If you don't read my Fruits Basket story, then the memo is that i wanted to do my thank you review list but I'm on borrowed time and internet! So sorry!

(c) Masashi Kishimoto

Song: Rainbow - To me

Annnnd we're back! You happy now! I hope…if not I blame the petition going on! *Shakes fist* The internet world has finally gone to the pits. I read that some people are leaving fiction, taking their stories with them! If there is another site like this other than Fictionpress someone tell me!

Anyway, this chapter is in dedication to new life and birth.

Thank yous:

Yasumi Mizuki: Thank you for saying so it makes me happy that you think so. Even if I don't get a lot of reviews or the same people review, it's okay, I'll still write chapters for the heck of it! ^.^

Yachiru Hatake: Yes, we all have reasons to betray someone. *nod nod* Thank you for loving my stories! They love you too!

MoonBeams 17: Updated! Victory is mine!

AlyEatzMonsterzzNomNomNom: 0.o I got a cramp in my finger just typing that! That's the longest user name I ever typed in my life! Thank you for alerting!

Etsuko Mori: Thank you, sorry about no Sai, but I promised a friend that I would include her in since she's crazy with a capital 'c' and '!' about Naruto.

Yami Mizuna: *Crushes you in a hug back!* . lol, Thank you for having me back! I try not to be away for so long, but you know authors! We go away sometimes; my sister claims that I'm procrastinating but I assure that that's not the case at all…it get hot (around 96 and above) around here and it makes me nauseas and therefore can't focus.

Princesa de la Luna: Sorry for short replies. I will work on Dnangel shortly or longly?

XXTakaraXX: Of course! It would be silly if it were anyone else.

Ilovebrownies:

AnimeLover423:

AliceMarieSwan: I shall always keep writing! It's my life! And its no joke! If you see Orochimaru run like hell!

Kxtten

Blackraven777

XxAngelsvsDevilsxX

AnimeFreak67

Fairytale – GhostPrincess

BlackRose54 – I want to be drunk on sugar!

Noel Ardnek

XxanimeaddictxX – 0.o is everything alright over there? Are all police men account for?

CheeRo94

Shibien11

ChocolatSugar

Naruto Shippuden

Orochimaru stepped forward again, raising his right arm, "I'll ask you again…" Naruto and Shiori took two steps back, "…Whose side are you on?!" Two serpent snakes slithered out of Orochimaru's arm, aiming to strike Naruto. "Striking Snake Jutsu!"

Shiori grabbed Naruto by the sleeve and pulled him behind her with all her strength. When he landed on his feet behind her, Shiori countered his snake with her own.

Orochimaru's smirk fell a bit, "I see…I forgot about your little ability…and it appears that you picked the wrong side…"

Shiori kept her eyes focused on Orochimaru, "Naruto, you go find Sasuke while I deal with him…"

Naruto eyes widen a bit, "What? You-"

Shiori's eyes narrowed, "Your mission from the start is to find Sasuke! Stop dilly-dallying and go!"

Naruto hesitated to agree. He didn't want to leave her behind to deal with someone like Orochimaru, but he had to believe in her. She was giving him an opportunity to find Sasuke, "Alright…Meet up with us soon." He turned in the other direction and grabbed her bag before he ran he looked over his shoulder to say, "Good luck."

When Naruto rounded the corner at the end of the hall Orochimaru chuckled, amused, "So they came to retrieve Sasuke? I must commend them for their bravery, but it's a hopeless cause. Sasuke wants nothing to do with them or Konoha."

"That may be so…" Shiori recalled the snakes and took a stance, "But I'm sure the others don't care about the odds, whether Sasuke wants to or not, they're bringing him back to Konoha and I'm going to help."

-0-

Ryoko opened what seemed like her 70th door and growled demonically when she saw it was empty again, "Again?! How many empty rooms does this pale-face freak have?!" She slammed the door out of anger, "Sasuke Uchiha! Bring your two-faced backstabbing duck butt head out here now!"

Yamato ignore her outburst out of understanding. They had been searching for a long time and have come up short. What's worse is the feeling of dread settling in him. He sensed that Naruto and Shiori have gone in far separate directions…

"Ryoko," Ryoko stopped her rant to face Yamato, "Naruto and Shiori have separated. I'm worried because Naruto's chakra is acting weird."

Ryoko quirked an eyebrow at this but nodded anyway. Something was wrong with Naruto so Sasuke would have to wait. They weren't having any luck anyway.

