Hey everybody! I know, I know, that cliffy was evil. A reviewer by the name of ICB-RAIDEN asked me to publish before the holidays, so I have worked my hardest to do so! Be forewarned; due to the short timespan I made for myself, this chapter is a bit shorter than others; in exchange, I believe it is my best chapter yet. So without further ado, I present to you, the epic battle, the winner-take-all, the Naruto vs. Sasuke duel to the death!
Previously…
Gazing at Sasuke, Naruto found that he no longer felt remorse or regret for the man; instead, he merely felt cool logic. This was to be a match to the death. And this time, Naruto wouldn't let his former friend live.
(AN: Cue "Battle of Heroes") "I will do what I must, Sasuke," he said; his voice remained calm, and he slipped into a Taijutsu stance, deciding to wait to use his lightsabers. Sasuke's eyes narrowed, before he deactivated his Sharingan, and drew his crimson lightsaber.
"You will try."
The moment the Count declared the match begun, Naruto sprang to action, faster than ever before. He delivered a lightning-quick set of blows to Sasuke's abdomen, before launching him into the air with a Force Blast. Drawing his lightsabers, he quickly ignited them before hurling both into Sasuke. The moment they impaled him, a puff of smoke emerged, revealing it to be a Substitution. Predictable, he thought, and grabbed the log with the Force, throwing it where Sasuke suddenly emerged from the ground. The rogue lit his own crimson lightsaber, and hurled it, splitting the log before it could reach him.
With a flick of the wrist, Naruto's lightsabers were back in his hands. He charged, blocking Sasuke's hastily-retrieved lightsaber with one hand, before aiming a decapitating strike with his secondary. Sasuke just managed to duck, before backpedaling and activating his Sharingan. Naruto watched as they slowly morphed into a star-shaped Mangekyo.
What with all the evil he's done, it was only a matter of time, Naruto thought, gazing into the red spikes. Sasuke laughed, before casting an illusion over all in the stadium; the Tsukuyomi.
The freight passenger cast his gaze at the crimson world around him, observing the changes wrought by the raven-haired Sith. The sky had transformed into a blood-red smear, spattered with black clouds. Blood lay everywhere, and a single cross lay in the center of the ruins of the Colosseum, the bystanders watching in fear. The only colors within were red, black, and endless shades of gray. The landscape was black, and the blood against it was clearly defined, as if resting on white linen than black stone. Each living being glowed white, appearing for all the world to be a ghost. The Tsukuyomi, the man thought, rubbing his arms slightly as his breath misted in the air before him. I had prayed to never be subject to this devilry again.
Naruto cast about for Sasuke, keeping his stance relaxed, but his guard steady. He jerked slightly when Sasuke appeared before him, and with a motion of the Sith's hand, the scene changed slightly; Naruto was now bound to the cross, surrounded by a legion of Sasukes wielding red lightsabers. Wasting no time, Sasuke charged, ready to kill-
-only for his eyes to widen as thousands of volts coursed through his body, canceling the illusion.
Naruto stepped forward, arching another blast of Force Lightning into Sasuke as the man screamed in agony. Naruto ended the stream a moment later. I'm a Jedi, he thought, rubbing his smoking hands. I won't torture him for the hell of it. He walked forward as Sasuke slowly rose, dry-heaving as sparks flew off him. When he was a few feet away, Sasuke roared, and charged, activating the Chidori, lightning arching in his left palm while he slashed with the lightsaber in his right. Naruto quickly deflected the slash, before using Tutaminis to absorb the Chidori. He sidestepped, and sent a slash toward Sasuke's exposed neck; only for the buzzer to sound, signifying the end of the first round.
Naruto hissed for a moment, before withdrawing his lightsabers, and sheathing them into his hip seal. Walking over to a rock, he sat down, before two people came over to him; the madclaw, and Arana'samura. The Wookiee offered him a waterskin, and he gratefully accepted it, feeling the cool water sooth the effects of the blistering sun. "Ara," he said, giving her a nickname in his rush, "what's the next round?"
"Fistfight," she said, and she pulled out a metal cestus, binding it around his hand before he could object. "Dooku's issued a single cestus to each combatant, and he wants you two to fight for some time." She patted him on the shoulder, wishing him luck, before she and the Wookiee retreated, Sasuke's attendants doing the same. Discretely picking up a handful of dirt, Naruto strode forward, facing off with Sasuke again.
