Aii, so boom. I did say that this would be the last chapter of Part 1, buuuuut... I heavily underestimated how much content had to make. the chapter ended up being WAY too long. And I thought about it. "Would I read this if it were uploaded?"

No. I wouldn't. So I divided the chapter into two. It's much easier to read, and it makes sense. The next chapter is already finished. I just want to edit it and make sure it's at its peak quality. And besides that, I was wrong about the whole 1 more chapter thing. I want to write a chapter for the aftermath of the Retrieval Arc and a chapter where I can flesh out the side characters more.

Especially the females in the series. Let's be honest. No matter how much you may love your favorite Naruto Waifu, or love the ships or whatever, there is no denying that the female characters in the series are ridiculously badly written. When you have to search up obscure feats in order to scale someone's power, then that's how you know you failed at fleshing out a warrior.

And if you were to remove the male love interests from the series, like Naruto and Sasuke from the series, the fact that Hinata and Sakura would have no actual goal or purpose anymore... that is telling of bad writing. It's a disgrace. I don't want to do that. So the girls will be getting more love, and the rest of the Konoha 12 will get their moments. Especially Neji and Lee.

I also want to write 1 or maybe even 2 chapters on Naruto's training trip, and the training of the Konoha 12 and Sasuke. Just to get an understanding of their goals, new abilities, and growth in mindset and as people.

So in total, there will be 3-5 more chapters after this. But don't worry, these will be much shorter, so they'll be ground out quicker.

Anyways, enjoy the chapter, and let's get on with the story.

General narration

"Talking"

Flashbacks

'Thinking'

Narration

"Yami speaking"

"Bijuu talking"

'Bijuu thinking'

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, or Naruto Shippuden, nor the Naruto Manga. They are owned by Viz Media and Masashi Kishimoto. I only own "Narrator" and other OCs.

4 Otogakure Shinobi scour the Leaf Village, looking for something, or someone. They have orders, orders they can't deny. Failure isn't an option.

Whatever it is they're looking for, they won't stop until it's found. Their lives depend on it.

…

Kakashi observes the ruins of his team in resignation. He can see Naruto sitting there on his knees, ashamed and dejected. He's staring at his hands, almost in self-disgust. Sakura is sobbing quietly and inconsolably in a corner of the roof. She's still reeling from the fight between her teammates.

Kakashi though… He feels for them. He really does. This hurts him just as much as it hurts his students, but he can't help reacting in this distant manner. He's never been any good at comforting others, and even less so at dealing with negative emotions, be it from a stranger or his own. It's hard for him to show his emotions, and it's hard for him to empathize with his cute little genin.

Now that he thinks about it, this altercation definitely hurts his genin more than it does him. He was selfishly judging their feelings based on his own emotions. How like him.

He sighs exasperatedly. "Whatever happened to teamwork."

Kakashi perks up when he senses a presence behind him. The chakra sticks out like a sore thumb, so he knows exactly who this is. He only has one question. "Was it you… who taught him that technique?" The figure behind him remains silent.

Kakashi turns slightly toward the figure. "I was planning on teaching Naruto that jutsu myself when he was ready. I wanted to be sure he would be able to replicate that technique and perform it well. I had doubts that he'd ever be ready. Turns out I was wrong. Still, I think Naruto is much too young to handle that jutsu."

Jiraiya perks up hearing that last bit. His eyes narrow and turn frosty. Still, he remains quiet.

Kakashi decides to push onward. "He could've killed Sasuke had something gone wrong… Even if It's a means of resisting the Akatsuki, to think you would teach Naruto that jutsu."

Jiraiya snorts. "Hn. Right back at you. That Chidori the Uchiha brat used was considerably potent. I didn't think he was the kind of kid who'd fire that jutsu at a comrade. You might've picked the wrong successor to your technique, Kakashi-kun."

Seeing Kakashi twitch lets Jiraiya know Kakashi was NOT happy hearing that. Jiraiya smirks in amusement.

He quickly loses his smirk as he thinks further about the situation between the two genin. "Or is it that there's something complicated between him and Naruto?"

"Well, it's nothing we haven't seen before." States Kakashi nonchalantly.

Jiraiya stares at him. "Meaning what?"

"Quite simply it's a relationship like the one between you and Orochimaru in the past." Kakashi feels it's a fair comparison, but he also feels like it's a subtle way of getting back at Jiraiya for his slight.

Hearing Jiraiya's grunt of indignation is enough to let him know he got his petty vengeance.

"To Naruto, Sasuke is a comrade and a rival at the same time. Their competition keeps him motivated to be seen as Sasuke's equal. That's why he couldn't stand it when Sasuke tried to belittle him. He's been chasing every one of Sasuke's steps since their first days at the Academy. More than anyone, he wants to be recognized by Sasuke.

On the other side of the coin, it's hard for Sasuke to watch Naruto's strength and skills develop at such an astonishing rate. It makes him feel inferior to the point that he himself thinks he isn't growing at all. Naruto has something powerful driving him, and so does Sasuke."

"You mean revenge. His hatred of that Itachi kid is driving him on too fast."

