Love Your Enemy

by aresu

Iwa and Konoha have hated each other since the third great ninja war. What happens when events unfold that forces Iwa's most promising Kunoichi and Konoha's number one most surprising ninja to spend time together? Will they be able to overcome the hatred that shackles their nations or are they destined to be enemies forever?

21. Chapter 21: These Bonds We Share

Disclaimer: I don't own naruto or any of its characters as they are the property of Masashi Kishimoto.
The author of the cover image is indy-riquez from DeviantArt. You can check the link for the original image in my profile.

Chapter 21: These Bonds We Share

-Tenchi Bridge-

Team Seven had already arrived at their destination, albeit a bit early, to investigate the area around and make sure that they weren't walking into a trap, like an ambush and the like. When they determined that it didn't seem to be the case, they made a trap of their own, which consisted of the team splitting into two groups with three members on each side of the bridge hiding among the trees or the bushes, so once the spy appeared they would ambush him or her from both sides so their target would have no way of escaping. One one side there was Yugao, accompanied by Sakura and Sai; and on the other side of the structure, Kakashi was in charge of Naruto and Kurotsuchi. In the middle of the bridge, there was already a clone of Naruto using a transformation Jutsu to look like Sasori. It didn't matter that the blond could not imitate the puppeteer's mannerisms since they were going to attack as soon as the spy met with him at the bridge.

The wait for all of them had been pretty tense, they didn't know who they were waiting for, so the abilities of this mysterious person were unknown. But considering that he was a spy from Akatsuki sent to infiltrate Orochimaru's ranks, they figured that whoever it was wasn't a pushover.

As they waited, Naruto looked to his side to see Kurotsuchi who was deadly focused on the task at hand and was ignoring him since his little accident at the hot springs. The blond was dying to talk to her and properly explain what had happened, but she wouldn't have any of that and tended to shush him every time he attempted to do so or he risked further bodily harm. He just felt extremely uncomfortable having her mad at him, but he could admit that he deserved it this time, he should have never attempted that stunt.

Kurotsuchi could feel Naruto's gaze on her, and she guessed that he wanted to apologize to her, but she didn't pay him any mind. To tell the truth, she wasn't that mad at him anymore. She knew that it was in Naruto's nature to do stupid shit, and he being a hormonal boy and all that it wasn't that surprising that he had had a moment of weakness. Besides, he hadn't seen anything he shouldn't as he had fallen face first on the ground and didn't get up until she had already covered herself properly. And she had a hard time admitting it but for some reason, a part of her felt nice that the Jinchuuriki considered her attractive, but she guessed that it was because she was always proud to excel at everything she could, and being considered attractive was flattering, right? Because what else could be making her feel like that? Still, she still had stay angry at Naruto for just a while longer if only out of principle so he would learn his lesson.

Suddenly, Kakashi and his two companions tensed when they spotted a cloaked figure walking the narrow path that they were watching over from their hiding spots, and in everyone's mind, they concluded that this had to be the spy. They watched attentively as the person walked past them and towards the bridge where the disguised clone of Naruto was waiting.

The cloaked figure walked calmly until he stopped a few yards in front of the fake Sasori, and for a moment, Team Seven waited anxiously for anything to happen. They didn't have to wait long, as the mysterious person started talking.

''It has been a long time, Sasori-Sama'' Said the person, now identified as a male from his tone of voice, but still no one could see his features as his cowl concealed his face, but all members of Team Seven, except for Yugao and Sai, thought that the man's voice sounded familiar.

The clone of Naruto posing as Sasori didn't know how to respond to the man, so he just growled and gave a small nod.

''Forgive me, master. I didn't want to be rude by not revealing myself before you, but considering my position, can you blame me?'' Said the man, luckily mistaking the fake Sasori's silence for displeasure in his lack of etiquette. ''Very well. I enjoy face to face interactions more, anyway''

As soon as the man said that, he proceeded to remove the cowl, which made the younger members of Team Seven, save for Sai, stare in shock at the familiar face of Kabuto.

''No way! He is the spy! I thought he was completely loyal to Orochimaru!'' Thought the surprised Naruto. But he soon concluded that Kabuto was even slimier than he had previously thought, it looked like no one was exempt from that man's treachery, not even Orochimaru.

''Is that four-eyes again!'' Kurotsuchi added mentally. She hadn't expected to see that fucker here, but on the other hand, this would be a chance to properly punish him for the problems he caused back in The Land of Frost.

Unfortunately for Team Seven, when Naruto's clone saw Kabuto, even he reacted by widening his eyes momentarily in surprise, an action that made Kabuto suspicious.

''What's wrong, Sasori-Sama?'' Asked the rogue medic with a frown. For a moment it had looked that Sasori hadn't expected to see him there, which didn't make sense as they had gathered there to meet in the first place. When realization hit Kabuto he quickly tossed a Kunai at the fake Sasori, who had not been anticipating the attack and received the hit directly, disappearing in a puff of smoke.

Now that the gig was up, Kabuto turned around to make a run for it but he was stopped short on his way when Kakashi, Naruto, and Kurotuchi blocked his path. He took a moment to glance back the other way only to see three more people at the other end of the bridge, effectively trapping him.

Seeing that he had no way to go, Kabuto turned to Kakashi's group and greeted them with a condescending smile. ''So we meet again, Naruto. And I see that the girl is still hanging around with you''

Naruto took a step forward with a fist raised towards Kabuto. ''Shut up! I'm tired of seeing your face every time something is wrong! Now you won't get away from us this time!''

''That's right'' Said Kurotsuchi as she too took a step forward to line up with Naruto. ''You ran like a coward last when we fought, but now you finally get to pay for what you did to that poor village in the Land of Frost''

''You would do well to not remind me of that. I'm still a bit annoyed from that time, you don't want to mess with me when I'm angry'' Said Kabuto with a cold grin as he brought a hand to adjust his glasses.

''Just give it up, Kabuto'' Said Kakashi, finally talking for the first time. ''There is no need to fight. You are outnumbered and there is no way out, you can't win. So just surrender and come with us quietly''

Instead of doing as Kakashi suggested, Kabuto started to chuckle to himself before he answered back. ''How very amusing. You seem to think that you got it all figured out, when in fact, you are the ones being played''

Kakashi wondered momentarily what Kabuto was talking about, but he quickly widened his lone eye when he felt something behind them. ''Move!'' The copy ninja barked out and the three of them threw themselves to the side and barely avoided a barrage of snakes that had been coming directly at them with their fangs bared.

Once Kakashi, Naruto, and Kurotsuchi recovered their balance they lost when they dodged, they looked to the woods to see a man coming from among the foliage. The man had white skin, he was even paler than Sai was, he had long silky black hair that partially covered his slitted yellow eyes. He was wearing a gray garb with a long-sleeved black shirt underneath it. He also had a weird purple belt around his waist that was as thick as a rope and was tied in a knot behind him.

''What a bizarre and creepy looking guy. He must be Orochimaru'' Thought Kurotsuchi as she cursed her rotten luck. Of course, she had to face yet another S-ranked Shinobi. Even if she had never met the man, the Sannin's unusual appearance was pretty well known, so unless there was another guy around that also looked like a white snake, this had to be the infamous snake Sannin himself.

Kakashi didn't waste his time to reveal his Sharingan if Orochimaru was their opponent. He narrowed both of his eyes when he now realized that Kabuto had been acting like a spy, but he was actually planning on turning on Sasori and had brought Orochimaru to help him deal with the Akatsuki member.

''What do we have here? We were expecting to find Sasori-Kun, but this is fine too'' Said the pale man in a raspy voice before he chuckled eerily to himself. ''Hello Naruto-Kun, long time no see''

When the man addressed the Jinchuuriki, Naruto's anger increased even more and his eyes turned red as his fangs became more pronounced. Having the reason why Sasuke left them right in front of him and talking to him like if they were old pals made his blood boil.

''Since Sasori isn't here, I'm guessing that is safe to assume that he is dead? How fortunate for us'' Added Kabuto, still standing in the middle of the bridge. ''This must be our lucky day, not only is Sasori dead but here we have the two responsible for ruining my project in the Land of Frost. I would very much enjoy dealing with them''

''Oh yes, you told me about that. Even the girl is present, surprisingly. Considering where she is from'' Said Orochimaru as he turned to look at Kurotsuchi.

Said Iwa Kunoichi frowned in discomfort at having such a disgusting man leering at her, it made her skin crawl.

