Hehe...Look at that, I didn't have any time to update for a while...

I had like half of this chapter done for a bit, but then I changed a lot of stuff so that took a while to change, and I was trying to get all the details down how I wanted. I still don't have it perfect. I need to come back later and edit this more, but I don't want to hold this chapter back any more than I have to.

This one's also a bit longer, so that's a tiny reward for your patience.

Enjoy!

Ghosts of the Past

Chapter 11: Roots in the Dunes

It took me no time at all to realize that I still loved Sakura. Of course, I never questioned if I still did or not. But I figured that after all that time I would feel nothing about her. I thought my love would fade. Yet I was so, so wrong. My love never faded; that's what I know now.

What I also knew was that she still didn't love me. I couldn't blame her, or expect her to love me when I had abandoned her, never getting a chance of love with her in the first place.

— Itachi —

"Are you sure about this, Naruto?" Itachi asked, turning away from looking at all the clones in the dunes to turn a questioning look at him. Naruto was busy giving out directions to a copy. The fake Uchiha turned, the clone jogging away, and rose an eyebrow. "You did tell me not to throw around Hiraishin kunai carelessly." He grinned mischievously, "You just never said anything about burying them." Itachi shook his head. Sometimes, Naruto was more unpredictable than smart, and he had a growing feeling that that was one of his greatest weapons. No one would suspect to dig down several feet to find a kunai, especially since the wind carried the sand like phantoms across the dunes, covering and flattening any remaining signs of holes.

"That's not what I mean. Are you really prepared tp go through this?" Itachi asked, dead serious. Naruto avoided his eye, instead turning around to look at all the clones. Itachi could see the great sadness and reluctance on his face. He doesn't want to kill anybody, Root or not, but he's willing to go through with it for the sake of every one of those rebels and every one of those Konoha citizens.

"I could help you, you know." Naruto immediately shook his head. "No, I need to do this. I have to shoulder this burden by myself. Heh...in a similar way, this must have been what you felt like before you, uh, got rid of your clan." Naruto looked uncomfortable bringing up the worst night of his life, and Itachi felt gratitude for his sensitivity, even if he didn't need it. "If i'm going to fight this war, then I'll hold every single death on my shoulders." There was an overwhelming sense of irony here, and Itachi could only sigh. What a stubborn idiot, Itachi thought, looking at Naruto's face. He doesn't want to budge, but that doesn't mean I have to stop trying to convince him how mad this is. What will convince him?

Itachi sighed. "You don't have to shoulder every burden alone, you know? At least let me help you hold it up." Itachi looked uncertain for a moment but then pressed on. "That's what friends are for, right? Please, don't lose yourself in isolation. You understand more than anyone the feelings that come with it." Naruto's mouth set into a grim line. "I have to do it, Itachi," he said, firm in his conviction. "Have you ever killed anyone, Naruto?" Itachi queried, hoping to push him to give up this folly. Naruto shook his head in declination. "It's terrible," Itachi said, making sure to make his tone harsh. It would hit home better since killing was harsh, and brutal. "It takes a part of you that you'll never get back. A piece of innocence, almost. Every time you kill, another piece is carved off, and when you've killed hundreds, you're left a hollow, bleak shell, so empty that the faces become blurred, always haunted by all those unrecognizable faces. I've never felt the same after my first kill, and slaughtering my clan made any chance of normalcy a snuffed out flame in the dark."

"I think I understand," said Naruto as he looked up at the cloudless sky, the sun shining in his saddened black eyes. "I still can't let you help." Itachi stifled a groan of irritation.

"After today, I will know if I can withstand killing," said Naruto as he turned his head, his face a somber austere. "If I can't carry the weight, then I have no place as Hokage. A Hokage has to be strong enough to sacrifice anything for their people." Itachi inclined his head, finding some truth in his words. A thought came to him then, and he jumped on it. "Your father was able to become Hokage because he had your mother." Naruto's body stiffened, and his face fell into confusion. "She helped him become the man he would become by helping shoulder his burdens. So don't think that you can do anything alone. Even your father couldn't do everything without someone's help."

Naruto face fell into stoicism and thought for a second, but then a wry smile turned the corners of his mouth into dimples. "Are you saying you want to marry me?" Itachi slapped a hand over his face, and Naruto burst out laughing, lightening the mood several shades just by his mischief. Naruto fell into chuckles, holding his stomach as he grinned at him, his eyes bright with cheer. Itachi, despite all his seriousness, smiled back. It was only small, but Naruto's eyes brightened even more because of it.

