Hello again! Next chapter up and running :D I don't have much to say other than to please enjoy. I'm reeeeallly tired.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

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Sasuke could honestly say he had never given much thought to how he would die. The Uchiha, in his final moments, stared at the bandaged face of the man that held a deadly blade over stomach. Even now, Sasuke felt as though death was merely a dream, a state that was all too common in the ninja world, experienced every day, and yet, never fully realized.

People had told the young man what death could be like. He had been told that there would be a bright light, maybe some flashbacks of his fondest memories, or maybe there would be nothing but a cold fog that chilled to the bone. Now he lay in a field, utterly humiliated and unable to move because of his rash, poorly-planned strategy that left him unable to fight.

"Itachi tried so hard to keep you safe from me…and yet, here you are…under my blade through your own volition."

The words felt muffled, like he was underwater. Sasuke could only wrinkle his nose in confusion, trying to process what Danzo was even saying. Something about Itachi? Why?

Sasuke rolled his head to the side. His eyes no longer focused on the man that sat above him, but instead looking across the field to the only other person that was witnessing the Uchiha's defeat. Sasuke tried to focus on Naruko. He tried to see her beautiful eyes, vibrant blonde hair, flawless tanned skin, and her adorable little whisker marks.

He couldn't see them.

His vision blurred, shaking lightly and the motion made him feel blind. A feeling of frustration bled into the Uchiha's mind. He only wanted to see her.

'Please.' Sasuke thought, wishing to reach out with his hand towards her, but his body wouldn't move.

One last time.

Sasuke gasped, feeling something sharp and metallic pierce through his skin. The pain started as a dull ache but morphed into something much more frightening.

Death was coming for the young man, and he realized that all the stories he had heard about death and what it would feel like were completely, utterly wrong. There was no light, no memories, not even a single chill. No, Sasuke felt something much worse. His tired mind slowly realized that his limbs were beginning to lose function. Yes, he couldn't move them before, Sasuke understood that, this was a different feeling. Before, he couldn't move from exhaustion, but he 'felt' their exhaustion. Now, there was no feeling.

It was as if his whole being was submerged in water the same temperature as his own body, and each second he slipped deeper and deeper into the abyss below. Sasuke's breath caught in his throat as he realized there was nothing waiting for him. There was no feeling where he was going, and despite his best efforts, the Uchiha had no other option than to just slip away, sinking deeper and losing the connection with the rest of his body.

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Danzo sighed, flicking the blood that coated his kunai onto the grass. Perhaps if the Elder had tried harder, he could have made Sasuke one of his subordinates early on. The older man had no use for thinking about that train of thought. Instead he looked over to the now closed pale eyelids of Sasuke Uchiha.

Danzo reached out with his fingertips. He'd have to take the eyes quickly before the body underneath him chilled. He placed his fingers onto the softness of Sasuke's eyelid. He started to push into the socket, but a sudden shockwave blasted his body into the air.

Danzo, mind racing, tried to track the Uchiha's location, his body completely gone from where it had been moments before. Brown eyes spotted the body rolling out of the clearing, set in motion by the same shockwave that tossed Danzo into the air. The ninja landed on the ground, now completely aware of the violent pressure that was exploding out from the only other person in the area.

'I thought she was in shock.' Danzo cursed, using his hand to shield his face from the erratic bursts of wind coming from the blonde girl in the clearing.

Naruko shrieked, red chakra twisting out of her body. She couldn't help but throw her head back in agony, tears streaming down her cheeks. The chakra hurt, it stung her skin, boiled her blood, and shredded her muscles, but she pleaded with the beast inside to provide her with more. More. Enough to make sure this man that had taken her world from her would cease to exist.

"SASUKE!"

The ground split beneath Naruko, cracks in the rocks underneath the surface breaking from the pressure. A violent torrent of wind surrounded the girl and the trees at the clearing's edge began to creak and split. Shards of wood, rock, and grass littered the air as Naruko's power continued to escalate.

Danzo rushed towards the girl, knowing that her power would only continue to climb. He put all his speed into his legs, racing across the clearing, kunai reflecting the moonlight above as he raised it out. Another shockwave tossed the man off his feat into the air. Red chakra lashed out, whipping across his chest. Danzo gasped, blood spurting from his mouth as he felt his ribcage break with the single attack. He could feel his own bones pierce his lungs and heart. With a shaky raise of his arm, Danzo enacted another Izanagi, watching as the third sharingan eye on his arm closed.

