Daze
Chapter 31: Rising sun
A/N: Without further delay, here's 31.
X X
Team Kakashi arrived on the outskirts of Sunagakure, the Sand Gate was visible in the distance and immediately the sand was red and reeked of blood.
Kakashi grimaced.
"This doesn't bode well."
Running over to the Sand gate the rough sand crunched beneath their sandals as the reddish midday sun painted the landscape a harsh orange.
They could smell the smoke before they saw the village.
"Oh Kami…"
Sakura covered her mouth.
The buildings were completely gone, rubble crushed civilians, and charred shinobi corpses dotted the city streets.
"How horrible."
Oltier began to tear up.
Naruto shook with rage, but held his composure with a focused gaze.
"W-we need to find Temari and Kankuro, if anyone could survive this mess, it's them."
Naruto ran into the ruined city activating his orange susanoo and lifting rubble from building entrances.
"We have someone!"
Sakura ran over to where Naruto was helping a feeble old woman up from under a wooden pillar.
"Baa-chan are you alright?"
The woman growled clutching her head with a line of blood between her fingers.
Sakura ran over and began healing the elder woman who looked at them without focus.
"That damned Sasori, he'll wish he had killed me, working with Danzo of all people."
She looked at Kakashi and her eyes lit up.
"Sakumo Hatake?!"
Sakura looked confused at the woman.
"I'm afraid you're confused that man died years ago."
Chiyo groaned holding her head.
"Now that you mention it he isn't exactly the same, I must've hit my head harder than I thought."
The old woman muttered to herself quietly.
Naruto looked at the elder woman and noticed the scrolls she carried bore the mark of Monzaemon Chikamatsu, the original Puppetmaster.
"You, baa-chan, are you Chiyo-Shishou?"
She nodded weakly.
Naruto bowed respectfully.
"It's an honor to meet you; It warms my heart to see you're okay, your scrolls on Puppetmaster jutsu taught me everything I know."
Chiyo looked up at him surprised.
"You, a Puppetmaster?"
She stifled a laugh.
"What could a Leaf ninja know about our family techniques, don't pull my ear boy."
Naruto shook his head fervently.
"I assure you, it's true, I based my puppets off your last lesson, notes on a possible Illusory type Puppet, focused on ending battles with the element of surprise."
Chiyo nodded.
"You seem to have knowledge about my lessons, but that shouldn't be possible, you're much too young to have attended my lectures,"
The old woman stood up with a groan of effort.
"-besides, I left the only written copies of my lessons with my Grandson Sasori-chan and he would never willingly teach an outsider our family techniques even now."
Naruto blushed realizing what Sasori had done for him.
'Sasori-nii never told me… I always assumed they were published in a book somewhere…'
He looked to the Sand woman scratching his hair sheepishly.
"You're right of course, my Senpai must've taken notes back when he studied under you decades ago."
The woman's eyebrow raised with annoyance.
"I told that class not to take any notes, but there's always one problem student who disobeys the sensei,"
She shook her head, sighing.
"-All well, if it led to a young mind diving into the art of Puppetmaster jutsu I suppose I can overlook it, I am retired after all."
Chiyo let out a light-hearted cackle.
Naruto looked grimly at the woman.
"Chiyo-baa, your village…"
She nodded gelidly.
"It's fine boy, we Sand ninja are made of tougher stock then you tree hugging leaf ninja, come I know where we can find the survivors."
The elder began to walk down the village streets, her long cloak trailing in the sand behind her.
With every body they passed Naruto noticed the elder woman clutching her scrolls more tightly, though her face gave no sign of emotion.
'She does care, she's just too strong to show it.'
It reminded him of a certain red-haired man he knew, she was his grandmother after all.
They arrived at what used to be the Kazekage Estate, and Chiyo turned to the blonde boy.
"You, leaf boy, use that Uchiha jutsu to lift this pillar that fell in the building center."
Naruto nodded obliging the woman.
His orange Susanoo formed lifting the pillar in its hands and moving it from the floor.
Beneath the rubble was a square hole with steps leading underground.
"A secret tunnel?"
Chiyo nodded.