"It's why Sasuke refuses to acknowledge Naruto's abilities. He's afraid that if he does, he somehow diminishes his own. To him, it might be the same as denying who he is." Kakashi sighs in frustration. "Rivalry is a difficult thing."

"Hn. It's not a very healthy rivalry. It's time I gave someone a little talking to."

"I'll leave Naruto to you, Jiraiya-sama. I have a mission to attend to."

Kakashi leaps across the roof to tend to his female student. He eye-smiles sweetly at her. "Sakura. It'll be alright. Things can go back to the way they were in the old days of Team 7. Cheer up, okay? I'll see you soon." Kakashi dashes off on his lonesome.

Sakura smiles at the retreating form of her sensei in appreciation.

Naruto walks toward Sakura with a serious look.

Sakura looks at her teammate. "Naruto?"

Naruto gazes at the ground with narrowed eyes and clenched teeth. "Listen, Sakura…" Naruto lifts his gaze and pierces Sakura with a fierce, dangerous look.

Sakura's breath leaps out of her lungs. She's never seen Naruto like this. She never expected such an expression from him, and much less directed at her.

Naruto trembles in building fury. His nails dig into his palm, drawing blood. His arm shakes like tremors from after a workout. When he stares Sakura in the eyes, his pupils turn into slits. Their color remains the same cerulean blue, though. "Between me and Sasuke… Don't interfere with us!"

Naruto leaps from the hospital into the village. He needs some time to himself.

Sakura stays on the roof, trying to desperately hold back her tears. This has been a no good, very bad day. The worst. And to make it worse, she was able to do nothing to change it. She was useless.

Sasuke sits alone on a tree on the outskirts of the village. He glares at the grass, the tree, the sky, his hands, anything and everything in sight. He's so angry right now! He can remember Itachi's mocking words, goading him on, driving him forward, and fanning the flames of his hatred. His fight with Naruto right now didn't help. If anything it made things worse. He's starting to not like his blond fri- teammate very much.

In fact, if he understands his feeling right now, then what he feels toward Naruto is... resentment. He feels hate. That blond idiot! That dobe! That stupid, no good embarrassment of a Shinobi! How dare he think he can ever be worthy of even breathing the same air as him, an Uchiha elite!

Before his thoughts can get any deeper, wires guided by shuriken wrap around him and pin him to the thick trunk of his tree. He tries to break them, but he can't even move. When he looks up, he sees the last person he expected to be responsible. Kakashi.

Sasuke scrunches up his fingers into fists. He glares at Kakashi. "What do you think you're doing?"

"If I don't do this, you'll run away, right? You're not the type to sit still and listen to a lecture."

"Tch!"

Kakashi looks at Sasuke in something akin to understanding. "Let it go. You've got to forget about revenge."

Sasuke's eyes pinch together to form a nasty glare. "What?!"

"Believe me. In this business, I've met a lot of guys who feel the way you do. Trust me, for those who follow the path of revenge, their end is tragic. You'll only hurt yourself and agonize more than now. Even if you succeed and get your revenge, what will you have then? Still nothing."

"Shut up!" Snaps Sasuke. "What do you know?! It's easy for you to talk! You have NO idea!"

"Easy…" Kakashi tries to placate Sasuke a little bit. "Just try to calm down."

Sasuke narrows his eyes directly at Kakashi's lone eye and smiles. It's a smile filled with vindictive sadism. It isn't a kind smile. "Maybe if I was to kill the most important people in your life, anyone that has ever meant anything, maybe then you'll be able to realize just how far off you are on what you said! You might be able to understand how I feel!"

"Hmm, it's an interesting theory. But I'm afraid you're a little late to put it to the test." Kakashi closes his eye. He eye-smiles at Sasuke in a way that even the broody boy tied to the tree is able to tell is clearly fake and empty. "Everyone you're talking about has already been killed."

Sasuke gasps. His heated gaze loses intensity and his muscles relax. 'What?'

"I've lived much longer than you have. And I've seen my share of troubles. I know all too well the agony of losing someone. If I recall, I told you about my best friend during Nami no Kuni, didn't I? Or did you already forget what you told me? That you wanted to be just like Obito?"

Sasuke is speechless. He bites his bottom lip and averts his gaze from Kakashi. He looks hard at the ground. He feels ashamed of the way Kakashi is looking at him.

"So, it looks like none of us have lived a charmed life, exactly. That's for damned sure. Still, we're not that bad off. At least you and I have been lucky enough to find new people to fill the void in our hearts."

Sasuke thinks about his team again. Kakashi. He has a vibe similar to his Tou-san. Sure, his Tou-san was cold, distant, mean, and an all-out complete dickhead, but when it really mattered, no one was better than Tou-san at giving out advice. Kakashi is like him in that sense. He's always there when it matters most, and he's there to guide him when he needs direction. He helps keep his head on straight.

Sakura… she's the most annoying person he's ever met. But the way she tries her best to make him happy, and how willing she is to serve him… it's a lot like how his Kaa-san used to dote on him for the smallest of things. Despite Sakura's less-than-pure intentions, he can appreciate at least some of what she does for him.

