Title: Reunion of Shadows
Author: Lisea18
Rating: M
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, I'm making no money from writing this
A big thank you to Nijiirochan who became Reunion's new Beta.
Author's note: English is not my first language, so please forgive my mistakes.
Reunion of Shadows 21
Hinata was scanning the place, sweat trailing down her tensed features as she concentrated at her maximum to pinpoint their target. Translucent images fast-forwarded in her mind, information quickly being taken into account. In the meantime, Sai was surveying their surroundings, Hinata too focused on one spot to clearly see the rest. Naruto was hopping from foot to foot, Sakura glaring at him, barely resisting the urge to crack her knuckles and hit him. They were tense like never before, acutely aware of how dangerous this whole ordeal was.
They were at the ROOT's headquarters and had already taken out some lower ranked ninja. Sai had guided them deep into the base, since he was trusted, they had all been taken by surprise and easily got rid of... without any warning sounds. But it was clear Sai was worried.
"Alraune is in the last room. Four ANBU's are with him. There are at least two secret passages for them to escape. Eight teams of five ninja are guarding all the possible entries. And before that we have pairs doing random patrols in the corridors," whispered Hinata, releasing her Byakugan and breathing a bit heavily, but proud.
"It's reunion day," said Sai, looking his usual impersonal self even if they had all understood it meant he hadn't been warned about it and that security was reinforced.
"Shall we make a diversion?" wondered Sakura.
"Let's just barge in, I will make clones and..." Naruto trailed off as Sakura glared at him.
Sai simply looking at his crotch before stating matter-of-factly:
"For someone with such a small dick, you really have some balls"
Hinata stifled a giggle as Naruto had to be stopped by Sakura so he wouldn't throttle Sai.
"Books say in this situation you should let the man with more experience take the lead. Which means me," pointed out Sai, not waiting for an answer before going on "The patrols won't be a problem if I'm the first to enter. However once a team is out, we have very little time to reach the eight guards. We will certainly be spotted very fast since they have ninja with censor power. Naruto with the Kyuubi's chakra will be spotted first and that will certainly blow up my cover. Taking that into account I believe we have to separate so Alraune and the four with him don't escape."
"They will all come to rescue them... we will be surrounded," added Sakura, worrying her lips with her teeth.
"Yes. That's why you have to destroy everything around you once the eight teams out, join us against Alraune, we will use his own escape route to leave," explained Sai.
"Ok then I will go with Sai against the buggers, and girls you get rid of the eight teams. I will leave lots of clones with you as back-up," proposed Naruto.
"I will give you some chimeras too," added Sai, already drawing creatures on his scrolls but not giving them life yet.
They all nodded to each other and took a deep breath before launching their plan. Sai pretended to stay behind to end a drawing but took this opportunity to send one ink messenger and a snake. The ink one was for Sasuke to request his help as soon as he was done with his duty instead of going to the other team. The snake was to ask for reinforcement Sasuke had explained as he slipped it to him in utter secrecy. He had known that they might be too few for such a mission. Sai had no idea who he was calling, but he trusted Sasuke's judgement.
ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
As Sasuke's arm rose to gouge his eyes, Raiz was triumphant, his secret technique having worked perfectly as usual. He never used it if he could help it. While doing the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms he didn't only block his adversary's chakra channels, he put more chakra and managed to take control of those points and so of the person's limbs. Raiz couldn't help a chuckle of victory as blood splattered.
The thick red liquid was tickling down Sasuke's cheek and dripping from his chin. His left arm lay limp against his body, blood gushing from a deep wound on his shoulder. Raiz was gaping, totally taken aback by what was happening.
Sasuke had cut his shoulder's tendons just in time to prevent his eyes from being destroyed, only one cheek and his nose had been badly cut when the hand had slipped as the arm went limp. Raiz was fuming. He could still control the hand and elbow but the arm wouldn't lift. It was totally useless! He watched almost transfixed as Sasuke cut the tendon moving the elbow, preventing him to do anything but move Sasuke's fingers.
