Hey everybody, how you doing? Well, I have got to say, the last chapter of Under the Stars was overwhelmingly popular! I wish to assure you that Sasuke is indeed dead, and he will not be coming back in any form. We are at the turning point, my friends: we are on the home stretch. That's right, folks; Under the Stars is almost complete. Now don't you worry; there will still be a few chapters left, but we are closing in on a final confrontation. Without further ado, I give you Chapter 12 of Under the Stars.
Previously…
As the body sank completely below, Naruto felt a small ripple through the Force. He closed his eyes, and a solitary tear fell.
Sasuke Uchiha was dead.
For several moments, all was quiet with the young Jedi; the audience cheered in a primal and savage joy at seeing another life extinguished while Naruto felt the impact of his first real kill. It wasn't the killing that had bothered him; as a shinobi, he had been prepared to take a life, and fully accepted that duty. Rather, the fact that the life had been that of a man he had considered a friend shook him to his very core. You did the right thing, the Kyuubi told him, his voice solemn. Sasuke would only have brought darkness to the galaxy.
Darth Sidious' lips curled into a disappointed grimace as he gazed at the kneeling Jedi above him. "Tyranus," he called, and Dooku turned to him, bowing. "The young boy has shown that he still aligns himself with the Jedi by displaying grief at the death of Sasuke. He is of no use to us." Turning, Sidious walked into the network of tunnels, disappearing.
Dooku gazed after his master for a few moments, disappointed that such a fighter had to die. His features hardened, before he turned to his guards. "Open fire!" he declared, and a moment later a stream of bolts flew at the kneeling Jedi.
Despite his feelings at killing Sasuke, Naruto immediately sensed he was in danger, and more by instinct than conscious thought, his lightsabers were in his hands and deflecting fire before his mind even registered what the danger was. Deflecting a shot back at the droid who fired it, Naruto saw Dooku issuing orders to his squad of SBDs. As more and more filed out, the droids began shooting the walkways he had formed, causing his footing to shake and crumble as it began to give way. One particularly violent tremor sent him sprawling on the hard stone as he prepared to leap to a lower level; the jagged rocks sliced his limbs and torso, before the force of his collision knocked one of his lightsabers from his hand, sending it spinning out of sight hundreds of feet below onto the now-cooled rock. With one final shot, the walkway crumbled, and time slowed as he slowly tumbled over the edge. Tired as he was from the fight, he knew he would be unable to slow his fall. Closing his eyes, he waited for the painful crunch, followed by blissful release.
A pair of hands grabbed him roughly then, and he jerked as whoever held him landed on the rock, stumbling slightly to keep from dropping the young Jedi. Opening his eyes, amazement filled him upon seeing Itachi Uchiha, Sasuke's older brother.
The last time Naruto had seen the man, he had been strong, cold, and fierce; the man before him looked a mess. Dressed in worn travel clothes beneath a sandy cloak, Itachi seemed sickly to the Jedi, his eyes dull and listless. Itachi activated his Mangekyo, and in one swift attack, burned half of the droids with the Amaterasu. Sickly or not, the man was still dangerous.
"You're a hard man to find, Naruto," Itachi stated, setting the Jedi on his feet. "I've been searching for you for three months. Decided to go to a gladiatorial match, and lo and behold, there you are." Giving Naruto a look-over, he quirked an eyebrow. "You've certainly changed since the last time I saw you. What did they do to you?"
Before Naruto could answer, Dooku himself leapt down from the stands, drawing his lightsaber in a flourish, and presenting Naruto with the Makashi salute before assuming his battle stance. "No time!" he yelled, preparing his own use of Makashi. "If you really want to help me, then find my secondary lightsaber and take out these droids!" Itachi nodded briskly, before disappearing. Turning back to Dooku, Naruto charged forward, their blades clashing in a wave of sparks.
