Chapter 25: The Battle

Keiko and Sasuke woke in Kabuto's lab. They were both restrained to metal slabs which were elevated slightly. She heard Sauke's rattle as he struggled against it.

"That won't do you any good," Kabuto grinned. "I have to admit, I've wanted to further study growing new vessels for Orochimaru-sama, but I haven't been successful thus far."

He leaned over a microscope and held a dropper to a petri dish. He took another set of Petri dishes and put them in a cryo freezer. "I have you for as long as I need you, but, just in case," he smiled.

"Don't worry, we don't plan to keep you there all day. We need you both to keep up your strength. You can't build uh...resources for my specimens if we don't keep you healthy."

Keiko growled, "You have no idea what it is you're messing with. Do you know how unpredictable messing with Yōkai DNA can be?"

"Science is always a risk," shrugged Kabuto. "I could find a way to force you to do it the traditional way, but without your cooperation I'm not sure how well that would work."

They heard rumbling coming from all the walls in the underground hideout. Kabuto looked up sharply.

"Unexpected guests?" asked Keiko, grinning menacingly. She chuckled deeply trying to keep up a bravado she didn't really feel at the moment.

Kabuto looked at her and a flash of annoyance crossed his face. He quickly recovered and turned it into an equally devilish grin. "I'll be back soon. Don't...go anywhere," he laughed.

Heh, if he only knew. After she was sure he was gone, Keiko broke out of her restraints. Sasuke looked at her in surprise.

"I've been working on a way to partition off my magic and chakra so the bonds wouldn't be able to leech my reserves," she explained. "That bastard doesn't know who he's fucking with."

Sasuke's eyebrows rose at her use of an expletive. He'd never heard her swear quite like that before growing up. She must be pretty pissed. Good. They were going to need their full strength to get out of this.

"I'm done playing games. I'm done holding back and being weak. Let's get out of here," she said turning to him.

They looked out from the entrance and saw Kabuto and Orochimaru taking off after some of the Akatsuki in the distance. When they thought the coast was clear, they crept out cautiously.

"Hmph, long time no see. I have to admit, Orochimaru is pretty good. After all, he was one of us," said Deidara dropping down from one of his creations. "Who would have thought that he and Kabuto would have been able to wipe you right under our nose?"

"But we're better," said Itachi, joining him. "I want to fight you both, but I'm afraid you're going to have to play with Deidara, little brother, until I'm done dealing with our prize."

Before Sasuke could advance on Itachi, Deidara was already making his move. Itachi was working on separating them so he could fight Keiko alone. Itachi sent a fireball between them which they both had to avoid. Keiko knew she couldn't meet his gaze. She watched Itachi's feet, trying to see where he would go next. Damnit, here she was again without the wand. She'd have to work with the skills she learned.

She hadn't used this skill in a while because she didn't find it particularly effective against many shinobi with their dodge abilities, but maybe it would be enough to throw him off. She summoned a demon sword from the air that was her birthright from her father; Zenmai, the royal fern. Her uncle had left similar swords for her cousins.

"Dance, 10,000 fronds," said Keiko. Thousands of leaves swirled into existence like many razors barreling towards Itachi.

"Hmm, you'll have to do better than that," he said.

As Itachi dodged the leaves, Keiko shadow stepped as close as she could and made a kiriage cut at Itachi. He started, wondering how she got close so quickly. He dodged her easily, but it had the effect she hoped.

"You killed Kakashi and the obsession with you has driven Sasuke into madness. I will take you down this day Uchiha Itachi. Prepare yourself."

A fireball dispelled the remaining leaves as it burned towards her.

Keiko signed. Ram. Snake. Tiger. "Water style, black rain jutsu," she said.

Itachi's eyes widened as he jumped back, but he was unable to avoid it. Black rain with the consistency of oil descended around him. He watched as his fireball barreled back towards him, lapping up the drops as it came. He shed his coat and appeared outside the range of the jutsu. He watched it burn.

"Smart," he goaded, "it won't matter if I can read your movements if you use skills I can't avoid. I can see why Kakashi liked you."

They heard in the distance Deidara cry out, "Art, is an explosion!" The earth rumbled and shook around them, throwing them both offguard.

Deidara. He must have been defeated. Sasuke ran into the clearing. He blasted dragon fire in Itachi's direction. It was impressive. Keiko could tell Sasuke was pretty spent from the battle with Deidara. She didn't even realize she had been with Itachi as long as she had. It was almost like he was distorting time.

