Chapter 13 Death of a true warrior
"Many people would sacrifice their lives for a reason. That reason can be very pathetic to some, and very honorable to others. My reason to live is Orochimaru-sama. For him I'd offer my life. If you are his enemy, get ready, because only one of us is going to leave this place"
"And it's not going to be you"
Kaguya Kimimaro
Sasuke took a look around. Apparently this Kaguya Kimimaro was alone. So, this guy single-handedly had killed two members from the ANBU, the assassination squad of the Leaf. This was bad. He needed that cigarette.
"So, you are one of Orochimaru's shinobis. I just heard that the Sound Four had an accident around here. You should be careful. Accidents have a tendency to happen around me to people I don't like" He tried speaking in a friendly tone.
"That's what I heard. Was it you?"
Sasuke grinned.
"It wasn't me. I assure you. I really loved that rabble. Listen, why don't you go back to Orochimaru and tell him that I'll think about it? Come back in five months and I'll give you an answer." smiled Sasuke
"Orochimaru is running out of time" said Kimimaro "I'm taking you there immediately. Don't resist."
"Shut the fuck up!" yelled Sasuke, also keeping carefully in his mind the comment about Orochimaru "running out of time". "Shit, now I am pissed off! This always happens to me! Listen, I worked hard to be acknowledged by my father. After I succeed he gets killed along with my whole clan, and I have to get revenge. I tried to be just your normal avenger, and I got two annoying team-mates that would never, ever, let me have my revenge in peace. I try to enjoy life a little bit, even admitting that Naruto is strong, and my brother comes along and visits me. I'm going through a tough time, I need some time to clear my thoughts, and the Four Sound beat me up. I decide that I'm leaving the Leaf, and I somehow manage to sleep with a girl and probably get her pregnant. Finally, I choose to stay here, and Orochimaru acts as your usual Evil Overlord who to convince me to go to the Sound, he sends one minion after another. Of course each one is stronger than the last. Damn it! I am kind of getting frustrated here! What kind of bullshit karma is dumping on me like this, over and over? I mean, Come on!"
"I am the strongest of the Sound Five" warned Kimimaro
"The Sound Five? You mean the former Sound Four? Well, I guess you are the strongest: You are the only one left. If you don't get your ass out of my way, I'll kick you all the way to hell!" Sasuke was carefully keeping his anger well under control. If he wanted to kill this Kimimaro he would have to wait until he found an opening in his defense. Still, this one didn't appear even bothered by his comments.
"Uchiha Sasuke, you have been chosen by Orochimaru-sama. Come with me."
Sasuke sighed. He had made a mistake coming alone, but at least Sakura and Naruto were safe. With a little luck they would go to the Leaf and bring reinforcements. However he didn't have time. He would have to deal with this one on his own.
"Look, this is a stalemate. You can't expect to beat me, carry me against my will and escape the ANBU hunt squads on your own. I don't feel like leaving the Leaf, you know being married and all. I insist, came back in five months and I'll give you an answer. Better, I'll escape on my own. You guys would just mess things up, as usual. Now, leave me alone." Sasuke turned around, and started walking away. However, using his own body as cover, he grabbed most of the shurikens he had.
"I can't do that" said Kimimaro softly. He had barely finished the sentence when Sasuke brusquely turned around, launching the shurikens. Kimimaro was surprised. Still he managed to avoid them all, even the ones that Sasuke had hidden behind the first wave of projectiles.
Kimimaro's eyes returned to where Sasuke had been, but he had disappeared. It was more instinct than hearing what made Kimimaro turn to the left, where a flying Sasuke was moving to him, with a kunai in his right hand. The tip of the kunai was aiming straight to Kimimaro's neck. The strongest of the Sound Five managed to evade it with a quick movement
"Damn!" Sasuke cursed while he threw another kunai from his left hand to his opponent's head. Kimimaro avoided like with insulting ease.
Sasuke activated the sharingan and pushed forward, trying different combinations and combos, even throwing by surprise a kunai or two. Kimimaro seemed to predict exactly his movements with perfect skill. Getting desperate, after fifteen endless minutes without laying a single hit on his opponent, Sasuke managed to grab his shirt. Sasuke pushed both his knees against his crotch. Of course Kimimaro stopped both of them with his hands, exactly as Sasuke had predicted. He smashed his protected forehead against Kimimaro's forehead.
Kimimaro fell down, but quickly got up, without any change of expression. Sasuke thought that he looked like a ghost.