Think, he ordered to himself. He slowly began to picture the fight; each scene played out in slow motion as he attempted to predict the outcome. This mustn't register on an emotional level... First, distract target... then block his blind jab, counter with cross to left cheek. Discombobulate. Dazed, will attempt wild haymaker. Employ elbow block, and body shot. Block feral left, weaken right jaw, now fracture. Break cracked ribs, traumatize solar plexus, dislocate jaw entirely. Heel kick to diaphragm... in summary: ears ringing, jaw fractured, three ribs cracked, four broken, diaphragm hemorrhaging.
Dooku called the beginning of the round, and Naruto burst into a series of motions. Tossing the sand into Sasuke's eyes to negate the Sharingan for a few precious moments, he quickly rolled through the movements; block, smash to left cheek, double blow to the ears, block, body shot, double shot to the jaw, followed by a double body blow, jaw smash, and finally the heel kick; in the time it took for his sweat to hit the ground, Sasuke was rolling in the dirt, attempting to rise to his feet. After several moments, Sasuke activated a minor healing jutsu, repairing his jaw before lashing out at Naruto.
Naruto sidestepped the blow, and, using Sasuke's momentum against him, hurled him into the dirt, watching as the young man scrambled around, trying to regain his footing. Tightening his cestus, Naruto lifted Sasuke into the air, before smashing the metal glove repeatedly into the young man's face, blood flecking his face as each punch landed.
Ahsoka strolled through the ship, observing the status of each of her troopers. She double-checked her ship, then triple-checked it, trying to do anything to calm her nerves. Her entire body seemed to be shaking nervously, and her heart was pounding so hard, she was sure there must be someone who could hear it.
She had been in battles before, and she had seen thousands of clone troops die. It wasn't the battle that scared her. It was the possibility of seeing Naruto, the man she loved, and the man she knew loved her, die. She closed her eyes, slowly trying to relax.
She saw two young men stand across from each other, a waterfall pounding in the background. One she recognized as Naruto, wearing the strange orange suit he had worn when she first met him. The other was the man she recognized from Naruto's report; Sasuke Uchiha, a future Sith Apprentice. She watched as they engaged in a battle that shook her to her very core. It was more violent than anything she had ever seen; more violent than the spar between Jinchuuriki, more violent than the sieges she had participated in. It was more violent than the holocrons she had seen of the First Battle of Geonosis, when more than two hundred Jedi had been massacred by wave after wave of droids. The battle culminated in one final strike, a sphere of impure purple energy surrounding the two, until only Sasuke was left standing, while Naruto slowly began to bleed out.
She saw an old man in segmented plate armor fighting against a pale, snake-like man wielding a sword that seemed to glow blue whenever he waved it around. She watched as the old man captured the man, being run through in the process, before a spirit appeared behind the old man. The spirit slowly reached out toward the snake man, before it began to pull his soul from his own body. The process was slow and agonizing, and before the process could be complete, the spirit sliced off the arms, and the old man collapsed, dying moments later with a smile on his face.
She saw the interior of some dark, cold cave, a lighted bacta tank rising in the center of the room. A man floated inside, his form blurred from the fluids, making him unable to be recognized as more than a silhouette.
"The subject has awakened, Lord Sidious," a medical droid's voice echoed, and in the darkness of the cave the figure of the droid speaking was barely visible, as well as the cloaked and hooded figure nearby. "As you can see, the bonding process was successful. The subject's DNA has been combined with that of your late apprentice, Darth Maul."
At the name, the man began to thrash violently for several minutes, before he suddenly ceased, gasping for air. "As you can see," the droid continued, looking at the same hooded man, "the memories of Lord Maul are beginning to surface. If you subject is able to compartmentalize, then he will be a powerful ally." "And if not?" Sidious asked, his voice as gilded as it had been in the memory. The droid paused for a few seconds before responding. "If he is unable, then his mind will collapse. He'll wind up destroying anything in his path, before his systems fail and he dies."
"Induce the memories," Sidious said, and the droid nodded, pressing a button. The man slammed against the glass, and she finally got a view of her love, his form a grotesque parody of his original self. His last act before he lost consciousness was to release all of his fury, fear, and pain in a scream that echoed through the Force.
Ahsoka awoke from the visions with a gasp, shaking harder than ever before. No… she thought, her mind focusing on what had been done to him. What have they done to you? She rose to her feet, and strode through the ship, her stride strong and determined. I love you no matter what happens, Naruto, she thought, tightening her grip on her lightsaber. But I will make them pay for what they've done.
