Blanket Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. This applies to …. Forever or when I can earn a bazillion dollars to buy the copyrights to it.

A/N: To make up for the short chapter, I wrote this lengthy one. This is all battle. Hope you like it! Oh, and NaruSasu will be coming up; it's a bit slow. Can't have them jump each other quite yet.

Chapter 9: Fight!

Middle of a Forest

Two weeks later, the group had awoken at dawn and began the chase with renewed vigor. In the midst of the forest the trail split into two. Naruto looked at both paths and whistled. Suki appeared immediately. Silently the two communicated and Naruto nodded his head. "Satake's scent is on both paths. We need to split up. Sasuke and Sakura, take the right path. Ino and I will take the left. Shoot a flare when you've found him."

Right Path

Sasuke and Sakura were traveling silently, Sasuke in the upper treetops and Sakura on the lower limbs. Suddenly Sasuke jumped into Sakura and both landed on the forest floor. "Sasuke-kun?"

Sasuke clapped his hand over her mouth and pointed behind him. Sakura looked behind him and realized that there was another presence. Satake stepped out of the shadows. Just as she was about to fire her flare, there was a flash of light from another flare to the left.

Left Path

Naruto had already started to charge Satake. Ino was readying a jutsu. Before she could finish, she was interrupted by several kunais being thrown at her. Jumping away and avoiding being hit, she three a shurikan in the direction where the kunais originated. A flare to her right surprised her. What the hell? Satake is right here! Why are they setting off the flare?

Naruto was viciously fighting Satake. In the midst of the battle, he sensed another chakra signature. Before he could turn his head, the sounds of fighting came to him. Sasuke crashed through several trees and landed in front of Naruto and Satake. Another Satake was stepping out to follow the man.

As Naruto picked up Sasuke and jumped away from both Satakes, Sakura came into the battle, with yet another Satake. "Naruto, I could use some help here!"

Naruto looked at her and began a set of signals. "Kage no Bushin!" Four Naruto clones appeared and burst into battle. Looking to his left, Ino was also struggling with another Satake. With a thrust of her wakizashi, she deemed the fight over. Sakura in the meantime was using her inhuman strength and throwing a gigantic boulder onto the other Satake. Both looked a little scratched up and started towards their companions.

Suddenly, Sasuke was up and using his katana to deflect several kunais headed for Sakura. Naruto was also doing the same for Ino. There were still four Satakes gathered around them. All of Naruto's clones were defeated.

Satake performed another series of hand seals. The group looked on in awe as a giant bulb burst from his leg and began to grow. Another Satake appeared. Sakura looked surprised. "Asexual reproduction? This wasn't in the scroll!"

Naruto nodded. "Well, we have to adapt. From what I've seen, these guys don't disappear after you hit them." Putting his katana away, he cracked his knuckles and smiled. "Let's kick some ass." Naruto launched his attack on the first Satake.

Sasuke smirked. "Hn. Dobe, don't take all the fun." He launched himself at the nearest two Satakes.

Ino and Sakura looked at each other, shrugged, and smiled. "Boys will be boys!" With that, Ino attacked, while Sakura took out her kunais and renewed her demolition of the Satake spawn that tried to kill her. "Time for a little venting!"

Naruto

Naruto looked at Satake. "So, I assume you're the original since you're the one that did the hand seals."

Satake smirked. "My, my quite observant are we? Hirose-san, or should I call you Naruto-kun?"

Naruto took on his fighting stance. "I see my reputation precedes me. So what's an asshole like you doing killing off his family?"

Satake looked at him curiously. "My family? Why would you say that?"

"Hmm. I've met quite a few people in my journeys. The psychotic ones that kill off an entire clan usually do it to those who are related. The more sane ones want to change their clan, not kill them."

Satake and Naruto started to circle each other. Satake began to attack Naruto head on. "So, they were, but I don't think it matters now, does it. I did what I did. Besides, I've already repopulated a clan. Or didn't you hear. I believe I've got over 20 children."

Naruto punched the man in the side, causing the other to hit a tree. "Don't let your guard down! Don't tell me this ass kicking isn't going to be any fun? Let me guess, your family didn't do what you like? Hmm, maybe they abandoned you. Ahh, that must be it. You really are a bastard. Aww, too bad."

Satake trembled with rage. "You've no say in what I do. It's cliché to say you don't understand. I'll just leave it at the fact that I've recreated the Nahare clan to be better than they were. The old Nahare clan was weak and stupid throwing out one of the greatest combinations of blood lines. Pure-blooded Nahares were the only ones acknowledged. I've just redesigned that." Satake took out a vial and injected it into himself. "Now see what I can do!" In front of Naruto's eyes, Satake began to morph.

