"He should be around here somewhere." Orochi whispered in Sasuke's mind as he waded through a field of very tall grass.
"So what exactly was your standing with Orochimaru?" Sasuke asked in his mind. He felt strange talking out loud to the eight-tailed serpent within him.
"I had little tolerance for that arrogant brat." said Orochi simply. "Did you know that wasn't even his real name? When I was implanted in that bastard, he arrogantly changed his name because he took such idiotic pride in being my jinchuriki. I've been waiting for years for another, more suitable person to inhabit."
"So that you can take control of them and become more powerful than before?" Sasuke mentally projected.
"In a way." Orochi conceded. "But more specifically, one like you. One who wants my power not to satisfy his own desires and grow drunk on, but who needs my power for a real purpose. And what better purpose than for vengeance."
"So what will you do once I've claimed my revenge?"
"He's close." said Orochi. "Approximately a kilometer away."
"Anywhere in this field?"
"No, but just outside it. This is a perfect place for an ambush."
"I like the way you think." Sasuke smirked. "And now we wait."
"Now we wait." Orochi repeated.
"That seems like it'll be tricky." Naruto blinked. He and Kurenai had just approached a large field of very long, tall grass. He pulled out the radar and checked it. "It's in there."
"We'll have to split up from here. If you find it, throw a kunai with an explosive tag into the sky." said Kurenai. "And good luck." She disappeared through the thick grass, Naruto following after a few seconds later.
The grass itched irritably as he pushed his way through it. It seemed to go on and on without end, and there were even a few things that bit him, one of them was probably a snake, but thanks to the nine-tails, he was safe from its venom (assuming it was venomous).
Finally, he came out in a small clearing in the field, where he saw something glint on the ground. A Dragon Ball!
"Awesome. That makes three." He said to himself. He heard something rustle in the grass and whipped around, flinging a kunai in that direction. Whatever it was, it was much bigger than a snake. He drew his sword and ran up to where he heard the same rustling sound, shortening a chunk of grass. Nothing there. He then heard hurried footsteps and as he batted off an attack his sword, threw a second kunai which was just barely blocked by the attacker.
"Nicely done." said the familiar low voice of a familiar person. Naruto's eyes widened when he saw who stood before him.
"Sasuke!" he gasped. Sasuke's appearance had changed noticeably since Naruto had last seen him. He seemed a little taller now, his normally dark eyes were now yellow and snake-like, and his raven hair was notably longer and somewhat shaggier. He wore black pants with an array of weaponry, including a sword, a black sleeveless shirt, and white wrappings around his forearms.
"Naruto. It's been a while." said Sasuke coldly. "I see you're interested in the dragon balls too. Hand them over."
"Like hell!" Naruto snapped. "What would you want with them? To give Orochimaru more power than he already has!" Sasuke laughed evilly at this statement.
"No. Orochimaru is dead, and I have all the power he used to possess." He said coolly. "I want those things for my own purposes. Now hand over whatever dragon balls you have, or else." He pulled out his sword.
"No! I need them to save someone I care about!" Naruto growled, charging at Sasuke, their swords clashing. He struck a second time, this time Sasuke dodged, and Naruto's sword shortened a long line of grass for a fair distance. He held his arms over his head, his blade blocking an attack from Sasuke from behind. He turned and made a sweep at his feet. Sasuke jumped the sweep easily and struck straight downward, but Naruto pulled something from his pocket and swept upward with it, cutting Sasuke across the cheek. With a firm kick, he knocked Sasuke away, putting distance between them. He tied an exploding tag to the kunai and flung it at Sasuke, who batted away with his blade effortlessly. The kunai flew into the sky, where it exploded.
"Not bad. You actually cut me." Sasuke growled, wiping the blood from the slash mark. "But sneak attacks only work once. So now what?" His eyes turned orange, three six-like markings encircling the outer iris, his pupils still snake-like slits.
"That's a sharingan in a different color. Literally." Naruto thought. He focused for a moment and his eyes turned red with slitted pupils, and his finger nails became claws. A fiery red aura of chakra surrounded him.
