Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, because if I did my name would be Kishimoto Masashi.
Warning: Anime watchers that aren't following the manga probably don't know what the hell I'm writing about here in this story, so there will be major spoilers. But don't let this deter you from leaving reviews.
It Ends Here
Prologue
As Kakashi followed the dogs' cries, which led him to the waterfalls, he instantly saw how the streams were stained crimson from the flow of fresh blood. He felt his apprehension increase as his pace slowed. He tentatively walked towards where he assumed the source of the blood came from. Only to be met by a scene so chilling that rushed bile up to his throat but like a true shinobi he kept it down. What he saw wasn't the whole gennin troop massacred by the four sound-nin, but the sight of young Uchiha prodigy and the kyuubi holder. Sasuke was barely standing upright with blood matted hair and fresh wounds all over the entirety of his body giving him the illusion of coming straight from a blood filled tub. His half lidded eyes were glaring steadily at his foe with newly evolved Sharingan eyes; whilst, Naruto had puffy demonic crimson eyes that looked on in sadness and remorse. Naruto's body however barely a wound on it had and radiated of the kyuubi's chakra. The chakra surrounded his body in the form of a fox certainly the reason why his nails, scars, and canines were elongated. None of the two shinobi noticed their teacher staring at them just a short distance away.
Suddenly Sasuke lurches forward only to be caught by Naruto. His arms encircle around the weak frame of his closest friend. Sasuke even in his weak state manages to jerk away unintentionally because of the pain caused by Naruto's embrace only to fall into the strong arms of Kakashi. Naruto gasps in shock as he finally sees his sensei, but the shock was broken only by the sound of Kakashi's anguished voice.
"God, what happened, Naruto? I come back from my mission only to find out that Sasuke left with the sound-nin to go with Orochimaru and you five gennin had been sent to recover him." A subtle pleading tone was underlying those words as they were spoken. Words spoken with such compassion were foreign to the great copy-nin but the occasion it seemed perfect.
Naruto sighed, not wanting to explain the whole fight along with the painful words that were exchanged. So changing the subject he quickly mumbled out, "Later, but for now we have to get Sasuke and the others back to Konoha."
"Fine, Naruto. But don't think I'll forget this... Now lead the way to the others." The prior compassion was nonexistent. The seriousness that was usually there when it came to dangerous missions and protecting comrades was all there was.
Kakashi and Naruto walked back to where the others were last seen by Naruto in silence while Sasuke remained unconscious. Along the way to gather the remaining shinobi, Naruto's features slowly returned to normal. Everything but the faint red chakra that surrounded him remained as if protecting him from what was to come.
Author's Note: I hope you all enjoyed the prologue. This was going to be one shot but that seemed the perfect place to end it. So, now I hope to finish this story by the end of this weekend or else the intervals between new chapter postings will be really long because I have school. And unfortunately lots of homework accompanies the dreaded word school.
