Hi yall! enjoy! see my notes at the bottom ;)
Chapter 11 Little Death
Ino almost smacked her forehead right into Temari's, if it weren't for Gaara's sand coming up to protect her at the last second and slow the impact.
"Ugh. Watch where you're going you bitc-"
Ino slapped her hand over her mouth when she realized who it was that she had almost bumped into.
"Sorry, Temari!"
Shikamaru was shaking his head and sighing somewhere behind her as he nodded his head at Gaara who 'hmm-ed' in acknowledgement. Ino thought she could hear mirth in Gaara's voice at her expense, no doubt.
"I'll forgive you for what I think you were about to call me blondey, because my brother is lit-up like festival fireworks right now!"
Temari smiled deviously as she eyed her brother behind Ino, who had come up and put his arm around Ino's hip from behind.
Ino blushed and turned to eye Gaara, who was actually almost smiling again. Ino squeezed his hand.
"Dahh! Gaara! You are smiling!" Temari squealed and leaned in rapidly to squeeze the conjoined bodies of her brother and Ino in a suffocating hug.
"I've seen a better smile than that. . ." Ino mumbled under her breath when Temari finally let go of them.
Gaara pinched her hip and kissed her tenderly on the neck in response.
"I am so happy for you guys!" Temari cheered.
Ino smiled at Temari and did a double-take at Shikamaru, whose hair was up in its signature pineapple-esque style, but was rather messy and disheveled. She blamed her post-coital bliss and present concern for Naruto and Sakura for not noticing it earlier.
"FUCKING FINALLY! I was worried Temari would die of old age before you made an honest woman of her, pineapple-head!" Ino yelled.
Shikamaru turned white as a sheet and cleared his throat.
"How was it?" Ino asked as she turned to Temari once again.
"INO . . .!" Shikamaru threatened, but Ino wasn't paying him any mind any longer.
She had turned to Temari who could only smile from ear to ear. The girls embraced again as Shikamaru face-palmed and Gaara blinked and finally put two and two together.
"Be good to my sister. Or else." Both girls laughed awkwardly at Gaara's display of protectiveness.
Ever the pragmatist, after facepalming some more, Shikamaru brought the conversation back to where it belonged.
"I'm guessing you two got the same urgent feeling we did when that Genjutsu lifted?"
"I'm really worried about forehead! This can't be good." Ino bit her lip. Temari nodded in acknowledgement.
"I can feel the pressure of Kyuubi's chakra . . ." Gaara said as he closed his eyes. "And. . .something else. It must be the blossom tree and Sakura."
"I think we can safely deduce that someone hopefully on our side placed a rather large Genjutsu over the inn to somehow strengthen bonding between couples . . .I picked up on the feeling of what I assumed was a Genjutsu strengthening when that old woman, Kagome, was telling her story. If what I'm thinking is correct it should have also helped to bring Naruto and Sakura together. . ."
"And the rest of us!" Temari said with a wink at her cohorts.
Ino made a cheesy clicking noise with her tongue in agreement and continued her interupption of Shikamaru, who just continued on after sighing mildly at his best friend.
"But, something is obviously wrong." Shikarmaru finished.
"Mm. Naruto did look a little more distraught than normal at the end of that tale when he left the table." Temari added.
"Shit! I didn't think much of it at the time when I helped her get dressed, but Sakura seemed really pre-occupied before we came down for dinner. After she got out of the spring. . .I just chalked it up to a bad dream or—"
"Naruto stayed in the spring after I departed as well. It's possible something might have happened between them." Gaara added and Ino bit her lip again in concern.
Shikamaru studied the others before he answered.
"If that's true, then it's possible that they might have had an encounter before the Genjutsu was at its full strength to stabilize both of them. At this point, we have to think of Naruto and Sakura like volatile mixtures, that when combined, either have the potential to become explosive or neutralize and calm one another—it all depends on the conditions of the environment in which they combine. Although Jiraiya didn't mention this genjutsu, I can only assume it was part of his plan from the beginning to help coax Sakura and Naruto into a lull and eventually consummation."
"Why not tell us, then?" Ino asked with raised eyebrows.
Shikamaru shrugged and smirked at the exasperated look that rose on his long time best friend and teammate's face.
"I'm guessing we were part of the bait to make the thing seem as authentic as possible. If we had known we were going to be co-erced into jumping each other tonight, we may have behaved differently."
Gaara frowned and Ino turned to squeeze his hand.
"Regardless, the fact that the Genjutsu suddenly lifted must mean that its caster's attention was pulled elsewhere and if Naruto and Sakura are in fact outside of the compound, I think it's safe to assume the conditions are leaning in favor of an explosion."
"Fuck. I should have just asked her what was up before we came down to dinner . . ." Ino stomped her foot in frustration.
"We'll find them." Gaara said as he eyed her.
"Temari and I have already checked the bar for Jiraiya; from how irritated the bartender was, it appears he was there before. Jiraiya must already be heading in the direction of the chakra that Gaara can sense—out into the woods."
"Have you guys seen Kakashi?" Ino inquired about the other lead on this mission to protect two of their friends.
"No. Hopefully, if he's still out in the woods where he headed after dinner, he can smell the chakra changes in the air and will meet us out there." Temari replied.
"Let's just head in that direction."
Gaara nodded and began to summon his sand to wisk them all outside behind the building. As it swirled around them more rapidly, it started to blur the hallway around them. Luckily, it was an empty hallway. Ino didn't even want to think of how many girls would faint to see the handsome Kazekage of Suna teleporting his fellow nin.
