Continued Rivalries II

"That takes care of that one."

A gust of wind ruffled Sasuke's hair as he observed the Avatar Shinobi fall. From what he heard from Asura and the others, he had expected the Dragon Avatar to last much longer. Losing interest in the aforementioned character, he turned away and walked away from the broken ledge. He twirled the Kusanagi katana a bit before returning it to its sheath. He sighed as he ran his hand through his hair. Now the only one to take of is –

"Sasuke!"

- is him.

Sasuke turned to face him. He saw that he had already left Sakura's side and is a few feet away from her. The blond had a grim expression on his face, both hands curled into fists, and every bit of him spells out 'seriousness.' That reminded Sasuke of before: whenever that idiot is like that, he always thought that he was just being stubborn or plain stupid. Given the situation, 'wanting to die' would suit that idiot better that the first two.

Swaying those thoughts aside, Sasuke reminded himself that these memories from before were no longer important to him. Other than revenge everything else – past memories, bonds with other, friendship – are nothing to him now. He doesn't waste time dwelling on these, the psychological training – or should he call it torture – of Orochimaru made sure of that.

So why is he starting now?

"Naruto…" he said.

The blond bellowed again, "Did you do this to Sakura-chan, Sasuke? Without turning his back, Naruto gestured over to where the cherry blossom is.

"And what if I did?" Sasuke answered back.

"Then, you owe me – no, us – an explanation." Was the reply.

"Hmph." Sasuke crossed his arms. "I owe you nothing."

He saw that his former teammate got irked by that last comment and was at a lost for words. That idiot was always an easy read.

Naruto got into a battle stance: feet apart, and his hands making the seal for the Shadow Clone Jutsu. Sasuke just lazily cocked his head to the side.

'Isn't that getting old?" he thought.

"Shadow Clones!!" Twenty-one clones appeared around Naruto, all of them having bearing the feral expression of a beast. The blond gave them the signal and they charged towards Sasuke.

"Only twenty of them are coming," Sasuke thought as he analyzed the situation. "He's probably using the last one to assist him powering up the Rasengan. I'll deal with that after I take care of the clones."

He assumed his own battle stance: left leg slightly bent forward while the right is slightly bent behind him, his right hand clutching the Kusanagi while his left was ready to grip the hilt.

The Clones were almost upon him when Sasuke drew the blade –

"Ouroburos: Massacre Storm!"

- a split second later, Sasuke was facing the opposite direction with the Kusanagi drawn. The hiss of wind and fast-moving steel can be heard, and all twenty clones disappeared in a puff of smoke but not without receiving multiple cuts and sword wounds.

"And here he comes." Sasuke straightened himself up and, while still holding Kusanagi, stabbed deep into Naruto's midsection. Apparently, Naruto had tried to attack him with the Rasengan after his clones dissipated, using the smokescreen as cover. Too bad, the idiot's plan failed.

Strangely, the smoke that appeared after the slaying of the Shadow Clones seemed to have lasted longer in this particular situation. The blond figure in front of him winced for a while as the Rasengan in his right hand disappeared, but he later sneered and chuckled for a bit coughing up blood in the process.

Sasuke was surprised by this.

Naruto raised his eyes to the raven-haired shinobi's level and muttered something that sounded like, "Got you."

Sasuke sensed movement to his right and felt a bit of pain and surprise as a bone-shattering kick connected with his right cheek. The force not only hurt him but forced him to his left and made him lose his grip on Kusanagi.

Naruto coughed up again and almost vomited out blood before disappearing. The blade that stabbed him dropped to the ground. Sasuke noticed that there was not a speck of blood on the sword's gleaming blade.

What? Sasuke thought. The one I stabbed was the last Shadow Clone! He was a step ahead of me!

But even as he recovered from the shock of the blow he had just received, he was still unprepared as the real Naruto emerged from the smoke and assailed him with a flurry of kicks. He managed to get nailed four – or five – times before regaining his composure.

"How about this!" he heard Naruto say. "Body Flicker!" And the blond let loose once more a flurry of kicks – mostly sidekicks and roundhouses - but this time with a speed that was so unlike him.

