DISCLAIMER: I do not own "Naruto"
Chapter 36: Serenity
"SASUKE, NO!"
Sakura's screams filled his ears. She was desperate, scared, and that made him want to run back to her—but he was racing toward Pein for her, to protect her. Surely Pein wouldn't be satisfied with simply leveling Konoha. He would kill everyone unless someone stopped him.
Sasuke had to ignore the part of his brain that laughed at the irony. When Madara told him the "truth" about Itachi, he wanted to destroy Konoha…but now that the village was nothing but broken rock, he couldn't help but feel enraged. The only place that had ever been home was gone. Everything that held memories of the Uchiha clan was erased.
Sasuke was furious.
His feet flew over the broken ground, carrying him to the self-proclaimed god. Electricity burned through his arm and collected in his palm. It felt so good. He aimed, releasing his Chidori-gloved hand straight at Pein's heart.
Abruptly, Sasuke found himself face-to-face with Pein, his wrist clenched in the man's steel grasp, the Chidori shrieking between them.
"Uchiha Sasuke." Pein looked unsurprised. "So this is where you've been hiding. Though your capture of the Hachibi was less than satisfactory, as a member of the Akatsuki, it is your duty to assist in capturing the Kyuubi."
"I am not Akatsuki!" Sasuke growled.
"Your loyalty is fickle," Pein intoned flatly.
Sasuke scoffed.
The split second his wrist was released, Sasuke was airborne. Instinctively, he tucked his limbs close to his body, hitting the ground and rolling onto his feet in one fluid motion.
Flipping backwards just as metal rods rained down around him, Sasuke disappeared when a cloud of smoke burst around him. He crouched low to the ground as he looked up, activating his Sharingan. Before him stood three giant toads, the largest carrying a smaller toad on his head.
"Where's the enemy?" the middle toad croaked.
"What's going on?" A familiar, obnoxious voice filled the air. "I thought I told you to summon us to Konoha!"
Craning his neck, Sasuke saw Naruto perched high on the head of the smallest toad.
"This is Konoha," another voice said. "Take a good look around."
"It can't be," the largest toad grumbled.
The smoke and dust began to clear and Sasuke found himself visible once again. He filled his feet with chakra and rocketed into the air, jumping up one toad's leg, onto his shoulder, then his head, landing next to his blond friend.
"Naruto," he mumbled.
A dark scowl marred Naruto's face. "Sasuke," he said without looking at him. "What happened?"
"Pein," Sasuke replied.
Naruto cursed as they stared at the remains of Konoha in shared anger. Pein was the one who killed Jiraiya. Pein was the one who destroyed what little remained of the Uchiha clan. Pein was the one who killed Kakashi. Pein was the one who destroyed their home.
His home.
Sasuke's eyes found Sakura. She had made this place his home. She was the reason for the change in him…
Pein's drone drew Sasuke's gaze down to him.
"Uzumaki Naruto, you've saved me the trouble of looking for you."
Suddenly, five clouds appeared and the remaining Paths of Pein landed before them. They straightened up, their Rinnegan eyes watching Naruto and Sasuke.
"Looks like all six are here," Fukasaku commented wearily.
Naruto took a step forward. "Leave this to me," he growled.
Sasuke caught Naruto's shoulder and forcibly turned him. "Don't be an idiot."
Naruto glared with his odd, frog-like eyes.
"There are six of them, they'll—"
"I don't care! They won't get away with—"
"They'll kill you just like they did Kakashi!" Sasuke yelled over Naruto.
The color left Naruto's face. "W-What…?"
Sasuke sighed and lowered his eyes. Why was this so hard? Why did he feel so angry and lost? He was conflicted. "I was still…detained…when it happened." His eyes lifted to meet Naruto's. They stared at each other for a moment, Naruto's blue eyes glazing over as his mouth pulled tight. "He died in front of Sakura."
"I…I don't believe you," Naruto growled. "Sakura would have saved him."
"She can't save everyone," Sasuke hissed.
Naruto's eyes were red with tears and his nostrils flared as he tried to control his internal rage. His teeth were audibly grinding and his fingers curled, tension building in his arms. Sasuke could see a tinge of red saturating Naruto's blue irises, indicating the Kyuubi's anger.
"Naruto."
His intense eyes snapped upward to meet his.
"In order to do this…we have to work together."
Naruto nodded and, suddenly, the Kyuubi's hold began to subside.
