Naruto

Fury Guilt and Love

(Huffs) You guys will be the death of me... THE PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN!! I have given PRIMO thought to the end of this story, as it should explain my ridiculously long absence. So I can only hope that I can still arouse your attention 'til the end, as I have from the very beginning. Get ready for drama, excitement and blood in this stunning chapter... of FURY, GUILT AND LOVE!!

PS: The end of this chapter may strike you as dissapointing. Just be sure to read the author note at the end...

Chapter 49: Kuro Must DIE!!


Naruto cracked his knuckles and glared into Kuro's eyes, "Soooo... You ready to fight now, or what?", he challenged eagerly.

Everyone's face broke into looks of surprise, even Kuro's, "Whats this? You travel all this way simply to fight me? You could never stand up to me, Naruto-kun; it USELESS to resist!", he claimed.

Naruto scoffed, "Sounds to me like your head's still stuffed up from that lucky victory you got on me last time. Besides, I wouldn't want you to get a creek in your neck for looking down at me", he said joked.

This time, Kuro scoffed, "Such a hot-blooded punk... Do you really think that you stand a ghost of a chance against me, Naruto-kun", Kuro questioned as he bared his fangs.

"Psh! All by myself? I don't think so..."

At this, Kuro raised an eyebrow before he felt numerous stinging sensations upon his back. His eyes nearly popped out of his skull as he felt like the fire of the sun was leaking into his body. Smiling, Naruto took this opportunity and ran at the Monster. Sensing yet another presence (Tsunade in particular), the Sannin looked passed Kuro and saw a woman dressed in black and a small pig next to her.

Tsunade gasped, "No! Wh-What is Shizune doinghere?!", she menatlly yelled in a near-frantic matter.

--

Once Naruto got close to Kuro, the resiliant Devil hunched over and buldged EVERY muscle in his back; ejecting Shizune's poisoned-dipped needles right back at her. At the exact time that Shizune dodged the needles, Naruto launched an accurate flying kick toward Kuro's face; a kick which he timingly dodged by tilting his head to the side. Kuro readied himself for battle; surrounded by his enemies. He faced the Sannin with a glare as Naruto and Shizune stood ready from behind him. After a breif stand off, the red haired warrior smiled.

"Tell me Naruto-kun... Why is it that you're so eager to fight me?... What is it that you fight for?...", Kuro questioned.

Naruto remained silent as he withdrew a sharpened kunai from his holoster; taking a fighting stance. Without even turning back to look at the blonde Jinchuuriki, the burly Devil snorted loudly before launching himself high into the air. All eyes followed Kuro as he drift upon a tall hill far from our heroes; standing proud with his arms crossed.

"I know you can hear me from here Naruto-kun", Kuro said in a normal tone of voice, "Why part-take in a battle you know that you cannot win? Don't you see how fruitless it is to stand against me? Wouldn't you find it more prudent to see what kind of force you can become with your potential instead of throwing it all away?"

Again, Naruto was silent, yet he found himself wanting to hear what Kuro had to say.

"... Still silent, huh...?"

Suddenly realizing that Kuro was probably using this time to rest and collect himself, Tsunade turned an eye toward Shizune before she marched up to her; Jiraiya following suit.

"Shizune! You mind explaining to me what the HELL it is you're doing here?!", the blonde woman demanded in her 'authority' tone.

The brunette Jonin nearly flipped out when she heard that tone and immediately grew very nervous, "U-Uh... Well ya see-"

"No! I don't wanna here another word! The only thing I wanna see is you walking your ass BACK to the town, NOW!!", Tsunade ordered.

"That goes triplefor you, Naruto!", Jiraiya concurred.

Though Shizune was about to completely break under the pressure of both Sannin, Naruto remained as stubborn as usual.

"I'm not going anywhere... Not until I see him dead", the blonde boy replied.

"Exactly how many sticks of dynamite will I have to set off in your ears before your head cleared? You're no match for him! To fight him in your current state is usless! Don't you get it?!", the whited haired tried to presist.

"I have to try! How will I look at myself years from now if I knew that everyone I ever cared about was killed by that freak and I did nothing to stop it?! I'll never back down from this fight and I won't rest until Kuro is DEAD!", Naruto yelled back.

