Author Note: Instead of updating on the usual date, I decided to update a day early. My internet is FINALLY fixed, so there shouldn't be any problems now. Oh, and just to let everyone know, this is the second last chapter of Darkside. Yes, that means the next update will be the last and gosh, I'm loving all the awesome reviews you wonderful reviewing-people have given me. Thanks so much! Enjoy!

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Darkside

The face off

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Amidst thick foliage, sticking out like a giant, stood the cave Akatsuki occupied. It had been repaired long since Gaara's abduction– the main area rebuilt without any trouble and their secret project had been hidden even further in the powerful darkness the cave harboured. They were one step away from finishing what they started... Naruto was the key to their success and there was noone who could stop them either.

Except for several ninja from both Suna and Konohagakure.

Gaara faced the tall rock structure, arms crossed painfully across his chest and his wounds flared to life as he began to formulate a plan. They were down one ninja; Kakashi went to find Jiraiya back at Konohagakure, so their numbers were in the negative. Kiba, from what he witnessed during the Chuunin exams, had the right techniques to cut through the cave entrance, but Gaara knew Akatsuki wouldn't warmly welcome anyone.

"This is as far as we go," Gai said, both hands placed on his hips while he stared up at the tall slab of rock preventing their entrance. He studied it for what seemed like an eternity, then pointed to his enthusiastic subordinate. "Lee! Give that wall a lesson it'll remember!"

Fuzzy Eyebrows, as Naruto called him, looked confused for only a few seconds before he obeyed. A swift kick to Akatsuki's door ended up with a large crack bolting down the center of it, surprising Lee, who had previous experience here and knew Akatsuki set up barrier seals; however, this time there were no barriers at all.

"Good work, Lee!"

"Thank you Gai-sensei!"

Neji narrowed his eyes, not out of jealously, but simply because he knew something wasn't right here. Last time, Akatsuki placed seals that were spread out for miles to purposely split everyone apart so they would be ambushed and slaughtered. A trap, no doubt, was probably set up on the other side, but he could see through it without and problem.

Byakugan

Through Akatsuki's large makeshift stone door, Neji saw nothing out of the ordinary, almost as if it was abandoned. He looked further, scanning the thick darkness with his all powerful eyes... there it was! A large, monstrous thing stood tall, nearly touching the roof of the cave and, as Neji looked closer, he discovered what could only be Kisame and Itachi kneeling before the large figure. Naruto was sprawled out in front of the two Akatsuki members, completely unconscious and never once did he move.

"Naruto is in there," he said calmly.

Gaara turned slowly around and merely glanced at Neji, then faced the cave entrance, his sand itching to act out and break through, but Gaara knew he wasn't strong enough to do such a thing. He couldn't let Naruto die, they didn't have anyone powerful enough to bring him back from the dead, and Gaara himself would not be able to rescue his friend alone. He felt so... so... weak.

"Leave the rest to me!" Kiba shouted as he jumped off Akamaru's back (his companion had grown over the years). "Jujin Bushin!" Two gnarled looking Kibas appeared and at the same time they bounded toward Akatsuki's door. "Gatsuuga!"

Gaara jumped out of the way, having stood directly in front of Kiba's target once upon a time, and landed beside his siblings as large chipped-off rocks littered the ground. The redhead watched on with everyone else as Lee's damage multiplied tenfold as Kiba and Akamaru furthered the crack, breaking the solid stone door in half.

"Ha! Alright! Good job, Akamaru!"

Kiba landed in front of his handy work as Akamaru reverted back and they both studied the opening to Akatsuki's cave. The large white dog began to growl fiercely, the hairs standing up on his long back, and his teeth were barred dangerously.

"There's something... really evil inside there," Kiba warned sternly, facing everyone with a serious and concerned look etched upon his face. "Akamaru can sense it. We better hurry."

"Everyone listen up!" Gai's voice boomed in the eerie silence around them. "Proceed with extreme caution! Akatsuki is not something to take lightly. Be prepared for an attack at all times. Nobody leaves until we get Naruto out of there!"

Lee saluted and everyone, including Gaara, nodded in understanding. Sakura took out one of her kunai, as did Shikamaru and Neji– each ninja possessing a strong grasp over their deadly weapon of choice. Gaara, along with Temari and Kankurou, readied themselves, their sharp reflexes which served as a key to winning any battle due to their large weapons. Their tools of trade were not small, sharp objects, but something more.

