Hello there! I'm back with another new chapter for your enjoyment!! Things have not been going exactly as planned…but that's life I suppose. Still, what a time to be looking for jobs…XO. So, here it is. Also, I'd like to add that I'm going to respond directly to reviews from now on. This is the last chapter where you will see the last review replies.
Coroamm: Short answer: I'm Jewish. With all the graphic novels and animation out there tackling real-world issues, I've yet to see any either directly talk about the Holocaust or make up an event based on it (with the exception of Maus, but that was based on true accounts). So, I thought I'd give it a try.
Cecixx19: STOP GUESSING!!! YOU'RE RUINING MY STORY FOR EVERYONE!!!
Spazzgirl: Well…you'll see soon enough.
Mrfipp: I think Kakashi is still alive. And yes, Iwa totally goes "Heil Tsuchikage!" And come on…what else did you think Midoriiro was doing with that sword!? She's essentially a feminized hybrid of Kenshin Himura and Mugen.
Disclaimer: If you haven't figured out by now I don't own Naruto…it means you're retarded.
"Hhhn. Hnn" Shiguri breathed deeply, trying to feel his surroundings. He was buried under an avalanche, and could not see a thing. Consequently, he could hardly breathe.
Except for his front side, he felt nothing but rock. His front side was pressed up against someone's flesh. "Naruto-sensei…you protected me." Shiguri remembered the instant the rocks came down, Naruto shielded him from the impact. Thinking about it, Shiguri didn't understand the feeling inside his belly. He felt…grateful to him. "Grandfather would do the same thing for me." He said assuredly to himself. But as he tried to imagine such a scenario…Danzou just never showed up.
Something like liquid touching his forehead brought him out of his train of thought. Another drop hit his lips. "Is this…blood?" Shiguri realized that Naruto must be bleeding; in this situation, it was likely to be serious. Suddenly, Shiguri felt himself becoming dizzy. "There's not much air here…got to…call…for help." Slowly, making sure he was doing them correctly, Shiguri made a few hand signs. "Kuchiyose no Jutsu!!" A group of small wasps appeared; he couldn't see them, but just the same he knew they were there. "Scatter. Get help. Hurry…there's not much time."
The wasps crawled between the rocks, and once they broke through to the surface, took flight.
Iori tossed and turned in her sleep, and bolted upright, barely keeping herself from letting out a scream. "A dream…it had to be a dream!" She had been sweating profusely, and her heart was going a mile a minute. This nightmare was something different; not even those about her father have caused her to wake up so frightened. It seemed to start when she was fighting that strange girl. And then…she began fighting other Konoha nins. The weirdest thing was that she felt everything her body did as well; most of the time, she felt her body ache with exhaustion, yet something kept her going. More importantly, she remembered the battles. They were against comrades, and she couldn't stop herself. And she saw her kamas rip their flesh every time…
"You're awake."
Iori turned to her side, and saw a Konoha jonin sitting next to her. She recognized him as one of her sensei's friends, Shikamaru, if she recalled his name correctly. It was then that she observed her surroundings, and realized she was no longer where she was when she fought Genkakushoujou; she certainly did not recall Shikamaru and his team coming in to help hers and set camp in the area. "How…?"
"That's what I would like to know." Shikamaru replied. "You gave us quite a bit of trouble in a very bad place."
Iori then grabbed her heart. "So…everything I've done…was real?"
"Depends. Tell me everything you remember."
Iori told him everything she recalled. In realizing that she remembered everything in the dream, her hopes that it was one sunk. At the end of it all, Shikamaru confirmed that it collaborated with the state she was in when they encountered her. Iori then broke down crying. Shikamaru, though seemingly unsympathetic, patted her on the back. "Don't worry about it, I believe you."
To emphasize his point, Shikamaru shook a glass vile in front of Iori's face. Taking a look, it seemed reddish. "Was that…the berry I ate before my fight?" It looked like more than a chewed up piece of food though; it seemed to sprout moving tentacles.
"Hanabi found this inside of you. She sealed up your chakra points and afterwards, we cut it out of you." Iori, reacting to his sentence, quickly lifted her shirt to see a hideous scar across her abdomen. Shikamaru said "I apologize; I'm not an official medical ninja but I know enough about anatomy and basic non-ninjutsu medical procedures to safely remove that thing from your body. And Hokage-sama should be able to heal the scar, if that's what you're worried about…but you've got other priorities to worry about." He had Iori's full attention now. She seemed to know where he was headed. "Like I said, I believe you're innocent, but I can't take any chances. The fact is you attacked and possibly killed many Konoha shinobi. Someone, namely the families of those you attacked, will want compensation. Not to mention no matter how certain I am, there is always the possibility that you ARE either lying or your condition is not yet under control; as such, I have to choice but to treat you as a criminal until you're tried."
It was right then that Iori noticed her heels were tied with an explosive tag. If she broke free, her legs would be blown off; it wasn't enough to kill her though, although for a shinobi that scenario was arguably worse. Sighing, knowing that Shikamaru had her best interests at heart, she murmured "I understand."
Shikamaru then lay down and murmured "Say thanks to Hanabi when we wake up. If it wasn't for her, I would've assumed you were an outright traitor and disposed of you." Shikamaru didn't really mean that; Naruto would've probably killed him, and to be honest, he wouldn't feel great about that either. But in the same situation, he figured most others would. Besides, no reason not to teach kids good manners. Especially if they studied under Naruto of all people.
Iori didn't sleep. Instead, she stared into the dark night sky. "Daddy…did something like this happen to you, back at home?" Iori feared that while her actions may not have been hers to control, just like her father, because of it she would be shunned…
Sasuke and Midoriiro ran through the forest, knowing danger was not far away. Neither one of them spoke a word; Sasuke was in too much shock to fully comprehend Midoriiro's true identity, and he doubted Midoriiro was in a mood to explain herself.
"The last one of us would never have agreed to go along with this, that bitch."
Thinking back to what Lei Gong told him, it was certainly possible. He did refer to the supposedly living but missing swordsmen in such a term that had a specific connotation to it, and he most certainly would have never believed Midoriiro was a mist swordsman had those ninja not said so. "I want…no, I NEED answers." He thought. He trusted her, but he had to understand what made her the person he was getting to know the past two months.
Sasuke broke out of his thoughts and noticed Midoriiro had picked up speed. Sasuke matched it and grabbed her sleeve. Reflexively, Midoriiro pulled out her sword and tried to slash Sasuke in self-defense; fortunately, he anticipated that reaction and locked her elbow, keeping the blade away from him. Midoriiro relaxed immediately upon seeing it was him. "Midoriiro, we need to talk!"
She simply turned around, and sheathed her sword. "What you heard was true. I doubt you really want to 'talk' to me." Her tone seemed to have both anger and fear.
Midoriiro walked away, refusing to look at Sasuke. "What? You think that I would think any less of you?" he asked in response.
"You heard them, I'm one of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist. My comrades aren't exactly known for humanitarian work. If you knew who I was right from the start, you probably would have clawed your way through the wall to escape."
Sasuke chuckled slightly. "Not really, no. I wasn't in the best condition when you found me, but I'm quite confident in my ability to protect myself. Besides, I fought Zabuza as a child. Granted, I had help, but I know what you guys are capable of. Not to mention the fact that I recently hired a couple of them, although that didn't exactly work well in the end."
This seemed to catch Midoriiro's attention. It did not, however, get her to trust him more. If anything, she was newly suspicious of him. "Who ARE you exactly?"
Sasuke looked around, making sure no one was listening. "I'll tell you…but not now. First, we need to get out of here, find another village. Then, I want you to tell me about yourself first. Maybe then, I can help you."
Midoriiro looked at him in shock. "What makes him think HE can help ME!?" Despite her doubts, something told her to follow Sasuke's lead this time.
Dawn. It wasn't much of a sight to behold at the present time; it was raining, and there was no majestic sun to greet the land. Then again, sight-seeing wasn't the reason why a group of Konoha shinobi were there. They were having a light breakfast before their mission, and the weather was making cooking a tad bit difficult.
"Man. A war, a wasteland, and rain. Some trip this is turning out to be, huh?" The others laughed jovially, glad someone could lighten up the mood.
"Come on, guys. We've got work to do, and to make matters worse, we're in enemy territory." The captain ordered.
"Aw man, you're no fun!" one of them whined.
As the shinobi finished their breakfast, one of them started to brush his shoulder furiously.
"What's the matter, Tora?" the one kunoichi in the group asked.
"Some damn bee or something! It won't leave me alone!" The said creature finally departed his "victim's" shoulder, and moved over to the leader. "Slice it up with a kunai already, you won't ruin it!!" the last host said. Then, the insect left the leader's head. And his head followed it. "Uh, sir?"
The leader remained silent. He then turned to his comrades and sternly whispered "Follow that bug."
"What!?"
Reluctantly, the team followed their leader. After a few minutes, one of them asked "Sir, what is it about this insect that's compelling you to follow?"
"I believe it is a summon. One this small most likely means that the ninja it has a contract with is too weak to move and has been looking for help."
"What if they're Iwa nin?"
"If they are, we will help them regardless, and someone will take them back to Konoha for interrogation. And…" the leader fingered his weapons pouch. "…I'm prepared just in case; this could well be a trap."
For a half an hour, they followed it up a mountain, and then the bug dove down into the cliff. "Boss, come on!! There's nothing here but a pile of rocks!!"
The leader, instead, knelt down and observed the area. Running his hand across the ground, he picked up some burned paper. Observing it, he noted "This looks like the remains of an explosive tag. Margay! Give me the map!" The kunoichi handed the leader the map, and he laid it out on the ground. The others gathered around him to keep it dry as possible. Pointing to the map, the leader stressed "This is supposed to be the location of Gouman Mountain." Pulling out a photograph, he had everyone look at it. "This was a photo taken from a native peasant in the country about 3 months ago. It seems to have undergone extensive damage, and I have reason to believe it was man-made. There is a huge group of boulders down there that was absent recently, and this paper here looks like they belonged to explosive tags at one point. I suspect someone got caught under an avalanche."
The leader stood up and yelled "Kurosai, Kangaroo: You two go ahead with the mission, only two were needed anyway. The rest of you, help me clear away this debris, quickly!!"
"Yes, Iruka Taichou!!"
"Dude! It's going to take days for to get through all this debris all by ourselves!! Captain Iruka, I strongly suggest we regroup with our comrades in Southern Iwa country!!"
"No!" Iruka responded. "Whoever is under here could die any minute!! We have to dig them out now!! Besides…" Iruka scanned the rocky landscape, and saw a small poof of smoke. "…I figure the summon will do everything it can to let us know where to start looking." Iruka hurried to where it landed before disappearing; it was very likely at this point the person who summoned it did not have much time left.
Lifting the boulders as best he could, he went to work. It must have been a good hour before he came across an article of clothing, proving his suspicions correct that someone was caught under the avalanche. But Iruka's eyes widened as he inspected the cloth; it was a patch, sporting the pattern of a whirlpool. "No…it can't be…" Iruka began digging through the rocks feverishly, like a man possessed. Taking note of this, his comrades ran over to help him.
Too long by Iruka's standards, they finally found him. "Naruto…" Iruka did his best fight back his tears, and pulled Naruto out of the debris. It was then that they noticed Shiguri. As the others pulled him out, Iruka could not help but look at Naruto. He was deathly pale, and covered in caked blood. Much to his relief, Iruka felt a pulse from him. Faint, but it was there. Turning his attention to Shiguri, he yelled "How is he!?"
One of his teammates inspected him, and replied "Same condition as that fella, I reckon. They're too weak to be moved safely, but we can treat them well enough."
Iruka cradled Naruto in his arms, noting how big he had gotten over the years. "Right. Let's find a camp site promptly. We'll treat them until they're well enough to be taken into Konoha."
"Yes sir!"
Yuji lit up another candle, inspecting a map. The other day, he found out about one of the guards at the camp being arachnophobic. Figuring it was a perfect time to sign the contract that once belonged to his father, he exploited that weakness, and mentally tortured the guard into giving it to him. Yuji made sure afterwards that he would go to a place free of all spiders. "Hopefully, he'll face something much more frightening down there." He thought as he remembered that day. He focused back on the map, reminding himself that combined with faking the disguise with the kid and the recent disposal of that guard, he exposed himself and Hyouike. The Iwa nin knew they were somewhere in the area, and it was only a matter of time before they decided to check the cave.
As he and Hyouike continued to inspect the map, Hyouike broke the silence. "Just how are you going to pull this off? They've already been on to us for days, and it's only a matter of time before they come looking into this cave."
"I know, I know!" Yuji yelled, annoyed and exhausted. "Your bickering doesn't help matters any." Just then, something on the map caught his eye. "This trench…this is where they pile the bodies, correct?"
Hyouike's face twisted at the way he said that. "Noting the unemotional tone of your voice, yes, that's probably where they put my parents at some point."
Yuji sighed "Sorry, I didn't mean it like that. I just…I've been so obsessed about tearing the place down that I haven't thought about what actually went on there as much."
Hyouike gave him a nasty stare. "Kind of odd, considering you CLAIMED they were the reason you decided to try something as crazy as this."
Sighing, Yuji responded "Anyway, I had an idea…although you're not going to like it part of it."
"Oh?" Hyouike had a bad feeling about the way he said that. "Probably something perverted."
Yuji explained his first part of the plan. Hyouike screamed "WHAT!? Don't you have any respect for the dead!?"
Yuji gestured her to calm down. "On those grounds, I don't like it any more than you do. But unless you've got an alternative, that's our only option so far."
Hyouike reluctantly calmed down. "Fine. But the rest better be good."
Yuji continued. "Second, the underground gas tanks. We need to light them up. Once that happens, combined with the first step, it will create absolute panic. With the power off, we can easily tear down the fences and help everyone escape. Now, to cover ourselves…" Yuji pointed to someplace east of the camp. "I noticed there was a dam here. I figure we can set some explosives inside, and once we blow it, it will flood the camp, ensuring our escape."
"Impossible!" Hyouike shouted in disbelief. "The timing would have to be just right!! Not only that, but there's no way even a ninja can trigger an explosion from such a long distance!!"
"That would be true. Except I HAVE found a way. It's risky though…but as my old man said, 'When there are no other options, the risk is always worth it.'" Yuji gave a grim smile. Too bad it didn't get him one in return.
Naruto jumped through the forest at a speed he didn't think was possible for him. The only thing that was moving faster than him was his beating heart. He felt deathly afraid too. And the oddest part was…he didn't know why.
Finally, he arrived at Konoha, only to find out something was wrong. The first thing he noticed was that the Hokage monuments were smashed. "Who…who did this!?" Naruto ran right into the village, and then made another horrifying discovery: It was deserted. Not only that, but every building showed signs of battle. Naruto tried to scream the names of people he knew, but he choked every time he did. As he walked to the other side, he found the explanation for the lack of people: Graves. Graves everywhere. "No! It can't be!! Everyone's…dead!?"
He couldn't exactly count them, there were too many…but it seemed to be enough to populate Konoha. Instead of proper graves, crosses made of wood were used to commemorate the dead. Whoever buried them must not have had any help. Realizing what that meant, Naruto looked closer and saw articles of clothing and personal possessions at each grave. One had an Icha Icha book on the stick. Another had a set of art material next to it. Another had a crown with the character "Oil" on it. The next thing that caught his attention was a very familiar jacket with the character of "Gamble" on it. He recognized immediately for whom these graves were for. "Kakashi-sensei!! Sai!! Ero-senin!! Ba-chan!!" Then something else occurred to him. "If everyone is gone…no, I won't allow it!!"
Naruto ran through the graves, seeing familiar things that stood as symbols for his fallen friends. However, at the moment, only one mattered to him. He had to be sure SHE was safe. He came to a screeching halt when he finally found it, and collapsed onto his knees. He found a grave with a simple Konoha headband on it. What made this one stand out though, was that the fabric was red. It was Sakura's. Naruto felt the overwhelming urge to cry and scream, but something wouldn't let him.
"There's still time." A strange voice said.
Naruto turned around and saw someone behind him. His face was covered in the shadows. "What?" he asked.
"This is simply the future. A future that does not have to occur; there's still time to change it."
Naruto stood up, a part of him surging with renewed hope, another part overwhelmed with pessimism that he normally never felt. Despite his conflicting feelings on the man's statement, he desperately asked "What do I need to do!? Tell me!!"
The figure didn't even move out of the shadows to let him see his face. "Be honest with your feelings…there is only one person you need to save, and in doing so, you will save all."
Just then, the figure began to turn and walk away. "Wait!" Naruto screamed. "Who are you!? Who do I need to save!?" Naruto ran to catch up with him. "Tell me who you are!!!" Naruto finally reached him, and spun him around so that he was facing the blonde jinchuriki. However, before he could get a good look, some force began pulling Naruto away. The one feature he did see was the man's blond hair…
Naruto blinked his eyes twice, and his vision finally came into focus. He realized he seemed to be looking into the night sky. He started to sit up, but stopped when pain racked his body. "I seem to find myself in these situations all the time these days." he noted. Naruto suddenly remembered the avalanche he was buried under. His eyes shot up in realization, and just as he was about to call out Shiguri's name…
"He's fine."
Naruto turned his head, and saw a very familiar and relieved face looking back at him, with a scar he would always remember. "Ir…Iruka-sensei?"
