I was a little preoccupied when writing this chapter, hence the reason it's coming out later than I'd like. I'll still get to work on the next one today, so as long as I stay vigilant the benefits should be the same. Needing to go out and buy a new Xbox... helping my cousin get an application form for college... watching him sign up to a dating site before going out to meet his girlfriend... a lot happens around me.

Disclaimer: I guess we kinda had to expect that ending to chapter 497. I mean, look how many chapters it's been since we last saw Sasuke, Kishi must be getting withdrawal symptoms or something.


The supports crumble

"Ha! Hah! Gah!"

Up in the rocks not far from Iwagakure, Dei-chan stood facing the landscape with a sweating brow. His black t-shirt was covered in dirt from an earlier fight, one that he had just managed to get out of. The bullies had come for him again, stating that his longer than average hair made him look like a girl. As a result, they had pinned him down and started cutting it off, only for him to break free and run off. But as of now, the right side of his fringe was completely missing.

The sweltering sun and unforgiving earth were only partially attributing to the stickiness of his body. For the past ten minutes he had taken to picking up stones from the ground and hurling them as far as he could manage. With every swing of his arm he tried to hurl his anger away, but so far all he was managing to do was cause an ache that grew each time.

"Bastard Kazuki!" he growled, his young voice not fitting to the adult tone. Kazuki was the person who always incited the other boys to pick on Dei-chan, and was always the one who did the worst. Dei-chan really hated that guy, sometimes he even thought about doing dangerous things to get his own back. Unfortunately though he knew that doing so would cause problems for his father, which would then of course cause problems for him.

He continued to grunt and groan for a few moments more, before exhaustion finally hit him and he was left breathing heavily. Why? Why did people like Kazuki exist? It would be better if he would just disappear, or something like that. No one would notice, people were always dying by falling off the cliffs in this country. Whether they were drunk or just stupid was of no matter. "I could… I could-" Dei-chan thought, before he suddenly felt something strike him in his behind. With a cry of shock he fell to his hands and knees, barely missing the drop in front of him. With a terrified expression he looked over his shoulder, staring at the person who kicked him.

"Dei-kun's making scary faces again!" complained a girl of maybe ten years old. She frowned at him with crossed arms, her shoulder length black hair and icy eyes giving her a surprisingly scary expression for someone accusing another person of the same thing. She was wearing a simple brown dress, and not for the first time Dei-chan had to hide his embarrassment. Why did he find her strangely cute?

"Careful Rei-chan, I could've gone down!" he scolded, as he pushed himself up to his feet. After lightly brushing the dirt off his knees, he frowned unhappily at the girl who was the same age as him, yet seemed to have no desire to act like it. "Didn't your dad teach you to be careful around here, hm?"

"Hm?" Rei repeated, cocking her head innocently to the right. Her frown had already changed into a sweet smile, one that suited her much better than her previous expression. Once more Deidara's face reddened, but at least he could disguise it as blood pumping because of shock. "Papa told me only careless people fall, so I'd be ok, yeah?"

Dei-chan stared at Rei with a disgruntled look, annoyed that she was teasing him yet again. Was it just his imagination or did everyone his age seem to get a kick out of bullying him? "You know for a girl, you could be a little more ladylike?" he suggested, knowing full well just how much that would tick Rei off.

"Stupid!" Rei yelled, sticking out her tongue before turning around and running into the cave behind her. Dei-chan couldn't help but smirk, even if he felt bad for teasing her a little. Turning back to the cliff, he looked at a stone that was still in his hand. His smirk slid to an almost blank expression; Rei had done a good job of distracting him, but now he was left feeling kind of empty.

Once more his thoughts were interrupted though as heavy footsteps could be heard from behind him. He watched as Rei's father, Han, stepped out of the cave and looked down to him. Dei-chan often wondered how Han managed to cope with that heavy armour in this heat, and more than once had tried to convince him to take off his mask. But right now such things hardly reached Deidara's mind. Han knew as well as he did that he seldom came over here for a reason other than to blow off steam. Dei-chan whipped his hand back, and prepared to sling the stone across the canyon.