"You are such an idi-!... (sigh)"-"I guess he'll have to learn the hard way... Stubborn punk...", Jiraiya said/thought.

Relieved that Jiraiya let up for a time, Naruto turned back to face the distant Kuro, "I can't back down... Not against him...", he thought to himself.

Tsunade snapped out of what little attention she paid to those two before she saw Shizune in the exact same spot staring admirably at Naruto. The blonde woman frowned deeply.

"I don't see you walking Shizune", Tsunade warned.

At first, the dark eyed kunoichi was silent, but faced her mentor with determination in her eyes.

"No... I can't go either...", she said.

Tsunade's eye twitched, "What was that...?", she quietly hissed.

"I said I can't leave here! Not after what Kuro has done!", Shizune protested.

(Tonton takes one look at Tsunade's face and hides behinds Shizune)

"Now you listen to me! We all know what he's done and you have every right to be upset about it, but throwing your life away will only give him another victory!", the hazel eyed female persisted, "Now this is your last warning Shizune; get the HELL OUT OF HERE!!

"I WON'T!! Don't you understand?! Nekoshi's alive!", Shizune yelled out, nearly shedding tears.

Tsunade's frown IMMEDIATELY changed into a look of disbelief and surprise. She was silent for a time, and Jiraiya winced at the fact that he had totally forgot to let his former teammate in on that little fact.

"What... What did you just say...?", the middle aged woman said.

Shizune's demeanor grew calmer before she spoke, "Nekoshi... is now working for Kuro... He's completely defected from Konoha. I saw him when I was looking for Naruto earlier today, but... I couldn't stop him; he got away from me before I could get anything out of him...", she explained.

Tsunade looked down-casted.

"Thats why I can't back down either, Tsunade-sama... This is myfight too", the raven haired Kunoichi said.

Tsunade reestablished her look at her pupil before she shot a penetrating glare at the distant Kuro. Grew more and more hateful toward the Monster as she wondered what he could have possibly done to Nekoshi... her former pupil.

Orochimaru, who stood in the exact same spot, squinted his eyes, "And whats your excuse, Kabuto?... Am I to understand that you've deliberately disobeyed me?", he hissed.

Out from the shadows behind, emerged the silver haired, Jonin-level Genin, Kabuto, harboring a rather edgey expression on his face. He approached his Lord and Master.

"Orochimaru-sama... I seem to recall you ordering me to stay put whilst you handle the... 'problem area'... That, I understand. But there's a small problem in that factor...", he said.

The pale skinned Sannin glared at Kabuto for those words, "Oh?... Implying that my plans are flawed, are we?", he hissed again in a warning tone.

The purple glad spy hesitated at first, but sought to rephrase his previous words, "Of course not. I merely realized the consequences should you fail in your attempts to silence Kuro", he said.

Orochimaru was silent as he awaited Kabuto's explanation as he tried to keep his desire to kill him in check.

"If your attempts should fail, the outcome for Konoha could be disastrous. Upon such an event, our main goal could be completely destroyed. Along with it, you chances of ever attaining the power you seek", Kabuto explained.

At this, Orochimaru inwardly grimaced. Indeed, he acknowledged the STRONG possibility of failure, but he didn't really consider what could happen to Sasuke Uchiha should he fail. For all he knew, Kuro could go on an unstoppable rampage and desecrate every living soul in Konoha; sparing no one. He couldn't care any less about anyone else in the village except(!) for Sasuke. If he lost him than he'd lose everything... Realizing the grim outcomes of failure, the Snake Sannin nodded with approval for Kabuto's assistance. As much as his pride was aching at it, Orochimaru knew that even the combined might of him and his former teammates wouldn't be enough to put Kuro in the ground for good...

They needed something more...

(Back with the others)

"Tsunade-sama, please! Allow me to assist you! I'll do my best to hold my own against him, I swear it!", Shizune pleaded with conviction in her voice.

Now that Tsunade realized how personal this must have been to Shizune, she nodded silently, while trying to fight off the encroaching dread at the possibilty of losing her to Kuro.

