Author's Note: OMFG, ITBS Testing Week is OVER! WHOO! I know! Can you believe it?! Yes I can, Alicia, yes I can. Ha-ha, OMG we just read the latest Naruto chapter (Would've read it sooner, but Izzy's laptop was being gay) and:

Spoiler Alert: NARUTO KNOWS WHERE SASUKE IS, HELL YES!!!

O.O Geez, Alicia, you told these people my real nickname! Oopsie. X3 Not to mention, throughout the rest of the latest manga chapter, you were screaming 'Godammit, Kishimoto, where's the Team Seven love?!?!' Well, where was it?! Dear God, even on the laptop you're psycho…

Oh, by the way? That battle scene you've all been anticipating… Hehe, it shall arrive! I'm SO reading over Izzy's shoulder the whole time! So, be prepared while reading this uber-awesome (At least, I hope so!) chapter.

Disclaimer: No, I do not own Naruto or 'Are You Ready,' by Three Days Grace. :(

XXX

'You said we'd never get this far,

You said your words; we've played our parts,

Said your two cents now

It's my turn.

So sit down, shut up

Are you ready?

So you think you know how this story goes,

Are you ready for this?!'

-Three Days Grace, 'Are You Ready'

XXX

"I forgot the password." Naruto repeated, a sheepish tone creeping into his voice.

Sakura shook her head. "It's okay, Naruto! We know it's you!"

Sasuke snapped his gaze towards the blonde haired ninja standing on a tree branch above them. "Naruto! You must want to help us and show off at the same time, but don't get involved!" Sasuke warned. "Run! This person is way above our level!"

The Grass Ninja turned to look at Naruto. "So… It looks like you've defeated my big snake, Naruto."

Naruto's cerulean eyes narrowed slightly. 'That Grass Ninja… looks like a snake. I see… It must have been her doing.'

Sasuke's eyes narrowed as well, and he glanced around. 'There has never been a situation where things got better when Naruto came… What should I do…?'

"Hey, hey, hey, hey!" Naruto shouted, waving his arm back and forth. "So you've been picking on the weak, huh? Well," Naruto pointed at the Grass Ninja. "Now that I, the great Uzumaki Naruto am here, I am going to beat you to a pulp!"

Hikari's eyes widened, and she shook her head. "No, Naruto! Don't make threats!" she shouted, her golden eyes pleading. "This… This is far more serious than anything we've ever dealt with before!"

Naruto shrugged. "Ah, it can't be that bad…"

"Wait!"

All eyes turned to Sasuke, who had called out. Slowly, he reached into his pouch and pulled out a cylinder shaped object. "I'll give you the Heaven Scroll." he said, tossing said object back and forth. Then, he held it out. "Please, take this and leave us in peace."

Naruto gasped in shock. "Oi, Sasuke! What the hell's the matter with you? What are you trying to do by giving the enemy our scroll?!"

"You shut up!" Sasuke shouted.

Naruto took a small step back. "What…?"

The Grass Ninja smirked and raised herself up on one arm. "I see, so you're smart. After all, the only hope a prey has from a predator… Is to hand over something more tempting to save itself."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed for a fraction of a second before he spoke. "Take it." he said coldly, tossing the scroll to the Grass Ninja.

It didn't get to its intended destination.

With incredible speed, Naruto had jumped forward and grabbed the scroll from midair. He flew past Hikari and Sasuke, turning and jumping off of another tree to land right next to Sasuke.

Sasuke turned to glare at Naruto. "You…! Don't butt in! Don't you understand the situation you've put yourself in?!"

Naruto growled and stood up. Suddenly, he whirled around to face Sasuke, and Hikari's eyes widened.

"Naruto, no!!!"

But Naruto had already drawn back his fist and slammed it into Sasuke's cheek. Blood spurted from Sasuke's mouth, and he flew back off the branch from the force of Naruto's punch. Hikari choked back a gasp as she sprinted forward. She jumped and grabbed at Sasuke's wrist, catching and firmly gripping it. She grunted and slid forward a few feet, but managed to pull Sasuke back up onto the branch.

Sasuke pulled his wrist back and wiped away the crimson liquid at the corner of his mouth, glaring angrily at Naruto. "Why you… Why did you do that?!"

Naruto panted for a few seconds before raising his head and scowling at Sasuke. "I… forgot the password, so I can't make sure of this, but… You're not the real Sasuke, are you?"

