out during the fight with Sasuke, from what seemed like an eternity ago. (Time, to Naruto, passed too quickly and too slowly at the same time.) Naruto sighed, wishing he hadn't dropped them. Before a major fight, Naruto liked to take out his old headband and stare at it for a bit. No reason why; but the Kyuubi insisted he was being weak and missing Konoha.
Naruto shrugged. Well, what would two little measly headbands do for him? He already knew he was strong.
As Naruto set off back into the desert to wait for the Akatsuki to arrive, he shivered slightly.
He told himself it was from anticipation for the oncoming fight.
Definitely not anything like nervousness…or even fear… for seeing his old ex-teammates.
Definitely not.
Gaara's eyes blinked open. Once. Twice.
Then he was promptly suffocated by a rush of green and silver and yellow. "Gaara! You finally woke up!"
Temari's arms were clenched around him tightly, making it slightly hard for him to breathe. "Let—go—Temari," he wheezed, closing his eyes again. He heard Kankuro's familiar voice coaxing the vice around his chest back, and as soon as he could adequately get air, Gaara reopened his eyes.
His sister looked sheepish, blushing slightly. "Sorry," she apologized. Kankuro was smirking next to her, also sitting on the ground. Relief was evident in both their eyes, and Gaara felt slightly bad that he'd left them to worry over him while he recovered.
Of course Gaara had known he wasn't going to die or anything near that. Chakra depletion and some minor shock from the wounds he'd received were nothing serious that he couldn't recover from.
No point in telling them that, though.
"How…is Suna?" His words were still coming a bit slowly, and he felt just a bit dizzy.
"Don't talk yet," advised Temari, her more 'adult' side taking over once more. "Get some food, Kankuro. Talk after you eat a little. You've been out of it for three days now!" She shot a deadly glare at her second-youngest brother, who was still loitering around. "I said go!"
The puppet-master backed away with both hands up, muttering something about 'why me?' and 'always her slave' as he went to find some food. Gaara closed his eyes as Kankuro left.
A little while later, he came back with a bowl of soup in his hand. "This good, oh highness Temari?"
Temari ignored the sarcastic tone, grabbing the bowl instead and handing it to Gaara. "Eat."
Gaara ate.
"Now, what were you saying?" Temari asked, sweet and kind again.
"Can I say bipolar?" Kankuro muttered. He was shut up with a vicious jab to the ribs.
The young Kazekage stared at both of them until they quieted. "Is Suna... What is the death count?" he corrected himself.
"Same as I told you before," was the sad reply. Temari fidgeted, not wanting to see the look in Gaara's eyes.
"I failed to protect my village," he murmured. Kankuro reached out, instinctively. He couldn't stand to see his younger brother act that way—so out of character for him.
"No! You didn't, Gaara. They were all so worried about you, and once they hear you woke again, everyone will be really happy—"
"But the Akatsuki are coming." The statement was flat. Empty. A fact.
Temari shuddered and tried to distract him—herself too—with another hope. "Konoha is coming! They're just a mere two days away, Gaara. Running full speed. I don't think the Akatsuki will attack that soon."
Gaara's eyes were just as she'd dreaded.
Emptied of all hope.
"They are waiting," he stated, "because Naruto is coming. They are waiting so they can take three birds down with one stone—capture the Nine-tails, destroy Suna, and crush Konoha's most skilled fighters." But then, something in Gaara changed, and he pushed himself to his feet without the help of his siblings. Temari looked on anxiously, ready to catch him if he fell.
Gaara made his way to the door, still a bit light-headed. His eyes though, when he looked back, were determined. "That's their goal. Their ultimate objective. But Suna will not fall that easily, and now we have the Leaf standing next to us." He turned away, walking—to who knew where, issuing one last command to his slightly astounded siblings.
"Get Suna ready. We won't hold anything back this time."
And so, over the next two days…
Naruto waited.
The Akatsuki waited.
Suna waited.
And Konoha came.
"They're coming!" a Suna scout called. "Konoha has arrived!"
Instantly, Suna shinobi forces flooded out from the walls, deliberately blocking the way into the village. They were not going to take any chances this time.
Konoha flooded into view, a seeming endless wave of jounin and ANBU. Gaara was at the front of the Suna attack. "Welcome, Konoha ninja," he greeted them. He didn't look like he'd just spent three days recuperating.
The ANBU at the front bowed. "Kazekage-sama. Konoha has come to your aid, as requested." Gaara was about to say more when—
"Akatsuki sighted!"
