CHAPTER 12

CHANCE OF REBIRTH

Once again darkness swam through Naraku's visions. He knew he could never escape it and a part of him took comfort in that. For the darkness was the only thing that gave him comfort in the world that had destroyed him. The sickening relief he felt knowing that in oblivion he would find peace was all that allowed him to sleep. But he had many things to do before he returned to his darkness. For he would not go alone. Naraku…no Naruto will drag the whole of the village into damnation with him.

As naruto opened his eyes to his surroundings he found himself once again in the nauseating white room of the Hospital. As he raised his hand to shield his eyes from the light he found a unknown weight in his hand. He looked down to find what at first glance looked like a letter tied to a wooden staff. But to the trained eye one could clearly see it was a blade in a shirasaya (a wooden sheath). Naruto picked untied the letter from the staff and unfolded it to read its contents.

It read..

Dear Naraku

I know that your past has been filled with nothing but pain and hate. That those who should have cared for you above all others were the ones to hurt you so. I am ashamed that I could not have stopped him before he could ever harm you. This blade I have left you was one of his many creations. He made it in the image of his own blade and it has many of the same properties. I thought that his son should have it…He died for this village. He left this world a hero I hope that is a comfort to you.

Naruto read the letter twice more his mind racing. "Does he know who I am? Has my true objective been discovered?!!" As each question passes through his thoughts Naruto grew began to lose control of his body. Cramped muscles screaming for more rest. 'How long have I been here? How long ago was it that I stood face to face with that bastard father of mine?" Naraku quickly looked around upon finding a conveniently marked calendar resting on the wall opposite his bed. He made his way over stretching his muscles as he went. Upon reaching calendar he was shocked to find that thirty two days had gone buy. 'If my true objectives were discovered then I would already be in the anbu headquarters awaiting trial.' he reasoned to himself. 'But it definitely seems as though my identity has been discovered and its only a matter of time before I am accosted and my plans discovered. Hmm.. It seems that my only real option is to leave the village.'

Naruto placed the blade down as he began to dress in a pile of his clothes that had been left by his bed. 'If I leave the village the hunter nin will follow me. I am a ninja of this village I will not be aloud to live my life as a rogue ninja. They will catch me quickly in the state Im in.. So it seems that my recovery will need to moved up on my to do list." Naruto belted on his new gift and walked out of the room to find that he was in an empty corridor. He walked silently down the listening to the commotion of the floors below. Each room he passed was either empty or the doors were closed. Upon reaching the end of the corridor he heard a slight noise coming from the far room. Upon closer inspection he found that the door was slightly ajar and that a young woman was rustling clambering around the room in hysterics. Narauto could barely make out what she was saying, '…just three days after a major attack on the village she wants to perform major surgery on a boy that shouldn't really be a ninja anyway. Using an untested method that has no certainty of success that will kill him if it goes wrong. And we have these other patients that need tending to. But I have help her and tend to the enemy ninja that we captured just so that they can be tortured for questioning and then executed…." Naruto was shocked that the village had been attacked but he couldn't let that interrupt his mission. Just as he was about to leave he heard the girl continue, "…sure the technique can heal any injury no matter how serious it is untested and she has know idea what effect it could have on the boys body. With the increase in cell production he could lose twenty years off of his life. He would have to retire as a shin obi before he reached thirtty if he makes it that far. Now where are the scrolls for that justu?"

Just as the young women was pulling the scroll down off of the shelf she felt a shiver run up her spine. Reacting on instinct she dodged the poison tipped senbon. She was about to call for help when a black snake fell down upon her fastening her in place. She struggle briefly to dislodge the creatures fangs but soon she fell unconscious. The serpent soon released its grip and slivered up narutos side to his shoulders then it draped itself around naurtos neck and reverted back to its form as his chakra beads.

Stepping over the young woman's unconscious body naruto grabbed the scroll she had dropped and walked to the window in the far corner of the room. Seeing the village in its wrecked state verified what the women had said. 'It seems to be the opportune time to leave after all. After a major attack the village wont have any ninja to spare for a run away genin.' Naruto opened up the scroll. "and with this I will be able to finish myself."

In order to read the scroll better naruto took off his mask. As he was reading the scroll the loud bash of a door being slammed opened brought him out of his findings. The voice obviously males crashed on narutos ears leaving no doubts to whom he was dealing with. Naruto whipped around to look hikaru in the eye. Hikaru hadn't noticed him yet. "HEY shizune tsunade wants you downstairs now. So hurry…." At last hikaru noticed the unconscious women and Naruto. Shock, fear, and anger flash across his face. Hikaru refused to look the unmasked Naruto in the face. Eventually he grinds out. "Naraku what are you doing here? What have you done to her? You wont get away with hurtin her."

