Bitter Foes

Two hours after flinging a kunai at Sasuke, Naruto was sitting in the small, circular office of Aoi Nakamura. He was slumped in his chair, glaring at the floor, blinking fast. Sitting in the waiting room with Takumi had been torture, as the ANBU guard kept stealing glances at the forlorn youth, awkwardly patting his shoulder every now and then. It hadn't made him feel any better. Naruto had sat there with his elbows on his knees, face in his hands. He hadn't looked up until his name was called.

Aoi Nakamura was a small, plump woman with rosy cheeks and hair so tightly curled it almost looked unnatural. The office was painted in a lively spring green with a plush cream carpet, decorated with rich oil paintings of the current Fire Lord, children, and Fire Country landscapes. A bonsai tree was the only decoration adorning her gleaming mahogany desk. The little woman beamed at him, and Naruto looked at her sullenly, wishing she would stop smiling at him like that. He randomly thought of Sai, smiling at Sakura and only irritating her further. The memory made him smile a little, until he realized he hadn't seen Sai in a very long time. Nakamura pretended she didn't notice her patient's sadness.

"Tsunade has told me much about you, Mr. Uzumaki. Yes, a most wonderful and brave hero!" she praised in a high voice. "I had my hopes for you when you were born." She beamed again, as if hoping her cheerfulness would rub off on her melancholy patient. Naruto said nothing, only nodded. Her smile cracked a little wider.

"Naruto, dear," she began, a little falteringly, then hopped off her seat and strode over to him. She was quite short, being able to look into his eyes while he was seated. She took his hand in her very small one, sausage fingers curling around his tanned hand. Naruto grimaced.

"I understand this must be a…trying time for you." She attempted a very soothing tone and patted his hand, but instead she only succeeded in sounding like the Academy nurse saying it was only a scratch after a kid had broken a bone. Naruto took a breath and politely accepted her kindness with a mumbled, "thanks". She patted his hand again and opened her mouth to talk more about how he was feeling, but he interrupted her.

"Please, just get it done with," he said quietly, looking fierce. Nakamura blinked, then bobbed her head, returning to her desk.

"Very well, we'll skip onto the procedure. I'll need to explain it to you-"

"Don't. Please, " Naruto sighed, looking away, feeling embarrassed to realize tears threatened to spill. He really didn't want to cry in front of this woman. The doctor cracked another wide, nervous smile.

"As you wish." She scribbled away on a sheet of paper. She glanced up at him again, seeming to go back and forth with a thought before deciding to go through with it. She smiled her nurse smile again, knotting her fingers under her chin.

"Naruto, dear, if you wouldn't mind, I would be simply thrilled if you would allow me to examine you and perform an ultrasound prior to the procedure for…educational means. This is such a rare occurrence, I'd be honored if you would let me jot down a few notes. Imagine the doors you would open for anyone else in your position in the future."

Naruto did his best to contain his anger. The kid is nothing but an experiment to her. He thought bitterly. As am I. She's eager for information. It was true, the good doctor was practically squirming in her seat in her excitement at the idea of getting her hands on Naruto.

Naruto tried to smile at her. "I'd prefer it if you did only what was asked of you."

The smile froze on Aoi's chubby face. She blinked, trying to keep it plastered on. "Very well, but it would have been very beneficial," she said breezily, containing her disappointment. She hopped off of her leather chair once more, opening the door for him.

"Well, let's get started, shall we?" she asked brightly. Naruto cocked an eyebrow at her enthusiasm, and honestly, it only made him feel worse. He noticed Takumi watching him from the hall and exhaled, rising to follow, feeling like a block of lead had settled in his stomach. Each step he took made him want to bolt, and his stomach began to ache with the thought.

As he exited the office, a siren pealed. Naruto froze, the doctor paled, and the ANBU guards quickly flanked Naruto, much to his annoyance. I'm pregnant not defenseless!

"Oh dear! Oh my gods!" The doctor was trying her best not to hyperventilate.

"What is it? What''s going on?" Naruto demanded. The clinic had been peaceful and quiet when he'd first arrived, now people were running about, some were fleeing out the door, some nurses were ushering people away shouting something about "a safe place" and "this isn't a drill".

