This is probably the longest chapter I have made. Finally managed to make the battle longer, and hopefully, better. Hope u guys like. Read and Review!

Chapter 13

The Price of Victory

Naruto smiled. He looked to the side at his beaten up sensei. He turned back to Zaroff. He was facing a Shinobi stronger than his sensei. "So… You're the one that started this war." Zaroff laughed. He didn't expect a child to speak with such authority. "I am. And what are you going to do about it."

Naruto smiled. "Simple… I'll kick your ass." Naruto was about to charge at Zaroff when somebody appeared in front of Zaroff. "Naruto stop."

Naruto stopped as he saw Sasuke standing there. "Sasuke, what the heck?" Sasuke looked at him straight in the eyes. "Zaroff is an Uchiha, to get to him, you must fight me first."

"What? Sasuke." Naruto said, surprised.

Kakashi lifted his head and said. "Sasuke, there's something you must know." Before Kakashi could say what he was going to say he was stopped by Naruto who looked at him and winked. 'Could these two have a plan?'

"Traitor!" Naruto yelled.

"Call me what you want, your dead Naruto." Sasuke made a hand sign and said. "Chidori." He attacked, but his attacked was not meant for Naruto. He attacked Zaroff who evaded the attack. "You've betrayed me." Zaroff appeared behind them and hit them both from the back. Naruto and Sasuke flipped and landed on their feet.

"Damn, he saw it coming." Sasuke said.

"Who cares. Let's beat him up." Naruto added, smiling at Sasuke.

"Let's." Sasuke finished.

Naruto and Sasuke both charged at Zaroff. His speed was amazing. He disappeared and quickly appeared behind Naruto and Sasuke.

"What!" Naruto tried to evade his attack, but was hit and thrown aside. Sasuke, in the other hand, managed to evade the attack. His eyes sparkled red as his Sharingan awoke. Zaroff noticed and laughed. "You think a pathetic excuse for a Sharingan like that can defeat mine."

Sasuke smiled. "Mine are better, because I am a true Uchiha, unlike you." Sasuke swung his leg and kicked Zaroff on the face. The vile ninja stepped back only to receive another kick from Naruto. Zaroff quickly turned and grabbed Naruto's leg, he then swung him around and threw him onto Sasuke. They both fell as Zaroff kicked both of them again.

"You two are pathetic." Zaroff said.

Kakashi watched from the side as he could only think. 'I can't barely move, I can't help them.'

"Naruto, we must use reason, he is stronger than us."

"I don't care, I'll take him out myself."

"Naruto! He's in another different league. The first time a fought him he was simply toying with me."

"With you maybe, not me."

"Naruto!"

"I don't care if he is stronger, and I don't care about any freaking league. I will become Hokage, and I don't care who I have to defeat." Naruto's anger rose as he shouted. "Art of the Doppelganger!"

Twenty five Narutos appeared as they attacked Zaroff. "You think this can stop me." The Narutos punched and Kicked Zaroff as hard as they could, but found themselves unable to land a good hit.

Zaroff took out a kunai and swung it over the Narutos. They all disappeared in a cloud of smoke as the real Naruto was shown. Before Zaroff could hit him, Sasuke intervened. "Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!" Sasuke shot his trademark attack which Zaroff evaded, but had to cancel his attack on Naruto to do so.

Naruto landed next to Sasuke as Sasuke looked at him. "I told you to use reason. Don't be an idiot."

"Idiot or not, I won't let him beat me." 'Now your talking!' said the Kyubi. Naruto once again became the two tailed fox version.

"What! Who is that kid." Zaroff asked when he saw the shape on the Nine Tails behind him. Naruto attacked Zaroff with incredible speeds. He managed to catch the elite Shinobi off guard and land a few good hits.

Zaroff the attacked back, but to his surprised, Naruto continued his attack. Naruto and Zaroff exchanged hits as they fought in what seemed to fast for the normal eye to watch. Sasuke, with his Sharingan, was well aware on how the fight was going. Kakashi, with his Sharingan, was also well aware.

