Chapter thirteen

Naruto was startled awake by something and found himself with just his boxers on and strapped down to a metal table with a light shining right at him, making it difficult to see around the room he was in. He looked down at himself and was horrified at what he saw… He had a giant needle right through his seal and it was extracting the Kyuubi's chakra from him then the wave of dizziness hit him and he lay his head back on the table as his vision began to blur and he tried to stay conscious.

'Kurama, are you okay?' Naruto questioned him in his mindscape.

'Yes, I'm okay but they're sapping my chakra quite nicely, I'll need to rest for a while to keep us both alive… Don't do anything reckless Naruto.' Kurama said as he drifted off to sleep. Naruto opened his eyes carefully and felt the table vibrate but he was just trying to keep awake and conscious to find out something about where he was. A light from his right made him flinch slightly as a headache came along and his eyes closed on their own as he felt the straps being removed.

Skylar had followed his chakra all the way to the Raikage tower and walked through it like she owned it, Byakko zapping anyone who tried to stand in their way as she followed down into the interrogation rooms she knew the Kage Towers had. She smashed the door open and had gut wrenching fear when she saw Naruto with the giant needle sticking out from his seal on his stomach. Genbu stayed at the entrance to watch for intruders and take them out as Skylar took his restraints off and wondered about the giant needle. She could clearly see and feel it was Kurama's chakra and looked around to find a machine or a button that would make it retract or something.

"If you break that vile, we'll all be severely poisoned and burned by that chakra Skylar-sama, be careful for all of our sakes." Byakko warned. Skylar nodded and couldn't find a button or anything and looked at the syringe and thought about it quickly. It was a long needle luckily, she focused on her chakra and swiped her arm diagonally as a blade of wind swept out and cut the syringe nose so only a bit of it was sticking out of Naruto. Skylar kept her focus, thinking this wasn't real so she didn't break down and cry. Memories from her clone returned as did the natural chakra collected and Suzaku was at her side in a flash.

"We stalled them for as long as possible but there is only so much a clone can take, we need to get out of here now." Suzaku warned as she and Genbu wrapped around Skylar again. Skylar nodded in thought as Kouryu and Seiryu appeared off of the coat and hovered around her. She focused on the in coming chakras and calmly decided what to do, she moved her arms out to hover over Naruto and Genbu and Suzaku took the hint and lifted Naruto carefully into their entwining bodies to keep him safe, warm and covered.

"Kouryu-san, please bring down the house on these clowns, I've had enough." Skylar said down to the white and brown-stripped dragon around her feet with anger and malice. Kouryu growled happily as he unwrapped himself from around her ankles and hovered up right in front of her. His roar of satisfaction sent out a shock wave that hit the walls and the building began crumpling as Skylar moved for a wall and knocked through it and stepped out as the Raikage's tower collapsed behind her and broke the vile as the three villains fell through with the building as Skylar took off for home with Naruto with satisfaction.

It was night by the time the building collapsed properly and just to make things worse for the village, she set off her explosive tags just then back at the prison and that building came down as well and the village was left in a mess with Madara, Tobi and Orochimaru still suffering with the Kyuubi's chakra that broke from the vile. Seiryu shined brightly up ahead up high in the night sky in the clouds and she couldn't wait to return home and forget this and move to a new base. She knew she couldn't break just yet as she could see the base up ahead and landed on the destroyed stone with Kouryu and Seiryu returning onto the coat and Skylar walking into the lit passages. She entered the chilling room and there sat everyone with happy and worried looks as it sunk in.

"Where's Naruto." Kakashi asked as he held Skylar up by the waist as she fell against the doorframe.

"He needs to be looked at… They were extracting the Kyuubi's chakra but it broke over them, they shouldn't be very good for a couple of days so we need to move soon." Skylar said tiredly as her sage mode failed and Suzaku and Genbu appeared with Naruto still carefully wrapped in between them. Sakura and Ino stood up quickly with Hinata following behind as Kakashi helped Skylar to the hospital with her dragons, Naruto, Ino and Sakura.