From her place all the way at the other side of the bridge, taking advantage that Orochimaru and Kabuto were wasting time talking, Yugao looked around to gauge the situation. Sakura at her side looked very tense but also very angry in the presence of the Snake Sannin, Sai seemed collected and focused, no doubt evaluating their current problem himself. The older woman had trouble spotting the rest of her team all the way in front of her, but she could see that Kakashi and Kurotsuchi had defensive positions, ready to attack if need be, while Naruto looked livid.

Having analyzed carefully their predicament, Yugao spoke to the teenagers beside her. ''You two wait for my signal. We will attack Orochimaru once we see an opening, so be ready''

At her order, both Sakura and Sai nodded obediently, ready to act at a moment's notice.

Meanwhile, Kabuto continued his ramblings. ''Orochimaru-Sama, if you would allow me, please let me have the pleasure of eliminating Naruto and the girl personally''

Orochimaru had an amused grin at his henchman request. ''You won't be happy until I let you, don't you, Kabuto? Honestly, I wasn't that interested in that project of yours, recruiting new personnel had never been difficult. But I guess I can understand your frustration, you were the one who worked the hardest on our branch in the Land of Frost after all'' Commented the Sannin flamboyantly. ''However, I would advise against killing Naruto-Kun and his friends. They have already dealt with Sasori, so letting them take care of a few more members of Akatsuki for us isn't a bad idea. Regardless, If you really feel the need to get revenge on them, I suppose letting you have the girl is fine''

As soon as Orochimaru's words left his mouth, Naruto was in front of him with a clawed hand swiping at his face as a red Chakra cloak with two tails enveloped him.

The force of the blow was such that the trees around the Sannin were unrooted and the pale man was sent flying through the woods.

''Don't you dare touch her!'' Yelled an enraged Naruto. Orochimaru had already taken Sasuke from him, he would not let him take Kurotsuchi too. He would tear Orochimaru piece by piece for even mentioning it.

Kurotsuchi and Kakashi stood stunned by the display of raw power that Naruto used to repel the Sannin with.

Kabuto took their distraction as a good opportunity to attack Kurotsuchi now that she had her guard down. He started rushing at her with his hand surrounded by a chakra blade with the intent of striking a vital organ.

From their position, Yugao and her small group managed to see Kabuto charging at the Iwa Kunoichi, and they were about to move themselves but before they could, they saw Naruto turn around with a look of pure rage in his eyes as he brought an arm forward and the red shroud surrounding his appendage extended from his body in the blink of an eye which grabbed Kabuto before he could reach the tomboy and he proceeded to slam the spy on the forest ground, tearing even more trees as he did so.

Sweat rolled down Kurotsuchi's brow at seeing Naruto's brutality. She knew that the blond might have killed Kabuto with that last attack, it wasn't like the good-natured boy to be so savage in battle. She had forgotten how bad the effects of the Kyuubi's Chakra was on Naruto's psyche.

Meanwhile, Kakashi hastily scrambled through his weapons pouch to find a certain seal tag that Jiraiya had given to him in case that Naruto lost control of the Kyuubi. He was supposed to place it on the boy's skin and it would suppress the malevolent aura. And seeing that Naruto wasn't getting any calmer he would do well to use it now that the blond was still somewhat reasonable.

Their attention was diverted from Naruto when they heard someone snickering from the forest. ''That's it? After all these years I expected more from you, Naruto-Kun'' Said Orochimaru with a derogatory smirk as he came to view in the distance.

Naruto's eyes got even sharper when he heard the Sannin's voice again, and with that last taunt, a third tail manifested itself on his Chakra cloak. With his power boosted even further and his control thinning, Naruto gave a deafening roar that produced a shockwave directed at Orochimaru, so strong it was that it even made Kurotsuchi and Kakashi stumble back despite being a few yards of distance between them and the Jinchuuriki.

Orochimaru saw the attack coming from a mile away and he easily dodged to the side by slithering across the ground, contorting his body unnaturally as he moved like a snake around the trees. However, Naruto didn't miss a beat and pressed his attack by rushing to Orochimaru with amazing speed and using a barrage of slashing attacks with his claws, but the Sannin used his abnormal dexterity to continuously dodge the swipes as the Jinchuuriki tore through the landscape even more with each missed blow.

Kakashi cursed under his breath, he had been too late to put the tag on Naruto. It was obvious that the boy had lost control by this point, he wouldn't have used that last attack with no reward for his comrades safety if he was still sane. He knew from Jiraiya that while Naruto could technically keep his control with three tails, he had to have a clear head to do so, with his anger right now that simply wasn't going to happen. Now getting close to the boy to apply the tag would not be easy, not when he was berserk and fighting a dangerous S-ranked missing-nin.

''Kakashi-Sensei, are you all right?!'' Said Sakura with urgency as she arrived at her teacher's location with Yugao and Sai in tow.

''I'm fine, instead we should worry about doing something about Naruto'' Replied the copy ninja.

''God, I can't believe I'm looking at Naruto right now. The Kyuubi's Chakra is such a terrifying thing'' Thought Sakura with worry as she redirected her attention to the Jinchuuriki. She could barely see her blond teammate from her position as he engaged Orochimaru, but the dust from his rampage could be seen clearly. The fox's Chakra felt so foul that she wasn't sure if they were safe either.

''What do you propose we do, captain?'' Asked Sai, still keeping his cool even with everything that happened.

''We have to suppress the Biju's Chakra. At this pace, Naruto will become a threat to everyone here, even himself. We can't allow this to continue'' Said Kakashi with authority.

''Suppress it? How do we do that?'' Inquired Yugao.

''I have something that Jiraiya-Sama gave me that will do the trick, but I need to get close to Naruto for it to work. We'll have to follow him at a safe distance until an opportunity presents itself'' Said Kakashi. ''Remember, stay far from Naruto or you might end up in the crossfire. Is that understood?''

Everyone nodded in understanding at Kakashi's warning, and with a plan of action decided, they all got moving.

By the time they caught up with Naruto he had just gotten another tail and had just started going through changes that they had never seen Naruto undergo before even under the effects of the Kyuubi.

''What the hell is happening to Naruto?!'' Thought Kurotsuchi as she and her companions looked in horror at the Jinchuuriki.

Naruto gave a thundering yell of both anger and pain as his skin started tearing off his body and the blood gushing out from the resulting wounds mixed with his Chakra cloak, tainting the entirety of his body as it enveloped him in a crimson shade that served to make the appearance of fur but the consistency looked almost liquid in nature. Then his eyes become completely white and they almost seemed lo glow. By the end of the transformation, the boy looked like a miniature demon fox.

''Oh my, now that's more like it'' Said Orochimaru with anticipation. ''Show me how much you've grown, boy''

As soon as Orochimaru muttered those words, Naruto was upon him with renewed energy.

Orochimaru widened his eyes in shock when Naruto closed the distance with him so fast that he couldn't dodge his next swipe and it tore his body in two.

Team Seven gasped in astonishment when they saw Naruto deliver a seemingly fatal blow to the Sannin only for snakes to come out of the wounds which weaved into each other to reconnect the body of the man as if he had never even taken a scratch.

When the feral boy realized that his attack didn't work he roared at Orochimaru before a lunging at him again with his claws, but this time, when he connected with the snake-like man, he turned to mud as the real one emerged from the ground below, head first with a blade coming through his mouth and took the Jinchuuriki with him, pinning the boy's back against a rock as he held him in place with the sword.

However, to Orochimaru's dismay his blade, despite being one of the sharpest in the world, failed to pierce Naruto's skin and the miniature Kyuubi just took the sword with his bare hand and pulled Orochimaru towards him, and in one quick motion, he bisected the Sannin again and sent his upper half soaring through the air a considerable distance away.

The mangled body of Orochimaru stood motionless for a moment before two hands stuck out from the mouth of the man and pushed the way aside for another Orochimaru to come out, effectively resembling a snake changing his skin.

''You have turned into a fine Jinchuuriki, Naruto-Kun'' Praised Orochimaru after having regenerated from all the damage done to him. ''But you still have ways to go before you reach Sasuke's level or mine for that matter''

Naruto, instead of attacking again like Orochimaru had estimated, let out yet another savage roar, but this time as he did so, several orbs of what appeared to be Chakra separated from his body and melded into a gigantic dark sphere in the sky.

Team Seven and even Orochimaru stared agape at the ball floating above them. The Chakra orb was so dense that it was even casting a shadow on all the people below.

''This is just insane! What kind of battle is this turning into?!'' Thought Yugao in alarm, and by the looks of her comrades, they all must have had similar concerns.