"The village has been untouched by war as of yet, but it seems today marks the day we are no longer on the side lines." The doctor clutched at her chest, breathing raggedly. An ANBU guard tuned in to his headset and nodded at Takumi.

"Akatsuki members at the gate!" the voice on the headset relayed.

Takumi bristled. "Damn it-!"

"They have an army, sir," an ANBU agent had rounded the corner, looking for them.

Naruto looked at Takumi, itching for a fight.

"Army?" Naruto asked.

The masked ANBU agent looked at him. "Old experiments of Orochimaru's are swarming the walls. It's not a pretty sight."

Naruto's eyes widened. Then they were running, leaving Doctor Nakamura to hyperventilate and find her own safe place. Naruto donned his mask hurriedly, not putting up his hood, so his golden hair sprouted from behind the mask.

The fighting had not yet reached the inside of the village, yet already there were screams, crying children, shrieking mothers, and bleeding nin being rushed through the streets to the hospital. One man was being dragged to the hospital by two friends and stopped to yell at the ANBU.

"They're monsters!" he cried, holding his belly, which bled profusely. "They feel no pain, they keep coming. What sort of evil did you bring to our village?" He gave a shuddering sob and fell unconscious. Without a word, his comrades continued to carry him to their destination. Naruto thought of Sasuke, and grew restless with anger.

Did he know about this? He remembered how well Sasuke had acted his part with the guards last night…he shook his head. He couldn't think of that, not now. He still wasn't sure he would be able to forgive Sasuke for that morning…but in his heart, he knew he couldn't despise him forever.

"You aren't scheduled to leave for the toads' lands for three more days. Summon one to get you now!" Takumi shouted, cursing their ill luck. After the betrayal that had occurred the previous night, the date for Naruto to be summoned to the toads had been bumped up, in fear that the enemy now knew where he resided. Ninja guarding the town had been doubled, but it hadn't been enough. They couldn't have anticipated such large numbers of curse marked rogues. Naruto nodded, eyes darting to the village's defensive gate.

Then the unnatural warriors were scaling the wooden gate and sliding down into the village. They slaughtered ruthlessly as they went, cutting easily through men, even women and some children. The sight boiled Naruto's blood. He was supposed to go hide in a corner and get himself to safety while others perished by wicked beasts?

He didn't think so. He suddenly split from Takumi so fast the guard had to look back twice to realize he was alone. Naruto was running, forming clones, and sent a rasengan through the belly of a hysterical creature half man, half beast. It laughed as its entrails dragged along the dirt, picked them up and tried placing them back in its abdomen. Naruto felt like being sick, but instead, he kicked the creature over the head and slashed at its throat with a kunai as it staggered. It fell then, choking on blood. Disgusted, Naruto turned to face another opponent. He saved a woman from being raped by a bloodthirsty lizard man with slits for nostrils. He protected a ninja from death and felled the creature before it could stab him in the gut with strange stingers protruding from its elbows, sharp as needles. That had terrified him. For a moment, Naruto remembered his child and struggled to protect himself.

The fear he felt had left him strangely out of breath. He had almost been caught unaware. It irked him, but mostly, it scared him. Another creature was spouting chakra cannons from its mouth. Naruto had stumbled across it path as a chakra bomb was released. Time seemed to slow as he jumped up to run out of the way, but in the last possible moment, a figure shot across, grabbing Naruto and pulling him along.

"Dobe, are you trying to kill yourself?"

Naruto looked up into a familiar face, still hiding behind feminine features. He bristled. "Like you care-" he started hotly, but Sasuke was pulling on his wrist, dragging him down an alley choked with fleeing villagers.

Naruto grabbed him in a vice-like grip and slammed Sasuke back against a brick wall of a shop, oblivious to the frightened stares of people who ran past.

"You knew about this!" Naruto accused.

Sasuke's face remained impassive. "No. Madara was supposed to keep them in their cells until tonight. They weren't supposed to attack this village."

"You knew!" Naruto snarled.

