Seductive Sound

Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy the second Battle Chapter.

Chapter Notation: There is one scene that I have put warnings before and afterwards. Squeamish readers, may wish to skip it. If you choose to skip it, the plot will not be altered. Happy reading!

Chapter 21

Hinata watches in confusion as she sees Itachi and Kisame arrive on the battlefield. She didn't know what to make of their sudden appearance or the fact that the two Criminal Ninjas were on their side.

"Karin!" Still, there was Jugo to consider. "Heal Jugo." There was every chance that they might still need him to win this battle.

Danzo was a formidable opponent. The man had taken what should have been five fatal hits so far and there wasn't a single scratch on him. Karin's healing abilities were likely going be needed before this fight was over.

The red head nods and quickly races over to Jugo. Hinata certainly didn't appreciate the other woman's former crush on her lover, but she was a (mostly) practical one and indispensable in situations like this.

While Karin was focusing on having Jugo bite her, Kisame arrives next to Suigetsu. "I'll give you a hand with this thing and getting rid of the fossil." Hinata wasn't sure what Kisame had in mind exactly, but suddenly she felt more than little anxious.

"Kisame, don't do anything foolish." Itachi sighs.

Alright, now she was really worried. This wouldn't end well. If Itachi was worried about what his partner was about to do, that couldn't be a good sign.

The blue skinned man just grins at his partner. "Relax, Itachi." Yeah. Hinata wasn't feeling very relaxed. "I'm only having a little fun." Right. "Water Style: Exploding Water Shock!" And with that, it didn't take everyone very long to figure out what Kisame's definition of fun was.

The Akatsuki Member was now spitting out a massive wave of water. "I won't be defeated that easily!" A wave that was crashing into Danzo and the Summon.

"Well that's pretty freaking awesome." Suigetsu laughs madly at the sight.

Kisame was now riding the wave on the back of a shark that he must have summon and swinging his sword straight at a flailing Danzo's heart, but not before Danzo slams a chakra infused kunai into Kisame's gut.

"KISAME!" Itachi's eyes widen in horror as a deep shade of red begins to mix with the water.

Danzo just disappears again though. Damn it. The man seemed to be invincible. What was going on and why had Sasuke been blinking so much?

Luckily, the shark swam a still bleeding Kisame out of the water until he places the blue skinned man by Karin. Well at least Hinata thought the shark was male. It wasn't like she'd actually had time to check.

"Should I heal him?" Karin looks utterly confused by the situation and Hinata couldn't blame her.

Only minutes ago, they had all been fairly certain that Kisame and Itachi were their enemies. Now, they were fighting alongside them.

Sasuke was far less perplexed though. "Heal him." Karin shakes her head and allows Kisame to bite her arm…gently.

"Try not to rip her arm off." Suigetsu shakes his head as he watches the giant tapir disappear in a puff of smoke. "You're teeth ain't no joke!" That was a fair point, Hinata observes as Kisame gingerly 'nips' Karin's arm.

Danzo reappears behind Karin. "Well you know this is starting to get annoying." One of his wind blades was aimed for Karin's lungs. "Can't have you patching them all up, now can I?"

"Ahhh!" Karin screams in pain as the blade begins to pierce her skin, but Danzo doesn't get far.

Itachi strikes first. "Fire Style: Dragon Flame Jutsu!" Hinata watches in awe as a giant dragon-shaped head forms and comes flying at Danzo.

It collides with him and reduces him to ashes. "That was a powerful Fire Jutsu." Jugo wasn't kidding about that.

It wasn't the strongest Fire Jutsu in the man's arsenal, but Hinata got the impression Itachi might be conserving his chakra. This was likely going to be a long battle and she couldn't argue with its effectiveness.

Itachi had just saved Karin from getting stabbed in the lung. He was on their side and that changed the game significantly.

Tsunade stiffens as she looks at the team of ANBU in her office. They had all come straight to her as they should. They sensed it just as well as she did. There was a battle going on and a high stakes one at that.