Kiba took the lead, though Gaara had clearly planned on doing that instead, and directed the group of well skilled ninja into Akatsuki's lair. Darkness engulfed them, dulling their senses, making everyone feel on edge, yet they still pressed on. They were determined to find Naruto.

Gaara let his sand snake out, ahead of Kiba, and searched for anything that might be dangerous to them; however, the sand found nothing.

Neji used his Byakugan to scope out his surroundings while those with no guidance in the dark scrambled around, hoping they didn't run into anything nasty. The Hyuuga stopped abruptly, just as Itachi and Kisame came into view as Lee nearly knocked him over.

"Stop," he hissed. Everyone fell silent.

"It's about time you get this finished," a deep voice not recognizable to anyone present snaked up the walls of the cave. Sakura shivered at how brutal and cold it sounded. Whoever or whatever that voice belonged to, it was a thing of terrible power.

As everyone slowly inched closer to where Naruto was being kept, small tendrils of light seeped through cracks in the ceiling, allowing the hidden ninja to see what lay before them. A large, beastly lifeless creature towered over Itachi and Kisame. At the base of it lay Naruto, oblivious as to what was happening, his eyes shut loosely.

"You better do this right, I'll be back later," the voice said coldly.

Itachi and Kisame sat down, cross-legged, and formed hand seals from inside their long, colourful coats as a deafening silence fell upon the entire cave. Soft green light formed around Naruto and his eyes shot open, the silence shattering like fragile glass.

"Ahhhhhhh! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

Gaara felt his nails dig into the palms of his hands numbly, the sand never once preventing him from doing so, and soon he was able to feel droplets of blood pool into his palm where it then slowly dripped onto the cold floor. He couldn't stand watching this.

Why wasn't anyone doing something?

Temari turned to Gaara, but he wasn't there. She squinted her eyes, panic rising tremendously from inside of her, and found him running towards both Akatsuki members without a care, his sand swirling around him like a tornado.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!"

Naruto's screaming echoed through Gaara's head, muffling out the sound of his blood pounding in his ears. He wanted to kill those men for what they were doing, it wasn't right and Naruto didn't deserve to have such a painful thing happen to him.

Itachi held his hand formation, never moving an inch, and simply turned his head as Gaara charged toward him. He blinked one and within seconds his crimson eyes were revealed. Gaara froze immediately afterwards, mid-step, his entire body paralyzed as Itachi's Sharingan trapped him within its incredible and deadly power.

"Gaara!" Temari and Kankurou yelled in union.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhh!"

Naruto's screams sounded less and less painful. Gaara could barely hear anything now, he felt like he was being pulled from his body slowly, as if on purpose. Pain snaked through him, starting from his temples. It was crippling and he couldn't move to stop it. Itachi moved to the left, revealing Naruto, so that Gaara witnessed the life– and Kyuubi– being drained from the blond's injured body.

"It looks like the little runt can't be helped, how sad," Kisame remarked, still concentrated on his work. He suddenly jumped backwards, as did Itachi, breaking their spell on Naruto.

Kunai rained down where both Akatsuki members had once sat, each aimed expertly, and would have killed them had they been any other ninja. The green flow surrounding Naruto evaporated, his screaming completely stopped. Gaara was freed from his frozen state and fell down, his entire body shaking uncontrollably– he couldn't move, no matter how hard he tried.

Itachi looked up at the ceiling, his unemotional eyes scanning the darkness. He ignored several of the ninja– Lee, Neji, and Kiba– that ran at him and, in mere seconds, he emptied his hands of multiple shuriken that had been hidden under his long sleeves. A figure fell down, hidden in the darkness, turning into a finely cut log. The ninja up there were toying with him.

Temari and Kankurou ran for their younger sibling but were fended off by Kisame, his deadly sword nearly turning them into small bite sized pieces. They jumped backwards, where Shikamaru analyzed their situation and not too long after, the ninja whom charged Itachi appeared, uninjured but out of breath.

Realizing no attacks would be made by their hidden assailants, Itachi swiftly moved to grab Naruto as a hostage, but before he even had a chance to turn the tables, a whirl of leaves appeared. Someone jumped down from behind him, putting Itachi in a somewhat difficult position. It bothered him not, he could handle anything.

Jiraiya shielded Naruto, his eyes narrowed to small slits. He was prepared to face these most well known and dangerous opponents. Kakashi took out one of his kunai, holding it in front of him, and revealed his hidden eye. They weren't going to let Akatsuki get off so easily, especially with Itachi and Kisame around.

It was time to put an end to this.

Continued in chapter 19, the last chapter of Darkside!