Naruto silently tucks the scroll away in his robes. "Are you afraid Hikaru." Hikaru blanches for a moment before irately screaming. "Im not afraid of you or anything." Naruto merely laughed, " Then why cant you look me in the face Hikaru? I too am disgusted with my body but soon enough I will regain what I lost." Naraku took a few steps forward and hikaru flinched back into an attack stance. Naruto put his mask back on and said, "Well I must be going now and I really don't have time to sit here and chat with you." Hikaru walked in his path, "Where do you think your going? I told you already that I wont let you get away with hurting shizune?" Naruto walked past hikaru, "If you were going to attack me I think you already would have. Besides what do you really think you can do. You cant defeat me your to weak. As to where I am going I am leaving the village for ever if any follow me I will kill them with out a second thought." Hikaru put his arm out to stop naruto, "I will stop you!" Naruto merely laughs and in an instant naruto used the the opening that hikaru gave him took his arm and head in hand and slammed his head into the thick wall. Naruto left the two unconscious nin there in order to head to the gate of the village and prepare for his rebirth.

Quickly and Silently Naruto made his way through the village. Only stopping to gather supplies from his home. It was dark out and it was raining thunder covering his ragged breathing. Using the misting rain to provide himself cover as he made his way out of the village. Upon reaching the gate he found two chunnin guarding it. Utilizing the silent killing technique he slipped past there guard in an instant. He struck them down so quickly that they left this world without really knowing what had happened. Without looking back Naruto left the village without any trouble.

Back in the village, lord hokage's office

Five genin and one newly appointed chunin were gathered before the great leaders of the village. "Since the attack the village has been weakened we cannot spare any high rank ninja for such a mission. Therefore I have gathered you six to track down and return the ninja known as Naraku." The hokage looked at the faces of the youths before him and sighed, "Under normal conditions I would never give you such a mission but after the attack from the sand and cloud villages we cannot spare anymore than you." A quick glance toward his son shows that he wont be backing down whatever Naraku said to him rattled him. Now he has something to prove. Hopefully it wont get him killed. Another sigh and the hokage continued, "You will be leaving before sundown. Gather only what you need for the mission and nothing more. We have no idea what his objectives are but he has attacked several of his fellow shin obi. Hes even a suspect in the murders of a few of are ninja. So do not take him lightly." "Now go." As hikaru rushed from the room without so much as a glance back the hokage nearly called him back but he had to believe they could succeed. He couldn't bare losing another son. He had better talk to Old man Sarutobi to put his nerves at ease. He had a bad feeling about this mission.

With the genin two days into the mission.

"Hey Kiba can that mut of yours catch anything of Naraku's?" Kiba ground his teeth for the umpteenth time that day. Hikaru had been getting on his nerves from day one of the mission. Judging by the others expressions they were of the same minds. He doesn't even know why hikaru was going. It had been him, shikamaru, neji, choji, and sasuke chosen for the mission. Then Hikaru came barging in demanding that he go too. Of course being the hokages brat got him on but did he have to keep interrupting his concentration. "Actually yes Hikaru. But his scent is coming from many different directions. They all just seem to spread out from this area then disappear. Me and Akamaru have no idea how he managed that but I think we should split up tp make sure he doesn't escape."

Shikamaru huffed, "Too bad, but that wont work out that well for us. This Naraku guy is supposed to be some hotshot assassin nin, right. So splitting up will only work to his advantage at this point. Besides we have no idea where hes going or if this is just a trap or something else to throw pursuers off. It just wont work.." Kiba barked, "Always got to be the smart ass don't you. Well smart guy answer me this then. If we cant split up then what can we do cause I have no idea which scent to follow and they go out in all different directions?" Sasuke came out from his dark little and said, "Well I hate to say it but I agree with Kiba. If we don't split up we'll never cover enough area to find him."

Hikaru walked up to the group and shouted whatever you guys wanna do just do it. Were wasting valuable standing here." Shikamaru sighed, "Troublesome. I have no idea what to do theres just to many factors that I need to consider." "Allow me to make the decision easier for you." , A sinister voiced echoed from the forest above them. The group looked up to see none other than Naraku standing above them." Sasuke was the first to address him, "I see that your tired of running and hiding. So are you going to be coming with us willingly or am I going to have to make you?" Naraku laughed at him, "I am sorry my friends but you will never be able to stop my goals. I am afraid that this is where your journey ends my friends." Sasuke was the first to attack. Sharingan blazing he threw four windmill shuriken at naraku who jumped in the air to avoid them. Quickly redirectiong them with chakra enhanced wires he wrapped them around two tree. Then using the tree and wires as a makeshift slingshot he propelled himself toward Naraku at a breakneck speed. Quickly he proceeded to assault Naraku to the ground performing own Lions barrage.

