Naruto: The Uchiha Chronicles Re-Version:
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Arc V: Kusanoka's Revenge:
Chapter 28: Hunter and Hunted
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The silver needle pierced Sasuki's pale bicep with ease. An uncomfortable pinch was followed by the unnerving sensation of the liquid pumping into her muscles. She breathed in harshly. Her nostrils filled with the stench of rotten leaves. That didn't help with her discomfort at all. She had to fight down the urge to throw up.
"Dammit I hate needles!" Sasuki cursed. Kakashi had already gotten his dose and went off to make some sort of preparations. He was rather vague on the details.
Kneeling beside her, Sakura giggled as she pulled the vial away from her arm. "Oh, don't be such a big baby. Who would've thought Sasuki Uchiha–badass kunoichi that can take a cut from a knife without flinching–would be afraid of a little old needle?" She teased.
"I'm not scared!" Sasuki snapped. Her lip curled in disgust. "I just don't like them. It feels weird."
Far from being chastised, Sakura giggled at her. "Sure, whatever you say Ms. Moody."
Both of them froze at the use of Naruto's teasing nickname for her. The weight of what was ahead of them crashed down on her. The breath seized in her chest and her body flushed with a paradoxical hot and cold sensation. A gentle hand squeeze jerked her out of her panic. When she looked up, Sakura gave her a reassuring smile.
"Don't worry, we'll catch them. Afterall, there's two of us that can fight now that I'm 'not holding you back'." She said.
Sasuki felt her lips twitch. How long had it been since she'd thought that during the bell test? Suddenly, she heard the crack of a twig. For a brief moment she tensed and reached for her tanto. In her peripheral she saw Sakura draw a kunai. A few tense seconds passed. The sound of nails scrabbling on rock eased her worry. It was most likely one of Kakashi's summons. Sure enough seconds later a furry face with a smooshed brown snout popped out from behind one of the trees and padded towards them across the rocky ground.
Pakkun eyed Sakura's kunai. "You're not uh, planning to use that on me are ya?"
Sakura blushed in embarrassment. A muscle jerked in Sasuki's face. She had to take a deep breath to calm herself. The dogs flippant attitude grated on her nerves. Just like the man who summoned it. 'They're a perfect pair.'
"Tch, whatever. Any news?" She asked. The pug bobbed his head sharply.
"Yep. Is Kakashi around?" He asked.
Her pulse quickened. Did they have actual actionable info? "He's off somewhere making some sort of preparations. Not sure what. You'll have to find him yourself or wait." She answered.
"No need. I'm done." Kakashi said as he emerged from the tree-line. There was a scroll clutched in his hand. He barely spared Sakura and her a glance. Instead he opted to focus his attention on his summon. "What do you have?"
"We managed to track Naruto to some old cabin a couple miles west of here. We couldn't get too close. It's clear there's only the five of them, though, and one of them has chakra that smells awfully similar to the leader." Pakkun told them
"Hmm, sound's like Koroshi, Hiroshi's brother. It figures he'd have that psycho with him." Kakashi muttered. "Continue." He urged Pakkun.
The pug snorted. "They were preparing to leave. It looked like they had been preparing to destroy the cabin. My guess is they're headed North for the border with the Land of Rain. Some of the others went ahead to follow."
Kakashi's eye darted to the side, as though trying to recall something. "They could be making a break for the border. Once they enter the Land of Rain we can't pursue them." He mused. "Though I find it more likely Hiroshi intends to find a place to make a stand so he can negotiate for Sasuki or just snatch her. If I recall there's supposed to be a long defunct mine that would give them the edge in an ambush."
Pakkun tilted his head curiously. "Where exactly is this mine?" Pakkun asked.
Sasuki grit her teeth as Kakashi dug into his supply pouch and brought out a folded up, wrinkled map. Even if it was necessary, the thought of more delays when they were so close to departing was beyond annoying.
Heedless of her irritation her sensei unfolded the map and placed it on the ground. "We're here." Kakashi said. He pointed to a spot near some small blue lines, and then to a point near a particular large blue line. "This is the mine. It used to be the main source of ore for the Village of Artisans. A plateau with nothing but rock cliffs on all sides save one, and the last side will give them access to a river that takes them directly through the Hidden Rain and into their own country." He stated, moving his finger along the river as he spoke.
It was impossible to tell with his dog face, but if Sasuki didn't know any better she'd swear Pakkun frowned.