Speaking of the Devil, Kuro was watching intently upon the oddly growing group down far and below. He smiled at the irony that was present.

"Well would ya look at that... The forces of master and student; teaming up to make a difference... Well I can't say that this is fair in the absolute slightest- I mean come on; six against one?... ... They'll need at least fifty. Hmhmhmhmhmhmhmhm", he chuckled with sinister intent before he took a gander at Kabuto, "Hmmm-who's this one... Bearing the Oto sign, I'm guessing he hails Orochimaru-hebi. Hmph, well we'll see how well he can hold up.

Uncrossing his arms, Kuro leaped off of the tall cliff and quickly concieved his attack plan as he descended. When he landed on the ground, the red haired Devil sensed a growing hostility among the opposing lot. He smiled and brushed the dust off of his red coat before marching toward his enemies.

"Hmhmhmhmhmhmhm... In a weird way, I am actually gratefully to those detestable Sannin for sealing me in that damnable rock", Kuro said to himself, "Now I have all the motivation I need to destroy everything that ever made them great... slowly..."

Kuro's memories of the unforgivable defeat he suffered surfed through his head as he continued his war-path.

"All of those years... SWALLOWING my humiliation thanks to those three outcasts...", the black-hearted fiend growled as he clinched his fist HARD(!), "I will make them suffer for what they did to me... ... MmmrrrRRRR-I WILL MAKE EVERYTHING THEY'VE EVER KNOWN DISAPPEAR!!"

As the terrible Beast approached, our heroes collected themselves for the sure-to-be gruesome battle that was to come. For the two Jonin-levels (Shizune and Kabuto), this would be a battle of desperation, seen as how the only real help they could provide was a clever distraction so that the Sannin could accomplish the deed. Especially if everything they had heard about Kuro was right on the dot. There was little to no room for error in this endevere and they both knew it. But their time to dwell on the matter was nearing its end as the Monster drew closer to the group.

A heavy burden was placed upon the Sannin now, as keeping their underlings alive became another factor in a battle that was HARD ENOUGH as it was. They could only hope that they were wrong in their assumptions as they prepared for round three of the brawl. Once Kuro was at a distance where they could all hear him, he stood strong before his enemies

"Here you stand, ready to throw away your meaningless lives for no reason at all. Your stubborness and overconfidence in your abilities will surely lead to each of your gruesome undoings. I shall see to that personally", he declared with death-wreaked venom in his voice before he held his hands together.

Without another word exchanged, Kuro's chakra levels once again began to increase; an action that made the Sannin a little... concerned to say the least.

"Great... So much for exaughsting his chakra; he still has reserved power", Jiraiya fretted as he gauged the rising energy.

They all looked on as Kuro calmly gathered a vast some of his chakra, and seen as how Kabuto was the most prudent at sensing the flow of chakra, he was the most stunned by this.

"Incredible... To be able to summon this much chakra in such a ministcule amount of time... And its... still rising", he thought as he studied the flow of Kuro's chakra.

Shizune looked on with GREAT uneasiness, "This is Kuro's power?... I've never felt such terrible chakra before...", she thought as she prepared herself.

Without any rhyme or reason, Naruto (the obvious underdog) began marching toward the source of all that power with nothing but penatrating determination in his eyes, much to the shock of the others.

When Jiraiya saw this, he shook his head while gritting his teeth together. He was about to stop Naruto's advance entirely, before a gutsy idea popped into his head. He immediately went through the pros and cons of the idea and figured he'd go for it. If his calculations were correct and NAruto survived, they could all go for a surprise attack. After all, Kuro wanted him alive for an obvious reason...

Shizune was another matter...

"Hey wait. What does he think he's doing?!", she griped before taking a step forward to stop Naruto.

Before the could take another step, however, the arm of her master, Tsunade, blocked her path.

"Agh-but Tsunade-sama-"

"Just let him go Shizune", the blonde Sannin ordered before shooting an anonymous glance at Jiraiya, who caught the glance and assured her with a nod of affirmation.

Kuro's silent ascention was done and his body was once again draped with that omenous redish-black aura. When his focused settled, he finally noticed Naruto acutally walking toward him with unwavering confidence and purpose in his eyes. The red haired blood-guzzler smirked menacingly.