Iruka smiled warmly and patted him on the head. "It's been a long time. I guess we've both been busy with so many other things." Iruka began to help Naruto sit up against a rock, and offered him something to drink. Naruto drank it, and nearly spat it out discovering it was medicine, but finished it realizing it was for his own good. "You did a good job, Naruto." Iruka commented. "You protected Shiguri there when the avalanche came, didn't you? If you hadn't done that and taken the worst of it for him, he probably would've been killed."
"No." Naruto whispered.
"Huh?"
"I'm nothing but a screw-up!!" Naruto screamed, although in his state it barely came out as more than a whisper. "Yuji and Iori are dead because of me!!!"
Iruka's eyes widened as Naruto began to cry. "Naruto, Naruto!" Iruka made the jinchuriki face him. "Naruto…tell me everything that happened."
Naruto did…and that included what he found out about Iwa's latest battle plan. "No." Iruka whispered in disbelief.
"Yes. They're going to siege Konoha, and take every civilian and child they can hostage." Naruto looked into the fire. "I don't know what they'll demand if they achieve their objective…but I bet it has something to do with me."
Iruka nodded. He knew that Akatsuki was involved, and was gravely concerned for his well-being ever since. But even so, he couldn't be treated as a child to be protected; if they kept him in the village, they would have come for the young man anyway. "When did you find this out!?" Iruka demanded.
Naruto tried to remember, and his eyes widened in horror. "What day did you find me!?"
"It was three days ago, Sunday."
"It was the day before I was buried by the avalanche!!"
Iruka stood up and said "There may still be time." Iruka turned around and said "Zou! You heard him! We have to sprint for Konoha and inform Hokage-sama! Margay, Kangaroo, you stay here with these two, and once they're able to move, get back to Konoha as quickly as you can!"
"Yes sir!" The team replied.
Naruto began to stand. "I've got to go! They'll…"
Naruto, much to his disappointment, was restrained by Iruka. "No! What good do you think you can do right now!? You're more likely to get captured by the Akatsuki if anything else in your condition!" Naruto laid back down, frustrated that he couldn't do anything.
The Kunoichi, Margay, walked towards the two men. "I'd have expected most people to have died at any minute, even with treatment. You, however, not only survived, but you're recovering at a rate unheard of. In a few days, I'd expect you to fully recover…perhaps even tomorrow."
Naruto calmed down, if only slightly. "And Shiguri?"
"I'd imagine if you didn't shield him from the rock slide, he would have died. He's still hurt badly, but I feel I can get him back up to fighting condition within a few days." Margay bowed, and went back to attending to Shiguri.
Iruka then said "Look, Naruto. There's nothing you can do about the upcoming battle right now. And unfortunately, I'm needed back there. Since this will be a big battle…I think it's time we had a talk. Naruto…I know you found out about your real father."
Naruto sighed and looked away. Needless to say, this was a topic he would've jumped off a cliff to avoid. But, knowing Iruka, he would probably press him to the point of insanity. Best to get it over with. "So, what's your point?" Naruto asked, pretending like it was not that important of an issue.
"Naruto…I know that you've been shutting off everyone who knew." Naruto tried to think of a scathing retort, but found that the rage he had was once gone. As if reading his emotions, Iruka said "Once we form bonds with people, not even the deepest hatred can break them. You may be angry about what they did…but the fact is you still love them very much…including me."
Naruto gritted his teeth and shouted "And just what am I supposed to do about it!? They lied to me…YOU lied to me. How can I just forgive you all for keeping the truth away from me!?" Naruto couldn't understand why, but the comment felt completely forced. Not only that, but he could have sworn he felt his heart sink.
Iruka sighed in disappointment. "Sounds to me like you're thinking of some kind of revenge."
Thoughts of Sasuke immediately came to Naruto's mind at the mention of revenge.
"Naruto, I wanted to tell you. I wanted to tell you so many times. But think about it…back in the academy, you failed three times. If you knew the Yodaime was your father, a number of things could have happened…none of them good. For one, you might think that being his son would motivate you to do better. But because you were such a screw-up back then, you probably would have thought of yourself as even more of a failure; after all, your father was such a great man, and what did you have to show for it? There was also the possibility that in finding out about your father, your ego would have gotten over-inflated, and as a result, become a brat who felt he was entitled to everything. Even though you were something of a pain back then, at least you earnestly tried. Bragging about it could have gotten you killed, too. But more importantly, the decision was made in order to protect you from yourself. We knew that no matter what the Yodaime's will was, you would be hated. The Sandaime thought it would be best if you didn't know; otherwise, I couldn't imagine how you would feel as a child if you knew you were the son of one of our greatest heroes, and mistreated. Also, if nothing else, at least the village would always remember him as a hero; if the children knew otherwise, they possibly would have grown up hating him as well."
Naruto stared at him wide-eyed as he took in everything he was told. He tried to think of some good counterpoints…but nothing came to him. Iruka placed his hand on the blonde's shoulder. "Naruto… believe me, the higher-ups who cared about you believed you had a right to know once you became of age. If nothing else, all the good and bad experiences you've had made you the person you are right now. And..." Iruka looked at him with the most earnest smile. "…I think making everyone believe you were once a nobody has actually helped you earn the respect of many more than you would have otherwise."
Naruto took a moment to ponder it. "Would…would I have won as many friends as I did if they attributed my progress as being the son of the fourth?"
Iruka stood up suddenly. "That's all I wanted to say. I need to get going now. I just felt that we had to talk about it…after all, anything could go wrong." Iruka chuckled nervously. "Naruto…" Iruka pulled Naruto into a hug. "I just want to let you know I am very proud of you. Though many still hate you, you have inspired so many others. You've grown so much and yet never lost what made you you, and you're the best thing that's ever happened in my life. Your parents…they would be very proud of you." With that, Iruka rose up. "Get well soon! After this is all over, we'll celebrate at Ichiraku!!!" Iruka and his companion vanished from sight, leaving Naruto and Shiguri in the care of the kunoichi.
Thunder boomed in the night sky. Rain soon followed. Unable to reach another village in time, Sasuke and Midoriiro made a make-shift hut with bark and leaves; neither was too happy about it though... "Just until tomorrow morning." Sasuke said. "We'll continue on our way then." Sasuke then turned to look at Midoriiro, and was instantly reminded of the change she underwent since her secret leaked out.
Instead of the cheery yet insane woman he had come to know, Midoriiro showed perhaps the saddest expression he had ever seen. Her tension was evident in the way she gripped her sword. Sasuke decided it was time for him to know the truth. Granted, it wouldn't exactly cheer up Midoriiro…but at least he would later know how to help. "Midoriiro…we're not going anywhere. And I doubt either one of us is going to sleep well. You might as well tell me everything." Not sure if his request got through, he turned her face to meet his, and said "I HAVE to know."
Midoriiro turned away and sighed. "I dunno…I'm pretty sure after what I tell you, you'd rather risk getting struck by lightning than stay with me."
Sasuke replied with the utmost conviction "I'll be the judge of that. Besides, I told you that I've done terrible things myself. Just tell me."
"Why?" Midoriiro asked, still in doubt of his honesty.
"Because I know what it's like to have a past you're ashamed of."
The two remained silent and stared out of their shelter for what seemed to be eternity, and Midoriiro finally said "Alright. But I won't blame you if you want nothing to do with me afterwards."
She took a deep breath, and still avoiding eye contact with Sasuke, began. "Like any child in Kirigakure, I started out in the so-called academy. Our school was much harsher than other ninja schools; we received lashes for every point missed on the written exams, and even during just basic training some kids will die. All drilling it into us that it was no game. I'd imagine that the other schools in the four shinobi nations at least allow their children to be kids; where I went, everyone was forced to become an adult too early. There were many, many times were I wanted to just give up and let them kill me…"
"So, what kept you going?"
"My family... or to be more accurate, one member of my family. I had parents, and a little sister. I suppose I didn't exactly love my parents…they were more than a little stern…but my sister was my best friend. Since we were only a year apart, we attended the same academy and confided in one another after training was done. I was worried what would happen if I let myself be killed…Taifuu would probably be lost, and she would have never made it. So for her sake, I kept pushing myself…and then came do or die day."
Sasuke immediately guessed what that meant. "You had to kill someone, or be killed."
Midoriiro nodded. "You're familiar with our 'customs'?" Sasuke caught the tone of sarcasm in the word customs.
"When I was twelve, my comrades and I encountered Momochi Zabuza. Our sensei explained that back when he was a kid, it was a graduation requirement to kill a classmate. Zabuza, however, killed his entire class, causing the village to reform its policies. You're only a couple of years older than me at best, so I doubt you were around at that time…"
"The policy change was only that the students were not allowed to kill a peer. Instead, we were pitted against convicted criminals who were not shinobi, mainly ronin. Even for the average genin, though, they were a dangerous threat. When my turn came, I feared for my life…the man was burly, and he enjoyed killing. 'The steel ogre', they called him. His skin was so hard that shuriken was ineffective. All I had were kunai and shuriken at the time; the jutsus I knew were the same as any other genin, and my taijutsu grades were a little below average. He shrugged off all of my attacks, and slammed me into the corner. He just laughed at my slumped form, hoping to toy with me some more. More than ever before, I feared for my life. He was too strong…and that's when something in me snapped. I stood up, and the ones watching later told me I had an intense look in my eyes that they had never seen before. 'If I can't beat you in sheer strength, I'll overwhelm you with speed!' Those were the words I remember shouting. I pushed my body like never before, and I ran all around him, avoiding his blows before he cocked his fists, and with nothing but a bent shuriken, cut him in all his vital areas. Soon, he went down and bled to death. Initially, I was horrified at what I had done. The teachers looked rather surprised as well; they in fact seemed stunned speechless. After assuring me that I passed, and that I would not be punished, they gave me a private instructor. He was one of the seven swordsmen, the 'Bloody Flash of the Mist'. He was well known for being virtually untouchable; he was said to be so fast that he could dodge a beam of light. Apparently, he saw the potential in me to succeed him. For him, I wasn't an easy student."
"Why is that?" Sasuke asked.
"Because I hated killing. As he found out, I would do it to save myself or others, but I would never kill as an aggressor. It was when he got Mizukage to hold my sister hostage without my family's knowledge did I finally cooperate. So for years, to ensure my sister's safety, I killed. It broke my heart every time I did an assassination, but my desire to keep Taifuu safe kept me going still. One day, I was forced to kill an entire family. I was beyond sickened at what I had done; I should have impaled myself there, but no, I returned to my sensei after reporting to the Mizukage. I usually trained with my sensei after completing a mission, but this time, we would not be training. No, I planned to make him fight for his life. It was no walk in the park, but I finally managed to land a fatal blow on him. I expected…no, I WANTED to see the utter shock on his face. I wanted to try to beg for me to spare his life, only for no sound to reach my ears. Instead…he smiled. It took me years to figure it out; he wanted me to kill him, from the beginning. He wanted me to BECOME him. I thought I would be free at last, but that smile made me feel trapped, like I could never be anything else but a killer. I continued to follow my orders. Soon after, I was reunited with Taifuu. While my parents were unchanged, she had grown up. She was strong, beautiful… …soon, we began working along side each other. We had a bond deeper than any pair of siblings in the village ever did. But then, IT happened…"
"What?" Sasuke asked. He was really beginning to feel sorry for Midoriiro; he put himself in the shadows, while Midoriiro had no choice in the matter.
"…the Kekkei Genkai massacre."
Sasuke's eyes widened. Naruto told him Haku's story; it saddened him that Haku died before he regained consciousness. He knew what it was like to have one's clan massacred. What shocked him even more was that Haku did not desire revenge…
"I don't know why it took so long, but I finally vowed to never let anyone control me. I could not allow people to be massacred because of something they were born with. So I turned on my comrades. Eventually, I encountered my parents. They were loyal to Kirigakure to the point where they saw me as nothing more than a traitor, and attacked. I was on the defensive, begging with them to stop, but nothing got through. They never saw me as their own flesh and blood, just breeding stock to give to Mizukage. When they managed to pin me down, and prepared to stab me, something in me screamed for me to live. I fought back…and in one stroke, I hacked them both down."
Midoriiro was brought out of her reminiscing when Sasuke suddenly clutched his forehead in pain. "Sasuke!? What's wrong!?"
Sasuke's mind was being tormented, tormented with memories of the past. Of Itachi. He remembered all the good times he had with his brother, then the cryptic message he gave him…
"In order to overcome your barriers, you and I have to continue living together. Even if it means hating each other; that's what being an elder brother means…"
Then the night of the massacre. The night Sasuke vowed his revenge. But some other memory showed up on that same night. After Itachi's challenge, Sasuke chased after him across the rooftops. Finding some shuriken stuck to the walls, he grabbed them and flung them at Itachi, who was still in his sights. A resounding clank alerted him that he at least nicked his victim. He touched down around the same time as Itachi, and noticed his headband was on the ground. Sasuke ran to attack him again, but stumbled, realizing he landed wrong. Itachi picked up his headband, and the two brothers met face to face. And Sasuke's eyes widened in shock: Itachi was crying…
"Sasuke!?"
Sasuke snapped back to the real world, and noticed he was lying on his side and his hands were pressed firmly against his temple. "Wh-What happened?"
"You passed out, kind of. You were grabbing your head and moaning, like you were having a migraine. You also kept muttering one word…Itachi…"
Sasuke slowly sat up, realizing what caused him to throw a fit. "You said you killed your parents." Midoriiro's eyes widened in shock, and she looked away. "Yes…"
"And I take it your sister witnessed you, and now she's after you for revenge." Midoriiro's eyes widened even more than before. "H-How did you guess that!?"
Sasuke looked at her silently for the longest time. "Lucky guess. So, with that knowledge…just what are you doing now?"
Midoriiro looked up into the sky, now showing signs of daybreak, answered "Repentance. Or to be more precise, I've been searching for it ever since."
Slowly, Sasuke stood up. "So have I."
"Huh?"
Realizing that he did not tell her his story, Sasuke replied "Sorry. I…I just can't tell you…yet…." Sasuke turned to look right into Midoriiro's eyes, which caused her heart to skip a beat.
"What was that?" Midoriiro thought. It got her excited, but not in the same way a battle would…
"Come on." Sasuke said, offering his hand to Midoriiro. The woman looked confused for a moment, then took it.
"Sorry." Midoriiro whispered. "I'm not used to people offering me a hand." Sasuke smiled slightly, and said "I'm not used to offering people a hand. Come on."
Without warning, he made a mad dash and pulled Midoriiro with her. "What's with this guy?" she wondered. Yet, telling him everything, and the fact that he still wanted to stay with her…made her feel strangely happy…maybe even a bit more than that…
A young woman arrived at the remnants of the battle that occurred the night before. She had long blue hair, and jade eyes. Her outfit was standard hunter nin attire, and was quite tight. She wore her Kiri headband across her waist, hence it had a longer sash. She carried something long, wrapped in cloth; a weapon presumably. After all, her sister had a weapon; it would be wise to have just as good a tool as well. According to the report, there was only one survivor. "Mizukage-sama will take care of him." she thought. The special ops had taken the bodies away and burned them. Still, there was plenty of evidence to show that a battle had taken place: shuriken embedded in the ground, blood spears, and a crater, signifying the power of a jutsu to be taken seriously. "Well, dear sister; I see you haven't lost your touch."
"Indeed." another voice said, startling the young woman.
She looked behind her, and her eyes widened in shock. She dropped her accessory and bowed quickly. "Mizukage-sama!!"
The Mizukage wore the standard kage robes and hat. And that was about all anyone could tell about him; his head was always down, never revealing it to the outside. This was not unusual among Kiri nins; it was standard custom for the Mizukage to hide his face. Even the selection process was a closely guarded secret. "You may rise, my child." Taifuu rose, avoiding eye contact with the superior shinobi. "I know it must pain you to hunt down the only family you have left…"
"She is no family of mine; not anymore." Taifuu responded.
The Mizukage barely nodded. He wasn't sure if she really meant that, but her voice was sure enough to indicate to him that at least she would fight. "Your loyalty to your village knows no bounds; a fine example to all Kiri nin. Anyway, I believe you know that despite all this carnage, that there was one survivor."
Taifuu huffed. "So be done with him." Kirigakure took "Failure is not an option" to the extreme.
"We did. But you see, he had an important piece of information for us before he 'died of his wounds.' He told us that a young man was with her…a man with the Sharingan…"
This caught Taifuu's attention. "The Sharingan? Yes, I have heard of it…but I was lead to believe the entire clan was wiped out…"
"It was. But there were two individuals with the Sharingan who survived. There's Hatake Kakashi, who was the one who killed Zabuza, which I need to thank him for sometime. The other was Uchiha Itachi; he was said to have joined Akatsuki along with my brother, but Kisame's body was recently found, and we imagine that Itachi met the same fate as he... It seems someone managed to escape that massacre…"
"Excuse me, Mizukage-sama. With all due respect, even if this boy possesses the Sharingan, I know I can take him." Taifuu clenched her fist in determination…
"That might be true. But even if you could, he would not be an easy opponent. You would be completely drained by the time you killed him, and when you go to confront your sister, your quest for revenge will have been wasted."
Taifuu gritted her teeth, wanting to make a sharp retort, but she knew he was right. "What do you suggest, my lord?" she asked in defeat.
