"I thought you'd be living in the Uchiha Compound," Naruto said, looking around Sasuke's apartment.
The place was neat, and huge compared to his. It made Naruto feel a little envious that Sasuke was given this place to himself. And he was obviously given a hefty allowance, at least before he became a Genin. It didn't matter that he was the son of the Uchiha. Naruto's father gave much more for the sake of this village. There is no greater gift than the gift of life to give for the sake of what you love.
And yet, what did they do to thank him? He said he doesn't hate Konoha, but maybe he did.
Sasuke was already holding one of his hidden Kunai the moment he heard Naruto's voice. Hatred masked his face in such a filthy manner Naruto thought he might have died if he was any weaker—and if looks could kill. For indulgence, Naruto considered rolling on the floor and play dead.
"What do you want?" Sasuke demanded, with contempt in his eyes, yet remained still.
It was still early morning—most people were still asleep. The sun had yet to even take up to the sky. The night darkness still crept, but losing its power. And yet, this bastard was already in his presence.
"I'd appreciate it if you didn't raise your chakra," Naruto said holding out both his hands. "I didn't come to fight you. Getting here was troublesome, considering, I had a lose the Anbu watching me. And there are those guarding this place."
It wasn't anything normal to have a shinobi observed. Shinobi villages didn't operate under such a fog. Orochimaru was lurking but it was more than that. The simple fact was that Itachi's younger brother was considered a flight risk.
Sasuke's eyes narrowed, never letting his guard down. "Why would Anbu be watching me?"
Naruto looked at Sasuke as if he was stupid and then shook his head. He walked over to the couch and made himself comfortable.
"I'm obliged to take some privileges, my father died so that the rats in this village would survive," he said with contempt. "But well, such is life…"
Perhaps this was the reason Madara felt he could trust him. Naruto honestly felt nothing but contempt for this world. He wouldn't mind seeing chaos erupt. It wouldn't mean anything. He cared for no one. Why care for things that rejected him? Both their contempt for this reality was earnest. The next time they spoke, Naruto would ignite this conversation. It would be like some mental healing. He rarely got to vent with someone who understood.
"Kakashi sensei told me your father was the Yondaime Hokage…" Sasuke said, still keeping a safe distance from Naruto, the tension in his body did not subside even a little.
"Pitiful, isn't it? Man gave his life to protect Konoha… and used me as that sacrifice, and yet people hate me… such simpletons who desire something to hate… much like you…"
"Don't compare me to those people!" Sasuke barked furiously. "That man killed everyone I cared about! It is something you wouldn't understand!"
"And so, you hate him to the point of insanity," Naruto said with disappointment. "Well, I do agree with you. That man should be hated. Nobody can forgive the blasphemy he committed. You must respect your parents even though they are trash. Your parents were not trash. The young children in the clan did no wrong. They were innocent, just like you. Yes, he must be killed for his sin…"
Naruto's tone took Sasuke by surprise. It was apparent, the blond was wouldn't bring flowers to his brother's grave after his death. If anything, it seemed like he was the first person you'd suspect if Itachi's grave was defaced.
"You said you know him," Sasuke glared. "Where is he?" He demanded, walking toward Naruto. The blond didn't move a muscle even as Sasuke grabbed him by his shirt, glaring at him with sharp daggers. "Where is he?!"
Naruto sighed, unmoving with disappointment. "Control yourself, Sasuke…"
"I have not forgotten what you did to me and Sakura. I will pay it back!"
"Why don't you do it now?" Naruto asked in a mocking tone.
Had it not been for Kakashi who oppressed him in training, Sasuke would have attacked the blond with Chidori. His path was clear, beat Kakashi and he would soon be closer to reaching his goal of avenging his clan.
"What do you want?"
"I came to check up on you. I wanted to motivate you… so I came to check whether you were motivated or not. See, my parents died on the night I was born. Anyone who kills their parents for no reason deserves death," he said in a stern tone. "Besides, I feel like you and are alike. We are lonely people who have lost everything."
"You and I are nothing alike! You don't know anything about losing the people you love!" Sasuke spat with contempt.
"That is true, but I am able to understand a little bit of your misery…" Naruto said pulling himself from Sasuke. "However, at this rate, you wont achieve anything because you have no self control. You're weak-minded… until you learn to conquer your emotions, you'll never be able to beat your brother… I'll leave you for now… but hear me… you and I could be friends… eventually, you'll realize the people in this village are not good for anything and they spit on sacrifices. For now, you won't understand. But Kill your brother, and my words will have meaning to you."
Naruto lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling with an unreadable expression across his face. The sun was already out in full force. But he had no desire to stroll around the streets. He'd only make himself angry if he did that.
Emotions were wild. People ruled by them often led to an over the top reactions and decisions. Sasuke had every right to hate his brother. But he had no self control because he allowed his emotions to get the better of him. Without control, he would always be an unrefined child who could never stand above his brother.
Naruto thought maybe even Madara was doomed by his wild emotions and intense hatred for the reality. What he knew was that the man lost something dear to him. But since he was no the real Madara, Naruto thought there was something he was missing. At any event, the man had indeed come into contact with the real one. Naruto was curious about the reasons that drove the man to reject reality in place for a world of illusions. There was nothing but selfishness. It was just a man who wanted to live his happy days rather than face reality.
Admittedly, the idea of living in eternal happiness with his parents and maybe a little brother or sister was tempting. He would be ignorant of the fact that it was all a dream—and just be happy.
But there was nothing eternal in this world. Even if it was infinite, Tsukuyomi would end when the mortal body finally tapped out.
His eyes snapped toward his right side as he sensed a chakra presence. He looked away when he sensed the familiar chakra and the black swirling. Teleportation Jutsu was a useful thing. But it robbed one the convenience of experiencing the thrill of travel. But he would admit, it was convenient at times, especially when one needed to tactically retreat, or go somewhere in haste.
"You have not forgotten the goal, have you?"
Naruto inwardly sneered. "As if," he said. "Being in this village fills me with contempt. I wont deny it, I've entertained the thought of going on a rampage… Just for the to see the real demon."
"There would not necessarily be wrong with it."
Had Naruto expected something different from this man? He'd come to learn the man had no attachment and his contempt for this world was an unshakable hunger to see its destruction. He only had eyes for his mistress—his world of eternal dreams. But he too, held no attachment. Whether destruction occurred or not, it would not matter to him. The people who would love him unconditionally were all dead.
Maybe he could forget eternal dreams and just go to meet his parents in the afterlife. If souls could be brought back to the living world, then the afterlife existed and he could meet his real parents, not the ones created from his desires and wishes. Either it be pain or love, Naruto wanted authentic feelings.
"If Konoha is crippled, it won't be able to stand in the way when we begin. Besides, it would teach them that there is nothing but pain in this world." Madara said with a cold stare. "But you're not going to do it."
