Standard Disclaimer: Blah blah blah blah blah blah.
Author's Notes: Too lazy to say the real disclaimer. And I have no apologies for the late update; family reunions take precedence, don't ya know.
(blinks) Wow…how ironic. Last update landed me at EXACTLY 40,000 words.
Anyhow…THE KONOHA BATTLE FINALLY ENDS!
Well, not really…due to my lateness in updating, I decided to cut the Konoha battle halfway, so I could update that much more quickly. The Konoha battle will end for real next time. Okay? Sorry for the inconvenience.
To the reviews!
Dark Qiviut: Ooh. Welcome!
And FYI…I assume you mean swear words in author's notes. Mind pointing them out? Because I can't find any. As for what Naruto is…THAT is a very long topic that requires info directly from the source.
www(dot)narutochuushin(dot)com
It has online versions of the Naruto manga. Read on. ;) (FYI, this story begins RIGHT after chapter 249 in the manga. Everything else from chapter 250 on is null and void in this story.)
Dragon Man 180: Gaara is standing atop Shukaku this time around.
Cloud-821: And thus you shall have them.
Scarecrowqueen: YAY! I'm a hero:D
crazy-antman: EXCITEMENT!
Audriel: You are correct; in the fight with Naruto, Gaara actually transformed into Shukaku. However, with the passage of time, the finer control over his demonic powers, and the integration between himself and the One Tails sealed inside him…the summoning of Shukaku has changed.
TimeShifter: You shall see…
Begin!
xxxx
Akira, the Deadly User of Steam! Itachi, the Deadly User of Sharingan!
xxxx
/Banshee's Gorge, Eastern Highlands, Wind Country/
"Hmm?"
Sakura sat up quietly, lazily rubbing her eyes as a confused groan escaped her lips. Her outfit had changed since her days as a Genin; she wore a black sleeveless bodysuit that went down to her thighs. Wrapped around her waist was a red piece of durable fabric that had a pouch on the back. Bandages were wrapped around the top half of her right thigh, and she wore tough boots made of black leather. Her pink hair was cut shorter than it had been during her Genin years; it was now neck-length, and secured with her hitai-ate. Finally, she wore the familiar green Chuunin vest.
She gazed upward with her light-green eyes to see the face of her former mentor: Hatake Kakashi. Well, not really; Kakashi's face, as usual, was covered by his Jonin uniform. The Sharingan user said, "Get up. We're all about to leave."
Sakura sat up and glanced out the cave; there was still no light to be seen, save for a faint tinge of blue near the eastern top of the gorge, standing out against the black of the night sky. She also took note that Shikamaru and Lee were trying to wake up Ino; Akamaru and Hinata were trying to awaken a snoring Kiba; Neji, Gai, and Jiraiya were standing outside on the ledge, staring at the sky, stretching their legs all the while.
Tsunade's apprentice grimaced. "Urg…it's still too early…"
"You want to get back to Konoha as quickly as possible don't you?" countered Kakashi.
Sakura moaned, "Yeah…but I'm still tired…"
"That'll mean seeing Sasuke that much faster."
Sakura was already trying to wake Ino up. "GET UP YOU PORKER! WE'VE GOT A LOT OF GROUND TO COVER!"
Kakashi sweatdropped as Sakura shook the sleepy Ino; Shikamaru muttered something about 'scary women' before Lee tried to keep Sakura from shaking her friend's head off.
Still…Kakashi couldn't help but sigh as he thought of how well Sakura had used her strength in the battle…and how proud he was of her.
xxxx
/Kakashi's Flashback/
/Four Days Ago/
/Konohagakure, Fire Country/
The mighty black dragon – now known as Bahamut – snarled viciously at the Leaf ninja as it charged at them. They all leapt out of the way as the dragon landed behind them, whirling around to prepare another charge.
Kakashi, Gai, and Tsunade glanced at each other. They knew it immediately; despite the apparent – and obvious – ferocity of the summoned beast, they knew the last Nukenin – Himura Seijuro – was the biggest problem.
He was a high-caliber combatant…one that they had to handle.
So Tsunade immediately yelled, "Everyone! Attack Bahamut! Kakashi, Gai…attack Himura Seijuro!"
