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Espirando
Kabuto stuck his tongue in the air and tasted blood and death, making him smile. Your Sasuke-kun is unconsciously doing your bidding, Orochimaru-sama.
Eyes locked on the village, Kabuto addressed his men in a voice resembling Orochimaru's, "Kill everyone but Sasuke-kun. He's mine." His left yellow eye glinted with malice as he disappeared with his subordinates.
Genma instinctively took a step forward, eyebrows drawn in a baffled look even when he killed his opponent. "Sound ninjas?"
"What the hell are they doing here?" Raidou asked, his back touching Genma's. "This isn't part of the report."
"Part or not, deal with the situation," a voice told them. They whipped their heads to the direction where they heard the said voice.
"Kurenai-san!" Genma exclaimed.
The kunoichi pursed her lips and scanned the area, taking in the situation. When she spoke, she spoke nothing but orders.
-SasuNaru is love-
Drops of blood fell to the ground where Naruto stood. The blond ripped the right sleeve of his jacket and wrapped it around the wound on his forearm to stop its bleeding. His blue eyes widened when he felt the space close to him distorting, signaling Sasuke's proximity. He threw himself forward in the nick of time, saving his neck from his opponent's sword.
"Even now, you're running away," Sasuke spat. "How pathetic."
To see those dark-eyes filled with derision made Kyuubi's chakra throb inside of Naruto, calling unto him, reminding him of what was at his disposal. "Shut up!" he shouted and moved to meet Sasuke halfway.
We claim that we understand each other; that we are together. So why are we against each other? Tell me, Sasuke.
Sasuke thrust his sword. Naruto leaned to the left and sacrificed his right hand, the sound of metal piercing through flesh reverberated amidst the din around them and the pounding of their hearts.
No, you tell me, Naruto.
Ignoring the sharp and almost blinding pain that scorched his palm, Naruto attacked, catching his opponent off-guard.
Even though Sasuke's body had instinctively leaned back from the danger, Naruto's kunai had cut through his kimono and left a shallow slash across his chest. In retaliation, Sasuke used his Chidori nagare.
Electrocuted, Naruto didn't feel himself falling to the ground or the pain that went of having his skewered hand sliding from one end of the blade to another. He stared at the blue sky, admired the moving clouds, envied the birds flying freely and he wondered what he was doing on such sunny day until Sasuke entered into his field of vision.
Sasuke.
Sasuke stepped on Naruto's right tanned wrist and right fingers. Apathetically, he pulled his sword- an act that caused blood to spurt out from the blond's wound. He sharply swiped his sword, shaking Naruto's blood off his blade before focusing cold eyes at the man beneath him. He smirked. "I win," he told him and brought his sword down right towards the man's heart.
However what his blade pierced wasn't the blond's beating organ but the ceramic roof. Scowling, he scanned the area and turned his whole body to where a slightly trembling Naruto was pathetically standing. Who would have thought that somebody could start recovering from that shock after such a short time?
Only Naruto.
As much as he hated to admit it, Naruto still surprised him at the same time, exasperated him with his predictability when the blond used his taijuu kage bunshin to buy him some time to recover. He moved in a flash, evading the attacks Naruto's shadow clones threw at him. He effectively slashed his way through the arsenal of kunai being thrown at him, one by one. All that could be seen was a growing cloud of smoke left from the dispersed clones. Once the smoke settled, it was just him and the real Naruto who was still attempting to recover. He strutted towards him, like a predator deliberately taking his time before pouncing on his weakened prey. "Childish techniques are useless on me," he growled and quickly beheaded Naruto with a single slash of his sword.
"Really?" came a sarcastic voice behind him, causing his eyes to widen in surprise.
Naruto gave him a powerful roundhouse kick, that sent him flying, eventually crashing on a roof a few houses over. During his projectile motion, a group of Naruto's kage bunshin chose that opportunity to gang up on him.
-SasuNaru is love-
"Did we get him this time?" Kiba asked after another round of his gatsuga.
He had his answer when a swarm of Shino's bugs covered a whole tree, consuming it in an instant.
A distinctive scent wafted from between the rocks under a bald tree towards Kiba's and Akamaru's nose.
Shino watched as his teammate and his dog rained attacks on their slippery enemy. It was obvious that the man was toying with them, wearing them out. He knew that and that was why he should come up with a plan while Kiba did the fighting.
"I'm getting tired running around," Zetsu asked while they disappeared again from Kiba's attack.
