Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Witchblade. Naruto is a manga property of Masashi Kishimoto. Witchblade is a comic property of Top Cow Productions.

Summary: The beginning of an original storyline: the Cloneblade arc. This will be a long saga consisting of a few smaller arcs. All of them will entail the Cloneblades. Events will diverge from their originally intended path. Dark Sakura theme. Couplings: Officially NaruSaku. Possible ShikaTem.

A/N: Ah, it feels good to update this story. The Land of Sea/Isaribi arc continues, picking up from the prior chapter.

Oh, and how could I forget about Sakura's oh-so-wonderful 'Gai youth training'! I know you all are looking forward to that! =)

Anyway, back to Witchblade: Sakura!

xxxxx

Chapter 34

Arc IV: Cloneblades

Part II: The Isaribi Arc

Isaribi's Fractured Heart; Sakura's Blossoming Youth Training!

xxxxx

Underground Facility/Cloneblade Factory/Mother Island/Land of Sea

Inside this facility, one could describe it as dark and secluded. This factory was recently running again for nearly a month or so. The once abandoned facility was operated by medical researcher, who was currently operating what the ANBU have confirmed to be a 'factory.' This man, an accomplice of Orochimaru, has been solely given the responsibility of creating new Cloneblades, using the fractured shard of the Witchblade that was removed from Sasuke's wound.

After Kabuto and Karin studied the shard, they dissected more pieces of the specimen, genetically engineered them using Orochimaru's blood, and cloned several armed gauntlets, which they have dubbed 'Cloneblades.' Much like the Neogene Cloneblades created during Masane's time, these 'Cloneblades' were derived from the original Witchblade artifact and made specifically for kunoichi. The first set of kunoichi chosen for Orochimaru's Cloneblade Project consisted of five young kunoichi, all recruited to serve Orochimaru and Kabuto's as revenge tools to kill Haruno Sakura, Uzumaki Naruto, and the entire Konoha-nin that have faithfully served their village.

The five kunoichi selected included Tayuya/Flute Dive, the last survivor of the Sound Five; Karin/Lady, the lab assistant of Kabuto; Kira (and Kisa)/Twin Blade, younger cousin of the late-Sakon (and late-Ukon); Isaribi/Sea Beast, a mysterious girl from the Land of Sea; and Sasame/Spider, a young kunoichi from the Land of Rice Fields.

These five made up the Cloneblade Five.

Well, now they can be called the Cloneblade Four.

Sasame was KIA (killed in action) at the hands of Witchblade Sakura.

Amachi was left with the responsibility of not only creating more Cloneblades, but finding suitable women who can wield these weapons.

With Sasame's recent demise, a replacement to fill the gap was essential.

Quite a handful of women were kidnapped. A few missing-nin and criminal kunoichi volunteered, including Kamizuru Suzumebachi. Unfortunately, the experimentation with Suzumebachi's Cloneblade ended in failure. This miscalculation proved to be fatal as Suzumebachi was quickly disposed of before the corruption of the Cloneblade eroded her animal-like bloodlust. There were still flaws in the Cloneblades that had to be corrected and Amachi was attempting to correct these design flaws.

The fact that women were kidnapped solely for these Cloneblade experiments explains the situation at the main island. The neighboring mainland away from Mother Island witnessed a large number of young women disappearing without a trace. These women would then find themselves locked in prisons against their will. Little did they know that they would were about to have their livelihoods robbed. They would become weapons serving solely for Orochimaru's sick ambition on eradicating the Konoha-nin, especially Sakura and her Witchblade.

However, out of all the experiments who turned out a true success, it was Isaribi. She was one of the lucky few to turn out with a perfect Cloneblade. As a former human test subject herself, she was a test meant to give shinobi the ability to breathe and adapt to aquatic operations. Her body was given the Kaima form, through some genetic splicing between her human DNA and that of a marine reptile.

Now equipped with a Cloneblade, Isaribi's body adapted to the abrupt and massive changes she underwent. Combining the Kaima DNA with the Cloneblade turned Isaribi to a powerful weapon that Amachi has utilized to his advantage.

But, like any successful experiment that showed promise, some problems started to show in Isaribi's Cloneblade.

There were cracks being exposed, which became evident once Karin analyzed her artifact.

But, before she could confront Isaribi, the bandaged girl returned to her homeland.

And this is where the story behind the 'sea demon' is linked - to the Land of the Sea.

xxxxx

"Damn her. Where has she gone off to?" A man's gruff voice annoyed tone became evident behind a pitch black room.

Walking back and forth inside his laboratory, a middle-aged man wearing a white lab coat and teal hair stared intently toward the nearest window. It was dark outside as it was inside. His patience was already growing thin as he paced around.

"She should've returned, but she's taking too long!"

"Oh, I wouldn't worry too much, Amachi," Kabuto's voice called in, quickly garnering the aforementioned man's attention. "With a monster like her, you can't really predict her next course of action. I'd sit back until she's ready to come back."

"She's my experiment, sir," Amachi stated. "And you were the one who supplied her that damn weapon! Her behavior has been erratic that I don't how long I can detain her!"

Chuckling behind his calm breath, the silver-haired man pushed his glasses above his nose bridge. "And you've done well. At least, she hasn't killed you."

Amachi scoffed. That smug look again. "I've done my part in supplying you and Orochimaru-sama with more Cloneblades. Suzumebachi was a failure. Karin's analysis reports have allowed for me to correct the flaws that completely affected the weapons, altering and corrupting their progressive development."

"Sasame-chan perished due to her Cloneblade's untimely instability. The poor girl didn't deserve such a terrible fate. So young, so promising. But, in the end, the power became too much for her young, innocent mind. Her biggest flaw was her willingness to selfishly want to see her cousin and she paid for it. With her life."

"Her Cloneblade was imperfect?"

"It would seem so. Of course, I'm sure you'll find a way to help dear Isaribi. We can't have another mistake on our hands, do we?"

The scientist nodded attentively. "Yes, I understand."

"As soon as you've corrected those flaws, please do have the new shipments of Cloneblades ready. Orochimaru-sama and I are certainly looking forward to adding more Cloneblade wielders to our side. Have you rounded up as many women from the Land of Sea?"

"I have, including one of Orochimaru-sama's subordinates. She has willingly been serving us well in getting the Cloneblade Project running in a timely manner."

"Ah, you mean Guren?" Kabuto inquired, realizing that one of Orochimaru's most proficient subordinates was taking active part in collecting specimens for the ongoing Cloneblade Project. With a sly grin, Orochimaru's right hand man couldn't be anymore pleased. "Good. Has she found any suitable replacement for Sasame-chan?"

Amachi nodded in an 'as-a-matter-factly' manner. "She should be back with some worthy specimens. She's stepped out to lead my Chimera soldiers towards the other islands. They're collecting more women as we speak."

"Perfect. Then, after you get the flaws corrected, we can expect great results from you, Amachi. Make sure that Isaribi doesn't cross the line."

Bowing his head down slightly, Amachi answered promptly. "Rest assured. She might be troublesome, but she knows she can never cross me. Why do you think I'm still here speaking with you?" The man remarked with a conniving grin, concealing something he hasn't yet shared with anyone except with Isaribi herself.

Kabuto quietly chortled under his breath. "Indeed, you do have a point. Well, I will let you go for tonight. I'll be sending Kira and Kisa over to pick up the new Cloneblades. Once again, thank you for all the hard work and I can assure your services will be greatly rewarded."

"Anything for Orochimaru-sama."

Once Kabuto cut off his connection feed, the screen filled with static. Amachi promptly shut off the screen and shifted his attention toward a long, columnar tube containing a Cloneblade gauntlet. A wicked smile passed along the scientist's face, glaring at the cloned artifact obsessively like any test subject he has taken to his liking.

"Surely, you're being a good girl now, are you? Isaribi dear," Amachi grinned an ever-so sickening smile.

xxxxx

Local Seaport Town/Main Island/Land of Sea

Following the attack by the 'sea demon,' the ferry returned to the mainland to drop off the passengers. All and any ships prepared to sail out were told to remain on stand by. This meant there would be possibly a few days before any more shipments could leave for other lands. Natives and travelers were once again attentive at the possibility of the 'sea demon' attacking.

