AN: Sorry for the late update. I was so sad for the past few days. Ok, I liked this TV show, and it's not anime. I had two favorite characters. They were so cool, so I made them my role models. A few days ago, I was watching it. Suddenly, one of my favorite characters starts coughing up blood! I was like Oh he's not going to die and he dies. I was so sad! Then, on the same day! The second episode, my other favorite character who was alive gets put in jail! I was so sad! Sniff Sniff!

Chapter 20: Let the War Begin!

The rain fell noisily outside of her window. Saii hugged her knees and she pressed her forehead against the cold glass. The last time it rain, she was outside. That time, all she thought about was getting revenge on her father. Now, she was going to help her father. In order to see her sister again, she had no choice. A flash of lightning appeared at the edge of the horizon followed by a clash of thunder. Sasuke's team is probably there.

Saii stood up and patted her ruffled skirt that her mother had forced her to wear. On the battle ground, I can't see them as friends anymore. They have to be enemies. The ringing of a bell alerted Saii that it was time to eat. Saii sighed and walked to the door. For the past few days, she had lived in her old room. Her mother and Kabuto visited her often, but her father never came. Probably because he was formulating a plan to fight against Konoha. She too had a plan in her mind. If everything goes well, Sasuke's team would retreat back to Konoha and Orochimaru would help her with her sister.

During dinner, Saii sat next to her mother and Kabuto, while Orochimaru and his minions huddled in a group. Tonight, though, seemed a little different. Orochimaru have a smirk on his face as if he was proud of something he had done. Dinner started out quiet except for the chewing.

Then, Orochimaru stood up…

"Saii, I want to see you after dinner," he announced.

Saii pretended to not care and kept spooning food into her mouth. Yet, she felt gazes on her.

Sasuke

"We have to get there by tomorrow," commanded Sasuke, sitting down on a rock. His clothe were drenched due to the rain. At the horizon, he could barely make out Orochimaru's lair.

Naruto sat next to him, pulling leave out of his hair. "Tomorrow! It's still a long way, Sasuke."

"Konoha will not wait for us to fight. Tsunade is waiting for news of us" said Sasuke.

"How many ninjas do we have? 20…30? How are we supposed to fight that whole village," pointed Naruto. He pulled out a kunai and rubbed it against a slab of rock.

"The village of Sound doesn't have many people. Most are civilians, not ninjas," explained Sasuke, standing up. He lifted the flap of a tent. "I'm going to sleep."

Naruto sighed and shouted after Sasuke. "Are you prepared to kill her?"

Sasuke sat in the darkness of the tent. He clenched his fist. That bastard!

Naruto kept shouting, "You know that you have to kill her."

Sasuke bit into his lip to keep himself from shouting back. At least there wasn't anyone left in the camp, since everyone was gathering food, and the girl's camp was farther behind.

"You can't deny it Sasuke!" yelled Naruto. Just a little bit more. Seeing no reaction from inside the tent, Naruto decided to say something that Sasuke probably least want to hear. "You know you lo-"

Sasuke came out of the tent suddenly and glared at Naruto. "What were you saying!"

"You know you love her," said Naruto, standing up and placing his kunai on the ground. There was a burst of pain on his left cheek, knocking him to the ground. The impact was so great that Naruto's head was forced to the left. He twisted his head back to its regular position and glared back at Sasuke. "Did you just punch me?" he asked menacingly, wiping a trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth.

"What if I did?" countered Sasuke, looking down at his comrade. A ball of Chakra gathered in his hand.

"You don't intimidate me," said Naruto. "I'm not scared of people who can't admit their feelings."

Sasuke was so furious. He gripped Naruto's collar and pulled him up. "Say that again, and you will die."

Naruto smirked. "You don't intimidate me. I'm not scared of people who can't admit their feelings."

Sasuke was getting really mad now. His eyes turned blood red. He pulled the Chidori behind his back and aimed it at Naruto. "You asked for it." With all of his force, Sasuke shoved the Chidori towards Naruto.

Naruto reached out and grabbed the Chidori as though it was a ball of fluff. "You're weak when you are angry. He let go of Sasuke's fist.

Sasuke let go of Naruto's collar, "Don't talk to me again."

Naruto watched as Sasuke's back disappeared. "What a bastard."

Itachi

Itachi wrapped his Akatsuki cloak around himself and looked up at the sky. "The time has come for Konoha and Sound to fight to see who's stronger." He glanced at Orochimaru's lair and then at the far distance where lightning flashes were. Too bad those two have to be tangled up in this business.

Saii

Saii staggered back. "No! You can't be serious!" It was after dinner, and she just found out why Orochimaru wanted her.

"Saii, if you want to save the lives of the villagers and your sister, you have to go with the plan," hissed Orochimaru.

Saii sat down on a chair. "So, you are going to trap all of the Konoha ninjas? That doesn't seem to be fair. They don't know the landscape."

"This is war, not child's play," explained Orochimaru. "There's no fair or unfair."

"What do you plan to do with the captured ninjas?" It was the question that Saii feared to ask. She knew that Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura will be among the ninjas.

"Sasuke and Naruto will live…The others will die," said Orochimaru. "You don't have to kill any of them. All you have to do is keep your mouth shut until the next tides of ninjas come, and then, you will be able to fight them." Orochimaru walked to the door and looked back at her. "Your sister and the villagers' lives are in your hands. Take good care of them." He walked out.

Saii sat in her chair. Her friends or the lives of her sister and the villagers…of course the villagers' and her sister's. Yet, a little voice in her mind kept telling her to rethink. Would Anbu really kill everyone in Sound? She doubted it, but couldn't take the chance. Besides, if she doesn't listen to Orochimaru, he won't revive her sister.

A squeak in the floor caused her to look up. Her mom stood in front of her. "Saii, I have to tell you something," she said.

"What mom?" Saii asked. From her mom's expression, Saii could tell that it was important.

"It's about your sister. She's not dead," choked Ataka, breaking into sobs.

A while later, Sasuke

Sasuke, as the leader, scouted the nearby grounds. They were still a distance to even the outskirt of Sound, but he still had to look for traps. There was a rustle noise in the bushes behind him. Sasuke turned around quickly and aimed his kunai at the source of the sound. "Who's there?"

A shadowy figure walked out. The ray of the setting sun caste a glow on the person's face. The features were barely visible, but Sasuke could still make out who it was.

"Saii…" he said.

AN: Cliffy! LOL! Are you guys mad? Do you want to know what's happening? Find out in the next chapter!