The Uchiha was truly something, not blinking or hesitating to harm his own body. He might never heal it. Raiz scowled, he had only managed to control this part of the man since Sasuke had evaded most of the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms with it... before electrocuting himself to ease the damages. At least now his enemy was seriously incapacitated, just as him.
He grunted as he had to dodge chidori blades coming from the ground. He was ready as Sasuke came at him from above, his katana piercing neatly through his tight just as Raiz dealt Sasuke a harsh blow to the stomach, making him cough blood. They parted, both knowing now they had to sacrifice themselves to touch the other... the question was who would hold on longest.
As they stared at each other, pondering their next move, a body crashed into the room, Neji following suit, injured but victorious. In the blink of an eye everything set into motion. Raiz made familiar hand seals and Neji collapsed on the ground, screaming and twisting in pure agony. Being one of the Hyuuga high levels in the main branch gave him control of the Hyuuga seal. He was sure the Uchiha would come to his friend's aid, leaving him an opening to kill them both.
ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Jumping from roof to roof the man kept glancing behind him, hoping he wasn't followed. He had been attacked and he had to flee to warn ROOT's leader. He couldn't believe the nerves of them! Attacking at dawn! Weren't they scared the village would stir and get in their way? Or maybe he was the only one being attacked? After all everything seemed awfully calm.
Carefully checking his surroundings he landed in a dark alley, dashing up only to stop dead as a lone figure waited for him at the other end. He couldn't distinguish it at all, not even eyes... and behind it was a dark buzzing cloud. Insects? He stepped back in horror and couldn't even scream as he was engulfed.
On the other end of town a similar scene was taking place, another ROOT member was running away from his pursuer. Cursing as he caught a patch of white fur and ducked into an abandoned house. As he exited it he carefully evaded the street lamp only to feel the ground collapsing under his foot, his yelp silenced by dirt burying him alive. Shikamaru, comfortably resting on a roof smiled as their plan unfolded perfectly.
They were having a nice hunting party. Chouji and Ino, Lee and Ten-Ten were attacking ROOT members, taking them down themselves if they could and otherwise letting them run away. Kiba eventually gave them chase long enough for them to go in the right direction... it being right on Shino or Shikamaru. It was easy for Kiba to track down people, and Shino and Shikamaru were waiting for them, traps laid in advance to get rid of them as silently as possible.
It was so easy. ROOT was organized in such a way that their members would either flee to warn the chief and be dealt with by the traps, or to warn the closest ROOT member available and fall on one of the beater teams since they cross-ruled the place. This way there was little to no fighting which prevented any civilian or ninja to enter the fight... all was smoothly done to bring minimal awareness.
Shikamaru stifled a yawn, his eyes watching the clouds gently pass by, slowly getting coloured by the rising sun. It was a beautiful sight. He felt the telltale pull on his chakra as one of his traps triggered. He lit a cigarette, taking a long drag.
"So bothersome," he murmured.
ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Naruto and Sai had launched into attack the moment they had stepped into the room where Alraune and his four ANBU's were obviously waiting for them. Two ANBU blocked them while the others stayed behind, in front of their leader.
Alraune was watching the two fights closely. Naruto, despite lacking experience, wasn't easily taken out and was full of resources. This could prove tricky, and they weren't alone, fighting clearly happening in the other room. But he had an asset.
"Sai, kill him," he commanded, turning tail as he fully expected his order to be fulfilled.
He stopped however when he heard the collapsing of a body... but a body in full ANBU gear as the sound told him. Sai's opponent had lowered his guard at the order, mistakenly taking him for an ally; it had been a huge mistake as he was now unconscious on the ground.
"You have betrayed us?" hissed Alraune, taken aback; sincerely surprised one of his ROOT could double cross him.
Sai didn't answer him, instead going to back up Naruto, giving him the opportunity to deal a blow that got him rid of the ANBU facing him. They glanced at each other, each agreeing on which enemy they were going to take out next. Naruto was already creating clones to help him. Alraune simply snorted.
"Sai, roots without water just die," he said, smiling.
