Disclaimer: Refer to chapter 1.
AN: Chapter Title: The Eve
"The second round matches start in a few minutes. Get your breath back if you need to and get ready to fight." Anko addressed the five competitors that had managed to make it through the first round of the Third Stage of the Chunin Exams. "Since there's five of you, one of you has been randomly selected to pass." Anko looked down at the message in her hand. "Rock Lee will advance to the third round without a match. The first round match is…are you serious?" Anko looked to the Uchiha and narrowed her eyes. "Did you rig this thing Uchiha? You're up first again."
"Some believe excellence should be presented first." Sasuke smirked at the Tokubetsu Jonin and she smiled back. Right before a senbon was narrowly blocked by his raised armored forearm.
"I didn't ask for a comment. It was a yes or no question." Her smile never faded. "Anyway, Sasuke Uchiha takes on Temari of the Sand in the second round's first match. Next up is Naruto Uzumaki vs Gaara of the Sand for the second match." A frown spread across Anko's face suddenly. "I wish they didn't use random numbers, your matches would be more dramatic if they were flipped. Family vs family and whatever you two are to each other."
Anko shrugged her shoulders at the missed opportunity.
"You have about ten minutes to get yourselves together. See ya then." She vanished with a smile and a wave.
"She disturbs me." Sasuke spoke all he would say. He looked to Naruto and received a nod before he vanished from sight.
Naruto used the door. He did not travel far until he came to a masked figure leaning on a wall.
"Yo." Kakashi lifted a hand in greeting and as a sign. It meant to stop. Naruto considered ignoring it but his eyes glanced to the shadows, the shadows that were simply too dark, and he came to a stop. Kakashi pushed himself off of the wall and moved to stand fully in his path. "We need to talk Naruto."
"I do not see the point of speaking with you Silver Fang." Naruto laid a hand on the hilt of his sword, his eyes shifted to the shadow that moved. It stilled. "I do not see the point with wasting my time with you and your interrogations either."
"Interrogation is a harsh word." Kakashi let his hand fall to his side, let both rest in his pocket. "I would say it's more similar to intense questioning instead." Kakashi looked to him with a lazy eye. "Now, let's start this little intense questioning with something simple: Do you know?"
"Know what Kakashi Hatake?" Naruto's grin told Kakashi more than the use of his real name instead of the nickname of 'Silver Fang' ever would. His single visible eye actually widened and Naruto's grin widened in turn. He seemed delighted at Kakashi's shock. "I will ask you again Kakashi Hatake, what do I know of? What do I know of that shall happen soon? What do I know of that I can so easily stop if I wish? What do I know that shall bring ruin and death to the village known as Konohagakure? What do I know that fills you with that vile thing known as fear Kakashi Hatake? What do I know that makes you tremble Kakashi Hatake? What I do know that makes even the ANBU in the shadows tremble?" Naruto smile was nothing but fangs, red eyes took in all before him, the visible and the hidden, and it made some shiver. "What do I know Kakashi Hatake?"
"You are infuriating to deal with." Kakashi controlled himself, forced his hands to remain in his pockets and not around the neck of the Genin across from him. "If you already know, if you know exactly why I'm wasting my time with you, why don't you just say it?"
"I have tried to gain amusement throughout the entirety of today Kakashi Hatake." Naruto lifted a hand with deliberate slowness, used it to bring order to spiky blonde locks. "I thought for certain you would know why I would continue my quest despite the hardships I have faced to do so. My Legate managed to entertain me, some of the Genin in these Chunin Exams has managed to entertain me, and I even believe that your reaction to what I have spoken of without speaking of is the highlight of my day. At least for now." His fangs flashed. Kakashi wanted to shove his teeth down his throat with his fists. "I know what comes. I have a plan in place if you worry for the safety of the village Kakashi Hatake."
"You have a plan?" Kakashi controlled himself. He pressed for answers.
"Of course. I discovered the events that will soon come to pass quite some time ago and have spent my spare time planning for the triumph they shall bring to my Legion." Naruto's smile fell away, he tilted his head to the side in a way that would have been harmless if he was a fool. It was somehow more intimidating than his smile. "I'm hurt Kakashi Hatake." Naruto' smile returned. "I thought you would believe in your student to do the right thing, to refuse to allow his home to be laid to ruin, yet I clearly see the lack of trust, the lack of faith, you have in me." Naruto's eyes shined. "I believe I will be too hurt by such a betrayal to command my forces as my sorrow will be too great. My own sensei does not believe in me it seems. Truly I have never felt such heartache."
'No.' He couldn't let it show. He couldn't let the panic he knew was there show.
Shinobi, civilian, it didn't matter who in that moment as bloody corpses took hold in his mind before he could stop it. More victims, mountains of corpses, rivers of blood, so much blood stained his hands now. He was drowning in it. He tried to pull himself free, tried to break the surface, but cold hands took hold of him.
