Tale of The Crimson Kitsune And The Silver Ookami

Chapter Ten: Infiltrating The Den of The Snake, The Search For Sai and Sasuke

Kazumi's Point of View:

We were jumping through the treetops as we followed Captain Yamato. I was positioned between them and made sure I kept a close eye on the both of them. One, I knew Naruto had completely healed from his recent transformation. And two, I had a feeling that Sakura was still suffering from the effects of the Nine Tails' chakra as well. As we moved, Naruto nearly jumped into a branch, but lucky he was able to recover. However, when Sakura swung from a branch, she used her bad arm and lost her grip. Before she could hit the ground below, Captain Yamato was able to catch her.

"Sakura." Naruto said as we stood there in front of her and Captain Yamato.

She was breathing heavily, so Captain Yamato walked over to a nearby tree and sat her down so she could catch her breath. Naruto was on his hands and knees as he looked at Sakura. Captain Yamato was on her left while I stood on her right. I saw that the injury on her arm hadn't completely heal. And to be honest, it was going to take some time before it did. Both Naruto and Sakura were still suffering from the Nine Tails chakra. This wasn't good at all.

"Hey, Sakura…" Naruto said quietly. When Sakura moved, she instantly cringed up in pain. "Hey, what's wrong? Are you alright? What's that wound from?"

"Oh. This was…" Sakura stared. She stops, carefully thinking about what to tell him. "Um… These are injuries from Orochimaru. It's okay though, it doesn't really hurt. I'll be fine in a sec."

"Well, alright." Naruto replies. "Just don't push yourself to hard, okay."

"Yeah." She says quietly.

"Sakura. You may can fool Naruto, but I can see right though you." I thought to myself. "I know from experience what chakra from Tailed Beasts can do to me and Naruto. And it's even worse for someone who isn't a Jinchuriki."

"Let's take a little break." Captain Yamato suggests as he returns back to his feet. "Sakura is our team's only medical ninja. If she's not well, it can jeopardize the whole mission."

"I said I'm fine." Sakura quickly tells him. "If we don't hurry, they might get away." She added and soon cringes in pain when she moved her arm. "Captain. What about what you said before?"

"You're right, I did say that, Sakura." He tells her. "But we can't afford being too hasty. After all, haste makes waste. I mean there's a big difference between hurrying and just being reckless."

"I agree with Captain Yamato." I say quietly.

"Yeah, me too." Naruto adds. "Captain Yamato is right. You're just too important." Naruto tells her. "You're the only medical ninja on the team. Not to mention your strength. You're a monster." That last comment just caused Sakura to glare at him. "You're a key part of this mission."

"Can't you flatter me without calling me a monster!?" Sakura yells.

"But, I was just…" Naruto tried to explain.

"I don't want to hear it!" She snapped.

"Sorry! I was just… Okay, okay, stop, I apologize." Naruto tells her as he waves his arms in a surrendering manner.

"Hey, Naruto." Captain Yamato says, catching his attention. "Since Sai is not with us, you will be my partner when we get into battle. Kazumi, you will be Sakura's partner."

"Uh, understood." I reply.

"Come on. We should coordinate our attack strategies while we have the time." He adds. "Shall we?"

"Hmm. Yeah, that's a good idea." Naruto agrees.

With that, Naruto gets to his feet and the two walk off to discuss things. As they left, I walked over and took a seat next to Sakura. I saw her place her hand over the injury, causing the same greenish glow from before to reappear. As she tried to heal the wound, she grunted in pain and lowered her head down. I knew she was in horrible pain and was only putting on a brave face for Naruto. I just hoped she'll be alright.

While Naruto and Captain Yamato continued to strategize, Sakura finished attempting to heal her arm. I heard her moving and opened one eye to look at her out of my peripheral. She was searching through Sai's pouch. Seconds later, she pulled out a small book with a young boy on the cover. I quickly recognized the book. It was the same one Sai had back at the hotel. I thought that he would have that with him since he wouldn't let anyone look at it. She took the book and slightly opened it, flipping the pages. She finally opened the book and began to look.

