Author's Note: Sorry I took a while, but here's the last chapter of part 2! I made it long so ENJOY!
Travel was a quiet and dreary affair. Nobody would get to close to Naruto, fearing that they'd touch his skin. Sasuke was the only one that could tolerate mere brushes of skin. But the closer together that they were broke them more. If one were to look into their eyes you'd see that their eyes were dull and empty.
Their next destination was a village at the foot of the Black mountains. Hinata just couldn't look at both Naruto and Sasuke anymore without crying. Naruto was like her brother and Sasuke was slowly gaining that tittle as well. It hurt her so much. So much so, that she had Neji fly her ahead. Her heart just couldn't take it.
Sai was currently carrying Reign, whom was stunned into silence by the turn of events. Her fiery red hair billowing in the wind behind them and her forest green eyes never left the two broken lovers' forms. Not even she knew of a way to help them. All she could do was give them her sympathies.
Sakura was almost as bad as both Naruto and Sasuke, it was to much for her to bare. They were her loved ones. It was her duty to protect them, to keep them safe and happy, but she failed, and there was nothing she could do about it. The only thing that kept her from breaking down again was the currently transformed Gaara and the fur that she clutched to herself desperately.
In Gaara's transformed state, he bound through the trees, not in the least hungry or playful. He was lucky. Gaara was able to retreat within himself while the beast within him was loose. Though he couldn't offer Sakura any form of retreat, what he could do was give her his strength, and his heart. With Sakura on his back, he was able to give her the support she needed.
The sun was just setting when the nin arrived at the small village. Neji awaited their arrival at the gate, he'd flown ahead minutes prior to their arrival and purchased some rooms at an inn. Hinata had already retired to the room that she was going to share with both Sakura and Reign. Gaara had stayed a little ways behind so he could change back and dress without being discovered.
Naruto just walked passed them all, and made his way towards the shopping district, locking his eyes with Sakura being his only gesture. Sakura then merely excused herself to follow him. He needed knew clothes and they needed supplies.
"Naruto..." Sakura began, placing her hand on his clothed shoulder, ignoring the stinging sensation.
"Don't touch me. You'll only get hurt." came Naruto's monotone reply.
"Oh Naruto." Sakura felt her heart break for the umpteenth time, but she had no time for tears, she needed to help Naruto, and that's what she was going to do. Dawning on her leather gloves, she laced her fingers with his reluctant ones and lead him towards the many shops that supplied men's clothes.
"What are you doing?" Naruto inquired silently.
"As long as something is between our skin, I can touch you all I want. It's best if we get you thick materials like leather, that way the poison won't seep through it." Sakura tried to put on a happy face, but Naruto knew that it was forced, but was thankful none the less for her trying.
Most of the clothes that they bought for him was leather. He'd bought several pairs of gloves to cover his hands, boots, pants, long sleeved shirts, jackets with hoods. They had bought several bandannas in order to keep Naruto's hair in check. Every shirt that he'd purchased had high turtle necks that covered the majority of his face. Sakura made a comment about him looking like Kakashi, that only brought a smile to his face for a few moments. Every portion of his body had been covered save for his eyes, ears and hair that was forced to hang limply at the nape of his neck. His tail however was posing a problem. Naruto couldn't wear a long coat all the time, so this meant that Naruto would have to keep his tail in check at all times or else he'd risk possibly killing someone.
But for the moment they were in the clear. The weather was cold enough for Naruto to wear one of his many coats though he left the hood down. Naruto looked so different that Sakura could barely recognize him. The only thing that truly stayed the same with him was his spicy scent that calmed Sakura on numerous occasions. Everything else was just...different. His eyes didn't hold their usual spark, and his face, body, and other recognizable features that were his were hidden away from view.
"Naruto...are you hungry? Their's a ramen stand just down the road." Sakura tried, placing her hand on his arm, but he just shook his head.
"I...I want...I want Sasuke." Naruto's body shook and his eyes were squeezed shut. Sakura didn't know what to do, but she took the risk. Wrapping her arms around his shoulders and pulling his head to her bosom, Sakura rubbed at his clothed back.
"Shh, I know." Sakura held him for a few moments longer before leading him to the inn. The supplies could wait a little while longer.