"When the battle first rang out, That boy Gaara-chan… no Kazekage-sama, He used his sand to pull the villagers underground, as many as he could."
She formed a Horse seal with her index fingers forming a triangle and a ball of light rose from her finger floating down into the tunnel.
"Come, they will be further in, he pulled them under near the center of the village using quicksand, so where exactly in the tunnel they fell I have no idea, but this is the only entrance."
The team travelled further into the tunnel, when the first person caught a glimpse of their light.
"Chiyo-Sama, you're alive!"
The civilian man with brown hair bowed, tearing up at the sight of her, a response which was shared by many of the people there.
Chiyo looked at them with a faint smile which she tried to conceal with her hand.
"Temari-chan, Kankuro-chan, are they here?"
The man nodded.
"Temari-sama is further in the tunnel tending the wounded, Kankuro-sama and Baki-san said they would search the tunnels for another exit."
Chiyo comforted the villagers, telling them to rest and await her return with the Kazekage's siblings.
Her presence there alone seemed to raise their spirits.
"You're well respected here Chiyo-san."
Sakura looked at the woman with a hint of admiration.
Chiyo chuckled.
"During the Second War, My brother Ebizo and I battled Hanzo of the Salamander and pushed him from our mutual border at the Land of Valleys, back to the Land of Rain,"
She hmmphed with indignity.
"We never received any fancy names from it, but our villagers know what we did for the Sand, and Gaara-chan's grandfather, the Third Kazekage, named us 'The honored Siblings'."
Naruto's eyes lit up with respect.
'With a woman like this raising him no wonder Sasori-nii became so powerful.'
They arrived towards the center corridor of the tunnel, where Temari was busy bandaging and comforting injured villagers.
Sakura ran over to assist her.
"Temari-chan, let me help you."
Temari nodded gratefully.
"Sakura-san I've never been so glad to see you, I set up a triage over here for the worst injuries."
Temari led the pink haired girl over to a row of villagers with serious wounds and she began healing them with green light.
Chiyo cleared her throat.
"I'll handle some of these burns, I have experience with treating C2 burns from the Third war with Iwa."
Naruto who could see chakra even in the poorly lit tunnels saw Kankuro and Baki in a distant hall.
"Sasuke, let's go help Kankuro and Baki."
The Uchiha boy nodded.
Kakashi volunteered to stay back and watch over the civilians just in case any enemy combatants had lied in wait;
- though Naruto suspected it was an excuse to read Icha Icha while they all worked.
The boys headed down the winding tunnels towards the eastern end, where Kankuro and Baki were discussing how best to break an exit out of the tunnel without causing a cave in.
"You use wind blades to pin four precises holes in this alcove, then I'll have Salamander tackle it,"
Kankuro pet his large puppet Salamander while gesturing to the man.
"-then, we'll call Temari over here, and she can use her wind fan to guide the debris upward and out the hole."
Baki noticed two pairs of glowing red eyes in the darkness and paled at first recoiling.
"U-Uchiha ghosts?!"
Kankuro also turned and jumped in terror, before Naruto pulled a flare cracking it for light.
Both let out dramatic sighs of relief as they recognized Sasuke from the Chunin exam.
"Uchiha-san, who is your ally?"
Sasuke nodded.
"Naruto Uzumaki."
Kankuro looked at the tall boy with the stoic grin, powerful crimson eyes, and long blonde hair.
"This guy, is that little pipsqueak?"
Naruto looked offended, his eye twitching.
"Nice to see you too Kankuro-san."
Baki bowed.
"You must be the reinforcements from the leaf, I ordered Takamaru to deliver the message, but in all the chaos I wasn't sure if help would arrive."
Sasuke nodded dutifully to the man.
"We're here now, come, our squad needs as much info as possible so we can rescue Gaara-san."
Naruto smiled at Sasuke.
'Look at you taking the lead, maybe Sakura's good bedside manner is rubbing off on you.'
The twin-eyed boys led Baki and Kankuro back to the room where Chiyo, Temari, and Sakura, had treated the civilians.
Kankuro was the one to assume a serious face and take command.
"Let's gather the civilians and get outside."
