Chapter 53: To persevere

Honestly...there had to be a limit to how many times a plan could be unexpectedly disrupted because this had jumped from problematic to downright ridiculous. At least, Shikamaru figured, Naruto finally calmed down enough to stop shouting. If they wanted any chance for this mission to actually succeed, then the blond needed to be the one to get going and fast.

At first, it was easy to assume the Higurashi girl was acting cold towards the blond by ignoring him, but the Nara was confident it was the exact opposite. It was easier to argue with him and try to get him to change his orders than to have to look the prankster in the eye and drive him away. She could still be persuaded; she was still hesitating. But it wouldn't be Shikamaru's words that convinced her. Meaning this was his time to stay behind and deal with a one-on-one battle. It was only fair, he supposed, so far it had been his decision to trust his teammates and go ahead. Now it would be his chance to remain and fight.

"Got it?"

"Right on!" At least, the blond didn't try to complain this time.

"Come on, trash."

"It's 2 on 1! We've got the advantage on our side!" The lazy teen wasn't that good of an actor, but this should be enough in this kind of situation. "It's not something we two can't take care of! Let's go, Naruto!"

"Alright!"

"Hah, you pieces of trash won't make a difference no matter how many there are!" Just as arrogant as the others, this woman.

"Don't underestimate our teamwork!" His kunai was swiftly blocked by the woman's flute.

"Come one!"

"Naruto!" he pushed against her, making sure it felt realistic. "Now!"

"Eat this, bastard!"

Not willing to lower her guard, the redhead locked her gaze on the blond. Clearly preparing herself to deal with an inexistent attack. Her head moved to track Naruto's jump, shock painting her features as the prankster flew right above them and continued to run without even looking down.

"Shit! You tricked me!" Well, one of his plans worked without complications. "What kind of teamwork is that, you damn fuckers..."

The woman trailed off, jumping away from him.

"Seems like you won't fall into the same trap so easily," he said, dark eyes glancing to the ground where his shadow was retreating. "Well, I guess I'll be satisfied with the fact that he got away. But remember this, jutsus are not my only weapon."

"What a fool, what can you do with that little technique? Idiot." Arrogant and with a terrible personality. "As far as I can tell from the time you took to get here, you sacrificed your team members one by one...are those two so important to you? Wasting a team for just two kids...hahaha, you stupid homos!"

The woman was keeping her distance, eyes glancing towards his feet every so often to make sure his shadow remained where it should. So, not a stupid opponent at the very least. Even though he'd stayed out of most of the fighting, his chakra wasn't exactly at an all-time high. He still had a decent amount of equipment, but without knowing his opponent, there wasn't much he could do just yet...so that left prying information and delaying his confrontation as much as possible.

"This mission happened to be the first one in which I took the role of the team leader. Of course, I was kind of worried seeing my teammates being reduced one by one...and I was also unsure whether or not my decisions were truly correct." Dark eyes kept focused on his opponent; she wasn't making any move at all. "If I were a team leader who took responsibility for the lives of his team members...I would've halted the mission as consideration for my teammates rather than to save one or two comrades. Or at least, that's what the rule of thumb dictates..."

"Then, why didn't you?" Was she stalling too?

"The real world doesn't always follow the rule of thumb." Shit, forget getting information out of her; the woman was happy to listen to his monologue. "Obviously, there was not a single man in my team who'd agree to halt the mission and desert their captured comrades just to save their own hide. Myself included..."Well, there were worse places to spill his guts to, he supposed. "I'm a bum whose favorite thing to do is watch the clouds, and the last thing I should be doing is leading a team and giving out orders...but if there's something I can do for my team, it is to trust them. Look, I never thought of them as sacrifices...I don't even think they're dead...don't underestimate my comrades."

The redhead twitched slightly...this is when the talk ended, huh?

He'd already eaten through some minutes soon enough, Naruto would reach those guys, and without Shikamaru there for Kagome to shift her attention to, she'd be forced to confront her childhood friend. No, even if talking didn't work out, he just couldn't see the girl staying passively by the side as the fifth Oto nin hurt the blond. Of that, the Nara genius was absolutely sure.

Which meant that now, the mission was out of his hands; he could only focus on his own fight now.

"Kuchiyose no jutsu!"

Well...shit.

Were those three giant mammoths that appeared in the smoke really summons to begin with? They looked far more human than the ones he'd seen...except for the ridiculous proportions...and this already looked bad for him. Really bad.

"I'll play a melody of death for you." The woman, Tayuya, brought the flute to her lips. "It's you who shouldn't underestimate us, trash!"

They were nearing the edge of the country.

Soon enough, the team after them would no longer have any excuse to keep going with the chase...and Kagome wasn't naive enough to believe Naruto would just curse under his breath and turn back once the invisible line on the dirt was crossed. And the man currently running beside her was one that put her nerves on edge. She couldn't even begin to compare the other four to him. Fingers dug onto the skin on her palm; she couldn't waver.