Upon entering the inn, Naruto removed himself from Sakura's side and went to Sasuke, pulling up the hood as he did so before seating himself on Sasuke's lap. Sasuke quickly wrapped his arms around Naruto's shaking form as if they'd be torn apart at any given moment.
"I hate this..." Naruto choked out, wishing with all his might that he'd be able to at least feel Sasuke's skin against his own. It hadn't even been a whole day and already Naruto craved for it all to end. Already they both wished for death.
"I know. I do too." Sasuke tightened his hold around Naruto, craving with every fiber of his being to kiss away all his pain.
"I...I'm going to go take a bath." Hinata's voice was shaky, she could handle anything but this. They didn't deserve this. Hinata left before her tears could fall.
The two shattered lovers stayed like that for the remainder of the night. Both as close as they could possibly get, though it wasn't enough for them. They wanted to feel each others skin, and it was eating away at their very souls. But they weren't the only ones that spent the entire night in each others arms.
Neji had long since joined Hinata in the scalding hot water clad in only his pants. He knew Hinata was crying, and he felt that it was his duty to make her pain go away. That's how they wound up the way they did. With his back against the wall and with Hinata leaning against his chest, her tail hanging over the tub's lip.
"What did they do to deserve this?" Hinata demanded silently, looking up into his eyes in search of answers that she knew he didn't have. The tank top that she wore clung to her form and her hair seemed to be pasted against her skin.
"Nothing. They've done nothing to deserve such a fate." Neji answered honestly, running his fingers through her hair and flexing his wings.
"Is their anything that can be done? I mean, Sasuke is immune to almostall poisons right? Maybe he's an exception?" Neji wanted to tell her that she was probably right, but he knew otherwise, them both did.
"This is one poison that he's not. All we can do is pray that things work out for them." Neji placed a gentle kiss on the crown of her head. "Believe me when I say that I'd do almost anything to help them, I owe Naruto so much and those two are my friends. I would if I could."
"I know. I just wish...I wish we could do something." Hinata was so worried, so eager to find a way to help, that in her eagerness, the water that the two were in began to swirl and splash with her energy. This was a habit of hers. If she were feeling a strong emotion, all the liquids around her would react to her. They would bend to her will, do whatever she commanded, and she didn't even have to try. Water was always her element. Water had always calmed her, but for the first time, it wasn't able to do the trick. Not even Neji could calm the tumult within her heart, try as he might.
"Hinata..." resting his bare forehead against her shoulder, Neji merely aloud himself to feel. Feel Hinata's body against his. Feel her breathing. Feel her beating heart. Feel the water as it bent to her will, and feel Hinata's breath become deep and even as she succumbed to slumber with Neji not to far behind.
Sakura knew that she shouldn't let them sleep in the bath tub, but she didn't have it in her to wake them. So, with the last of her magical energy on the water,she put a spell on the water to keepit warm and placing a protective spell on Neji so that he wouldn't get sick (Hinata will never get sick because of water unless there was something harmful in it).
Pulling herself onto the bed, Sakura lay awake, thinking about all that had happened. Try as she might, sleep just wouldn't come no matter how hard she tried. Throwing the coverlet off of her lithe form, Sakura took a meditative position and closed her eyes.
That morning everyone pitched in on gathering the supplies so that they could leave quickly. The girls had all desided to behave normally for Naruto's sake, each praying that the guys would catch on and that it would help both Naruto and Sasuke cope with their tragedy. They were already half way up the mountain by noon. Little did they know that they were being expected.
Out of seemingly nowhere, Kakuzu and Hidan of the Akatsuki followed by a few demons attacked.
Kakuzu had most of his face covered, wearing the traditional robes of the Akatsuki and his scratched forehead protector was in plane sight. Where his eyes were supposed to be white, were black and his irises and pupils were whiter then those of the Hyuuga clan's (I think they're white...).
Hidan however wore his robes disheveled and open with his forehead protector at his throat. His blond hair was slicked back and touching at the nape of his neck and in his hand was a strange three bladed scythe.
"Well well well, the one that got away. Guess Yugito was a meaningless kill after all my dear Buddhist monk." Kakuzu grinned darkly.
"Yes,...atheist bastard." Hidan mumbled the last part, dawning his weapon and preparing for the attack.
"Yugito?" Sai inquired.