"He's grown fast." Sasuke thought, he had to step back a few times to dodge some hits. "But he's not the only one."

Sure enough, he managed to avoid most of the blows and only getting hit three or four times. But over the barrage of melee attacks, Sasuke saw the reason why the blond is only using kicks: he was using both hands to hold a Rasengan.

"Damn!" Sasuke knows the overwhelming damage and force a Rasengan can deliver, and he definitely doesn't want to be the crash-test dummy for this one. As the kicking onslaught came to a close and Naruto started to lunge the Rasengan towards him, Sasuke, using the same speed to deflect Naruto's kicks, performed the seals.

"Chidori Nagashi! (Thousand Birds Current)"

Blue and white Chakra that resembles lightning had started flowing from his hands and had spread out through his entire body, protecting him from the Rasengan's onslaught. Sparks flew and an ear-bleeding screech can be heard as lightning-element-induced chakra came in contact with the grinding force of the Rasengan, causing the former to lose some of its energy and the latter to explode seconds after contact. The aforementioned blast blew both fighters to go flying and tumbling to opposite sides of the roof where they lie dazed and bruised –

- or at least one of them did.

During his stay at Otogakure, Sasuke had improved the art of the Lightning Edge to the point that he can perform up to five or six a day. And from there, he had taken the art to new heights where the electrifying chakra can be applied to his entire body. And add that with his training of inducing his chakra to the lightning element, he already have the means to generate power equal to that of a massive lightning storm.

Despite Chidori Nagashi's electrical protection, it did little good to withstand the effect of the blast. Its defense is almost as good as any armor, as most of his sparring partners in Otokagure had attested: it can lessen the effect of chakra-based attacks and can even deflect most physical attacks – but in this case, the force of the Rasengan explosion proved too much for it and managed to knock him off balance. Regardless, Sasuke managed to get back on his feet even though his new jutsu was already fizzing out on him.

Through the light smoke that was caused by the meeting of their jutsus, Sasuke could make out the silhouette of his opponent getting up.

Damn it! Sasuke thought. He's still standing?

While the Chidori already takes huge amounts of chakra just to perform, it takes even more to execute and maintain its advanced form. And even though Sasuke has enough chakra to spare courtesy to his cursed seal, he doesn't want to use that yet.

But as he felt an all too familiar heat resonating from his opponent, Sasuke realized that he might need the cursed seal after all.

This doesn't look good.

The kitsune demon watched with interest, using an ocular ability that allows him to see through the eyes of his vessel, the battle that is unfolding outside his prison.

"To think we would go up against one of Madara's blood…"

Using another of his powers, the same one that allowed the kit to enter his realm when he was pushed down the cliff years ago, he summoned the consciousness of the boy in front of his cage.

The boy groaned from the pain from his body, probably from the result from the collision of their jutsus during the battle. The sealed demon stared at the writhing body of the boy double in pain again before he recovered and looked back at him with an even stare.

"What do you want now?"

"I have a proposition." The fox quickly stated, being right to the point. If the kit is to survive this ordeal, then he definitely needs the demon's assistance.

"I thought we already established that you lend me your chakra…"

"Not that." The fox seethed impatiently, breathing out through his fangs. "You cannot survive this onslaught on your own, even with my lending you my powers. There is also the possibility of you… overindulging yourself again… And to top that we have a casualty." Referring to the Cherry Blossom.

"Your point being?" the boy was getting impatient as well.

The fox had to calm itself down before speaking again. "Kit, it's time to use 'that' jutsu."

Realization finally dawned on the boy, but it was quickly replaced by suspicion.

"I'll be a good boy, alright?" The fox pleaded. Apparently, longtime isolation had fried the kisune's brains. Its pathetic choice of words only served to make him more pitiful. Kyuubi, the King of Beasts, begging like a puppy trying to convince its owner to take it for a walk.

But, hell, it was desperate!

"Fine," the boy finally conceded. "If Kurogane can do it with Tasogare, then so can we."

Hearing that, the ends of thekitsune's lips drew upward revealing more fangs. A predatory gesture that is almost akin to a smile.

"But I'm keeping you on a short leash, fox."