"Just a little more." Zetsu's other side replied. "The opportunity isn't here yet."
Akamaru crouched and growled, displeased with the fact that their opponent couldn't stay put nor attack despite the scent of danger he smelled from the man.
Shino watched as their opponent escaped once again, almost instantly from sight. The man obviously had the speed and as long as he had that, the quiet shinobi knew that he and Kiba would have no advantage, but how was he going to counter such speed?
No, it wasn't in them to counter their enemy's speed with speed, and the man moved too fast for them to do anything.
Shino continued thinking despite the debris flying dangerously past him.
When Zetsu found himself surrounded by the tornado that was Kiba and Akamaru, an idea came to mind. He knew he only had seconds to act on it, so without analyzing his plan like he usually did, he sprung into action.
Zetsu, through the tornado of soil and pebbles, failed to notice the tiny insect that landed on his sleeve.
"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!" Kiba muttered repeatedly upon realizing again that the enemy had escaped again. "Coward!" he challenged in irritation. He moved towards the quiet Shino. "Have you come up with a plan yet?"
Shino pushed his dark shades up to the bridge of his nose, "Of course."
"And?"
"Executed."
"W-what?" Kiba exclaimed. "When?"
"Does it matter?"
"What are we going to do now?" Kiba and Akamaru tensed at the piercing cry. Seconds later, a figure appeared, having come out of a nearby tree, writhing and staggering on his feet.
Shino smirked, watching a whole colony of his bugs covering the said "figure" until the man was completely swallowed whole. "Now we watch as my bugs will sting him with their poison and then eat everything, including his bones."
Kiba could only stare at his friend who explained such cruelty with apathetic calmness. He felt his stomach crawl at the speed in which the bugs consumed their prey.
"Game over," he heard Shino murmur, and yet the uncertainty in their stomachs hadn't dissipated even in the least.
"He's dead?"
"He's gone," Shino said. Looking at his friend, he added, "He's not here anymore and looking for him isn't a priority. We have to act as back-up now as the hokage ordered."
Kiba swallowed his protest and quietly obliged.
-SasuNaru is love-
Sakura and Ino gaped. "Her own skin?!" Ino thought. Watching her biting into her own skin and started sucking disturbed them, but seeing how it revitalized her, healing her wounds and bruises, amazed them.
"Ino," Sakura murmured.
"I know," Ino replied. She knew they were fighting someone who was going to be quite a challenge to defeat. One question came to their heads - how the hell were they going to stop her from recovering?
-SasuNaru is love-
Kakashi tapped his chin in contemplation. In a best ratio, it would be two per Konoha shinobi and at worst - He mentally shook his head, knowing that it was pushing them to the limit. Jiraiya died fighting against the man in front of them and he was a sannin!
At a moment like this, he was compelled to say something like an encouragement or assurance, but he had none. All the got was a warning, "Be careful." At that very moment, Pein attacked.
-SasuNaru is love-
Sai struggled as the liquified Suigetsu strangled him. Sai exploded into black ink, the dark particles tainting and mixing with Suigetsu's water, who then turned back to his solid form.
Thus, they were dancing to the rhythm of battle again, getting closer and closer to the crescendo.
-SasuNaru is love-
A strong gale swept the paper weapons and snapped the Konoha kunoichi from their immobility.
"There's no time to freeze, ladies," Temari told them and regarded their enemy who was still returning to her form.
Konan snorted. "Your number won't change a thing," she warned them. However, they were moving again.
Simultaneously, they came upon Konan, flanking her, engaging her in close combat. She raised her left leg to block a kick while she bridged backward to grip Hinata's wrists then she turned sideward using her left leg to deliver a kick that sent Temari sliding few feet away.
-SasuNaru is love-
With one single sweep of his arms, Pein or to be exact, one of his forms, sent his opponents flying a meter away.
Paying to attention to the excruciating pain, the three Konoha shinobi immediately stood up.
This is crazy, Shikamaru thought as another of Pein broke away from his shadow bind even before Neji could deliver his attack. He immediately bound Pein's arm that was about to plunge a kunai into the Hyuuga member. His left brow twitched at the effort he exerted into having a strong hold on the other who attacked him from behind.
Neji immediately moved. He delivered a powerful attack on the side of the body behind Shikamaru, sending it flying a meter away.
Both men's eyes widened when another Pein appeared between them.
Damn! both of them thought in a split of second before a quick strike sent them flying while gasping in pain.