"My past container. They're the ones that killed her and almost killed me." Sakura's fur stood on end as she flexed her fingers, eager for the upcoming fight. "Well then, come and get me boys." Sakura grinned seductively, taking a fighting pose.
"Gladly." Kakuzu snapped his fingers and the four demons attacked.
"Awww, I wanted to fight you." Sakura pouted before leaping toward the nearest one, a rat demon twice the size of Gaara transformed.
Sasuke and Naruto both double teamed what looked to be a giant...grotesque spider. Naruto had removed his gloves and hood and was digging his claws into the mangled body of the demon. The demon was dead within minutes due to the combination of both Naruto's and Sasuke's poisons. They then made their way to the giant kappa that both Hinata and Neji were fighting.
Gaara had transformed himself and was now...eating the horse demon. (That's what you get for skipping breakfast.) But at least he saved the skin for Sakura to use...nothing else was left though. He ate everything, even the soul gem. This gave him the ability to belch out flames. Which he used to fry the remains of the spider. It was to poisonous for him to even think of touching with out risking fatality however. So he left the gem for Naruto to collect, he was immune to all poisons, especially his own.
Sai and Reign were helping Sakura with the over grown rodent, but they both had a feeling that Sakura didn't really need it. Gaara took advantage of everyone's distracted states and transformed back to human form and dressed, ignoring the pain in his stomach to the best of his capabilities. The rat demon died not to long after.
"How heartless they are. Killing their own brethren." Hidan taunted.
"They were asking for death, we gave it to them. Next up is you two. Besides...I could use a good fight." It was Eiko speaking, and she looked like she was going to have some fun. Using a combination of her chakra and magic, she created and solidified a whip within her hand. "Let's see you dance." Eiko purred, making the whip lick at Hidan's cheek. "Dance form me!"
Using her her unoccupied hand, Eiko created multiple ice needles and sent them flying their way, laughing all the while as they tried to dodge them all. It was times like these when one just kicked back and relaxed while Sakura (or Eiko in this case) got the job done. And that's what Gaara and co. did.
"Twenty says they run away with their tails between their legs." Sai wagered, hoping that at least Naruto would join in and take the bait.
"Fifty if she kills them in ten minutes." Reign grinned, catching on to what Sai was thinking.
"Seventy on five minutes." Gaara decided, pulling out a watch and keeping track on the time.
"My bet's with Reign." Hinata giggled.
"Mines with Sai's, five minutes is overestimating." Neji informed them, watching as Eiko gave Kakuzu a particularly nasty gash.
"Is it?" Gaara couldn't help but smile to himself, he knew Sakura a lot better then that.
"You boys are no fun! So predictable!" Eiko's laugh echoed throughout the mountains, followed by their screams of agony. She'd used her ice needles and pinned them against the wall of stone through their skin. Blood cascaded from their open wounds, painting the stone red. "Oh well, maybe you'll be a little more fun now. Let me hear you sing!" Her whip then licked at their flesh, making them cry out in pain.
"Sakura! I've got money on five minutes, could you please?" Gaara called in the middle of her whipping.
"Oh all right...fuddy duddy..." Sakura pouted, reshaping her whip into a sword and decapitating them without so much as batting an eye.
"Hey! That's cheating!" Reign whined, she lost the bet.
"I was getting bored anyway." Eiko then skipped her way over to Gaara, pulling her hair to the side and exposing the left side of her neck. Gaara took the hint, nipping at the exposed skin and reverting Eiko back to Sakura. "Are all my alter egos this kinky?"
"The ones I've met are." Gaara chuckled. "Let's finish this and go home. I've got nine brides to get rid of."
"Yes sir, Kazekage sir!" Sakura mock saluted, faintly hearing Naruto chuckle under his breath.
"Naruto, could you go get the soul gem that was in the spider demon?" Gaara requested, putting the demon skins in a pile for later collection.
"Yeah sure." Naruto didn't even want to ask why, talking about his poison was made strictly taboo.
They continued on their way not to long after that. They were looking for a cave that looked like a mouth...piece of cake. Every other cave they passed looked like a mouth, and not one of them was what they were looking for. The higher they went, the colder it got, and the crankier Gaara became.