Dooku was quick on the riposte, aiming an economic slash to Naruto's neck, but the Jedi's shinobi speed, exhausted as he was, was still enough for him to bring his lightsaber up to block. The two feinted and strafed, playing with each other, feeling out the other's defenses. Of all styles, Makashi was Naruto's second favorite; Vaapad was still his best. But for all its power, Vaapad couldn't match the grace and excitement of two Makashi masters locked in epic battle. The two danced back and forth, unable to gain the advantage.
"You are skilled," Dooku commented, casually sidestepping a thrust. "But when fighting any Sith Lord, there is one thing you must remember."
"And what is that?" Naruto asked, feinting low before unsuccessfully sweeping at Dooku's chest. Dooku signaled, and a yellow-skinned Zabrak, the one from his visions, dropped next to him, activating a crimson double-bladed lightsaber.
"We cheat."
Ahsoka leapt to her feet as the ship jolted out of hyperspace, appearing in the middle of a Separatist squadron. The guns began firing instantly, and Ahsoka ran to her ship, stumbling as shots from the Separatist cannons rocked the ship. Quickly lifting off the deck, she flew out, LAATs pouring out after her. Turning toward the planet below, she led her squad toward the coordinates of the coliseum. Hold on, Naruto, she thought, pushing her ship to the limits. I'm almost there.
Hissing in anger and pain, Naruto clutched the long burn running across his stomach the Zabrak had marked him with. Delving quickly into Maul's memories, he identified the monster as a warped version of Savage Oppress. Filing that away in the back of his mind, he turned his advantage to his duel, rolling over Oppress' shoulders to avoid a slash from Dooku. Kyuubi, he thought, slowly stepping back to gain some breathing room. How are my reserves?
You are at 15% total chakra level, and approaching 20% stamina level.
I want you to keep a track on my reserves, both chakra and stamina. If they drop below 10%, I want you to alert me. At that point, I have to either put all my remaining reserves into one final attack, or surrender and die.
Very well, the Kyuubi replied, creating a HUD in front of itself in the cage. My chakra could boost all your reserves by 20% for about thirty seconds, if you wish.
No, Naruto thought, skirting an attack from Savage before switching his lightsaber to his other hand behind his back to block a crippling strike from Dooku. Save it for my finisher.
As the duel seemed to drag on, facing the two Sith proved remarkably draining: as effective as his switch to utilizing Soresu was, it was nowhere near the level of Obi-Wan, and thus he grew weaker as Dooku and Savage battered away at his defenses. Stuck between a legion of Super Battle Droids, a wall, and the Sith pressing the attack, he was quickly running out of options.
Chakra and stamina are both at 10%! the Kyuubi alerted him, worry in the fearsome demon's voice. You have to take the remainder of my chakra! At this point, it's your only option!
No! Naruto thought, gritting his teeth as Savage pressed the attack. I waited too long, got backed into a corner. Your chakra won't do me any good at this point. Keep it, that you may use it to beg Kami leniency in the next life!
Finally, just as Naruto was sure he would die, Itachi appeared beside him, lashing out at Savage with Naruto's dropped lightsaber. Taken by surprise, the Zabrak broke off formation with his Master, allowing Naruto a chance to regain his strength as he dueled the older Sith Lord. Slowly, the Kyuubi poured a trickle of its chakra into his reserves, bolstering his flagging strength and healing his minor wounds, soothing his aches and pangs.
Finally, as he and Dooku disengaged one last time, he heard the thrum of a ship's engines, and turning his head, he saw a dozen LAAT-series gunships soaring toward the coliseum, Ahsoka's ship in the lead. His heart soared as he saw her wing her way towards him, before he turned to find Dooku gone. Cursing under his breath, he quickly charged into the web of tunnels, chasing after the Sith Lord.
As the dozen LAAT's began dropping troops, Ahsoka managed to land her ship amongst the fire of more droids filing into the coliseum. Quickly unbuckling from the harnesses, she saw the glowing green lightsaber of her love disappear into one of the caves. Where are you going? she thought in anguish, worry gnawing at her in the pit of her stomach. As she finally got out and began to deflect blaster fire, she saw a raven-haired man fighting a yellow-skinned Zabrak with a green lightsaber remarkably similar to Naruto's. Who is he? she wondered, working her way toward him as clone troopers began to fight the droids. She saw the crimson double-bladed lightsaber the monster wielded, and in a moment she was next to the stranger, helping him fight the Sith.
