AN: Well, that was somewhat quick :). Anyways, I understand that some characters may be OOC- but hey, it's fanfiction for a reason, yeah? I just wanted to use this chapter as a set up for future situations as a way to provide motive and such. I apologize if you don't like foul language- I feel Suigetsu and Karin are kind of foul-mouthed though so... As for the reaction at the end of the chapter, I really don't believe that person would stand for the killing of innocents, specifically children. Well, I hope you enjoy! Next chapter will be up ASAP, most likely some time during spring break- not this weekend as I'm at the wrong house for writing fics (unfortunately). Thank you so much to those of you that favourited, reviewed, and alerted- I had no idea this would be such a popular plot. Thanks again! Any questions, feel free to ask.
Khaneis.
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto or Open Your Eyes. Open Your Eyes- Alter Bridge
It's hard to walk this path alone,
Hard to know which way to go.
Will I ever save this day?
Will it ever change?
Sasuke cleaned under his fingernails with a kunai while Juugo prepared the firepit for lighting. Sasuke was bored. As soon as he had heard Pein was attacking Konoha he had gathered his able forces, Juugo, and set off immediately. He had left Karin with strict instructions for Suigetsu and her to join them as soon as Suigetsu was able. He never realised how quiet it was without them. He was used to their good-natured bickering, it was Team 7 all over again.
Sasuke leaned back against a tree. They had joined Akatsuki temporarily, yes, but Sasuke hadn't felt comfortable with it. Then that ass Pein had to go after Naruto and Konoha. Sasuke would be damned if Pein destroyed Konoha before he could kill those responsible for his clan's death. That was why they were here, Juugo and him that was, they were hoping to intercept Pein before he did something stupid. Sasuke frowned. Team Hawk's defeat at the Eight Tailed Beast's hands didn't impress him. They had had him! Why hadn't he checked, made sure? It was in the past now at least.
"Ready Sasuke," Juugo stepped back from the fire as Sasuke made the seals necessary for him to breathe fire. As the dry branches caught a concussion ripped through the air.
Sasuke darted to his feet while Juugo took up a position at his back, "What was that?" Smoke was rising in the distance and the two missing nin could hear the faint sounds of screaming. "Come on" Sasuke leapt into the trees, Juugo steps behind him. He adjusted his course so he was heading for Hokage Mountain, it was the best viewpoint around. He just hoped Pein wasn't causing too much havoc to Konoha, that was Sasuke's job.
"I swear Naruto, if you get us lost one more time I'm pummelling you into the ground." Sakura growled, she would have sworn that they had passed through the same clearing five times. Kakashi winced, but couldn't help agreeing with her, Naruto's sense of direction was atrocious.
"We're not being affected by genjutsu are we?" Kakashi activated his Sharingan and looked around quickly.
"I see no traces of genjutsu around here. I do smell fire though."
"Considering that Konoha is burning I'd say that that's a brilliant observation" Naruto snapped.
"Naruto! We have all been through hell today, if we could just cooperate with one another instead of fighting," Sakura sighed, "I'll take point, we have to get out of here soon. Danzo's probably sent assassins to round up the runners." Sakura moved to stand beside Naruto and studied the trees around them. She felt her eye twitch, the trees all looked the same, there seemed to be no best route. "Kakashi?"
Kakashi looked up at her with amused eyes.
"Are you sure we're not under any genjutsu?" She muttered. Naruto stared at her then sniffed. He stopped a moment, blinked, and sniffed again.
"I really do smell fire. I think it's up ahead." The three of them looked at one another. Should they go towards the fire? It could be enemies, or friends. It could also be Konoha itself, meaning they would have made no progress except for moving in circles. "I feel a familiar chakra too, I'm not sure who it is though." That decided it.
"We'll go slowly, and be wary." Kakashi directed as Naruto took point once again.
The three ran silently through the trees and hid upon finding a small clearing. There was no evidence that anyone had been there except for the still smoking branches of a small firepit. Team 7 warily circled the clearing, checking for traps. Naruto crouched, facing the smoking fire.
"Whoever it was, we just missed them."
"Question is, do we wait or not?" Sakura gave a quick glance around, "And what could have made ninjas leave so quickly as to fail to clear a campsite?" The two other nin stiffened. That was a good point.
"So, you think we should just leave?" Naruto pouted, he had been hoping there would be survivors of Konoha. Maybe they left so quickly because they thought Team 7 was an ANBU squad.
"I don't think we should take the chance. Even if it were an ally, they would not come back to a site that could possibly have been discovered." Kakashi glared at the smoke from the pit and looked at the sky where the smoke from Konoha was still highly visible, shuddering he realised they could no longer hear the screams of the village. Hopefully the slaughter was over, and Kakashi hoped against all hope that there were other survivors. They would need allies in the times ahead.