"Huh? I don't get it." Sakura says quietly. "This book."

"Sakura. Do you really think you should be looking at that?" I ask her. "I remember Sai saying that he doesn't show it to anyone."

"I know. But I thought that maybe…" she started.

"Hmm. What is it?" I ask. Sakura just turns her head and looks over to where Naruto and Captain Yamato's were talking.

"Hey, you guys! Come here a minute!" She yells to them. "Hurry. You need to see this!"

"What is it, Sakura?" Naruto asks. "Is something wrong?"

"Look at this." She says.

"Hey! That's Sai's" Naruto pointed out.

"That's the picture book we found." Captain Yamato added. "The one that he drew, right? What's it about, Sakura? Can you tell? If we figure it out, we may learn something about Sai."

"I know. That's what I was thinking." She says. "So I tried to read it, but…"

"Well? What's it about?" Naruto asks. "What kind of story is it?" Sakura just shakes her head.

"Actually. I'm not all that sure." Sakura answers.

After looking through the book, we found that it was about two brothers taking down their enemies and claiming their weapons and armor. However, once we reached the end of the book, we found that there was a blank page, indicating the book was unfinished. Once we rested for a few minutes later, we finally got back moving.

After moving for some time, we ran across a river, still following Orochimaru's trail. It was faint, but I could still trace Sai's scent. Before long, we arrived in a barren wasteland. There was nothing but rock formations. As we got closer, we found someone standing there waiting for us. Once we were right on them, we noticed it was a clone of Captain Yamato.

"Is this the place?" The real Yamato asked.

"The entrance is straight ahead. Hidden under that rock formation." The clone instructed.

"Could it be after all this time that, that we've finally found him?" Naruto asked himself quietly. "Sasuke's there."

"Yeah. It's a definite possibility." Sakura replied.

"Well, there's no turning back now." I added.

"At the very least, we should be able to find a clue to his whereabouts." Captain Yamato told us.

"Right. Let's get on with it." Naruto said as he proceeded forward. However, Captain Yamato held out his arm in front of him, causing him to stop.

"Hold it. Not so fast." He told Naruto. He suddenly places his hand on the clone and begins to summoning back into its seed form. "First, you need to swallow this, Naruto." He says as he holds it out towards him.

"Huh?" Naruto, Sakura and I gasped together.

"You don't have to worry. It's perfectly safe, I assure you." He told him. He holds out his other hand, holding two more seeds. "Sakura, Kazumi. You too. Now that even if we should get separated, I'll know where you guys are and can find you."

"Seriously?" Naruto asks.

"Because of this?" Sakura asks.

"Seems a little unbelievable if you ask me." I added.

"What is it?" Sakura asks as she holds it.

"Those seeds are a type of transmitter. Specific for tracking a person's movement." He explains as he hands one to me and Naruto. "It's a ninja tool that's only able to work off my chakra. I planted one in Sai's clothing and in his food."

"In his clothing and in his food?" Naruto repeated.

"I see. So that's how you were tracking him." I said. "Hmm, this is a nice little tool." I thought to myself.

"But wait. When did you do this?" Naruto asks.

"Back at the Hot Springs." Captain Yamato answers. "Do you remember how I was the first to get out of the water."

"Uh, yeah. I think so." Naruto responds. "Yeah I remember now. You got out and went inside."

"You see, for treating you guys to the hot springs and meal at my expense…" he started.

"Wasn't really for a boost of moral and team spirit." Sakura finished.

"Lady Tsunade had warned me about Sai." He continued. "She asked me to keep an eye on him. As it turns out, she had every right to feel concerned. It was a good thing I heeded Lady Tsunade's warning. Enough of that. Go on ahead and swallow them."

