The Dragon Dilemma
I don't own Naruto and Zoids
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"Talking"
'Thoughts'
/-- Scene change
)-()-( Different point of view
?-? Flash back
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Chapter 16
He can't believe that while they had spent two months searching for this old woman, she had arrived at Hidden Leaf about two weeks after they had left and nobody had been able to find them to inform them until yesterday. It was enough to make him wish he could find something to take his frustrations out on.
The only good thing right now was the fact that Ino and Sakura were quite since they received the scroll. He doubts that they have figured out that their pursuits him weren't winning any points with him, which after all this time seem really, really sad, even to him. They were also currently racing through the tree tops, him keeping his pace to match their slow one. He truly hates Kakashi for suggesting that Ino and Sakura should come with him for this simple delivery, he has long since figured out that Kakashi likes getting a rise out of him. He could have easily done without any company.
It was times like these that he wishes he had used Shadow Fox to travel around in. The very thought of the fox type Zoid, he smirks as he begins to day dream about the battles he was sure he'd win with the black Zoid. Though many of the villagers and ninja seem to disapprove of his choice of Zoid, it mostly had to with the simple fact that his Zoid is a fox type. Though he has seen other powerful Zoids, some perhaps even stronger then his Shadow Fox, he still remembers that the Shadow Fox choose him for his pilot and as odd as it sounds, he didn't want to betray his Zoid's trust in him. 'Besides, it's a challenge to win battles against those Zoids.' He thinks as he continues to day dream about what kind of plans he could employ to the known variety of Zoids.
/----
They decided to rest in the village that's about a day away from Hidden Leaf. As Ino and Sakura went off to shop, thus they were leaving him to choose a hotel for them to spend the night at. As he's walking through the village, he notices Lee jogging through the village. He calls out to the green clad ninja. "Lee." He says slightly louder then his norm. Lee pauses and looks surprised at seeing him. "Sasuke, you'll never believe what's happened!" The green ninja loudly proclaims once Lee is within four feet of him. "What?" He asks, hoping that Lee doesn't start on blabbing about 'flaming youth' and such.
"You're brother is dead as is his comrades!" Lee tells him. He zones out at that, not hearing the rest. It wasn't until an old man named Jiraiya that had shown up, just after something happened in Hidden Sand concerning a demon carrier, proclaiming that there's this organization called Akatsuki was trying to locate any and all demon carriers. It came as a surprise to find out that his elder brother was part of this group that contained A to S ranked missingnins. He hadn't heard much after that, though it seems that a cell was sent to check out Akatsuki while they were away.
"Are you certain that my brother's body is accounted for?" he asks suddenly. "Of course! He looked like an older version of you." Lee announces. He didn't really know what happened, but someone shouts out "Watch out!" And then he's world becomes black.
)-(Shadow)-(
It had taken them a good three days to find out as much as they can about the 'useless' dimensional gate that the previous generation of Akatsuki opened in hopes of letting demon's enter this world. That first gate that they had open didn't show results so they decided that it had been a waste of time and effort, they didn't see any reason to close it.
During the last year, Naruto took time to figure out how to alter his appearance just enough so it wouldn't be hard to maintain the look. Naruto had let his hair grow longer as well as has white streaks racing through it. Make up is used to hide the whisker like scars on each cheek. Instead of wearing his usual cloths that would not only make him stand out, but shout to anyone looking at him that he had connections to ninjas, so Naruto's stuck to wearing what most village teens usually wear.
"I guess he's not showing." Naruto says softly after waiting five hours for their informant. He doubts that the informant wanted to meet up with them once they killed off Akatsuki. "We should leave then." He growls to Naruto. Naruto nods and they get up off the ground, soon they walk off, heading back to where the white Liger is so they can head to where the dimensional gate is said to reside. He did wonder if what they're planning will actually work once they set up the jutsu.
"You think anyone's found the bodies yet?" Naruto asks as they walk through the clearing, towards Liger Zero. "It's been eight days since the fight." He growls. Naruto nods as the blond pauses and then looks around before beginning to climb up the closest forearm. He too scans the area for any life forms larger then a dog or wolf. Soon they're on their way towards the location of where the gate is suppose to be, him keeping pace with the large white Zoid as they go.
)-(Sasuke)-(
He wakes and stares at the ceiling above his head; he blinks a few times before he begins to remember what happened before he arrived here. He frowns and berates himself for letting his guard down. He sits up and looks around, only to find that he's alone within the room. He's not surprise to find himself in his underwear; it's something he knows will happen at some point when he's partnered up with either of his fan girls. He had been very annoyed about it, but he just sighed and never tried to confront them about it after the first three times.
