Demon of the Hidden Leaf

Ch.14- The Long Road Home and a Rumble on the rooftop; Sauke's pride vs Naruto's resolve!

xXx

Pain. She'd felt it before; from a papercut to broken bones. But never before had Shizune experienced what it was like to have her entire stomach savagely torn open. It burned, as if someone had lit the digestive sack on fire, yet there was also a terrible pulsing that rippled from where the woman knew her bellybutton should be and spread across her entire body.

Her body. Shizune didn't even feel being thrown through the air, her nerves never even registered hitting the earth. No, all that could be felt was that same burning, that same nauseating pulse, as Shizune lay on her side bleeding from the gaping hole in her body.

She was the apprentice of Tsunade Senju, the world's most renowned medic, and had healed a variety of injuries both mundane and life threatening over the years...but never before had the young woman been required to stitch together her own organs back together. There was no training for this sort of thing, no scenario that could be run, only the hope that such a fate could be avoided. Or that, in that very moment, Shizune would be of sound enough mind to mend herself.

She wasn't.

What Shizune was, was a terrible cocktail of shock and fear swirling around the burning numbness of her injury. Did she want to die? Of course not. But her mind wasn't in the right state to recall just which techniques she needed to repair the damage done to her stomach. Besides, the pain was starting to fade anyway, so why worry? And this...warmth that she could feel taking its place felt like she'd just climbed into a futon left to bask in the days light. Hmm~ A mischievous smirk made its way to the woman's face; a nap did sound nice. She'd been walking around with Lady Tsunade for hours and her body was tired...

Surely...she could close her eyes for a fiveminutes...and she'd be up again soon...

...Okay...maybe six minutes...

xXx

"MS. SHIZUNE!"

All activity around the battlefield ground to a screeching halt at the sound of Naruto's desperate cry. The three Sannin whipped their heads to look, and Tsuande's amber eyes widened in horror at the sight of her apprentice with her face in the dirt, blood soaking the front her her mesh shirt.

Shizune. Her first apprentice, who she'd taken in when the other woman had been just a girl, the daughter she'd never had...lay dying. All at once memories of those years together spread across her mind like a scattered photo album; the smiles, the laughs, the tears. All of it. All gone. There wouldn't be another night of hot spring baths together, no more comfortable nights simply enjoying each others company, no more of Shizune's well-meaning nagging to get her to quit her reckless behavior...

It was all gone; Shizune was gone.

And it was all her fault again!

Fury, the likes of which the Slug Queen never knew, began to seep its way into her veins. It burned, like molten lava, as it moved through her and centered in her sternum. The sharp, instant pain in her palms the only reason the blonde beauty even registered that she'd just bitten into the flesh with her polished fingernails. Tsunade's entire body trembled even with every single muscles tensed in agonizing rage, and through it all she never took her eyes off the dead form that was once her apprenctice.

If only she'd finished Orochimaru off sooner, if only she'd worked with Jiraiya instead of against him, if only she hadn't left the other woman alone against Kabuto, if only she'd never left Konoha...

...if only.

Without her even realizing it, Tsunade's chakra had begun to leak from her pores. The crystal-blue energy, wafting into the air like tendrils of smoke, radiated heat so fierce that the very molecules in the air turned to steam. Golden tresses fell over the woman's face, as her head dropped in an effort to erase the vision of Shizune's lifeless corpse, framing the female Sannin's features in shadow as her body continued to tremble.

How many times was she going to let this happen!? How many more people were going to suffer because she failed to act, to plan, to be there!? Such questions raced through Tsunade's mind as she imagined the deaths of Dan and Nawaki, of how she could have kept them safe had the woman simply been there with them, and now Shizune was being added to this terrible list all because she'd repeated that same stupid mistake!

Well, no more...NO MORE!

In a bright, brilliant flash Tsunade's chakra erupted from her very being in an angry blue flame. The ground beneath her feet gave way under the pressure of her power, stripping the earth of every single blade of grass within fifty feet of the furious Sannin. All other eyes on the battlefield looked on in disbelief at the degree of power, but Jiriya's own mask of amazement transformed into one of even greater surprise when he realized one very important fact...

Tsunade hadn't even released her Yin Seal.

This...This is the power of the Senju Clan!

The granddaughter of the First Hokage, grand-niece of the Second Hokage,sucked in a deep breath and felt her runaway power return to a steady flow. The tightness in her chest eased just a bit, but the icy rage at her core remained, intensifying when Tsunade shot her harsh gaze over towards Kabuto; her knuckles popped as she flexed her fingers, an image of the despicable little toad splattered across the ground clear in her head.

"You..." That single word came out in a guttural spit, the buxom blonde's teeth grit tightly. "You're going to pay for what you've done."

A cocky, over-eager smirk molded its way over Kabuto's disgusting face as he gave his attention to the woman challenging him. "Ha, and who's going to be the one to make me? Surely not you Tsunade. The Oni pill has given me more than enough power to crush the weakest of the Sannin; you may be the last Senju, but you are nothing compared to Lord Orochimaru!"

In an instant, the hideous laugh that followed was cut short by a bloody cough; no one, not even her fellow Sannin, could follow Tsunade as she launched forward to slam her fist into Kabuto's stomach.