''What is he planning on doing with that?'' Thought Orochimaru with equal wonder.

Then, the sphere started turning smaller and smaller, compressing the Chakra even further every time, until it could fit in the palm of a hand. Once it stopped shrinking, the small ball slowly descended towards Naruto and he promptly swallowed it.

For a moment it looked like nothing was going to happen until the Jinchuuriki's whole body bloated like a balloon before he opened his mouth and released all the condensed Chakra stored inside, shooting it towards Orochimaru in a straight line.

''I can't let something like that hit me or it'll be the end of me'' Concluded Orochimaru as he put his hands on the ground. ''Kuchiyose: Sanju Rashomon!'' with that, three gigantic spiky metal gates with demonic faces that towered over the surrounding trees appeared in front of Orochimaru.

Naruto's Chakra beam collided with Orochimaru's Jutsu in a violent explosion of energy. A good portion of the forest was immediately obliterated as the surrounding trees outright disintegrated.

Team Seven covered their eyes as the blinding light made it impossible to look at the scene directly.

By the time the light and the smoke cleared out, all three of Orochimaru's gates were completely gone and a large smoking crater was left of the area. Even the Sannin himself was sprawled on the ground with his body bent in weird angles, as his Jutsu had obviously not been enough to stop all the force of the Chakra.

Orochimaru groaned in pain as he twisted his body to set his dislocated limbs in their proper place. ''This is bad, this body can't take much more and is starting to shut down'' His current vessel had already run it's course and it could be better if he didn't continue to push himself too hard until the day to take over Sasuke's body arrived. So with much disappointment, he would have to retreat.

Kurotsuchi's concern for her blond friend increased by the minute. She could not understand how Naruto could still be standing after his skin had peeled off and he had bloated like a blowfish. It was then that she brought a hand to her mouth in horror as she finally understood that the only thing that kept Naruto alive was the Kyuubi's regeneration. It was constantly damaging and healing his body in an awful cycle. This transformation had to be shortening the boy's lifespan, it could even kill him! She had had enough, she wasn't going to keep standing on the sidelines as the friend that had helped her time and again needed her.

''Wait, Kurotsuchi come back!'' Yugao yelled after the tomboy when she saw the girl suddenly make a run for the crazed Jinchuuriki.

''Kurotsuchi! Stay with the team, It's dangerous!'' Ordered Kakashi but the girl just ignored her leader's words. ''Damn it! Everyone, stay close to me, we have to stop her!'' Finished the copy ninja as his worried team followed his lead and chased Kurotsuchi.

However, Team Seven's efforts were in vain as Kurotsuchi already had a big lead on them and she arrived much sooner at the clearing that Naruto was currently in.

''Naruto, stop!'' Kurotsuchi desperately called her friend and the blood-red Jinchuuriki turned to her with his sharp crimson teeth bared at her and his white, almost shining eyes, seemed to bore into her soul.

Kurotsuchi stopped in front of Naruto and she gulped as she stared into his pale eyes. It was hard to believe that this creature was the fun loving blond that she had come to care for. ''Everything is all right, it's just me, I'm not here to hurt you'' Said the tomboy as she held up her hands in hopes to prove that she meant no harm and was defenseless. In this situation, it was like dealing with a very dangerous wild animal.

Kakashi and the rest of the team came to an abrupt stop a good distance away when the copy ninja halted their advance. ''Stop. We are too late. If we interfere now it could just provoke Naruto and he might turn on Kurotsuchi or on us'' Said Kakashi with an arm extended to block the advance of the team.

Sakura looked on with worry for the girl's safety as Yugao clicked her tongue with impotency for her inability to help.

Sai, on the other hand, had a dilemma. This was the perfect chance to ditch the team and start the real assignment that Danzo-Sama had given him. But the words of Naruto and Kakashi from the day before were still fresh in his mind. To tell the truth, he was very curious to see how this all turned out after Naruto had passionately defended the strength of personal bonds. This was a good chance to see what those bonds were really made of. So with much uncertainty, he decided to stay put and watch.

The Jincuuriki stood motionless on all fours, staring at the Iwa Kunoichi and breathing heavily, but thankfully he hadn't attacked yet.

Kurotsuchi made her best effort to keep a straight face, and she tested the waters by taking a step forward.

This action made the Jinchuuriki give a low threatening growl, but Kurotsuchi still kept her cool.

''Easy there, Naruto. I'm your friend'' Said the girl with caution, and when the boy didn't react again, she felt safe enough to take another step. When the growling didn't continue she kept making her way towards the Jinchuuriki, albeit slowly. ''I know that you are there, Naruto. Listen to me, you have to stop this, you are hurting yourself'' The boy didn't make a move and just continued to stare silently at the approaching girl. ''I know how strong your resolve is, I've seen it before. That's why I'm sure that you can fight back the Kyuubi. Don't let it control you'' Said Kurotsuchi as she stopped directly in front of Naruto, just barely at arm's length.

Naruto looked at Kurotsuchi's gentle pink eyes with his white ones, still not responding as he tilted his head.

''Please Naruto, come back to us. Come back to me'' Finished Kurotsuchi softly as she looked straight at the Jinchuuriki's face.

The tension in the air was almost suffocating as Team Seven watched anxiously the interaction between the girl and her feral friend.

Then, in the blink of an eye Naruto grabbed Kurotsuchi's neck with a clawed hand and pinned her against one of the few remaining trees around.

''He is going to kill her!'' Shouted a worried Yugao.

''We have to do something, Kakashi-Sensei!'' Said Sakura with urgency.

''I know. Wait here, I'm going to flank them'' Said Kakashi as he went on the move. If he was to put the tag he needed to find an angle from which Naruto didn't see him coming.

Kurotsuchi gasped for air as she clasped Naruto's wrist, doing her best effort to push his arm back. She gave a muffled cry of pain when she felt the foul Chakra burning the skin on her neck and it was even filtering through the fabric in her gloves, damaging her hands too. But despite that, she didn't let go of his arm or she could risk getting her windpipe crushed. ''Snap...out...of it'' The girl barely managed to speak. ''You are...stronger than...this. Don't...let the...Kyuubi...consume you''

Naruto put his face closer to the struggling girl before he made a deep howl which caused Kurotsuchi to close her eyes when she felt his breath on her face.

''Naruto...please'' Kurotsuchi pleaded once more as tears were gathering at the corner of her eyes.

the Jinchuuriki gazed at her with an expression akin to curiosity, but before he could do anything else, Kakashi appeared behind him and rapidly smacked him in the forehead with a piece of paper.

''It's done'' muttered Kakashi as Naruto shrieked in rage before he let Kurotsuchi go, who fell to the floor in a fit of violent coughs as she held her aching neck.

Naruto turned around, attempting to get rid of the copy ninja as he used a clawed hand to impale him, only for the Sharingan user to turn into a log. Despite Kakashi not being there anymore, the paper tag appeared to be stuck on the Jinchuuriki's forehead and he screamed as the Chakra started to recede back into the seal on his stomach.

Once the malevolent aura was completely gone, Naruto dropped to the ground, unconscious from the exhaustion and damage that using the Kyuubi's Chakra had caused. The boy had returned to normal, save for his raw pink flesh, as his skin had not fully regrown yet.

''Naruto!'' Yelled Sakura as she arrived along with Yugao and Sai. Once she saw the pitiful state that her teammate was, she brought a hand to her mouth in shock. ''Oh my god! Naruto'' But as the trained medic she was, it only took the pinkette a moment to compose herself and hastily crouched down and rolled Naruto so that his back was on the ground and he was facing up, and with him now in a proper position, she channeled Chakra in her hands before she brought them over the boy to start healing him.

''Uff, that was close'' Said Kakashi as he appeared behind the group, joining them. ''If I hadn't pulled off that last substitution I would have been a goner''

''I'm just glad that you are all okay'' Said Yugao with a sigh of relief.

Meanwhile, Kurotsuchi still sat on the ground coughing into her palms but she winced when she did so. Then, she removed her gloves and threw them aside to inspect her hands to see them colored a hot pink, indicating the severity of her burns. She flexed her fingers, but she had great difficulty in doing so when she felt a sharp pain every time she moved them.

''Sakura, you might want to check on Kurotsuchi first'' Suggested Kakashi. Unlike Kurotsuchi, Naruto had the Kyuubi to help him heal at an abnormal rate, and judging by the state of the girl she might need the attention.

