The Sakurazaki Chronicles—Sora
By Emi
MC: Setsuna, Akatsuki (primarily Itachi, Nagato, and Konan), the girl's six paths
MS: Feudal Japan; the Shippuuden time period of Naruto
MT: Romance, Adventure, Angst, Friendship, Fantasy, Death
Rating: 13-18 year olds (Teen-Mature)
Disclaimer: The author does not own Naruto in any way, shape or form. However, she does own her OCs, including a small amount of their jutsus. The author also does not own the Uglies series by Scott Westerfeld, Mahou Sensei Negima! by Akamatsu Ken, Chobits by CLAMP, Tsubasa by CLAMP, xxxHolic by CLAMP, Love Hina by Akamatsu Ken, the manga edition of Romeo and Juliet by Yali Lin (her wonderful art instructor and the woman who autographed it for me.), the .hack// series by various authors, and other manga or literature references used in the making of this fanfiction. All rights belong to their respectful author(s) or company.
A/N: Oh my my my! This chapter is super-sadly short, because… I dunno. I didn't quite organize it as well in my notebook where I basically plan this crap, and besides, I'm too excited to get my book from Barnes and Noble! Lulz, yes, yes. I'm finally getting Death Note: Another Note: The Los Angeles BB Murder Cases after longing for it for like… a year. :D I'm going to love it and read it when I get home from dinner. I'm also going to long after Death Note: File No. 15, because it has an exclusive full-color manga on L's past and picture of Ken'ichi Matsuyama, who is love! Because who doesn't like that sexy piece of live-action L? Looolll… and he just portrays the character so well… (sighs in ecstasy) Well, please review! I'm being slow on reviews again, I wonder why. How come nobody likes my stories? Please R&R!!!!!
Book Two: Sora
Chapter Fourteen: Pity
"Y-you!" Sakura was horrified, pointing her finger at the mass murderers.
Wel, Kisame was one, but Itachi didn't really want to kill his family.
Screw that, he was a mass murderer.
By command.
:D
It was Naruto's turn to uh… turn around. "You… you made Sasuke-teme go with this creep! YOUKILLED SASUKE-TEME'S FAMILY! And… and—"
"And?" Itachi replied, securing his regular headband to his forehead. "If I cared, they wouldn't be dead."
"And… and…" Sakura stuttered. "Wh-WHERE'S SETSUNA-CHAN! I KNOW YOUHAVE HER!"
"Mm, not quite, girly," Kisame chuckled darkly. "Used to. She's… in a better place now."
"SHE'S DEAD?" cried out three voices. Wait… oh, right. Orochimaru had wanted her to join him as well.
"Think what you want—"Kisame was cut off by Orochimaru.
"Stay out of thisssss!" he hissed, sounding more like a snake than he ever did. "I have your brother now, Itachi, how about that?"
"Good fo' you," said Itachi, not really paying attention to him. He thought that he should have cared, but… this was Emi's story, and if he angered her, he would die faster than usual. And more painfully.
"Okay, Kisame," he said, monotone. Not like he ever really talked normally, but… "Go get the Kyuubi, and don't cut off his legs," he gave Kisame a sharp look at that.
He gave Itachi a sheepish grin and announced. "Okay. Chakra Strings then," and he dashed off at Naruto, who was just growing his third chakra tail.
A large roar came from Naruto's direction. Sakura looked at him frightened as Naruto growled at the approaching fish-man.
"N-Naruto-baka?" Itachi sighed. He reached out a finger, and shut Yamato up. However, it looked as if he did it on purpose.
Why would he—
"Fuck," he cursed, training his Sharingan on the log that was Yamato. "I'm really getting blind," he muttered, dodging a sharp kick from Sakura.
Did she really think that she could fight him? "Oof!" he failed to dodge a punch to his stomach.
Maybe his eyes weren't as good as they were. And maybe he wasn't supposed to be here. But Setsuna had told him that he died by Sasuke's hands. So he was fine… right? But he still felt bad that he could go without saying at least 'farewell' to her.
Itachi carefully calculated Sakura's next move. However she noticed and quickly used her Iron Fist technique on the ground. The earth under Itachi's feet cracked and writhed sharply under him. He jumped up, using the flying debris as a staircase. Yamato and Sai used this opportunity to blend in with the rocks, and Orochimaru's tongue latched around the empty air where they had been. Naruto's fourth tail emerged, and he sprinted forward, slamming into Kisame, who in turn clipped Naruto's shoulder with his foot.
When did she perfect that technique? Itachi thought nonchalantly. Oh well.
Itachi leaped down onto the open ground leading to the termite mound. Naruto and Kisame still clashed in the forest while Orochimaru played mind-games with Sai and Yamato. Sakura followed Itachi belligerently out of the forest.
"You tricked us!" she yelled at him.
"So?" Itachi asked, shrugging. "I'm more surprised at you, Sakura."