"What are your orders, My Lady?" An ANBU with a Fox Mask looks at her imploringly.

What were her orders? Well her orders were rather simple. She wanted to know what the Hell was going on. There was far too much chakra being emitted form the Forest of Death for it to be merely some eccentric ninja training.

Still, she supposed that the formalities needed to be observed. "I order you all to go to the Forest of Death." That's obviously where the fight was taking place. "You will observe what is going on and put a stop to it if you're able. If not, you will report directly back to me with your findings." The Hokage nods at them. "Is that clear?!"

They all bow and quickly take their leave. One of the most useful things about ANBUS was their speed. While some were faster than others, one generally didn't become an ANBU, if they weren't capable of moving at an almost inhuman speed.

She sighs as she looks out the window. The medic had a bad feeling about this. Mostly because Tsunade was almost certain she knew who was behind the fighting.

"Sasuke." He was in love with Hinata or so he thought anyway.

Tsunade wasn't entirely sure, if the Uchiha's feelings for the Hyuga Heiress were real or not. She supposed that it didn't matter. The important thing was that he thought they were real.

Which wasn't really a good thing for Hinata. "He's far too unstable." Uchihas loved just as deeply as they hated. That meant that the bluenette was going to be in extreme danger when she inevitably did something to set him off.

"Aoda!" Sasuke Summons his largest snake. "Garuda, sniff him out!" He knew that it was only a matter of time before Danzo reformed.

It was strange to see Itachi and Kisame helping them, but the truth was out now. Everything had been a lie. All of it had been a lie.

Since the Massacre, his life had been mostly filled with loneliness and pain. Only recently, had that changed now that he had Hinata back in his life. Pain because he had lost his family and fury that it had been Itachi of all people who had taken them away from him, but now…apparently all of it had been for nothing.

"Yes, Master Sasuke!" Danzo reforms and Aoda's prepares to strike him.

Danzo's eyes narrow. "I've had it with you children!" Sasuke felt the same way about this grave robber. "Wind Style: Giant Vacuum Bullets!" A giant sphere of crushing wind was now being directed at the serpent.

Of course, that wasn't enough to stop Aoda. "HISSSSSS!" He hisses and roars mightly as Aoda brings his giant tail down on Danzo and 'crushes him to death'. Only for the man to reappear a few seconds later.

Itachi glances at Sasuke. "Watch closely. The Sharingan can be a powerful tool, especially when combined with Genjutsu." Sasuke wasn't entirely sure what Itachi was planning, but apparently he was going to find out soon enough.

"Oh this won't end well for this son of a bitch." Kisame laughs madly, next to Karin. "Itachi is about to do some freaky eye shit."

Danzo had made a mistake. The man should have known better. He had ten Sharingans on his arm and yet, he had made eye contact. Which wouldn't end well for him.

Itachi's eyes narrow. "There are many applications for Genjutsu: Sharingan, but one of them is that you can temporarily reduce your opponent into a state of unconsciousness or paralyze them." His brother's smile was nothing short of cruel. "Which is usually all that is required to dispatch them." With that being said, Danzo stops moving and Itachi advances on him.

His brother had always been amazing with weapons. Sasuke could remember watching Itachi hit his targets with his eyes closed as he was practically 'flying' upside down in the air when they were children.

"Like so." In that regard, nothing had changed because Itachi's kunai goes flying straight at Danzo's lung. "I dislike those who target medics especially. So you can die this time in the manner you would have forced Karin to endure."

Well Itachi had a good point about that. Targeting medics was low. Speaking of medics, Sasuke needed to have Hinata see one in the relatively near future.

Mercifully, his Sunflower had mostly stayed out of the fray since the battle began, but he knew that wouldn't last. Danzo would likely have another go at her. Hence why had had drug Neji along.

He didn't care for Neji, but the man would protect his cousin at all costs. "And potentially her child." The words left his mouth, but so quietly that Sasuke knew that they didn't even qualify as a whisper.