"You... are good. Shit! Doesn't Orochimaru have any other mass-destruction plan? Why does he have to bother me?" panted Sasuke.
"You have a lot of potential." Praised Kimimaro "Come with me. I'll take you to Orochimaru. He can teach you to develop your true power. You have been chosen."
"I am so lucky!" Answered sarcastically Sasuke panting and thinking about a plan "Right now I am not interested in going to that wacko. Why don't you buy a forest and lose yourself there?" Sasuke concentrated his chakra "Katon, goukakyuu no Jutsu!"
A very violent fireball moved from Sasuke and went straight to Kimimaro. Sasuke had expected Kimimaro to jump to avoid it. He would be then vulnerable to his kunais. However, Kimimaro just stood still and let the fire engulf him.
"What the hell?" said Sasuke, when he saw that Kimimaro was unscathed, still, he had another plan. "Now I am pissed off. Kaguya Kimimaro. I remember that name. You guys were almost eliminated by the Hidden Mist, weren't you? Wasn't it the Hidden Mist-Kaguya clan War?"
Kimimaro nodded.
"I am the last survivor" he said "However, the spirit of my clan lives on Orochimaru-sama. Come with me, and the spirit of the Uchihas will live on."
"Whatever, anyway, from last survivor of a clan to last survivor of a clan." Said Sasuke who knew that he had finally found a lever to beat his enemy "Don't you think you are a coward for not getting revenge? Your whole clan exterminated, men, women, children and babies. Still, you failed in getting revenge, since the Hidden Mist known killers are still alive. What happened? You made a half-assed attempt for getting revenge, failed and gave up? You are just a loser! LOSER! L-O-S-E-R.!"
The calm expression of Kimimaro had been cracking up. For the first time since the beginning of the fight, he was emitting a strong intent to kill, exactly as Sasuke had predicted. If he had lost his clan during the Hidden Mist-Kaguya clan War, then he had been a child when the massacre had taken place. The pain and the terrible memories had to be there, no matter how hard he had tried to suppress them. He knew that too well.
"You..." said Kimimaro with anger.
"Katon, goukakyuu!" repeated Sasuke, and again, terrible flames moved towards Kimimaro.
"It's useless..." said Kimimaro "WHAT!" There were shurikens hidden in the fireball, and most of them impacted on him, but still he stood still. Sasuke had expected Kimimaro to use his amazing reflexes to avoid them. Apparently he had lost concentration because Sasuke's comments about his clan
It was his chance.
Sasuke moved using his extraordinary speed and soon he was standing behind Kimimaro, which still wasn't moving. He drove with all his strength his kunai into Kimimaro's unprotected neck. The weapon didn't even leave a dent on his enemy, who had the curse seal around his whole body.
"Well, Shit! Give me a break!" asked Sasuke, who was still shoving the kunai, which was still unmoving.
"My blood limit inheritance controls both the bone forming and destroying cells, as well as the density of calcium to manipulate the formation of bones. To create bone masks right under my skin is child's play to me." explained Kimimaro
Sasuke was still pushing the kunai ineffectively. He saw how bones popped right out of Kimimaro's body in the direction of his arm.
"Damn!" Sasuke jumped back, less than a second before the sharpened bones went right where his arm used to be. Apparently, Kimimaro was a little angry with him.
"You are strong, and your bloodline ability is terrifying." confessed Sasuke. "But I wonder. Can you resist my strongest technique?"
Kimimaro coughed blood again. He extended his arms
"Do it!" He commanded, while his body continued to change. The skin was getting darker. He was physically changing. He was becoming more like a demon.
Sasuke wondered about that coughed blood. He concentrated his chakra in his hand. He knew his enemy was underestimating him, and he was going to pay for that.
Using the chidori, he ran forward. When he was going to impact on Kimimaro's chest, he jumped left then forward, and finally backwards, using Kimimaro's new tail as support. The whole power of chidori, as it had never been stronger, smashed against Kimimaro's skull. However, the sound of bone breaking didn't come from Kimimaro
"FUCK!" Sasuke screamed, as he felt the terrible pain coming from his broken hand.
"Uchiha Sasuke" interrupted Kimimaro "This is the second level curse seal. You increase ten times your former strength. Tell me, Uchiha Sasuke, what is your ambition?"
"I want to kill my brother" Sasuke said with no hesitation at all. That was the answer he would always give, in a funeral, or in a wedding.