''Forget about me, tend to him first!'' Said Kurotsuchi in a strained voice as she held her throat.

''Are you sure?'' Asked Kakashi.

''He doesn't have skin, for fucks sake! I can deal with the pain, just do it!'' Insisted the tomboy.

Sakura nodded in understanding. She didn't have a problem at all, she would much rather see that her teammate was fine before anyone else.

''How are you, kid?''

When she heard someone talk to her, Kurotsuchi looked up from her place on the ground to see Yugao staring at her with concern marring her features.

''That was a very reckless and stupid thing to do, girl. You could have died'' Yugao scolded the tomboy.

''I know, but I had to do something'' Said Kurotsuchi in a low voice, still having difficult to talk. ''I couldn't stand to see Naruto turning into a mindless beast anymore. He would have done the same for me''

''Maybe, but he is always getting himself into dangerous situations, you know that as well. And If I remember correctly you are always scolding him for it'' Yugao pointed out. ''I didn't expect you to rush in like that. You are usually calculating in your actions except when it comes to Naruto''

''He must be rubbing off on me'' Replied the Iwa Kunoichi, still moving her hand to get used to the stinging sensation.

Yugao rolled her eyes at that. Kurotsuchi could be as dense as Naruto sometimes. However, Yugao frowned when she saw the terrible burns in the shape of a hand around the tomboy's neck.

''Does it really look that bad?'' Inquired Kurotsuchi when she saw the face that Yugao was making.

''Don't worry about it, We'll do something about that'' Yugao reassured her.

The tomboy nodded in understanding as she gently traced the burnt mark on her neck.

''Anyway, let me take a look at your hands'' Requested Yugao.

Kurotsuchi hesitated for a moment before she extended her hands towards the ANBU for her to see.

Yugao took the girl's hands gently, but she could still feel her flinch at her touch. ''This doesn't look good, but luckily is pretty superficial. You will be fine. Still, we should treat them properly'' Said Yugao as she pulled some bandages from her weapons pouch. ''I'll wrap them for you, so just stay put''

Kurotsuchi didn't turn down Yugao's offer, with her wounds she would have trouble handling the bandages by herself.

Seeing that the girl liked the idea, Yugao started wrapping the cloth around the tomboy's petite hands. She carefully passed the bandages over the palm, as well as between and around each finger.

The two women stayed like that for a couple of minutes, but even while she was treated, Kurotsuchi couldn't help but gaze at Naruto with concern in her narrowed eyes. Sakura was still healing him and good portions of his skin had regenerated, but he was still not looking too good.

While she bandaged the tomboy, Yugao noted the look with which Kurotsuchi was staring at the blond Jinchuuriki , and if she hadn't been certain about the girl's affections by now she sure was at this moment. The ANBU knew the face of a woman in love, and Kurotsuchi's current look definitely fit the description. The tender warm look in the worried eyes of the girl was unmistakable. The thought made the older woman sigh once again, she just knew that the feelings that those two were developing were going to bring them trouble in the future, but she tried to focus on her task. It wasn't the moment to be pondering on the teenager's forbidden love.

''Naruto will be fine, Kurotsuchi'' Said the purple-haired woman. ''You should worry about your own wounds''

''I just saw him turn into a monster while his body was breaking down from it. I couldn't possibly care about my own injuries after that'' Replied Kurotsuchi, still keeping her eyes on the still form of Naruto.

Yugao decided to drop the issue and just continue what she was doing, for she knew that Kurotsuchi wasn't going to listen to her.

Sai, for his part, just looked at the whole scene in total confusion. He had refrained from saying or doing anything so far, but that was because he couldn't understand what he just saw. And no, his concern wasn't Naruto's transformation, he was well informed about Jinchuuriki for that to be a surprise. No, what he could not understand were Kurotsuchi's actions. She was supposed to be an enemy, and before he hadn't believed that the friendship that Naruto had with her was genuine. The only logical possibility was that she was fooling the idiot into thinking she was his ally to stab him in the back when it was most convenient to her, but when the boy had gone mad, Sai saw the Iwa Kunoichi run straight into danger to save Naruto. She had risked her life in the effort to return him to normal. And not only that but when things had finally calmed down she denied help in favor of getting assistance for Naruto first. Sai could not comprehend how this was possible, it didn't make any sense for the girl to go so far for Naruto. She was either the best actor that had ever lived, or she was completely honest in her relationship with Naruto. Was this what bonds were supposed to be? Was this the reason why Naruto defended the concept so much? For Sai, this all seemed incredibly nonsensical, but he was oddly fascinated by it. He could not deny that he would like to see more of what these bonds were made of.

After a few minutes, Naruto Finally started opening his eyes again. He blinked slowly, trying to clear his vision and he grunted as he sat up. ''Ouch, my head hurts'' Complained the boy as he rubbed the back of his head.

''Naruto, I'm so happy you are okay'' Said a teary-eyed Sakura.

''Sakura-Chan?'' Asked Naruto in confusion before he noticed the poor state that the forest was in. ''Hey what the hell happened-''

He was cut off when Kurotsuchi came up to him and threw herself into a hug. ''You are an idiot! You had us all worried about you, dumbass!'' Said the girl as she hugged him tightly, glad to finally hear the blond's voice again instead of the awful beastly growls of the Kyuubi.

''Kurotsuchi? What's up?'' Asked Naruto, not understanding what was going on. ''Does this mean you forgive me for the hot springs mess?''

Kurotsuchi broke the embrace to look at him incredulously. Was he seriously concerned about that still after what just had happened?!

''Wait! Kurotsuchi, what happened to you?!'' Asked Naruto in alarm when he noticed the bandages around the girl's neck and hands.

''Uhh?'' Was the only thing that the girl could say. Did he not remember anything?

''It seems that he is experiencing some sort of short-term memory loss'' Added Kakashi. Jiraiya-Sama had been right, every time Naruto lost himself to the fox he lost all memory of when he did so. ''Naruto, what's the last thing you remember?''

Naruto crossed his legs and his arms as he sat trying to recall the previous events. ''We were waiting for a spy, which turned out to be Kabuto. After that, Orochimaru showed up and...Wait that's right! What happened to those bastards?!''

''Orochimaru taunted you and you lost control of the Kyuubi, then you fought him'' Explained Yugao. ''As for Kabuto...Kakashi-Senpai do you know what became of him?''

''I just checked the place where Naruto beat him. He was gone, along with Orochimaru'' Said the copy ninja. ''He must have survived, and with Orochimaru busy fighting Naruto I don't think he liked the odds of facing the rest of us by himself. And Orochimaru mus have used our distraction to flee too''

''Makes sense'' Added Sai.

''Then, Orochimaru is the one that hurt Kurotsuchi!?'' Asked Naruto, angry at the thought of the snake Sannin putting yet another one of his friend's lives at risk.

The group went eerily quiet. They didn't know what to say to the blond in a way that didn't upset him.

''Yes, that asshole is the one that did this'' Said Kurotsuchi, which made everyone look at her with surprise ''I tried to take him on, but I got careless. Thankfully, you got him off my back before he could do more harm, Naruto'' Finished the girl, giving the blond a toothy smile.

''That bastard! Just wait until I find him, I'll make him regret ever messing with us!'' Proclaimed Naruto in anger.

No one dared correct Kurotsuchi's story. If this is what the girl wanted Naruto to think, so be it.

''Well then, we should go after Orochimaru now that we have the chance'' Said Kakashi. ''His scent is still fresh, I can track him down with my hounds. If His base is nearby there is a good chance that Sasuke is with him'' Orochimaru would never stray too far from Sasuke, not when he was training him to become his next vessel.

That last part made Naruto and Sakura look up to the man with hope in their eyes.

''What are we waiting for?! Let's get going!'' Exclaimed Naruto as he stood up, but that only lasted a moment as he lost his strength once more and started to fall.

''Naruto!'' Said a troubled Kurotsuchi, catching Naruto and grunting in pain as she grabbed him with her burned hands as the boy put an arm around her shoulder to support himself. ''What is wrong with him?!''

''It appears that his body is still hurt. I don't think that he will be able to move for a while'' Said Yugao

''In that case, we'll be resting for a bit until Naruto feels better'' Said Kakashi.

''No! I can go on, trust me. We can't let Orochimaru get away!'' Pleaded Naruto as he let go of Kurotsuchi and stood firmly by himself.

Kakashi took a deep breath, and he thought for a little bit before he reluctantly decided to trust Naruto on his word. ''Fine, but if you start feeling unwell don't hesitate to tell us''

''I promise'' Said Naruto with resolution.