"Okay. If you say they're safe, then I have no choice but to believe you." I say, still a little wary. I popped the seed into my mouth and swallow. Naruto and Sakura followed suit and swallowed their seeds as well.

"All right. If you three are ready, then let's go." He said as he turns around.

"Yes sir!" we all exclaimed together.

With that, Captain Yamato used his Earth Style Jutsu to create a hole in the ground right in front of him. Once completed, Captain Yamato soon jumps down, disappearing into the darkness. A few seconds later, we heard Captain Yamato give us the signal, which was a simple whistle.

"Alright Naruto. Kazumi. This is it." Sakura tells us.

"Right." I reply.

"Then let's do it." Naruto added. With that, Sakura jumps down and disappears into the darkness of the hole as well.

"Naruto, are you ready for this?" I ask him.

"Yeah, I am." He answers. "We will bring Sasuke back, no matter what. We are just too close to give up now."

"Yeah, you're right." I say, giving him a slight nod. I soon heard Captain Yamato whistle again. "I'll see you down there."

I jumped down and seconds later, I landed on the ground. I moved off to the side and stood next to Sakura. Captain Yamato gave the signal once more and seconds later Naruto appeared. With everyone together, we quietly began moving, following the plan Captain Yamato strategized before we jumped down. We came to a stop as he scanned the wall.

"As I feared. The hideout is surrounded by a wall of rock." He tells us.

"Ugh, what of it. I can take that thing down with one blast from my Rasengan." Naruto replies back.

"Uh, wait a minute." Sakura says as she looks at him. "They'll know we're here the minute you let loose with a Jutsu like that."

"This infiltration has to be done quietly." Captain Yamato adds.

"Then what are we going to do?" Naruto asks.

"Here," Captain Yamato says as he uses his Wood Style Jutsu to pierce through the wall. "The more solid the rock, the less force need be applied to a small crack. And… there, you see. Like that."

"Awesome." Naruto says as he looks at the newly formed hole.

"Now, we all need to be very careful to limit our use of chakra from this point forward." Captain Yamato tells us. "We don't want Orochimaru sensing our presence. Okay, let's go."

"Well… so far so good." I thought.

"First, we need to find Sai." Captain Yamato says. "He's this way."

After moving through the maze –like hideout, we approached another door. With Captain Yamato's Wood Style, we were able to pick the lock. Slowly and carefully he opens the large wooden door and peeps inside. There, he spots Sai standing before a small table inside the small room. The light from the candle casting his shadow on the far wall.

"I had a hunch we would find you here." Captain Yamato says. He enters the room first, followed by Naruto, Sakura and me.

"I expected no less from the Hokage's ANBU Black Ops." Sai tells him. "I take it that that fake body didn't fool you then."

"Start talking. What's going on here?" Captain Yamato asks him.

"Spill it, you jerk!" Naruto yells as he steps forward and catches Sai by his shirt. "Why would you betray your own teammates?"

"If I were you, I take care not to make too much commotion." Sai tells him. "Things could turn quite ugly."

"I'm gonna knock your-" Naruto started.

"Naruto!" Sakura says, stopping him. Naruto just lets him go and turns away. "Here, Sai. Take this." Sakura says as she hands him his book. "It's yours, isn't it?"

"Thank you." He says as he takes the book.

"You were under orders from Danzo. Isn't that right?" She asks. "We know that Danzo and Orochimaru have teamed up and we know that they are planning something big. You were chosen to be Danzo and Orochimaru go between."

"We want to know what they are planning. So you might as well spit it out, Sai." I added.

"Orochimaru is easy to read. We know he wants to destroy the Hidden Leaf again." Captain Yamato says. "Isn't that right?"

"No, that's not…" Sai started.

"Would you stop it with the damn fake smiling. I can tell that what you're saying is nothing but a bunch of crap!" Naruto yelled.