"We must separate them. Draw Midoriiro to you. The special ops will take care of the Uchiha. No matter how strong he is, at best he can only hope to take them to hell with him."
"As you wish, my lord." Taifuu said, and bowed in respect. "Just what do you plan to do in order to bring Midoriiro to me?"
The Mizukage smiled under the shade of his hat. "I heard Konoha was at war. On top of that, right before their campaign, their village was attacked and in disarray. I think if we can get our marines to Fire Country, we'll have something quite useful on our hands." The Mizukage walked away, with his hands joined together behind his back.
Taifuu was uncertain about something. Casting a sideways glance to the floor, she asked "Sir, if she complies…will you really call of the attack?"
The Mizukage stopped. "And of what concern is it to you, my child?"
Realizing her mistake, Taifuu kneeled. "Forgive me, my lord!"
With that, the Mizukage continued back to his carriage, formulating his plan…
Shikamaru finished tying Iori's wrists. "Okay then. Hokage-sama is sure as hell going to be pissed with me for not finishing the mission; but she'll understand the importance of me coming back soon enough. Okay, let's go!!"
Shikamaru led his team and Iori through the forest. It was in many ways the safest and most dangerous way to go back to Konoha. It was safest in the sense that the foliage gave them good cover. Dangerous in the sense that the same applied to any potential enemies who knew the forest. Fortunately, Iori informed them that her team passed through here not too long ago; any would-be enemies should have been dispatched by now, and it would probably be a while before Iwa could replace them. Looking ahead of her, Iori noticed Hanabi walking alongside her sensei. Deciding now was the best time, Iori spoke "Um, Hanabi-san? You were the one…who got that thing out of me?"
There was a long moment of silence between the two, making Iori fear that Hanabi wanted absolutely nothing to do with her beyond escorting her. However, her fears were relieved when the Hyuuga finally answered "Yes."
Iori smiled slightly. "I just wanted to say…thank you. I don't think I could live with myself if I wound up killing anybody." Iori, remembering her dreams, then hung her head down low and muttered "Assuming I didn't before I found you guys."
Hanabi, without even looking back, replied "Don't worry; I believe it's not your fault."
Iori's face elated once again. "Really!?"
"You had no sense of self, and I doubt you would have got it back had that parasite not been removed. On top of it all, it was pushing you to exhaustion; I don't know where you get that endurance, but eventually, you would have died of sheer exhaustion. I couldn't imagine you taking that thing willingly too; no one would trade their free will for power."
Shikamaru was tempted to tell them about Sasuke, but decided it wasn't relevant at the moment. Just as Iori was about to say thank you again, Hanabi intersected. "However, the fact is you may have killed someone, or some people, on our side. While I'm sure it's not your fault, the fact is you must still be tried."
Iori hung her head down low, knowing she could not argue her way out of that. "Yeah."
Soon, Shikamaru called for another camp to be set up. It was odd to the others, because It was barely dusk, but then again, they had been walking for quite a while. Even stranger, Shikamaru asked Hanabi to guard Iori while he checked the area, while Uryuu and Kenshin stayed with them. The four adolescents just stood there in silence.
Minutes passed. Eventually, the group was beginning to think a full hour passed. Surprisingly, it was getting to Iori the most. Finally, she shouted "Alright, he has to be up to something!!"
Hanabi didn't verbally voice her opinion, but she had to agree. Even though she was a capable chunin, her sensei as a guard due to his Kage Mane was a much better choice in case Iori tried to make a break for it. However, after some pondering, she figured out exactly what her sensei was trying to do. Shikamaru didn't do much with Hanabi other than ask her side of the story. Shikamaru left any actual interrogating to Hanabi. It took her a while to figure out why, though. Shikamaru probably guessed Iori was naturally defensive around adults, and figured if questioned by a girl her age, she would relax and slip up any important information much easier, thinking she was with a friend. Hanabi had heard of the tactic used in some areas, even though it was rare and often mocked. With nothing better to do, she decided to give it a try. "So…was being a chunin everything you expected to be?" Best to start this type of interrogation with an out of the blue conversation.
Iori looked at her dumbfounded for a good minute, not knowing how to respond. Finally, figuring that it had nothing to do with her alleged "crimes", she muttered "To be honest, if they told me I was going to do all this just as a chunin, I'd have either signed up for early retirement or demand another promotion. Kind of ironic that before I was so gun-hoe about these sorts of things, and now all I feel like doing are menial chores at best."
Hanabi, to her surprise, chuckled at it. "Yes, I know they're desperate, but couldn't they at least give us a major pay raise?" The two girls began to laugh together, leaving the two boys clueless as to what was going on. "At least, that's what I think Hokage-sama should do!!" Hanabi said.
Iori replied "I suppose, but then again, compared to Naruto-sensei, I'm not worth much."
"Speaking of which, do you have any idea where they are now? They must be looking for you and worried sick." Hanabi laid her trap, waiting to see if anything slipped up.
Iori sighed "No. Everything was a haze after my fight with that purple-haired bitch. I don't recall seeing during my drugged-out state, so I'm hopeful that they're okay. Then again…" Iori started to sob softly. "…ever since you found me, we haven't heard squat from them. If they really followed me, they would have stopped me. Or maybe I really did kill them…"
Before she broke into a complete breakdown, Hanabi hugged her and patted her furiously on the back. "Don't worry, I'm sure they're alright! Neji-nisan and Hinata-neechan have spoken very highly of your sensei; from what I've heard from them, in this situation he's probably looking for you right now, worried sick about you and not caring about what you have done!!" Iori finally calmed down, and Hanabi whispered "It's going to be okay." several times. Assuming Iori willingly assaulted other Konoha nin, the only motives Hanabi could think of was some kind of resentment between her and the Hokage, or her team. Iori's disposition to the Hokage was neutral at worst, and the way she broke down proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that there was nothing going on between her and her team. As far as Hanabi was concerned, she was innocent, but she still needed to be tried by the council and judged by the Hokage. "I'm sorry I brought that up." Hanabi said, taking a seat next to Iori.
"Don't worry about it." Iori replied, wiping her tears with a handkerchief Hanabi gave her.
Hanabi's expression softened, and remembered something else. "By the way…I've been meaning to tell you for a while now, but with this crazy war, I've never had a chance."
"What?" Iori asked, quite perplexed.
"Back in the final rounds of the exam, I said some mean things to you. Mean, egotistical things."
Iori thought back, and remembered how she babbled about the Hyuuga being the greatest clan ever. Or something to that effect. "Oh."
"The truth is, I never really meant what I said, even though I was determined to win. I was trying to psyche you out, and I feel that I went too far. So…" Hanabi got up, faced Iori directly, and bowed. "My deepest apologies for what I had said. I was simply talking trash, but my way made it sound like you would never be a capable ninja."
Iori looked at her quizzically. After a second, she replied "Okay. I accept your apology." Then, rather unexpectedly, she gave Hanabi the hugest and naughtiest grin possible. "But, I think you more than made up for that when you passed out with that silly look on your face." Iori snickered at the memory, while Hanabi blushed deep scarlet.
She was told by her older sister that she was even sucking her own thumb in her tranquilized state. "Don't bring it up." she muttered in embarrassment. Taking her seat beside the red-haired girl, Hanabi brought something else up. "Speaking of which, when I woke up, father told me you had apologized as well. Why?"
Iori thought back to that day. "Well…initially, I went berserk when I fought you…and when I finally came to my senses, I realized I could have killed you."
"It was allowed."
"But that didn't mean I had to. My teammate was thrown out because he was about to kill another student who was clearly defeated. I'd imagine that the council wouldn't like the idea of me going berserk every time I felt outmatched; I would probably be considered a danger to my teammates if I followed through. There's a difference between learning to kill and doing it when there's no other choice, and becoming a murderer, after all."
Hanabi nodded slightly, not completely agreeing with her, but respecting her opinion. "Well, then I also accept your apology." Iori got up and bowed slightly, showing her thanks. The two stood silent once more, then Hanabi sighed exasperatedly. "Where the hell is Shikamaru-sensei!? What's going on, does he have endless diarrhea!?" Iori started to giggle uncontrollably. "What's so funny!?" Hanabi demanded, slightly irritated at her childish demeanor after 30 minutes of angst.
"You don't look like the type of person who would say things like that in such a manner!" Iori replied, still laughing her butt off.
Hanabi muttered "Just outside the Hyuuga compound. My father and the elders get on my case about my choices of words. I'm often afraid to express myself in public, just because one of them might be nearby."
"Come on, have you been listening to what people our age our saying?" Iori replied in disbelief.
"Yes, but the fact that I'm part of the Hyuuga clan puts greater pressure on me to have a more developed etiquette."
The conversation went on, and it eventually developed into something where both girls joked jovially with each other. "Nothing at all suspicious." Shikamaru emerged from the bushes away from the view of the two chunin. True, his main purpose was to see if Hanabi could get Iori to slip up anything, and it appeared that she was hiding nothing, much to his relief. There was another reason for this unusual tactic though: As he and Temari spent time together during her recovery, she became acquainted with his team. She became concerned about Hanabi being aloof, and nearly demanded Shikamaru that he try to find a friend for her. "It seems Naruto has passed on his greatest talent to one of his students." He noted as he made his way back.
Iruka and Zou made their way back into Fire Country. They were still a ways from Konoha; hopefully, the same could be said about the enemy battalion they were hoping to get ahead of. Finally, a decent forest to tree hop into came into view, and the two quickened their pace.
The two ninjas landed in the branches, and began to make a plan. "Iruka-taichou!! We have to locate the battalion Uzumaki told us about before they make it to Konoha!"
"Right!" Iruka replied. The two scanned the area while Iruka made a note of the terrain. "If my guess is correct, we're in the Red-Leaf Forest…if I commanded a huge battalion of ninja through this area, where would I lead them?" Iruka then looked southwest and pointed in that direction. "There's a trail for travelers that way. Since this area is sparsely populated, it would make sense that no one has seen anything suspicious just yet. Let's look over there."
After an hour of tree hoping, they could hear massive footsteps. Iruka's heart nearly jumped out of his throat. "Naruto told me his estimate…but still, to have an army this size!..." The two slowed down tremendously as the noise got louder, instead practically walking from tree to tree.
"An army this size…" Zou whispered under his breath. Iruka hated it when people seemed to repeat him, but in this situation, he couldn't blame his comrade.
Soon, they got to the trail Iruka thought of…and if not for the darkness covering them, their widening eyes could have given them away. The army was massive!! Iruka could not see where it began and ended, and it seemed he wasn't going to find out anytime soon! "No…even with two sanin and the Kazekage…" Iruka stopped himself; he couldn't think such things, not in a situation like this. "Konoha will prevail…somehow." It was always most important to believe in oneself and his village, that was what Iruka was taught. Iruka turned to Zou and whispered "Zou: We have to find our way around them. Quickly!!"
Zou seemed to stare into the army before giving a reply. "The best thing to do would be to wait for the end or try to catch up to the beginning of this long line. But I can't tell which is closer to us. By the time we find that out, we could fall drastically behind."
"What do your instincts tell you?" Iruka asked. Normally, he would give orders, but seeing as he himself was unsure of what to do, asking another wouldn't hurt.
Zou thought carefully for a moment. "See if we can get around them at the end. They have less chance of spotting us, and I think there's a shortcut to Konoha from here. That way, we should arrive at least a day before they do."
"I agree." Iruka responded.
Before they could make a move, two Iwa nin within the troops were joking around down below. "Oh, you think YOU can take on the Hokage?" one of them jeered, jabbing a finger at his friend.
"Hey, at least I'm humble enough to acknowledge I could never take on the toad sage!" the other replied. "Unlike a certain someone I know!"
The two laughed, and the one who "promised" to take on the toad sage twirled his kunai. "Just wait! I'll show that stupid old man! He'll never know…" Turning to the forest, he flung his kunai. "…what hit…"
"Shit!" a voice from the direction of the kunai shouted.
The two chunin looked into the forest dumbfounded. "…him." Realization dropped on them like an anvil and screamed at the top of their lungs "Hey!! There's someone in the forest, watching us!!"
"Lay siege to the forest!! Kill anyone you see!!" one of them commanded.
By the hundreds, Iwa nin jumped into the treetops. Neither Iruka nor Zou was hit by that stray kunai, but Zou's shout gave their position away. "Go, go!!!" Iruka screamed just as the enemy was on top of them. Quickly, they retreated into the forest with a swarm hot on their heels. It wasn't long before they spent more time dodging shuriken than running away and putting some distance between them.
Iruka dropped from his branch and swung to another. As soon as he landed, another ninja was there to greet him. The enemy slashed at him with a kunai, but Iruka ducked and knocked him off with a foot sweep. His hope to escape was crushed when two more descended upon him. Iruka kicked the one behind him and blocked a fist from the other in front of him. Reaching into his pocket, Iruka pulled out a kunai of his own and stabbed his adversary in the throat. "Zou!" he shouted. "Where are-"Iruka was cut off when another ninja pulled him into a headlock from behind. Reacting as he was trained to do, Iruka threw his opponent over his back. Problem was, he went down with him!
As he loosened his captor's hold, he saw what seemed to be a head fall from a distance. The headband from it flew to his face, and judging by the feeling of the carved symbol, he was positive that it was a leaf symbol. Iruka broke free, and touched down on the ground while his attacker landed his head on a hard rock. "Gotta get back up!!" his mind screamed. Wasn't likely, though; his best chance right now was to make a break for it on the ground.
Seeing as there was no time to mourn for Zou, Iruka pulled out a scroll and summoned a manrikigusari. Swinging the heavy metal chain, Iruka KO'd anyone who got too close to him. He managed to dodge fatal blows from shuriken so far, but one that just missed his eye by a hair reminded him his luck would run out if he kept this up. "I have to escape, NOW!!!" Iruka wrapped his chain around another soldier and snapped his neck, and flung both weapon and opponent to the ground. Making his hand signs, Iruka began his jutsu. "Katon! Kasuzume!" Iruka shot small balls of fire from his mouth towards his incoming attackers. The gang prepared to defend themselves from the fire, but instead of hitting them dead on, the fireballs diverted from a straight path and circled around them. At a rapid speed, the fireballs closed in on them. Not only did they burn them, they cut right through their skin as well!
Knowing it was not a particularly fatal technique, Iruka made a break for it. Just then, an Iwa nin cut off his path, and before he could react, the Iwa nin shouted "Doton!! Shukushu Chiri Gufuu no Jutsu!!" Out of nowhere, a massive dust devil formed, and instead of hovering away harmlessly like most would, it expanded and shot right into Iruka's mouth. Iruka tried shutting it, but the air pressure was too strong! Finally, it stopped. Iruka tried to take a deep breath, but to his horror it almost felt as though he was in a vacuum of some sort.. "How do you like it?" his attacker chided. "Your lungs are filled with dust and debris. It probably won't kill you; but with your body having trouble obtaining oxygen, you cannot run or fight effectively."
Iruka, trying to gather up all of his strength, jumped up and took a swing at the one whom casted the jutsu, but missed. He struck a couple more times, and found that indeed, he was getting winded already. Iruka collapsed on the ground, wheezing like he never did before. The shinobi surrounding him just laughed, driving the point that Iruka was powerless. "Can't fight…must…escape…" Iruka took off, practically running on all fours to carry him. With his shortness of breath, he didn't think he could escape on his legs alone. In fact, he just knew he wouldn't make it…
One of the lieutenants called to his underlings "Look at what we have here boys: An animal. A sick, wounded animal. You know what we do to even the most beloved of pets when they are no longer fit to live, don't you?" The Iwa nin laughed deviously, and hurled kunai loaded with explosive tags at the defeated chunin. Only a few hit him, but he could nothing to dodge the blast of the others. Seconds later, a resounding ball of fire echoed throughout the forest. It wouldn't be long before a forest fire destroyed the area, by the looks of hit. "Threat has been neutralized." The lieutenant called. "Inform the troops to double their speed; after all, we can't have them getting caught in the fire now, can we?"
Naruto stretched his legs the next morning. He recovered fully, and Shiguri was making good progress as well. During his recuperation, Naruto took some time to think about what Iruka said. Part of him was still reluctant to confront the truth. He was still upset. He felt what everyone did, including those who had acknowledged him, was wrong. And yet, try as he might…Iruka was right. Naruto couldn't hate them, no matter what. But what he really felt, he did not know.
Deciding to take a break from his pondering, Naruto walked over to Shiguri. The boy was awake, able to sit upright without much problem. As the kid sipped his medicine, Naruto took a seat beside him. "How're you feeling?" Naruto was hesitant to speak to Shiguri, but at the moment he had no one else to talk to, other than the medic Margay, whom he barely knew.
Without facing him, Shiguri replied "Better." It was clear he did not want to talk to him.
Deciding that he had to close the gap between them, Naruto continued the conversation. "The medic told me that you summoned one of your wasps to get help."
Shiguri shrugged his shoulders in response. "It probably would have been better if I could have smashed my way out of the rubble."
Naruto chuckled slightly at his attempt to sound more important than his sensei. "Maybe so. But still, that was very commendable on your part."
For too long by Naruto's standards, the two didn't look at each other or speak another word. Finally, Shiguri looked him in the eye and asked "Why did you protect me?"
Naruto looked back at him absolutely dumbfounded. "Is that a serious question?"