The dragons lay Naruto down carefully and disappeared in a poof with Byakko following soon after he made sure Skylar was on the other hospital bed and comfortable. Kakashi sat on the open side of Skylar's bed and rubbed her hand between his while the three girls began working on Naruto and they watched on.

"What happened?" Kakashi finally asked as the metal syringe piece was removed.

"Naruto and I were watching the sunset when Tobi appeared. I summoned Seiryu but he's no match against him when Naruto and I didn't have enough time to enter sage mode and he beat us quickly. I woke up in the prison in Kumo with other prisoners and met Yakushi Kabuto who gave me all the information I needed and then I used him as a distraction to escape and I found Naruto in the interrogation rooms below the Kage's tower and I found him with the chakra being extracted and made sure Madara, Tobi and Orochimaru followed me and then I brought down the tower and left them with the broken Kyuubi chakra vile and then blew up the prison and made it back here… He's been unconscious all the time." Skylar said with tired worry as she watched them bandaging him up already.

"You did very well and like you said, we need to move soon again. They'll want revenge… Sakura, do you think he'll be waking up soon?" Kakashi called over. She turned and began examining Skylar.

"Not any time soon Kaka-sensei, who knows what damage they've done to the Kyuubi and he heavily affects Naruto, we won't know until he wakes up." Sakura said as she scowled at what she was healing on Skylar.

"Lots of damage huh? I'm not surprised." Skylar said with a smile as her eyelids hung heavy.

"What happened, it looks as though you were in an all out brawl?" Sakura said with a slight sarcastic smile.

"Oh right, I was in a brawl… Prisoners versus guards, that was fun, I'd like to do it again sometime." Skylar said with a smile and Sakura's healing faltered before she concentrated again. Kakashi let a chuckle slip.

"Only you Skylar… So what did you find out from Kabuto?" Kakashi asked as the atmosphere turned serious again.

"Apparently they want to use Naruto's body as Tobi's first vessel and then myself but they have a few problems of merging the Jyuubi and Kyuubi of doing it all in one shot which is why he was kept alive long enough for me to save him." Skylar said as she sat up carefully and tested her wrists.

"What do you mean first vessel?" Ino asked.

"His soul transfer jutsu, they want to create the ultimate jinchuuriki for the Jyuubi using Naruto." Sasuke said from the door. "Only someone with the sharingan can oppose it." Sasuke said as he moved into the room and Skylar waved at him with a grin.

"We'll talk about this later, right now we need to prepare to move again to a new hideout… Somewhere completely off the grid." Skylar said as she whipped out her I-pod and began looking through the transmitter.

"Is that how you got the message to us?" Kakashi asked.

"Yeah, I plan to discard it when we move saying it is Kabuto's but I needed it at the time… It gives me complete access to all of Orochimaru's computers…. And we have two hideouts left that aren't compromised or destroyed… The Island Laboratory or The Unknown Base, which is know to me now. Get everyone packing, we're leaving as soon as possible." Skylar said standing up then falling back onto the bed again and clutched at her head still pounding from the chakra suppressor and the massive use of chakra again.

"You relax for a while, I'll fetch your things and get them together from your room." Sakura said as she dragged Ino out with her. Skylar suppressed a yawn as she began saving files onto her I-pod from Orochimaru's computers.

"What about the Eastern Hideout?" Sasuke finally asked.

"Do you really want to go back to the place where your confusion started, not to mention Orochimaru's old body." Skylar said and then shivered at the thought, never looking up from what she was doing. Sasuke made a hum of agreement then left silently. "The computer needs to be destroyed before we leave and I think the whole base should come down as well." Skylar continued to say as she rubbed at her eyes as she continued on her I-pod.

Kakashi could see how the past event had taken a huge toll on her psyche and she still hadn't come to terms with what happened yet as she kept herself focused on something all the time since she arrived.

"It's not good to not get over what just happened Skylar, you need to let it sink in." Kakashi said with worry. Skylar stopped her tapping on her screen and turned to look at Kakashi with dark rings under her eyes.