-0-

Shiori poked her head around a corner. 'He's around here…' She crept quietly down the hall to a locked door and pressed her ear to it. She couldn't hear anything but she had a feeling he was in there. Pressing her right hand to the floor she allowed two small snakes to slither down her arm. The snakes looked up at her awaiting orders. She pointed to the door and the snakes slither quietly under the door without a hiss.

-0-

Orochimaru threw a kunai through Shiori's stomach, dispelling the shadow clone, much to his annoyance. "So it was a shadow clone after all." He looked down the hall where Naruto disappeared, "This is the second time I let you live…a debt you will surely repay me when you defeat one more Akatsuki member for me." He snickered, "Now where is that little mouse, Shiori?"

-0-

"Naruto!" Ryoko gasped when they found Naruto slouched against the wall exhausted with Shiori's bag near his feet. Ryoko kneeled at his side, looking at him in concern, "Are you alright? Where's Shiori?"

Naruto grunted as he shifted a bit, "She told me to look for Sasuke while she holds off Orochimaru…For some reason my body won't move…"

Ryoko took off her pack to look for the bottle with blue liquid, "You're still recovering from going Nine-tailed Fox on us." She pulled the cork off the bottle and handed it to Naruto to drink, "It's going to take a lot of rest to replenish your chakra. That," She gestures to the blue liquid, "will only give you a temporary boost, you can't fight anymore."

"That's fine." Naruto downed the liquid in three gulps and handed the bottle back, "But I'm getting worried about Shiori fighting Orochimaru."

Yamato paid them no mind while he went through Shiori's pack. He was still unsure if they could trust Shiori yet.

"You worried about her?" Ryoko asked, shocked by the look on Naruto's face. Ever since the beginning of the mission, Naruto hated Shiori's guts and wanted nothing to do with her-now he was concerned for her wellbeing.

Naruto slowly got to his feet, "Yeah. Before Orochimaru showed up, she told me a little bit about herself and I completely misjudged her. I saw her smile for the first time…a real smile. She doesn't mean to talk or act the way she does, she just doesn't know how to interact with us."

Yamato frowned with he pulled out a medium hard back book. One very familiar to him, "Oh no…"

Ryoko and Naruto looked at him, "What's wrong?"

Yamato showed them the black book, "This…"

-0-0-

Both snakes slithered up the door; one coiled itself around the doorknob while the other slithered into the key hole. When the lock was picked, the snake turned the knob to allow Shiori in.

-0-0-

"What is that?"

"This is a Bingo book standard issue to Black Ops members," He explained, "It lists one's target for assassination." Yamato stated, flipping through the pages, "Shiori should not have this when she's not in Black Ops anymore…"

Naruto noticed the big x marks on some of the pictures, "What do the x marks mean?"

"The people she already killed." Yamato answered, flipping the pages once more before coming to a stop, "No…"

Ryoko looked at the page he was looking at and gasped when she saw a picture Sasuke when he was a Genin, "W-what? Why is Sasuke in her Bingo Book?"

"His face isn't marked yet…that must be her real mission!" Yamato frowned, ashamed he didn't realize her true motives sooner, "Her mission wasn't to be the go between for Danzo and Orochimaru- her mission is to kill Sasuke!"

Naruto quickly shook his head in denial, "N-no! Wait! Before we separated she said she was going to help us get Sasuke back! And she smiled for the first time- I really think she changed!"

"I dunno," Ryoko frowned with doubt, "She was in Anbu and she's in this thing called Roots…both organizations teach you to lock your emotions really well and how to deceive your opponents…she could've been leading us all into a false sense of security." She clenched her fists at her sides, "She really had us fooled."

Yamato studied the picture next to Sasuke, "She may be a kunoichi of many faces but she might be loyal to Konoha…" He lowered the book for them to see the picture next to Sasuke's, "This guy is a Kirigakure Jounin who has taken a hard-line attitude towards Konoha." He flipped through the pages again to confirm the idea, "So it seems that she's been assign to dispose of those who pose a threat to Konoha…and Sasuke is currently on that list."

Ryoko crossed her arms and shifted her weight on her left side, "She really is underhanded. She claims to have loyalty to Konoha, but she does mission that will lead to Konoha's downfall. She's not a trustworthy person."

