Man, I've just been writing non-stop since returning to this story. I really have a clear story-line in my head and it just gets easier and easier to write. This chapter is 6k words, like I wished. I really hope everyone enjoys it. I tried really hard to write the battle well, but I may be a bit rusty (Never really thought I was good at them anyway). Thank you for reading. Please leave a comment or review! I really need it for this chapter. I think it will motivate me while I continue to work on the next.
:)
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto
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"You don't still use shadow clones excessively do you?" Sasuke asked aloud as he placed his black ninja sandals over his pale feet.
He was sitting next to Naruko as the two-ninja prepared to participate in a friendly spar during the dead of night. Sasuke smirked as he glanced over at the expectedly irritated blonde girl, whose teeth were clenched tightly. Naruko turned to the side and punched him in the shoulder, then returning to her own preparations. He groaned in mock pain.
"Yeah right." Naruko grumbled.
She decided to tease Sasuke by repeating his question back to him in the best Uchiha impersonation that she could. Sasuke snorted and Naruko laughed. The two ninja always had a knack for rivalry banter.
Naruko stood up and Sasuke quickly followed suit. They would have to walk a little ways into the forest, outside of the Uchiha district in order to be a safe distance from the village. Naruko would have preferred the standard training grounds, but Sasuke's presence had to be kept a secret. She hopped down the stairway of the Uchiha mansion, twirling a kunai around her finger. Mentally, the girl was preparing to go all out. Sasuke had killed Orochimaru, that meant he was probably beyond her skills. Unless of course, she played a little dirty. Naruko sent a sly smile to the young man following behind her.
"I don't like that look." Sasuke said, hand in his pockets as he treaded casually behind.
The short strings of devious laughter put Sasuke on his toes. It was the same laughter Naruko would use when she thought of an elaborate prank back in her genin days. Naruko simply waved her hand in the air, attempting to dismiss his concern.
"Relax." She said, a strange giddy attitude still embedded in her voice.
Sasuke did not relax.
The two ninja casually walked through the forest. A dome of silence surrounded their environment and the trees above shielded the area from the moonlight above. Without realizing it, Sasuke activated his sharingan eyes, allowing him perfect vision as they walked through a maze of trees. His red eyes glowed in the night, shifting quickly and taking in every possible movement.
It didn't take his eyes long to lock onto the young woman in front of him. Sasuke watched the way she moved through the forest. His eyes catching her graceful footsteps and ease of movement. He immediately concluded that Naruko had been trained to be more aerobatic over the last few years. Genin Naruko would never have moved so beautifully.
A gentle breeze brushed against the Uchiha from the side, the leaves in the trees shuffling and creating a low hum that provided the only source of sound at the moment. Sasuke could see a clearing up ahead. A grassy plain much smaller than he would have liked for a battle, but the Uchiha supposed he didn't have much of a choice. Besides, his time would be spent here with Naruko…he couldn't complain.
Naruko turned to face him just before they entered their battlefield. Her blue eyes ignited with fire. Sasuke knew she would not take this spar lightly. He mentally groaned, more interested in playing around and spending time more with the girl rather than exhaust himself in battle. That just wasn't how Naruko worked though. She was much more competitive than that. Luckily, Sasuke considered himself equally competitive in the face of a challenge.
"You seem fired u-." Sasuke started but paused, the hairs of his neck straightening.
He saw them before he heard them. An unnatural observation from most ninja, but not an Uchiha. Black cloaks, masked men, flashing through the forest in complete silence. Sasuke couldn't detect an ounce of chakra from them. He could see their movements, their steel blades gleaming in his sharingan eyes. Their route…easy to track.
Sasuke burst towards Naruko, sword drawn already. He could see her confusion and startled reaction at his sudden advancement. She wondered if their spar was beginning prematurely. It wasn't like Sasuke to pull tricks.
A clash of steel and sparks next to her head caused Naruko's eyes to widen. She managed to briefly identify the white masked man, whose blade was poised at the right side of her throat. Sasuke's own blade blocking the attack. Two more blurs caught Naruko's attention as they swirled around from the original attacker, aiming for her open side.
Her training immediately kicked in. Naruko fished two kunai from her ninja pouch, crossing them to the left and blocking a second strike from another individual. She pushed against the steel blade with all her might, throwing the man to the side and lashing out a kick at his defenseless position in the air.