Sasuke's mouth twitched. Naruto couldn't tell what he was thinking."They weren't going to get to you-"

Naruto laughed bitterly."Oh, were you going to save me?" he jeered. "What about everyone else?"

Sasuke frowned. "You never seem to be able to save yourself." He hissed, wrenching free, "And each village comes equipped with its own nin."

Naruto glared at him. "I don't need to be saved by you." he growled, "And there are people here right now who need a helping hand to get out of here because they weren't warned."

Sasuke stared back at him with such an intensity that Naruto felt his cheeks flame. "If you don't need to be saved, then why am I always saving you?" he asked quietly. Naruto glared daggers at the young man he'd just recently shared his bed and laughed with. Sasuke flew at him suddenly, and Naruto struggled for a second, only to realize he was being shielded. A chakra bomb burst through the alley a hundred feet away and debris was flung dangerously towards them. They ran.

"Did you do it?" Sasuke panted as they fled.

The words made Naruto angrier. "Would you like me to say yes?"

Wood splintered against Sasuke's shoulders as a building a few hundred feet away exploded. He shielded Naruto on instinct, oblivious to his protests, and looked Naruto in the eye with glittering obsidian eyes.

"No," was all he said, his face still unreadable. Naruto only grunted in response.

"They'll be looking for me," Naruto panted. Sasuke stopped running suddenly and let go of Naruto's wrist. For a moment, Naruto was thrown off guard. Amidst the chaos, they stood facing each other as the sea of fleeing villagers split past them.

"Let them find you then, if that is what you want," Sasuke said. Naruto blinked at him, feeling oddly hurt. He flexed his wrist. Sasuke's emotions were well concealed in his facial features, but Naruto had begun to realize that his eyes were never very good at concealing what he was feeling, if you knew how to read them right.

Sasuke's eyes were sparking like flint, and Naruto knew he was angry. An apartment building collapsed, leaving behind a mushroom cloud of dust and smoke behind them. The cloud raced forward, threatening to swallow those in its path. Naruto grabbed Sasuke, and they ran. He never had the opportunity to answer, and say what it was he wanted.

"They'll have to catch us first." he said, and activated his Sexy no Jutsu. Sasuke looked to him, but said nothing. Naruto thought he might have seen Sasuke grin. They helped mothers and children along the way to the gate. At the border of the village, a white-haired woman was waiting anxiously, peering about cautiously as people flooded past her. She took one look at the blond woman following Sasuke and grinned ear to ear in a way that made Naruto feel slightly uncomfortable. They handed the children they had carried out back to their mothers and grouped up.

"Hurry," Suigetsu said and they bounded forth with ninja speed, blending in with the fleeing villagers. Naruto tossed away the mask hanging about his neck, pulled away his hood.

A group of three lovely women, expertly concealing their chakra signatures, escaped from the village under the noses of frantic civilians, ANBU shouting from the Leaf, and the police force from the village yelling. Naruto couldn't believe the ease at which they escaped, but he had to contribute that to the reigning chaos, that and because a group of three running women were hardly seen as suspicious in a swarm of frightened villagers.

"I'll ask you one time and your life might be spared." Madara's voice was soft, curling around Takumi's ear. The ANBU guard lay still in a puddle of dark blood, mouth opening and closing like a fish caught on a hook. Slowly, he shook his head. He said, "rot in hell" and Madara ended him quickly.

Kabuto stood nearby, snakes curling around his ankles, watching the scene curiously. He was reminded of days spent with Orochimaru, and the thought made him grimace, shrink away from the sight and look to the village.

The village was a ruin. At least that much had gone right. Once it was apparent that something had gone terribly awry when the scheduled call from Zetsu went from badly postponed to never happening, (that, and White Zetsu began to shriek like something inhuman, clawing at his face and eye) Madara had sent a team to investigate. Kisame's body had been found, beheaded and fried, his only chance of survival having been his sword, which was cleanly sliced open. The other half of Zetsu had not been found, but it could only be determined that he had been killed and stolen…or burned, as Madara also suspected. Sasuke and his teammates had not been found, nor had they made contact until early that morning.