Baki and Chiyo helped them gather the civilians heading towards the entrance where Kakashi and the other group of civilians were waiting.
They all slowly flooded out of the steps with the Shinobi taking points in the line to watch for any dangers that might be above ground.
When they all arrived outside the tunnel the civilians were horrified by the carnage, as they saw their homes destroyed;
Bodies of friends and family members who had been unable to escape the attack littered the village.
Naruto had to walk away so he didn't have to hear the cries of pain as parents found their children, children found their parents, and couples young and old found their lost mates.
Naruto shook with emotion, crying tears of rage, as he punched a sandstone pillar repeatedly; his knuckles bled, dripping red liquid down to his feet.
"Damn Danzo… Damn him!"
He laid his head against the pillar crying out despairingly to no-one in particular.
"Why did this happen, Gaara-kun, and all these people?"
Naruto felt soft arms lace around his chest.
He realized it was Sakura who held him.
He turned around laying his head into her shoulder and crying, as she held him reassuringly like an older sister.
"Shh, I know Naruto, it's okay."
She also teared up, holding her blonde teammate and trying her best to comfort him.
Sasuke watched on, as one little boy held his fallen father in shock, he felt dark flashes in his head as the sight of the ruined village sent him back to the night his family had died.
He closed his fist tightly, but felt Kakashi place a reassuring hand on his shoulder also watching the crying boy and his dead father.
"I know Sasuke, I've been there too, believe me I know."
Baki, and a few of the men had gone to work clearing the worst of the rubble from the village, while Temari, and Chiyo gathered the bodies of fallen villagers setting them out on sheets.
Kankuro and Temari when they finished doing their part came up to Kakashi and his team.
"We sent a team out to search for tracks, they should be back soon."
Almost on queue a man came running full force breathing heavily and wiping his face from the desert heat.
"We've found a trail, it's Gaara-Sama's sand armor!"
Kankuro, and Temari both lit up.
"So we can go after him?!"
Chiyo shook her head.
"We need you two here, I will go with our Leaf allies, you need to stay here and help Baki restore the village before our weakness is exploited by the other nations."
Temari went to protest but Kankuro placed a hand on her shoulder.
"We understand Chiyo-sama, please, bring our brother back."
Chiyo nodded smiling slightly.
"I intend to, Kankuro-chan."
Naruto wiped the remnants of tears from his eyes, smiling softly at the renewed hope of them rescuing Gaara.
The Sand Chunin messenger led them to the start of Gaara's sand trail bowing and excusing himself.
"Kami's speed, Leaf friends, Chiyo-sama."
Chiyo smiled at the young man as he ran off.
"When we reach the place where they've taken Kazekage-sama, I have only one request."
Kakashi nodded to the elder.
"Yes Chiyo-shishou?"
She smirked, rolling her powerful puppet scrolls back up into her sleeves.
"Leave Sasori-chan to me, I'm afraid I spoiled the boy too much when I was raising him; he needs discipline and his old Baa-chan is going to administer some."
Naruto felt the old woman's overwhelming aura of determination and aged power.
'Sasori-nii, could it be she's stronger than him?'
The leaf ninja agreed.
Kakashi sighed.
"According to the information gathered by Jiraiya, Sasori's partner is Deidara of the stone, he's a demo ninja who fights at long range using earth jutsu, Sasuke, you and I will handle him."
Kakashi pointed to Naruto.
"Naruto, you and Sakura will face Danzo, while Oltier assists Chiyo with Sasori."
Naruto shook his head.
"Oltier is with me, let Sakura assist Chiyo-shishou, her knowledge of poisons will be crucial if they're facing Sasori."
Kakashi went to protest but Oltier spoke up with uncharacteristic emotion.
"I agree, it has to be me Kakashi-sensei, if I don't face Danzo if I don't stand up to him before he's gone, I-I'll never be free of his influence."
Kakashi sighed, but begrudgingly agreed.
"Naruto, be careful, Danzo may be old, but he's a dangerous man, he killed Tenzo and Choza, do not let your guard down, ever."
Naruto nodded.
"I understand sensei, trust me, I won't."
The battle plan ready the team continued to follow Gaara's sand path.