''Okay, let's go then'' Said Kakashi before he made some hand seals and brought his palm onto the ground. ''Kuchiyose no Jutsu!(summoning Technique)''

There was a puff of smoke, and when it cleared it revealed Pakkun.

''Yo'' Saluted the small dog. ''I didn't expect to see you guys again so soon''

''Hi again, Pakkun'' Said Yugao.

''Hello again'' Added Sakura.

''Hi'' Said Kurotsuchi

''Pleased to meet you. I'm Sai'' Said the pale boy.

''Same to you. I'm Pakkun'' Responded the dog before he addressed Kakashi again. ''Anyway, what do you need me for, Kakashi?''

''We are tracking down Orochimaru and we need your help'' Answered Kakashi.

''Orochimaru, you say?'' Asked the surprised summon. ''Why are you guys always calling me for such dangerous tasks? I'm not the best option for fighting those kinds of threats''

''You are my best tracker dog'' Said the copy ninja as he pulled a piece of cloth from his pouch. After the Sannin's battle with Naruto, the man had left several pieces of torn clothing all around the place, lucky for them since it was a good source of scent to get a trail. ''Please, Pakkun''

''Fine, fine let me take a good sniff of that'' Said the dog as Kakashi put the cloth in front of him and the dog proceeded to smell it for a moment. ''I got his scent. The trail is very strong, so we should get moving while it still is''

''Right'' Said Kakashi and he turned to the team. ''Let's go!''

And with that, the entire group of people took off trough the forest. Kakashi worried that Naruto could not keep up, but when the boy didn't slow down even after several minutes of traveling, that served to give the copy ninja some peace of mind.

After a while, they left the forest and reached a rocky and arid plain. There were almost no trees around, and the few that were had all dried up. They came to a stop when they saw a body of rocks at the distance. There were plenty of tall rocks all around, but that one caught their attention as it was the only one where there were several put together.

''There it is. The scent is all over that place'' Informed Pakkun. ''I'm guessing that the rocks are covering some kind of underground cavern or base''

''Nice job, Pakkun'' Praised Kakashi. ''You can go now if you want. That's all for now''

''Good luck against Orochimaru. Don't let yourselves get killed'' Said the small pug before he vanished in a puff of smoke.

''Looks like we found Orochimaru's main base of operations in the region'' Said Kakashi as he addressed every single member of the team. ''We have to formulate a plan of action on how to approach this situation. We are talking about Orochimaru here, who knows what we could find in there''

''I propose we infiltrate underground using Doton Jutsu'' Suggested Yugao. ''With Kurotsuchi here, that should not be a-''

The woman was cut off when they heard a thud, and they turned to said tomboy so see here on the ground and holding her head.

''Kurotsuchi, are you okay?!'' Naruto was the first to get to her and helped her get into a sitting position. ''What happened?!''

''I just feel dizzy that's all. It's nothing really, I just need a moment'' Said Kurotsuchi, finding difficulty in keeping her eyes open.

''Sakura, take a look at her'' Kakashi ordered his female student.

''Roger!'' Responded the pinkette before sitting next to the Iwa Kunoichi and removed the bandages around her neck. She widened her eyes when she saw that the burn mark on the girl's skin was emitting some sort of faintly red smoke. The medic quickly got to work and put her Chakra coated hand over the burned flesh, but to her dismay, the wound was barely reacting to the medical Chakra. ''There seems to be a residue of the Kyuubi's Chakra still in the wound, is not letting me heal it properly''

''Is that a handprint?'' Thought Naruto. Did Orochimaru really do that? It didn't seem like the kind of wound that the Sannin would give.

''I see'' Pondered Sai when he realized what was happening. The remainder of the Kyuubi's Chakra was entering Kurotsuchi's body through her wound, and it contaminated her own Chakra, acting like poison. It was the first time he got to see first hand how a Biju's Chakra could affect someone else but he knew of the phenomenon.

Yugao watched intently as Sakura attempted to treat Kurotsuchi, and in that moment the ANBU decided that something had to be done. ''Naruto, please come with me for a moment'' Said the woman as she turned, preparing to leave.

''Ehh? What for?'' Asked Naruto, preferring to stay by Kurotsuchi's side. And even Kakashi and Sai turned to look curiously at the purple-haired woman.

''You were also low on energy before, right? I don't want what happened to Kurotsuchi to happen to you too, not when we are about to enter Orochimaru's base'' Explained Yugao. ''I know a few seals, and I just happen to have one that will help you with your exhaustion''

''Why can't you just use the seal here?'' Wondered Naruto.

''Because I will need you to strip. So unless you want to do that in front of Sakura and Kurotsuchi you better follow me'' Said Yugao in exasperation.

Naruto bleached at the thought of such humiliation, so he complied. ''Okay, I'm coming'' Said the boy as he stood up.

Yugao nodded before she turned to Kakashi. ''This won't take long''

''Just be careful you two'' Said Kakashi, already suspecting what Yugao was up to.

''I will. Come, Naruto'' Finished Yugao as she walked away with Naruto right behind her.

The ANBU took the boy behind one of the big rocks around the plain, not too far from their team. If they were to run they could reach Kakashi in less than a minute, but it was still far enough to have some privacy.

''Okay, let's get this done so I can go back and see how Kurotsuchi is doing'' Said the Jinchuuriki as he started pulling off his shirt.

''Stop that!'' Said Yugao, halting Naruto and covering her eyes. ''It was a lie, there is no such seal. I didn't take you here for that, but I didn't want Kurotsuchi to suspect anything''

''Suspect? suspect what? And why did you bring me here for if that was just an excuse?'' Asked Naruto, not understanding why the need for such secrecy. Still, seeing that he wasn't stripping down anymore, Yugao unblocked her eyes again.

''I wanted to talk to you about Kurotsuchi'' Said Yugao as she crossed her arms over her chest.

''What about her?'' Asked Naruto.

''Those wounds she has, she lied about how she got them'' Said Yugao, and she could see Naruto's look starting to show a hint of fear, apparently he was starting to catch up. ''Orochimaru didn't do that to her. You are the one who hurt her''

Naruto looked agape at the woman in front of him before he looked down and stared at his hands in horror and disgust. ''I did...that?'' Was he the cause of those ugly burn marks on the girl's neck and hands? He had done it again. First, he almost killed Ero-Sennin, and now he had been so close to ending the life of his best friend. He knew that he wasn't the Kyuubi, but at times like this, it was hard to not feel like the monster he jailed.

''I'm not telling you this so you can mope around feeling bad about yourself'' Said Yugao harshly. ''I just want you to be more careful. That girl cares about you, more than you can imagine. She almost died in vain trying to calm you down''

Naruto couldn't feel worse right now. He had almost murdered a girl that cared about him so much that she even faced the Kyuubi for his sake. Maybe the villagers had been right about him all along, maybe he really was a monster, a ticking time bomb just waiting to explode and kill everyone.

But Yugao wasn't done just yet. ''Remember that Kurotsuchi is not just your friend, she is also next in line for the position of Tsuchikage and also the granddaughter of the current one. If she dies while in our care and by one of our ninja on top of it, that would affect our relationship with Iwa. Things are already very tense among our villages, we don't want to make them worse'' Not to mention that they would lose the only leverage they had against Iwa, but she didn't say that out loud.

''But how can I keep calling myself her friend after what I did. I don't deserve it'' Lamented Naruto with a depressed look.

''That's not for you to decide. she still sees you as her friend, which is all that matters'' Said Yugao, but when she saw the look on Naruto's face she added something else. ''If you really want to make it up to her, try to control yourself from now on so that the Kyuubi can't take advantage of that. If you keep letting a few taunts from a creep tip you off we will be having this same conversation again soon, and the next time we might not be so lucky as this one''

Naruto stayed silent for a few seconds, deep in thought. Yugao was wondering if the boy was even paying attention to her until he finally spoke. ''I understand. I promise I won't let this happen ever again''

Yugao sighed, glad to hear that. ''That was all I wanted to say to you. We should return to Kakashi and the rest or they might start wondering what is taking so long''

Now that they had cleared thing up, both the now mellow boy and the woman made their way back to their group.

When they arrived they saw Sakura finishing bandaging Kurotsuchi's neck once more.

''You guys done?'' Asked Kakashi once he saw the duo come back.

''Yeah. And how is the girl?'' Said Yugao.