Naruto hit Zaroff through one of his walls as they both reached the other side. Naruto and Zaroff were evenly matched. Naruto threw a punch that was stopped by Zaroff's hand. He then flipped, landing behind Zaroff, and with both legs, kicked Zaroff on the back. Zaroff threw a side kick that was stopped by Naruto's own leg. They both quickly punched simultaneously, fist to fist, that caused a shockwave to brake every single glass in the lair.

"I have to help him." Sasuke said.

"No Sasuke, Naruto can hold his own, at least for now." Kakashi said, looking at the fight from a far.

Zaroff quickly kicked Naruto as many times as he could, but the boy wouldn't let up. Naruto swung his leg and kicked Zaroff on the shin. He then flipped and placed both legs on Zaroff's chest. Ina flash Naruto punched Zaroff on the face and then pushed him with his legs. Naruto flipped and landed on his feet and rushed at Zaroff, throwing him back to where Sasuke and Kakashi were. Naruto walked back there as Zaroff stood up. He wiped his blood from his face and said. "I guess you are quite strong, for a kid, but like your sensei said, Quantity doesn't beat Quality."

Kakashi laughed and looked at him.

"What's so funny Copy Ninja?" Zaroff asked annoyed.

"What you said is true, but like you said before, sometimes quantity may beat quality." Kakashi grinned under his mask.

"You think you've already won, never underestimate me." Zaroff threatened.

In a flash Naruto threw in a kick that was stopped by Zaroff and he was thrown to the side. "Give me a break kid, you've used all of your chakra already, you've lost your touch."

Naruto was about to charge at him again when Sasuke stopped him. "If we both attack, he'll just tire us, you already fought him one on one. Allow me to do the same."

Sasuke took his fighting pose. "Take him out Sasuke." Sasuke smiled.

"So, the poor excuse for an Uchiha is going to fight me, kid, your no match." Zaroff mocked.

"Never… Insult me!" Sasuke attacked him, catching him by surprised, and knocked him to the side. Sasuke quickly punched him again and threw him to the other side. Zaroff regained his ground and hit Sasuke, throwing him back.

Sasuke stood up as he was about to attack Zaroff appeared behind him with a kunai at hand. "I'll end you." Before Sasuke could even react, a shuriken appeared and hit Zaroff, throwing him back.

Sasuke, Naruto and Kakashi all looked back and saw Sakura there. "Stay away from them." Zaroff stood up and said. "Another one."

Naruto smiled and said. "Sakura-chan, your finally here."

Sakura looked at him and said. "You two were the ones that ran off a head of us." 'Cha, if I wasn't here you two would be dead.' Inner Sakura said.

Naruto laughed. "Oops."

Sasuke just smiled.

Before they could react Zaroff appeared behind Sakura. "You die first." Sakura didn't even see him. In a flash Naruto appeared between them and hit Zaroff off. "Don't even dare to hurt her." Naruto said menacingly.

Iruka, who had been left behind, first by Naruto and Sasuke, then by Sakura finally arrived. "What have I missed?" Kakashi looked at him and said. "Your late."

Everybody looked at Kakashi. A sweat drop dropped from his head as he said. "What, can't I ever say that line."

Before anybody could answer Zaroff attacked and sent Naruto and Sasuke flying backwards. "Enough with the talking, time to die." Sakura quickly made a hand sign and said. "Art of the Doppelganger!" Three Sakuras appeared and they all threw kunai at Zaroff. Since two were fake, Zaroff easily evaded the kunai. He was then caught by surprised when Sakura appeared behind her and kicked him. He quickly recovered and punched Sakura on the stomach, making her bent down.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto yelled.

Iruka tried to stop him but was sent back by a kick by Zaroff on the stomach. Zaroff was about to hit Sakura again when Kakashi appeared and hit Zaroff, throwing him back. "Kakashi-sensei." Sakura said worried. "That's all I had left Sakura, I've got no more strength."