Currently he'd wrapped himself in the coat that Sakura had made for him and he was still freezing, but he didn't say a word. Sakura and Hinata were having a blast and his didn't want to ruin it for them with his complaining because they really needed the distraction due to all that's happened. They were bounding through the snow like a pair of nymphs at play, throwing snow at each other and laughing. One would almost think that they didn't have a care in the world. They evenhad Naruto laughing at their antics, and thisaloud everyone a breath of relief.
"You okay Gaara?" Sakura inquired, noting his change in demeanor.
"I'm fine." He lied, but his shivering kind of gave him away.
"You're freezing." Hinata deduced, both girls making their way to his sides.
"I'm fine." Gaara insisted, embarrassed because he was the only one that was cold. No one else (minus Naruto) was wearing a jacket.
"Fine my ass." Sakura frowned, pulling out a white fur cape and handing it to him. "I've got enough for everyone here, is anyone else cold?" Sakura inquired (don't ask how she got everything to fit in that small backpack of hers).
"I'll take one." Hinata volunteered, an idea popping into her head.
"What are you thinking?" Sakura asked, pulling out one for herself as well.
"Well, the fur is so white, I was thinking that maybe they'd help us blend in with the snow." Hinata explained.
"And your father called you stupid why? Because you are a genius." Sakura complimented. Tossing everyone but Reign a cape. Reign would be hidden in Gaara's coat. "Let's get this fight over with. If I recall correctly, you have this party thing to worry about." Both Hinata and Neji groaned.
"Please don't remind me. I've just gotten into my father's good graces, now I have to worry about the whole family." Hinata groaned again.
"Let's just get this over with." Neji adjusted his cape so that his wings wouldn't get tangled. God these things are a pain. Neji thought, trying to ignore Hinata's giggle.
"You'll find a way to retract them in no time." Sakura reassured, giving them a pat.
"The most I could do is make them smaller." Neji sighed, they were already moving up the mountain. "Not much else though, can't make them disappear." he made one of his wings smaller to prove his point, the smallest that it could go was about half an arms length. The girls in the group started to giggle again.
"That's so cute." Sakura cooed.
"Yeah...cute." Neji sighed again, making his wing grow back to its normal size.
"I think I see the cave." Sai pointed to a large opening in the mountain close to a ledge. Using the cloaks, they tiptoed their way over to the mouth, almost walking right passed the sentry. As much as Sakura craved to slit their throats for reasons unknown to her, she shoved it to the back of her mind to analyze later. Finding the fairy queen wasn't even that tough. Both Sakura and Reign could see her energy signature as if it were bold black print on clean white paper. But the traps however...they weren't easy to find.
Currently, Naruto was about a hair's breath from falling to his doom or poisoning someone judging from the way his gloves were slipping off. Guards were attacking on all sides, rendering Gaara occupied.
So much for my pants. Sasuke thought bitterly as he changed his lower half into his snake tail, ripping his pants to shreds. Ignoring the stinging that Naruto's tail brought him as he wrapped his tail around Naruto, Sasuke began pulling him up while Sakura and Sai defended him.
There seemed to be no end to guards that attacked them and it was really grating on their nerves. When one was killed, five would take his place. They were being really persistent, hell, they were all starting to look the same.
"This is becoming ridiculous!" Neji bellowed, sinking his talons into the flesh of one of their attackers that was stupid enough to harm Hinata in front of him, he'd long since run out of kunai and shuriken and now having to rely on his own strengths.
"Where are they all coming from?" Sasuke demanded, crushing three with his powerful tail.
"You think I know? Times like these call for running. Let's bail!" Sakura informed, setting of explosives and collapsing the walls so they could get away. "You okay Naruto?" Sakura called behind her, she saw him get cut a few times.
"Just scratched." Naruto answered, covering a particularly deep wound, the blood melting the leather and the stone it landed on.
"Judging from that sizzling you've got a pretty bad cut." Sakura slowed so Naruto could catch up.
"It's nothing." Naruto insisted, dipping his claws in the red substance before he healed, painting his claws crimson with the acid like liquid for later use. He still retained that gift from the Kyuubi.
"Okay..." Sakura knew he wasn't okay, they all knew it, but they all also knew that it wasn't any physical pain either.
"We should be getting closer, let's try to be more careful." Neji and Hinata both activated their Byakugans at Sai's statement, paying much closer attention to their surroundings.