In the stands, the raven-haired man grimaced as he watched the brutal battle between the Jedi and the Sith warriors. The Jedi are supposed to be kind, and yet Naruto seems remarkably violent, he thought, flinching slightly as he saw more blood land on the Jedi's face. What has transpired between these two that has inspired this kind of animosity? Sasuke did betray many, but they used to be steadfast friends; what happened to change this, Naruto?
After a minute or so, Dooku declared the end of the round, and both returned to their corners, their aids coming to their sides. Naruto panted slightly as Ara removed the cestus from his hand, and the madclaw checked him over for wounds. He smiled as he saw Sasuke's attendants wrapping his head in bandages, until he resembled a Tusken Raider. Anger crossed the Uchiha's eyes, and Naruto watched as blood slowly began to drip out of his eyes, staining the bandages.
KID! the Kyuubi suddenly screamed, and Naruto felt the Kyuubi take control of his limbs, expelling a large sphere of Force energy around him, hurling Ara and the madclaw out of the way as black flames blazed into existence. Using Force speed, the Kyuubi moved Naruto out of the way as the Amaterasu blazed by, lighting the stone walls ablaze.
Thanks, he thought, feeling the heat even from this distance. Casting a quick glance to his rear, he relaxed slightly as he saw Ara and the madclaw quickly escape into the tunnels, while the crowd began screaming, this time in fear. He dodged another blast of the Amaterasu, before thinking, I need to borrow your Fire Jutsu. You have the expertise; if you see an opportunity to effectively utilize your Fire abilities, I want you to override my control, and use my body to do what you must. He felt the Kyuubi's consent, before his hands moved in a flurry of complex seals. As he made the final sign, he reared his head back, breathing deeply, before he blasted a massive flame at Sasuke, the fire hotter than the lava on Mustafar (AN: Just imagine the Tailed Beast Bomb) As the flames engulfed Sasuke, one final jutsu was activated; a dome of pure demonic energy rose over the field, protecting the fleeing civilians from the battle, and sealing the combatants inside.
The flames slowly died, and Naruto narrowed his eyes, seeing Sasuke standing, having used a Force shield. Dodging yet another Amaterasu, Naruto leapt onto one of the boulders, before allowing the Kyuubi to control a jutsu yet again. This time, lava began to cover the ground, bubbling and burning, forcing Sasuke to leap onto one of the boulders as well. Once only the tops of the mounds and boulders that covered the ground were visible, Naruto deactivated the Jutsu, drawing his lightsabers and thumbing the activation switch.
Naruto leaped forward, landing on the platform Sasuke stood upon, and their blades met with a shower of angry sparks. He quickly slashed; up, down, a double strike to the opposing sides, but Sasuke managed to block or dodge. As they locked sabers, Naruto gazed into the hate-filled eyes yet again. "I have failed you, Sasuke," he said, forcing more strength into his sabers. "I have failed you." Sasuke roared in anger, shoving Naruto back. Rolling at the waist, Naruto managed to dodge a strike aimed to bifurcate him, and Naruto slid on the gravel, landing hard on his back, his face just inches from the bubbling lava. As the heat seared his skin, he rolled, avoiding Sasuke's downward strike, before rolling his body so he was doing a handstand. A moment later, he vaulted off the platform, landing on another platform. For an endless time, they fought back and forth, geysers of lava beginning to spray up inside the unstable field of chakra.
Backpedaling slightly, Naruto deactivated his secondary lightsaber, sealing it into his hip. Raising his left hand, he watched as the Rasengan swirled into existence, the low buzz barely audible over the roaring lava. Sasuke roared, and hurled another blast of Lightning at Naruto, widening his stance and throwing both arms forward to increase its power. Naruto brought his left hand around, and used the Rasengan to channel his Tutaminis, absorbing the lightning and warping his Jutsu. The ball of chakra shrunk until it was the size of a pebble, but he felt it vibrating in his hand, and a high-pitched frequency, similar to metal scraping metal, resonated from the Jutsu. Arcs of lightning reacted around it, and for a moment, Naruto thought he had activated the Chidori himself. He felt the Force flow through him, and, trusting it, he raised his arm over his head, before releasing the energy.
As more and more people ran screaming as specks of lava escaped the barrier, the former raven-haired shinobi ran the width of the field, trying to find a single flaw that would allow him in. Unable to find one, he tried raining a blast of Fireballs, even attempting a Water Dragon Jutsu. When nothing he tried worked, he yelled in frustration, slamming his fist against the stone railing.
"You stay alive in there, Naruto!" he screamed, hoping the Jedi could hear him. "You have to help me! You're my only hope!"
