SONIC HEROES: THE SERIES

Disclaimer: I don't own Sonic or Naruto. Tomo belongs to Kiba Sniper.

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Sibling Rivalry, Part 3

Word had spread about Espio's crimes the next day, even though he claims it wasn't him. Espio's clan was furious, unable to believe he could commit such crimes. The Hyuuga's, the Nara's, and the Yamanaka's, also defended Espio. But the other five clans of the village had overruled them. The defending clans knew if the Uchiha and the Fox clan were present, they could have won. But unfortunately, they were both massacred by a member of their own clan. Espio's father arrived home with the news.

"So how did it go?" Espio mother asked with concern.

"Not good." Espio's father said solemnly. "Espio is found guilty and given a lifelong sentence."

"They can't do that!" Charmy shouted furiously. "He's innocent! Innocent I tell you!"

"Unfortunately, we have no say." Espio's father said sadly

"This can't be happening." Espio's mother burst into tears. "First our little girl and now this."

"Don't worry!" Vector exclaimed. "Team Chaotix is on the job! We'll find the lousy creepy who did this and save Espio."

Espio's parents both looked pleased. They felt confident in Vector's detective skills, even though he had none at all. It was Charmy who burst the bubble of hope.

"But Vector, you forgot your 'Idiots Guide to being a Detective' at home."

"He's doomed." Vector attitude changed.


High in the mountains, an active volcano loomed threateningly over the village. But inside the volcano was much worse. The large stone prison drifted untouched over the lava. The prison was set up for those who committed crimes in the village. People like Espio. Espio labored in the courtyard surrounded by inmates and ninja guards. He could almost hear Tomo's wicked laugh if she saw him now.

"Pack it in!" The guard ninja called.

The inmates put down their tools and returned to their cells. Espio was the only who was required an escort. Fortunately, it was Izumo and Kotetsu who volunteered.

"I never thought we would see you here." Izumo said.

"I shouldn't" Espio growled lightly. "I was set up. This isn't my fault."

"And we believe you." Kotetsu said honestly. "But are words mean nothing." They opened the door and Espio reluctantly entered his cell. "Just try to relax."

"Hopefully you can get off for good behavior." Izumo said; placed a tray of food before Espio.

"What are the chances of that?" Espio asked.

Neither ninja made an effort to reply. They walked away; locking the cell behind them. He stared at the tray in front of him. He didn't feel like eating, but there was no sense in starving himself. He grabbed the loaf of bread. He tried to eat it, only to have it pinned to the wall by a kunai. Espio removed the kunai and found a letter wrapped around it with his family seal. Espio felt a wave of relief at the thought of his father helping. The feeling disappeared when he opened it.

Hello, brother.

I hope you are enjoying your stay. You should have realized that you should never have crossed me. Now that I have humiliated you, it's time I keep my promise. Meet me at the training grounds. It's there we shall settle this.

"Damn her." Espio cursed under his breathe.

Espio clutched the letter in his grip. He wanted to meet Tomo and end this, but how was he going to do it. The place had been known to be a ninja equivalent of Prison Island; nearly impossible to escape. With the traps, the lava, and guards at every corner, there was no way he could escape undetected.

"Hey, Raijin, I'm hungry." A voice said in the next cell.

"Me too, Fuujin." Another voice said. "Let's get some lunch."

Espio crept to the corner of his cell to get a better look. To his surprise, the prisoners next-door actually bended their bars and escaped their cell effortlessly. Both were large, fat, and had stupid looks on their faces. Espio easily recognized them as Fuujin and Raijin; also know as the legendary stupid brothers.

"Where do you think they keep the food, brother?" One of the two said.

"Uh..." The other said dimly.

Espio, along with the rest of the village, knew they only appealed to one thing: food. Grabbing his bread, Espio poked it through the bars in plain view of the brothers.

"Hey, guys, you look hungry." Espio grinned. "How about a bite."

Instantly, Espio jumped back as the two brothers rammed the cell bars down. The grabbed his food tray and nearly bit his arm off for the bread. Taking this opportunity, Espio escaped his cell and ran down the hall. He was unlucky to find Izumo and Kotetsu; whom heard the noise.

"Planning a breakout, Huh." Izumo said. Espio tried to reach for a kunai, but both his gloves had been taken upon his arrival. "Then you're going to need these."

Kotetsu threw Espio's gloves, which he caught with a confused expression.

"But why?" Espio asked.