Kakashi and Gai nodded as they leapt forward. Tsundae slammed her fist into the ground, creating a tremendous spider-web of cracks that caused the dragon to stumble. Himura impulsively leapt off of his summoned beast, glaring down at Kakashi and Gai.
Gai leapt high into the air, roaring, "Konoha Shoufuu! Leaf Rising Gust!" Lee's mentor lashed out with his leg, aiming for the chin so that he could send the Nukenin even higher.
However, Himura would have none of that. He lightly grabbed Gai's foot and pushed himself off the Leaf Jonin; he flipped in the air and landed calmly landed on the ground, his cape fluttering in the wind. He looked up to see a watery dragon – Suiryuudan no jutsu, courtesy of Kakashi – charging straight at him.
Himura quickly knelt down, saying, "Doton; Doruki Gaeshi." He immediately slammed his palms into the ground, causing a section of the ground to flip up. "Earth Element; Wall Land Flip."
The watery dragon slammed into the panel of upturned earth, exploding into hundreds of water particles. The earthen barrier remained intact.
That is, until Tsunade's fist broke through it. The Hokage launched her other fist at Himura, who casually ducked and flipped backwards, sending her backwards with a kick to the chin. The white-haired renegade sighed as he stared calmly at the Tsunade, Kakashi, and Gai. "Come…provide more of a challenge."
Meanwhile…
TenTen unrolled a scroll, summoning five small green objects lined with explosive tags. The objects were shaped like semi-circles, and they were made of metal. The tags flickered with fire as she threw them at Bahamut. They were thrown expertly, with the curved side aimed at the dragon.
The tags exploded moments later, causing the five semi-circles to shatter. They expelled a shower of metallic fragments at the black beast, intended to cause heavy damage.
However, the metal fragments merely bounced off the hardy scales of the mighty summoned beast. TenTen sweatdropped as Bahamut snarled viciously. "That's not good…"
The dragon lashed at TenTen with its tail; the Leaf ninja would've been sliced in two by the razor-sharp diamond tip had Neji not grabbed her and leapt away.
Suddenly, Shikamaru quickly performed a few katas, saying, "Kagemane no jutsu! Shadow Copy Technique!' Utilizing the shadows of fallen houses, Shikamaru's shadow extended forward and merged with Bahamut's…and immediately, he felt the strain. Well…so much for trying to stall it. That beast is too strong…I can only hold it off for twenty more seconds…maybe less! Even now, Bahamut was growling, its muscles pulsing as it tried to move.
Still, this didn't stop Rock Lee from getting in as many hits as he could. The dragon flinched as punch after kick after elbow (repeat ad nauseum) slammed into its face. "HYO!"
As this happened, Kankuro cursed. "Crap…there goes any chance of me helping out." After all, his puppets were mainly based around trapping human-sized opponents and utilizing knives. Neither would do very well against an opponent capable of simply stepping on his puppets and crushing them.
Instead, he glanced at Ino and Sakura, who were both standing protectively in front of the wounded ninjas…and he made his decision. "You two. I'll protect the fatso and the other deadbeats. You help out."
Ino twitched at Kankuro's calling of Chouji 'fatso'. "That's a forbidden word!"
"He ain't awake to hear it, is he?" countered Kankuro with a blank face. Ino had no reply.
Sakura, however, stared past Kankuro and at Bahamut. It had been a long time since she had felt such fear; not since her days as a Genin had she felt the apprehension she felt right now. Sure, it didn't compare – nor could it – to when Orochimaru's killing intent had immobilized her in the Forest of Death…but it did outpace the fear she felt from Zabuza by a long shot. How…how can we win…?
Bahamut roared as it continued to try and break free. Shino called upon his destruction bugs, sending them to the beast's joints. They became one solid mass upon each joint, further immobilizing the beast and easing the load on Shikamaru…for all the good that did. Bahamut would still break out within the next thirty seconds.
Sakura's will suddenly hardened. Why was she hesitating? She was the apprentice of the Hokage…and even more importantly, she was a ninja of the Hidden Leaf. She had a duty: to fight!
Ino suddenly blinked as her rival said, "Come on Ino; we'll leave the care of Chouji and the others to Kankuro."
"But…" mumbled Ino, obviously not ready to fight Bahamut…or to leave her teammate's side.
