Okay all, here's the thirteenth chapter. I hope you all enjoy it. Thanks to the people who read and reviewed and added me to their faves or author alerts. I really appreciate it.
Please vote on my poll, because at the moment, Team Cat-Kashi and Sasuke-Aniki are in the lead and I would prefer there not to be a tie. LOL! Anywho, I will let people know the results in my poll after I've posted the last chapter of Woah Baby! Which I will be finishing next time I update. After that I will place a new poll up, obviously not putting the winning fic in, and there will be another chance to vote. Of course I'll place the fics in order of when they're going to come out and such, but I'll be putting new ones in a poll. Okay? Well anywho... that was lengthy and I hope you all kept up with that. Thanks for your time. Now on with the next chappie.
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Duty Over Hell
Chapter Thirteen – Truth & Lies.
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It was later that day when Tsunade called Sasuke to her office. Sasuke came, with his own hesitation making him paranoid. When he entered the office he saw Itachi, and his Sharingan activated immediately.
"Calm down Sasuke." Tsunade called. Sasuke looked at the Blond Hokage, sat behind her desk.
"Why should I calm down?" Sasuke asked angrily.
"Itachi wasn't the murderer of your clan." Tsunade replied. Sasuke looked at Itachi angrily.
"Then why did you tell me you were Itachi?" Sasuke hissed.
"It was that, or watching you die. I'd rather you lived and loathed me, then die." Itachi replied softly. Sasuke wasn't sure what to say to his brother. He looked at Tsunade.
"He's already been interrogated, his mind looked through by some of our best intelligence officers. Ibiki headed up the interrogation. He's telling you the truth." Tsunade told the younger Uchiha. Sasuke wasn't sure what to say.
"There are other things we need to talk about brother." Sasuke said sternly. Itachi nodded his understanding.
"I need you to tell Naruto and Sakura to come and meet here in the missions room downstairs, at two this afternoon Sasuke. You bring Itachi with you. There is something that needs to be discussed with all of you as Shinobi." Tsunade added before Sasuke and Itachi left the room. Sasuke nodded his understanding.
Once the brothers had left the office, they both saw Rekka waiting outside.
"Uhm... Hi Rekka." Sasuke greeted gently. He didn't want to upset someone who'd treated him with kindness.
"It's alright Sasuke. Itachi and I have already spoken. Although I think he should be allowed to speak to you alone. Tsunade asked me to help round up the troops. Go and talk somewhere. If you can find anywhere private." Rekka consoled. Sasuke nodded and he and Itachi headed towards the Uchiha training grounds.
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Sakura and Naruto were sat having a break near the hospital. The hospital was nearly complete again, but Naruto could see that the rest of the village was in terrible disrepair.
"We're gonna need to get the walls up too. We're in the open without any cover without the city walls." Naruto told Sakura. Sakura nodded.
"I've got a bad feeling Naruto." Sakura shot back gently. Naruto nodded.
"So do I Sakura. For some reason, so do I."
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As the sun loomed high in the sky, Orochimaru and Kabuto were in a darkened tent.
"So Kimmimaru wasn't killed?" Orochimaru asked.
"No Orochimaru-Sama. It appears he left us for some reason. What reason that might be I don't know. How he managed to survive, I don't know either." Kabuto answered honestly. Orochimaru nodded.
"The boy was ill. Maybe his illness has spread to his mind. Either way, he isn't of much use anymore." Orochimaru commented.
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Aiko once again met with Kimmimaru.
"I want to talk to you about something brother, and I want you to listen to what I have to say." Aiko said softly. Kimmimaru stayed silent and waited for Aiko to carry on speaking.
"In this village, the Hokage, Tsunade, is the best medic nin that the ninja world has ever known. If... if anyone can help you, at least a little, it will be her. I want you to come with me so that we can talk to her." Aiko continued. Kimmimaru took a deep breath.
