Naruto was exuding a lot of Killing Intent, but Sasuke wasn't scared. No for the first time in a while, he felt his panic beginning to subside. His Anija was here. Everything would be fine, he knew it. As long as his Elder Brother was by his side, Sasuke knew that he would be fine. But still, there was that underlying fear hiding in his heart. It wasn't completely erased by Naruto's arrival, but it diminished. "Anija, be careful!" he called. "I know Sasuke, don't worry" the blond replied calmly, already knowing that this was going to be hard. But it wasn't just him. He had a Younger Brother and teammate to protect, and just like Haku had told him, that gave him even more strength and courage. "So Naruto, you managed to escape from my friend, I'm impressed" the woman said. Kurama growled, "don't forget what I told you Naruto, don't let down your guard around this Ninja, no matter what" the Kyuubi said.

'Don't worry Kurama, I won't' the Uzumaki replied. He noticed how tense his Otouto was, and the minute tremors of his boy as he watched their enemy, "it's okay Otouto, I promise I won't let this person hurt you" Naruto said. "Oh? Do you really believe that you can protect anyone from me, Naruto-Kun?" the Snake Woman asked. The Uzumaki pulled his Gunbai off his back, "of course I do, when a person has something precious to protect, that is when they can become truly strong! A friend taught me that and I believe it completely," Naruto pointed his War Fan at freak-of-a-woman, "I will protect my Otouto and Sakura from you because they are my precious people!" he exclaimed with conviction. Sasuke stared at the Uzumaki, 'precious' he thought. Naruto had told him of the conversation he'd had with his Hyton-using Sensei during the Land of Waves mission where they'd met in the woods.

He believed the same thing. As long as his had his most precious Anija, as long as they were together, they could defeat anyone. Even a monster like this. Sasuke took a deep breath then released it. He calmed his mind and focused on the task at hand. They had to defeat this person and get somewhere safe. To do that he needed to calm down and think. The snake that their opponent stood on whipped it's tail towards Naruto, who dodged out of the way, "Gunbai Wind Wall!" he cried, swinging his Gunbai and sending a powerful blast of wind towards the Hidden Grass Ninja. She retaliated with a powerful Futon Jutsu of her own. The two attacks collided, forcing the other two Genin to quickly hide behind a tree each to keep from getting blown away again. Naruto formed three hand signs at a fast pace, before blowing a condensed fire ball towards the freak woman. The flames engulfed the snake, who writhed in agony as it was slowly turned to charcoal. But their enemy had already leapt away, and was coming in for another round.

Sasuke watched, feeling useless. Naruto was fighting to protect him and yet he couldn't even return the favour. 'He's my Anija! I should be over their helping him, instead of cowering over here!' he thought. Suddenly the giant snake managed to get in past Naruto's guard, causing him to slam into the branch of a tree high above them. He coughed out blood from the strength of the blow, "Anija!" he cried. 'Naruto is losing, he can't fight this enemy alone. I have to do something! But-' Sasuke thought, mind flashing back to the image of his own death he saw when he looked into that monster's eyes. Then he remembered what had happened on their last mission. The utter agony he'd felt when he thought Naruto had been killed. Then he thought of the bodies of his Clansman, his parents, laying dead on the ground, and how terrified he'd been that night. He may know the truth behind Itachi's actions and why the Clan had to be wiped out, but that doesn't mean that the memories haunted his nightmares any less.

If Naruto was killed, he would never forgive himself. At the very least he had to do something! Meanwhile the Uzumaki was falling through the air, 'I think I'm gonna need some help here!' he thought to his tenant. Kurama sighed, "fine, but only because if you actually died I'd die too, and I don't want to know what being digested feels like" he replied, sending his Jinchuriki some Chakra. Naruto opened his eyes, which had gone red and slitted, his whisker possession Marks darkening. 'That's, Kurama's Chakra!' Sasuke thought, watching with wide worried eyes. Naruto kicked the snake in the head as he neared it, causing it to snap downwards, while it's whole body trembled. Then he punched the snake over and over again, driving it down through multiple tree branches.