Team Konoha were able to find any trace of Naruto after the monster's attack.

Yamato returned out of the waters with no body.

He, Shino, and Anko feared the worst.

Anko stared off toward Mother Island, which was seen not too far off from the mainland. She gritted her teeth, placing her hand over her Cursed Seal. "Naruto, I can't believe this just happened."

"I've tried looking for him, but when I reached deeper... I couldn't find him and I was running out of breath," Yamato squeezed his right sleeve, getting out most of the water out of his soaked clothes. "I don't believe Naruto has been taken by the demon."

If one could see through Shino's hood and shades, it looked like he was furrowing his brows. He glared at the murky, dark waters of the giant lake, which has been long cursed by the spirit of a 'sea demon.' Even he had faith that Naruto was still out there, clearly not underestimating his fellow Konoha-nin's resiliency and resourcefulness.

"But, still, the demon..." Anko murmured.

"No, if there's one thing I've learned about Naruto... he's not one to roll over easily," Shino mused calmly.

Yamato nodded. "But, wherever he is... let's hope he'll return here."

Anko tensely narrowed her eyes at Mother Island, reflecting on more unforgiving memories. You two aren't familiar with this place like I have. Damn it all. Orochimaru... if this sea demon is your doing...

"Anko-sensei, I would suggest we find a place to stay," the Aburame clan member said.

Yamato added to the ongoing discussion. "If I know Naruto and lately that boy has surprised me like none other... he probably has drifted to another shoreline. At least, that's what I believe."

The purple-haired woman sighed. "Let's hope you're right, Yamato. For Naruto's sake..."

"Let's go. It's too dark and late for us to search out for Naruto. We'll begin a thorough search in the morning. Once we find him, we'll begin by locating the exact location of that Cloneblade Factory."

Shino and Anko replied in unison. "Right."

With that, the two Jounin and the Chuunin walked back into the local seaport village. Once they find a local inn, they would get plenty of sleep until the morning. However with Anko's knowledge with this land, she hoped that Naruto had managed to escape from the local sea demon.

xxxxx

Unknown Residence/Eastern Coast of Main Island/Land of Sea

There was nothing but secluded darkness.

Suddenly, there were drips of water splattering against another body of water.

Then, once light passed through the pitch blackness, eyes opened up from a first person's view. The eyes leered around at what looked like a dark, isolated room that barely had any source of light. He heard someone mumbling to herself in the background, though he could barely make out the tone of this particular voice. He was unfamiliar with his current settings, no longer underwater and drowning. The last thing he could make out from his mind was a hungry shark coming towards him to make a meal out of him. However, he distinctly remembered seeing a giant shadow driving the shark away and from there his vision faded to pitch darkness. He couldn't remember anything else following that.

Now, he was inside what looked like a secluded hut. His blurry vision became clearer once he closed and reopened his eyes, regaining his senses as he slowly lifted his body off the floor. He threw off a brown sheet, which served as a blanket for him to use while resting.

"...huh? Where... am I?" The fox boy blinked in confusion, attentively scanning his surroundings. His eyes looked back and forth until he heard footsteps coming closer to where he was. Then, as his ears heard a door open behind him, he quickly turned and saw the purple-haired, bandaged girl he met at the local market the other day. "Wha... it's you."

"You're finally awake I see," Isaribi said as she carried a bowl of water with a dampened towel it. "You should lie back down."

"You're that girl from the other day!" Naruto said, turning with a kind smile. "I remember you. You saved my life. Thanks, I appreciate it! I thought was I going to be shark food!"

Isaribi stared at him with near lifeless eyes as if her mind drifted off elsewhere. She lowered her chin, shaking her head. "It was just a coincidence."

"No, seriously. You really saved me out there! By the way, my name is Uzumaki Naruto. What about you?"

The bandaged girl answered dully. "Isaribi."

"Isaribi? Then, I won't forget it," Naruto said with a smile as Isaribi's gasped, coming out of her sullen state of mind. "I guess that kinda makes you my hero? Heh." He chuckled a bit as he stood up, stretching out his arms and legs to get back circulation into his body. It suddenly came to his attention that he was without his black-and-orange jacket. "Hey, my jacket?"

Isaribi turned the other way as she walked over to a closet, where Naruto's jacket was left hanging out to dry. She pulled it out and paced back to the blonde, handing back his jacket.

"Thanks."

The bandaged girl looked away as she walked out of the room. "I'm making some breakfast. You're more than welcome to have some."

"Really? You don't have to..."

"I don't think I can eat it all."

"Sure, I'd like some." Naruto folded his arms as he followed Isaribi out the room and down a darkened corridor, going straight into the dining area.

The dining room itself was essentially a small room in front of a kitchen. In the dining room, there was a fireplace with a pot inside. Isaribi went over to open the pot and picked up a bowl.

"Mmmm, feels good. What did you make?" Naruto asked.

"Just some fish soup," she answered while filling the bowl with orange soup that contained chunks of cooked white fish meat. She handed the bowl over to Naruto, who gladly accepted. Although he would rather have a bowl of ramen... this was all he could get as far as a free meal goes.

"Thanks," Naruto said as he sat down with the bowl in his hands. Isaribi handed him a spoon, which Naruto used to dip into his fish soup. He ate a spoonful of the soup as he smiled with delight. "This is good. You're a good cook."

"So, tell me. What were you doing in such a remote area, Uzumaki Naruto?"

"Oh... right. Well, you see me and my team came here to find and stop a sea demon. And there's a Cloneblade factory that we need to shutdown. My friends and I have been dealing with a group of these armored girls with really crazy strong powers. They have these weapons called Cloneblades, which are copies of an ancient weapon a friend of mine uses. It's called the Witchblade."

As Naruto went on, Isaribi suddenly felt tense and at complete unease. Her hand trembled, which held the bowl of soup in her hand. Her left eye narrowed, piercing a glare toward Naruto's face. "I see." Isaribi dully answered as her eyes drifted down, looking at the bandages covering her right wrist. "What else have you came here for?"

"Well, nothing else. That's our mission. Just find this sea demon and shutdown the Cloneblade factory. A lot of girls have been disappearing from this place and I have no doubt Orochimaru wants to turn them into Cloneblades... just to kill me, Sakura-chan, my friends, and my whole village. Well, I'm sure as hell not going to let that happen. I'll make sure no other girl suffers the same fate that Sasame-chan went through..."

Isaribi lowered her head, saddened as Sasame's name was mentioned. Sasame-chan, so you did die. Did the Witchblade girl kill you?

"I'll never forgive Orochimaru and Kabuto for using a good girl like Sasame-chan."

"...that's terrible," Isaribi said.

"I know."

"But, you should give up. If you even come into contact with this sea demon, you won't survive."

Naruto grinned his usual fox smile. "Ah, you don't have to worry about me. I've been on dangerous missions before. These recent missions have been even more dangerous, especially dealing with these Cloneblades. They fight just like my friend using the Witchblade. They use blades, tentacle spears, and have really nasty claws."

"Tell me about this Witchblade. What is it?"

"It's an ancient weapon that's been wielded by really strong women from past history. My friend, Sakura, has recently been using it during our recent missions. You see when a woman wields this Witchblade, she has this extraordinary power! It's nothing like I've seen before. Sakura-chan has really been amazing! If you would see her in action, you'd be amazed."

Isaribi furrowed her brow slightly. "I'm sure I would be."

"But, she's not with us on this mission. She's back at the village training with Granny Tsunade. No doubt when we get back from this mission, she'll be stronger and more disciplined than ever! I'm so proud of her!"

As the bandaged girl dipped her spoon in her soup, she ate and listened to Naruto rave on about Sakura's 'greatness.' "She really must be a gifted shinobi."

"She's the Hokage's student. That should tell you much."

"Yes, now I see," Isaribi murmured after swallowing her food.