But then Han stopped him, pressing something cold and hard into Dei-chan's hand. With a surprised look, the blond looked over his shoulder and saw something that made him freeze. Han was giving to him a kunai, one with a paper tag attached to the end. Dei-chan watched it for a few moments, before realising Han's intentions. "Sensei said we're not ready for those yet." he said, though it was clear in his eyes that he really wanted to try. Han didn't take the kunai away, and after a further moment's hesitation, Dei-chan accepted the weapon.

He looked at it, first at the cool metal of the first true weapon he had ever held, then to the strange seal drawn onto the paper tag. He had never seen one of these up close before, but he had watched his senseis demonstrations closely. Looking over the canyon, he pulled his arm back like they had demonstrated. Then, channelling all the anger and sadness left within him, he hurled the kunai away.

His throw was pathetic, but before he could start feeling down about that, the paper tag exploded. Light filled his view as blazing flames burst out in every direction. It was even grander than a firework, like he was looking at the sun itself up close. With all the negative feelings burning away in the smoke, Dei-chan couldn't help but feel himself grow lighter.

"Wow…" he breathed, as the remnants of the explosion reflected into his eyes.


Deidara dropped through the air like a bat swooping in for the kill. He glared down at the person he had once called sensei, feelings of anger filling him and consuming him. Now the two were looking at each other with the same expressions, both ready and willing to do what it takes to bring the other down. But for Deidara, he was much more conflicted than just that.

Maybe that was why he looked so contorted right now. Down below him was Han, who thought solely of finding his lost daughter. There was no way Deidara could fault him for that, but at the same time… "You don't understand!" he thought, as he hurled down a small clay bird. With a hand seal and a twist, he landed on the back of a giant sparrow. Acting quickly, he planted the steam generator under his arm into the clay, where it stuck fast. Then he crouched down on his bird and sent it down after Han, fixing his gaze upon his falling teacher. "I wanna save Rei-chan too!"

As much as he wanted to let the old man fall, Deidara swooped down after him with the beak of his sparrow opening. Knowing that it was his only chance for survival, Han reluctantly allowed himself to be captured. But the moment the bird had grasped him in its beak, his hands flew onto the clay and instantly set to work. The clay crumbled from a strange combination of hardening and softening, and as a result both he and his steam generator were soon freed again.

Deidara had anticipated this. Jumping off his destroyed creation, he landed on the spire of one of the taller buildings. Han just barely managed to grab his device and pull of a landing, but Deidara could clearly see that doing so had hurt. "Alright then, I guess this means I'm gonna have to fight you." he thought, his hands already in his pouches and gathering up clay. "I already used a lot before this. Damn it Han-sensei, you're getting in the way!"

Looking at the person who had taught him many things, Deidara couldn't help wondering what was going through Han's mind. It must have been three, four years since Rei had been taken? In that time, how racked with worry could he have been, and how angry was he that he hadn't been able to do anything? Deidara understood it, he had understood even as he walked through the place his old sensei was using as his home. Thoughts of his daughter were causing him to lose his mind. Were there any lengths he wouldn't go to, and was there anyone he would trust?

But these thoughts were soon erased as both Deidara and Han were distracted. Somewhere far behind them, in the streets below, cries rang out as people fled into a panic. Even in spite of their height, the two nin actually saw blood flick into the sky; something which would have needed quite a bit of strength to do. Suspiciously, Han looked over to Deidara to see if the blond knew about this. He was met with a smile, and a malicious looked that made his old pupil look quite deranged. "My comrades are nowhere near there." Deidara said, his voice provocative and inciting. Both their attentions returned to that place; the cries of the dying following an all too familiar pattern.

Kirai had finally arrived.


Naruto placed his hand against the stone wall, clambering to his feet as quickly as he could. He was on a rooftop belonging to a different street than the one he had previously stood upon. The force of Kougai's attack had sent him this far, flying over at least one building before landing on another one.

He glanced at his smoke singed clothes, and the slightly darkened bandages. His skin had also taken on a redder shade, and it ached to move. Who knew Fuuton fuelled Katon Jutsu were that damn powerful? Or maybe Kougai's Jutsu was powerful enough to begin with, and the Reppusho just added to that.