And Naruto… he's just like Itachi, back when things were good. His kind, supportive nii-san. Sure, he's much dumber than Itachi ever could be, but the aura is the same. Someone so understanding of other people and their emotions. Someone dependable. Someone fun. And someone… with a strength he didn't have. Just like Itachi.

'Just like… Itachi.' Sasuke's eyes widen slightly.

'Naruto is too similar to Itachi. It's always rubbed me the wrong way, but I haven't had time to think about it until now. I was wrong to ever trust my Aniki. Am I also wrong about caring for the dobe?' Sasuke resists the urge to bite his lip.

Sasuke's thoughts are interrupted when he feels the constraints on his body loosen.

Kakashi sighs in exhaustion. "It's because I have lost that I understand."

Sasuke turns his head away from his sensei. He can't bear showing his shame to him.

"The Chidori… I gave it to you because you now have something important that needs to be protected. It's not a power to be used on your comrades or to use for revenge. You know better. And I think you know in your heart exactly what it's for."

Kakashi ruffles Sasuke's hair. "Think long and hard about whether or not what I'm saying is wrong." Kakashi flickers away, leaving a dejected Sasuke alone with his thoughts.

…

Sasuke has stayed in the tree for hours now. The sun has set a while ago, but his thoughts are still a mess. He can't find any clarity. Thinking on his teammates, he can't help but feel grief and remorse. He hurt them, and he wouldn't blame them if they never forgave him. Knowing that he did something like that to people he cares for makes him disgusted. It makes him feel tainted.

'It's something Itachi would do.'

The thought makes Sasuke wince violently, enough so his eyes are forced shut. Itachi. It's like that man's red, evil eyes are burning into him, expressing untold disappointment and apathy. He hates that look more than anything. 'Damn it, it always comes back to Itachi, no matter what!'

"What do I do?" He pauses, almost hoping someone somewhere will give him an answer and choose for him. However, there is nothing changing the stillness in the air. Not a twitch of a muscle, or the flow of water, or even the whistle of the wind. Only complete silence. "Damn it!"

Sasuke starts to get up from his place on the tree. As he gets on his feet, he hears the thud of multiple pairs of sandals impacting the thick bark of the branch he is on. 4 Otogakure shinobi are responsible. They surround him, leaving no room for escape.

"Who are you?"

The weird 6-armed abomination speaks first. "We're the Sound Ninja Four. I'm Kidomaru of the East Gate."

The next to speak is this sickly pale transvestite-type of the quartet. "I'm Sakon of the West Gate." Oh, God. He looks hideous.

"I am Jirobo of the South Gate." States the fat one. There's nothing too distinct about him other than he's bigger than Choji. This Jirobo is a damned whale. And a fugly one at that.

"And I'm Tayuya, of the North Gate." Ends the girl with pinkish-red hair. She's pretty cute, sure, but something about her rubs Sasuke the wrong way.

The quartet runs off in different directions, going in a circle around Sasuke. They try disorienting him.

When he looks back at where he last saw someone, he hears a warcry yelped in front of him. The 6-armed guy throws a punch at him.

Sasuke grabs the arm and blocks the strike. The force is enough to push him back and bury splinters on the ball of his feet. Sasuke endures, however.

The lesbian-looking guy flickers behind him. Sasuke grips the arm he's holding onto tightly and uses it to flip over the spider guy. When he's in mid-air, he uncoils his leg back, landing a solid strike on his opponent's gut.

He lands back on his feet, still keeping the spider guy's arm in his grasp. Fatso launches himself at Sasuke. Sasuke frees a hand to divert the punch away from him.

He brings that same arm under and jerks it up into the elbow joint of the spider's arm. A sickening crunch is heard. He probably dislocated the ulna from the humerus. At the very least, he hyper-extended the joint.

He then grabs fatso's arm and secures it along with the spider's broken arm. Sasuke shifts his weight and adjusts his hips. He uses Jirobo's momentum and successfully Judo flips both of his opponents at the same time.

While they're in mid-air, he releases a swift sidekick, which launches them toward their teammates at the base of the branch. Clouds of debris obscure his view of the damage.

When the dust settles, he sees a pile of logs at the base of the tree. Sasuke jerks his head back, and he sees the quartet in perfect condition as if nothing has happened.

Sasuke clicks his tongue. Substitution. Great. "Before we go for another round, I should warn you. You might regret it. I'm in a really bad mood."

…

Despite his earlier bravado, Sasuke struggled severely during his battle against the 4 shinobi. His skilled use of ninja wire helped him even the playing field a bit, and his Lion's Barrage took out Sakon for a bit. But in the end, that did nothing. Sakon shrugged off his attacks like nothing.

Even when he activated the Curse Mark, he was disposed of like a candy wrapper. The Sound Quartet all had their own Curse Marks as well.

He had nothing to help defend himself from their words.

"What is your purpose? Surely you haven't forgotten Uchiha Itachi?" That awakens something in him, like being dunked in cold water. Forget? How could he ever forget that man?

"Life in this village serves as nothing more than bondage to you."

'No. Don't listen to them! How would Konoha hold me back? Sure, Konoha would never let me freely travel the world to find Itachi, but that was a bridge I would cross when the time came.'

"Sever your ties to this place. If you do, there'll be no limit to the power you could wield."