''I did all I could'' Answered Sakura. ''I will still have to check on the injuries in the next couple of days to avoid any scarring, but she should be good for the moment''

''I told you I just needed some rest for a moment'' Said Kurotsuchi.

''And what about Naruto's seal?'' Inquired Sai.

''About that, in the end, I determined that Naruto was much better than I expected, so I saw no need to use the seal after all'' Responded Yugao.

''Don't underestimate Naruto and me, we aren't so easy to put down. Right, Naruto?'' Kurotsuchi asked her blond friend.

''Y-Yea, that's right'' Said Naruto in a low voice and it made the girl frown when she also noticed the somber look in his eyes as he avoided making eye contact with her.

''Seeing as everyone is ready, we shall resume our mission'' Said Kakashi catching everyone's attention.

''Have you decided on how are we going to sneak our way in?'' Asked Yugao.

''We'll use your original plan and go underground. I'm guessing that there is a tunnel network just below the surface and Orochimaru has used them to make his base'' Said Kakashi. ''I'll make a passageway for us'' Originally Kakashi would have asked Kurotsuchi to help with that, but with the state that her hands were in he didn't want to make her strain herself too much. Besides, he still knew his fair share of Doton Jutsu himself.

Kakashi walked closer to the rock formation with Team Seven in tow, and when he considered the distance acceptable he made some hand seals. ''Doton: Moguragakure no Jutsu!(Hiding Like A Mole Technique)'' After Kakashi slammed the ground before him, a circular portion of the earth turned to sand and sunk into a hole. After a small entrance was made, the copy ninja jumped down the crevice.

The rest of the team waited patiently for Kakashi's signal, and when they heard the man call to them from down below, one by one they started jumping into the hole too.

''So here we are. Which way do we go?'' Asked Kurotsuchi. They were surrounded by rock walls and the place was pretty dark, the only light they had came from the hole they opened to get there.

''Over there'' Said Yugao pointing at a random wall. ''I can feel chakra signatures from that side''

''But there is wall'' Said Naruto.

''Orochimaru must have grabbed a small portion of these tunnels to make his hideout and he walled off the rest'' Deduced Kakashi as he approached said wall and made hand seals yet again, repeating the previous Jutsu. He put his hands on the wall and after channeling the Chakra the stone turned into sand and he started digging his way through it.

In no time, the neat little tunnel that Kakashi had made, opened the way into a lit corridor. The walls surrounding them had snake-like patterns on them and there were rows of small pedestals with lit candles on them.

''This place looks familiar'' commented Naruto as he looked around.

''That's because it looks just like that base that we infiltrated in the Land of Frost'' Added Kurotsuchi, knowing that it had to mean that they had successfully entered Orochimaru's lair.

''We should split into two teams to cover more ground'' Suggested Kakashi. ''Naruto, Kurotsuchi, and Yugao, you go that way'' Said the Sharingan user, Pointing at one of the paths. ''Be careful though, you don't want to run into Orochimaru''

''So, Sai and I will be coming with you, Kakashi-Sensei?'' Inquired Sakura.

''That's correct. That way both teams will have someone able to scout the rooms before going in. Yugao is a sensor, and Sai can use his Jutsu to check each room individually'' Explained Kakashi. ''Any objections?'' when there were none, the man nodded in approval and turned himself to face another random hallway. ''Good luck to all of us then''

And with that, the two groups went their respective ways.

Naruto and Kurotsuchi followed Yugao silently as the woman peeked around corners to make sure that there were no traps waiting for them, and once she was sure that the path was clear she made a signal with her hand to let the two teenagers know that it was safe to continue. Even if Yugao was a sensor that only worked for people, so she still had to be wary of hidden traps.

''We are close to someone, whoever it is must be a few doors ahead'' Said Yugao as they passed several rows of doors on either side of the hallway.

''Can you tell who it is?'' Asked Kurotsuchi.

''It is not Orochimaru or Kabuto, that much I can tell you. This chakra doesn't feel like either of them. Is not as dark and twisted as Orochimaru's but is almost just as big, so it can't be Kabuto's either'' Said Yugao.

''So it could be Sasuke's?'' Asked a hopeful Naruto.

''Could be, but I'm not sure. I have met the Uchiha before, but that was a long time ago. A person's Chakra signature can change drastically with the right amount of time'' Explained the ANBU. The last time she had met Sasuke was when he had been a child, she was the one who found him the night of his clan's assassination actually. Anyway, whoever this person was had a very cold Chakra.

The three of them continued their course until Yugao stopped in front of a certain door.

''It's here'' Said Yugao in a whisper. ''Just behind this door is our mysterious person. It could be Sasuke''

Kurotsuchi turned to look at the door in anticipation as she adopted a serious demeanor. While Naruto looked on with determination.

''I finally found you, Sasuke. And this time, I'm definitely bringing you back'' Though the boy in resolution before he took a step forward and gently pushed the door open.

''Are you here, Sasuke?!'' Shouted Naruto at the darkness in the room.

Kurotsuchi and Yugao also looked inside and they could barely see anything, but one could definitely make out the shape of a bed at the end of the room and there was a figure laying on it.

''Is that Naruto I hear?''

They flinched when they saw the shadowy figure starting to sit up on the mattress before he turned to look at them and they found themselves staring into a red-blood Sharingan.

''It is you, Sasuke!'' Said Naruto in excitement. After all these years, to finally see his lost friend made him feel happiness at having his dream of reuniting Team Seven again. ''We came to bring you back to Konoha''

''Did you now?'' Said Sasuke, still not moving from his place in the bed. ''I thought I made it clear that I was done with Konoha''

''How can you say that?!'' Asked Naruto. ''Me, Sakura-Chan, Kakashi-Sensei, we all have been looking all this time for you! You are an important part of Team Seven, you are our comrade, our friend!''

''That is in the past. You are nothing more than vague memories to me. There is nothing here for you'' Said Sasuke.

Kurotsuchi grinded her teeth in anger. she could not stand listening to this shithead anymore. Here they were breaking their ass trying to save the Uchiha and the fucker told them to piss off?! ''Now listen to us you inconsiderate asshole! We have come a long way to get you because Naruto considers you his best friend! This is all for your benefit so Orochimaru doesn't use you as his skin suit! So be a good little Uchiha and come-'' Kurotsuchi's words died in her mouth when she felt the edge of a blade barely gracing her throat.

''He is fast!'' Thought Yugao in shock. She didn't even notice when Sasuke got in the middle of the three of them.

''I didn't see him move!'' Kurotsuchi added mentally, being careful to not make any sudden movements, not while she had the Uchiha's blade on her neck.

''I don't know who you are, and to be frank I don't care. But talk to me like that again and the next time I won't stay my hand'' Sasuke warned the tomboy, still keeping his blade in place as he calmly stood just between Naruto's group. Then, the Uchiha put his other free hand on Naruto's shoulder but he didn't bother to look at him. ''Instead of running around with Iwa Shinobi while looking for me, you should have spent that time training to become Hokage, Naruto''

''If I can't save my friend I don't deserve to become Hokage'' Replied Naruto, surprisingly keeping himself calm in the situation.

''We are friends no more. Did our last battle not make that clear to you?'' Said Sasuke.

''If you really wanted to break our bond, why didn't you kill me back then?!'' Asked Naruto, raising his voice again.

''I almost did. The only reason I let you live was because you were out of my way already'' Explained Sasuke.

Kurotsuchi glared coldly at Sasuke with murderous eyes. The Uchiha even had the gall to claim that he tried to kill Naruto back then as if it was nothing, as if the blond didn't matter.

After that, Sasuke continued. ''Naruto, since you don't appear to understand me no matter what I do, maybe I ought to finish what I started back then'' Concluded Sasuke and in an instant he took his hand off Naruto's shoulder before he coated it in lightning and tried to bring it down again but this time aiming at the blond's back.

Kurotsuchi was the first to react, and she quickly ducked under the blade still on her neck before she twisted her body with a kick aimed at the raven-haired man.

However, Sasuke was much faster, and first he interrupted his previous attack at Naruto before he lowered his body and caught Kurotcushi's kick with his free hand and used the momentum of the blow to give a sharp twist, lifting the girl off the floor as he swung her at Naruto's chest, sending the two of them flying towards the wall on the corridor.

At the same time, Yugao took out her own sword and gave a swing aimed to incapacitate Sasuke.

The Uchiha didn't waste time, and with sword still in hand, he intercepted Yugao's blade with his own lightning-coated one.

Yugao widened her eyes in shock when she saw her blade being sliced like butter when it clashed against Sasuke's.