"I'll admit I was thrown off my guard when that monster attacked our ship, but once I find my friends we're going back to beat that sea demon."

"So, are you feeling any better now? Naruto?"

The Jinchuuriki swallowed another spoonful of his soup and nodded. "Yeah, thanks to this great food and getting some rest, I'm feeling much be-"

Before Naruto could finish, Isaribi abruptly cut him off mid-sentence. "...then when you're finished with your meal, please leave." As soon as she let Naruto know about this, she stood up and paced out of the dining room with her bowl.

"Wha...? Hey, wait a minute!" Naruto watched the girl set her bowl on the kitchen counter and walk outside of her hut. He quickly drank the rest of his soup, set his bowl down, and ran off after the girl. "Isaribi, wait!" After he ran out of the hut, he stepped out the front and turned to see Isaribi facing the front of her home. "What gives, Isaribi? Why are you in such a hurry?" He closed the door and approached her. "I just wanted to give my than-" His eyes suddenly widened in shock as he saw the front of Isaribi's home was vandalized.

There were windows broken.

The front area and the door were covered in dry paint (which was left splattered across the walls), from a variety of many colors.

Most of all, Naruto noticed written disparaging and vulgar remarks.

What he saw were 'monster,' 'go away you freak,' 'go back to Mother Island,' 'leave and never return,' 'you're a curse,' and even wishes of eternal damnation. Naruto felt an unnerved grip in his body as he was completely taken back by all of the hatred and venom behind the messages of these remarks. He was quickly reminded of the same kind of treatment he endured early in his own life.

"Wh-who did this?!" Naruto demanded as he didn't take his eyes off the vandalized home.

"Just some children from the local village. I can't let it bother me," Isaribi answered in an unsympathetic tone. She walked off, leaving Naruto behind.

"Isaribi, wait... before you go. I just wanted to say thanks," he said.

The bandaged girl stopped to acknowledge him before setting off toward the lakeshore nearby.

Watching her heading off to the lakeshore, Naruto prepared to set off back to the local seaport. "Ok, now time to find Yamato-taicho and the others. I hope the sea demon didn't get them. All right, here I go-"

"LOOK! IT'S THE MONSTER!" A child's loud cry shouted from nearby, exactly near the area Isaribi explored.

Quickly twirling around, the blonde-haired teen overheard the cry. "Monster?" He headed off to investigate the situation. Could it be the sea demon?!

Before Naruto arrived at the scene, Isaribi angrily hissed as numerous snake-like tendrils emerged out of her right hand. While the children had further antagonized her, this led to the Cloneblade reacting on instinctive impulse and lashed out at the four children who attacked Isaribi by throwing her a rock at her.

"I told you she's a monster!" One of the children screamed.

"Take this!" A boy picked a rock and threw it, watching it hit Isaribi in the face.

Isaribi shifted her face around as her eyes glowed and she let the tendrils quickly snatch the boy by his wrist.

"Hey, let me go! LET ME GO!!"

As Isaribi closed her right hand, she controlled the snake-like tentacles like a puppet and turned, snapping the child's arm into two places.

"AAAAUGH!!!" The boy cried out a blood-curling scream while Isaribi forced the tendrils to recoil back into her wrist bracelet (which she kept hidden underneath bandages).

"Stay away... or else!" Isaribi hissed angrily, her voice tone deepened as rage pitted up inside of her. She had taken enough abuse and finally lashed out, but at the sametime, she hurt a child. Not just hurt him. She snapped his arm in two, utilizing the power of her Cloneblade weapon.

"YOU HURT OUR FRIEND, YOU MONSTER!!" A girl shouted as she tended to the injured boy.

Another boy yelled out, throwing another rock at the bandaged girl. "YOU'RE A CURSE TO OUR VILLAGE! GO BACK WHERE YOU BELONG, DEMON!"

As the rock came flying at Isaribi, Naruto jumped right in and with quick reflexes caught the rock. The blonde-haired Jinchuuriki snarled angrily as he threw himself in front of Isaribi.

"GET AWAY FROM HER, YOU LITTLE SHITS!" Naruto exclaimed, showing another side that Isaribi never seen before. "What the hell are you punks doing throwing rocks at her?!"

"Are you friend of that monster?!" snapped the fourth child, who was a boy.

"Monster?" Naruto was taken back by surprise, oblivious to what the child was referring to. "I don't see any monsters, except you four little pricks. Now apologize to her!"

"Anyone who's a friend of the monster doesn't belong here! Your friend there is gonna pay for breaking our friend's arm!" The girl exclaimed as she and her two friends carried the injured boy back to the village, where they would possibly learn of what Isaribi did.

Naruto snorted and turned his back toward them. "Little shits. Hey, are you okay?"

Isaribi didn't face Naruto eye-to-eye as she stared down at her hands. No, I shouldn't have... let that happen. If the village finds out... they'll...

'Isaribi? Hey, what's wrong? That little girl said you broke their friend's arm. Is that true?"

"It doesn't matter. Just leave me alone here. It's better that you go."

"And you want me to leave you alone? If those kids come back with their parents and the villagers, they'll..."

"NO! JUST GO AND LEAVE ME ALONE!!" The once sullen, quiet girl snapped, prompting Naruto to step away. "What I do is none of your business!" She took a few deep breaths and sighed. "Look. Those children were right about me being strange. I was taken away by the local spirits. I was the only one to return where others have not."

"It wasn't your fault though."

"It doesn't matter... no one would ever want to associate with someone like me. I'm different from normal humans. You have no idea."

With nothing else to say, Isaribi slowly walked across the shoreline and left Naruto behind. The teen tried to stop her, but he immediately let himself stop and let her go. He watched her leave, walking across the beach toward the opposite end of the shore.

"Isaribi, I'm sorry," Naruto sighed, turning away as he stared off to find a small boat sitting on the shoreline. "A boat? Did Isaribi leave that behind for me?" He looked back to find Isaribi already crossing the shoreline toward a cave. "Thanks, Isaribi. Now to get back to the main island. Yamato-taicho, Anko-sensei, and Shino must be still looking for me. Time to shut down this Cloneblade factory!" With that, Naruto quickly walked toward the boat and pushed it across the beach into the water. He jumped right on board and began rowing his way off the coastline and back toward the mainland. "I hope you'll be ok, Isaribi."

Watching Naruto rowing the boat across the water, Isaribi stayed hidden within the cavern. Her eyes began to glow, turning yellow as low growls, sounding draconian in nature, were heard.

"Uzumaki Naruto. We will meet again."

xxxxx

Local Seaport/Main Island/Land of Sea

"Anything?" Yamato inquired as he, Anko, and Shino arrived near the seaport.

Shino solemnly replied. "No signs of him anywhere."

"He could've swam to one of the other remote areas away from the main island," Anko stated as she grasped her right shoulder, feeling some stinging pain that came back and irritated her.

"Well, we searched all throughout the market place. It would be about time we find a boat and swam across the ocean," Yamato suggested, glancing over toward a small wooden rental boat near them. "There."

"Good idea. We're not going to find him here," the Aburame clan member said.

As she ignored the two, Anko veered eye contact with her fellow Konoha-nin and stared toward Mother Island. "Once we find him, let's head to Mother Island. These spirits the locals refer to are said to be near that island. That's where we might find the Cloneblade factory." Grinding her teeth together, the Jounin tried ignoring the pain from her Cursed Seal. "Let's get moving then. No use of us dawdling here."

"Right, let's go," Yamato added.

xxxxx

Meanwhile, after stopping his boat near a shoreline, Naruto arrived at the back areas of the local seaport. He jumped off and hurried toward the local town to find his cohorts. Luckily for him, he was able to recognize the town and was able to go through sections where he was familiar with. He swerved around a corner as he bypassed the place where he met Isaribi for the first time.

Then, as he turned another corner, he accidentally bumped right into a blue-haired woman. He staggered back, rubbing his face where he had hit the woman's side.

"Ow, ow!" Naruto rubbed his face as he nearly stumbled back.

Turning her head, the blue-haired woman turned forward and looked down at Naruto.