From her place on her own branch, Sakura clenched her fists and stepped forward. "Naruto, what… What are you talking about?!"

"You idiot!" Sasuke shouted. "I am the real one!"

"Liar." Naruto hissed. Hikari glanced at the Grass Ninja out of the corner of her eye, and she scowled darkly when she saw that the ninja was smirking.

"The idiot…" Naruto continued. "And… the coward I see in front of me right now isn't the Sasuke I know." Naruto pointed to the Grass Ninja. "I don't know how strong this freak is... but there is no guarantee that she'll let us go even if we give her the scroll! You're the one who's scared, the one who doesn't understand the situation!"

Suddenly, a low chuckle came from the Grass Ninja. When Team Seven looked in her direction, she had unwound her legs from the tree branch and was standing up. "Naruto…" she hissed, her long tongue darting out to lick her lips. "…You're correct."

The sight was disgusting, and it seemed to freeze Team Seven in their places. The Grass Ninja slowly pulled back the sleeve of one of her arms to reveal an odd marking on her arm. "I guess I just have to…" The Grass Ninja bit her thumb, drawing blood from it.

"Kill you all." The Grass Ninja slid her bloodied thumb down the marking on her arm. Naruto's eyes widened, and he charged towards the Grass Ninja.

"Don't mess with us!"

"No! Run, Naruto!!!"

Naruto cursed and drew out a kunai, jumping into the air. 'I've lost faith in you, Sasuke…'

The Grass Ninja smirked and rapidly began to form hand seals. "Summoning Jutsu!"

Where the branch below the Grass Ninja once was, a monstrous snake now appeared. It lunged towards Naruto, forcing him to change direction in midair. The snake wound up crashing into the trunk of another tree, sending pieces of wood and branches flying everywhere.

Naruto landed on the branch of another tree, panting heavily. He already had a few cuts on him from where the flying wood had struck.

The Grass Ninja smirked from atop the giant snake. "Hm… What a cute prey." As soon as the words escaped her lips, the giant snake swung its tail towards Naruto. Naruto's eyes widened, for he thought the tail would strike him directly. Instead, it stopped short of the branch and then slipped under it. With one swift upward motion, the tail of the snake sliced through the branch and sent Naruto flying upwards, causing him to crash through several more branches. He finally hit one solid one, and after seeming to stick to the branch, he slowly plummeted downward.

The Grass Ninja's smirk widened. "Eat him for now." she told the snake.

You can imagine her surprise when Naruto flipped, and then delivered a powerful punch that shook the entire snake. Shouting out, he began to rapidly punch the snake as hard as he could.

The Grass Ninja's eyes narrowed. "Is he…?"

From her branch, Sakura watched her teammate with wide eyes. She clapped her hands to her mouth and murmured, "Naruto's gone berserk…"

The large snake flicked out its tongue, sending Naruto backwards. Naruto placed his feet firmly on the trunk of a tree behind him and pushed off, launching towards the monstrous animal once more. The Grass Ninja scowled slightly and raised her hand to her mouth. When she exhaled, a great ball of fire was expelled from her mouth and engulfed Naruto, who then fell downward and landed harshly on another branch.

The Grass Ninja's eyes widened, and she murmured, "Those eyes… I am sure of it now." Then, she looked at Sasuke, who was standing frozen in his place. "You're next!" she shouted, her snake charging at Sasuke.

Suddenly, there was a loud cracking sound, the splintering of wood, and a repulsive squishing sound.

The sound of Naruto plunging two kunai deeply into the large snake's head. He panted and looked up at his teammate. "Hey, you aren't hurt are you… Scaredy cat?"

Sasuke's eyes widened at the sight of Naruto's scarlet eyes, and at the memory of a few month's back invading his mind.

Naruto's eyes narrowed. "The idiot and coward I see in front of me… Isn't the Sasuke I know."

Hikari watched the events unfold before her, and then she gasped. "Naruto, look out!!!"

The Grass Ninja had swiftly wrapped her long tongue around Naruto's arms, and she hoisted him up into the air, ignoring his protests and threats. She brought Naruto close to her and formed a seal with her hands. Then, the pads of the fingers of one hand began to glow with an eerie bluish-purple colored flame. Her tongue lifted up Naruto's shirt slightly, revealing the seal on Naruto's belly.