Kakashi saw Neji's body flying towards him. He knew it would hit him. He knew he could catch it but... He smoothly leapt over Neji, eyes never leaving a certain Pein.
He engaged with another dummy. Their limbs and fists came together in a series of offense and defense.
Pein's face remained emotionless, even when his right hand pierced through Kakashi's chest; even when Kakashi poofed into a log or even when his right arm was cut clean off.
Shit, Kakashi muttered under his breath when piercing calm eyes looked at his surroundings, he was hiding quietly for awhile now as he worked on creating a diversion to distract one or two Pein. However, with the short time he had, he only managed to slice an arm. And now, not only had he blown his cover, but also had an enemy standing behind him. He could feel the tip of the kunai brushing against his skin, almost digging. He stilled. In that moment, his world focused on the kunai and the kunai alone because he knew that a single move meant his demise. When it moved in for the kill, Kakashi moved as well with a speed that would have made Minato proud.
-SasuNaru is love-
With a graceful landing, Ino perched herself onto a tree. Beside her, Sakura was crouched down. Both of them had injuries, unlike Karin who was getting haughtier because of the advantage she had over them.
"Sakura," Ino started while a bead of sweat mixed with blood slid down to her chin before dropping onto the ground. "I have a plan." She shifted her blue eyes to meet Sakura's emerald ones.
Sakura gave her a nod. "Let's hear it."
Seconds later, the two kunoichi nodded in agreement. They shared a quick but firm handshake before Sakura left to stand a few feet from Karin. She clenched her gloved-hands repeatedly, each squeeze tighter than the last. She gritted her teeth. She dug her soles deeper into the earth, leg muscles tensed for her flight. Fear, anger, pain and excitement rumbled within her. With a cry, Sakura lunged forward.
She ducked, parried and deflected the oncoming attacks. She danced around the kunai and shuriken. She momentarily vanished from eyesight before appearing below Sasuke's teammate. She pulled back her arm and delivered a powerful uppercut.
Ino watched Karin quickly jump back to avoid Sakura's attack and staggered backward when Sakura continued her onslaught of blows- blows that were part of their diversion; blows that pushed the former Sound kunoichi closer to Ino.
In her dance with Sakura, Karin wasn't able to register the sudden spike of Ino's chakra and its flight towards her.
Sakura leaped back when Karin stiffened.
"I-Ino?" she uttered. While she waited for a reply, her chest tightened in fear and anticipation.
Karin smirked, looked at Sakura and said, "Conquered."
Sakura's chest eased up. Her eyes met Karin's and she readied herself. She placed all of her weight on her legs and then dashed towards the auburn-haired kunoichi. Halfway, she pulled arm back for another blow. "Let go, Ino," she shouted as she quickly approached her target. However, Ino remained, still holding on... still suppressing Karin's struggle for freedom.
"Not yet," she mumbled, ignoring her teammate's half-command and half-plea.
"Ino-pig!" Sakura screamed while she delivered the strongest punch she could manage in her condition.
When Sakura's fist was just a hairsbreadth away and when Karin's skin tingled with Sakura's chakra, Ino quickly relinquished her control back to Karin.
Karin saw the fist coming towards her. She saw it but it was already too close for her body to react. In a split second, intense mind-numbing pain exploded starting from her left check to every corner of her being.
Knowing that the impact of her punch was still muddling their enemy's brain, Sakura took that as a chance. She was a medical ninja trained to heal, however she was also, first and foremost, a ninja trained to kill and to die for her village. With chakra silhouetting her hands, she proceeded in messing up the nervous system of the now unconscious kunoichi.
When Karin slumped to the ground, Ino and Sakura crouched down. Still wary, Sakura pressed a kunai against the prone kunoichi while Ino opened her eyelids to make sure that she was truly unconscious. Sakura sighed in relief when Ino confirmed that Karin was out cold. She watched as her blonde friend injected something into their enemy's arm.
"That will keep her asleep and sedated," Ino said. She blinked when Sakura held a needle towards her.
"I made it myself, but Tsunade-sama hasn't approved it yet," she heard her explain. "It keeps exhaustion at bay, but there are also side-"
Ino cut her off by taking it because she knew they still had a lot of work to do. Side effects be damned. Knowing Sakura, she assumed that the side effects weren't fatal. "We still have a long day ahead of us."
Sakura nodded. The two shared a giggle- a sweet sound amidst the din of battle.