The Uchiha was still riding on Garuda's back. So he knew no one had heard him. Thank goodness for small mercies he supposed. If Danzo became aware of that possibility, he'd target Hinata first and foremost. The sick son of a bitch.

"Hinata, stay beside me." Neji forms some clones around her.

Good. Clones were good. Still, Danzo wouldn't go down that easily. Where was he this time?

She nods though it became apparent that Hinata had seen something that Sasuke hadn't. "Water Needles!" The woman was now shooting thousands of water needles at a target and it takes Sasuke a few precious seconds to realize that the target in question was Danzo!

He was only a few feet away from her! Her attacks had definitely done damage, but not enough! "Wind Style: Vacuum Blast Barrage!" The strongest wind attack that he had seen used so far was being aimed at Hinata.

Sasuke had to do something. He quickly extends his Susanoo arm towards his lover and her cousin. They were wrapped in it. Whatever this attack was, it was strong enough to break through his Susanoo's defenses, but the technique had done the job.

Neji and Hinata were able to duck and avoid being slicked to ribbons. Sasuke pants as he stares in terror at them. That could have killed them both with ease. He had very nearly lost her.

Sasuke lost it. He aims his Amaterasu straight at Danzo. "Burn in Hell!" The abomination deserved it!

He was the one who had forced Itachi to make an impossible choice. Danzo was partially responsible for Sasuke being an orphan and he was also the one who had attacked Hinata. He deserved to be consumed by the fires of Hell itself.

"AHHHH!" He screams in complete and utter agony.

The sounds of Danzo's screams were music to Sasuke's ears. He delighted in them. He deserved to suffer. So happy was he to hear the man suffer that Sasuke didn't even mind the blood dripping down his eye.

Suigetsu blinks as he looks at Kisame. "Remind me not to piss Sassy off anymore." To which the other swordsman nods dumbly.

"Yeah. You have a point there." The blue skinned man nods in agreement. "Though Itachi, can be even worse."

Well that certainly sounded interesting…

"Come on!" Naruto knew that they had to hurry. "They're nearby!" He could practically feel it in his bones.

They were close. The blonde could feel Sasuke's chakra nearby and Neji wouldn't have taken off without a good reason. That meant the Retrieval Team was about to complete its mission.

They were about to rescue Hinata and Sasuke. Finally! "Don't worry, Friend Naruto!" Lee must have felt the same way. "We'll find them!"

Yeah! They totally would. Believe it!

He could feel Sakura at his side. Naruto knew that she was just as worried as him, but his only female teammate wasn't saying much. That was only natural though. She was probably worried sick about Sasuke and Hinata.

"What a drag." Shikamaru sighs. "I can sense a lot of chakra nearby." Yeah. Definitely. "We're about to stumble upon someone's battle."

"There's nothing for it." Shino shakes his head. "Neji already went on up ahead. It's possible that he's fighting Sasuke."

The blonde blinks at that. He really hoped that wasn't the case. Sasuke didn't know the meaning of the word restraint. Neji was strong, but Naruto wasn't really sure how well his abilities would stack up against Sasuke's.

"Let's hurry!" Ino was right.

With that in mind, they all rush towards the Forest of Death. That's where all the chakra was coming from. So that had to be where the big fight was going on. Right?

"You deserve it." Sasuke glances down at Danzo and then Itachi. "Finish him!"

Itachi shakes his head. "Foolish little brother." Sasuke's biggest weakness had always been his impatience and that hadn't changed since he was a small child.

Oh the elder Uchiha Brother couldn't deny that he very much wanted to kill Danzo, but that would have to wait. "Now, it's time for you to die!" Danzo appears behind Itachi with the intention of slicing his throat with a kunai.

Itachi just smirks as he explodes. "You're going to have to do a lot better than that." During all the chaos, it had been an easy feat to create a clone.

"A clone!" The Clone Great Explosion Technique had a rather simple purpose. "Damn it!" One simply had to create a clone and when your opponent got too close, it would explode.

Neji blinks as he watches the scene. "That was clever." Of course, it was clever. One didn't always need elaborate tricks to win a fight. Though they certainly could be helpful.