Sakura smirked at her rival. "You know…this'll give me a lot of bragging rights."
That was all it took.
"YOU'RE ON!" roared Ino as she glared angrily at Sakura.
Kankuro sweatdropped at the sight. Women. So fickle. He coughed to get their attention. "Now that that's out of the way…you two get a move on." He stood quietly atop Sanshouuo, moving into a defensive position in front of the injured shinobi. "I'll take care of fatso and the others."
Sakura and Ino nodded…and neither of them noticed that Chouji had twitched both times Kankuro had uttered the word 'fatso'.
"RAAAAAAAAARRRGH!"
Everyone froze at the sound of Bahamut's earth-shattering roar. With one quick thrash, it broke free of Shikamaru's shadow and Shino's bugs before charging at the nearest target: Lee.
Rock Lee blanched; the summoned beast was deceptively fast. I can't get away in time!
SLAM!
Bahamut howled as Sakura's fist slammed into its face; her monstrous strength was displayed quiet clearly as the dragon fell onto its side. Haruno Sakura grinned as she landed on her feet. She was quite thankful…for the mighty strength of Tsunade the Legendary Leaf.
Lee's eyes sparkled as he pumped his fist. "OOOOH! WHAT TREMENDOUS POWER! YET SUCH GRACE! YOUR YOUTHFUL FIRE OUTSHINES EVEN MINE! WHAT A GREAT NINJA YOU ARE, SAKURA-CHAN!"
Neji and TenTen sweatdropped. There he goes again.
Bahamut, however, was not so easily amused. The beast grumbled as it got to its feet and leapt at Sakura.
Meanwhile…
"Suiton; Mizuseki no jutsu. Water Element; Water Barrier." Himura remained deathly silent as water erupted from his mouth, forming a powerful barrier around him. Four fists slammed into the barrier moments later; the fists belonged to Gai and Tsunade.
The barrier bent inward a little due to the massive strength…but it didn't break. Gai and Tsunade grimaced as Himura Seijuro suddenly dropped the shield and struck with quick punches to the face.
Meanwhile, Kakashi watched on as his Sharingan eye copied the workings of Mizuseki no jutsu. Hmm…skilled with taijutsu, exceptionally quick, lots of chakra, elemental jutsus, and a summoned beast…Akatsuki sure picked the cream of the crop with this guy. Still, it mattered not.
No matter what the strength of an enemy was, an enemy was still an enemy. Kakashi quickly pulled out a kunai and threw it at Himura. As the kunai knife flew towards the Nukenin, the Jonin performed a set of hand seals. "Kage kunai no jutsu! Shadow Kunai!"
The one kunai split apart into two dozen…except the twenty-four kunai knives were no more than an inch apart from each other.
Himura Seijuro ducked underneath the wave of kunai knives, barely managing to see Kakashi in time. The Nukenin only saw Kakashi wielding a kunai knife in one hand.
To the Leaf ninja's surprise, Himura countered…with his right index finger. That finger was glowing with red fire. Huh…sort of like Blaze's Faiahasaki…but with only one finger. Very impressive… "You're not bad."
"Don't waste time talking. It degrades the experience," retorted Himura Seijuro as he yelled, "Hirameshige! FLASHKICK!" In the blink of an eye, the last of Akatsuki's Nukenin performed two stationary flips, kicking Kakashi a total of four times. The Sharingan user saw stars – so unexpected was the attack – before Himura sent him flying with a sidekick to the gut.
Suddenly…
"First, Second, Third – Initial, Heal, and Life Gates – OPEN!"
Himura whirled around to see Maito Gai charging at him. His entire body circulated with a green and blue chakra aura, and his skin had turned red. The Nukenin frowned. He's opened three of the eight Celestial Gates…his chakra, speed, and strength have increased dramatically.
"ORAH!" roared Gai as he launched a flurry of kicks and punches at Himura. The Nukenin quickly brought up a Water Barrier…but all of Gai's hits had come within the span of two seconds.
The barrier dissipated…and the sheer momentum behind Gai's attack sent Himura flying backwards, even though he hadn't actually been hit.
Suddenly, Himura turned around to see Tsunade, this time opting for a kick with her left leg.
The Nukenin was unable to prevent the leg from colliding with his left arm…and to his great displeasure, every single bone in that arm was shattered. Tsunade smirked as she landed several yards away. Good…he's down by one arm.