It was Konan, but without her Akatsuki cloak.

Konan was speechless as soon as she came face to face with the blonde-haired Jinchuuriki. It's him! The container of the Kyuubi. I never expected to find him here.

"Excuse me, lady," Naruto apologized. "I didn't mean to bump into you like that."

"No, it was my fault," Konan said. "Please, go on by."

Naruto smiled as he walked by. "Sorry, but I'm in a bit of hurry. Sorry about that!" With that, he quickly took off and headed toward the seaport where his teammates were about to rent a boat.

Watching the boy run off into the distance, Konan frowned and walked off in the opposite direction. Yes, this is quite the unexpected development. I should report to Pein quickly, but... I can't pass this opportunity. I'll not only shutdown Orochimaru's factory, but capture the Kyuubi's Jinchuuriki. Nagato, you won't even need to capture Uzumaki Naruto. "I'll make it easier for you."

"Konan-sama!" Shigure's voice called from behind her.

As the blue-haired woman turned her head, she saw Shigure running up toward her.

"There you are! I found you!"

"Where have you been, Shigure? I've been looking all over you," Konan sternly remarked, almost scolding him like a master would do to a pet.

"Well, I just came back talking to some sea gulls..."

Konan blinked with a quizzical expression. "Talking to sea gulls?"

"They told me that there's unusual activity from that island away from the main island. It's called Mother Island."

Konan raised her left brow in curiosity. "Oh? You mean... that island that's nearest to here? Yes, I've seen it, but didn't pay it any mind."

"That's Mother Island, Konan-sama," Shigure added. "If there's strange activity there, then it might be where the Cloneblade factory is located. We have to check it out!"

"Hmmm, yes," the blue-haired woman nodded. "I could've asked the locals here."

"It's ok. We didn't know the name of the island, but you can thank me for speaking with the local animals."

"Shigure, you really are a special kind of dog," Konan slightly smiled, which immediately turned into a frown. "By the way, I saw the Jinchuuriki. He's here."

"He? You mean..." Shigure gasped, realizing to whom Konan implied to. "Naruto?"

"Yes. He just passed by here a few minutes ago. He's here and no doubt he came here with the girl with the Witchblade."

"Sakura and Naruto..." Shigure murmured, almost smiling at the notion of being reunited with his friends during the mission on the Uchiha feudal land.

"I understand you told Pein and myself about your new friendship with those two."

"Yes."

"Remember, you're with us and Madara has entrusted you with your loyalty to our cause. Shigure, you understand that you must prove yourself and adhere to what we do. Do you understand?"

The canine seemed hesitant to answer, but he quickly gave in and nodded. "Yes, Konan-sama."

Konan narrowed her eyes, closely observing Shigure and attempting to comprehend what his motives were... if he had any. Regardless of her suspicions, she did as told and cooperated with Shigure.

"Shall we get going, Konan-sama? We can go and check the island if you want."

"Naruto is in this village. They're possibly here to seek out what we're also looking for."

"You mean the Cloneblade factory?"

"Possibly. What else could they be here for?"

Shigure shrugged. "Perhaps to sight see? I mean, they probably never get to see an ocean like I have."

Konan sweatdropped as she shook her head. "Shigure, you claimed to have never seen an ocean in your life."

"I know. It's beautiful and nothing like I've seen before."

"We're here on an important mission, Shigure. Now, let's go. We're heading off to Mother Island," the blue-haired Akatsuki member said as she walked ahead with Shigure following her side.

"Yes, Konan-sama!"

Konan smiled a bit as she opened up her hand. A small origami crane flew off her hand, fluttering its wings to follow the direction Naruto had taken. We're right onto you, Jinchuuriki. Just lead the way.

As Shigure watched the origami bird fly off ahead, he lowered his snout while pacing along Konan's side. "Naruto. Sakura. We'll be seeing each other again soon, won't we?" Under his breath, he managed to chuckle a little. "It's too bad. You two became such good friends of mine... but we'll reunite... this time as enemies." He sighed, lifting his head up. "How unfortunate. I wish fate didn't have to turn up like this."

"Keep up with me, Shigure."

"Yes, Konan-sama."

xxxxx

Once Naruto arrived at the seaport, he was lucky to find his team already about to jump aboard their boat. The fox boy hurried toward them while waving out to the group.

"Hey you guys! I'm here!" Naruto shouted, quickly garnering their attention. "I'm still alive!"

Yamato turned, his face contorted with a relived expression. "Naruto, thank goodness. I told you he was resourceful on his own."

"See? Like I told you, he probably was washed up on some far off shore," Anko grinned his usual vigorous self. "Hey, kid! Over here!"

Shino acknowledged Naruto's presence as he stepped aside, allowing Naruto to step aboard. "We're glad you're ok."

"Thanks, but fancy seeing you guys here. I'm lucky I was able to find you with a boat, but you're not going to believe it... I was saved," Naruto said.

"By who? A local villager?" Anko guessed.

"Yeah, she was a kind but really quiet girl. She fed me and I think she lent me her boat. I used that to come back here."

Anko smiled a mischievous grin. "A girl, eh? Was she cute?"

"Well, kind of, but that's not really the story here. Listen, she warned me about the sea demon. We have to be very careful around here."

Realizing the dangers that lied in wait for them, Yamato noted this warning. "Understood. Actually, from what the local inn keeper informed me, the sea demon is active only at night. So, we should be ok now."

"At night you say?" Naruto blinked. "Thank goodness it's nocturnal then."

Putting her hands on the blonde's shoulders, Anko snickered and spoke in a low, spooky tone. "Yes, we should be veryyy lucky, right? We wouldn't want the sea demon to snatch us while we're out there, eh?" She chuckled evilly, sending chills down Naruto's back and making him feeling scared out of his wits.

"You shouldn't spook him like that, Anko," the Jounin proclaimed.

"Awww, he shouldn't scared if he was already taken down before, right? Hey, so, did you see the sea demon?"

Naruto frowned as he jerked his shoulder from Anko's hands. "If I had, I wouldn't be here, would I?"

As Shino pulled his hands from the water, several water beetles crawled up his hand and went right up into his hood.

"The water beetles are telling me that the waters are calm now. We should be safe to go," Shino confirmed, letting Yamato and the others know.

"Right then. Shino and Naruto, I want you two to row the boat. Anko and I will keep an eye out for any danger," he advised the boys.

"Right," they responded in unison.

Anko scowled as she once again glared at Mother Island. The painful memories came back to haunt her as she shuddered, already getting a tense and uneasy feeling about that vague island. It's back to that island... where my life turned into a living hell.

Through the corner of his eye, Naruto noticed Anko getting rather antsy all of a sudden. He leaned over to ask Shino. "What's wrong with Anko-sensei?"

"Beats me."

Once Naruto and Shino began rowing, Yamato and Anko sat down as they carefully scrutinized the area while keeping their eye out for anything unsuspecting. Although Yamato was told by an inn keeper about the demon's inactivity during the daytime, the Jounin remained cautious and readied themselves for a possible attack on their boat.

I wonder how you're doing, Isaribi. Naruto thought as he helped row the boat with Shino. "The sea demon. I have no doubt in my mind it's a Cloneblade."

"You think so? This demon is said to be big. According to Yamato, the Cloneblades you guys fought at the Land of Rice Fields were human-sized," the purple-haired woman wondered. "Could a Cloneblade possibly grow into a giant?"

"We'll never know until we actually see it, right?" Yamato added to the discussion.

Nodding his head, Naruto agreed with this notion. "Right. We won't know until then. But, let's go and shutdown that Cloneblade factory. This way we can prevent more girls from being turned into Orochimaru's weapons." Especially, since Sakura-chan, me, and the entire village can't fight off a whole army of Cloneblades! Sakura-chan, I wonder how your punishment training is going with Granny Tsunade.

xxxxx

Training Grounds/Konohagakure/Fire Country

"ALL RIGHT, SAKURA! KEEP IT UP!" Gai's shouted in an overzealous tone, as usual being his fiery-spirited, youth self.

