Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Naruto Shippuden or it characters in any form whether it be manga, television, video games, or toys. They are owned by Masashi Kishimoto. I am not writing to make a profit in any shape or form. I simply do this for the enjoyment of myself and others. I REPEAT I do not own any version of Naruto and Naruto Shippuden, or wish to make money off this property. Thank you and enjoy the story.
Rene-Phoenix of the Uchiha
AN: I would like to apologize for how long it took to get this chapter out but I had some family stuff come up. I hope this chapter makes it up and I hope you like the "twist".
Chapter 25
The two Uchiha entered the kitchen as Sasuke sat down as Rene made tea. A few minutes later he put two mugs of tea on the table.
"So what did the snake's bodyguards want with you?" Rene asked sitting down.
"They want me to join him and learn more about the power of the curse mark. They have given me two days to decide what I want to do." Sasuke replied
"What do you want to do cousin?" Rene asked, Sasuke remained silent. "Well then think it over you have two days after all. Good night cousin." He said as he headed toward his bedroom
"What are you going to say if anyone asks you about our conversation?" Sasuke asked heading for the door.
Rene smirked, "It's amazing what you can hide when it is under the banner of "clan business"." With that Sasuke nodded and left and Rene crashed on his bed. I hope you make the right choice cousin. Was his last thought before he went to the land of dreams.
Rene awoke with the sun shining in his eyes, and pain all over. He got up with a grunt and could feel the bruises all over him. But he could also smell something cooking in the kitchen. When he arrived in the kitchen he saw Ino cooking something on the stove, well Sakura and Julia where sitting at the table. As he entered the three looked at him smiling. Until they saw his bruises.
"Rene-kun sit down I'll heal you right away." Sakura said as she pushed Rene into a chair and started healing him. In a few moments his bruises were gone.
"Thank you Sakura-chan. What time is it?" He asked as Ino put a plate in front of him.
"It is a little past noon." Ino said
Rene nodded, "Julia after lunch you and I are going to do some training get ready."
"Yes big brother." Julia said with a smile as she left the kitchen.
As Rene was eating he felt both girls' stares. "Yes ladies?" He asked
"What did you talk to Sasuke about last night?" Ino asked tapping her foot impatiently. While Sakura just looked curious.
"I can't talk about it clan business." Rene said simply well finishing his lunch.
Ino scowled, "You know you won't be able to play that card when you marry us right?"
Rene froze for a moment then smiled "Well then I better use it well I can shouldn't I?" He said as he got up, "By the way the lunch was excellent Ino-chan." And with that he left.
"Smart-ass" Ino muttered as Rene walked out of the room. While she looked at Sakura one looked frozen in her seat. "Hey Sakura what's wrong?" She asked
Sakura wrung her hands, "Well Ino we never really talk about our future with Rene, and for you to just say it well…"
The blonde put her hand on Sakura's shoulder, "Forehead don't worry about it. I promise we will sit down and talk about it, no one will force you into anything you don't want to." The pink haired girl smiled. "Good now come one you have a shift at the hospital and I have to go to Interrogation come on." With that the two girls left the Uchiha compound.
It was an hour later and Rene and Julia where in a simple training ground with grass a few trees surrounding it.
"I have been impressed by far you have come little sister so I decided to get you a present." Rene said as he pulled a tanto and held out to Julia whose eyes lit up seeing it. But as her hands reached out for it Rene's voice stopped her from grabbing it. "I warn you once claim this tanto I give you the title of ninja. It does not matter if you ever enter or graduate the academy you will carry this title until death, and burdens that come with such title. The life of a ninja is one of blood and death, a life of deception and living in the darkness. I ask you once more do you wish to bear the title ninja all that comes with it?" Rene asked parroting the words his own mother told him when he was only a few years older than Julia expect with a kunai instead of a tanto. Julia hesitated for only a moment before grabbing the tanto. Rene gave a small smile, "Julia Uchiha I hereby grant you the title of ninja and all the responsibilities that come with it. Now it is time teach you some sword forms." For the next hour Rene had Julia practice the basic sword stances until she could do almost on instinct. "Good now I have a test for you. You are to chop that down tree." He pointed toward the largest tree in the field.