Stuffing her irrational jealousy down, Ino gently laid her hand on Gaara's bicep as she turned again to Shikamaru. Gaara's sand still hung around them, but it froze in place, waiting for its master to re-issue the command.
"Any more strategies, Shika?" Ino and Shikamaru shared a lengthy glance, one that came from growing up together and working together for years. Despite their bickering, the Ino-Shika-Cho trio were the best of friends.
"It might be more complicated because Choji isn't here." Shikamaru said out of the side of his mouth as he eyed Ino. Ino blinked pointedly at him.
"But, I'm sure we can make do with the help of the Kazekage and his sister." He smirked.
"If it comes to that, we'll have to find a way to pry them apart." Shikamaru nodded.
"Gaara, can you drop us just on the outer edge of the resort? I think we might need to strategize on the run there." Gaara nodded and his sand teleported them all away as Ino requested.
….
Breath deeply. Hold. Exhale.
Again. Two more times. Three more. Jiraiya decided he wouldn't call on Shima and Fukasaku unless absolutely necessary.
He could store a bit of nature chakra on his own, but not enough to fully maintain Sage mode for more than a few seconds. Hopefully, that would be all that he would need for now. Afterall, this man in the orange mask was not Uchiha Madara as he had feared.
But, that didn't mean that Jiraiya couldn't sense that this man was still formidable. But, everything about his techniques and mannerisms, smacked of the opposite of the show and flash and incredible skill of Madara. This man, while still an Uchiha, was hiding behind his ocular powers, literally and figuratively.
Jiraiya was also more than aware of when Sasuke moved to defend them with his Susanoo from the man in the mask's Katon jutsu just as he knew he would. Jiraiya didn't even flinch in his meditative state. Only his hair moved a fraction from the gust of hot air as it was dissipated by the thick armor of Susanoo.
It would be nice to have another Uchicha on their side for once. Itachi would be proud of his brother. Jiraiya frowned briefly as he thought of his long time friend and informant. He had always known the truth of the Uchiha massacre and had been one of the only confidants of Itachi—as much as anyone could be a confidant to someone whose vocabularly consisted largely of "hn" and "hm."
Regardless, he knew Naruto viewed Sasuke as his own brother and because Naruto was practically like a son to him, Jiraiya wanted nothing but the best for Sasuke too—no matter how much the little shit reminded him of Orochimaru's aloofness or the general arrogance of every Uchiha he had ever met.
Jiraiya scoffed to himself—he was coming out of his meditation anyway. What still really concerned him was why Kakashi, who entered the clearing with Sasuke, hadn't moved a muscle since then.
But, he had to react now. Thinking was for later.
Jiraiya could feel his features slowly change and take on some of the features of the great toads of Mount Myoboku. He had absorbed the limit of nature chakra he could hope to store and mold just in time too.
He stood and with the lightening reflexes only a sage could have, he blocked the punch meant for Kagome's face that the nearby weakened Sasuke appeared unable to anticipate as the guard of Susanoo flickered and went out.
Sasuke stumbled noticeably and clutched at his eyes. In his nano-second of reaction time, Jiraiya had a feeling that Sakura must have encountered Sasuke in the woods and given him a little bit more than a stern talking to, which would explain why Sasuke was suddenly on the right side instead of the wrong side for once.
Jiraiya winced as he thought of the last stern talking to he received from Sakura's sensei. He wouldn't mind another again later. . .but maybe without clothes?
No time for full on pervy sage now. Naruto would be proud.
As Jiaraiya moved to counter the punch he also notitced that the still—apparently—thunderstruck Kakashi had not sought to counter either. Regardless, even if this young man was not Madara, he manifested incredible speed.
"It's very wrong to hit a lady when she is unaware, you twat."
The toad features vanished along with the natura chakra he stored just as Jiraiya's hair exploded out into spikes toward their target, who had dropped his orange mask in rage.
He dodged, but swayed in the process.
Recovering from the near miss, Kagome lunged forward with a powerful and sweeping leg kick to take advantage of the fact that their assailant was off-balance.
Instead of making contact, her leg just passed through his body.
Jiraiya's eyebrows raised.
"Who knew an old lady like you is still so spry!" Jiraiya said out of the side of his mouth as he planned his next jutsu without weaving signs. Despite it's power, this one would take some time to set, but judging from what their foe could do with their Sharingan, Jiraiya had a feeling it would be just the technique he would need.
"Watch your tongue, Jiraiya. You're not exactly a spring chicken." Kagome said as her eyes narrowed when her leg finished passing through the body of their enemy.
Their enemy then phased his body back to the other side of the clearing in the blink of an eye. Jiraiya paused in his creation of his trap. It wouldn't do for their foe to become aware of it before it was ready.
"What is that technique?" Jiraiya asked Kagome.
"It's definitely linked to this youn man's Sharingan. Apparently it's not at full strength as he seems to be missing the other one." Kagome said as she studied him with her own Mangekyo. Jiraiya thought he heard Kakashi's sharp intake of breath behind him.
"I'd put him into a Genjutsu myself to stop him from jumping around so much, but these old bones can only manage to handle one at a time these days." She said as she wavered on her feet and stumbled.
"Don't worry my dear, I think we can manage. You focus your energy on the Genjutsu protecting the kids. With how much chakra they are still emitting, it will like take most of your strength." Jiraiya half-turned his body toward Kakashi—while still keeping an eye on the young mystery Uchiha.
Kagome went back to raising her hands into the air palm up as her skin started to glisten with sweat from the strain of the jutsu.