However, the woman on top of the snakes head seemed to finally decided to fight back, sending a fireball to engulf the young Jinchuriki, "Anija!" Sasuke called, worried. Suddenly it shot towards the Uchiha, who again felt panic flare up. "Let's see how you do this time Sasuke-Kun!" the monster woman called. Sasuke stepped back and had just activated his Mangekyo in order to try and protect himself with Susanoo, when suddenly Naruto appeared in the giant reptiles path, using the strength Kurama's Chakra granted him to stop it in it's tracks. Sasuke stared up at his Elder Brother, who was panting and straining himself to keep the snake in place, "a-are you alright, Otouto?" he asked. "Naruto-Anija" he said softly, eyes wide. Suddenly the enemy Ninja wrapped her tongue around the Uzumaki and lifted him into the air. "Hey! Let me go you freak! This is disgusting, I'm gonna rip this tongue out of your head and strangle you with it!" the blond cried, thrashing around wildly.

Sasuke was staring in morbid fascination. What the heck was the monster going to do? Part of him knew that he needed to help his Anija, but most of him was still too afraid to move. "I see, when you become enraged the Kyuubi's Chakra slips out and grants you a fraction of it's power" the Grass Ninja said, lifting Naruto's shirt with her tongue. Her left hand seemed to light with five tongues of purple flame, "Five pronged seal!" she cried, slamming her hand onto Naruto's stomach. The Uzumaki gasped, as not only was Kurama's Chakra cut off but also any ability to speak with the Biju. Naruto collapsed forwards, halfway to unconsciousness, but forcing himself to stay awake. The snake-like Kunoichi then threw him away from her. Thankfully Sakura was quick thinking enough to throw a kunai and pin him to a tree by his clothes, "Anija!" Sasuke cried, now truly terrified. His Elder Brother was stronger than him, and he was taken out so easily!

If Naruto couldn't stop this person, then there was no way he could. He wasn't- he wasn't strong enough. He was never strong enough. Unbidden, memories of the night Itachi had been forced to kill everyone flooded his mind. He knew that it was neither his, nor Itachi's fault, but he'd still felt so helpless back then. Unable to protect what was most precious to him at the time. And now- 'no' he thought, 'No, no, no! no! no! no! NO!' Sasuke's eyes snapped open, his Mangekyo Sharingan spinning furiously, "I will never! Ever stand by and watch those I care about die! NEVER AGAIN!" he roared, intense fury sparking inside him. He held his sword at the ready once more. The woman attacked with fast, deadly and precise strikes. Sasuke deflected these attacks and returned them, eyes tracking every movement, before sending a fireball the monster's way, before sending a second one and causing the first to explode. Unfortunately the Kusa Ninja emerged unharmed from the attacks.

ŃĚĤ

Meanwhile, Sakura had retrieved Naruto and was checking him for injuries. The blond boy seemed relatively unharmed, except for the weird marks on his stomach which began to fade from view as she watched. "What did that freak do to you Naruto?" the pink-haired girl asked herself. Steeling herself, Sakura began to try and revive the blond.

ŃĚĤ

Back with Sasuke and the freak woman, she had upped the power of her strikes, getting through the boys defences , and smacking him around until she knocked him to the ground seemingly unconscious. She walked towards the child, "what a disappointment you turned out to be. Your ancestors weep, the Uchiha Clan should thank me for killing you- silly little worm" the woman said, unaware of the small balls of paper bombs attached to the bottom of her clothes. Sasuke opened his eyes slightly, before the paper bombs exploded and made the woman stumble forwards. The young Uchiha flipped up and away from her, before throwing several shuriken with Ninja Wire attached to them. With the wire attached to his fingers, he flew through the signs of the Dragon Flame Justu.

The flames ran down the wires and engulfed the woman, who screamed in agony as her body melted from the intensity of the flames. Eventually Sasuke stopped the Jutsu and he began to pant from exhaustion. However when the flames began to die down, the woman emerged with her face seemingly melting away, revealing another, different face. "Such mastery of the Sharingan, not to mention the Mangekyo Sharingan at so young an age," she began, her voice slowly changing into a smooth male voice, "yes, you'll do nicely" he said, while exuding more Killing Intent, forcing Sasuke once more to his knees in sheer terror.

ŃĚĤ

Meanwhile, Sakura succeeded in waking Naruto, who gasped at how different his Chakra felt. That seal that the Kusa Ninja had placed on him was sealing off Kurama's Chakra and restricting his own. He sat up with Sakura's help, groaning, but with only one thing on his mind. He turned to face his female teammate, "where's Sasuke?!" he demanded.