"But big brother that tree is huge!" Julia whined
"Well then you better get started huh?" Rene said.
With a look of protest Julia stomped over to the tree with a mighty swing on her tanto slashed into the tree barley making a scratch. She sighed this was going to take a while.
Meanwhile Rene watched and he did he saw a ghostly image of himself cutting a tree with a simple kunai while his mother watched on. I understand now mother why you gave me that speech, you were preparing we not only for the life of a ninja but for a life without you. For the most part you were right it is a world of death and blood, and deception. But you were wrong about the darkness, if I had not met Sakura and Ino then yes the darkness would have consumed me, but I think that impossible now. I have to many people counting on me and too many things I still have to much left to do to have hate and anger control me, but if the worse should happen I will make sure it does not take Julia. I will make sure she has someone to help her, because if I die then she is the legacy of the clan. Even if I die I will wipe out the Curse of Hatred from the Uchiha clan. Then he thought of Ino, Sakura, Anko, Naruto, Hinata, and Shino. In fact she already does have quite a few people looking out for her.
Rene was taken out of his musings by an aged voice speaking next to him, "It seems not to long ago that your mother was doing the same exercise with you. I am glad to see you are a little more merciful giving her a tanto instead of a kunai." The aged Kage let out a chuckle.
The Uchiha gave a small smile, "Yes my mother was a very harsh sensei."
"You never have spoken about what she said to during her return with Edo Tensei" The Third said
Rene stood still for a moment, "How do know that she spoke to me?"
The Third smiled, "Beside the fact that that is what she told all fours she was going to do, it is what I would if I was in the same situation. Call it parental intuition."
Rene bowed his head, "She said that all my fears are for nothing and that I would be fine, and that she was proud of me." His voice cracked at the end of the second part.
The Third nodded, "Do you believe her?"
"I am starting too." Rene said
Third shook his head, "You carry too much on your own shoulders Rene, but I know no matter how many times I tell you or beat it into you that you will not change, because you Uchiha are ridiculously stubborn." Rene smiled at little. As an ANBU appeared before the two.
"Rene Uchiha the Hokage needs you for an urgent mission." The ANBU spoke
He nodded, "Lord Third would you mind looking after Julia?"
"Of course not." The old man said with a smile on his face and Rene and the ANBU teleported away. It was only a few moments later when a loud crash was heard a cry of joy followed it.
"Take that you dumb tree! I win! Big brother I cut down the tree. What's next?" Juila asked excited only to turn around and see only the Third. "Where did Rene go?" She asked
"He had an urgent mission. But I will tell him of your success. His mother made him do the same exercise expect with a kunai." The Third said
Julia's eyes widened, "He had to cut down a tree with a kunai!" The Hokage chuckled, Julia then suddenly became very quiet. "Lord Third would it be possible for you to tell me a few stories about Rene's mom?" She asked quietly
The former Kage's eyes widened, "Certainly, but why do you wish to hear them?"
"Well during the invasion she saved me and Hanabi and she seemed pretty cool, but Big brother barely speaks about her, and well I want to know about her." Julia asked
"It would be an honor, about I tell you the stories over a cup of ramen?" He asked
Julia's eyes widened and sparkled as she literarily dragged the old man to Ichiraku's smiling all the way.
When Rene entered the Hokage's office he saw Sakura and Ino there along with a grim looking Tsunade.
"I have called you here because a few hours ago Sasuke formerly Sasuke Uchiha ran away from the village, we assumed he was leaving because he seeking out Oricharmu, and that was confirmed when a squad of ANBU was ambushed by four Sound ninja. Not long after that I sent a team consisting of Naruto, Neji, Shikamaru, Kiba, and Choji to bring back the rogue Saskue. Unfortunately it has been a few hours and we have not heard back from them, your mission is to find the team and bring them back along with the Uchiha. They were last seen heading out of the west gate." Tsuande said.