'I just hope we arrive in time.'
Naruto paled with worry.
"If they've taken him in that direction there's a base within a few hours of here."
Kakashi looked at the boy.
"Would they take him to a base you know the location of?"
Naruto nods.
"Nowhere else would do; They want me to come, it's a trap meant for me and I intend to spring it."
Naruto and Sasuke both adjusting to their new eyes which were still difficult to use, were yet confident their new power would be enough to defeat the Akatsuki.
Naruto's eyes flashed with intensity.
'Danzo, you will pay.'
Akatsuki base interior, same time...
"The Shukaku, is now sealed, Kisame, continue to hunt the Hachibi, it's of utmost importance that we capture him, our goal is nearly complete,"
"Yeah, yeah, I'm working on it."
Kisame groaned with annoyance.
The masked man turned to the members with piercings in their faces.
"- Pain, Konan, you are to standby, I have a special mission for you."
The second command of the Akatsuki nodded to the man, their holograms fading.
The masked Uchiha turned to Danzo who stood smugly over the corpse of Gaara.
"Well, Madara, it seems our bargain is fulfilled, when do we move on the leaf."
Madara shook his head, his crimson eye looking at Danzo without an ounce of care.
"Not quite, Danzo-san, you still have to handle the Leaf ninja who are pursuing the Kazekage."
Danzo growled with irritation.
"Uchiha snake, this wasn't part of our agreement."
Madara sat down leisurely atop the statue still staring at the man.
"So, I've changed the agreement, pray I do not change it further; they are almost here so you have little option,"
Madara adjusted his scarf laying his hands lazily at his side.
"I gave you Sasori and Deidara, Hidan, even the secrets of his body for your pawns, you have no excuses, finish here, and we'll speak further; Later."
The Uchiha man waved with two fingers, and began to vanish amid a spiral of air and nothing.
Danzo was furious but knew he had no choice but to obey.
"Tobirama-sensei, you were right to fear his wicked nature, Madara is the biggest threat the Leaf has ever faced,"
Danzo leaned on his cane.
"Don't fear sensei, when I retrieve the Leaf from your foolish niece's hands, I will deal with the Uchiha viper, and all the rest who threaten our beloved village."
Beneath his bandages many pairs of Sharingan glew in the darkened cave.
A few hours later...
"There, the trail ends there!"
Naruto crouched from a run pointing to a river valley below the wooded hill they stood upon, at the bottom eight men in ROOT uniforms patrolled the area;
Hidan whose body was covered in sutures and darkened flesh, sat lazily by the bouldered entrance.
Deidara and Sasori flew in a circle around the area atop white Clay dragons.
"How do we approach this Kakashi-sensei?"
The jonin frowned, placing a thoughtful hand to his masked chin.
"We need to knock those dragons out of the sky, then Chiyo, and Sakura can separate Sasori from his partner while Sasuke and I handle him, still,"
Kakashi furrowed his brow with concern.
"-I don't know how we're going to fight with Danzo's root agents, and that Akatsuki nipping at our heels."
Naruto smirked.
"Leave that to me, I'm good at making a big splash."
Kakashi agreed turning to Sasuke.
"Sasuke we'll go with that move."
Turning to Chiyo and Sakura, Kakashi pulled his headband up in preparation for the battle.
"As soon as we launch our attack you two need to head to where Sasori lands and engage him."
The older woman smirked.
"Imagine an upstart telling me how to fight, I'll handle it, Hatake-san, just keep the other Akatsuki away, and I'll make sure Sasori-chan isn't a problem."
Naruto turned to Oltier who was a bit apprehensive.
"Grab my arm, you won't be able to keep up with what I'm going to do."
She nodded latching onto his arm as he crouched down his leg muscles coiling for momentum.
Sasuke and Kakashi both channeled lightning, a chidori and a lightning blade encasing their fists.
They spoke in unison.
"Lightning style: Chidori flying fang!" / "Lighting style: Lightning beast hunting fang!"
Two thunder dogs ran from their hands spinning around each other in a twin tornado which flew into the air;
-splitting off into two large drills the lightning beasts carved into the clay dragons which fell from the sky.