In either case, Naruto wasn't in the best of states. The slash Kougai had given him was having trouble closing, but at least the fire had aided with that. As long as Naruto didn't move around too much, there was a chance even Gaara wouldn't notice. "Heh, who am I kidding?" he thought, chuckling nervously to himself. But before he could let himself get too sidetracked, Kougai was coming for a follow up attack. "Guess there's no quick end to this after all."

He leapt back as Kougai landed in front of him, missing a dual slash narrowly. Not wanting to risk another blast with that guy's Katon Jutsu, Naruto decided on another method for dealing with him. He formed his hands together and made the cross seal, silently activating the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu. Fortunately Kougai was unfamiliar with the hand sign, and so didn't notice the Kage Bunshin until it was right behind him. When that moment came, he didn't even have time to dodge. Leaning to his right, he allowed the Kage Bunshin's attack with its Eko replica, using the blades on his back as a makeshift shield. The force sent him rolling forward, the muscles in his back crying out in pain.

"Looks like even if his injuries heal, he can't help blood loss."

In spite of his efforts Kougai was slower than before. Most likely he had switched styles so not to take chances. It seemed however that doing so had only accounted for some of his lost speed. That gave Naruto a decisive advantage in close combat, but only if he could deceive Kougai. And with the secret of the Kage Bunshin now out, that would be getting a whole lot more difficult.

However, Naruto now saw his chance. With Kougai stumbling forward, he had enough of an opening to run forward and attack. Sliding down on the ground, he was in moments underneath Kougai, his hand flying up to his opponent's throat. "Let's see if he can survive this!" Naruto thought, as he pumped chakra into his Fuuton: Wind Palm.

"No wait- Naruto!"

The blond's eyes slowly widened as a smile spread across Kougai's lips. Naruto watched in horror as that smile widened, past normal human capacity. Then Kougai's eyes faded into empty holes, replaced with the same flickering flames that filled his open mouth. Not even a moment later, he exploded in a shower of fire which spread rapidly across Naruto's wind infused hand.

"GAH-HCK!" Naruto screamed, as searing pain ran over his entire body like a boiling river. Even though it was gone only seconds after, Naruto could still feel the agony. Right then he felt a pain unlike anything else he had ever experienced in his life. This was worse than being stabbed, slashed or beaten to a pulp. This was something else altogether.

Still crying out, his hands flew to his eyes. The fire had gotten to them, burning before he could close them from danger. He grasped them tight, naively hoping that by keeping them as closed as possible he could numb the pain. But he knew he couldn't focus on that. He needed to get up and fight, or he would die like a dog.

Fortunately for him, his Kage Bunshin had avoided the attack. His fake self helped him to his feet and even supported him as he opened his dry, red eyes, blinking as he looked around. "Where is he?" he asked, not ready to disperse the clone just yet. His sight was bad, everything was hazy right now. If Kougai attacked, all he would see are shadows. "Eko… why didn't you-"

"He must have already had that Hi Bunshin prepared, he used the Kawarimi no Jutsu to replace him with it at the last second."

"No way… so he was faking his speed?" Naruto thought, growing worried from that realisation. If that was the case, he was probably hiding right now, waiting to see how Naruto would react. With the Kage Bunshin, he was unwilling to show himself unnecessarily. Naruto bowed his head, listening out where his eyes couldn't help them. "Eko… have you assimilated his chakra?"

"Yeah, I just managed to- why?"

Naruto lifted his head again, fixing his eyes on a broken wall up ahead. He had just picked up the faintest sound, telling him that Kougai had exerted more effort than he would have Naruto think. "There's no choice." he thought, as the Kage Bunshin stepped away from him and took guard in front. "I'm gonna put it all into that Jutsu… my B-rank."

"Seriously? You sure it'll work?"

Naruto paused for a good few moments, but in the end he never answered Eko's question. There was no doubt in his mind that this would work, but that fact annoyed him more than anything. But he didn't have any other options; he didn't want to rely on the Kage Bunshin while he was stuck like this. That wasn't the way he did things. All he would need was a moment to prepare; then he would be ready.