During the entire exchange, Kakashi had since only managed to shift his weight and reach a trembling hand into his shuriken pouch. It felt like his brain was operating in a thick mud or fog.
"Are you actually going to participate in the fight, Kakashi? Or do you think that 3 against one in this case just isn't fair?" Jiraiya asked sarcastically over his shoulder.
"What's the matter Kakashi, feeling a little nostalgic about seeing an old friend?" Their foe said with acidic bite in his voice—clealry still flustered about the Genjutsu Kagome just pulled.
Jiraiya looked between the two.
"Obito?! . . .How?!" Kakashi swallowed and seemed to regain some of his normal bravado as he narrowed his eyes.
"WHY are you doing this?"
"Why? I'll let you in on a little secret, Kakashi, and maybe it will all become clear to you." In the next instant, their foe teleported direclty in front of Kakashi.
"I saw what you did to Rin."
He spoke in Kakashi's ear in a stage whisper just as he withdrew a Kunai from somewhere within his robe and made to plung it directly into Kakashi's chest.
Kakashi reacted in just enough time for the kunai to puncture his flak vest as he dodged back.
"I take it this is your old teammate, then Kakashi? . . .Uchiha Obito?" Jiraiya supplied from beside him.
Jiraiya had almost doubted himself when he didn't step in to block the hit aimed for Kakashi. He knew Kakashi could handle himself and should have been able to fully dodge that hit without even a scratch to show for it. He was clearly not fully back to himself just yet, however.
Kakashi nodded as he shifted his jaw beneath his mask. He had to clear his head and focus. He knew Jiraiya was trying to state the obvious right now to help snap him out of it.
"That explains why your ocular techniques are so similar." Jiraiya said, hinting at his idea for a plan to Kakashi.
Without further ado, Kakashi revealed and activated his own Sharingan. His fist tightened on the Kunai in his hand.
"You really think that you can use my own eye against me, Kakashi?" Obito scoffed at them. Jiraiya glanced to the other side of the clearing as he heard Ino, Temari, Shikamaru, and Gaara break through. It seemed they were having a reunion of their own with Sasuke.
He had a feeling things were about to be a lot more complicated, however, if his dwindling nature chakra was altering him to what he thought it was. He went back to concentrating on finishing his jutsu while their foe was obviously too busy being irritated with his former teammate.
Kakashi now looked white as a sheet as Jiraiya turned back to eye the first happy reunion of team members as he continued to focus on his jutsu.
"Not only did I see you kill Rin, I also know she made you do it for the greater good." Kakashi's stance wavered a bit and Jiraiya's eyes narrowed. Obito began pacing like he was on some sort of podium giving a speech. Just a few more seconds, and the trap would be laid.
"Can't you see, Kakashi? The only way to end this cycle of suffering is to end the world itself. The chain must be broken." Obito's eye took on a crazed glimmer.
Without waiting for further preamble, Kakashi acted as the single pinwheel in his sole Mangekyo sprung to life. Thankfully, Jiraiya and Kakashi had developed very subtle non-verbal queues long ago. They weren't master ninja for nothing.
"KAMUI!" Kakashi aimed directly at Obito's feet.
"Honestly, Kakashi, didn't your daddy teach you enough humility? It's rude to use a gift to hurt someone else! Not to mention, you have the worst aim I have ever seen!"
Kakashi feigned confusion as to why his ability didn't work as Obito took a few steps back to gloat.
True to their plan, Kakashi's technique had the intended affect: it caused Obito to manifest his feet just long enough to get stuck in the trap.
"You know, you really are a student of Minato's, Obito. He would fall for this trick every time too. Was one of the only ways I could catch him with his crazy yellow flash teleportation." Jiraiya said as he scratched his thick head of unruly white hair.
It would appear their trap caught not a moment to soon as both Jiraiya and Kakashi became aware of large approaching chakra signatures.
They had a few seconds to exchange a glance as they made out multiple shadows exiting the woods.
…
Meanwhile, when Jiraiya first burst out in Sage mode and occupied their assailant, Sasuke was able to recover back onto his feet after wiping more blood out of his eyes. He then made a mad dash for Naruto and Sakura.
He realized in frustration that with his waning strength he probably wouldn't be able to manifest much more than a partial Susanoo again during the fight.
It was at this moment when Sasuke was jogging across the dry grass and trampled weeds—and nearly stumbling as his sapped strength failed him again, that Ino, Shikamaru, Gaara, and Temari entered the clearing and were struck speechless for a breath as their eyes meant the darkened look of Sasuke's. Realizing their error, they immediately broke contact with the haunting—and still active—Mangekyo.
Keeping their eyes on Sasuke's feet, they moved to intercept him on his way to Naruto and Sakura. Shikamaru summoned his shadows and easily captured Sasuke's weakened body.
"Tch. Nara, this isn't what it looks like." Sasuke clenched his jaw. Sasuke could easily break Shikamaru's hold if he wanted to, but he had a feeling he had to save what little strength he had for what was coming.
Ino took up a defensive stance, using her body to block view of Sakura.
Shikarmaru's gaze shifted momentarily to eye the still transpiring fight between Jiraiya, a very shaken looking Kakashi and the mystery Uchiha.
He noticed Kagome at the edge of the fight with her hands in the air and started to do quick calculations in his head.
"Sas-sauke-kun? . . ." Gaara's eyes narrowed at Sasuke after he saw the forlorn look on Ino's face. She held her battle stance, however.
"Then tell us exactly what it's supposed to look like, Uchiha brat!" Temari yelled as she proferred her fan.