Shiguri sighed exasperatedly. He thought his way of expressing himself was plain as day, but then again, he had heard rumors about Naruto not getting anything "obvious." "Come on!! You know I haven't exactly warmed up to you since day one!! You know I'm still mad that everyone, including you, agreed I shouldn't be a chunin even though you know damn well I have the skills!!! And…" Judging by the way he choked, Naruto knew what he was going to say next. "…and let's not forget about your screw-up before we ended up here!!"
Naruto, though hurt by the last comment, just stared at him. Shiguri anticipated it would be out of hate…but there was none of that. Instead, it seemed to be nothing but pity and sadness. Naruto patted Shiguri on the back, softly of course. "Shiguri. What happened with Yuji and Iori was my fault. I accept full responsibility for that. And I know I'm not as close to you as I was with Yuji and Iori. I'm partially to blame for that too. But it doesn't change the fact that you're still my student, and one of my precious people."
Shiguri clenched his blanket and faced the ground, afraid to show Naruto his face. "What if they don't feel the same way?! What good is such a thing then, huh!?" Shiguri asked angrily.
"Doesn't matter to me." Naruto replied without hesitation. "Trust me, that's the way I lived all my life." Images of Sakura during his childhood flooded his mind, but he pushed them out, telling himself now was not the time. "Besides…even if I didn't feel that way, the fact is you're still a kid. I couldn't just let you die either way." Naruto gave Shiguri a hard slap on his back, causing him to yelp. Cursing himself for forgetting the boy's condition, Naruto rubbed the spot, muttering thousands of apologies. Then, Naruto added "Not to mention, judging by the way you phrased that last question, I think you were trying to imply that was how you feel about me. But it's a lie, isn't it?"
Shiguri's hands clenched his cup along with his teeth. But to Naruto's most shocking surprise, when Shiguri looked him right in the eye, he was actually crying. "NO ONE'S EVER GIVEN A DAMN ABOUT ME, EVER!!!" Shiguri threw his cup and smashed it against a rock. "I've been alone my whole life…" he said, in a much softer, subdued tone. "My grandfather never paid attention to me, and our only quality time was going over shinobi codes; most of which was scorned by the more moderate council members. I never knew who was right. I couldn't fit in with the other kids; how I found Yuji stumps me to this day. And now…" Shiguri chocked, and broke down completely.
Naruto, shocked by his "bad-boy" student's behavior, hugged him as if he was his father. "You're just not used to having people care about you. Shiguri, believe me, I've dealt with that feeling for the better part of my life. Having no one, watching everyone have a shoulder to cry on when you have none…I know what it's like to hate everyone for that. But I never gave up on finding my precious people who would become the family I never had. I think, so long as one has hope…no matter how you start out, you will always meet the people who will be there for you the rest of your life. I will be that person for you, no matter what. You don't have to return the sentiments."
Suddenly, Shiguri returned the hug, surprising Naruto that he could return it with such force considering he was still in fairly weak condition . "Thank you, thank you…" Shiguri choked out, barely above a whisper. Naruto smiled slightly, and patted him on the head.
After a few minutes, Naruto reluctantly broke the hug and walked up to Margay. "Do you think he's fit to move?"
Margay looked at him hesitantly. "It will take days before he can move on his own again safely; I need more time."
"What if I carry him?"Naruto asked back almost immediately. Margay was about to shout, but Naruto interrupted her. "We HAVE to get back to Konoha. I don't want to think the worst has happened to Iruka-sensei…but we can't leave it to him alone."
Naruto just stared at her, determined to get some kind of approval. Normally he would have brought Shiguri with him anyway, but if it really wasn't safe to move him Naruto couldn't take the chance. Margay rubbed her temples in frustration. "Perhaps…if you carry him on your back, carefully, we might be able to make it without too much trouble."
"Alright then." Naruto smiled.
Naruto walked over to Shiguri, and kneeled down with his back turned to him. Extending his arms behind him, Naruto asked "Is that okay? You think you'll be able to endure it?"
Shiguri didn't say a word; instead, he got up on his shaky legs, and ignoring the pain, made his way onto his sensei's back. "If anyone claims I'm slowing them down, I'll kick their ass, I swear to fucking Kami!!"
Naruto smiled, thinking he just saw a little bit of himself in the boy, and called back to Margay "Okay, we're ready."
Deidara looked into the canyons and mountains that dominated his home as he flew across the skies. Tobi, San and Hidan were on the bird with him. While San was meditating, Deidara pondered what was going on. "Finally, Kizu-sama's plan is set in motion." Deidara was still perplexed by the plan; they were not going after Naruto, not directly at least. Tobi would be fighting, which he didn't necessarily disagree with; after all, even if his intelligence was questionable, Tobi definitely had the skills. But it made him nervous what kind of opponent they would be facing. What kind of monster would they encounter to justify using Tobi? What confused him even more was that the opponent they were about to face was supposed to be alive no matter what, despite not being a jinchuriki.
"What I want to know is why I'm just back up." Hidan hissed behind the re-established Iwa nin.
Deidara turned around and sighed "You'll ruin everything if you get involved! Even if you had the skills, how likely is it you'll let the opponent live?"
The two just stared at each other dead silent. "Fuck you." Hidan whispered under his breath.
With impeccable timing as usual, Tobi came up to them and practically shouted "Deidara-sempai, who am I fighting?"
Deidara turned to him, with the wickedest grin on his face. "You'll be facing the most dangerous opponent known to man." He whispered as if he was telling a scary story.
Tobi took a step back, caught off guard by his "sempai's" tone. "You're joking, right?"
"Noo." Deidara responded. "It is a beast that burns the flesh off of man. A look into its eyes can destroy a man's soul. Its strength is unfathomable." With each description, Tobi took a step backwards. "It's…" By now, Tobi was at the edge of the bird's tail. Deidara smiled widely. "It's…" Suddenly, he ran up to him and screamed "…SOMETHING I MADE UP COMPLETELY!!!"
"AHHHHH!!!!" Tobi flapped his arms widely to keep himself from falling, but if anything it probably sent him down towards the earth. He screamed the entire time down…and the entire time being pulled up when Hidan caught him with his tendrils. However, even after being hoisted back to safety, Tobi flailed uncontrollably as if he was still falling. The other two S-class criminals just stared at each other as their "comrade" behaved in a manner that wasn't exactly described as intelligent.
Sighing, the two kicked him out of his delusion. "Get yourself together, fool!!" they both shouted. During the whole predicament, San appeared unfazed. Inside, however, he was beginning to lose faith in his sensei after seeing the people he was associated with.
Tobi finally collected himself, and stood. "So, what am I really fighting?" he asked, rubbing his head only mildly embarrassed.
Deidara shrugged his shoulders. "Some girl. Have no clue why you should handle it though."
"How will we know where and when to find her." Hidan asked, still skeptical about the "plan."
Deidara just responded "Kizu-sama says he has a good informant in Konoha. That is all."
Sakura quickly popped in another food pill. Currently, she was on a mission with three other ANBU ninjas. She swore to herself that this war was driving her crazy. She was always there on the front lines, both fighting and healing. There was only one day when she was allowed to come home, and that was only because she had to report back to Konoha. Tsunade, seeing that Sakura wouldn't have anything to do that day, nor would her chosen teammates for the mission come back to start tonight, decided to let her go home for the day. "You look tired and cranky, not that I'd blame you. Take the rest of the night off and sleep on a real bed. I'm sure that will refresh you for tomorrow."
"Oh, shishou, how wrong you were." Her mother was the only one home, and Sakura was not in the mood to talk to her, even though now she regretted it. She didn't have much of an appetite either, so she didn't have a chance to enjoy real food. None of her peers were there either. She wanted so badly to see Ino again, just to chat about dumb stuff and have fun. Of course, there was also HIM. Sakura had finally come to terms about her feelings for Naruto, but she still needed to see him one last time. She hoped that they could put everything behind them, but if not…well, she came to terms about that too. If anything were to go wrong, she was glad she could at least finally apologize to one of the Miyamotos to his face; she never thought she would form such a deep bond with Ryu-sensei's son, and it certainly surprised her to be thought of as a big sister. In fact, it made her feel very important after what seemed to be a long time. Thinking of Konoha made her think of the taking a bath at the hot spring, maybe eating some Thai food, the next yaoi doushinji… "Ugh. Can't think about these things. Must…concentrate…"
Although they were resting, they were still in the middle of a mission. She couldn't allow herself to truly relax; because of that, she was starting to resent Tsunade for giving her that one day off; it only made her want more R and R. Deciding it was time, and for her own sanity, she shouted "Alright men!" Break's over!! It's time to move out!!" Obediently, her fellow ANBU members rose and took to the trees.
There was said to be a group of powerful Iwa nin, one of whom was said to have a history with Kakashi-sensei when he was a kid. Their mission was to catch them by surprise, and slaughter them. Sakura hated the idea of killing them simply because they were enemies. But after looking over the files of her targets, she recognized it as a threat and agreed to the mission. Charging in head on would have been a mistake; even with her as the leader, such a thing was a downright idiotic tactic. Her plan was to rig the surrounding area with traps, throw explosive kunai into the campsite, and anticipating them to scatter, she and the others would dispatch them one by one if the traps didn't kill them first.
She snapped back to the present as she realized they were almost there. At the edge of the forest, she held her fist in the air, signaling for her comrades to halt. Quickly, she inspected the area…and was shocked at what she saw. She found the targets, but they were lying on their stomachs. No ninja in their right mind would do that here!! "Which could only mean…" Turning to her team, she whispered "Stay there. I'll check it out."
"Hakumei!" one of them whispered. "This could be a trap!"
"I know. And that's exactly why I need to go down there."
Quietly, she touched down on the ground. Quickly and stealthily as possible, she made her way to the supposedly sleeping shinobi. She recognized the ninjas laying there…these were indeed her targets. She turned one over, and saw him covered in his own blood. Opening his eyes, she saw that they were completely fogged over. She probably didn't need to check his pulse at this point, but with all the strange jutsus she encountered, it was probably best to be sure. Pressing her fingers against his neck, sure enough, he was dead. Standing up in horror, she wondered who would have done this. "It can't be other Konoha nins; this mission was given to us alone. Which must mean…" Her eyes widened in realization. "…this mission was a setup from the beginning!!" As soon as she turned to give the order to retreat, the real trap was sprung.
One of her comrades was blown to pieces. Another was sprayed with what seemed to be acid and convulsed in pain. But the real kicker: a kusarigama was launched at her final soldier, who got away with just a scratch. As soon as he hit the ground though, his torso spewed open, as if someone stabbed him with a sword.
"Ahh, it feels good to do that after so many years."
In that instant, the attackers revealed themselves: Akatsuki! Sakura immediately recognized Deidara. Judging by one of their techniques, the other was Hidan. "But Shikamaru defeated him! How can he possibly have a body now!?" Then another with short black hair and a spiraled mask appeared. "Shit." Saying this was not good wasn't even an understatement. She was alone against THREE Akatsuki members. At least she knew Deidara's and Hidan's abilities. But the new guy's…Sakura's heart sank as she realized that this would be the place where she would die. Though she shed tears underneath her mask, her resolve remained strong and she prepared to fight. "If I'm going to die, I will take them down with me!! Even that immortal freak!! Besides…" she thought back to Naruto and Sasuke. Sasuke became the person he was now because of his desire for revenge. When his family was killed, all he could live for was killing his brother. If she was killed with just one of these men alive, she knew Naruto would hunt that person down…and she did not dare imagine what lengths he would go to for him. "Naruto has suffered enough. I won't let these guys be all he lives for!!"
"Deidara-sempai, is that her?" the masked one asked. Sakura was rather surprised by his voice; it was rather gentle and innocent, nothing like the cold-blooded killers she thought Akatsuki was made up of.
"Yes." Deidara replied while grinning from ear to ear. "There's no mistake about it, that's her. You can take off your mask if you wish…Haruno Sakura."
Sakura was momentarily stunned that they knew her identity. Putting it in the back of her mind, Sakura tossed her mask to the side. It actually felt good to be staring death in the face with her own. "Just what is it you want with me!?" she demanded.
Deidara's eyes widened in shock. "Wait, I remember you! You're that nine-tails jinchuriki's friend!!" He saw her when he and Sasori captured Shukaku, but he was more focused on Naruto, and didn't stick around with Sasori to see what she could do. "I suppose it would make sense for her to advance with him." Deidara began to inspect her, rubbing his chin. Her hair was quite unusual, but not unattractive. While her figure was not the most voluptuous he had ever seen, it wasn't half-bad, a very nice balance actually. The only turn-off he could think of was her forehead, but that was easily overlooked. "Yes, it's all beginning to make sense now. No wonder we were ordered not to kill you." Deidara licked his lips in anticipation.
Sakura blinked at the statement. Thinking she got what they meant to do, she snarled "Sorry, but I wouldn't recommend that. I'm not exactly too fond about being the damsel in distress. I promise I'll be too much trouble to make ransom worth it. You'll probably wind up killing me just to protect yourselves."
Deidara chuckled. "We'll see about that. Tobi! I think Hidan and I will join you!! Even if she's an ANBU ninja, she shouldn't be too much trouble!! Not for the three of us!!" Deidara turned his eyes towards Hidan, who was twitching his weapon reflexively. "A limb, Hidan! A limb, you got that!? And it better not hit a vital artery!! We need her alive!!"
Hidan groaned "You guys are no fun!!"
Deidara turned back to his student. "San, you stay back here. I know for a fact this one is too much for you." San nodded very slightly, and the three men began their attack, running towards the young lady.
Sakura reached into her back pocket, keeping her eyes on all three. "If I have a chance, it's to surprise them. They probably don't know about my strength!!" She threw her smoke bombs on the ground, hiding her in a cloud.
While Hidan seemed confused, Deidara was unfazed and continued his course."Ha! Smoke won't save you!!! I have very good eyes!!!" Deidara made a clay bomb, and threw it to her location. It detonated, setting off a large explosion. But to Deidara's surprise, Sakura cart wheeled away from the blast just in time. "She's fast!" Sakura jumped right above him, cocking back her fist. She threw her punch down, which Deidara dodged by a hair. However, that wasn't enough to dodge the debris that would send him flying. As he fell face first, he realized the point of Tobi coming. "I see it now!! This is why Tobi is the opponent best suited for her!!"
Turning her attention to the other two, Sakura narrowly dodged a blade that scratched her, and in that instant realized she did not actually dodge it; she was caught. "Oh no!!"
Hidan licked the blood off, and grinned manically as his skeleton like skin began to form. "Don't worry. You're going to be alive; just not kickn'!" Hidan stabbed his leg, screaming in both pain and ecstasy, and he heard Sakura do the same. "I hope your pain as well as mine will be enough to crave Jashin's lust for blood!" Sakura was kneeling, and bleeding. Hidan grinned at the sight, but became perplexed when he noticed a green aura around her wound. Then he noticed her hands were clasped together in that same spot…"Wait! She's…a medical ninja!?" That second, Sakura rose, unharmed. Hidan looked down, and realized that his wound hadn't healed as well because his scythe was still stuck in his leg! Looking back up, Hidan was impaled by a barrage of kunai. None of them killed him, but with her strength behind them, it guaranteed that he would be stuck to the ground for a while.
Landing, Sakura finally turned her attention to Tobi. He didn't appear very threatening; he was just standing there, as if he didn't know what to do. No matter how much she told herself appearances could be deceiving, she couldn't figure out how he could possibly be an Akatsuki member. Sakura ran to him and jumped into the air with a flying side kick. Her foot touched his head…and then she went right through him. Unprepared to land, she slid and tumbled across the ground, nearly dislocating her leg. Quickly recovering, she got into a guard stance and stared at Tobi. He most certainly did not move; something else caused her to miss. "What happened?" Sakura quickly rushed him, and threw a hook. Like last time, it passed through him. She threw another, but Tobi actually dodged that one and proved to be as agile as her. Tobi aimed for her head with a spinning jump kick. Sakura, however, caught it, and squeezed tightly. "Ghost your way out of this one!!!" Sakura began spinning like a top, holding onto him as she moved. Much to her delight, in response to her movements, Tobi was screaming.
"SHANNARO!!!" Sakura let go, causing Tobi to fly like a rocket. Judging by the angle, it looked as though he would hit a tree and become the closest thing to the human arrow. Though clearly panicking, Tobi made a few hand signs and became a cloud of smoke. The smoke cloud floated like any other, but then like an entity of it's own, swirled at an amazing speed and landed right behind Sakura. Tobi once more took shape, and Sakura saw he made at least one hand sign. "No time to dodge or block!!"
"Enton!! Ishnuhachi no Jutsu!!" What seemed to be small fireworks went off right near Sakura's face. She tried to avoid injury from the bursts, but found that the smog stung her eyes horribly more than the little explosions would.
"Ahh!! What is this!!?" Her eyes were tearing up, and her reflexes wouldn't allow her to open them. The next thing she felt was something slamming into her stomach. Tobi punched her across the face a few times, and with a spinning kick, sent her to the ground in a heap.
Tobi began to jump up and down with excitement, like a hyperactive child."Deidara-sempai!!" Tobi yelled. "Did you see that!? I'm winning!!"
Deidara, along with Hidan, were up on his clay bird, observing the action from a safe distance. Angrily, Deidara yelled back "You idiot!! Finish her before she wakes up!!"
Tobi called back "Why? She's just playing dead. If I get too close, she'll kill me. Can't you tell by the way her eyes are fluttering?"