-SasuNaru is love-
Iruka was undaunted. Outnumbered but undaunted as he stared down his opponents. Twenty Sound shinobi, he mentally pointed out. At best, he could take out four simultaneously.
A bead of sweat slid from Iruka's temple to his chin and was airborne as the man charged, more than ready to shed blood and have his blood shed. He was jarred from his mental state when a gigantic hand slammed down on his enemies like a rolled newspaper on an unsuspecting fly. He didn't miss the squashing noises that made his stomach churn.
He gave the head of the Akimichi clan a grateful look. Nearby, the heads of Nara and Yamanaka clans were fighting as well.
-SasuNaru is love-
"Kurenai-san!" Raido called while slashing snakes that were stopping him from coming to her aid.
Kurenai struggled more when the grip around her throat tightened, causing more white spots to dance along the edges of her vision. She could feel the talons of darkness closing in on her.
The next thing she knew, oxygen flooded her lungs, she gulped hungrily for more air. After quickly regaining her sense, she found herself sitting on the ground. She looked at towards Kabuto's direction. The man stood between Kurenai and her opponent was none other than Hyuuga Hiashi.
She staggered to her feet just as the Hyuuga leader said, "Leave him to me."
Hiashi's eyes locked on to Orochimaru's right-hand man. Although Kabuto was emanating an overwhelming killing aura, the Hyuuga remained stoic and arrogant. He stared down at his enemy and slowly, his lips curled slightly for a ghostly smirk.
With the clan leaders joining, hope for Konoha's survival shone brighter.
-SasuNaru is love-
Konan flicked her gaze on Tenten who was clawing against the strings of paper that bound her like the criminal that she was. "The god's messenger should be respected," she chided her in a cool voice. She slowly turned her gaze to the other two Konoha shinobi who were bleeding profusely and gasped for air. "You will be punished and killed."
Konan spoke calmly with the glint of madness made itself known through her eyes. As Konan spoke, Hinata; with her byakugan, cut off the chakra lines that controlled the paper binds, freeing Tenten and surprising their enemy. Half-supporting Tenten, Hinata joined Temari and her clone.
"Your turn," Hinata told Temari under her breath. Temari nodded and summoned a wind creature. Their gazes met and the tiny fluffy creature nodded in understanding. It zoomed up in the air, whirling around and around and gaining momentum. Just moments after its summoning, it became a mass of whirling wind and it dropped on Konan immediately. However, the Rain kunoichi had a lot of time to dodge. In the end, Temari's attack went into the earth.
Powerful but useless, Konan thought about the recent attack, she performed a few quick hand signs, willing to show the brats what a truly powerful attack would look like. Konan suddenly gasped with her eyes wide as saucers in surprise when something crashed onto her, causing her to be pushed forward. With her shock ebbing away, realization dawned on her that she was wet. Not just wet, but soaking wet.
From the hole that attack caused, water gushed out, but the force had come from behind. She looked behind her and saw an identical fountain and hovering above the gushing water was the fluffy creature. She was certain that the damned creature dug its way out. Through her wet locks plastered on her face, she glared at the creature that appeared to be looking at her with mocking eyes.
Temari patted its head before dismissing it. "Thought we should even the playing field," she told their enemy, unmindful of the drizzle. While their plan was simple, it had took a while to execute it. Hinata had to look for an area that had water running beneath the soil and once she found it, they had to lead Konan to that area- constantly raining her with attacks and using Tenten as a decoy before she- Temari could summon the wind creature. The plan gave them the result they wanted. Of course they had taken into account that the area would become a pool of mud.
Water falling heavily after the cloud burst... mud below their feet... the battle resumed.
-SasuNaru is love-
Juugo, despite his body mass his transformation had lent, moved nimbly and quickly. To hold him off, Gaara instructed his sands. At his command, one grain of sand after another rose in the air until they gathered to create a colossal wave. Just before the massive force of the wave of sand could crush Juugo with its power, Gaara's opponent moved within the blink of an eye. However, Gaara expected this movement, so he pulled his sands to rise like foam and coil around his enemy. He closed his hands into fists and the sands tightened their hold on their prisoner's legs, trying to crush those limbs.
Juugo howled in pain. He struggled. He growled. His skin turned a shade darker- a telltale sign that he had transformed again. Then, with a final yell, he broke free.
