Well, thanks to two rather disgustingly rude reviews from unnamed Guests, this took a lot longer to get out. So I'll say this, for those that do not like Sasuke at all, Un-Favorite, Un-follow, and stop reading this story. While he's not my favorite character, he is my favorit anti-hero. And he and Itachi, stays alive, will have an important role during Pein's invasion.

Kurama: Ryoshi's also thinking about giving Naruto an implanted Doujutsu!

Me:Oi! Kurama!

25: True Strength

Shikamaru was many things. Lazy, intelligent, a master at shogi, to name only a few things, but a coward was not among them. Yes, he'd been afraid multiple times in his life, such as the time his mother had nearly beaned him in the head with a frying pan when she was aiming for his father, and more serious times such as the invasion just under a year ago.

But now, watching as steam rose from Tayuya's body as she glared at the former Konoha shinobi, the Nara heir wanted nothing more than to pick Ranmaru up, and hightail it outta there. The look on the girl's face was that of the purest rage, and none of it the feminine rage he feared, but the true, unbridled hatred of someone greatly wronged.

It was a look he'd seen on one other person. Sasuke Uchiha.

Kabuto took in the kunoichi with slight amusement, "Well, well, Tayuya-chan, you seemed to have grown in strength since we last met." He smirked, pushing his glasses up his nose. "I have to say that even I'm surprised that you survived against both the Nara clan heir, and that Kazekage's daughter."

"No thanks to you," she spat, her fists clenched so hard her knuckles were white, "You don't know how long I've wanted to get a shot at you without worrying about that snake you cling to all the time, you sick bastard!" She stepped forward, the steam rising to a thick cloud, "I want payback for all the things you did to me..for the things you made me do!"

Kabuto had the nerve to chuckle, his eyes wide with an excited glimmer in them that made Ranmaru and Shikamaru shiver. Ranmaru made to step between the two, but a silent hand on his shoulder from Shikamaru stopped him. The boy looked back at him in question, and the Nara shook his head. "If we get in the middle of this right now, she won't be able to stop from getting us caught in the crossfire." Shikamaru explained.

Ranmaru bit his lip, "But Ane-san - "

"If things get too bad, we'll step in," Shikamaru said grimly, "But for now, just keep away from them...especially Kabuto."

By now, Kabuto's chuckled had erupted into a full laugh as Tayuya's advance on him continued. "The things I made you do? Try the things you loved doing!" He cackled, "Don't stand there and tell me you never enjoyed your work, because I know you did. All those people you murdered, the families you tore apart, you loved every single second of it!"

"Bullshit!" Without warning, the girl launched herself at him, her left arm cocked back for a steam enhanced punch. Kabuto was surprised by her speed, yet he managed to take a step back just as she swung at him, only for the fist blow back with a burst of steam from her knuckles, throwing and spinning her elbow right back at him. The sharp joint grazed against his face, making a small cut across his cheekbone.

"Every thing I did," Tayuya spat at him as she spun back around, launching herself into the air, "Was out of fear!" Her hands flashed through seals so fast that Shikamaru doubted that even Sasuke's Sharingan could catch them. "Yoton: Youganryu no Jutsu!" As she landed, the ground around her heated up at her feet to a boiling angry red, and continued to spread around until the Jutsu was formed, and a gigantic head reared out of the molten rock.

"Damn!" Shikamaru yelped, grabbing Ranmaru by the kimono, and dragging him out of the way as the lava dragon roared at the stunned Kabuto, and shot forward, Tayuya atop its head.

"Let's see you get away from this, you sick fucker!" Tayuya screamed angrily as Kabuto fled the dragon's maw. Tayuya directed the serpentine jutsu after him, covering the floor with more of the molten rock.

Kabuto shot off the ground and onto the wall, going straight to the ceiling, and smirked, "My word, will little wonders never cease?" He smiled, "I had no idea you could use Yoton ninjutsu like this? It makes me wonder what I'll find when I get you back on my table."

Tayuya glared at him from the head of the dragon, "You'll never touch another person ever again when I'm through with you!" She lept from the dragon and hit the ground, "Yoton: Yougan Shuriken!" From the pools of magma created by the dragon shot multiple projectiles as the silver-haired teen ran, laughing.