As Gai watched from the background, Sakura was already on her 7,997th pushup. She was still fully dressed her the green jumpsuit. While pushing down, Sakura's arms were trembling as if they were about to snap.

Sakura gritted her teeth as Gai's overly enthusiastic voice echoed from the background. Underneath the orange leg warmers were 600 of weight strapped around her ankles. The extra weight added to her ankles was to build up her lower leg strength, though Gai might have taken it too far with a girl.

"...shit... shit..." Sakura cursed as she pushed down, her face barely touching the grass blades. She came up and breathed heavily. "7,798... oh god... this is... too much... just two more."

Gai watched Sakura continuing her progress. "She really is Tsunade's student. She's been keeping up like this for seven hours, but even she's already winded. Keep it up! Just two more!"

"I... know...!" Sakura barely had enough energy to retort. She concentrated, blocking out any outside intervention. "C'mon... just two more of this... hell."

Interjecting into her mind, the Witchblade offered his complaints. 'I can't believe this! How can I even look at you the same again?! I'll never get that horrifying image of this stupid green suit! It's completely raped my virgin mind!'

You're NOT the one who has to wear it! I have every right to complain! You don't!

'Man, despite his horrible fashion taste, his training is pretty hardcore. Look at you... you're at your limit.'

That's not all. I have more exercises to go.

'I feel so sorry for you, but hey, you should get stronger, right? This Gai fellow knows how to push someone to their limits.'

He's the one who turned my friend, Rock Lee, into a hardcore fighting machine. Now, he and Tsunade-sama intend to do with same with me... only this time... I'm closer to really becoming Tsunade-sama's successor.

The ancient entity chuckled. 'Really? Even finally growing your tiny boobs into giant tits like hers? You won't even need me to help you grow them...'

Sakura's face turned red with embarrassment. I swear if you were a real person, I'd knock you flat on you ass, you asshole! "7,999...! One more...!" As she came up, her face was red from exhaustion. "Yes, just this once..." She finally came down, pushing right up. "8,000!" Finally, she let herself fall facefirst on the ground and took several deep, heavy breaths. "Oh god... I did it..."

Gai smiled as he paced over by Sakura's side. "Great work. Your youth is just as full of fire like my precious Lee!"

Sakura breathed heavily, her mind now drifting off into her own little world.

"What do you say I'll let you have a break for now? Then, in about an hour, we'll continue. You're doing good!"

Faking a Gai smile, Sakura raised her right hand and gave a thumb up. "...ehehe." Why the hell am I doing that for?!

'I don't give a damn if you embarrass yourself, but DON'T you dare embarrass me! Ugh, that suit needs to be BURNED!! GARGH!' The Witchblade cried out with bloody murder within Sakura's mind.

Meanwhile, as Gai walked off to leave Sakura, Tsunade watched from behind a tree. She closely watched her student enduring Gai over-the-top rigorous training.

"Looks like it's been going well so far. Hmmm, with those legs in your legs, no doubt your kicking strength will be close to my level," Tsunade murmured. "You're well on your way to becoming my equal, Sakura. But, you'll still need some years to go."

xxxxx

Next up on Gai's training was running through the forest, performing 100 laps around with the weights still in her legs.

Like the previous exercise, she endured and passed, but not without getting exhausted altogether.

xxxxx

Within the clearing of a forest near the training field, Tsunade watched as Sakura was punching and kicking the air while sparring with an 'invisible partner.'

"Maybe I should go out there and take over for Gai," the Hokage muttered to herself as she paced forward.

"Hokage-sama!"

This interruption prompted Tsunade to pause and turn around. Tsunade saw Shikamaru coming toward her with a message in hand.

"Shikamaru? What are you doing here?" Tsunade blinked as she noticed what looked like a letter in his hand. "Is that for me?"

"It's from Suna. From the Kazekage."

"Oh? What's the message?" Tsunade inquired. "Is there anything urgent?"

Shikamaru nodded. "There's no enemy attack on Suna, but I did write a letter to Temari. I wanted to get some questions answered..."

"About what?"

"The Witchblade. Sakura mentioned that old woman, Chiyo, being a wielder before her."

"That's right. Chiyo was the one who told Sakura where to find the Witchblade and passed it onto her."

"Well, Sakura also said the Witchblade came from another world. When it first arrived in our world, it landed in Sunagakure first of all places."

The Fifth Hokage interjected. "Yes, and Chiyo was the next woman in line to wield the Witchblade. So, you asked her if she knew anything about the Witchblade and if anyone from Suna had any knowledge of Chiyo possessing the weapon?"

"As it turns out, Temari doesn't know. Gaara doesn't know. They asked Chiyo's brother and he wasn't sure about it. But, according to that old guy, Temari wrote that Chiyo was said to have worn a silver bracelet with a red gem in her youth."

Tsunade gasped.

"Sound familiar?"

"Yes, and the fact the bracelet Sakura wears is silver. It, too, has a red gem embedded in it."

"Temari said in this letter that Gaara wants to meet with Sakura and discuss the matter about the Witchblade. Here, explaining it in detail just isn't my style. it's bothersome," he said while handing Tsunade the letter.

Seizing the letter in hand, Tsunade scanned the message as she read along to herself. She turned around and watched Sakura training. Shikamaru noticed Sakura wearing the eye-glaring green suit, which was Gai and Lee's trademark.

"GAH... you... you've got to be kidding! So, this is Sakura's punishment?!" Shikamaru's jaw dropped, completely taken back by Sakura (of all people) wearing the infamous green jumpsuit. "Oh brother... I can't believe this. Sakura's going to become like Gai and Lee?"

"More or less, but she will get much stronger through this training. But, no, she won't become like Gai and Lee. I shudder that that image. Instead, her Taijutsu skills will become better."

"Yeah... somehow, I can believe that, but this is not training, Hokage-sama. It's torture. Even I couldn't be caught dead wearing that."

"Now, I can't let Sakura see the Kazekage until she's done with her training. However..."

"Why don't we invite Gaara and them here? Shikamaru offered.

"Give me some time to think about this, Shikamaru. Sakura still has to go through her training."

Shikamaru acknowledged this with a nod. "Ok then, but let's not keep them waiting for too long."

"I know," Tsunade replied as she turned and watched Sakura training. "You're dismissed. We'll discuss it for another time in my office. I'll have Sakura with me there."

"All right," he said as he walked off, taking the letter from Tsunade who handed it back.

The Sannin folded her arms, closely watching Sakura like a hawk. What you're doing takes me back to the old days, Sakura. Back when I was a young kunoichi in training.

xxxxx

Meanwhile, a black crow sat on a branch away from Tsunade as it monitored Sakura closely. The black bird cawed and flew off toward the direction of the giant walls. It flew by a guard post and flew off into the distance, directly toward a secluded area where its summoner awaited it.

xxxxx

"...Ready for the next regime, Sakura?!" Gai roared.

Sakura looked apathetic and completely unenthused. "...yay."

"Not good enough! Say it with more SPIRIT!"

"Yay!" Sakura faked an excited glee.

"I can't hear you!"

Sakura nearly wanted to facefault as she facepalmed herself... letting her Inner Sakura curse everything that was horrendous about the jumpsuit. Urge to kill rising. "YES!" She cried out, throwing up a 'Nice Guy' pose and flashed her white teeth (which sparkled bright enough captivate Gai!). "I am a blossoming flower of youth!"

"THAT'S THE SPIRIT! So much... burning youth. Just like your namesake, you are a flower ready to fully blossom!"

The pink-haired kunoichi shuddered in thought, keeping a fake smile on her face. "I am ready to blossom, Gai-sensei!"

Gai smiled, turning to study Sakura's posture with analytic eyes. "Hmm. Good, good." Still needs work, but I'll make sure to correct that.

"GAI-SENSEI!! WE HAVE RETURNED!!" An every-so youthful cry shouted from out of nowhere.

Gai and Sakura quickly turned to find the source of the loud cry. They saw three Konoha-nin leaping off a tree nearby.

It was Gai's team: Hyuuga Neji, Rock Lee, and Tenten.

