Disclaimer: I take no claim to Naruto nor the characters, they belong to Kishimoto-sensei.
A/N: This chapter takes place One Year after Ch 9.
Additional Warning: This story is about to turn very dark. There will be character deaths, but I assure you they will not be the main characters. My dark side has taken over at this point and you have been warned.
Years can go by
Continuous like the tides
But with every new wave
Comes new experiences
And with a Price to be paid
For every happy memory
And every waking day
Chapter 10
Sasuke walked up to the door of his and Naruto's apartment, he removed the keys from his pocket to unlock the door. In the past year his life had turned around. He was finally back to the strength he should have been, thankfully due to Kakashi and Naruto's efforts, along with a few others from the Rookie Nine. They had helped in him getting back in shape as a ninja when they had spare time. He opened the door and stepped inside turning on the light as he did so.
He'd also talked Naruto into getting some more fitting furniture. Juugo had been kind enough to bring Sasuke's scrolls when he'd arrived. The ugly orange couch was still there, but Sasuke didn't mind, it was comfortable and he'd thrown a red blanket over it to hide the hideousness of it. A wooden entertainment center that was polished and not falling apart had replaced the previous one and was organized thanks to Sasuke.
One side had Naruto's scrolls, books, and movies, while the other had Sasuke's. The bookshelf had the movies, books, scrolls, and photo albums that couldn't be stored on the entertainment center in the living room. There was a variety of dishes in the kitchen, some the white Naruto had and others a blend of black and red. Sasuke kept the apartment spotless, without anything to do when he was working on mediocre missions within Konoha he had to keep himself busy if he wasn't training. It was the only way he could keep himself from seeping into his depression.
Naruto had been avoiding most of the dangerous missions and refused to do anything other than remain where he was until Sasuke was given the opportunity to rise in the ranks. Kakashi was still pushing to allow Sasuke to take part in the Chunin, Jonin, and Anbu exams. The council members were slowly retiring leaving the sensei's of the rookie nine to take their places among the council.
But the remaining elder and two elder council members were adament that Sasuke be restrained to the rank of a genin and that Naruto still remain unconsidered for Hokage. Sasuke naturally wanted to fight them tooth and nail, but he couldn't have much say in the matter with only a genin rank. If it hadn't of been for Naruto's persistence he wouldn't have put up with only remaining a genin.
Sasuke closed and locked the door behind him and walked over to the dining room table and set his keys down on the table. He needed to make something to eat for dinner and settled with the left overs that Iruka had given him from the other night before when he and Naruto had eaten dinner there before Naruto's recent mission.
Naruto had left early that morning on a mission to Suna. He was to be the escort for the joining between two Leaf ninja and two of the Sand ninja. Shikamaru and Temari and Gaara and Lee were getting married. Of course the Kazekage's wedding was to be a huge formal and political event. But there was a private wedding following it and then Shikamaru and Temari's private wedding would follow. Ino and Chouji were to accompany them as well. Chouji being the best man for Shikamaru and Ino because surprisingly Temari had decided on her to be her bride's maid.
Gai-sensei and the rest of rookie nine along with the sensei's that were available would be leaving for the wedding in two more days. Kakashi of course would have to go, as an allied nations Kage, it was mandatory that he had to go. Naruto, being the best man for Gaara wouldn't be returning until after all the events were over. That was supposed to take three to four weeks. Neji would be among the Anbu to escort the Hokage. Sasuke had been told that he would be going with the Hokage and his Anbu bodyguards to ensure he returned and only because the Hokage had been adamant he accompany them. That had been because Naruto had been persistent that Kakashi make them let Sasuke go.
Sasuke sat down at the table with a bowl of left over ramen with a heavy sigh. He sat up straight in the chair with a jolt. He'd been training with Neji on Neji's demanded day off. He wasn't the Captain of the Anbu squad for nothing, he hadn't even detected that sword before it had struck him across the back. It hadn't been more than a slash, not too deep, but it still stung like a really large paper cut.
He ate quickly and cleaned his small amount of dishes before deciding on taking a shower. He decided after he showered that since he'd cleaned the apartment yesterday it would live through another day since Naruto wasn't home to leave a mess behind.
Sasuke stepped out of the front bathroom towel drying his hair wearing only his light blue boxers. The overly thin physique was long since gone, his stomach and chest were toned and smooth, his arms and legs tightly toned, but when he was relaxed he didn't look anywhere near as strong as he truly was. Naruto made comments about him having slim hips and how he could get away with wearing a skirt if he wanted to and no one would know he was a guy.