"Thank you," Naruto said, bowing his head and closing his eyes in appreciation. "But I'll have to decline your proposal. I already love someone, anyway." He chuckled, and Itachi snorted. Naruto put a hand on his shoulder, and Itachi didn't move away, knowing it would remove the meaning of the touch. "I need you to help the rebels. If I fail, I want you to stay with them, protect them, and then save Konoha." Naruto's smile turned wistful. "Tell everyone i'm sorry for leaving, too."

"Of course, no one can beat me, so don't get your hopes up," Naruto grinned, confidently optimistic, holding out a thumbs up with a wide, boyish grin.

Itachi smirked, "Gladly"

— Sakura —

The anxiety that had gripped her hours before was now a cold, dead, dreading stone in her stomach. Her feet dragged through the sand in dismay, filling her sandals and creating burrows behind her. Out front was Team 8, ahead of the army by a few dozen yards. Kiba was on Akamaru, bounding across the sand on the ninken's back. The hound sniffed at a desert shrub and then yapped off to get a whiff of a jutting sandstone rock. Shino was standing on top of a dune; his incests tiny black dots swarming and hovering around him like a tornado. Hinata was a little closer, the veins around her porcelain eyes bulging intensly as she looked around.

The army behind her was restless at their slow pace. Sakura could feel it in the air. They were eager to get out of this heat. Many had already fallen to dehydration and sunstroke, and she had been running back and forth from the front of the army to the back, close to exhaustion herself now.

"Aoooooooooooo!" Akamaru howled, his head pointed to the sky as he bayed. The dog stopped, his tail whipping around ecstatically, his tongue lolling from the side of his jowls as he panted. Sakura found the dog's actions more excited and friendly than hostile. "Shino!" Kiba yelled, his eyes wide and shocked. Shino, calm as ever, held up a hand. Kiba clapped his lips together, silencing himself, turning his head back to look at the distance. Shino turned back to the army; bugs frenzied around him. "There are silhouette's on the horizon." He informed, and a relieved murmur waved through the army.

Team 8's temporary Root Captain walked up the dune to look. He nodded, "Team, go and wait at the back of the host. You'll be called back up again when the situation is dealt with." Captain turned around. "Lets moves out!"

— Naruto —

The clones were lined up along the dune; each changed into a different man. There were probably twenty of them, and the curvature of the dune lined them up to look in the formation a hook. They all wore the same black cloaks, each with a hood up, their changed faces peering from the shadows. The cloaks billowed in the wind in one direction, the ends flapping like flags on a pole. The army—numbering in a hundred like the messenger said—were black dots on the horizon, their silhouettes blurred by heat waves.

He held a scabbard in both his hands, the nicked wood smooth in his palms despite the criss-crossing notches. The katana was a ornamented sword, given to him by Henzo, the Land of Hot Water samurai. "Kill those traitor's with my sword, young shinobi." The old man had said, handing him the sword with a hard, steel look in his eyes and a firm nod. The round guard, blade collar, and pommel were real gold, a black silk wrap around the handle with cut rubies in the spaces of the tsuka-ito. Two golden loops were set into the scabbard, a string of silk tied from one loop to the other to create a strap. Naruto let the sword fall to his side, waiting, cloak flapping.

He had a hundred yard circle lousy with Hiraishin kunai, each expertly placed to look like he was moving at a very fast speed. He had practiced a bit, making a clone watch his every move so he could critic. He had to add some flare to the act, using his legs and body to turn the way he was going, having to be conscious of not teleporting in mid-air. He felt pretty confident in his show, but his heart was heavy in his chest.

After today, he would be a killer. A real ninja...

He shook his head. No time to be naive. Look where that got you three years ago.

"Boss, they've passed the line." One clone said, taking his katana hilt into his hand but not drawing, his eyes still looking in the distance. Every other clone did the same. Naruto held the scabbard in front of him, his thumb rubbing over the black stained wood as the fingers of his other hand wrapped around the hilt. He looked to his left and right, meeting each clone's eyes. All of their memories would be his by the end of the day, and he would have to relive this almost twenty times over. One of the faults in using this technique to kill.