"Ah, you're back! My wonderful youthful trio... how did everything go?" Gai smiled as Lee ran up toward him and saluted him.

"The mission was a success, Gai-sensei!" Lee exclaimed, his eyes burned with fire in those black, bold eyes. As his attention shifted from Gai to Sakura, Lee gasped in shock... and glee as he ran up toward the girl in the jumpsuit. "SAKURA-SAN! Can it be?!"

Sakura was stupefied as Lee took her hands. "Lee...? Let me explain. It's not like you think."

"She's training with me under the Hokage-sama's orders," Gai admitted. "This is only temporary."

"I see," Lee turned around and tightly held Sakura's hands. "Oh, Sakura-san! I promise that training with Gai-sensei will benefit you! That I can promise you!"

However, Neji and Tenten were not so overly enthused with Sakura training with Gai. Even more so, they gawked at what was a horrifying sight to behold. Even more so than Gai and Lee hugging each other behind a dramatic sunset.

"Is... it... really her?!" Tenten pointed at Sakura wearing the green jumpsuit. Her jaw dropped as she saw Sakura facing her direction.

"Oh... it's you two," Sakura frowned as she turned away. "You coming here to make fun of me?"

Neji blinked, glaring at Sakura's jumpsuit. "Don't tell me you feel comfortable wearing that?"

"How should I put it in simpler terms...?" The girl turned around, taking a deep breath. She then let it all out. "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK?! IT MAKES MY ASS STICK OUT!!"

Neji and Tenten sweatdropped in unison. "..."

Rock Lee stood by Sakura's side and put his left foot forward. "Relax, Sakura-san. I'll help guide you through this. Trust me. It will all work out in the end."

"By the way, where the heck is Sai? He should've been here," Gai scratched his head, noticing the obvious lack of Sai's presence near the training field. "Hmmm. Oh well."

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Gai-sensei," Sai's voice came from out of the clearing behind the man.

Once everyone turned around, they saw Sai. But, he wasn't in his normal attire.

He, too, was fully dressed in... A GREEN GAI JUMPSUIT!

"Hey, check it out!" Sai smiled, showing a full set of white teeth as a bright sparkle blinded everyone else. "How do I look?!"

Gai and Lee both cried manly tears of joy. "YOU'RE ONE WITH THE FAMILY!"

Sakura's jaw dropped as her white complexion turned pale. "...you've got to be.... kidding?! IS THIS YOUR WAY OF SUPPORTING ME, SAI?!"

Neji and Tenten were both speechless.

"Sakura-san, now you have me, Sai, and Gai-sensei to lend you the full support!" Lee reassured. "I vow on MY word that you'll be stronger than ever and you'll reach a pinnacle of true kunoichi greatness!"

Sakura groaned. "If you say so... Lee..."

Even the Witchblade couldn't bear the stand this nightmare anymore. 'I CAN'T TAKE IT! GET ME OUTTA HERE! THE BRIGHT GREEN! AAAH, IT BURNS THE EYES!!'

(Inner Sakura: 'AT LEAST YOU DON'T HAVE TO WEAR THAT PIECE OF CRAP! YOU'RE SOUNDING LIKE A TOTAL DRAMA QUEEN! MAN UP, BITCH!')

Sai hopped over by Sakura's side and flashed her a 'Nice Guy' pose. "So, how do I look?"

"...totally gay," Sakura said with stinging words.

Sai facefaulted as he groaned in defeat. "...that hurts, butch girl."

"GRRRR!! WHAT DID YOU CALL ME?!" Sakura bellowed as she picked up Sai and kicked him in the groin.

"OOOFF!!" Sai's eyes bulged wide open.

'DAMN! That's gotta hurt!' The Witchblade remarked as he sounded like he wanted to whine. 'But, he called you a butch girl? Well, I suppose it's because of your lack of real womanly assets.'

Team Gai all winced (the guys grabbed their crotches) as Sakura one-shot punched Sai into the forest.

'And... it's good. Ow.'

Sakura snarled, clenching her right hand.

"Well, if this not proof that the training is helping, then..." Gai shook his head. "Nonetheless, splendid, but you took out one of your training partners."

"Um, Gai-sensei. Sai does not look like he will be getting up," Lee pointed out to Sai's unconscious body hanging on a tree branch.

"Point taken. Well, he'll be ready whenever he wants to join," Gai shrugged as he twirled around and pat Sakura's back. "Let's continue. Shall we?"

Sakura looked at her hands, which were bleeding underneath bandages she had applied earlier on. "...I think I'm starting to notice the signs of my strength growing."

"See, Sakura-san? I told you it was well worth it," Lee smiled proudly for his friend.

"Gai-sensei, as much as I hate this retarded suit, this Taijutsu training has been very helpful. I do feeling I'm getting stronger... like I'm reaching a certain peak of my strength," the pink-haired kunoichi knelt over to put her hands around the leg warmers on her ankles. "I'd like you to add a little more weight. If you can... not too much, but only a little."

Gai answered with his trademark 'Nice Guy' pose. "Sure!"

"Oh, Sakura-san! You're truly going to blossom into Konoha's strongest kunoichi!" Lee roared out, acting like Sakura's own personal male cheerleader.

Sakura sweatdropped. "Gee... thanks... no seriously. You can stop now."

'Hm. I have to agree. The training is going rather well. I do wonder... how long will this keep up?'

For as long as Naruto and the others are still on their mission... it shouldn't be too long, Witchblade. I hope. Wait until Naruto sees me improved and better than ever.

However, as the lively activity with youthful trio continued, Neji and Tenten looked at them with blank stares.

"Huh. I suppose this is how Sakura's getting her punishment? More training?" Tenten snorted, folding her arms as her face contorted with irritation. "Why couldn't the Hokage grant me training with her? Sakura... she's so lucky."

"Maybe not so. This training is going to take a toll on her," Neji watched Sakura with analytic eyes. "Let's see if she can endure without using that Witchblade as a crutch."

"Seems Chouji has already forgiven her. What do you think, Neji? I think... we might have been too hard on Sakura."

Neji replied, shutting his eyes as he turned away. "Perhaps, but I'd rather see Sakura in action using the Witchblade. Only then will I judge for myself."

"Same here, Neji. I want to see this Witchblade everyone's been hyping about. Sounds like it's pretty powerful... if it was able to defeat Akatsuki members."

"I heard from sources this weapon can only be wielded by women."

This revelation caused intrigue Tenten. Her interest suddenly peaked as she inquired to her teammate. "Really? Only a woman?"

"That's what I've heard."

"Interesting..." Tenten murmured, biting down on her lip. Her eyes looked away from Neji and turned to analyze Sakura. I'm curious. That Witchblade really must grant a wielder a whole lot of power. I wonder how differently things would've turned out if I had it. Sakura, you're lucky. First, you become the Hokage-sama's student and now you're getting all this treatment. I truly envy you. She said with a coy smile.

Rock Lee got down on all fours and began doing his regular routine of 9,000 push-ups. "As soon as I'm done, we'll get ready, Sakura-san!"

"Right..." Sakura sighed under her breath. This might take all day.

'Stay focused, Sakura. I know you can pull through this torture. Once it's over, please... burn that horrifying suit.'

The girl let an evil smile curl on her face. "Oh, I will. Hehehehe." An evil chuckle escaped her lips.

xxxxx

Southern Shoreline/Mother Island/Land of Sea

At the southern sector of Mother Island was an unoccupied shoreline. There were no fortified walls or fences to ward out intruders. In fact, it looked rather tranquil by first glance. There was nothing that could lead someone to believe it was a 'cursed island.' However, from within this almost secluded island, there has been inscrutable activity. Not one of the villagers could really comprehend what goes on there as everyone, but Isaribi, mysterious vanished from coming near the island.

That is where the rumors started to spread. These rumors then became stories... about vengeful spirits.

But, in truth, it was not related to any spirits.