"Shit." Sakura landed with her hand behind her back; she hoped to catch him off guard so he couldn't use his jutsu. She got up, her bluff having been called and revealed her kunai.
"Impressive." Hidan noted. "I have never seen that dope fight before, so I wasn't expecting much. But it seems he does have skills…and some brains in at least one area."
Deidara nodded. "Yeah. I'll never forget when we faced the Sanbi; even though I landed the finishing blow, he did an impressive job of holding it back. Ever since then, I've been afraid to get on his bad side. It's all because of his ability to combine the fire and water elements, forming smoke. Now I see why Kizu-sama wanted him to fight this girl; her super strength makes it too risky for us to even touch her. And her medic training will allow her to heal any cuts, bruises and burns we inflict on her. But nothing can smash smoke, and…"
Sakura hacked, interrupting his train of thought. Pushing her hands onto her chest, she began to cleanse her lungs. However, Tobi attacked once more, forcing her to retreat. Judging by the way she breathed, it was obvious she did not get a chance to heal herself.
"…something inflicted by fumes is not as easily cured as a normal wound. Even if she's stronger and smarter than Tobi, his attacks will slow her down, and soon..."
"Enton!! Kareki Hayashi no Jutsu!!" Smoke sprayed from the ground, surrounding Sakura. It stung her eyes again, and blocked her vision. She couldn't even see her body. She also chose that opportunity to breathe unfortunately, and felt like her lungs were on fire.
"Oh no…" Sakura cross-blocked Tobi's attacks, but she couldn't keep up with him forever.
Up above, Deidara laughed manically. "It's going just as Kizu-sama planned!! I can't wait to use you against that jinchuriki brat bastard!!!"
Kizu, back at the base, took a sip of sake. Thanks to the rings he endowed each of his subordinates, he could see everything his henchmen did. So far, everything was going to plan. And if things started going downhill…well, his telepathic abilities should help them out if those idiots couldn't do it by themselves. In fact, judging by the kunoichi's slowing response times, he figured it was just about time to do hi part. Just then, he heard the clank of a familiar cane coming his way. "Of all the…" Kizu silenced himself, and rose, reminding himself that he still had an act to put on. "Madara-sama; how may I serve thee?"
Madara humphed, and took a seat of his own. It was clear by the look in his eyes that he was anxious, cranky, and furious. "I'm still wary of this 'plan' of yours. So many things could go wrong, so many things have gone wrong…" he went on without naming any specifics.
Soon, Kizu asked cautiously "What specifically troubles you, my lord?"
No longer implying anything, Madara spilled it."It's your 'new disciple', Tobi. Simpleton does not even begin to describe him…"
"Well, that I will agree with you on…" Kizu offered.
"Why did you recruit him? There must have been more qualified ninja to select from. Do you trust him with HIS intelligence?"
"No, but that's why I make sure he always has a partner, and if it makes you feel any better, he is much smarter than he looks when it comes to combat."
Madara gritted his teeth in response. "I find that too hard to believe, but at this point in time, we have no choice but to pray you're right. However, his presence in the organization is the cause of another concern of mine. I believe his birthplace was here in this village, correct?"
"Yes, that's right." Kizu confirmed.
" Do you have any idea the implications of recruiting a man from this forsaken place!? These savages may convince him to fight AGAINST us!!!"
"Ahh, but that's where you're wrong. You see, Tobi remembers very well how the villagers here treated him. I doubt he would want to serve them at all. Betrayal…at least, in terms of helping the natives…is nothing you need to be concerned about."
Madara shifted silently, still not convinced. "Just how did you select Tobi?"
Kizu stretched his arms, remembering how he came upon the unusual and difficult protégé."Well, I was planning to take up a disciple from around here for a while back then, before we selected Itachi. Tobi came across me by chance. He was a bum, kicked out on the streets and forced to fend for himself. You see, Tobi had a very, VERY unusual deformity. From what he told me, his father wanted to kill him at birth. His mother died, and he came to be as I saw him then. I figured I'd just experiment with him a bit; I didn't actually expect him to be worth something. If he didn't meet any of my standards, I thought I could always use a good practice dummy. I gave him elemental cards, and his vanished in a puff of smoke. At that moment, I KNEW I found someone special. Not only did he have a kekkei genkai…he proved to be adept at martial arts, and his experience on the street gave him remarkable agility. It proved, however, to be extremely difficult to make him fight at all. I suppose that's because inside he's still a child. He did not like to fight at all, even when he knew he could win. Fortunately, he thinks of me as the father he wished he had. So, I just hint that I won't 'love' him anymore should he not complete his mission. That's how I'm able to keep him in line, and that is why he will help me deliver you the Kyuubi."
With that, Kizu rose from his chair, and bowed. "Now, if you will excuse me sir, I believe it's about time for the real operation to begin. In order for it to succeed, it requires my full attention."
As he turned, Madara called "Kizu!!" The Akatsuki turned around, facing his master. "It's almost time for the containment period again. Do NOT make me wait."
Kizu bowed slightly, and walked out of the room. "Senile old fool." He muttered. "Soon enough, you'll see who really has been in charge here." Kizu grinned wickedly at the thought of turning the old man's world upside down. "But that will have to wait. Until I have all of them, and then we will rule this world…"
Walking down the corridor, he entered a new room. This one was almost completely empty; the only object occupying the room was the statue of a fearsome deity. Kizu walked to the center, and took a seat in a meditative like manner. "If the intelligence Danzou has offered me is correct, it's going to take a while before I have to jump in."
Sakura was sent spinning like a human top after receiving a back fist from Tobi. Granted, she had been hurt much worse by other taijutsu attacks than this. But due to her asphyxiation, she was always on the verge of collapsing. Medical-ninjutsu couldn't help her in this situation; to pull out the toxins from her own system would take immense time and concentration, something she did not have in the middle of a fight. And it was proving extremely difficult to just hit Tobi; most of her hits went right through him, and he proved to be extremely agile as well. "Can't let it end like this…" She got into a guard stance once more, but feeling as though she already lost. "There has to be a way…"
Seeing that it was worth a shot, Sakura threw the explosive kunai she was saving, and like before, went through Tobi. Sakura hoped he didn't notice the explosive tags and would stay there, mocking her and get caught in the explosion. But to her bitter disappointment, Tobi jumped into the clear, and landed behind her right has the explosive tags went off. "Enton!! Haimetsu Ryu Bourei no Jutsu!!" From both his arms, two dragons heads made of smoke erupted. These heads each divided into nine smaller ones, and they approached Sakura at high speed. Unprepared to defend herself, one head grabbed Sakura by each of her limbs and her neck, forcing her into the air. The rest pounded into her; it was the ninjutsu equivalent of being caught in a full-nelson and getting punched by another. One of the dragons hit Sakura so hard she was forced to open her mouth, and as a result took in nothing but fumes.
"I can't win…" Sakura felt like her lungs gave out on her, and her eyes became too heavy even for her to lift. The jutsu dissipated, and Sakura plummeted to the ground. Feeling as though nothing could save her, Sakura made farewells to people that would never hear them. It was pretty amazing how time stopped when one felt they were near death. "Shishou…thank you for everything you taught me. For the first time in my life, you made me feel worth something. Kakashi-sensei, thank you for looking after me. I know I wasn't the best student, but I'll never forget how you and the others taught me what it's like to be a real ninja. Ino, you were always my best friend. I'm sorry I nearly ruined it over our crush for Sasuke. Mother, I love you. Naruto…" the memories she had with the boy she once scorned only to become her true love flooded her mind. In that moment, her eyes snapped open. Suddenly, Sakura was filled with an overwhelming urge to live.
"I WILL NOT DIE HERE!!! AND I WILL SEE YOU AGAIN…" Sakura flipped and landed on her feet with a resounding impact in the ground. "…NARUTO!!!"
The three Akatsuki members were stunned at her recovery. However, Hidan knew from personal experience that it was purely psychological; any physical wound she received was still taking its toll, even if her mind wouldn't let her notice. "Nothing to worry about." Hidan commented. "She's back on her feet, but the advantage is still Tobi's."
"Don't get ahead of yourself." Deidara warned. "From my personal experience, these Konoha nin seem to draw power from their emotions and determination, very different from what I was taught back at Iwa." Deidara looked down, and saw Sakura's face, raw with the determination he spoke of. "This is one time where I'm hoping I'm wrong."
As Sakura prepared to fight, Tobi held up his hand and said "Please, I don't want to fight you."
Sakura's face changed from battle ready to perplexed in that instant. Her hand went behind her back, which Tobi guessed meant she was going for a weapon. "Akatsuki is made up of S-class criminals! Why would he be pleading with me to stop?" Sakura pondered.
Tobi continued "I have the advantage. There's no point in hurting you anymore than I have to. Kizu-sama promised me he doesn't want you dead; I know that after this, he will let you go. All he wants is the jinchuriki. So please…surrender."
Sakura yelled back "Why would someone like you show mercy!? You're a criminal!!!"
Tobi shook his head. "THEY may be, but I'm not. Kizu-sama is just using them to achieve a greater good." Deidara and Hidan weren't exactly receptive of this, but expected no less.
"What kind of good could come out of sacrificing people just for who they are!?" Sakura yelled back, crying. "They may have monsters inside them, but they are people first and foremost."
Tobi stayed silent for a moment, looking to the ground questioning his deeds for the first time. "I don't know. But Kizu-sama…"
"You don't know!? YOU DON'T KNOW!?" Sakura screamed. "You're nothing but a blind follower!!"
Tobi shouted back angrily "Don't talk like you know Kizu-sama!!"
His outburst shocked even Deidara. "I've never, EVER heard him get mad before…" When he was mad, Tobi sounded downright frightening.
Tobi calmed down still facing the ground when he replied "I don't like the sacrifices anymore than you do. In fact…" Tobi clenched both his fists "…I'd imagine I hate it even more than you do." Sakura didn't let guard down, but soon became more interesting in listening instead of fighting. "Stealing, murdering, exploiting…I hate all those sins, and I have been a victim of many of them so many times…My father tried to kill me at birth, and it was my mother's love that saved me. But the villagers never accepted who I am. They called me a monster, threw stones at me…no one else's suffering could possibly compare to mine." Sakura immediately thought of Naruto at the mention of a childhood marked by hatred. "One night, they burned my house, killing my mother. I lived on the streets since then, on the verge of starvation and nothing more than a beggar." Tobi finally looked Sakura in the face. "Then, Kizu-sama found me. He taught me ninjutsu, and asked me to become part of the Akatsuki. He said with my help, he could create a world of peace and righteousness. How could I, someone who has suffered every wrong brought upon by man, refuse? I joined, promising that no one would have to live like I did ever again."
Sakura had to admit, she was stunned. She was actually inclined to help him find real friends and a life he could enjoy. But she pushed those feelings aside; sad as it may have been, he was still a dangerous enemy. "Don't give me that bullshit!!" Sakura yelled. "He's using you!! I helped fight against the swordsman Zabuza!! He had a pupil who had a childhood of nothing but sadness! He taught the child well, but it wasn't until his death that he thought of him as something more than a mere weapon!! Don't you see!? He's only using you!!"
Just then, Sakura noticed a clay bird and the kusarigama coming straight at her from the side. She became so lost in Tobi's speech that she took her eye off the other two. Bracing for the impact, she felt her self tackled and underwent a weird sensation. It was as if her molecules were being separated, but she felt no pain. The sensation passed, and she realized she was in Tobi's arms. Tobi let her go and quickly jumped away. Sakura's eyes widened in amazement. "Did he just…protect me!? "
Tobi's attention turned towards his two comrades. "Deidara-sempai!! Why did you do that!? That's not fair!!"
Deidara shouted back "You idiot!! You spent all that time talking when you could've taken her out!!! In fact, she was using the time she spent debating with you to heal herself!! We were trying to do your job for you!!!"
Tobi called back "Yes! I know…I just felt she deserved to know…" Once more, he squared off against her. "Thanks for the concern…but I've got this under control."
Sakura did the same, thankful that she felt she could breathe effortlessly again. Though the process drained her chakra, she could still fight. "Good as I feel, I'm not at my peak. But that's okay. Now, I think I know how to fight back!!!"
Koungasenki sipped a cup of coffee as he continued his guard duty. Same snow, same dead people, same people who looked like they were about to drop dead any minute…he was getting bored out of his mind. "Whatever Deidara-sensei is doing, it better be important…because I am THIS CLOSE to cutting him up when he gets back…." he growled to himself
"Chishio-san!!"
Koungasenki turned to a fellow guard. "Please tell me that fat bitch you like to call Tsuchikage-sama is going to send me on a mission. If you really want me in a good mood, it better be in an assassination."
The guard replied "He wants us to open the camp to some prisoners we'll be taking; they're not Ainu, but he says he doesn't give a damn about how they're treated really. So long as they live."
Koungasenki sighed, unimpressed by the news. "That's it?"
"We have specific orders not to kill these prisoners; apparently they are to be used as some kind of leverage. I don't know much more than that."
"If Konoha is smart, they'll just tell us 'fuck'em'." Koungasenki said to no one in particular, much to the guard's dismay.
"Well, then I guess they're not." The guard laughed, while Koungasenki's expression remained blank.
"Go back to talking to your imaginary friend, asshole." was the only reply he got. Sighing, the guard continued with his duty. "Why do I get stuck with the psychos…?"
Yuji looked through his binoculars, observing the situation. Bored guards, what seemed to be routine activity…if he and Hyouike were going to do this, now was the time. "You ready?" Yuji asked.
Hyouike sighed "No…but there's no turning back now, I guess. And…" Hyouike looked towards the camp. Yuji could tell she was clearly afraid. He began to despise himself for making Hyouike join him in this plan that even he had to admit was pretty dumb. Even though he felt he couldn't do it alone, it was an outrage to make a person not trained in the fighting arts to pull this off. But when Yuji offered for her to back out, she outright refused. Besides, he just couldn't let this go on, and even if the Hokage cared to do something about these camps…if Hyouike's story about the Nidaime Hokage was true, someone in Konoha would prevent any action that should be taken. Hyouike turned back to him. "I'm tired of hiding and doing nothing. I still think this plan is asinine…but I'll go with it. I may not be able to do much, but I WILL let them know that I refuse to be afraid of them anymore, and they WILL feel my hatred. Unlike them…I have a reason."
Yuji nodded in understanding. "Fair enough. But if for ANY reason it looks like you're about to die, run. Run, and don't look back. Not even if it looks like I need help. If there's a jam I can't get out of, you sure as hell can't help me. Understood?" Slowly, Hyouike nodded her head. Satisfied, Yuji said "Okay then. Get into your position."
As he turned to leave, Hyouike called "Wait!" Yuji turned around. Hyouike seemed unsure of something. But not of his plan; it was about something else, Yuji could tell that much. But what? "Listen…back then, in the cave, I said some pretty mean things. Hurtful things that you did not deserve. I was surprised to find someone who had no idea who my people were. It surprised me even more that you did not think of me of a monster…"
Yuji interrupted "Why would I?"
Hyouike gave him a sad smile in response. "Human beings treat others they perceive as different like animals. It seems to be in everyone's nature, sadly." Hyouike looked him right in the eye. Yuji's eyes widened to see she was clearly crying. "But not you!! You're…you're different. You don't see differences, just other human beings. It…it felt nice to see someone who was not an Ainu treat me as a person and not as a monster." Yuji felt stunned by her announcement. "You're….you're one of the nicest boys I have ever met." Hyouike's face seemed to turn scarlet red.
As Yuji pondered what she meant, he almost gasped as his body temperature rose. "Wait…she doesn't like me!!! Does she?"
Before he could react, Hyouike practically tackled him, and kissed him on the nose. Yuji formed a blush that matched his partner's in response. Hyouike pulled away from him, breathing heavily. "Good luck." she whispered before running to her position.
Yuji stood there for a good second before realizing he had someplace else to be. He tripped on several occasions just getting to his position.
"Stop being such an idiot, Yuji!!" a familiar, feminine voice yelled at him.
Yuji nearly panicked, and stammered "I-Iori, I…" Then he remembered that she wasn't here. That's when the memories he spent with her flooded his mind. And not only her, but Shiguri, Naruto, and Sakura as well. "I've been so obsessed with helping these people…I've forgotten about them." For a second, he believed it may have been wrong to go off oh his own quest when his real comrades were fighting and dying elsewhere. But when he looked back at the camp, Yuji's resolve to make a difference only grew. "Guys, I'm sorry. But I made a promise that I cannot back out of. I'm sure, especially under these circumstances, you would all understand. I hope, despite my absence, you're all okay. If not…I take full responsibility for everything." As he got ready, his thoughts drifted to Iori once more. "I wonder how she would react if she saw Hyouike kiss me?" For some reason, the thought of it made him very scared.
"Ugh." An Iwa nin grunted as he hefted a body over his shoulder. "This is fucking gross!"
"Don't let it get to you." another said to him, also carrying a corpse. "These animals don't deserve a proper burial."
"Maybe, but these decaying bodies in the open will be the death of us yet!! At least burn these fuckers!!" They threw the bodies into the crevice, where they joined many others.
As they turned around, one of them commented "There's not many of these Ainu left, are there?"
"Makes me wish Tsuchikage-sama would let us finish all of them at once!!" the other commented.
