Shadow's Resurrection
Chapter Twenty-One
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto!
"Kakashi?" Sasuke groaned.
Ignoring him completely, Kakashi called into the underbrush, "Pakkun!"
The small brown ninken responded immediately, appearing behind his master obdiently.
"Escort Sasuke to Lady Hokage." Kakashi ordered, forming seals.
Sasuke began to protest, "I won't..."
"Haven't you done enough damage? You'll only be in the way here. If you honestly care, you'll go to Lady Tsunade-samma." The Copy Nin snapped.
"What about Sakura?" The Uchiha demanded.
"You're too weak to carry her...She'll have to stay." Kakashi sighed.
"Go! Now!" He added before charging Orochimaru's new host.
"Hurry up!" Pakkun said, leaping onto another branch.
Growling, Sasuke pulled himself along the trunk of a tree. Faltering, he cursed. his limbs simply weren't cooperating.
"Sasuke, we're running out of time." The ninken stated coldy.
"I know..." He muttered.
Thinking of all the times Sakura had saved him, brought him back to his senses...He couldn't let her down. Three years...three years and she had still refused to give up on him, traitor that he was. So he wasn't about to give up on her.
"Eat this!" Naruto shouted, slamming into an Oto kunoichi.
"Good job." Tsunade smirked, backing up to him.
"Naruto!"
The voice threw them both, until Tsunade charged the fiuge with the full intent of killing him.
"Stop! it's Sasuke!"
"Sasuke?" Naruto stepped forward disbelievingly. "You bastard!" He cried, punching the Uchiha squarely in his jaw.
"Alright, Idiot! I get it, you're upset!" Sasuke yelled, picking himself up.
"That would be the understatement of the century!" The blonde called back.
"Pakkun? Where's Kakashi?" Tsunade demanded, eyeing Sasuke bitterly.
"Fighting Orochimaru..."
"Sakura was injured!" Sasuke interrupted rudely.
Tsunade didn't get much further in the conversation before a sphere of light emanting from the mountain caught their attention. For a second, it was only a glint...then it spiraled into a beam that pillared into the air. Bracing themselves against the impending shockwave, Tsunade watched as the surrounding area was dragged into the vortex and disintegrated.
"Pakkun, go into the village and find Shizune!" Tsunade ordered, running back into the fray of battles.
Alone, naruto stepped forward and offered his to his friend. "I'm glad you're back."
"Thanks, Naruto..." The Uchiha replied as the blonde pulled him to his feet.
"Friends?" Naruto asked, offering his fist.
"Friends." Sasuke replied, tapping his fist to the blonde's.
TBC