"Shh! I think I hear something." Reign whispered, making the group slow to a halt. From what they could tell, it was a woman talking to Itachi and another man.
"Tell me where Alexiel is!" Itachi commanded, irritation laced with his voice.
"No, I've had enough of your rudeness, I refuse to let you hold me captive a moment longer." The woman answered, not raising her voice, but getting her point across just the same.
"'Let' us? Sense when did you 'let' us capture you? You act as if it was by your own choice to be captured." Itachi bellowed, at his rope's end.
"Well of course, did you actually think I would be captured by the likes of you mortals?" the woman laughed, a melodic sound filled with dark mirth. "The only reason I let myself be captures is so that I may return Alexiel's son in person. I've been eager to meet her new incarnation." Again her voice was filled with mirth. "How far the mighty have fallen. To think, you were such a perfect ninja, with a perfect brother and eventually friends, but you threw it all away for some semblance of power. But here's something you don't know about your power, about your immortality given to you by some of the darkest means: It is only fleeting. You'll suffer a fate far worse than death before you are turned into the very slave you were meant to be. Such a pity, you could have been one of Alexiel's favorites." the woman taunted. "Come Sephiroth, your mother's here and we have much to talk about." The nins heard the woman as she approached with another close at her heals.
"Where the hell do you think your going!" Itachi cried, launching himself in front of the woman.
"Step aside." A man's deep voice echoed off the walls followed by the sound of a very large sword being drawn.
"Look at you, going all noble, your just as evil and cutthroat as me." Itachi smirked.
"The nerve, comparing me to the likes of you. You, whom rely on others to give you power. If it were my right, I would slay you like the devil you are, but mother would be mad at me, wouldn't you mother." Sakura had a feeling that he was talking to her, so, removing herself from the shadows, she nodded.
"His life belongs to Sasuke." Sakura explained, flexing her fingers "But I do hope he'll forgive me it I get the first punch." Without even waiting for Sasuke's answer, Sakura launched herself in Itachi's direction. Summoning all her strength into one punch, her fist made contact with Itachi's face.
His neck snapped under the force of her blow. His head and neck twisted to a degree that wasn't natural to all but the owl (I could be wrong about the owl thing). His body fell limply not to long after.
"We'd best hurry before he gets up." The Fairy Queen, a woman far more beautiful then her voice.
"Milady...?" Reign inquired silently, not understanding her statement.
"He traded his soul for immortality, the fool." The queen explained, her tone never changing and not in the least surprised as Itachi's body began to rise from the floor and his bones pop back into place.
"Sasuke! You and Naruto are to be the Queen's main guards. Gaara and I will take the rear while Neji and Hinata take the front. Sai, Reign, help Naruto and Sasuke for when they're preoccupied with guarding the Queen. Sephiroth..."
"Yes mother." His glowing green eyes locked with Sakura's as he awaited her instructions.
"Here." pulling out a hair tie, she went behind him and braided his hair loosely so it wouldn't get in the way and tied it with a hair tie that she always kept with her for instances such as these. "Could you scout ahead and clear the way of any obstacles?" Sakura didn't know why she did it, it was as if she were compelled to do it by some unforseeable force within her. She felt as if she truely were his mother and he was her son in need of her. As powerful as he was, she felt that this Sephiroth needed her.
Sephiroth's eyes seemed to gleam with a joy that only she could see as he nodded.
"Great, make sure you report back every ten minutes so that we know you're okay. Now let's get out of here."
"As you wish mother." Sephiroth was gone within moments, he just seemed to vanish with the only indication that he was still there being the cries of the sentry. "Let's go!"
They didn't need to be told twice. They were all long gone by the time Itachi was able to pull himself together and chase them down. And chase them down he did.
They were at the mouth of the cave by the time Itachi caught up. "Leaving so soon?"
"Actually we were." Sasuke barked, wanted desperately to tear him limb from limb, but Sakura's order kept him in place.
"Such a pity. I was hoping you would stay." Itachi taunted.
"No, the real pity is that you don't know how to throw a party." Two could play at that game.
"Pink speaks, how cute." he cooed.
"Cute...I'm cute...I'll give ya' cute, right here!" Sakura launched another punch at his face only to be deflected.
"Like I said, how cute."
"Sakura, let me fight him!" Sasuke demanded.