"I can't, not yet anyway, when we're all safe I will but not now, I need to stay focused…" She said seriously then sighed and ran a hand through her hair tiredly as she stretched her legs out and put her I-pod down. She put her head in her hands. "I'm just a little tired after the days events, I'll get some proper rest when we are safe, I promise, please just trust me on this right now Kakashi, I need to keep busy." Skylar pleaded with her face still in her hands. Kakashi rubbed her tense back and she took a few deep breaths and sat up again and resumed in what she was doing with her I-pod.

"Which base then?" Kakashi asked to keep her busy. Skylar began to explain the pros and cons to each base and over thought strategies as she showed him a few things from the computers she was collecting the information on. They were eventually walking down the halls and still talking about anything as Skylar forced herself not to think and told everyone the plan to move to the Island Laboratory as soon as they were all packed.

Kakashi eventually had to leave her alone to pack and she returned to Naruto's side and sat on the chair next to his bed and held his hand and soon she drifted off into a dreamless and much needed sleep with her head on Naruto's bed.

She woke up to Sasuke shaking her gently by her shoulders and she looked at Naruto, his condition hadn't change and she scowled before turning back to Sasuke who was leaning on the other bed.

"Is everyone ready yet?" She asked, getting straight to the point as she stood up and stretched.

"Yes, we're just packing up the last things… How are we going to transport Naruto?" He asked calmly as he looked at his friend with his arms crossed and worry in his black eyes.

"My dragons can carry him, and protect him if need be, I'll prepare to move him soon. Has Sakura packed up my stuff?" She asked him and he hummed an agreement. Skylar nodded and performed the summoning jutsu and out came Suzaku and Byakko. "I need you two to transport Naruto, we're moving to a new base, please get preparing, we're going soon." Skylar asked the two dragons who began and Skylar left the hospital with Sasuke right behind her. They made it to the room with the computer in it and Skylar began digging in it at the back and pulled out multiple wires and chips until she found a small one which she crushed in her fingertips and stepped back from the computer. Sasuke watched calmly from the door as she formed a rasengan and destroyed the computer with a bit of glee before he followed her to grab her things from her room and meet up with the rest of the group and her dragons.

Skylar got into sage mode and they walked outside while Kouryu slithered off of the coat at a silent command and they began their trek across the water with Kouryu destroying the old hideout completely, leaving nothing left and Skylar never looked back.

Luckily they didn't have to enter land to get to the laboratory and they kept to the horizon all of the way in case they were being searched for. It was a three day solid trip of alternating between running and walking on water and it put a bit of strain on Skylar with the after effects of the suppressant still affecting her. They were sitting on the rocks outside while Sasuke, Hinata, Gaara, Yamato and Anko cleaned out the new hide out of traps and such before they could try settling down again.

Kakashi sat and watched Skylar who was sitting crossed legged with her chin resting in the palm of her hand as she looked out across the sea. Her eyes had lost their spark of life to them like before and her whole aura told everyone to leave her alone, even Sasuke left her alone when they were discussing the hideout before the team went in to clear it out but he had been at her side for the three days giving her silent comfort. It was her first life or death situation and with her over analysing mind, it must have put a lot of stress on her and brought back some bad memories as well, he could see the whole scene playing out through her dull purple eyes and how she blamed herself for nearly destroying the world. He sighed and ignored her aura and made his way over to her and sat down next to her.

"You need to stop blaming yourself for what happened, it's not going to help any of us." Kakashi said as he stared out with her, watching her in the corner of his eye. He saw her whole aura change as she dropped her hand from her chin and took a deep breath to quell her anger.

"I fucked up and it nearly cost everyone everything, including Naruto's life. I'm not going to let it go, I'm going to use it to fuel my training faster so I can finally end this once and for all, I won't sit around anymore but to accomplish this, I'll need everyone to help me speed up my skills and knowledge… They'll take this world from my cold, dead and lifeless hands… Let's go, the hideout is cleared." Skylar said with dead determination and anger as she stood up and slung her bag over her shoulder and passed the group as they were emerging from the lab. Kakashi watched her go and sighed as he rubbed at his temples, she had done what he was hoping to avoid and that was close herself in completely but it looks like this was the final straw for her sanity.

