I would like to apologize for the way that the last chapter came out I would like to apologize for the way that the last chapter
came out. It looked horrible (not the story itself but the format :sweat:) ZOMG Microsoft just made a smiley… anyways back on
topic. Thanks to everyone who posted, ya'lls reviews keep this story going. Also, I would like to take the time to inform
everyone who reads this that if an update is late in coming…it is because I have killed whoever decided to put those damn
green squiggly lines under so many words on Microsoft. I apologize in advance. Oh, and my chapters are going to start coming
in about every other day because I'm trying to make them longer so ya'll have more to enjoy.
Sasuke groaned as he turned to see Kakashi approaching rapidly, Iruka close behind him. Why him? Naruto turned to see
what he was staring at and his face lit up. "Kakashi-sensei! Iruka-sensei! Hey we're over here!" He called out, waving his arms.
Jealousy ran hot through Sasuke. Slipping an arm around Naruto's waist, he pulled him close. Naruto turned confused blue eyes
to him. "Here they come!" Choji shouted, beginning to bounce. He really was going to bounce on top of the cave. As one they
turned towards the opening and moved aside as Neji and Shikamaru came flying out, sweat soaked and breathless. "Do it
Choji!" Neji commanded, straightening his back. Choji let out a howl as he bounced as hard as he could, sailing into the air. The
boys ran back out of the line of destruction, watching with wide eyes as Choji's large form slammed onto the roof of the cave,
shattering the aged rock, making it crumble in a splash of rock and dust.
Wow. Sasuke made a mental note to beware of Choji's baika no Jutsu, or his expansion technique. Choji bounced off the
rock and landed near them, already back to his normal still large size. "Man did that make me hungry!" Choji said as he
stretched and looked at what he had done. It couldn't be that easy, Sasuke thought. There was no way those rock ninja could
be defeated so easily. As if on cue, the earth began to tremble under their feet. Of course it wasn't that easy. "They're coming
from underneath." He shouted, a momentary flash of their first encounter with the ninja going through his mind. As one they all
jumped into the air and spread out, watching as the rock ninja burst from the ground. Their faces were flushed and their eyes
seemed to spark flames. "That's not playing nice kiddies." Tatsu growled, his eyes locking on Naruto. "You're coming with me
boy." He launched himself at Naruto who stood frozen in shock. Idiot! Sasuke rushed over to defend Naruto and was pushed
back by Kakashi who had appeared in front of the orange clad blonde.
"Well, well, well. Long time no see son of White Fang." That was the leader, eyes glancing over Kakashi. "Hello Kyo."
Kakashi said pleasantly, though there was a bite to it that was unusual for their sensei. So Kakashi knew the ninja huh? Maybe
this had been a set up designed by Kakashi. "Sasuke, you and the other boys take Naruto and leave. Iruka and I will handle
this." Kakashi said, his voice stern. Before Sasuke could say anything, Neji stepped forward. "It would be wise for us to stay
and assist with the battle." He declared coolly, obviously taking his role as team leader further than he should. "Your mission
was to find a retrieve Naruto…and Sasuke. You found them and now you have them. Bring them back to the Hokage." Kakashi
growled, eyeing the rock ninja who had began moving. Neji opened his mouth again but Sasuke cut in. "We're staying here
which means they have to as well. From what you just said sensei, their mission was to find us and get us. Well they have us
but we're not going anywhere." He glanced at Naruto who nodded in agreement, that determined look on his whiskered face.
Iruka sighed and moved Kakashi out of the way. "Boys, this isn't practice. This fight is going to be for real. As your teachers
we can't allow for you to participate, none of you are ready for this. Please Naruto, go back with the other boys." Iruka looked
pleadingly at Naruto whose eyes widened. Ah hell, Naruto was going to cave in. "I-I can't sensei….It's my fault that we got into
this mess. We have to help out." He said softly, tears welling up. Iruka swallowed and looked helplessly towards Kakashi.