"Hn... Stupid boy... still standing against me", he said just loud enough for Naruto to hear.

By that time, the blonde Jinchuuriki was already within reaching distance of his enemy; thus, a stare-down commenced.

"Hmhmhmahahahahaaa! You know you never cease to amaze me, boy. No matter what the odds, you always seem to find SOME WAY to get yourself fucked over. For example; shooting me such a challenging glare", Kuro said as he looked down at Naruto, "I was being nice to you before Naruto-kun... but look... just look at what your up against now. I know you can feel it... No matter what you do-

(Naruto growls)

"no matter what you try-"

(Naruto growls again)

"there is absolutely NO possibility of victory for you"

The response that Kuro recieved only served to surprise him AGAIN(!), "I don't care!", Naruto snapped out.

"Whats that?", Kuro said in a warning tone AND his evil smirk.

"Nothing you say really matters in the long run anyway! I'm still gonna kick your ass! Oh sure, you beat the shit out of me before and you can take on Ero Sennin, Obaa-chan and Hebi-teme! I don't CARE!!", the blue eyed boy declared with vigor, "All that matters is that you pay for what you've done; all of the innocent people you've killed... and for WHAT?!"

Kuro's smile widens.

"You may be stronger than me Kuro, but I WILL be the one who destroys you and thats a PROMISE!!"

By this point, Kuro was actually unable to contain his chuckling, "Hmahahahahahaha... Your arrogance is actually refreshing, Naruto-kun! This confidence you have; its astonishing! NAAA-hahahahahahaha!", he continued to taunt.

Naruto took up a fighting stance and prepared for his second battle against the unstoppable power-house, "Laugh while you can still breathe you festering bastard!", he threatened before he saw him lift his hand with his palm facing upward.

"Ohohohooo! Surely you don't intend on backing your moving speech like that! How do you expect to even come close to making a difference when you haven't even master this technique?", the burly warrior questioned as a swirling array of dark chakra gathered in the palm of his hand.

Naruto's head jerked up in SHEER surprise at what he was seeing, "What?! But there's no way!!", he writhed.

"RASENGAN!!", Kuro roared with terrible force.

Without even given time to move, the vicious Devil rammed a darkened Rasengan unto the black-clad shinobi's diaphragm. Upon impact, Naruto was instantly overwhelmed; feeling as though a drill was piercing through his very soul. He resiliently held his ground for a breif period, grunting and screaming, before the air-rippling attack finally tore him from the ground and sent him spinning uncontrollably. Naruto flew passed the others, screaming. Kuro relaxed his arm while still retaining that smile of his. It was only when all three Sannin surrounded him in the delta formation, that his smile vanished.

Without wasting even a second, the Sannin pushed their hands forward and trapped Kuro in a ball of concentrated white energy.

"What in the-!", was all Kuro could muster before he was propelled into the air, "GRAAAGH!! You cheeky mother FUCKERRRRS!!"

With an exraction of all of their energy combined, Jiraiya, Tsunade and Orochimaru distorted the ball of energy and made it explode when it was high enough in the air. The force of the explosion was so strong, it could be felt by all of those who were present, and the force of the blast was mighty impressive too.

"Amazing! What an attack", Shizune thought out loud, "He couldn't have possibly survived that"

Kabuto, who never took his eyes off of the lingering aftermath of the explosion, thought otherwise, "Don't be a fool... You think its over... that quickly?", he said.

"Nani?"

As the smoke began to clear, it was soon apparent that there was NO room for assumptions when a loud roar echoed through the plains. Following that roar, was an invisible burst of pure chakra that caught the Sannin off guard. As if from out of nowhere, the area within a quarter mile(!) radius was desecrated in an instant; leaving nothing but a massive and deep crater in the earth. Circular clouds of dust and dibree adored the sky as the rumble from the impact echoed incessantly. From the sky plummeted a smoldering Kuro, who land unto the center of the massive crater.

A couple of dozen feet away from that area lied the dazzled dazed Kabuto and Shizune, who rose to their feet, processing what just happened.

"My Lord... I-I sure hope they made it out of their okay", Shizune fretted as she gawked at the sight before her.

