A.N. Hey all and welcome to another chapter. Overall i am glad for the positive response to direction of this part of the story and Sasuke; I have a love/hate relationship with his character that leans mostly on hate. That said i try to be fair to the original archetype we had from the early part of the series, with a few tweaks where i could.

No real questions so far, unless i misread the reviews - please reiterate and i'll get them answered as soon as i can. As always comments and critiques are welcome. i'll also do my usual shout outs at the end of the chapter.

Onwards to Glory


Madness – the state of having a serious mental illness.

It could also be characterised as a state of extremely foolish behaviour, or of wild or chaotic activity.

Sakura blinked.

She found herself doing that a lot with her teammates. The words were clear, she heard them, but comprehension was running a tad slow.

"I'm sorry, could you repeat that?"

"I said I need you for a consultation" Yeah, that's what she thought she heard. She took a steadying breath and appraised her surroundings.

"How long do you plan to keep me here?"

The world rippled around her, shifting in many guises and a myriad colours.

"Time is relative in an illusion, depending on the skill of the craftsman and the acuity of his victim. Though I must admit it wasn't easy trapping you in the first place; as expected from a budding mistress of the illusionary arts."

"Save your compliments Sasuke" Sakura called out sternly, her back stiffened. "I won't be a willing victim, not to you."

Steps echoed around her, soft and measured. It felt like a predator, stalking its prey.

"Is it really so hard to accept a statement in the spirit it is given? Or is my word worth nothing to you now? You, of all-"

"You will not turn this on me!" Sakura snarled and the world around her juddered. She took several steps back as she glared hatefully at her former teammate; at last her anger was showing and her hesitation was diminishing.

"You left us; whatever delusions you tell yourself that fact remains you abandoned us; abandoned Konoha and Team Seven. You say it was all a means to an end and yet you are speaking to me like I matter to you-"

"I never said you didn't Sakura" Sasuke sharply cut in.

Sakura scoffed "You tried to kill me; I wanted to stop you making the biggest mistake of your life and you stabbed me, in the chest"

Sakura paused for an indefinite period. Her eyes raged defiantly to the shadows and the dark.

"Sasuke, you left me to die."

"As I recall I made sure to hit nothing vital" the rebuttal came swift, causing her to choke; Sasuke swiftly took control, prowling through the mists, "-I could have left you to die that night, bleeding out in the darkness. Instead I took a risk; I wrapped you up and I gave you a fighting chance. You lived, and in some small way, whether you like to admit it or not, it's because in the end, when it really mattered, I didn't want you to die."

Sakura merely glared at him, furious at his assertions and furious at the tears threatening to fall from her eyes. A ghostly hand brushed across her face. she flinched backwards, but already her tears were gone, wiped off and leaving no streaks.

"Are we done with this now? There is no one else I can trust on this; there is no one else i will trust. Sakura…..Please…"

Sakura shivered with unease; her chakra fluctuated rapidly and in set patterns. The mists and shadows groaned and shattered.

Sasuke stepped forwards and appraised her efforts.

"So stubborn, I suppose it would be redundant of me to ask you to stop that."

Sakura couldn't help the slight smirk; a pressure was building in the back of her mind.

"It's the Konoha loyalist in me; wouldn't want you to think I was a willing hostage. Besides, Konoha Nins don't make deals with terrorists."

To her shock Sasuke burst out in laughter; it was so random and almost jovial Sakura could only look on in disbelief

"It is so amazing that you actually believe that" Sasuke's laughter tapered off, a light smirk on his face and something flashed across his eyes.

"Konoha loyalist eh? Let us test that theory" Sakura gulped; despite his light tones the words felt ominous to her ears.

"How about a trade; information on some of Orochimaru's still remaining agents in Konoha, confirmation of their identities and the real reason Sai is on your team, for your time and cooperation."

Sakura's thoughts came crashing to a halt. It didn't take long to spot the verbal trap Sasuke had laid out; the offer would benefit Konoha legitimately and by implicating an ulterior motive for Sai's presence, something she suspected due to Naruto's reactions, it had her curious.

