Chapter 26

Right, sorry if it took a while, I have been preparing for a festival and I have been making salmon skewers, lol! Anyway, on with the story...

Sakura stared at Isamu to see if he could provide futher information. His face seemed to contort with thought.

"What is it Isamu-san?" Sakura asked him.

"It's...that chakra is so..." Isamu's head began throbbing. "I have never felt anything like it."

Sakura widened her eyes as she stared ahead. "How far?"

"about 5 km..." Isamu guessed.

-----

Sasuke gazed at his surroundings. It was a sinister place. He cast his eyes to Tobi, he gave him one simple look before staring at Naruto, who lay unconcious on the ground before them.

Pain waited for the two bearers of the sharingan to begin. "You two must start and we will continue once you have controlled the kyuubi."

Tobi nodded.

Sasuke noticed they were standing on stone hands. Sasuke on Itachi's place. He felt slight unease as he stared at Naruto. 'Is this...?'

"Sasuke!" Tobi said suddenly.

Sasuke looked up.

"Activate your sharingan..." Tobi told him.

Sasuke did so. They did a hand sign as purple chakra began to seep out of them. Naruto's body began to lift off the ground, until he was centre with the missing-eyed statue. Soon, purple chakra also began to release itself from Naruto's eyes and mouth, so that he looked like a phantom. There was a chilling noise, which filled the room. The sound of the kyuubi...ripping from his body.

Sasuke did not know if he could control it, but all the eyes of the Akatsuki members were on him. Especially Kisame.

-----

Isamu suddenly collapsed onto a branch, out of breath. Sakura paused as she came to his side, placing a hand on his shoulder. Kakashi paused.

"I'm going to check the perimeter, you guys wait here, take a rest Isamu..." Kakashi said as he leapt off.

Sakura turned her attention back to Isamu. "What is it?"

"They are drawing out something...the Akatsuki. The chakra is familiar yet I cannot pinpoint it...I can feel the power of the sharingan, it is increasing. Whatever is going on, their chakra is so immense it is affecting my abilities to locate it," Isamu explained.

"The sharingan?" Sakura repeated in surprise. "Do you mean...?"

"There is more than one for sure..." Isamu paused. He gazed at Sakura's eyes as they began to glisten. "I'm sorry Sakura..."

"I don't understand it...Sasuke..." Sakura punched the tree, splitting a hole through the tough bark. "Sorry...I should probably save my chakra..."

"How he could do that to you...when you have done so much for him...If I could, I would make him pay Sakura, but I will let you have him for this fight," Isamu said. "Just as long as you get revenge...right?"

"Revenge...doesn't solve anything," Sakura said. 'Wait for me...' Sakura shut her eyes. "I just don't get it...what's the point in trying to love anyone if they just-" she broke off.

Isamu held her arm. "Sakura, you will find someone one day...just don't let him get in the way. You are stronger now, you can fight him and win."

Sakura gazed at Isamu in surprise. Then without thinking, leant in to kiss him...

"We need to get moving," Kakashi said suddenly, not noticing what had happened. "Come on, let's go."

Sakura leant back, embarrassed. "Right..." They jumped off and headed forward.

-----

Sasuke could feel his chakra leaving his body, yet he felt powerful. His sharingan was controlling the kyuubi...almost...

"We are ready to use mangekyou," Tobi said to Pain. "And then the rest of you can join..." He nodded to Sasuke, Sasuke nodded back.

"Mangekyou sharingan," they said together.

They entered the the dark world together. Sasuke had seen this place before. A large gate stood before them, a red bubbling chakra began to seep through the gate's claws.

"So you're finally letting me out..." The chakra spoke menacingly.

"Only on certain conditions," Tobi said confidently as the demon fox fully appeared in front of him. The demon fox's eyes widened.

"You..." the fox snarled. "I remember you..."

"Then you will remember that you must obide by my rules," Tobi said sternly.

Sasuke lowered his eyes.

"And Uchiha Sasuke, who has as much potential as the one standing before me...you could perhaps become the soul heir of the Uchiha clan..." the fox said. "You can compress me so easily after all..."

"Leave the boy out of this," Tobi said sternly.