"You," hissed Tsunade. Sasuke's head snapped in her direction. She stood in the crater, an ANBU shaking at her side. Her face was battered and bruised and her shoulders were slumped. She looked like a crumbling mountain—once proud and majestic, but now bowing to the raging storm.
"I will never forgive you for trampling on the treasure—the dreams—of those who came before me! As Hokage, I will put a stop to you here and now!"
"Looks like you understand some of my pain. However, I have no use for you." With a flick of his wrist, one of the other Peins glided toward Tsunade. "The one I want—"
"SHANNARO!" A blur of pink crashed into the Pein attacking Tsunade and destroyed him. Straightening and standing defiant, Sakura pointed at Tendou Pein.
"You stay away from her!" she growled.
Tsunade was left sitting on the ground behind the protective young woman.
"Sakura."
"We'll handle them, Shishou."
Sasuke jumped down to the ground, leaving Naruto to gape in surprise. He neared Sakura's side and gripped her forearm. Her head turned toward him and he could feel the determination radiating from her. He opened his mouth to voice his disapproval when Naruto landed before them.
"There's no need for the Hokage to deal with the likes of these guys," he said. "Grab yourself some sake and enjoy the show, Grandma."
"Naruto—"
"Go," he said tersely.
The ANBU hastily helped Tsunade to her feet. She stood on quaking legs before giving Naruto a dark scowl.
"Fine, but take Katsuyu with you. She has information on the enemy," she said, offering up the small slug that was promptly stuffed into Naruto's orange robes.
"Gamakichi, take her somewhere safe."
"Wait," Sasuke said. He approached the ANBU officer. "Give me your katana."
The officer stiffened before turning to Tsunade.
"Just give it to him," she grumbled.
He unsheathed the sword and hesitantly handed it over to the Uchiha traitor. Sasuke took the hilt in his hand and spun the sword experimentally before turning back to Naruto with a nod of approval. Naruto looked at Gamakichi. The toad grumbled wearily before leaping away with the frail Hokage in tow.
Sasuke watched Sakura as her eyes followed her shishou, the resolve in her gaze never wavering. A moment later, she took her stance next to Naruto. Sasuke's limbs moved instinctively, bringing him up to her other side.
Teammates, Sasuke thought, mentally accepting what his body already knew—they were fighting as allies against a common enemy once again. He looked onward and felt a familiar excitement come to life inside him.
"You feel it, too, don't you?" he heard Naruto say.
He felt Sakura's tensing rather than saw it. He looked down briefly, surprised that she grabbed his hand—yet the contact was like instant courage, surging through his skin and targeting the apprehension rooted in his heart.
He smirked.
"Ready when you are, Loser."
"Let's get 'em, boys."
Three of the Paths stepped forward—Ningendou the Human Path, Chikushodou the Animal Path, and Jigokudou the Hell Path.
Chikushodou, the smallest of them, crouched to the ground and muttered, "Kuchiyose no jutsu," in a soft voice, summoning a monstrous rhinoceros.
The beast stampeded toward Team Seven, its eyes swirling with bloodlust. Sasuke and Sakura instantly moved to dodge, but Naruto stood firm, his head bowed, as if he didn't even know he was about to be skewered and trampled.
"NARUTO!" shrieked Sakura, watching with wide, panicked eyes.
Her hands flew up to cover her eyes. Sasuke turned her away as dust and rocks filled the air when the rhino thrust its horned head forward.
Sasuke peered through the dust and his jaw slackened at what his Sharingan saw. Naruto held tight to the rhino's horn with hands skilled from rigorous training and a gaze dyed red with the Kyuubi's fury. In one swift and terrible motion, Naruto threw the beast into the sky.
Sasuke released Sakura and felt her gaze on his skin like a sunburn. It was uncomfortable that she caught him unable to mask his shock. He knew astonishment was clear on his face, after all, he had never seen such sheer power from Naruto before. It must've had something to do with the toads and his weird eyes. He didn't have time to dwell on it, however, as two more beasts appeared out of thin air.
Naruto glanced over his shoulder at the two of them, subtly inviting them to join the fight. Sasuke nodded curtly and his Sharingan shifted and swirled with the igniting flames of the black Amaterasu. The wicked fire danced with glee as it consumed the screaming beasts. Sakura caught his eye when she became still as a statue before the raging power of the eternal fire.
"Sakura!"