Skylar walked through the passages following a map she downloaded using the chip. She didn't want to think or feel anymore, she didn't want to fuck up again and risk the lives of the whole world, no she wanted this done quickly, quietly and cleanly and she began planning on how to accomplish it as she made her way to a room for herself close to the training hall, baths and kitchen on the ground level.

Everyone had turned in the opposite direction as Skylar had because of her killing intent surrounding her as they explored and found that she had isolated herself around the baths, kitchen and training hall and knew she was meaning business now and she wasn't going to play around anymore. It had been almost a year already since Skylar showed up, a reminder that Tobi was getting closer to his ultimate power and goal and they all became determined as well to help her and hone in on their own skills to finish this before they go through another year of torture. They were all missing their villages and their friends, comrades and parents and their nerves were shot to hell of being on guard all the time and they were all growing tired of it.

Skylar had finished unpacking her things in her room and had some sleep and made her way to the baths. She dressed in the top Ino bought for her and her tight black pants with her knee high shinobi sandals with her strappings now around her forearms only as she needed her hands free to practice ninjutsu. She stood in the middle of the new training hall and looked around. It wasn't the usual décor of a pillared room with a giant snake statue instead it was like the prisoner arena without the creepy cages around it which suited Skylar down to the ground.

"So you approve of your new training hall?" Kakashi asked from the metal door. Skylar decided to ignore that question as she turned to face him coolly.

"I want you to train me like an ANBU. I don't care of the methods or whatever do what you need to turn me into an elite shinobi fast with seals and ninjutsu training. I need to increase on my speed, strength and how I use my jutsu with timing. I want you to help me learn rasen-shuriken, I know you've copied it with your sharingan and if not, Sasuke can help me as well as Chidori and the alterations Sasuke has done with them." Skylar was listing calmly and Kakashi's eye widened as she continued to list her weaknesses and what she wanted done about them. "I want sneaking missions to the hidden villages to steal their jutsus, I'll even ask Sasuke how to incapacitate someone without killing." Skylar finished and Kakashi couldn't believe everything she just said. Sasuke was smirking from around the corned behind Kakashi, listening to this and he decided he definitely wanted to see how far this girl would go under his training.

"Skylar, this sort of training will kill you…" Skylar cut him off.

"I don't care." She said plainly.

"Don't sacrifice everything you are just for this…" He began.

"I already have!" She almost shouted in anger. "Even though my dimension was shitty, I left everyone I could have possibly cared for, I left my life behind to save a world I believed was fake and made up. I made friends that are almost like a family to me now… I found the love of my life and he's probably not waking up because of me and I need to fix this. Kakashi, don't you get that?!" Skylar told him with angered conviction and a lot of guilt and pain. Skylar could feel her tears threatening to show so she turned around and breathed to calm herself down. Kakashi was speechless to say the least… He never thought of it that way before, sure he had lost his precious people before but he had some of them back but Skylar came to a dangerous world to save it with no one to watch out for her or to rely on, she was finally seeing the seriousness of her duty and she wanted to take it by storm and Kakashi eye smiled as she turned back to face him.

"I understand." Kakashi said calmly. "This isn't going to be easy though, you'll need to dedicate your whole self to this and not slack off, I'll teach you the ANBU way and everything you've asked for with help from the rest of the group… Once you start, there's no going back, do I make myself clear Uzumaki Skylar?" Kakashi asked with seriousness in his stern tone. Skylar instantly straightened up.

"I accept the terms to this, I won't back down Kakashi." Skylar said sternly with conviction shining in her eyes. Kakashi began her training right there, starting with weights and ninjutsu for rasen-shuriken and Sasuke joined in the training and they kept swapping her between trying to learn the rasen-shuriken and the Chidori and she never stopped once, even when her muscles and chakra network were burning like holding your hand over a burning flame, she forced herself to keep going, even when Kakashi told her to stop, so he kept his sharingan open to make sure she doesn't do any permanent damage.

Soon enough, she ran out of chakra but was still conscious and wanted to keep going with something else and Kakashi obliged and began training her on how to use katanas and swords then she got curious about other weapons and Sasuke dug out some from an old underground armoury of scythes, axes, hand held claws and such. Kakashi told her to choose her weapon as he took a katana and she took the scythe and they began a battle.