We stood there for quite some time, getting a complete explanation from Sai. We learned what his true objective was and why he was chosen to be the go between guy for Danzo and Orochimaru. We also found that it was Danzo who really wanted to gain control over the Hidden Leaf Village. Once all the talking was over, Captain Yamato used his Wood Style Jutsu and restrained Sai just like he had done to Naruto. We soon escaped and returned back to the surface.

Time-skip no Jutsu, Inside Orochimaru's Hideout:

After our fight with Kabuto, Sai rejoining our side and we infiltrated Orochimaru's hideout once more. We stared together for some time, but soon Captain Yamato separated us up into two teams. He and Sakura was one team while Naruto, Sai and I were the other. Once that was completed, we headed into different directions. With this plan, we were hoping to find Sasuke inside one of the rooms much faster than if we were together. Kabuto warned us that there are several inside, but that didn't stop us. Yamato and Sakura went one way while Sai, Naruto and I looked in the other. As we searched room after room, Naruto trips and falls to the ground. I knew that he was pushing himself hard. He hadn't completely healed from his Nine Tails transformation. But with Sai's help, we moved Naruto to the side of the wall.

After sitting there, talking amongst each other, Naruto and I were surprised that Sai had opened up to us. He was so comfortable that he even talked to us about his brother. And while we sat there, he was able to finish his picture book. The final page was of him and his brother. Standing together, looking happy at what they achieved together. Suddenly, we all started hearing footsteps approaching us. We looked to our right to see none other than Orochimaru.

"Well then, Sai. It's time for you to chose whose side you'll be on." Orochimaru stated. We jumped to our feet and stared down the damn snake that stood before us. "Striking Shadow Snake!" Two snakes came out of Orochimaru's arm, aiming right for us. In order to avoid the attack, we jumped back, creating some space between us and the demon snake. "So… you've chosen their side I see. Sai, or whatever you name is."

"Leave this to me. I'll take care of him." Naruto said. "Go on. Get out of here and find Sasuke."

"Naruto, I'm not leaving you alone to fight him." I state in a stern tone while I stood beside him. I then looked back at Sai. "Sai, you go on ahead. Let me and Naruto handle him."

"Very well. Don't worry. Wherever he is, I'll find him… and I'll save him." Sai assured us. With that, he turned around and ran down the long corridor.

"So… you came all this way to take your friend Sasuke back, eh?" he asked. "Your persistence is impressive but, do you think the outcome will be in your favor?"

"I don't care if you are one of the Legendary Sannin, like old lady Tsunade or Jiraiya." Naruto growled as he held a spar sigh. "I will defeat you! I will take Sasuke back!" he yelled. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Naruto created an army of shadow clones before us, shielding us away from Orochimaru. They all rushed forward, aiming right for the snake.

"Striking Shadow Snake!" Orochimaru called out. Four snakes flew out of his sleeve and came right at the clones. When they opened their mouths, sharp daggers, which really looked like the top points of swords, were revealed, eliminating the clones a few at a time. But Naruto was waiting for him.

"Rasengan!" he called out.

He was able to strike one of the snakes, obliterating it in sight. But the other three snakes came forward and canceled out that clone and the rest. Naruto himself ran forward, aiming a kunai at his opponent. But just before the knife could reach its target, Orochimaru used one of his snakes to catch Naruto, holding him in the air. This wasn't good at all. Seeing that he was in trouble, I drew my sword as I rushed forward to help Naruto.

"Let him go!" I growled. "Ninja Art: White Light Chakra Blade!" I brought my chakra covered blade down, slicing right through the snakes that held Naruto. Once freed, Naruto landed on the ground and jumped back. I quickly jumped away and landed right beside him. "You all right, Naruto?"

"Yeah. Thanks." He said.

When I glanced over at Naruto, I found him breathing hard. I knew that there was a chance that he was still recovering. I had to make sure he didn't overdo it. That and keep Orochimaru away from him as well. But that was easier said than done. Orochimaru was no doubt a tough opponent to deal with even with strong allies.