Their conversation was interrupted when a hand touched his shoulder. At first he thought it was some other guy's, but when he looked at the hand, he noticed entire pieces of its skin were decaying. When he turned around to look at its owner, his voice completely left him: it was one of the corpses!! Both of the Iwa nins hearts were going far more than a mile a minute as they turned their heads towards the crevice. Suddenly, several corpses came leaping out at them. The two Iwa nin screamed and curled up in a ball.
Several guards, Koungasenki included, rushed to the scene, prepared for the worst case scenario. "What's wrong!?" they yelled. Many of them stopped dead in their tracks as they witnessed what looked to them like a scene from a zombie movie. But not in fear.
"Wait a minute…" one of the guards muttered. He ran over and grabbed one of the "attacking" corpses by the head. Nothing to tell him it wasn't undead…except that he felt something tug it backwards. "There's someone controlling them!! Attack that way!!" he pointed behind the crevice. Little did they know, their counter would come too late.
Yuji was already on the move, and ready to begin phase 2. "Alright, Hyouike; go."
Upon hearing her signal through the radio, Hyouike dashed into the camp. Just being in there nearly gave her a heart attack, but somehow she pressed on. Her purpose here was not to be caught, but to escape with others. She whizzed by several of her fellow tribesmen who were going through the hard labor and morning exercises, and that would prove to be the hardest part of the plan for her.
She wanted so badly to look at them, see if they were people she recognized, and find out if any other members of her family were still alive. But no, she could not allow herself to do that; she would only get herself and Yuji killed. All that mattered right now were getting all captives out. She could take a roll call later.
She ran to the power station, which was left unguarded due to the commotion Yuji had caused. Running down to the basement inside, she found the propane tanks that provided the camp with heat and electricity. "Okay, here goes." Hyouike placed an explosive tag Yuji had given to her on the tank. She only had a few seconds; Yuji assured her that she would have ample time to get away. It didn't occur to her until now that ninja were much faster than ordinary people. "I hope he was thinking in terms of the speed of the average person!!" Hyouike screamed inside her head.
She bolted out the exit, and collided with someone, causing her to stumble back onto the ground.
"Well well, what do we have here!? It looks like a little Ainu girl!!"
Hyouike looked up in horror at the Ainu nin who was upon her. He was big, scruffy, and smiled wickedly at her, imagining the things he could do to her. Before he had a chance, his neck seemed to constrict, and he was thrown into the air.
Yuji appeared in his place, and took Hyouike by the hand. "You idiot!! What are you still doing here!?" He took the biggest leap he could with Hyouike in tow. Fortunately for them, it was enough to clear the ensuing explosions. Yuji didn't waste any time when they landed. "I'm going to tear down the fences over there; you free the others!! This time, no freezing up!! Got that!?" Hyouike nodded, and ran off to the bunkers.
Yuji got ready for the next phase. "Kuchiyose no Jutsu!!" Yuji slammed a bloodied thumb into the snow, and summoned the spiders his father was famous for. He could barely summon one spider for battle; but the ones he chose were not used for fighting. They were going to be used for communication instead. Leaning down to the tiny arachnids, he whispered "When I scream the signal, relay the message to the one at the damn, got it?" Yuji couldn't really see them nod, but he had no choice but to put his faith in them. And Hyouike.
Sakura pulled out a kunai and hopelessly attacked Tobi once more. "Stop it!! That will never work!!" he shouted. Little did he know, Sakura was not blindly attacking him out of desperation or fear.
There was one thing Sakura learned from experience when battling enemies supposedly stronger than herself; there was always a pattern in the way they fought. Sakura learned to always pay attention to every detail, even in the heat of battle. And Sakura noticed something unusual about Tobi (among other things). "Time to test my theory." she thought. Sakura slashed her kunai through Tobi's midsection, and like before, it went through him like he was nothing.
"You can't hurt me!! Don't you know that by now!?"
Ignoring Tobi's taunts, Sakura almost immediately attacked once more with a roundhouse kick. Tobi flipped right over her and landed behind her. Before she could turn, Tobi caught her off guard with a leg sweep.
As she tumbled to the ground, Tobi activated another jutsu. "Enton!!Enshuriken no Jutsu!!" The air near him condensed and blackened, taking the shape of shuriken. Sakura rolled out of the way as they tried to impale her. As soon as she got out of range, Sakura jumped back to her feet and was truly ready to fight now.
"His body always becomes smoke the first time something attacks him. But whenever there's a follow up, he dodges. I wonder…" This part Sakura had to make count. "…how he responds to genjutsu…" Sakura pulled out a scroll, and summoned a huge happo shuriken. "First, the smog part." Tobi, not wishing to waste anytime. In response, Sakura threw her weapon, and just like before, it went through him.
"This is the end!!!" Tobi screamed as he threw his punch; suddenly, it stopped midway. Glancing at his wrist, he saw that he was shackled to the ground. "What!?" Tobi realized what was going on… "Genjutsu!!"
Quickly, Tobi did the release technique. It came almost too late, however; Sakura was right in his face. He backed away as quick as he could, but Sakura's left hook just caught his arm. Though Tobi could still fight, that graze was enough to leave a nasty bruise. Tobi looked at his wound in awe. "No one has ever injured me like this, except for Kizu-sama…"
"I got it." Sakura said with a satisfied smirk across her face. "Your enton bloodline is impressive. You can even become smoke itself; that's why you specifically were the one chosen to fight me: your master couldn't risk injury to his other henchmen. There's one problem, though: there's a 15 second interval before you can do that technique again. That's the gist of it, no?"
Despite his masked face, Sakura could tell he was stunned. "You figured it out." Tobi admitted. The fear in his voice was evident, try as he did to hide it. "But I was prepared for such a thing. As you could see, I've made up for my temporary inability to perform the technique with agility. And your genjutsu barely worked that time; it won't work again."
Sakura only smiled in response. "Don't count on it; I'm pretty fast myself." she said confidently, pointing to herself to emphasize the point.
Tobi got into a guard stance, and Sakura did the same in response. Just like before, one fighter resonated with fear, the other with confidence. But this time, who resonated with what was reversed. "Let's go!!" Tobi yelled
The two opponents dueled with kunai, each testing the waters. Taking the offensive, Sakura slashed at Tobi. Instinctively, Tobi activated his intangibility jutsu. "Shit!" He knew he should've had greater control, but years of experience hard-wired the instinct into his body. Tobi immediately backed away from Sakura, realizing that mistake could cost him. Sakura rushed to his side, and launched another roundhouse kick. Tobi leapt into the air, successfully avoiding it like he had been before. However, he was about to find out the hard way that Sakura was not kidding about her agility; using the torque from her first kick, she preformed a spinning jump kick, which Tobi had no hope of avoiding. Nonetheless, he twisted his body in a feeble attempt to avoid a direct hit. Sakura's boot nailed his upper right arm, and Tobi could feel the bone within snap. "AAAHHHH!" Tobi managed to break his fall with his now "good" arm, and ran away to put some distance between him and Sakura. Quickly, Tobi evaluated his condition. "My humerus is broken…but as long as my hand can still move, I can do a good amount of jutsus. Have to be careful, though; I can't move my arm like I usually do. I'll have to stretch my right towards it."
This time, Sakura was the aggressor. Getting down on one knee so he could bring his hands together despite his broken arm, Tobi quickly cast another jutsu. "Enton!! Dome Enmu no Jutsu!!" Tobi removed his mask, and black smog spewed from his face before she could get a good look at him. Almost immediately she reminded herself that she should probably be more concerned about the black mist as opposed to her adversary's true appearance.
She moved to the side to avoid the cloud, but a bit still managed to graze her cheek. When it did, she could feel her skin burn right off. Realizing what it did, Sakura got away as far as possible before it could do more damage, but a glance behind her showed that the mist was encircling her. The only way to go was up, and she couldn't leap far enough to land in a safe area. "Well, I've gotten out of a similar jam before." she growled in determination. Sakura took an explosive tag from her pouch and threw it to the ground. Leaping up into the air, she cleared the explosion, which in turn cleared the area of the acid-like smoke. Landing, she sprinted towards Tobi once more. The Akatsuki member did not have enough time to cast a jutsu in his current condition. Sakura pulled out her kunai, and aimed for Tobi's heart. Like before, Tobi activated his intangibility jutsu, despite knowing that this attack was a trap. Slowed down tremendously, he had no chance of dodging the next attacks. But if he hadn't, he knew Sakura would have killed him right there.
"Don't worry. I'm not going to kill you…" Sakura hissed. "…not yet anyway. I'm going to make you talk!!" Sakura held back her strength as she pummeled Tobi. She was running dangerously low on chakra now anyway; if things got serious again, she probably had only one or two good attacks left in her. And she had to save them for Deidara and Hidan. "Where is Soragakure!? And what does your master really want!?" Despite the beating, Tobi remained silent. "Tell me!! Tell me, goddamit!! You've tormented my team for too long!! And I'll get answers out of you anyway I can!!!"
Tobi may have been unable to fight back in this situation, but he had some tools on him just in case. He threw a smoke bomb to the ground, blinding Sakura and distorting her senses. At this point, her body was much more sensitive to smoke and fumes than usual, even with her medical jutsu, and Sakura stumbled back coughing. With will power alone she fought off her body's natural reaction. She spotted Tobi to her left, and began to sprint towards him. But it just occurred to her that the interval for Tobi to cast his jutsu may be up. Not wanting to waste any physical attacks, Sakura threw another explosive kunai; her last one. This time, Tobi did the correct move and dodged, the blade missing him by a hair, but that was Sakura's intention in the first place; she cut the tag to reduce the explosion time. As planned, the bomb went off, and in a panic Tobi cast his intangibility jutsu once more. As soon as the explosion was cleared, Sakura grabbed Tobi by the head, and threw him into the other side of the meadow. Sakura ran, not daring to waste another second before he could render himself untouchable again. "Tell me what you know!!!"
Tobi couldn't take this abuse any longer; he had to fight back. He had to defeat her in one move. "Enton!! Bourei Katanna Buumeran no Jutsu!!" Smoke gathered within Tobi's right hand, taking the shape of a samurai sword. One would at first guess that this was for close combat; but dueling was not Tobi's intention. He threw it, and it spun rapidly like it was designed for throwing.
Sakura didn't see it coming in time, and dodged too late. The blade, despite being seemingly made of nothing but smoke, cut through Sakura's shoulder. It was no mere scratch; the blade cut Sakura's trapezius, leaving her left arm limp. Despite the pain, Sakura pressed on. "Just one attack!!"
Tobi, stunned at her determination, threw all the shuriken he had. "Fall!!"
Sakura rolled under the sharp objects, and launched her legs into Tobi's face. She couldn't concentrate her chakra like she normally did…nonetheless, it was a bloody good kick if she said so herself. "Good thing…I've got nothing else left in me…" At this point, Sakura hoped she could bluff her way out of fighting the other two. But right now, she had to be sure her principal opponent was really out of commission. Tobi's mask shattered, unable to take the force. Sakura jumped away to take a good look at Tobi…and gasped in horror.
The right side of Tobi's face was covered in burn scars…probably from the abuse he told her about. But his left side, no one could have done that to him; it had to have been developed prenatally. On his left side was a small, deformed, and probably useless eye. A slight nose was present underneath it, and was inverted on what would be its side. But what shocked her the most was the second upper jaw where his cheek should have been; half a set of teeth were present instead, with lips to go with it.
Tobi looked at her with his two good eyes, gazing knowingly. "Now you see. Now you see why everyone has called me a monster."
Sakura's face nearly contorted in horror when she saw the deformed lips move with the ones he used to speak. She heard about this phenomenon before: parasitic twins. Sometimes, the Zygote would split into two separate embryos, which would eventually give birth to identical twins. But the process didn't always finish, creating certain deformities. The most common result from this was Siamese or conjoined twins, two individuals who shared some parts of their body. But in the rarest of cases, the second individual never formed; before her was an example of that.
"I know what I look like. And that's why I want to create a world where I will be judged by the person I really am." Tobi gave a slight chuckle, although Sakura could tell by the tone of it he didn't find anything about it funny. "People have trouble doing that on their own."
Sakura couldn't find the will to fight this man anymore; it was no wonder he was manipulated into joining the organization, despite his childish demeanor. And as wrong as he was about Akatsuki's intentions…she couldn't blame him for feeling that way. They were, in his view after all, the only real family he had. Finally overcoming her shock, Sakura spoke. "I understand…I understand what it's like to feel like you're all alone, and unloved. My friend….the one your organization is trying to capture….felt like that his whole life. He was the Hokage's son, and his father sealed the nine-tails in him. He did it not to create a weapon, but to protect us all. He was supposed to be a hero, but instead we all shunned him." Sakura cried as she talked about Naruto. She saw how cruel people could be, and Tobi's face was a glaring reminder of that. Tobi's own will to fight was lost as well. This was the first time he saw anyone ever cry for him. Not even his master seemed to show such compassion other than training him. "I understand why you're so loyal to Akatsuki…" Sakura continued. "…if I were in your position, I probably would have done the same thing…" Sakura then seemed to get her angry self from a minute ago as she screamed "But it doesn't change the fact that what they're doing is wrong!!! They're only using you…do you think Kizu would have adopted you if you did not have the potential for ninjutsu!?"
Tobi's face widened in shock. He always had the utmost love and respect for Kizu. But it never occurred to him that Kizu would have even taken him in had he not shown promise. Now that he thought about it, it didn't seem likely that he would…an overwhelming feeling of sadness and doubt flooded Tobi's mind. But he had been a part of Akatsuki for too long to simply give it up. Tobi shouted back "Even if what you say is true, what alternative do I have!? No one else wants me!!! Even if I'm nothing but a tool, a life with purpose is better than none at all!!"
"You're wrong!!" Sakura screamed back. "Purpose is important, but only if you have real bonds as well!! What happens when you're considered no good to them!? Will they care for you!? Spend time with you!? No…just like a tool…they'll discard you." Sakura's tone softened with that last sentence. "If I were crippled, bed ridden, or forced to retire…I'd need someone to be there for me. And I know so many strong shinobi who would do just that…" Slowly, she began to walk towards Tobi. Though Tobi's body instinctively prepared for an attack, he knew it wasn't going to happen. He lacked the will to fight back anyway, as Sakura's words touched a cord within him. With her good arm, Sakura caressed Tobi's deformed side. The touch made him flinch…and stirred inside him a feeling he never felt before. He didn't know what it was…but it felt nice. "Come with us." Sakura said almost pleadingly. "I can protect you. You will find real friends, both in me and Naruto. If you wish…" Sakura stroked Tobi's deformity soothingly, acknowledging the pain he must have felt because of it. "…I can even remove this…"
Tobi was simply frozen. Kizu said they would be family so long as he would serve him while Tobi knew Sakura's request did come with conditions, namely Akatsuki information, once they were met he wouldn't be discarded. And his deformity…Kizu said there was no way to treat it. How he wanted to be rid of it…
Suddenly, Sakura leapt away from him. "Look out!!"
Tobi rolled away as Deidara's clay bird landed right where he and Sakura stood just a moment before. The bomb went off, but fortunately it wasn't enough to kill anyone. Still… "Deidara! This fight…"
"…is no longer yours." Deidara commented as he and Hidan leapt to the floor from his giant clay bird. Trying to sound unusually diplomatic, Deidara told the scared man without facing him "You've done enough, Tobi. She's used up most of her chakra, and now she doesn't have enough to heal herself. I doubt she even has enough to fight back. We'll take it from here."
Sakura's breathing became erratic as she got ready to face off against the other two, who were in perfect condition. Tobi looked at her, then at his teammates. His mind was conflicted in a way he never knew before. "What should I do!?" Just as they got ready to attack, Tobi, though still unsure, grabbed Deidara by the arm and pulled. "Wait!!" Tobi yelled. "Let's at least hear her out!!"
"Tobi…" Deidara hissed viciously, with none of his usual humor. "….I suggest you sit down and cool your head."
"Deidara-sempai!! She's not an enemy!!" Tobi insisted.
Deidara's response to Tobi's protest was to backhand him to the ground. "You should have never been allowed into Akatsuki!!" Deidara took a moment to think about what he said. "No…you're not fit to be a shinobi to begin with." Deidara looked at him mockingly, then turned back to face Sakura.
The two remaining members rushed up to Sakura at a speed she could not hope to match. Sakura pulled out her last kunai to defend herself. The two backed away from each swing, but they knew the odds of her landing a fatal blow were pretty low…especially on Hidan. And she was already wounded and worn-out. It was only a matter of time now. Tobi was about to leap into the fray, when a voice yelled "Stop it, Tobi!"
Tobi knew from experience that he did not hear it physically" Kizu-sama!" Tobi immediately froze in fear at the realization.
"I watched everything. I am very, very disappointed in you, Tobi." Kizu said. "After doing well for so long, you hesitate. No, not only that, you almost sided with the enemy!!"
Tobi's best response was to stutter. "But Kizu-sama, she…"
"Only I can make this world a better place. She is misguided by naïve ideals. And she's wrong about your face as well, Tobi; NOTHING can fix it. If it could be fixed, do you doubt that I would have seen to it to have it fixed properly?"
Tobi just remained silent. Truthfully right now, he was unsure. "Who took you in when nobody wanted you!? Who trained you, made you stronger!? Gave you a purpose!?" the angry leader demanded.
Tobi collapsed on his knees as his mind tried to process everything that went on. But in the end, he submitted to his old master. "You, Kizu-sama."