Someone like Sasuke would not just throw at random deals or information like that; he was very confident in what he was saying, and furthermore he was fully aware she knew that. Even more was the fact that he now provided the impetus to dig further into the situation, especially the link with Sai.

Seeing the realisation and smug look in his eyes caused something in Sakura to finally snap. The world around them shook with a loud gong. A loud voice echoed with a bitter and wrathful snarl.

Get Bent Sasuke!


Sakura gasped as pure fury spread from deep within her mind. Split second later she was on her knees, shivering and taking deep breaths. Shino and Sai were a few feet ahead, engaging Sasuke in combat.

"Genjutsu" she hissed out and tried to get back to her feet. The genjutsu had taken a lot out of her; oddly enough Sharingan based illusions were notoriously difficult to break, even for veterans.

The hairs on her neck rose; immediately she lashed out though sluggish. Her hand was immediately caught and redirected, pulling her body flush against her attacker.

"That wasn't very nice; but now I am even more intrigued with you" she stiffened as a hand ghosted over her and felt something slip into her weapons pouch.

"It's an open-ended deal Sakura. I'll be in touch."

She glared at Sasuke as he released her arm. He smiled and then dissipated in a cloud of smoke. Another echo.

"Sakura-San, are you well?" Shino queried as he came up beside her. She gave a flat nod, barely paying attention as Sai slipped beside her as well.

"Kage Bunshin, not an easy jutsu. Uchiha-San's skills are growing more disturbing."

Yes and his behaviour even more so…..


You will die, here and now Sasuke.

Well now. You can certainly try Naruto.

Two blades collided with unwavering unrelenting force; lightning enhanced chakra crackled against the frenzied hum of folded space-time.

Sasuke couldn't hide his delight as he and Naruto drew back for another clash. It was all the more sweeter knowing he had driven his former teammate into such a state.

Ever since he left Konoha he had followed as best he could the progression on his team. Sakura had been easy, seeing as she remained in the village, and he admired from afar her growth and skill as it took form. He would never regret the action he took that evening, but seeing her alive and well, infiltrating Orochimaru base, that was somewhat special to him.

Naruto on the other hand had been difficult to track. Since leaving Konoha and then disappearing from Jiraiya information came in trickles regarding the blonde's movements. Then the attacks on Sound bases began. Information brokers had just enough to allude to his presence, sometimes not even that and for a time Sasuke could sense the effect this was having on the Snake and his minions.

This served as a powerful motivator for Sasuke. He pushed himself harder and longer, underwent as many procedures as the snake dared to further his power, all the more knowing that Naruto was out there growing at an unprecedented scale.

His Clan records had spoken of ones that even the might of the Uchiha had not been able to defeat. Few and far between these ones left lasting impressions on the Clan; their names borne with either honour or contempt.

Sasuke held Naruto as one of those names.

"Now Naruto" Naruto tensed as madness swept over Sasuke. The blonde took a step back and froze; Sasuke was just behind him, whispering into his ears.

Show me how far you have gone….


Naruto narrowed his gaze in dislike as he tracked Sasuke's movements. The first few blows had worked wonders in curtailing his initial rage, now a cold rationality was seeping through his moves.

"Don't flatter yourself Sasuke" Naruto spoke; his blade was poised over Sasuke's heart as the Uchiha whispered into an afterimage. Sasuke merely smiled, seeming to take joy in the situation; Naruto resolved to kill him, no if or buts.

He also promised himself not to take too much satisfaction from the act.

"You have gotten faster" Sasuke commented idly, as if he wasn't under threat. Naruto narrowed his gaze. His wrist twitched; the blade shifted forwards.

He cursed silently as he tracked Sasuke new location. The Uchiha had his head cocked at an angle, his smile never leaving his face.

"This is the part where you make a reciprocal statement Naruto".