The message relayed that the team had been attacked by the Leaf, and Sasuke and Suigetsu had tracked Naruto to the village where he was supposed to hiding, Juugo was recuperating away from the village's border. Even so, something did not sit right with Madara.

After a couple more hours had passed with no further message, he asked Kabuto what would happen if the experiments were unleashed slightly before the full moon.

"I suppose it might still work," Kabuto had conceded. Madara ordered them released, to attack the village and scour it to look for Naruto and Sasuke. He was restless, and terribly angry. He couldn't shake the feeling of betrayal. His anger intensified once he arrived at the scene, only to discover that Naruto, nor Sasuke or Suigetsu, had been found. Kabuto seemed rather smug about the news, and Madara wanted to hit him for it.

"If I may be so bold, my Lord, I would think that the young Uchiha might have succeeded in fooling you," Kabuto said with one of his slimy smiles. Madara's red eye swirled.

"Impossible!" he raged.

"You said yourself, it was only for Naruto that he would stop and listen," Kabuto went on.

Madara hissed at this."No, he would never-'o it would go against Susano'o''s nature. He wants Naruto's blood too much-"

"Has it ever occurred to you that maybe Sasuke was lifted from Susano's curse?" Kabuto ventured.

Madara eyed him. "What would make you think so?"

"Well, it was only a thought, really. While confiscating Itachi's body and learning its many secrets, I discovered memories in the gray matter of his brain. I was even able to use a form of genjutsu upon it to see the last thoughts stored away inside. As it happens, the Sharingan has as much to do with the mind as it does with the eye."

"How? You would need a blood line limit yourself to see such secrets!" Madara was pacing, restless as a caged tiger, but incredibly interested.

"I was the one of the nin who helped Danzou with the Sharingan in his arm, young as I was at the time. I implanted some myself and ensured their efficiency. It was works such as these that inspired me to seek out Orochimaru and learn more from him."

Madara glowered at him."You dared to defile the Sharingan?"

Kabuto grinned."It was quite easy, even for as young as I was, but I was a prodigy in my younger years with medical ninjutsu."

Madara wanted to kill him, but he controlled himself.

"I kept a few samples for myself, unbeknownst to Danzou. With Orochimaru's help and expertise, we were able to create tools to dig inside the eyes and even the brain to discover the hidden properties of genjutsus unique to blood line limits." Madara was taken aback by Kabuto's tale. Kabuto was far more learned and skilled than he had anticipated, and it unnerved him. This was a scientist who had helped discover and create unusual tools in order to cast genjutsus with a Sharingan eye. He must be sure to keep an eye on the medic at all times.

"With these tools," Kabuto continued, "We are even able to see the last thoughts of the person before they died, as is unique to ninja who possess the Sharingan, I've found." Madara continued to listen, hovering between disbelief and a thirst for more.

"His last thoughts were of Sasuke." Kabuto looked to him "And of you, of how you would never be able to understand how love conquers hate, and how he would have the last laugh."

"That does not explain how you would guess Susano'o's curse had been lifted," Madara argued. "Such a feat could only be administered by another Sharingan user, and usually, only by one the host of Susano'o loves. That, or an extremely powerful user."

Kabuto shrugged. "When Itachi had those thoughts, brief of Naruto came up. He must have had some sort of back-up plan. I have also studied the effects of this illusionary demon Susano'o, through the readings of many scrolls. By this time, Sasuke should have clearly lost his mind, no matter his prowess and strength. You shouldn't be able to give him orders anymore. He should be an uncontrollable beast out for blood. I'm surprised he acts as he does. He should be far worse."

Madara considered this. There had been substantial proof of Susano'o's curse had been taking the boy over, however. When Sasuke decided he wanted to spare no life in Konoha, for example. Madara knew the bloodthirst within him was awakening. Yet…

Surely he would have noticed such a change in the boy.