As the woman staggered in her surprise, the boy took the chance to give a mighty side kick at the stomach of the ANBU.

Yugao felt her breath leave her lungs as she was hurled back and was slammed against Kurotsuchi and Naruto in the far wall. The power of the blow was such that when Yugao collided with them, they all went trough the concrete and ended up in another room.

Kurotschi stood before the other two could, as Yugao was still coughing due to the lack of oxygen and Naruto was squirming on the floor since he was the one to take most of the brunt force.

Kurotsuchi glanced around and she noticed that the room they were in was vastly bigger than the rest they had seen until now. The room was gigantic, it was easily the size of a stadium. She saw numerous pillars serving as support all around, and in the distance, resting against another wall, was a giant snake made of stone. It was obvious that this room was some kind of training grounds in the facility.

''You are weak''

Kurotsuchi looked at the hole that they had made in the wall and saw Sasuke following after them in a reserved stride.

''If this is the caliber of ninja that the hidden villages have to offer I'm glad that I left when I did'' Said Sasuke, finally stopping at the distance to regard them once more.

Finally, Kurotsuchi had a good look of the Uchiha. Before she had just been able to see the silhouette of his dark unruly hair. But now she could make out his features much better. Aside from the black hair and black eyes he also had fair skin and was fairly tall. He was wearing a long-sleeved shirt that was open at the chest, had dark pants with a piece of purple cloth covering him from the waist to the knees that he kept in place with a thick purple rope-like belt jus like the one Orochimaru used.

''You cock-sucking piece of shit! don't you see that we are not your enemies here? You bastard!'' Yelled Kurotsuchi before she was forced to dodge a stream of concentrated lightning that Sasuke wielded on his hand like a spear.

''I warned you about your tone'' Said Sasuke coldly before he ducked to avoid a punch from Yugao who had managed to sneak up on him. But Sasuke didn't falter and turned around throwing kicks and punches of his own.

Yugao did her best to dodge as she gracefully moved from side to side with the occasional ducking, but Taijutsu wasn't her forte and without her sword it didn't take long for her to receive a kick in the chin that sent her soaring.

When Sasuke felt his kick connect, he vanished from sight before he reappeared in the air just behind the airborne ANBU. He spun around in the air, landing three consecutive kicks to Yugao's stomach which sent her pummeling towards Kurotsuchi and Naruto once more but this time, he didn't leave it at that and promptly made some hand seals. ''Katon: Hosenka no Jutsu!(Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique)'' With that, the Uchiha spat a volley of fireballs all directed towards the falling ANBU and her two companions on the floor.

Kurotsuchi acted fast, and she gave a small jump to catch Yugao in the air before she put her down on the floor next to Naruto. With her comrades in position, the tomboy slammed her hands on the ground, erecting a dome of stone that caged them inside to protect them from the fireballs,and she did so successfully when the fire attack failed to even make a dent.

Kurotsuchi sighed in relief at having avoided being scorched alive and tried to think of a strategy now that they had some respite with the dome acting like a barrier. But that was not to be when the tomboy heard what sounded like a thousand birds chirping at the same time.

It was then that Naruto finally got up, knowing the sound of that particular Jutsu, he pushed Kurotsuchi to the floor, but when he did so a blade covered in lightning pierced the rock dome and went directly into the blond's shoulder, making him yell in agony as the current of electricity entered his body.

Kurotsuchi looked up in dread at the tip of the metal blade staring right at her through Naruto's shoulder as the blond continued his pained screams and the droplets of blood leaking from the wound stained her face.

That only lasted a few seconds before the blade retracted from the dome, leaving a gaping wound on Naruto as he fell over the tomboy in exhaustion.

''Hang in there, Naruto! Don't you dare die on me or I'll never forgive you, I swear!'' Shouted the upset girl as she shook the boy on top of her to get any kind of response but to no avail, as he had apparently passed out due to the shock from the lightning Chakra.

She hoped that the bastard of the Uchiha had finally left them alone but it didn't take long until she heard Sasuke's voice muttering something else from outside their stone shelter.

''Katon: Goryuka no Jutsu!(Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Technique)'' an instant later, something big and powerful struck the earth dome and shattered in a million pieces as the occupants were sent flying again while they felt the uncomfortable heat from whatever technique Sasuke had used, but thankfully they were mostly unharmed as the shelter had protected them one last time since it took almost all the blow from the Jutsu.

Yugao pushed herself up from her position on the ground before she turned to the Uchiha in the distance who was currently looking at them uncaringly. The ANBU took a moment to glance at her teammates just to see them still struggling to stand up again. ''This is bad, the Uchiha is much better than we had anticipated'' Not to mention that Naruto and Kurotsuchi had already been tired and sore even before they arrived they arrived. Fighting against someone so skilled when they were already weakened put them in a bad position.

''It's time to put an end to this pitiful fight, Chidori!(One Thousand birds)'' Said Sasuke as he started rushing at them with amazing speed, aiming at the downed Naruto and Kurotsuchi.

Yugao saw Sasuke coming for the two teenagers and she swiftly got up and put herself in front of the duo. As an ANBU, she would protect her team even if she had to be their shield. The woman narrowed her eyes in anticipation for the blow when she saw Sasuke almost upon them, but in a moment she noticed a blur from the corner of her eye and found herself staring at the form of Kakashi, with his Sharingan uncovered, holding Sasuke by his Chidori arm and keeping him from advancing any further.

Sasuke didn't show any emotion, not even surprise, as he eyed his former teacher in a relaxed manner. ''Kakashi. So you were here too after all'' Was the only comment of the Uchiha as he kept locking eyes with the copy ninja.

''Nice to see you again, Sasuke'' Replied Kakashi, still keeping a firm grip on the raven-haired boy's arm.

''Sasuke-Kun!'' Sakura yelled after her former teammate as she entered the large room with Sai right behind her. ''Sasuke-Kun, please stop this! We just want you to be with us like a family again'' Pleaded the medic once more.

''Family, you say? My family is dead and I will kill the one responsible by myself'' Said Sasuke as he regarded Sakura with a cold gaze. ''You are as annoying as ever, Sakura. You haven't changed at all, you are still the same weak little girl I left crying in the park that night''

''Sasuke-Kun...'' Said Sakura with tears in her eyes, not understanding how Sasuke could say such cruel things.

''Sasuke, when I taught you the Chidori I told you that it was meant to be a weapon to defend your comrades and was never to be used against them'' Said Kakashi with a glare and a dangerous tone of voice. ''You disappoint me''

''I don't have comrades anymore, that's what you all don't seem to get!'' Shouted Sasuke, getting progressively more irritated as he grabbed his sword with his other hand and tried to slash the copy ninja, but Kakashi managed to catch the other hand too by the wrist. ''This is a good thing. I've been wondering for a while if your Sharingan can keep up with mine, Kakashi. So let's find out.

Sakura closed her eyes before she opened them again in resolution. She had made a vow before that she was going to help get back Sasuke with her own strength and she was going to do it even if she had to fight the boy she loved. With her mind made up, Sakura ran towards Sasuke, fist ready to pummel him until he could not move anymore.

When Sai saw Sakura charge in, he unsheathed his Tanto and also rushed for the Uchiha.

Sasuke saw the two other coming, and he promptly absorbed the still active Chidori in his hand and channeled it through his entire body. ''Chidori Nagashi!(Chidori Current)'' Lighting started coming out from every side of the Uchiha, catching the approaching Sakura and Sai and sending them flying back.

Kakashi also had to let go of Sasuke and grunted in pain at the contact with the attack before he was replaced by a log in a puff of smoke.

Sasuke dropped his Jutsu and got himself into a guard stance looking around for Kakashi.

Suddenly, the earth bellow exploded and Kakashi came out of it, fist extended, which caught Sasuke in the chin, drawing blood and making him grunt in pain. Kakashi didn't stop there and took the chance to kick the Uchiha in the stomach with his knee, making the Uchiha double over in pain before giving him another kick that sent him rolling along the ground.

''We are going to take you back one way or another, Sasuke'' Said Kakashi, positioning himself in a fighting stance. ''You can come with us the easy way or the hard way. Your choice''

''Don't get carried away just because you got one solid hit on me'' Said Sasuke as he began to stand up, his hair shadowing his face. ''I'll show my power, the power of my hatred! Let's see you underestimate me then!'' finished the Uchiha as he lifted his head and they could see that a portion of his face had turned gray while one of his eye's sclera got black.

the reactions of Team Seven at Sasuke's aspect were varied. Kakashi narrowed his eyes, disgusted at how low his student was willing to fall for power; Sakura covered her mouth with one hand, horrified at was she was seeing; while Yugao, Kurotsuchi, and Sai looked in shock at the bizarre form.