"No, not yet, I've got a bad feeling about this." Sakura's fur stood on end and her instincts told her to flee. A very bad feeling indeed. "Gaara..."
Gaara understood what she wanted to say, taking off the two coats that Sakura had given and his gourd, Gaara let out the beast within him, not caring in the least about his other clothes. Lowering himself to the ground and stretching out his wings, he made it easier for the queen, Sai and Reign to climb on. He made a lot of whining noises and nudged Sakura's shoulder, pleading that she get on also.
"Not yet. Neji and Hinata will follow behind you. Naruto, Sasuke, Sephiroth and I will keep Itachi company. See you soon." Sakura winked and gave him a gentle shove. Gaara was hesitant, but he flew away just the same. Neji then scooped Hinata up into his arms and flew after them.
"Now, where were we." Itachi snickered.
"Mother, be careful of his poison, his nails have enough of it to melt your flesh." Sephiroth informed, drawing his masamune (his long six foot sword) and getting into a fighting stance.
"Sasuke, my orders for you not to fight your brother have been removed, but if things start getting rough, let me know." Sasuke didn't waist any time on attacking, not even to say thank you. He was much to concerned with making Itachi bleed. But Itachi did something cruel.
Instead of dodging or moving at all, he let his little brother attack him. He let his brother's attacks hit him. All so that Sasuke could watch his wounds disappear. The blood spilled would return from where it came. He laughed at Sasuke, egging him on and on, demanding that he 'stop trying to hurt me and hurt me'. Soon Sakura and Sephiroth joined in the fray, severing limbs and impaling him, but the limbs would reattach themselves and the wounds would heal as if they were never there.
But Naruto stayed behind. He had been injured on their way out and was currently bleeding. He couldn't risk poisoning them so all he could do was throw kunai and shuriken whenever he saw an opening with his clothed hand.
"I grow tired of this." Itachi yawned before raking his nails across Sephiroth's cheek, rendering him incapable of fighting. Sakura was by his side in moments, healing his wound and telling him to sit out before he went numb throughout his body. This was the strength of his poison, if it didn't sear the flesh it rendered the person temporarily paralyzed. Sakura was getting really irritated.
Sasuke was the next to fall, he'd transformed fully into a snake and had managed to snap of Itachi's left arm and swallow it whole.The poison was almost to much to handle, but his insides were much more resistant to poisons then his outside. Though he was rendered numb in his jaw, he still managed to wrap his body around Itachi. But like I said, his outsides were weaker than his insides.
Itachi managed to dig his remaining nails into Sasuke's scales and skin, making Sasuke loosen his hold on his older brother. Sasuke hissed his agony as the flesh of his belly sizzled from the powerful poison. That was about all Naruto could stand, removing his gloves and scratching at Itachi. But due to his immortality, he didn't die, just felt the unbearable pain of having his flesh melted again and again. But it wasn't enough.
Sakura had managed to drag Sasuke way from the fight and place him next to Sephiroth before she began healing him. "I'm going to go help Naruto." Sakura informed as she rose to her feet, summoning her Hagoromo and transforming into her own celestial form. Her hair growing in length and her clothes deteriorating and reforming into her celestial gown. The markings on her face making themselves known on her face, as well as her fury.
Taking hold of her Hagoromo, Sakura created a sword that seemed to be created of diamonds. Pointing the blade heavenward and summoning a bolt of lightning, she brought the blade down and send the power into Itachi's body, making him cry out, but he still healed himself. It seemed that the only way to cause him true, long lasting pain, was from the inside and Naruto knew this. Naruto looked over to Sasuke, nearly unconscious from the pain, then over to Sakura. Sakura understood what he was about to do.
Walking over to Sasuke's form, she pulled him into his arms and blocked Naruto from his view. Taking the chance offered him, Naruto grabbed Itachi's head, forcing him to look at him, and kissed him. Instantly, the flesh of his lips began to deteriorate and continue to infect the rest of his body. The skin that hadn't deteriorated became gray and his veins a toxic green. But the worst part of it all was: Sasuke saw it all.
Author's Note: Sorry I took a while, I've been destracted. But this is the last of part two of the fic. Next up: fillers and Family Values, or part three of the fic. Hope you liked and I'll try to start updating as fast as I used to. Thanks for reading!