"Huh, you might be right. The cabin is somewhere here." With his paw, the pug pointed to a spot that was slightly further away from theirs. It was much closer to the mine Kakashi pointed out. "Based off what you said, they're moving in the mines direction." The urge to take off immediately was almost overwhelming. Their enemies had a head start heading to the mine. Based off what Kakashi said once they reached there they'd have almost no chance to retrieve Naruto by force. They couldn't let that happen.
"They're going to have a head start on us Sensei, what do we do? "Sakura asked nervously.
There was an unbearable silence following her words. Sasuki clenched her hand so tightly her knuckles turned bone white. Every second they waited was another lost towards cutting them off.
Finally Kakashi spoke. "Normally I'd suggest a simple smash and grab. We're plenty fast enough to catch up using the Teleportation Jutsu, but there's a problem with that." He said.
"Well, what is it!" Sasuki growled. Kakashi shot her a chastising glare but she paid it no mind.
"The problem is like I mentioned Hiroshi is a sensor. It's what makes him so dangerous. He'll sense us coming if we use any extra chakra. Now if you don't mind, listen up. This isn't the time to lose our heads." He said harshly.
It galled her, but Sasuki had to admit the man made a good point. She closed her eyes and took a few calming breathes. Five seconds in through the nose. Seven seconds out through the mouth. Repeat. They soothed her, and when she opened her eyes she gave Kakashi a nod of acknowledgement. "Sorry." She mumbled.
"Don't be sorry, be better." He chastised. Without another word he turned back to the map and pointed to a spindly blue line that seemed to wind fairly straight towards the mine from nearby where they were. "When I went off I inspected this river to see how swift it moves. Despite being relatively narrow it moves swiftly3. Using this we're going to put on rebreathers and travel with the current. It should put us ahead of them about here." Kakashi said. He tapped a bend in the tiny river that took it almost into the path Hiroshi's group would presumably be taking.
Her dark eyes widened. She realized his plan. "You want to overtake them and set our own ambush."
Kakashi nodded sharply. "Hiroshi is a great sensor, but that's also a weakness. Because he was such a problem, my sensei helped me develop a seal that can jam the abilities of sensors. Unfortunately I can't make them on my own, but I still have a few left. Once we get there I'll use it and you and I will confront them head on." He replied.
"What about me, do I just stay back for cover or something?" Sakura asked quickly. There was just the slightest hint of annoyance in her voice. Surprisingly, the pink-haired girls eyes were dancing with a fire Sasuki wasn't used to seeing–though one she knew well. She saw it in the mirror all the time.
'She wants to prove herself.' She thought.
If Sakura was expecting a similar rebuke to what Sasuki had been given, she was in for a surprise. Kakashi chuckled lightly at her question. "Actually, you have the most important part." He said. "You're going to create a clone to stand next to Sasuki and I. While some of my ninja hounds flare their chakra to throw them off, I want you to use the Hidden Mole Jutsu to sneak over to try and retrieve Naruto and administer the antidote. Aside from me you're the best at using it."
Sakura blinked owlishly. It almost seemed like she was surprised to be given such an important role. Hell, a few months ago Sasuki would be tempted to agree with her. As it was, Kakashi was right. Sakura was the one with the best chance of sneaking up on them besides himself, and he was the one Hiroshi would be most focused on so it was better someone else try and do that. They couldn't just rely on the seal.
"Sounds like a good plan. Can we hurry up and get going then?" She said sharply.
She paid no heed to the even more shocked look from Sakura. Instead her gaze was fixed firmly on Kakashi. There was a distinct impression he was giving her a teasing smirk. "Sure, sure. We can go get your boyfriend." He said.
Despite the tense situation Sasuki felt heat flood her cheeks. "I–he's not–guh! Stupid scarecrow!" She growled with a scowl.
Being the cheeky bastard he was, Kakashi had already moved on to ordering Pakkun to inform the other hounds about the orders. With a sharp nod the dog turned and dashed back into the bushes. Sooner than she could really comprehend, Kakashi had packed up the map and was already turning to walk towards where she could hear the sound of the river.
"Well, you coming?" He asked with a raised eyebrow as he glanced over his shoulder. The giggle from Sakura didn't help matters.
"Tch, idiots. I'm on a team of idiots." She muttered.
Nevertheless, Sasuki followed Kakashi towards the river. Time was of the essence, and she wanted to make every second count.
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Hwhah-khrhh … Hwhah-khrhh
The sound of her breath reverberated through Sasuki's body. It was joined by the muted bubbling of the water. The current was strong. She felt at once like she was floating and like some inexorable force was dragging her forward. Her hair floated around her in a soaked raven halo. A thin film of chakra covered her ears and protected the radio device she wore.