This...this wasn't just for her sake.

Sor Sasuke's sake...for Itachi's sake, she had to keep going.

In a way, this was also for Naruto's well-being. Until Akatsuki was dealt with, his life would remain in danger. After all, she learned, she couldn't trust the village to keep him safe, regardless of who the new leader was. Guilt couldn't get in the way of their goals, no matter how much she hated averting her eyes from her best friends'.

"What're the coordinates?" It was the first thing she'd spoken since they separated from the others.

"Coordinates?"

"Our retrieval is that team's main priority," she replied the soft-voiced question. "They've been sacrificing their members just to be able to catch up to us. They will do the same here."

"You think they can beat Tayuya?" She couldn't hear any worry in Kimimaro's words.

"It's got nothing to so about strength; it's just about making a distraction that will allow one of them to pass." And would place both of those boys at risk. "Shikamaru will figure out a way for it; it's as simple as that. I wouldn't be surprised if Naruto has already gone past her."

"You know them well."

There was a silent question behind the statement. Not so much an accusation as a warning. Judging from the way he spoke when he first showed up, the Higurashi heiress would probably bet it was centered around making sure she wasn't about to try and stab Orochimaru in the back. There certainly didn't seem to be any lost attachment to his former teammates. The older teen was entirely devoted to the Sannin, of that she had no doubt. Her words needed to be careful now more than ever. Overly-fanatical people could be hard to predict.

"We both agreed to cooperate with anything Orochimaru-sama desired..." Adding the honorific to the insane shinobi left a bitter taste in her mouth. "In exchange for one thing and one thing only...power. Surely, his hand-picked elite guard should have more than enough power to stop the team of genins sent after us?"

"A shameful demonstration, truly," Kimimaro said, apparently conceding her point. "We're heading north of here; they will see us as we enter the territory. Someone will be sent to retrieve you if necessary."

A zealot, definitely, even now unwilling to risk his master's security, instead choosing to give her only a vague sense of direction alongside another warning veiled as advice. The girl repressed a scoff; after the lengths they'd gone through to get outside, it was laughable to think they'd have a sudden change of heart the moment they were close to the snake Sannin's lair. And neither of them was stupid enough to go after someone who was still leagues above them...not yet, at least.

Before a response could fall from her lips, she felt it. Naruto's presence was getting closer to them, attempting to pass them so he could block them. A shiver ran down her spine as she realized there was something off about her childhood friend's chakra. It was different...feral, in a way.

The Kyuubi's chakra was starting to slip through the seal.

Right, intense emotional responses were what triggered the boy. And this was clearly as emotional a situation as the boy had faced so far. Her keeping quiet had to be making his frustration and fear mount more with each passing minute. She bit her tongue. This could get out of control if things continued like this...

Without waiting, Naruto jumped in front of them.

"You..."

"Kagome!" Uzumaki Naruto screamed, ignoring the Oto nin and focusing only on her. "Kagome! Why are you playing along with this?!"

Turning her face away was more painful more than getting hit would've been. Of course this would happen. Of course Naruto would get hurt by this. Being left behind and alone inside a village full of people who mostly hated him...with no explanation and nothing but useless apologies given. Any answers they could give him would only place him in danger; his sense of justice would push him to loudly complain and ask for investigations to be done. No...the only way for the boy to remain safe was to stay here, ignorant...at least until all of them were strong enough to be able to protect themselves against whoever had pulled the strings before.

"What does Orochimaru wants?!" Finally, the blond turned to question their white-haired escort. "Why is he after my friends?!"

"Orochimaru-sama has already completed the jutsu of immortality." Despite the words being directed to Naruto, Kagome could feel Kimimaro's gaze on her, observing her reactions. "In order to acquire all jutsu and the entire world, he needs time..."

"What does that have to do with Sasuke or Kagome?!"

"Immortality doesn't necessarily indicate the permanence of his body...he must replace his body with a newer and stronger one before his current one succumbs," Kimimaro explained calmly.

"That..." Horror laced Naruto's voice; the heiress felt the same. "That's what they are for?!"

It...sounded impossible.

And yet, the memory of the molten skin falling from the man's face back in the forest, she couldn't bring herself to deny that a man like that could possibly do it. That it would require consistent sacrifices didn't surprise her...and now, it made sense why the Sannin was so taken with the idea of getting his hands on them both. Why he didn't quite care enough as to who it was who ended up getting marked. Sooner or later, he planned on taking control of both of their bodies and potentially...use her to procure future ones...

Nausea pooled inside her, threatening to crack her facade.

It didn't matter.

This didn't matter, she reminded herself. According to the other four, they were already too late, and she'd get them out of there before the sickening Sannin had a chance to try.

"Yes..." It was as if Kimimaro couldn't comprehend the horrors of the implication of his words. "Exactly."

"I won't let you do such a thing!"