Himura Seijuro stared apathetically at his limp left arm…and then he casually ripped it out from the shoulder socket. "A shattered arm is as good as none." Blood leaked slowly from the wound…but that didn't concern the Nukenin. "One is still enough to finish you three off."
/End Flashback/
xxxx
/Naruto's Flashback/
/Yesterday/
/Outside Sunagakure, Wind Country/
"AGH!"
Naruto gagged as he stumbled backwards, dropping both of his kunai knives. Blood leaked from the left side of his chest.
As for Akira…he held his steam weapon – a katana – lightly. The blood from Naruto fell off of it completely, as droplets. The former Waterfall ninja grinned as he casually balanced the steam blade on his finger. "You idiot. I'm a master of steam…and in my hands, it's as malleable as air. Did you really think you could parry my blade with your pathetic kunai knives?"
HE'S WASTING HIS BREATH.
Naruto blinked; this was the first time all day Kyuubi had said something positive. Heh…looks like he's irritating you too, eh?
NO.
Naruto blinked. Huh?
HE'S ATTEMPTING AN IMPOSSIBLE TASK: TRYING TO TEACH YOU SOMETHING.
HEY!
OH, AND LOOK OUT.
Naruto suddenly snapped back to reality moments before Akira's katana slammed into his gut. Blood rushed forward from the horizontal cut as the Leaf ninja was sent backwards.
Akira sighed whimsically as he tapped the blade against his heel. "Poor poor boy…you're not even trying."
"Rrr…shut up…" growled Naruto.
HE'S RIGHT OF COURSE. RELEASE ME.
HOW'S THAT TRYING MY HARDEST?
I DO ALL THE WORK, YOU GET TO REST.
Fat chance!
I'LL KEEP TRYING. YOU'LL GIVE IN EVENTUALLY.
Naruto shook his head to clear Kyuubi's banter from his mind. The blonde-haired Genin quickly performed a set of katas, roaring, "Kage bunshin no jutsu!"
Ten Narutos suddenly bum-rushed Akira. The former Waterfall ninja sighed ruefully. "BOR-RING." He too performed a set of katas as his steam katana dissipated into a puff of vapor. "Kitai bunshin no jutsu!" More of the water on the sandy ground evaporated, forming large clouds of steam. "Vapor Clone!" They immediately formed into five distinct copies of the Akatsuki steam user.
The Narutos gaped as the five Akiras rushed at them. One of the Narutos chuckled, boasting, "Come on! It's two on one! We can win!" To prove his point, he jumped into air, aiming his heel for the far left Akira's head.
Suddenly, the head split in half, reverting to a mass of steam. The Naruto clone blanched as he sailed clean past the vapor clone, landing awkwardly on the other side. "Urg…"
The head reformed, revealing a smirking clone. "It'll take more than that to bear us…" The five clones chuckled as their hands formed more steam weapons: daggers, sai, swords, chains, and scythes respectively from left-to-right.
The Narutos gulped as the five vapor clones smirked. Akira's copies immediately charged.
Speaking of Akira, he was already back to reading Icha Icha Paradise. After all, he wasn't fighting at the moment. So why should he waste any time? His face flushed red as he muttered, "Heh heh…nice boobs…"
Naruto – the real one – seethed as he leapt away from the melee; his clones were being massacred by the vapor clones, and the stupid pervert was looking at pictures of breasts! "Gah…WE! ARE! FIGHTING!" Anger filling his veins, Naruto roared, "Kinton; Hagane Ame!" A slab of metal erupted from the ground…and the gigantic slab split apart into hundreds of tiny razor-sharp needles. "METAL ELEMENT; STEEL RAIN!"
Naruto dispelled his shadow clones, causing the vapor clones to pause out of confusion. One second later – before they could even split apart to avoid taking damage – they were skewered by hundreds of needles.
Fujiwara Akira frowned as his five clones dispersed into harmless puffs of vapor. "Now that wasn't nice. I was just getting back into this."
Uzumaki Naruto snorted as he replied, "I DON'T CARE! We're supposed to be fighting…and if I have to play dirty to get that point across, I WILL! Kage bunshin no jutsu!" Naruto split apart into twenty different copies. This caused Akira to sigh. "This lame trick again…?"
