Chapter 21: Sasuke's Death?

Sakura began to cry as she saw the building start to collapse. Sakura, Hinata, Ino, and Temari were all led outside with the villagers, Ino and Hinata helped both women, their husbands in serious danger. Hinata was also worried about Naruto, who was in the destroyed church fighting one of the New Breed shinobi.

"Naruto won't die. Neither will Sasuke and Shikamaru." Ino said at last, breaking a long silence. This got all three girl's attention. "Come on, none of them are just going to let the enemy kill them. Haven't you three gotten a hold of that?" Ino asked.

"But we don't very much about the enemy." Sakura said. Temari and Hinata nodded in agreement. Ino sighed. Rock Lee came out to join the ladies, he said Naruto asked him to make sure all four of them were O.K. "Lee...is Sasuke ok?" Sakura asked.

"Sakura..I...I don't know." Lee replied. Sakura bit her bottom lip as tears started to go down her face. "I'm sorry Sakura, i'm sure Sasuke is going to be fine." Lee continued, and gave all four girls a quick hug before quickly going back into the building. TenTen finally returned to the scene.

"All the citizens are in a safe part of town, I think we better get out of the danger zone too, Gaara and Kankuro just got released from the hospital so they could come fight, Let's go." TenTen explained and the five women started to go towards a safe part of town.

Inside the Old Factory

A giant paw had come out of a vortex and smashed Sasuke. The paw went back into the vortex, Sasuke wasn't moving, he was almost drowning in a pool of his own blood. He was alive, because he kept coughing out more blood.

"It is finished." Saburo said and picked up part of his broken sword and started to walk towards the remains of the severly injuried Sasuke. He raised his sword up into the air and prepared to hit the finishing blow, Sasuke grabbed his ankle, Saburo noticed the curse marks were back on his arm.

"I...won't...die...I have...to much to...LIVE FOR!" Sasuke yelled as a new burst of energy flowed into his body as the curse mark engulfed him once more, Saburo smirked. "I said I would never use this power again..." Sasuke began, he looked at the blood that came out of his body. "...but I always thought there would be one last time." Sasuke continued.

"Congratulations on surviving...but you are barely standing...you've lost too much blood...so let's finish things up here, shall we?" Saburo asked and sent chakra through the part of the blade he had left. Sasuke picked up part of his own blade, and sent a blackish type of chidori into it.

"We shall." Sasuke muttered.

In the Church

Naruto's Rasengan only barely cracked the barrier, nothing any of the leaf shinobi could do did nothing to the strong barrier. Naruto was trying to form another Rasengan, but he was hurt from the impact from the crash back into the ground.

"Why isn't Sasuke back yet?" Choji asked. "You don't think he died, do yall?" Choji continued. Shikamaru was too busy thinking of an attack formation to continue, since he had finally gotten back the hold over his emotions.

"Sasuke isn't dead." Naruto finally replied. "I know him too well...just like me..." Naruto paused and stood up straight, holding another Rasengan in his left hand. "Just like me, Sasuke has too much to live for!" Naruto yelled and did one last desperate charge at the barrier.

To Be Continued