The Kyuubi's chakra exploded as dozens of clones appeared all around them, the markings on all of her friend's clones' cheeks appearing ragged and far more pronounced than she'd ever seen them. His pupils, now thin and elongated, changed as the fox's power seeped through the seal.

"Interesting."

Like one...they all rushed at them, growls coming all around as anger guided his movements.

Jumping back was the only option left as the giants crash-landed on the branch he'd been standing on. Shit, this was definitely not good.

As the sound of the flute resonated, all three beings moved.

Sound-based, wordless commands...the difficulty level just seemed to escalate more and more with every second, didn't it? Well, he supposed there was nothing he could do about it but make sure every single one of his moves counted.

"You've got nowhere to run, sewer rat!"

"You're not bad...a well-timed diversion attack using all three of them." That left him with absolutely no openings when she decided to use that jutsu. "It must've taken a lot of practice. It looks like a pretty complicated note."

"How impressive, not only did you realize that my flute is controlling these beasts..." The redhead's acknowledgment sounded bitter. "You have also figured out the complexity of this melody. However, you won't be able to completely understand it."

"Of course, I'm not into such things called art."

If that flute was all she was using to control those beasts, there had to be a two to three section or arrangement of sounds within the melody. Those had to be sending specific orders. Not once had he doubted his analytical skills, but this little game was proving to be far more complicated. After all, there was no way he could read those music notes at all.

"There hasn't been anyone who has listened to this melody and lived to talk about it." Information that wasn't helping him at all. "The 9th verse, the turmoil of the pandemonium."

Of course, the melody had to change because he just seemed to have the worst luck of all. Again, he jumped. This time, however, something came out of their mouths. Long white beasts launched themselves straight at him. Shit...he was already airborne...

Twisting in midair, he almost cursed his lack of agility at the same time one of those things reached his arm, passing through instead of biting the limb off.

And they followed as he landed, contorting to go after him. His panicked-thrown shuriken went through them as if nothing was there in the first place. Well, fuck. This was too dangerous. Whatever he did, getting caught by those things would be the end. It would take most of what he had, but...

Precise movements sent the few smoke bombs and explosives he retained on a perimeter, letting the smoke cover the area and giving him time to hide. It was a waste of the few tools he still had available...his eyes flickered to his arm. The one that had been bitten by the monsters and now felt far heavier than the other. Something that ate away at his physical strength then, and considering how his shuriken just went through them, those things couldn't have any mass. Nothing but chakra with an instinct to feed. Even now, the muscles on his hand felt limp. Any more than this, and he wasn't sure he could keep rendering any chakra on his own.

That jutsu...it had to be the same as the kagemane, an extremely specialized jutsu that required a specific chakra, some sort of kekkei genkai, perhaps...so the best way to defeat those three was to get rid of the summoner. The flute would have to go. Though he wasn't confident he possessed the physical ability to slip by those beasts without being caught.

Unless the Nara somehow managed to capture all three with his own jutsu, of course, if he were to miss one of them, that would be the end of it.

Strong at both offense and defense...heck, she might be pretty good at shogi.

So...12 kunais, 9 shurikens, 1 flashing bang, and 1 explosive tag was all the equipment he had left. His taijutsu was negligible at best. His chakra was starting to run somewhat low, and even if it wasn't, none of the jutsus he knew would be in any way effective in this situation, leaving the kagemane as his best card to use. Damn...this made it seem like he was playing the game without his knight and rook.

With a wry smile, he crouched down, hands placed in a familiar pattern. It would be a harsh one...but not impossible. Not just yet, at least. And he was pretty confident that, when it came to these summons, he'd already seen most of their moves. Right now, his first priority was to get rid of those three. Once that was dealt with, he could focus on actually pinning down Tayuya.

He wasn't...thinking right.

The memories of the clones were crushing his consciousness, but Naruto wasn't sure he cared. He couldn't get close to them, no matter where he came from, he just couldn't get neat any of them, and Kagome wasn't moving. He could see her, one hand on the coffin and a conflicted look on her face.

Standing just a few meters away.

But this guy kept moving in a circle around them both, destroying his clones with single blows of something he couldn't even see. Not good...not good, he wasn't supposed to lose his temper. They always said the same, that he lost because his anger got the best of him.

Trying to focus on the memories that came at him, he finally got a good look at the thing that was destroying his kage bunshins. Sharp white bones were coming out of Kimimaro's body, easily slicing them away with a sharpness that shouldn't even be possible at all. Even enraged as he was, the blond had an idea about what this thing was.

"This..." the older teen said as an explanation. "is my bloodline limit."

He could only watch as the protruding bones went back inside his body, leaving only holes in his clothes as evidence that anything ever happened. Tension coiled inside him at his opponent's movements. The white-haired shinobi had pushed down his shirt, the skin of his shoulder cracked open, letting the red muscle show before it also parted, making way to a bone the teen grabbed with casual ease. Pulling the whole thing off of his body, the hole in his body closed once more, except...it wasn't exactly a simple bone anymore...