The instant they dropped Chiyo and Sakura flew with speed rushing over to where Sasori's dragon was going to crash.
Sasuke and Kakashi did the same heading to where Deidara's clay dragon was falling rapidly.
Oltier, who was on Naruto's back holding onto his arms for stability, watched as he leapt with amazing speed landing in the air above the shocked Hidan, and root agents.
"Kuchiyose no jutsu!"
A giant poof of smoke obscured the men and a loud tiger-like roar was heard.
"Who dares summon me-ko!"
A giant white cat with ghostly green eyes tore through the smoke with furious swipes of it's clawed paws.
"Naruto-neko, we had a deal, you were NEVER to summon me-ko!"
Naruto paled and began to sweat as he landed atop the stone roof of the Akatsuki cave base.
The massive Ninneko boss began to caterwaul, sending gusts of tearing wind flying in every direction and causing the Root agents to bleed from their ears.
Naruto whispered very quietly directly into Oltier's ears.
"Oltier be very quiet, his vision isn't great, but his sense of hearing is incredible, wait for it."
A moment later Hidan growled looking up at the giant cat.
"Oi you fucking loud flea-bag, shut the hell up before I cut you up and serve you to Jashin!"
Nekomata looked down at the loud-mouthed Akatsuki, furious.
"You simple monkey, you dare disrespect Nekomata-sama boss of the Ninneko!"
Hidan smirked at the large cat.
"I don't care who you are, you oversized fur ball, you could be Jashin-sama's housecat and I would still tell you to shut your mangy mouth!"
The Ninneko boss became enraged and slammed it's paw down at the Jashinist who caught it with the side of his scythe laid flat.
"Now's our chance."
Naruto summoned his spectral Susanoo busting through the roof of the Akatsuki base and landing in the chamber with Oltier by his side.
As the light from the hole flooded into the cavern they saw;
-Waiting inside was Danzo, who smiled through furrowed lips, setting his cane atop the corpse of Gaara.
Oltier saw this, her chest dropping.
"G-Gaara-kun… no!"
She began to cry furious and charged the man enraged.
Danzo smirked.
Naruto paled,
"Oltier no!"
He leapt tackling her out of the way as Danzo tore the bandages off his arm and face, tossing a wind blade at her.
Naruto's Susanoo blocked the wind though it cracked from the sheer force of the impact.
Danzo dusted off his hands, dropping his cane with a clatter to the floor.
"Kyuubi, no… Uzumaki, you have served Tsunade dutifully, but those eyes are weapons for the good of the village; work with me and you will have a place in my new Leaf."
Naruto shook his head infuriated.
"Not a chance in hell gramps, you are a traitor who will never be Hokage."
Danzo sneered.
"Fine, then you will die along with that foolish girl."
The man ran forward ignoring the hand of the Susanoo which swung out at him.
"Izanagi!"
The man appeared behind Naruto with a hand near his lips firing bullets of wind which busted through the back of the Susanoo;
They struck Naruto and Oltier, sending them both sprawling to the ground.
"Now to send you home to your foolish father."
Danzo grabbed his cane off the ground which turned into a green blade of wood and wind.
"Diee!"
Naruto growled His Susanoo roaring and surrounded him it's arm swinging out.
"Yasaka Magatama!"
Danzo ran through the attack, a second Sharingan closing on his arm as he reappeared before Naruto and stabbed through his Susanoo lifting him in the air with a blade through his chest.
Oltier cried out clutching her shirt as tears fell to her lap.
"NAAARUTOOO!"
Naruto coughed up blood holding the blade in his chest and pulling himself off of it falling slack to the floor.
"What a fool."
Danzo shook his head disappointed, turning his gaze to the girl on the floor.
Sasori's brown eyes fell upon the form of his Grandmother who grinned up at him.
"Hello Sasori-chan, not even a hello when you saw me in the village last night, you seem surprised to see me."
Sasori sighed.
"Chiyo-baa-san I'm amazed you survived,"
He pulled a scroll from his back readying chakra strings from his fingers.
"-against my better judgement I must've held back with that last attack, or perhaps you're more stubborn than even I could've anticipated."