Danzo reappeared a few meters away, entirely unscathed. His eyes widened as he watched Naruko take a step forward. Her body covered in a pool of red chakra that surrounded her form, three tails swirling behind her. The girl took her time, a single slow step, her shoulders slumped over, blonde hair hiding her eyes. Danzo concluded that the girl seemed like a zombie. He could just barely hear the name Naruko called, her tone filled with loss and confusion.

"Sasuke." Naruko whispered.

Naruko took another step.

"Sasuke." Her voice hoarse, choked, and desperately wishing what she had witnessed wasn't true.

Naruko's head snapped up, immediately recognizing her only target. Her red eyes glowed in the night. They were wide and focused, only interested in the man that ripped her heart to shreds. Naruko's steps stopped, but she remained, unblinkingly staring at Danzo. He stood many meters away, almost the entire span of the clearing. She would destroy this man, even if she had to destroy the world along with him.

The two-ninja watched each other, Naruko's body unnaturally still. Danzo could still make out the pressure of Naruko's strength violently press down beneath the ground where she stood. If the Elder hadn't experienced plenty of war, the Kyuubi's attack, and Orochimaru's experiments, the man was sure he'd be choking under the mere presence of this girl. His thoughts cut short.

"I'll KILL YOU!" Naruko roared.

Danzo immediately started running, the ground beneath Naruko splitting as she raced towards him. He blinked and gasped, feeling the girl seemingly teleport behind him in his split second of blindness. She was much faster than before. He felt a clawed hand slash through his back. Danzo groaned in pain as he was launched across the clearing. His body soared low, inches from the grass below, but the power of the strike wasn't letting gravity lower his form.

Danzo tried to focus his eyes, hoping to locate the girl and her next attack. His face was shocked as Naruko raced after him, her speed gaining on his body as he continued to ragdoll through the air. Her body blurred beside him, and quickly raced ahead. Danzo attempted to fill his lungs with air for a counter-attack but was stopped as Naruko halted ahead. The enraged girl turned, swiping her open palm into the air. Danzo could only glance at his sharingan arm.

Naruko's open hand slammed into Danzo's neck, his lower body rushing past her, too impacted by momentum to stay connected to its host. A shockwave of power rushed outward from the strength Naruko put into the act. After a few seconds, the head in her grasp began to fade into nothing and Naruko roared.

She scanned the clearing, searching for where Danzo would appear. Naruko growled, lowering her body to the earth in a feline crouch. Wherever the man decided to reveal himself, Naruko knew he'd be dead within a second. And she'd keep trying until his body no longer faded from her clutches.

The ground beneath Naruko split, a tanned fist slamming into her chin and flipping the girl into the air. Naruko watched as the person she hated most in the world jumped into the air with her, bullets of air escaping from his lips.

Naruko brought up her arms, wincing as the bullets pierced through her defenses, blasting through her. She stumbled as she hit the ground. Blood seeped from several holes in her body. Naruko groaned, distracted by the aching pain. The voice in her head offered a way to end the pain and suggested more of its power. Naruko gratefully accepted.

Danzo rushed forward, seeing his opportunity as Naruko's eyes became distant. He knew the girl would be put off by his attack. The old man retrieved two shuriken, one on each hand and coated them with his wind chakra. He held the spinning blades outwards, intending to slice the girl into unconsciousness. A sudden explosion of chakra made him close his single eye, but Danzo still felt the strength to continue forward. He swiped through the fog of chakra but found his shuriken stopped by an incredibly hard surface. A low, inhuman growl caused Danzo to leap back and his eyes widened as the cloud that obstructed his sight began to dissipate.

The girl was no longer flesh and blood. Danzo could see the creature with his eye. A hideous black fox-humanoid with blood red chakra rushing around its body. Four tails slowly twirling in the air. The beast opened its mouth, a hot, pressurized steam rushing from its teeth as it exhaled.

'What in the world?!' Danzo gasped, his sensory abilities overwhelmed by the chakra surrounding the girl.