"It...turned into a sword?"

"There are no ordinary bones." The shurikens thrown by his clone were deflected as if they were made out of plastic. "These bones are compressed to the maximum density, meaning they are as solid as steel."

"So what?!" He wasn't calm. "I'll break those bones to pieces!"

"I've mastered the five dances...don't assume that you know all of my powers from just looking at them." It was irritating how nothing seemed to affect him. "Behold...the dance of the camellia."

In an instant, a rush of memories made its way into his head, the smoke of his disappearing clones quickly filling the area at a speed that was just absurd. How...just how fast was this guy? And his defense was also stupidly good, there were easily more than 50 clones left, yet not one of them managed to land a single blow.

"And then, there was one." Whatever he wanted to say was forgotten as his eyes caught on to the smoke coming off the coffin. "It's almost time, the first step of Orochimaru-sama's ambition."

A crack had Kagome-chan jumping back, arms raised just a second before the thing seemed to explode, smoke covering the place, wisps of it passing through her form only to vanish as the silhouette of Uchiha Sasuke appeared in the center of it all. Skin darkened by something he couldn't identify that disappeared in the blink of an eye.

"Sasuke..." The name escaped him without his control. "Sasuke...what the hell are you doing with these guys?! Letting Kagome be endangered like that?! Let's head back! Come on!"

It took a second for him to realize that the sound that echoed around the clearing was his friend's laughter. It was...different...unhinged, even.

"Hey...Sasuke." Despite his call, his teammate didn't seem to notice him. "Can't you hear me, dammit!"

Instead of turning to look at him, the Uchiha extended his hand in Kagome's direction. For the first time since this chase began, azure locked into cerulean. He didn't need to hear to understand the words forming on her lips as the girl took a step forward, fingers closing around Sasuke's in a determined motion. There were unshed tears in her eyes when she turned around. The girl forced the Uchiha to linger for just a heartbeat before all but vanishing.

"Hey!" His voice felt like it was cracking. "Wait, Sasuke! Kagome!"

"Useless..." the shinobi he'd been ignoring was behind him. "Die."

Shit.

He wouldn't turn in time.

Preparing himself for the pain, Naruto almost didn't see the bright green that rushed past him, leg extended in a kick that sent his enemy flying backward.

"And you are?"

"Konoha's proud green beast has reincarnated." The loud genin stood proudly. "I am Rock Lee!"

"Thick brows..." he struggled for a second at the sight of Lee standing on his own. "Why...what about your body?"

"Don't worry! Naruto, you gotta go and get those two!" Confident and optimistic, the older genin was definitely back to form. "Leave this guy to me."

"Thick brows, be careful! This guy uses his own bones as weapons."

"Bones..."

"That guy's insanely strong..." if the boy got into this fight without knowing what was going on, it could be dangerous.

"What are you doing?! Hurry, go!" Lee went for a dramatic pose. "Naruto-kun...you made a promise to Sakura-san with your nice guy pose too, didn't you? I will deal with this person! That's a promise!"

Lee was right...and it wasn't just to Sakura that he'd made a promise, hadn't he?

It was to himself, he'd promise he would be there to protect them, to keep them safe...and he would do so...even if it meant having to protect them from their own surprisingly stupid decisions. He still couldn't understand what the hell they were thinking, but it made no difference. If he had to drag them both to the village, then Naruto would do so.

At least, Shikamaru figured wryly, this woman wasn't exactly keen on her hearing. Otherwise, the clanking sounds of the metal would've warned her of what was to come. As it was, though, his preparations were finally all set...the only thing he needed to do was actually do it. Nine attacks available, this match would be decided in the time between.

The first kunai landed in the right spot, the smoke covering the branch Tayuya was standing on forcing her to move. The beasts moved without direction, trying to find him. So far, so good. The pieces were all moving within his plans.

Another kunai flew towards the girl, only to be blocked by one of the summons. One that was sent immediately in the direction his last attack came from. A shuriken activated the first trap, sending a third kunai from the opposite direction. Four more blades went flying, and this time...he had it.

"You know what's the most fun about shogi." Landing behind the kunoichi, Shikamaru's arm swiped to activate his last trap. "It's the part where you can use the opponent's pieces you captured as your own."

His shadow extended without trouble, easily reaching the extended ones the flashbang created, all three of them.

"Impossible! How did you figure out the movement of all three?!" Anger warred with disbelief in Tayuya's voice. "There is no way you could've possibly figured the pattern of my melody!"

"I didn't even try to listen to the melody in the first place. There's another thing I can read your command pattern from besides sound," Shikamaru said. "It's your fingers."

"That's not possible!"

"Your right pointer finger and the ring finger." The Nara mimicked the movements. "In addition to that...when you create a melody with your left, middle finger, and pinky...that center-piece of yours hunches forward.