All around her there was semi-darkness, save for a tiny bit of light that filtered down from above. Grey rocks covered in green algae flashed past. Occasionally she'd feel a jet of shifting water or the slimy touch of a narrow body as fish wriggled by. They'd been in the water for quite a while. The radio crackled in her ear.
"This is Kakashi. We're approaching the bend. Remember, focus the chakra like a blade at your hands to help you cut through the current." He ordered. His voice was muffled and heavy.
Sasuki felt her heart rate quicken. It was almost time. "Understood." She replied.
"Acknowledged." said Sakura.
True to Kakashi's words she could see the river bottom twist beneath them. In an instant she channeled chakra to the tips of her fingers. 'Sharp like a blade' She thought. Her arms darted forwards into an arrow point and she pumped her legs furiously up and down. Just like that, there was a shift. All of a sudden the tug of the current seemed to disappear, and she rocketed through the water towards the bank.
The river bottom rose up to meet her. Littered with stones worn smooth with time. Soon enough Sasuki could feel the warmth of the sun through the water. She thrust her head above the surface a second later. Not long after her feet made purchase on the rocky shelf. A casual application of chakra made sure she wasn't going anywhere despite the slick algae underfoot. The current tugged at her waist but it was easily ignored. Within a few trudging steps her upper body was out of the water. Her clothes clung heavily to her skin.
Sasuki reached up and eagerly tore the rebreather from her face. She let out a sigh of relief as the uncomfortable heat of the mask was replaced with a cool and refreshing breeze.
After a second enjoying the fresh air, she took closer stalk of the surroundings. They stood on the edge of a bank of smooth grey rock. Not too far away a shadowed cluster of trees stood. As she glanced north, Sasuki thought she could just make out the form of that mine her sensei had mentioned. Towering grey cliffs cut into unnatural angles. It had to be several miles away still.
Ahead of her, Kakashi had already made it to shore. His gravity defying hair was a shade darker. It drooped about his face. The dark green flak-jacket he wore looked black. It made the red spiral stand out all the more.
Spliish-plt-plt-plt …
Glancing over her shoulder, Sasuki caught sight of Sakura emerging from the water. Water cascaded off her in drizzling lines. Her sodden hair clung to her face and her dress hung heavily about her knees. There was a fierceness in her gaze that betrayed the sharp focus she had.
Together they gathered on the shore. The rock turned slick and black underfoot, but they paid it no mind. A cool breeze swept across her skin making it break out in goosebumps. It was only Kakashi's warning about Hiroshi's sensing that stayed her hand from using a fire chakra trick to herself up. She froze mid-step. Images flashed through her mind. Trudging through knee-deep snow with Naruto. Being upset at being out so late. A warm house where an old man had waited. Come to think of it … it was Naruto that helped her learn that trick less than a year later. 'He probably used it while I was freezing my ass off.' Instead of anger, for some stupid reason the thought brought her to the brink of tears.
"Okay, time to set up. We have about two-hundred yards to go to reach the intercepting point. Let's move swiftly but quietly." Kakashi ordered.
Sasuki quickly blinked away the not tears. She was quick to follow as Kakashi turned and began padding swiftly and silently towards the forest. Without the use of chakra they were back to the basics of stealth. Nothing but their wits and dexterity to move about. Together they wound through the gaps in the ground cover. Her eyes were fixed ahead, noting where there were flat spots free of twigs and debris to place her feet. Without even realizing it, she found herself falling into a rhythm she'd been taught years ago. Her body relaxed and went with the flow. She could hear her mother's voice from one of their many training sessions.
"You have to be like a cat. Don't look down, look up. See the bigger picture. Try and balance yourself so you can stop when you feel something underfoot."
For once the voice of one of her family didn't serve as a distraction. It was a guide, and it helped her move like she needed to. Sasuki stalked through the forest like a silent wraith, just like the tigers and cats her mother taught her to emulate. She could hear Sakura's sharp changes in breath as she tried to follow along much more clumsily, but Sasuki shoved it to the back of her mind. Besides, her teammate was doing a pretty good job being quiet herself.
They continued for quite a ways. Finally, Kakashi halted on the edge of a … empty space. It was too small to call a clearing, but big enough that it was more than a gap in the trees. No more than fifteen meters across at the widest part, the lopsided area was encased in an ominous dome of foliage that glowed a sickly green. The air was heavy with the choking smell of the clover that blanketed the ground.