"I would rather not be become an internationally known criminal. It would be disastrous for my peace." The life of being hunted, like a rabbit. He had no will for it. The likes of Kumo would not doubt try to recruit him. But Naruto had no love for that village.
"Does it matter?"
"For now, it does." Naruto replied. "Tell me… why is it possible to look at a 5 year old child and then see a demon? A giant beast that killed your loved ones? Aren't children to be loved?"
"People will always find an object to vent their frustrations on. Even if unreasonable and they know you're just the host, they'll hate you. They need something to hate to fill the gap of their pain."
"Unreasonable… but this world is not fair," Naruto said with contempt. "Orochimaru, I will end. And I will ensure I leave this village without a mark. I don't want to cause problems with Nagato…"
"Be careful with Danzo."
"Is he plotting something?"
Naruto would take any plots at this stage. It would give him reason to go after Suna. He didn't like doing things without any purpose. Besides, anything Danzo was plotting could possibly bring about great change in the Elemental Nations. As far as Itachi had painted an image of the man, he was capable. Maybe a more suitable person for Hokage than the peace loving Sandaime Hokage.
He would need to see Sasori after this to be able to get some information about Suna. For now, he would rather avoid Zetsu.
"He is always plotting something." Madara replied. "And Sasuke?"
"Useless as now. But I could take him if you want."
Naruto was sure though, Itachi wouldn't just sit still if he found out his brother had disappeared. Orochimaru was to be killed so the Uchiha would turn to them. Nonetheless to say Sasuke was useless wasn't necessarily wrong. The Uchiha still needed more training. So did he, but at least he was capable if taking down most shinobi who stood in front of him. Sasuke would die if he joined the Akatsuki as he was. He was but a child.
"We will wait until he kills his brother. He should be able to unlock the Sharingan then. We don't want to get Itachi taking drastic measures…"
"Well, he is a dangerous one. It is good he is no where near Nagato… or otherwise it would be disastrous," Naruto said with a shake of his head.
"You've also made our mission difficult by empowering Nagato."
One of his most daring moves. Naruto thought he may have done what he did in an attempt to escape the hell he thought awaited him. It was however true that he did want to see what Nagato could do without restrictions. How Madara went about in killing him to get the Rinnegan was his business. Naruto could watch the show. And see if an opportunity arises or whether he followed suit with the world of dreams.
Anything was still game at this rate. He'd seen nothing that showed him this world didn't deserved saving. If it was to be doomed, he would take part in it. But he had to experience it himself rather than rely on the emotions of just one man who's obviously given up hope on everything. At this rate, it was even debatable whether Madara was even alive or not. The man was hardly human to begin with.
Naruto shrugged. "Nothing that can't be solved. I'll take responsibility for my actions," he with a smile. "I know his secrets…"
"I will be watching." Madara said before disappearing without a trace.
Naruto shook his head and thought of stabbing Nagato in the back. He wouldn't go that far. He'd rather have Nagato stab him in the back. But anything could change. Nothing was set in stone after all.
He got out of the bed and sat up on the edge. 'Hey, Kyubi,' he called the Bijuu.
'What?'
'What's with that attitude? I thought we got along just fine. You a little pissed off because Madara was here?'
'What do you want?'
'Ah, never mind. I thought you wanted to talk. It must get lonely there.'
'Release me and I won't be bothered.'
Naruto laughed. 'There will be no releasing happening.' He said. 'You think you have enough strength to fight off the entire Leaf?'
'I'm inside of you… there is no threat of getting sealed. I would have destroyed it last time if the Yondaime didn't seal me inside of you.'
The Bijuu was indeed proud and for a Bijuu, the one threat to its power was always being sealed or being manipulated. It still didn't mean a Jinchuriki was absolute. 'In case things don't go according to plan, you might need to be set loose.'
'I thought you were content with getting captured because Madara will rescue you.'
'That bastard might just let me rot in a cell until the Akatsuki begins to move.'
Stadium
It was a full house. It was just a pity that there were more Genin from other villages than from the Hidden Leaf. Hiruzen had intervened to take Tenten out of the finals. Compared to others, she wasn't the strongest and he didn't want her getting needlessly hurt. He was also thinking about the village's reputation. In this exam, only those who could improve Konoha's image deserved to fight, especially when the opponents were Suna and Naruto. The blond had returned alone and without his teammate. It was curious but there were other things to handle.
It was such a pity that his reign had to face such a test. The past years have been peaceful and although he failed Naruto, Hiruzen thought he'd done well to steer the village into a peaceful path. He would nonetheless get the chance to correct a few things with his wayward student.
He glanced around the stadium. Some people from the Fire Nation. The noble clans were in attendance. Security was beefed up. Anbu were placed strategically. He didn't want anything going wrong that would hurt civilians.
It was just a pity, this happy mood would be dampened. Not just by Orochimaru but by the appearance of Naruto. Minato would be disappointed but so was he. Alas, the fate of a Jinchuriki should have been clear to Minato, and yet he chose to do things as he did, for the best of the Hidden Leaf. And Hiruzen would not undo all that work.
He stood up and held out his right hand. Within a couple of seconds, silence reigned. His voice boomed through the stadium with power and authority.
"Thank you all for coming for the finals of this exam," he said with a small smile.
He glanced towards the contestant box. Everyone seemed to be in place. Jiraiya and Kakashi stood above, ready for action. Sasuke was in the stands with other Genin, ready to observe, like everyone who failed the second exam. If things were civil, he'd have the Uchiha fight the winner, just to showcase the strength of Konoha's future generation. It would also appease the villagers who were no doubt disappointed the last Uchiha couldn't make the cut.
"To the finalists, listen to me; you stand today representing your village. When you get out, do your best in the spirit of competition. You're the future of your respective villages, show us today what you can do." The Sandaime said in a firm tone. "I urge all spectators to remain on the seats whatever happens and remain respectful." Hiruzen said and then took his seat beside the Kazekage.
It was truly a pity that no one from Amegakure came. He would have loved for have a conversation with them regarding Naruto. Perhaps a solution could be made regarding his future.
"Who do you suppose will win, Kazekage-dono?" Hiruzen asked politely.
"My son… He has never tasted defeat before," the Kazekage said confidently.
Hiruzen chuckled. "Well, he is a Jinchuriki. But we will see… I'm thinking there might one or two surprises…"
"It seems that there are two contestants who couldn't make it. How will the second rounds be fought?"
"A three way battle." Hiruzen said.
It would be giants fighting if both Naruto and Gaara made it through and whoever was caught in between could get crushed. But there was a way to succeed. It all depended on being smart.
"But that would rob people of good battles. People came from far to watch and to only witness a handful of fights would be disappointing," The Kazekage said. "How about we put the Uchiha in for the second round? Of course, his performance will have no bearing on the finals."
"That would be unfair."