'Stop it! Don't listen to them!'

But despite his displeasure and his own will, Sasuke can't help but listen. The words seep into his mind and into his soul. The thought resonates with him. Abandoning this backwater village in exchange for the promise of power granted by Orochimaru? The chance to be trained by the killer of the Sadaime Hokage himself.

"You must make a choice. Remember your purpose!" And they leave.

Sasuke grunts and shakes his head. Purpose. Yes, he understands. He wants to kill Itachi so badly. It's his reason for living. Yet for some reason, he's struggled to truly embrace the path needed to achieve that.

He and Naruto are rivals. And they have to follow a path so they can reach their potential. Naruto has gone from strength to strength the moment he devoted his life to a road untravelled. The path of bonds.

But Sasuke has been stuck between two paths for as long as he's had a purpose. He has never fully committed to either path. And as long as that remains true, Sasuke will stay behind Naruto. He needs to finally commit to a path, or he will forever stay in his rival's shadow.

He's been living two lives at once. And now he needs to make a choice. One he should've realized was necessary long ago.

The only way to move forward with his goal is to become an Avenger. Walk that path, no matter what. He needs to be someone completely unflinching when faced with the bottomless darkness he will have to traverse. Only then will he have enough strength to kill Itachi.

And the opportunity to do so has arrived. All it'll cost him is his ties to Konoha and breaking any living bonds.

Thinking about it logically, Sasuke has his answer. One he somehow never considered.

The image of Itachi floats into his mind, like the leaf making its descent into his palm. Sasuke crushes that leaf, scattering the remains into the nighttime wind. He stares at the Itachi in his mind's eye with a look of poison. A look so vile, dark, and intense it practically carries its own aura.

…

Sasuke goes to his apartment and prepares a backpack to take with him. He stares at the moon, feeling fully at home in its embrace. He's always felt a resonance with the moon, and tonight, it'll be his guide to his future.

Taking a quick once over of his apartment, Sasuke's eyes fall on the picture frame by his window. It's Team 7's team photograph. He smiles at the picture in melancholy. He activates his Sharingan to burn the image in his mind as if it'd be his last time seeing it.

"Photographs are like still memories stuck in time", that's how the saying goes. In Sasuke's case, it's quite literal.

Sasuke flips the frame over, obscuring the memory from view. The time has come for him to forget.

…

Sasuke walks sedately on the path toward the village gates. He treks slowly, taking in the feeling of the village one last time. Or he would've, were it not for who he ran into.

Sakura runs into Sasuke on the main road of the village. And the first thing she notices is Sasuke's backpack strapped to his back.

Sasuke stops in front of Sakura. "Why are you hanging around in a place like this in the middle of the night?"

Sakura looks down meekly. "This is Main Road. It's the only way out of the village."

Sasuke walks around Sakura. "You should go to bed." As he makes his way past her, he doesn't spare Sakura a glance.

A tear runs down Sakura's cheek. "Why?"

Sasuke keeps walking.

Sakura looks back at him. "Why won't you tell me anything? Why is it always silence with you? You've never shared a single-"

"Why should I have to tell you anything?" Sasuke bites back. He has never needed her before, so why now? He's had Naruto to help him at every turn. He could never depend on Sakura because no matter how much she wants to, she could never understand him. Neither he nor Naruto.

"Just keep your nose out of my business. Stop bothering me over everything I do."

Sakura's lower lip trembles. "I know you hate me. Even in the beginning, you couldn't ever stand me. Do you remember back when we were Genin and we were assigned our squads?"

Sasuke says nothing, having enough decency to let Sakura finish.

"We were alone together for the first time on this very spot. You got so mad at me then. I said a couple of insensitive things, so I suppose your reaction makes sense."

"I don't remember that."

Sakura gasps. She grasps at her chest as large droplets fall from her face, staining the stone pavement a darker hue. "Yeah, I guess… I mean, it was so long ago, right? But still, that was the day it all began. It's the start of you and me, Sasuke-kun."

This is what always pisses him off about her. She talks as if they have something with each other. She's so careless with her words, speaking as if they mean anything to each other. He could never reciprocate what he doesn't feel or understand.

"And Naruto, and Kakashi-sensei."

So there was more.

"The four of us went on various missions, didn't we? Those were tough and difficult times, but… more than anything, it was so much fun." Sakura looks at Sasuke, waiting for something, a twitch even. She gets nothing. "I know about your clan, Sasuke-kun. But seeking revenge? That won't bring anyone happiness. Not you, and not me.".

"As I expected. I'm different from you guys. I'm traveling a path the rest of you can't follow. I know the four of us have worked together, and there was a time I thought that was my path. But in the end, I've decided on revenge. It's always been my reason for living. I'll never be like you, and most certainly not like Naruto."

"Don't do this Sasuke-kun! You don't have to be alone! You told me that day how painful a thing solitude can be. Now I know exactly how that feels. I have family and friends. But if you were no longer here Sasuke-kun, for me, it would be the same thing as solitude.! Sakura is openly bawling now.