"What happened to all that power you had?" Orochimaru taunted. "The power of the Nine Tails. Surely there must be more to it than this."

"Would you just shut the hell up!?" I growled. "If you want Naruto, you're going to have to go through me!"

"Now, now. You know I can't kill you off just yet, my little Kazumi." He said in his damn taunting tone. "You and I both know that I still need you alive. After all, what good is a dead experiment anyway?"

"There's no way in hell I'm going to become one of your damn experiments!" I growled. "That's never going to happen!"

"Ah, but on the contrary my dear, you have already became one of my experiments." Orochimaru corrected me. "After all, I did select you to see if you were a suitable host for the Ten Tails." That just made my blood boil even hotter. "Hmm, and I can't help but wonder..." He says. "Just how much power does the Ten Tails truly has. So why don't you show me, my little Kazumi."

"Stop calling me that!" I snapped. While I glared daggers at him, my eyes quickly turned liquid silver. "You don't own me and you never will." I growled.

"There it is. There's the power I seek." He hissed. "Striking Shadow Snake!" he adds and sends out four more snakes.

"I'm getting really sick and tired of you and these damn snakes." I said in an annoyed tone. "It's because of things like you that make me hate snakes in the first place."

"Show me what you got." He taunted.

As I took a step forward, I started channeling my chakra once more. But before the snakes could get close and before I could move, a wooden pillar suddenly appears out of the wall that was to my and Naruto's left. It slammed right into the snakes, crushing them into the wall on our right. I knew immediately it was Captain Yamato's doing. When the pillar retracted back into the wall, Captain Yamato and Sakura appeared.

"Orochimaru again huh?" questioned Captain Yamato.

"I hope you'll repay me by eliminating one more member of the Akatsuki." Orochimaru says to us.

"Say what!?" Naruto and I asked.

"I'm afraid that I have some important business with Sai that can't wait." He continued. "So if you would excuse me." And with that, he disappeared.

"Bastard…! Get back here!" I growled as I started moving.

"Hold it, Kazumi." Captain Yamato said, causing me to stop and look at him. "He's gone. Besides, we have other matters to attend to, like finding Sai. Where is he?"

"Sai…?" Naruto asked. "He's somewhere looking for Sasuke. If Orochimaru has gone looking for him, we better find him." I looked back at where Orochimaru was just standing.

"Pup, you need to calm down. We have other things to worry about then chasing after that damn snake." Kiyiya tells me.

Hearing Kiyiya's voice, I started to calm down. My eyes slowly returning back to normal. "Yeah, you're right." I tell her as I released a small sigh. "What the hell was I thinking? Even though I want nothing more than to make him pay for what he did to Naruto. Do I want to get myself killed doing so?" I said to myself inwardly.

"Kazumi." I hear Captain Yamato say, snapping me back to reality. I turn my head to look back towards him. As I did, I remembered what he just said.

"Right, let's get going then." I say to Captain Yamato and started to make my way over towards him and the others.

While moving through the maze-like hideout, we stumbled across Sai's things. And inside we also found a bingo book. There were pictures with an X across them, indicating that they have been taken care of. And inside that Bingo book, Captain Yamato found a picture of Sasuke Uchiha. He was the next person on Sai's list. Now the situation had turned from bad to worse. We quickly took off down the corridor, searching for any sign of Sasuke or Sai. Whichever we found first, we were to find the other as well. Then suddenly… Boom! Crash! We stopped once we heard the explosion. But we quickly started back running. When we finally found the way out, we saw Sai and Sakura standing there looking up for some reason. Naruto and I kicked into second gear as we ran down the corridor. I ran up and stopped right beside Sakura.

"Hn, so Kazumi is here as well."