Hiruzen wasn't really against the idea, even if it would be unfair. He did need something to brighten up the mood. Even though he disliked young Sasuke's attitude, he was the only hope for the restoration of the Uchiha clan. How he fared would bring much hope into the future military strength of the village.
Kakashi had also been giving his best on his last days as Jonin sensei. With the training he received, Hiruzen was certain the Uchiha wouldn't disappoint. He still didn't know much about Naruto's skills. And Gaara was still a Jinchuriki but there was progress and the only way to measure up to it was to face against the tough shinobi who could push you to your limits.
"We can allow whoever will face him to take a chakra pill and recover their strength before fighting him. I'm willing to volunteer for a match to be fixed with one of my children."
Hiruzen smiled and then motioned for an Anbu to move closer. He passed on the instructions.
Flashback
Neji was sitting alone in the middle of the night, sitting guard while both Lee and Tenten slept. It was a little unnerving having come up so many dead shinobi. Gai had warned them it could be dangerous but Neji had not thought many would be this blood thirsty. To be weak was really a curse in this world. He was thankful, even though the Hyuga screwed him over, he learned things.
While leaning against a tree, his hair rose as he sensed something. He immediately stood up, and activated his Byakugan, and then scanned the area. There was no attack, but one lone figure was walking toward him.
"I know you're there."
He glanced back to see if there was any movement with Tenten and Lee. They were still sleeping. The person was doing everything possible not to make noise.
Naruto moved from the darkness but made no motion to attack. Neji didn't alert his teammates, which made him smile. But held up his hands and asked if he could move closer, Neji agreed and Naruto took a position on the side of the tree, sitting down.
"Rather curious of you."
"If you were going to attack, you'd have done it already," Neji replied to Naruto. "What do you want?"
"What can you see with those your eyes?"
"I can see through the Genjutsu in your eyes and the second dark chakra in your system," Neji replied in a sharp tone.
"Hmm… then I was right in not showing up in front of you. You'd have exposed my secret," Naruto then smiled. "I have no intention to attack you. I actually came here because I am curious. You know who I am, right?"
"The Jinchuriki of the Kyubi. You ran from Konoha."
"Your father was used as a sacrifice during the Hyuga incident. And you have a mark on your forehead and you call it your fate. In turn, you hold contempt for the main branch, do I have things in order?"
Neji wondered what Naruto wanted. He still found it laughable that the only person who seemed so down to earth to even talk about things with him was an outsider. Then again, Naruto was a Jinchuriki—he would understand fate better than anyone.
"I have no interest in talking to you about such things."
"It would be a huge disservice if you were to shut down. I've done my research on you. You're hailed as a Hyuga prodigy. Despite the clan refusing to teach you any techniques because you're from the branch family. I'm told you think that ones fate is predetermined and we cannot change it," Naruto said in a quiet yet, serious tone. "Yet, why do you struggle so much?"
Neji's face twisted. "Didn't you abandon Konoha because you couldn't escape your fate? Jinchuriki are always fated to be hated by everyone and used as weapons."
There was anger in Neji's voice. It made Naruto smile—just a little.
"I didn't abandon the Leaf… But I suppose I could have left the village at some time. After all, this village does not welcome me. But I'm curious that you seem to be trying to change things. You struggle and labor, yet claim your fate has already been determined. Do you think it is possible to escape ones fate?"
"No."
Naruto chuckled lightly. "I don't believe in such ideology. Even if I abandoned the Leaf, what of it? The main branch determine certain things, but they do not determine how you die. I suppose your father also chose to determine the way he died. You can be miserable… or be happy. You choose. The Main branch does not determine your genius. Even if they ignore you, your prodigy stands out in the rest of the village. Wouldn't you say, that just shows you can choose how you live?
"No amount of fate can determine how we think. The curious part is the purpose in which we choose to live our lives. I live in a place where I am accepted. I can choose to die tomorrow. I've admittedly, chosen a rather cruel way of living…" he chuckled bitterly. "but I have the same struggles as you. I have chosen… I try… but what will happen tomorrow? Will I end up just being used like all Jinchuriki and die a miserable death?" He shook his head. "At the same time, I'm looking for a place were I can belong. I suppose I wanted to ask you where you think you belong. In the confines of your fate or in the destiny you choose for yourself."
Present Time
It looked deathly silent with the booth. Naruto glanced up into the stadium; the people were happily chatting away in their seats. Merchants, political figures within the Fire Nation, and possibly spies dressed as civilians from other nations. It was highly unlikely that other nations wouldn't have the spies to see what Konoha had to offer.
He looked back at his fellow finalists and then smiled. They seemed tense. He could understand the Suna tension — they had an invasion to think about and the future of the Hidden Sand. Failure could mean doom to their nation. But success was improbable. Orochimaru valued himself too highly. The arrogance of man was quite simply a wonder. In some ways, these people were doomed from the very beginning.
"Improved on hand to hand?" Naruto asked Temari without any preamble.
The blonde responded by glaring at him while Gaara didn't seem bothered. Kankuro on the other hand was twitching, perhaps in fear that he could try to attack his beloved sister. It was a good thing. A pity, Gaara didn't have the same thought.
"Don't be so stiff. I want fellow shinobi to improve, either be friend or foe," Naruto replied with a wave of his head. "But, we'll be friends in the very future."
Temari scoffed. "You wish."
"Why do you even hold me like that?" Naruto asked in a curious tone. "I don't think I did anything wrong to you and I actually asked a decent question."
"I don't owe you an explanation."
Naruto sighed and then turned to Neji. "Can you believe this? I'm being nice and she just acts like that. People can be ungrateful…" he shook his head. "And I even bothered to tell her ways to improve."
Neji just shrugged and just shrugged and looked away.
"You too?"
"You two know each other?" Lee asked.
Neji glanced at Lee and then back at Naruto. Why was this person talking to him so openly like this? Was he trying to cause problems for him? He glanced at Temari for a second and then back at Lee.
"No." Neji replied in a flat tone.
Naruto walked over to Neji and stood by the Genin's left side, facing the other way. "You'll be fine against all other opponents but maybe not Lee if he went all out and avoided getting hit. But if you end up facing Gaara, you're not going to win. Your Taijutsu would be suitable to disabling him, but you're not fast enough to do that and his defensive are automatic. But I would be more than happy to face you."
He did want the Hyuga to do well. But if he failed, there was no shame. Maybe he would end up getting broken or he would surpass his limits. Naruto wasn't really invested in it, at least for now. There were much greater things in motion.
"I would rather not," Neji replied with a shake of his head.
While Gaara was a bloody thirsty person who would no doubt try to kill him, Naruto looked to be even worse. At least death would come quickly but Naruto seemed like a person who would shatter you both mentally and physically—this was truly worse than death.
"Hahaha," Naruto laughed. "Well, good luck."
"I don't need it."
"Don't be so stiff. Do you want to get beat down by someone called a failure like Lee? If they make you go against him, do you think you can win?"