At the next building, Kougai stood with his back against the wall of what had once been an entire room. His breathing was heavy and his body ached, Hi Bunshin took a considerable toll to create and as such were only used when they would certainly work. From what he could tell of that, it had failed his expectations but gave pleasing results nonetheless. His enemy was partially blinded, and his right hand severely burned. There would be no way he could fight on his own, meaning that there was only one possibility left.

It came faster than expected, the counterattack. It took Kougai a moment to realise it, but it seemed the smell of his blood had given him away. Three Kage Bunshin appeared around him; one on either side and one above him. These Kage Bunshin had quickly and efficiently flanked him before he had known what hit him, and soon his back was against the wall not by choice, but by necessity.

Not one to cower away however, he accepted the challenge of the copies without hesitation. Considering the condition of their creator, surely these copies would be too weak to put up a fight? Using his hidden speed, he brought his forward as he moved towards the clones, before slashing outwards in a move that would have cut each of their throats before the first one could feel any pain.

However he was quick to learn that his theory was wrong. The clones at his side grabbed tight hold of his wrists while the first one, who had ducked under the attack, dealt an uppercut to Kougai's chin that knocked him clean off his feet and into the air. "Goowah!" he cried, as he began to taste blood. But that was far from all. The two clones that had restricted his arms leapt off the middle one's back and into the air, before both of them delivered a somersaulting kick that sent him soaring back.

"Wait for it… wait for it…"

Naruto did just that, preparing in the process. He almost felt embarrassed to do it, but he spread his legs apart as he lowered his stance. He raised his arms, one stretched out in front of him and the other behind. His eyes were closed tight, his brow creased in concentration. The Kage Bunshin who had attacked Kougai dispersed and gave him the information he needed. Right now, right above him, his last Kage Bunshin had latched onto Kougai, and was holding him directly overhead.

"NOW!"

Though it was unnecessary, Naruto responded to Eko's command immediately. All of the chakra he had gathered was suddenly released from his hands, and his outstretched leg was brought around in a sweeping motion. Even as he did it, he could see the form of the person he detested performing the same move, like a silhouette standing just beside him. "This Jutsu… it was made for you." Naruto thought, as his eyes opened wide to show a resolution that even his blinded self could manage. Then his lips spread back as he continued the sweeping motion, turning it into a full on spin as he yelled out "Hurricane Rising!"

As his spinning became faster and faster, his Fuuton chakra took on the form of a small tornado. Grey wind whirled around him within moments of initiating the Jutsu, and soon after he was completely hidden behind the walls created by it. That cyclone of chakra rose high into the air, surrounding Kougai and immediately destroying the Kage Bunshin holding him. But he didn't even notice; his wide eyes and gaping mouth showed his attentions were elsewhere.

Inside a tornado, air pressure is extremely low. To be caught inside one would be pretty much the same as being caught deep in the sea. If any air was getting into Kougai's gasping lungs, he certainly had no idea. What was worse was the compressed feeling, like the air itself was crushing him. It kept him from even noticing as tiny cuts appeared over his skin, growing into long slashes that sprayed blood into the violent winds around him. He was unable to move, except to maybe to one thing.

"NOW EKO!" Naruto commanded, beating Kougai to the punch. He knew well that his opponent was going to try and ignite the flames, but also knew that such attempts were useless. The reason for that was that Eko did that instead, the bare side of the blade suddenly igniting.

THROOOM!


Deidara and Han, who had both been on the verge of investigating the disturbance close by, suddenly whipped their head around in shock. A loud noise had filled the air, like a sudden roar of thunder. Several streets away was the source, something that made Deidara forget for a moment what he was doing or what was going on around him.

There was an explosion, one greater than any mere explosive tag could create. It formed a sudden plume of fire that rose from the ground, whipping around in a spiralling manner. The flames then rolled over, forming a small mushroom-like cloud that reflected in the arsonist's eyes. "Incredible…" he breathed, as the fire died away. Then he turned his head around, looking to the place his attention had previously belonged to. His lips had spread back into a large grin, and the glimmer in his eyes showed someone who was experiencing total ecstasy. "Uzumaki Naruto… I'm impressed, hm!"