"See? Your seal has surfaced!" The Grass Ninja declared, a wildly excited tone to her voice.

Hikari's gold eyes widened, and she knew what was about to happen. "No!" she shouted franticly. "Don't touch him!!!"

The Grass Ninja glanced sideways at her and then smirked evilly, pulling the hand with the purple flames back. Hikari's common sense left her.

"Leave him alone, OROCHIMARU!!!"

The Grass Ninja's head snapped up, a wild and angry look in her eyes. She stared at Hikari for a split second before bringing her hand down onto Naruto's seal. "Gogyo Fuuin!" (Five Element Seal)

The purple flames spread out before disappearing, and Naruto let out a cry of agony. His scarlet eyes widened before fading black to their familiar cerulean color, and then shutting. Naruto was perfectly still before he slumped over, unconscious.

The Grass Ninja reached into Naruto's pouch and pulled out the Heaven Scroll before she flung Naruto over her shoulder.

Sakura's eyes widened. 'He's going to fall!' Sakura whipped out a kunai and flung it at Naruto with precise aim. It snagged the back of his shirt and pinned him firmly to the trunk of a tree.

Hikari looked over at Sasuke, who had not moved. Her brow furrowed and she clenched her fists. "Sasuke, do something!" She received no response. "Dammit, Sasu-"

"Sasuke!" a different voice shouted. Sasuke's bobbed up, and he turned to look at Sakura.

Sakura's eyes widened, and she shouted, "Naruto is different from you… He's dumber, and sometimes a nuisance, but…" Sakura wavered for a second, and then pointed at him. "At least he's no coward!!!"

Sasuke slowly turned back around, looking up towards the tops of the trees. A ray of golden sunlight flashed down upon him through an opening in the leaves.

'Foolish brother. If you wish to kill me, hate me, detest me… And survive in the most unsightly way.'

Sasuke closed his eyes and clenched his fists, hearing those hated words echoing in his head.

'Run and run and cling onto life…'

"Sasuke!"

Sasuke's gaze snapped towards Hikari. She was standing a few yards away, her hands balled into fists and tears welling in her eyes.

"Sasuke, I know what you're thinking!" she shouted. "Don't listen! He does not rule you- He does not control your life! You are nothing like him!!!"

Sasuke blinked once, a confused expression on his face. Then, he shut his eyes and slowly nodded. He turned back to face the Grass Ninja, who was standing on a branch across from his. When he opened his eyes, the Sharingan was activated, and he got into a fighting stance.

The Grass Ninja's eyes narrowed. "He is definitely part of the Uchiha clan. His blood must be making him excited…" she murmured, getting into a fighting stance as well. "I will take my time to see how strong you are…" she began. Her eyes wandered to Hikari. "And then, I will deal with you… little brat."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes and whipped out a kunai, placing it in his mouth and gripping the sharp edge carefully between his teeth. 'I have to survive to kill my brother. When that thought came to my mind… I realized that I was acting like an idiot. Naruto. Sakura. Hikari. How can someone who can't even risk his life here kill him?!'

The moment Sasuke began running at the Grass Ninja, Hikari leapt off her branch and landed on Sakura's. She ran up to the pink haired kunoichi and shouted, "Sakura! We have to go!"

Sakura turned to look at Hikari, confused. "Go? Go where?"

Hikari grabbed her wrist. "We can't stay here, we'll get caught in the crossfire!"

"But Sasuke-"

"Will be fine." Hikari interrupted, her voce firm. "Sakura, when they're fighting, it's more than likely they will fall off the freaking branch. We have to have our eyes on them at all times because who knows what Oro-" Hikari cut herself off, biting her bottom lip firmly and puffing her cheeks out. Sakura sighed slightly at her friend's attempt to keep from speaking.

"Hikari… who exactly is Orochimaru? Is he the reason you wanted us to stay away from the Grass Ninja? Does the Grass Ninja know him?" Sakura questioned, confused by Hikari's secrecy.

Hikari blinked once, took a deep breath, and shook her head. "No, Sakura… The Grass Ninja is Orochimaru. He's using a disguise."

Sakura opened her mouth to respond, but a sudden roaring sound grabbed hers and Hikari's attention. Turning to look at the source of the sound, they realized that Sasuke had used a fire jutsu and the flames were consuming the branch. Hikari began to run towards the edge, pulling Sakura along.