Starting at the sound of her name, Sakura released a fierce cry and smashed her fist into the rock beneath her feet. A chasm opened its maw, swallowing the feet of the tortured beasts, effectively stopping their crazed running and bringing them to the ground. Sasuke almost smirked at her display of brute force, but busied himself instead with stopping the Amaterasu before it spread.
He stole a glance at Sakura and found that controlling the black flames was easy and painless. It could have been Itachi's eyes, the Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan, or it could have been his desire for Sakura's safety that strengthened his will. Either way, the feeling of strength—of power—was intoxicating.
He took a moment to study the battle. Naruto ran head on toward Gakidou, the Ghost Path, with fist cocked and ready to fly. Noticing that all eyes of the Paths of Pein were trained on Naruto, Sasuke scowled. The idiot was going to get himself killed. As soon as the two were within punching distance, Naruto threw his whitened knuckles and dished out a devastating blow to Gakidou. The Ghost Path blew away from Naruto as if carried by a gust of wind and fell to the ground like a rock, breaking at the impact.
Sasuke's brow furrowed and Sakura gasped. Naruto's fist hadn't even connected with Gakidou. He had been swinging at air, yet Gakidou had reacted as if he'd been physically hit.
"I was certain I dodged that attack…" Pein commented dryly.
The elder frog accompanying Naruto spoke up. "The Way of the Frog makes use of the natural energy in the user's surroundings. It is that energy that manifested as an extension of Naruto's body and attacked."
When Naruto clasped his hands together, a sudden and strange aura emanated from him—dense and powerful.
"Sennin mode raises both threat perception and attack range," the elder frog continued.
Way of the Frog? Sennin mode? So, Naruto was a sage now. Sasuke didn't know what to think about that. He was…jealous…and shocked. He had always been ahead of Naruto, and now…now the dead-last was a sage?
"My new jutsu should finish this in no time," Naruto proclaimed smugly. "Kage bunshin no jutsu!"
Two clones appeared beside Naruto, both wearing confidence on their faces like masks. They started moving their hands in circular motions over Naruto's open palm.
"I see," Pein said with slight interest. "So you've become a sage, just like Jiraiya-sensei."
"Jiraiya-sensei?" The Rasengan in Naruto's hand fizzled out as his attention was snapped away.
"I trained under him, too. He was my old master. That makes us sibling disciples—which means we should be able to understand each other," Pein said as his purple eyes bore into Naruto. "Our sensei longed for peace."
Naruto snarled and the Rasengan instantly took shape. It was like a shuriken of light with a sun in the center. His hands strained as he held back.
"Do you see what you've done?" Naruto shouted. "How can you call THIS PEACE?"
"You don't understand the meaning of peace," Pein replied mockingly. "Now, come quietly. Your death will lead to peace."
"This isn't peace!" Naruto pulled his arm back and threw the Rasenshuriken as hard as he could. The spinning wind shuriken flew at supernatural speed toward Pein. As the deadly jutsu neared, Tendou and Jigokudou dodged, but Chikushodou stood mesmerized. Ningendou grabbed the female by her collar and yanked her away from danger.
"Kuchyose no jutsu!" Chikushodou squeaked.
A giant bird swooped down and rescued Ningendou just before he was sucked into the Rasenshuriken's vortex.
"It's true," Pein intoned as the Human Path jumped to the ground. "You cannot be reasoned with."
More beasts appeared from thick smog, but Naruto's giant toads were quick to pull out their katanas and retaliate. Naruto ran at Chikushodou.
Sasuke's hands itched. He wanted to get into the fight. Naruto was being reckless with his chakra and his allies. If he wasn't careful, he would use up his chakra and endanger his teammates. He needed to use his head. Sasuke's eyes narrowed as they shifted, watching the Paths of Pain to figure out a weakness—to find an opening. He noticed that, while Naruto was engaged with Chikushodou, all the Paths of Pein watched without so much as blinking. His brow ticked upward.
Sakura came up beside him. "I know what we have to do," she said. "We need to cut the Rinnegan's connection."
Sasuke smirked. The girl had always been brilliant. "What's your plan?"
She drew up next to him, whispering in his ear. He listened carefully and nodded. She ran toward Naruto and Chikushodou, while he made his way to the other Paths of Pein.
Skidding to a stop, Sasuke planted himself between Naruto and Pein. All the eyes of the Paths turned to stare at him and without hesitation, his irises spun as he cast his genjutsu. A second later, a smoke bomb burst, filling the area with thick smoke—signaling Sakura's attack.