"I'm dying anyway. Normally I would argue the point with you, but it's a bit pointless. If she can help me, or if she chooses to help me, then I can't really deny the offer, can I?" Kimmimaru told his sister. Aiko smiled as Kimmimaru stood up from the log he'd been sitting on and she lead him towards the Hokage tower.
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Sasuke had listened to Itachi's explanation carefully. He knew that this explanation had already been heard and approved by the interrogation squad. He knew Itachi wasn't lying. But he wanted so many answers and he wasn't sure how to get them.
"Why leave me Itachi?" Sasuke asked.
"Because I wanted you to live." Itachi replied.
"I grew up planning to kill you. I grew up planning to get revenge for the clan." Sasuke said. Itachi nodded.
"I know that. I wanted you to make yourself strong. Madara is extremely strong and when he finally comes looking. Which he will, not just for us, but for Naruto, he will be a tough opponent. Tougher than any opponent you've ever faced." Itachi commented. Sasuke nodded.
"So we can actually be brothers again? Or are you planning on kidnapping Naruto and running back to Akatsuki. Because I'd have to tell you I won't agree to you running off and taking Naruto with you." Sasuke quipped sarcastically. Itachi let out a bark of a laugh at that, which had Sasuke laughing too. Neither brother had laughed in a long time.
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Aiko came across Naruto. He looked at Aiko and Kimmimaru. Gaara was also with him, and at once took a defensive stance.
"Please don't." Aiko pleaded gently. Gaara looked at Kimmimaru. The teenager was not in good condition. He didn't need medical skills or a doujutsu to see that.
"Who is this guy, Aiko?" Naruto asked.
"He's... he's my brother." Aiko replied. Naruto and Gaara looked confused.
"We barely remembered each other. We were separated a long time ago, when our clan was wiped out." Kimmimaru said gently.
"Kimmimaru is dying Naruto. If... if we explain things, do you think that... do you think that Tsunade-Sama would help him? If she can?" Aiko asked Naruto. Naruto could feel Aiko's pain as rawly as if it were his own. He knew he'd hate to lose someone he loved. He also knew that if he had just found a relative and then lost them just as quickly that it would tear him to pieces.
"I'll come with you to talk to Tsunade Baa-Chan." Naruto said kindly. Aiko gave the blond a rare smile, and Naruto lead the way to Tsunade's office.
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Itachi and Sasuke arrived back at the Uchiha compound, to find Rekka was there, speaking to the others of their group.
"If there's a fight, we'll be helping. These people have welcomed us and we're not going to turn our backs." Rekka stated. She looked at those gathered around her.
"If, however, you do not wish to fight, I can't make you. But we all grew up together. I think I know that none of you are about to jump ship." Rekka added. The others all nodded in agreement.
"Where's Aiko?" Shin asked.
"I'm not sure, but I'm going to try and find her and let her know what is going on." Rekka stated. Itachi and Sasuke couldn't help but respect these people. They were kids, just like Sasuke. They weren't bound to Konoha, but they were prepared to fight for it anyway.
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Tsunade sighed as she looked over some documents. That was when there was a knock at the door.
"Enter." Tsunade called. That was when Gaara, Naruto, Aiko and an unfamiliar boy walked into the room.
"What would you all like?" Tsunade asked. The group looked at each other, and it was Naruto who spoke first.
"Baa-Chan, this is Kimmimaru. He used to be with Orochimaru. But Aiko is his sister, and he's dying. I don't know if you can help, or any of the other details, but..." Naruto trailed off.
"Please help him Hokage-Sama. I know that Kimmimaru used to be Orochimaru's henchman, but he took my brother after our whole family were destroyed. He wanted to use my brother as a vessel and as soon as my brother became sick he tossed him away like trash." Aiko pleaded. Naruto had never heard Aiko plead before.
Tsunade looked at Kimmimaru carefully.
"Do you want my help?" Tsunade asked the teen. Kimmimaru looked back at Tsunade just as carefully.
"I want to be able to spend more time with my sister. I don't want to help Orochimaru destroy this village. If I can be made well, the Kekkei Genkai of my clan runs thickly through my veins. Gaara will tell you the details of what I can do I'm sure." Kimmimaru told Tsunade firmly.