Naruko gasped a third man caught her foot in the air with his palm, protecting his ally and throwing Naruko off balance. She could faintly catch the sound of Sasuke's own frustrated growl as he pushed away the first enemy and grabbing Naruko's shoulder, steadying her, then flipping his body around hers, slicing at one of the attackers on Naruko's left side.
Blood spurted out of a wound created by Sasuke's sword as he slashed across the ninja's chest. The Uchiha smiled at the direct hit, but it fell from his face as he sensed two more presences closing in to their location.
"C'mon!' Sasuke shouted to Naruko, pulling her with him as he sprinted into the clearing ahead. It'd be much harder to defend in the forest where the many trees provided too much cover.
Sasuke glanced back, seeing two men start to recover from their thwarted ambush. One was still crouched, holding his chest tight as blood soaked his hands. Sasuke let go of Naruko's arm, trusting her to keep up with his speed. He swiftly flew through intricate hand signs, building chakra in his lungs. The Uchiha leapt into the air, flipping and turning upside down as he launched fire balls back towards his pursuers.
"Fire Style: Fire Ball Jutsu!"
The balls of pure energy served as flares in the dark night, illuminating everything as they soared towards their targets. The two cloaked men, jumped to the side, avoiding their doom. However, the one injured man could only scream as the flames engulfed his body.
Naruko closed her eyes, hearing the blood-curdling scream that could only mean certain death. She gasped, her breath coming out in short, uncontrollable puffs. Her legs continued to move after Sasuke as she tried to desperately ignore the fear trying to seize control of her body.
Naruko skidded to a halt, nearly crashing into Sasuke as he stopped and faced their attackers. The two lovers now stood alone in the center of the clearing. Two unscathed men walked slowly out of the forest edge, no regard for the flames that spread through the trees behind them. They paused a large distance away.
"Uchiha?" One member said with surprise, his robotically enhanced voice sending shivers through Naruko's veins.
Two more members that Naruko hadn't sensed leapt out from the cover of the trees. Naruko noticed that there was only one man without disguise. An older man, with bandages wrapped around his arm and right eye. His wrinkled face and distinguished 'X' shaped scar on his chin was features Naruko noticed quickly, but she also saw the man wore long robes and held a cane, nothing like the three other individuals. Her eyes locked onto the man as he began speaking in a voice that easily matched his aged, wrinkled appearance.
"Sasuke Uchiha." He spoke in a tone that barely hinted surprise, and yet Naruko felt as though the man was seriously flabbergasted.
"Do I know you?" Sasuke asked.
Sasuke's mind raced, wondering what this man could possibly want, or how he knew him. Getting into Konoha wasn't easy, especially by oneself, Sasuke understood that from experience. Yet somehow this man not only snuck into the village but did so with four others. Then Sasuke remembered the initial attack wasn't meant for him. Could that mean Naruko was the target?
Danzo broke the silence. "I suppose not. I tend to keep to the shadows."
The older man placed his cane on the grassy field, using it to walk closer towards the two ninja. Sasuke immediately shuffled out in front of Naruko, protecting her from a frontal attack. He watched with calculative eyes, scanning over the other three cloaked men, waiting for a single twitch of movement. There was none.
"Who would have guessed that the Jinchurikki was harboring a missing-nin?" Danzo spoke, stopping a safe distance away from Sasuke.
Sasuke heard Naruko's growl from behind, but his thoughts were more focused on the word the old man had used. 'Jinchurikki' Sasuke had heard that word before. Madara had mentioned it in passing every once in a while, but the definition was lost on the young Uchiha. He didn't have time to think of the implications.
Danzo turned his head slightly, his uncovered eye staring at the charred corpse just beyond the tree line. The black cloak of his subordinate disintegrated into ash as the stench of burning flesh caught in the wind.
"An unexpected loss." The older man sighed. "Certainly not in vain."
Naruko caught her breath, trying not to inhale as she too recognized the scent that began to float over the clearing like a fog of poison. The blood in her veins chilled, muscles tensed. Naruko clenched her fists tightly at her sides, trying to reason with her erratic mind that now was not the time to freeze. She caught Sasuke's movements as he swung his sword up in a threatening manner. The tip of the blade pointed directly at the older man.
"What do you want?" Sasuke asked, his tone strong and demanding an answer.
Danzo glared back at the young man. He hated the natural confidence and arrogance that the Uchiha clan so easily portrayed. It was that type of emotion that lead to their demise. There was no other clan in existence that used as many emotions as the Uchiha. They found strength in their feelings. A stupid family belief. A truly powerful ninja has no use for such trivial feelings.