In one swift motion, he pulled blade and scabbard away from each other, the sword squealing in glee as it came naked to the air, singing. The copies followed suit, their swords creating a ringing, uncoordinated song. He stabbed the gold chape of the scabbard into the sand, standing it up as the katana fell to his side, point almost touching the dune.

"Make sure no one escapes...A few of you linger on the edges of the circle."

Deciding they were close enough, he reached chakra out to the kunai in front of him, bending his knees and lunging forward. "Don't pop, or they'll know something's up." He warned them and teleported away. He made it look like he was running, hopping from kunai to kunai like he was pushing off the ground. His clones followed like wings on his back, fanned out several yards. The clones that had been on the curve of the hook spread out to the side to get behind the host.

He reached the army in a matter of seconds. They had spotted him from a distance, too, but they seemed unable to comprehend or combat his speed. Naruto stopped teleporting a few yards away from the front line of the army, crouching on his haunches, his cloak falling to cover his body and fan out in the sand. Half of his sword poked out of the fold of his cloak, and a samurai took a step forward in challenge, his eyes wide in the slits of his kabuto. Naruto stood, locking eyes with the man as he straightened his back, his sword held in a loose grip. The samurai charged, grabbing hold of his sword hilt as he screamed a battle cry. "Yaaaaaaaaa!"

Naruto didn't move into a stance. He kept his shoulders flacid and his legs and back straight, looking like he wasn't even fazed by the assaulting samurai. When the samurai got closer, his katana flashed from his scabbard and fanned into the air in a flat arc, the blade singing its own whistling song as it slashed at Naruto's neck. Movements shimmered, arm blurring upward, Naruto's sword gleamed in the sun as it cut straight through the blade—half of it spinning into the air and stabbing into the ground point first—and came to rest at the samurai's neck as he finished the upward motion, the blade even against the underside of his chin. The samurai stayed frozen in his stance, his hands and arms still positioned like he had finished his killing move, hands shaking on the handle of his katana.

Naruto readjusted his grip, fingers quivering. More samurai were charging, seeing the state of their comrade. His clones jumped into the host of one hundred, screams erupting. "I'm sorry." Naruto swiftly sliced to the side, the soft flesh of the samurai's neck splitting open easily by the belly of his blade. Continuing his momentum, Naruto spun around, his foot shooting out and kicking the crumbling corpse. The body flew like a rag doll, flipping and pounding into another samurai in a mess of armor head to stomach. Stomping his swinging foot into the ground, knees bending into a crouch, he faced them, sword held waist-low and out to his side. Seven samurai were on him, their swords above their heads for cleaving or held at their chins for thrusting. Naruto's cloak fluttered as he dipped forward, one sword sweeping just an inch from halving him at the shoulder, another flying over his back from trying to stab him in the side. He swept his sword out, parrying, dodging, and slashing open a thigh, spinning and cutting a wrist to a hanging mess, and planting a foot and pushing off it—a blade nicking a shallow cut onto his shoulder, making him grunt. His cloak swept to the side trying to keep up, and he teleported a few yards away.

The samurai screamed in surprised shock, looking at each other and around their feet, thinking someone might have got him. "Over here," Naruto said, giving a friendly wave. They all whirled around, looked at each other in uncertainty, then charged again, falling into a simple fanning maneuver. More samurai joined their attack. Four tried to flank him as ten came head on. Naruto sent his chakra into the air, spreading it out and changing it into wind chakra. When they were close enough to attack, he pounced into the air and front flipped over the group in front, four blades falling into the sand where he had stood, the others trying to slide to a halt. White curving blades slashed and sliced like they were the swords of ghosts, cutting the men into ribbons, coloring the sand bloody.

He winced when he heard the screams. Standing from his crouch, he turned around to look at the mutilated bodies. He frowned.

The clinking of armor and steps in the sand turned his attention away from the carnage. More samurai advanced to his right, but they too were cut to ribbons by his wind—not even coming close enough to extend their arms and touch him with the tips of their katana's. Suddenly, his senses shivered in warning, and Naruto rolled to the side, the sound and feeling of electricity prickling his skin. The lightning struck the ground, popped, and shot a twisting tower of glass upward. Naruto came from his roll meeting the stab of one Root Anbu by bending his torso to the side and letting it pass narrowly by his ribs. Stepping forward, he wrapped his arm around the shinobi's extended arm, pulling up and snapping the elbow in a brutal efficiency; the sword falling from the deadened hand. The man grunted in pain but did not cry out. Naruto extended forward and shouldered him to the ground, sending him sprawling at his feet. Turning, his sword met a downward slash that would've split his head into halves. He slid both of their blades from up in the air to down at the ground, the grinding creating sparks. He swung his sword in a fury up and to the side, pushing the other sword in a random direction, preparing to cut the man across the undefended chest. But, the faint shout of a Jutsu name and the air becoming laced with a new chakra took the forefront of his attention. His chakra sensory screeched at him to flee.