Naruto blinked at that, wondering what the hell it could mean, that is until Sai stopped moving all together and suddenly turned the kunai he had been holding to himself. Giving a shout of warning, Naruto jumped on Sai, just in time to stop him from stabbing his heart.
"The hell Sai?" he screamed.
Naruto heard Alraune laugh and his clones puff out, but he couldn't let go of Sai, not when the other was now trying to bite his tongue off and rip his throat out with his nails. Cursing he had to let them go, failing Sasuke.
He screamed out as Sai bit him, trying to break free. Obviously Alraune's sentence had triggered something in Sai that pushed him to kill himself. Naruto tried to get out of his way, since Sai was now trying to kill him so he could get back to commit suicide in peace. Creating a clone, Naruto launched into the strangest battle he had ever had to fight.
ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Sakura and Hinata were back to back, breathing heavily, covered in dust, blood and sweat. Most of the chimeras were only a puddle of ink now, and the clones a memory. Hopefully their situation wouldn't worry Naruto too much as he received all the information each time a clone dispelled.
"There are more of them coming," murmured Hinata, shaking in exhaustion.
Sakura fisted her hands and angrily wiped at her forehead. At this rate they wouldn't last long, but they couldn't let their enemies enter. Naruto and Sai were in a hard position for sure; otherwise one of them would already be here, helping them out.
Another team of three people reached them, and they knew others were trying to enter too. They had trapped the place, and made it a small corridor so they would come few at a time... it was starting to not work anymore. Soon they would be totally overwhelmed.
Hinata cleanly hit her adversary, sealing them, and Sakura punched them into oblivion. They were a rather good team, each having the other's back. And the chimeras and clones helped slowing down their opponent enough so they wouldn't have more than 2 or 3 to deal with at the same time.
"Hinata, can you include a person in your Eight Trigrams Palms Heavenly Spin?" asked Sakura as she broke a few enemies' bones with well aimed punches.
"I-I'm not as good as Ne-neji-niisan, I can barely do the spin..." stuttered Hinata, looking defeated at this admission.
"It's ok, do your best," ordered Sakura, cracking her knuckles.
Shouting to give herself more strength and help liberate her chakra Sakura punched the ground, feeling it shake under her feet in a wave that defied nature's laws before shattering. In the mean time Hinata threw explosive kunais at some strategic places then rushed to Sakura and started to spin as much as she could. They had destroyed the base foundation and everything was collapsing on them.
They were protected by Hinata's constant expulse of chakra, creating a wall, and Sakura destroyed all threat that managed to pass when Hinata was flattening. After a while, they stopped, breathless, Hinata having barely any chakra left. Above and all around them were stones, concentrated and holding by sheer miracle, creating an impenetrable cave but with an opening for the door leading to Naruto and Sai, they had been sure to stay near it. They had to hurry or they would lack air and everything could crumble on them any moment now.
Sakura grabbed Hinata's hand and kicked the door open, throwing the Hyuuga inside, and jumping after her just in time not to be buried alive. They rolled on the floor, coughing at the dust following them and wincing as some rocks still managed to reach them. Aware they were now in enemy territory again, they took a defensive position but horror met their eyes.
ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Sasuke had lost no time as the Sharingan caught the seals and he understood what Raiz was going to do. He closed his eyes; opening them moments later with Amaterasu making one of them bleed. Dark fire immediately attacked his target, just as Neji started to twist in agony. Sasuke winced, fighting the urge to clamp a hand on his pulsing bleeding eye, he had to keep contact.
Raiz shrieked as the cloud of dark fire reached him, forcing him to release his jutsu so he could expel as much chakra as he could to block the devastating attack. He savoured a brief moment of victory as the fire died but screamed as snakes he hadn't notice attacked him. Sasuke had used the blood from his eye to summon them. Sasuke glanced at Neji, relieved to see him pass out but breathing.
Finally using the earth jutsu he controlled, Raiz got rid of all the snakes, and used his pikes to corner Sasuke. He evaded the latter's katana, letting it sink into the wall behind him. Ready to parry and eventually land a blow as he saw Sasuke leap at him, Raiz was taken aback as the Uchiha landed on his own sword and cut open Raiz's side with a chidori blade.