"I think you'll find yourself on my waiting list of patients sooner than you think," Kabuto smiled in an imitation of his sensei, "Tell me, have you had the chance to tell Naruto-kun that you were there the day Orochimaru-sama murdered the Sandaime Hokage?" He smirked as Tayuya stopped dead in her tracks, "Oh, dear me, it seems you haven't!"

"Shut up!" Tayuya spat, hurling her molten projectiles at him once more, but the girl was already frazzled from his words.

"What would your dear, sweet boyfriend think," Kabuto sneered as he ducked and dodged the shuriken, "if he found out that his lovely Tayuya-chan was partly responsible for the death of a man that partially raised him?"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!"

Tayuya barreled after him, snarling in rage. Kabuto was waiting for her, his hands flattened in the chakra scalpel, ready to cut her down.

"You are within my field of divination." Said a small voice from behind him. Kabuto curse as he turned, having forgotten about the little Byakugan user. There stood Ranmaru, his eyes gleaming an eerie white in the dark of the cavernous room. Kabuto made to get away, but then found himself stuck to the ground.

"Kagemane no Jutsu complete," Shikamaru grinned from the ground as Ranmaru neared him, "Take him down, Ranmaru!"

"Hakke Hyaku Nijahachi!" Ranmaru shouted out as he moved with blinding speeds and struck Kabuto's body like a freight train, all one-hundred twenty-eight strikes finding a home on him as the boy blurred with motion. Ranmaru's attack ended with an uppercut palm thrust to Kabuto's chin, sending him hurtling into the air.

"EAT THIS!" Tayuya roared, and hammered a steam chakra enhanced punch into him, snapping his neck around at an awkward angle. Kabuto's body went sailing into the wall, and slumped to the ground, limp.

Tayuya stood over him, panting, completely out of breath. "Kami did that feel good!"

Ranmaru and Shikamaru came over to her, the latter catching Tayuya around her waist and hugging her tightly. "Onee-san!"

Tayuya smiled and patted his head, "Thanks, Ran-chan, that was great work you did!" She said, and looked up at the Nara, "Thanks to you, too, Lazy-ass."

Shikamaru just shrugged, "It'd be way too troublesome to explain to Naruto-kun that you did all the hard work, and ended up getting hurt on my watch. Matter of fact, it might be life threatening."

Tayuya blushed, "He's not that protective of me...I think..."

Shikamaru scoffed, "Yeah, right, and I'm the Yondaime."

Ranmaru laughed, and looked up at his sister, "Can we go find Aniki now?"

Suddenly, the compound shook violently as a loud explosion sounded above them. Tayuya and Shikamaru looked up at the cracked ceiling. Shikamaru groaned, "We should get going. Naruto's three floors above us, and it sounds like the fight's just getting started!"

Tayuya looked at him, "Hey, you've seen this Sasuke guy fight, right? Do you think Naruto's got a chance against him?"

Shikamaru sighed, "It's troublesome to think about it...but with those damned eyes of his, and the addition of the mark on him...and I'm guessing that he's gotten twice as strong as he was back in the village...With Naruto's sub-elemental Jutsu, and Sasuke's Sharingan...I'd call it an even match."

"But Naruto-niisan has Raiga-san's Kiba," Ranmaru pointed out.

"And Sasuke uses Ration jutsu," Shikamaru said, "Like I said, it's an even match."

"Then we'd better get up there," Tayuya said, glancing over at Kabuto, "We managed to take out this guy, but there's no telling what Sasuke's capable of."

Kabuto's body twitched, making the girl jump as the teen staggered to his feet, his neck hanging crookedly, before reaching up and twisting his neck back into place with a sickening crack. "Huhuhu, that was quite something...it's been awhile since I've had to dislocate my spine like that." He grinned, rotating his neck as he glared at the trio.

Tayuya gulped back the bile that rose in her throat, "So, that's why you've only been using the scalpel...you're a corpse!"

"Say what?!" Shikamaru gasped, pointing at the teen, "How the hell is that a corpse?!"

Tayuya scoffed, and pointed at him as well, "Take a good look at him. All of that damage we did would have killed even Orochimaru if he wasn't taking us seriously, but Kabuto good at hand to hand, and he never even let us get close to him the entire time, like he was hiding something." She said, pointing out the injuries they had dealt.