Blood and bony gore splattered through the air right before Orochimaru's right-hand man found himself dropping to the ground...a hundred feet away from the lower-half of his body. A heavy numbness kept the teen from noticing until he attempted to get back on his feet.

"W-What—What did you do to me!?" Kabuto could feel his heart pump erratically as his enhanced body went into shock. The sleazy traitor's mind struggled to come to grips with the fact that he'd just literally been torn apart. "What kind of technique was that!?"

A shadow blocked the sun and drew the mutated Oto shinobi's blood-shot gaze away from his mutilated midsection, and up to the blonde kunoichi towering over him. It was a bloody cough that punctuated the way Kabuto's heart clenching in fear as he looked upon Tsunade's vicious image. Shadowed features and cold, merciless stare coupled with the older woman's imposing and lean physique finally reminded the younger shinobi that his opponent was called the 'World's greatest kunoichi' for a reason.

"Technique? Stupid boy, that wasn't any sort of ninjutsu, I tore you apart with my bare hands; my own power. You think that just because you've given yourself a pitiful little power-up that you're a match for me, but a pathetic little nobody like you won't ever be a match for the world's last Senju; you'll be lucky to ever even be a match for that blonde knucklehead over there at the rate he's going."

Kabuto felt as if his lungs were being squeezed as he tried to suck in enough air to keep his brain from going dark, his heavy heart continued to try and pump blood even as it flooded out through his bisected waist, and fear rushed through every living cell of the dying teen's body. And yet, even with all this evidence, the battered youth could not accept his defeat. "N-No...No! T-This can't be real; it must be a genjutsu! I couldn't possibly have been defeated by a drunken louse like you!"

Tsunade lifted her right hand, pointing a single finger at the downed young man, and began to build up a dense ball of lightning chakra at the digit's tip. "Simple-minded fool, choose to disbelieve it for the last remaining minutes of your miserable life if you want, it makes no difference to me, just no that both you and your lord will both burn in hell for the rest of eternity for what you've done to Shizune."

Kabuto Yakushi's life ended with a crack of one of natures greatest powers.

And yet Tsunade's icy fury did not dissipate a single iota. Instead the woman's overwhelming rage found a new target; the dead spy's master. Dark and cold, her stare would have been enough to make a normal shinobi wet themselves. But even if Orochimaru was good at masking his emotions, there could be no denying to himself that for the first time since facing Itachi Uchiha, a blanket of fear enveloped his very soul.

Should his former team-mate get her hands on him, he just may die.

Sweat beaded its way down the side of his pasty, white face as he struggled to swallow under the pressure of Tsuande's KI. Somewhere in the back of his impeccable memory the image of a frightened kunoichi filtered through his brain and the similarities between moments sparked the snake Sannin's own anger.

He was not some weak little genin. He was Orochimaru, Sannin of Konoha and soon-to-be ruler of the entire shinobi nations!

The tangy taste of his own blood splattered against his tongue as his fang pierced the corner of his lip, the sharp pain bringing feeling back to his legs, right before leaping into the air. He'd hoped never to reveal this to anyone, but it seemed he had no choice. Chakra flaring, Orochimaru began to concentrate it into his mouth, the power built and multiplied upon itself until the traitorous genius felt it sufficient enough to cover his escape...

Only to lose it as an elbow came crashing into his nose.

Blood instantly flooded the vile fiend's lungs as his tongue was sliced apart by his own teeth and as he soared through the air Orochimaru wondered how that one shot wasn't enough to kill him, until his answer came in the materialization of his attacker; Naruto Uzumaki.

He'd forgotten about the boy!

Twisting away from the next attack, Orochimaru retaliated with a fierce kick that the younger blonde had no hope of blocking before righting himself in the air and quickly scanning for the other two foes he'd been left alone to face. Tsunade was still just standing there, glaring at where he'd leaped from, but upon noticing Jiriaya missing the deserter stretched his senses and caught the sound of his old rival moving through the air.

Smirking at the other man's predictability Orochimaru caught the toad sage's down-swinging leg and jammed two fingers into the pit behind his knee before throwing the fool away like yesterday's garbage.

But the snake summoner didn't have long to gloat before he was being pressed by the brat again. However, now that he was more focused Orochimaru found it much easier to dance around the jinchuuriki's flying fists and feet; although the man gave Naruto respect for knowing not to try and engage him with kenjutsu, choosing instead to focus on speed rather than power.

Too bad it's still not enough.

Swatting away Naruto's back-fist the villainous shinobi took a shot at the boy's spleen before delivering a swift chop to the back of his neck to take him out of the game, but his serpent-like eyes widened as his foe burst into a cloud of smoke. Cursing to himself, Orochimaru scanned the area quickly, taking quick pleasure in seeing Jiriaya trying to move without the use of his right leg, but only finding Tsunade still stewing in her rage. The man's unasked question was answered though when his young opponent burst out from the ground in an effort to check him under the chin.

Leaning back on his heel Orochimaru Quickly delivered a hefty right into Naruto's gut and sent him flying back. With a second to breath, the snake Sannin took stock of his situation as he wiped the mess of blood from his face. As the bones in his face finished mending he saw Jiraiya finally getting back to his feet, behind him Naruto was hunched over, hand on his gut, but with a fierce gleam in his azure orbs, all while Tsunade continued to stare into nothingness.