Down.
Down.
Down.
They dragged him to where he belonged. Among his victims. Among the corpses he could have saved. Among the dead he should join but could not.
"You failed again."
"Damn you Kakashi."
"You killed us…"
"Death follows you."
"Death."
"DEATH!"
"Kakashi-sensei…why?"
DEATH
"I thought you had thicker skin than that Naruto." Kakashi's eye crinkled as he smiled beneath his mask. "If I thought you needed 24/7 positive reinforcement, I would have hired some girls to be your cheerleaders."
"I have no use of the leaders of cheer you speak of." Naruto looked to Kakashi and all acting was gone. Kakashi could see why he would call himself Caesar in that moment as his stance shifted. Calculation. Intelligence. Malice. Retribution. Vengeance. So much took hold of his eyes in that moment Kakashi almost had trouble cataloging it all. Almost being the key word. He didn't like the picture the pieces created. He wanted to say he knew Naruto's game, knew his plan, but also prayed that he did not know it. He wanted to pray and hope he wasn't right. "I have use of only one thing." Naruto held up a single finger to further clarify his point. Kakashi knew he would dread whatever his one thing was. He waited for Naruto to continue.
He continued to wait. Naruto was not speaking. He was smiling once more.
"What is this one thing?" Kakashi at last asked. He didn't know how much time had passed.
"I will not allow you a time like this to hear it." Naruto turned abruptly. "We shall have to wait for after my match Kakashi Hatake. I shall tell you the one thing then."
His rage broke.
He blitzed forward. The Sharingan was revealed. He had an idea.
"Stop." The voice came from behind him. Kakashi froze.
He turned.
A trio of Praetorians took hold of Yugao, an entire ANBU team were restrained by a trio of Praetorians each. Naruto chuckled as he saw his shock.
"The seal you questioned my Legate about is quite powerful, is it not Silver Fang?" Naruto lifted the opposite hand that had been raised. It burned with Chakra.
'Clever.' Kakashi had to admit it. 'Your entire speech, the gesture with your hand, it was all to get the focus of everyone in this hall on the wrong hand.'
"I do not like being attacked." Naruto turned his head to look back at the hall and his eyes narrowed, darkness took hold of them and refused to let go. A smile crossed his face at the same time. "But I am a loyal Shinobi of Konoha. I shall depart and soon my Praetorians shall release the ANBU Black Ops agents that attempted to assault me. If you attempt to attack me as I leave, they will die."
Kakashi was still as Naruto turned his head down the opposite end of the hall. He continued back the way he came without issue. The Praetorians vanished as one. Kakashi covered his eye.
'I hate that brat.'
"So, what's your plan Sasuke-kun?" Ino was no longer allowed in the participants box, none of those that had failed to pass to the second round were allowed inside anymore, so she met Sasuke in the stands. The dark haired Uchiha was leaning on the railing to the arena waiting for his match to begin.
"Against my opponent?" Sasuke snorted. "I have no reason to delay my victory. I highly doubt she is as capable as you regardless." Sasuke crossed his arms over his chest and turned red and black eyes to Ino. She didn't look impressed with his response and he let out a huff of air. "She is proficient in Wind Release. Anything she does will feed into any fires I use. If I plan for the right strike, I'll incinerate her or burn her to a crisp and the proctor will stop the fight. If she thinks the same, I'll simply hack her to bits. Her fan is a defensive weapon when folded but it's not durable enough to stop my blade if I run Chakra through it. If she somehow manages to match me, perhaps she knows enough of Chakra Flow to use her Wind element to her advantage, I'll rely on either Genjutsu or sheer brute force."
"That's actually a rather decent plan to go into this with." Ino's mind flashed back to the battle Temari had with Choji. She focused on the end of the fight. "What about her summon?"
"If she summons-" Sasuke moved his arm slightly for emphasis. "I will answer in kind."
"OH, you have a summoning contract?" Anko Mitarashi was suddenly on the other side of the railing and his arm was in her grip. She examined it closely before frowning. "No, you just have some weird mark on your arm it looks like."
Neither Ino nor Sasuke reacted thanks to the shock currently freezing them in place. They had been, relatively, alone and isolated where they had been talking. Anko was supposed to be on the other side of the arena. Ino had caught sight of her location before Sasuke had even finished describing his plan of attack to her. The Tokubetsu Jonin had then simply appeared where she was standing now.
"You can just summon those clones I guess." Anko shrugged as she released Sasuke's arm. It dropped limply to his side and the head of a snake suddenly settled on his shoulder, slithered over to the other. Anko wrapped her arms around his armored chest and pulled him back against the railing. "I can teach you to summon snakes if you really want Sasuke."