Sasuke chuckled darkly at the memory and tossed the towel into the hamper in the corner of the living room along the far wall. He stopped suddenly and looked to the door, it was slightly cracked. He closed his eyes and searched for the intruders chakra. He sighed and walked over to the door and locked it then grabbed the hilt of the sword he often left by the door, a sword that Kakashi had given him since he no longer went on Anbu missions and viewed Sasuke to be at the same level of skill as one anyway.
Sasuke turned instinctively with the sword aimed at the throat of his intruder. He took a step back in horror, his heart hammering in his chest, his hand clutching the hilt of the sword. His pale skin had been slightly reddened from the heat of the shower, but now it was a sickly, ghostly pale. Sasuke backed into the door and his onyx eyes had widened in shock at the one before him.
Blood red eyes of the Sharingan, short, spiky black hair, tan skin, standing at six foot four inches with a muscular build. Sasuke's Sharingan had activated upon setting eyes on the intruder. Neither had truly activated a ninjutsu and Sasuke wondered why he hadn't sensed him, how long ago had he arrived in the village without him knowing, how many had he killed?
The man before him smirked and said in a voice exactly like the one Sasuke remembered belonging to his half brother, a voice that was deep and calming; "I only killed one on my way to this cozy apartment otouto."
That single word had been enough to snap him out of his shocked daze and he tensed and pressed the sword to the intruders throat, his eyes harsh, cold, and a darker red. Sasuke hissed out in anger, "Don't call me that, you are not Kuro."
The man smirked, "No? Then who am I Sasuke-kun?"
Sasuke clenched his hand tighter around the hilt of the sword while his other hand clenched into a fist. He growled, "Don't feed me bullshit Madara. Who the hell did you kill?"
Madara laughed darkly in Kuro's voice making Sasuke dig his nails into his palm. He then reached his hand up to the blade in the blink of an eye and Sasuke was left trying to figure out how in the hell he'd moved so fast. He glared at Madara which made the man smirk and say, "Your friend Juugo, he was on his way to let you know I was on my way to you. It seems he can sense more than chakra and blood lust. The Sharingan has a way of clouding that, but that no longer matters. You spiked your chakra to call to the other shinobi here as soon as you noticed it was me."
Sasuke growled and effortlessly concentrated his chakra into his feet and hands and ripped away the sword, managing to slice Madara's palm open as he did so. Then Sasuke ran past him and into his and Naruto's room. There was no way he was going to fight his psychotic ancestor with a sword and wearing only boxers.
He dressed and grabbed what he could find of his ninja gear and jumped out his window before Madara lunged into the room to follow. Sasuke jumped to the roof of the building right next to the apartment, he'd be damned if Madara was going . . . Wait . . . how in the hell had he known that I was worried about how many he had killed?
Sasuke looked over his shoulder and stopped upon not seeing Madara chasing him. He closed his eyes momentarily and could sense Neji, Shino, Genma, and Sakura headed his way. The first three were all Anbu, he figured Sakura was coming in case he was injured. He opened his eyes just in time to dodge a fire ball jutsu and cursed as he was grazed by a kunai from above. Sasuke jumped from rooftop to rooftop, heading in the general direction of Neji, the group had split up to try and surround Madara.
Neji met up with him in the center of the village and Sasuke scanned the area, but Madara was hiding his chakra signature once again. Neji scanned the area as well before looking at Sasuke who was holding the hilt of his sword in his hand so tightly his hand was bleeding.
"Uchiha, is it him?"
Sasuke glanced at Neji as he stood up straight and nodded, "Yes, he's found a way to hide his chakra signature and seems to be able to read thoughts."
Neji nodded, "He was much the same when I encountered him before. It's natural energy he's using, that's why it's so hard to sense him."
Sasuke looked at Neji again, "Like that of the Sages?"
Neji gave a curt nod, "Yes, if you try to sense that, it should be easier to locate him. But his ability with your clan's kekkei genkai makes it difficult for anyone else to sense him."
Sasuke sighed and closed his eyes in concentration. He'd had Naruto teach him what he could about natural energy and knew he had to keep still to even be able to pick up the scent of it, the feel of it. Then he felt a jolt go through him, and he could literally smell the blood lust, he could feel it chilling him to the bones. He opened his eyes, his Sharingan taking on the shape of the hexagon and Sasuke closed his eyes and made it revert back to only the three flames.
He turned and jumped back just in time to avoid a fire ball jutsu, Neji had managed to jump away as well. The flames had been blue, something Sasuke was perplexed about, but would try to figure out later.