"They can take care of themselves. We don't need to worry about them too much", Kabuto reassured, adjusting his glasses, "But still... what kind of creature are we dealing with; to be able to accomplish such a feet with only his chakra. Orochimaru-sama was wise to avoid him when he came to us the first time"

Without warning of any kind, both Ninja were suddenly over shadowed by a hulking mass of death; even Kabuto couldn't sense him coming. Shizune expelled a shocked gasp before they both instinctively fell back into fighting stances. Before them stood the mighty Kuro, glaring ravenously at them with glowing red eyes.

"Well, well, well. And here I thought you two would jump head first into this fight to aid your masters. Instead, you cower in the side-lines", the Monster said before crackling his knuckles, "Well let me be the first to say that, whether you like it or not, you're BOTH gonna share your masters' pain! Now SHOW ME WHAT YOU CAN DO!!"

With that, Kuro unshethed his trusty Katana and slashed down at Shizune and Kabuto. Both Shinobi avoided certain death successfully and jumped back to make some distance. The evil Kuro kept his Katana unsheathed as he glared at his opposers. Silent in her method, Shizune focus a sum of her chakra into her lungs and placed her hands together.

"Ninpou: Doku Kiri no jutsu...", Shizune inwardly called.

In merely a matter of seconds, both Shizune and Kabuto were concealed by a dark-purple mist of poisonous gas. Kuro frowned before dashing through the fog at speeds most impressive; standing on the other side with his blade stretched outward. After two full seconds, a series of slashes erupted behind him; the wind induced by each of them, dispelling the gasious fumes. The red haired warrior looked back only to see absolutely nothing.

"Hmm... A clever little trick. But they can't hide from me for long", Kuro said before scanning the area, "Now lets see... Where are you...?"

After only a few moments of searching, Kuro felt a hand grab his shoulder. In an instant, the person owning that hand released the grip and leaped over Kuro, who's entire left arm when completely limp.

"What the-", was all he could muster before he felt cold hard steel force its way into the side of his neck.

Kuro looked above him only to see a glaring Shizune practically hand-standing on him. Feeling generous, the brunette female rotated her body around so she would land perfectly behind the beast, before RIPPING the kunai knife out of his neck. Upon excraction, a torrent of blood gushed out of Kuro like a geyser. He expelled many pained chokes and gags as his head was tilted to the side. Once the blood stop gushing, it merely started to pour out of him and leak down his clothing. Shizune turned back around to see her handy work, and was not amused.

That was entirely too easy...

Kabuto seemed to second that notion since was still on edge. Assuming that this was some sort of trick to set them up for a sneak attack, both Ninja expanded their focus to the outer rim of this particular circle. It was only when they realized that Kuro was still standing, did they rewire all of their attention back to him.

"W-what?!", Shizune gasped.

"No way... Its... impossible", Kabuto whispered to himself.

Kuro was still alive... scowling into the wind with the blood of his wound ceasing its flow. Expelling an irritated growl, the terrible Monster tilted his head a little further to the side when the gaping gash in his neck slowly started to regenerate. Shizune and Kabuto both watched on in horror as they witnessed Kuro's grotesque healing process. The tendons in his neck squirmedand whipped around before latching unto their designated places. The gashed corroted artery pulsated incessantly before building itself back together.

The muscles that were torn through and parted sowed themselves together again, and the skin quickly regenerated. With his neck as good as new, Kuro crackled its joints as he shifted his head from left to right. Kabuto clinched his fist as he tried to calm his mind from what he just saw.

"How?? Even the greatest of warriors would be silenced after a strike like that. He didn't even cast a Substitution jutsu; he took the strike like it was nothing. What the Hell is he?", Kabuto frantically pondered.

Once Kuro was finshed adjusting his neck, he moved the arm that Kabuto had grabbed and stretched it out as well. At this, Kabuto smiled with fearful admiration.

"Hn... He even recovered from my attack", he thought out loud.

With the silver haired Oto Nin at his front and Shizune at his back, Kuro resheathed his katana, "Hmph. Surely you can come up with a better strategy than that. I mean COME on; you expect to get far in this little scummish with moves like that? I'm disappointed in the lot of you", he said with distain.