"That red chakra." Sasuke thought. "I remember that from our last fight. It's a little different than before, but," He narrowed his eyes on concentration. "But I've learned much since then. And those feeble tricks of his won't work on me anymore." He charged at Naruto just as Naruto made to lash at Sasuke, and their swords collided. They skipped back a pace and Sasuke placed a hand on the flat of his blade and it glowed electric blue, several bright sparks flying from it. He lowered it near the ground, searing the dirt and made another run at Naruto, his augmented weapon leaving a singed trail behind it.
"It's over! Naruto!" Sasuke roared. Naruto knew he was right. The attack was so fast and so powerful, it would be a waste of effort to dodge, and even stupider to block it. He centered his thoughts and in his mind's eye, he saw one of the kunai he threw earlier. "If only that would be of any use to me right now." He thought. He mentally made to pick up the weapon, but when he did so, he suddenly vanished from the corner he was trapped in. He found himself in the tall grass, the kunai at his feet.
"What…? What just happened?" He asked himself. He looking up, he saw Sasuke's back, and a great deal of grass shaved off the ground. Sasuke's blade returned to normal and he looked around for his opponent, confused.
Naruto picked up the kunai and raised an eyebrow as he looked at it. It certainly wasn't a typical, standard issue kunai. This one had a longer blade, with two sharp prongs sticking out near its base. The handle was wooden with a black inscription on it in a language Naruto couldn't understand. A spark flashed in the back of his mind as he remembered this weapon. It was the one Kakashi had given him just before he left the village. Then he remembered looking through the pouches on his flak jacket and that there were a few more just like it in some of them. Then he realized that the first two kunai he threw he pulled from the vest. "Is this that jutsu Kakashi-sensei told me about?" He thought.
Naruto jumped from the grass, sword raised. He struck at Sasuke, who blocked, but only barely. He almost lost his grip on his weapon and there was a glance cut on his shoulder. Naruto attacked at a now opened Sasuke, whose sword was now forced out of his hands. He leapt back, doing a back flip as he cycled several hand signs.
"Fire Element! Fire ball Jutsu!" He cried, a massive flame blasting from his mouth, Naruto very narrowly avoided and setting a lot of the grass on fire. Naruto found himself back at the same place as before, with the wooden-handled kunai at his feet. An idea sparked into his mind. He picked up the weapon and threw it at Sasuke, who batted it off easily, but looked very surprised. He ran to Naruto's current location, only to find that he had vanished.
Before Sasuke even had the chance to turn around, Naruto had sheathed his sword and formed his ultimate jutsu. With a magnificent shout of "RASENGAN!" He pounded Sasuke square in the back blowing him far away into the grass field and out of sight.
"I need to find Kurenai-sensei and get out of here soon." He said to himself, giving a breath of relief. He gathered up the two wooden-handled kunai he had thrown earlier and pulled out a normal one along with an explosive tag. Just as he was tying the tag to the knife, a loud roar reached his ears and Sasuke burst through the tall grass, a manic look in his bright orange eyes.
"How dare a mere KID ridicule me!" Several thick tendrils fired from Sasuke's arms and impaled Naruto all over his body. "I don't know who's voice that was, but it certainly wasn't Sasuke's." Naruto thought.
"Who are you?" he demanded.
"You should know that already." said a cold, low voice from Sasuke's mouth. "I am your former friend and now your worst enemy. Sasuke Uchiha."
"Bull. That's not Sasuke's voice I'm hearing." Naruto retorted. Sasuke gave a smirk of interest.
"You're not as dumb as you let on." He sneered. Sasuke's body began to deform grotesquely, his skin becoming chalk white, his body thin and slender, his hair receding into his head, his face flattening, his ears disappearing and his nose receding until he had nothing more than a pair of slits for nostrils, reptilian scales visible all over his body, and eight snake-like tails grew from behind. "I am Orochi, the eight-tailed serpent, now in the body of a far more powerful and far more worthy of my capabilities."
Naruto gritted his teeth, which were now like fangs. "How long has Sasuke had a disgusting thing like you inside him?" He demanded.
"Not long, actually. Only about a day now." Orochi smirked. "I see you're a jinchuriki as well." With a flick of one of his fingers, the tendrils receded and Naruto, staggering stood back up right. "Come out and say hello to your old friend, Youkomaru."