"What I want to know Kimmimaru is whether or not you wish to be loyal to any village." Tsunade commented.
"I will stay loyal to whomever my sister stays loyal too." Kimmimaru replied. Something in Kimmimaru's eyes made Tsunade believe him. However she would make conditions.
"I will do everything I can to help you. But I want you to cooperate fully with my interrogation squad, who will not only see if you are lying to us, but will extract any information about Orochimaru from your mind as well. If you are not lying to us however, I will do all that I can within my power to not only make your life longer, but to cure you, if it is possible." Tsunade told Kimmimaru sternly. Kimmimaru nodded.
"I accept your terms." Kimmimaru commented. Aiko let out a relieved sigh and Naruto just grinned. Tsunade sighed as she looked at Naruto and Aiko.
"While I admit your friend here to the hospital, I want one of you to find Shin and to send her to my office. If I'm not back, she is to wait for me. There is something very important that I need to discuss with her." Tsunade told Naruto, Gaara and Aiko.
"I'll go and talk to Shin, Baa-Chan. Let Aiko go with you and stay with Kimmimaru. He is her brother after all." Naruto said softly. Tsunade nodded her agreement, and the group left the office. Naruto headed towards the Uchiha compound.
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Shin, after hearing from Naruto, went to the Hokage tower. She didn't know why, but she felt drawn to Tsunade in a lot of ways. It was like Tsunade was closer to her then anyone, almost as though she was family, but not at the same time. Shin had been waiting in Tsunade's office for about half an hour, when Tsunade arrived with the white haired man that Shin knew as Jiraiya, or 'Ero-Sennin' as Naruto called him.
"We wanted to discuss something important with you Shin. The reason for this is because you have every right to know." Tsunade told Shin gently. Shin nodded as she waited for them to continue.
"Orochimaru has gathered up another army and is on his way here to Konoha. We believe that the reason he is doing this is because he intends to demand you be returned to him." Jiraiya told the teenage girl kindly. Shin felt her hands trembling, but hid them in her lap.
"Will you hand me over?" Shin asked.
"No. We have no intentions of handing you over to Orochimaru." Tsunade replied. Shin nodded. She felt she could trust them. However strange that might seem.
"We felt that you needed to know, just in case the worst should happen, and Oto break into Konoha. They may send people to hunt you down." Jiraiya stated firmly. Shin nodded her understanding.
"I want to help if I can." Shin said solemnly. Jiraiya and Tsunade nodded their understanding as the group sat in relative silence. All pondered what might happen when Orochimaru's army arrived.
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That afternoon, at two pm, many Shinobi had gathered in missions room. All the old rookies, the Jonins, in fact anyone who was fit for duty crammed into the missions room. It wasn't that many, but it was all they had. Tsunade looked at those gathered.
"As you all know, we were attacked by Oto not that long ago." Tsunade started the meeting. The others in the room all nodded and made other signs of acknowledgement.
"I must now inform you that Orochimaru is bringing another army here. What he wants, I don't know, but I do know that we can't just give him what he wants. If we do then he'll just come back making more demands." Tsunade continued.
"We're not ready for another fight Hokage-Sama!" One Shinobi called from the group.
"We will have to be ready. We have no choices now. We have about a week, maybe a little more, before Oto arrive at our gates. We can't just give up now, or those that we've already lost would have died in vain. We have no choice but to fight. So all of you be prepared. Train, build up the walls, we will be evacuating people to the shelters at least two days in advance of Orochimaru's arrival. We have to be prepared. We weren't last time, to our detriment, but this time we must be." Tsunade stated. The Shinobi of the room solemnly gave their agreement as they filed out and started to make their preparations. They knew Tsunade was right. Giving up was not an option, so fighting was their only choice. To fight they had to be prepared. There was nothing else anyone could say. Tsunade hoped that their preparations would be enough.
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Okay all, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Please R&R and let me know what you think.