Kuro closed his eyes, "You fools really have no idea... do you?", he questioned retorically, "Well... allow me to teach you... the meaning of true fear"

With that statement, Kuro lifted one of his hands as his finger-nails steadily grew and morphed into grueling razor-sharp claws. Without warning, he flung those very claws at Kabuto JUST before he vanished out of sight. The purple clad Ninja easily deflected the claws with his own kunai before he noticed something completely out of place.

"Hey! Look out BEHIND YOU!!"

Shizune's eyes widened and she whipped her head back before a fist of might rammed into her face. The force of the impact sent her body flying on a low trejectory before she rolled and tumbled out into the distance. Staying focused on the task at hand, Kabuto began stringing several hand-seals together. Unfortunately, Kuro's speed once again proved to be for more incredible than anyone could've anticipated. The ravaging creten appeared right before Kabuto faster then the time it took him to blink and slapped one hand upon his to stop the jutsu.

Kuro glared into the Oto Nin's eyes, "Stop actin' like a bitch! Fight like a man!", he roared before launching a POWERFUL fist into his gut, causing a circular wave of force to ripple across the ground.

Kabuto was lifted from the ground with his body almost completely folded over, choking for air. Kuro let him suffer for a short while before he gentley let him down. Kabuto immediately fell to his knees, hunched over and holding his aching stomach (secretly trying to heal it). The pained Shinobi whipped his head up only to have his entire body blown away with a CRUSHING wave chakra that sent him flipping and tumbling away as well.

Shizune, groggly in her recovery, struggled to her hands and knees. She tried to sooth the pain in her face with her hand.

"Dammit... I have to be more alert. Next time he might kill me", Shizune reasoned with herself.

With that notion in mind, the black dressed Jonin staggered to her feet only to stumble back down to one knee. She tried harder to center herself.

"I haven't been hit this hard since Tsunade-sama", Shizune said before she tried again to rise to her feet; this time, staying up.

Just then, Kabuto tumbled right past her and crash landed a few feet in front. Gasping, Shizune opted to help the fallen Oto, but was stopped in her tracks when Kuro appeared RIGHT in her path.

"AAH!!", Shizune yelled before she leaped back and threw several poison needles at Kuro.

Smiling, the red haired murderer jumped after Shizune; thus, safely avoiding the needles. Kuro threw a well-aimed punch at the kunoichi. But she dodged it with surprising ease before latching onto his arm and throwing him back down to the ground. Landing on his back, Kuro peeled his eyes open only to see Shizune plummeting right for him. She landed upon the beast's abdomen with her knee before pinning him in the straddle position.

(Mind out of the gutter, you sicko's)

Shizune withdew her kunai and lifted it over-head. When she plunged the deadly weapon down, Kuro caught her wrist with no trouble at all. The brunette kunoichi struggled greatly to fight against Kuro's hold and drive the kunai into his FACE! Alas, his strength proved to be a bit too much as he held her wrist in place. Growing weary of this meaningless struggle, Kuro used his free hand and snatched Shizune by the throat before he lifted himself AND her off of the ground. He idolly dangled Tsunade's apprentice by the neck, strangeling her without mercy as he still held a firm grip upon her wrist.

"You are quite the resourceful one, aren't you?... Too bad you had to die in such a miserable way...", Kuro said nonchalantly, "Don't worry though; I'll just tell Nekoshi that you fell off a cliff. He'll feel better that way"

Hearing those INFURIATING words, Shizune's eyes widened with rage before she kicked the side of Kuro's head. Her teeth clinched when she saw that he was completely unphazed.

"... Hm?... Oh I'm sorry-did you just do something?", Kuro mocked before falling into a fit of cruel laughter, "Now you suffer..."

Further away from this particular area...

The lush green grass that littered the terrain was distorted with a long skid-mark, another following it, and finally, a long smear-trail of blood that lead to a tall rock. Laying before this rock was a gravely injured Naruto, fallen to his side, curled up in a ball and holding his ripped abdomen in unconscious pain. The damage was extensive to the point of being totally fatal due to the fact that his wound wouldn't stop bleeding. The Rasengan that Kuro unleashed upon him completely did him in, and the aftermath of that attack had its desired affect.