Sasuke chanced a glance behind him and was able to see through the smoke as Sakura and Naruto fought Chikushodou together. He returned his blood-red sight to the Paths before him, they were fighting his genjutsu. It'd only be a matter of seconds before they escaped.
He spun the katana in his hand before moving forward and bringing the blade down on the closest target to him, felling the Human Path. His pulse raced. Sakura and Naruto were taking their time beating Chikushodou. If they had to take each Path out individually, this battle would be very long and very draining. Just as he neared Tendou, the Paths pulled out of the genjutsu and smoke in the back cleared. He and Sakura fell back. Naruto, however, stood his ground, but was no longer radiating energy—he was panting.
"You told him to fall back, didn't you?" Sasuke asked of Sakura.
"I did, but he's so stubborn. He wouldn't listen!"
Sasuke groaned.
"Looks like that's it for your sage technique," Pein said. "Now's my chance."
Pein flew toward Naruto and the blond grinned menacingly. "Bring it on!"
Sasuke looked onward as Naruto and Pein met in hand to hand combat. They exchanged swift jabs and kicks, both blocking with confidence. Sasuke growled and jumped to his feet with every intention of joining in the fight, but Sakura caught his wrist and pulled him back toward her.
"What?" Sasuke snapped.
"You can't just rush in there like that."
"Watch me."
He yanked his arm from her and surged toward his rival. He heard Sakura's exasperated puff of air before she followed after him. He stuck out his arm and motioned for Sakura to assist Naruto while he turned in a different direction and masked his chakra so he could look for an opening.
One of Naruto's punches connected with Pein, the toad-like eyes evidence that Naruto was once again in sage mode. When he was a safe distance from Pein, he summoned a clone and formed another Rasenshuriken. He released it, but the attack was intercepted by Gakidou, who absorbed the energy.
"Oh, yeah…he can absorb any jutsu," the clone said.
"But I thought he was dead," Naruto replied dismally.
The two looked to the distance and saw a flaming gateway in the shape of a face. Jigokudou, the Hell Path, stood beside the gateway as if he were guardian of the passage.
"What's that?" the clone asked.
"It looks like that Pein is the key. The one Gramps said could revive the others—that's probably him," Naruto replied. "That's why when they were in formation—that Pein was furthest back."
"And the one on the left is the one to watch out for," the clone said. "He can repel any attack and draw anything toward himself. He hasn't used his powers yet, though. Strange."
"Maybe there's a reason he can't use his powers right now. Either way, we've gotta get the one by the gate first!"
Sakura neared the two Narutos just as a third one appeared. Naruto held his hands out as the clones began to lend their chakra to form two new Rasengans.
"Sakura, help me out. Drop some smoke bombs."
"Right!"
Another cloud burst and a Rasenshuriken soared through the smog toward Gakidou. The Ghost Path grinned as he steadied himself for impact, awaiting the flood of delicious energy. His eyelids snapped wide open, though, when the Rasenshuriken turned into Naruto, tackling him, while a real Rasenshuriken glided toward Jigokudou. Quickly, Tendou Pein lifted his hands and the Rasenshuriken shot in the opposite direction.
"My strength has finally returned," Pein said.
Sakura gasped. "He repelled it!"
Just as she screamed, Sasuke found his opening. Dropping from above, his katana sang with the Chidorigatana as he plummeted into Gakidou. Smashed and bleeding, the Ghost Path's head was snapped backward…but he had been thought dead before. Sasuke jumped from the charred mess of blood and bone and ran at Pein, vaguely aware that Naruto was doing the same. He saw Pein's hands lift and Sasuke threw his arms up to cover his face as he felt an invisible force throw him into the air.
He squinted as he prepared for impact, knowing all too well that it wasn't going to be pleasant. He grunted as his body collided with the ground, causing more nasty bruises. Blinking against the dust in his eyes, Sasuke saw Sakura run to Naruto. Quickly rising to his feet, he flash-stepped to them.
Sakura took a step toward him. "Are you okay?" Her eyes brimmed with worry.
"Aa," he replied.
"What the hell was that?" Naruto asked.
"That's the jutsu he used to destroy the village," Sakura answered solemnly. "There's a short interval he must wait before he can use his technique again."
"So that's why he couldn't use it until just now," Naruto mumbled. "What should we do? We can't use ninjutsu or physical attacks against him."