Naruto felt himself fade from existence as his body too began to transform. He grew taller and more muscular, his hair growing slightly longer and becoming a rusty red like his ears, and seven more tails grew to accompany the other two. "There you are, Youkomaru. It's been too long." Orochi hissed.
"Not long enough." retorted Youkomaru. "What do you want, Orochi? I've gotten bored with fighting you about two hundred years ago."
"I don't care. I will destroy you, and you will rue the day you messed with me!" said Orochi sharply.
"Ugh. Rue the day." Youkomaru grunted in a high-pitched mockery of Orochi. "Who says that, honestly?"
"Shut up! I am not leaving until I've settled the score with you, you mangy mutt!" Orochi growled irritably.
"If it'll get you outta my hair, then fine." Youkomaru sighed. Orochi opened his mouth wide and an acid-colored liquid squirt from his fangs. Youkomaru dodged the shot and vanished in a rust-red flash, upon reappearance, Orochi was covered in slash marks and Youkomaru had been bitten.
"You haven't lost your touch after all these years locked in that kid." Orochi hissed.
"And you're just as boring an opponent as ever." Youkomaru retorted. He drew Naruto's sword, muttered, "Pity the kid has no idea how to use this thing." And just as Orochi came close enough to strike a fatal blow, plunged the blade down through his mouth.
"You!" Orochi growled in manic furry, his voice oddly distorted through the holes in his mouth. "How dare you!" Youkomaru laughed at the disfigured Orochi, who was on the verge of explosion. "If I were to transform to my demon form, I would crush you into dust!"
"Just try it then!" Youkomaru taunted. Orochi growled furiously, and he grew several feet, but then returned to his normal size, looking frustrated and confused. "It really is a shame that Naruto doesn't know how to use Tamashi no Kiri." Youkomaru chuckled complacently. Absolutely livid, Orochi, despite his best wishes, began to transform back into Sasuke, who, seemed confused at the sight of Youkomaru. "So, shall we continue our battle?" He smirked.
Immediately, the curse mark on the back of Sasuke's neck flared, flame-like markings spreading across his body, but they receded almost as suddenly as they appeared. Youkomaru transformed back into Naruto, who also seemed perplexed at what just happened.
"Well played, Naruto." Sasuke muttered. "But you're not the one I'm interested in."
"You're still so hell bent on Itachi!" Naruto growled. "Why? What purpose does it serve now! Would it bring back your clan if he was dead?"
"He has killed my entire family, and for what? To test his strength. My clan was nothing more than a training session to him. And that is intolerable. Unforgivable. No matter what, I must… I will… destroy Itachi Uchiha!" Sasuke stated. "And right now, I have the means to do so. You were just a test for me, to see just what I can accomplish. Now that I understand my limits, I'm ready to target the leaf village!" he vanished into the tall grass, Naruto ready to stop, him, but too late.
He whipped around as he heard more rustling in the grass behind him, sword raised. "Oh, it's you." He said, giving a breath of relief and sheathing the sword. It was Kurenai, who looked battle-ready, but dropped her stance and hand sign once she saw Naruto was alone in the clearing.
"I heard noises coming from this area. It sounded like a battle." She said.
"There was a battle here. I had a run-in with Sasuke." said Naruto.
"The Uchiha boy!" said Kurenai, bewildered. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah, fine." Naruto nodded. "I feel like there's a chunk of memory missing from that fight, and I'm fairly sure that I've been hurt worse than I feel right now," he looked behind him to see not just two, but nine tails swishing around behind him. "But other than that, yeah. Except…"
"Except what?"
"Sasuke said that he was looking to attack the Leaf Village."
"What!" Kurenai gasped. "Then we have to go back! Did he take the dragon ball?"
"No, I have…" Naruto broke off. He had reached into his pocket to show her the six-starred ball, but it wasn't there. "He must have snagged it while we were fighting. It's gone." Kurenai looked troubled.
"What would he want to attack the Leaf Village for?" She asked.
"I don't understand it myself." Naruto shrugged. "It almost sounds like he thought Itachi was there."
"That doesn't make any sense." Kurenai mused. "Itachi had already tried to attack the village once before and he was thwarted away. Why would he be inside the village now?"
