Chapter Twenty: Kyuubi Dawn
There was immediate pain as he floated into consciousness and he ignored it, at the moment he knew only a burning anger. That and the feeling of defeat overwhelmed him, the feeling of being weak.
He clenched his fist and ran out of the building.
o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o
"What do you have in mind?"
"Kyuubi," Naruto said, his words soft. Itachi shrugged.
"Do as you will. Just don't get us killed."
Naruto's eyes became unfocused as red chakra surrounded him.
"I have nothing to loose and the world to gain," Naruto said grimly, "if we get away." It went unspoken between the two that Itachi could leave without Naruto, and Naruto could escape as well, unscathed. There was a short silence as Naruto concentrated and the red chakra continued to get larger around him in tentative wisps.
"What is it that you want to prove?" Itachi questioned him.
"I want to show them all, that I am worthy to be a shinobi of Konoha. That I don't need the hitai-ate leaf headband, even thought its what I came for," Naruto said not daring to meet Itachi's eyes.
"A fools errand," Itachi spoke and continued to speak before Naruto was able to protest, "but one I shall help you in."
Naruto grinned as the red chakra swept past Itachi.
o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o
Kakashi doubled his speed, but even so Yuuki caught up with him with little difficulty.
He raised an eyebrow in surprise as he saw that she was alone.
"They'll come, they're a few minutes behind," were her only words. Kakashi nodded in comprehension.
"The Hokage has ordered me to protect the boy," Kakashi said. He felt her stiffen slightly besides him but just as quickly she relaxed. He noticed that she no longer wore her mask and that her beautiful pale face looked tired and more mortal then he had ever seen it before. "We cannot hope to win against Itachi. The best we can hope for without a team is to retrieve the boy."
"I'll take care of the other one, Itachi, we have a score to settle," Yuuki said, "but watch Naruto. Keep him away from me. He promised to kill me the next time he saw me." Kakashi couldn't imagine that from the boy, but only Kami knew what Itachi had warped the boy into.
"Understood," Kakashi said, "but with your wounded wrist I don't think you stand a chance." He saw her right eye twitch in irritation at her wound being discovered.
"But Kakashi dear. What he can't catch he can't hit, and what he cant hit he cant kill," she said her face breaking into a wide grin too big for her face, "so all I have to do is move fast, not look into his eyes, and try my hardest not to get killed. All so simple a Gennin could follow those instructions." She gave a short laugh filled with true mirth.
Kakashi sighed in slight annoyance, "you always had a warped sense of humor Yuuki."
"You say the sweetest things sometimes," she with a sugary smile. Personally Kakashi thought her more then a little insane then any shinobi had a right to be but he said nothing as he heard the resignation in her voice. This one not only expected to die in battle, she knew she would and few shinobi were blessed, or cursed depending on your point of view, with the knowledge of their death.
"I'll try my best," Kakashi said. "Just remember Yuuki that if you try to harm the boy, I will have to kill you. And with the wounds you are sustaining... well you get the point. You might have been the personal guard to the Hokage, but I was his student," Kakashi said in quiet tones, "nothing against you though." She looked at him with a wide-eyed gaze and grinned. She nodded.
"You even have my permission to do so," she said, her voice serious and distant. "There they are," Yuuki said pointing, "lets go."
o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o
Tsubasa's eyes scanned around the house as she clung to the walls. Her steps were light and calculated, and besides she was used to sneaking around. She looked around for a bit and saw no one that could stop her from leaving, she grinned as she created a Shadow Clone and sent it to run around the house. She removed her coat since it was too bulky to move in for what she wanted to do. She had also long ago removed necklace in a more secure place.
She stopped at the door and listened, she heard nothing so she opened the door ever so slowly. Her heart skipped a beat as it creaked; she rolled her eyes, thought for a second or two, shrugged, and dashed out the door, slamming it behind her.
Excitement rippled thorough her skin and she gave a tiny squeal of delight and immediately corrected herself by scowling deeply. She did not look the happy little kunoichi she was.
She was puzzled when she got to Naruto's apartment and the door was wide opened. She was about to go in and see what the matter was when she saw Sasuke heading straight at her. He was discarding a scarf and coat he wore as he moved with an angry look toward her, no, not toward her, more like by her.
She gave a puzzled frown as she saw the angry look on his face.
He was about to rush past her when she extended her hand out grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. Causing him to fall down harshly onto the floor. He gave an angry growl at her, but she did her best to keep him down. He quieted down when she put her finger on his neck, now he knew she meant business. He was no fool and knew what the Hyuuga's specialized in.
"Don't make me block up your chakra points Sasuke-kun," Tsubasa said dangerously, "trust me, I know enough to weaken you considerably. Now explain." Tsubasa continued to put her hand lightly on his chest, applying just enough pressure to keep him down.
"It's none of your business, now let me get up," Sasuke said venomously.
"Where's Naruto?" Tsubasa asked calmly, "I wanted to show him something."
Sasuke grinned, Tsubasa faltered as she saw that, there was something very wrong with that smile. Sasuke took the opportunity to kick up toward her face. She blocked it by grabbing his leg and kicking him away from her.
She immediately lifted up her hand in a defensive pose making the bracelets she wore jingle. Her mouth pressed in a grim line when she saw that he had no desire to fight her. But she was angry now as she saw Sasuke's face, she calmed herself down by taking slow breaths. Suddenly using the Jounin level Jutsus her mother had taught her on a Genin didn't seem so wrong.
"Where is Naruto?" she asked again.