Sakura replied in a hushed tone. "We have five seconds between each attack."
"Only five seconds…" Sasuke mulled.
"We'll have to use an illusion," Sakura said surely.
Naruto frowned. "I can't do illusions!"
Sakura looked at Sasuke. "But Sasuke can."
"Idiot," Sasuke said. Naruto blanched.
Composing himself, Naruto looked at Sasuke intensely. "I'll buy you time, but I've only got one clone left to focus my sage chakra. Once that's gone, I won't be able to stay still on the battlefield long enough to focus more." He was quiet a second before saying, "I maybe have five minutes left."
"So we can't afford to let this drag out," Sasuke replied.
"That's enough," Pein said.
Just as they finished forming their plan, Naruto yelped when he was pulled toward Pein. Sakura reached out to grab his hand, but missed by mere inches. Just feet away from Pein, Naruto's feet returned to the ground, but Gakidou was once again standing. He wrapped his arms under Naruto's and clasped his hands at the base of the blond's skull.
"You are very strong. No one has ever given me so much trouble before." Pein's eyes narrowed slightly. "Don't worry, I won't kill you. You are one of my precious jinchuuriki, after all."
"Heh!" Naruto laughed. "This doesn't hurt. Don't underestimate me in sage mode!"
"Indeed…that would be troublesome."
Naruto began to visibly sweat and the blood drained from his face. Dread filled Sasuke as he watched the fight in Naruto's eyes diminish. With his Sharingan, he could clearly see that Gakidou was draining Naruto of his chakra. Sakura took a step forward, but Sasuke stopped her. He could see something happening to Gakidou, something…unnatural.
"The Kyuubi has been captured," Pein declared.
"No…" Naruto panted. "I'm not done yet…"
"Quite the stubborn one, aren't you."
Sasuke frowned when Gakidou began to mutate. His skin's hue turned green and giant warts erupted and bubbled.
Naruto smirked. "The energy of nature isn't that easy to handle, ya know."
The Ghost Path's form changed. His hands grew longer and slimy webbing stretched between each digit. His completely warty, green skin shone with an amphibious sheen while his eyes bulged from their sockets, the pupils becoming elongated. His very head shifted. His mouth widened with a lazy smile and his nose dissolved into the flat snout, becoming nothing but slits. The mutations continued until he was a man-toad.
Pein stared at Gakidou. "Senjutsu chakra…it would appear to carry a price along with its use…"
"I guess it's just you now, huh?" Naruto's eyes flashed.
"I wouldn't say that," Pein replied.
Naruto's brow furrowed. "What do you mean by that?"
Katsuyu crawled out then. "The Pein bodies you see here are merely puppets," she said. "It would appear that someone is manipulating them from the shadows…a final, real body."
Sakura's eyes widened. "'The real one is not among them,'" she whispered.
Of course. Sasuke clenched his teeth. He should have thought of that much, much earlier. But at the moment it didn't matter. What mattered was getting close enough to Pein to cast another genjutsu. It seemed he was too preoccupied with Naruto to even remember that he and Sakura were there.
"You ready, Sasuke?" Sakura whispered.
"Let's do it."
Just as he put his right foot forward, he felt gravity pull him toward Pein. Sakura's fingers trailed his as he was yanked out of reach—her scream penetrated his heart. It happened so fast. He saw the metal rod drop into Pein's hand, saw it rise as he flew forward.
"I am already familiar with the Sharingan," Pein said.
It was cold. Like ice. The shaft pierced his skin and slid easily through his abdomen and out the other side. The pain was numbing and his senses slowed. Warm liquid metal rushed up his esophagus and filled his mouth, making him gag. The thick blood spurted past his lips and he gasped for air. Sasuke couldn't hear anything anymore. The ringing in his ears was so loud and his vision was turning white around the edges. He could see Pein's cold stare and Naruto's wide, terrified eyes. He didn't know where Sakura was and it scared him. He groaned as the ice in his stomach was ripped out, leaving filthy air to singe the shredded edges of flesh. He crumpled to the ground.
A moment later, warm hands wound around his chest. Strong arms pulled him and he felt his feet dragging on the ground. Something tickled his nose. He looked up and saw Sakura's pink hair, but her green gaze wasn't on him. He was lowered to the ground and, though it was very gentle, it sent shockwaves of pain through his torso. He yowled and Sakura gasped. He realized that he heard both. The ringing in his ears was fading. Something ripped, but he didn't realize it was his shirt until hot hands touched his cold skin, scorching him.