"We've come to take young Uzumaki into our care." Danzo said. "I suggest you leave, and perhaps I'll overlook your presence in our village."
'They're from Konoha?' Sasuke thought.
He wasn't familiar with any ninja unit with blank masks and black cloaks. He had never seen this man before either. The man's offer also vaguely reminded Sasuke of his encounter with Orochimaru in the Forest of Death. Sasuke had offered the Sannin his scroll for an opportunity to escape. Naruko reminded him back then that there was no way to determine their safety. He wasn't going to fall for that trap here.
A small voice spoke from behind him.
"Sasuke." Naruko whispered. "Maybe-."
"No way." Sasuke snarled as he interrupted Naruko's words.
He knew what Naruko was doing. It was what she always wants to do. Sacrifice herself for another's safety. Screw that. Sasuke ground his teeth together, sharingan eyes wildly analyzing at the threats in the field. Three expert ninja and an old man. He was sure that Naruko and himself could take on the threat. Positive. He just had to make sure everyone knew where he stood.
"You touch Naruko." Sasuke started, his fist tightening around the grip of his sword. "I'll slaughter you all."
Naruko flinched at the maliciousness of Sasuke's voice. It was filled with anger and hatred that felt like a punch into her stomach. Naruko's body suddenly felt ill. She had never, in her life, heard Sasuke speak so threateningly. His tone almost matched the same haunting tone of the violent beast inside her. The one that spoke to her when she killed. The thought sent freezing chills down her spine.
Across the field Danzo sighed. This mission was meant to have been over by now, and the Kyuubi would have been safely contained in the catacombs below the village. Although…adding another Uchiha to his collection wasn't such an unappealing thought. Yes…If he played his cards right, he would be walking out of this fight with the power of a Bijuu and another pair of beautiful sharingan eyes.
'An acceptable outcome.' Danzo thought. 'Worth a few sacrifices.'
Naruko watched as Danzo brought his arm back, presumably reaching for a few shuriken in his ninja pouch. She blinked once, and the scene changed. Wind blasted her hair back and suddenly Sasuke was right above the old man, sword digging into the wooden cane that blocked his lightening fast attack. Sasuke used his momentum, flipping over the man, lightning coating his fist.
'Chidori!' Naruko gasped, realizing Sasuke was purely acting on the intent to kill.
Sasuke, with rage coating his thoughts, stabbed his arm outward, aiming for Danzo's back. The older ninja was much quicker than expected as he turned and released gust of air, throwing Sasuke into the air. The three cloaked men immediately moved to assist their master.
Sasuke landed gracefully on the ground, his sword swinging up, blocking an attack from his side. Sharingan eyes moved rapidly. He could see the ninja closing in, all poised with blades to cut the Uchiha to pieces. Sasuke leaned back, one sword cut missing his face as it curved upwards. The Uchiha's fingers twirled the blade behind his back, passing off a blow meant for his spine. His sword twisted, spinning in circles around his body, blocking every intended cut from the three ninja that surrounded him.
Naruko couldn't watch any longer. She saw the sparks of each blade clashing against Sasuke's own. She watched the old man racing towards the solo ninja and Naruko knew that inactivity would be death for the Uchiha.
Naruko remembered each hand sign for one of her more powerful techniques and as she raced across the field, a beast of lightning flashed to her side. It took a few seconds, but the beast increased its speed, beginning to outrun its creator and charge at its intended target. Naruko slipped a single shuriken from her back pouch and curled her arm, ready to swing. She threw herself into a diagonal approach, making sure that her shuriken wouldn't add more problems for Sasuke.
Blue eyes lined up against the older man, seemingly unaware of her gaining presence. She lashed out her hand like a whip, a single shuriken spinning wildly as it sliced through the air. Naruko then brought her hands up once more, flashing through hand signs.
"Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu!" She exclaimed with determined eyes watching the ninja tool.
The single shuriken transformed into hundreds, perhaps thousands. Danzo skidded to a halt hearing the explosively loud whistling sounds of deadly metal spinning towards his form. His single eye widened at the wall of black that approached. The old man brought out a shuriken, wrapped around his finger and blew wind chakra into the metal. It spun with a piercing sound, creating a circular formation and he used the shuriken as a shield against the violent storm of shuriken.