"Now sit down and watch how it's done. This shouldn't last long." Tobi reluctantly obeyed his master, and watched as Sakura fought back at Deidara and Hidan. And knew she had no chance of winning.
Yuji gripped the fence, thankful the electricity was off. He probably should have thrown a live animal on it to make sure, but he had no time to correct himself on the proper procedures. Having been fully recovered, he easily tore the entire thing down. "There!"
Looking behind him, he saw Hyouike running towards him, followed by many Ainu…although far fewer than he had hoped for. They were also moving slowly; most likely from malnutrition. It was also highly likely that many of the occupants have been in the camp for so long, that they could no longer comprehend freedom. "Yuji!!" Hyouike shouted, waving towards him.
"Hyouike!! There's no time!! Get their butts out of here!!!" Yuji motioned frantically; he knew this was going to be a close call, but still!
"You fools!! They're getting away!!"
Yuji recognized that voice: Koungasenki!! Yuji found his rival in the air, with several kunai in his hands! By the angle he positioned them, Yuji could tell that each strike would be a fatal shot to the cerebellum. "NOOO!!!" Yuji ran straight ahead, seemingly right towards Hyouike.
"Wha? Yuji!?"
"Heads up!!"
At the last second, Yuji leapt onto her shoulders and used them as a boost. In turn, this caused her to fall face first into the snow. Hyouike screamed "What's the big idea, you jerk!?"
As desperate as her fellow people were, some retained their sanity enough to help her up, which was amazing considering their anorexic-like condition. "Please, hurry. Your friend is doing this for us." Hyouike nodded, and continued to lead them to freedom.
Yuji's mind on the other hand was focused on the Iwa nin directly in front of him. As was Koungasenki's…"YOU!!!" Before Koungasenki could react, Yuji fired his wires, wrapping them around his opponent's body. Using a good portion of his chakra, he twisted his body fast enough to defy gravity and pull himself towards Koungasenki. His speed knocked the wind out of the Iwa nin, and as he fell Yuji pulled him back up with his wires, and spun him like a top. In an instant, he threw him to the other side of the camp.
Taking a moment to evaluate the captives' position once he landed, he glanced behind him. He could still see them in the distance. "They're still within range. At this rate…shit, five minutes is too long…" Turning to his wrist watch, he set the timer alarm. "I'll have to make the best of it that I can." If he was off the mark…he would kill them instead of saving them…
"YOUUUU!!!" Before he knew it, Koungasenki tackled him and pinned him to the ground. The scared teen pulled out a kunai and attempted to stab him, but Yuji cross-blocked it, and directed it to the muddy ground. Jabbing his thumbs into his opponent's eyes, Yuji broke free and kicked him in the face. He held back this time around; not so much for concern of his opponent, but he needed to conserve all the chakra he could…because he was outnumbered, and even if one blow could kill each one, it was no guarantee he would hit them all. The fact that Koungasenki was here did not help matters any.
As he fought off guards with a small degree of super strength and spider gauntlets, Yuji carefully kept track of the time. "Damn, this is taking too long!!" He felt like he'd been fighting forever, but barely a minute had passed; he really hated the theory of relativity. Just then, Yuji felt an incredible pain shoot up his leg. Looking down, he saw that he had stepped in a bear trap. Not giving a thought has to why it was there, he bent down to remove it, but was pulled of balance when the chain at the end was tugged. Yuji screamed as the blades dug even deeper into his flesh
The ninja who caught him laughed like a child bullying another. "You're going to pay for this, little brat!" The others ganged up on him and kicked him like a sack of potatoes, and Yuji in this situation could defend himself just as good as one. This went on for a good minute, until Koungasenki pushed one to the ground and broke up the fight.
"You fucking retards!! You're letting the prisoners escape!!!" The guards looked dumbfounded at him, then their eyes widened as they realized exactly what they had done. Koungasenki thrust his arm wildly outside the camp. "Go after them!! They couldn't have gotten that far!!!" Quickly, they behaved like real ninjas for once. Koungasenki watched them go, as he eyed his rival. "I take it you killed my boss here. He'd have been screaming his head off at me by now. Still, he was a jonin, so…"
"Placing an explosive tag in his office might have helped." Yuji grunted back, a little bit less than enthused. "Plus being drunk off his ass."
Koungasenki nodded, showing he was not surprised." I have to give you credit for surviving…but it's pretty pathetic that you lived only to die here."
Yuji actually laughed at that. "So true. But if I die, this whole place goes with me." Just then, the watch went off. Yuji was looking so forward to that just a moment ago, and now he was afraid he should put it off longer. But he couldn't take that chance. "Hyouike, I hope you and the others got out of there in time. If not…please forgive me!!" With that, Yuji made a series of hand signs.
Koungasenki stepped back, expecting an attack. However, nothing happened. Koungasenki laughed slightly. "What was that supposed to do!? Were you calling for mommy!?"
Yuji rolled his eyes. "You're right about the fact that what I've just done wasn't meant to hurt you…not directly, anyway."
"What?" That part got his attention
"This operation has three stages: First, the diversion. That was me manipulating those corpses. To be honest, I wasn't sure it would work; but your men fell for it. Second was breaking out the prisoners, as you just saw. Third, well…" Yuji gave a sly smile. "…that one's a bit complicated…."
Koungasenki picked Yuji up and punched him across the face. "Explain!!" he demanded. When someone who looked defeated smiled, that was never a good sign.
Yuji only smirked at him more. "Well, I had to bring even more chaos upon this camp; otherwise, you'd just round those poor people up and bring them back here. I found the answer to that problem, but the problem was I could not be in two places at once. So, I had to make a little stop before coming here; the reservoir. And make a little telegraph line with the help of some friends…"
Koungasenki was perplexed at what Yuji was trying to tell him. He looked at Yuji's arm, and noticed a spider crawling on it. He also noticed that smoke seemed to be smoldering off its abdomen. It was then that realization struck him like a ton of bricks. "No…" In a panic, he dropped Yuji and ran all over the grounds. "He summoned spiders!! Enough to form a line long enough to reach the dam!! That smoke is a communication pheromone, and when it hits the last one…" Frantically, he looked all over for them. But finding bugs in such a wide area was not exactly easy or productive.
"You'll never find them, and even if you do, I'll release them before you can kill them!!" Yuji shouted.
Indeed he found one, but by now the message must've gotten through. As he looked across the horizon, he realized he would never make it in time. "No…"
Finally, the last one at the dam secreted a saliva on an explosive tag attached to the wall, and was dispelled. Like being propelled by a giant hose, the water burst forth with incredible speed.
Koungasenki turned back to his rival, his face with pure malice etched all over it. "We'll both live through this…and you won't like it one bit. That I promise you.""
Suddenly, before he knew what hit him, Yuji was swept up by a tidal wave.
Hyouike pushed the last of her fellow tribesman up a cliff. As she did, it scared her how light and frail her people were; it was like she was forced to become the adult who protected the sick and injured children. But she had to remind herself that her father was no longer there to hold her hand; she needed the strength to do this on her own. And her mother…"No. I must not think of such things…" she reminded herself. She never found out her fate…
"There they are, catch them!!"
Hyouike looked behind her in horror as the Iwa nin from the camp were gaining on them; very quickly, she would've emphasized. Frantically, she looked up, but higher up the cliff was too steep to climb. Even if they could, the ninjas would be steps ahead of them. "No…"
The Iwa nin pulled out their kunai, preparing for a slaughter. Suddenly, they stopped as they heard an ominous roaring sound. "What was that!?" one of them yelled. The next second, a giant flash flood swept them off their feet, and quickly began filling up the canyon.
Hyouike screamed as she and the others backed against the cliff, afraid the water would claim them as well. Fortunately, just as the water reached their surface, it began to recede into a calm river. Hyouike breathed a sigh of relief. "Yuji…thank you…" It was just then that tears stroked down her face. "What if...what if he didn't make it out in time!?" The night before, Yuji explained everything. She told him over and over his third phase was suicidal, but he insisted upon it.
"It's dangerous, I know. But I've got great chakra control; I'll ride the water as it carries me."
"Yuji…"
"Those men right there; I'm amazed that they can still survive. I don't think they can for much longer though…we can't wait…."
Hyouike finally caved in and trusted him that night. "I shouldn't have…" she whispered to no one in particular. But someone did hear her.
One of the men placed his hands on her shoulder, trying to comfort her. "That was a very brave boy. Knowing that he planned this…I just know he survived…" He then knelt down as Hyouike turned to face him. "And I know that we cannot let his efforts be in vain. We'll wait until the water has receded, and we shall search for him…Hyouike."
Her interest was piqued, and looked at the man closely. With his ghastly thin condition and shaved head, he looked nothing like someone she knew. "Do I know you?" she asked, stumped and not really caring at the moment
The man smiled slightly, seemingly understanding. "Don't worry, I know I look nothing like I used to." he answered. "You were only four years old when I first met you; I would often apply medicine to any scrapes you got playing with the boys. You were such a crybaby back then…" he chuckled
Hyouike's eyes widened as she recognized that gentle laughter. "Spring-san?" Spring was a travelling doctor, who used to stop by her family's home often. But when the genocide began, he disappeared.
The man smiled warmly at her, just as he did back then. "Yes, yes. I'm so glad you're alright, little one." Hyouike hugged the man from her memories. "It's such a shame that your father was taken from us. But your mother…there's a chance she's still here."
Hyouike looked at him in disbelief, tears filling her eyes. Her father sent her and his wife away with a group trying to find haven in another land. Hyouike eventually snuck away; she just couldn't leave her father behind. She left her mother a note saying she promised to come back with her father. Indeed, she found him…only to watch him die. "My mother…she…" Hyouike now regretted doing that to her; she probably believed her to be dead now.
Spring added "I don't know for sure. The guards at the camp often spoke of recent captures. I haven't heard anything of a group similar to the one your mother joined being mentioned." His face then became serious. "Still, our priority is to reach safety!!" As the Ainu tried to make sense of what to do, they heard a voice. At first they tensed, but as the tone of it became clearer…they got a good feeling that they weren't in any danger.
"Over this cliff!!" a strangely enthusiastic voice called. They didn't sense a hint of bloodlust in the stranger's cry.
"Lee-sensei!! Are you sure!? We've been traveling in circles for hours!!" another voice called.
"Don't worry, Jaa-kun!! I know it's just around this corner!! You'll see soon enough!!" Soon, a young man in the strangest green outfit the Ainu had ever seen came into view, looking into the horizon. "Strange." he noted. There's not supposed to be a river here. And it hasn't rained recently, so I have no idea where this water…" the man took a look down. His face immediately went from unimaginable enthusiasm to utter shock. "…came from." he muttered softly, still unable to comprehend the sight before him.
Soon, three adolescents caught up to him. "Lee-sensei!" the girl in the group yelled. "This is not the best route!! If you look at the map here, you can see clear as day it's more efficient to…" she joined her comrades in their dead silence upon seeing the starved Ainu. None of them could believe seeing a whole group of starved naked men like this. "Not even in Kiri would something as cruel as this ever happen." Lee whispered. It made him sick to his stomach. If he ever found out who did this, he would happily open all nine gates to make the one responsible think hell wouldn't be the worst thing that could happen to him.
Hyouike looked at them, and noticed their insignias. "Those are…Konoha ninja!!"
The leader of the group got his bearings straight and jumped down to meet them. Many of them backed away, but nonetheless Lee saluted them. "My apologies. My name is Rock Lee, and those three up there are my students. We were in the middle of a mission…but upon finding you, it will have to be put on hold. Your hour of need cannot wait." Lee was being unusually serious, but even he knew his "cool" demeanor was completely inappropriate. "Crystal!! Get all the blankets you can!! Chan, Jaa-kun!! Find as much game as possible!! It probably won't be too good for them, given their condition…but we can't risk starving them further!!"
Lee's team was about to leave, when suddenly Hyouike broke through the crowd and grabbed Lee by the sleeve "Wait!!" His team halted as they listened to her. "A ninja from your village saved us, and in doing so, he was carried away by the flood." Tears were rolling down her face as she told them.
Lee kneeled down and gripped her shoulders. "His name…please tell me his name!"
Hyouike struggled to speak coherently. "His name…his name was Miyamoto Yuji!!"
Jaa's eyes widened upon hearing his name. "Miyamoto-kun…he was here!?"
For nearly two hours, the barren canyons in Iwa resembled white water rapids. Now, the foreign water receded, and it became a calm river. Suddenly, a hand latched onto the flat surface of sedimentary rock that became an island in the flood. Yuji pulled himself out, gasping for air. The cold water put him near hypothermia, and the way he was tossed around disoriented him greatly; he believed he may have even hit a few objects on his way over there that he didn't have to. Just then, Yuji's stomach twisted, and he vomited on the rock. "Ugh…I've had…better days…" Yuji began to continue climbing, but yelped in pain when he put weight on his right foot. "Shit, I should have remembered about that piece shit of metal around my foot." Slowly, he managed to lift his foot out of the water, and inspected it. The bear trap that snagged it was removed, but in this case that was a bad thing. The water must've literally torn it away, causing intense tearing. Yuji was sure if he looked closer, he could see bone; he was too afraid to. Worse still, he had no means to treat it. "Shit…if I ever get out of this, I'm going to hound Sakura-nechan into teaching me some medical jutsu."
Feeling like there was nothing more he could do, Yuji flopped on his back. "After this, I'm just going to go home and sleep for a hundred years. Maybe Shiguri could sneak in some hentai manga for me. A date with Iori would be nice too…" Yuji blushed at that last part. "I hope she's not around to hear me say that out loud…I'm in no shape to take a beating from her…"
Just then, he noticed something bob up in the water. It was white, and though he could only see the top, he could tell it was in the shape of a sphere. Before he could even guess what it was exactly, it busted open and something flew out. Whatever it was landed on Yuji's bad foot, making him scream in pain. "Did you enjoy the ride?"
Yuji's eyes widened in disbelief as he looked straight into Koungasenki's eyes. "No…it can't be…"
Koungasenki chuckled. "My hariton is to blame, you could say. Before the water came running over here, I cut myself again, but this time, I spread the blood in a circle around me. Then, I used it as a base to form the sphere I created. The jutsu is called Kessho Ken. Fairly generic, I admit. But that's not important. What is…" Koungasenki put more wait onto Yuji's foot, causing him to grunt in more pain. "…is that you're through. You should worry, not because I'm going to kill you, but because I'm not. Never cared much for those Ainu people; they were just scapegoats so that we wouldn't realize the Tsuchikage and the Daimyo that rules Earth Country are the ones causing all our problems. Deidara-sensei's planning to overthrow them both, but doing so will mean the end of your village as well. And I'm going to make you helpless to do anything but watch."
After that, screams filled the landscape.
Sakura stumbled back as she avoided Hidan's Kusarigama. If her arm was working, she would've been able to back flip away, but in her current condition, all she could do was scoot away. Sakura rolled when a clay spider leapt at her, but it would do her little good; in her crippled state, she had no hope of avoiding the blast. The explosion sent her flying, and the kunoichi landed on her front side.
She struggled back up the best she could, but a hand yanked her up, and next thing she knew, she was face to face with Deidara. "You're supposed to say thank you, bitch!!" Deidara punched her across the face, sending her stumbling back. She'd taken much worse, but right now, she really didn't need this.
She yelped when something sharp cut her back; if it was meant to kill her, it should've been a direct hit. That meant… "Oh no…"
Indeed, the worst had happened; Hidan licked his scythe to take in her blood. "And now…" His skeleton-form appeared, and the circle that represented his cult surrounded him. "…time to end this boring fight!!"
Sakura predicted he would stab himself like Shikamaru reported he usually did. However, he twisted the chain around his knee, and pulled with both hands. Sakura screamed as she felt some supernatural force crush her knee-cap . Finally, the kunoichi collapsed, and this time, there would be no comeback. Her despair was beyond the point of crying. "This is it. My body is broken, and I'm out of chakra. There's no point in hoping for someone to come to my rescue. And now…" As the three loomed over her, Sakura's mind simply froze. She knew they would use her against Naruto…now the question was how. Would they leave her as she was now? Would they mutilate her to get their point further across? Her knee injury was most likely permanent…would they bribe her with a treatment not even Tsunade possessed? "No! I WILL NOT SELL MY SOUL!! I'd rather be in a wheelchair than betray Konoha!!"
"Hold her down." Deidara ordered.
As Hidan and Deidara held down her arms, Sakura struggled the best she could, futile as it was. She managed to lean to her left and bite Hidan's fingers. "AAAGGGHHH! STUPID WENCH!!!" the "immortal" screamed.
Just then, Sakura felt something burn her other arm. "Ahhh-!"
She turned her head to see Deidara's tongue lick her skin, and everything it touched was burned as if her skin came in contact with acid. "The saliva from these hands is the chemical that allows me to create explosive clay." Deidara explained. "Except for my own, it is very corrosive against flesh. In fact, in the right concentration, they can even dissolve tissue right down to the bone. So…" Deidara closed his hand-mouth and placed it over Sakura's open mouth. "…I suggest you don't move. I wouldn't want to feel my tongue melt; would you?" Sakura reluctantly complied. She couldn't give up hope yet; she knew someone would save her. All she could do was trust in the rest of her comrades. "Tobi!! You know what to do with those jewels!?" Deidara shouted .