"Heh?" Sakura asked curiously. She was side-tracked as Itachi drew a shuriken from his weapons-pouch.
"Yes…" Itachi said, drawing out the word longer than necessary. "You, Haruno Sakura—weren't you Tsunade's apprentice in healing?"
"What's that supposed to mean?" demanded Sakura, her eyes flashing angrily. "Are you saying I can't fight?"
"I didn't say anything," Itachi replied calmly. Go on, he thought, smiling to himself. Lose your temper. Lose your guard. Lose your life.
"I—can—fight!" Sakura screamed, throwing thousands of kunai knives at Itachi. But Itachi was now behind Sakura, who had, as Itachi predicted, let her guard down.
"What a pity," Itachi chuckled, startling Sakura. "You really are absent-minded! Tell me—did you ever think that you would die today?"
"Feeble threats!" Sakura challenged. She thrust a shuriken at Itachi. He dodged nimbly and caught Sakura's arm. He twisted it deftly and snapped the bone. There was a sharp crack and Sakura let out a scream of agony.
"See how easy that was?" Itachi asked, chuckling a little. "That was too easy. You're slow."
Itachi sensed something behind him. He quickly grabbed Sakura and thrust her in front of him like a shield.
She yelped in pain as the kunai knife dug into her leg. Itachi leaped away from her as a storm of weapons rained down on Sakura. What were they thinking? Ah, it was a crowd of Sound Ninja. What if they interfered with the Kyuubi-capture? That would not be accepted well.
Itachi wiped some of Sakura's blood off his face. That knife had gone deep. Was she still alive? Itachi focused on her still body. She was still breathing—damn.
Itachi kicked her body as he walked calmly back for the forest. As he walked by, something heavy trapped his foot. He turned around. Sakura was gripping his ankle, blood running out of her mouth.
"This… isn't… over," she coughed, glaring up at him with blazing determination. "You… killed… Sasuke-kun's family!"
Itachi raised an eyebrow. "So your will to defeat me is personal," Itachi said, bemused. "That must mean you won't die until you get something out of me."
"But I can't give you so much," Itachi continued. He pulled Sakura up by the hair. She yelped in pain and several patches of her hair fell out. "You will only get in the way. I must kill you."
"3SAKURAAAAA!!!" Naruto screamed from the forest edge. With his demonic speed, he soon began to close in on the distance between him and Sakura; but more importantly, him and Itachi.
Before Itachi could move away, something pricked his leg. He flinched as Sakura's kunai knife dig into the muscle. It lodged itself not far from the bone, and Itachi hissed when Sakura twisted it.
Naruto was barely a yard away now. Itachi had no choice but to fight him off. Itachi got ready to do his Fire-Style jutsu when Kisame tackled Naruto. Naruto blew him off and cocked a first. Itachi saw the ground before he felt the punch. The Rasengan sent him spiraling away from Sakura, who Naruto was bent protectively over.
With a lame leg and the Kyuubi boy's newfound speed, Itachi knew that this was going to be more than difficult. He couldn't hurt Naruto, but he had to kill Sakura. Otherwise, she would just get in the way…
Itachi clunk into the ground, lying down as if tired. As he did this, he made a Clone of himself. His hand-signs were so blindingly fast that not even Naruto caught them. The real Itachi situated himself behind Naruto, on the fringe of the forest. No one saw the movement. Not even Kisame, who tried to coax Itachi's clone to: "Get up off your ass, the Kyuubi isn't going to capture himself!"
Sakura struggled to stand up. Naruto pulled her gently to her feet. She said, "I'm fine," but her wounds said otherwise.
"Where's that bastard Itachi?" growled Naruto.
"I think he's lying down over there," coughed Sakura. What luck, thought Itachi. She's aiding her own death.
Naruto ran forward to meet the Itachi-clone and Kisame. At that moment, Itachi used his Goukkakyuu jutsu. The inferno raged towards Sakura, oblivious to the danger. When it hit her, Itachi saw her body go rigid. She screeched in pain, and Naruto pivoted around in horror. Sakura slowly began to char from the jutsu. She turned around, painfully slowly, and glared straight at Itachi.
There was a bitter silence as Sakura glared down Itachi. He threw three shuriken at her—one she managed to dodge partially, but it cleaved off a good section of her arm. The second dug deep into her left eye, going straight through Sakura's head. The third shot through Sakura's right leg. It spun around like a boomerang, Itachi's chakra strings guiding it. He pulled. The shuriken cut through Sakura a second time, but each in a new spot. Just as they embed themselves in Sakura's back, she fell to the ground finally.
Naruto was going to reach her body in seconds. Itachi decided to give the Kyuubi boy a lasting memory for this. Itachi smirked as Naruto rushed forward and held Sakura's body. Itachi blew lightly on the chakra strings. It lit up with fire, making a beeline for Sakura. Naruto didn't move, even when Sakura's organ were burned. There was no doubt Sakura had died, but Itachi couldn't help but suspect that she had lived until the very end.