"Do you think you can kill Uchiha Itachi with your present strength?"
"I'm warning you, pal. Don't take me too lightly" warned Sasuke. He knew that his claim was almost ridiculous when he was even then holding his broken hand.
"I'm not" answered Kimimaro "However as long as you remain as you are, Uchiha Sasuke, you will never beat him."
Sasuke stared at him. The normal features of Kimimaro were weird. He was sweating. Was that emotion or fear?
"Uchiha Itachi is strong, very strong. You can't beat him as long as you remain a human being" said Kimimaro
"What the hell are you talking about? Itachi is human, well, kind of. Theoretically, at least."
"Not anymore. I fought him once. It was brief, but he showed me his true power. He is not human any longer. He has changed. He has evolved." Sasuke understood that the features this time were definitely from fear "You need Orochimaru to develop your power."
"Don't think I need him" replied Sasuke. "I have gotten pretty far on my own."
"Can Leaf's Rock Lee beat Sand's demon child Gaara of the Sand? The answer is no. What if that Rock Lee spends the next one hundred years training hard? Still it won't be enough against the demon powers. Gaara of the Sand grows stronger each second as his body adapts and can use more and more power. If you follow Rock Lee's footsteps, you will never defeat Uchiha Itachi. Your whole life will be meaningless."
"I didn't see you during the chuunin exams. Apparently you have a good information network" admitted Sasuke. This time the one sweating was him.
"The Second Level Curse is at the reach of your hand. Come with me, Uchiha Sasuke, and Orochimaru will give you power. What is your answer? Remember your ambition: To defeat Itachi for the death of your clan"
"I said I'm not interested now. Piss off. Why don't you come later? I'll even invite you to a snack at my house" Sasuke's hands were sweating profusely. Kimimaro's continuous mentions of Itachi were making it worse. The fear was breaking his defenses. His greatest fear was that the true genius of the Uchiha clan didn't even look back at him. That no matter how much he tried, his life's purpose ended unfulfilled.
"Uchiha Sasuke, last survivor of the Uchiha clan, Are you going to let your whole family left dead and forgotten? Don't you want revenge for all the pain Itachi has caused?" insisted Kimimaro
"I... I... " Sasuke tried to remember Sakura, he tried to remember Naruto, he tried to remember his choices.Everything he saw where the eyes of Itachi...
"Why are you weak? Your hatred is not..."
"Don't worry Sasuke, here we are!" announced suddenly Naruto
"Sasuke-kun, don't worry, we will help you!" yelled Sakura
Naruto and Sakura had suddenly appeared from nowhere and now were standing between him and Kimimaro
"What are you guys doing? I told you to wait for me! This guy is too strong!" yelled Sasuke
Both Naruto and Sakura turned their heads and smiled at him.
"It's OK" Naruto said "You don't have to fight alone."
"Of course. We are your team-mates and your friends. We fight together" said Sakura.
Sasuke was planning on yelling to them, but he forgot about it when he felt something warm in his chest. Sakura's words were affecting him more than usual. She was really annoying.
"Shit! Are you always this stupid, or is today a special occasion?" He murmured.
"Kage Bunshin!" yelled Naruto.
Sasuke, and specially Sakura, that hadn't witnessed it before, were left speechless when they saw more than one thousand Narutos running forward towards Kimimaro's changed form.
"He is strong!" commented a surprised Sakura
"Hai" agreed Sasuke, and after a few seconds, he repeated "Hai, he is."
The thousand Narutos were all attacking at the same time, hitting Kimimaro over and over.
No matter how many times Kimimaro counterattacked, thrashing around over and over at the weaker enemies, the number of Narutos only increased. Even if bones emerged continuously from his body and went through many of the shadow clones, new ones were continuously appearing. However no matter how many times the Narutos punched or kicked, they didn't even seem to faze the powerful last survivor of the Kaguya clan.
"Let's roll!" Yelled Naruto Immediately, all the Narutos started using the Rasengan, and rushed towards Kimimaro.
It was more blind luck than anything else, because no matter Kimimaro's talent, he wasn't able to recognize the real Naruto. When the Narutos were running to him, Kimimaro launched a hundred of small bones, which went through many fake Narutos, and through the right shoulder of the real one.
"Aaaaarggghhhhh!" yelled Naruto, while the fake Narutos disappeared. Kimimaro quickly ran to him, while a bone popped out of his body, which he was going to use as a spear. Sasuke and Sakura quickly ran to stop him.