''I think that's far enough for now, Sasuke-Kun''

Everyone turned around to look at the source of the voice to find Orochimaru standing at the entrance of the room alongside Kabuto.

''Orochimaru, don't get in my way'' Said Sasuke in anger, but nonetheless, he still allowed himself to return to normal.

''Don't forget proper etiquette, Sasuke-Kun. This is not the way to treat guests'' Responded Orochimaru with a sly smirk.

''Guests? hardly. These are pests'' Insisted the irate Uchiha.

''And I would normally agree with you, but I'm afraid I have to insist that you stand down'' Said Orochimaru as he and Kabuto slowly joined Sasuke at his side of the room.

''They already managed to eliminate Sasori for us'' Added Kabuto. ''Killing them would be a waste, especially if they could continue to get rid of a few more members of Akatsuki''

''Think about it, Sasuke-Kun'' Elaborated Orochimaru. ''If you want to get to Itachi you'll need his partners in Akatsuki to be out of your way. By letting Naruto-Kun and his friends deal with a few more members also serves to help your goals''

''Hmmp, fine'' Said Sasuke, putting hos swords away. It wasn't like his former comrades were worth his time anyway.

''No, wait!''

Naruto caught everyone's attention, who now had just barely managed to stand, if albeit barely.

''You are not getting away again, Sasuke!'' Exclaimed the blond, but despite his bravado he stumbled just by trying to walk. Seeing this, Kurotsuchi approached him and managed to wrap one of his arms around her shoulders in support before she turned to glare defiantly at the renegade Uchiha, silently blaming him for the state that the blond was in.

''Just give it up, Naruto'' Kabuto mocked the Jinchuuriki. ''Sasuke is with us now. You should count your blessings that we are letting you go''

''But I'm not letting you go!'' Repeated Naruto.

''That's right! If you think we are just going to let you walk away again you got another thing coming!'' Added Sakura.

''How amusing it is that you actually think that you can stop us. Still, as much as I would love to stay to keep talking nonsense with you all, I'm afraid that is time for Sasuke-Kun and I to go'' Said the snake Sannin before everyone in the room heard a series of thundering noises somewhere in the base as the ground began to shake violently.

Team Seven looked around perplexed, and Kakashi widened his eyes in alarm. ''He is going blow up the place!'' Informed the copy ninja.

''Indeed. This base has been compromised, there is no use to keep it around any longer'' Said Orochimaru with a wicked smirk as the sounds grew louder. ''But please do make it out alive, I need you to keep killing Akatsuki for me''

''So long'' Added Kabuto before he, Orochimaru, and Sasuke vanished into thin air just as a large chunk of rock fell from the ceiling to where they had been standing.

''Everyone, get out of here, now!'' Yelled Yugao at the rest of her team.

''Yugao-San, help me with Kurotsuchi, I'll carry Naruto!'' Said Kakashi, noticing that the two teenagers were the ones in the worst shape out of all of them. Kakashi picked up the blond and Yugao didn't waste time to do the same with the tomboy.

And with that, all of Team Seven rushed out of the enormous room as pieces of concrete continued to fall all around them. They backtracked as fast at they could, dodging debris left and right until they saw the same hole in the wall from where they entered the base in the first place...

Once they all came out of the hole they used to infiltrate the underground facility and were all out in the open, the group collapsed to the ground in exhaustion taking solace that they could breath fresh air again, but they still could not help themselves from watching the rocky formation in the distance that used to cover the entrance to Orochimaru's base. They saw the structure sank underground, crumbling over the tunnels below along with their efforts to save Sasuke.

By the time the explosions had stopped, the great rocks hiding the base from the world were no more than a big pile of rubble.

''We made it out'' commented Yugao with a sigh of relief. ''Still, with Kabuto and the Uchiha free from our grasp, we could consider the mission a failure''

''There was not much we could have done'' Added Kakashi. ''I'm just glad that my team is safe''

Then, a loud smash was heard and they saw Naruto punching the ground in impotence. ''Again. I failed again. Sasuke's strength is so above mine that I couldn't do anything'' Said the blond as he doubled over the ground as he stained the soil with his tears. ''Why did I train so hard for?! Sasuke is right, I'm just a loser, a weakling!''

Sakura joined her teammate in his dispair as she too started to cry in silence when their failure had fully dawned on her, and even Kakashi was staring in melancholy at the distance with a lost look in his eye. Even the usually stoic Sai seemed to be gloomy.

Kurotsuchi eyed Naruto with concern in her eyes, feeling powerless when she could not think of anything to say or do to make the blond feel better. However, after a moment she clenched her fists, angry that Naruto had to spill tears for someone that didn't deserve them.

Finally, Kakashi approached Naruto and put a comforting hand on the boy's shoulder. ''Don't give up just yet. We'll get Sasuke next time'' Said the copy ninja with an eye smile. ''We'll save Sasuke, even if it is from himself''

Sakura rubbed off the tears in her eyes before she followed her teacher's example and put on a strong face. ''As Kakashi-Sensei says, there will be another chance to get Sasuke-Kun. As long as we work together I'm sure that we'll make him return to us''

Naruto lifted his head to look at his team, gratitude present in his blue gaze. ''Guys...''

''Count me in'' Said Sai as he came over to them, garnering him surprised stares from everyone. ''I want to help you, and I think you have a better chance with more people'' Finished the ROOT member with a genuine smile.

''Thank you, Sai'' Said Sakura, giving a grateful smile of her own to the pale boy.

Naruto didn't expect Sai to volunteer in helping them bring back Sasuke, but he could not complain and he too shot the odd Shinobi a grin. Maybe Sai wasn't so bad after all. He didn't understand what brought this change in the stoic boy's personality, but he didn't mind.

''Well, I'm technically not part of Team Seven'' Said Yugao, taking everyone's attention. ''But If I'm around by the time you face the Uchiha again I'll give you a hand''

This all served to lift Naruto's spirits again. Maybe they hadn't been successful this time, but having everyone's support gave him hope for a more positive result in the future.

''If we are all done here we should make our way back'' Said Kurotsuchi sternly, interrupting the rest of the group. ''Orochimaru is gone, along with four-eyes and the Uchiha. We have nothing more to do here, so let's go''

''Why are you angry?'' Asked Naruto with concern, noting the scowl and the harshness in the girl's face.

''I just want to get out of here'' Said Kurotsuchi, sounding just as upset as before. In her opinion, she had all the right to be furious. They had almost died trying to retrieve a piece of shit that didn't even want their help in the first place, they were forced to retreat with their tails between their legs all while wounded, bruised, and battered, and they still were vowing to try to save the Uchiha again?! They could try if they wanted, but Kurotsuchi wasn't going to participate, and if she ever had any say in it, she wouldn't let Naruto go after that asshole either.

Naruto and company silently watched the Iwa Kunoichi, trying to figure out what was wrong with her, that was until Kakashi spoke again.

''Kurotsuchi has a point'' Said the copy ninja. ''We are done here. We should return at once''

No one could disagree with their leader, and they proceeded to follow the Sharingan user as he led them in the direction to Grass Country from where they had come from. Some having more difficulty than others in keeping up due to their injuries, namely Naruto and Kurotsuchi. But despite that, both teenagers managed to follow everyone's pace, even if they ended up in the back of the unit.

As they moved, Naruto glanced at the girl running beside him, pondering on what had her so thoughtful and mad, she didn't even look at him or try to start a conversation. He wondered if this was because of what he did to her when he lost control of the Kyuubi, which he could not blame her if she did. Heck, even Naruto was never going to forgive himself for that, and he still needed to apologize to the girl, not because it would help him feel better- it wouldn't- but because it was the very least he could do, he would think about of other things to do later to keep making amends, but right now apologizing was a start. One thing was for sure though, he was going to have to talk with her and find out what was wrong.

Author's notes:

Told you this chapter's length was going to make up for the last one's shortness, and holy shit is it long! Is the longest I have ever written in fact! (Over 14k words!)

I'm overwhelmed, I feel like a lot of things happened in this chapter, and that's because they kind of did.

To be honest, I can't think of much to say right now, the chapter left me kind of tired :P

Anyway, I really hope you guys enjoyed it, and please leave a review or a PM if you have the time!(And you want to, of course)

So until next time!