Upon closer inspection, the young Nara found that Tayuya was right. Blood was covering Kabuto's body from head to toe, and he realized that a great deal of it was leaking from his nostrils, eyes, and ears, signifying significant brain trauma, if the organ was still even intact after Ranmaru had hammered him only moments ago.

"Kami, what the hell is this guy?" Shikamaru breathed out, "You mean we haven't even been fighting the real one?!"

Kabuto chuckled, "Very astute." He said, gesturing to himself, "You see, while I'm not as good at the Impure Summoning jutsu, I am proficient at my own little corpse dance. My undead marionettes are quite effective against people whose skills I wish to gauge. Such as yours, Ta-yu-ya-chan." The way he drew out her name made the girl in question want to vomit.

"A major junior pedofile that likes fucking with dead bodies," Tayuya growled, "Why am I not surprised?" She smirked, "But, you did forget something. While you can manipulate these things from a distance, you have to be within a few yards of the body." She held up her hands in the sign of the tiger, "Also, you forgot about my dragon!"

"Kabuto's" face blanched for a moment as the lava around him erupted into coils as Tayuya's Lava Dragon rose once more, its jaws agape, and crashed down onto him, drawing one last laugh from the corpse puppet.

Tayuya turned back to her comrades, "Ranmaru, find us a way out of here. I'm bringing this whole fucking place down on his head!"

Ranmaru glared around the room for a moment, but shook his head, "There's only one way out, and that's through that wall over there." He said, pointing behind the corpse, "And it looks like there's more of those...things behind it!"

The corpse grinned, "Well, well, what a strong little Byakugan user you are." He smiled, "Once Orochimaru-sama plucks those eyes from your head, maybe he'll let me examine you."

"Like hell," Shikamaru stepped forward, and placed his hand on Tayuya's shoulder, "Leave this one to me. You go get that wall open."

Tayuya gave the Nara a small look, and found his expression as dark as her's had been. "I've had enough of this traitor. It's one thing to speak of things of the past, but to threaten a child like Ranmaru when he's not even a shinobi is something I will not allow. As a shinobi of Konoha, it is my duty to protect the 'King'." He raised his hands up and clasped them together, "Kage Gijin no Jutsu!"

Two shadows arose from his feet, and shaped themselves into clones, slamming into the corpse, and wrapping around him before tightening around it. A sickly crunching, squelching sound came from within the shadows.

"One down." Shikamaru sighed, looking toward the wall, "How many to go?"

"Two more," Ranmaru told him, "There's one more, though, but he looks alive."

"That'll be Kabuto," Tayuya cracked her knuckles, "Well, let's get that thing open!" She grinned and raised up her hand. Shikamaru raised his brow, only for both to shoot up as a damned familiar jutsu formed in her palm.

"Is that - ?!"

"RASENGAN!" Tayuya roared and crashed through the wall, collapsing it. The real Kabuto shot out of the debris, along with two more dead bodies in his shape. Ranmaru went after one right away.

The corpse puppet grinned and slashed at him, only for the younger boy to grind into him using the Kaiten taught to him by Neji, pulverizing him. The other was easily dispatched by Shikamaru, growing tired of the games, and the puppet soon followed its brother much the same way as it was crushed by the shadows.

Kabut, the real one, landed heavily, panting for breath, "Second flaw for that jutsu...it takes up way too much chakra."

Tayuya stood, her hand smoldering from the Rasengan she'd just used, "Third flaw...you...are...fucked!"

Kabuto rose to his feet, dusting himself off, "Please, you barely managed to keep up with the main puppet I was focusing on." He said, smiling at the girl, "What chance do you have against the real thing?"

Ranmaru glared at him, "You're too loud."

"What a rude little boy," Kabuto sneered, "You should respect your elders, gaki."

"Respect?" Ranmaru muttered in a moment of childishness, "I don't know what that word means."

"Doh," Tayuya facepalmed, "After all the lessons we've gone through..."

Kabuto sighed, "What is this, a fight or a comedy skit?"

Tayuya glared at the teen, "It's called a distraction ya fuckin' turd monkey!"

"A wha -?" the shadows beneath Kabuto suddenly jutted up into thousands of needle-like spikes, cutting and impaling him. The shock to his system was so great that the boy never had a chance to scream before he fell.