That was beginning to worry the snake Sannin. He'd seen every side of his former female squad mate, but never in all the years he'd known her had Tsunade ever behaved this way.

There was a part of Orochimaru that was angry, that felt as if the last Senju was deciding he wasn't worth her anger, but a more silent part of himself was afraid; worried about just what sort of power Tsuande was truly capable of as the blood relative of the First Hokage.

That fear swelled and his heart stopped when the twin-tailed beauty finally rolled her head back, and stared at Orochimaru over her shoulder. It was a single eye, but the sheer level of hatred was unmistakable, and a shiver made its way through the snake summoner's body even as he steeled his core for the incoming fight. He would not be caught unaware like that fool Kabuto!

And yet the powerful nuke-ninja still found himself hard-pressed to duck under the kick aimed to take his head from his shoulders. Orochimaru felt the wind pressure leave a blood trailing down his cheek, even as he stepped back and prepared to wrap his tongue around Tsunade's throat, and barely had a second to bring his leg up to take the donkey-kick aimed for his stomach.

The Sannin's teeth rattled as he grit them in pain, the feeling of his bones vaporizing into dust being just quick enough for him no to feel the full extent of them splintering apart first, before rolling across the field to end up on a lone knee.

Tsunade found herself just missing her former team mate's head as she went after him, the mid-kick sending a slice of pressurized air off before she turned to watch Orochimaru emerge from underground good as new, although she found herself capable of sensing the drain on his reserves such a technique had cost him.

The lone female Sannin had heard of her family's amazing abilities, had seen it in action with her grandfather and his brother, yet never before had the last of Senju bloodline ever believed she herself was capable of the amount of power! She'd felt it starting to build upon learning of Shizune's death, felt how difficult it was for her to control as she dealt with Kabuto, and even now the world's greatest medic found herself hard-pressed to reign herself in.

As much as she'd wanted to immediately go and turn Orochimaru into a splat against the grass Tsunade was worried that a single step would fissure the very earth, so she waited, she breathed, and attempted to wrestle back control over her own power.

'But it wasn't enough. I almost overshot him, and then again just now I had to stop short.'

Tsunade cursed mentally as she stared across the way at her wary opponent; he was handicapped, and clearly outmatched, but because of her meandering over the years she was unable to take advantage! She felt that familiar self-loathing creep up from her core, but this time the last Senju stomped it out with the promise that this would be the last time Orochimaru would ever escape from her, right before she watched him shunshin away.

Her senses catching movement before her sight Tsunade called to her fellow blonde not to move. "He's out of your range now, and Jiraiya won't be able to keep him occupied long enough for you to catch up and help."

"Well what about you; with power like yours how can you just be okay with letting him go! Especially after what just happen-"

"Because right now I can't control my power Naruto!" The kunoichi's tone was stern, and brokered no room for argument, yet the younger of the pair could hear something else too. She was angry, frustrated, with herself and her inability to fully avenge the woman who'd been the closest thing to a child she'd ever have.

And so Naruto stood down, going to retrieve his sword while his head hung in defeat and frustration. But when Tsunade's voice filled the empty battlefield again, her words brought hope back to his heart and lit the fire in his eyes again.

"...Not now, no, but then what sort of Hokage would I be if I was afraid of my own power? I will go back to Konohagakure, I will learn to control my family's power and make it my own, and then...and then I will avenge Shizune's death!"

With the sun settled high in the sky, the light seemed to wrap Tsunade in a brilliant halo, as if she were an angel of victory; her hair shone and eyes hard but brilliant. The shadows playing across her in perfect shades.

Naruto found he could do nothing but believe in her conviction.

With Shizune's corps sealed away the trio's trip back to the village was swift; the woman's funeral less so. Tsunade abstained from the Passing of the Hat in favor of a wake for her lost companion. Was it the best thing after the people had lost their former Kage? Absolutely not. Yet Tsunade found herself lost in her own grief; she did not require any of the villagers to attend, as they did not know Shizune, but she did refuse them their wishes to hold a festival upon her inauguration.

These were not happy times, and she would not pretend that they were.

But Tsunade wasn't the only one dealing with the hard truth of life. Upon returning home Naruto found himself locked inside his apartment, knees to his chest, staring blankly at the letter he'd received before the retrieval mission. Glad that Isaribi was busy with class, the whiskered chunin took the time to focus on all that'd happened during his last mission.

Recalling how savagely he'd accepted the news, now the last Uzumaki only felt hollow as he recalled the scolding he'd received from Jiraiya days ago.

Was he being too rash, too quick to accept the words scripted in this letter, when he didn't actually know who'd written it?

A mental picture of Orochimaru offering Tsunade the lives of her loved ones in exchange for his hands again filtered through Naruto's memory and it left him feeling sick. What would he do if this letter turned out to be someone's attempt to manipulate him in such a manner, or worse, what if it was a trap?

As much as he wanted, needed it, to be true Naruto's original zeal soured as these depressing notions made themselves known.

And as much as he hated to admit it, the Toad Sage had a point. He needed to start acting more like chunin, more level-headed, and stop letting his emotions get the better of him; no matter how much pain the truth may bring. There would be time to grieve and despair, to rage and explode, but not out in the field.

So, it was with the letter crumpled in his hand, and a heavy feeling in his heart, that Naruto hefted himself up onto his feet and began the trek to the Hokage's office.