"Fine with me, kit." And the demon opened its maw, vomiting out massive volumes of its chakra. It rushed out and flooded through the bars of its prison, pervading the entire area with its crimson color. Kyuubi watched the boy being overwhelmed by the flood of fire. But deluge didn't stop there, even after sweeping the boy away in its torrents the flood overflowed outwards from the room.

Out to the outside world.

Having experienced Naruto's 'true' power before, Sasuke knew what to expect.

He had already activated his Sharingan and stood at the ready. If Naruto is already drawing tat red chakra, then Sasuke will have to finish him off with something quick. Preferably something lethal. But before he can make any move, Naruto, if it was possible to describe it, erupted.

Despite the blinding heat, Sasuke kept his eye on his quarry. Naruto looked like he was about to vomit and had doubled over. Then he had his hands grasping around his stomach area, almost as if trying to contain something. Then he was enveloped in flames.

There was a bulge underneath the blond's black shirt that appeared when he let go of his midsection. Then it began writhing, like something was trying to get out. Sasuke could discern the shape of a mouth and fangs rifting through the fabric before it tore a hole in the shirt.

What Sasuke saw next stunned him to the bone.

Two eyes.

Two urning red eyes anda carnivorous maw, budged through the gaping hole. Even trhough the blinding heat, Sasuke could see the formation of something distinct within the flames. It was somehow akin to a wolf or a fox's head. Despite it is also made of fire, it had a much darker color and a tinge of orange that made it stand out from fires that surrounded it. The lazing animal-like figure moved forward and the rest of the body followed. A pair of front legs materialized and it ignited the floor beneath it as it made contact. Hind legs followed respectively and all four limbs kindled the area around it. The last to come out were a set of nine billowing tales. Then it rumbled with something that could have been laughter.

It was much hotter now and Sasuke was almost at the mercy of the flaming beast.

Almost.

Having no other choice, Sasuke activated the first level Cursed Heaven Seal and felt the marks flow across the skin on his neck and face, along with a surge of reserve chakra across his enervated being. He noticed the Kusanagi nearby and picked it up. Electricity surged across his body once more, reaching even the Kusanagi and granting it the element of lightning. Seems that the activation of the cursed seal had also stimulated the fuzzed out Chidori Nagashi and his new armor seemed to protect him from the blistering heat to some degree.

He took one more look at his prey.

If the rumors Orochimaru and Asura had told him were true, then he knew exactly who it was standing before him smoldering half the area. And he knew what was coming next. A certain phrase flitted across his mind as he readied himself for battle. And the thought of it made him snicker ridiculously because it would ultimately describe the upcoming round.

"ALL HELL BREAKS LOOSE."

Sorry if I took too long to update, been busy.

There are some things that I wanted to add in my story but there some change of plans when Naruto II came up. I wanted my story to fit with the canon Naruto storyline so I had to revise. The introduction of the Chidori Nagashi, Sasuke's Kusanagi blade, and the mysterious Uchiha Madara are also made here. But I made some changes with them, particularly the Kusanagi which I made to take the form of the traditional katana.

Also, if the statement Naruto said aout 'Kurogane and Tasogare being able to do it' confuses you, you'll get the idea in the next chapter.

And yes, I revised thdamn chapter. I wasn't satisfied with the last version.

LEXICON:

Ouroboros: Massacre Storm

The Ouroborus takes the form of a serpent or dragon swallowing its tail and forming a circle. This symbol can also be attributed to Orochimaru, whose name means "monstrous snake" and "circle."

I wanted Sasuke to have a fighting style that invloved the Kusanagi, something with a name that fits with his alliance with the snake-sannin. And Ouroborus was it. And the analogy between the symbol and Orochimaru's namesake also works.

The Massacre Storm attack is... pretty much self explanatory. It is an attack that can reach over an area (at least 3 to 6 feet away). Though it resembles multiple 'tornado cuts' it actually involved getting into the fray and swipe at anything that moves. The only reason why when Sasuke used it and defeated twenty Shadow Clone in a blink of an eye is because of his improved speed.

Chidori Nagashi

Those who already read Naruto II will recognize this as Sasuke's improved Chidori jutsu.