Skylar was a natural at using it as long as it was balanced dead in the centre and even threw her wind affinity into it with her swipes and Kakashi said she could practice in her own time with it as they continued with kenjutsu training until she couldn't get up anymore. Kakashi called it a day as he unlocked the weights off of her and she headed for the infirmary at Sasuke's suggestion. She clipped her new weapon onto her back with a maroon strap running from her left shoulder and wrapping around her right ribs and kept the blade pointing in towards her and downwards so it didn't get in the way like Hidan use to and as she walked carefully and slowly towards the infirmary, she began to wonder where that wonderful scythe was.

Kakashi collapsed on the ground with Sasuke once she left for the infirmary they were worn out just by showing her and fighting against her as well as watching her. She had as much stamina as Naruto and it was tiring to watch and a thought occurred to Kakashi… He could train her like he did with Naruto, using shadow clones. He jumped up and began his new plan of action as he moved towards the baths with Sasuke who was enjoying this at the moment, it gave him something to do.

"Oh, hey Skylar, you look like you've been working hard." Ino said as she led Skylar to a bed for her to sit on. It was like a doctors dream with the whole lab being filled with medical equipment.

"Yeah, we've decided to up my training and I've come for you to look me over and heal any minor injuries, I'm going to relax in the baths for a while after this… How's Naruto?" She asked timidly.

"His condition hasn't changed. We can't find anything wrong with him physically except the wound on his stomach, which is healing slowly for Naruto. Sakura and I think that the Kyuubi might have been hurt and keeping them out to heal them slowly." Ino explained as she healed Skylar's cuts, bruises and fractures.

"Yeah, I guess that could be the case… Can I see him quickly when you're done then I promise, I'll take it easy for a while." Skylar asked. Ino smiled and nodded as she finished up and lead Skylar to another room next door where Naruto was hooked up to a drip, heart monitor and oxygen like an actual hospital.

"I'll give you some privacy." Ino said as she closed the door and left. Skylar sighed as she leaned her scythe up against the doorframe and moved to sit next to his bed. She took his cool and limp hand and held it while she studied his face. She swallowed back tears as she brushed her hand through his hair.

"I'm going to make this all right Naruto, I promise you that. Then you can return back to Konoha and be where you belong with Tsunade, Shizune, Kurenai, Iruka, all of your precious people you'd die to protect but you can't leave yet, you need to come back to me and see me end this pain in your heart and save this world." Skylar begged as she rubbed the back of his hand and didn't notice the tears falling already. "Please just… wake up soon, I miss you." Skylar said as she squeezed his hand gently and she felt his hand twitch in response and she smiled. "You'll definitely come back. I'll see you soon." She said, resting his hand back down and wiping her tears away as she clipped her scythe back on and left towards the baths.

The next day she returned for training where she made two clones that gathered up natural energy so she could keep going with the rasen-shuriken training and replaced the clone each time she dispelled one. She managed to get to stage one which is wind release: rasengan but then she had to expand it from there and compress the rasengan and add more power and wind nature to it. The screech it made was unbelievable, like being close to a jet engine but ten times scarier and with a more sharper sounding and she was improving each time until she couldn't anymore and began with kenjutsu and taijutsu once again. She ended the day with returning to the infirmary where Sakura was on duty this time and healed her.

"Hey Sakura, do you think you could teach me first aid medical jutsu like Hinata knows?" Skylar asked as Sakura healed a deep gash along her stomach where she didn't quite jump back in time or block from Kakashi.

"It takes a lot of discipline and chakra control. Plus, when are you going to get time in to do it when your exhausted and training all the time?" Sakura asked.

"Well I could always do it now, I'll take a soldier pill or something plus if I can heal myself, it will be easier for you in the long run." Skylar said sneakily. Sakura stood up and held a hand to her head, trying to hide a smile.

"Geez, you're persistent aren't you? Okay, I'll teach you first aid but you'll have to eat one of my special soldier pills, if you can stomach them." Sakura challenged and held one out to her and she took it and ate it down as quickly as possible. "Alright, the first step is to revive a fish so we need to catch one first." Sakura said as they made their way to catch a fish from the ocean and prepare a practise room for them.