A tan, narrow snout suddenly poked through the underbrush. One of Kakashi's ninja hounds popped his head out from the bushes. The dog looked rather mopey, with drooping ears and dark marks around his eyes.
"Ah, good. I'm glad you're here Bisuke." Kakashi greeted the dog.
Bisuke wandered over to his master lazily. "Sup Kakashi. Everyone's in position like you told Pakkun."
Kakashi nodded quickly.
"Good, and how far out are the enemy?" He asked.
The dog tilted his head. Most people would have found it adorable. Sasuki–who was on tenterhooks now–just wished the stupid mutt would get on with it.
"Uh, maybe a couple miles. It shouldn't take them more than five minutes to be here." The dog answered.
With his answer given, Kakashi patted the dog on top of his head and said, "Thanks. Go take up your position."
As she watched the dog slink back into the forest, Sasuki felt a weight settle on her shoulders. It was real. They were just a few minutes away from confronting the men that had Naruto, the men that were after her. Her eyes locked on Kakashi when he stood and gave them a serious look.
"Alright, we don't have much time. My ninja hounds have planted explosive tags at key spots along the route Hiroshi and his men should be taking. The second the first one goes off I'm activating the jamming seal." He told them. "The confusion from the tags and his loss of sensing should be just enough to keep Hiroshi from recognizing they're being guided until it's too late. Thankfully their speed works in our favor. Be ready for any impulsive attacks Sasuki. Hiroshi's brother Koroshi is known for having a hair-trigger."
Sasuki nodded sharply in understanding. She didn't trust her voice right now. It was hard to keep her concern bottled up. Tension had tied her stomach in knots. There were a million scenarios going through her head right now. Ways this could go wrong. Ways that Naruto died. It was an unbearable thought.
"Sakura." Said Kakashi, getting Sakura's attention. Her eyes snapped up and met his own gaze. "The second I activate the seal create the clone and go underground. It will be the perfect cover."
The pink-haired girl nodded resolutely. Her eyes were like chips of emerald flint. Firmer than Sasuki had ever seen them. There wasn't a single ounce of doubt or hesitation. It helped to settle her own nerves. If Sakura could be firm in the face of this then there was no way she could be shaky. After all, it wouldn't do to be upstaged even if she was fond of Sakura now.
Boom.
A muffled blast rang out. Even several miles away she could hear it's dull concussion. Instinctively she activated her sharingan. The world slowed to a crawl, and she could see every detail as Kakashi threw the kunai with the seal at lightning speed. THUMP!
There was no flash of light. No explosion. Yet for someone like her the effect was easily noticeable. It felt like a sudden film erupted around them. A thick coating of chakra that snuffed out what little feel for chakra she had. The worst part was the sudden burst across her vision. A dazzling cloud of light blue chakra hung in the air, nearly blinding her. It was so bad she had to deactivate her sharingan and briefly squeeze her eyes shut. While they were closed she was just able to make out the slight–pop–as Sakura created her clone.
Soon the air was filled with even more blasts. Each one sounded closer and closer, like the footsteps of a lumbering giant. Her heartbeat increased with every blast. It was almost time.
Her eyes darted open, and Sasuki took to scanning the treetops. There! She caught a flash of tan and brown amongst the foliage.
BOO-KROOOM!
One last almighty explosion rang through the air. The force pressed down on her eardrums. It felt as if they'd burst. There was a tremendous shrieking groan as the top of one of the trees started to topple to the side. The explosion did its job. Their enemies were forced to leap from the treetops at the last second. One of them–an average looking man with brown hair and a sharp face–tumbled to the ground clumsily. He was just barely able to tuck into a roll and avoid breaking his neck.
A pretty-boy looking guy with silver hair managed to bounce off one of the trees to dissipate some of the force. He landed in a poised crouch not far away from the brown-haired guy.
Bwoom! What had to be the largest–a mountain of a man with stringy black hair– took an altogether different approach. He landed heavily on his feet. It was enough to kick up a small cloud of dust at his feet. Though presumably he instantly regretted his decision as he dropped to one knee.
"Fuck that hurts!" He cursed. A black bundle tumbled from his shoulders. It wasn't until she saw a flash of blond hair that she realized, it was Naruto!
She only got a brief glimpse of his face. Blank and silent, with his eyes closed. Her stomach plummeted. For one terrible moment she was afraid he was dead. It was only because of her sharingan she picked up the rise and fall of his chest.