A transformed Juugo rushed through the walls of sand Gaara had created as the former made its way towards him. Despite the thickness of the sand-walls, Juugo made it look as though he was running through mere sheets of paper. He was unstoppable and Gaara realized that the moment Juugo, with his body bulging with muscles, crashed into him. The crash sent Gaara flying through ten or more trees. Juugo smiled, the rush of adrenaline made his thirst of blood stronger within him.
"What are you staring at?" he heard a cool voice ask. Juugo quickly turned to face his opponent, but Gaara threw a few grains of sand to distract Juugo. Juugo growled when few grains got into his eyes, but instead of ridding himself of the irritation, self-preservation made him throw himself at Gaara.
Both men tumbled into the sand and Juugo immediately pummeled his huge fists into Gaara's face. Each contact splattered Gaara's blood. Each connection further cracked Gaara's protective sand armor.
Juugo quickly leapt on his body, burying him deeper into the sand. Juugo let out a triumphant yell when he sank down, sand reaching his knees, his enemy's body still beneath his feet. With a twist of his ankles, he felt this opponent's ribs break.
Victory.
His victory. He blinked, belatedly realizing that he could see again.
A foot from him, sands stirred and parted to give way to their master who was rising from their depths... from their protective embrace.
-SasuNaru is love-
Sai savored the prickling sensation coming from his left side. He identified it quickly as pain. Pain was the first sensation he felt upon joining Team Seven. While the pain he got from Sakura was meant to punish him, the pain he felt now was meant to torture him. Instead of grimacing, he smiled his most beautiful but fake smile, trying to mislead his enemy.
Suigetsu grinned too while he strutted his way towards the suffering man. He swung his sword and lopped off his opponent's head.
However, it wasn't only Sai who got beheaded but also Suigetsu. Standing behind the missing-nin was the real Sai.
The blob of water that was Suigetsu glided and solidified when he gained a fair distance from the pale Konoha shinobi. He rolled his neck to loosen tense muscles and said, "Haven't you learned yet that defeating me was a futile effort?"
Sai shrugged. "I learned from someone that persistence is the key."
Suigetsu snickered. "He must be stupid."
Sai tilted his head slightly to his right before agreeing. "He is, in most areas."
"Y'know, I think you and I can get along well."
"Aren't we getting along now?" Sai asked. It was obvious to him that Suigetsu wasn't serious and so was he.
Suigetsu flashed a boyish grin. "Well, yeah, but if I see an opening, I'll kill you."
Dark eyes glinting with mischief and wry amusement, Sai replied, "Me too."
Having come to an agreement, they clashed again. While there was a hint of playfulness in their movements, there was fierceness in them as well, but not of battle... A fierceness of a spar.
-SasuNaru is love-
Tsunade didn't know whether to feel lucky or insulted that Madara wasn't using his Sharingan in their fight until Shizune rolled straight across and past her. Like a rag doll.
The area was nearly indistinguishable due to Tsunade's punches and techniques. While her body hadn't shown exhaustion yet, her skin had started crinkling - her young appearance slowly eroding, proof that she wasted the majority of her chakra.
Tsunade's brows came together as she continued thinking of a plan. She only managed to get close to him five times, but never physically hit him. Madara always managed to dodge or put a distance in between them. If she could just close the dimension he seemed to be using, then it would be taking down one of his defenses.
With mocking solemnity, Madara looked down at the godaime from a pile of debris and said, "I'll return his body after extracting Kyuubi."
Tsunade scowled.
It wasn't like he loved riling people up, but he knew that when one gets too emotional, their judgement is impaired and he wanted nothing more than to see Tsunade to fall into that trap.
"I'm immortal," he reminded her again.
"You won't be for long," Tsunade spat while an idea came to mind, but could she take the risks and consequences?
Her answer echoed within her whole being like a gong in the stillness of mid-winter.
-SasuNaru is love-
Kankurou couldn't stop the laughter that bubbled within him as more Oto shinobi, one after another fell by his hands. He had taken down one platoon single-handedly and yet he felt like his comrades who massacred weren't avenged.
More, his anger shouted. Those words throbbed in him together with the pounding of his heart.
-SasuNaru is love-
With a sudden and hard shove, Sasuke snapped his dislodged shoulder back into place with a slight flinch. Quietly, he peeled off his ripped kimono - wet with his sweat, and blood from the both of them. His upper body was littered with bruises and minor cuts, but he knew he could still go on.
Not to far from him was Naruto, who rid of his jacket that felt like fetters in the heat of his battle with Sasuke. He leapt in the air, just a milliseconds earlier before shuriken hit the place where he once stood. Still suspended in the air, he twisted his body and his eyes widened to see the symbol on his attackers' headbands.