"While you were dodging my attacks and searching for me...I observed every single movement of your fingers and memorized them just like that." He couldn't help but smile as Tayuya failed to make them move. "It's not good there. I've got them good and tight with the kagemane no jutsu."

"Fuck!"

"Now, it's my game." And his strategy was working so far. "It's my turn to chase you into a corner with these pawns I've obtained...not alarmed, are we? Why don't you at least ready a blade?"

"This flute is my only weapon! Don't make me repeat this..." Tayuya yelled angrily. "There's not a single soul who has lived to speak of the melody of this flute."

"That's quite a bit of confidence you have there."

Smoke covered the area almost as soon as the chuunin jumped.

"Too bad you couldn't use your pawns!"

And...check.

Shock won over rage on the kunoichi's face as her eyes finally found his shadow firmly attached to hers. His strategies still worked quite well, after all.

"The kagemane was a success." Thankfully. "Didn't I tell you before? I'd corner you with those pawns. I just used those three as a feint. The initial strike was a diversion. It's the simplest of all basics to land with the second move."

The moment he saw the marks appearing and multiplying before he could make a move, Shikamaru had to hold back the urge to curse. Especially once his enemy's whole body changed colors and horns came out of her head. Like one of those oni portraits some religions like to depict. "What the..."

"Looks like you're pretty clever." Tayuya almost growled. "But from now on, cleverness means nothing!"

He felt the strain on his jutsu, even as his head struggled to comprehend the fact that she was forcing her body to move through his jutsu...an absurd amount of chakra pushing through and forcing the binding away. Shit, this was bad. At this rate, his kagemane wouldn't last long enough for him to do a single thing. With no more weapons and his chakra as it was, if Tayuya broke the binding, that would really be it for him.

This was not a jutsu he was fond of...but there was no other choice here.

The shadows on her feet morphed, forming hands that moved up her body; the kage kubi shibari was different from his usual shadow binding. The pressure the shadows could apply now was real...and the strangulation they were capable of, undeniable...under normal circumstances at least.

They weren't close enough...at this distance, it wouldn't kill her fast enough. Already, she was placing the flute on her lips. With the first note, Shikamaru's surroundings became fuzzy. Sound-based genjutsu.

Of course it would be...

Fine, he could work with it. He'd figured the woman out already; this would work. It had to.

His last kunai landed on a branch, missing the kunoichi.

"Hmph, what are you aiming at?"

His world bled around him, wires holding up his arms, legs bound as well...and his flesh melted...liquifying right there. The skin on his arms dripped from his limbs, leaving nothing but his bones where muscle once was. The scream that ripped his throat was his own. Real and raw as the nightmarish vision filled his head, and it was all he could do to remember this was nothing more than an illusion. His connection to his own chakra, the only thing keeping him sane.

Until the pain hit.

"How do you feel now? Being held up?" And the Oto kunoichi was back to arrogance. "Now die, trash!"

Now, this was the right position.

This time, his shadow was stronger as it tied the woman in a bind before retreating from his own broken finger. The pain lingered.

"How many times do I have to tell you the first hand is a feint. It's the most basic thing to land with the second hand." He talked as a way to keep himself focused on his task. "Of course, this second hand is not the same as before; the kage kubi shibari can bind the opponent stronger as the distance gets closer."

"Dammit...I got too close."

"That's not where you failed," he retorted. "It's when you said you're only weapon was that flute."

"It can't be...?!"

Yes...I threw that dagger in front of you intending to miss, so you'd pick it up and approach me." Maybe his acting wasn't quite at the level Kagome showed when fighting Neji, but his planning was just as good, if not better.

Hmph, I must admit, you've some guts for a shithead." It was annoying, worrying, that the woman still wasn't worried...

He had a bad feeling he was missing something.

"We're heading north. Apparently, they'll notice us as soon as we're close enough." Kagome glanced at her left; Sasuke was right at her side. "And it looks like they ran out of time for whatever it was they were planning."

"You're intuition was right then." Sasuke praised her.

It was still there, the pride in her abilities and talents. Some tension left her, though the grip she kept on the Uchiha's hand was still tight enough his blood flow had to be suffering right now. Then again, his grip on hers was also quite punishing. For a second, she'd worried when she felt his chakra burst from the coffin.

There had always been a darkness in the boy's aura, one she remembered feeling since she could remember. It had been easy to disregard. Sasuke had been spoilt, but he'd been kind as well (to her, at least); more importantly, he cared about Kagome, not the Higurashi heiress. So happily, the girl continued by his side, even when that darkness seemed to grow after the massacre. It almost enveloped him when talking about his clan now, hatred seeping through every word, but that moment, that moment...had been different.

Completely unrestrained, joyful, even.

But it was alright.

As long as he saw Kagome, just Kagome, she would gladly place her life in his hands. This was their bond. It made sense, after all. What tied them together was as much love as it was suffering. Pain and hatred bound them together, just like their affection and care did. Besides, it wasn't like it was only him who held darkness inside. She had long since jumped into the void too.