Sasuke intercepted the trajectory of Kimimaro, did a triple spin and kicked Kimimaro's face with all his strength. He could have hit steel, for all the good it did. Kimimaro kept running and was going to pierce Naruto, when Sakura protected Naruto with her body. However, Kimimaro stopped cold, because what he was watching was not a girl, but Sasuke's body.
Sasuke was surprised by Sakura's perfect idea. Orochimaru didn't want him dead, so Kimimaro couldn't kill him. However, the ability to camouflage the chakra required a lot of chakra control.
"Henge no Jutsu!" Yelled Naruto, and where Naruto was, only the body of Sasuke appeared now "Kage Bunshin!" Yelled then Naruto and thousands of Sasukes materialized.
The real Sasuke stepped in, grabbed Sakura and left the combat, while one hundred Sasukes formed the first wave and covered them.
"If I can't use my right hand, I'll use my left one." yelled Naruto. Around five thousand fake Sasukes using the Rasengan were running towards the demon form of Kimimaro, which had to be careful to not kill any of the Sasukes, in case one of them was the real one. As there were too many of them for Kimimaro to analyze which one was the real one he could only hit them. The second level curse form was slow, because Kimimaro's body wasn't used to it, and very soon Kimimaro was suffering the effects of multiple hits of the Rasengan.
"He has strong armor, but even the Kaguya bloodline ability can't stand the power of the Rasengan for long" predicted Sasuke on top of a tree where he was with Sakura, still transformed in Sasuke
He was right, as very soon Kimimaro was forced to transform back to his original, faster form. He managed to avoid the Rasengan from the Narutos transformed into Sasukes, but just barely.
"Sasuke-kun, he is still too fast, you must help Naruto" said Sakura
"Does he really need my help?" commented with a bitter voice Sasuke.
"Of course he does." said Sakura, and she forced Sasuke to look at her "He is your team-mate, he is your friend, we help each other, remember?"
"Shit! OK!" Said Sasuke, with a smile "If I can't use my right hand, I'll use my left one" he added, repeating Naruto's words. Holding the terrible pain, and in a very awkward way, he managed to make the seals of the chidori.
Sasuke ran towards Kimimaro, with the maximum speed he could do. Easily avoiding the slower fake Sasukes and using them as cover he got closer for his back to his enemy. Kimimaro had been only avoiding fake Sasukes for the longest time, and still he didn't appear to be tired. Sasuke ran to him and struck him, stabbing him, deep in the chest
For a second, just for a second, Sasuke thought he had won. Then he saw Kimimaro's face. He was smiling.
"Shit!" Before Sasuke could move, huge bones popped out Kimimaro and surrounded both of them. His left hand was still trapped inside Kimimaro's body. "You let yourself be hit so you could trap me" said Sasuke in admiration.
"Of course" said Kimimaro, with a weak voice. Sasuke took a long look at him. He was dying. Blood was pouring from his pierced chest. So...
"Why?" Sasuke asked quietly. He didn't try to escape. He couldn't and he didn't want to.
"For Orochimaru-sama" explained Kimimaro. He leaned in on Sasuke, and started whispering on his ear.
Naruto was worried. Sasuke was trapped inside of those bones. He didn't know what to do to save him. At least the weird bone guy wasn't moving anymore. He was just whispering to Sasuke too low for him to hear
"We have to get Sasuke out of there!" yelled Sakura
"Why?" He asked. "Sasuke is all right. The guy's just talking"
"That is the problem! We have to help Sasuke!"
Sakura launched herself against the bones, and tried to open a path. The bones reacted and moved against her. Sakura tried to avoid the attack, but she wasn't fast enough, as one of the bones went through her leg.
"Arrrrrrrggggghhhhh!" She screamed.
Before Naruto could react, Sasuke had already made his move. Since his left hand was trapped, he took with his fingers of the broken right hand one of the kunais. Since his left hand was trapped, he launched the kunai to the height of the face. Sasuke grabbed it with his teeth, and pushed it against Kimimaro's eye.
Kimimaro didn't protest, he just fell down, while the bones retracted.
"SAKURA!" screamed Sasuke rushing to her.
Sakura managed to smile
"I'm all right Sasuke-kun" she said.
In front of Naruto's eyes, Sasuke's expression changed. At first it had been one of terror, when he had thought that Sakura had been killed. When he saw that she was all right, that it was just a nasty wound in the leg, he changed. His expression turned back quickly to what it usually was: Cold and expressionless.