Their conversation was interrupted, however, when from out of the shadows of seemingly all the trees around the clearing, arrived hundreds of pasty-looking and downright naked men with white skin and green hair.
"What. . ?" Temari glanced at the new arrivals.
"Tch. Zetsus. NARA! You have to let me—" Sasuke yelled again. But, stopped when Shikamaru withdrew his shadow hold on Sasuke's form and released him.
"Don't make me regret that, Sasuke." Shikamaru said with a glare in his direction. The group then turned to eye the mob of Zetsus that seemed to slow their approach for some reason—like they were waiting for a command.
"Shikamaru!—" Temari yelled but was silenced when Ino touched her shoulder.
"Trust him; he knows what he's doing." Ino winked at her long time teammate and then smiled reassuringly at a stressed Temari.
"Ino, you and Gaara try to help stabilize Naruto and Sakura. I can see that Kagome has managed to put them into some sort of stasis for now, but her strength is waning. We need a back up plan." Shikamaru eyed Ino pointedly in silence for a few beats.
"I get it Shikamaru. I'll see if I can get through to her." Ino nodded. Gaara, somewhat confused, looked between the two.
"Gaara," Ino touched his cheek, "you aren't going to like what I'm about to do, but I need you to use some of your sand to try to add an extra layer to the crystal-like stuff that's holding Naruto and Sakura apart right now." Gaara frowned, but did as the love of his life asked him.
"Suna no tate."
Gaara raised his hand as sand flew from his gord to combine with some harder wet sand that lifted from the ground at Gaara's command to make a cement like consistancy around Naruto and Sakura. Gaara's sand shield, which used to protect him alone in his darker days, laid obediently on top of the crystalline material Kagome laid over Naruto and Sakura.
"Sasuke, Temari, we will deal with these Zetsus guys only after they approach. Are you well enough to do this, Uchiha?" Shikamaru turned to eye Sasuke with cold assessment.
"I'll be fine." Sasuke said with grit. Shikamaru eyed Sasuke's weakened form, but decided to leave the man his pride and nodded.
"Don't intercede with Naruto and Sakura unless we have no other choice." Shikamaru said to Sasuke as he got into position and sent little pieces of his shadow jutsu along the edge of the clearing near the tree line. Thank god the moon was out tonight.
"Hn." Sasuke rolled her eyes.
"Shika—?" Temari started to ask the implied question as to why they were waiting to attack.
"We wait for now. Ino?" Shikamaru called behind him.
"Ready." Ino nodded in confirmation and turned to eye Gaara briefly before she closed her eyes and directed both of her hands into a seal.
"Gaara. . .you will need to provide protection and support to Ino, she's essentially blind and defenseless when she uses that jutsu." Shikamaru said as he continued to concentrate on his own shadow jutsu. He nearly had it wrapped around the entirety of the trees facing the clearing—just under the noses of the Zetsus.
"Alright, Ino, I can buy you at least fifteen minutes assuming. Do it now!" Shikamaru yelled over his shoulder.
Ino barely nodded, but as Gaara watched her in wonder and concern, several large veins in her forehead popped out from the power and mental aptitude required for the jutsu.
Shikamaru's own eyes shut in concentration as he held the very large shadow in place.
"Sasuke, is my assumption correct that Zetsu's body is largely made from organic material? Perhaps even the cells of Hashirama?" Temari and Gaara both flinched at Shikamaru's question and wondered how he came up with that theory.
"Your time working directly with the Hokage and encryption team?. ." Temari asked quietly—not expecting a response. It was downright sexy for her to see Shikamaru take tactical command of the situation.
Sasuke paused briefly before responding to Shikamaru.
"Hn."
"Then, the trees . . .use real fire." Shikamaru opened one eye and looked at Sasuke dead in the Mangekyo, who nodded.
"Katon! Gokakyu no jutsu."
A large, controlled fireball made its way to the treeline and quickly engulfed the trees. Some of the Zetsus deeper into the forest screamed as they too went up in flames. But, none of them advanced or even tried to avoid getting burned.
"Talk about obedient!" Temari remarked.
"Temari, keep the fires lit as best you can." She nodded as she brought her fan up and created a great gust of wind and expertly directed all the air to fan the flames (quite literally) rather than extinguish them.
"For now, we need to just buy Ino as much time as we can."
The trio glanced over their shoulder at Ino who Gaara was now helping to hold upright with strong concern on his face.
….
"Sakura? Sakura? Where are you?" Ino was sure she was inside Sakura's mind. They were such close friends that it felt very familiar to her.
Even if inside her mind right now, it was black and empty and formless like space without any matter or purpose. But, Ino could still feel Sakura. This was one of her best friends—she knew this was her mind.
But, why couldn't she find Sakura's psyche in her own mind-especially when Sakura had one of the toughest, strongest and, bitchiest psyches of anyone she had ever known. Hell, Ino always thought one of the reasons that Sakura's forehead was so damn large was because it had to contain that enormous willpower and psyche of hers.
"FOREHEAD! THIS ISN'T FUCKING FUNNY. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE FUCK YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING, BUT GET IN HERE RIGHT NOW AND ANSWER ME!"
She screamed. Yelling always seemed to get them somewhere. Ino and Sakura were always the type of girlfriends to one another to just 'have it out' when something was wrong rather than stewing about it. They both had legendary tempers anyway.
Refusing to call it quits just yet—she was frustrated anyway, damnit—Ino jumped around and threw punches and kicks in the darkness like she could strike the light into showing up and showing her the way to Sakura.