Madara lunged straight for him and raised up a sword, an Anbu sword, meaning he'd taken out someone. Sasuke reacted in a short amount of time and blocked then pushed him back and lunged. He noticed that not only did Madara possess his own speed and grace, he also possessed the strength that Kuro had been known for. Sasuke avoided a chakra infused punch easily, he really could see, feel, and sense the natural energy now. The crater below where he'd just stood quickly brought it to reality of how powerful natural energy truly was.
Sasuke was forced to activate the final level of Sharingan when Madara jumped away and blindly ran through the jutsu to summon the black flames of Ameterasu and aimed them at Neji and Shino who had just arrived behind him. Sasuke lunged towards them as they had been suspended in that moment of time by the Sharingan. It wasn't something that could be avoided, or deflected. It was to hit or be absorbed, something he detested about fighting Madara, the old bastard had a way to drain his energy quickly and efficiently.
Sasuke landed in front of them looking up at the sky ripped open to let a torrent of black flames fall over where the three stood. Sasuke focused his energy through his eyes and the flames all circled overhead and then spread across the sky before coming back to meet directly above him. He jumped over to another building, calling the flames to him. They followed and enveloped him into a tornado of slicing blades of ice and fire as the ripped sky returned to normal and the suspended moment in time was stopped to continue time. Neji's eyes settled to where Sasuke was and he growled low in his throat and glared at Madara who was smirking while watching.
After a few minutes, which Neji knew was much, much longer to Sasuke, Sasuke fell to his hands and knees panting. Neji was surprised to see the black slashes on his arms and legs and across his back and chest as he forced himself to his feet. Sasuke stood there grimacing in pain and panting to catch his breath, but his sword remained clenched in his hand and his glare at Madara was full of hatred.
Madara chuckled, "Well, I would expect nothing less from the heir of the Uchiha clan. It seems you are not completely ignorant to what that level of the Sharingan can do."
Sasuke blinked and his ShariNgan returned to the three flamed state as tears of blood ran down from his eyes. Then Sasuke performed the katas for lightning blade jutsu and concentrated it into his right hand and the katana he held. Neji kept his eyes on the fighting Uchiha's as Shino informed him that the first one Madara had killed was Juugo, but Sakura had been with him at his last moment.
"She had said that this Madara is taking the form of Sasuke's long lost half brother. So he may hold back."
"Genma and Ebisu?"
"Sakura-chan is tending to them now. The others are on their way."
Neji nodded, "Inform the Hokage of what is going on."
Shino nodded and was gone in a puff of smoke. Neji turned his full attention to the fight. Sasuke and Madara were moving with lightning speed and Neji raised an eyebrow; That's Sasuke holding back, perhaps Naruto was correct in saying he was much stronger than any of us thought.
But even though Sasuke was meeting Madara blow for blow, and was able to hold his own as far as speed, strength, and skill, the difference lied in their abilities with the Sharingan. Sasuke could only absorb the black flames, could only cancel out so many attempts on his mentality. He knew he would have to end this quickly or he would ultimately die.
Madara shoved him back as their swords met and Sasuke hit the wall of a nearby building hard enough to fly through the building and out the other end. He skidded across the street and rose to his feet quickly and dodged another attack then leapt to the air as a wave of risen gravel came towards him. Sasuke stood atop a tree and Madara landed on top of another building close by and remained there waiting with a knowing smirk on his face.
"Oh no Sasuke-kun, I have no plans to kill you just yet. You must pay for your betrayal and for handing over my secrets to your precious village."
Sasuke scowled, Great, so he wants to toy with me and take revenge, it must be hereditary.
Madara laughed darkly making a chill pass down Sasuke's spine. "That it must be, you were quite the avenger. But you see, I know when to cast revenge. You killed your brother without ever knowing the truth about him. And set out to convince me that you wished to destroy the very village he'd sworn to protect. You and Itachi are both fools. Returning here even in the end, wanting to live peaceful lives, wanting for something neither of you should have. You should have been sacrificed to bring about my rightful power. But then your idiotic brother had to go and give you his power and it became the power that is rightfully mine."
Sasuke growled, "Rightfully yours, then try to come and take it."
Madara laughed once more, this time Sasuke tensed, anticipating an attack. Madara glared at him and Sasuke leapt away from the tree as it burst into the same blue flames from before. Sasuke turned in the air in just enough time to block the kick aimed at him.