Each of Naruko's shuriken fell to the grassy floor as they collided with the swirling wind around Danzo's finger. Danzo couldn't however stop himself from sliding back as the force of Naruko's jutsu continued to assault him. His feet began digging back into the earth, and his arm ached from the continuous strength he pushed against his own shuriken.
'So many!' Danzo mentally gasped, remembering Hiruzen's technique and how it paled in strength compared to the young Jinchurikki's.
Danzo's teeth clenched as he felt some of the shuriken pass his defenses and slice near his feet, where his defense was significantly lowered. He took a breath, filling his lungs with air and punched out a wave of wind that broke the stream of shuriken. Naruko's eyes widened as the form of her ninja tools vanished against the powerful gust.
Meanwhile, Sasuke blocked another slash aimed at his neck. The sparks of the clash blinded the Uchiha temporarily and he failed to see one of his three attackers leap back for a ranged assault. For a moment Sasuke became confused as the two swordsmen backed off, but his senses screamed for him to dodge a torrent of water that rushed towards his chest. Sasuke gritted his teeth, leaning sideways towards the ground as the water sped overhead. His sharingan eyes widened, seeing two blades swinging towards different sections of his body in perfect collaboration. The Uchiha threw his hands towards the ground, pushing his body into the air, expecting a blade to give him a minor wound. Instead, he managed to avoid one strike and the other never came.
Red eyes watched as one of the cloaked men was assaulted by a lightning beast. Static pulses covered his body, and his blade fell out of his twitching, immobile hand as the man choked under the spastic pressure of electricity. Sasuke smirked.
"Nice, Naru." He whispered to himself.
Sasuke landed with perfect balance. His eyes shifting back and forth between the ninja at his right and left. Only two enemies, and he already knew the one on his right had an affinity towards water. He crouched low, gathering his thoughts rapidly. The sound of piercing wind chakra distracted the Uchiha for a moment. He watched Naruko engage against the old man, and it seemed the elder was much stronger than he appeared. Sasuke quickly formulated a plan, something that would end this quickly.
His legs exploded with momentum. The two ninja on his sides racing after him as he sprinted towards Danzo and Naruko. Sasuke gathered his breath, his chakra building slowly but surely. Mentally he groaned, knowing exhaustion would surely be the bane of his existence in a few moments.
Danzo spun his head to the side, identifying the Uchiha closing in on his position. The old man smirked. The Uchiha must be reckless, running so wildly to protect his girl. Danzo whipped two shuriken towards the black-haired teen. Wind chakra increasing their speed and deadly radius.
Sasuke saw the two shuriken, and his sharingan allowed him to see the chakra that coated them. One shuriken aimed for his legs, the other for his chest. Sasuke dove forward, spinning horizontally through the air as the two attacks flew under and above him. His feet fell back sturdily onto the blades of grass underneath, his speed unimpacted by the attack.
Danzo's eyes widened, he had no time to prepare another jutsu. The brown-haired man crossed a kunai over his chest, preparing to defend against Sasuke's sword, however, Sasuke never attacked. The Uchiha placed a pale hand on Danzo's shoulder, using it as leverage to launch himself over the Elder.
Sasuke's body arched through the air, landing behind Danzo and lashing out with a vicious kick.
Danzo, of course, swung his body around and blocked the mighty kick with his forearm. The elder flew backwards, the pressure of the kick launching him into the air. The old man huffed as he landed ungracefully next to his two subordinates. Brown eyes glanced at the Uchiha and his breath caught at the sight before him.
Sasuke held a single hand sign.
Horse.
The Uchiha took a large breath, his chakra fully charged. His hatred for his enemies at an all-time peak. Nobody would survive this blow. Nobody ever did.
"Fire Style: Great Fire Annihilation!" Sasuke roared.
The heat was intense. Naruko shielded her face with her arms as she watched a tornado of flames escape from Sasuke's mouth. It was a tsunami of burning rage, bright and blinding. For a second, Naruko could have sworn it was daytime. The width of the attack spanning much farther than the diameter of the clearing, and the height soaring above the trees. Naruko could barely make out Sasuke's form, crouched, and still exhaling fire from his lips even after minutes of a continuous stream. She was shocked into silence. Where had he learned such a devastating technique?
Sasuke gasped for breath, no longer expelling flames from his mouth. That didn't mean the technique was over. The wave of fire roared as it continued to burn everything in its wake. Sharingan eyes returned to black. Sasuke's face dripped with sweat from the heat and he fell to a single knee. His chakra was completely exhausted. In fact, that was the first time he used the technique without falling unconscious.