"We're being followed." Her voice was somehow firm.

"Let me guess..."

She nodded, "Tsunade-sama must've sent reinforcements; this is too fast."

The statues of two out of the three founders were already in sight, but Naruto was too close now.

"Hasn't stopped even once, has he?" There was a tightness in his words.

"We knew it would happen..." They just didn't have the kind of luck that would've kept the blond from catching up. "He will be out of bounds once we cross the border."

"Like that will matter," Sasuke scoffed.

"I'll just..." The girl tried to move her hand to form the needed seals, only to be stopped by the Uchiha's grip.

"No, it won't be enough this time," Sasuke said, voicing the words she didn't want to acknowledge.

With a surge of chakra, they made the jump to land on top of the statue of the Uchiha clan's founder. This was it...the memorial that divided the countries.

"Sasuke! Kagome!" Naruto's yell reverberated through the air. "What, are you gonna run away?!"

This time, simply ignoring their childhood friend would not be enough. This had to be the end of his chase. Whether he liked it or not.

The grip on her hand tightened in a familiar pattern, and Kagome could only smile bitterly before letting go of his hand. She'd already tried to plead with the blond to step back and let them go, and she wasn't naive enough to think this time would be any different. Already, leaving the boy behind was threatening to make her carefully crafted persona fall apart. As good as she was with lying and hiding her emotions, it did nothing to stop her from actually feeling said emotions, and the feeling of hurting someone she loved was far too different from anything she'd ever done. To anyone else, she could verbally stab or heal alike. To anyone else, she could deceive with no guilt gnawing at her entrails...to Naruto, however...she didn't trust herself not to slip.

Getting him to stop following them would have to fall on Sasuke's shoulders.

"Hey, moron." The tone was slightly off; had Naruto been in a proper state of mind, he would've probably noticed. "So...you really don't get it, do you? What's with the grim face, moron?"

"Why...Sasuke..." The blond was visibly fighting to get the words out. "What made you like this?! Why?! Can't you see Kagome-chan is struggling?!"

"She's not someone you have the right to care about any longer; besides, what does any of this...have to do with you?" Sasuke was clearly channeling every bit of mocking derision he could find into the mocking sentences. "We have our own path, and we won't let anyone lead us any other way...no matter who it is. Let me make this clear to you, our childish games with Konoha are over. Go back."

"Chouji, Neji, Kiba, Shikamaru, Lee...they all risked their lives to follow you here." Anger was seeping into Naruto's tone.

"Good for them."

She wasn't surprised when the blond jumped, rage painted all over his features. Sasuke always knew how to push his buttons. "What the hell are you thinking about your own comrades?!"

Before the girl could do anything, she felt a hand pushing her away. Her feet struggled for balance at the same time Naruto's fist landed on the Uchiha, throwing him to the floor. His arm was already raised, prepared for a second hit.

"Sasuke! Na...!"

"Don't!" Sasuke's voice cut through her. "Don't intervene, Kagome...he has to understand this game of house of ours is over now."

Her steps faltered. This was cruel...far too cruel...but it was necessary. Biting her lip, the Higurashi heiress stepped back, fists clenched and legs trembling...but determined.

"So, do I get stronger staying with those...comrades," Sasuke spat out. "We're going to Orochimaru."

"Orochimaru was the one who killed the Sandaime and tried to destroy Konoha!" Naruto was yelling now, rage lacing every word. "You think he's just gonna give you some power for free?! He just wants to use your body as a container; Kagome heard it as well! You might not come back! You might get killed and leave her alone! Leave her alone with that freak! I can't let you go to somewhere like that!"

"I don't care...neither of us do, do we, Kagome?" Sasuke turned to look at her.

She could see it in his eyes, the apology for involving her despite it all. If the Higurashi girl remained silent, however, Naruto would keep going no matter what.

"Sacrifices...have to be made..." Getting the words past her throat felt like trying to swallow glass. "We already know that..."

"See, all we care about is that we accomplish our objective." The Uchiha took over once more. "I can't help it if you get in the way."

"You can't do it." Disbelief, fury, confusion, it all seemed to swirl on the cerulean pools. "I'll take you back if I have to use force!"

"Don't intervene, Kagome." Sasuke could probably see her hesitation through her act. "If it's a fight he wants, then a fight is what he'll get."

Taking a step backward, the girl nodded silently. She'd had a feeling there would be no other way for a while now...but as things were, they had no choice. Naruto had to stop following them, and the only way he would do that was for him to be physically unable to keep up with his chase. Any genjutsu used could wear off before anyone found him and dragged him back to Konoha...he would have to be literally beaten down.

"Just...please...be careful."

o-o-o-o-o-o-

OMAKE

It felt..different.

To push his sand to move, knowing this time, it would save a life instead of extinguishing it.