She cast a quick glance at her ally, before flinching as she saw his eye warp, blood leaking from the socket. A moment later, a burst of onyx fire erupted near the Zabrak, and the monster wisely chose that moment to make good its escape. As she stepped forward to chase after it, the stranger fell, and she stopped to catch him. He began coughing violently, and she was disturbed to see him cough up a small quantity of blood, before he passed out. She looked back to the tunnel, torn between two options, before she groaned, hoisting the man onto her back and carrying him to the MedEvac zone. Her love would have to fend for himself a little longer.
Naruto ran pell-mell through the rumbling corridors as they began to collapse from the Republic bombing. Dust swirled at his ankles as the rock finally settled, and all was silent save the hum of his lightsaber. In this suffocating darkness, even he was unable to see, and what little light his lightsaber emitted cast everything into a disconcerting green hue. Proceeding cautiously through the corridor, he deactivated the blade, crouching down and silently sneaking across the rough-hewn stone. He strained his ears, searching for any sound that might alert him as to Dooku's location, and he heard the soft scuff of leather sliding against stone before he quickly activated his lightsaber, blocking a strike from the Count's own crimson blade.
Evidently they were in a small cavern, as Naruto felt he had room to move for several meters, and deactivating his blade, he moved back into the shadows, slowly tiptoeing around to the Count's back. "I do not need my eyes to be able to find you, young one," the Count said, turning to face Naruto. Panting slightly, Naruto abandoned stealth, activating his lightsaber as he held it, shaking, before him. Dooku drew his own, and Naruto noticed how the tip of the Count's danced erratically as well, testament to the man's own exhaustion.
There's no honor in this, Naruto thought, slowly lowering his blade. "Go," he told Dooku, deactivating his lightsaber with a hiss. "There's no honor to be had here. I kill you, I kill a weakened old man who couldn't hold his lightsaber straight. Your kill me, you kill a weakened child you have decades of experience over."
"You think there is a place for honor in war, young Jedi?" Dooku asked, not moving from his stance. "The politicians responsible for this war caused it for the sake of lining their pockets! Billions die, clones and civilians alike, so they might make a quick credit." He waved his lightsaber to his side angrily, emphasizing his words. "The Jedi do nothing to end this! They merely enforce the will of corrupt senators and a Chancellor who manipulates them all."
"The Jedi, for better or worse, serve the Republic, despite corruption. You say the Senate is corrupt? All politicians are the same, from any planet," Naruto stated calmly. "Kill me if you so wish," Naruto said, turning away from the Sith Lord. "I have seen enough blood spilt today to last two lifetimes; I'll not spill more today." With that, he began walking away, his hearing strained to catch any sound that would necessitate a speedy defense. He heard the hiss of Dooku deactivating his lightsaber, before he sensed the man's retreat. Knowing he was safe, at least for a short while, he leaned against the wall, sliding against the rough-hewn stone until he was sitting on the floor of the cavern, catching his breath.
I may not agree with what you did, and the Jedi Council certainly will not, the Kyuubi stated, finally relaxing in its own realm. I'm proud of you, though. You showed maturity today, and you showed honor. I do not think Dooku will forget this anytime soon.
Naruto smiled slightly, before resting his chin against his chest. Just a short nap, he thought, his exhaustion shrouding his mind. Just a short nap and I'll finish my mission here.
Just a short nap…
After finally defeating the last of the droids, Ahsoka cast her gaze around, surveying the battlefield. A dozen or so bodies littered the field, surrounded by hundreds of droids. Gaara's squadron, their uniforms decorated with sand-colored stripes, began linking up with her own squadron. Quickly directing the various troops to search the different tunnels, she and Gaara began looking through the tunnel she had seen Naruto charge into. The pair were silent as they carefully felt their way through the tunnel, several times having to clear the rubble from several cave-ins.