He glanced towards the center of the attack. Two forms slumped over as their bodies burned beyond recognition. The third figure in the middle limped through the fire. Sasuke's eyes widened, watching Danzo step out of the torrent, his robes charred black, his skin dark red and crusted. The man reached out with a shaky palm. Then, silently, Danzo fell to the ground face first, undeniably dead. Sasuke sighed with relief.
As the flames continued to burn through the clearing Sasuke turned to face Naruko, a small tired smile on his pale face. He took in her features, seeing her shocked blue eyes watch him in amazement. Did he impress her? The thought was pleasant to the Uchiha.
Sasuke noticed her eyes shift over to the dead form of Danzo. Sasuke didn't bother to look. He had seen plenty of charred corpses over the past few years. What he hadn't seen though was the horrified expression that placed itself on Naruko's face. She pointed to the devastation of his attack and Sasuke decided to follow her gaze. Obsidian eye's widened.
"Not…possible." He gasped, exhaustion still taking hold of his body.
Danzo's form slowly stood up, no signs of the burns that took hold of his robes or skin. The Elder appeared as he had earlier before any fighting had begun. Danzo's eye's remained cold as he brushed off a few specks of dirt that coated his robes while he'd been on the ground. The old man began unwinding his bandages, revealing skin that was much paler than his tan complexion.
Sasuke was witnessing a nightmare.
Along Danzo's uncovered arm, sharingan eyes twitched, seemingly taking in their surroundings as they were revealed to the moonlight above. They moved, they blinked, and Sasuke suddenly felt the urge to empty his stomach. He counted nine open sharingan, and one that seemed to be closed under a pale eyelid. The Uchiha could hear Naruko's horrified whisper.
"Are those..?" Naruko couldn't finish the sentence.
Sasuke couldn't speak, his mind was moving too quickly. He could only guess that those eyes had been taken from his former clansmen after the Uchiha massacre. His questioning thoughts were interrupted as Danzo began to charge his downed form. Sasuke tried to move his muscles, dodge out of the way, but they simply twitched uncontrollably, no longer functioning. He cursed, spending all his chakra on a single technique. The Uchiha had vastly underestimated his opponents.
Black eyes clenched shut, unable to watch as certain death was fast approaching. He hadn't felt this fear in a long time. This hopeless feeling that he only felt against his brother Itachi. He heard the sound of feet rushing through the grass, nearing his position. He braced for the sound of his own death and expected pain, but instead heard the 'thud' of a fist against skin.
Sasuke opened his eyes, taking in the form of Naruko standing before him. Her forearms laced horizontally as they blocked Danzo's attack. Sasuke stared at the blonde hair in front of him, flowing through the breeze. Naruko had protected him. He felt shame in his own incompetence…and how quickly he had given up.
Naruko glared as harshly as she could at the man before her. His appearance disgusted her. Those sharingan clearly weren't his, and Naruko knew how much Sasuke revered his clan and their sacred power. This man had spat on the Uchiha name. The Kyuubi's chakra seeped into her own strength. She was almost certain her eyes were a deep red, slitted, like the fox inside her. A harsh snarl escaped her lips as she pushed back against the man. He was no match for her strength.
Danzo stepped to the side, Naruko's strength and momentum causing her to stumble forward. She wildly swung a clawed arm towards the old man. Despite her speed, he seemed to duck under the attack rather easily. He attacked with his own fist digging deeply into Naruko's stomach. The girl's eyes widened, and she spat out blood from her mouth due to the power behind the blow. Her body flew through the air, but in this state she could recover quickly.
Naruko twisted her body, landing in a crouched position. A feral growl ripped through her lips as she roughly wiped her blood from her chin. She braced herself, ready to charge again. Her strategy and planning began to fade as a much darker power coursed through her body.
Danzo seemed to keep his calm, swiping three shuriken onto his fingers and blowing wind chakra into them. As they rotated swiftly around his digits he swung on shuriken towards the girl, flipping his body he threw another, then another.
Naruko dodged to the side, letting the chakra enhanced attacks slip by as she raced in an arch around her target. A dark voice clawed at the inside of her skull, pounding against her brain. It screamed for action. It screamed for bloody, messy death.