Zaroff was about to attack again when he was stopped by shuriken from Naruto and Sasuke. Naruto quickly moved and charged at Zaroff, only to be hit towards Sakura and Kakashi. "Naruto!" she screamed.

Sasuke then charged at him punching and kicking, all which Zaroff easily avoided. "Is that all?" Zaroff kicked Sasuke on the face and then smashed him on the ground with the same leg. "Pathetic."

Naruto quickly stood up. "Eat this." Naruto made a hand sign and said. "Odama Rasengan!" Without even using a clone, Naruto shot out his attack. Zaroff moved to the side but the explosion was so strong that he got hit. Zaroff fell as Naruto also fell from loss of chakra. "Naruto!" Sakura yelled. "Don't worry, he'll be fine." Kakashi said.

Before they could even stand up Zaroff stood up. "That hurt." Kakashi was shocked. "He stood the attack." 'He must be very low in chakra, but so are we.' Kakashi looked at Naruto and said. "He's down for the count, and so am I. Sakura is very low in chakra, and so is Sasuke."

"Time to die." Zaroff said with a grin. Before he could do anything Iruka stepped in a punched him as hard as he could. Zaroff regained his balance only to receive another hit form Iruka, and another. Before Iruka could attack again, Zaroff managed to cut Iruka deeply with a kunai. Iruka bent and received a kick on the face from Zaroff.

"Nice try, but that won't beat me." Zaroff threw three kunai. Iruka barely evaded them, as Sakura grabbed Kakashi and jumped out of the way. They landed together in front of Zaroff. "Any more surprises?" He asked mockingly.

"We've got one more." Sasuke kicked Zaroff on the face and threw him back. Zaroff punched Sasuke, but received an attack from Sasuke as well. They both kicked at the same time, hitting leg with leg. Sasuke finally jumped, evading Zaroff's last attack, and landed next to Sakura, Kakashi and Iruka.

"What now Sasuke?" Sakura asked.

"I've got one more move left." Sasuke did a hand sign and said. "Chidori!" His hand became the keeper of an immense thunder like chakra.

Zaroff just laughed. "That would kill me if you were to hit me with it, but I'm faster that you. And after you use it, you won't have any more chakra for anymore jutzus, any of you."

Sasuke smiled. "True, but who says I'll miss."

"Don't make me laugh, how do you expect to hit me, are you going to hold me down?" Zaroff asked mockingly.

"No, I believe that's my part." Without Zaroff noticing Naruto had stood up and now was holding Zaroff from the back. "What the? How did you?" Naruto smiled. "I see that even you drop your guard."

Kakashi's eyes widened. "Naruto! You aren't thinking…" Sakura looked at Kakashi's worried look and asked. "What's wrong sensei?" Kakashi nodded. "Chidori can cut through anything. Sasuke will finally be able to kill Zaroff, but…" "But what?" She asked. "But… Naruto will also die." Sakura was shocked. "WHAT!" Iruka looked at Naruto and said. "Naruto!"

Naruto just smiled. "Don't worry about me, it's either me or you guys. And I'll always sacrifice myself." Iruka and Kakashi couldn't even talk.

Even Sasuke was shaken up. "Naruto." Zaroff tried to shake the blonde ninja off, but couldn't.

"Don't get second thoughts Sasuke, run though me, now!" Sasuke took his position. "Naruto."

Flashback

"My name's Naruto Uzumaki, remember it."

"I'll be the greatest Hokage ever."

"All three of us pass, ALL THREE OF US!"

"Don't underestimate me."

"Believe it!"

Flashback ends.

'Naruto, you were a worthy rival, and my best friend.' Sasuke thought as he good ready to attack. "This is for you… Naruto."

Sasuke rushed at them as Zaroff tried to break free, but was unable.

Naruto gave one last look at Sakura and said. "Sakura-chan." She looked at him with tears on her eyes as he said. "I love you."

"NARUTO!"

Kind of a cliffhanger, huh? Well don't worry, the story doesn't end there, but it will end on the next chapter, the final one. Read and Review!

Next Chap: How everything ends!