The newly appointed Godaime hadn't been present for the Nine-Tails attack, and as such would be one of the least likely people to be part of this possible conspiracy that the Uzumaki boy was warring with himself over. Besides that, Naruto knew that the woman now had access to the every resource in the village; something he hoped would bring him answers sooner rather than later.

It was a risky plan overall, he never knew if his quest for knowledge may reach unwanted ears, but there was little else the blonde could think of aside from his original solo hunting that hadn't been entirely appealing the first time either.

I just hope I'm not making a big mistake.

xXx

Turns out, the only 'mistake' Naruto found himself making was forgetting that his village's newest Hokage doubled as their greatest medical ninja on top of being their leader. Such an oversight had the blonde being turned away from Tsunade's office by her secretary and told to check the hospital.

Yet on his walk there the young chunin was met with the shock of running into both Ino and Ten-Ten.

"I'm visiting Gai-sensei," the bun-haired weapon user explained from the curious boy's right. "Apparently he got into a scuffle with some intruders and one of them broke his leg, which is honestly pretty freaky because sensei's the strongest person I know besides my dad, so whoever managed that must have been a monster."

Ino's reason turned out to be similar, though it surprised Naruto. "Sakura's hardly left Sasuke's side since he was brought back along with Kakashi and the others. I've been going and taking her food, but the nurses have told me it usually needs to be thrown out since Sakura hardly eats. It's been scaring me to watch her go down this spiral, and I'm hoping that having Lady Tsunade finally here to help Sasuke will snap her out of it."

Hearing that his fellow blonde wasn't making the last Uchiha her priority was something that Naruto hadn't expected from the once devout Uchiha fan-girl, though taking a closer look at Ino's eyes let the last Uzumaki know that there really was a change happening inside the young heiress...one that would greatly effect the rest of her life.

When it came to the two girls sending him questioning looks of their own however, Naruto fumbled with what to say since he wasn't too keen on letting them know about the letter stuffed in his pocket.

"I-I was seeing if there'd be a mission to go after the guys who put Kakashi-sensei and Sasuke in the hospital; they may not technically be my team anymore, but I'll always consider myself a member of Squad 7. Besides, I...I wanted to check on Tsunade, to see how she was holding up ya know?"

And the pair did know, to an extent.

Shizune's funeral had been something everyone in the village had been made aware of, since it had been the thing to cancel their newest Hokage's coronation ceremony and the subsequent festival that came with it. Both kunoichi's hearts had gone out to the legendary female shinobi, even if they weren't fully aware of what had happened, and could only really nod solemnly in understanding at Naruto's words before the trio continued their trek to the hospital in relative silence.

It was at about the half-way point that the blonde remembered something important though, and in spite of Jiraiya's warning Naruto told Ten-Ten and Ino about his encounter with Kisame and Itachi Uchiha.

"I guess that answers my earlier question then," the bun-haired girl hummed with her eyebrows raised, "Kisame Hoshigake really is called the Monster of Kiri in his Bingo Book entry from what my dad's told me. It's no wonder Guy-sensei had such a hard time with him; and you thought it was a good idea to try and fight him!?"

"It was either stall him or get taken," Naruto countered with a toss of his hands. "Would you rather they just captured me and did Kami knows what Ten-Ten? And here I thought we were starting to get along."

Ino actually turned out to be the one who balmed the wounded look on her fellow blonde's face. Putting her hand on Naruto' shoulder she turned the boy to look at her even as they continued walking, "I don't think that's what she meant at all, and you don't believe that either. I'm sure what Ten-Ten really meant was that she didn't want you ending up like her sensei or worse because you were trying to show off; something we both know you have a history of Naruto."

"Sure, back at the Academy Ino, but this is the real world and I've changed," the last Uzumkai countered.

"Yes, you have, but that doesn't mean your friends aren't going to worry about you...and that includes us," the platinum-blonde said softly. "Just...keep that in mind next time, okay? I—I mean we don't want to hear that something terrible happened to you if there was away around it Naruto."

Stunned azure eyes locked with pupil-less baby-blues as the young jinchuuriki tried to connect the pretty girl wearing the mask of concern with that same face being twisted into a mocking sneer as was so common during their childhood. Yet the longer Naruto looked, the harder it became to pull himself away until it began to feel like he was drowning in Ino Yamanaka's endless pools; right up until a hearty shove shook the whiskered blonde from his trance.

"That's right you dummy; I can't have my sparring partner going and getting himself killed off!" Ten-Ten boasted as she threw her arms around the startled chunin. "Besides, you made a promise that we'd work together to help me get my hands on the famous Kiba blades, and last I heard you don't break promises right?"

This lead to a spatter of playful banter between the pair while Ino looked on from the side, her face a mix of confusion and embarrassment as the heiress thought back to just a few moments ago...when she almost kissed Naruto Uzumaki. The revelation came the moment whatever spell she'd been under was broken by Ten-Ten's re-introduction to the conversation, and Ino was quickly reminded of the last time she'd felt such a strong pull; a dream the girl'd had the night Naruto left with the perverted old man.