Naruko stumbled once at her thoughts and wind chakra sliced through the side of her arm. She roared in pain and rage, swiftly changing direction and charging directly for her target. Danzo seemed emotionless and calm as the enraged girl rapidly approached. Naruko extended a clawed hand, licking her lips at the thought of decapitating the decrepit old man in her sights. Her claws itched to penetrate the soft skin of Danzo's wrinkled neck.
She neared his position and Naruko's eyes gleamed with bloodlust. Danzo simply stared into the blood red eyes of the girl and spoke a few simple words.
"Are you going to kill me?"
Naruko's eyes widened. She curled her clawed hand back and tried to stop her momentum. She mentally screamed for her body to stop the attack. A tan hand swiped backwards against her face and she was launched backwards, roughly tumbling through the grassy plains, sliding into the scorched zone of Sasuke's previous attack.
Naruko tried to get up, brushing off the shock of the hit. Her fingers fisting the blackened grass below and her eyes constantly shifting between bright blue and blood red. Her ears could hear Danzo slowly approaching.
"Such a pitiful ninja." Danzo sighed, Naruko easily catching the words, but too far in a state of shock to respond.
Blue/red eyes stared at the burnt ground below. Naruko's breathing turned fast, uncontrollable, and panicked. She stared at her own fingers, specifically at the monster-like claws that had formed at the tips. She was just about to kill, and the monster in her head had convinced her she would enjoy it.
"Death is a part of our world." Danzo spoke as he began to cross into the burnt zone as well.
Naruko's trembling form wasn't eased by her arms wrapping around herself. She shifted slightly and bumped into something beside her. Her, now blue eyes, glanced to her side, examining the burned corpse she touched. The black skin fell to ash, leaving a dusty grey skull to glow in the moonlight. A strangled yelp from Naruko had the girl pushing her body away from the sight. She couldn't be here anymore, a sick feeling that spread through her body making her want to lose the contents of her stomach.
Danzo stopped right in front of the shattered girl. A small smirk running across his old wrinkled lips. Victory was assured. He reached out with his hand, the pale limb littered with sharingan eyes. He felt a small heat forming on his back, but Danzo paid no attention to the feeling as his fingertips were so close his target.
The heat morphed into something greater, Danzo felt it begin in the center of his back, but now it spread, engulfing his entire back. He turned, swiftly abandoning the girl below and instead expecting to dodge a last attempt fire ball from the Uchiha. When Danzo's eyes fully turned. He only saw the Uchiha crouched on one knee in the distance. Exactly where he had left him…no fireball.
The burning sensation exploded, Danzo nearly let out a scream in pain. He turned his head, barely looking over his shoulder. His eye widened at the sight that fell before him.
Black Flames.
Danzo roared in pain as the flames crawled over his skin, no longer simply on his back, but spreading, gliding over his shoulders, down his legs, over his chest. The old man screamed in agony, swiping at the flames with his hands, trying to stop the burning. His single eye wide, finally taking in the image of Sasuke across the field, staring at the young Uchiha with blood gliding down over his cheek.
'Mangekyou!' Danzo mentally screamed.
Sasuke breathed harshly, his palm holding his cheek, sweat making his black hair stick uncomfortably to his forehead. He watched black flames engulf the old bastard that dare lay his hand on Naruko.
"Don't touch her." Sasuke growled, as he exhaled tiredly.
A sudden spasm in his eye caused Sasuke to flinch, and grip his now closed eyelid, trying to soothe the aching pain. His breaths still came in short, exhausted bursts as he now felt entirely out of energy. His mind faded in an out of consciousness with each blink, but he refused the alluring thought of rest. He couldn't afford to leave until Naruko was assuredly safe.
Naruko shifted her head to the side, unable to filter out the screams of the man that had been so close. Her eyes watched Danzo's body being engulfed in black flames, and his frantic desperation, trying to save his own life from being taken so painfully. Naruko wanted to look away. She couldn't handle the sight of death anymore, but her body remained frozen, and her eyes forced themselves to watch the horrifying scene before her.
Danzo fell to the ground. Naruko watched with baited breath, wondering if the man had truly been put out of his misery. It only took a few moments before the still body of the old man faded away, like his existence had been completely erased. Naruko scanned the clearing for signs of Danzo, and eventually he appeared. Not a single scratch placed on his body, not a single flame singed the fabric of his robes.
Danzo glanced at Naruko, cold eyes making the girl freeze under his gaze. However, Danzo turned, breaking the connection and instead walked towards the gasping Uchiha.