Thank goodness for Shisui who had taught Itachi the Body Flicker Technique, he muses to himself as he appears right in front of Danzo. "Tsukuyomi." It certainly came in handy at times like these.

"We have company coming!" Neji's words dimly registered with Itachi, but he heard them nonetheless. "A team of ANBU." Ah yes. He'd have to finish this quickly.

Warning Torture Scene

"You captured me inside your Genjutsu." Danzo scowls at him.

Itachi smirks in response. "Indeed, I did." He then pulls out a large sword. "As I'm sure that you're aware, I control everything in this world. That includes even your perception of time." Which meant he could torture Danzo for days here and only seconds would pass in the real world.

That threat made even Danzo gulp. For good reason. He was more than intelligent enough to know exactly what that meant.

"Had you kept your promise, none of this would have happened." Itachi stabbed at his side, watching with a detached sense of interest as red liquid gushed from the wound. "I would have been more than content to die a traitor's death in the eyes of this village, if it meant Sasuke could be happy." He ignores Danzo's scream as he stabs his eye next. "Unfortunately, you and Tobi ruined my plans."

There was something rather satisfying about 'blinding' him. The man was a grave robber. While Itachi was a pacifist by nature, he was still human. Just like Sasuke, he was prone to bouts of righteous fury and it was that fury that would spell the end of Danzo Shimura.

"AHHH!" Yes, it was satisfying to watch him cry out. "The brat already knew the truth, anyway."

That was accurate, but Danzo had confirmed it. "You also attacked him and his lover." That was unforgivable. "Do you have any idea how relieved I was to see that Sasuke was still capable of feeling romantic love? Do you know what he would have done, if you had actually succeeded in killing her?" His sword slices across Danzo's chest angrily.

"They all deserve to die!" This man clearly did not know when to stop talking. "And you know it! It is for the good of the village." Itachi would solve that quickly enough though. By cutting out his tongue.

Which is exactly what Itachi did next. On and on it went. Itachi would slash, stab, and taunt. He even tormented Danzo with images of the deaths of his loved ones.

Itachi was was rather surprised by that. That at some point, Danzo had actually cared about someone other than himself. Still, it was a weakness that he was only too eager to exploit. After all, hadn't Danzo done the same to him?

By the end of their discussion, there was blood everywhere. The dark red liquid was splashed all along Danzo's body, on Itachi's clothes, and now was soaking into the very 'earth' of his illusion.

"Well then, I believe you fully understand my point." Itachi smiles pleasantly at him. "You will admit the truth in front of the Leaf Village and perhaps, just perhaps I will still be able to convince Sasuke not to destroy it." With that being said, he releases the Genjutsu.

End of Torture Scene

Only a few seconds later, Neji watches in confusion as Danzo falls over. He was a slobbering mess, but Itachi hadn't actually landed a blow on him. It must have been some kind of Genjutsu.

"Sasuke, perhaps you would like to retrieve our family's stolen eyes?" Whatever Itachi had shown the other ninja must have been nothing short of horrific. "I don't think he deserves them and he'll be a lot less trouble with only one arm." Itachi smiles. "Karin can heal him to make sure he doesn't die of blood loss."

Kisame shakes his head and looks at Suigetsu. "I told you that he was worse." To which the other sword lover only nods dumbly.

Sasuke's eyes narrow as he guides Garuda down and promptly takes out his sword, slicing off Danzo's arm. "Why should we heal him?" That was a good point. "We should just kill him and be done with it."

"No!" Hinata looks at Sasuke with horror. "If he's alive, he can tell everyone the truth. He can't do that, if he's dead." Ah. So that was Itachi's game.

"AHHHH!" The sounds of Danzo's shrieks of agony were almost deafening.

Not that Neji could blame him for that part at least. Losing an arm must have been a very unpleasant experience. Well at the very least, it wasn't one that he was eager to experience for himself.

Karin sighs as he walks over and heals Danzo. "I can't regrow limbs though." Sasuke nods approvingly at that.