"You're going to be all right."
He thought she sounded strange. It wasn't until he caught a glimpse of her face that he knew why—she was holding back tears.
"Sa…Sakura." His voice was thick and wet.
She wiped the tears away with her arm and he saw that her hands were enveloped in green. When her hands returned to his wound, he recognized the feel of her chakra attempting to heal him, attempting to stitch him together again. He also recognized that something wasn't quite right. Her healing chakra had never burned him before, but now it felt like she was scorching him with a white-hot poker.
"Sakura," he said and gulped back more blood.
"Shush," she said and tried to smile. "Just relax. You'll be all better soon."
"What's happening…with Naruto?"
"I-I don't know. I got you out of there just as the Kyuubi's cloak started forming."
Sasuke felt dizzy. He could hear the howls of the Kyuubi and the sounds of battle. Naruto was letting his rage and hatred consume him. He was letting the Kyuubi have control. Sasuke knew what hate did and he knew how hard it was to defeat. He still hadn't succeeded. Maybe he could…for Sakura.
He could see her forehead shining with sweat. Stray strands of hair clung to her face as she worked. He didn't like seeing her so worried. He reached into the pocket of his pants and Sakura frowned.
"Don't strain yourself!" she scolded him.
He pulled an envelope from his pocket and thrust it at her.
"What's this?" she asked.
He watched her carefully. "It…explains everything."
Sakura stiffened and shook her head. "No. You can tell me yourself when this is all over."
"Take it…just in case."
She shook her head more vigorously and the green chakra intensified. "NO! You are going to be fine," she said as if she were trying to convince herself.
Sasuke frowned when she refused to look at his face. "Sakura, look at me."
She hesitated a second before slowly complying. Her jaw was clenched and her brows tilted, displaying all her worry. Sasuke fumbled for one of her hands and placed the envelope in it.
"I want you to have it," he said.
A single tear swam down her face and he reached forward to catch it. She covered his hand with her own, shuddering with repressed sobs.
"Sasuke-kun…why?" she whispered.
"To thank you."
Tears fell like waterfalls from her eyes, making her eyes sparkle and her cheeks wet.
"I can't do this if you're going to act like you're dying." Her voice was thick with emotion.
"I'm not going to die, Sakura," he said in irritation. "You are going to heal me. You're the only one who can."
Sakura froze as color filled her cheeks, her doe eyes large with emotion. A beat of silence passed and, swallowing thickly, she nodded. Her brows furrowed with concentration as her hands went quickly to his stomach. Her chakra flowed into him with warmth and strength—the presence of it brought a raw emotion that was so potent, Sasuke could've sobbed.
Sakura sat over him, working diligently and with such concentration that no one would know that she was an emotional wreck. Sasuke knew. He felt everything she was feeling. He felt her pure fear. Fear that perhaps she wasn't as strong as she could be—fear that he would die. There was hatred pouring from her as well and he could only assume it was targeted toward Pein.
Of all the emotions filtering through, the most powerful was love. It was unlike anything he had ever felt. He loved, this was true, but this was completely different. He knew of his family's love for him. He knew of his teammates' love for him—he could feel it in their actions. But to literally feel that love as if he were the one experiencing it…it was spectacular. His whole body felt light and a furious blush ignited his cheeks.
The love intensified, consuming the other emotions until they were gone—giving a strange sense of clarity to Sasuke as he felt his flesh repairing beneath Sakura's fingertips. He looked at her face and saw her eyes were closed.
Peace enveloped him.
He was no longer in pain and Sakura's warmth circulated through his blood. His stomach fluttered as if he had swallowed a live bug collection…yet strangely, it wasn't uncomfortable. He never wanted the contact to end. He wanted to stay there, filled with peace and awe. He wanted to be consumed by the emotion healing him—strengthening Sakura—but when his flesh was whole once again, the chakra and emotions left him…and he was left feeling morose. He couldn't breathe and a stabbing pain filled his chest. His heart was gone, he was sure of it. Sakura had taken it with her when she retreated from his system, holding it in her delicate hands.