After ten minutes of fruitless and futile raging, Ino sighed and fell to the ground—if it could be called that. She looked at her hands. She didn't know what she'd do if she lost Sakura.
"I can't lose you, you big idiot! Who will I go to for advice?" She worried her lip as the tears mounted.
"I'm sorry I didn't notice that something was bothering you earlier tonight. I can be a really selfish and shitty friend sometimes. . ."
Just when she was about to totally give up hope, she felt a flicker of something—like a whisper that was too soft to hear or the touch of a breeze on your skin.
"Sakura?" Ino whispered.
"Ino." It was a muffled whisper like Sakura was talking to her from the other side of a wall.
"Sakura. . .! What's going on?" Ino looked around like she could somehow derive the location of Sakura's voice in the inky blackness. She quickly wiped the tears from her eyes.
"I'm ok, Ino. I don't want you to worry about me." Ino recognized that voice in her friend, it meant she was about to do something stupid.
"Sa-ku-ra! What are up to? Where are you!? Let us help you." She said in frantic frustration.
"I know what I need to do, Ino. Finally. I know how to protect him."
Ino paused realizing what Sakura might be insinuating. What—with her powerful medical jutsu abilities—she was probably going to try. It would be different though; Ino wasn't sure how the power of the blossom tree would affect it—for better or for worse.
"Are you in Naruto's mind now?" She knew there was no point in talking her out of this. Once Sakura was set on something. . .
Only silence answered her.
"Sakura?" Ino asked the darkness as her voice cried in sadness.
"I need you to do something for me, Ino." Sakura said—a smile in her voice.
….
"What is this?" Obito glanced down to his feet in disgust and noticed they were stuck in an muddy, sticky and very fould smelling swamp.
"I'd like to introduce you to one of my personal favorite Earth Release Jutsus, the swamp from the underworld."
Obito continued to shift, but his knees buckled momentarily as he felt the other effect of the swamp: it slowly drains strength. He glared at Jiraiya and then his glare resolved into a smirk.
"A clever ploy, Jiraiya-sama, but it would appear my assistants are about to arrive." Obito chuckled from among the muck.
POOF. The body of Kakashi that Obito thought set off Kamui, that was still standing to Jiraiya's left, disappeared in a plume of smoke. Obito's eyes widened.
"Raikiri!"
While Obito was still distracted by Jiraiya and the shadow clone that he thought was Kakashi, from the perimeter of his vision, the real Kakashi swooped in with his arm blazing blue-white hot like an unearthly blade.
As the sound of a thousand screaming birds descended with the fast movement of Kakashi's arm, beads of sweat ran down his face and into his mask.
The brilliantly white-indigo conflagration of Kakashi's arm nearly penetrated Obito's chest, right where his heart should be, but for a shadow of a second, Kakashi hesitated. Obito was one of his closest friends, after all.
Recognizing the hesitation and using it to his advantage, Obito caught Kakashi's eye with a dark smirk as he grabbed his Raikiri arm simultaneously. Upon contact, the Raikiri flickered out.
Kakashi felt his strength getting sapped. Somehow, Obito was channeling the strength sapping from the underworld swamp into his body . . .maybe it was the connection with their eyes?
"Hesistation is not the mark of a true ninja, Kakashi. To truly win, you must be willing to suffer." With that, he drew up his other arm and ran Kakashi through with a kunai to the chest. Blood erupted immediately on Kakashi's flak vest and bubbled out of his mouth and stained his black mask a deeper, wetter, and darker shade.
"You are right that suffering is part of being a ninja. Ninja are those who endure." Kakashi said with gravel in his voice from the pain of the kunai lodged in his body.
He turned the arm that Obito had a strong hold on and grabbed Obito's wrist with a deathgrip on his own hand.
"But, I'd rather be a bad ninja than something worse than trash who disgraces the memory of his friends."
"Raikiri." Kakashi blasted the lightning blade up his own arm and the arm of Obito.
Both men cried out in tremendous pain. A burning arc of flesh was seared into a quarter of Obito's already damaged body. The black fabric of his robe was melted into his skin where the Raikiri charred its way over his body like he were just a conductor.
Kakashi's arm was also momentarily engulfed, although the chakra was his own and lightning was his element, because he channeled it directly through his body, he could feel it searing and shredding the chakra pathways in his arm.
When Kakashi's grip loosened and the Raikiri faded out once more, Obito blinked his body back with his teleportation technique and easily evicted himself from the underworld swamp—though his boots were left behind. His scorched arm hung limp as he reappeared further away.
Kakashi's own arm hung limp as he clutched it at the elbow with his other arm. As he started to crumple to the ground from blood loss, Jiraiya decided to step in again and dissolved the underworld swamp.
"Kakashi, I gave you a chance to fight your friend . . . I'm not going to hold back now." From behind him on the ground, a panting and bleeding Kakashi nodded at Jiraiya.
Glancing again at the perimeter that he had been eyeing while Kakashi was fighting Obito, Jiraiya saw that the mob of Zetsus was finally making its way into the fight, but holding still for now. Clearly, they were waiting for some non-verbal command from Obito.
His glance shifted to see that Shikamaru seemed to have set the others up into some sort of formation. He smirked; he knew Nara would figure something out. Then, he felt the chakra release and saw the shadow of Nara's jutsu creeping along the edge of the forest—out of sight and seemingly out of mind to their present enemies.
He would have to hurry too if he wanted to take advantage of the situation.