A branch snapped as heavy footfalls were heard. The team looked up in a panic and frantically found hiding spots. It wouldn't be good to be seen by whoever was coming. They were just glad they had thought ahead and hid their chakra signatures to avoid ANBU detection.
"Karin! We're in the middle of fucking nowhere! I swear , we've passed that tree like a hundred times." Suigetsu stabbed his finger towards a random tree, glaring at Karin.
"Suigetsu, you idiot, we're in the middle of a fucking forest! All trees look the same!" Karin looked around the small clearing they had found, moving her cloak, "Damn these things are hot!"
"Sure they're not the only thing you think is hot" muttered Suigetsu, Karin replied with a glare.
"They were here, see the branches smoking?"
"I'm pretty sure that's mist." Karin gave Suigetsu a flat look before deftly cuffing his head. Suigetsu yelped.
"Listen, idiot, if you hadn't gotten hurt in our last battle, then we wouldn't be in this situation." Karin became quieter, a worried look taking over her face.
Suigetsu looked over in surprise at the silence and opened his mouth to fill it, he stopped when he saw Karin's teary eyes. He swallowed and opened his mouth again, "What is it?" he asked gruffly, trying not to seem overly concerned.
Karin looked up, meeting his eyes. " We all almost died. Sasuke almost died twice, if it weren't for Juugo and I he would be dead. You almost died, you were just a puddle by the end. I almost died, if Sasuke hadn't extinguished those flames when he did…" Karin shuddered. "I never realised just how much we depend on each other. If any one of us hadn't performed to the best of our abilities that day, we would not have survived." Karin's voice faded to silence as the two nins remembered the deadly battle.
Suigetsu sighed, "Are you sure we're not lost?" Karin smiled before turning and punching his shoulder.
"I'm sure that they were here, I don't know why they'd leave though." The two nin looked up at the sky.
"Hey! Is that smoke?" Suigetsu glared into the sky.
Karin's eyes followed his to where smoke billowed. "That is definitely smoke"
"Konoha?" Karin's eyes widened and the two nin looked at each other in shock, "Pein must have burnt it down looking for the Nine-Tails."
"I don't think he would have, that's way too much smoke for just him at least. And I'm sure he wouldn't waste time burning the place." Karin frowned, "That must have been why they left so quickly."
Suigetsu smirked, "I'd love to see Sasuke rip into Pein for destroying it himself. And Madara, man is he going to be pissed."
"We should catch up with them, they should be close to Konoha by now. Do you need any time to recover?" Suigetsu raised an eyebrow at Karin,
"I'm not a fucking weakling like you, bitch."
"Idiot." The two members of Team Hawk began running towards Konoha, bickering the entire way. The three ninja hiding in the surrounding area looked into the empty clearing in shock. They had been so close to finding Sasuke! The most important question running through all of their minds though was, why was Team Snake wearing Akatsuki robes?
Sasuke and Juugo had spent most of their journey to Konoha avoiding ANBU squads. It surprised Sasuke, he had never seen so much ANBU activity, even after his family's massacre. They finally arrived at the tope of Hokage Mountain. Sasuke felt his mouth drop open in shock, next to him Juugo was in a similar state of disbelief.
"What the hell happened here?" Sasuke stared out at the carnage, where they stood he could taste the blood. He felt his heart twinge, what it was he didn't know. What Sasuke did know was that he was as mad as hell.
"This is unbelievable" Juugo looked down on the smoking village. There were no traces of Pein, but there was a lot of ninja activity in the streets. "I think we should leave, something doesn't feel right."
"This, this isn't right. It wasn't supposed to be like this." Sasuke was still staring in horror at Konoha, he never would have thought he felt so strongly for the village he had sworn to destroy. He could see the dead bodies of children down in the village's streets, he could see whole families. He would kill whoever had done this. Do not kill innocents was his only creed, and someone had severely abused it. That someone will pay in blood when I find them, thought Sasuke as he watched a child walk out of a house, crying and covered in blood, to an ANBU, only to be stabbed after a short exchange. Sasuke could feel the nausea sweeping through him. Even in his wildest imaginings for revenge he had never pictured something like this, he would never have killed a child in cold blood. He had morals that couldn't be crossed. Oh yes, whoever had done this would pay, Sasuke had a new mission for Team Hawk. They would avenge the children and innocent dead of Konoha, or die trying. A single tear ran down Sasuke's porcelain-white cheek as he stared at the dead child; he just knew the elders were involved somehow, and if avenging Itachi meant avenging Konoha, so be it, he would do it.