Sasuke clicks his teeth in annoyance. She speaks as if she knows how he feels. Like she understands him. She tries to give him advice despite not having a single clue about a word he means. It's honestly insulting. To compare him losing his entire family by the person he loved most... to comparing that to him no longer being around while she keeps all her closest bonds with her. To even put those two in the same category...

It's disgusting and absurdly naive. It only proves what he's always felt about Sakura. Not only is she weak of body, but also of mind and soul.

"This is a new beginning. Each of us has a new path that lies before us. Let me walk mine." Sasuke takes a step.

"Sasuke-kun, I'm so in love with you I can't stand it! If you would only be with me, I promise I'd never let you regret it. Each day will be a joy! I can give you happiness. I'll do anything for you Sasuke-kun. So, please… I'm begging you, stay here! I'll even help you with your revenge! I'll make it happen somehow, I swear! So please, stay with me. And if you can't… then take me with you, Sasuke-kun."

So that's what this is all about. Sakura wants him to abandon his life purpose just so he can play house with her. It's all so… predictable. He's being nitpicky about this, but that's how he feels. Sakura, as always tries to win his favor and always tries to appeal to his optimism. She tries so hard to make him feel better and tries to shower him with affection. She loves him.

He doesn't like that. He appreciates the sentiment, but considering how shallow his teammate can be, her love rubs him the wrong way. Everything she's doing now is the exact thing she always does when it involves him. How typical.

He turns around and smirks at her. "You haven't changed. You really are… so damned annoying." Sasuke walks off coldly.

Sakura runs after him. "Don't leave me! If you do, I'll scream and-"

Sasuke flickers behind her. Sakura immediately clamps up. "Sakura, I really did have fun, so thank you, for everything." He'll leave her with that at least.

Sakura feels something strike the back of her neck with immense force. Her vision fades to black and she crumbles to the ground.

Before her head hits the stone pavement, Sasuke grabs her and carries her in a bridal carry. He places her on one of the benches. It's the least he can do.

Once the pinkette is secured, he glances up at the moon. "This is the beginning." He flickers away, leaving behind crumbles leaves in the swirl of his jutsu.

The next morning, a Chunin duo on their way to the Hokage tower find Sakura on the bench in the middle of the road. They take a break and try to wake her up.

When she awakens, she immediately bursts into tears. It takes them more time than they'd like to console her and get her to open up, but in the end, it was worth it. Sakura gave them vital intel that must be reported to the Hokage immediately.

Which they are doing so now. And based on the sour look on her face, this intel displeases her much more than they thought it would.

Tsunade's scowl could ignite a stove with how hot it is. 'Unbelievable. He's already making his move.' She bites her bottom lip hard enough to draw blood. 'So what that pervert wants is the Uchiha's power, huh.'

Tsunade leans back into her seat and schools her features. "Izumo, Kotetsu, there's someone I need you to bring here."

…

Shikamaru is standing in front of the Hokage in his Chunin vest. The atmosphere in the office is thick and filled with dread. The Hokage's eyes scanning and dissecting him for all he's worth doesn't help much either. When she stares him dead in the eyes, he can't help but feel self-conscious about the new scar on his eyebrow. Did the Hokage judge him for his weakness? Did she think it was ugly? Is he now less of a shinobi?

With all these thoughts, you can't blame him for his uncomfortable shifting.

Thankfully. Whatever it is she was looking for, she managed to find. The Hokage leans back in her chair and folds her fingers in front of her face.

Tsunade clears her throat. "Uchiha Sasuke apparently left Konohagakure no Sato last night. And there is no mistake that he is headed for Otogakure no Sato."

Shikamaru's eyes widen. "He just left? How could this happen?"

Tsunade's expression turns stern. "Simple. Because he was enticed by Orochimaru."

Shikamaru shakes his head to try and clear the fog in his mind. "W-w-w-wait a minute! What does Sasuke have to gain by talking to someone as depraved as Orochimaru?"

"The reason honestly doesn't matter. In any case, there's no time. You will perform your first mission as a Chunin."

"So all I gotta do is bring Sasuke back?"

"Yes. However, not only is time of the essence on this mission, but you may also find it turning into something quite dangerous."

"Huh?"

"There is a strong possibility that Sasuke is being guarded by Orochimaru's men."

Shimakaru sucks his teeth. 'Damn, this is gonna be a pain in the ass. What happened to Sasuke? I held him in high respect in many ways, but now he's joined up with the bad guys.'

"Well if I am facing opposition, then please give me a four-man team composed only of Jonin and Chunin."

Tsunade looks down. "Under normal circumstances, I wouldn't even give a fresh Chunin like you a mission of this level. But even so, I can't honor your request."

"What? Why!?"

"You should already know. Right now, nearly every Jonin has been sent out on missions. I cannot spare you any elite ninja because there is no one left to help."

Shikamaru grits his teeth. 'Damn it all! This is starting to sound more and more like a suicide mission.'

"You have 30 minutes to round up all the Genin you consider to be elite and leave this village."

Shikamaru turns and walks to the door. Before he leaves, he speaks up. "This whole thing is a drag, but I do know the guy, so I can't just let the matter go. That's just the way it is, I suppose."

After half an hour, Shikamaru has gathered his men needed for this mission. It's him, Kiba, Choji, Neji, and Naruto.