The Uchiha turned near panic eyes to Ino as Anko gave the snake across his shoulders a smile of pure affection, spoke nonsense to it, but received no help. Ino shook her head as she moved back from the Genin and Tokubetsu Jonin. His red and black eyes shot to the snake just as Anko allowed it to slide back into her sleeve.
"That little guy is so adorable." Anko accomplished her mission as she withdrew from the Uchiha. "Your match is going to start in about a minute Uchiha. I hope you're ready for it."
Anko vanished from where she stood and Sasuke resisted the desire to leave the arena after what happened. He was just glad she hadn't licked him like he heard she had a habit of doing. After she threw a kunai to cut open your cheek at least.
'She fits in perfectly in the Torture and Interrogation Force it seems.' Sasuke turned and leaned forward on the railing, mindful of the girl that now moved up to stand next to him. He didn't spare her a glance but didn't have to.
"She must have just come over here because she wanted to creep you out before the match." Ino, despite any prior thoughts he may have had of her, was competent when it came to such things. She was a Yamanaka, they had an uncanny ability to read people, tell their intentions almost naturally when others could train for years to achieve the same results.
"I won't bother trying to discover any deeper reason for her particular brand of strangeness." Sasuke agreed with her as he spotted Temari's blonde hair nearby, the dark form of one of her brothers with her despite the injuries Rock Lee's rather low number of blows had given him during their first round match. He looked far from perfectly healed but he could at least walk without help. "Any other comments on my strategy?"
"If she summons whatever that thing she used against Choji again, you're going to have trouble." Ino said her piece. Sasuke nodded. "Beyond that? I guess you actually have a rather good chance of winning this thing. If my plan couldn't take you down, I don't think she can think up one."
"That almost warms this armored heart of mine Ino-chan." Sasuke spoke but something changed. The way he spoke 'Ino-chan' was different for whatever reason. Ino narrowed her eyes at the sudden change, trying to discover the reason, but didn't get the chance.
"The second round is about to begin! Temari of the Sand and Sasuke Uchiha get down here!" Anko's voice came from below them both in the arena and Sasuke pushed himself off of the railing and to his full height. He turned to Ino before he left.
"You should join your sensei and friends in the seats Ino. Stay close to them and don't wander." Sasuke looked at her with something approaching worry before it was gone. Something masked it, arrogance. "If you leave, you may miss my match."
"Don't get overconfident Sasuke-kun." Ino smirked at him. "If you're not careful, I'm sure she'll beat you and embarrass you in front of so many people."
"That's hardly likely Ino-chan." There was something in her name again. Worry really did take hold of his eyes as he looked to her. "Remember what I said."
He spoke no more and leaped into the arena, landing perfectly in front of Anko with the grace befitting an Uchiha. Temari walked across the arena and she looked surprise for a moment before it was gone. A scowl crossed her face instead as her steps took on a hint of anger.
"What's the big idea Uchiha?" Temari crossed her arms in front of her chest. Sasuke cocked an eyebrow at the angered tone. To his knowledge, he had done nothing to draw the wrath of the Sunagakure native in his small handful of interactions with her. "Are you not taking me seriously like that other bastard?"
He shook his head before his hand struck nothing but air. He closed his eyes for a moment before he looked down. His sword was gone from his side.
He glanced to Anko and saw it already on her waist. She cocked her hips to the side. She smiled and winked at him before it was gone.
"Seal of Confrontation kiddos." Anko clapped her hands in front of her. "The sooner you get that over with, the sooner the fun stuff can start." She looked to the two and her smile promised pain. "Do it." Neither wasted much more time. Both formed the necessary hand seal without complaint. "Alright, remember some of the most important people in the world are watching you now." She smiled at Sasuke, patted the sword that once rested at his side and now at hers. "If you do good Sasuke-kun, I'll let you have your sword back."
She vanished before he could threaten her.
"I'm beginning to hate men from Konoha." Temari drew her fan off her back and snapped it open, displaying two purple dots. "I'm going to take my anger out on you Uchiha."
Sasuke decided to taunt her.
He offered her a smirk as he gave a deep bow.
"If you can even hit me Temari of the Sand."
He vanished with a rather well executed Shunsin when she swung her fan at him. Only a finely honed danger sense allowed her to snap her fan close and use it to block his blow to the back of her neck, stopping his armored forearm from knocking her out. She moved away and turned to face the Uchiha as he spun a kunai into each hand and the blue glow of Chakra took hold of them.
"These aren't my preferred arms but they'll have to do." Sasuke charged forward. The kunai turned into barely recognizable black and blue blurs in his hands. Temari somehow weathered the storm of his slashes and Sasuke seemed genuinely surprised as he moved back and lowered the two kunai to his side.
"This is a pretty nice sword, don't you think so Ibiki?" Anko was modeling the sword she had taken to the head of Konoha's Torture and Interrogation Force and he didn't bother with sighing. He didn't want to know why Anko had taken the Uchiha's sword from him but he also was head of intelligence. He needed to ask a lot of questions that he didn't want to sometimes.