"We know you're innocent." Kotetsu said. "This is your chance to prove it."

"But how do I get out?" Espio questioned as he replaced his gloves.

"You're a chameleon, aren't you?"

Espio smacked himself. How could he forget his own family ability? Noise could be heard down the halls. The brother's attack on his cell had alerted the rest of the prison. Espio performed a seal and blended in with his environment. With his escape ensured, there was only one target left: Tomo.


The kunochi in question was in fact waiting at the grounds where she and Espio once trained. She was patiently waiting on the rock, knowing Espio would find someway of escaping. She looked back to the times when she once expressed nothing but love for her sibling. But the memories all led up to one point: Kakashi choosing him instead of her. A menacing scowl appeared on her face. Suddenly, she drew her katana and whipped around to block two shuriken aimed for her.

"I knew you would be here, brother." Tomo grinned.

Espio disabled his camouflage; bring himself out into the open.

"We have returned to where it started." Espio said seriously. "It is ironic that it will end here as well."

"One of is going to die here." Tomo stated. "You sure you don't want to run?"

"And disgrace my family name? Never!" Espio sneered before showing a grin. "I bet you would now all about being a disgrace, sister."

"Ok, talking is getting boring." Tomo expressed with a loud yawn. "I'm just gonna kill you quickly then go to sleep."

Despite being tired as she said, Tomo swiftly reached behind her back to throw a ballistic barrage of shuriken. Espio reacted quickly and reach for a kunai to block the shuriken. But hidden amongst the shuriken was an enlarged shuriken that a simple kunai couldn't block. So, Espio dropped his kunai and pulled out his own enlarge shuriken to block. But before he could even breathe, Tomo appeared to her brother and swatted her katana downwards. Espio used the shuriken to block.

"Give it up brother. You can't possibly hope to win." Tomo sniggered evilly.

"I...will never...back down!" Espio groaned with effort.

To Tomo's surprise, Espio had somehow drawn the strength to push her back. Espio flung his foot skyward, nailing his sister in the chin. Tomo flipped backwards and landed as Espio performed a series of seals.

"Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!" Espio shouted.

Espio drew a deep breath and breathed out a number of miniature fireballs. Tomo, not falling for the same trick twice, performed her own seals and clapped her hands together.

"Wind Style: Gale Wind Palm!" Tomo shouted. A great gust of wind suddenly picked up and blasted away the fireballs and the weapons hidden inside. Tomo performed more seal and shouted. "Lightning Style: False Darkness!"

Tomo tilted her head back to a point where it looked like it would snap. She suddenly shot it forward and release a sudden bolt of black lightning. No one, not even Sonic, could avoid lightning. Espio was lucky to move fast enough that it only pierced his right shoulder. But the jutsu was more power then Espio had expected. The chameleon ninja was shot clear across the forest and fell into a lake bed not far away. Tomo appeared in an instant on top of the water.

"Do you not see the difference in our levels of power?" Tomo chuckled lightly with a cold expression. Espio weakly pulled himself to stand on the water. "Let's face it. It was a mistake that Kakashi chose you."

"No, you haven't won just yet." Espio said; panting.

"When will you realize that you could never defeat me because I'm a genius?" Tomo questioned; her expression change to one of strong hatred and suppressed rage.

"Because I know that even a genius can be defeated through the power of hard work." Espio said; his mouth curved into a smile. "I learned that from a man named Gai." Espio raised his hand over his open wound. "He was a bit of a freak and his student was hyperactive, but they both proved to be right."

"What makes you say that?" Tomo asked.

"Because I'm going to prove it." Espio stated.

Espio's hand began to glow a green aura around his shoulder. When he removed his hand, the wound Tomo created had disappeared.

"Medical jutsu." Tomo thought. "Clearly mother has taught him a few tricks."

"I can safely assure you that our mother did not." Espio said.

Tomo stepped back in fright as if she had seen a ghost.

"Did he just..."

"...Read my mind." Espio finished his sisters thought.

"Shut up!" Tomo yelled; seriously freaked out. "Who do you think you are?!"

"I'm the one who will kill you." Espio hissed.

Espio lifted his head to stare back at his sister. What she saw caught her completely off guard. Espio's normally golden eyes were now stained blood red with three commas surrounding the pupil. It didn't take a genius to know what it was.

"H-how can you..." Tomo gasped frightfully for a moment. "How can you have the sharingan?!"

"You'd be surprised at what tricks I have up my sleeve." Espio smirked.

