The Path A Ninja Walks...
Chapter Thirty-Three
Did Somebody Call For A Hero?
A/N: WARNING-The character known as Sage Amesawa uses a lot of profanity and colorful language as part of his "colorful" personality. Be prepared if you are sensitive to that. Please note it is not because I condone such manner of speech, and also the character does not mean to use it as a way to be harmful, it is just his personality.
Everyone stood... stunned in confused silence as they all stared at the sudden weapon barrage that made its way onto the scene.
"What the hell was that!?" Sage asked.
Sakura gasped sharply and shot her head up, following the direction from where they came.
"Well...it looks like I showed up Just in time~" a familiar voice broke the silence. Above them in the trees stood the Leaf Village's Number 1 Knuckleheaded Ninja...
"Naruto!" Sakura beamed.
"It's Naruto!" Saseme grinned in relief.
"The Dumb Blonde?" Sage blinked.
"You mean our lives are in the hands of THAT dumbass!?" Hana sighed, "Lord help us all..."
"HEY! SASEME!" Naruto beamed as he waved his arm toward her, "You look like you took quite a beating there huh?" he stated, "Just how useless is that brother of yours without me anyway!?"
"Hey, Naruto..." Saseme chuckled, "You remember me...?"
"Yeah, it took me a minute." he stated, "Luckily had plenty of time to reflect on that while chilling in the belly of a snake."
"UHM...What?" Sage blinked.
"Naruto! Get out of here! What are you thinking!?" cried Sasuke, "You don't know what you're up against!" he stated, "Hurry- Go now, while you still can!"
"Sooo~ Naruto~ You managed to escape from my friend?" chuckled the woman as her body coiled around a thick limb, "Well done~"
"From her friend?" Hana winced, "So gross to think she even has any friends let alone friends with slimy snakes."
"I see..." said Saseme, "So I guess the snake Naruto was in the belly of for a while there-so he claims-" she blinked and shifted her eyes back to the woman.
It was hers...?
"Okay, Okay." said Naruto, "I don't know what's going on here-But you've been picking on my friends, and I don't like that!" he stated, "So you just hurry on and slither right back into your hole snake-lady before I make a pair of shoes out of you!"
"HUH!?" Sasuke gasped.
"IS THIS GUY OUT OF HIS MIND OR WHAT!?" huffed Hana
"HaHaHa...make a pair of shoes out of ya..." Sage snickered, "I dunno babe, I think I'm actually starting to like this dumbass!"
"Heh." Saseme smirked, "...Well...if Naruto's not afraid of her..." she said as she stood slowly to her feet, "Then I don't see why I should be afraid of her either!"
"ABSOLUTELY NOT!" Sasuke snapped to his sister, "Go with your team, and get OUT of here NOW!"
"Uh, Excuse me!?" Hana huffed, "Did that stupid brother of yours just bark orders at ME!?" she huffed once more this time with an added foot stomp. SHe looked like a stubborn child who was just pissed off.
"What is it with you Uchiha's thinking you can order ME around!?"
"Calm down Hana..." Sage chuckled, "Still though...I don't much like being told what to do either..."
UGH that little IDIOT...
Sasuke huffed to himself as he shot a leer at Naruto.
He's just gonna get ALL of us killed! INCLUDING my sister!
She can be just as stupid as he is sometimes I swear! UGH!
I've got to do something!
...But what?
He sighed.
It's no use...there's only one way...
His eyes retreated back to their normal color and he sighed, head hung down.
"You can have it!" he stated, which brought a shocked gasp out of them all while he reached into his pack and pulled out the object of his discussion.
"The scroll right? That's what you want?" he questioned, "All right then...take it and leave us in peace!"
"HUH!?" Everyone gasped all at once and suddenly Sage began fuming.
"Oh HELL No!" he huffed as he whipped out their Earth scroll and began tossing it hand to hand.
"If you're just gonna give it up just like that you may as well just pass it on over here then!" Sage stated.
"Sage!" Saseme hissed.