Shikamaru let his hands drop from the boar seal, "And that is what a successful Kage Zashiro Jutsu is capable of." He said while smirking at his handy work. "For someone compared to Kakashi in terms of strength, he sure didn't stand a chance against a surprise attack."

Ranmaru placed his arms behind his head and grinned, "How'd I do, Onee-san?"

Tayuya returned the grin from where she stood, "Not bad for a rookie smartass, but you'll get there if you hang around me and Shithead long eno - "

BTOOOM

The trio was nearly knocked off their feet as the explosion shook the room. "That's gotta be Naruto and Sasuke, or maybe even Jiraiya and Orochimaru if they found him yet."

"Doesn't matter," Tayuya said, making for the hole in the wall, "We need to get up there."

=x=

It was exactly like the last time they'd fought. Naruto and Sasuke waiting for the other to make their move first, Sasuke banking on the fact that Naruto was impatient, and attack first, anticipating his moves with his Sharingan. Both of them had their jutsu and weapons primed.

Naruto then smirked, "Copy this." He touched the blades together, "RAIKYU!" The lightning ball formed and flew from his blades faster than ever as the blond began his attack.

Sasuke dodged the attack easily and rushed to meet him in the middle, his Chidori screaming.

"Toton no Justu!" Naruto shouted and disappeared, prompting Sasuke to stop, and search for him, only for the sharp pain of a blade cutting across his face to distract him. "Sasuke," Naruto's voice reached him, "Ever hear of the old Death By A Thousand Cuts? No? You're about to."

"Stop hiding!" Sasuke roared, still searching the room.

"Who's hiding?" Naruto said from behind him, and Sasuke glared over his shoulder as Naruto's arms blurred into six, "Moestu no Orochi!" Naruto's sword lashed out, striking Sasuke in rapid succession, slicing him thinly across his skin as the little thunder bolts sparked through him.

Naruto then backhanded him across the face, sending him sprawling. Sasuke glared at him as he skidded to a stop, "DOBE!"

"Shut up!" Naruto was suddenly in front of him, and kicked him in the face. "Tell me, Teme, where's all that strength of yours you were supposed to get from Orochimaru, huh?!" Sasuke stood, and charged him again, kunai in hand, only for the blond to flash away.

Sasuke was then sent flying from a kick to his spine, "You're not even putting up a fight!" Naruto roared and slammed into him again, "Where's the son of a bitch that nearly killed me?!" WHAM Sasuke was kicked upward toward the ceiling, where Naruto was already waiting, and slammed back toward the ground, "Where's the bastard that claimed I was his best friend?!" Naruto asked as Sasuke hit the ground.

Sasuke staggered to his feet, glaring, "I told you! It's too late!" Lightning sparked around his hands, "Chidori Senbon!" Naruto was caught off guard as he descended, the tiny needles of lightning catching in the right shoulder and left leg, immediately causing his limbs to go numb.

Naruto just grinned, "Bullshit." He sent another Raiton toward the Uchiha, deflected by his natural affinity, "If that's true, then why didn't you kill me?" He asked as he landed, straightening up to look at his friend, "I know about the Mangekyou, and how it's unlocked, Sasuke. If you wanted that power so badly, then why the hell am I still alive?"

Sasuke flinched at that, "I just didn't want to obtain power the same way my brother did!"

Naruto scoffed, "Still calling bullshit!" He snapped, looking over to where Sakura was standing, watching the fight with worry, "Hell, you could've killed Sakura-chan, and - "

"SHUT UP, DOBE!" Sasuke roared, and rushed him again, his speed catching unawares, "What the hell do you know about it!?" He slammed into him, punching the blond in the face, splattering him with his own blood as his cuts splashed all over, "It's easy for you to talk like that! You've never had to lose anyone!" He drew back for another punch, and Naruto raised his hand to catch it, gripping it tightly before crunching his fist, causing Sasuke to cry out.

"That's enough," Naruto growled, shocking both Sasuke and Sakura with the coldness in his voice, "You think you're the only one that's lost someone? Guess again, Teme!" He reared back his leg and,(why not?) kicked him square in the balls.

"GAUGH!" Sasuke's eyes bugged out as he dropped to his knees.