Behind the undergrowth and the forests was the site of the Cloneblade factory.

xxxxx

Rustling on through the thick brushes and undergrowth was a long, pink crystallized protrusion. This crystallized protrusion extended out, jutting through the branches of the forest as it trailed along. From in the distance, one could make out what looked like a long serpentine dragon. Its body was composed entirely out of a pink, crystallized stone composition. Sitting top of the crystal dragon's head was a unique kunoichi, one who specializes in a rare ninja art (one that only she possesses): the Kesshō, or Crystal Release.

The woman standing atop of the crystal dragon looked like she was in her mid-twenties. She wore blue hair, which she tied her already long hair into a bun. The back of her hair wavered out into spiky ends. Long bangs came down the sides of her face. The lady wore a green Chinese-styled coat which had a unique design embroidered on the lower right side. A thick, pink rope tightened around her waist, keeping the coat tied up and from falling off. Underneath the green coat, she wore an article of red clothing - something akin to a bodysuit. Thick tufts of fur surrounded the neck collar area of the coat. To top it all off, she wore a pair of black zoris, which her feet fit comfortably in.

Her allegiance was firmly dedicated to Orochimaru.

This was the woman to whom Kabuto alluded to during his conversation with Amachi.

"Guren-sama!" A pair of low growls came from out of the undergrowth of the forest.

The name, identified as Guren, turned and shifted her eyes toward the forest floor. She commanded her giant crystal dragon to lower its head, allowing for Guren to descend into the forest floor. She hopped off the dragon's head and saw two figure hidden behind dark brown cloaks.

"What is it, you two? Do you have anything to report?" Guren demanded, her tone was stern and commanding.

"We've taken the fresh collection of women and taken them to Amachi-sama's lab. But, we have a few intruders coming this way."

Guren frowned. "Who are they?"

"Mind if I cut in, my faithful Chimeras," Amachi's voice was heard behind the cloaked pair.

"Amachi?"

Amachi slowly plodded through the undergrowth and stepped out of the shadows. "Guren. It appears Konoha has sent their team. These two were able to see them. They're on a boat."

"I see," Guren replied. "Do you want me to take care of them?"

"Not yet, but I was meaning to ask if you've seen Isaribi."

"Isaribi hasn't returned?"

Amachi nodded. "I'm afraid not, but I'm certain she will come here very soon."

"Very well. If she happens to come on the shore and if I see her, I'll lead her back to the lab."

"At least before nightfall. You and I both know what transpires in those waters when the sun sets."

Guren acknowledged the presence of the 'sea demon.' "Yes, I understand. You two..." She directed her focus on the cloaked figures. "You're coming with me. We have a few uninvited guests that need to be dealt with. Follow me!"

"Yes, Guren-sama!" The duo acknowledged as they sprinted through the forest.

Hopping back on top of her dragon's head, Guren directed her crystallized beast through the forest and headed out toward the southern coastline. There they would greet the four Konoha-nin with a 'welcome greeting.' Amachi chuckled to himself as he opened his right palm, revealing a necklace with a seashell hanging from it.

"You'll be coming right back, won't you? Isaribi?" The man's forced an evil smile, cupping his hand over the necklace.

xxxxx

Team Konoha's boat was closing in on Mother Island. However, there was only one occupant on the boat. There weren't any signs of Yamato, Naruto, Anko, or Shino occupying the rental boat. Instead, there seemed to be a blonde-haired girl wearing long pigtails leaning on the side. Covering her almost nude form was a thick, orange cloak, which she shivered under due to the cold air that surrounded the still waters. She was unconscious from up close, not moving an inch of her body.

As she slowly came to, her blue eyes drifted around and noticed the island that was at least five kilometers away.

"Huh...? Ow, my head..." The blonde girl groaned, rubbing her head. She winced as her fingers trailed over the bump that formed over her scalp area. Sheesh, Anko-sensei! Did you have to go THAT far?!

xxxxx

Flashback/Twenty Minutes ago

"We're getting closer to Mother Island," Yamato informed the cell team.

Shino acknowledged with a nod. "..."

Naruto focused his eyes towards Mother Island sitting in the distance. His skin began to crawl, feeling the cool air near the secluded area. He could already tell. There was something about the island that was really getting to him.

"I'm getting a bad feeling about this," Naruto proclaimed.

'NO SHIT.' The Kyuubi growled within his vessel's mind, already getting on Naruto's bad side.

"Hey, Yamato, that inn keeper mentioned that many women and young girls have been disappearing. He claims that phantoms of some sort have been taking them. Rumor has it that these women are taken to Mother Island."

The male Jounin responded. "Yes, but I don't believe we're dealing with spirits here."

"Yeah, this is nothing like that freaky ghost mission we were involved in. This is definitely the work of Orochimaru's men," Naruto said. "These girls are being kidnapped for something and I don't want to venture to guess either."

Then, Anko smiled deviously as an idea quickly came to her mind. She shifted her attention solely on Naruto and chuckled.

Creeped out by Anko's stare, Naruto gulped and looked at her nervously. "Um, Anko-sensei? What... what are you thinking about?"

"I know you can use Oriroke no Jutsu. I've seen you use it on perverts, namely Jiraiya-sama and the late-Third."

"What are you getting at, psycho lady?" He narrowed his eyes.

"Today, I will make your Oriroke finally being useful for once besides using it to throw off poor Ero-Jiraiya!" Anko grinned evilly as she reached over and pulled Naruto toward her. "Won't you do that? Then, once these 'phantoms' catch you, we'll follow you to the island. What do you say?"

"I say you're crazy!" The fox boy snapped, attempting to squirm right out of the demented woman's arms.

Anko chuckled. "Oh no, you don't! Now, perform your Oriroke! You're even cuter when you're a girl!"

"LET GO!!"

As Anko pinned Naruto down, she pulled out a kunai and slowly edged it towards his neck.

"Don't forget that we're on a mission. It's vital that we reach that island, or did you forget that? Hmmm?"

Finally giving in, Naruto performed the Oriroke no jutsu and transformed into a naked, blonde-haired girl with pig-tails. She still retained his more distinctive features, including the blue eyes and the whisker marks on the cheeks.

Shino and Yamato both sighed, realizing that Anko's most hair-brained scheme was the most effective way of finding the Cloneblade factory on the island. After all, women have been taken captive to Mother Island and have all disappeared without a trace. Only Isaribi returned without as much of an explanation.

"So, ready to cooperate, Naruko-chan?" Anko giggled as she let 'Naruko' up off her back.

Naruko scoffed. "Whatever."

"Now, listen to me carefully. Yamato, Shino, and myself are going to leave you behind."

"You're leaving me here alone on this boat?! Without any clothes?!"

Yamato noticed an article of orange clothing on the boat. "Here, you can use this." He handed the article of clothing over to Naruko.

"Thanks, Yamato-taicho."

"As I was saying," Anko continued as she pointed toward a collection of giant rocks jutting from out of a nearby shore. "We're going to hide behind those rocks. You remain here and play as bait. We're going to see if anyone comes by to pick you up. Once they take you to Mother Island, we'll follow you. Got it?"

Naruko reluctantly gave in. "Yeah, sure."

Anko smiled as she covered Naruko up with the orange cloth. "It'll work. Trust me on this!"

xxxxx

"Ugh, why do I get myself stuck in these situations," Naruko sighed, sitting down while covering herself up.

Meanwhile, the other three Konoha-nin remained hiding behind the rocks near the shore of a smaller isle. They popped their heads out, observing Naruko closely.

Yamato whispered to Anko. "Let's hope this works."

"It will. I hope..." Anko gritted her teeth.

"Look. I see something coming," Shino whispered, narrowing his eyes toward two shadowed figures closing in on the boat.

The trio watched as two cloaked figures approached the boat. They saw Naruto sitting still, restraining herself from attacking. The cloaked figures turned toward each other as they started to push the boat ahead through the water. Naruko quickly turned as she eyed the trio sitting behind the rocks.

"See? What did I tell you?" Anko smirked as she slowly got off the ground.

"Let's wait a while and approach slowly," Shino suggested.

"Yeah, let's..." Yamato stopped mid-sentence, his hands felt vibrations on the ground and quickly set off his senses. "MOVE!"