Naruto frowned sadly as he stared at the floor. He had really believed that Shiori was changing…she had finally showed emotions from the heart…were it all really an illusion to fool them? His eyes harden with anger. He wasn't going to trust her again…she was a two-faced liar. "Let's go find her!"

-0-0-

Rather than be tactful Shiori entered the room with no fear. "Sasuke Uchiha."

Sasuke didn't move from his spot on his bed, "Is there a reason why you're disturbing my rest?" He asked, not at all in the mood.

"Yes," Shiori's face remained impassive, "Two reasons actually. You're placed in the Anbu Black Ops Bingo Book for assassination and it's my mission to kill you."

Sasuke still didn't move. "Is that all?"

"My second mission straight from The Hokage is to bring you back to Konoha, preferably alive." She walked in closer, "Although it's none of your business and you most likely don't care, but I've come to a difficult impasse. At first I wasn't sure whether to kill you or bring you to Konoha…but after dealing with Ryoko and Naruto and seeing their determination to get you back to Konoha alive…" Her eyes harden with determination and used the tiger hand seal, "I've decided to bring you back to Konoha."

"Bring me back to Konoha?" He repeated her, shifting slightly, "That's the reason you disturbed my rest?"

-0-

Boom! Crash!

Everyone skidded to a stop when they heard the giant explosion. They barely got footing when they felt the aftershock shake the entire base.

"What in the world was that?!" Ryoko shouted over the falling rocks.

Yamato looked in the direction where they came from, "It came from that way! Shiori's chakra is there too!"

"…!" They all ran towards the explosions.

-0-

Shiori dispelled the rock dome that protected her from the boulders that crashed on her when Sasuke literally brought the roof down on top of them. Standing on her feet, she looked up at Sasuke standing coolly above her.

Matching his stare, she raised her hands to make a hand seal but her reflexes sensed Ryoko coming near her, looking surprisingly calm.

"Are you alright?" She asked concerned.

Shiori didn't move her eyes from Sasuke. He was fast, very fast. If she so much as blinked, she would miss him move. "I'm fine…"

Ryoko's calm façade fell and irritation took its place, "Good! Because I'm going to kill you – you two-face-!"

"Hn…If it isn't little Ryoko…"

Ryoko stopped her threat when she heard that familiar annoying apathetic voice…the very voice that made her want to punch his face in during their academy and Genin days…the very voice that pushed and inspired her to be stronger...the very voice that her heart foolishly fell in love with…the very voice belonged to the boy they had been searching tirelessly for… "Sasuke…Uchiha…"

He still looked the same to her. The same empty grey eyes…the same hair, nose, and mouth. She nearly snorted when she noticed he still had the same 'I-know-I'm-better-than-you' attitude. But he was paler than he had been before, probably from being underground all the time. He was taller, sure, and with his shirt open you could see a bit of muscle that he developed from his training, but his clothing attire had changed. He wore a white open longed sleeved shirt, similar to how Kimimaru wore his. 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 wore by Orochimaru.

Sasuke watched her with a calculating stare. She had grown and filled out a lot over the passed three years, he had to admit. Her eyes held maturity and experience, more than she had before when he last saw her on that day. He noticed that arms and legs were more firm and toned then they had been last time too… Even in the past she could never be physically strong…three years she must've developed muscles and strength. Three years did wonders on her and if anything he found her more attractive than he did three years ago. He could tell that she can carry herself now, "Well, look who's a big girl now. You're not in my shadow anymore, are you? Second place?"

Ryoko gritted her teeth in irritation. He was bringing up the past to taunt her! "I'm not second to you. You know very well that you were the top rookie in the boy division and I was the top in the girls."

Sasuke nearly chuckled but he didn't break his apathetic look, "But compared to me I was clearly better than you…" He eyes shifted as Naruto came bursting in on the scene, joining Ryoko's side, "…and Naruto…"

Hearing his name his head snapped up at Sasuke, eyes wide at seeing his friend, rivial, and brother before his eyes for the first time in three long years. "Sasuke…"

"You're here too…I assume Kakashi's here somewhere…"

For once Sasuke was wrong when Yamato joined the others, "Sorry, Kakashi couldn't make it. I'm here in his stead. We of Team Kakashi are here to take you back to Konoha."

"So that girl is my stand in…?" Sasuke glanced at Shiori for a moment before turning his attention back to the others, "I'll tell you just as I told that girl with the white hair…I have no intention of returning to Konoha-ever."