With great regret, she tore her gaze away from him and instead focused on the two who had handled the fall the best. Aside from the brute, they were undoubtedly the tallest. With a contemptuous ease they landed on their feet, much lighter than the brute had. Her eyes were glued to Hiroshi and his scarred visage. He stood tall amongst the chaos, face set in stone with his green-tinted tan flak jacket standing out next to the dark brown one the man next to him wore.
She couldn't help but notice the resemblance they had. Unlike Hiroshi his face was bare save for a small goatee on his chin. One side of his head was shaven. It was his eyes that gave her pause. They were filled with a mad gleam.
"Nice of you to join us Hiroshi. I think you have something of ours." Said Kakashi. His tone was as lazy as ever on the surface, but there was a steely edge just underneath it.
Hiroshi gazed at them dispassionately, his one eye resembling a chip of acid green ice.
"… I'll make this extremely simple Kakashi. One way or another I'm leaving with the Uchiha Girl. Whether that's the easy way where you still have two students, or the messy where you might not have any, that is entirely up to you." He drawled.
Her eyes narrowed in on their enemy and his followers. Though on the surface they all seemed nonchalant, there was a tenseness about them. Like at any moment they would pounce. Like a pack of wolves. The one that unnerved her the most was the man she assumed to be Hiroshi's brother. His eyes never seemed to stray too far from her. Any time he caught her looking the lanky man would lick his lips suggestively. The entire time one of his hands was caressing the bottom most line of what looked like eight short blades strapped to his back.
"Now I know we're not exactly bosom buddies, but you know me better than to believe I'd accept that Hiroshi." Kakashi replied.
In response to his cheek, Hiroshi swiftly drew one of his kunai blades. Schiing! It gave off a sharp ring as it was drawn.
Her breath became stuck in her throat. Without any hesitation she drew her tanto. It left its sheath with the soft vibration of metal on metal, and the short blade gleamed with a green tint from the lit foliage. The move paradoxically made Hiroshi's brother grin in delight.
"Oh-ho, so the little girly wants to play rough huh? I like that!" He cackled.
The sound of his voice made her skin crawl. It was the type of voice that made her want to take a shower because of how disgusting it felt. While it seemed Hiroshi was all business, she didn't really want to imagine what Koroshi would like to do if they captured her. 'Best make sure that doesn't happen then. Sakura should be just about ready.' She thought.
It was so hard not to look at Naruto. He seemed to have gone mostly forgotten. Any glance his way might draw their attention back towards him. The wait was maddening. Every second felt like an eternity. Her heart hammered in her chest. She couldn't take much more of this.
Just when she thought she couldn't last another second, something happened. Krkrk-shft. There was a tiny sound of shifting earth, and all of a sudden she saw Naruto start to sink into the ground!
She couldn't help it. Try as she might, Sasuki's eyes widened the tiniest fraction. It was more than enough for a shinobi of Hiroshi's stature.
His head snapped around just in time to see Sakura's hands clasped around Naruto.
"NO! STOP HER!" He shouted.
While his men were slow to react. Hiroshi had no such problem. In a blur of pure speed he stood over where Naruto lay, blade rapidly descending to impale him. He was too late.
The ground swallowed Naruto, leaving Hiroshi to stab his blade into the earth with a futile cry of rage.
In that moment, the adrenaline truly kicked in. Sasuki felt at once hyper-focused and lightheaded. Before any of their enemies could react, Kakashi threw a smoke bomb into the ground. Thick white smoke billowed forth, and the world erupted in a cacophony of noise.
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Hey everyone, hope you enjoyed the chapter. Feel free to leave a review and tell me what you thought. I'm always open to critique and I can't know what might be an issue if you don't point it out. In particular I'm always looking for input on how I did with my descriptions and setting the scene.
Anyways, so this chapter we got to see Team 7 make their move. What will come of this, will they get away, or will Hiroshi catch up to them? Chapter 29 is up on my pa treon right now. If you're interested in supporting my works feel free to consider my lowest tier, which starts at just $1. simply typein the patr eon web address and /RinneTaicho to your search bar, or check out my profile on AO3 where there's a link you can copy and paste. Shoutout to the Patrons who help support my work.
In other news, I'm working on the first chapter of my reboot of Naruto: The Death Flash. This version is quite a bit different than the original, but it is more true to the prompt I was given at the time since it was a contest reward for guessing the (at the time) second girl paired with Naruto in the original version of Uchiha Chronicles. He's still paired with Fem-Shikamaru, but there are several differences in his abilities and the story.
Well, that's all for now.
Until next time,
RinneTaicho, Signing Off!
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