"A prodigy losing to someone who can't even use chakra?" Neji sneered distastefully. "But, anything is possible," he conceded.
It wasn't truly outside the realm of possibilities. Although he would never admit it to Lee, even if he berated him every now and then, he respected him. Perhaps he too was trying to fate his fate. He was born incapable of using chakra like them and yet dreamt of being a shinobi. It was suicidal, but time and time again in their missions, Lee had proved himself capable as a shinobi.
Rooftop
"Still, a shame none of your students have made it this far." Jiraiya said to Kakashi.
The Jonin eye smiled. "I no longer have students," he said.
His first gig had truly ended in failure. He failed his students miserably and the Sandaime had told him as much. He didn't take comfort in the fact that others didn't seem to have done better. He was supposed to have done better but he failed.
He could make excuses but Kakashi had none. At least, he prepared Sasuke. Even though the Uchiha would get a new teacher, he would hold dearly onto what Kakashi taught him. The foundations of his lightning jutsu were laid out by him. He smiled inwardly thinking he could have really done a lot better with not just Sasuke but the rest of his students but he did not.
"What?"
"After the second exam, the Sandaime expressed his disappointment in me. But he did have me look after Sasuke because there was no one else suitable. Team Kakashi will have another Jonin sensei, if it continues. But I doubt it will," the Jonin shook his head. "I was a failure for a sensei. They could have been killed…" and he thought he was doing his best to protect them.
Simply because they were not in war didn't mean the shinobi world wasn't harsh. The exams proved this much. How many died in the exams? And yet, they still refused to take hard on their students.
"Well, you didn't cover yourself in glory," Jiraiya said. "But considering the circumstances, it couldn't be helped. Those Ame and Suna team were just too powerful. There are two Jinchuriki. You can't expect Genin to fight those."
"Doesn't change the fact."
"Don't be too hard on yourself," Jiraiya said to the Jonin. "Ironic that a man once called a failure is the one holding the Leaf's flag in the exam."
While they were talking an Anbu showed up.
"Just to warn you two," the Anbu started. "It has been arranged for Sasuke to participate in the second round of the finals. He has already been informed of the decision."
"Why?" Jiraiya asked in a serious tone. "He failed and has no right to take part of the finals."
"The Kazekage suggested it and the Sandaime endorsed it. Unfair and shows favoritism but the people here won't care. If Sasuke proves himself in battle, it wont matter. Of course, his performance won't mean anything in terms of rankings. Regardless of how well he performs, he will not be promoted."
"Fair enough," Jiraiya conceded.
Back at the Stadium
"My name is Genma Shiranui and I will be the proctor for the final Exam!"
Genma announced after the Sandaime Hokage settled. He preferred things to be a little challenging, but the draw was fixed. Then again, it wouldn't be fair for two Jinchuriki to face others. It was only fair to other contestants for them to face each other.
"We did not draw out the matches before because nothing is predictable in this world. A shinobi should always be prepared to face any challenge at any given moment. It is not always that you'll have time to think about who you will face to study their abilities and weaknesses.
"In this final, you're allowed to any trick to win. But not the crowd." He added, considering that someone might be twisted enough to hold civilian hostage to force Konoha Genin to surrender. "You can only fight in the field and the match will be over when one party gives up or is unable to continue. I will however interfere and end a match if I feel a winner has already been determined. If you attack someone when a winner has been declared, you will be disqualified.
"The first rounds will be as follows:
Hyuga Neji V Temari
Naruto Uzumaki v Gaara
Lee v Kankuro
Contestants for the first match, please take the stage!"
Temari glanced around the stadium, unmoving and then looked at the stone faced Hyuga. Perhaps she drew a better opponent. But then again, she didn't want to exert herself over pointless battles when there was an even bigger battle to face. The Hyuga was supposed to be a prodigy. Facing someone with the Byakugan would be interesting but she had to watch out.
"Remember, if your opponent gives up, the match is over and I will stop the match if someone refuses to give up while unable to continue fighting," The Proctor warned in a cold tone. "Begin!"
The Hyuga would need to get closer to her to be able to strike but if she allowed herself to be struck, it would be deathly to her—not a literal death but that she couldn't fight after this.
Should she just give up now?
Temari shook her head. No, she had to put some effort into this or else people would be suspicious.
"Come Hyuga; let us see what the so-called prodigy of the Hyuga clan can do." Temari invited Neji in a condescending tone.
Neji suppressed the urge to sneer at the blonde. He took a stance and activated his Byakugan. He wasn't going to waste time as there were other battles to fight. This was his chance to fight—a chance to step on the main branch. To show them that he would not succumb to fate while sitting idle. Even members of the branch family could become better than the main family.
He stared at Temari coldly. "You speak so mightily from someone who comes from a lowly village as Sunagakure."
Temari got angry hearing those cold words. She could hear Kankuro on the back shouting at her not to get angry. The stadium seemed to agree with Neji. She wanted nothing more than to blow the Hyuga out of the stadium.
"I'll show you," she said holding out her fan.
"I expect nothing less."
Neji then darted toward Temari, who quickly reacted by trying to unfold her fan, but the Hyuga was upon her in the blink of an eye. His left palm was moving toward her right shoulder. He quickly positioned her fan in between to block the strike. Chakra exploded slightly when Neji's strike hit her fan.
The Hyuga wasn't done. His right palm moved swiftly, heading toward her left shoulder. Temari had even warned against getting hit. You never allow a Hyuga to touch you in battle. She jumped back swiftly to avoid getting hit. The strike missed her as she leapt backwards.
The second she landed, she was forced to position her folded fan across her chest when Neji suddenly blurred in front of her, with a deadly strike aimed toward her chest.
Seeing his attack blocked, the Hyuga then tried to sweep Temari off her feet to unbalance her, but she leapt into the air, and then spun swiftly before landing behind the Hyuga.
She unfolded her fan and then released a powerful gust of wind. The winds flashed toward Neji from behind. It was from a closer distance, so he had no time to leap out of the way. The gusts slammed onto his back, sending him crashing into the stadium barriers.
He was nonetheless unhurt, and removed himself from the wall.
"You're a long to distance fighter," the Hyuga said calmly. "But is this all you can do?" He shook his head. "Perhaps I expected too much from someone born in Sunagakure."
"Kamaitachi."
Temari swung her fan, causing wind currents to collide. The Jutsu spread out like a tornado, blowing toward Neji ferociously.
Seeing the Jutsu coming toward him, Neji decided it would be best to use his Jutsu. "Kaiten!" He emitted chakra from his tenketsu points before spinning around. He created a dome of chakra around him, before Temari's jutsu struck.
The wind jutsu collided with Neji's defensive Jutsu, before being repelled back. Temari released another wind Jutsu to counter the attack. When the jutsu collided, the cancelled each other.