His life was gradually slipping away.

Within the tall rock that the fallen Naruto layed under emerged none other than Tsunade. She seemed fixated on a certain spot of the stone mound, and when she was done with whatever the Hell it was that she was doing, she quickly spotted Naruto and grasped his terrible condition in an instant. She was never one to pitty the weak or the idiotic. And, as seen previously, Naruto had demonstrated both traits... and paid the price for it. She almost felt like scoffing at the boy's pitiful state. After all, he was warned of what would happen should he cross the line with Kuro.

As all of these thoughts roamed about in her head, Tsunade could faintly hear to agonized grumbles of the unconscious Jinchuuriki; she listened to his words...

"Gotta... ... get up... I... I... ... I have to... prote-... ... protect them... Have to... ... kill... ... ... him...", Naruto grumbled; clinching his mortal wound harder.

The hazel eyed Sannin's eyes dimmed for a time as she went back into thought again.

"So, the kid's fighting to protect people... First this Hokage garbage and now this. He's an even bigger fool than I thought", Tsunade thought to herself.

However, even as she was thinking this, Tsunade subconsciously admired the boy for his loyalty; no matter how misguided it seemed. The blonde Mistress stared on at the boy for a little longer before she heard him start to ramble again.

"No... ... No st-stop... Don't you... ... ... dare touch her, you... you monster...! No... No, SAKURA-CHAN!!", Naruto hollered before he flung himself out of his forced slumber.

Tsunade was now compeletly intent on seeing what the blonde Genin would do now that he was awake. As expected, he attempted to pick himself up off of the ground, looking as pathetic as ever, in her opinion. He staggered to his feet, cursing his situation and the Devil responsible for it. Tsunade continued to watch him; noticing thick droplets of blood falling from him as he limped... toward the action??

"What the Hell does he think he's doing? Stupid kid; he's gonna die if he keeps putting himself through all of this meaningless bullshit", Tsunade thought to herself.

"I can't... I... I can't die yet... I have to... fufill my promises... I have to... to... get back to them... Not yet... Not... like this", Naruto rambled on before he inevitebly collasped to the ground again on his back.

Normally, Tsunade would have seen that and added some sort of crude or sarcastic remark. But something was holding that side of her back; something she hadn't felt in a long time. Deciding to ignore that feeling, she leaped off of the rock and landed beside the fallen Genin. Everything that she had ever been through and the experience that her miserable life granted her, told her to let him die... but again... something was holding that negative side at bay. She found herself wanting to help this boy. Somewhere inside of this cold exterior pulsated the urge to keep this boy alive; to see to it that no matter what, he would live to see another sunrise. The only problem was...

she just didn't know what it was...

Tsunade BARELY even knew Naruto, unless him being a self-centered brat was any indication. He was stubborn, over-confident in his abilities and for the love of God he called her old. Because of that equation, she grew even more confused as to why she was on her knees healing this brat with her rejuvenating chakra even now. Although she continuously questioned why... she never stopped. As she watched Naruto's wound slowly heal, her mind gradually took a different turn.

Sure, he was a bit of a loud-mouth and VERY sarcastic. Not to mention hard-headed and sure of himself. But for all Tsunade knew, it was those exact traits that kept him alive in the first place. She knew not what Naruto had gone through in his life; he was the container of Kyuubi no Youko afterall. Minato is dead, Kushina is missing, so that immediately ruled out any family. For all Tsunade was aware, he had no friends before the point of becoming a Genin. Now that she thought about it from that perspective, she started to understand where Naruto came from with all of his big talk.

He seemed to have multiple reasons for back it up.

Despite his past, Naruto now has people to protect; people he cherishes. That was made obvious by his previous ramblings. Tsunade could remember when she was like that; fighting to protect her home and the people who lived there. Yes, she too remembered when she had that sort of compassion; that sort of drive. Although, everytime she remembered those feeling, it reminded her... of them. All she wanted to do was forget about them. To never have to see their faces in her memory again. And yet, Naruto; this lowly little Genin brat was the living, breathing embodiment of them both. Nawaki Shenzu and Dan wanted nothing more than to protect Konoha with their very lives.