Opening his eyes, Sasuke saw Sakura leaning over him, looking at him in desperation. She smiled and tears dripped down onto his face. Blinking, he slowly sat up, the pain gone. Sakura wrapped her arms around his neck and let out a breathy laugh. He pulled her close and his lids fell to prevent tears from forming. She was still with him, still laying her heart out for him to take. Her arms cradled his head and he sucked in the warmth she radiated. He knew that he belonged in her arms, and she in his. He held her as if it were his last chance. He didn't want to let go, but his hold on her slackened when his eyes saw a floating sphere of rock. Standing on the surface, Naruto looked down at Pein with contempt.
Pein's cloak was shredded and torn so that half his upper torso showed, revealing multiple metal implants. The other Paths were all fallen and none would return to life this time.
Sasuke pulled Sakura from him and stood. She frowned.
"Sasuke-kun, you're going to reopen your wound!"
"I feel fine," he replied, his eyes still on Pein.
Pein's bass tones drifted to them from where he stood. "I think it's time we finished this."
Naruto dropped from the rock sphere and landed with ease. "Take me to the real you. I want to talk face to face," he shouted.
"So you figured it out. You and Jiraiya and all of Konoha are really quite something." A rod dropped into Pein's hand. "Yet, you and I are no different. Everyone feels the pain of loss the same. We both know that pain. Because of pain, we seek justice…revenge. You are working for your justice…and I for mine. This need for justice only becomes a chain of hatred. The shinobi world is ruled by hatred." Pein began to move forward, gearing to attack Naruto. "The time for talk is over. Nothing you say now will change anything."
Sasuke ran toward them. Pein was right—it was time to end this.
"Let me speak to him!" Naruto's fists clenched as he restrained himself from flying forward.
"I will not allow it," Pein replied sternly.
"I guess I'll just have to fight you then," Naruto replied.
Pein's eyes narrowed.
They rushed at each other, but Sasuke and Sakura intercepted them. Surrounding Pein, they worked perfectly together, using taijutsu to keep him on a constant defense. Pein knew to dodge Sakura completely, or her hits would shatter him. So he dodged her and blocked Sasuke and Naruto. Sasuke moved swiftly, throwing hook after hook and sweeping kicks.
In a single moment, Naruto grabbed hold of one of Pein's exposed implants and pulled it out, leaving a gaping hole in his side. Growling, Pein threw up his hand and the three shinobi were blown away. Naruto sprung to his feet and stabbed the implant into his shoulder. His eyes twitched as he shut them and he shuddered before his eyelids snapped open, revealing fierce blue eyes.
"Found you!"
Naruto summoned two new shadow clones and Sasuke smirked, recognizing the formation of a Rasenshuriken—he could take advantage of that.
Naruto released the wind shuriken and Sasuke waited. Just before the Rasenshuriken hit, Pein used his push to repel the attack and Sasuke struck. Shrill chirping echoed across the battlefield as the Chidori spear sprouted from Pein's chest.
"Hurts, doesn't it?" he said venomously.
Sasuke looked past Pein's shoulder at Naruto, whose eyes were wide. He released the flow of Chidori and Pein's final Path fell to the ground. Looking down at the still form, Sasuke felt little satisfaction. A part of him reveled in the sight of Tendou's lifeless body...but he knew that it was only a shell. The body of Tendou had been dead for a long time, Pein—the true Pein—was elsewhere. The man who had destroyed everything was still alive.
"Sasuke…" Naruto neared him. "I-I…I thought he killed you."
Sasuke looked up and then glanced over his shoulder. Sakura stood off a little way, watching them.
He turned back to Naruto. "Sakura saved me."
Naruto smiled a little at that. "Of course she did." He placed a friendly hand on Sasuke's shoulder. "I always knew she'd be the one to bring you back."
Sasuke gazed at him meaningfully. He somehow knew that Naruto didn't mean back to Konoha—he spoke of deeper things. After a moment of shared understanding, Sasuke looked back down at the body and Naruto followed his gaze.
He pulled a rod out of Tendou's body. "Pein used this to receive chakra, allowing him to move…if we take them out, he shouldn't be able to move anymore."
Sasuke kneeled beside the blond and helped pull the rods out and Sakura joined them. As they worked on removing all the implants, Naruto's eyes fell and his brow furrowed.
"Naruto, what is it?" Sakura asked.
He sighed. "It's time to break the chain of hatred."
Sasuke frowned. He hated Pein and he was certain he didn't want to stop hating him, not after everything he'd done. And yet, when he looked at Sakura, he knew that there were things stronger than hatred, things more powerful than revenge. Maybe if he gave up his hatred, he could find peace. He relaxed his grinding teeth and looked into Naruto's challenging eyes.