The crowd enjoyed this little show as a wave of cheers spread through the stadium. Temari considered spitting with distaste but she held herself from doing something so unsightly. It was hard for her to even consider quitting the match but the Hyuga was unhurt and had a good defensive jutsu. If she continued, she would burn too much chakra.
Temari comforted herself by the idea that she could end up hunting him down and make him pay for the insult to Suna.
"I quit." She said, putting her fan on her back. She didn't bother to explain and started to walk away before the proctor could even announce the match.
The spectators voiced their disapproval but Temari didn't care.
"Winner, Neji Hyuga!" The Proctor announced.
He didn't care that Temari quiet. Neji seemed bothered by it nonetheless. Even after he announced the Hyuga as a winner, he didn't move nor did he sound any excitement over it. He didn't seem to care about the cheers either—he just turned his heel and walked away from the field.
The Proctor shook his head. "Next match; Naruto v Gaara!"
"Preserving strength for…" Naruto added the last word in a whisper.
Temari's body froze when Naruto said those words. She stared him with a little a bit of fear—he knew. He knew about the invasion. But he wasn't from Konoha. Was he an alley that Orochimaru recruited? As far as she was concerned, he seemed to hold some resentment toward Leaf shinobi. Then again, according to Baki, he was also a Jinchuriki just like Gaara.
Her reaction gave it away as he looked amused. If there was someone to murder, it was this person. He'd never given her good vibes ever since he came across them.
"My lips are sealed," he said, turning his eyes toward the incoming Neji. "Congratulations!"
"You were good, Neji-kun!" Lee flashed a grin toward his teammate.
Neji replied with a snort, and a expression that clearly said it was what to be expected of him. He was still just a bit sour after Temari quit before he could defeat her. She hadn't even tried that hard.
Naruto shook his head and then turned to Lee. "I shall grant you this little information; don't let his weapons cut you—they are laced with poison."
"That's cheating!" Kankuro shouted, having heard Naruto.
Naruto just shrugged but before he could say something, Neji spoke.
"You should worry about your own match," the Hyuga said. "The crowd seems to have gone silent after your name was mentioned."
"I don't have an interest in fighting someone like him," Naruto said. At least not now. He needed to preserve his strength as he would end up Orochimaru and possibly, Konoha shinobi to make his getaway.
He then walked into the stadium field and ignored the hatred that was in the eyes of some in the stadium. Gaara was already in the stadium field, looking at him ominously.
"It sucks being famous," Naruto said with a shake of his head.
"I've been meaning to crush you since the second round," Gaara said to Naruto in a cold tone.
This drew a short laughter from Naruto. "A pity," he said. If he decided to fight Gaara, even when holding back, the Jinchuriki was likely to lose it and Shukaku could come out. Naruto didn't generally have a problem with it, but if that happened, he'd be forced to take him on to prevent his capture by Konoha.
The Proctor stepped up landed in between the two Jinchuriki.
"Try to keep things clean. Remember there are civilians watching and the rules," the Proctor said, casting sharp glanced at both contestants. "Begin!" He leapt away from the field.
"I want to first test your defensive Jutsu," Naruto said before lunging toward Gaara in a blur.
He appeared behind Gaara in a blur, raised his foot aiming a swift high kick to the back of his head. The Jinchuriki didn't even turn around as sand poured out of his gourd. Naruto's foot clashed with the sand.
He immediately decided to jump away from the Jinchuriki and landed a distance away. "Brute force is needed…" he said calmly. "But let me do something first… I don't want to give away things," he said and then took out five kunai, with explosive tags on them.
He then started to dart toward the Sand Jinchuriki before hurling the kunai in succession.
Seeing the kunai, Gaara brought out his sand, and created a wall of sand in front of him. The kunai hit the sand, and did not pierce through. In a second, the tags exploded. The sand exploded along with fiery crimson flames, creating a huge column of flames in front of the Jinchuriki.
While the flames burnt, Naruto flashed on the right side of Gaara. The redhead didn't even turn to face him but Naruto didn't attack.
"Yaa!"
The second the Jinchuriki turned around, he found himself within his seal, caught in the presence of Shukaku. What surprised him was the presence of Naruto. How did he even get in here? Was it an illusion.
"Damn Sharingan," Shukaku glared at Naruto.
Naruto looked around and then shook his head. "Always a crappy environment," he said in a quiet tone. "It is nonetheless a pleasure to meet the One-Tail."
Shukaku laughed. "Oi, Kyubi, how does it feel to be stuck inside a brat like the rest of us?" he asked in a mocking tone.
"How did you get in here?" Gaara demanded, now fully aware that this was within his mind and not just an illusion.
Naruto ignored Gaara and faced Shukaku. "I've been told that the Jinchuriki of Shukaku cannot sleep because if he does, you take over… crappy and weak work of Fuinjutsu. My clan would have produced better results if people did not conspire against it. Anyway, I need you to be still, while Gaara takes a nap. I can't afford to him go on a rampage."
"I will k-" the Bijuu trailed off when its eyes turned crimson, showing the same pattern as Naruto's Sharingan.
Naruto then turned to Gaara. "We will fight outside another day, maybe. Today, I have more important battles," he said.
Outside, Gaara fell to the ground in a thud. There was silence in the stadium. Nobody saw what happened but Gaara appeared to be out cold.
Baki was the first to appear in the stadium even before the Proctor could say anything. "He is sleeping, but you can wake him. I just don't want him to go on a rampage, at least not now," the blond said to Baki.
Baki checked Gaara and then gave a subtle glance toward the Kazekage before jumping away with the Jinchuriki.
"Winner, Naruto Uzumaki!" The Proctor finally announced after finally getting over his surprise over the events that just unfolded. "We will begin the final match of the first round. Contestants, please make your way into the arena."
Looking at Lee, Kankuro thought there was nothing interesting about the Genin. He could at least give a bit of a show compared to Temari. He unwrapped his favored puppet and got ready to fight. He wouldn't need to expended too much in this one.
"Begin!"
As soon as the Proctor yelled for the match to begin, Kankuro was left a little surprised when Lee went onto the attack. The Genin was much faster than expected.
In reaction, his puppet released a handful of poisoned senbon toward Lee. The Genin skillful dodged the projectiles while cutting the distance between them.
He then suddenly disappeared, appearing behind his puppet.
"If I attack you, the puppet stops right?" Lee asked as he lunged at him.
It wasn't the first time someone tried this trick. Though, not many as fast as this Genin. He twisted his Puppet around and nearly released a wave of Senbon—he would end up hitting himself. He pulled the target toward him, making it rush toward Lee.
The Konoha Genin suddenly twisted around, delivering a brutal roundhouse kick, straight at the head of his puppet, sending it flying backwards.
While it was still flying, with the angle changed, Kankuro released another wave of senbon. Lee disappeared in a blur, appearing behind him.
"Give up."
Kankuro sighed.
"I give up."