Oto shinobi.
Waves of anger rose up inside him, churning around him, above him before it swept him away.
Familiar heat and heady sensation rolled throughout his entire body while Kyuubi's powerful chakra started pumping into his chakra pathways. He dispatched hundreds of clones to engage with the Oto bastards before he turned his gaze to his real enemy... to the traitor... to the apple of discord. When he did, his eyes were no longer sky blue, but the color of blood.
A streak of fear shot through Sasuke at that malicious gaze that was sent his way. The next thing he knew, he was on the ground being pummeled by Naruto's swift and angry punches. Every punch that landed on his face, the number of white spots dancing on the corner of his eyes seemed to only further cloud his vision. The skin that met Naruto's punches tingled in pain and with Kyuubi's chakra.
"You son of a bitch," he heard Naruto growl. "Affiliating yourself to Akatsuki isn't enough, so you called those comrades of yours?!"
Gathering all his strength, he threw Naruto off and delivered a punch that sent the blond flying meters away. Sasuke followed him and silently landed on a nearby roof where this battle of theirs had began. By then, Naruto had managed to fight back that tempting chakra.
"They are not my comrades," he stated, his voice laden with angry exasperation.
"I have enough of your lies!" Naruto screamed once more and lunged forward. However, he immediately leapt back in an attempt to avoid what he believed would be an attack towards him when he saw Sasuke making hand seals.
Sasuke pressed both hands on the rooftop and not a second later, a barrier boxed them both in. Naruto was about to question Sasuke's action until Sasuke calmly spoke, "No one gets in... no one gets out," Naruto felt his skin crawl with the manner in which Sasuke spoke, "Unless one of us dies." He pulled his sword from the ground, propped the blunt side of the blade on his shoulder and gave the blond a wicked tilt of his lips, madness glinting on those obsidian eyes.
"You're insane, asshole," Naruto snarled.
Both of them leapt in the air, clashing halfway. They blurred and came at one another again as colors of blue against orange. Orange against blue.
Naruto moved backward and Sasuke in his usual speed, followed him, breaking into his personal space, surprising the blond. He shot out his left hand to grab a fist of golden strands. He pulled Naruto's head back and stared into those wide blue eyes.
-SasuNaru is love-
Sasuke found himself in the sewers of Naruto's mind just as he wanted to be... just as he expected to be.
It was dark and except for the dripping sounds, it was silent. The place was still and calm - proof of Naruto's emotional state. He snorted. It seemed the blond had managed to improve his control.
He walked further until he stood in front of that gate. Behind those bars, he knew his tool to victory lay. It might be quiet and dark, but his ears could hear the soft breathing of the beast. He blinked and his heart jumped when a paw slam against the bars and red eyes peered down on him.
Kyuubi chuckled. "We meet again, Uchiha brat."
Sasuke didn't answer and didn't cower. He regarded the beast with the same insolence he regarded everyone.
Kyuubi snorted and watched as those obsidian eyes bled to red; as those tomoe appeared and swirled with the cursed power given to the Uchiha clan.
Sasuke reached a hand, ready to control the beast and ready to destroy the seal until a green light flashed beneath him, blinding his eyes and destroying his focus. The light receded until it became a faint glow. Sasuke looked down and found a seal... a circular seal, a seal he hadn't seen before and to think Orochimaru kept many records of different seals. A seal that was divided into three parts, each parts running on the line that divides them. Each part had a dot.
What was the purpose of the seal?
Kyuubi threw his head back and laughed at the confusion evident on the brat's face. His laughter was mocking and that made Sasuke throw a sharp glare towards the demon.
Sasuke reached forward again, but stopped when he heard a voice from his left side. "You can't do anything you want in here, Sasuke."
Naruto.
He turned to his left and Naruto stepped out from the dark.
"That seal. I ask a priestess to place that on me." Sasuke scowled. "You can get in my mind but other than that, there's nothing else you can do."
Not trusting the blond's words, Sasuke tried to destroy the seal with his chakra. The seal rippled and flickered, as if bending to the strength of the chakra just like how the bamboo trees bend to the winds, yet it remained - steadfast in its purpose.
With hostility, Sasuke regarded Naruto.