"Why did you disarm one of the participants Anko?" Ibiki honestly wished the answer made sense.
"Don't you see the issue with having a bunch of people who like Kenjutsu more than anything in the village, Ibiki-kun?" Anko looked down to the Uchiha as he avoided the blades of air a swing of Temari's fan produced with two of the purple dots exposed. "Didn't you see what happened to Hayate?"
"He'll make a full recovery." Ibiki spoke a fact. He refused to think it could be false.
"I'm just watching out for the kid." Anko focused on the Uchiha as he threw a number of shuriken forward, a swing of Temari's fan sending them off course and into the walls behind him. He looked to where they had embedded and dashed forward a moment later. "He'll get himself killed trying to win a fight with any older Kenjutsu master. The more he learns to fight without his sword, the better it is for the chance of him surviving and giving Konoha some kids with the Sharingan."
"Anko…" Ibiki wanted to reprimand her but decided not to. "Just return it when the match is over with."
"If he wins I'll give it back to him along with a little something extra." Anko was not budging on that point. "Besides, the kid's probably going to win anyway."
Sasuke closed the distance with Temari as Anko spoke and his fists lashed out. Temari smirked as she moved out of the way and her closed fan was swung at his side, aiming to break one of his arms with the heft of the fan. It failed to do as intended as Sasuke jumped and landed on top of the weapon with a smirk.
"Katon: Gokakyu!" He wasn't wasting anytime. He had full intentions of roasting Temari from his perch on top of her weapon.
She was lucky she had thought to prepare herself. Sasuke felt himself falling just as his fireball was thrown back in his face.
'Why does the signature technique, the technique that roasted entire armies when used by my clan, fail to defeat anyone I use it on? Is it really that much to ask for? For it to work just one time.' Sasuke avoided the fireball of course. He had seen the beginnings of Temari's counterattack and pushed off of the falling fan before he was turned into a charred Uchiha. He landed on his feet and merely observed Temari through the flames with his Sharingan.
'What is she planning?' Sasuke crossed his arms over his chest as he waited for the inferno to die down.
'Got him.' Temari appeared behind him silently and swung her two small handheld fans at him. Two blades of wind ripped forward towards his back.
Sasuke heard them at the last moment over the crackling fire and made to dodge.
'Useless.' Temari continued swinging her fans, unleashed more blades of wind on the Uchiha at a range he simply couldn't dodge them from. 'This I-'
The Uchiha was suddenly gone from in front of her. A kick to her side sent her hurtling through the air and the Uchiha dropped his foot back on the ground. He rolled his shoulders before he drew a trio of kunai to each hand and threw them forward.
"Enough games." He let each impact the ground where Temari struck and pulled the wire strings tied to each taut as he brought his hands up to his lips. "Katon: Ryuka no Jutsu!" The same technique he had made use of in the preliminaries and the same technique he had tried to use against Ino roared down the wire strings. The dragon of flames was far larger than it usually was and Sasuke drew back as the wire strings burned to ash in his grip. "Katon: Hosenka!" He knew, from the cage he had created around her with the six kunai, where Temari was going to leap into the air to dodge the dragon of flames so he fired off a barrage of small fireballs to intercept her.
She swung with her twin fans, unleashing a gale that formed a vortex that powered her into the air away from his flames. Sasuke threw a number of shuriken up at her only for her to snap her fans close and use the iron cases to repel his barrage. The Uchiha was far from discouraged as he held his hand out and a pilum appeared. Temari's eyes didn't widen at the sight of the projectile. She could deflect shuriken with ease, deflecting a projectile as large as it would prove no problem for her.
The Uchiha threw it forward. She used the gales produced by a swing from one fan to knock it aside. It landed tip first in the ground. The Uchiha summoned another to his hand and threw it forward next. Temari deflected it with the same ease she had deflected the first with a swing of one of her hands. Sasuke summoned a third to his hand and Temari's eyes narrowed as she batted it to the side with another gale. The Uchiha summoned a fourth and Temari was glad her feet touched the ground as he threw it.
She snatched it out of the air and returned it with a shout.
The Uchiha moved his head to the side to avoid it and it embedded in the wall behind him.
Temari attacked him, swinging her fans once more, and Sasuke avoided the slicing gusts of wind she sent towards him with the expected ease. His Sharingan allowed him to dodge them all because he could see where the Chakra that gave shape to the air was at. Temari noticed and swung at the ground.
The loose soil was blown up as an improvised sandstorm.
Sasuke still avoided her Chakra based attacks.
'Shuriken.' He threw his own to intercept them, managing to do so before they could cause any serious harm to him. 'Kunai.' He heard a single kunai shoot through the air and used his armored forearm to knock it aside before it reached him. 'Shuriken again.' He made use of both armored forearms to knock aside the few amount of shuriken sent towards him in addition to his own when they aimed elsewhere. 'She's not very good at th-She's not aiming for me.'