Naraku recovered quicker than expected and rushed at Sasuke with blades drawn. As sasuke dodged each attack he thought, 'I know my sharing an skills have improved but before I couldn't even guess his movements. Now its seems as though hes moving slower than usual I can keep up with his every move. Is he toying with me?' Sasuke dodged yet another strike of Naraku's Katana. As the others watched not knowing whether they should step in or if they would just get in the way. Finally Sasuke saw an opening in Naraku's defense. Using his sharing an to copy lee's incredibly fast movements allowed him to score a devastating kick into Naraku's chest sending him flying. Without wasting a second he used the fire dragon jutsu to end the fight. A horrible scream was heard as Naraku was burned to a crisp.

As the smoke cleared the group got closer to the corpse. After a quick inspection it was proven to be no allusion and he was definitely dead. Sasuke walked up to the body the flames had nearly made it unrecognizable. Neji stepped forward, "You took the only option available to you. We would not have been able to bring back alive. You did well." Neji stepped up to the body. "It looks like ther is something inside of his chest still emitting a strong chakra pulse. Its not his heart though." Sasuke nonchalantly drove his hand into the corpses chest to the revulsion of the others. Once it left the corpse the body began to change in shape and size. Neji Growled, "That coward." Hikaru walked up, "What? What is it?" Neji took a moment to collect himself, "It seems that Naraku is still alive. That is a seal doll. By implanting that deep inside of a living victim it allows the user to have complete control of the body. By implanting a large amount of his own chakra in that doll he made a powerful clone of himself At the cost of another's life." Sasuke smirked, "It seems this mission will be more of a challenge than I thought." After a moment of holding sasuke then crushed it in his hand. When he did so it immediately began spewing a dark purple gas in the air. Sasuke was to slow to avoid the gas but the others got away. Shikamaru ran and caught sasuke as he was falling to the ground. "Damn, it seems that he filled those dolls of his with poison. Hmm, Neji, Kiba I need for you two to bring sasuke back to the village it's a two day jog back to the village but I need you guys to do it in a day. This poison looks like it affects the body fast. Send help after you get him to the hospital. GO!" Neji and kiba took off with sasuke on their shoulders not a sound from the group was heard until they were out of sight. "Well we had better prepare ourselves if this guy can make one of these puppet things then it stands to reason that he has more. That one was probably just a scout or a distraction. Whatever the reason theres no turning back now we need to take him down."

Naruto's pov

'It seems that one of my puppets have already been destroyed. What useless creations those phantoms are. No matter once they face the real thing they will be made aware of the vast difference between the copies and the original.' Naruto was a mere mile past the border of konoha searching for a safe haven for his work.

The jutsu to heal him required supplies that he would gather later. The jutsu essentially recharged dead cells with mass amounts of chakra. Forcing them to repair themselves or multiply at a faster rate. The more chakra the more strain on the body but the better the results. The jutsu should essentially heal any wound and remove any thing that may be harmful to the body. Perhaps even the seal its not strong to with hold both his chakra and the other that he will gather. That is why he is searching for a perfect place to hide. He needs to be close to a small village that way he can have all the chakra he needs.

"Hopefully my puppets can stall my pursuers long enough to perform my jutsu."

Back to the search group

It was nearly nightfall before the group stopped to rest. Not a word had been spoken since sasuke was injured. The atmosphere was tense as we trudged up the lain. The whole group knew that shikamaru made the best choice sending neji and kiba to take sasuke. Since they would get him there the fastest. But without them there they the group was severely weakened.

"Having fun boys?" came the voice in eerie repetition of the last. The group once again looked up to find the image of Naraku. They each tensed for battle knowing what they were dealing with and what was to come. Shikamaru was first to take the lead, "Okay guys stay together don't let him lead you off. He'll only pick us off if we split up. Keep him moving. I highly doubt this is the real Naraku but still take him seriously." After that shikamaru threw a flash bomb toward naraku. Quickly he used the shadow bind jutsu after it hoping to catch him off guard. But by the time the flash had gone naraku had disappeared. Looking around to see where Naraku had gone shikamaru tried to thorw himself back toward the group. The instant his feet left the ground several serpents flew from the tree behind him and wrapped themselves around his body. After a few seconds of being held helpless in the air shikamaru was thrown hard into the ground. Rendering immobile.

Choji and Hikaru were frozen to the spot as shikamaru was driven unconscious. They were frozen with fear. Upon seeing his friends body flopped punctilious on the ground. Choji looked at hikaru and knew at once he was useless. Its time for him toake the initiative. Its time for him to fight.

Sorry for the lame chapter but ive been busy with school and I only write on this story off and on. Im sorry its hard to follow and I left on a bad cliffy but I just wanted to get a chapter out. So sorry if you actually like to read this story but I plan to the second half of this chapter out in a few days but no promises. But I can tell you that Naruto is gonna go through some serious changes soon. So I hope you know I don't mean that hes going through puberty and his balls are dropping. Review if you like if you don't go ahead and leave me a few critical reviews. I could usu it after being so lazy.