They turned their heads to Shiori in shock; she wasn't going to kill Sasuke like she had been ordered to? "Shiori…"

Shiori used her chakra to summon her Anbu katana and pointed it to Sasuke, "Yes, my original mission was to assassinate Sasuke, but someone made me think differently about my mission for the first time…" Naruto was startled when he saw her glance at him in the corner of her eye for an instant, "…I remembered why I wanted to be a kunoichi in the first place. It was to protect my younger siblings…I understand why Ryoko and Naruto are trying to hard to protect the bond the three of you share…I may not be close to them…" Her grip tightened on her katana, "…but I'm acting on my own actions for a change and I'm going to start with you. You understand that bond, don't you?"

"Yeah, I do…" Sasuke answered, "And that's exactly why I crushed them. I have a different bond now…a bond of hatred between my older brother and me…Personal bonds cause confusion and personal memories only make you weak."

'That can't true,' Naruto and Ryoko thought in defeat of Sasuke's words. Why would he want to sever the bonds he made with them? After everything they've been through…all the missions, all the cuts and bruises they got together, all the pain and happiness they went through together…how can he just throw away the bonds and memories they 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 nearly to the death, "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."

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

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

Ryoko glared, "That's a load of bull and you know it!" She pointed at him; her cat-like eyes slit with rage "You know Naruto kicked your ass!" Even a malicious smirk was on her face, "…or maybe you didn't have the balls to do it…"

Right when those words left her lips, Sasuke stood right between her and Naruto. He moved so quickly and quietly they didn't know that he moved until he spoke quietly in their ear. Ryoko visibly shivered as he spoke in her ear, "Your attitude certainly hasn't changed, Ryoko…" With his free hand he brushed a strand of her hair, "…tell me…" He whispered softly into her ear, "…do you remember…our last kiss…?"

He said it in such a taunting way that it made her blood boil. Outraged she moved her arm to swat him away, however her movements were slow compared to him. He was already standing closely in front of Naruto, in almost a one armed hug. "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 his 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 Shiori block his katana with her own.

"That was the wrong block," Sasuke told her.

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 lightening around his body shocking Naruto and Shiori into submission. "Chidori Stream!"

"You bastard!" Ryoko shouted, running towards him, rearing her fist back.

Sasuke's released his Sharingan eyes and raised his sword to attack her, but Yamato blocked it with a kunai. But Sasuke's sword was sharper and stronger than his kunai and cut right through it and piercing through Yamato's right shoulder.

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

Ryoko ran towards him again, jumping up to roundhouse kick him, "Try blocking this!"

Even though his sword was still embedded in Yamato, Sasuke still blocked Ryoko's powerful kick with his hand. Although his hand shook with minimal strain, 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 the Nine-tailed fox chakra, his fox like features were showing again.

-0-

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 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 at this, Sasuke was able to get ride 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…D…on't…kill…Na…ruto…You'll…regret it…"

-0-

While he was still 'distracted' Shiori shook herself of the numbness and used the rock foundation that Yamato was pinned against to push Sasuke's sword out of his shoulder. Sasuke snapped back into reality fast enough to dodge the wooden dome Yamato summoned to trap Sasuke and landed safely back into his original spot where he was looking down on them.

"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."

That came as a surprise to them.

"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…"

"…!"

"…"

Yamato overcame the numb feeling and stood on his feet, "Enough talk." He stated very serious, "Ryoko, Naruto…out of consideration for you two, I haven't taken drastic measures against Sasuke, but I can see I can't hold back any longer…I'm sorry…"

Ryoko wasn't sure if he meant to kill him but she could understand. Sasuke wasn't holding back when he attacked them, so they should not hold back either.

"Konoha…" If they intend to come at him, he would kill them all, "I'm done with you…" He made a hand seal and raised his hand above his head. Shiori could tell by the way his chakra was flaring around the raised hand that it was a powerful attack.

Before they could brace themselves, Orochimaru appeared with his hand stopping Sasuke's, "I wouldn't use that jutsu, Sasuke."

"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, "That's a pitiful excuse…"

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

"…" Sasuke looked down at his former teammates. As much as he wanted to get ride of them, he would stick to the plan. He snatched his hand out of Orochimaru's and together they disappeared before their eyes.

A bitter sense of defeat settled into Naruto and Ryoko's body. They had him within reach and they still couldn't get him. The mission was a...

Fail…