"I don't know, but whatever cause or the reason, it can't be good." said Naruto. "Nimbus!" the little yellow cloud zoomed down from the sky and Naruto and Kurenai hopped onto it. "Get us back to the Leaf Village! Hurry!" He told it. They sped away, just as a claw slashed out from the grass.
"Damn! I was hoping to have someone new to play with." said a woman with feral red hair streaked with black, who was accompanied by a large black panther, who gave an irritated growl. "You'll be able to gnaw on his bones soon, my pet." the woman told her pet sadistically. "Where did he go!"
"It sounded as though they were returning to their village." muttered an arachnid-like man who entered the clearing.
"oooh! I'm sure there's all kinds of people to tear to shreds there." the woman smiled maniacally.
"Cool it, Luna. No flaying until after we get what we want."
Meanwhile, Naruto and Kurenai had just passed the border of the Leaf Village, zooming passed the large walls surrounding it. They stopped at the Hokage's mansion.
"Lady Hokage!" Kurenai stated urgently. "We believe Sasuke Uchiha is coming here to launch a dangerous assault on the Hidden Leaf Village! We have to…"
"Uh! What?" Tsunade yawned. He desk was so heavily laden with papers, she couldn't even be seen behind her paperwork. She formed parted the stacks so that she could see both Naruto and Kurenai. "Sorry. This was my break time, so I decided to take a little nap. What were you saying now?"
"Sasuke's about to attack the Leaf Village!" said Naruto impatiently. "He thinks Itachi's here, and he plans to tear this village apart until he's found him."
"That's impossible! If Itachi was in the Village, I would have known about it!" said Tsunade. "After he attacked last time, the village has been on high alert for any Akatsuki activity in the village. Half the anbu is on constant village surveillance!"
"Regardless of whether or not Itachi is in the village." said Kurenai. "Sasuke still has full intention of attacking the village!"
"And he has the means to do so." Naruto added. "He has the eight-tailed serpent inside him." Tsunade's jaw dropped, her skin turning unusually pale.
"The… eight-tails!" She repeated. "That's impossible. The jinchuriki of that beast is…"
"Orochimaru, I know." Naruto nodded. "Sasuke killed him and now the eight-tails is his." Tsunade bit her thumb.
"And if he can kill a sannin that easily without the eight-tails, that only makes him all the more dangerous. Shizune!" A young woman in a black kimono, the right sleeve of which looked heavily patched, burst into the room, panting.
"Yes, Lady Tsunade!" She breathed.
"We're suspecting an attack on the Leaf Village." said Tsunade urgently. "Alert the border patrol, don't allow ANYBODY, Leaf ninja or otherwise in or out of the village, tell every chuunin and jounin to stay alert, and inform the anbu, tell them to double their searches for any possible Akatsuki, and to expect an attack at any moment!"
"Yes!" Shizune bowed and dashed from the room. Kurenai gave a sudden gasp.
"Hinata! She's in trouble!" She breathed.
"I'll handle it!" said Naruto, calling the flying nimbus near a window and hoping onto it. "Back in a minute." He zoomed down to the hospital where Hinata lay, leapt through the window, and pinned a small, masked figure against the wall, forcing the knife from its hands. "What the hell do you think you're doing!" He demanded angrily. he ripped down the mask and his eyes widened as he saw whose face was behind it. "You!"
"Me." said a young girl flatly. It was Hanabi, Hinata's younger sister. "And I thought it was obvious what I'm doing. I'm here to kill this disgrace to the Hyuuga clan." Naruto grabbed her even tighter to the wall.
"How can you say that! How can you DO that to your own sister!" Naruto growled, his eyes reddening, but Hanabi didn't seem threatened.
"That thing is not my sister. We're only half related." Hanabi scoffed. "I was born for one reason, and one reason only: to replace that scum that you call my sister as the heir to the Hyuuga clan!"
"Why? because you want to? Or because it's something your bastard of a father made you do?" Naruto barked.
"Don't you dare talk about my father that way!" Hanabi snapped. Much to even his utter shock, Naruto actually slapped Hanabi across the face, knocking her to the floor.
"How can you do this, Hanabi! How can you so blindly obey someone who treats someone's life with such low regard!"