Sasuke jumped away just in time to save his leg from a particularly vicious earth spike coming from behind. He landed smoothly but had to roll forward as more spikes attacked him, he hissed as his own blade was rudely stabbed into his leg, pinning him to the ground. He cursed as Raiz took advantage of his closeness and immobility to launch a Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms.
Using his last chakra supplies, since part of them were sealed, Sasuke used the Chidori Nagashi, burning away Raiz and stopping the attack after only a few blows. He coughed up some blood; his enemy had aimed for vital points first. Sasuke smirked, seeing Raiz stagger backwards, too beaten to be able to take the Chidori Nagashi without damages, unlike the precedent time.
Not losing any time, Sasuke pulled out his katana from his leg and pushed it through Raiz's hand, pinning it to the wall. He kneed him in the guts next, Raiz bending over and giving Sasuke time to use his valid hand to get a kunai from his pouch and pin the other hand to the wall too. He crushed Raiz's feet under his own, to prevent him from kicking. He was at his mercy.
Sasuke blinked as he felt light headed due to blood loos, his heart gave a strange spasm, reminding Sasuke of Hinata's predicament at the Chuunin exam so long ago. He coughed up more blood, but he didn't let that deter him. Slowly he took another kunai and was going to finish Raiz with a neat blow to the heart when a gloved hand wrapped around his wrist.
ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Naruto breathed heavily, wiping blood off his face. He had never been so thankful for the frog training. All around the room he had placed bushin that collected nature's chakra, which gave him as much chakra as he wanted. And that permitted him to make even more clones. The problem wasn't going to be chakra but his body reaching its limit.
The room was a mess of clones gathering chakra, other fighting ink creatures and others fighting Sai. It was draining Naruto out pretty fast. He didn't want to injure Sai too badly, but the latter wouldn't let him knock him out, since that would prevent him from dying. He fought back each time Naruto got near, but if Naruto wasn't near he tried to take himself out. A real nightmare, especially since Sai wasn't an easy opponent.
"KAI!" howled Naruto for the hundredth time, trying to dispel whatever was driving Sai nuts, to no avail once again.
Making another thousand of clones, since they were all dying at a pretty fast rate, he launched into the battle again, desperate to knock Sai out or at least immobilize him on the ground with something in his mouth to stop him from biting his tongue off.
He cried out in relief as he saw Hinata and Sakura roll into the room, freezing at what they saw: a bloody Naruto, on the verge of collapsing, and a huge battle between ink and clones and of course Sai fighting Naruto and his clones while at the same time trying to kill himself.
"The hell?" asked Sakura.
"Alraune did something to Sai, he's trying to commit suicide!" Naruto tried to explain, cursing colourfully as Sai nearly bit his fingers off.
Sakura and Hinata staggered on their feet, pulling on their last strength to join Naruto and stop Sai when the latter suddenly stopped moving. They blinked, taken aback and not even knowing if they had to knock him unconscious or not now.
"What a mess, kiddo," he said, raking a hand through his hair.
"Sai?" Naruto asked carefully.
"Ah no, no," Sai laughed, "I'm Ino's father, Inoichi Yamanaka," he went on, smiling.
"You should be more careful, my youthful friend!" came another voice from behind them.
Naruto, Hinata and Sakura swirled to the other exit, seeing Gai enter the room, carrying Inoichi's body on his back, then striking the nice guy pose, blinding smile firmly on. Then Tenzou walked in too, going straight to Naruto to make sure the Kyuubi was still in check.
"But… what are you all doing here?" asked Naruto, resting on Tenzou as they made their way out only to be met with Shino's dad and Kiba's mum.
"All the parents and the team leaders have been dispatched to help out," Inoichi explained, still in Sai's body.
"Sasuke gave a snake to Sai in case of emergency so he could ask for backup. Sai sent it before you separated to take Alraune down," Gai continued, "It had all the detail information on the missions, and Kakashi, who received it, sent us all."