When I heard that all too familiar, annoying apathetic voice, I looked towards the direction it came from. A voice that made me believe that that said person was nothing but an emotional boy that needed help. The very voice that belonged to the one my friends, the one Naruto, Sakura and I had been searching tirelessly for… Sasuke…Uchiha.

When I saw Sasuke, he had those same empty black eyes…the same hair, nose, and mouth. But he was much paler than he had been before, probably from being underground all the time. He was definitely taller and with his shirt open you could see a bit of muscle that he developed from his training. However his clothing attire had also changed. He wore a white open long sleeve shirt, similar to how Kimimaru wore his. Along with that, he donned a pair of dark blue pants with a thick blue cloth hanging around his waist that reached from his stomach to his knees, which was supported by the thick purple rope that was also worn by that snake, Orochimaru. He also had on black shinobi shoes.

"Since all three of you are here, I assume Kakashi is here as well." Sasuke says, making it sound more like a statement than a question. For once Sasuke found he was wrong when Yamato joined the rest of us.

"Sorry, Kakashi couldn't make it. I'm here in his stead. We of Team Kakashi are here to take you back to Konoha." Captain Yamato told him.

"So that boy is my stand in…?" Sasuke glanced at Sai for a moment before turning his attention back on us. "I'll tell you just as I told that him…I have no intention of returning to Konoha-ever."

"Sasuke..." Sakura mumbled.

"The reason why I crushed my bonds with them is because I have a different bond now…a bond of hatred between my older brother and me…Personal bonds cause confusion and personal memories only makes you weak." Sasuke explained.

"That can't be true." Naruto, Sakura and I thought in defeat as we listened to Sasuke's words.

Why would he want to sever the bonds he made with us? After everything we've been through…all the missions, all the cuts and bruises we got together, all the pain and happiness we went through together…how can he just throw away the bonds and memories we had just for the sake of revenge?

Naruto clenched his fists, "Why, Sasuke…?" He asked softly, trying to hold back the emotions that want to burst out. "Why didn't you just kill me on that day?" He shouted, remembering the day they faced off against each other. "That would've severed our bond! Were you scared to kill me?! Huh…!?"

Sasuke placed his hand on his hip, "There's an explanation for that…It's not that I couldn't sever that bond… I just couldn't stand the idea of attaining power by following in his footsteps." He explained.

"What do you mean?" Naruto and I asked.

"I don't have to explain it to either one of you." He said as aloof as ever, "Naruto, I spared your life on a whim…nothing more…"

"That's nothing but a bunch of bull Uchiha and you know it!" I yelled as I glared at him. "I know the reason. It's because Naruto was stronger than you! You couldn't defeat him!"

Sasuke's eyes narrowed ever so slightly as he stared at me. He didn't move. He just stayed in the same spot he was standing in. But even though I didn't get a reaction out of him, I wasn't going to stop. I was going to tell him what he didn't want to hear.

"You started to panic once you saw Naruto improving! You felt as if you were in a standstill because you knew Naruto was just going to continue getting stronger and stronger." I continued. "And you knew that pretty soon, he was going to surpass you!"

"…Still the same girl as before. You haven't changed a bit. You're worse than your pathetic brother….." Sasuke said coldly.

"Watch what you say, Uchiha…!" I said in a low tone. Before we knew it, Sasuke was standing right next to Naruto. Sakura, Captain Yamato and I gasped as we witness his speed. But I knew he had yet to show us what he could really do. What he's true power was like.

"Come to think of it…Didn't you dream of becoming Hokage one day?" He asked Naruto, "All that time you spent chasing me, you could've spent it better on training…wouldn't you agree, Naruto? Because this time, my whim is telling me…" He reached behind him with his free hand to pull out his sword out of its sheath and aimed it at Naruto's back, "…to finish what I started…"

Naruto didn't bother to move or defend himself, "I could never become Hokage if I can't even save my friend…" His eyes narrowed, "Isn't that right, Sasuke?" Sasuke reared his arm back to stab Naruto but Sai was able to catch his arm, keeping it away from Naruto. "That block you selected, was the correct one."