Again using some accumulated nature energy that he managed to gather into his body once more while Obito was occupied with Kakashi, Jiraiya moved in the blink of an eye so that his body was directly in Obito's line of sight with Sakura and Naruto.
Obito, who was still winded from taking the Raikiri directly into his right arm, flinched as his eyes widened at the proximity of the legendary sannin.
At the same instant, Jiraiya's hair expanded to three times its size like a great white porcupine. The bulk of the spikes passed right through Obito's body, as expected, but not before the sharpest ones closest to Jiraiya's forehead protector sliced the face of their target. One was dangerously close to Obito's only remaining eye.
Obito growled. The attention of both men was momentarily shifted, however, to the large Katon jutsu that was making its way to the treeline.
"Are your friends flammable?" Jiraiya asked with a chuckle.
The fireball made contact with the trees as many of the Zetsus were engulfed, a wind burst followed shortly on its heels to keep the flames licking at the trees and roaring.
"NOW YOU IDIOTS!" Obito yelled to the treeline.
The many remaining Zetsus began to mobilize—some half engulfed in flames as they moved like puppets.
The floating arms of Shikamaru's extensive shadow jutsu moved up to strangle and hold the bulk of the Zetsu's frozen in place like a net. The few that made it past the net were dealt with quickly by Sasuke's blade or Temari's fan.
As time went on, however, Shikamaru was starting to shake with the exertion of holding such a wide shadow jutsu for so long, so more and more gaps in his net started to crop up.
When the moon was suddenly obstructed by a large cloud that Shikamaru could swear wasn't there before, shit really hit the fan. He would never look at clouds with the same happiness again.
Several things happened at once: Shikamaru's shadow jutsu was completely disrupted, releasing the several hundred Zetsus it still held at bay; Sasuke stumbled from over using his Mangekyo during the fight and hit the dirt roughly; and worst of all, Kagome collapsed.
When the moon returned from behind the cloud, Shikamaru frantically tried to shadow-strangle as many Zetsus as he could while Temari tore them apart with her fan. Sasuke managed to right himself—though his Sharingan was no longer active. Gaara had cast a net of sand around the group that pelted down like gritty bullets onto a bulk of the Zetsus, making it easier for Sasuke to slice them as he organized himself back to fighting condition. Ino-still out of it-now rested against Gaara's chest as they sat on the ground near Naruto and Sakura.
All sets of eyes shot over to the couple frozen in a temporary chrysallis, however, as the structure began to crack. The plinking of the crystal as it broke apart was like pins dropping in a tomb. Everyone stopped moving. The world stopped. Gaara's sand had fallen away when Kagome collapsed like stray dust.
During the disorder, Obito had teleported further into the mass of Zetsus to protect his now failing strength.
With his foe retreating, Jiraiya quickly checked the unconscious, but still breathing form of Kakashi and raced to Kagome's side to catch her before her body met the ground.
"I'm sorry, Jiraiya-kun, I'm not what I used to be." The older woman croaked.
"It's ok, lovely, rest now." Jiraiya said sadly as he noticed her eyes were now a dull grey. Jiraiya realized she likely used the last strength in her eyes because of the power she channeled through her Mangekyo for that jutsu.
The form of Naruto and Sakura continued to crack and sway as everyone held their breath. The count of Zetsu bodies was now down to just a few dozen. Shikamaru and Temari were both panting from their spent chakra. Gaara had shifted his and Ino's body so he was between Ino and Naruto and Sakura—shielding her from them—not knowing what was coming.
As the last of the crystal dropped from their forms, it was like the air and the sky held its breath for one beat, two. Their chakra didn't move, but hung there like swirling oil on water—reflective and waiting for its potential to ignite.
Then, Gaara felt it first. He growled as wave after wave of malevolent red and green chakra exploded and swirled into the air, erupting and spinning together and twisting over one another. The wind it created was hot and atomic. It jostled everyone's hair and clothing, smacking against their skin like an angry, stinging insects.
Yelling over the roar of the chakra, Jiraiya called to Obito.
"And you actually thought you could control this?" Obito grimaced and disappeared into the forest.
Jiraiya jumped quickly to join the others beside the pulsating forms of Naruto and Sakura. He eyed the faces of Shikamaru, Temari and Sasuke, who was staring intently at the pair and their chakra. He noticed that Gaara was looking at Ino who was starting to stir.
Shikamaru turned to her to help her stand with Gaara.
"Ino! Did you figure anything out?" He yelled. Ino looked at everyone as the chakra continued to pulse in the air. She had tears in her eyes and a stricken look on her face.
It was then that the Chakra grew brighter and the two colors merged into a painfully bright yellow chakra like a cosmic fire.
"What's happening!?" Temari asked. Then faster than any of them could see, Naruto and Sakura's bodies were suddenly joined in the most intimate of ways. Like a form cut from the same silk, one arm flowed into the other, one leg to another, hipbones, lips. Their eyes were gone, only ethereal other-wordly shapes of their former bodies flickered in this plane.
Ino screamed.
"SASUKE! YOU HAVE TO HELP THEM!" She lunged at him and clutched his shirt to shake him. Jiraiya nodded at Sasuke in agreement behind her.
Sasuke turned to eye them as his Mangekyo made a reappearance—blood weeping from his eyes. From over his skin, out poured a dark purple malevolent chakra, not quite as strong as the now combined chakra of Naruto and Sakura, but overwhelming all the same. The group cringed away from him. Where Naruto's red Kyuubi chakra was angry and hot, and Sakura's was humid and willful, Sasuke's was cold and dark.