However, something was different this time…because then they all immediately yelled, "HENGE!" They all disappeared in a cloud of smoke – the traditional sign of transformation – before Naruto and his clones were completely revealed.
They had all transformed into buxom naked women.
It was Naruto's infamous 'Harem no jutsu'.
With girlish voices, they all moaned and cried, "Ohhh! Fujiwara-kun!"
Akira's jaw dropped as they started fawning all over him. His rational mind should've told him that they were merely clones disguised as beautiful women…but his body was too busy being surrounded by naked women to register that thought. "Ah…ah…AH…"
Finally, a torrent of blood erupted from his nose. The former Waterfall ninja flew backwards as he landed into the ground, no thanks to his nosebleed. "Urgh…"
The twenty Naruto-Girls giggled as they disappeared in a large cloud of smoke…and when the smoke scattered, it revealed a single chuckling Naruto. "Heh heh…how about that?"
"That was…a cheap shot…" growled Akira. "And I HATE cheap shots that aren't coming from me!"
Naruto sweatdropped. "Uh, DUH."
"Which is why…you'll have to take THIS!" A quick set of katas later, and Akira performed the sign of the Boar: Ousu-buta. "Kaonenmu no jutsu!" More of the water that had soaked into the sand suddenly evaporated into a large cloud. "Suffocating Fog of Heat!"
Naruto yelped as the steam cloud surrounded him…and he immediately began gagging and coughing. "Uhu-uhak! What…can't…"
"Breathe?" mocked Akira as he stepped towards the suffocating Naruto. "This technique was made for the purpose of suffocation…but then again, you probably knew that. You'll eventually die…but you'll pass out long before then." The Akatsuki ninja cackled as he calmly pulled out his copy of Icha Icha Paradise. "Now, I'll just wait while you pass out…he he…"
Naruto scoffed as he coughed. "Rrr…you…"
READY FOR MY HELP YET?
NO! I'M NOT GOING TO LET YOU OUT!
IS THAT SO?
YEAH!
EVEN IF YOU DIE?
…GAH! I HATE IT WHEN YOU GIVE ME THESE KIND OF DECISIONS!
THERE'S A SIMPLER DECISION: LET ME OUT, OR YOU DIE.
Here's a better one: gimme your chakra!
VERY WELL. YOU'LL CRACK AND LET ME OUT EVENTUALLY.
Like HECK I will! This is my fight! Although it sounded rather serious, Naruto and Kyuubi ALWAYS bickered like that…and Naruto knew that even IF Kyuubi were to be 'let out' (as the accursed fox liked to put it), he wouldn't be able to escape. Not while he was still alive.
Naruto snarled as the red, demonic chakra of the Kyuubi filled his body. His blue eyes turned red. He grew fangs. His nails sharpened into claws. His whisker marks widened. His chakra aura grew larger…and larger…
Akira blinked as he raised his eyes towards Naruto. Hmm…he's calling upon the Nine Tails chakra now…
CHOOM!
The cloud of suffocating fog was suddenly torn apart by Naruto's aura…and he roared as he slashed at Akira's direction. The chakra around his arm grew, becoming an extendable arm that lashed at the former Waterfall ninja.
Fujiwara Akira paled. Fast…!
Rrrrriiiiip!
Akira had dodged it…but his book had been hit. The Waterfall ninja gaped as his copy of Icha Icha Paradise fell to the desert floor in shreds.
OOH. HITTING HIM WHERE IT HURTS.
Heh heh…what can I say? I have a flair for the dramatic.
"You…jerk…"
Naruto turned his eyes towards Akira, who was growling like a possessed demon. "Do you know how hard it was for me to GET THAT COPY? Joukibuki no jutsu!" The Weapon of Steam that formed this time, however, were multi-barreled steam guns on his shoulders. "Advanced Steam Weapon Technique: GATLING GUN!"
The steamy (literally) gatling guns suddenly opened fire, spewing vaporous bullets at Naruto. The fox boy spun around, whacking at the incoming projectiles with his red chakra tail. "You'll have to do better than that!"
"FINE THEN!" roared Akira. His steamy gatling guns dissolved as he performed several hand seals, yelling, "Suiton; Endainami no jutsu! Water Element; Grand Wave!" A tremendous surge of water erupted from the ninja's mouth, rushing at Naruto.
