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Ravens and Foxes
Chapter 6
As soon as he woke up Sasuke knew that he was in trouble. His entire body ached and felt heavy like after an intense battle.
"It must have been whatever was on that needle Orochimaru hit me with. I was careless and let my guard down." He thought to himself in disgust.
The door to his cell opened, a weak light flashing through the opening. Still, it hurt his eyes and temporarily made it so that he couldn't see who was entering.
"My, my, Sasuke. It appears you've yet again overestimated your abilities. Now your body and Uchiha visual prowess will be mine. But don't worry. I'll help you get your much-desired revenge… I too have a score to settle with Itachi" came the sickly-sweet voice of his sensei.
"Let me out of here Orochimaru!" Sasuke snapped viciously, doing his best to look intimidating despite his obvious lack of chakra.
"Sorry, no can do I'm afraid. I know how harsh that temper of yours can be. And you'd give me such trouble if I did. No, I think it's best that you stay here until it's time for my jutsu. Anyway, try not to push yourself too hard to escape. I wouldn't want you dying on me before I get what I desire…"
Sasuke grit his teeth and glared deeply, but otherwise did nothing to respond to his demented teacher. There wasn't anything else he really could do with his current position. Still, in the back of his mind, he was happy. It didn't appear like the snake intended to go after Naruto again. Little did he know, Orochimaru had already sent Kabuto out to find his lost toy.
Naruto packed his things with haste, having finally been given the all clear by the medical unit. Tsunade had forbidden him from going after Sasuke, but there was nothing in the world that could stop him now, not after Itachi had come and given him such an ominous warning.
"And just where do you think you're going squirt?"
"Don't try to stop me, Pervy Sage! I have to save him. Sasuke protected me when he didn't have to and knew that he'd be punished. I can't just leave him there to die!" He responded solidly, fire burning in his deep blue eyes.
"Naruto, I know you care about Sasuke… Maybe you really do love him, I don't know. What I do know is that until we find out who kidnapped you, and end the Akatsuki, it isn't safe for you to go on missions outside the village. Hell, it obviously isn't even safe for you in the village at this point."
"That doesn't matter!"
"Don't be foolish!" Jiraiya roared, his temper flaring in worry. "You're like my son, Naruto. I'd never forgive myself if something happened to you. I already can't forgive myself for not being there when you were taken the first time… please, for once… don't be reckless" he continued, his voice softening.
The blonde turned to look at the picture they'd taken when they'd just became a team. "That photo always reminds me of why I have to save him sensei. He always looked so angry, only occasionally smiling when something would happen on a mission. Those smiles were what made me strive to be better. More than anyone else in the village I wanted him to acknowledge me, to smile because I did something to earn it. Don't you understand? Unless I save him, saving me ultimately means nothing."
Jiraiya stared at his pupil, his determination once again forcing him to trust in the blonde's words. "Alright kid, I'll help you get a real mission from the old lady, but you have to wait for her approval alright? We'll get a team together and find him. I mean really, do you even know where to look without a sensory type?"
Naruto smiled widely, memories of him and Sasuke flashing through his mind.
***Time-Skip: Two Weeks***
The teams spread out and flew through the woods, searching yet another area that they believed Orochimaru might have hidden Sasuke. Everyone but Naruto was starting to believe that the mission was a failure.
Naruto made yet another round of shadow clones to disperse in every direction. He also slipped off, leaving one of the clones with Yamato and Kakashi so that he could continue looking even if they decided to give up.
As he whipped his head back and forth, a familiar face caught his eye. "Kabuto…" he growled lowly, his anger over what had happened temporarily overshadowing his fear.
"Why if it isn't Naruto" the man sneered "and you aren't a clone either are you? What would you be doing running around here by yourself?"
"Shadow clone jutsu!" he yelled in response, quickly creating several clones. Unknown to Kabuto, he secretly told one to hide in the bushes for a sneak attack.
"I have a proposition for you Nine-Tails!" Kabuto said casually, pushing his glasses up his nose as usual. "If you give up and come with me now, I'll take you right to your precious Sasuke…"
Naruto paused for a moment, contemplating what the angle could be. "Why would you do that? It's not like you have any special feelings for me or him… What do you want Kabuto?"
The traitor smiled sinisterly and chuckled. "Lord Orochimaru isn't a fan of the Akatsuki's plan for the world, and if you are captured- which will happen eventually- then all of our hard work with Sasuke will be for nothing. Simply speaking, if we have you then they won't and of course, I'm always happy to do more research on you."
Naruto swallowed hard, the memories of the horrors he'd endured at the hands of the snake and silver-haired shinobi causing his stomach to lurch. Still, though, this man was offering to take him to Sasuke, and that was almost worth the pain he'd be sure to endure.
"What exactly is your plan for me Kabuto?" he finally asked.
"Well, Lord Orochimaru is a very generous man. He's offering to let you stay with Sasuke until the very end. Once we are through with your daily research you can stay in the same cell as him. After all, neither of you will be able to escape, and Sasuke only has about a month left at this point."