"I'll say a few words at your cremation" Naruto snarked as he watched the Uchiha carefully. Now that he was really listening his sense were telling him to be wary of the Uchiha. The fact was reinforced as Sasuke let loose a light chuckle.

"No mid-battle banter then, how very disappointing." Chakra spiked, followed swiftly by arcs of lightning, "I was hoping that we could as they say 'chew the fat'. Good conversationalists are often hard to find." The lightning surged as Sasuke slowly sheathed his blade and took one step forwards.

Naruto tensed. His hair grew out, shimmering with restrained chakra. The air around him shifted. Byakuya's gears turned and the puppet hunched slightly; its arms and legs shimmered.

Sasuke's smile seemed to grow wider; suddenly the lightning disappeared.

A sharp crack echoed.

Instincts screamed out and Naruto's chakra surged. The immediate space on his left rippled. His body shifted right, just as a force barely scraped by him. The backlash sent him a few steps off balance. Another blow was swiftly countered; his hair formed up in front of him and he hissed as he felt entire lengths burn away.

Byakuya sprang into action; it's Hades Forge weapon replaced with its four telescopic blades. The puppet seemed to shimmer as it moved; he launched a vicious spinning slash, only to be deflected. Byakuya flowed with the motion and its left leg rose up with sharp talons ready to shred Sasuke. The blow missed; Sasuke moved to disable the puppet only to find a sword moving swiftly for his eyes.

With another soft crackle Sasuke was at the other end of the room, only to hiss as Byakuya was immediately upon him. His flickered through the air as myriads of blows rained down on him. His muscles scream in joy and pain as he matched blow for blow; his Sharingan traced each move before they happened, finding patterns and paths in the chaos.

Sasuke's narrowed his brow as inconsistences kept growing; the puppet was fast, fact. Naruto's skill was undeniable, fact.

But Sasuke knew that while Naruto himself was fast, at the moment, he was faster…

There!

Sasuke deflected another blow, exposing the puppets side for the briefest of moments, his wrist flicked and his sword spun; his body flowed like water and his thrust echoed with lightning.

There was no possible way the puppet could avo-

There!

Again, somehow, some ungodly force was at work; there was no way the puppet could have avoided damage for this long, not against him.

One final test…

Sasuke kept up his momentum, sending him further away from the puppet. Once more the cackle of lighting filled the room; this time the charge was greater, sharper. Sasuke's hand seemed to disappear under the blaze of lightning chakra.

"Chidori" Sasuke smirked at the tension in Naruto's face; the smirk grew wider as his jutsu surged, "Eiso(Spear)!"


As a jutsu the flaws in the Chidori were only matched by the sheer power and lethality of it. Hence it was only fitting that the Sharingan was the only means to fully maximise the jutsus potential; being able to track your target and see its movements before they happen was a godsend on a technique that required speed.

Normally the jutsu required a running start, this was crucial to catch opponents off guard and then deal the single decisive blow.

Sasuke had taken the original jutsu and slowly adapted the jutsu, recasting and reshaping it in various ways, without sacrificing any of its lethality.

And so, the 'Chidori Eiso' the 'Thousand Birds Sharp Spear' or 'Thousand Birds Laser Spear' was forged. A literal spear of lightning, design for the sole purpose to pierce through all it encountered, leaving only death in its wake.


Naruto knew what the Chidori felt like; the fight between Sasuke and Gaara had been supremely educational. This signature however was subtly different; despite the growth of Sasuke and his increase skill with his chakra it didn't account for the difference in the jutsu.

From the name however Naruto quickly connected the dots.

By the time he took a step back, the jutsu was already yards away from him.

It would take a second or two for the Jutsu to perforate his chest; a second or two was enough.

Naruto's eye flashed; faintly what appeared to be seal scripts rapid sifted through the soft gelatine layer. The world around him shimmered and seemed to lose in consistency.

Naruto allowed himself to fall backwards; his hair darted out, catching into the ground and supporting his frame. The Chidori Spear missed his chest and just scrapped over his chin, burning several strands of hair. He felt the heat and potential of the jutsu, micro meters away from charring his flesh.