Silently, he turned to each of them again. They all noticed that his Mangekyo had taken on an almost snake-like undertone.
"We don't have much time, Uchiha." Jiraiya said quietly. But, Sasuke heard. With only the speed a tailed beast could have, Sasuke teleported directly beside Naruto and Sakura.
As he approached, the level of his chakra cloud output increased, almost in greeting. His canines elongated like snake fangs and a venom like substance dripped from his mouth.
He reached up both hands and laid them each on Sakura's and Naruto's shoulders. Then something unexpected happened; the golden chakra devolved again into a chaotic and unbalanced combination of red and green chakras as Naruto and Sakura's joined bodies started to come apart robotically. Their bodies took on a human shape again, though their eyes were still closed.
Sakura's legs started to unravel from around Naruto's waist, Naruto's Kyuubi tails once again had a fur like quality instead of flame and bubbling chakra. Sasuke also noticed how very nearly naked they were and couldn't help but groan in a forbidden pleasure.
Now. He thought.
Finally, Sasuke was able to do something he'd wanted to do in plain sight of Naruto for years, he leaned in and kissed the now pink and human form of Sakura's mouth right on the lips. Naruto's still somewhat un-human face was so close that Sasuke practical had to kiss both of them in order to kiss Sakura. A small part of him wanted to kiss them both; but, he quickly stamped that down as he thought of a chance to fight the Fox again over the Tree.
Sasuke bit down on her lip with his fang. It was his nature. He needed to. The minute the first few drops of blood blossomed on her lips, Naruto's eyes shot open.
"SASUKEEEE!" He growled. His was such a familiar growl. Sasuke had missed it—relished it even. Naruto's eyes still bled red from the Kyuubi, but his voice was very much his own—despite the tails that still wiped the air behind him.
"Are you going to let me take your girl from you again, usuratonkachi?" He said with his familiar smirk, but it was now decorated with the feral glimmer of elongated snake fangs.
The two brothers, enemies, and best friends erupted into a taijutsu match that the rest of the group was unable to follow it was so fast. But, they could feel every point of contact as it created a shockwave in the air.
It was then that Jiraiya instantly took the opportunity to form numerous hand seals for a very long and complicated sealing jutsu. When he got to the last 3 seals, tiger, fox, phoenix, his right hand glowed and he directed his finger tips in the air toward a still very distracted Naruto. The others watched amazed as the seal formed on top of the one already in place on Naruto's belly unbeknownst to him. Jiraiya's eyes were closed and his brow furrowed in concentration.
Jiraiya frowned, however. He knew this sealing jutsu alone wouldn't keep the kyuubi at bay. Sakura must have acted some how. He would have to wait to tell them.
Sakura's body, meanwhile, was still suspended in air. She neither woke nor moved further.
Ino, forgetting her own safety tried to make a dash to her friend's side to check on her. Gaara's protective sand immediately came up to block her. She had almost spent most of her chakra using her jutsu to speak to Sakura.
"Yamanaka, check on Kakashi first, he's lost a lot of blood." Jiraiya, finished with the sealing jutsu and watching more of Naruto's tails diminish by the minute, gestured over his shoulder as Ino's eyes widened in realization. She darted to Kakashi's side and knelt down to begin healing him. Gaara, who refused to leave her side after losing her momentarily during her jutsu, followed her like a faithful guard dog.
Shikamaru and Temari keep their eyes on the treeline for any lingering enemies, but they were both practically ready to faint from chakra exhaustion. Jiraiya, now tired as well sat down beside them. Casting that particular sealing jutsu from a distance was incredibly difficult and power-draining. He wouldn't have been able to bind it to Naruto's body at all if he hadn't already performed a seal on top of Minato's Kyuubi seal before and if Sakura hadn't done what he feared she did.
The two boys, meanwhile, still very thoroughly engrossed in their rage filled hand-to-hand combat, were oblvious to all else.
"What the hell is that Uchiha doing!?" Temari asked angrily and breathing heavily.
"I think, he's doing exactly what we asked, eh Jiraiya-sama?" Shikamaru turned to Jiraiya who had since gotten up and hobbled over to check on the now resting Kagome.
"Heh. Yup. He's wearing out Naruto so he'll be too tired to try to joining with Sakura again today."
"But shouldn't Sakura have woken up by now too?" Temari asked concerned. Both men eyed each other as they heard more yelling from the two boys.
"Let's give her some time to see if she comes out of it on her own."
"WHAT THE FUCK, SASUKE! WHAT GAVE YOU THE RIGHT TO KISS SAKURA-CHAN HUH!?" Naruto yelled at him as he went for a right hook. He really wanted to kage-bunshin a million versions of himself so they could all beat the shit out of Sasuke; but for some reason, he just felt so tired.
He couldn't remember what he was doing in this clearing anyway, not to mention the fact that Sasuke hadn't been around in years. He wasn't exactly in his right mind. He just knew he saw Sasuke kissing his Sakura-chan, that was all.
"Hn. Maybe I wanted to kiss her, dumbass." Sasuke scoffed. He threw a swinging kick of his own and nearly lost his balance. God damn he was tired. He really over used his eyes today, more than ever before—especially the Mangekyo.
"I think they are occuppied enough for us to check on her." Jiraiya said as he decided to start to ease his way over to the still suspended and seemingly comatose body of Sakura.
Call it a false sense of security or the fact that everyone was already worn out from combat, but when Jiraiya reached Sakura's form, she vanished like a mirage.
All eyes shifted to the other side of the clearing where the real body of a very naked Sakura was now in the arms of a white Zetsu.
