Chapter 7: The will of fire!

Naruto coughed up a minimum amount of blood before fighting his way back onto his feet. He staggered back and forth while trying to keep his balance. The wounds he got from Sasuke were starting to make themselves known. Plus, creating 3 Shadow Replications and assembling a full blown Rasengan so shortly after fighting Sasuke, had exhausted his Chakra again. Kabuto put his hands together and started making some rapid hand seals. Tiger. Ram. Serpent. Tiger. Serpent. Dragon.

"Iron Ninjutsu!" Kabuto called out.

Kabuto´s hands were surronded in Chakra as he made the last hand seal. Naruto´s eyes widened. He recognised this technique. (That´s the nerve-destroying technique Kabuto-san used against me before!) Naruto thought. Naruto brought his hands together in the classic Chakra position. He staggered back and forth a little more before steadying himself somewhat. He shut his eyes tightly and reached deep within himself. (Wake up! You damned fox! Lend me your power!) Naruto growled.
Orange Chakra immediately exploded around his body! Naruto screamed loudly as his Chakra was partly restored. Sakura´s eyes grew wider than ever before and her mouth hung open!

"I, incredible! I can see his Chakra clearly with my eyes! Wait, this orange Chakra...it´s the same as the one he used in the Chuunin Exam! But, what is this...strange Chakra? A Bloodline Limit Ability? No, it can´t be. Naruto doesn´t have a special bloodline. Then, what is it?" Sakura exclaimed.

She stared at the blonde boy she had come to love. Sakura pushed all questions to the back of her head and focused on the oncoming battle. Naruto looked at Kabuto with crystal clear blue eyes.

"You´d better get ready!" Naruto growled. Then he disappeared! Kabuto smirked.

He then jumped backwards, narrowly avoiding being sucker-punched by the young ninja. The blonde Genin gave a battle cry before charging the Sound spy. The ground broke under his feet due to the large amount of Chakra he was expelling. Kabuto sidestepped and tripped Naruto. He then quickly spun around and slammed his palm into his back.
Naruto coughed up some blood before crashing down face-first into the ground. The orange Chakra dissipated around his body and his strength left him. Kabuto´s hands stopped glowing. He snickered silently. Sakura swallowed hard.
Naruto had been defeated so quickly and effortlessly! How could she stand up to an enemy that strong? Sakura shakingly brought her kunai up to her chest. (I will do this! I will protect those two! I will...-) Sakura´s train of thoughts were interrupted when something caught her eye. A second later, she screamed. Her scream was enough to make Naruto struggle to his knees. Him and Kabuto both turned in the direction Sakura was staring in.
They both gasped. Standing up on his own now, was the very person that Naruto and the other Genin had risked their lives to retrieve. A stream of purple Chakra pulsated steadily around the raven haired boy.

"S, Sasuke!" Naruto stammered.

Sasuke opened his eyes. His Sharingan eyes immediately set themselves on one of them. The Cursed Seal markings spread out and covered his entire body. The Cursed Seal had healed his broken bones, but not much more. He zipped forward and delivered a full-force kick. Naruto left the ground due to the force of Sasuke´s kick. When he was in midair, Sasuke flew forward and grabbed Naruto´s neck. He then slammed the blonde boy into a nearby tree with all the force he could muster! Sasuke tightened his grip on Naruto´s neck. Sakura screamed in terror as Naruto coughed up a big spurt of blood. Kabuto smirked.

"Awake at last, huh? I hate to say it, but you sure took your time!" Kabuto chuckled.

Sasuke didn´t even bother to look at him. His crimson eyes burned right through the blonde boy before him. Naruto´s eyes snapped open and he gave Sasuke a real glare. The Uchiha boy growled and tightened his grip on his neck. Naruto gasped as his struggle for air got even harder.

"Sasuke! You bastard! What the fuck are you doing?" Naruto said.

"You really thought that you were going to get away with it, didn´t you? You really thought that I would allow you to kick me unconscious and let it slide, didn´t you? Well, let me just tell you that...I don´t take being humiliated very well...!" Sasuke said and smashed his fist into Naruto´s stomach.

Naruto let out a pained gasp but otherwise, didn´t do anything. The clattering sound of a kunai hitting the ground was heard. Sakura sunk down to her knees. She was shaking in absolute fear. Kabuto walked near Sasuke with a smirk on his face.

"Well now. If you´re finished, let´s hurry on back. Orochimaru-sama has been VERY patient." Kabuto exclaimed.

Sasuke still didn´t look at him. It was as if he didn´t even know he was there. Kabuto frowned. He didn´t like the fact that Sasuke wasn´t responding.

"Humph!" Sasuke muttered.

He gripped Naruto´s neck harder, then he threw him on the ground. Naruto let out a pained gasp before trying to refill his air supply. Sasuke finally turned to face Kabuto. He walked up to and past the Sound ninja.

"Are you finished?" Kabuto asked.

"Yeah..." Sasuke muttered.

Kabuto nodded and stepped up to Sasuke. Then they both started walking towards the trees. Untill-

"Don´t...run...away...!" Sasuke stopped walking and turned around.

Naruto was standing up again, but just barely. Sasuke sneered at him.