"Alraune escaped, but we got one of his ANBU, he served as a lure," Kiba's mother reported, petting her dog, "otherwise the team in town finished their job before backup arrived. We don't have news about Sasuke's team yet" she ended.
Naruto sighed. He had failed Sasuke, but it seemed Shino's and Shikamaru's team had done a fine job. He was pretty sure Sasuke had been victorious too, even if he was a tad worried about Sasuke's state... he just hoped the bastard had kept his promise to fucking stay alive.
ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Sasuke didn't even have to turn his head to know who this gloved hand's owner was. He did anyway, fully expecting to see that unnerving grey eye turned upside down in a smile, and wasn't disappointed. He was a little pissed at how his body switched off at Kakashi's touch, making him lean completely on the man, strength less now that all the tension from the fight had been washed up by Kakashi's mere presence.
"We need him alive," Kakashi said, gently pushing the kunai out of Sasuke's hand.
Gently he snatched Sasuke up, one arm under his shoulders, the other under his knees. Sasuke didn't protest, he just used his valid arm to cling to Kakashi's neck and let his head rest on his shoulder, breathing shallow. The moment Kakashi stepped away from Raiz, not even acknowledging his presence, the Hokage's ANBU's took him into custody, meeting no resistance as the man had already passed out.
"Mahh it's been a long time since I last carried you like that," Kakashi teased, looking fondly at the drowsing Sasuke.
"Hn...," Sasuke grunted, half-lidded eyes glancing up to meet Kakashi's grey one.
"No, I'm not pissed, more like worried sick," replied Kakashi, knowing perfectly well how to interpret his student's own special way of talking.
He laughed quietly as he felt Sasuke slightly tense up in his arms. Anger would have been met with defiance, even amusement, since Sasuke wasn't one to come back on his decisions... but worry, that was sure to have sent the teen into a guilt trip, since there was no reproaches made just the mention that he could have hurt Kakashi more than anyone else ever could.
"...m...rry," mumbled Sasuke, avoiding his former teacher's gaze on him.
"Didn't quite catch that," Kakashi lied, eye twinkling.
"I'm sorry," growled Sasuke, before coughing up blood.
Kakashi hurried his steps, the time it took to reach the next room seeming to take an eternity. He spotted Hiashi holding Neji close to him, eyes frowned in anguish even as Shizune was healing him the best she could. Suigetsu was resting against the wall, drinking water and looking very much like a fish out of its water tank, his huge sword resting forgotten at his feet. Karin was next to him, visibly drained, but she rose to her feet the moment she saw Sasuke, zipping down her top. Kakashi lowered so Sasuke could bite her, which he did with visible effort.
We need him at the hospital, fast, tapped Karin, wiping her forehead with the back of her hand.
"Neji too," added Shizune, before smiling reassuringly at a pair of blank eyes, and one of onyx dark, "he will make it don't worry"
She then started to ready Neji to be teleported to the hospital, Hiashi helping her.
Sasuke can't be teleported, it would shock his body too much, you have to carry him to the hospital¸ mentioned Karin.
Kakashi gave a curt nod, and slowly shifted Sasuke, resting him on his back so he could carry him more easily. He smiled as Sasuke's valid arm wrapped around his neck, holding tight, his other arm laying limp and his head lulling on his shoulder. Securing his arms under Sasuke's legs, Kakashi started running as fast as he dared.
"How are the others?" Sasuke asked before coughing up more blood.
"Alive, now stop talking," Kakashi ordered.
Sasuke frowned. Alive? That meant something had gone wrong. Sai had surely sent the snake, which explained Kakashi's presence, but then Hiashi could have called him too.
"What ha-" he started before hissing as Kakashi pinched his ass.
"Silence," ordered Kakashi, his voice serious.
Sasuke huffed but obliged, glaring at Kakashi's former white Hokage robe. He was drenching it in blood. Well he was sure Kakashi would be happy about that since it meant it would keep Sasuke's scent... well once he would stop worrying that was. He closed his eyes, letting sleep claim him, trusting Kakashi to take care of him.
ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Kakashi watched as the council members, still bickering between them, left his office, but for Hiashi. It had been one long explanation and planning séance and Kakashi just wanted to put a scarecrow in his place and sneak into Sasuke's hospital bed to sleep. It was ten pm so he might just be able to do that... mused Kakashi.
"Thank you for your help, Hiashi," he said, standing up and cracking his old body.
He hadn't thought it would happen, but they had kinda become friends. He could trust the man to have his back, as he had shown only moments ago, blatantly lying when he said he had allowed Sasuke to launch his mission against Root. He knew Kakashi, as Hokage couldn't have given the order, since he had to ask the council about it, and since a council member was accused of betrayal, Hiashi had taken upon himself, as council head, to allow Sasuke to act.
"You're welcome, Kakashi," replied Hiashi following Kakashi out, knowing he was going to the hospital.
"You're going to see Neji?" inquired Kakashi, dusting his once white Hokage robe that was now rather grey after all the effort he had put to make it feel more homey.
"Yes, he's my responsibility"
Kakashi eyed the Hyuuga clan's head pensively. He had a lot on his shoulders and seemed pretty... isolated. He reminded him of Sasuke's father, Fugaku... even if he hadn't really known him. Sasuke had talked a bit about his childhood, after being corner and coaxed by careful manipulation that is... Kakashi smiled at the memory, still seeing Sasuke's pout in his mind's eye. How he loved to drive the teen crazy.
"I'm curious to see what Naruto will do once Hokage," murmured Kakashi, his grey eye turned upside down in fake amusement, when he truly was looking closely at Hiashi's reaction.
"That will still take a few years, Kakashi, but I hope he will keep his promise to Neji," said Hiashi, pushing back a black strand before adding, "It would be good for Hinata too"
"Oh he will," assured Kakashi, happy to see he hadn't really been mistaken about the Hyuuga.
"You have something planned for him don't you?"
Kakashi smiled innocently, flipping Icha Icha Paradise open, and waving to Gai as they neared the hospital. He was standing guard to make sure no one tried to kill some of their precious patients.
"I plan to change the council," he admitted.
Hiashi merely looked at him with his blank eyes, clearly silently asking "how so", but obviously not knowing if he would be graced with an answer or not.
"I was thinking of having the former Hokage be the council head, then having two vice-leaders, the first being Konoha's strongest clan's head, and the second being the ANBU leader. Then we would have the usual council members, and maybe one or two elected by the village population," explained Kakashi, licking his finger to turn a page.
"I see. That would mean you as council head, Neji and Sasuke as vice-leaders, some village well respected ninja, most of them being Naruto's friends and then our usual old council members including me... clever," chuckled Hiashi, this would totally change the balance and make Naruto freer of his movements.
"Mahhh Hiashi, you totally saw through me," Kakashi grinned before giving a curt nod and going toward Sasuke's room.
He wasn't surprised to find him surrounded by Suigetsu in his fish tank and Karin, asleep on a chair at his bedside. He remembered how Suigetsu had made a huge fuss about being able to move his water tank anywhere he wanted until the nurse surrendered and put it on wheels. Karin had just needed some rest but had insisted to stay by Sasuke's side. But for Sai, who had been in a very tight spot until Ibiki managed to break the hypnotic induce order to commit suicide, everyone was safe and sound, most not needing to be at the hospital.
Kakashi hesitated for a moment until he heard a soft grunt and saw one half open dark eye almost daring him to go away. He sat on the bed, petting Sasuke's hair as the young man settled his head on his lap, then he flipped open his dirty book once again and started to read, at peace with the world for the time being.
In a week it would be another matter... since Raiz and the root key members, all of them having been captured alive, would be subjected to a public trial. This would prove to be tiring and nerves wracking for sure. They still had to catch Alraune... he had a feeling the man wouldn't go down without a fight.
oooooooooooooo To be continued ooooooooooooooo
Thanks to those who actually took the time to review.