"It won't matter! I'll still kill you!" Tomo exclaimed. She made a series of seals. "Water Style: Water Fang Jutsu!"

Three small whirlpools formed around the lake and a group of spinning water drills emerged from inside. They neared Espio when they were suddenly destroyed. Tomo didn't know how until see noticed three whirlpools around Espio.

"Did he just mimic my jutsu?" Tomo's mind raced with panic.

"That is the power of the sharingan." Espio said; reaching into Tomo's mind again.

"You think I can be fooled by some stupid trick?!" Tomo screamed. She drew her katana, which Espio mimicked by pulling out a kunai. "It cut you to pieces!"

Tomo charged forward and Espio copied her. Tomo slashed at left and right at her brother left and right, only to be blocked with her brother miming her. At one point, Tomo's nerves were so bundled that her katana slipped out of her hand when she slashed across her brother's chest. Taking advantage of his sister's slip up, Espio spun around and kicked her across the face. Tomo skid across the water before jumping back to her feet.

"I-I won't lose!" Tomo screamed hysterically.

Tomo brought her hands together and stared performed a long string of seals. Her hands moved so far that no ordinary human could ever hope to see. But amazingly, Espio was able to mimic every sign. Tomo stopped in the middle of her jutsu. How is that he could follow every move she makes? How could he have the sharingan? How? For a moment, maybe by some trick of light, Tomo could see her worst fear standing next to Espio.

"I-I-Itachi?" Tomo stammered.

"Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!" Espio yelled.

A column of water erupted behind Espio and formed a head of a dragon. Tomo, to stricken with fear, did not move as the water came crashing down over her.


Tomo's eyes shot open. She was back at the training grounds and no water dragon ready to kill her. Tomo felt a tug around her wrist and looked down. She was completely tired to a tree, her weapons discarded all over the grounds, and Espio sat on the rock with her katana resting on his shoulder like a trophy.

"I was wondering when you would wake up." Espio said. "Judging by how you were shaking, that must have been one hell of a scare."

"W-what's going on?" Tomo stammered; utterly confused. "What happened? Where's the lake? What happened to the sharingan? Where is the jutsu?"

"They never existed." Espio stated simply.

"What do you mean?" Tomo questioned

"When you left, Kakashi was expecting you to uphold your promise." Espio explained. "Knowing this, Kakashi trained me to use your weakness and turn it into my strength."

"You mean..." Tomo gasped. "All that was..."

"Genjutsu." Espio answered. "I learned it from Kurenai and eventually created my own Genjutsu. Genjutsu: World of Deception." Espio's grin grew even bigger and more confident. "Like the Uchiha's Tsukuyomi, my can alter the world to any shape and form I desire."

"But when did you perform the jutsu?" Tomo asked.

"The moment we locked eyes when I arrived." Espio answered. Espio stood up and stared across to Tomo. "After so many years, I have finally defeated you, sister. Now to put an end to this." Espio formed a string of seals. "You have always been afriad of the dark, sister. Time to face your fears. Dark World Jutsu!"

A black void formed from Espio and engulfed Tomo completely. All that could be heard was Tomo's hysteric screams.


The next day, Espio had returned to the Hokage with Tomo captured. Espio's parents were happy to hear that their daughter was alive, but seriously disappointed at her lack of judgment. Espio's parents were standing before Tsunade in her office.

"You will be pleased to hear that Espio has been cleared of all charges." Tsunade smiled at the two, who gave a sigh of relief. "I am sorry for the horrible mix-up."

"It is not your fault, Lady Tsunade." Espio's mother waved.

"What will happen to our daughter?" Espio's father asked.

"Because of the genjutsu Espio performed, Tomo has been put in a state of mental trauma." Tsunade explained. "But once she's recovered, we will have Ibiki interrogate her for information concerning the Akatsuki."

"That's good." Espio's father said.

"Dear...where is Espio?" Espio's mother asked.


Team Chaotix had decided to leave earlier then planned. But before they left, Espio wanted to visit the training grounds one last time.

"You ready for this, Espio." Vector asked; placing a blindfold over Espio's eyes.

"Always." Espio said confidently. "On my mark, Charmy."

"Gotcha." Charmy said giddily.

All was quiet. Vector and Charmy knew this was important to Espio and didn't want to ruin it. There was only one thing on Espio's mind: the targets.

"Now!" Espio shouted.