He turned his body and teleported out of harm's way. Watching what happened after caused his blood to flame up. The Anbu he had been fighting and the Anbu on the ground were both blown to bits by a Futon Jutsu. The cyclone cut a trenching scar in the sand, swirling up a dust cloud and raining flesh down onto the sand like sloppy rain. Naruto shook in anger, nails digging into the flesh of his palm of his clenched fist, knuckles white on the hand on the sword hilt. Neither the Futon Anbu or the group behind him looked disturbed by the scene. Instead, they charge in blurs, forcing him to retreat back. He didn't have time to count how many there were or stay angry.

Finally under enough pressure, his Sharingan flashed alive; blood eyes glowing from the shade of his hood like red stars. He squared his shoulders, ready, tense as he set his feet, sand dusting. The blurs became noticeably sluggish, every motion brutally obvious, outlines of every possible movement noted. They still moved quickly in reality, but his eyes told him everything. Naruto moved faster than he ever had before, his rage fuelling him to quickness. Using pure speed, he rushed into the attack, slicing and cutting with precise and easy movement, parrying and dodging every attack with moves like lazy wind. One by one, the Anbu fell under his sword until ten were dead.

Twenty more joined in, and he bounded across the sand to meet them. As he came close, several Anbu slapped their hands against the ground, shouting.

"Doton: Kakusareta iwa no yari(Earth Style: Hidden Rock Spear)!"

Sandstone erupted from the ground, their sharp points aiming to pin him between them. He hopped into the air, letting them collide together beneath. Using his wind, he cut the points into pebbles, then landed on the newly smoothed surface, sword flashing out to block dozens of kunai aimed to clutter his body. The kunai flipped away, gleaming, landing in the sand uselessly. Stepping forward, he slid down the side of one of the sandstone and hit the sand running full tilt. A lightning bolt that looked strangely like a dragon spun at him, jaws wide in a silent roar. He held out a hand, compressing the air in front of him like a vacuum and shooting it like a spinning bullet, creating visible air waves. The Futon swirled through the dragon, sending charges of electricity to spark off into the air like long, crooked fingers. Feeling heat, Naruto leaped to roll on his shoulder, two Katon attacks singeing the end of his cloak. The fire washed over the sand as he unfurled to his feet, meeting several attackers that had been rushing under the distraction of the Jutsu. He cut three of them to bits with his wind, met the sword of one, then jumped back into the air and threw a quick kunai that shattered the Anbu's mask and stabbed into his forehead. Landing with feet sliding, he spun around and pushed off the ground, teleporting to stand at the center of the group. He spun, his sword slashing into flesh; unhindered by armor, sword, and bone. An arm fell to the ground, a scalp full of hair flopped into the air, and several fingers nubs jutted into the sand all bent and bloody.

He pulled his katana from the gut of one, the fuller filled with blood that splattered in the air when he swung, the blade catching a cheek and cleaving through; the flesh, jaw, and teeth falling to join the other body parts. He parried, riposted, and stabbed an Anbu through the heart. Instead of pulling the blade out the same way it went in, he turned it flat and swiped to the right, the blade cutting through upper rib meat and bicep to meet the sword of another Anbu. Naruto teleported behind him, then lunged forward, thrusting through the Anbu's shoulder blade. The body fell as he pulled back his red-stained sword.

He stood in the carnage of burn marks, sandstone jutting from the dunes, and body parts. In the distance, he faintly noticed that none of his clones had popped, and they faired as well as he did, taking on dozens easily by teleporting all over, each having bodies fanned around them as more enemies tried to take them on.

He turned around, looking for more people to fight. His cloak was sopping wet, the black color now a grim red-brown. His hair and face were covered in a messy mixture of grime; sticky with oozing blood and sweat and sand. Droplets plopped from the ends of his hair and mask covered nose, falling to the ground to soak in. His Sharingan caught sight of people in the distance, unengaged from any of his clones. He tightened his hold on his sword and teleported, jumping from kunai to kunai.