Sasuke was much faster now, faster and more dangerous than before.

I will not underestimate you again Sasuke….


I will not underestimate you again Naruto…..

Naruto was much more dangerous now than he ever was; that much was clear. And the speed and precision of his attacks and manoeuvres never failed to impress or inspire dread.

Sasuke was sure Naruto would be able to counter his jutsu; he just hadn't expected the means it was done. Still, he had seen what he needed; Naruto could bend reality, manipulate space-time, and he utilised his fiendish form of Fuinjutsu to do so.

Across his vision, barely there fuinjutsu scripts seemed to be burned into reality, invisible to all but the most sensitive of sensors and off course, those with doujutsu capable of unveiling chakra. The scripts had been hidden in the flashes of chakra use, but even Naruto couldn't fully hide their trails. It was those 'echoes' that he had been seeing; only they always faded to fast to fully comprehend.

It reminded him of something; something almost all Uchiha were intimately familiar with.

Naruto frowned as a chuckled escaped Sasuke's lips. The chuckle escalated to light laughter; he righted himself and looked on bemused at his once upon a time teammate.

"Capable and devious" Sasuke chortled out as he tried to regain composure, "You are still the over-achieving, ego-slamming, pain in the dark side that I have always hated." Sasuke's tone held a trace of whimsy.

"Hated or envied?" Naruto threw back with only a hint of curiosity in his tone.

Sasuke cocked his head as if in thought, "There is room for both I think" Sasuke spoke slowly mulling his thoughts over; he absently raised his left hand and fired off a Chidori spear. The jutsu screamed for Naruto's Banshee-Class puppet; several sharp flicks and the puppet was out of harm's way. Sasuke shot a sharp, almost exasperated glare at Naruto who merely shrugged.

"So how long do you intend to keep me here?" Naruto queried; his tone no longer aloof and laced with menace.

Sasuke too lost some of his nonchalance "As I recall, you wanted to kill me-"

Naruto scoffed, "Spare me; if I really wanted to kill you this engagement would go very differently. We both know neither of us can dismiss the other easily; a fight between us will take considerable effort and time, neither of which we have been conscious of ." Naruto rolled his neck and looked over Sasuke, "I know why I went along with this, but I am beginning to suspect you have something at play as well."

Naruto paused and his stance shifted, "And I don't think, if I really tried, you'd let me get passed you; not without a real fight."

"At least not yet."

Sasuke looked impassive. His head tilted slightly; his hand came up and in a smooth motion his sword returned into its sheath.

"You're not wrong. That said I think my business is concluded; if you want to leave I won't stop you" As if to make his point Sasuke turned his back on Naruto and calmly made his way out of the room. As he got to the door Naruto's voice gave him pause.

"After all this, we just walk away from each other? You play games with my team; you play games with Sakura, and now you walk away, again…?"

Sasuke turned toward Naruto. His gaze was bemused and his tone turned chiding.

"Regardless of what you started your heart wasn't in this fight; not yet. You always were a dutiful son of Konoha…." Sasuke trailed off and shrugged, "Besides, you will never let me return back to Konoha, not alive at least."

"What makes you so sure of that?" At the query Sasuke's smiled mockingly.

"Because I am everything you stand against; the very fact that a betrayer could one day be allowed succour, and returned his Clan rights and standing, no matter how dimished its worth, that is intolerable to you. No, in your eyes I am already dead….maybe there is some truth in that."

Naruto remained unmoving for a while; silence grew between them.

"I will kill you Sasuke" Naruto affirmed once again.

Sasuke smiled; no longer mocking or playful. Just a simple smile.

"You will try"

Seconds after both stiffened. Their necks snapped to the side, tension mounted in them.

Sakura!


Shino didn't want to be the one to admit it, but cold logic and hive structural integrity forced him to concede.

This mission was a shambles. The chances of succeeding had fallen well below tolerable levels and sooner or later one, possibly all of them, would lose their lives.

Still, if there even was a slim chance…..