Naruto wished to do the same.

She didn't want to care... She didn't want to hurt anymore... She just didn't want to see anyone else die over a STUPID dream. But... was is it really a stupid dream?... Was it really that bad to wish the peace of one's home and fight to enforce it? Naruto obviously didn't think so, and look where it got him; he almost suffered the same fate as Tsunade's loved ones. But... perhaps Naruto was prepared for that fate. Perhaps he knows that only death lies in this path. Perhaps thats the reason he seeks to destroy Kuro.

Naruto KNOWS that he's no match for that monster and he fights him anyway. Not once, but TWICE had the brave fool stood against him. Any other Genin would've been broken if not dead. It was only when she witnessed Naruto's declaration and reasons for his actions, did she realize how much he wanted this. Tsunade shared his sentaments, as she was also uncertain of how she would look at herself if she allowed Kuro to destroy what she had left. Eventhough NAruto is no match in the slightest and he knows it, he still pursues the monster's death. He knows that no matter the distance, the time or the place, Kuro's exsistence threatens the lives of everyone he's every gave a damn about.

To protect his home and his loved ones no matter what the cost...

Even to the cloudiest of minds and judgement, that was the honor and the back-bone of a true leader... a true Hokage.

"Now look at waht you've done you little fool. I knew I shouldn't have helped you", Tsunade said while smiling unwittingly, "You; a leader?"

By now, Naruto's wound was healed and Tsunade stopped. She expected him to leap off the ground and instantly go back to fighting Kuro without so much as a glare in her direction, but alas, Naruto was sound asleep. Despite his desires to make a difference against the Destruction Incarnate, the blonde Kunoichi decided it best to let the boy rest and stay away from all the action.

"This is a grown-ups job... you should stay out of it", she said as she idolly brushed her hand across Naruto's blonde locks, "I must be loosing my mind"

"Awww... What a revoltingly touching moment", a familiar hissing voice echoed out from behind the moun of stone.

Tsunade shifted her eyes to the side only to see Orochimaru leaning on the the rock with his arms crossed.

"Never knew you cared for the boy so much", Orochimaru mocked.

"Shut up! If he's allowed to fight then he'll only get in our way", Tsunade insisted as she yanked her hand away from Naruto's hair.

The Snake Sannin smiled, "But Tsunade, the boy seems so eager to fight him... why deny him that right? He should see just how fruitless his ambitions really are. Hmhmhmhmhm", he mocked again.

Before Tsunade could even retort to that, another familiar voice rung out.

"You still don't get it; do you, Orochimaru?", Jiraiya questioned from the other side of the tall rock, "Even if he is a hopless idiot who can't seem to gauge his enemies strength for the life of him, he has it. He has that spark; the only thing that one needs to be a great ninja, and thats the guts to never give up"

Orochimaru smirked, "A touching speech Jiraiya, but it makes no difference when you're dead, does it?", he retorted.

Jiraiya walked to the other side of the stone mound to jpin his fellow Sannin, "Of course, but death won't come to Naruto through Kuro's hand", he said.

"Hn... Now you're dreaming", the pale skinned Sannin presisted, "The moment he wakes up, he'll set himself up for death"

Both Tsuande and Jiraiya glared at their sick former team-mate wondering why he had to turn out this way. Just then, the blonde Slug Sannin felt a plummetting life-force; a life-force that reached out to her attention first. It was upon the strike of this feeling that Tsunade's eyes widened with fright.

"Oh my God! SHIZUNE!!"


(Sigh)... (Double-sigh)... ... (Triple-sigh). I know what you guys are thinking... 'There's no WAY that this is the end of the chapter!!'. Hah--hah--hah... its not. I merely stopped it here to see how many of you are still with me. Believe it or not, I intended to make this chapter so long that it might actually be broken into two or three other chapters, so long as I can entice you guys with the drama. And before you say ANYTHING, I have made sure that it involes Naruto's life in significant ways. My plans for a novelty worthy master-piece SHALL NOT FAIL!! I must appologize for my incredible absence though, and with that... I bid you Adue...

Peace...