In a very efficient way, he ripped his own sleeve and put a professional bandage around her leg. He turned around to Kimimaro
Naruto had never hated Sasuke so much in his whole life.
In that moment, Kimimaro got up again, with a kunai hanging from his left eye.
"I should have stabbed you deeper, you white-haired freak" Sasuke said confidently. He was actually scared of this Kimimaro guy. There was no way he could be alive. He had his chest pierced and he had a stabbed eye with a kunai still hanging.
Kimimaro raised an arm
"Orochi..." he fell to his knees "...maru..." his face smashed against the ground "...sama" he burbled. There was silence
Sasuke got close to him, and carefully checked his pulse. There was none.
"Sacrificing his life for Orochimaru. Indeed, what a great servant, a pity there was no great lord" Sasuke commented.
Sasuke straightened the corpse out. He then put his last two kunais on top of him.
"Katon, Goukakyuu no Jutsu!" He yelled, and a great firewall engulfed Kimimaro, burning him completely "Here you can witness the end of a great warrior, last survivor of one of the strongest clans in history" explained Sasuke, as the flames reflected in his onyx eyes. "Don't forget his determination, not his courage."
Sasuke turned around and started to walk, away from Sakura and Naruto. Sasuke had noticed that the injury in Naruto's arm had healed.
Naruto was feeling the anger building. Why did Sasuke always have to act that cool?
"Sasuke-kun!" yelled Sakura
Sasuke stopped. He didn't turn.
"What did that guy tell you?"
"A lot of things, all of them true." Sasuke answered "Also, two interesting things that I'd like to find out. And among the truths" This time he turned "He said that you could have been killed because of me. That was true. So, for now on, stay away from my fights unless I call for your help."
Sakura ran to him.
"What are you saying? You could have been killed!"
"That would be my own business. I don't want anybody else to die."
"But what about us? You want us to see you die!"
"As I said, don't interfere. I never asked for your help." He said
In that moment, Naruto jumped, and smashed his fist against Sasuke's face, which didn't even try to avoid the blow. Sasuke fell down and Naruto jumped on top on him.
"What are you saying, you bastard? You are our friend! We can't let you die!"
"Then stop being my friends." Sasuke ordered.
Naruto's furious cry of rage almost silenced his last word. Naruto started hitting Sasuke over and over, punching his face with true hate. Not stopping even as Sasuke's blood spilled over his own clothes. He only stopped when he heard the sound of Sasuke's nose breaking. Sasuke never even raise an arm to defend himself.
Naruto took a long look at his fists, that were dripping blood. He looked back at Sasuke. His face was bad. Still he had a melancholic smile.
Sasuke pushed Naruto away, and got up with a lot of effort. After Naruto's beating, he could only open one eye. The rest of his face showed the signs of the pounding.
"More Orochimaru's shinobis may still be around. We'll divide in two groups. I'll go alone. If there are more of Orochimaru's men around, they will be after me. Naruto, you go with Sakura. You can defend her better than me, anyway." He said, and there was sourness in his voice.
Naruto launched another cry of rage, and jumped towards Sasuke, that easily avoided this time the blow. He stroke with a perfectly directed kick to Naruto's crotch. Naruto cried and fell to the ground in a fetal position.
"Sorry, but I was tired of being your punching bag" said Sasuke. He turned around and left without even looking back to Sakura
"You... you bastard" said Naruto trying to get up to attack Sasuke again. He was interrupted by Sakura's tears.
"Why?" She cried "Why can't we even have a break? Why?"
Sasuke stopped for a second, just for a second when he heard her crying. After a brief hesitation, he kept walking away.
Well, another chapter. I could have titled this chapter. The frustration of Sasuke, because truly, he never gets a break. Although most of the chapter was the fight against Kimimaro, I managed to also write some foreshadowing with Itachi, as well as more conflicting emotions. You can bet something, Itachi is going to be a major character in the story.
Kimimaro was an interesting character. A loyal subject to a Lord that didn't care about him. By the way, I change the description of the story, for another that reflected the actual situation of the story. Do you like it?
For next chapter you can expect a surprising Love triangle, as well as those friendly chats between Sasuke and Tsunade we have all learned to love. While we are at it, why is there so much yaoi about Iruka and Kakashi, when the manga shows VERY clearly that they barely know each other?