They'd been in her family's flower shop, like before, but this time there had been no interruption and Ino had given in to the strange pull that drew her to the whiskered boy. In her dream Naruto's lips were rough and unpracticed, there was a hint of something like the salt of ramen broth on his breath, but the way it made Ino's whole body tingle even after waking from the shock made the Yamanaka heiress start to wonder...how would Naruto's lips taste in real life?

It was a mystery she'd been just about to solve until her fellow kunoichi butted in.

And while Ino knew her embarrassment came from almost kissing Naruto Uzumaki in public after making it known for so long how she felt about Sasuke Uchiha, the confusion came as the pretty flower girl began to notice a budding sensation she'd not known since the rivalry with Sakura...jealousy.

The emotion left a tingling vibe in the air, one that vibed against the hairs at the back of Ino's neck and left a bitter taste in the girl's mouth as her pink lips parted just so. And yet, in spite of the heiress' familiarity with such a nasty emotion, it wasn't in the reflection of Ino's own baby-blues that she found the green tint...

It was Ten-Ten's.

'And the girl doesn't even realize it,' Inoichi's daughter noticed as she watched her fellow blonde talk with the weapon user. It was so easy to see that the bun-haired kunoichi was feeling the same warm whirlwind of butterflies in her tummy as Ino, what with the way Ten-Ten seemed so eager to be in Naruto's personal space and the constant light touches or playful shoves, but something the platinum-blonde easily identified was that her fellow genin wasn't actually aware of what she was doing! As if Ten-Ten were subconsciously trying to nudge Naruto into thinking about her that way first and getting the whiskered chunin to do the asking out.

Ino would have groaned at this; she'd hoped her only 'competition' would be the timid Hinata. Yet just as the pretty girl was lamenting another annoying rivalry for a boys attention Ino stopped herself with a very important realization. If Ten-Ten wasn't actually going to confront her own feelings for Naruto, and Hinata was too shy to speak up, then she was in the best position to snag the Uzumaki's full attention! But just as Ino was about to squeal in happiness at the thought of finally getting her romance story started she was reminded of the talk she and that very same object of her affection had right before Naruto's departure.

Yes, Ino Yamanaka was crushing on Naruto Uzumaki but...who was Ino Yamanaka anymore?

This was something the heiress had been trying to figure out since that afternoon at her family's shop, an while there was still no concrete answer yet there was one thing Ino was sure of; she did not want to be a kunoichi anymore. The life was simply too dangerous, filled with far too many unknown variables that could go wrong, and as someone who wanted to eventually become a mother there was just no room in Ino's life for such things in her life.

Then, truly, there was the girl's vanity being taken into consideration as well. Ino was pretty, of that there was no doubt; she could also be cute, and classically beautiful depending on the occasion. And the youngest member of the Yamanaka clan was extremely proud of. Her body, though just beginning the winding road of puberty, was soft and easy on the eyes with just the right amount of muscle in the correct places. She'd never been one to take interest in fad diets like Sakura and the other girls of their class, her father having drilled it into the platinum-blonde's head how important optimal nutrition was for not only a kunoichi but a healthy future mother as well. This dedication to health lead to Ino's undisputed place as the prettiest flower among a garden of weeds, with only Hinata's princess-like features posing any sort of threat.

But then this begged the question of what continuing down the path of being a kunoichi would mean for her looks. Sure, there were women like Kurenai and Anko who were both still beautiful, but Ino's critical eye had easily caught on to the small scars and healed burns that marred those women's bodies as well as the firmer muscle tone that helped fill out their clothes. Two things that Ino Yamanaka did not want for herself.

Even if her future husband, who the girl's current mind had as a handsome whiskered blonde dressed in the robes of a Kage, swore up and down that he loved Ino as she was and told the girl that they still found her to be the most beautiful woman in the world the heiress knew that deep down she'd never believe it...because Ino wouldn't love herself anymore.

And then there was her dream of motherhood; what if something happened on a mission? What if she narrowly escapes death by being stabbed or impaled but loses the ability to actually have children? Ino wasn't sure she'd be able to live with herself should such a thing occur. Or, Kami forbid, the platinum-blonde actually realize her dream only to be killed while out on a stupid escort mission!? No. There were just too many important negatives to the life of a kunoichi for Ino Yamanaka to continue down the path she'd set upon in an effort to attract some boy's attention.

And 'boy' was the perfect way to describe Sasuke Uchiha now that Ino had begun to reevaluate her life.

But before she could begin to fall down that rabbit hole of thought again the heiress was shaken out of her mind by the realization that she and her fellow, for the time being, ninja of the Leaf had arrived at the hospital. "I-I was really out of it, huh?"

"Yeah," Naruto chuckled, "you missed Ten-Ten heading off to see Super Bushy-Brows, but I figured since we're pretty much going to the same place I'd let you know we were here. Come on, you can show me where Sasuke's room is and we'll see if Tsunade's had a chance to see him yet."

Giving a soft hum in agreement the platinum-blonde lead the whiskered chunin through the hospital and up to where she knew the Uchiha was being kept. Yet as she walked beside her fellow blonde Ino couldn't help but think that now was the best time to bring up the feelings that had been building up inside since that day at the flower shop. "H-Hey, Naruto-kun, could we stop for a second?"

Surprised since his companion hadn't ever made a habit of calling anyone other than Sasuke '-kun', Naruto did as Ino asked and stood with her in the hallway just a few feet from the aforementioned boy's apparent designated space. "Um, sure Ino, w-what's up?"