Naruto glares at the ground in frustration. 'Damn it, Sasuke. Why would you do this?' The quintet is arranged in their settled formation. They have a plan, and they know their roles. They have their weapons and tools ready, and Naruto even has his lucky scarf tucked inside his pouch.

As they head out, a voice calls out to them. "Wait!"

Naruto turns around and quirks a brow. "Sakura?"

Shikamaru speaks up. "Hokage-sama told me about the situation, but sorry Sakura. I can't have you on this mission. Even you weren't able to convince Sasuke. All we can do is use force to convince him. Your role has ended."

Naruto pipes in. "Wait, so Sakura, you and Sasuke…" He stops speaking when he sees the tears fall freely from Sakura's eyes.

"Naruto… this is… a once in a lifetime request… please… bring Sasuke-kun back to me. I couldn't do it! I wasn't able to stop Sasuke-kun! At this point, the only person able to stop Sasuke-kun is you, Naruto."

Naruto smiles in melancholy. He's happy to finally, finally, finally get the acknowledgment he's always craved from Sakura. But… it's too little too late. And in this context, the situation that brought forth said acknowledgment is very grave. Because even now, after everything, when it comes to Sasuke, he will always be second in everyone's eyes.

"You like Sasuke so much, don't you, Sakura. I understand to my very core how painful it must be for you right now, dattebayo."

Sakura hugs herself for comfort.

Naruto grins widely and gives Sakura a thumbs up. "I'll bring Sasuke back without fail! I promise that on my life, dattebayo!"

"Naruto… Arigatou."

No one notices Naruto's shaky arm, or how empty his smile is.

The Genin group chase after the Sound 4 halfway across Fire Country. When they meet the Sound shinobi, the Konoha Genin are quickly subdued. Some quick thinking from Shikamaru allowed them to escape capture.

Luck, however, is a fickle thing. Circumstances can be harsh and in this situation, the only way the Genin would make progress is if one of them stayed behind to fight the Sound ninja, Jirobo. Choji volunteered, and that was it.

Unfortunately, Choji was nowhere near ready to face Jirobo. His own strength was not enough, so he used the Akamichi colored food pills. The Green pill let him match Jirobo's base strength. The Yellow pill let him overpower Jirobo's Curse Mark. But when Jirobo used his trump card, the second stage of the Curse Mark, Choji had no choice but to use the Red Chili pill.

Either he dies and allows this dangerous Jonin to attack his friends, or he dies while taking out the fatso from Sound. The choice was obvious, but not easy to make.

In the end, Choji managed to kill Jirobi with a punch. The punch was so powerful that it managed to burst Jirobo's heart.

Choji, no longer under the influence of the Chili pill stumbled his way to a tree marked by his friends. His now malnourished, frail form collapses, where he clutches at his chest. He can feel his vision fade. He can feel his body shiver. He can feel his heartbeat slow and lose strength. Finally, Choji's arm slackens, and his headband tumbles to the Earth. His body goes limp and his eyes seal shut.

Choji's sacrifice would not be in vain. Because of him, His friends live to fight another day.

Neji had to stay behind and fight the spider-looking guy. He had to. He was the only person who had any answers for the guy's web jutsu. The Jyuuken allowed him to cut the chakra flowing into and empowering the webs.

Neji learned a few skills along the way. He learned that he can use the Jyuuken in a way that incorporates the entire hand. He can use the principles of Jyuuken to turn a regular chop into a blade sharper than a kunai, similar to a chakra scalpel. That allowed him to nullify the webs.

When Neji was trapped by a web, he managed to figure out another way to use the Byakugan. Following the principles of Kaiten, if you have enough control of your chakra and mastery over the Byakugan, then you could create a forceful release of chakra similar to gale winds. A chakra expensive, if cumbersome defensive trick.

When the guy activated his Curse Mark and started dominating, Neji was forced to rely on new tricks, and use them in unorthodox ways. Neji used the 8 Trigrams, 128 Palms Technique. That in and of itself is a powerful technique, but Neji was forced to use it as a defensive jutsu. It's all that can be done when facing a swarm of projectiles surrounding you at all angles. Kaiten wouldn't last long enough to deflect all the weapons aimed at him.

However, Neji's opponent happened to be very observant so he managed to figure out the weakness of the Byakugan during the battle. The Blindspot. Since the discovery of said weakness, Neji's opponent took full advantage of the vulnerability, and after letting loose a barrage of web kunais, he landed multiple blows on Neji.

Kidomaru activates the final stage of the Curse Mark to try and land a fatal blow on Neji. This starts a game of cat and mouse, where Neji runs around, avoiding death and searching for a weakness in his opponent, while Kidomaru inches ever closer to killing Neji.

Once Neji is completely gassed out, he realizes there is only one way to ensure a victory. It's not like he can dodge anyway. Kidomaru's arrow impales Neji and pins him to a tree. But it's all according to plan. He remains standing, therefore he can still fight.

Neji discovered one more way he could manipulate the Jyuuken that day. By focusing his chakra on the thread connecting to Kidomaru, he was able to have his chakra flow up the thread and act on its own. Neji's chakra goes inside the body of his opponent and delivers a Jyuuken strike directly to Kidomaru's heart.