Chiyo laughed derisively.
"Fool boy, if you think a simple attack like that one could kill me then you need to resume your lessons."
Sakura stood on the side gripping a kunai anxiously as she watched the Akatsuki man's movements.
He smirked showfully unrolling a red scroll and a cloaked man popped from the smoke.
"Well granny, I hope that this form of attack is more to your liking, introducing my masterpiece."
Chiyo felt a trail of sweat race down her cheek.
"I-is that… Sandaime-sama."
Sasori's brown eyes glinted coolly.
"What an emotional response, how unlike Chiyo-baa-san."
The elder woman gritted her teeth.
"Such treachery, will not go unpunished; Sakura dear, ready yourself for battle."
The pink-haired kunoichi nodded, gripping her gloved fist.
Deidara hummed, dodging a lighting-laced slash from the grey-haired Jonin.
Sasuke stood back watching the battle with his sharingan for an opportunity.
He noticed the Akatsuki member's footing lost as he tried to form a clay centipede and wrap Kakashi.
Sasuke grunted with effort, his Purple cloaked Susanoo surrounded him and formed a hand-mounted mini bow on it's wrist.
He fired out a purple spectral arrow which caused the Blonde-akatsuki to pale, but he was unable to avoid the Susanoo arrow which struck his shoulder;
-His left arm was blown off at the shoulder spilling blood and causing the man to grit his teeth in pain.
Kakashi's eye lit up with pride.
'Well done Sasuke.'
Sasuke prepared to charge the Akatsuki and help his sensei take him down when he heard a loud poof of smoke behind him as the wounded Nekomata vanished.
From the smoke cloud erratic laughter approached him until Hidan cut through the cloud with his scythe, lunging wildly at the boy.
"Round Two, Uchiha!"
Danzo's gaze which fell upon the girl on the floor was filled with disappointment.
"You've failed us all Tobiko, now you will never see the village which your namesake Tobirama-sensei sought to create."
The man gripped his wood blade pointing it at the girl.
"Such a shame, but I should've expected disappointment from one of Orochimaru's orphan experiments."
Oltier began to cry fearfully as she saw the man slowly approach her blade in hand.
'Sorry Naruto, I thought I could be strong… but I'm just so scared!'
Danzo heard a growl from the floor and looked down to see Naruto crawl over to him.
Naruto gripped his leg from the ground looking up with a murderous glare.
Danzo looked shocked as the orange spectral Susanoo surrounded the boy lifting him off the ground in its hands.
"Damn you Danzo, shut your mouth!"
The Susanoo roared with Naruto pulling it's hands apart and ripping the man in half.
The elder reappeared across the room, a third sharingan closing.
Naruto stood up clutching his bloody chest and walking slowly towards the man with a furious Susanoo trailing him.
"Why do you persist, child, your heart is in tethers, soon you will die. no matter how hard you fight."
Naruto grinned determinedly, his eyes burning with hot fury.
"My body could be ashes and I would still defeat you here,"
Naruto raised his hand forming a rasengan and channeling wind into it.
His Susanoo grabbed it from him, tossing it at the man.
"-You're mine Rasenshuriken!"
Danzo smirked standing still as the jutsu cut him in half and a fourth Sharingan closed.
He reappeared across the room and raised a guard as Naruto rushed, but, to his shock Naruto grabbed the girl from the floor leaping out the hole in the roof;
The jutsu expanded, exploding and destroying everything in the hideout.
Danzo appeared on the roof of the hideout breathing heavily, his fifth sharingan closed and he held his Senju arm which was halfway depleted of Sharingan.
"Looks like you're starting to falter Danzo."
Naruto chuckled.
"You, you foolish upstart, don't you dare mock me!"
Danzo growled opening his left eye.
"Kotoamatsukami!"
Naruto paled having dropped his guard against Kakashi's warnings;
-he felt the force of Danzo's sharingan overwhelm his senses.
"You will serve me boy!"
Naruto fell to his knees seeing ravens flapping in his mind as he was bombarded with a single task, a need, a belief.