Naruto took the distraction to use Sasuke's arm to flip over him. However right when Yamato was going to use his wood style Jutsu to detain Sasuke, Sasuke lowered his body slightly and released a stream of lightning around his body shocking Naruto and Sai into submission. "Chidori Stream…!"

"Damn that Uchiha…!" I said to myself. I was about to run towards him, but Sakura beat me to it. She charged chakra into her fist, aiming to hit Sasuke with it.

Sasuke activated his Sharingan and raised his sword to attack. But before he could reach Sakura, Captain Yamato jumped in front of her and blocked it with a kunai. But Sasuke's sword was strange because the kunai fazed right through it, allowing Sasuke to pierce Captain Yamato's right shoulder. He pushed back, pinning him down to a nearby rock, keeping him from escaping.

"My Kusanagi blade is unlike any other blade," Sasuke said pushing Yamato against a boulder, "It's impossible to block."

"Then try blocking this, Uchiha!" I yelled as I ran to strike him with my own blade.

Even though his sword was still embedded in Yamato, Sasuke still blocked my attack with his bare hand. He soon turned his concentration turned to Naruto. The shock from the Chidori Stream was wearing off and he could move again thanks to the chakra he was using from the Nine-tailed fox's chakra. His fox like features were showing again.

"Oh no… Naruto, not again." I thought to myself.

Using his Sharingan, Sasuke was able to see the Nine-tailed fox talking to Naruto. It's his first time seeing the Nine-tailed fox for himself but he wasn't afraid.

"I can see it now," Sasuke said, catching Naruto and the Nine-tailed fox off guard, "This is the source of your strength…" His Sharingan eyes narrowed at the bubbly sight of the Nine-tailed fox, "I never imagined such a thing inside of you."

Nine-tails stared down at Sasuke, "You can actually see me…thanks to that abominable Sharingan, a product of your accursed clan's bloodline."

Sasuke placed his hand on the Nine-tails giant nose, "Seems this isn't your first encounter with these eyes…Nine-tailed fox demon…"

The nine tailed fox rumbled darkly, "Your ocular powers and that vile chakra you exude remind me of Madara Uchiha."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed slightly at the name, more on the last name. He squeezed the nine-tails nose until the bubbly nine-tails popped. Naruto's eyes widen in shock at this. Sasuke was able to get rid of the nine-tails just like that. "I know no such person." Sasuke told the Nine-tails.

"I can't believe you were even able to suppress my powers…it may be my undoing, but let me tell you one thing…Don't…kill…Naruto…! You'll…regret it…!"

"He may have blocked my sword, but let's see him block my lightning." I thought and started sending an electric current through my sword.

But before I could use it to attack him, Yamato quickly removes Sasuke's sword from out of his shoulder by using a wood pillar to appear in the wound. After avoiding my attack, as well as Yamato's, Sasuke quickly moved out the way and jumps high into the air, landing right on the edge above us. He was just looking down at us.

"Don't you get it!?" Naruto shouted at Sasuke, "Orochimaru's going to steal your body!"

"If it happens, it happens…" Sasuke told him, "You don't get it Naruto. I don't care what happens to me or the world so long as I can get my revenge. Nothing else matters. To be honest neither Orochimaru nor I are strong enough to defeat Itachi on our own. But if I can obtain the power to defeat Itachi by giving myself over to Orochimaru…I would gladly give my life many times over…"

"You idiot…! How can you say that?" I yelled. "You would become that damn snake's vessel just so you could defeat your brother? What kind of nonsense is that?!"

"Maybe you'll understand if I go kill your brother, Kazumi." Sasuke said. "Only then you'll understand. Or I could go ahead and kill you. Then your brother will feel a piece of my pain."

"Bastard." I thought to myself as I narrowed my eyes dangerously towards the Uchiha. "He truly has fallen."