Naruto stared in amazement as the release of energy took effect. As is swirled about, the energy began to change the scene; boulders began to grow into towers, and walkways sprung between them, reminding him of a reactor room. He quickly leapt up, landing on a catwalk and spraying another bout of lava down toward Sasuke. The Sith quickly launched up, landing a few dozen meters away as the lake of lava rose another ten feet. Canceling the Jutsu, Naruto drew his secondary lightsaber, before taking his stance yet again.
Sasuke flashed through three seals, before throwing out his arm to the side. "Chidori!" he screamed, and Naruto's eyes narrowed as the Cursed Wings sprouted from his back, his body transforming to his Stage II Curse Mark. With a hard flap, Sasuke launched at Naruto, aiming to run the Jedi through the heart. Naruto remained still, until Sasuke was nearly upon him. At the last moment, Naruto launched up, and spun, slashing clean through Sasuke's wings.
As Sasuke hit the ground, Naruto quickly stepped back, coming dangerously close to the edge of the platform. "Stay down, Sasuke!" he yelled over the roaring flames. "If we continue on this path, it will only end in destruction!"
As Sasuke rose yet again, Naruto closed his eyes, clenching his fists at the Sith's stubbornness. As you wish, he thought, and he launched forward yet again, exchanging a flurry of blows with the young man. He countered a stab to his heart with a feral slash toward Sasuke's neck, but the Uchiha ducked, and Naruto took the moment to flip over Sasuke, before backpedaling, trying to gain some breathing room. Sasuke roared in frustration, before activating yet another Chidori, attempting his earlier attack; a feint with his lightsaber, followed by a slash with the Chidori. Time seemed to slow for Naruto as the attacks came in; he ignored the lightsaber, allowing it to slide past his cheek, before his right arm came up. In one brutal attack, he carved through Sasuke's left forearm, severing the limb completely.
Screaming in pain, Sasuke collapsed on the dirty walkway, clutching the remaining stump to his chest. His lightsaber lay rolled several feet away, forgotten, and Naruto summoned it to his hand, before sealing the device into his hip seal. The young Jedi slowly walked next to Sasuke, rolling him over with a foot before pointing his primary lightsaber at the young Sith's throat.
"You never should have left the Village, Sasuke," he said, gazing into the onyx eyes.
"I had nothing there tying me to such weaklings!" he roared, and he leapt up, activating one final Chidori with his remaining arm. He tried to flip over Naruto and destroy the young Jedi's head with unstable lightning. Reacting instantly, Naruto performed a brutal Mou Kei strike: one circular slash to remove each remaining limb. As Sasuke fell to the dirt once more, screaming in agony, the barrier disappeared, allowing the crowd to view the field once more.
"You had me!" Naruto yelled, deactivating his lightsabers and angrily slamming them into his seals. "You were my brother, Sasuke! I loved you!" Naruto choked out. Swallowing hard, he felt pity for the young Sith for a moment before he squashed it down, remembering the murders the Uchiha had committed. He cut Sasuke's belt from his form, giving it a once-over to find any useful items. Gazing into Sasuke's eyes, he saw hatred and madness reflected in the onyx orbs. "You've taken dozens of lives, Sasuke," Naruto said, raising his voice so the remaining crowd could hear. Naruto turned his gaze toward the lava, and Sasuke's eyes widened in fear. As Sasuke tried to crawl away, Naruto grabbed him by the collar, lifting him off the ground and holding him over the edge of the walk, above the boiling lava below.
"I HATE YOU!" Sasuke screamed, his voice warped with pain and rage. In one last act of defiance, Sasuke feebly spit at the Jedi, before Naruto released his grip.
Time seemed to flow as the Sith fell. Surprise registered on his face as his clothes flapped about him, before he hit the lava. The flames sprung up instantly, and Naruto slowly sunk to his knees as Sasuke screamed. The young man rolled and writhed in agony, his skin blistering, boiling, frying, and melting before it blacked, hissing. His hair ignited, leaving his scalp a mangled mess, and tears streamed from his ruined eyes, evaporating instantly. As the body sank completely below, Naruto felt a small ripple through the Force. He closed his eyes, and a solitary tear fell.
Sasuke Uchiha was dead.
Wow. I gotta say, I am rather proud of this. One day after I published the new chapter, ICB-RAIDEN requested another chapter before the Holidays. The morning after this request, I got up, went to school, came home at 3:00, and worked for the next seven hours to write what you now have read. Please, as a Christmas gift to me, review this story, and tell me if it was worth it.
-Zeratide, out.