In a second Rene was gone and racing toward the gate, Kami damn it cousin, if any of them die because of your foolishness I will bring back your corpse if need be.
"Rene-kun wait up!" Ino said as she and Sakura appeared beside him. "I know that you're mad because Sasuke did something stupid but you had no way of knowing he would." Rene put his head down at the end of that sentence. Ino narrowed her eyes, "You knew" She accused. Rene remained silent. "YOU KNEW!" She shouted
"We had a plan." Rene tried to defend.
"Well your plan went straight to hell didn't it?! I swear if any of our friends die because of your damn pride I'll, I'll-" Ino couldn't finished her sentence she was literally shaking with anger.
"It won't come to that." Rene said his head down
"How do you know?" Sakura asked
Rene raised his head and stared back at Sakura his EMS activated, "Because if it comes to it I will die in their place, now hold on." He instructed as he made a hand sign and the girls heard a pair of weights drop to the ground that shook the roof top as they hit it. Rene then grabbed onto the two girls shoulders and a moment later they were gone.
They appeared in a forest clearing a moment later to see a horribly injured Choji laying on the ground.
"CHOJI!" Ino screamed as she looked at her friend. Sakura quickly ran over to the boy and started to heal him. Rene went over to another body and knew the he was dead.
"I'll find the others, and send them to you." Rene said as he disappeared into the forest. Not a moment he saw Neji with an arrow wound near his heart. Rene quickly checked and saw that he was alive, and made a clone and the clone carried the Hyuga to Sakura and Ino. As he continued to rush he saw a pair of people in front of him and without a second thought he pulled his blade and pinned the duo to a tree his EMS swirling.
"Hey wait! I was trying to help the guy!" A voice yelled and he noticed that it was guy with face paint and a puppet.
"What you doing here Kankuro?" Rene asked his sword pointed at the puppet user's neck.
"Gaara. Temari, and I were going to the Leaf to seek a peace treaty. When we saw the others had ran into the trouble, we decided to help them." The puppet user said holding an injured Kiba.
"There is a rest site a few miles away get him there in one piece or so help me I will storm the Sand Village and cause more death and destruction then Gaara could possibly imagine. Understand?" Rene asked. The puppet user nodded as Rene charged once again into the forest. His next stop was one he saw Shikamaru and Temari simply sitting around talking. "Of course if any of you are alive it is you huh Nara? You would simply find it to "troublesome" to die wouldn't you?" Rene asked
"So the Hokage sent you. I assume Ino and Sakura are healing everyone else?" Shikamaru asked
Rene nodded, "Where's the Sound Ninja?" The Nara pointed to a red haired girl whose lower body was crushed by a tree. Rene went down to and checked to see if she was dead, but heard a faint heartbeat. "She's alive!" Rene shouted to the two. He pulled out his blade and with a mighty slash he cut the tree in half and created a clone to pick up the girl. With a nod to the other two ninja Rene started to run again.
Naruto, Lee, and Gaara were not having a good time. This Kimimaro guy was fast, almost faster than Lee, and the three ninja had been on there guard during the whole battle. Lee had just charged to start another taijustu battle when a sword blocked Kimimaro's bone blade.
"Rene!" Naruto shouted
"YOSH RENE IT SEEMS YOUR FLAMES OF YOUTH HAVE GROWN FOR YOU TO MOVE SO FAST!" Lee shouted
"Uchiha" Gaara said
"You are the one who took Lord Oricharmu's arms." Kimimaro stated
"The snake is lucky that is all I took from him." Rene said
"Oricharmu is a great man!" Kimimaro shouted as he started to attack Rene who blocked all the bone users' strikes.
"Rene be careful this guy can use his bones as weapons!" Naruto shouted
"He can also change the density of them to make them as hard as he wishes" Gaara said putting in his two cents.
Rene took all of this into consideration as Kimimaro jumped back.
"Bone Style: Drilling Bullets" The Bone user said as bullets of bone shout out at Rene at extremely high speeds.
With his EMS it was child's play for Rene to block them with his sword.
