Disclaimer: Same as always!
NOTE: Some things may not follow the usual Naruto timeline as I see fit to alter it to fit my own creative spin on things, so no complaining.
Sakura's team was crouched behind the last line of trees near the Southern gate. Their chakra was undetectable yet she wouldn't be at ease until this was all said and done with.
She slightly moved her index finger. The first group consisting of Neji, Diedara and Tobi stealthily took off where the gates where. Not a sound was made as the three cleanly decapitated the guards. Without further word, Sakura, Keitaro, Yin and Yang all took the same path the trio took moments before and they effortlessly slipped inside. Now all they had to do was wait for Itachi's group to set off the bomb.
They didn't have to wait long when the blast rocked Konoha and matching everyone's anticipatory smirks, they took off towards the Hokage tower in one successive line of black and red.
"Yin, Yang" Sakura need not say anymore as the two twins split up from the group and attacked a line of Jounins. "Tobi, Deidara, Neji" Nodding, they sharply broke left towards the Hyuuga compound while Keitaro and herself took to the trees.
Sakura sensed a familiar chakra coming towards her and grinned with malice, "Keitaro"
"It's that blonde, Naruto."
"Stay a few yards behind, I'll weaken him and you attack when opportunity presents itself."
Yang was having a fun time avoiding a barrage of attacks meant to kill. His wide smile was ever present while his volatility added to the Konoha shinobi's annoyance. Gracefully, he flipped over his attacking group and clapped his hands like an overtly excited child would when receiving cake,
"You shinobi are far more exciting to watch!" His eyes began to glow a deep purple as his ever innocent smile stretched across his face, "I think I'll play with you more!" A purple light surrounded the shinobi and soon they were screaming in pain as the genjutsu took effect.
"Ooh Yin, hurry up will you?!"
Yin rolled her eyes disinterestedly as she looked upon none-other than Morino Ibiki,
"Why don't you just die?" Her voice was drab and tired as she watched the man before her. Seeing the man would not respond she sighed while raising her hand, "Suiton: Suigadan no Jutsu" Ibiki's eyes slightly widened at such a potent attack, but what caught him off guard was her lack of hand seals. Was she that powerful? He had no time to dwell upon the thought as he began avoiding all the water-made spinning drills.
This is going to be more difficult than originally anticipated…It seems as though with their new memories come a heightened sense of power.
A small smile crept its way onto his face. He was, more so, a mental person than physical concerning confrontations and this withdrawn woman will prove to be the most interesting he will ever have the pleasure of breaking.
Taking a few steps back, he threw his trench coat down and rapidly set to forming the complex set of seals.
Yin disinterestedly opened her left hand with the palm facing up, "Here I thought one of the greatest ANBU in Konoha would provide more of a fight. Ibiki Morino" Her eyes captured his and briefly flashed contempt, "You will die today."
Immediately after those words were harshly spoken, her hand was alit in a dark shade of purple as it cackled and cracked with each passing chakra increase.
"Too bad it won't be by me."
Ibiki faulted as he registered a presence directly behind him. It was Yang. Yin's power increase was to keep all his senses occupied on her while he snuck behind him.
Rapidly, he set to finish the few seals left just as Yin's chakra chains wrapped around him and Yang's kunai began moving in a downward slash.
If I am to die to day, so be it.
Snapping his eyes open, he called out his most powerful jutsu,
But I'm not dying alone.
Naruto's heart painfully constricted against his chest. His thoughts were muddled at best as the many emotions and thoughts meshed together until finally forming some coherency in the form of sheer loss at the individual before him. He was at a loss of how to respond, to react…to take in what Akatsuski made her into.
The coldness in her eyes, the sheer tense posture she held…ready for him to attack her while promising an equal if not more consequential counter-strike shall he dare it. Never could he remember her posture ever resembling what he currently is witnessing...Never in their spars or in his presence…Which begged the question that went unuttered,
What happened to her?
Naruto tried moving his mouth to say something, anything to spark something discernable in those far removed depths of emerald. No noise escaped and she continued to patiently wait for any initiative he might have to strike.
Finally his weakened voice spoke over the suffocating silence; "Sakura-chan" his voice broke with every syllable and eventually faded into a remorseful decrescendo with the "n".
Then her voice came, so completely removed from any emotion,
"So the famous nine-tailed demon has come to talk while his comrades die around him? How irresponsible of you." The drawl in her voice made his hair stand on end and he clenched his fists from barely checked emotions.
"If irresponsible is allowing the person you love deeply die within the lies being fed to her, then I'll gladly be that."