Sasuke bolted. He had matched where the weapons were coming from to the likely path Temari was taking. She was trying to get to her main weapon, the giant iron fan that he couldn't handle without his absent sword in hand. A sword that Anko Mitarashi was most likely fine holding on to if he lost the match.
He did not plan on losing in the second round, the same way he had refused to lose in the first.
Shuriken intercepted Temari's path as Sasuke used his superior speed to reach the weapon first. He had seconds and knew it before Temari reached him. He threw a volley of shuriken summoned to his hand forward before he picked up the weapon and threw it away. Temari reached its previous location and he moved to end the fight by kicking her in the face. It wasn't stylish but it was practical at least. She dodged it, snapped open one of the smaller fans in her hands, and swung it at Sasuke. He vanished in a burst of smoke and appeared nearby at her side before he stepped back further.
He drew a pilum embedded into the ground free and spun it in his hand.
Temari's eyes glanced to where he had tossed her weapon before she snapped the second fan open. Sasuke ran Chakra down the length of the pilum, lacking the same intensity Naruto had made use of but the same results were achieved.
"You should give up." Sasuke angled the weapon down, the shaft pressed against the side of his arm as the end pointed towards the sky. "You don't stand a chance without your fan."
"We'll see about that." Temari swung one of her smaller fans and Sasuke swung the pilum upward. A blade of Chakra bisected her blade of wind and he dashed forward without another moment wasted. He swung again, this time to the side, and Temari was forced into the air to avoid the horizontal blade of Chakra. Sasuke followed after her with a leap and avoided her closed fans as she made use of them as clubs. The space was limited. He didn't get a chance to bring the pilum up once more but it didn't matter. The two Genin clashed in the air for a moment, Temari's two fans pressed against the durable wooden shaft of the pilum, reinforced with Chakra.
Temari pushed off of him, planting her sandal clad feet into his armored chest to do so, and Sasuke immediately understood what she was doing. He swung one arm out, unleashed a rain of shuriken from the seal hidden on his armor to stop her. The Suna Kunoichi snapped both fans open and a wall of air deflected the shuriken sent towards her. The Uchiha struck the ground and didn't hesitate to channel more Chakra to the polearm in his hands before throwing it forward. It was dodged but the Uchiha detonated it.
Temari was able to throw up another wall of wind, not anywhere near as strong as the first as she could only move one fan in time, but she was only thrown from the dust cloud created by the detonated explosive. The Uchiha sighed before he threw himself forward, ripping another of the pilum out of the ground as he did so. Temari recovered while she was airborne, swung her fans at him and released a pair of wind blades at him once more. Chakra ignited across the pilum, focused at the blade, and he swung it twice in front of him.
He bisected both blade of air as he thrust the pilum forward, sending something comparable to a bullet of Chakra towards Temari.
It punched through her fan when she tried to block it. She narrowly avoided it punching through her chest. It struck the wall behind her and left a fist sized hole in it.
"You should know that was me going easy on you." Sasuke did not move from his stance, the Chakra laden blade of the pilum still stretched out in front of him. "Don't make me have to kill you to win this."
Temari threw aside her ruined fan and swung the other back and forth in front of her. Sasuke shook his head as he retracted the pilum before his arm was a blur. He used the same technique to send a number of bullets of Chakra punching through the blades of wind sent towards him before they could reach him. He had aimed them around Temari, striking the ground in front of her or striking the wall behind her. She moved back and Sasuke threw his pilum forward once more.
A bullet of Chakra ripped the fan in her hand out of her grip before she could react. Temari stopped.
"Surrender." Sasuke moved to rest the pilum on his shoulder. "This was a poor match up for you." He used his free hand to gesture to his eyes. "My Sharingan made this hopeless for you."
"Really?" Temari smirked at him. He noticed the strands of Chakra connecting her fingers to her fan. She pulled and Sasuke swung down.
He missed.
Temari had expected him to server the Chakra Threads so had disconnected them. She caught her fan in one hand, snapped it open to display all three purple dots as she spun, and swung it at the Uchiha. The vortex unleashed by the action wasn't something he could avoid. He was swept up into it as Temari swung again, pushing the vortex into the center of the arena. He was thrown around in it like a ragdoll, the Uchiha finding his weapon ripped from his grip as he neared the top. His Sharingan allowed him to see the blades of wind, formed by Chakra, that aimed to slice him to pieces and he barely managed to dodge them. His helmet was ripped off in the end. It was sent hurtling into the air and landed at Temari's feet.