Memories of how easily she'd crowed about her 'love' for Sasuke less than a year ago made Ino frustrated that attempting to tell Naruto something similar was already proving to be so hard. Digging her toes into the tiled floor, arms down and hands locked, the heiress looked like the vert definition of a girl about to make a confession and she knew it, but for whatever the reason the words would not come! More than once Ino opened her mouth, ready to ask the admittedly handsome chunin out to lunch, but every time the words died on the tip of her tongue while the platinum-blonde felt her heart beat harshly against her breast.

It went on like this for five minutes, but to the socially inept Uzumkai it felt like an hour and he was beginning to get uncomfortable. The letter in his pocket felt as though it were beginning to grow heavier with each passing second, reminding him of the real reason he'd even come to the hopsital.

"Um, look, Ino I'm sure whatever you have to say is important but-"

"I decided to quit being a kunoichi!"

What was supposed to be request for a date turned into a confession of her career change, and the girl hadn't even really managed to raise her voice above a heated whisper even though in her own mind Ino swore she'd yelled loud enough for the whole building to hear her. Cursing mentally while her eyes squeezed shut in trepidation, the pretty heiress stood among the silence of the hospital hallway with nothing but the echoing beeps of heart monitors to keep her company. And just as Ino was afraid her fellow blonde was about to explode into a frenzy of disbelief at her decision, Ino was pleasantly surprised when instead she heard...

"Honestly, I'm glad, after seeing how shaken up you were during the invasion and how you seemed so unsure back at your families shop it makes me...happy, to know you took time to really think about what you wanted Ino. Do you know what you'll do instead?"

Happy. He was happy for her. Even her father had held a speck of disappointment in his eye at the news, since it meant the loss of another Ino-Shika-Cho generation, but as Ino stared into Naruto's warm blue gems the girl could only see honesty and relief. And this was what made the heiress begin to truly think that her change in careers wasn't the only thing her heart might be right about.

It also gave her an opening.

"N-No, not yet, but...maybe you can help me; think of something I mean. W-We could, that is is you want, t-talk about it over some ramen sometime...or something, maybe?"

Naruto wasn't sure if it was the oddly shy tone of her voice, or the way Ino looked at him from under her long lashes with a soft blush over the bridge of her cute nose, but a feeling he'd long since forgotten began to fill his belly. With Temari it had been a strange heat that passed between them and made him ask her out, but here and now the blonde jinchuuriki could sense that same tingle that made his whole body zing like it had only one other time...the day he'd met Sakura.

Flashes of a little girl with pink hair and wet green eyes crying because of the mud on her shirt, and the way she beamed at him after switching tops and handing her a flower he'd originally picked for Ayame, capped off by the soft press of lips against his whiskered cheek and a childish declaration of love. It was over in seconds, but the rush of feeling that it had brought with it left Naruto in a daze.

Could this really be happening? What if it fell apart again? What about when she learned about the Nine-Tails; because there was simply no way Naruto could imagine keeping such a secret from any girl he tried to date. The poor, lonely chunin just wasn't sure what to do.

Ino though was beginning to take her fellow blonde's silence as a rejection. Tears started to fill the corners of the girl's eyes, giving them a sad yet beautiful shine, and in an effort to keep some semblance of her dignity Ino dropped her head and began to speed-walk her way down the hall. "I-It's okay if you don't want to, I-I know you and I have n-never really been friends, I just thought-"

Whatever else she might have said was cut off by the strong yet surprisingly gentle hand that caught her arm as Ino passed. Calloused and warm, there was a wonderfully delicious spark that raced over both blonde's skin; the whole of her arm, the palm of his hand. And although she was a whole inch taller, the heiress felt as though she were two feet tall under the weight of the boy's stare. It hurt Ino's heart to see just how scared Naruto looked, to understand why her fellow blonde had such a fragile glimmer of hope hidden underneath a layer of curiosity.

"Ino did you...are you asking me out?"

The quiet voice, his fear, it made her start to realize just how bad he'd had it and made the platinum-blonde really take a look at her feelings before answering. Because she didn't want to be someone who caused this boy anymore pain; because she wasn't sure she could live with the consequences of what might happen if she did. They were young, and that realistically meant that they may not make it to the fairy tale ending that Ino had been thinking about before, but she also knew how passionate both of them were about the things they loved...knew how brilliantly they could shine together if they stayed the course.

"You asked me before, what I wanted in my life, well...what if what I want is you Naruto Uzumaki?"

"...Then you need to mean it." The jinchuuriki whispered, his hand sliding down to lace their fingers together. "Because I'm not Sasuke; I have real feelings. You hardly gave me a second look for years and when you did it was so you could make fun of me, so I'm sure you can see why I'm not gung-ho about this...I won't be his replacement, I'm done being second choice."

"Naruto-kun that's not-" Ino tried to defend her feelings, to reassure him, but Naruto cut her off sharply.

"Don't. Don't call me that. You've only ever said that to Sasuke, so don't think for one second I'm gonna let you use it on me. Now you're very pretty Ino, and I know pretty much every guy in our age group with a brain would bend over backwards for the chance to take you out, but when it really comes down to it we don't know each other at all. So here's what I think we should do; you think about why you suddenly want to go out with me, and then, when you've got an answer you think I wont just throw in the trash, you come talk to me again. If I like what you have to say, we'll go from there and if not then we forget this whole thing even happened, how's that sound?"