"The last door, I believe that is the one we are looking for" He murmured softly as they sped through the corridor.

"Yeah, the barrier seal tags splayed across its surface tends to be a give-away, but you can never truly tell with these things." Shino glanced over to Sai; he almost sighed as the Root Nin held up his note pad. Shino had several of his bugs run discreet surveillance and the report was near baffling to the usually unflappable Aburame.

Extracts on 'how to endear yourself to work colleagues' and 'sarcasm for dummies'. Each painstakingly written out by hand, with additional reference notes and points on timing and the definition of a 'punchline'.

Either the Root Nin was messing with them, or he genuinely was that clueless.

Still, some of those facts explained a lot about people's behaviours, something he would ponder more on later.

"We don't need to open the door, we've spent too much time hanging around as is" Sakura's stated as she reached into her pouch. She pulled out several pellets; from the look in her eyes Shino didn't need his Kikaichu to tell him those items were lethal.

The stopped right in front of the sealed door. Sakura ran through several handseals; immediately the opposing stone slid over the lining on either side of the door, as well as the top and bottom. Shortly afterward a small hole formed at the base.

"I'm creating a tunnel into the room. Seven seconds after the gas forms I'll seal the tunnels; the reaction will be energetic so it's safer this way." Sakura knelt over the hole, her hand moving to deploy the toxins. Shino and Sai shifted on either side, keeping a careful lookout.

She was just about to crack the outer shell, releasing the gas….

She barely caught the flicker, before pain shot up her arm. Her scream echoed through the corridor; Shino and Sai snapped to her aid, only to be bowled over by an unrelenting force.

Sakura whimpered as the bones in her hand creaked, slowly being squeezed by a white snake; its gold slitted and very intelligent eyes pierced through her pain and left her in terror. Once more its fangs dug into her flesh and she whimpered again.

"It is rather impolite, to come into another's home and presume to murder those who are his own."

The floor flowed like water as Orochimaru emerged, to the trepidation of the three would be assassins. Sakura managed to pry the snake off her arm and moved back into her team; the pain was acute and sending her arm into spasms.

"Such poor manners from my former village, wouldn't you agree? Kabuto-Kun…"

Shino's dread piled as the smirking Med Nin faded into view. This was definitely worst case scenario evolving before his eyes.

"I would like you to bring a message to the ones who lead your village." Orochimaru's words poured like silk; his eyes alight in dark glee, "In time, all my dreams will come true. On that day, the 'Will of Fire' will see its final flames."

Orochimaru cocked his head, his smile even more menacing and his next words sent a chill down their spines. His gaze lingered on Sakura.

"Perhaps you can carry the message…" no sooner had the words left, the floor around Sakura cracked and several large white snakes spilled upwards, surrounding her. She started and looked on in fear. Her limbs froze and she was unable to move; at speed the snakes bore down her, closing ranks despite the efforts from Shino.

Sakura screamed once and closed her eyes…


All appeared silent….

Sakura slowly let go of her tension; she unfurled, hissing at the unceasing pain in her arm and then timidly opened one eye.

She shifted her head slightly and then both eyes opened.

With everything in focus she took better stock; her jaw opened slightly and her eyes widened.

It wasn't really as silent as she thought, although no one was speaking. The air thrummed with violent energy and crackling chakra induced lightning.

Burnt out husks to her right contrasted heavily with cleanly diced white snakes to her left.

A few yards ahead of her in their fuming glory, was Naruto and Sasuke. The burnt orange feel of Naruto's chakra clashed with the dark purple flow of Sasuke's.

Both Nins faced Orochimaru and Kabuto with hostile intent.

Kabuto glanced between Orochimaru and Sasuke, confusion plain on his face. Orochimaru however was unreadable.

"Sasuke, I assume there is a reason for this madness?"

Sasuke cocked his head and smiled coldly; his cursed marks pulsing in the harsh light, "Had you picked any other target I could care less. So I will say this only once; touch her again and Oto will fall, everything you have built I will dedicate my life to destroy. Nothing will be left and not even a memory of you will linger."