"RAAAAAAAAAAR!" That mighty roar accompanied a massive wave of invisible power rushing at the wave. The wave suddenly stopped; its momentum had been utterly drained away, causing the water to fall in one massive downpour. "Heh heh…too bad…"
"Doesn't matter to me either way," joked Akira as he performed more katas. "The only reason I know water jutsus is to give myself more STEAM!" As the massive amount of water evaporated into a massive puff of steam, he roared, "Joukibuki no jutsu! Advanced Steam Weapon Technique: Giant Robot!"
To Naruto's utter shock the steam cloud formed into exactly what Akira said; a giant robot. Well, the shape of one, anyway…and it was a shape Naruto recognized.
And it infuriated him. "YOU RIPOFF!" Naruto angrily jabbed a finger at Akira as he hollered, "YOU COPIED THAT FROM MOBILE SUIT GUN-GUN!"
…MOBILE…SUIT…GUN-GUN…? DO I HONESTLY EVEN NEED TO KNOW?
"So what if I ripped it off?" retorted Akira. "I'll just do as Mobile Suit Gun-Gun…AND CRUSH YOU!"
The GSR (Giant Steam Robot) lifted its foot to crush Naruto.
This only caused Naruto to grin. "Heh…fine then…BRING IT ON!" The fox boy, his chakra flaring blood red, leapt upward at Akira's giant robot.
xxxx
/Sasuke's Flashback/
/Yesterday/
/Outside Sunagakure, Wind Country/
The flash of fire and lightning ceased…and it revealed two Uchiha.
But the winner of that clash…had been Unari.
Uchiha Itachi had been the victor: he was still standing.
Uchiha Sasuke had been the loser: he was on the ground, his burned left fist twitching out of pain.
Itachi calmly muttered, "It appears you have yet to gain the power necessary to kill me." Even so, the Chidori attack had numbed his right hand. The feeling had yet to return to it. That was impressive enough.
"Shut up…" Sasuke growled as he flipped off of his right hand, landing several yards away. He growled angrily as he tried flexing his burned left hand; it hurt…but nothing he couldn't handle.
No. What he couldn't handle was the fact that Itachi still proved himself to be superior. As he was now…he couldn't win.
But then again, he had an ace up his sleeve: Orochimaru's Curse Seal…
No. Not yet. He wanted to hold that one off for now…even though the power offered by the Curse Seal was great, the strain on his body was murderous. He had gotten to the point, thankfully, where he could stay at Curse Seal Level 1 for about an hour before the pain came. For Level 2, it was only ten minutes…and as for Level 3…
He didn't want to think that Itachi was THAT far beyond him…
"Are you going to continue this brother?" asked Itachi as he stood stoically on the sandy dune. "It should be clear that you are not yet strong enough to kill me. If you want to end my life…use your curse power."
Sasuke smirked. "You think I'm that desperate? That I'm so weak, that I can't go on my own for even a little while…?" Chuckling occurred…and it was not out of humor, but out of rage. "You think very little of me Itachi…that's the wrong thing to DO!" Sasuke roared as he fired one shuriken before performing a set of katas. "Kage shuriken no jutsu!" Just like before, the shuriken split into many.
Oddly enough, Itachi didn't move.
The shurikens all sliced at him…but to Sasuke's surprise, Itachi's body split apart into a number of ravens. Genjutsu…quick of him to bring it out this quickly.
The ravens flew all around him, cawing and crowing.
Disorientation.
Confusion.
Bewilderment.
Those were the goals for those who used genjutsu illusions on the enemy. To make them so disoriented and wary that they can't tell where the opponent will strike from…
Sasuke chuckled; he wasn't so clueless. He was a true successor to the Sharingan…and he already knew where Itachi was. He calmly pulled his red ocarina out of a pouch on his belt and put his lips to it. "Otoaori no jutsu! Sound Gale!"
He aimed the holes on top of the red ocarina at the ground, letting the music pour out from within…and thus expelling a tremendous burst of air that blew away the sand around him.
