Itonami: Well, finally chapter 13 is up. Sorry for the long wait! I hope this is good. It was a painstaking process to write this one. Lots of obstacles. Wasn't cool. And I was sick with a stomach virus for three days. That wasn't cool either. Anyway, enjoy! And review! Lots of fragments in this paragraph. I should go back to grammar school.

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Naruto.

Chapter 13

Konoha jounins were lined up, all of them tense and watching the stalled battle to the death before them. Kakashi stood near Sakura, who was standing firmly with her feet planted solidly on the ground. Her face mask hid her expressions but the former teacher could tell that she was nervous.

"Nice to see you confident." Kakashi said coolly, reaching up to slide his forehead protector over his Sharingan.

Sakura lightly jumped at being addressed. "Oh, Kakashi-senpai…" Something in her voice shook with uncertainty. "Confident isn't the word I'd describe myself right now."

He put a hand on her shoulder and sighed. "Sasuke's changed, hasn't he?" He did not mention the stories of the atrocities that the Uchiha had committed ever since he had joined Orochimaru. They were awful enough even when written in boring, formal reports. Sakura still had no idea who Uchiha Sasuke was. It was better to keep it that way.

"Sasuke…he's been pretty bad, huh?" She said softly.

The medic-nin's former sensei would have sweatdropped if it hadn't been such a serious situation. "Why do you say that?"

"Ever since I met him," Sakura began, looking up at the taller man, "it was clear that he was lost. Lost to the world, and himself. Maybe all this time, it was pity that drove me to love him."

"Sakura, you know it's not true." Kakashi's eye sagged sadly. "Don't tell yourself that."

The medic nin shook her head. "I've been fooling myself all along. No matter what, I'm still that annoying twelve year old girl to him. I'm still that pathetic chuunin that begged for his return. That's all I am. His new life when he defeats Orochimaru is going to be spent alone without irritating people like me."

The gray haired jounin sighed. Sasuke, why can't you see?

The wind blew past them, scattering various leaves across the dusty path. Sasuke and Orochimaru stood facing each other, the pair smirking at each other. Without another minute wasted, they charged at incredible velocities. Orochimaru made a seal while his forked tongue slithered out viciously. Sasuke was not in the least intimidated. Instead, he took out several shuriken from his pouch and launched them swiftly. One caught the sannin on the shoulder, but the experienced shinobi ignored the wound entirely.

"Sasuke-kun, I've got to ask, what brought on this change with Sakura-chan? The last time I heard, you were looking for the little kunoichi when she got captured by your brother."

Sasuke ignored the question. Kicking Orochimaru down, his hands made the seals for his Katon. Breathing in sharply, he concentrated hot chakra in his chest and spew out fire as he exhaled. The scorching fire grazed Orochimaru.

Unexpectedly, two shuriken whizzed out from behind, and Sasuke noticed too late. Trying to twist out of the way, he succeeded in dodging only one of them. The other flew and embedded its sharp blades into Sasuke's thigh. Not hesitating, he instantly considered the placement and depth of the weapon and jerked it out. Blood freely flowed from the wound. He discarded the offending weapon from him.

"I've realized that I had been blind. I owe Sakura my gratitude for her care, but I'm not going to fall for what she calls love." Sasuke stated bluntly as he turned to Orochimaru. But even as he said those words, he felt a jolt of guilt because Sakura was there. It's better this way. He convinced his conscience.

The sannin chuckled. "There's the Sasuke-kun I know. Love is for fools, Sasuke-kun. Hate is all you need. Resent the world and receive power." He said in a low voice.

Sasuke smirked. "You promised me power, Orochimaru. I never got it. Now I'll beat you with my own strength, without the curse seal."

Orochimaru laughed out loud, and then gazed at the Uchiha in a mocking way. "Is that so? You can't beat me without the curse seal…and the decision to fight with or without it is not up to you."

Sasuke's eyes were wide. "What are you talking about?" He snarled, as his hand automatically went to the three black comma-like shapes arranged in a circle on his neck.

"You're not the only that can control your curse seal, Sasuke-kun. I can activate it, also. Kabuto researched it for me."