"Get lost, dropout boy! You´re not even worth spitting on!" Sasuke exclaimed.

Then he started walking again. However, he didn´t get far before-

"STOP!"

Sasuke´s eyes widened and he froze in his tracks. Sakura was standing before him and Kabuto. Her eyes were wet with tears yet to be shed. But her apple-green eyes were burning with a flame of determination! Sasuke took an involuntary step back, his eyes were wide. Sasuke hadn´t even noticed that she was there at all!

"S, Sakura...!" Sasuke stuttered.

He went from being angry and vulgar, to being shocked and speechless. Kabuto looked at Sasuke and frowned. (Hmm...Sakura-san seems to have a pretty big place in this young boy´s heart. I´m sure that Naruto-kun has his reserved place somewhere in there too. This could get very troublesome indeed.) Kabuto thought.

"Sasuke-kun! I won´t let you go to Orochimaru! No way!" Sakura stated.

Her whole figure shone with determination. Sasuke stared at her in shock for a few moments, then his anger returned.

"What...in...the...HELL...do you...think you´re...DOING? Don´t you see? Orochimaru will give me the power I need to kill my brother! There´s no way in hell that I will give this power up! So MOVE!" Sasuke roared.

Sakura didn´t move. She stood rooted to the spot.

"Sasuke-kun...are you really ready to...to give up...EVERYTHING...in order to gain the neccessary power, to kill your brother? Is it really that bad?" Sakura asked.

"I don´t like repeating myself!" Sasuke growled.

Purple Chakra was starting to leak out from him at this point. But Sakura stood her ground.

"Sasuke-kun...are you ready to give up...our...frienship? Are you ready to break all bonds to all of the people in Konoha?" Sakura again asked.

"Sakura...! I am WARNING you!" Sasuke said and growled dangerously.

"That´s wrong! You´re not like that, Sasuke-kun! You´re not...you´re not like this! This isn´t you! The real Sasuke would never even CONSIDER taking an offer like this! You´re not...you´re not Uchiha Sasuke! You are merely the person that Orochimaru gave birth to by giving you that damned Cursed Seal!" Sakura yelled.

Sasuke let out a loud angry roar! He had had quite enough of her! Sasuke was just going to charge her, when a heart-piercing scream stopped him.

"YYYYAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"

Sasuke spun on his heel, and what he saw, made his heart stop for a moment. Naruto was standing with his hands together in the classic Chakra position, with an inferno of burning blue Chakra surronding his body! Kabuto dropped his jaw at the sight, and Sasuke wasn´t really sure how to react. Sakura´s eyes nearly bugged out of her head!
This was just too much for her to handle! Naruto STILL had Chakra left? And THAT much? Naruto growled loudly at Sasuke. He took a step forward and the ground broke under his foot.

"You will NOT lay a finger on her! Do you hear me, you BASTARD?" Naruto roared.

Sasuke seemed to have regained his senses, for he simply huffed at this.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Well if you´re gonna come at me, then hurry up! I don´t have time to dally here all day!" Sasuke said.

Naruto suddenly took a deep breath and relaxed. The anger left him. It was replaced by a burning DETERMINATION!

"Sasuke. I won´t let you go to Orochimaru. And do you know why? Orochimaru only wants your BODY! He´s not planning to give you power. He plans to take over your body, once you´ve grown up to his liking! But guess what? I won´t let that happen! I WON´T let that damned snake get his hands on another one of my friends! Not like he did with Kabuto-san! I don´t know if you believe me or not, Sasuke. But just listen. You are my rival, Sasuke. More importantly, you are my friend. One of my very important friends. I´m sure that everyone else back home in Konoha feels the same way! Sakura-chan feels the same way! Hell, she even went as far as to offer you to take her with you! Tsunade-obachan even sent a whole TEAM to get you back! Me, Shikamaru, Chouji, Neji, Akamaru, and Kiba. Later on, even Thick Brows came to help! Now if THAT doesn´t show how much you mean to us, then I don´t know WHAT does!" Naruto said, his blue eyes burning with determination!

Sasuke took another involuntary step back. He clenched his fists and growled. Suddenly, he gripped his head and screamed as if he was in pain! He was attacked by a flood of memories! Memories of the good ol´ days in Konoha. He hated to admit it, but he actually DID enjoy living in Konoha back then. Sasuke screamed loudly in pain.
He couldn´t handle it! Everything just crashed together in his head! The regret over leaving Konoha, the anger over being called weak, the frustration over not being strong enough, the jealousy over Naruto´s fast and powerfull progress. Everything just crashed together in his head! Then he went limp. Sasuke stood there, panting. Then suddenly, he brought his hands together and started making some rapid hand seals. Naruto´s eyes widened at this.
Sasuke roared in anger and fire erupted from his body! Naruto backed off slightly at this. Then he set his jaw straight and clenched his fists.
(I WON'T give up! Me and Sakura-chan are going home, and YOU are coming with us! Sasuke!) Naruto thought.
Naruto glared straight back into Sasuke's red orbs.


Wow! Things are about to get ugly! Stay tuned for the next chapter, of "S-Rank mission! Bring Sasuke back!"