Sasuke fell to a knee, Orochimaru's presence pouring from him. He could no longer suppress it. No wonder Orochimaru seemed to be everywhere at once; he had been leaving his mark on so many. Itachi summoned hundreds of black birds to battle the snakes Orochimaru had summoned from his mouth. While he was distracted, Itachi drew the Sword of Totsuka and slashed at Orochimaru. He screamed as he was pulled into a jar.

Keiko didn't skip a beat. "Water style, syrup trap."

Itachi dodged the places her trap hit the ground. He landed a ways away from her.

It had been a long time since she had been clear enough to come at an enemy full force and Itachi was still making it a challenge. The only good news was it was clearly wearing on him as well, especially after the bout with Orochimaru's clone if that's even what it was. He had dropped some of his composure and was leaning over slightly, panting. Trying to deal with her and having trapped Orochimaru's spirit was taking its toll.

"You've finally let down your guard," he panted pointing at her. "All I needed was a finger."

The landscape around her dissolved as the Mangekyo Sharingan replaced it with images of Kakashi's room. "I'm begging you Kakashi, please don't go," she heard herself say.

"Keiko, we can't go through this every time I go on a dangerous mission. I'm always going to be on a dangerous mission. You know I always do my best to weigh the risks."

"I've never once begged you not to go on a mission. I'm telling you, something about this just doesn't feel right. Please, don't go."

Kakashi sighed and pulled her into a hug, "I promise I will be careful. I have to watch out for Naruto and Sakura as well, remember?" he kissed her gently before the scene dissolved. Keiko reached out for it, beckoning him to come back.

She was running through the woods. She could smell the scent of Itachi and blood on the air, but it wasn't his. Kakashi, hold on. She stepped into the clearing and found Kakashi staggering with a hole in his chest. He collapsed against a tree.

"Why," he croaked.

Tears streamed down her face as she rushed to catch him.

"Why did you go with him? Why did you choose Gaara over me?"

"Stop," she sobbed. She turned to where a dark figure stood nearby, red eyes glowing from the dark. "STOP IT!"

In the real world, Itachi staggered. Keiko's words didn't just ring through the illusion, they came from her outside as well. She shouldn't be able to move.

"Just stop," she said again sobbing. The scene dissolved again. This time she was standing in a clearing, but Kakashi was already on the ground, bleeding. He was badly burned on his torso. His breath was ragged as she knelt down next to him and leaned over him. This time, he looked straight through her to the sky as if he didn't even see her. Tears leaked from the corners of his eyes as he watched clouds roll across a blue sky.

"I'm so sorry Keiko," he gasped. He closed his eyes. "I love you."

Keiko held him and continued to weep. The scene around her cleared as she heard a crash nearby. Sand had swallowed Itachi in his moment of confusion. As he recovered and tried to break free, Sasuke closed with his Chidori. Blood trickled from Itachi's lips as he coughed and collapsed to the ground.

Sasuke stepped up to Itachi and Itachi touched his forehead with bloody fingers, leaving streaks before taking his final breath. He whispered something to Sasuke but Gaara couldn't hear.

Once he was confident Sasuke had the situation handled, Gaara rushed to Keiko.

"Keiko! I'm sorry I didn't make it sooner. Are you hurt?"

She didn't answer. She didn't even seem to notice he was there. "Warm," was all she could think when he scooped her into his arms. Tears continued to stream down her face as she buried it in his chest, but she still didn't really seem aware of his presence.

Sasuke joined them when his battle was finished. "I can only imagine what he showed her," he said. "It must have been agonizing for her to muster the strength to break it."

Gaara closed his eyes and stood up, lifting her into his arms. He opened them and turned to Sasuke. "You are welcome to come back to the village you know. I'm sure your friends will want to see you," he said.

"When I'm ready, they will," smirked Sasuke. "Take care of that one," he said more seriously.

When he had gone, Gaara kissed Keiko gently. "Please come back to me. I love you," he whispered.

"Please come back to me," Keiko had begged. But he didn't. That kind of pain would resonate through the remainder of her unnaturally long life. "Come back. I love you," she heard again, but it was not her voice, or Kakashi's. She looked up slowly, truly recognizing that Gaara was there for the first time. "You came back," she grinned weakly.

"I'm not going anywhere."