"Ohh, you presume much child."

Sasuke kept the smile, however his eyes went even colder. He stepped forwards, closer to the snake Sannin.

"Look me in the eyes Snake; call me a liar….."

No one spoke for a time; no one moved.

Sasuke turned to Team Seven; his gaze lingered on the wounded Sakura, forcing Naruto to step into his line of sight.

"The things I do for you Sakura; please be more mindful in the future." Sasuke turned away from her and began walking off, only to stop and cock his head.

"Naruto, can I trust you with her care? Or do I have to seek an alternative?" He smiled at the fury from his former teammate.

Naruto was absolutely livid. His mission was a complete and utter failure. Their target was still alive; Sasuke was actually walking away under his own power and with Orochimaru and Kabuto present it was suicide to carry on any further.

"Everyone, we are leaving" He gritted out. His canines sharpened and the markings on his face deepened. His hair seemed to glow, causing Kabuto to tense; Orochimaru looked relaxed yet his eyes remained wary.

Sasuke was the only one unconcerned.

"Soon Sasuke" Naruto all but hissed out. The walls around creaked and groaned; spider cracks multiplied rapidly and pieces began to break off and fall, "-soon we will have a reckoning."

"….I wouldn't have it any other way."


Tsunade looked over Team Seven, a perfectly constructed mask over her expressions as the verbal report was narrated.

"Jugo still lives; what's more Orochimaru is now aware that we know of his existence. The chances of getting him will increase in difficulty exponentially." She drawled out.

"Added to that, we have a platoon of Kusagakure Nins dead; fortunately enough they will be found in what's left of Orochimaru's base-" She gave a sharp glare at Naruto at the statement and receive a small nod, "-alluding to the fact that he was involved with their deaths. At which point Kusa will have to issue another hunt on the Snake or otherwise shore up their borders. At best they will reach out to us for assistance in the event he is spotted in their borders again."

"Not the results I had hoped for, but given the circumstances I will take what we have."

"Yes Hokage-Sama." Naruto tried to keep his tone neutral. Tsunade however was very familiar with his impulses; she knew very well how furious Naruto was at the situation, but most of all at himself. Getting Jugo was never going to be easy and given the layout of the Snake's base, it was a wonder they made it inside in the first place.

"Not all missions go well; for everyone we get right, half a dozen may go wrong."

"As you say Hokage-Sama"

She nodded and then stood abruptly, "It is now even more imperative we find out everything about Orochimaru, find out his hidden bases, locations, numbers, everything." She jabbed at the file on her desk "-this is just the beginning of a man-hunt; Orochimaru has lived for far too long, it is time he paid his due to Kami."

"I formally request to be included in any investigations into the Traitor Orochimaru" Naruto immediately stated.

"Denied" Came the sharp reply. Tsunade focused her gaze on him, "Your new mission assignments will be given you in a week's time. Until then I want a formal report on my desk tomorrow morning."

"All of you dismissed." She turned away from them and waited in the silence.

Soon the Elder Council would arrive; she needed to get her thoughts in order.


The sound of flesh thumping flesh echoed; Sasuke gasped in pain and couldn't control his flight. He smacked hard into desk, splintering the wood and sending much of it careening across the room.

Despite this his chuckles only grew louder.

A hand snatched him and yanked him upright and he almost choked on his mirth. His Sharingan traced another fist heading for his face but made no move to avoid the blow.

His head snapped sideways and this time it took sheer force of will to keep from blacking out. Another body blow caught him and he felt a rib snap as he went flying again.

Still, he carried on chuckling. Bleary eyed he struggled to rise, slowly and carefully pushing himself till he finally sat up.

"Are we done already?"

Dark bruises, bloodied teeth and a swollen eye; yet Sasuke still managed a grin. His macabre expression only grew as he caught Orochimaru moving for him again.