"You can seal it away all you want Jiraiya, but if I kill her, I know Naruto's mind will break." Obito appeared in front of the captured and very much unconscious Sakura with a Kunai in his hand.
Naruto's eyes widened as he realized what was happening and his memories came flooding back.
"SAKURA!" He was too tired, too slow right now. He'd never make it.
"Say goodbye, Fox, to your precious Blossom." Obito beamed at them as he plunged a knife home for the second time that day. His blade met fabric and his eyes met a face rimmed with black hair. Scared, the Zetsu holding Sakura scurried away.
Finding energy from somewhere deep inside—he never knew where or how he was able to protect them like he always did, Sasuke had got there in time.
Only a nano-second behind him was a frantic Naruto; perhaps out of cowardice or seeing an unhinged Naruto who still very much had his wits about him, barrelling toward him, Obito knew his last ditch effort for now hadn't worked and he teleported out and disappeared.
The others, exhausted, minus the still unconscious Kakashi and Kagome jogged up behind.
Naruto swallowed the lump in his throat as he took in the scene. Sasuke with a knife stuck all the way into his chest, a limp Sakura resting against his back.
"You always were too slow." Sasuke said with a smirk as blood trickled from his mouth.
"Sasuke. . .why?" Naruto's voice faltered.
"Because . . ." he coughed and spat out blood, tilting forward. Sakura's body started to slip off his body. Naruto reached forward to catch her and noticed her state of undress. Naruto still managed to have his boxers on, somehow.
Both boys eyed her for injuries.
Sasuke coughed again and put his hand on a nearby tree to brace himself upright.
"Is she . . .?" Sasuke asked.
"She isn't bleeding and I think she's breathing. . ." Naruto started to hyperventilate. Was he going to lose the two most important people to him in the world—at once?
Ino came up and collected Sakura from Naruto who seemed very reluctant to let her go.
"It's ok, Naruto, I've got her." Ino said with tears running down her cheeks. She had found Sakura's kimono somewhere and draped it over her. Naruto face grimaced in pain. He had hurt Sakura again.
Ino sobbed when she saw that the purple diamond that Sakura had been able to manifest on her forehead before was now most definitely absent. The others hadn't noticed yet. At least Sakura was still breathing.
Although he let Ino take Sakura's form from him (with Gaara's help), Naruto refused to let go of one of her hands.
Sasuke stumbled forward onto his knees and Naruto reached to grab him to hold him up. He looked at the Kunai handle trying to figure out how to help.
"Leave it." Sasuke said firmly.
"It should have been me!" Naruto cried. More blood ran down Sasuke's face as his already pale skin turned sickly. His legs finally gave out and the already spent Naruto could only slow him as he fell to the ground.
Naruto slumped there sobbing over his best friend. Sasuke laughed at him, but it came out more like a gurgle with all the blood in his throat.
"You Dobe. . ." he took a rasping breath "she is your destined soul mate. The only sort of death the two of you should have is the 'little death' of orgasm when you make love."
Sasuke's eyes fell closed.
Naruto wore a bittersweet smile. But he had hurt her! He didn't deserve her. Hell, he didn't even know what sort of feeling she actually, really and truly had for him.
Naruto turned to eye Sakura, who was now on the ground next to Sasuke with Ino trying to heal her.
"Fuck!" Ino sobbed and turned to look at Sasuke like she was thinking about healing him next. Gaara shook his head and whispered.
"Stop. You are exhausted, you've done enough." Ino frowned and leaned on him.
"What is it!? What's wrong with Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked trembling with worry—his body only running on adrenalin.
"She's in a coma. I can't wake her."
"But, she's alive?" Naruto grabbed Ino's forearms and squeezed a little too hard. Gaara glared at him but realized he wasn't aware of himself at the moment.
"Yes, but. . ." Ino sniffled.
"She's. alive. She's alive." Naruto collapsed next to her. His eyes only on her face.
Gaara nudged Ino who then reached into her pocket.
Ino moved her closed hand in front of the prone face of Naruto.
"She. . .she told me when I went into her mind that she wanted you to have this." Naruto's eyes shifted to look at Ino's hand.
Her hand unfolded to reveal a piece of fabric with a dry and very crumpled 6-petaled and once brilliantly pink cherry blossom with a green leaf fused to it.
She wants you to remember and to forgive her.
Tear after tear rolled down Naruto's face.
...
Hi yall! Once again, I have to thank ALL of you for sticking with this story, reviewing it, favoriting it or just bothering me in general to keep going ;). Don't worry, I always finish my stories like I've said in the past, I'm just a slow-ass when it comes to writing. Not to mention, life has a way of getting in the way on the regular. Plus, I'd much rather give you guys a good long chapter than a crappy chapter. Right? Right? It won't be long now. Only about 18 or so chapters total planned for this one. I took some liberties with the story a bit with this one, but it is also inspired by later events in the manga/anime. (OMG! Naruto the manga is finally finishing this november T_T...I'm going to be so pissed if Kishi kills Naruto. I will literally kick his ass if he does). Anyway, if you aren't at least well into the war with the plot, this chapter might be a bit spoiler-ish for you. Also, I hope it comes off emotional/real like I wanted it to. I was very worried about it seeming to emo/clunky. Also, don't worry, I LOVE Naruto Uzumaki and I hate seeing him suffer. I have a plan trust me, there is a method to my madness. But, admittedly, I think I got some Sasuke-emo in me this time with this chapter. LOL. Please review! ~~hugs, clumsy pink.