He blocked with his arms and landed on both feet and forced chakra through his arms to push Madara up into the air. Then with chakra focused in his feet he jumped up and the exchanged blow after blow and this time Sasuke landed a kick in Madara's midriff that sent him through three buildings and skidding across the street. Then Sasuke performed the katas for dragon flame justu and hit Madara directly.
But when the flames and smoke cleared Madara remained unscathed. Sasuke landed on the top of a nearby tree and Madara shimmered, he only just caught the sword a centimeter from his throat having to step back to avoid it running through his throat. He felt warm blood running down his hand and forearm and pulled the sword forward as he stepped to the side and lunged his sword straight through Madara's chest. Madara looked down at the sword and then up at Sasuke with rage in his eyes.
Sasuke was blindsided by a kick to his head that knocked him out of the tree and wrenched his hand away from his sword. He got to his feet and jumped back to see Madara pull his sword from the middle of his chest. Sasuke cringed and jumped back as Madara threw both swords at him. Sasuke leapt to the air just in time to avoid the wave of electricity that caused the ground to erupt beneath where he'd been standing. Sasuke cursed when he noticed that there wasn't anything for him to grab onto to prevent from touching the river of electricity below him.
Before he landed, his wrist was grabbed harshly and he was thrown back towards one of the still standing buildings. This time it was only with enough force to strike his head hard, knock the wind from his lungs, and force blood from his mouth. He knelt down on the ground and glared up at Madara who landed twenty paces in front of him standing in the middle of the street. The villagers were frantically making their way towards the hokage tower, carrying and pulling children and loved ones behind them.
Sasuke pushed himself to the feet using the wall and wiped the blood from his mouth with a sneer. Madara smirked and he looked around at the frightened villagers running away around them. Sasuke clenched his fists and his eyes hardened in rage.
Madara laughed darkly once more, "Sasuke-kun, you surely are an Uchiha, but your heart has gone too soft for that of a shinobi. What makes you care for the lives of all these foolish villagers?"
Sasuke smirked, "What do you care?"
Madara smirked, "Ahh, I know what it is. That boy, the one you love, he has influenced you and made you care. It is him that has melted the icy heart you were raised to possess by the clan."
Sasuke scowled and Madara laughed, "It is that boy. Well I suppose I could kill him and make you watch."
Sasuke growled, his blood boiling over in anger and he didn't bother to hide the rage in his voice or the murderous intent in his blood red eyes, "Don't touch him."
Madara smiled wickedly, "As though you can stop me child."
"I'll kill you if you lay a hand on him."
Madara laughed, "You, kill me, you already tried once and didn't succeed. You don't stand a chance against me now."
Sasuke lunged, he faked his first punch and kick and whirled around landing a punch to Madara's jaw and then blocked a kick and threw Madara into the building with chakra concentrated in his arms to send him flying through the building and three others.
Sasuke scaled the building and leapt across the top of the buildings remains and performed the katas for chidori focusing it into the two kunai's he retrieved from his pouch on his right hip. He ran through the rubble that had gathered from their battle and they clashed together in a chakra heightened electric cloud that caused a crater to form beneath their feet from the energy. Madara had blocked Sasuke's attack with two of his own chakra infused kunai.
Metal clanged as the two moved again into a battle of undetectable speed and skill. Neji had been following the battle from where he'd stood before, awaiting Kakashi's arrival.
Sakura, Kakashi, Hinata, and Kiba had arrived only a moment ago. Kakashi had his sharigan activated and ran to join the already heated battle. He'd given Neji and Kiba orders to be ready to join the battle if the need arose and for Sakura and Hinata to check for injured and dead among the rubble.
Among them, the other ninja were doing the same even as the battle resumed around them. Before the four parted ways the couples stepped over to the side for a quick word.
Neji kissed Sakura deeply, he truly knew of the danger of fighting Madara. As did she, she pulled away with a forced warm smile. Neji tucked her hair behind her ear and caressed her cheek with his thumb, "Sakura, be careful. I will see you back at the tower."
Sakura nodded and leaned up, kissing him lightly and chastely. She took a deep breath, "You be careful and I better see you walking into that tower Neji."
He nodded with a smile, "Of course," then he ran off to join the battle. Sakura couldn't help the tightening feeling in her chest, she closed her eyes against it and touched her hand to her stomach. You'd better come back to me Neji.
This was only the begining to a battle that would cost each of them in turn, they silently hoped in their hearts that the prices would not be one anothers' lives. Even knowing the possibility was there, they were all determined to defend their home and the lives of those within the village.