"Orochimaru-Sama, it is enough" Kabuto interceded, hoping to calm the fuming Sannin. This affair began almost the minute they stepped into their new home. For more than twenty minutes the Sannin had extracted his pound of flesh from the Uchiha.

And yet, all it seemed to do was amuse the Sharingan wielder and further irritate the Snake; Kabuto rightly feared the Sannin would be pushed so far he would kill the boy in his fit of rage.

Orochimaru still, a hiss sprung free from his lips and his skin seemed to ripple and stretch in places, as though something was crawling just underneath the surface.

"You are not too valuable for destruction Sasuke; I could easily unveil your heritage from your corpse." Orochimaru's rage was palpable.

Sasuke smirked again; the skin around his face bulged and stretched. His mouth became a gaping maw as a hand reached outwards. A head followed, with an arm shortly behind. Much like a snake, Sasuke crawled out of his old skin, mucus and other bodily fluids dripping on the floor.

He winced slightly as he rose to his full height. He rolled his shoulders and arms, flexing his limbs and checking his condition, completely fascinated with his recovery and deliberately ignoring the fuming Sannin.

"That never gets old…." Sasuke murmured as he looked over his hands. Kabuto's eyes flashed with a deliberate warning; Orochimaru continued to seethe. He stepped away from his chief Med-Nin and stalked out of the room.

"Forgive my presumptuousness Orochimaru-Sama-"The snake paused as the barely deferential address and shifted his head slightly to look at the impertinent Uchiha. Sasuke's Sharingan glinted with wicked delight, "-Are you well, I couldn't help but notice that your chakra has diminished, considerably." Sasuke cocked his neck and was rewarded with an audible pop, "Had you really intended I would be in no conscious state; your anger is very real, yet your blows so….soft."

No one spoke; Orochimaru went very still and the air tasted of death. Sasuke's gaze flashed again and his smile even more terrible.

"I am sure it is of no concern, Rest well Lord Orochimaru, Commander of Otogakure"

Half a minute later Orochimaru left. Kabuto stood stock still as his mind tried to comprehend the situation over the last few hours.

"Sasuke" He finally let out, "Have you taken complete leave of all your senses? Do you have any idea of what madness you are playing with? You think your birth right will save you here?"

Kabuto turned to face Sasuke; he froze as the Sharingan spun a myriad deceptions.

Reality held little sway; time and substance were transient concepts; paradoxes and oxymorons created vistas.

Kabuto came back into himself with a powerful gasp; his heart raced and his lungs bellowed in need of air. He was no longer on his feet; his legs trembled as they could no longer support his weight.

Sasuke stood over him. The Uchiha leaned down and Kabuto fought every instinct to flinch away.

"Look me in the eyes Kabuto…"


Sasuke's feet stumbled down the corridor; his chest ached and his body itched. He had no fever but felt hot and cold all over.

Soft dripping disturbed him and wetness across his mouth. He raised his sleeve and wiped the offending fluid. He looked it over and scowled.

Blackish ichor, again from his nose. The rotted stench was familiar and just as unbearable.

He flicked his hand away and carried on forcing through the discomfort.

Soon Itachi, very soon.


A.N. - And that wraps up another chapter. This one has been fun to work on. DJMeyer i hope it was worth the wait; while the combat was a little light between them it wasn't really time for either to throw down. I also wanted this to reflect Naruto's first real mission failure.

I will continue to expand on Sasuke's situation, Naruto's issues with Byakuya and Sakura's dilemma; is it me or did Konoha put all the basket cases together on one team; it's amazing only one defected (technically Sakura would have if Sasuke decided to take her along).

One final question - I am not a huge fan of Karin and Suigetsu. That said Karin's utility is not to be underestimated an i could work with her. Suigetsu...ugh.

So, do i include one, both, or neither? Karin is a more sure thing; Suigetsu I am likely to drop; i will take views into consideration, at this point i'm fleshing out ideas.

only two/three new names i see? Silent Analyst, ramze & Td03? not sure but if you're new then welcome and old hands welcome back. drop a review if you can and i'll see you all on the next chapter.