Naruko's eyes were no longer blue or red, but a wide, unblinking, circular white. She swiped her arm through the air. A shockwave of pure energy pushing out of the attack. Time slowed for Danzo as he felt the ranged attack slam into his chest. His body blasted into the forest, breaking through trees as he was helpless to do anything under the pressure that restricted his body. He landed on the broad side of a large rock, the impact causing a crater. Danzo groaned, knowing he'd have use another sharingan if he ever wanted to walk again.

This was getting out of hand. Danzo hadn't expected the girl to so willingly accept the Kyuubi's chakra. He wasn't even sure how the young woman was able to swing her arm under all that pressure. His ears stung as the pierce of an animal's roar shook the forest around him.

Danzo used his Izanagi, getting to his feet and counted his sharingan…five left. If the fight continued much longer he'd have to abandon the mission. The Elder glanced towards the forest to his left, then back towards the clearing. He was certain that Konoha would have sensed this battle by now…perhaps he should escape.

Naruko could see him. Nearly a mile away. Her body lowered, a deep pressurized pain keeping her from moving. That didn't matter though, she'd walk through hell for eternity to claim this man's life. Naruko felt her body act before her mind could. Red and blue orbs shot out of her body, hovering in the air above her. The lack of control over her own body was unnerving, but necessary. This was no longer a battle for winners or losers. Naruko would make sure that nobody wins this fight.

The four tails behind the creature arched forward, pointing directly in front of its mouth. Red and blue orbs slowly merged together at a single point just at the tips of the tails. The ground crumbled underneath the beast as the chakra condensed, adding more and more pressure to the orb. Then, at a single point, the purplish black orb of pure chakra shrunk to the size of a simple food pill. The act caused the earth in the clearing to vanish into the air as the ball released an explosion of gravity around it.

Danzo brushed his robes off. Indecision blurring his mind. His normally efficient and tactical mind was trying to figure out the most advantageous actions. He still had many trump cards, most importantly Shisui's eye. His pale palm rested over his bandaged face. He wasn't sure if such a power would even work on the girl at this point. What use was genjutsu if the mind of the target was already lost?

Perhaps leaving was the most suitable decision. Danzo bit his lip, not at all celebrating such a tremendous loss. Four of his men dead, no extra sharingan, and most importantly no Jinchurikki. This failure was unacceptable. His thoughts were suddenly halted as a piercing light caught his attention from the corner of his eye. He turned his head, dreading what he saw.

The ball was bright, pulsing with blinding flashes of energy, and it moved like a bullet. The technique raced towards his form, but the trajectory was wild, shaking, unable to accurately move in a single direction with all the raw, potent energy so closed bundled together. It struck a tree a few hundred meters in front of the Elder. The energy exploded and Danzo was suddenly blinded.

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Kakashi felt a bead of sweat slide down his forehead as he leapt through the trees. Jiraiya and Tsunade were at his side, equally nervous as the sounds of a massive battle roared in their eardrums. Every so often the ground would shake, and the ninja would have to work extra hard to keep his balance on the tree branches.

Sakura and Sai lagged behind. Kakashi could sense Sakura's nervousness from his location. He could tell the girl wasn't exactly sure she wanted to see what could cause such destruction. Sai seemed to provide some words of comfort as the two raced along the tree tops. Kakashi thought he heard Sai explaining what Naruko's power truly was. Kakashi cursed. He'd hoped that Sakura would have had the opportunity to learn about Naruko's Jinchurikki status when the young blonde was ready to say so. However, Kakashi couldn't focus on the ninja behind him. He had a much more important objective now, and he'd give his life to see it fulfilled.

Tsunade spoke up.

"Think it's Akatsuki?" She asked, brown eyes staring ahead towards the Uchiha district.

Jiraiya shook his head.

"I hadn't heard anything from my spy network. But that seems like the most logical choice."

The atmosphere around the ninja chilled, a strong pressure forcing their muscles to work harder against gravity. Kakashi lifted his headband, allowing his sharingan eye to see the chakra that spread through the forest. It was like a thick mist, covering the land, making sensory abilities nearly useless.

"Chakra's growing stronger!" Kakashi called out, checking his ninja pouch for the seals that Jiraiya had given him should Naruko lose control. He wasn't sure if they were strong enough at this point. Their effectiveness was drastically impacted by how quickly they could seal Naruko's power.