That said life was the exact same one Gaara once sought to destroy out of what he could now recognize was jealousy only made things odder. Still, this was all a way to repay some of the enormous debt he owed the two of the three main people involved in all this. And if the situation his siblings were interrupting were anywhere close to this one, he supposed the new Hokage's gut feeling had been quite right in asking for their aid.

"Gaara of the Desert..." There wasn't fear on Rock Lee's face, surprisingly enough.

"...so it was you..." The enemy seemed to have redirected his focus.

Sand swirled inwards as his automatic sand shield seemed to struggle to fully stip the...were those bones?...that had been launched towards him. So this man had more than just close combat techniques under his sleeve.

"You're too hasty," he said. "When you fought me before, you had more speed and edge to your moves..."

"...as if you had nothing to do with it." Right, an injury like the one Gaara had caused...it was a miracle the older boy was still jumping around. "I'm not holding any grudges, but I've gone through quite the hassle because of you."

That...was not the usual reaction people had towards the person who'd almost killed them...more than once. He should know. Then again, the redhead supposed, unusual reactions from young genins in this place almost felt like the norm now. "...I see."

"But, why are you here?"

"I owe Konoha a large debt."

Silently, Lee moved to his side. Arms already raised in a stance that made his intention more than evident. Calm eyes went over the boy's injuries. He could see the blood tainting the bandages on the taijutsu specialist's arms and legs. Nothing bad enough to paralyze the teen, but more than enough to become a hurdle.

"I'll handle this."

"No!" His movements may have slowed down, but Lee was as loud as he remembered. "You can be the backup."

Now this felt quite similar to a certain exuberant blond's actions. Now that the redhead thought about it, the green spandex lover and Naruto's sheer determination were alike, that passion for not giving up or letting anyone else interrupt a fight they considered theirs. It was still a foolish decision in this instance.

"Ahh!" The older teen yelped as he fell; sand was grabbing his foot. "Please, let go!"

"You can't do anything right now." Gaara shook his head. "I'll handle this."

"Gaara of the Desert." The Oto nin never stopped observing them. "Like your alias states, you use sand."

"His attacks are based on bones. He can throw bones like he did before or pull them out of his body. He can control them any way he likes," Lee warned him.

Yes...he could already see the sharp bones of the man's ribs sink back into his skin as the tips of his fingers tore open. Not a drop of blood came out of it. Jumping into the air to change the direction of the projectiles made no difference. His hardened sand blocked them all the same.

"What an idiotic alias..." Despite all the running around, Kimimaro didn't sound tired. "You can't do anything unless you have sand."

Physically exhausting him wasn't an option; he'd have to strategize for this one. Sending sand from above, Gaara focused on the minerals underground. There was more to his sand than what he'd shown yet. The new sand grabbed onto his enemy's feet.

"But if I have sand, I can do anything." Sending more sand to wrap around the man, he extended his hand in a familiar move. "You're the foolish one; it doesn't take any effort for me to create sand from the ground."

"You got him!"

"Not yet."

Closing his fist, Gaara watched as crimson began to seep through the sand; for once, he couldn't feel the voice in his head claim for more. And yet...from the splashes of crimson, his enemy crawled out, dark marks staining his skin. At once, he understood what had happened...really, this Kimimaro may not house any sort of demon, but the word still seemed to fit.

"Those bones...he's another monster."

"That is a troublesome body." Idly, he wondered if Lee's attacks would even make a dent at this point.

"What pressure." The man's voice was distorted now. "If I didn't create these bone masks right under my skin, I would've been crushed. I was taking you too lightly...but this sand will never catch me again!"

Killing intent surrounded the area; chakra was coming from him. Not wasting a second, Gaara sent his own to the ground, forming more sand, pushing his own inhuman amount of strength into creating waves of sand that rose from the ground. The forest around them turned into a desert.

"Did you get him?"

"No..."

He could feel his enemy under the sand; he must've used his bones again to withstand the weight of the mass covering him.

Sabaku Taisoku

"...how persistent..."

Kimimaro was pushing through the sand, moving through it, and getting outside of his makeshift desert. Irritation pooled inside the redhead as he continued to send his sand against him. In a way, it was reminiscent of how Higurashi Kagome had evaded all his attacks. Then again, considering his attacks were landing but being shrugged off, Gaara supposed this was far more irritating.

The next time his opponent ran out of his sand coffin, the dark stains covered his whole body, bone protruding from his back, giving him a beast-like quality with even a bone tail moving behind. Kimimaro was faster now; the sand wouldn't catch him now...instead, the redhead willed the material to rise, creating a shield between them that was shattered with a single punch...the sand on his skin cracked but didn't quite shatter.

"Your absolute defense which has garnered such praise...is this its limit? This is a real shame..." It wasn't hard to know when the guy noticed the cracks on his armor. But of course, you were covered in sand, to begin with..."

"He's not your only opponent!" Lee was jumping at the man from behind...Gaara wanted to groan. "Have you forgotten about me?!"