"You're right."
Sakura's head turned so fast, he heard her neck pop. He met her gaze and hoped what she saw assured her he was serious.
Naruto stood. "All right. I know exactly where we need to go."
~.~.~
Karin sat on top of Konoha's wall, hugging her legs to her chest. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. She had fully expected Konoha to become a battleground, but she hadn't anticipated watching Sasuke fight against the Akatsuki. She hadn't expected to see him get skewered, either. It had been so difficult to refrain from sprinting down there to heal him...actually, she had attempted to, but Suigetsu had held her back.
"That's her, that's the girl," he'd said.
Now, she sat watching as the pink-haired girl healed Sasuke. She nibbled on her nails and her face heated as she observed. The quiet exchange between the two was overshadowed by the Kyuubi's spectacular battle with Pein. Karin, however, couldn't ignore the phenomenon occurring between Sasuke and Sakura. The bizarre change in their chakra should have been a beacon to every sensor nin out there. She didn't know what was happening, but Sakura's strong chakra was changing Sasuke's. His once dark and chaotic chakra was different. It was brighter and calmer…she could almost argue that it seemed stronger. To her eyes, it appeared as if he had found serenity. She felt her eyes begin to sting.
An arm draped over her shoulders. She turned to see Suigetsu beside her.
"Don't be scared for him. He's in good hands."
"I'm not scared," she said quietly. "I can see that she's…special…to him."
"Are you jealous?" Suigetsu asked carefully. "I thought you were over him."
Karin noticed just a hint of resentment in his voice. She looked at him thoughtfully. "I'm not jealous of her…I'm jealous of what they have."
Suigetsu's mouth parted as he stared at her. He blinked and looked back at the battle.
She frowned. "I'm shocked. You've got nothing to say, for once."
"Don't get used to it. It's not the right time or place," Suigetsu replied. "Man, this place is a mess."
It'd been pure luck that they hadn't been caught in the aftermath. If Juugo hadn't suggested that they wait outside the gates, they would have been killed in the attack. Karin shivered at the thought. Reacting to her shuddering, Suigetsu pulled her closer. She leaned into his warmth and was thankful that he knew when to shut his mouth and just be there. She couldn't remember the last time someone had tried to comfort her…it was nice.
Juugo came up on her other side and sat right next to her. She looked up at him and, though he couldn't smile given the circumstances, she could see kindness in his eyes. She sighed. Despite their leader abandoning them, it was finally starting to feel like they were a team.
"What'll happen if they can't stop him?" she asked.
Juugo stared out, his eyes distant. "They'll stop him."
"The question is…what do we do now?" Suigetsu asked.
Karin looked at him. "We help rebuild Konoha and hope they give us a home."
"I suppose there's nowhere else for us to go."
Karin frowned. She had nowhere else. No home to return to. She wasn't even sure what a home was…it had been so long since she'd had a family and a home. When she tried to remember, she wondered if she'd imagined the home she once knew, for there were no clear images in her mind.
Sasuke had never spoken of Konoha in a fond way, and it made her wonder if he even knew what home was. If he didn't before…it seemed that he did now. He was risking his life for the place he had vowed to destroy, for the people he had tried to cut off. It seemed that he had found whatever it was he'd been searching for all this time.
Home. Karin wanted a place like that, a place where she'd no longer feel…alone.
A/N: I am so, so sorry for the terribly late update. Last month on Labor Day, my husband woke up at like 4 in the morning with severe stomach pain. We ended up going to the ER only to find out that he needed to stay the night for observations. We spent a whole week in the hospital and my husband ended up losing his gal bladder in the process. So...spending a lot of time in the hospital and waiting rooms didn't give me a lot of time to write. I am so sorry. I hope this chapter makes up for it. AND! I've already started on the next chapter...so that's good news, right?
Thank you everyone who has reviewed, it means so much to me. Also, thank you so much, Sakura's Unicorn! You are awesome and never cease to amazing me.
Well, everyone...I'm off to write more! Until next time...
IMPORTANT: I am on a mini-hiatus for the month of November so I can participate in Nanowrimo. I am working on my novel. I am still working on chapter 37 and there is a chance I will upload it, but don't get mad if I don't get to this month. We're close to the end, so you can be assured I will finish it.
updated 11/05/11
see ya!