"Sasuke is a clever young man." Kabuto pointed out. "You play against each other's wits, and someone's bound to eventually be caught unawares. Think about it. The team dies, Sasuke supposedly is tracking Naruto, but the Jinchuuriki is not here in the village and neither is Sasuke. Why is that? Why has Sasuke not contacted us? Because he killed Kisame and Zetsu's other half. I doubt White Zetsu can survive too much longer. I'm surprised he can move as much as he can, although he's losing his motor functions and beginning to have a series of mini strokes in what would now be half a brain. He should shrivel up and die fairly soon."

This annoyed Madara, so he said nothing. Zetsu had been his most trustworthy companion and spy. To lose such a person was truly a great loss for the Akatsuki. "You knew this was going to happen," he bit out, meaning Sasuke's desertion.

Kabuto grinned. "So now you know my reasons for our alliance against Sasuke. I made sure it progressed so that you would have no choice either way but to work with me. You are forced to listen to me because I have your body, now you are forced to listen to me again because I figured out Sasuke before you could even dream of his treachery. Now you must give him to me when this is over. "

Madara laughed dryly. "We have no alliance. "

"I do have your body."

Madara made no comment, but silently seethed.

"You are only a mortal man, Madara. No jutsu can change that," Kabuto said quietly.

Madara laughed again. "You might benefit from your own advice, Yakushi."

"I've benefited from learning from the mistakes of men like you," Kabut responded lightly. Madara whirled to face him.

"Don't underestimate me," he hissed.

Kabuto grinned again, raising his hands palm up, as if in surrender. "Don't forget, I need only form the seals, and your body is in my grasp."

"I'll kill you-"

"Oi!" a voice called, distracting them both. Their heads turned. Tomatsu, the big bulky man with skin of steel was holding a squirming woman in his arms. She was weeping inconsolably and begging for mercy. Madara glared at the man and rolled his eye at the racket. Tomatsu was rather slow, and only valuable for his strength.

"How many times must I tell you that we do not play with our victims, Tomatsu, or that we take no prisoners? End her, get the squabbling creature out of my sight," Madara ordered. The small woman uttered a shriek of terror and clawed at Tomatsu, who only blinked, as if oblivious to the shrieking woman in his arms, and as if he did not understand Madara's reasoning.

"But-"

"Get rid of her, now." Madara snarled, seriously annoyed by the stupidity of the man. He did not know if he could tolerate any more mishaps mildly.

"She told me she would tell me secrets!" Tomatsu looked disappointed, like a child who was promised a toy then didn't receive it. The woman cried out, shuddering in the large man's arms as if she would faint. Madara frowned beneath his masks.

"No secrets she has are of interest to me, I'm sure."

"I-I've seen the Jinchuuriki! H-he was my-my patient!" The woman wailed finally, her words hardly comprehensible behind so many sobs and between her swiping at constantly running snot from her pugged nose. Madara paused, and motioned for Tomatsu to release her. The large man opened his arms and the woman fell with a gasp to the ground. Tomatsu blinked, looking confused for a second then seeming embarrassed, as if he had just realized he had dropped her. He tried to apologize.

Madara approached the shaking woman, who was still blubbering. He hid his disgust at her weakness and kneeled before her. "Now, now, now," he chided like a father to a child, "No more tears, or you'll come to find I'm not someone to tolerate it. No harm shall come to you." Madarasaid in a velvety soft voice. The woman dissolved into more snotty sobs.

"O-o-oh m-m-my! Th-thank you, sir!" she cried. Madara placed a comforting gloved hand on her shoulder.

"Tell me what you know," he said softly, and the woman hiccupped, seeming torn.

"W-w-will you let me l-live?"

"It was never my intention for so much harm to come to pass. If the Jinchuuriki would have been handed over, this devastation could have been avoided, and the people of this village untouched," he lied smoothly. She blinked puffy red eyes at him, considering him for a moment.

"He was sent to me so that I might perform a most unusual procedure: an abortion. A v-v-very risky procedure! Tsunade told me that our research about the properties of Jinchuurikis' demons were to be believed." She blurted. For several seconds, Madara said nothing. A terrible rage gripped him, but he concealed it and decided to test the woman's knowledge further by pushing her.

"Well, that is rather outlandish-"

"It's t-t-true! You must believe me!" she wailed, wiping her running nose on her sleeve.

"Did you perform this abortion?" he wanted to know.