Naruto considered his options. Kabuto being in this area didn't mean that Sasuke was too. The snake could have sent him here from anywhere to discuss the proposition, and they'd never find the Raven in time if that as the case.
But if he went through with this, he'd endure more torture from the monsters. Honestly, he wasn't sure he'd be able to withstand it this time. If it wasn't for Sasuke's intervention last time, his will would have broken.
"I'll do it…" he finally answered, dispelling his clones. "Take me to Sasuke right now."
"Naruto! What the fucking hell are you doing here you idiot!?" Sasuke practically bellowed when the blonde was pushed through the door.
All the younger could do was give a guilty smile through the blood and discoloration on his face.
"Aww… Don't be like that Sasuke. Your little toy missed you so much he agreed to come and be our test subject if he only got to stay in this room with you afterward. Show a little gratitude to your sensei…" Orochimaru answered smugly, pulling the door shut as he left.
The Raven's eye twitched in irritation, both at his now ex-sensei and at Naruto. "How could you be so stupid! I got you out of here only to have you come back just a month later?!"
Naruto, who was already on his knees fell forward in exhaustion, his face landing right on his loves lap. "I'm sorry Sasuke… I… I just…"
"Whatever dobe… It's done. We've got to find a way out of here now. You won't be able to last long if they keep torturing you like this." Sasuke answered, gently running his fingers through the blood matted golden locks.
"Hehehe… it seems like you've finally accepted that I've been telling you the truth about my feelings… some good came of this… after all…" Naruto commented quietly, his voice still hoarse from the hours of shouting he'd just finished. He tried lifting himself off his stomach, only to have his shaking arms give out.
Sasuke did his best to catch him but only ended up falling as well. His chakra was too low to even hold up Naruto's deadweight. "Look loser, you don't have to act tough in front of me. I know you can take a hit but rest for now. I need you to be strong again in order for any plan we make to work."
Naruto groaned weakly but nodded, doing his best to help the Raven maneuver him into a more comfortable position.
The two eventually managed to curl up together on the cold, hard floor, their foreheads touching lightly. In the dark, they could barely see each other's faces, but neither minded. It wasn't long before Naruto passed out from exhaustion, leaving the Raven to think.
The elder sighed heavily, but couldn't help smiling sadly. "I guess you really do love me Naruto. If you didn't, you never would have willingly come back to such torment. If it's the last thing I do, I will save you… even if it means that I won't get to avenge my clan."
***Back in the Leaf***
"So, it was you that caused this mess…" Tsunade growled lowly, her golden eyes narrowed in anger.
"Yes, the weakness that has spread throughout the Leaf will soon be purged when I become the rightful Hokage. The naivete that began with the First Hokage will come to an end as well. I, Danzo, will destroy all enemies of Konoha and ensure its survival."
Shizune pulled back her sleeve and prepared for the fight that would ensue. With the mission to retrieve Sasuke in the works, Kakashi and Yamato were away, leaving Tsunade open to an attack, and that was exactly what was occurring.
Danzo had brought several of his most elite Foundation shinobi along with him to kill Tsunade, believing that he would never be able to use the will of the people to achieve his goal. They stared at the Hokage through their anonymity masks, ready to dispose of the one their leader claimed was destroying their beloved village.
"That demon brat will bring nothing but destruction to our home and I did what was necessary to protect us! In time the people of this nation and others will come to see that. Just as they will understand why you had to perish in order for them to be safe. I'm the only one who can do what must be done."
"You'll never touch her!" Shizune shouted, pulling back the strings of her needle weapon.
"Don't Shizune!" Tsunade shouted, standing from her desk with a menacing glare. "Misdirected as they are, these are shinobi of Konoha…. Comrades in arms. I can't condone killing them for doing what they believe is what is best for the village. However," she continued, turning her intense gaze to Danzo "you, who have caused problems for so many, will have your power stripped from you."
The old man laughed coldly, not believing that he could possibly fail at this point. "We will see Slug Queen. Fu, Torune, you two start the attack and use the others as backup. I'm going to remove the seal on my arm for this match. Keep her busy until I am ready."
Tsunade grit her teeth in anger and anticipation. She didn't know what Danzo had up his sleeve, but she knew he was no pushover. "Shizune, go and have everyone evacuated from this area!"
Her faithful servant looked hesitant to leave at first but knew ultimately that was the best option. She'd get any villagers to safety and alert loyal Anbu to help at the same time. Turning quickly, she moved to jump from the room, only to have her path blocked by some of the foundation members.
"You won't get away!" One shouted from behind his mask.
"Oh no," Shizune thought to herself, "I've got to go get help. Milady might be able to handle Danzo alone, but not with all these elite shinobi around helping him. I'm skilled but I'm no match for this many at once either. If we're not careful, we will lose…"
Sweat beads started to fall down the sides of her face as she continued to think of a plan to get out of the room. Meanwhile, the air became thick with chakra stirring from both the Sannin and the other shinobi.
With a mighty crash, the battle began.
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I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Again, sorry for the long wait for the update. I hope you all keep coming back for more!
PLEASE: REVIEW/FOLLOW/FAVORITE it really makes me happy when I get an email from Fanfiction saying someone has done one (especially all) of these things.