In the darkness of the cave, it was impossible to tell how far they had gone, or how long they had been there, but after some time, they came into an antechamber. Activating a glowstick, Ahsoka managed to make out four tunnels branching off in front of her. Frustration, helplessness, and anger bubbled up in her throat, and she let out a strangled yell, hurling the light down one of the tunnels before sinking to the floor, burying her face in her hands. Gaara knelt down, rubbing her shoulder as she cried.
They heard the soft sound of leather sliding over stone, and they whirled around, activating their lightsabers. Ahsoka hesitantly advanced, holding her lightsaber in front of her to cast what little light she could. She gasped as she finally caught sight of her love.
Naruto was slouched against the wall of antechamber, dressed in strange gray clothing, his breathing ragged. The sleeves, stomach, and legs of the garments were dyed red, and his exposed fingers slowly dripped blood. His head lolled forward on his chest, his now-silver hair matted with sweat, dirt, and blood, and hanging down to his shoulders. Horns extended around his head, chipped, yet whole. Silver tattoos traced his body, disappearing beneath the folds of his clothes. As he shifted slightly, a smear of blood became visible on the wall behind him, as well as a small pool surrounding him. "Ahsoka?" he whispered, lifting his head to look at her. His eyes were dull and listless, his face curled up into a confused grimace. Grabbing the arm with the fewest wounds, she slung it across her shoulders, helping him up. He slumped against her, unable to stand, and she half-carried, half-dragged him out of the caves as Gaara strolled along behind them, calling in the search teams over his comlink.
Despite the amount of time that had passed since they had seen each other, their reunion was silent. Naruto remained quiet, disturbing the young Togruta woman aiding him. They both knew that his transformation created another barrier between them; one that was unprecedented, yet not impossible to overcome. His mind unable to grasp ahold of a conscious thought, he slowly drifted out of consciousness, welcoming the darkness.
He awoke after an unknown time with a splitting headache; every jostle of the ship sent waves of white-hot pain bursting behind his eyelids. On top of that, he was unbelievably sore from his duels. As he tried to open his eyes, he felt himself being submerged into a cool liquid, the level reaching his waist before he could see. He was unsurprised to see that he was in the ship's medical bay; as he was slowly submerged into a bacta tank, flashbacks of his transformation flitted before his eyes. Suddenly feeling trapped like a wild animal, he saw red and lashed out, striking the medical droid square in its photoreceptors. He tried to climb out of the tank, but several strong arms grasped him. He lashed out, managing to strike one of the offenders, hearing a hiss of pain before the pressure doubled, and he was forced below the surface of the liquid. Roaring in anger, he struck out at the glass tank in vain.
Calm down, kid, the Kyuubi said, its voice soothing as its chakra slowly seeped through the bacta and into his wounds. They're just trying to help you. Panting hard, he slowly came back to awareness. Looking around, he saw Gaara, Ahsoka, Ara, and the Madclaw wheezing outside the tank, the space under Gaara's left eye swelling up. Itachi lay on a medical cot several feet away, his eyes wrapped in white bandages. Grabbing the mask, he placed it around his mouth, taking a deep breath of oxygen.
"Sorry, Gaara," he said, his voice slightly warped through the mask. "My mind and nerves are a little bit frayed at the moment; I'm in a lot of pain." A series of tremors racked his body as his muscles spasmed, and he groaned in pain as the mixture of the bacta and the Kyuubi's healing chakra repaired his body; torn muscles reattached before bulging slightly outward, while his bones shifted slightly as they contracted, before moving back into place.
"You're healing amazingly fast," Ahsoka commented, watching her love with awe as even his major wounds healed before her eyes. "A normal person would take hours to heal wounds that bad; you've been in for a minute and a half, and you're almost completely healed."