"You shouldn't have been so arrogant Uchiha." Temari drew her fan back, prepared to finish the fight. "Y-"
Sasuke Substituted with her fan before she could finish. The shock of seeing her fan in his place in the vortex let him grab her by the shoulders and force her to look into his red and black eyes. She swiftly tumbled to the ground as Sasuke released her. The Uchiha looked up to where Anko observed.
She was gone.
"You did pretty good Sasuke-kun." Anko patted his tousled hair from behind. He refused to react to her. Anko moved over to Temari and pulled open her eyelids, saw she was completely unconscious, and she let her head drop back to the ground and turned to Sasuke. She took hold of his wrist and lifted it into the air. "Sasuke Uchiha wins his second round match against Temari of the Sand. He advances to the third round."
She dropped his hand and winked at him as she vanished.
He still didn't have his sword and he noticed she took his helmet now as well.
"I'll get them both back later." He didn't waste any more time in the arena. He vanished and appeared next to Naruto thanks to the seal. He bowed his head and brought his fist over his armored heart. "Caesar. I apologize for the lack of entertainment in my match."
"Your sword and helmet have been taken by Anko Mitarashi." Naruto's eyes did not leave the arena as repairs were underway but they would last only a few short minutes. The seal hidden by his armor grew warm as Naruto's eyes shifted from blue to red. "Retrieve the sword before my match concludes. Your helmet will be replaced."
"I do as you command Caesar." Sasuke did not lift his head.
"Of course you do." Naruto dismissed him with those words. He did not need to speak any command or make a gesture, Sasuke knew when he was dismissed and did not hesitate to leave Naruto's side.
Rock Lee's eyes took in the entire exchange from where he leaned against the wall. He did not comment. Gaara of the Sand had vanished the moment the match concluded and was most likely on his way to the arena. Naruto continued his silent observation, blue overcoming red once more.
"It's almost good to see you Sasuke." Outside the participant's box, Kakashi laid a hand on Sasuke's shoulder, stopping him instantly. The Uchiha did not flinch. His eyes didn't leave Kakashi's mostly masked face. Anko leaned against the wall immediately to his right, his helmet tossed up and down in one of her hands. His sword remained at her side. "I want to talk with you."
"Have her give me my blade first." Sasuke didn't bother with looking at Kakashi with his Sharingan. An attempt at Genjutsu would fail against the Jonin and he was too fast for him to react to whatever the Sharingan told him when it came to the masked Shinobi's movements.
"You don't give up leverage Sasuke." Kakashi patted him on the shoulder before he withdrew his hand. "On to my question, what does Naruto have planned?"
"You think I know?" Sasuke stepped back. He nearly ran into the head of Konoha's Torture and Interrogation Force. He stopped midstep and did not turn his head to see the proctor of the First Stage in full. He would have returned to his prior spot if Kakashi didn't close the distance between the two. "As I told you before, Caesar does not tell me all things."
"He tells you enough." Kakashi looked down at the armored Genin that nearly blindly followed the Uzumaki that had been the source of no shortage of problems. "You know what he has planned for what's going to happen at least." Kakashi pointed to Anko who smiled. It was not comforting. "Anko overheard your little warning to Ino. You know enough to give her some advice on how to get out of what's going to be ground zero when that fight starts."
"So you believe I'll reveal Caesar's plans?" Sasuke almost laughed. Kakashi wanted to use ineffective methods to get the answers he needed, the ones that consumed hours and produced nothing of importance beyond learning how many ways someone can beg, but he lacked the time. The Uchiha stepped forward, he smirked at the Jonin. "You will learn of what Caesar has planned when he wishes to reveal it. All of Konoha will know of his glory and there is nothing you can do to stop it."
"I could seal your Chakra right now." Kakashi looked for a flash of fear at the threat but found nothing. His single visible eye narrowed. He looked to Sasuke's arm. "I see, that seal would make that worthless I guess. If anyone else had made it I wouldn't believe you, think you just had a good poker face, but an Uzumaki created it. It probably has too many moving parts for me to even begin to decipher it no matter how much time I have with your arm."
"Give me my blade." Sasuke looked to Anko. Anko looked to Kakashi for the briefest of moments. "You know how this will end Kakashi Hatake." Kakashi's sole eye was focused on Sasuke at the use of his name, the same way Naruto had done earlier. "You have perhaps minutes before Caesar begins his battle. If you are lucky, Caesar will decide to act in advance and all will be spared. If you are unlucky, Caesar will watch the village burn." He shook his head. "You have no power over Caesar. You have no power over his glorious Orange Legion. You can do nothing to force his decision, force his hand. You have nothing he desires beyond the fate he wishes to deliver upon you."
"You're quite a bit more chattier than usual Sasuke." Kakashi looked to Anko. "What do you think Anko?"
"He's stalling us." Anko continued to toss his helmet up and down in the air. "He's making us waste our time with him." She caught his helmet in her hand. Her eyes narrowed. "He knows a lot more than he's ever going to tell us."