I...feel...nothing...

— Sakura —

She slid on her knees, the sand digging into her skin as she skidded up next to the downed samurai. Her hands tried to find a pulse, but her fore and middle finger couldn't find anything—her fumbling hands slick with blood. She stood and ran over to another, this one an Anbu. The sound of screams and war boomed in her ears. She kneeled down, noticing the signs of breathing. Moving quickly, her hands glowed a translucent green with healing chakra and covered the open wound on the man's shoulder. "There's no need to be afraid," she told him, her voice a low, soothing tone

A sudden blowing of wind made her hair slap her face, and another presence appeared on the other side of her in a black blur, their shadow looming over her as a cloak whipped out to the side from the momentum. Blood splattered on her cheek from the soaked cloak, and even more flew from the hem and rained to the ground. The silhouette had its knees bent, legs wide to brace their body. A sword slashed downward from above the silhouette. She jerked back—the tip narrowly missing her forehead—and landed on her butt, the sword cleaving the head off the Anbu, burying deep into the sand. Eye's wide, body frozen, her jade irises caught the glint of the sword as it flashed in the dark background of the billowing cloak, buried deep into the cleanly cut neck meat

The sword was lifted up again, and her fear and shock kept her frozen. Hearing another gleeful whistle split the air, she squished her eyes closed, shrinking away from the inevitable. Cold metal touched her skin, freezing, the wind from the attack continuing harmlessly by, shivering her hair lightly.

Then nothing happened.

She swallowed a gasp, shooting her eyes wide, looking up into the face of the man standing before her. She looked at his face and met his eyes. She was surprised to see a storm of different emotions in his visage. Surprise, anguish, guilt. All were present, and he looked in a dazed surprise, his mouth gaping behind the fabric of his mask. She was even more surprised to see the pattern of the Sharingan in his pupil. "Sakura...chan..." He murmured, life returning to his face. Sakura did gasp then, her fingers digging into the hot sand. She met his eyes, trying to find recognition. Jade reflected Red like a gemstone mirror. She did not know this man.

The edge of the sword—having just stopped short of killing her—had nicked into her throat and jaw, drawing a small rivulet of blood that flowed down to the indent of her collar bone. He pulled it away.

"How do yo—"

"—Hinata, wait!" Kiba's voice shouted, cutting her off, and a sudden shadow loomed onto the side of the man's surprised face, a feminine yell shouting out behind and above her. "Hiiiyyyyaaaa!" Hinata's came into view above; her arm pulled back for an open palmed strike. Hinata shot her hand forward to strike at a chakra point, but the man—moving almost lazily—turned his shoulder away, Hinata flying past to slide in the sand behind him, the girl's black hair falling from fanning out behind her. Hinata didn't deter, whirling around, attacking with another open palmed strike aimed for the middle of his back. Without looking, he ducked under the strike, letting her palm and chakra whoosh over his head uselessly, shaking his unkempt black hair a bit. Hinata let out a small gasp, and Sakura's eyes widened. He was right underneath Hinata. A perfect position to kill her.

To her's and Hinata's surprise, he simply disappeared in a black blur, appearing a few feet away from them, still crouched with the blunt edge of his sword leaned against his shoulder and his forearm against his knee, hand dangling. Adding more to her confusion, he was looking at her face intently, his head tilted. Somehow, that made her blush. She stood as she cursed her foolishness. "How do you know my name?" She gratted, proud of the threatening steadiness in her voice. His lips thinned underneath his mask and his eyebrows dipped in anger. He looked ready to curse, but instead he turned his attention to her male teammates, who stood on a dune to the side, both looking at the man with expressions of awe. Shino was whispering something to Kiba, and the Inuzuka was nodding with a reluctant frown, Akamaru whining below him, his tail wagging in happiness, but his ears dropped in sadness. The man stood, "Who wouldn't know the name of Tsunade Senju's apprentice...?" He said, his eyes bright with something like thanks to Kiba and Shino as he turned his head to look at her again. His words and look to her teammates only added to her confusion.

Kiba hopped from his ninken, ruffling the hair behind his floppy ears. "We should get out of here, guys." He said to Sakura and Hinata, who both were now facing the man. Shino adjusted his glasses with his fore and middle finger, "Agreed." Sakura glared at the two. "Do you see the destruction he's caused? Look at all the bodies!" Kiba looked around guiltily with a sad gaze and confused frown on his face. the Inuzuka said nothing.