It hurt to be turned down, more so than it ever had when Sasuke brushed her off, but the Yamnaka heiress took stalk in the fact that Naruto wasn't necessarily saying 'no' and had instead given Ino the chance to prove that she wasn't going to treat him like some sort of toy.

Filling her gaze with as much affection as she could muster the platinum-blonde gave Naruto's hand a determined squeeze as she nodded. "T-That's fine with me Naruto...thank you."

For the second time that day their moment was shattered however; this time by the actual shattering of glass. Drawing the two young teens attention they moved quickly down the hall and found that the noise had been a plate of apple slices that Sakura had been attempting to feed a newly awakened Sasuke; the dark-haired avenger's hand still raised from the act. The pink-haired genin was busy trying to clean up the mess as Naruto and Ino came in, the blue-eyed girl asking about what happened.

"N-Nothing Ino-pig, I just forgot that Sasuke-kun doesn't like apples, now go away; I already told you that I didn't need your help to take care of him."

"From the looks of it he doesn't want your help either," Naruto scoffed as he eyed the bed-ridden Uchiha. "Wow, awake for all of an hour at best, and you're already back to being a huge jerk. What, trying to 'build up' your hatred?"

Sasuke's entire body stiffened and his knuckles popped as he closed those fingers into a fist. A dark, heavy aura began to fill the room as Sakura and Ino looked between the two boys in confusion and a hint of worry for their chosen crushes. It was the female member of Squad 7 though who found her voice first, and she hissed angrily at the blonde chunin after throwing the last of the ruined snack in the trash.

"Why don't you take Ino and get lost, Naruto-baka, can't you see you're only making Sasuke-kun upset with your stupid comments?"

"Jeez Sakura, shut up already," the pinkette gasped at he former team-mate's harsh tone, "when are you going to get it through your thick skull that Sasuke doesn't like anyone; including you. He's a pissy little boy who never bothered to talk to anyone about what happened, and now carries it around like a cancer that'll never go away until he wakes up and realizes that he's never going to catch up to Itachi!"

That got a reaction and as Sakura screamed from being shoved aside Ino realized that her former crush had moved from his position on the bed to standing nose-to-nose with Naruto before she could even blink. The tension grew thick enough to taste in the air, and the Yamanaka heiress was seemingly nailed to her spot as she ran her frightened gaze over the unrecognizable face of who used to be Sasuke Uchiha. His jaw looked as if it might shatter under the weight of the genin's own clenched teeth while a nasty snarl twisted the avenger's once princely features. Sasuke's newly twisted Sharingan blazed in all its inverted glory even as the angry boy's scarred optical orb remained a cold onyx-black.

"You're so angry because you know it's true," Naruto smirked. "What, you think your brother's just sitting around waiting for you to kill him? Of course not. A man like that's been keeping himself sharp, getting stronger; every time you took one step closer, I guarantee Itachi leaped over at least ten more ahead. Face it Sasuke, the old Uchiha clan is dead and gone, why don't you let them rest and start over instead of risk letting their legacy go extinct just to satisfy your little pipe dream."

"NARUTO-KUN!"

"SASUKE-KUN!"

With a crash the furious Uchiha heir had his former team-mate's back pressed against the far wall of his hospital room, a web of cracks spreading their way out from behind Naruto's high-collard sleeveless shirt. He'd forgone wearing the flak jacket since reading the letter, but even without the extra padding the blonde found that he didn't really feel the impact, and this made Naruto smirk.

"I really hope this isn't all you've got, genin, because it's pathetic~"

"You want to see everything I've got, dobe, then let's go outside; that stupid tournament kept me from showing you just how much I've surpassed you, but now there's nothing to come between us now. The roof's more than big enough, so, whatdya say?"

"I say," Naruto scoffed before vanishing, reappearing by the open window with challenging smirk on his face, "what's taking you so long scaredy cat?"

Watching their crushes disappear before their eyes Sakura and Ino gave each other matching stares of horror before scrambling out the door and racing to the roof.

xXx

Looking across the way at his former team-mate Naruto was surprised to find that the anticipation he'd been expecting to felt simply wasn't there anymore; the drive he'd once had to best Sasuke and prove himself superior had vanished somewhere between pulling Kubikiribocho from the dirt and losing his spar to Tsunade. And yet, there was something deep inside that seemed to push the boy to instigate this fight, to show off and dominate the uppity clan heir.

"I see you left that silly sword of yours at home," Sasuke called with a mocking smirk. "What, afraid I might break it? Or maybe, you realized that carrying around such a pointless hunk of metal didn't do anything more than make you look like an even bigger idiot than you already are."

Naruto's canines gleamed as his own grin widened, the rugged whisker marks stretching over the boy's cheeks to aid in making the last Uzumaki look all the more like a feral fox. "You'd better be glad I didn't bring my 'silly sword' dumb ass; wouldn't wanna accidentally chop that ugly mug off because you were too slow to duck one of my swings."

The sneer that curled Sasuke's lip looked out of place on such a young face. "Big talk from the dead-last, but the time for words is over; time to put up or shut up Naruto! You say you'd take my head, but you'll be lucky to even put a scratch on my forehead!"