Before he could respond, the rock ninja attacked. Who knew why they had waited so long to attack. "Come here boy!" Tatsu
screeched, once again going after Naruto. This time, all five remaining genin moved around him to protect him. "What a drag…"
Shikamaru said as he raised his kunai, standing to the left of Naruto. The blonde blinked and looked at them. "Well don't just
stand there idiot, fight." Kiba said, elbowing Naruto from his left. With a nod, Naruto's face stiffened and he pulled out his own
kunai. As one the genin spread out and faced their attackers. Kakashi was locked in hand to hand combat with Kyo, the rock
leader while Iruka took on the unknown male. Tatsu and the female grinned at them, Tatsu eyeing Naruto greedily.
"Man, what did you do to the guy?" Shikamaru muttered, eyeing Tatsu nervously. "The guy looks kind of hungry." Choji
added, his own stomach growling. Sasuke sighed and took a deep breath. These ninja had a lot to answer for. For the torture
of Naruto and for making him useless when Naruto needed him the most. "Split into groups of three. Sasuke, Naruto, and
Shikamaru take the female. Choji and Kiba will be with me." Neji said, still in his I'm a big bad leader mode. Sasuke rolled his
eyes and launched at the woman, kunai at the ready. "Bring it little man." She said, her voice whisper thin as she quickly made
some hand signs. Fist sized chunks of rock came loose from the ground and hovered in the air for a second before they came
rushing at Sasuke. It was an easy matter to dodge them. He twisted in the air and threw the kunai, aiming for the woman's
throat. A piece of rock flew up to block the metal, the kunai falling harmlessly to the ground. "Kage bunshin no jutsu!" Multiple
Naruto's popped up around Sasuke, some giving him a thumb's up. One Naruto, whether it was the real one or a shadow clone
Sasuke couldn't tell, came close to his ear. "I'll distract her with the clones while you get close for an attack." He said, the drone
of his clones masking the sound. Sasuke nodded and backed off, watching as the woman's eyes grew wide at the sight of so
many Naruto's.
"What the hell is this? No body told me the kid could make shadow clones!" She yelled furiously, sending rocks flying into the
swarming cloud of orange. Tatsu growled further away, his hands full with the three genin. Sasuke could see from the corner of
his eye that Shikamaru was trying to capture the man with his shadow while Neji was doing his own thing, byakugan in use.
Naruto's swarmed towards her, making sweat break out on her head. With quick hands she summoned up a rock wall to
oppress the oncoming blondes, the wall literally flying through the clones. Sasuke had to wait for her to be completely
distracted before he could sneak up on her, but he was an Uchiha, it'd be a piece of cake. Sasuke used the clones for cover as
he came up behind the woman, shuriken between his fingers with wires attached to them. Aiming the sharpened stars, he
flung them with skill, pulling the strings as the shuriken went around the woman's body. Manipulating the pieces of metal was
easy, but he had to quickly build up his chakra in order to produce his next jutsu. As the woman's arms pinned to her chest,
Sasuke quickly made the appropriate hands signs: snake, tiger, monkey, boar, horse, tiger. "Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!" Sasuke
took a massive breath in and felt his chakra mix with the withheld air. Blowing it out with extreme force, he watched as his
breath became a blazing fireball, racing along the wires to envelope the woman. She screamed and writhed in make-shift
bonds, falling to the ground as she tried to roll to extinguish the flames. It was no use. Chakra enhanced flames were nearly
impossible to put out.
The clones of Naruto disappeared as the real one watched with wide eyes, their blue depths holding a sort of fear as he
watched the fire consume the screaming woman. Sasuke cursed himself and made his way to Naruto's side, keeping a careful
eye on the other battles that were taking place. Tatsu was nearly finished and Kyo as well as the unknown man were fighting
viciously against Kakashi and Iruka-sensei, leaving them no time to worry about the other two despite the woman's screams.
Tatsu heard though and despite his ragged body, he tried to make his way to her. Sasuke stopped beside Naruto and wrapped
his arms around him. The blonde was shaking. "Why Sasuke? Why'd you have to do it like that?" His voice wavered and for
once Naruto tore his eyes away from the woman whose voice no longer screamed, but whose body still twitched and writhed
occasionally. "She would have killed you Naruto; she would have killed all of us." Sasuke said gently, hating the reprimanding
tone in his voice. Naruto looked up at him and Sasuke cringed. Naruto was looking at him in horror, tears making the blue
depths shine brightly in the sun. Pulling away from him Naruto shook his head and disappeared into the scenery, leaving no
marks in what direction. Gone again...