A cold, mocking laugh escaped her lips with an equally calloused smile. Lazily she pulled her pink hair behind her ears and looked at him with distain as he continued,
"Sakura-chan please give up. We'll make you remember what you've forgotten and things will be as they were."
"You mean with everyone mocking me?! Doubting me?" Her incredulous voice rung off the trees as she continued on her tirade, "The hokage herself left me to rot in this Kami-forsaken excuse of a village!"
"That's not true!" Though Naruto's tone was soft, it held a sense of commanding firmness that demanded all her attention, "You were the Hokage's apprentice, an astounding Kuniochi with so many fucking men after your affections it was…" he fought to regain control of his animalistic jealousy and heavily breathed out, "The point is, you were nothing short than respected."
Five shuriken spun towards the blonde and deftly, he caught them. His once closed eyes snapped open to see her panting in barely-if that- controlled rage. He fought back a foxy grin; he knew how to win against her without either of them getting hurt.
"I remember" he smiled in fond recollection, "the second time we took the Chuunin exam, we were fifteen-"
"-I passed it the first time!" Enraged, she blindly charged him with her kunai at ready.
For some reason this man infuriated her to no end. They way his posture was slack and self-assured mixed with his boyish grin made her want to hit his head. What was worse was the sickening feeling she got in her stomach every time he added chan to her name…or the way he smiled. Was it nerves? Perhaps some sort of jutsu? She didn't know and that fact in of itself, made her calm, cold aloofness crumble to be replaced by wayward tactics completely unpolished and covered in blind anger. This wasn't her usual fighting style but no matter how she tried to suppress this anger, it wouldn't recede.
Slashing at a curved angle, her green eyes slightly widened as her kunai met log. Flipping backwards she became stunned that there came no defensive or counter-offensive strike from the blonde.
Her back grew rigid when she felt a light touch comb through her hair.
He's fast
Sweat tricked down the side of her head and down her neck as he senses became over-sensitive to everything around her.
"Your hair is still soft Sakura-chan."
He reappeared before her and stood ten meters away.
"I missed it."
Her hand twitched, "What? Do you have a hair faddish container?!"
A foxy smile overtook his features as specks of red dotted his eyes,
"Only yours love."
Love? Who the hell does that imbecile think he is?!
Her inner rants were cut short when something wet licked her ear. That something then purred contently,
"I like you when you're mad Sakura-chan."
Before she could properly set her bearings straight, she felt the dull pain on her neck and fell into a realm of unconsciousness.
That's when Keitaro sprung into action and activated his vine trap.
"Hello Naruto-kun, I believe that precious flower no longer belongs to you." Keitaro's smirk grew when the struggling kitsune could do nothing as another vine swooped down and took her from him.
Holding out his arms, the vine obeyed and let her drop. He spared a glance down, "Many people think I can only do cold-related jutsus" he paused as he stoked her cheek well aware of Narto's growing ire, "But as you've come to experience first hand, I'm quite talented when concerning plants…especially rare, precious ones." He looked up to see the boy trembling but he misjudged the boys behavior, thinking he was trembling from loosing her again, when in all actuality, the boy was straining to repress the kyuubi.
Come on kit, the man is touching what is ours! We can't let him go and take her back, she doesn't belong there she belongs here with us! Let me out and I'll make sure he doesn't defile our cherry blossom any more!
In the end Naruto was swayed by the Kyuubi's words and allowed him enough reign on his body to release five tails.
"No one" the vines disintegrated and Keitaro dropped the girl in shock. Naruto's eyes became an eerie crimson shade as his strides were purposeful, almost as if stalking the man before him like prey. His voice was a rich, dark baritone as he punctuated every word with a flare of chakra "NO ONE will take what belongs to me, EVER AGAIN!"
The Akatsuki picked up the tremendous spike as birds frantically took off while the ground beneath their feet quaked in tremendous distress from the unfamiliarity of power in every stride taken by the powerful being. They knew their time at Konoha was drawing to a close, and though this mission in particular was a failiure, in the end they accomplished what they set out for; the breaking of the two most prominent shinobi in the entirety of Fire country and perhaps, the world.
For the time being, they'll leave Konoha to pick up the pieces of not only their own people but Rain Village as well, and in their preoccupation a virus in the form of self-doubt and pity will plant itself in the two's mind, and will continually plague and destroy not only themselves but those around them. Indeed, conquering a village in this dawdling fashion was much more enjoyable.
Good news reviewers! After tomorrow and Friday I'm done with high school! Huzzah!
Ahem, anywhooters, what do you guys/gals think of this whole situation? It seems Akatsuki acheived what they set out for, but for the most part it was unclear.
And what of the Sakura-Naruto confrontation?
REVIEW ME WITH YOUR THOUGHTS!