Ino

Ino was struggling in her fight. Dammit! Hand to hand combat won't cut it. I guess I have to resort to weapons. Using her wakizashi Ino began to slice her opponent. Satake just laughed. "Little girl, you call that fighting? You're so weak! Did you think I wouldn't recognize you and your allies as shinobi? I saw the blond's face and figured it out. Those marks are so distinguishable. Did you try to get into my mind? Don't think that you can!"

Satake then rushed Ino with his own katana. The fight was even until Ino was backed up against a layer of rock. Satake slashed down and cut her through her arm. Ino gasped in pain. Fighting the urge to loose consciousness, she renewed her attack. Flipping over her opponent, she kicked out at the same time as slashing her blade. Catching Satake behind the knee, Ino again sliced her blade across his chest.

Satake blocked the blow and hit Ino open palmed across her chest, knocking the wind out of her. Satake drew his blade down and cut Ino's calf. Satake ducked under a Ino's swing and swept around, knocking her onto her back. Before stomping on her hand, Satake remarked, "Tch, even a clone with half of the original's strength can take down a 'strong' Konoha shinobi. Che, Konoha must be weak. Guess I'll have to take care of that later. Such pitiful weaklings.."

As Satake was grinding Ino's wrist, she kicked up despite the pain in her legs and kicked him in the back. Swiftly taking her blade, she whipped around and cut off his head. Spitting on the melting corpse, Ino walked away. "Who's a little girl now?"

Sakura

Sakura was having an easier time than Ino. Since her boulder took off one of her Satake's arms, the clone was at a disadvantage. Sakura decided to end the fight quickly and efficiently. She took out her senbon and threw them at Satake who jumped to avoid them. Satake laughed. "Is that all you've got? You expect to take me down with mere needles?"

Sakura smiled in returned. Satake looked at her confused and charged. "You've nothing to laugh at, I've won."

Again, Sakura smiled. She held up her hand and pointed behind him. "Boom."

Behind Satake, was an explosive seal. Jumping out of the way of the explosion, Satake landed in front of Sakura ready to strike her down. Since she anticipated his action, she was ready. As Satake landed she began to seal his chakra. Satake gasped and slumped over, beginning to melt. "Ahh, I must thank Hinata-san for teaching me that simple version of Hakkeshou; oh, and not to mention Haku, who showed me the great uses of senbons."

Sasuke

Dammit! This asshole is just like Itachi. Must kill the bastard. Sasuke was attacking and dodging multiple blows from the two Satakes he attacked. His exceptional speed accounted for the balance of fighting ground between two fast opponents. "Katon: Housenka no Jutsu." Several balls of fire distracted one of the clones. Sasuke took the time to attack the other. Taking out his katane, he charged up a chidori into it. The sound of birds filled the night before a loud explosion muffled the sound. By using chidori in addition to his katana, Sasuke lengthened the surface area of the jutsu. As he swung his katana at the clone, he threw a ball of lightning at the same time. Satake jumped to avoid the lighting ball, but did not manage to avoid the katana and shurikan that Sasuke had thrown. The shurikan hit him in the chest with a dull thump and the katana slice off his leg. The Satake began to melt.

Sasuke then turned his attention to the other Satake who was fast approaching the Uchiha. These guys are weak. Sasuke decided to test out a new move he had been perfecting. Just as he was finishing, several kunais and shurikan sliced thorough the air and hit all his vital points. Satake ended the barrage of weapons with a fire jutsu, burning away the body. A dagger appeared at his own throat. Surprised, he looked behind him than in front of him. Before him was a shell that looked like the Uchiha. "How?"

Sasuke smirked at him. "Like my new technique? I call it Shed no jutsu." Slitting the clone's throat, Sasuke began to walk away. As an after thought Sasuke performed a series of hand seals. "Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu."

Mountain Side

Sasuke, Ino, and Sakura met up at the edges of the forest. Sakura began to heal some of Ino's wounds. "Where's Naruto? Isn't he finished yet? Those guys were pretty weak."

Ino began to stand up. "The clones only had half the power that the original had." Sasuke and Sakura looked at her bewildered.

The raven-haired boy shrugged. "Hmph. No wonder. They didn't use many ninjutsu either. Mostly taijutsu."

A load roar interrupted the threes conversation. The three looked in the direction of where the sound originated.

Sasuke took off in towards the sound. "Naruto!"

Ino and Sakura were a little shocked at the other's fleeting look of fear and followed suite.