"Gone," Sasuke said before he charged at her. He managed to grab at her neck and slammed her down in the same manner that she had him. He was about to go off again when Tsubasa grabbed his leg and dragged him down lifting herself up in the process. Sasuke wasted no time in taking out a kunai and slashing at her as soon as he righted himself. She barely managed to grab both of his wrists and spread them apart; she pulled him to her and kicked him in the stomach with all the force she could, but she did not let go off him. Blood spilled from his mouth and stained the floor red.
Her eyes fell to the blood, interesting, she never knew she could make someone bleed such a pretty shade of red. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you're out to kill." She said softly as she let Sasuke drop. As soon as his knees hit the floor he looked up and grinned.
Before she could even wonder at what had happened, the figure before her had disappeared in a puff of smoke and she found the cold steel of a kunai on her neck. He pressed it to her neck. He also had one pressed against her back. She relaxed into it, she knew defeat for what it was.
"Leave me alone Tsubasa, this doesn't concern you," Sasuke said crossly after he had pushed her away and stored away his kunai. Tsubasa crossed her arms and imagined beating Sasuke to a pulp, she shouldn't have been fooled by such a simple trick. She hated to admit it but he had the brains and skills to back it up. But it appeared that at the moment he was in a hurry.
"Does it have something to do with Naruto?" Tsubasa said suddenly seriously. The split second hesitation before Sasuke shook his head told her it did. An unexpected shot of worry overcame her. "I can help you find him."
"Doubtful," Sasuke smirked momentarily forgetting his urgency, "you always placed low in tracking tests." She gave an arrogant smirk to rival his own. Sasuke's eyes widened as she activated her Byakugan, then a quick recovery replaced the surprised look with a frown.
o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o
Itachi was the first to spot Yuuki, his eyes showed a glimmer of amusement but it was quickly gone and replaced with a look of disgust. She wears no mask, she doesn't hide her eyes from me. How foolish. He then located Kakashi just a couple of steps behind her. Only two? What on earth do you have in mind? Itachi thought slightly curious.
Yuuki was the first to speak as she placed herself sufficiently away from Itachi, "where is the boy Itachi?" Itachi said nothing as his cloak was uplifted by the wind.
"Tell me why you want him," Itachi asked, giving her a cold look. He saw Kakashi disappeared but did not move, he knew that Kakashi was after Naruto and had more then likely gone off to retrieve him. How troublesome. Yuuki took out her ridicules sharpened fans and lunged at him, her eyes closed. Her movements were now slow and sluggish for him, he had not been idle as time had passed between their encounter, but he could tell she was holding back.
He took out a recently acquired katana of simple appearance but with an effective edge. He was going to have some fun before he killed her. He slashed at her stomach and she bent back to avoid it, but it was a fraction of second too late and it broke the skin. In surprise she bent back too far and fell on her fractured wrist, she squinted but gave no other sign that she was in pain. She found Itachi bent down with the katana at her throat, one hand holding it and the other on the touching the ground besides her arm for balance. She opened her eyes and looked into his crimson red eyes. He gave her a curious look, as if he couldn't quite fathom why she would return to fight him.
Right now she was wondering the exact same thing.
"You took care of the boy?" Yuuki asked. Itachi said nothing. "Why?" The question took Itachi completely off guard.
His eyes wondered away from her, "I saw myself reflected in his eyes, and nothing else."
And so with that he took her life.
o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o
Naruto stood on top of the Hokage monuments his back to Kakashi as he reached him. He landed by the boy, ready to knock him out. His hands stopped short of making the seals.
"I remember the day Kyuubi was sealed," Naruto said as he stood up, still not facing Kakashi. Kakashi was silent as he listened, there was still a chance that he could convince Naruto to remain in Konoha. "Kyuubi showed me. The Fourth sealed it inside of me, giving up his life for his village in the process, Kyuubi admired that, thought it did not like the effect. I can feel it inside of me, angry, wishing to destroy this village. You know I could give it the chance?"
"I was not aware Naruto," Kakashi said quietly.
"Well I can," Naruto said an odd and cruel smile his lips as he spoke, "and I think I will." Kakashi's eyes closed in regret, before he lunged at Naruto, but found nothing there. "I can't let you kill me Kakashi-san, not now."
And there sat Kyuubi.
o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o
Tsubasa paused for a moment as she shielded her eyes from the rising sun, she had deactivated her Byakugan a while back and now she reactivated it. She still wasn't use to the way she saw things. Sasuke came from behind her, frowning of course.
"Anything?" he managed to say.
"I think I see something," Tsubasa said carefully, "it's orange, near the Hokage monument. I think it's him. Wait, don't go." Tsubasa said as she saw that Sasuke was about to run off, he stopped abruptly as he saw a tremendous burst of red chakra. Tsubasa snapped off her Byakugan and stared in pure wonder at the Nine Tales. Its red fur gleamed golden as it bared its teeth but otherwise it sat perfectly still on its haunches.
Tsubasa feet collapsed from under her, she felt Sasuke besides her standing perfectly still with his hands in his pockets. He glowered at the fox. Tsubasa looked again and it was not the fox that he looked at, it was what was on it that made him so angry. It was Naruto.
End Chapter Twenty
A/N: It's has been a long three months. Oops. I decided to take a break since writing the fic's were killing my grades, since I did this instead of my homework, not a very good idea as it turns out, and I was overloaded with a ton major projects when I decided to take it up again. Anyways, this story is only going to be about two more chapters long with a possible epilogue, I never wanted it to be longer then twenty-five chapter long anyways.
starry096: Well. Here it is!
psychopyro16: Thanks!
animelvr4evr: Sorry! I managed to confuse you even more! Sorry, again.
Liliath: Please don't hurt me!