Making one seal with his hand, Orochimaru started to chant something frightening, his deep, husky voice ringing in the air. Sasuke stood rigid, unable to move as a recognizable shudder spread throughout his body. The seal on his neck started to throb horribly, and he winced as he clutched the aching spot. The pain spread fast, sending white-hot sensations circulating his blood. Collapsing on one knee, a noise of severe pain escaped his mouth as he doubled over, still clutching desperately at the seal.

"I make all the shots, Sasuke-kun. You should have known better than to betray me. Now you belong nowhere, not with me and not with the Leaf. You are an S-class criminal on the run, joining with the hated Sound village for your own gain of power." Orochimaru glowered menacingly as the young Uchiha withered in pain, the orange curse seal marks dancing across his skin. "Now, I will kill you."

A hissing laughter echoed in the night. Orochimaru stopped. Sasuke was still on the ground, unmoving and hunched over, his forehead touching the ground. But it was certain that the laughter was coming from him. The soft chuckles grew louder as the last Uchiha survivor stood, his usual dark eyes now a deep amber and his pupils were like that of a snake's. They mirrored Orochimaru's own. His freakish looks were accented by the black marks on the left side of his body. His lips were contorted in a malicious smile, and he took a closer step towards the sannin.

"Is that so?" Sasuke's eyes narrowed accusingly, daring the snake-like man to attack.

Orochimaru did not understand what was happening. He could make the host of his curse seal die with his new jutsu. What was happening now? For now, he remained in his cool façade.

Naruto's team was engaged in a vicious battle again, the Konoha teams decimated to the mere tens. Kabuto was so heavily guarded by his creations that none of the jounins could lay a hand on him. Rock Lee joined the battle when he came back from his escort mission, but not even the Green Beast of Konoha could accomplish such a feat.

Frustrated and infuriated by the helplessness as he watched his comrades fall one by one, Naruto went into a mad frenzy. Making the famous shadow clones of himself, he launched them all into the offensive, aiding if necessary, but most of his forces going for the mastermind behind all of the chaos.

"Naruto, don't waste your chakra!" Neji barked from where he and Tenten were handling five nins. "We can't get to him. We need a plan!"

"Plan, my ass, Hyuuga! Unless we kill the source of the problem, we won't live to see daybreak!" Naruto shouted back, concentrating as he fought to multitask: protect Hinata-chan, help the others, and kill Kabuto.

"Damn it, Naruto, listen for once!" Ino shrieked enraged as she battled off a heavily bandaged man with two kunais. "Where's Shikamaru when you need him!"

"Right here, Ino." A lazy drawl came from behind them.

Shikamaru and his tactics force had come to be a part of the action. Immediately, they sprang into the fray, joining the fight. Shikamaru glanced around him and his eyes traveled to Kabuto and shook his head. Neji brought him up on what the advanced medic nin used, his strange jutsu that was able to create able-bodied nins from mere dirt, using less chakra than it took to wiggle a pinky. He frowned and studied Kabuto carefully and intensely.

"Naruto, by the looks of things, that guy is only making it troublesome for himself. This jutsu isn't perfect. It definitely has its drawbacks. He's completely defenseless without his chakra controlled creatures. While he's performing this jutsu constantly, he can't be on the offensive himself. We just need to find an opening. Get past the defense that he's set up, and we've got him. I suggest a weapon master to do this job. It'll be best for a long range attack."

Naruto nodded. "Oi, Tenten! You up for it?"

"Hai, captain!" She said cheerfully. Neji glanced at her, amused by her sprit.

"We need your best. We'll provide means of distraction and you'll just strike as fast as you can." The blonde grinned at the Hyuuga. "We'll give him a run for his money."

In a flash, Neji and Naruto were sprinting in opposite directions, executing a plan never rehearsed nor discussed. Upon instinct, the great ninjas clashed in and out, distracting the creatures perfectly while Tenten aim all of her weapons towards Kabuto. Whipping out two gigantic scrolls, she set them parallel to each other and perpendicular to the ground. Throwing them up, and going up with them, the scrolls unbound themselves and transforming into smoky dragons, they swirled around her body lavishly. "Soushouryu! Rising Twin Dragons!" She cried out, as she put forth a burst of swirling chakra. The scrolls became alive with weapons and they all hurled down like rain. Success!

But this was not so, when Kabuto gathered all of his chakra creations to take the blow for him. Neji saw the opening.

Apparently, Naruto did too.