Itachi was revealed. He had hidden under the sand, using his genjutsu to distract Sasuke while he hid. Sasuke also wasn't surprised to see him at the last hand seal – Tora, the Sign for Tiger – for Goukakyuu no jutsu. "Heh…you underestimated me again Itachi!" He blew into the ocarina again, creating another powerful Sound Gale that blasted into his older brother.
Itachi's black-and-red cloud cloak fluttered in the face of the wind; frowning, the older Uchiha leapt upward to avoid the rest of the gale, inhaling all the while. "GRAND FIREBALL!"
Sasuke was silent as he watched the giant fireball roar down at him, as if an angry deity from above was about to smite him. Despite the analogy…he grinned. Heh, thought Sauske as he pocketed his ocarina. Now to turn the tables…
His Sharingan eyes swirled.
Itachi watched as he slowly fell. The fireball exploded…but he knew Sasuke had evaded it. Now where did he…?
He was on his knees.
Itachi's eyes slightly narrowed. He's using genjutsu on me. He glanced back to Sasuke…except he was on fire.
The fiery Sasuke glared at Itachi, speaking in an otherworldly voice. "YoU…dEsTrOyEd…THEM! ThE fAmIlY…yOu…WiLl…PAY!" The fiery Sasuke reared his punch, intending to slam into Itachi's face.
Itachi narrowed his eyes…and then he snapped his right elbow back.
"AGH!"
The illusion disappeared. The fiery Sasuke vanished…and the REAL Sasuke appeared, who had been running up to stab Itachi in the back with a kunai knife.
Sasuke grimaced as he landed twelve yards away, his forehead leaking blood from the wound inflicted by Itachi's elbow. The elder Uchiha sighed. "Pathetic…such a rudimentary illusion. Do you really expect to kill me…with such worthless parlor tricks?"
When the dust cleared from Sasuke's landing…he stood.
Itachi frowned at the sight of his little brother. Hmm?
Red marks were swirling around his body from the curse seal on his neck…and when they completely solidified on his skin, they became pitch-black in color. Sasuke's chakra flared around him…but now it was colored purple, due to the curse seal. "Curse Seal...Level 1..."
Itachi's eyes narrowed. The Heaven curse seal…given to him by Orochimaru. He's using its power…
"Pathetic am I…?" whispered Sasuke, his frame shivering. Not out of fear…but out of rage. "Worthless am I…?"
Sasuke flashed his red eyes at his older brother. Eyes full of hatred. "Do you really think so little of me? YOUR EXECUTIONER?" Sasuke struck the ground with his fist. The force behind it caused a shockwave that forced (pun intended) Itachi to leap into the air. "Well guess what…you may think you're still better than me…BUT YOU'RE NOT SUPERIOR ANYMORE."
As Sasuke performed some more katas, he growled, "I will kill you Itachi…you've known this day will come…you've known it ever since I saw you standing over our parents' corpses…"
Itachi was silent in the face of Sasuke's accusations.
"Now…DIE! Katon; Zanbato!" A thin pole of fire sprouted out of Sasuke's hands…but a massive ten-foot long blade sprouted out of the top of the pole. The fiery blade was one-foot wide…and Sasuke held it above his head with both hands. "Fire Element…Zanbato."
Zanbato…the longest type of sword there is, thought Itachi with a frown. This is an ancient technique of the Uchiha clan…back from the days before the countries had fully formed. An Uchiha bloodline limit…hmm. That was troublesome. Itachi did not know this technique…and since it was a technique unique only to the Uchiha blood, he couldn't copy it like he could with the others. This might be troublesome…
"Now…DIE!" Sasuke roared as he charged with a speed that defied all expectations. Even Itachi was surprised.
Sasuke roared as he raised the flaming Zanbato above his head before swinging downward. Itachi raised his arms as the blade hit.
BOOOM!
The ground where Itachi had stood exploded in a massive rush of fire.
xxxx
To be continued…
Next time…
End of Konoha's Battle! Four-Part Battle Royal!
xxxx
Author's Notes: Bleh. Sorry it took so long to update; it took awhile to get back into the sync of things after the family reunion.
But don't worry; the next update shall be quicker!
And in case you didn't guess it, the 'Mobile Suit Gun-Gun' Naruto mentioned is a parody of 'Mobile Suit Gundam'. You know; sort of like the giant robot manga to go to in Naruto's world.
See you soon, and please review!