"Do you want to join them, Sakura-san?" Shino queried.

Sakura shook in rage at the bug user's question. Of course she didn't want to die! But what else could she do? Hinata slid into her fighting stance next to her. "He is way out of our league, Sakura-san." The Hyuuga heiress said quietly, her pales eyes glancing nervously. The man stayed crouched, his eyes looking at all the bodies littering the sand dunes, completely uncaring of her as a threat. That only set the boiling of her anger up another notch. There was sadness in his orbs, and he tilted his head to peer at her when he seemed to feel her gaze.

"Bullshit!" She hotheadedly jumped into action, charging, not caring about the rules of being a medic, and not caring about her curiosity as to what this man was thinking. Coming close, she hopped into the air; fist cocked back, aimed to pummel his face into a bloody mess. He looked up at her, tomoe spinning around the thick black circle hovering around his pupil. Her fist bulled forward in a blur. He was faster. The Sharingan user disappeared in a black blur, her fist sinking into the sand, creating shock waves that echoed through the ground. Sand moved up and down like something slid under it, flowing like waves in the ocean. Sakura dislodged her hand, spinning around to see Hinata striking at the man with her palms. His distance to use that speed is limited, but he's so hard to hit even when he isn't using it. Any attack Hinata threw was dodged or pushed away, his hands flashing out and hitting her in the forearms to misdirect her strikes.

Sakura flanked him, sliding into the sand on her hip and coming underneath his guard, her fist shooting to smash his knee into shards. He jumped—not even looking—lifting both of his legs into the air above her head as she came directly underneath, dodging but open to attack by Hinata. Hinata shot a flat spear-like palm at his heart. Sakura slid to the other side of him and turned around onto her stomach, watching the tip of all five of Hinata's finger's dig into the mans chest. The attack sent him flying, chakra bursting out into the air in a stream, the spiritual energy a mixture of both Hinata's and his. He landed on his back, digging a small trench in the ground as he slid, stopping motionless.

He laid there for several moments and Hinata panted, bending down to put her hands on her knees. Sakura stood, smirking in victory. "Good job, Hin—"

"Ahahahahaaaaa!" He abruptly started laughing, loudly. He put a hand over his eyes, drolling on. Sakura went rigid, glowering in anger as her finger nails dug into her palm through the fabric of her gloves. Strangly, the laugh's weren't evil, but bright, and joyful. He sat up, his chest lifting and falling with his laugh, unharmed. He grinned in something she would call pride. "H-how!" Hinata sputtered, taking a step back. "Don't worry yourself over it, princess." The man said, gathering his sword and pushing off the ground with a hand. "I've fought Hyuuga before, so you could say I have some experience in dealing with those palm attacks." He suddenly jolted, his head turning to look off in the distance. Sakura followed the line of his eyes, seeing the fine grey cloud in the middle of a group of Anbu. A...Kage Bunshin...?

"I never knew that the rebels would have such a fearsome man in their ranks." Said the voice of her Root captain, causing Sakura to turn to her right and see him step lightly into the sand from a chakra enhanced jump. He looked completely unhurt, and at least three dozen Anbu jumped to the ground behind him. For some reason, the captain looked powerful now—like all this time he had been hiding away his strength. The man gave the Captain a grim once over. "And who would you be?" He seemed to feel the power emanating from the Root Anbu, too.

"I lost my name years ago...But what I would like to know is who you are. A Uchiha?" Slowly, the Root Captain pulled his tanto free of its scabbard on his back, spinning it into a reverse grip, the movement skillful. He waited for an answer.

"Naro, Naro Uchiha."

So, he is an Uchiha... Sakura thought, her fists still tight balls in her gloves. Naro's eyes darting to look at another fine cloud of grey. Are they all his? The way he reacted meant he was the original. He had to be. I have to kill him...That should save everyone. She glanced at Hinata, who was positioned in the middle of all the Anbu's. "Fall back, Sakura. That's an order." The Captian said, walking a few steps in front of the group. Sakura glared at his back, contemplated, then stomped away, grabbing Hinata's arm to pull her along. I have to wait for a chance...

She met up with Kiba and Shino on a dune overlooking the dip that Naro and the Anbu were in. "Thanks for the help, guys!" She spat, holding up a threatening fist. "Sakura, you don't understand! That's—" Shino suddenly held his arm out in front of Kiba's face. "—Not important anymore." He interrupted, setting Sakura with what she guessed was a stern look. You never knew with Aburame. "We need to do as our captain says and stay out of the fighting." Sakura huffed, crossing her arms and turning back to watch the battle.