Neji killed someone that day, but it was worth it. He may be pinned to a tree by a spear made of webbing, and he may feel the blood pouring out of his midsection soak into his pants. And he may feel… He may feel…

Oh well. At least his friends will live to fight another day. That is his solace. The warmth in his body seeps out of his wounds with his blood, leaving him shivering, trembling, and cold. He can feel the darkness of what lies beyond closing in on him. His vision is being tunneled in by black. By nothingness. His vision darkens. For someone so used to seeing so much more than others, suddenly seeing nothing is a terrifying fate.

But it's okay. He'll persevere because all this is worth it if it means his friends survive. He'll endure because he is a shinobi.

Neji's breathing weakens. His eyes grow heavy. He closes his eyes and his chest stops rising.

When Naruto, Shikamaru, and Kiba reached the remaining Sound ninjas, they entered battle with one another again. During an attack sequence, Kiba, Akamaru, and Sakon were all hit by a paper bomb. The branch they were on breaks, and the trio falls into a ravine where they have their own battle.

Tayuya is left to defend the cargo against the two remaining Leaf shinobi. It would be an impossible battle if it weren't for he who showed up as support.

Kimimaro rose from his deathbed to help accomplish his final mission as a subordinate of Orochimaru. The retrieval of Uchiha Sasuke as the next vessel for Orochimaru-sama. He picks up the coffin and dashes away, leaving Tayuya once again to face the two Leaf shinobi.

After a quick strategy meeting, Shikamaru and Naruto make a plan that fools Tayuya into believing she'd be double-teamed. Naruto escapes making chase after Kimimaro while Shikamaru fights Tayuya.

In an underground lair deep in Otogakure, a pale blue-haired man sits on a throne. He has bandages all over his body as he observes Kabuto's work. Orochimaru's old body was failing him too quickly, and he wouldn't survive waiting long enough for Sasuke to arrive. He had to make do with one of his prisoners. He took over their body as his own and is currently assimilating his soul to the flesh.

It's frustrating that he won't have Sasuke's body as his own, but it'll be a minor inconvenience at best. He'll have three years to train Sasuke to the best of his abilities so he can transform Sasuke into the strongest possible host for him.

Yes. Three years is worth the wait if it means living for eternity in a body with unmatched potential. Unmatched potential which he can unlock to achieve unrivaled power.

The dream is so delicious. Almost as delicious as Sasuke-kun's tight, young body. A body that will be his. Yes. The future sounds fantastic to Orochimaru.

When Naruto reaches Kimimaro, he's already under the influence of the Kyuubi.

Kimimaro turns to look at Naruto in a calculative manner. "Now then, how shall I defeat you?" Kimimaro starts to form a blade from his hand. He looks at Naruto's face and his eyes widen, but only slightly. He sees Naruto's scarlet eyes with vulpine slits. "Those eyes. It seems you possess a peculiar chakra."

"What does Orochimaru want to do? Why is he after Sasuke, dattebayo?"

"Orochimaru-sama has already obtained an Immortality jutsu. A long time is needed to learn every jutsu and obtain everything this world has to offer."

"What does this have to do with Sasuke?!"

"'Immortal' doesn't mean that the flesh is being maintained as is. Before his body decays, a strong and new flesh will be made into a vessel for his soul."

A vein pulses on Naruto's temple. What he's hearing is sickening! It fills him with rage. "That… Are you saying that is Sasuke?"

Kimimaro draws a bone sword. "That's right."

Naruto glares hatefully at Kimimaro. The ground rumbles from the power Naruto is releasing. The air vibrates, creating a small hum. Naruto draws more of the Kyuubi's chakra. He needs raw power, and the Kyuubi has more of that than Yami. "I won't let such a thing happen!"

Naruto summons a horde of 500 shadow clones. It's the most clones he's ever summoned, and they all have an aura of the Kyuubi's influence.

Kimimaro looks at the horde in apathy. "There's a lot of trash scattered about. But all trash is trash. It simply needs to be disposed of."

…

Unfortunately for Naruto, Kimimaro was much, much more powerful than he thought. And he was far more skilled than Naruto could ever hope to be. The clone horde stood no chance. Not a single scratch was laid on Kimimaro.

Naruto's attention is stolen from the dark miasma-like smoke escaping from the cracks in Sasuke's coffin. The seals keeping it shut erode and the coffin explodes in a burst of pure chakra. When the smoke clears, in the middle stands Sasuke, looking at his hands in detached awe.

Naruto loses the Kyuubi influence and stares at Sasuke with his large, ocean-colored eyes. He smiles gently. Said smile stretches into a grin. Naruto chuckles. "Sasuke! What're you doing with these guys, dattebayo?! Come on, we're going home now."

Sasuke giggles darkly in response.

Naruto's grin breaks and he starts to sweat. "Sasuke? Hey…we're going home. Everyone's worried about you, dattebayo. So… please."

Sasuke grins. He giggles once more. His giggles turn to chuckles and his chuckles into cackles. Malicious intent and arrogance fill his voice.

Naruto's eyes narrow and his breath hitches. "Sasuke! You can hear my voice, can't you?" His voice turns desperate.