"Agreed." Ibiki looked to Kakashi from behind the Uchiha. "What do you think we should do with him?"
"He'll be in charge of Naruto's forces most likely." Kakashi stopped Sasuke from leaving with a Shunsin with a simple tap to his forehead. His body locked up against his will, left him paralyzed where he stood. "We can't get rid of him even if he's being annoying."
"We could cut off his arm and examine the seal." Anko stepped forward, drew the blade she had taken from the Uchiha and pressed the sharp edge to his armpit. "This thing can probably take it off with one good swing and one or two more if it can't do it the first time." She rested his helmet on his frozen head. "Besides, he's been wanting this sword of his back for a while now."
"How much longer do you have Anko?" Anko glanced at her wrist, looked at an imaginary watch, and shrugged.
"At least another minute. The old man is probably going to make Aoba or Raido act as an impromptu proctor if I don't show up in five." Anko drew the blade back. She rested the flat face on Sasuke's shoulder instead. He remained frozen in place but his eyes were still under his control. "That's about all the time I'll need to cut off his arm and hand it off to one of you."
"It may be our only choice." Kakashi looked to Sasuke's frozen face and saw something that surprised him.
The Genin's eyes held actual betrayal in them. Panic was there of course. Fear, hate, and anger were also there but betrayal was there above them all. He couldn't hide it, couldn't try to mask it. It burned like the fire he had made use of today time and time again. Kakashi didn't expect to see such a thing and it actually made him pause. He looked to the Uchiha, looked back on the two encounters he'd had with him today, and suddenly found himself ill.
'What am I doing?' Time seemed to pause for him. 'Am I that paranoid about Naruto that I'll torture the kid twice in one day? He didn't talk last time, he hasn't talked this time, and now I'm honestly thinking about maiming him? For what? To study a seal I still wouldn't understand, to deprive Naruto of someone he thinks is replaceable, to just kill the last Uchiha loyal to the village?'
"What are you waiting for Silver Fang?" Kakashi turned to see the blonde Uzumaki behind him. "Kill him. Maim him. Discover my secrets at last."
"Kakashi-sensei, what are you doing?" Sakura was in front of him. A void consumed him. Only she was there. "Why are you doing this?"
"Don't be a coward, show me the lengths you are willing to go to protect this pitiful village." Naruto returned. He smirked at him, sneered at his weakness.
"What are you doing to him? He's not like Naruto." Sakura's eyes were wide with horror. She looked almost disgusted with him.
"Kill him. I expected better from my Legate but this day has been eye opening." Naruto's eyes bled to red, his fangs grew, and a creature replaced the boy.
"He doesn't deserve this Kakashi-sensei. Please, let him go." Sakura was back. She was pleading with him. "Don't do this."
"Are you weak as well Silver Fang?" The creature was back, urged him to act. "Do what needs to be done."
"Let him go." She returned. She was replaced with a girl he had already failed. "Kakashi, don't make the same mistake."
"Kill him." Naruto returned, drew his blade. "Are you loyal are not? He is an enemy. Enemies must die."
"Kakashi!" Two voices called out his name.
"Kill him!" The man who took his eye screamed at him.
"Those who break the rules are trash, but those who abandon their comrades are worse than trash." The teammate he had failed looked up at him.
'This has gone on too far.' Only the void was left. He was alone. Alone like he should be. 'I need to stop this.'
"Don't bother with it Anko." Kakashi tapped Sasuke on the opposite shoulder Anko laid the blade on and he crumpled to the ground. He didn't bother pretending like he wasn't in pain, as if he hadn't gone through prolonged agony. He couldn't even muster the strength to glare at the Jonin. He could hardly glare at his feet. "Head back and go proctor the next match."
"Aw, are you sure?" Anko returned the sword to her side, bent down to pick up the Uchiha but a steel grip on her shoulder stopped her. Her eyes, Ibiki's as well, shot to Kakashi. His face was blank.
"I'll handle Sasuke. Both of you can get back to where you need to be." It was an order. Neither spent any more time in the hall.
The Genin remained collapsed on the floor, his body still wracked by the aftershocks of prolonged use of the technique.
'Six times.' Kakashi knew the exact number. 'I've used it on him six times and it's not even noon.' He looked at the shaking form of the Uchiha and didn't know what to feel. 'When did I decide he was a lost cause? What made torturing a kid like this alright to me? When did I abandon a comrade like this?' His eyes refused to leave the shaking form of the Uchiha.
It was pointless to help him up. The boy would fight him. Had good reason to try and kill him after what he had done.
He could only look on.
'When did I become trash?'
A near silent sob passed the Uchiha's lips. Kakashi knew why. Repeated use, repeated torture, made the aftereffects of prolonged uses stronger. He had used it six times. Why? The answer was simple in the end: It was yet another failure in the life of Kakashi Hatake.