In a split second, they sunk back into reality. A slightly panting Naruto pulled away from Sasuke, wanting nothing more but to put a distance between them. The dark-haired teen immediately lunged forward and kicked Naruto's right ankle underneath him, preventing him from completely leaping away. He slammed the blond into the ground and straddled him.
"Sasuke!" Naruto gasped as he struggled, his heart beating wildly out of worry, having a good guess what Sasuke was about to do. "Get off of me, you piece of shit!"
With tanned arms secured to his sides and completely trapping Naruto, Sasuke smirked and peered down at his prey. Naruto had drove him into this. If he hadn't put that seal in place, then he didn't have to use his sharingan on him. He wouldn't have put him into the madness an Uchiha could summon with his illusion.
"This is your fault, Naruto," he muttered before he drew him into his illusion.
Naruto's chest tightened. He didn't know what awaited him, but he knew it would be a horror that would snap his fragile control and push him over the edge. He expected a bloody sky and red moon hanging low. He expected dry land that continued on and on, but all he saw were red eyes spinning... Sasuke's red eyes. He blinked.
Was this part of the illusion? Was this his illusion?
He reached up to that face, cupping it. It felt so real. So confused was he that he failed to see the surprise that fleeted across Sasuke's face.
"Naruto?"
Still desperate to be free, the blond pushed Sasuke away and doing so was easy because the latter was caught off guard. He stood up, once more to flee so he could get his bearings back; so he could understand this confusion. However, a hand gripped his wrist, whirling him around and pulled him back. His eyes met Sasuke's red ones once more.
Sasuke tried. There was no way his eyes would fail him. There was no way he had made a mistake and yet, when their gazes met again, nothing had changed. Naruto wasn't pulled in even though he could feel chakra pumping in his veins surrounding his eyes.
Naruto must had sense something was off because his blue eyes widened too.
"It's not working," he stated dumbly.
Sasuke scowled. He didn't need Naruto to point that out. "What did you do, Naruto?" he demanded, his grip on tanned wrist tightening.
His question reached Naruto's ears as nothing but faint echoes as he was drawn back to that day... to that time... to that encounter with that man.
The talk. The crows flapping around them. That crow that forced itself into his mouth, gagging him. To those words...
"I-Itachi," Naruto murmured before he could stop himself; before he himself could even comprehend.
Sasuke's eyes turned a shade darker. "What did you say?" he asked slowly, each word emphasized.
"Itachi," Naruto repeated again and he took a step backward, very wary of the shinobi in front of him.
Sasuke felt his heart drop to the pit of his stomach. He didn't understand what Itachi did, but it was logical. Itachi had been stronger than him and for his older brother to leave something for Naruto to protect himself with... it was an unspeakable act of betrayal. Naruto betrayed him. He had abandoned him. As for Itachi? That bastard played him and betrayed him over and over again. They were both traitors. Both of them were the source of his pain.
He let Naruto go just as he swung his sword. Anger and pain made him focus more on Naruto... on his unavoidable demise because Naruto was the only one alive whom he could lash out to. His brother was gone. He attacked over and over again, making it hard for Naruto to counterattack. Whatever time Naruto had, the blond spent it by blocking and dodging.
He hated him and he told Naruto that over and over again in time with his attacks.
"I fucking hate you!" he screamed as he thrust his sword.
More than the bruises and the sword cuts, Sasuke's words hurt. It hurt so much that he felt like having been ripped open and tossed to a sea of salt and vinegar; he wanted Sasuke to taste his emotional pain in a physical level. With a roar, he swung his kunai, with his elemental chakra wrapping around it.
Weapons clashed and clattered at the force that was exerted on them. Then suddenly, Sasuke's blade snapped into two with its half flying to their side. However, Sasuke immediately reacted by letting his chakra flow through his sword and replaced the missing half of his blade so that they could continue.
That chakra flowed from that source again... pushing into his veins... poisoning his humanity and clouding his vision. It called unto him. It whispered power beyond his imagination. It promised victory. It lulled him closer and the closer he got, the stronger and faster he became. His features were slowly transforming. With a howl, he went at Sasuke with a flurry of kicks that took the wind off his sail. Sasuke returned with several kick-punch combinations that he delivered with severity and speed.
Sasuke jumped backward. Growling, Naruto followed his enemy's movements with his reddish eyes before vanishing.
Even with his sharingan activated, Sasuke only saw the after image of the blond flickering. He was tempted to use amaterasu right there and then, but that was reserved for those old goats. Instead, he settled for an ordinary technique, but just as deadly under the command of an Uchiha.
