Chapter 7

Naruto sprinted after Sasuke, once again wishing that the mentally-five boy also had a five-year-old's body and not his fifteen-year-old one. He was determined to catch him this time however, before anything bad happened. As he ran he conjured up several Kage Bunshin and sent them off in different directions. If he didn't catch Sasuke, one of them was bound to.

The chase continued for what seemed to Naruto like hours. Sasuke just wouldn't tire. One by one, his Kage Bunshin vanished as his body tired and soon only he remained. He'd chased Sasuke through the interior of Konoha now and they were quickly approaching the village outskirts near where the sand siblings had dropped Sasuke off a few days before. "What are you doing?!" Naruto cried. "Just where do you think you're going?"

"I'm going to find someone who really wants to play with me!" Sasuke yelled back, not even slowing his pace. He hurried past the last of the buildings and burst through the tree-line into the forest. Naruto used a fraction of his remaining chakra to give him a burst of speed. He couldn't let Sasuke get away.

He was nearly upon Sasuke, when the boy screamed and skidded to a halt. Naruto stopped as well, wondering what had frightened him. Then he saw it. Orochimaru and Kabuto rested in the low branches of a nearby tree, glaring at their two 'visitors'. "Is that the boy?" Orochimaru asked with a subtle nod in Sasuke's direction. "Is that the boy that will make Itachi come to me?"

Kabuto nodded to his 'master' and leapt out of the tree. He landed before Sasuke without a sound and thrust his hand at the boy. The chakra blast that came with it shocked Sasuke's body into unconsciousness. Sasuke fell limply towards the ground, but again, Kabuto caught him before he made impact. He slung the boy over his shoulder and leapt back into the trees.

"Don't you dare take another step with him," Naruto screamed. He glared up at the two sound ninja who now held the unconscious Sasuke captive. "You leave him alone now, or I'll kill you!"

Kabuto rolled his eyes, and taking advantage of the fact that Orochimaru didn't think of himself as his master, motioned for the Sannin to deal with the yellow-haired nuisance. Orochimaru smirked evilly and licked his lips in anticipation. "I won't let you get in my way, boy!" He hissed. "I'm an avenger! I need this boy to lure Itachi to me. I will not let you stop me from killing my older brother!"

Naruto looked at Orochimaru in complete bewilderment. At least now he knew where Sasuke's fifteen-year-old mind was at. But this was not Sasuke, so he would have no regrets in beating the crap out of the man. He assumed a fighting stance and faced Orochimaru. "Let's go then!"

Orochimaru chuckled. "It's your death, boy!" His tongue shot out of his mouth and bound Naruto's arms to his sides, but not before Naruto conjured two Kage Bunshin. One went around Orochimaru on either side, and because the man's back was to the tree, he was as good as surrounded. Taking note of this, Orochimaru tightened the grip of his tongue around Naruto's body. He would crush the boy.

Naruto coughed as the tongue constricted, slowly cutting off his air supply. "Oh…no…you…don't!" He rasped out. He nodded to his Kage Bunshin and they promptly burst into action. They descended, one on either side, ready to punch the living daylights out of the sound ninja.

With a chuckle, Orochimaru easily dodged them and tightened his tongue one last time. Naruto screamed in anguish before his body burst into a cloud of smoke. From a nearby tree, his actual self laughed at Orochimaru's shocked expression as he slurped his tongue back into his mouth.

"Baka!" Naruto laughed. "Prepare to die!" He leapt to the ground, one of his Kage Bunshin disappearing as he did so. The remaining Kage Bunshin rushed to his side and together they began to create the Rasengan. Within moments a swirling mass of chakra was formed in Naruto's hand. His Kage Bunshin disappeared and he began his mad dash at Orochimaru.

Orochimaru's eyes widened and he tried to dodge, but Naruto's hand still grazed his side. A searing pain shot through him as his flesh tangled and ripped and he screamed loudly. Kabuto, finally realizing that his master needed some sort of assistance, draped Sasuke over a tree branch and leapt to the ground.

Orochimaru had already fallen to the forest floor, clutching at his side and gasping. Naruto was gasping as well, having exhausted all of his usual chakra. Before could call upon any of the Nine-tails' chakra, Kabuto was standing over him, his hands glowing blue. With a lightning-fast strike, Kabuto's hand flashed out and caught Naruto in the head, just above the forehead protector. Naruto immediately slipped into unconsciousness.

Knowing that he boy had an uncanny ability to heal quickly, he picked up Orochimaru under one of his arms and grabbed the still unconscious Sasuke with the other. Then he was gone, leaping away through the shadows of the forest, heading for the Village Hidden in the Sound.