Unsurprisingly, the man didn't even flinch at the jump; no, someone who'd endured his sand burials wouldn't be moved with any regular kick. Seeing the tail move, the redhead rushed his sand, barely moving it enough to absorb some of the impact that sent Lee to the ground.

"This sand of yours is starting to annoy me...you'll be the first to die, Gaara!"

Truly a monster... no human should be able to just pull out their own spinal cord to use as a whip.

Sand covered his own body just in time to become a barrier between the new whip and stop it from exerting any pressure. But now, bones were coming out from the man's arm, twisting around it to create a bizarre lance tip around it. " This is the thickest bone in my body...it will be easy to pierce through you and your pathetic defense of sand."

Not once had he truly needed to use this in combat...Gaara would acknowledge the man; this was the first time he'd been pushed far enough for him to order the sand into the Tanuki-shaped barrier in front of him. There was no point in struggling inside the whi['s hold; the sand around him wasn't solid enough to push it away...so he poured his chakra into the barrier, even when the impact became evident. The sounds of bones cracking reverberated through the artificial desert.

"It's solid indeed."

"From underground, I collect the strongest minerals...with chakra, I pressurize them into dense sand around me." He could see the frustration in the man's eyes. "You...that specialist ability, it's a bloodline limit, isn't it?"

"The Kaguya clan...now, it's my ability alone."

"You're the last of the clan." Somehow, Gaara felt that was a much more common story than it should, but it didn't change the situation. "That means that here and now, your clan will be finished."

"Heh...maybe, because of my body's illness, I won't last long, but...that destruction will not happen, for I am not alone." It was odd; he really couldn't hear any fear or regret in the man's voice as he spoke of his end. "While I am fulfilling Orochimaru-sama's aspirations, I will stay in Orochimaru-sama's heart forever."

"Orochimaru's brainwashing..." Total and absolute, that man seemed to enjoy playing god with others, it would seem. "You're soulless."

Directing the inhuman amount of chakra at his command, Gaara willed it to create a circle around the man and pulled down. Quicksand swallowed Kimimaro down.

"You'll sink to a depth of 200 meters underground and be held there; with the pressure of the sand clinging to your body, you'll immediately be unable to move even a finger."

"It's finished..." From his place, Lee finally spoke again, awe was evident in his voice...that too felt odd. "It's over now, isn't it?"

"Mae..." The voice came from the sound...despite it being impossible. "Sawarabi no mae!"

Bones pierced the ground upwards, covering every spot his sand used to be on. Cursing silently, Gaara ordered the sand that remained to lift them both up.

"You...you saved me..." The disbelief, Gaara was used to, the gratitude not so much. "You're amazing, to be able to do something like this!"

"I was always able to use the sand to carry me...It's a simple task." Honestly, he wasn't quite sure how to respond. "...he was a stubborn person, but this is the end...he won't come back out."

"It's not brainwashing..." The impossible words came from behind...from the bone spikes. "It's all my own reasoning." Turning back, he couldn't believe the sight of Kimimaro launching at them, the bone lance covering his arm. "What the hell would you know?!"

His arms raised instinctively, sand rushing to move, it wouldn't be fast enough, he wouldn't...

The pain didn't come.

Nothing did...blood was flowing from the man's mouth...the illness...

He was sweating by the time he managed to get the sand to drop them off on the edge of the bone forest.

"We would've been completely beaten, wouldn't we?"

"No, that's wrong," Lee spoke without hesitation. "My teacher said to me that luck is a part of real strength..."

"That meddler..."

"He's not a meddler!" In a heartbeat, the tired genin was screaming once more. "That was because of my own cowardice! Stop talking about my sensei that way!"

"You too...if the one you admire is insulted, you become enraged..." It was hard to deny the parallels. "If the person you admire is important to you..." And not just with the teen sitting by his side. "He...was the same as Uzumaki Naruto...only, the person that's important to you isn't always good."

"You don't have to take someone bad as your important person."

Those words...were naive, evidence of someone who'd lived his life surrounded by others...someone who couldn't understand it.

"No..." The words left him without thought. "Even if you know they're bad...a person can't defeat loneliness."

Was that what had happened, he wondered...

Higurashi Kagome and Uchiha Sasuke had been very much alone the last time he'd seen them both. Every time he spotted them without the blond jinchuuriki by their sides, it was obvious just how isolated they were from the rest. Even though they clung to each other, there was still pain that refused to leave them.

But if that were the case...what were they chasing that had such a strong pull that made them leave behind the one person that had soothed that loneliness?

A/N: I'd already written half of the Gaara vs Kimimaro fight when I realized it broke the pacing of the story, but since I already had so much written already I ended up placing it at the end as an omake, and so here it is. And things are definitely getting quite dramatic now, with Naruto finally catching up to them. In a way things are going to be more tense considering unlike canon, the relationship between all three of them is far stronger than the original team 7.

As always, thank you guys so much for reading and any and all review/criticism/comment is greatly appreciated.