BOOM!!

A cliff face suddenly crumbled behind them, prompting the Konoha-nin trio to scatter in different directions. They retreated towards the water, racing across to distance themselves from the attacker. The trio turned and saw a giant, pink crystallized dragon extended its long neck through the destroyed cliff face.

"Damn it! You guys!" Naruko cried out as he saw his teammates being attacked by the giant crystal dragon. What the hell is that thing?! A dragon?!

While the cloaked figures dragged the boat along, Naruko was being taken near the island. He immediately turned around, facing the omnious island that lied ahead of him. Anko's plan partially went according to plan, but it fell flat on its face once the dragon appeared.

Naruko gulped, her entire body became tense while tightening her hands into fists. A rush of anxiety overwhelmed him as he realized he was in the most important role in the plan. One screw up would jeopardize the entire mission. Hopefully, they can catch up somehow. There's Mother Island... here goes nothing.

Back at the isle site, the Konoha trio saw that Guren stood on top of the dragon's head.

"There's someone up there!" Shino exclaimed, pointing toward Guren.

"What the hell kind of summon is that?!" Anko snarled as she opened her coat, revealing many kunais hanging by strings. "It's a crystal dragon, but I've never heard of someone utilizing crystal element. This is something new."

"I can't say if it's even a Kekkei Genkai trait either..." Yamato concluded as he turned to find Naruko already further in the distance. "They're already taking him to the island."

"I see they were right," Guren frowned while scanning each Konoha-nin and their hitai-ates. "Three Konoha-nin. What brings you here to the land of Sea? Well, I can't have you going near Mother Island. Whatever goes on there is none of your concern." Aren't there supposed to be four? Oh well. If that girl Amachi's servants took away was the fourth Konoha member, I don't need to worry about her.

Shino studied the woman's crystallized dragon. "It's going to be hard to penetrate through her crystal."

"Well, I hope you don't mind if you let us pass through," Anko smiled devilishly as she armed her right hand with a kunai. "Pretty please?"

Guren snorted and turned her nose up at the woman. "Kesshō: Kyodai Rokkaku Shuriken!!" She opened her right hand, collecting chakra as she molded it into a disc. This disc turned into a giant crystal shuriken, which resembled more like a snowflake. She quickly tossed it down at the three Konoha-nin.

The trio scattered as the crystallized shuriken came toward them. Anko quickly tossed five kunai at the shuriken. They all rebounded off Guren's crystal shuriken.

Forming the hand seal of the bird, Yamato condensed wet rocks into giant spikes. "Doton: Doryūsō!!"

Just as Anko's shuriken rebounded, Yamato's rock spikes crumbled as they hit Guren's crystal shuriken.

As the shuriken spun closer toward them, the trio scattered and let the spinning disc spin across the ocean.

"As I deduced earlier, her crystal will be hard to penetrate," Shino added as he turned and watched Guren with analytic eyes.

The crystal-user smiled as she put her hands together. "You'll never make it to that island. I'll see to that!"

xxxxx

Finally, as they arrived on the shore, Naruko was pulled out of the boat by her kidnappers. The two cloaked figures slowly escorted Naruko into the forest, leading her directly into the mysterious island.

I made it. Now, I'll be the first to see this Cloneblade factory for myself. Naruko thought as she walked alongside the cloaked figures.

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Forest Undergrowth/Ten Miles from Konohagakure/Fire Country

The crow stopped flying as it roosted on a tree branch. Suddenly, the bird tilted its head as a figure wearing a black cloak decorated with red clouds appeared near it.

"So, she's there," Itachi muttered as he lifted his right hand, letting the crow sit on top of his hand. "Haruno Sakura. It's time we meet."

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To be continued...

Next time

Chapter 35: Guren, the Practitioner of Crystal Jutsu; Itachi and Sakura Face-off!

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Witchblade Sakura Omake Segment

Kill Temari and Shikamaru. Vol. 2

Tayuya threw Temari aside as she pointed her katana against the Sand princess's neck. Shikamaru attempted to utilize his Shadow jutsus until a blade jutted out of his side stomach.

"Gah...!!" Shikamaru coughed as he gripped his right side.

Standing behind him was a Tayuya clone. She immediately yanked a small dagger from out of Shikamaru's side, licking the blood off the bladed tip.

"Look at ya! Laying there like a little bitch!" Tayuya chuckled like the demented lunatic she truly was. "What do you say? How about get down on your knees and beg? If you don't, your sand princess of a whore gets it!"

Shikamaru gritted his teeth, kneeling over in front of Tayuya.

"Now what do you say?" She asked, letting an evil smirk curl on her face.

"...she's the one who killed you."

"She killed me, but I was going to FUCKING kill you! She denied me that chance, but she can't save ya now! You have now idea how long I've fucking waited for this chance!"

Shikamaru snarled. "Let her go. And what's with that stupid yellow outfit? Are you trying to cosplay as Beatrix Kiddo or something?"

"COSPLAY, YOU SAY? Heh, cosplay..." Tayuya chuckled as she jerked her katana away from Temari's neck. "COSPLAY... he says. Heh, you're a really funny guy."

"I don't try to be."

Pressing her right foot down Shikamaru's back, Tayuya forced him to kiss the ground. "Cosplay this, bitch..."

Swish!

Tayuya gasped as wind picked up and collected, knocking her right off her feet. "GAH!!"

Barely managing to make use of her giant fan, Temari knocked Tayuya back and sent her crashing into a wall.

"Ugh... damn it all..." Tayuya groaned as she collapsed and fell unconscious.

As Shikamaru tried getting up, Temari plodded along and knelt beside him.

"Hey, that wasn't how the movie was supposed to end... right?" Shikamaru pointed out. "Wasn't she supposed to kill us?"

Temari frowned, scoffing at the sight of Tayuya. "Not in my movie." With that, she pulled Shikamaru up and faced up.

"Temari, I just wanted to say..."

"Shut up and kiss me."

With that, Temari pulled Shikamaru towards her and kissed him.

While the two made out, Tayuya groaned and pulled out what appeared to be a mask with a 'Ghost Face.' "Maybe I should've asked what their favorite scary movie was."

xxxxx

Meanwhile...

Karin rummaged through her movie collection to find one titled Scream. As she opened it, she saw that its DVD disc was gone.

"Don't tell me you saw that one, too."

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Translation Notes

(Filler) Kesshō: Kyodai Rokkaku Shuriken/Crystal Release: Giant Hexagonal Shuriken

Type: No rank. Offensive.

Range: All ranges

User: Guren

Used exclusively by Guren, she forges a giant crystal shuriken, which resembles a snowflake. Once completed, she throws it at the enemy.

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A/N: And the action was about to get heated up! Cliffhangers are evil, aren't they?

Well, I just left off with Itachi. So, who knows what's going to go down between him and Sakura next time!

This chapter pretty much covers a few details and sets up for a more action-based chapter. We'll also get a look at the Cloneblade factory.

Isaribi and Naruto's scene is based off the original filler anime, but with necessary changes (including Isaribi injuring one of those little ungrateful brats!). Speaking of filler, I've managed to shoehorn the new filler villain from the recent Shippuden arc. Her crystal jutsus are pretty neat. Since she's a kunoichi and the kunoichi are a strong theme in this story, I thought why not give Amachi a bodyguard and someone who's not a Cloneblade? Quite frankly I don't think she needs one as her jutsus are pretty powerful on their own accord.

Hope, you guys enjoyed that brief Team Gai and Sakura moment. I decided throwing in Lee was a bonus. Now, as for that fanart, Belletiger is going to cover that. The fanart should be finished soon. I'll even post it whenever the next chapter of this story is complete. Or, just Belletiger about it and she might consider posting it up on her deviantart page. =)

On a side note, please if you can... check out the Witchblade Sakura fic, Iron Demon. If you want more Witchblade and Sakura action, you can get your fix there. It's a movie fic that won't be as long (No way!) as this one, but it should be worth a peek. Just throwing it out there for you guys.

Anyway, that's all for now. Leave me a review when you're done! See you until the next update!