At times like these made him wish feverously for the time before Naruto disappeared, he just knew that the blond would keep Sakura and anyone else from undressing him when he's out of it. Soon he finishes those thoughts as he puts on his shirt. He made sure that his bandages and kunai pouch weren't loose. He walks out of the room without making too much noise.
He pauses as just as he's about enter the dining room, he frowns as he listens to Ino and Sakura's course of action. He groans mentally and just leans on the back of a sturdy wall wondering what he did to deserve such a horrid life. 'What did I do? Drown puppies and kittens?' He thinks sceptically as he tries to wonder just when he began to fear girls.
)-(Naruto)-(
He frowns as he notices two Zoids coming towards him from his right. He pulls up the images of the pair and blinks as he notices how large one of the Zoids is. A huge green dino type Zoid with a pair of guns at the shoulders with a series of large spines. He has to admit that the Zoid is really impressive before turning to check out the other Zoid with it.
'Gun Sniper, must be a range specialist.' He thinks as he notices the behaviour of the smaller Zoid compared to the green Zoid. He smiles slightly as he watches as the Gun Sniper finally splits up from larger Zoid. He slows up and turns to face the pair. "Shadow?" He asks. "Here." The black Organoid growls out, he nods and waits for either of the other Zoids to begin this battle.
He didn't have to wait long as the pair of guns on the green Zoid's shoulders fired a few blasts. He evades the blasts with ease and charges forward, he dodges gun shoots most likely sent from the Gun Sniper. The spine fan on the back of the large green Zoid moves forward as the Zoid bends into a bow, he blinks and soon lightning begins to play between the metal spikes. He curses as he makes the Liger jump backwards as the lightning strikes the spot he had been just a few minutes ago. The whole Zoid shakes as a shot hits the left hind leg.
He checks the diagnostic program to see what kind of damage has been done. He forces the Liger to move into some cover. He makes the Liger Zero go into a trot under the cover, always moving forward, though he tries not to move in a straight line. Dirt and rocks fly into the air as he moves, him evading as many shots as he can. He then brings up the map and checks out where the green Zoid is from his position. He frowns and begins to break cover, as soon as he's about twenty feet from where he had been hiding, he activates his boosters.
"Strike Laser Claw!" He shouts as the white Zoid leaps into the air. He moves along side the green Zoids left side, he lands and keeps moving so he doesn't get hit by Haku's attacks. 'One down and another to go.' He thinks with a grin as he moves in a zig zag pattern. He did have to wonder where Zabuza found that green Zoid though, but he shakes his head as he tries to focus at the task at hand.
If he remembers the last time they met up, which was about three months ago, he hard a harder time finding Haku then Zabuza. He just knows that Haku's learnt from his mistakes, but that only means he made new ones. He lets go of the controls for a minute to do a hand seal. Soon a water clone appears to his right. They split up to search for the ice user, keeping within a hundred feet of each other.
'There!' He thinks as he launches himself into the air, activating the close combat weapon system. He hits the Rev Raptor and pins the red Zoid with the Liger's for paws. "Give in?" He asks smugly. Haku's beautiful face appears on screen and says calmly, "You've gotten better, Naruto." He grins and moves off the other Zoid. "So have you. So what brings our paths together?" He asks as the Rev Raptor gets up off the ground. "Tobi." Haku says simply. He sighs and turns away from the red Zoid. He leads Haku back to where Zabuza is most likely waiting.
It was Tobi that caused their first meeting three months ago and he has to wonder just what the older ninja's scheme is this time. They soon stop close to the green Zoid, he notices that Shadow is also waiting, which puzzles him. Once he gets out of the Liger Zero, Shadow opens his back and out comes the Organoid's black wings. Without a single growl or snarl, his friend and partner fuses with the Liger without him.
They all gasp as a flash of light occurs and they're pushed back. As they look at the Zoid, they find a large red energy structure surrounding where the Liger Zero had stood. "What was that and what's it doing to your Zoid?" Zabuza asks. He blinks owlishly at the older missing nin and though his mouth was moving, nothing was coming out.
)-(Shadow)-(
'Finally, I was getting worried. Sorry about not warning you Naruto, but I think you'll like this once I'm finish.' He thinks before he begins to focus in on the core and begin to energize the changes of the evolving Zoid is going under. It'll take about a whole week, but it'll be worth it.
To be continued …