The shinobi were so well trained they didn't dare throw themselves into a panic. After all, they'd already been informed of this possibly happening—the Akatsuki coming mere moments after the reinforcements arrived.
It had been a likely possibility from the start.
The eleven cloaked figures (Zetsu had separated and the two Peins had been reincarnated) approached as a group, walking sinuously through the dust. No noise at all came from the missing-nins. At the front was the one with the orange mask.
The Akatsuki, for some unnoticeable signal (or reason) halted a hundred feet away from Suna. They were closest to the Konoha force, and the shinobi noticeably shifted away from the S-class criminals, uneasy.
Still, nothing happened.
Some of the uninformed shinobi grew impatient—mostly Konoha-nins, wondering, what was going on? Where's the fight? What were they supposed to do?
Gaara waited.
He would appear soon…he had to, because that's what they'd all bargained for.
Minutes ticked by, and it seemed like Gaara's bets had been wrong after all. Maybe he hadn't known him as well as he thought he had. If he wasn't coming, then …they had no choice but to fight.
Gaara held up a hand. Instantly, Konoha and Suna were on edge and ready to charge. The Akatsuki tensed too—but invisibly.
The strings were pulled tight...
Prepared to break.
The hand came down.
People—things—creatures began moving.
And one shadow jumped into the direct center of it all.
Gaara smiled just a bit. It looked like he'd been right after all.
"Uzumaki Naruto," he breathed.
His friend always did have a flair for dramatic entries.
The silence was almost a palpable thing—able to touch it and feel it, thickening the air till it was hard to breathe. Or maybe that was just the hostility and adrenaline radiating off the ninjas assembled, forced to stop because of this one random person in the middle of their fighting field. Who knew what made them stop exactly, but they could all identify it.
Something about him was evil. Ages evil.
For once—in probably all of fighting history—everything was still. Not one shinobi attacked another, no muscle twitching at all.
Waiting for the snap.
The formations were like a synchronized beauty, similar to the symmetry of Konan's origami butterflies. Akatsuki on the side from the desert, forming an eerie pattern with their red clouded black…a group of monsters.
Suna stood in front of their village walls, forming ranks ten deep.
Konoha took up two whole sides—they were not deep, but spread thin. At the very front—closest to the figure in the middle of it all—were the Konoha 10. Varying emotions ran through all the shinobi assembled, Akatsuki to Suna to Konoha.
(Shock disbelief suspicion pleasure bloodthirstiness denial anger confusion)
One thought was under all the emotions.
Who is this ninja?
The one who dared to leap fearlessly into the middle of the fray, right when the three possibly most talented ninja groups in the world are about to attack?
Does he have a death wish?
Who is this ninja?
Who?
Sakura thought her eyes couldn't grow any wider. Hinata felt faint. The rest of the Konoha 10 kept a constant stare on the cloaked figure just fifty feet away from them all, not daring to do the treacherous thing called hope, as he reached tanned hands up to the hood covering his face.
The tension grew thin—ready to shatter.
Any second now.
When will the explosions begin?
Naruto smirked. This was just too much fun, taunting them. Teasing them. Get on with it…I want to spill some blood already, the Kyuubi growled. Guess he decided he couldn't wait until the fighting actually began.
Patience is a virtue, didn't you tell me that? Besides, the only blood we're going to spill is the Akatsuki's. A growl told Naruto that the fox didn't appreciate having his words thrown back to him.
You know what I always told you? Weak.
Be that way, then, Naruto told him, before cutting off the link completely. Ready?
Showtime.
Blue eyes stared confidently out from longish yellow bangs, the pupils just slightly longer than a normal human's. Whiskers.
Whispers spread like wildfire through the ranks of the Konoha and Suna shinobi. "It's the Nine-tail's jinchuuriki! The Kyuubi vessel!"
Madara grinned.
Then Naruto spoke, immediately silencing all the noise in the area as a hundred pairs of eyes focused on him. Boring into him.
"Miss me?"
Disappointed at the cliffhanger? No major fight scene? Don't worry! Because if you stick around for a couple (?) more chapters, you might be able to finally see it! So stay tuned… ! Yeah, my weird lame version of an advertisement XP Zetsu's EVERYWHERE isn't he? O_O As for this fic's pairing, I think I'll keep Naru-kun alone. Gomen-nasai! (again) Maybe I'll put hints in, but no actual pairing, you know? Okay. If it seemed like Sakura loves Naruto, it's because she does, like a sister. They're best friends! Ex-best friends! …yup… And I was looking through some of the other chapters and man I use a lot of smiley faces! … That's that, I think. Till then…
~gummybear1620~
TBC!