"In fact, I should just get rid of you all." Sasuke added. "With you all out of the way, my bonds with you will truly be severed." I just stood there looking at Sasuke. I could feel my blood beginning to boil throughout my body. I just stood there, clutching my hands as I glared at Sasuke, Orochimaru and Kabuto.

"Kazumi-chan?" Naruto asked.

"I honestly can't believe you, Uchiha." I snarled quietly. "You would really kill your comrades, your friends, just to sever the bonds you made. Especially those you made with Naruto."

"Former comrades…" He corrected me. "And the only bond that truly matters to me is the bond that I and my older brother share. And that's the bond of hatred."

"You've have definitely changed, Uchiha. And not for the better." I growled.

"This isn't good. If this continues, she's going to go through the same transformation Naruto went through not too long ago." Yamato thought.

"I can't believe that you would just stand there and not just threaten my brother's life but my friends' lives as well." I snarled. "There's no doubt that Orochimaru has gotten inside your head, that's for damn sure."

"It looks like Sasuke really struck a nerve there. But soon, very soon, I will have the Ten Tails under my control. However, I will have to get possession of Sasuke's body first. With his Sharingan, I will be able to control that beast." Orochimaru thought with a smirk on his face. "That's it. Show me that power, Kazumi." He said to me.

"I've had enough of you. It's about time for me to finish this." Sasuke said as he lifted one hand into the air. But before he could do anything, Orochimaru caught his arm.

"I wouldn't use that Jutsu, Sasuke." Orochimaru told him.

"Let go." Sasuke demanded.

Kabuto appeared to the right of Sasuke, "Now what did I tell you about being more respectful toward Lord Orochimaru?"

Sasuke looked at him, a little annoyed, "Why should I stop?"

"You know the Akatsuki is on the move." Kabuto told him, "We want Konoha to get rid of the Akatsuki for us. As many as possible because if other Akatsuki members interfere it would prevent you from getting your revenge."

Sasuke could tell that it was lie. There was obviously more that Kabuto was letting Sasuke in on. "That's a pitiful excuse…" Sasuke replied.

"Jeopardize your quest for revenge…or increase its chance of success." Kabuto reinstated, "Which seems the more prudent choice to you?"

"…" Sasuke just looked down at us. As much as he wanted to get rid of us, he would stick to the plan. He snatched his hand out of Orochimaru's and together they disappeared in flames before our eyes.

I just continued to stand there, staring in the spot Sasuke, Orochimaru and Kabuto were just standing. Slowly, I began to calm myself down but my eyes never left the edge. That Uchiha... He was already blinded by revenge from the get go. Orochimaru just made it worse.

"Damn you, Uchiha..." I growled under my breath as I continued to clutched my hands. "Damn that Orochimaru." I growled to myself.

After standing there in silence for a moment, I lowered my head and turned to look over towards Naruto. He was kneeling on the ground, his head lowered as well. I could also hear him sniffing quietly. A few seconds more passed and I pulled myself together. I turned around and quietly walked over to Naruto. Once I was standing beside him, I kneeled down, sitting on one knee, and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Naruto." I said quietly. Naruto continued to keep his head down.

"Naruto. Crying won't bring Sasuke back." Sakura said with her back facing us as she cried as well. "I'm here too. We have to be strong, all of us."

"Sakura's right." I said in a soft tone. "The most important thing is that we have each other. Like you said, we won't give up, not this easily. We'll bring back Uchiha, one way or another."

"Well, look." Sai started. "We still have almost half a year left. And with there being four of us, our chances increase as well. You got me. So that should be some help, right?" Naruto soon brought his sleeve up to wipe his eyes.

"Yeah… Thanks." He said quietly.

"Right." I said quietly. "Don't worry. One day, all of us will bring back Uchiha and be a team again." I added. "It certainly won't be an easy feat, but that won't be enough to stop us." I thought to myself.