"No." Naruko's panicked voice mumbled through her clenched throat as each step from the old man brought him closer to Sasuke.
She knew he wasn't able to fight any longer.
She watched helplessly as the Elder crouched next to Sasuke, pushing Sasuke onto his back with a rough shove of his palm against the Uchiha's forehead. Naruko screamed at her body to move, screamed at her own inaction. She felt tears begin to well up in the corners of her eyes, silently pleading for Sasuke to get away.
Sasuke blearily opened his charcoal eyes. He could see the stars above the nights sky, and a bandaged, wrinkled face lean into his vision. He stared at the old man above him. Glaring with a determination that spoke of his lack of fear in the presence of death. He no longer feared this man, wouldn't give him the satisfaction.
"Ironic…" Danzo spoke as he hovered a kunai directly over Sasuke's stomach. "Itachi tried so hard to keep you safe from me…and yet, here you are…under my blade through your own volition."
Sasuke blinked in confusion, unable to understand the words that slipped through those wrinkled lips. He didn't have time to think further on those strange words. He could only gasp in pain as the metal of the kunai harshly pierced his gut.
"SASUKE!" Naruko shrieked in horror.
The Uchiha's vision faded.
XXXXX
Kakashi leaned lazily against the glass window of the Hokage's office. Night had settled over Konoha and Team 7 plus Jiraiya were still busy discussing the best treatment for Naruko's condition. Despite the grey-haired ninja's posture, his focus was entirely on the topic at hand.
Sakura seemed to be the most optimistic of the group, the reason Kakashi did not know. He heard the way Sakura spoke about Naruko, assuring everyone that the girl just needed positive reinforcement from all her friends. Kakashi couldn't help but agree. Still, Sakura's optimism didn't entirely explain the girl's rather 'bouncy' behavior. He hadn't seen Sakura this happy in many years.
Of course, Tsunade sat behind her desk, Jiraiya right behind her, sometimes teasing the woman with inappropriate jokes, but Kakashi could tell both of their behaviors were just old familiarity from their long and healthy bond.
One person that stood out like a sore thumb in the office however, was Sai. Kakashi couldn't possibly understand how this pale, emotionless boy could have possibly acted so kind towards Naruko during their mission. As he spoke about Naruko's condition, Kakashi couldn't detect a single tone of worry, or optimism for Naruko. His voice was just flat, and he spoke as if he had memorized a script.
Tsunade's sigh brought the Copy Ninja out of his analysis of the boy.
"I believe we're all on the same page." Tsunade spoke. "I'm glad you've all decided to help Naruko through this difficult time. Perhaps we should schedule an-." Her voice cut short.
Kakashi's eyes widened, as did Jiraiya's and Tsunade's. The experienced ninja all recognized the familiar and potent sting of the Kyuubi's chakra. It was a large, flooding mass that invaded all of Kakashi's senses. He couldn't remember a time, other than the Kyuubi's infamous attack, when that evil chakra had been so prevalent.
It felt thick in the air.
Sakura gasped as she too felt the weight of the chakra pushing down on her bones, as if gravity had multiplied in strength. The building rumbled under the pressure. Then green eyes spotted something outside of the village.
"Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura yelled, pointing towards the glass his back had been leaning on.
The masked ninja turned, others in the room rushed towards his location. Everyone gasped as they looked out past the village, beyond the trees. In the distance a cyclone of violent red chakra rushed through the air into the night's sky. Its size nearly doubled the largest building in the village.
"Naruko!" Kakashi gasped, unable to think of anything other than the safety of his precious student.
Jiraiya was the first to gain his composure.
"Let's go!" He shouted. "We gotta help her!"
Within seconds everyone in the room had dispersed. The ninja leapt onto the rooftops of the buildings below. Kakashi tried to keep his eyes focused and alert as he stared into the mass of swirling chakra. He could faintly hear the panicked screams of the civilians below as many of them rushed out of their homes. Kakashi knew that for many, they remembered the feeling of the Kyuubi attack, and this chakra would most certainly send them into a frenzy.
He prayed for Naruko's safety as he raced towards the forest behind the Uchiha district.
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Alright! Sorry 'bout the cliffhanger. The next chapter should be up in a couple days so don't you worry. I think with the free-time I have this month I should be able to post about two chapters per week, at the least, maybe just one chapter.
Please don't forget to review! Reading your reactions, suggestions, and critiques really makes me happy, and improves my writing for future chapters!
Until next time!