Several blurs raced next to the experienced ninja. Kakashi glanced over to the left and right, identifying the many ANBU ninja sprinting along side him. Kakashi' eye darkened, knowing that the main priority for the ANBU teams were to eliminate the threat, including Naruko should she be unable to stabilize.

"We're with you Hokage-sama!" One of the masked ANBU shouted.

Tsunade responded back, not missing a beat as she gave out commands.

"Stay in formation, non-lethal jutsu only. I don't want any unnecessary deaths!"

"Understood."

Kakashi stopped, as did all the other ninja. A raw power in the air caused his chest to tighten. There was a blearing screech and then all the ninja could only suck in a nervous breath as they witnessed a massive attack. A beam of light that spanned nearly as tall as the Hokage mountain blasted across Kakashi's vison. He watched the destruction it caused as the energy began to wipe the many trees out of existence. Kakashi closed his sharingan eye, unable to gaze upon the sheer power of the technique as it left a permanent scar along the earth.

"What was that!?" Tsunade roared. In all her years, through war and death, she had never witnessed an attack that eradicated such a large area.

"Brace yourselves!" Jiraiya yelled as a wave of wind, rock, and pure power swept through the trees.

Kakashi gripped a tree tightly with his chakra enhanced feet, and shielded his face as debris came flooding in. Such a blast had Kakashi struggling as he leaned into the shockwave, trying his hardest to not lose his balance.

A few minutes later, the ninja recovered, glancing at each other, wondering just how powerful that technique must have been. They were at least a few miles away from the blast. Surely the area up ahead would be completely vanquished.

"Keep moving." Tsunade spoke.

She couldn't keep the nervousness out of her voice, nor could she ease the tension that each ninja now carried after feeling just the after-blast of where they were headed. Kakashi was the first to move, his legs sending him towards the front of the group and he fell to the ground, no longer able to leap through the trees. After all, there were no trees to leap on up ahead.

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Danzo faded back into existence and stood in the center of a massive crater that left the forest completely devoid of anything but dirt. He could see all the way to the clearing now, no trees obstructing his view. Old brown eyes could barely make out the form of the beast in the distance, but the old man knew the menace was still able to continue.

He gripped his sharingan arm tightly with his right palm. Only four sharingan left. He couldn't continue this fight, that was absolutely sure. Danzo's mind raced, planning his escape when the ground beneath him cracked. The ninja leapt back as red chakra burst from the ground. It resembled an enlarged version of the creature's clawed hand.

Danzo blasted air bullets at the limb, only to witness his attacks leave no damage whatsoever. A body morphed out of the arm and Danzo's eye widened as the Kyuubi-fied girl seemed to rise out of her own enlarged arm, the evil chakra allowing her to manipulate her body in any way she wanted. Naruko roared as she tackled the man to the ground.

Danzo gasped as his arms were pinned by red claws, the raw chakra burning his skin. The creature leaned down towards the old man's face and shrieked. Danzo felt his ears begin to bleed from the noise. He winced as the clawed hands began to squeeze tighter around his arms.

Naruko had him. She knew she had him. This man beneath her may be able to erase his own death, but his screams of pain were genuine. Naruko willed her own body to tear the man to shreds, and although she couldn't control her actions, it seemed like the beast taking control had similar intentions.

She ripped her right arm up, claws tightly latched to Danzo's left bicep. The old man howled and screamed as Naruko watched his arm brutally tear off his body. The limb was thrown behind her, blood spraying into the air. She gripped his left leg, slashing at the man's thigh, blasting through muscles and bone until she was sure the leg was no longer attached to the Elder.

Danzo clenched his teeth, trying to find the strength to cast his jutsu but the pain seizing his body left his mind struggling to stay conscious. He could feel his own panic begin to impact his actions, but he tried anyway. His will to live was strong. He wouldn't die here.

Naruko threw her face into his chest with every intention to bite through the man with her teeth. However, her face slammed into the ground, Danzo's body completely gone from underneath her. She swiftly turned, both Naruko, and the Kyuubi now well aware of the man's technique. Her primal instincts caught him before she could see him. Naruko could hear the sound of the man racing back towards the clearing, heartbeat erratic, breaths large and exhausted. She launched herself back towards the clearing where this had all begun.