She shook her head. "N-no. The village went under attack the moment he w-was sch-sch-scheduled for it." Madara stood, his one eye looking on in disgust as she succumbed to sobbing.

"Tomatsu," he called. The large man blinked. "You shall be rewarded for finding me this woman!" Madara laughed. Kabuto was strangely silent. Madara was still laughing.

"What a find! And to think, you were once a great medic nin in the Black Ops of your own village!" He laughed some more, and the woman paled, a dawning horror eclipsing her face. "How soft and disgraceful you have become in your old age, Aoi Nakamura!" Madara chuckled.

"You know me?" she whispered.

"Oh, doctor, I know you" Madara whispered. "I know you're the woman who delivered Naruto Uzumaki, who helped protect Kushina, and I know you're the woman who helped make his birth a normal one. Yes, I know you."

The woman watched, utterly still, as Madara tested the point of a kunai against a puffy cheek.

"Please," shebegged. "Mercy. I just wanted to live. I want to see my son and grandchildren again!" She squealed like a stuck pig when Madara pointed the kunai at her throat.

"Pathetic." He spat, disgusted. "The one thing I hate worse than deserters are people like you, ready to squeal like pigs for their lives while they sell out their comrades. I never thought you a coward, Nakamura. Cowards disappoint me," he admitted. Nakamura's lips trembled, and Madara guessed she was saying a prayer. Fat tears oozed down her bloated cheeks.

"But I do want to thank you, for you enormous contribution to the War, Nakamura. You've just given me an entirely new reason to hunt down the Nine Tails, and an easier way to use him. I hope you realize you've given me a portal to power, a new hope for this world. It's a shame you won't get to see its beauty."Aoi opened her mouth, either to scream or say something, Madara was never sure, because he cut her throat before she could utter a sound. He kicked her away. "Take this woman away from me. She disgusts me."

Tomatsu came forward, a frown on his lips. He knelt by her. "She was going to tell me secrets…" He said quietly as he scooped her up. Madara smacked him hard.

"There's your secret." he hissed, angry beyond all words. It had been a horrible day, and the woman Nakamura had done little to alleviate his mood. In fact, he was beyond giving a shit about mercy. He wanted to see red. Mainly red earth, stained by Sasuke's blood.

Sasuke had lied to him. Sasuke had stolen from him, and now…

Sasuke had used the Nine Tails to acquire the secret powers of the demon child, a right and glory that only Madara should have had.

Kabuto appeared next to him."You need me," he said. Madara was tempted to cast a genjutsu on the medic nin and let him suffer at knife point for what would feel like days.

"I believe I can safely deliver the child for you. I can also aid you in extracting its powers," he went on. "I will also be of help when it comes to manipulating Sasuke."

"I can twist the little fool the way I want, without your help."

"Yes, but now that we know his weakness-" Kabuto tried to say.

Madara laughed. "Weakness? The boy is cold. He only desires power. He is a true Uchiha." There was an absurd surge of pride in Madara's voice as he said it, and he stopped himself, realizing his mistake. The Uchiha are dead.

"You are wrong," Kabuto said quietly. "It amazes me, how much he is fortune's fool." Kabuto said with a light chuckle. "Just as you once were."

Madara refrained from throttling him. "I was never a fool."

"You and Sasuke, destined to fall in love with your most bitter rivals. The Uchiha never let the Senju of the forest rest, isn't that what is said? Only, Sasuke will never step away from Naruto as you did with Hashirama, will he? The bitter rivary has not erupted between them. We can exploit Sasuke's weakness, and bend him to our will. With that fault, he is not the Uchiha you desire him to be." Kabuto's mention of Hashirama strangely cut Madara, and he cursed his ex-lover's soul.

"He is not easily manipulated." Madara warned. "His heart is too black, too withered, after all he's gone through."

"Not for Naruto," Kabuto smiled honey-slow, "He is now the only living person Sasuke truly loves."

Madara thought of this, held it in his brain until his crimson eye burned like fire.

"And love," Madara whispered, growing more confident as black thoughts flitted through his mind, "truly is the greatest weakness."