Sasuke glared at Tobi. He was no boy.

The fox chuckled. "What are your terms?"

"You do what you wish with my permission," Tobi said.

"Do as I wish after 18 years of confinement...I am tempted to accept that offer..."

"Let's go Sasuke," Tobi said, turning around.

Sasuke remained staring at the fox's eyes. 'You who brought terror to Konoha...and yet can be controlled by mere Sharingan? Does that mean sharingan is more intimidating than...'

The mangekyou was released. Sasuke blinked. He was back where he was. The kyuubi's spirit coming out more rapidly now.

"Right, let's do this," Pain said suddenly. The whole Akatsuki did a hand sign and soon purple chakra was flowing from their bodies.

"I take it that the kyuubi gave in to your wishes, hm?" Konan asked.

"It had no choice," Tobi said.

-----

Sakura ran faster now, she had no idea what was going on, but Kakashi had begun to look worried and even she could sense chakra she had not felt in a long time...'Naruto!' She was faster than Kakashi and Isamu now. Moving at a pace that may have matched Sasuke's. 'No way am I hesitating...I am going to stop this.' She could see the cave up ahead, exactly as Jaraiya had described it. Settled on the borders of the rain village. "We need to bust through this thing!"

"Shouldn't we find an opening?" Isamu asked, coming up from behind her.

"No time!" Sakura said.

"Then go straight through it Sakura," Kakashi said.

Sakura did not expect him to say that, however she gathered her chakra in her fist and aimed for the heavy stone. Increasing her speed, she dove a fatal blow into the rock, colliding against it like a bullet. The rock shattered, revealing a room, which made Sakura gasp. Chakra everywhere. A horrific statue and stone hands crawling from the ground. The statue had eyes...

Kakashi appeared from behind her. "This is where the rituals take place..." He said quietly.

Sakura was not listening. She was gazing at the body floating above the ground, his spirit being rippped out of him. Naruto...Sakura could not hold in her anger for Akatsuki. She could not believe all this time they had kept his body. "NARUTO!" Sakura screamed.

Akatsuki stared at the three who had broken through the cave.

"Hn...what inconsiderate timing," Pain said.

"Sasuke, take them out," Tobi ordered.

Sasuke raised his eyes at this. "Why me?"

"Why not you?" Tobi asked him.

Sasuke looked down at them...'Sakura...what are you doing here?' He could not move. If Sakura saw him dressed in Akatsuki uniform she would think the worst.

Sakura ran to the statue, hands outstreched. "NARUTO!"

"Sasuke stop her!" Tobi yelled.

Within a second, Sasuke appeared in front of Sakura, stopping her in her tracks.

"Move out the way or I'll..." Sakura widened her eyes. 'No...this can't be!' "Sasuke...how..."

"Sakura, you need to leave or you'll be killed-"

Sakura punched him, so hard blood shot from his mouth. Sasuke turned to face her in surprise. "Want some more?" She punched him again and again. And he took it. "What are you, stupid! Fight me!" She went in to punch him but he clasped his hand round her fist.

"Sakura, this isn't how it looks, turn around and walk away!" Sasuke hissed so the others could not hear.

"This isn't how it looks huh? Naruto is alive and you never told me! And you're wearing...that uniform and your brother's ring and you're drawing the kyuubi out like...like you ARE Itachi!" Sakura cried. "You're just like him! You are him!"

Kakashi pulled Sakura away from Sasuke. "Save Naruto," he whispered. "Sasuke...I don't know what your game is but it will not go on like this. I'm going to have to kill you."

Sasuke glared at him. "Kakashi...that is not my intention." Kakashi and him began to fight.

Tobi sighed. "Well, it seems we should-"

"We can't break it," Pain said. "Without Sasuke, it is already slowing down, we can't hold this without the sharingan. Konan-you go."

Konan nodded before disappearing. She appeared in front of Sakura. Sakura glared at her and immediately went in to fight.

Pain looked down on them. "Only 15 minutes left...this is going much faster than the other jinchurriki...this kyuubi must be eager."

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How was it? Lol! I enjoyed writing this chapter! Hope it was good, let me know in your reviews, thankies!