Danzo's eyes shifted quickly, trying to locate the body of the fallen Uchiha. If he could just get his body, then perhaps he could consider this mission a small, but worthwhile victory. Sasuke had managed to manifest the sacred Mangekyou power, which was certainly a tool worth all this pain and struggle. He raced faster, hearing the huffs of the beast that was gaining on his position. The creature was no longer in any right mind, tricking it should be easy enough once he had Sasuke Uchiha.

Danzo nearly tripped over his own feet as he sensed other chakra signatures close by. He cursed under his breath, knowing that Konoha ninja would be at the clearing in a few seconds. Danzo had to cut his losses. He split into four shadow clones, each racing off in a different direction. The elder intentionally passing off most of his chakra into one particular clone. Surely the creature would target the ninja with the most chakra. The old man gasped, feeling his own limit being hit as he gave away all his chakra. He could only manage to continue deeper into the forest, sweating as he attempted to hold the shadow clone technique for as long as he could.

Naruko watched her target split into four beings. She could sense the chakra in each one. The Kyuubi roared as it quickly tackled and slammed the man into the ground. She lowered her head towards the wrinkled face below, snarling in victory as she chomped down over his head. This time, the man didn't fade from existence, and for a moment Naruko had thought she won. Her victory was short lived, as the body beneath her vanished in a puff of smoke.

Tails of chakra slammed into the ground behind her repeatedly. Each lash causing a tremor in the earth as she raged. She couldn't detect the man's unique chakra anymore. She had lost him and now her anger could only reach new heights.

Naruko's sensitive ears caught the sounds of footsteps racing towards her. She could smell the scent of ninja vests and hear the clatter of ninja tools as they bounced in the back pockets of the humans that carried them. Her head turned, wide unblinking white eyes, scanning her surroundings, waiting for more enemies to appear. Were they allies of the Elder ninja? She'd kill them.

They popped out into the clearing one by one. Keeping their distance. Naruko watched as they began to slowly circle her form. The creature that controlled her actions growled, bending low, ready to rip each enemy into pieces, scattering their corpses around the area.

Naruko couldn't see any sort of discerning features of the people that surrounded her. Her own consciousness was beginning to fade as the beast within her grew in strength. She could barely hold onto her own will as the hatred of the Kyuubi spread through her brain.

"Nar…y...cal….own…" She could hear a man speak to her, his voice familiar and yet completely foreign to her ears, its tone slowed her rage, no longer making her as willing to kill.

She could only watch as the man that spoke, took a step forward. She could vaguely link the color grey to his hair, and a spiky form, but the beast roared and tensed as his body came closer. Naruko opened her senses, listening to each of her enemies. She waited for the sound of muscles moving, weapons being drawn, anything that could give her a reason to let the Kyuubi utterly destroy the ninja around her.

She could hear each one of their erratic heartbeats as they stood before her, except one, which pulsed lightly…slowly…a few meters behind her. The creature's head swiveled, quickly glancing behind. There was someone behind her? She hadn't noticed their presence until now. Razor sharp sight let her see a body lying on the ground a few meters away, a man, his breathing light and shallow.

Naruko let the thud of the man's heartbeat sink into her ears. It was familiar…Where had she heard it before? A sudden flash of memories skipped across her mind.

"Just wanna lay here…for a moment." Naruko heard her own voice playback in her mind. She remembered laying her head down on his chest. He had just returned and stayed with her through the night. He had just returned…

'Sasuke!' Naruko mentally screamed as she realized the young man hadn't let death take him yet.

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Kakashi stared at the horrifying creature, watching its tails wildly twist behind its body as it growled at himself, Jiraiya, Tsunade and the many surrounding ANBU. Sakura and Sai kept their distance as per orders of the Hokage.

The mass of dark red chakra almost looked more sinister than the Kyuubi itself. Kakashi steeled himself, knowing that his precious student was still in there somewhere.

"Naruko, you need to calm down." Kakashi said, his tone gentle as he raised a hand out peacefully.

The grey-haired ninja took a step forward but stopped as the beast lowered its body, eyes narrowed at the Copy Ninja's actions. He froze, not moving a muscle, trusting the others around him would do the same. He prayed that this wouldn't go south. He knew if the beast in front of him decided to attack, he'd have nearly zero chance of survival. That's why all of his actions were precisely calculated. No sudden movements. No threatening gestures. Just a calm, familiar voice.