The loudest cheer came from Gai up in the stands. Lee waved a huge grin toward his sensei.
The Proctor shook his head with disappointment, thinking the Suna team were making it obvious. He shuddered at the thought that Naruto could have teamed up with them.
"Winner; Lee!" He announced. "The next around will happen immediately. It was meant to be a battle royal between the three contestants who won their first rounds, but due to the request of the Yondaime Kazekage, we have made an adjustment.
"A contestant has been added. However, because he failed the Exam, his participation will not result in him getting a promotion in the exam and however will face him will be judged leniently. In addition, whoever will fight him will receive medical attention." The Proctor paused, allowing the crowd to speculate. "The contestant's name is Sasuke Uchiha!"
The news was received well in by the crowd.
"These will be the contestants for the next round; Hyuga Neji, Uzumaki Naruto, Lee and Uchiha Sasuke. They will be drawn randomly."
The Proctor was given a bowl with four small pieces of papers wrapped. He picked up the first paper and then unwrapped up.
"Contestant for the first match will be Lee," he announced. He then took another paper, and announced the name. "Lee will face Uzumaki Naruto in the first round!" He announced showing the spectators the name on the paper he held. "The other match will be Sasuke v Neji."
A genius versus a prodigy. The Sharingan versus the Byakugan. Maybe it was right putting the Uchiha in the finals. At least, there would be a spectacle. Genma glanced at Naruto and then shook his head.
He couldn't figure out what the blond did to knock out Gaara. The explosion was used as smoke screen. He thought it might be Genjutsu but at least he could be thankful that things wouldn't go wrong.
"We will begin with the first match," he announced and waited for Lee to arrive at the field. "Rules are the same." He glanced at Naruto. "Give the people a fight this time around," he said. "Begin!"
The murmurs in the stadium grew louder and louder Naruto listened to it all with closed eyes. Perhaps he should enjoy this reaction. What else was there to it? It wasn't like he was going to get mad over it.
He turned to Lee and the smiled. "Come," he invited the Genin to attack.
Lee took a stance, a serious look on his face.
Lee didn't need a second invitation to dart toward Naruto. In a blur, he was a foot away from Naruto and then jumped slightly, twisting clockwise. He aimed a high kick toward Naruto's forehead. The blond reacted swiftly, ducking under the strike, and then tried to catch Lee's left foot.
But Lee brought his foot down, aiming for a drop kick. Naruto leapt away from the path of the drop kick. The attack crashed into the ground in a boom, altering the landscape slightly.
Lee blurred away while Naruto had was still in mid-air. His lunged toward the blond, right foot crashing first. Naruto made no attempt to block the kick seeing the momentum wasn't with him. But he allowed his body to spin in a blur, avoiding the kick by just inches and then tried to knee Lee on the side of his chest. The Green beast lifted his left knee, colliding with his.
They quickly separated and landed almost in sync.
The entire exchange had occurred in a couple of seconds.
As soon as they landed, they were rushing toward each other once more. Lee attacked by a roundhouse kick, and to his surprise, Naruto ducked under the kick once more, and then flipped once. In a blink, he was behind him. He swept Lee off the ground, and then leapt up into the air, attempting a roundhouse Kick. Lee managed to twist around, hands crossed on the side of his head and then blocked the kick.
It sent him backwards a little.
As soon as he stopped, Naruto was upon him. Another roundhouse kick, but Lee decided to take it on, having felt he could hold on since it have as much strength. He planted his feet firmly on the ground. In a split second, feeling the wind shift differently, Lee ducked under the kick and then took a step forward, landing a drive on Naruto's gut. The attack sent the blond flying backwards.
He landed gracefully.
"You move well, Naruto-san," Lee said, holding back an urge to smile. This was indeed going to be a challenge. Gai-sensei had been right—this Naruto was would challenge his youth.
"Your speed is a little frightening," Naruto replied with a smile. "You move so fast to dictate my actions. It is most impressive… I probably won't match you purely on Taijutsu…"
Once more, Lee didn't allow Naruto to make the first step. He charged, but this time, his speed had increased. It surprised Naruto a little and he delivered a reverse roundhouse kick. Even though Naruto attempted to block it, the strength behind the kick send him flying into the barriers.
Lee lunged toward the blond who was planted on the barriers, flying in with a kick. Boom! His heavy foot crashed into the barrier, leaving a huge dent, but he had missed Naruto. The blond was still planted on the wall, but had shifted slightly to avoid getting pummeled.
Lee quickly leapt back sensing danger.
He landed gracefully as Naruto removed himself from the wall, dusting himself up casually.
Lee was certain had he not jumped, something bad would have happened. But it didn't look like his opponent had something. He could not forget, this was the same opponent who hurt his friends. At any rate, Gai had given him permission to remove his weights. It was unlike Gai, but permission had been granted. Although Naruto wasn't making any progress, Lee wasn't winning. He needed something much more. Naruto was a Ninjutsu user, and so, he wasn't going all out on him.
Lee was surprised when Naruto suddenly darted toward him. He waited and in the blink of an eye, the blond was in front of him, knee raised. Lee reacted swiftly by raising his right knee to block Naruto's attack. As if expecting the attack, the blond used the collision of their knees to launch a high kick toward his shoulder.
Lee raised his right hand and the kick slammed into his wrist. Naruto wasn't done, he was up in the air, another high kick toward his left shoulder. Lee blocked this again.
When he saw the smile on Naruto's face despite having both kicks blocked, Lee's body tensed. Naruto's hands were free. And he was holding a single hand seal. Lightning burst out of his body, shocking Lee in the process.
Lee yet out a pained cry as lightning coursed through his body with a burning sensation. He managed to pull away before it got worse and landed a distance away on one knee, his hands twitching slightly with a numbing sensation.
Before he could recover, Naruto delivered a brutal kick with the base of his foot, slamming into Lee's temple. The force sent Lee crashing into the barrier in a loud boom. As he crashed into the barrier, Lee yelped, but quickly recovered to avoid giving Naruto room to attack him.
"I thought it would be good for your Taijutsu prowess to be tested against my Ninjutsu. To be honest, I'm a Ninjutsu specialist. But I do consider myself to be better than most in my Taijutsu prowess…" Naruto explained lightly. "But of course, I'm not just going to throw Ninjutsu at you. You're fast and will likely avoid it…"
Naruto placed his hands across his face, swiping them before revealing a fully matured Sharingan.
The stadium gasped.
From the roof of the stadium, Jiraiya had a deep frown. Seeing the Sharingan on Naruto — it was now no secret that he indeed did have connections with Itachi. The decision by the village Council to stop him from leaving was right. But this would just make their mission harder.
"It was no wonder he displayed strength and was confident enough to stand in front of Orochimaru," Jiraiya said in a serious tone. Beside him, was another Sharingan user, Kakashi.