Charmy tugged the string, ringing the ten bells around the targets. At the sound of the bells, Espio jumped into the air and flipped upside down. He released eight kunai in random directions and threw one forward. He tossed the last kunai at his previous one, which bounced off each other. When he landed, he quickly removed the blindfold. He hit all the visible targets, but what about the last one?

"Well, how did he do Charmy?" Vector asked.

Charmy glided over and above the rock to look down. Charmy turned back and suddenly ran up to hugged him.

"You did it, Espio! You hit it!" Charmy cheered.

A wave of happiness roared over Espio. He had finally proven he was as worthy as his sister. Vector picked up his teammate and suffocated them into a group hug. High in the trees above, Kakashi was gazing over his orange book and smiled proudly at his student.

"He has gained new confidence in himself." Kakashi thought. "Who knows? Maybe one day he could actually become Hokage. That is, if Naruto doesn't kill him first."

Kakashi chuckled at his own joke. With new confidence and experience, Team Chaotix set off down the dirt path towards home.


At the prison, Izumo and Kotetsu stood in front of a cell containing their newest prisoner. Tomo just sat there with a distant and dazed look in her eyes. She wasn't even aware of her inmates, the stupid brothers.

"Poor things." Izumo said. "She's suffering under severe trauma."

"Who would have though Espio would be capable of harming his own sister?" Kotetsu said.

"Hey, we're hungry!" One of the brothers yelled.

"Yeah, hungry!" The other yelled.

"All right, come on." Izumo said as he unlocked the door.

The stupid brothers followed the ninja's to the kitchen, not bothering to lock the cell because of Tomo's state. But even though she was unaware of her surroundings, Tomo could feel a cold hand being placed upon her head. Suddenly, sense returned to her mind. Her vision cleared and she could see who was with her. Mephiles stood before Tomo with Erazor and Shira beside him. Tomo reacted by reaching for her katana, but it was missing. All her weapons were gone, making her defenseless. Shira walked up to her and asked.

"Looking for these?"

Shira held out Tomo's katana and gloves. Tomo didn't know if she could trust them, but she was reluctant to grab them. She replaced the weapons to their proper places and turned to the small fraction of Dark Rulers.

Who are you and what do you want?" Tomo growled.

"Be grateful, reptile." Erazor sneered. "If it was me, I would have left you here to rot."

What Erazor is trying to say..." Mephiles cut in to prevent a fight. "Our master has been watching you and he is very pleased."

"So what?" Tomo questioned.

"So...Lord Nazo would like to extend his hand to you and make you a Dark Ruler." Mephiles said coldly.

Tomo felt her heart drop to her stomach. Even the Akatsuki had heard of the Dark Rulers and feared them beyond all else. To have someone offer them a place amongst their ranks was one of the greatest and possibly lethal honors. Tomo thought of the possibilities. If she refused, she would remain trapped here. If she accepted, she could die.

"So...when do I start?" Tomo sniggered fiendishly.


The scene changes to a faraway mountain range. Upon a hill, a man with pale white skin, flowing black hair, and piercing yellows eyes gazed along the tree tops in the forest in front of him. He was the wretched snake of the leaf village, Orochimaru. But he wasn't alone. A snake slithered in the grass near...and stood up? The snake had been none other then the murderous Naga the Snake.

"Naga...it's been at least fifteen years since we've last contacted." Orochimaru said coolly.

"And you have aged gracccefully." Naga said; taking note of Orochimaru's youthful appearance. "Isss that a new body?"

"Yes, unfortunately." Orochimaru said. "I ran out of time and couldn't posses the body I desired."

"Then I guesss you'll just have to wait three more yearsss till then." Naga hissed.

"I should thank you." Orochimaru presented him with a rare smile. "If it wasn't for your theory of immortality, I never would have created the reincarnation jutsu."

"It isss only fair." Naga hissed. "You provided me with the tessst subjectsss that I needed for my experimentsss."

"Speaking of the experiments, how are they?" Orochimaru asked.

"It wasss fine until that wrenched rat, Gale the Hedgehog, showed up." Naga hissed "He tried to kill me for exxxperimenting on hisss newborn son. He failed, but paralyzed half of my body. If it wasn't for those insectsss, I would not be here."

"Cruel and malicious." Orochimaru said pleasingly. "You are an excellent partner."

"That'sss why you created me...father." Naga hissed.


Espio's dream has become a reality. But how Tomo's union with the Dark Rulers effect the war? And what secrets does Naga hide? Find out on the next Sonic Heroes.

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