The Kyuubi-fied Naruko spun its head around quickly. Kakashi's eyes widened at the sudden act. He could hear the ANBU behind him brace for their weapons. Kakashi held out a gloved hand behind him. The creature was not enraged, it just sensed something. They couldn't afford to jump the gun now.

He watched the chakra beast extend a clawed hand outward, it reached through the trees of the forest outside the clearing and Kakashi felt his breath catch, wondering if there had been a friendly ninja trying to sneak up on Naruko. The arm retracted from the woods, a body, now covered in the Kyuubi's own bubbling chakra held firmly in the clawed hand's grasp. Kakashi recognized the disheveled spiky black hair and pale skin immediately.

'Sasuke!' Kakashi mentally gasped.

He watched as Naruko pulled her chakra coated arm closer to her body. She dipped her face closer to the boy and Kakashi couldn't help but flinch at the low, in-human whine that the creature released.

"Sasuke!" The shrill shriek of Sakura's voice pierced through the tense atmosphere.

Kakashi's eyes widened as the beast snapped its head up, roaring at the pink-haired girl's scream. Naruko tucked Sasuke close to her chest, as she crouched to attack. Kakashi tried to speak, but the creature raised a single arm into the air. He leapt away as quickly as he could.

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Naruko stared into the pale face of the man she so desperately loved. The Kyuubi's enraged screams were all but a minor inconvenience as she willed herself to hold him carefully in her arms. She could feel a slight control over her body again, her mind more powerful than the Kyuubi's at the moment. However, her instincts were still primal, still feral, and still incredibly alert.

"S..s..u…ke!" The scream from a nearby ninja caused Naruko to snap her head up.

Naruko gripped Sasuke closer to her body, shielding him from further harm. The scream Naruko had heard raised the girl's defenses and she remembered that this was no friendly situation. It was hostile.

'Protect!' The word boomed through her mind like a firecracker, and Naruko raised her arm, ready to destroy the ninja that threatened Sasuke's safety.

She lashed out, her hand slamming into the ground near the grey-haired man and the ground shattered underneath her strength. Rocks basted into the air and she watched all the ninja around her pull out weapons, weave hand signs, and yell orders.

'Not Safe!' Her instincts screamed in her mind.

Naruko knew she had the power to destroy everything around her, but the body in her arms wouldn't be protected. She had to escape. Her instincts were telling her to abandon this area, find somewhere safe. Her mind was hazy and blank, unable to process her thoughts well, but her muscles responded to her thoughts. Within seconds her beastly physical form blasted through the trees, racing away from the devasted landscape behind.

She could hear the Kyuubi commanding her to stay, fight, kill, and destroy, but Naruko ignored those dark suggestions. She was relinquishing the Kyuubi's control and the Bijuu hated it.

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Kakashi groaned as he sat up. Small rocks fell from his chest and he shook his head, wondering how lucky he had been to escape from such an attack so quickly. Of course, there was something off about the beast, Kakashi assumed it had to do with the young Uchiha that he'd seen. Was his presence what triggered Naruko? Or was it possibly something else?

Sakura raced to his aid, crouching next to the man as she placed her glowing green palms over his body, scanning for injuries.

"Kakashi-sensei I'm so sorry…that thing…I didn't…I-."

Kakashi held up a hand, silencing the girl. He knew how horrifying Naruko's form was right now. To the younger girl, this experience must be traumatic. He didn't blame the Sakura for panicking when Naruko held Sasuke in her hands. One small twitch of the beast's muscles and the Uchiha's body could have been easily crushed.

Kakashi heard Tsunade yell out orders, instructing Jiraiya and the ANBU to race after the girl. It seemed like a lost cause. The power and speed behind Naruko's movement would surely have her miles away by now. Not even the fastest ninja in Konoha could keep up for very long. Kakashi glanced at the crater that Naruko left behind as she raced away from the village.

Where would she go?

Where could she go?

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Did you like it? Got any theories on where Naruko is headed? Find out in a few days when I post the next chapter :) Please leave a comment or review! I miss everyone so much!

Until Next Time!