A/N:Chapter Four was a late one. Sorry peeps!:P
Naruto Shippuuden: New Enemies, Old Friends
Chapter Four: Deceived and Hateful
Naruto looked down at his hands with disdain. What had happened to him out there? Why did he let the Kyuubi take over him so easily? Was it his hate towards Jiraiya's deception? Or was it the torment of being shunned by the villagers that drew him to murder his second mentor? Naruto's fingers were stained with dry blood, the blood of the old Sannin. He closed his eyes and felt a few tears from his eyes land on his blood-stained hands. He was sorry. Sorry about letting the monstrous demon within him take over so easily, and allied itself with Pein. All he could do now was to wait for his uncle to come in to the room and lead him to the cells, where he had the choice of letting them go, or killing them all on the spot. He cursed under his breath, extremely guilty about what had happened. He wondered if he would ever get any guiltier than this, now that his only friend that knew his father well had gone. "It's my entire fault," breathed Naruto sadly. Pein entered the room, with no sign of remorse on his face. He stopped in front of his nephew and drawled, "The Kyuubi has retreated, I see. Well, young nephew, it is time to meet your friends." Naruto looked up at Pein and stood up without a word. Confusion tore through him as he descended the stairs to the cells.
Pein stopped at the bottom of the stairs and turned to Naruto. "Go along and see them, then come back and tell me whether their freedom is deserved or not," offered Pein with a fatherly tone. "We're family, Naruto. Make your choice properly and carefully." The blonde sighed and walked deeper and deeper into the prison, his anxiousness getting the better of him with every step he took. What would he say to them? That he had turned on his home village and had joined Pein, joined the Akatsuki? He felt like he had no choice, the warm feeling told him that he was finally happy with his only living relative. He could not betray his father's brother, now could he? "Naruto!" gasped Sakura as she made her way to the front. Naruto gazed at her with sad eyes and looked away, ashamed of himself. "Naruto, he let you come down here, didn't he?! Help us!" continued Sakura, almost breathless. Naruto frowned and did not respond to Sakura's plead, when suddenly Kakashi intervened. "You killed him, didn't you?" Kakashi's voice was laced with pure anger and disappointment. Naruto lowered his head and uttered a single word, "Yes." The rest of the shinobi looked from Naruto to Kakashi with confusion and curiosity.
"How could you?" growled Kakashi. "How could you kill the man that taught you your father's skills?" Naruto looked up and glowered at Kakashi, his eyes filled with hate and anger, which concealed his sadness from within. He approached the bars and grabbed one of them tightly and growled back at Kakashi with just as much anger, "He lied to me. He deceived me! You even knew about my father, didn't you?! Why didn't you tell me?!" Naruto glared at Kakashi with his blue eyes, the ones that he had inherited from Minato. "You were, I'll be frank with you, too young, Naruto!" retorted the silver-haired Copy Ninja. "You would have been confused and angry at the same time, like you are now! Don't you even understand why we kept this from you? It was to prevent you from hating this village ultimately! It was to prevent you from hating Minato-sensei … and others who didn't save him from his untimely death!" Naruto looked straight into Kakashi's eye and hissed, "I hate you."
Sakura and the others were taken aback; Naruto had never argued this intensely with Kakashi before, and it scared them. "I was scarred for life when I realized that the damned Kyuubi was inside me. I was afraid, alone and isolated!" roared Naruto. "It is my right to despise him for sealing this accursed demon within ME!!"
"You don't know how he felt when he did it!"
"Sure I don't!!"
"Then why don't you just try and understand?!"
"Because his brother treats me better than Minatowill ever treat me!!"
Kakashi gasped. Naruto had said his name with much contempt and hate in his voice. It just was not the Uzumaki Naruto he knew. It was the Kyuubi. It was affecting his mood and behavior. "I don't care what you say; I'm not going to listen any further!!" growled Naruto angrily; his hate had gotten the better of him. And with that, the Uzumaki stormed off in anger, back towards his uncle who was waiting for him patiently at the bottom of the stairs. "Have you made your choice, Naruto?" asked Pein, emotionless. Naruto nodded and folded his arms. "I want to let them go, but … not without the reassurance that you will target Konoha for destruction, sooner or later," demanded the Jinchuuriki. Pein smirked at the corner of his lip and nodded with his eyes closed. "I will, of course," answered Pein.
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Five days later…
Sasuke sighed and sat down on the large boulder. He had just recently discovered the location of the Akatsuki from a merchant that Team Snake had come across, overhearing him talking about the Akatsuki. Shaking his head, Sasuke knew that Itachi would be hard to get to, considering the fact that there were many strong members awaiting him. He glanced at Suigetsu, Juugo and Karin and said, "Let's continue." The three nodded and followed him on the path that lay ahead leading to the Rain Village.
Suddenly, among the trees and bushes, they heard a few snapping of branches and footsteps. "Who's there?" asked Sasuke, drawing his sword, at the ready with the three behind him.
"Sasuke-kun?!" called a voice which Sasuke knew too well. Haruno Sakura.
TBC
I know this is a short chapter but I just love cliffhangers!!
I promise the next chapter will be longer ... way longer :D