'At last.' Rasa looked on as the two Genin, the two weapons, stared each other down. 'Konoha's Jinchuriki is up against the weapon. There's no more reason to delay.' His eyes did not look to the Hokage. He kept a careful hold on his bloodlust, did not look to the aged Shinobi and show his hand in advance. 'Soon this idiotic charade will be over with and this village will burn.'
"You truly are a wild beast." Naruto's grin was wide as he stood before Gaara of the Sand with his arms crossed at his chest. He looked over his opponent and his smile widened. "You are little better than a wild dog on the street, driven mad by hunger and brought to heel with your baser instincts. Tell me, if I were to throw a slab of meat at your feet now, would you tear at it with your teeth or drag it away to whatever hobble you call home?"
"I'm going to enjoy killing you." For the first time today, for the first time in his life, excitement entered Gaara's eyes. His sand shifted in the air, took aimless shape around him. "Mother wants your blood Naruto Uzumaki and I will give it to her."
"You are foolish." Naruto removed his helmet, tossed it off to the side without a moment wasted. "I will spill your blood today Gaara of the Sand." His hair remained as he liked it, the former spikes removed with an earlier sweep of his hand through it. "You will know the bite of steel, the sting of pain, and you will learn how much mercy I truly do possess when you lay defeated at my feet."
Sand shot towards Naruto. He dodged the clawed hand as Gaara was consumed in a sphere of sand. Naruto leaped away from it and drew his sword in one motion. Blue eyes searched the air for another attack but none came as markings crossed over the sand covering his opponent. An azure inferno took hold of Naruto Uzumaki then, cast shadow and light across his face.
"It is time to bring you to heel dog." Naruto swung.
A blue inferno seemed to sweep across the ground, crash into the marked sand, and rip through it before sand poured from the ground around Gaara, consumed him in a sphere of greater defense. Naruto laughed at such a sight before he swung his blazing sword once more. A new inferno crashed against the sand, ripped it asunder, but did not reach the core as Naruto would have liked. More sand emerged, consumed and repaired the sphere around the red haired Genin.
"This is your ultimate defense I take it?" Naruto laughed at the sight as he swung his blazing blade once more, unleashed a new azure inferno across the ground to strike against the barrier created. "It will defend you as well from my attack as the wind may knock down a mountain! It will do nothing to protect you from my power Gaara of the Sand!" He swung again, unleashed another azure blaze that swept across the ground and ripped into the sand with explosive force this time. "I will bring you to hell like I said! You will not survive this battle!"
'This isn't going according to plan.' In the stadium, Kabuto Yakushi looked on as the Ichibi's markings, the signs of its release, wavered. His eyes drifted to the Uzumaki and he couldn't repress his shiver. 'The invasion is going to fail if he isn't stopped.' His eyes looked to where the Kage watched, where Rasa's eyes looked at the scene in front of him with something approaching shock. 'This wasn't planned for, It should have unleashed the Ichibi in the first round but failed.' Beneath the mask, his eyes drifted to the seats. His eyes found pink hair. 'Maybe I can fix this.'
The Uzumaki's obsession with the pink haired girl was well known. This could work. This would work actually.
'It needs only a few seconds to unleash the Ichibi.' Kabuto moved. 'This will do.'
"Come out and fight me you beast!" Naruto swung his sword, unleashed another inferno that ripped away at the sand with its explosive impact. He caught sight of his target within the sphere of sand, his eyes wide as they were revealed to the world. "You have hid from your master in your hole enough!" He brought the blade above his head, a beacon of azure light fired into the sky as Chakra took hold of the blade. It didn't blaze, it sheathed the blade with an azure light. The power held there was like nothing felt before. The sand was closing the hole. It would be too slow. "Feel the sting of my blade at last!"
He didn't swing down.
"That's enough Naruto Uzumaki." An ANBU Black Ops dropped down to the arena with Sakura held against him, a kunai held to her throat. "Stop t-"
"Do you think I won't cut through you?" Naruto smiled at the ANBU. The shadows cast across his face by the light of the Chakra across his blade made it appear demonic. "I have no problem with such a thing!"
Beneath his mask, Kabuto's eyes widened as Naruto swung down. He narrowly avoided the attack as he threw the pink haired girl away. It ripped into the sand and detonated, tore away Gaara's defense as Naruto threw himself forward after it.
'What the hell?' Kabuto scrambled to rise just as more ANBU Black Ops joined him in the arena. They took up positions around him as each fell to a knee, brought their hands together as they fed the Chakra stored within them to him. 'There's no point to it anymore.' The corpses performed their programmed function. He couldn't waste this chance.
"Temple of Nirvana." He formed the hand sign and the Genjutsu took hold.
'The storm begins.' Naruto dispelled the illusion with ease as he sheathed his sword at his side and vanished from sight.
AN: The note looms.