Naro and the Captian stood across from each other. Squad 8's temporary captain slid into a Kenjutsu stance, Naro Uchiha following into his own. The two stood stone still. A wind picked up a cloud of dust and dragged it between them. Simultaneously they both sprang forward, breaking through the dust cloud and meeting blades, creating sparks. What happened next could only be described in a single word: Fast!

The both moved in black blurs. She could barely tell them apart. The only way she could were because of Naro's eyes. The Sharingan created streaks of red paint on the black canvas of his cloak. He moved so fast that the light couldn't keep up, red ethereal lines flowing and tracing the sides of his face like flowing energy. It seemed to her that in overall speed, Naro was faster with his jumps, but in consistency, the Captain had the advantage. She could tell just by glimpses that Naro was only fast enough to keep up when he jumped, and that was limited. The Captain was fast all the time.

"Gah!" Naro flew into the air from a kick to the gut, his mouth spitting up blood even through his mask. His sword spun into the air, scything into the sand point first. His body created a puff of dust when he landed, the impact making him wheeze and gasp to fill the air that had been knocked out of him. He rolled over onto his side, clutching at his stomach, blood leaking from the front of his half-mask to stain the sand and stick it to the fabric. She was close enough to hear what was said next. "How..." Naro coughed, his breathing bubbly.

"I was an experiment for Orochimaru and Danzo. They were trying to recreate the Jinton(Swift Release). Instead, they got my bastardized version of it." The Anbu spun his tanto into a forward grip as Naro turned onto his back. "I can tell you're inexperienced with both your speed and eyes." He shook his head in disappointment. "But don't worry about that, Danzo-sama will put those eyes to good use. It's just a shame to let such speed go to waste."

Captain lunged forward, his sword striking out. Naro rolled with his arms against his chest like a barrel, the blade digging into the sand where his chest hand been. He stopped flat on his stomach, then pulled his knees to his chest and pushed off the ground with both hands and feet, amazingly back flipping to stand as a second stab slid by. Feet digging in, fist flashing, Naro docked the lunged forward Captain on the side of the head with a sickening amount of force, crackings and chippings of porcelain flying into the air as the Captain spun and stumbled away, falling to his knees, dazed.

Naro palmed his right hand with his left and cracked the knuckles on the right, then shook his wrist around. "Heh! You can't beat the fastest man in the world!" Naro exclaimed, smirk cocky. Captain stood, wiping the bloody lip on the now exposed side of his face. Half of his eye was showing, a chip of mask falling away. It was blue. He looked at the blood on the back of his hand, then chuckled, the side of his mouth turning upward. "This is starting to get funner, Uchiha."

Just then Naro's clones appeared in black blurs, fanned out behind him. One picked up his katana and spun it back to him. He caught the hilt with one hand, blade reversed. His other hand still held his stomach. Blood dripped from his chin. He lowered his arm as all of the other Root Anbu unsheathed their swords. "I disagree." Naro pounced forward, slashing his sword in front of him, the flat edge of the blade flush with his forearm. The Anbu and Clones jumped to action, too. The belly of the blade met the tip of Captain's tanto when he set up a hasty defense, Naro's torso twisting. Using his momentum and position, Naro pushed forward to force the Captain's sword-arm across and against his chest, his leg simultaneously whirling up in a spin-kick to connect with the Captain's exposed cheek. The Captain spun, set his feet, then whirled around again, stabbing low. Naro slapped his forearm to direct the attack away, his other hand coming forward to connect the katana hilt with the center of the Captain's mask. Head jolting back, feet wobbling, the Captain fell back into the sand on his butt, mask shattered like a mirror.

He was a plain-faced man, with a pointed jawline and jutting cheekbones. His nose was crooked and broken from Naro's hilt-attack, blood dribbling down onto his top lip. A motley bruise of purple and blue painted the side of his face from both the kick and punch. His black hair was sticky with enough sweat to mat the locks to his forehead. Glaring out from under his bangs were sharp, narrow blue eyes.