"I'm not obeying him because I want to. I'm doing it because I have no choice!" Hanabi screamed. "It's something I have to do. It's my destiny! It's…" Naruto yanked Hanabi off her feet and pinned her against the wall with such force, it created a small indent against the wall.
"Fuck destiny!" He roared. "You have no will, nor reason to be killing your sister, I don't care if you're only half related! And if your father is forcing you to do these things, then he's no father of yours!"
"I told you not to talk about my father that way!" Hanabi snapped, her byakugan active, but Naruto was faster and stronger than her. He tightened his already powerful grip, his finger nails becoming claws and piercing her skin.
"COME TO YOUR SENSES! Your dad is making you kill your sister! Is that something you're willing to deal with for the rest of your life! IS IT!" Naruto bellowed. He didn't care if this was a hospital. He didn't care how loud he spoke. The only thing that mattered was pounding some sense into Hanabi. "Can you live with yourself years from now when that bastard deems you too weak to be heir and has you killed and replaced! The same way he did to Hinata? The same way he made you kill her! Because if this is the way the Hyuugas do things, if this is the way that your father does things, it won't be the perfect way you think it will be!"
Hanabi stared at Naruto with a mix of fear and bewilderment. "Even if I leave her alone now, father won't be forgiving." She mumbled sorrowfully.
"He most certainly won't be!" The door burst open and Hiashi Hyuuga stepped in, giving Hanabi a look of utter contempt. "Why do you protect this… scum!" He asked Naruto nastily, looking over at Hinata.
"That 'scum' is my friend. No, something far more." said Naruto sharply, setting Hanabi down easily. "And I won't let any harm come to her, especially not from the likes of you!"
"She's worthless. An heir who is weak deserves to die." Hiashi stated. It was Hiashi's turn to get a thrashing from Naruto this time. He punched him in so many places at such a high speed, not even the Byakugan could have seen it.
"It's people like you!" Naruto snarled, punching Hiashi in the face to the point that blood dripped from his nose and mouth. "People like you, who think the value of people's lives is determined solely on strength, who think destiny dominates your life, who deserve to die! And if you try to harm Hinata one more time, just one. More. Time! I WILL kill you without second thoughts!" He threw Hiashi aside, disgusted. "You really think Hitomi would have wanted this! She trusted you to protect and care for Hinata. To help her through her struggles, but all you've ever done is make her life worse. She carries the seven-tailed cat within her. She's a jinchuriki, just like me. And the pain that you and your stupid clan has put her through is a pain that no child should ever suffer! She's no insult to her mother's memory. YOU are!" Hiashi said nothing as he got to his feet. He simply looked at Naruto, then at Hinata, then at Hanabi, his face unconvincingly stoic.
"Then keep her safe." He said so quietly Naruto barely heard. "Come on, Hanabi. We're going."
"Yes." Hanabi followed after her father. She cast an apologetic look at Naruto and hurried to catch up with Hiashi.
"Where are your manners? This is a hospital, you know." said a low, serenely echoing voice.
"Sorry about that." said Naruto, lowering his voice, which was somewhat hoarse from the screaming.
"Don't be. I soundproofed the room just when I thought things would start to get loud." said the familiar voice of Ren, the seven-tailed cat. "And thank you very much for defending Hinata. Thank you for protecting both of us."
"I just did what I had to do." Naruto smiled. He noticed Hinata move slightly, and even give a small breath.
"I think she may be getting better." said Ren. "I've been trying the best I could to rid her of the venom in her body."
"Really! That's amazing!" said Naruto proudly.
"Yes, but it may be some time before she's fully cured of it. Until then, she's still at risk. You should continue to search for the dragon balls just to be safe." said Ren.
"I know you can save her. Besides, I have a bigger reason to be looking for them now." said Naruto. "I've run into quite a few people who want them, and they can be very dangerous in their hands."
"I understand. Then…" But Ren never finished her sentence, for at that moment, the earth shook violently, several panicked voices could be heard downstairs.
"It's him." said Naruto darkly. "He's finally here."
To be continued….
Sorry it's taken so long to update this story, but I've been busy with the conclusion of the first saga of Dragon Ball GT Remastered, plus a couple of things in real life that have kept me busy.
But hurray! I've finally hit the 10 chapter point of Legacy of the Legend! Hopefully the next chapter will be posted sooner than this one took.