But Naruto wasn't through, and picked him up by his shirt, bringing him back up to his eye level, "Think about it, you little bitch! We. Are. Shinobi!" He headbutted him, causing a gash to open up on both of their heads. "Wanna know what drives me nuts the most?" Naruto asked, dropping him to the floor, "You and I, we two are exactly the same!"

"No we're not," Sasuke growled, wiping his eyes clear of blood, "There's nothing about us that's remotely similar!"

Naruto chuckled, and sealed away his swords, "My girlfriend said something like that a few months ago." Naruto laughed, shaking his head, "But the fact of the matter is this. Both you and I know exactly how it feels...to be completely and utterly alone!"

That got even Sasuke to look at the blond for a moment.

"Face it," Naruto said, "Every day after your family was murdered, you went to school, got fawned over by everyone because they wanted to coddle up to you, which sickened me to no end, by the way, and you had the love of the entire village just because you were the last Uchiha. But when you went home? There was no one there to say welcome home, or ask you how your day had been. No one to hold your hand and say it would be alright when you felt like dying." Naruto looked down at his old teammate, understanding beginning to dawn in his red eyes.

"Me?" Naruto continued, "I felt like that every single day. Kicked out of the orphanage at four, ignored for almost all of my life except for a few kind people that looked past my...past. Then I met you, and I immediately hated you," Naruto sneered, "Because you had everything I wanted. You had friends, a family, no one treated you like a shadow...and you threw that all away!" Naruto roared, and kicked Sasuke across the room, "FOR WHAT!?"

Sasuke staggered back to his feet, "I needed strength!"

"Strength?!" Naruto roared again, and appeared in front of him, "You want strength!? I'll show you true strength!" He growled and punched the Uchiha in the face, hard, and went on, pummeling him with punches and kicks faster than Sasuke could keep up.

One last punch to the gut, and Sasuke was coughing up blood as he sank to his knees. Naruto grabbed him by the hair and hauled him back up, "You once asked me how I'm as strong as I am...It's because of you."

Sasuke cracked his eyes opened, "Wha- ?"

"It's because I had you and Sakura-chan, and even Kaka-sensei, even though he favored you over us." Naruto went on, "It's because I finally found a family in Team Seven, even if I had to contend with a depressing little rat like you, and a lousy sensei that liked reading porn all damned day, or even Sakura-chan, the girl I had a crush on as she tried to gain your affections. As long as I had you three, that's all I needed to get by. That's where true strength comes from. The people around you!"

He let go, allowing Sasuke to slump to the floor, "Family means everything to me, Sasuke-teme, and like it or not, I've thought of you as my brother for a long time, even if we were never that close. I wanted to be able to stand shoulder to shoulder with you, to be strong, like you...to be acknowledged." He started unwrapping the bandages around his right arm, "But then that sleazy snake came along, and gave you that mark on your neck...are you seriously okay with being used like that?"

Sasuke glared up at him, "If it helps me get my revenge - "

"WAKE UP!" Naruto growled, grabbing him by the shoulder, and Sasuke noticed the massive sealing array tattooed on his arm, "Revenge doesn't solve anything! If it did, you'd be dead right now with my Rasengan in your heart!" With that, he threw the boy toward Sakura, "Heads up, Sakura!"

Sakura acted out right away, and caught him, pinning him to the ground. "I'm really sorry about this, Sasuke-kun!"

"Not as sorry as he's gonna be when I get through with him," Naruto stated as he moved toward them, flexing his arm, "This is gonna hurt like a son of a bitch."

Sasuke glared at him again, "What the hell are you talking about?"

Naruto shrugged, "I'm doing a favor to Sakura-chan, who, despite the fact that you put her poor little heart through hell, is deeply in love with you, and your oh-so-murderous brother, a favor."

"What does my brother have to do with this!?" Sasuke roared, "Tell me!"

"Gladly," Naruto knelt down, placing his arm over the seal, "He asked me to save your sorry ass, and since that's one promise, and one request, I figured I'd better follow through." Naruto grinned, "Now hold still."

The seals on Naruto's arm began to glow, and Sasuke felt a blinding pain shoot through his body unlike anything he'd ever felt before, and he, the last of the elite Uchiha, screamed bloody murder as the seal started eating away at his own.

Me: CUUUUUT!

Kurama: Yeow! My ears!

Me: Oops, sorry!

Next time: The Price of Power