He roared furiously, crying tears of blood, as he tried to fight against the jutsu, but it wasn't a normal genjutsu, once it was cast not even a Rinnegan could break free.
He felt his own desires subsumed by a single command, to serve Danzo.
Against his own desires, or rather in service to them he drew a kunai and walked over to the white-haired girl across from him.
"Kill the girl, we can use her chakra to create another."
Oltier paled as Naruto approached her ominously, his crimson eyes glowing down at her.
"N-Naruto-kun… please, don't!"
Naruto ignored her words, obeying the command in his mind and plunged the kunai into her chest.
She coughed up blood tearing up as she stared into his eyes.
"-N-niisan."
Oltier reached out her bloody fingers leaving a red trail on his arm.
She fell to the floor of the hideout, her eyes closing.
Danzo grinned satisfied.
"Well done boy, now kill the Uchiha, and Hatake, and bring me their eyes."
Naruto bowed.
"As you wish Danzo-sama."
Naruto leapt from the roof of the building heading to the lower river where Team 7 were battling.
Sasuke groaned with effort, holding the scythe back with his sword.
Just as the blade approached his cheek he heard a chirping sound and looked up in time to see Kakashi swing a Raikiri clad fist.
Hidan's head flew off his body and was sent flying away spitting curses upon them.
"You alright Sasuke?"
He nodded tiredly.
"Y-Yeah sensei, what happened to Deidara?"
Kakashi clutched his bleeding eye.
"I sucked his last remaining arm into my Kamui, he was backed into a corner so he ate detonating clay, and destroyed himself in the blast."
They turned cautiously as footsteps approached them.
But it was only Chiyo and Sakura.
"where's Sasori?"
Sakura shook her head.
"After we destroyed his Kazekage puppet, he substituted himself with a red cloaked puppet and slipped away in the chaos of the battle."
Chiyo nodded.
"It's odd though, he could've killed us if he wanted to, but instead he chose to flee, I've never known Sasori to fight defensively, he was acting strangely."
The elder sand kunoichi seemed troubled, but the group's attention was drawn to Naruto who suddenly landed in front of them.
"Naruto where's Oltier, did you beat Danzo?"
The blonde boy stared silently, his red eyes glowing as he walked slowly over to Kakashi.
Kakashi began to walk up to meet him unaware of the spell on his mind.
Sasuke got a bad feeling through their linked eyes, and his Susanoo arm swung out, stopping Naruto in his tracks.
"Kakashi stay back, he's under genjutsu!"
Naruto growled holding his hand out hungrily toward the Jonin's eye.
"I must serve Danzo-sama!"
Naruto's Susanoo rose to life, smashing it's arm through Sasuke's own, as the boy lunged at the shocked Kakashi reaching for his sharingan.
Sakura jumped in between them raising a chakra laced fist which slammed into his Susanoo's chest and sent shockwaves through the ground.
"SHANAROOOO!"
Kakashi noticed Danzo watching the fight with dark amusement, the broken bodies of his cat trampled ROOT agents around the cave entrance.
"I think Danzo used Shisui's eye on him, the only way to free Naruto, is to kill Danzo."
Kakashi turned to Sasuke and Sakura.
"You two need to hold Naruto off, Chiyo and I will handle Danzo."
The elder sand kunoichi nodded, summoning her puppets.
"I always hated that sneaky old bastard, I'll happily contribute to his death."
Sasuke grunted with effort pulling Sakura away from a swipe from Naruto's Susanoo with his own Susanoo's arm.
"We'll handle it Sensei, go, deal with Danzo, quickly!"
Kakashi and Chiyo leapt down to face off against the Leaf elder.
"Chiyo of the Sand, Kakashi no Sharingan, an interesting team, but one of little concern, the Uzumaki boy is my agent now,"
Danzo smirked holding his cane blade.
"-Soon he'll kill his little friends, just like he did that useless girl, and then he'll be onto you."
Atop the stone ground of the cavern ceiling Naruto growled his Eternal Mangekyou staring down Sasuke's.
His hooded orange Susanoo conjured a flaming sword and an oddly shaped shield.
"Now, Sasuke, Sakura… for Danzo-sama you will die."
X END X