He casted the technique, building a wall of leaping flame between him and the blond. He saw a silhouette- Naruto's, before the blond emerged from the scorching orange ribbons, crouched in a feline-like manner. In a way, with the red mist coating his body and with that tail, the blond could have passed as a feline creature.
Sasuke caught the blond by his arms. He whirled around taking the blond with him before he threw him back into the sea of flames.
The flames swirled downward and instantly sucked into a vortex.
Rasengan and Naruto.
"Eat this!" Naruto growled behind him while he pummeled his flaming rasengan into Sasuke's body. At the contact of the chakra ball on his opponent, Sasuke fell to the ground as a pile of snakes.
The tension in the air was broken by the the loud chirping noises of a thousand birds. Naruto looked down just as crooked strands of blue chakra rose up, forming an oblong shape that surrounded him.
He howled then slumped on the ground, tottering between oblivion and reality. One of his fingers twitched. Sleeping and giving up was so easy, he knew that, but this wasn't the time nor the place. The only good thing he got from the attack was that the shock calmed the raging chakra inside him, letting him gain complete control. He groaned. Patches of his skin that were burnt off by fire and electricity were healed, but Kyuubi couldn't fix the mess the electric shock caused on the blonde's system.
What could have been a blink became longer when Sasuke's body shut down momentarily. When he gained consciousness, he found the ground so close to him. He placed a foot in front of him and immediately straightened up.
Naruto with trembling arms and legs pushed himself to his feet and staggered, trying to keep himself from falling and trying his best to steady himself.
Sasuke knew he had only a small amount of chakra left. He was tired and he was certain that Naruto was too. Although the latter still had a huge amount of chakra left - chakra that wasn't Kyuubi's. A pang of jealousy blossomed in him - the same jealousy that gripped him every time he thought how lucky Naruto was when it came to his stamina and his chakra.
Both of them stood a distance away from the other, wheezing, bleeding and panting. Their gazes met and they knew both of them were tired. They had to end it.
Sasuke used his chidori, letting it wrap around his left arm. If Kakashi saw him, he would have been saddened that the technique he taught Sasuke to use to protect his loved ones was the technique he would use to kill Naruto.
Naruto loved his rasengan, but with just hardly any chakra left, he would not stand a chance against an elemental attack like chidori and he had his memory of the Valley of End to remind him of that. Rasengan would not give him the result he wanted. Imitating Sasuke, he let his elemental chakra wrap itself around his arm. He knew his element was weak against Sasuke's but he had no choice. He just had to gain advantage by surprising his enemy.
His chest tightened. It had come to this, but he had made a decision, he had placed the village above Sasuke and had let go of that hand. He pulled his lips in a snarl and screamed Sasuke's name as he lunged toward his enemy.
Sasuke's lips pursed before he moved forward to meet Naruto halfway. He knew and accepted that Naruto's demise meant full control of his very own power.
"Sakura," Ino asked when Sakura suddenly paused in their walk. For a while now, they did nothing but heal the injured. Did she find a fallen comrade or did she detect an enemy? She followed her gaze. "It's a barrier," she pointed out.
"Naruto," she heard her mutter before she sprinted off, leaving Ino concerned.
With her green eyes focused on that barrier, she leapt from one tree to another. Her heart pounded and blood rushed through her veins. She didn't want them to die, especially not Naruto... her Naruto.
She dashed past the clearing and her eyes widened. Fear and the painful feeling of loss rose up and went past her lips in a blood-curling scream. "NARUTO!"
Naruto's eyes were wide with pain - burning and soul-consuming pain- exploded from his chest. A split second later, wiry fingers of coldness clawed inside him.
"My win," Sasuke said in his usual emotionless voice yet to Naruto, it felt like he shouted it.
Distantly, he heard a scream of his name.
Sakura.
He always made her worry. He wanted to turn his head and assure her that it was okay, but he remained immobile. Tears started gathering in his eyes because he couldn't deny it anymore.
I am dying.
TBC
Author's Notes: The symbol Sasuke saw inside Naruto's mind is the Tibetan Symbol Nor Bu Gsum-Khyil (Unicode:0FCB. UTF8: E0 BF 8B). We hope nobody is offended by our using of this. By the way, is it just me or is the Tibetan Mark Caret Yig Mgo Phur Shad Ma (Unicode 0F06. UTF8: E0 BC 86 ) similar to the symbol on the arm of Konoha's ANBU?