"Come on! We can't stay on the branch!"

"But where are we going to go?!" Sakura demanded, peering over the edge of the branch. The forest floor was so far away, it seemed all she was staring into was a dark abyss.

Hikari turned golden eyes to Sakura. "Do you trust me?" When Sakura nodded, Hikari held out her hand. Sakura held onto it, and Hikari whispered, "Jump on three, okay?"

Sakura nodded nervously. "Okay."

Hikari nodded as well. "Okay, one… two…"

They went sailing over the edge of the branch, and Sakura shrieked, "What the HELL happened to THREE?!?!"

"I lied!" Hikari shouted. Suddenly, she sensed two more presences above them, descending fast. Turning her head just in time, she caught a flash of black and blue, and her eyes widened.

"That was Sasuke and Orochimaru!" Hikari shouted, angling herself in the air so she would descend faster.

Sakura copied Hikari and felt the almost-piercing rush of the wind whistling past her. Then, she asked, "What does Orochimaru want with us?"

"Orochimaru isn't concerned with us; it's Sasuke he wants!" Hikari responded, shouting over the roaring wind.

"What?! Why does he want Sasuke?!"

Hikari blinked, staring hard at a branch below them. By then, Sasuke and Orochimaru had collided, and Sasuke had found out Orochimaru was using a replication. She focused mentally, and as her pupils dilated, her vision became sharper. Hikari saw the glinting of several kunai being thrown at her spiky haired teammate, and she watched as he flipped over the edge of the branch and sailed downward, landing on another.

"Sakura, we're going to land on the branch Sasuke is on, okay? Pump as much chakra as you can into your feet just before you land. It'll help with the impact."

"Okay!"

A few seconds later, the two kunoichi landed hard with a very loud thud, and Hikari toppled backwards, landing on her backside.

"Ow-w-w…"

"Sasuke!"

Upon hearing Sakura's horrified cry, Hikari shot up just in time to see Orochimaru (disguised as a Grass Ninja) punch Sasuke multiple times and follow up his blows with a swift kick. Sasuke flew back a few feet and landed with a harsh thud, sliding along the rough bark of the branch.

Sakura wasted no time in running to Sasuke's side, placing a gentle hand on his arm and examining him closely. 'He's breathing alright… Just looks unconscious…'

"You son-of-a-bitch!!!" Hikari shouted, rushing towards Orochimaru. She drew back her fist, glowing with golden chakra, and swung forward powerfully.

Orochimaru caught her chakra-powered punch and flung her back to where her teammates were. He smirked and approached them, speaking in the Grass Ninja's voice.

"That was too easy. You're not living up to the name Uchiha, Sasuke." he taunted. "Oh well…" he sighed. "I'm going to slowly beat you, then kill you. And next is your little pink haired girlfriend…" he sneered, and Sakura balled her hands into fists. Orochimaru ignored her and moved his eyes to Hikari. "And then… I'll obliterate you, you little wench."

He turned his gaze back to Sasuke. "I'm going to squash you like a bug."

And that was when the little objects attached to Orochimaru's back exploded, sending him to the ground.

Hikari smirked and jumped back onto another branch while Sasuke grabbed Sakura by the waist and followed. He placed Sakura down on the branch and leapt back into the air, pulling out multiple objects with wires attached to them. He flung the objects at Orochimaru and manipulated the wires so the they would go circling around him.

"These are…" Orochimaru murmured, his eyes widening in shock. "Sofuushasen no Tachi." (Sharingan-Controlled Triple Windmill Blades)

Sasuke manipulated the wires he was holding in his hands so that the blades spun around Orochimaru and the trunk of the tree behind him. The wires attached to the blades tightened and slammed Orochimaru to the tree trunk, sinking painfully into his skin.

Sasuke let go of the wires in his hands and rapidly formed some seals. Then, he gripped the wire in his mouth even tighter. 'Katon: Ryuuka no Jutsu!' (Fire Element: Dragon Fire Technique)

Flames erupted around Sasuke, but didn't harm him. They shot down along the wire in Sasuke's mouth to the wires wrapped around Orochimaru. There was the sickening sound of flesh bubbling, burning, and the splitting and burning of wood. Orochimaru's bloodcurdling screech echoed throughout the forest, loud at first, and then slowly dying down until only a faint sizzling was heard. The flames slowly died down around Sasuke and then disappeared altogether.