Setsuna would've done the same thing, Itachi thought without realizing it. Then the dull pain in his leg fired up as he imagined Setsuna being tortured the same way he had hurt Sakura. The thought was unbearable, but Itachi fought the image. It wasn't Setsuna. It was that vile pink ninja. But Naruto still saw Naruto holding Setsuna. No, he should be the one holding Setsuna.
Kisame clapped his shoulder. "Nice clone, Itachi," Kisame chuckled. He indicated a fake Itachi and Kisame who were setting up capture jutsus. "Let's take a break. Our clones are so good they won't realize a thing!"
"Ano… okay," he muttered, wanting to crawl into a fetal position for the third time in his life. Kisame didn't notice (that idiot) and merely sat down behind a tree.
"You know that Deidara kid?" Kisame asked suddenly.
"Yes," was Itachi's short reply. "I do recall Pein-sama making me use Tsukiyomi on a blonde bomber-kid from Stone. What of it?"
"I wonder about him," he said suddenly. "While you were with Setsuna-chan, and that annoying Tobi-kid was on some solo mission for Leader-sama, I was with him for a while."
"And?"
"He said that I didn't have a girlfriend because I was blue, and I was a handsome guy's partner."
"What…?" Itachi said. He had a few fan girls when he was still in Konoha, but he had advanced in levels too quickly. The only girl he had ever 'dated' was Uchiha Natsumi, whom he had killed under Konoha's command that six years ago. He never really cared for her at all.
The only girl he ever really liked was…
Itachi coughed, drawing Kisame's attention. Kisame frowned at Itachi; he was acting rather weirdly lately. Then, Kisame grinned smugly.
"Se-chaaan~!" he teased, throwing back his head and laughing. "That's what, by the way—your 401,325th fangirl?"
Itachi jumped at the name and glared at Kisame.
"Shut up," Itachi growled. "And what do you know? She's not my fangirl… and I only have 40,821 fan girls. Count correctly, idiot."
"Doest that count that 'Sumi girl that you liked?"
"I didn't like her, she liked me…" Itachi muttered vehemently. "Er… do you think anybody died yet?"
"No," snorted Kisame. "The little ants learn fast." A loud yell could be heard in the distance. "I take it back. Now let's go see whooooo!" he trilled, swinging his sword back and forth, cutting down a young birch tree that was in his path.
"Tomare," said Itachi, grabbing the man's wrist. He obediently put his sword over his shoulder and strode out to the bombed field. He didn't even have to dodge anything—all the bombs had apparently already all set off. Trees had been reduced to ashes, and the two S-Rank ninja put a shield around themselves against the radiation. Lying in the middle of the field was…
"YAMATO-SENSEI!" Naruto yelled, going to the fallen teacher. Itachi cocked his eyebrow. The idiot. He goes out to the middle of a heavily radiated field after 18 bombs were set off.
Suddenly, Kisame fell. Itachi whipped around, only sensing that the person had moved behind him. He found it to be a replacement, however, of the ROOT boy, when he whirled around to kick it.
"Wha—" Feeling too lazy, depressing, angry, bored, annoyed, and so many other emotions that made him want to burst, he decided to leave. Making a replacement when no one was looking, he replaced Kisame as well, who was unconscious.
Groaning slightly, Itachi was back where he started, about 15 feet away from where he was two seconds ago. Not appreciating that he had to carry Kisame all the way to the nearest town, he kicked Kisame on the side. No response.
He slapped him on the face. No response.
He pressed another pressure point. Nope.
He did a cold water jutsu on him. "AAAH!" Kisame scrambled up, soaking wet. "I know I'm from the ocean, but I had a nice dream about beautiful mermaid-girls and shooting people with kunai-guns!"
"Setsuna-san has a real gun, you know," Itachi said, off-topic again. "She said it was called a 'rifle,' a Remington model. Something like a m700 or something like that. She said that it was kind of slow, for a gun, but it never misses. She also has a Desert Eagle—that one's her favorite, she says."
"A rifle? What's that?"
"Er… well, she compared it to the Berretta M259, and that's a shotgun. A rifle would be larger… a bit slower.. but it's for long-ranged attacks. Ano… the shotgun is small, has a smaller barrel, made of pure metal, not like in most rifles, which had a wooden handle most of the time. The shotgun is definitely faster, but can be used for short-ranged attacks, as well as a few long-ranged."
"Are they… effective?"
"She used it once. One shot—BLAM! And the guy was dead. The only blood came from this tiny 'bullet' hole just above his heart."
Kisame gulped. "I wouldn't like to cross with a gun."
"You haven't even seen a real, working military gun before," argued Itachi, who was wiping the sweat off of his forehead, his headband in his pouch.
"Whatever," Kisame muttered, and they formed the 'tora' hand sign, disappearing from the forest, away from the pain, misery, and dead bodies.
Well, Sai and Naruto definitely failed their mission this time.
..:.x.:..