Sasuke leaps away into the forest, heading ever closer to the border of Hi no Kuni.

"Sasuke! Wait!" Naruto was so focused on Sasuke that he lost focus on Kimimaro. The leader of the Sound 5 flickers behind Naruto with a bone sword poised to decapitate him. And Naruto realizes that too late.

Just as the sword nears Naruto's neck, a powerful force strikes Kimimaro, launching him meters away.

Kimimaro gazes at the culprit of the strike. "Who are you?"

"The rejuvenated… Konohagakure no Sato's Handsome Devil. Rock Lee!" Lee has managed to make a miraculous recovery from Tsunade's surgery. And right on time to help.

"B-Bushy brow? But what about your body?"

"More importantly, Naruto-kun, go after Sasuke-kun. Please leave this person to me."

Naruto shakes his head and slaps his cheeks to force himself to focus. "Bushy brow, be careful! He uses his own bones to attack!"

"Bones you say?" Lee gives Naruto a thumbs up, making a perfect 'nice-guy' pose. "What're you still doing here? Please go quickly! Naruto-kun, you promised to Sakura-san with a 'nice-guy' pose, right? So this person, I'll beat him! I promise!"

Naruto nods. He runs after Sasuke, leaving Lee to face the powerful Kekkei Genkai user.

…

Lee overwhelms Kimimaro with his use of the Drunken fist. He confused a bottle of Sake with his medicine. However, when he sobered up, he was quickly overpowered by Kimimro's bloodline ability.

Kimimaro breaks Lee's guard and thrusts a bone dagger at Lee's face.

…

Kiba and Akamaru managed to force Sakon to activate the final form of his Curse Mark. Unfortunately, Kiba never knew about Ukon. That being Sakon's twin.

Now here he is, carrying an injured and unconscious Akamaru, and holding his breath, trying and hoping that he managed to lose his opponent.

But Ukon appears from behind a bush. He's wearing the jacket Koba threw in order to swim better in the river. It managed to mask his scent with Kiba's own.

He is defenseless, and Ukon thrusts a kunai at him.

…

Shikamaru, despite not being the most powerful or fit, managed to overwhelm Tayuya many times. His careful planning succeeded in forcing Tayuya to power up twice. Once with her Curse Mark, and again with her Curse Mark version 2. It got to a point where her only hope of victory was outright overpowering Shikamaru.

Even then, Shikamaru managed to force a stalemate. But a stalemate is the worst thing for him. He has an average chakra reserve, and already wasted most of it earlier. Entering a battle of attrition with someone like Tayuya in her final transformation was akin to suicide. No amount of careful planning would change that.

Just as Tayuya breaks his Kageshibari no Jutsu, a powerful blast of wind hits her full force.

…

Ukon's dagger strikes a puppet that gets between him and Kiba.

…

The bone dagger is mere centimeters away from Lee's face. The very instant it touches his skin, the dagger stops. He looks up and sees a spiraling tendril of sand holding Kimimaro's hand in place.

…

Shikamaru looks back to find the source of the wind jutsu. His eyes widen at who he sees. "T-Temari?"

…

Kiba smiles forcibly at who he sees coming to his rescue. "Heh, so you're an ally this time." Kankuro appears from behind a tree.

…

Sand carries Lee to safety. Kimimaro eyes the newcomer. "Who are you?"

"A Suna Shinobi." Replies a smooth, apathetic voice. "An ally of Konohagakure no Sato."

…

Gaara and Lee fight Kimimaro, forcing him to activate his final form to keep up. Even with all their strength, Gaara and Lee were not enough to kill Kimimaro.

The last Kaguya thrusts a spiraled bone spear at Gaara, but the instant before it can touch Gaara's skin, it stops.

Kimimaro was mortally ill, and his body could keep up no longer. Kimimaro died that instant.

Gaara and Lee survived that fight out of pure luck, something Lee easily acknowledged. "My sensei said it often. Luck is also a part of strength."

Gaara snorts. "That backseat driver again?"

"He's no backseat driver! I'm grateful you saved me, but don't badmouth my sensei!"

Gaara looks at the bone forest created by Kimimaro. 'So you are like him too. When the honor of someone you rever has been hurt, you yourself are hurt badly and are enraged. The more important the person you revere, the greater the feeling. Both our opponent and you, Lee, are just like Uzumaki Naruto-kun. Can I be like you guys too someday?'

That is the end of the chapter. I want to apologize for the wait. A lot of shit has been going on. The next chapter will make up for it, tho.

I want to celebrate right now! My team, Liverpool F.C. is one point behind Manchester City in the Premier League. And we face them next in the league. We will beat them too, and go top of the league. We already won the EFL Cup, and are practically already in the semi-finals of the Champions League. And we have enough in us to beat City in the semi-final of the FA Cup. If things go right, then we can become the first team in history to win the Quadruple.

If we can achieve that, then I can die happy.

The next chapter is dropping next week. That will be 2 for the month. I might even have enough in me to drop a third, but that is a hard maybe.

As always, If you have any questions or concerns, even criticism, Please PM me or Review. I'll always answer.

This is Zippy, out.