Hikari watched as Sakura got up and sprinted towards Sasuke, who was hunched over and had his hands on his knees. She smiled briefly and then, quickly and quietly, slipped around to the other side of the tree trunk so that it concealed her. And she placed her hands over her heart and waited.

The soft 'twang' of wires snapping told her that it was time. She closed her golden eyes slowly and mentally focused. The light of day was growing dimmer each second, so she knew she didn't have much time. And then she heard it, momentarily distracting her.

The way his voice suddenly changed from a woman's… to a man's… hissing and low…

Hikari shook her head for a few moments and then regained her focus. Suddenly, she felt an uncomfortable stretching sensation in her back. Something soft, yet firm was pushing her away from the trunk of the tree, and there was a light rustling as her snow white wings appeared.

Then, there was a shifting of cloth against her skin. The slightly coarse black material of her clothing suddenly seemed to soften and feel lighter, like silk. Then, she felt the familiar warmth of light, and not the dim light of sunset, but of the powerful, comforting light that seemed to be inside her.

And when Hikari opened her eyes, they were brighter than any star, more golden than any sun, and there was something about the shine that shifted and sparkled to reveal something that offered comfort, compassion, courage, and a feeling of being protected all at once.

It was time to hold in the secret no more, because now, it was time to determine the Fate of the ones she had come to know and care for and protect even more so than herself.

'And this time,' Hikari thought, steeling herself for what was to come. 'Things will turn out better for you… I promise.'

XXX

Orochimaru smirked as he flipped the Heaven Scroll he held in his hand and brought it out in front of his face, the mask he wore now deformed and revealing a single golden eye with a light purple surrounding it.

"As your little brat of a teammate stated earlier, I am Orochimaru." he announced, his voice sounding like the hiss of a snake. "If you wish to see me again, get through this exam like you life depends on it." Then, green flames began to crackle, emerging from his hand and incinerating the Heaven Scroll.

"In other words," he continued, a malicious tone in his voice. "You'll have to defeat my subordinates, the three Sound ninja."

Sakura spoke up from her position, frozen on the ground. "What nonsense are you talking about?!" she demanded. But she was worried. 'Where did Hikari go?' Then, Sakura scowled and shouted, "We don't ever want to see you again! Leave Sasuke alone, you creep!"

Orochimaru chuckled darkly, and his smirk widened, stretching, and sickening to look at. "I'm sorry…" He formed a hand seal.

"…But I'm afraid it doesn't work that way."

Sasuke and Sakura watched, horrified beyond words at the sight of Orochimaru's neck stretching and growing longer. His neck stretched longer and longer, coiling in the air and rushing his head towards his target, frozen in his place. Orochimaru's smirk then became a twisted smile, and pearl-white fangs were bared, just waiting to sink as deeply as possible into their prey…

But he was suddenly stopped by a flash of light and the rough grip of a hand wrapped tightly around his neck. The hand was soft and not meant to be hurtful, but the touch burned like the flames of Sasuke's Fire Jutsu…

Orochimaru's fangs were two inches away from Sasuke's neck.

"No, Orochimaru…" a familiar voice spat, hissing like his own but filled with hate. Golden eyes flashed up at his own, but they were different. Her eyes had the ability to show emotions now foreign to him. Emotions like friendliness and love and comfort, but this time, at this very moment, they held only the desire to protect the ones close to her and the loathing she held for him.

Hikari tightened her grip and she took mild satisfaction in knowing that an Angel's touch burned him, the purity of her own soul too much for his darkened, tainted, and evil one. And she hissed one more thing before she flung him as hard as she could away from Sasuke.

"…I'm afraid that it doesn't work this way."

XXX

Author's Note: Cliffie! Ahaha, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. I know Alicia did, because as soon as I started the Author's Note, she started jumping up and down on my bed screaming, 'That was the most fucking awesome thing, EVER!!!'

Ah, how I love my psycho friend.

You should! And OMG, how GREAT is Fate?! I love her stories!!! And I get to sleep over because I have no school tomorrow, LUCKY ME!

Well ANYWAY, since Alicia has gone back to jumping on the bed (As soon as I'm done with this, I'll join her)I ask only one thing of you; Review, please:D Yes yes REVIEW HER!

Alicia

And Fate!