Naro spun his sword hilt flat against his palm, putting the gleaming point underneath the Captain's chin. "Your name?" The Uchiha growled, blade tip digging. "I used to be called Yashu." Yashu met Naro's eyes, still defiant. "And the Demon masked Anbu. Is he still alive?" Naro pressed. "I don't see how that—" The katana cut deeper, sucking out blood. "Yeah, he lives." Naro nodded, "Good." He slowly slid the sword forward, the blade sliding through his neck until several inches came out the other side, blooding plopping off the tip. Yashu swallowed, blood bubbling around the sword and on his lips as he gurgled. The two never broke eye contact.

Naro put his foot against Yashu's chest, and then push him onto his back, pulling his sword free. "I told you that you can't beat the fastest man in the world."

Sakura stood, shocked, her body flaccid and eye's wide. "We have to get out of here, Sakura!" Kiba grabbed onto her shoulder, tugging. She pulled away and slapped his hand down. "We have to do something!" She snarled, running down the slope of the sand dune.

Crossing the battlefield, eyes focused on one thing, she pumped her fist with more chakra than she had ever before. Coming close, she sprung into the air, fist back behind her head and heavy with visible chakra. Naro turned his head, eyes wide. But something was wrong. His eyes weren't on her, but on something to her side. Turning her head, her eyes caught something rocky and fast.

"Doton: Hasai Surabu (Earth Style: Crushing Slab)!" She heard.

Then all was pain and darkness.

— Naruto —

So the demon lives... He thought, looking down at Yashu's body, blood streaming from the gaping wound. I just have to—He suddenly felt something moving towards him, something fast. At the same time, the earth rumbled, sand shifted, and chakra saturated the air. He turned, Sharingan looking at Sakura as she leaped into the air, her fist a blue ball of chakra. But what took up his concern was the large, hulking amount of sandstone pushing its way out of the ground to tower over even the jumping pinkette. The wall was huge and wide, bulling forward at an unbelievable speed, headed right for Sakura!

Sakura followed his eyes, and he jumped forward, but the slab was too fast. Sakura got blindsided by a jutting piece of the stone wall, the stone hitting her head brutally, her body immediately rag-dollish as she was thrown into the air even further. At the same time, he was also hit to the side but still had the momentum to fly forward and wrap his arms around the unconscious girl, catching her as they both flew up and away. He wrapped his whole body around her as they spun through the air. She felt tiny in his arms.

He grunted when he landed on his back and slid, his eyes squeezed closed and Sakura laid out on his chest. He still had his arms protectively on her back. The roar of the wall was still coming, and he looked up, the slab coming closer and closer, splitting the sand apart like a boat in the waves. I have no choice! He reached out and pulled on a kunai, teleporting just when the wall reached him.

He laid panting, safe and out of the way as the wall slid to a stop dozens of yards away. He looked down his nose at Sakura's face. Blood had dyed the side of her head red, and the crimson trailed down her forehead, cheek, and chin. He sat up, her head lolling, and braced her with his hand on the back of her head, careful not to hurt her.

Once she was on her back he hovered his cheek above her lips and nose, feeling the tiny caresses of her soft exhales. Ignoring the sounds of battle around him, he tore the hem of his cloak into strips, wrapping her head, the fabric soaking through moments after. He laid the make-shift bandages on heavily on the wounded side. He would've laughed at how her hair poked out at odd angles from his wrapping, but he felt like that would seem insane. She's gotten so pretty... He rambled to himself, distracting himself from his panic. His fingers were shaking when he touched her cheek. She was sweaty and dirty, bleeding, but still the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

"Boss!" Naruto looked up at the approaching clone. Behind the copy, he could see the remnants of the battle. The clones were cutting down the remaining Anbu swiftly, only two being popped. He flinched at the memories but looked at the clone in front of him. "What?" He asked, glancing at Sakura's face in worry. He needed to get her head checked out for a concussion. "What about your friends?" The copy held out an arm and pointed at the retreating figures of Team 8. Hinata was struggling against Kiba, but they were steadily disappearing. He sighed. They were trusting him with Sakura's safety.

Don't worry, Shino, Kiba, i'll protect her...

He picked up Sakura under her legs and back, the good side of her head rolling on his shoulder, body tight against his. Her breath tickled his neck, and he had to keep himself from blushing. "Do you really expect me to kill my friends?" The clone shrugged, "No, but you could take them captive and convince them onto our side." He walked past the clone, "They already are."

He wondered what Itachi would say about him bringing back a girl in his arms.

A review would be much appreciated.

Peace!