"Side-effect of being a Jinchuriki," he stated, climbing out of the medical fluid. "I already heal at a remarkable rate; add bacta to the mix, and I'm unstoppable." Grabbing a towel, he began drying off; when he got to his hair, he groaned in frustration as he accidentally tore the cloth with his new horns. "I'm not going to be used to this anytime soon," he stated, rubbing his temples. Sitting down next to Itachi's bed, he looked the rogue over, unable to figure out why he himself was in the medical bay. When he voiced his question, the raven-haired man stirred beneath him, grasping the front of his shirt with a shaky arm.
"I'm blind," Itachi stated, his unseeing eyes roaming beneath their confines. "I used my Mangekyo Sharingan too much, and I've gone blind." He laughed, a sad, twisted sound. "I slaughtered my clan for the Hokage, Naruto; they were planning a coup to take over Konoha. What's my reward? I've lost my sight, and I'm dying. I left Kironia to find a cure, but none will help a lonely exile from the Outer Rim; so I came to find you. As a Jedi, you have the influence to get me treated. You alone can save me." With that, the man lost consciousness, leaving the young Jedi reeling in shock. Gaara's expression remained neutral; Ahsoka looked at her boyfriend in confusion; Ara appeared intrigued; the madclaw said something undiscernable; and the Kyuubi sat up in its cage.
Ahhhh… he said quietly, his voice understanding. The Uchiha clan was going to try and steal me from you, then use the power of their eyes to control me and wreak havoc on our home. It looks like the late Uchiha had it wrong all along; he wasted his entire life on a misunderstanding. Reaching out with the Force, Naruto confirmed Itachi's story from the man's memories; the Old Man's sorrowful expression as he gave the orders, his promise to keep Sasuke safe, and Itachi's undercover work, sending information on Akatsuki to Jiraiya.
He's definitely risked a great deal to help me, Naruto said after a time, his voice thoughtful. Do you think we should trust him? he asked the Kyuubi. The fox was silent for some time, before he replied in the affirmative. Turning his gaze outward, Naruto rubbed his chin, thinking heavily. Turning to the medical droid, he ordered, "I want you to replace his eyes with cybernetics. Also, get a sample of his blood and figure out what his disease is; cure it if it's possible." As the droid left to get the necessary supplies he turned back to last Uchiha. "Welcome to the Clone Wars, Itachi."
In his office on Coruscant, Chancellor Palpatine sat with his chair turned toward the window, gazing out at the Coruscant nightlife. His plans on Geonosis had backfired horribly; his possible new apprentice had been killed by his own creation, and when he had sentenced the genetically-modified Jedi to death, Naruto, along with some unknown human, managed to destroy a large number of his droids before the clones appeared and Dooku had to make his escape. From Dooku's report, he had managed to identify the man as someone who had been in the stands. Using his extensive resources, he was tracking the man through any flights he had taken that were charted, and any flights he possibly could have hired from a number of smugglers.
During his apprenticeship under Darth Plagueis the Wise, he himself had become wise, learning to take failure and change it into success; to plan decades ahead. Using those lessons, he began to create a framework for his newest plan to remove the young Jedi. Seeing as there was footage of the killing blow to Sasuke, he could possibly create false documents that made it appear as though Sasuke was a Republic spy. Once that was done, he could have Dooku leak the footage, and if they found out who it was that had helped Naruto fight off the Sith Lord and his monster, then they could fabricate a criminal background for him, if he didn't have one. Criminal association and the murder of a Republic spy would easily have him thrown into prison, and based on Naruto's final words to Sasuke, reminding the would-be Sith of the people he had kill, the Jedi's could be warped to make him appear as if he had announced himself executioner, which the Jedi Council highly frowned upon; with this and the criminal record the boy would soon have, he would likely be exiled from the Jedi Order.
"Yes…" he murmured to himself, steepling his fingers. "Enjoy your freedom while you may, young Jedi. Enjoy it while you may."
Well, there you go everyone! So, how was it? A roller coaster ride of twists and turns? A diabolical chapter of dastardly plots? Did anyone expect that our raven-haired stranger was Itachi? Please, review and let me know!
-Zeratide, out.