ŃĚĤ

Sasuke pushed himself to his feet once more, body once again wracked with tremors. He was still terrified, but if he was going to die, he'd at least do so on his feet. "Who are you, what do you want?!" the Uchiha yelled. "My name is Orochimaru, and as for what I want that will have to wait until we meet again, which won't happen unless you finish this test with the best score of all" the now revealed Orochimaru replied. Sasuke panted, "what makes you think- I wanna have anything to do with you?" he asked, voice shaking only slightly. "Oh, I don't doubt that you will, if only to protect that brother of yours from me" the man replied. Sasuke gasped, before his eyes narrowed into a glare "you keep your filthy hands off of him!" he growled.

Just then Naruto and Sakura appeared at the edge of the clearing, "Sasuke!" Naruto called, running forwards. Orochimaru's neck began elongating, just like the rest of his body had and his head stretched towards the Uchiha. His teeth elongated as well, turning into fangs. Seeing this, Sasuke's terror bean to resurface. 'No! That monster is really going to kill me now! Damn it, I can't move again!' he thought, eyes wide with horror. However, just as the man's, head, was about to reach him, Naruto body-slammed into his Otouto, knocking him out of the way. Orochimaru bit into Naruto's neck, making everyone's eyes widen in shock. The now revealed Sound Ninja retraced his teeth and his neck stretched back to it's original length, "well, this was unexpected, but no less satisfactory- I myself would quite like the ability to use all Elemental Bloodlines" he said. Naruto gasped as excruciating agony wracked his whole body. He collapsed to his knees, gripping his neck, desperately trying to hold back his screams.

"Naruto Anija!" Sasuke exclaimed, finally forcing his body to move towards his brother. It was at that point that Naruto couldn't take it anymore, and screamed at the top of his lungs, the sound, that sound causing the Uchiha to finally snap out of it fully and rush over to his Elder Brother, "Anija!" he cried, grabbing hold of his brother and looking him over worriedly. He glared up at Orochimaru, "you, what the hell did you do to him, you bastard?!" Sasuke demanded. "I simply gave him a gift. It was meant for you of course, but I can adapt. I can give you one too if you like?" Orochimaru asked. The black-haired boy growled, "as if! You stay the hell away from us you freak!" he exclaimed, cradling Naruto, who was still screaming, close to his chest. The Sound Ninja smirked, "oh well, if you change your mind, you'll know where to find me" he replied, before sinking into the tree branch he stood on.

Naruto continued to scream as Sakura, seeing the threat was gone, ran up to the two boys, "Sasuke! What happened, what did that freak do to Naruto!?" she asked worriedly. Sasuke was terrified, "I don't know, but he's in so much pain! I've never heard Naruto scream like this before!" he exclaimed, as his Elder Brother let out another agonized scream, tears coming to his eyes as he began to writhe around in Sasuke's arms, who had to try and avoid the other boy's flailing limbs. Sasuke felt tears come to his own eyes. He was scared. His brother, who'd always been a pillar of strength and endurance was sobbing and screaming as his body was wracked with agony. Sasuke didn't know what to do and he was so scared. The Uchiha clenched his Anija to his chest, feeling helpless to do anything. Sakura, who was watching the two boys warily, looked around them, nervous.

She then turned back to the only other conscious member of Team 7, "Sasuke, we need to get out of here, with all the commotion from that battle and Naruto's screaming, Humans and animals are going to gather here soon. We need to find a safe place to hide and recover" the pink-haired Genin explained. Sasuke looked up from his suffering Elder Brother, "but what about Naruto?" he asked. Sakura was about to reply, when said boy suddenly fell unconscious, though still moaning and whimpering in his sleep. "Anija" Sasuke said softly, sounding worried. Sakura placed her hand on her teammates shoulder. Sasuke looked up at her, and suddenly she didn't see the calm, confidant and cool boy she used to fangirl over. This Sasuke was vulnerable, terrified and looked like he'd just been through hell, physically, emotionally and mentally.

But she steeled herself, "if we want to help and care for Naruto properly, we need to be in a safe place, where we won't get attacked, okay Sasuke-Kun?" she asked seriously. The young Uchiha closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them again, they were filled with determination to do whatever he could to help his brother, "right" he said with a nod. Then both leapt away to find shelter, Sasuke carrying a passed out, but still obviously suffering Naruto in his arms.

To Be Continued