"The sharingan truly is a marvelous tool and it seems your eyes are more advanced than Sasuke's, I will tear them out of your body and present it to Lord Oricharmu." Kimimaro said
Rene's response was to disappear and the next moment use his Sensukochihachi to pierce the snake follower through the heart, but instead his fire justu was met with a hard shell of bone. Rene still pressed forward and was able to push Kimimaro back across the field, only to see no visible injury on the bone user. Only to have said Bone user start coughing up blood.
"My justu didn't do that to him, he must be sick, and I recognize the signs it's the same disease as my mother, but this may give us the edge we need." Rene thought. "Okay I have a plan. I'll distract him, Gaara catch him with your sand, Naruto prepare a Rasagan and on my signal attack. Lee open up as many gates as you can and on signal go. Understood!?" All the boys nodded, as Rene made half a dozen afterimage clones and they charged at Kimimaro.
The Bone user was able to hold of the clones until they all jumped back and did the same handsigns, "Uchiha Style; Halo Dance!" They all shouted and over two dozen swords of flame rained down at Kimimaro who had no time to dodge. As the smoke engulfed Kimimaro Rene charged toward the Bone user who appeared charging with a Bone sword but instead of white skin his skin had turned black and ghoulish with a tail included. This shocked Rene enough that he slowed a fraction of a second and it a fraction two much as the Bone sword pierced the Uchiha. While that was happening Rene felt a twinge in his EMS and a feeling of weightlessness, and looked on in shock as Kimimaro passed through Rene and on the other side. This shocked both ninja enough that it gave the opening he needed to capture Kimimaro in his sand.
"Naruto now!" Rene shouted. The next moment a Rasangan was plunged into Kimimaro's stomach but the justu was doing no damage. Rene activated his Sensukochihachi and charged at the Bone user and the two justu combined able to make a dent in the bone armor.
But still even with the combined justu Kimimaro continued to take step after step forward. "I must not fail Lord Oricharmu" Being his mantra.
"LEE NOW!" Rene shouted
"Gate of Happiness OPEN!" Lee shouted
"Naruto let go of the Rasangan!" Rene said.
As the blond let go of the orb as a gate enhanced Lee came flying from behind them, and forced the orb through Kimimaro's chest. Sending the Bone user crashing through trees.
"Get him, and bring him back to the Leaf. The guys to damn stubborn to die. I'm going to have a "talk" with my cousin" Rene said and with that he was gone.
He found Sasuke at the Valley on the End looking at the sunset atop Madara's head.
"Cousin! We need to talk." Rene said
Sasuke turned around to face Rene with a bored expression on his face. "There is nothing to talk about I made my choice."
"You're choosing that damn snake! He'll simply use you cousin. You are nothing but a puppet to him!" Rene said
"I know, but I must it is the only way to become strong enough to kill Itachi." Sasuke said
"We are strong enough cousin! We proved it when we faced him last time!" Rene said
"You proved it, you are strong. I am nothing but a damsel that you have to save, and I can't have that. I will go to Oricharmu learn what he has to teach me, and then kill him. Then kill Itachi, which is my purpose, that is all I have." Sasuke said
Rene bowed his head. "I can't talk you out of this can I cousin? Even if I broke everyone one of your bones you would crawl back to the damn snake wouldn't you? Fine I'll let you go I will let you walk the path of an avenger, but promise me two things. The first is you kill the snake, he has wronged to many people for him live, and second when you are ready to face Itachi you send me a message so we kind kill him together cousin. Do you agree to these terms?"
Sasuke nodded.
Rene nodded and pulled out his sword, as Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Come on cousin I have to make it look like I tried to stop you from escaping, plus I want to see how much you improved."
Sasuke simply smirked as he got into a fighting stance.
Hey guys so that ends this chapter, next time the fight between the Uchiha and it will be the last chapter before the three year time skip. I also want to plug my new story Teiji: Capturer of the Bijuu. I would really like your feedback on it through a review or PM if you are inclined to. As always thank you for the support.