"No way, Saseme, I'm done!" Sage said, "We have an Earth Scroll. We NEED that Heaven Scroll." he said, "If your brother just wants to give his away so easily just like that we may as well take it and be done with this stupid test!"
"Yeah!" said Hana, "Then we can start making our way OUT of this Hell Hole-"
"I REFUSE!" Saseme huffed.
"This isn't a democracy." said Hana, which made Saseme whince.
"Sage is right." she blinked, "This whole test is pretty much Kill or be killed at this point." she stated, "If your brother wants to give up, then fine. You want to die with him? Be my guest!" she huffed, "But what right do you have to drag US down into Hell with YOU!?"
Saseme twitched and fell silent. Biting her lip, she didn't know how to respond to them. Saseme wasn't the only one against her brother's plan however, as Naruto really let him have an ear full about it.
"SHUT UP AND STAY OUT OF IT!" the Uchiha boy snapped.
"What!?" Naruto let out a low growl.
"Very wise...very sensible~" the woman chuckled, "Sometimes, the hopeless prey, if they are to save their own skins, come to realize that their only hope is to distract the predator with something even more precious..."
"Take it..." Sasuke gruffed as he tossed the desired object toward the enemy, only to have it caught by the hand of a swift moving orange blur.
"Stop playing the damn hero!" he snapped as Naruto knelt next to him, scroll in hand, "Just stay out of this and leave it to me-"
Though Sasuke had a harsh interruption, as his face was met with a sharp swing of Naruto's right fist, startling Sakura and painting surprise on everyone's face around them.
"Ugh, you STUPID FOOL! Sasuke snapped as he swiped away the blood from his busted lip, "You don't know what you're doing!"
"Yeah...maybe not..." Naruto huffed, "But I know who I am...you're the one I'm not so sure about!" he stated, "How do we know you're who you SAY you are!?"
"Naruto..." Saseme whispered softly, shifting her gaze over to her brother.
Though...in a way...he has a point...
She thought to herself.
After all...even if she hasn't seen her brother in years...she didn't remember ever seeing him like this before...
"What sort of Nonsense is this!?" Sasuke snapped, "It's ME you loser!"
"LIAR!" Naruto huffed, "You may look just like him...you may sound just like him...but there's no way you're the Sasuke I know!" he declared, "I don't care how tough of a fight you've been through!" he stated, "Surendering!? Giving up the scroll!?" hr huffed, "When did Sasuke become a COWARD!?" he stated, "Even your twin sister is fighting harder than you right now!" he stated, "She's doing it for you- and yet...I thought YOU were the older twin!?" he stated, "I may not know all that much about having siblings...but aren't older brothers supposed to PROTECT their little sisters rather than BE protected by them!?"
Saseme twitched.
That's right...
She thought to herself.
He abandoned me...just like that...and yet, I...
"Sasukeeeee! Sasuke Help me!"
Sasuke gasped as the distant memory of his sister being taken away before his eyes played in his mind. Her desparate please and cries for help...and he wasn't even allowed to save her then...He couldn't...
"...You keep saying I don't understand what's gpoing on, but I do!" he stated, "You've choked, that's what it is!"
"Hahaha...sad...but true~"
Saseme snapped.
"YOU JUST STAY OUT OF IT, LADY!"
"Damn Saseme...tell us how you really feel..." Sage chuckled.
"Yeah...yell at her." Hana sighed, "Because that's TOTALLY been working so far."
"It doesn't matter!" said the woman as she rode her sleeve, "As far as the scroll goes, I could just kill you and take it!" she took a harsh bite from her thumb and ran a trail of blood over what looked like a black snake tattoo on her arm.
"LET'S SEE YOU TRY IT!" Naruto and Saseme shouted together, but the blonde moved faster.
"DON'T!" Sasuke snapped at her, startling Saseme in place just as she was about to charge in along side him, "Naruto! NO!" he tried to warn the other reckless one, but he was already too far in.
Forget about Sasuke!
Naruto thought to himself.
I'm gonna have to do this myself!
To Be Continued