"Sasuke is going to be seething," Kakashi said with a sigh, glancing down where the Uchiha sat. It had been determined that the safest place for now was the stadium. Besides, it wouldn't be fair to rob the Uchiha for a chance to view the Finals. "But what he has been showing now is not the strength of the Sharingan. There is no question he has trained hard."
Jiraiya nodded in agreement. "Yeah," he said. "To be able to handle that power… the constant draining of chakra, he must have really put himself through a tough training," the Sannin added with a frown. Had they lost Minato's son? "At least you also have it to counter him."
"But if he is revealing it now, it must mean he is ready to use it against Lee. I don't know if Gai ever taught him how to fight against it."
"Genjutsu, you mean," Jiraiya's frown deepened. "Such are the drawbacks of being unable to use chakra. You could have the strength to fight a Kage and yet be defeated by a Chunin who is an expert in Genjutsu." The Sannin shook his head at just how unfair the world was.
Lee put himself through so much training. The good thing was that there were not that many Genjutsu users around, even in the Elemental Nations. No other village had a shinobi renowned for Genjutsu prowess. Lee was still safe, for now.
When Naruto took a stance and then waved for him to come, Lee felt something in him shake. The whole atmosphere seemed to have changed at the revelation of the Sharingan. Not what he expected. But he still had tricks of his own. He shook off the discomfort in his heart and then darted toward the blond.
While he was rushing toward Naruto, the blond throw a kunai straight at him. Lee saw the attack coming and dodged the projectile, and it harmlessly flew past him. But the momentary stop was enough for Naruto to cut the distance between them.
The blond threw a right jab toward his face. Lee sidestepped the punch, and then went on the attack, trying to knee the blond. Naruto leapt into the air, avoiding his knee and then twisted around, flashing a boot toward the right side of his temple. Lee raised his left arm, using it to block the kick. He winced slightly when the boot connected with his wrist—there was more strength than before.
Lee then blurred out of sight and then appeared above Naruto in mid-air. The aimed a drop kick toward Naruto's head. Naruto's reaction was quick as he folded his hands above his head. The drop kick connected, sending him crashing into the ground like a bullet. He crashed, leaving a crater on the surface.
The green beast didn't wait, and followed after Naruto, trying to stomp him while he lay on the ground.
Boom!
Dust picked up when Lee seemingly crashed into Naruto. But when the dust cleared, Lee's foot was being blocked by Naruto's right knee. The blond also had his hands on Lee's ankle.
Once more, lightning coursed through his body. This time, Lee's pained cry rang through the entire stadium as smoke escaped his body, but he had no burn marks. He couldn't move however, as his body twitched involuntarily.
Naruto quickly switched while still on the ground. He lifted his lower body, wrapping his legs around Lee before dragging him into the ground. It was a slight boom when Lee crashed. Naruto wasn't done as he quickly rose up, picked Lee by his right foot and then twisted around in a blinding motion. He hurled the Taijutsu user up into the air. Naruto blurred away from the view, flashed beside Lee before delivering a brutal high kick on Lee's temple.
The blow sent the Taijutsu user crashing into the barriers in a loud boom. The Proctor had even considered going to check seeing the massive crack but held himself when it seemed that Lee was fine, despite the brutal collision with the stadium barriers.
"Do it Lee!" Gai shouted from the stands.
Naruto glanced up to the Jonin and then shook his head. There was definitely something coming and Naruto hoped it was not the Gates of Life.
"Hai, Gai-sensei!" Lee replied with the same passion as his Sensei.
He bent down and then removed the weights on his ankles. When the weights crashed down, there was a tremor in the stadium. It was followed by a shocked silence.
Lee blurred out of sight, and the Sharingan was overworked as it tried to locate the Genin.
"Behind."
Lee said and Naruto didn't have the time to twist around as Lee delivered a brutal roundhouse kick to the side of his temple. There was much strength that Naruto shot off to the barriers like a torpedo. He crashed into the barrier on the side of his body, nearly shattering it.
After a couple of seconds, a bruised Naruto removed himself from the wall, and stood comfortably on his feet, with a wide smile.
"If it wasn't because there was just a little more to do after this, I would dance with you a little more; crush you, until you realize your own limits," Naruto said. "But there are still major battles I must fight after this, so, maybe another time…"
He could use Susanoo for defensive purposes, but there was no need to strain himself with such matters. After all, he still had the Kyubi inside of him. It would be amusing to watch how Konoha reacts to this. He wanted to have some more fun but the problems that awaited him after this did not permit. Orochimaru and Kabuto had to be killed. For the former, he was going to strain himself toward exhaustion.
'Kyubi.'
'You love tormenting people, don't you?'
'Why not?' Naruto replied with a foxy grin. 'They must be given what they rejected. I want to see their delightful expressions when the Kyubi appears.'
An explosion of dark crimson chakra erupted in the stadium, causing many to freeze as they remembered the intense dread they experienced when the Kyubi attacked the Leaf. Lee was forced to jump back to for safety.
A large pillar of chakra rose from where Naruto stood. Anbu immediately took protective positions around the stadium to protect people. But there was no attack that came.
When everything died down, Naruto was standing still, clothed in dark chakra, four tails slowly swaying behind. He looked like a miniature beast.
Before he could even do anything, the sound of explosions rocked the village. Naruto sighed and the chakra dispersed.
Around the stadium, Civilians and shinobi were moving about. The Sandaime had already moved. Naruto sat down, wondering what he should do. He needed to kill Kabuto first and then there was Gaara. He could allow him to go on a rampage and then protect him if anything happened but it would put him in Konoha's path and would endanger Amegakure. Nagato wouldn't be pleased with him if things reached that point.
While there was chaos around, within the stadium, it had become quiet. He was now the only person standing within the battle ground.
"You're not going to join?"
Naruto glanced behind him and saw Jiraiya. No, it was a clone. The real Sannin was out there, fighting and most likely dealing with Snakes. The Sandaime would try to fight Orochimaru to settle scores.
"Which side?"
"Konoha?"
"For what reason should I do that?" Naruto shook his head. "Since you're just a clone, it is highly unlikely you're here to try to capture me. So, you just want to make sure…"
He slowly stood up and then started to walk away from the clone.
"I should make my departure before things turn to me." He then stopped and turned to face the clone. "If I managed to escape, you'd still come after me."
"Of course."
Naruto frowned deeply. Maybe he hadn't thought things through. After all, if they persisted with coming after him, it would cause problems with Amegakure and the secret of Nagato could soon be revealed. Madara would not be pleased to hear about this. He would put him under extreme pressure and might even order him to have the Leaf destroyed to make up for his blunder.
"But if I took care of the One Tails Jinchuriki and killed Orochimaru?"
The clone frowned deeply. In offering to help them, Naruto wanted to be left alone. It wasn't a bad offer.
"But I can handle Orochimaru. Besides, Orochimaru will is fighting the Third. Even if he somehow wins, I'll be ready to handle him." The clone said with confidence.