Filled with a sudden drive he hadn't possessed before, Deidara leapt past his sensei and onto the next rooftop. He reached the street that he was sure a certain person was in and somersaulted over it, giving a two fingered salute to someone below. Han watched as his crazed pupil landed on the following rooftop, before his view was suddenly obstructed by someone's back. His eyes widened lividly, the veins so clear one would almost believe he suffered from conjunctivitis.

Sensing someone behind him, the man Han was staring at looked over his shoulder. The two eyes met, neither surprised but both glaring. The two masked men watched each other for a moment, but the newcomer soon dismissed him. Kirai looked at Deidara, who seemed surprised at such a cold reunion. "Is that how brothers greet each other?" he asked, smirking at his sensei and his old partner. The two shot him a dark look that suggested he shouldn't talk, but the blond Shinobi paid them no attention. "They say blood is thicker than water, but how thick is bad blood?"

"Was this your plan then?" Kirai asked, as he raised a blood stained nodachi to his side. He fixed Deidara with that hated look, the slit on his palm opening and salivating like it did last time around. He then spoke again, but despite his attention being on Deidara, his words went to his elder brother. "I wonder… do you even know the circumstances that led to what happened that night?"

Behind him, Han sneered, his angered eyes looking where his ears didn't listen. It seemed he wasn't interested in the conditions, only the results. Kirai took note of this even in the silence, smirking to himself as someone who didn't need to look for a response. "If only she hadn't ratted me out, I wouldn't have had to take her." he said, eying Han unsympathetically. "Family should never betray family, so I gave her a fitting punishment of removing her from hers."

However disinterested in his words Han had previously been, what Kirai just said forced him to snap. He bounded off the rooftop and across the street, bloodlust clear in his eyes as the sun was in the empty sky. Kirai turned on the spot and raised his long blade, blocking his brother's hateful embrace.

"Looks like I was right." Deidara thought, as he slipped back to the end of the rooftop. Both Kirai and Han engaged in a deadlock struggle as Han used both arms to keep Kirai's blade from cutting him. The brother's refused to take their eyes off each other even as the instigator for this fight drew further and further away. "This is my chance to find her. She won't be far away."

Deidara dropped off the roof and into the streets below, silently landing and catching the eyes of the fleeing villagers. With a smile he looked towards them; they had all abruptly halted as he blocked the street. "Don't mind me." he said, raising his hand to show off the tongue on his palm. The sight of that grotesque feature, along with the face of their oppressor caused the people to panic, fleeing in the opposite direction. "What a bunch of fools, they don't know what they're missing… heh."

"Deidara-san."

Deidara looked over his shoulder with a cocked brow, smiling at the source of the familiar voice. Gaara had appeared at the end of the street, arms folded and blank faced as ever. "Hey." the bomber said, looking to his employer with a grin. He jerked his thumb up to his right, where Kirai and Han were most likely engaged in combat. "Plan was a success, and better yet, Han-sensei is fighting him for us."

Gaara looked up at that place with a surprised expression. Judging by Deidara's actions, he got the feel that it would be best not to engage in this fight. If getting rid of the remaining Shinobi was all that was needed, that would be simple enough to do. However, there was another pressing concern.

"Haroo!" howled one of Naruto's dogs, as it appeared in a street to Gaara's left. The red haired boy looked over to the dog, recognising him as Shinmaru. The dog looked at Gaara and bowed his head, lightly hitting the ground uneasily. Gaara recognised the motion after a moment's thought, and his expression grew even more serious.

"I'll check on Naruto." he said, as he moved towards Shinmaru and hopped onto his back. Deidara gave him a wave as the sand manipulator darted away. Once the boy and the beast were gone, he turned back to the street. He had other things to take care of himself, and with Han fighting here he knew the other Shinobi would be giving this place a wide berth. That meant he could do his investigating in peace, free of worries about having to avoid attack.

"I'm coming Rei-chan, just wait a little longer."