The blonde haired ninja had launched himself straight at the enemy nin, his hand curled around a compact ball of blue chakra, the renown Rasengan. Kabuto noticed too late. The Rasengan slammed into Kabuto's chest, and the sound of flesh burning filled the air. The chakra creations all melted back into dust, and Kabuto coughed out blood.

"I have…failed Orochimaru-sama…" He gasped out, blood dripping from his mouth.

"That was for Sakura and Sasuke. Go to hell." Naruto snarled.

Neji felt a pair of arms wrap around his waist loosely. He looked down and saw Tenten smiling. "I did well, didn't I?"

He smirked. "Yes, Tenten, you did well."

Naruto gazed at the lifeless body of Kabuto indifferently. His face was splattered with blood. He never enjoyed killing, and this was no exception. "Damn…" He muttered, looking away.

"Naruto-kun, are you alright?"

Hinata put a gentle hand on his arm, and he smiled at her sadly. "I'm fine, Hinata-chan."

The few remaining shinobi picked up their dead and injured. Hinata, studying to be a medic nin, treated them as best she could, her special eyes surveying their internal damage efficiently.

"I wonder how Sasuke's holding up…" Naruto asked aloud to himself.

Uchiha Sasuke was currently standing precisely two feet from Orochimaru, the desire to kill in his eyes. His hands pulsed with the need to close them around the sannin's neck.

"You will never defeat me, Orochimaru."

Sasuke sprang from the ground, launching high into the night sky until he disappeared from view. Orochimaru, expecting the Uchiha to come back down, stood rather stupidly staring at the sky.

With speed that could rival the one of Yondaime himself, Sasuke appeared from behind, and dug three kunais into Orochimaru's back. He shrieked with pain while he wildly lashed out, only to hit air. Sasuke flipped backwards on his hands in a flash and then hit again, this time with his Katon. Fire became alive and it lit up the darkness. Soothing murderous feelings coursed through his veins and the Uchiha chuckled as Orochimaru managed to come out of the last attack with only minor burns.

The snake-like sannin didn't have time to react when he was kicked upwards into the air by the chin. Slipping in below silently with an arrogant smirk on his face, the last Uchiha struck with his left foot, but then Orochimaru moved to block it, ignoring the pain from the kunais stuck in his back. But then, Sasuke did the unexpected, a different version of his ShiShi Rendan, the famed Lion Combo. Instead of allowing him to block, Sasuke shoved the arm away and drove one of the kunais deeper, making another sear of agony shoot through the elder shinobi. Using the small stop of movement to advantage, Sasuke flipped and came on top of the flying body, driving the heel of his hand to the base of his neck to send both of them straight down towards the ground. Delivering a punch strong enough to send crimson blood flying from Orochimaru's mouth, Sasuke waited for the perfect moment to strike.

When they were an exact foot and a half off the ground, Uchiha Sasuke front flipped in the air and slammed his heel into the chest of the sannin. "Shishi Rendan! Lion Combo!" The impact sent the victim of his Rendan deep into the ground, the paved road breaking apart severely. The kunais pierced through even to the bone; blood sprayed everywhere.

Sasuke stood triumphant as Orochimaru struggled to get up from the ground.

Gasping for air and feebly clutching at nothing in the air, Orochimaru let out a hacking cough. "Sasuke-kun, you've grown…you countered my jutsu. I'm…impressed. That's why I chose you…in the first place. My…Sasuke-kun…"

"I was never yours, Orochimaru."

"Oh, but you were…even for the slightest moment…" The sannin gave a gurgling chuckle.

Almost leisurely, Sasuke applied slow pressure to Orochimaru's right hand with his foot. Orochimaru tried to struggle. "Your hands are your most prized processions, aren't they?" The same, haunting hiss of a chuckle escaped the Uchiha's throat. "That's a shame."

A cracking sound shot through the air, and the sannin gave a strangled noise. Another crack…then another. It was clear to the jounins and ANBU that Sasuke was breaking all of his fingers. Sakura grimaced at the cruelty.

Then Sasuke carefully stepped over the withering body of Orochimaru and started on the left hand. The index finger broke, bent over at a gruesome angle. He began the same slow, excruciating process on the middle.