Tobi was too stunned for a moment to respond. "Y-Yes Deidara-sempai!!" Tobi fumbled getting them out of his pocket, and rushed over to their prey. Tobi memorized exactly what he was supposed to do; however, after everything that happened, he was uncertain if this was really right. But his trust for Kizu would not allow him to go against orders. Tobi looked Sakura right in the eye, and placed a jewel over her face. "I'm sorry, but this will take some time; I'm not as efficient with only one good arm. This will hurt too…so please bare with me." Sakura looked at the blood red piercings, wondering what purpose they would serve. She winced as Tobi placed them on her face; it was more painful than it should have been, as Tobi constantly fumbled with securing them in the right place. After what might as well have passed for torture, Tobi placed three piercings to each side of her nose and one on her chin. "It is done, Kizu-sama."
Suddenly, Sakura felt a surge of energy within her. The force within her body didn't hurt, but the splitting headache she had to endure was one of the worst moments of pain she had ever felt. She screamed out loud, forgetting about Deidara's acid tongue. Then, as suddenly as it began, it stopped. Feeling returned to Sakura's body, but something was off. Her wounds were completely healed, and her chakra was restored. "They healed me? No, it can't be!!" Sakura could not think of a single reason for such absurdity. "They injure me only to heal me!?" Then, she felt her hands press herself off the ground. And that's when she realized she did not command her body to do any such thing. "My body…what's happening!?"
Hidan and Deidara let her go, as without her control, her body looked around their surroundings. "Kizu-sama…" Deidara asked cautiously. "…are you in there?" Both he and Hidan got ready for a fight, just in case Tobi screwed things up.
Sakura felt some other force mover her mouth, and no matter how much she commanded her body to stop, it proceeded as if nothing inhibited her "Yes, Deidara." It was her voice, her body…but her mind and soul were helpless. On top of that, though it sounded like her and came from her throat, this new voice spoke with a taint of malice she never had before. "No! Get out of me!!! Let go!!!" In her mind, Sakura completely panicked. To feel one's body move against their will, and to hear their voice speak words that they would never say…nothing in her ninjutsu training could prepare her for this. At least when Ino tried to take control of her body, she was unaware of it at first, and able to fight it off.
Kizu, now in Sakura's body, flexed his host's fingers. As he inspected the body, he commented "Not much chakra, but superb control. Well, Lady Tsunade…" Suddenly, he punched the ground nearby him (her?), creating a massive crater. Deidara and Hidan jumped back, not wanting to become collateral damage.
"Shit!" Hidan cursed. "He's bad enough as it is without super strength!!"
Kizu, now in Sakura's body, laughed manically."You should be proud of yourself, Lady Tsunade!!! You've endowed this young girl with great power. But you should've been more careful; you never know when your own students might betray you…" The mad grin from Kizu's new face faded, as he turned his head slowly to meet Tobi's face.
Suddenly, Kizu was upon him, and sweeped him to the ground, pressing against his broken arm. Tobi screamed, unprepared for his master's actions. "…Isn't that right, Tobi!?" Kizu yelled, referring to his supposedly rhetorical question from one second ago.
Tobi stammered "K-Kizu-sama…I meant no disrespect, I swear…"
Kizu only squeezed the broken arm tighter. "I am the only one you can trust!! Understood!?" he screamed impatiently.
Tobi winced so loud it may as well have been a cry. "Yes!!" Truthfully, he didn't mean it…but he did not want to upset the man that raised him any further, nor incur his wrath.
Kizu let him go, and faced his other subordinates. His laughter and expression, coming from Sakura's body, was one of the creepiest things the two had encountered in their lives. Opening his new arms, Kizu declared "Now, it's time to implement the rest of the plan!! But first, I need a uniform more fitting for me…"
Naruto, who was carrying Shiguri on his back, and Margay, ran through the grasslands that bordered Fire and Grass country. "Naruto-sensei…" Shiguri asked. "…do you think that army managed to get to Konoha before we did?"
Naruto yelled "No, I won't allow it!! And even if they did, we'll stop them the instant we find them!!"
Margay, nervous for her patient and the jonin's overall plan, commented "Up ahead should be a forest; if they're close, we'll know; not even a dense forest like that could hide such an army!!"
The three shinobi focused on the task at hand, but suddenly came to a screeching halt. The forest that Margay had just spoken of was burned to the ground, its trees black as coal and resembling the skeletons of monsters. Shiguri, oblivious to the meaning behind the sight, asked "It's supposed to be the time of year for forest fires, right?"
Margay shook her head. "That's true. But natural forest fires don't normally cause this much damage…"
"…which means there was a battle here." Naruto finished her sentence for her. Looking into the dead forest, Naruto said "Well, we've got quite a ways to go before we catch up to them!! We need to speed things up!!"
Margay grabbed Naruto by the arm, halting him. "Not by tree-hoping!!" she warned. "The trees are dead; if we try to climb, we could fall and incur unnecessary broken bones. We'll have to navigate through the stream!"
The three made there way down to the ravine; Naruto could not help but notice the destruction the fire caused. The water had dried up, and the sight of dead fish made Naruto want to puke. Though he wasn't an animal or environment freak…it angered him that men destroyed this place for their own selfish reasons. "I'll stop them all…and lands like these won't have to suffer again!!"
As he raced through, he stepped on something that emitted a metal clank. Naruto stopped, and kneeled down. Shiguri, impatient as usual, shouted "What are you doing!? You're wasting…" Shiguri shut up when he saw what Naruto picked up; a Konoha headband.
"It could have been other shinobi from our village. Or…" Naruto's eyes widened as he realized another possibility. Hastily, he handed Shiguri to Margay. "Give me a few minutes, please!! I'll be back!!"
Not even giving her a chance to protest, Naruto raced across the dried ravine. "Iruka-sensei!! Iruka-sensei!!" He didn't want to believe it, but given the fact that Iruka went after the army after he told him about it, it was very likely he was caught in the middle of this. For all the years he'd known him, Iruka's rank remained stagnant…although he was sure he was a capable fighter and most likely a good tactician, there was no way he could have fought off a horde as huge as that. Even Jiraya and Tsunade combined would've had a challenge on their hands. Naruto then thought back to the dream where he saw everyone's graves…"No no no no NO!!!" He didn't want to believe it, but it was looking that way; the dream seemed to be coming true. Just then, something grabbed his ankle. Startled, Naruto jumped away and drew a weapon.
Although the sight before him posed no threat, his body refused to relax: Iruka was right there in front of him, mangled, burned and too weak to move. Seeing Iruka looking so helpless…. a kunai to the heart would have hurt less. "Hey." He said. Calling it a whisper wouldn't have done it justice.
Naruto ran over and immediately hugged him. "Iruka-sensei!! You're alive!!" The situation looked beyond bad, but seeing his teacher alive was more than enough to give Naruto hope.
The jinchuriki began to cry in relief, but Iruka whispered "Not for long…"
Naruto had to restrain himself from picking him up too hard, which he would have done with a mildly injured person. "Don't say that!! Margay is here!! She'll fix you up in no time!!" Naruto wished he had as much hope as he made it sound.
Just as he said that, Margay and Shiguri found him. Margay cried "Iruka-sempai!!" After setting Shiguri down, she ran over, and immediately began to inspect him.
"Well?" Naruto asked, afraid of the answer. Spending time with Tsunade and Sakura, he put great faith in the power of medical ninjutsu in his younger years. But as he grew older, he began to realize even they had limits. On top of that, Margay was a standard medic-nin; she was no where near the power of the ones he knew like family.
Margay inspected him furiously, looking everyplace several times. If Naruto wasn't mistaken, she went over his body far more times than necessary to make a diagnosis. Finally, she ceased, and began to cry softly. "I'm sorry. He must've been like this for days; it's incredible he's managed to survive this long. But because he was untreated for so long, his body has decayed well beyond what I am able to heal"
Refusing to accept that as an answer, Naruto cried "No!! We'll take him to Tsunade!! She'll be…"
"If that were possible, then yes! But Uzumaki-kun, we're too far away!! We'll never make it in time, and…" Margay struggled to fight back tears. "…at this point, just moving him, especially at the pace we have to go, could kill him…"
Naruto's clenched fists went limp in disbelief. "No…" Naruto collapsed, and couldn't stop his tears from flowing; not that he cared much at this point. He thought of all the good times he had with Iruka…eating ramen together, goofing around, and sometimes just hanging out side by side…and realized what a fool he had been to throw it all away. Iruka was always there for him, and Naruto spent his last months on earth angry at him…which he realized was forced, a way of seeking some form of retribution he felt he was owed. "I made…I made a terrible mistake…and I can't take it back…" There would be no Chiyo-basama to make things alright this time…
Iruka's hand then touched his. Naruto, somewhat reluctant to look at him after the way he treated him, looked into his teacher's eyes. Naruto realized that he had nothing to lose at this point. "Iruka-sensei…I've been such a fool. I never imagined…it would ever end…but especially not like this!!" Naruto screamed both in disbelief, and anger at himself. "You were one of the first people to care for me, and I let this…this anger…blind me to everything."
Iruka tried his best to stroke Naruto's cheek and help him stop crying, but he was too weak to do even that. But despite his emotional state, he still had all of Naruto's attention. "Naruto, please. I understand; you never knew your real family, and it made you so mad that everyone kept it from you. I should be the one apologizing…for not telling the brother I never that the family that brought him into this world was amazing and everything everyone in Konoha wanted to be." Iruka hacked violently, coughing up huge globs of black blood, but that could not hope to come close to drive Naruto away.
Realizing time was short, Naruto spoke again. He would not waste one second. "You know…I never really thanked you after all these years, for everything you've done. Ever since that day when you saved me from Mizuki, I thought you would always be right there for me. I should have known…just how fragile that dream was. Asuma's death should have clued me in that just because you were strong enough to protect me, doesn't mean you'll be strong enough to…to…" Naruto couldn't finish, and began to break down again.
"Naruto." Iruka called in a hoarse whisper. "Come here." Silently obeying, Naruto moved closer. With the last of his strength, Iruka caught Naruto in an embrace. "You don't need me anymore; you've grown so much. I know it's going to be hard on you…but there are so many others that care for you. They will help you through anything you need, just like I did. In fact…" Iruka's lips curved into a small smile. "Hokage-sama told me something about you getting you-know-who, is that right?"
Despite the situation, Naruto had to blush with a small smile on his face. He confided with him about his crush on Sakura, back during their first dinner together. Something about sweeping her off her feet. He almost laughed too, thinking about what he said back then. "Truthfully…we broke up not too long ago."
"But you still like her, right?"
Naruto had to cry and laugh at the same time. "After this is over…no…the first chance I get, I'll tell her how I really feel."
Iruka nodded his head, although it was barely even noticeable. "There we go…there's the Naruto I know."
An unfamiliar hand rested on Iruka's shoulder, grabbing his attention. Shiguri stood at his side, though his head was hung low. "I…I wasn't the best student you had…" Shiguri turned to face him, clearly crying. "But I'm sorry I wasn't!!"
It seemed to take Iruka a good while before he recognized him. "Oh yeah…it's…okay. I've had worse." Iruka coughed up more disgustingly black blood. "Besides, you had a lot of potential…I personally recommended Hokage-sama to leave you under Naruto's charge. Thought he could straighten you out."
Those words made Shiguri believe that even after graduation, he looked out for him. "If he hadn't…I might not even be here…"
Iruka opened his mouth to speak more; but his voice had lost all of its strength, and nothing could be heard. Naruto realized that it was almost his time. Both he and Shiguri embraced the chunin in a hug, as did Margay. "I love you, Iruka-sensei." Naruto whispered. No response was heard from Iruka. Naruto looked into Iruka's clouded eyes, and realized one of the most important people in his life had moved on to the next world. Naruto did his best to hold it in…but it was overwhelming, something not even he could fight off. Naruto held his head up, and screamed into the sky.
Upon Naruto's request, Margay did another healing session with Shiguri. This time, he ordered her to use all of her chakra to heal the boy, at least to the point where he could use his doton jutsus without much strain. When she asked why, Naruto only commented "To make him a grave."
Margay, upon understanding his motives, made no further objections. When he was healed, Shiguri cast a simple jutsu to make a perfectly rectangular hole in the ground, and from there, Naruto laid his first teacher in gently. The three ninja then covered the grave with dirt, leaving Iruka to his eternal rest.
Shiguri, reflecting on Iruka's passing, took a glance at Naruto. Not too long ago, he would've laughed at the idea of seeing a grown man cry. Upon actually seeing it though, it made him feel the opposite. "This isn't exactly my specialty…" he thought to himself. "…but he deserves something." Tugging at Naruto's sleeve, Shiguri whispered "Sensei." Naruto glanced at his student, seemingly indifferent to whatever he had to say. "I'm…I'm sorry about Iruka-sensei!!" Shiguri shouted suddenly. Sighing, he said "I'm not very good with apologies. But…I don't like seeing you like this. I want to do anything I can to make you feel better…even if it's just a little bit."
Naruto smiled slowly, even though there was really nothing to be happy about. "It's more than enough." Naruto made one last prayer, and turned to his two comrades. "Would you excuse me a minute?"
When they nodded yes, Naruto walked around the ravine to an area where they couldn't see him. He didn't know why, but he suddenly remembered the letter Gaara left for him. After witnessing Iruka's death, Naruto didn't want to take the chance of missing out on something important. As he pulled it out of one of the vest pockets, he realized he left it inside for quite a while; the letter was all crumpled up. "I hope it's not a picture." Naruto thought as he opened up the letter. To his relief, it wasn't. He began to read:
Naruto,
First, Jiraya and I owe you a great apology; we wanted to tell you for so long the truth about your father. We knew you deserved to know, we were just…scared of how you would respond. However, as much as I want to write about your family, currently, there is something much more important you need to know about. It's about Sakura; her father has arranged a marriage for her. I've managed to convince him to postpone the wedding until the war ends, and I'm doing everything I can to break the union altogether. It's a private affair that our government normally has no business with, and I have not found any laws regarding marriages that are ruling in my favor. However, even if I do find something, that might not be enough. Sakura told me that you took your anger out on her as well; right now, she has no idea how to approach you. Even if I break the arrangement legally….she still considered going through with it. She's lonely, and feels terrible about what happened. I know she badly wants to confront you about it…but the way things are right now, it seems she wants to simply run away from it all more than anything. Naruto…what happens between you and Sakura is your business. But what I will NOT have is the two of you drifting apart. You and Sakura were teammates for the longest time; do you really want to throw away the link the two of you had? Do you want to stay angry at the one who was at your side during your youth, as well as us? Such a bond should not be so carelessly discarded, no matter how big a rift forms between you. If Sakura still chooses to go through with this, it's her choice. But the two of you need to talk. You'll never know when your last chance to set things right will pass by. Whether the two of you simply stay friends or become something more…I know that Sakura will be by your side forever once you do. And as always…I have the utmost faith in you that you will do what you have to in order to set things right.
Sincerely, and with the utmost love and respect,
Tsunade
Naruto crunched up the letter in shock. His mind simply couldn't process it. "Sakura…getting married!?" He remembered back when Sakura begged him to bring Sasuke back, that he made a vow to himself to help Sakura anyway he could, no matter what that would mean. Seeing her happy would be enough. But after their brief relationship as a couple…he couldn't take this. Naruto clenched his forehead as he realized he was on the verge of losing two of his precious people. One to death, and another may leave, never to return. What made things worse for Naruto was that he would have no time to figure out how to resolve this; Konoha needed him, and if he didn't focus, thousands could die. But that pressure did not diminish his resolve to set things right with his former teammate. "Sakura…please wait. Your life is yours to live, and I will always respect that no matter what. But please…wait for me, so that we can at least talk. Because I don't want you to do something that you don't truly feel happy about."
Naruto then walked back to his two comrades. Margay exhausted herself healing Shiguri, so this time Naruto carried her on his back. "Shiguri…think you can beat me in a race to Konoha?" Naruto asked in a mocking tone.
Shiguri, getting the implied meaning, grinned, despite how serious the situation had just become. "In a race to Konoha…I think I can convince the village to name you the 'Tortoise Hermit'." he jeered.
Naruto snickered, and yelled "You're on!!!"
Before the genin knew it, Naruto sprinted off. "Hey! You're supposed to say ready set go!!!" The two ran off, back to fight for the life of their home.
Pretty long chapter, if I do say so myself. Not much to preview except: THE SURGE!!!
Also, I'd like to comment about Tobi's face in this fic. His face is based on that of a Thai man who had a similar condition back in the 60's, and like this fic, his dad did want to kill him at birth. It was quite fascinating to watch. After he was found by westerners, he was treated with plastic surgery and had those extra parts removed.
Tora-Tiger
Kurosai-Black Rhinoceros
Gouman-Pride
Zou-Elephant
Taifuu-Typhoon
Manrikigusari-A chain with two heavy metal weights at its ends. Used to disarm, maim or even kill opponents
Kasuzume-Fire Sparrow
Shukushu Chiri Gufuu-Parasitic Dust Tornado
Enton-Smoke Release
Ishnuhachi-Swarm of Bees
Kareki Hayashi-Dead Forest
Haimetsu Ryu Bourei no Jutsu-Necro Dragon Ghost
Dome Enmu-Corrosive Mist
Bourei Katanna Buumeran-Ghost Katana Boomerang
Kessho Ken-Crystal Sphere