"But if it doesn't happen that way?"
"And you end up killing Orochimaru?" the clone was silent for a couple of seconds. "Konoha will not do anything to you, unless you end up turning against it in the future. If you do something, I will personally send you to the afterlife to meet your mother's wrath."
Naruto found it amusing but didn't reply. He merely bowed slightly and disappeared in along a swirl of flames.
Hiruzen thought perhaps life was just playing a cruel joke on him. Seeing Orochimaru turn on the Leaf, after years of rampaging around cause harm to many innocent people. It was all in his hands. He was the one who'd felt so shocked seeing that Orochimaru conducted illegal experiments on many young children he had kidnapped. The one student he'd loved the most had turned out to be as vile as people had told him.
Seeing Orochimaru, Hiruzen couldn't help but let out a bitter chuckle.
"It has been a while Sensei," Orochimaru greeted Hiruzen with a wide smile, still clothes in the Kazekage clothing.
"It has," Hiruzen admitted. "You went as far as to kill the Kazekage for this…" he shook his head. "I can't say you've fallen so low. You have always been like that… blind in love, I failed to see it."
"Love? I remember you chose Minato over me as your successor sensei," Orochimaru said with a pout.
Hiruzen glanced around. They were already surrounded by a barrier. He could see battles occurring but it would soon die out. Suna had nothing on Konoha. It was the Summons and the Jinchuriki that bothered him the most. But Hiruzen was certain Jiraiya and Kakashi would have it covered.
His only role today was putting the fires of Orochimaru and free the shinobi world from his disease.
"I did what I did because I had seen the darkness in you. But I didn't expect it would be to this extent," Hiruzen said, removing his Hokage haori, revealing an armor underneath. "Prepare yourself, Orochimaru. You're not leaving this village alive."
"Kukuku," Orochimaru laughed. "Are you sure about that sensei?"
"Your invasion will end as soon as it began. You've always had a bit of arrogance. You were arrogant to even think that you were strong enough to defeat the Leaf. Your arrogance will cost you dearly."
Orochimaru had a wide grin. "You think I came alone? Even if the others out there fail, I have something on my sleeve."
He said that, and went through hand seals. The Sannin summoned two coffins. Hiruzen was frozen with shock when he saw who it was. He knew the Jutsu. To think Orochimaru would go far enough to rob the grave of both the Nidaime and Sandaime.
"You actually went this far!"
"Wouldn't it be poetic to have Konoha's former Kage destroy the Leaf?" Orochimaru laughed like a mad man.
"Why do I have to carry him?" Kankuro complained as they ran through buildings along the chaos that was unfolding within the Hidden Leaf. He'd seen giant Toads and Snakes battle. Some explosions setting off.
But they were not part of it. They were fleeing because Baki had told them—they had been betrayed. Orochimaru had killed their father and was impersonating him. The man had gone back to warn other Suna shinobi to escape the Leaf before being captured. Kankuro figured it would be hell, if they got captured, after all, they were the children of the Kazekage.
It would be worse for Temari. His sister was a girl after all. Who knew what unspeakable things she would be forced to do? The thought made him wish he could just disappear from the streets and appear in their beloved desert, at least there, he knew they would be safe.
"You want me to carry him?"
Kankuro didn't reply. Gaara had always been unkind. The damn brat never showed him any respect as his older brother. It was always threats of violence and death. But now, he was out cold, having being defeated without effort by that blond. What was amazing was that he was sleep and the beast inside of him hadn't taken over. If Baki hadn't reassured him nothing would go wrong, Kankuro wouldn't be carrying him.
If Gaara suddenly transformed while he held him, he could get killed. Even now, if he suddenly woke, there could be violence. What a crappy little brother he had.
He came to halt when Kabuto suddenly appeared in front of them. He frowned deeply and glared at the man.
"Where do you think you're going?" Kabuto asked in a quiet tone, a smile on his lips.
He'd already been told Gaara was knocked out but it didn't matter. He just had to wake him up and let him go on a rampage. His master's plans would go well that way. Their invasion relied much on Gaara doing some heavy damage. If he fled, the situation would suddenly become bleak.
"Bastard… you and your master killed our father!" Temari shouted with anger. Rasa was cold but he was still her father.
"He was getting cold feet," Kabuto replied. "Measures had to be taken. But do you think Konoha is just going to let you leave? Even if you somehow manage to make it to the Wind, Konoha will come after you. After all, you no longer have a leader."
"Thanks to you."
"You have no other choice but to fight."
"We will take our chances."
"You two are not really needed. It is your brother I need," Kabuto said before disappearing in a blur. He appeared behind Temari, and grabbed her. Kankuro dropped Gaara to the ground, and unwrapped his puppet, preparing to attack.
Kabuto leapt away, holding Temari. He held her right hand behind her, a kunai on her throat.
"Let her go you bastard!" Kankuro shouted.
"Take Gaara and leave!" Temari said to Kankuro in a flat tone. She thought it was better to sacrifice herself than to let her brothers die.
"I'm not leaving you!"
Kabuto chuckled with amusement. "How touching," he said calmly. "You shouldn't have dropped your younger brother like that," he said to Kankuro.
The puppet user glanced toward Gaara and then saw a senbon on the side of his neck. When had that twisted bastard thrown it? The good thing was that Gaara was waking up. He could deal with this person.
He made some distance between him and the redhead.
"Welcome to the world of the living," Kabuto said as Gaara slowly got up from the ground. "I hate to do this to you after you just woke up, but can you transform and start doing your mission?"
Gaara didn't need to be told twice what was going on. He didn't know why they were even in this situation but what was obvious was that Kabuto was holding Temari hostage and trying to force him to transform by threatening her.
"She is weak for getting herself captured. Kill her, I don't care."
"Oh?" Kabuto smiled. "Just a moment ago, she was willing to sacrifice herself so that you can escape… you don't really care about her? Isn't she your only sister who has always been around even when you threaten to kill her everyday? Don't tell me you don't notice how much she loves you."
"Don't listen to him, Gaara! He is trying to get you angry. Just escape with Kankuro."
"I'm not leaving you behind." Kankuro said with emotion. "Even if the ungrateful brat doesn't care, I do!"
"Are you calling me ungrateful?" Gaara asked Kankuro.
Kankuro didn't get to answer as Temari's scream invaded his ears. Kabuto had dug in a kunai on the right side of her chest. She was bleeding.
"If I push this a little farther, it ruptures he lung. She starts to bleed internally and in a few moments, she'll be struggling to breath. Her organs will fail and she will die," he then removed the kunai and stabbed her on her right shoulder. The Kunai pierced through, causing more blood to gush out. This time, Temari didn't scream but just gritted her teeth. "Time is ticking."
End of chapter
I know introducing Sasuke was a little old but I had to do it anyway to push things.
There will be bloody a little ruthless battles in the next chapter.
The Omnipresent Sage