A pink and gray blur sped in front of his eyes, an ANBU mask of a bear filled Sasuke's eyes. She stood stiffly before him. "He's dead. You can stop now."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed into dangerous slits. "Move, ANBU. I will do as I want."

Sakura pulled out a kunai and brought it to his neck. "Do as I say."

"Make me. I want to finish this." He roughly pushed her aside.

The medic nin crossed his path again, this time assertively and angrily. "Damn this, Sasuke! You aren't a monster!"

"What are you seeing now?" Sasuke gave her a scoff, and then sneered at her. "I am a monster. This is what I am, Haruno Sakura." He tugged the mask off swiftly and roughly grabbed her shin, looking into her green eyes. His voice was soft when he spoke again. "What you want to see doesn't exist."

Tears pooled and she heatedly wrenched her face from his hands. "I never wanted to see you."

Sasuke's eyes turned back into their fathomless black and he gazed at the stubborn kunoichi. "You shouldn't be so disappointed."

Sakura didn't give him a second glance and instead, she walked to where the rest of the Konohakagure shinobi were. Kakashi easily embraced and let her weep quietly into his jounin vest.

Sasuke was suddenly there, jealousy openly flaming inside of him as he grabbed her arm, only to have her cower further into Kakashi's arms. Something hurt him to see her like that. Kakashi calmly instructed the other jounins to check on Orochimaru's body. He then grasped her gently by the shoulders and winked his visible eye at her in an assuring way. He shot Sasuke a warning look and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Sakura turned from him. "I don't have anything to say, Sasuke. I wouldn't want to annoy you." Her tone was bitter.

So, she heard then. "Sakura, I won't lie to you."

"Wonderful, then I can die happy now." She muttered.

Sasuke grew angry. "If you won't let me explain, then I guess I won't have to."

"No, I don't want you to explain that, because I get the message, Sasuke. Tell me what you did when you were Orochimaru."

It was there that he hesitated and looked away. "No."

The medic nin moved so that her face was fully in his sight. "I have a right to know!"

"What makes you think you have any right?" He growled, glaring at her.

"Because I was and still am your friend. Because I've gone for five years thinking where you were and how you were doing. Because I was the only one that believed you would come back. Because I have earned my right." She said, gritting her teeth.

"No, you have earned nothing."

"That's bull and you know it!" She shouted furiously, gripping his shirt.

He jerked away. "Do you have any idea what I have done? With these hands?"

"Tell me!"

"Do you want to hear about my first assassination mission, where I killed his daughters while his eldest son tried to defend them with a corkscrew? Then how I shoved that thing in his voice box and let him try to scream for help? You want to hear about how his wife was killed first and let the man beg for his life as I let him bleed to death?

"Is that what you want to know? Is that what think you've earned the right to hear? Maybe you'd like to know about when Orochimaru ordered me to kill an innocent girl in the most painful way that I could. Do you want to know how I can hear her screaming in my sleep along with thousands of other sounds? Do you! Is this what you want to know! Answer me, damn it!" Sasuke shook her.

"Yes!" She screamed, tears pouring down her face. "That's what I wanted to know! I wanted nothing but share those nightmares with you! It's my right to know!"

"I have become a monster, Sakura." He said cruelly, each word becoming a knife in her heart, "I do not know how to love, only hate. Love is never option for me."

Silence prevailed. "I guess you're right, Sasuke. Maybe from the very start you were destined to become what you have become." Sakura said quietly.

There was no answer from the young man.

"Haruno-san, your mask…" A jounin tossed Sakura her ANBU mask.

She bowed in gratitude and then slowly walked away, leaving Sasuke behind in the night.

Author's notes: Well, the chapter is waaaay late, so I apologize. I think I dug myself a hole by making up Kabuto's jutsu. I didn't think out, so I agonized over it for awhile. I think it turned out pretty silly. T-T Oh well, life goes on.

Orochimaru and Kabuto are both dead. Whew. Now we can get to more of the romance more, I guess.

I am mostly likely writing an epilogue which contains three parts or so, about the future lives of Neji x Tenten, Naruto x Hinata, and Sasuke x Sakura. I'm excited to write these, but I shouldn't get too ahead of myself.

This story is going to be over very soon. Maybe another chapter then the epilogues… Thank you for your constant reviews! Wow, gotta love 'em. No, seriously. They're wonderful to read.