"That's perfectly acceptable." Itachi smiles at her. "He does deserve to be punished and he'll cause significantly less trouble with one arm than two."

"ANBU are coming!" Jugo's voice rings out in warning, but it was too late.

They had wasted far too much time. Neji estimated there had to be at least thirty in all. This wouldn't end well.

Shockingly, it was Hinata who took control of the situation. "Danzo attacked us and I demand a trial for this man's crimes!" She points to the severed arm with the Sharingans on it. "He ordered a genocide to be carried out which is illegal under international law."

Neji had never been prouder of Hinata than in that moment. She sounded every inch like the Hyuga Heiress she was born to be. So confident and her voice was filled with authority. Gone was her stutter for the moment. Banished by her fury.

One of the ANBU looked like he was about to argue, but he never got the chance. Soon a flying blonde blur comes at them at top speed and knocks Sasuke right off of his feet.

"BASTARD!" Oh boy.

It was Naruto. This was going to be chaotic to say the least. How were they ever going to explain everything now?

Sasuke twitches and as predicted, he didn't respond very well to being tackled. "Chidori Current." Mercifully, it was a low voltage.

Well at least that appeared to be the case. "Owe!" Naruto seemed more annoyed than anything as he promptly gets off of the Uchiha, rather than be electrocuted more.

Lee was about to come to Naruto's aid, but Kisame block shim. "That was just the brat's version of a love tap really." Well that was a rather charitable way of viewing things, but Neji suspected that it was accurate enough.

"Hinata, what is going on?" Tenten looks at her friend in confusion.

His cousin was trying her best, but Neji could tell that explaining all this was a task she didn't relish. "As I said, Danzo was complicit in the Genocide of the Uchiha Clan" She looks at Itachi. "He was ordered to carry it out and thus a battle ensued. There should be a trial and during that trial, I will not tolerate any member of Taka, Itachi, or Kisame being locked up as they are the victims and witnesses in this case."

Sasuke was even looking a little awestruck by Hinata's transformation. In his defense, Neji and everyone else were equally in shock. After all, who wouldn't be? The wallflower had just turned into a rose with throns.

"What a drag." Shikamaru shakes his head. "If that's really the case though, none of them will remind returning with us to the Leaf for the trial."

Before Neji could say anything to that, Kiba, Akamaru, and Shino all rush over to Hinata. The overgrown puppy was now slobbering all over her and its master wasn't conducting himself in a much more dignified manner. Though even Shino was looking a little misty eyed. (Which was rather impressive considering he was wearing glasses to begin with).

"Hinata! It's so good to see you." Kiba was gushing and the Ninja Dog was barking excitedly.

Hinata giggles and smiles as she hugs him. "It's good to see all of you as well." She smiles at Sasuke. "Don't worry though. I'm okay. Sasuke wouldn't allow anything to happen to me."

That little declaration causes everyone to fall over in shock. Well everyone from the Leaf Village who wasn't a Criminal Ninja, anyway. Yeah. Neji was still trying to process Sasuke's twisted obsession with Hinata himself.

"I had another Sharingan left." Danzo twitches as he tries to stand. "How did you defeat me?"

Sasuke smirks at him. "You thought you had another Sharingan yet." He glances at Itachi. "My brother is better at Genjutsu than I am, but I was still able to cast a very basic one to make you think there was another Sharingan left and you fell for it." Sasuke was growing scarier by the day, Neji observes with a sigh.

"Right!" Naruto pumps his fist in the air. "Well if he did order a genocide, he's gotta pay for that! So let's get everyone back to the Leaf and tell Granny Tsunade about this!" That was Naruto for you. "She'll know what to do. Believe it!"

The youngest Uchiha shakes his head in disbelief. "I can't believe it." He sighs in exasperation. "Even after all these years, he still uses the same stupid catchphrase." Begrudgingly, Neji had to admit Sasuke had a point there. Still, they had a lot of work to do. A trial of this magnitude didn't just organize itself.