With that the only sounds were those of combat as the Uchiha heir went on the attack, his rage and insecurity pushing him forward. Images of his brother dismissing him like a bug, of the constant strings of defeat and being disqualified, it all jumbled together into one big mess as the dark-haired genin lashed out at his former team-mate with a vicious kick. Growling as his leg was caught, Sasuke pushed off the roof and spun his body into a smash attack aimed for the top of Naruto's head; only to have his frustrations fueled by having the attempt swatted away as though the Uchiha heir were nothing but a gnat!

"Come on now," the blonde chuckled as he dodged around a series of punches aimed for his grinning face, "don't tell me this is all you've got. I'll never even get warmed up at this rate! Here, how about I show you how a real ninja fights?"

Even with his dojutsu's new powers Sasuke found himself to be too slow against Naruto's return fire, and he suffered for it as a bruise began to form on his cheek right before a a palm-strike sent the scarred boy flying back off his feet. Yet it didn't seem Naruto was done with him yet, because the blonde reached out to grab Sasuke's ankle before jerking and whipping him around in a small twister. Round and round they went until the jinchuuriki was satisfied, and the Sharingan wielder was left to flail through the air until he managed to right himself and land safely among the hanging laundry.

Attempting to use the fluttering covers to his advantage the Uchiha weaved his way through the sheets to come up behind his former team-mate...and then coughed up spit as he was slammed by a backwards kick to the stomach.

"Really now," Naruto taunted as he turned to drive his fist into Sasuke's nose, "you've heard that I'm trying to take Zabuza's title and your idea is to sneak up on me? What happened to being Rookie of the Year; aren't you supposed to be smarter than this!"

Another shot of anger filled Sasuke's core as he realized that there could truly be no holding back against the whiskered chunin; this Uzumaki wasn't anything like the boy he'd pummeled back at the Academy. Gritting his teeth, the avenger reached out with his true speed and wrapped his fingers around Naruto's incoming haymaker, ignoring the way his bare feet burned as they slid over the tiles of the roof. Putting on another boost of speed Sasuke closed in on the other boy's guard and landed his first successful strike in the way of an uppercut to the blonde's gut; but he didn't stop there.

Once, twice, three turned to four before the angry Uchiha tangled his fingers painfully among his former team-mate's spiky hair and brought Naruto's face down to meet his knee. With the chunin's head snapping up from the impact Sasuke took advantage and swept the boy's legs out from under him. Watching gleefully as his opponent tumbled to the ground the last loyal Uchiha dropped hid weight and made to drive his elbow into the blonde's open gut. He grunted in pain however when Naruto used the replacement technique to switch with one of the fallen sheets, leaving Sasuke to pile-drive into the roof directly.

Ignoring the agony though Mikoto's youngest child sprang back to his feet and searched wildly with his lone Sharingan eye, just managing to catch the incoming images of Naruto's attack soon enough that he was able to dodge out of the way and counter with a side-fist to the face. Only to curse when the body exploded, sending Sasuke flying across the rooftop and landing in a heap of sheets while the real Uzumaki made himself known by coming over an hauling him up.

"You still think you're better than me, when you couldn't even see through such a simple strategy?"

Sasuke didn't answer with words, instead roaring as he went to sucker-punch Naruto in the face. When the blonde deflected it he used the momentum to turn the attack into an aerial spin-kick, but grunted in annoyance as the chunin stepped back out of range. Closing his fingers together in the Tiger-seal, Sasuke unleashed a fire-ball at point blank range, and watched as the orange blaze swallowed Naruto whole.

"Fine then," the blonde's voice called from behind, "if we're using jutsu now then how about you try this one on for size!" Sasuke didn't have any time to avoid it, and cried out in pain as he was bombarded with a bullet of air that had the Uchiha believing that a few of his ribs were either broken or bruised. This time it was a bit of a chore to get back to his feet, but Sasuke'a anger drove him, numbing the pain so that he could keep fighting, so that he could prove himself!

Deja vu; the feeling of 'already seeing'. It was the perfect way to describe what Naruto and Sasuke felt as they were once again staring each other down from atop the hospital rooftop, though this time the Uchiha heir was wiping blood from his lips while the blonde chunin looked no more worse for wear. A fact that only solidified Sasuke's decision to do what he did next. Recalling the training he'd done under Kakashi for the finals, the Sharingan wielder flipped through a set of hand-seals before clutching his wrist tight, flexed fingers facing the ground.

It was a pose Naruto had seen twice now; once on the Great Naruto Bridge, and then again during his opponent's scuffle with Itachi. The Chidori. Unfortunately, the young chunin knew he had nothing to counter with since he had yet to complete the Rasengan, which to the blonde meant he had only one other option...

He had to catch it.

A/N: Well there's the new chapter after months of waiting. Sorry again for that, but I've just had a lot going on(but then when do I seem to not smh)

Anyways, if you're re-reading my story from the beginning then I say again that you'll notice not too many changes were honestly implemented. It was small things like Isaribi not living with Naruto and him not having triple chakra natures.

Things that I felt made the story a little TOO fanfiction-y if that makes sense.

I did leave off on another cliff-hanger, but that's on purpose this time because it just sounded cool...plus my eyes were hurting.

ANYWAY! I hope everyone enjoys the new chapter!