For those of you who have already read this chapter, this is just a revisor. I had to tweak a sentence to make it sound better, nut for those of you who have not read this chapter than please enjoy:O). For those of you who are curious as to which sentence was tweaked. I say it is time to play Where is Waldo. You find the sentence and I will let you know if you are correct. :O)
Disclaimer: I am just a fan. I do not own Naruto.
Chapter 14: Reunion: Hey, Sasuke Were Have You Been Hiding?
Naruto, Sakura, and Yamato ran through the maze of corridors, checking room after room in search of Sai. Yamato picked the lock of another door and entered; spying a familiar back pack, he searched its contents while Naruto and Sakura secured the room. Sakura heard a noise from the bathroom and silently signaled Naruto to tackle the person high while she went low. Naruto nodded his head in understanding and took his position.
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Kabuto entered the lab when he noticed that he had forgotten the files of Konoha's Hokage's loyal Anbu in the room they had given Sai. "I can't begin making the bingo book without those files." He said to himself, as he closed the door to his lab and made his way back to Sai's room.
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Sai entered the room and was tackled immediately by Naruto and Sakura. Yamato bound him with his Mokuton: wood binding technique; the wood coiled around Sai from his mouth down to his ankle, incapacitating his ability to cry for help as well as his ability to move.
"I am going to remove the mouth peace so that you can answer some questions. I would take into consideration that my jutsu could just as easily impale you as it binds you." Yamato told Sai removing the mouth restraint.
"Now that you have discovered me hear my mission is a failure. So there is no point in me causing anymore trouble for you."
"You were sent by Danzou to enlist the aid of Orochimaru for another "crush the leaf plan" weren't you?"
"Don't bother lying," Sakura said scowling.
"There is no point in lying since you figured out this much." Sai said smiling falsely. "It is just as you said; we are trying to destroy the current Konoha. I was to be the liaison between Orochimaru and Danzou."
"Do you know what you are saying? That is…" Sai interrupted a startled Naruto before he could finish.
"That is not all; I was also to be Danzou's spy. I was to relay information on Orochimaru to him through the use of my jutsu. Orochimaru's betrayal is a certainty, once he helped us fulfill our goals; my role was to be a preventative measure to insure we retained the upper hand."
"A mission like that would be dangerous to whoever undertook it. Why would you do such a thing, Sai?" Sakura asked appalled at the idea of a suicide mission for the sake of destruction.
"The name Sai was assigned to me by Danzou-sama for this mission. I have no identity; I am nothing but one of Danzou-sama's arms; it is pointless to worry about such things."
"If that were true than why do you keep that picture book you made for your brother?" Sakura shot back unconvinced, "I'll tell you why, it's because you don't want to loose the bond you have with your brother, no one without an identity worries about things like that."
"Bond?" Sai whispered; the question was more for himself than anyone else.
Sai in tow, Yamato and the others exited Orochimaru's hideout the same way they came, wanting to secure him some place outside of the hideout.
"I met Sasuke; you should give up. He no longer cares for you; he said so himself. Why do you go so far for him," Sai asked.
Sakura was composing herself and thinking of how to respond when Naruto spoke.
"Back in the day, I couldn't stand Sasuke. He was always elite and I was always last, but it was always really a lot of fun when we were together. He… he acknowledged me more than anyone else ever did.
"Orochimaru is always with Sasuke-kun; In other words, you will have to face Orochimaru again. If you pursue him, you will definitely be torn apart and used for their experiments."
"Sasuke is my friend, someone I was able to finally form a bond with…"
"But still… against Orochimaru you will…" Sai interrupted.
"I don't care who I have to fight!" Naruto said cutting him off. "If he rips my arms off I'll kick him to death; if he rips my legs of I'll bite him to death; if he rips my head off I'll stare him to death, and if he gouges out my eyes, I'll curse him from my grave. Even if I am torn to shreds, I'm taking Sasuke back from Orochimaru!" the passion in Naruto's voice ignited flames with the hearts of his comrades and Sai. Sakura's few remaining doubts about this mission were burnt to ash.
"A bond," Sai thought, when Kabuto fell from the sky releasing a barrage of kunai. Yamato and the others were forced to dodge; Kabuto grabbed Sai and leapt away from the three Konoha ninja widening the distance between them before speaking.
"I see you are not as inept as I thought. Naruto-kun, Orochimaru will be quite pleased to hear that you are still alive. You know, it was pointless of you to come on this mission. Especially you Naruto-kun, people change, now Orochimaru won't have to appease Sasuke-kun for robbing him of the pleasure of defeating you himself."
Kabuto assessed his situation. "There is no way I will be able to defeat these three on my own. Seeing as you haven't betrayed us I will trust you, for now." He said releasing Sai.
Naruto had formed some Kage Bunshin and Sakura had begun to charge, but stopped in her tracks when Sai placed Kabuto in an arm bar surprising everyone. Maintaining the arm bar's integrity he added a wristlock and tightened it by stressing Kabuto's shoulder blade.
"What is the meaning of this," Kabuto questioned Sai furiously.
"You said people change. That means I can too."
"What?" Kabuto said angrily.
"But there are things that don't change."
"Sai you…" Naruto stuttered.
Sai continued before Naruto could finish. "That bond… I want to see it for myself."
"Sai don't let him go," Yamato said as he formed hand signs, securing Kabuto with his wood bind jutsu.
Yamato had just finished forming his Mokuton Bunshin when Naruto turned to Sai.
"Sai what are you thinking?"
"I want to know why you go so far for Sasuke-kun and what bonds really are. Sakura-san said I am still bonded to my brother and that I don't want to destroy that bond. If such bonds are truly important, than I might understand better if I see you and Sasuke-kun, that's all."
Kabuto laughed at them. "What the hell are you laughing at," Sakura demanded angrily.
"You idiots don't know the real Sasuke-kun," was all he said before Yamato began grilling him about Sasuke's location within the hideout. Kabuto glared at them for a long while, before telling them that he was hidden deep within one of the inner chambers but which one he did not know, because there were so many; he also warned them to be careful or they would find themselves surprised by a snake, because Orochimaru's quarters were also located deep within one of the many hidden chambers.
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They ran through the hideout together for some time, before they reached a corridor deep within the center, which split into two directions. Yamato separated them into two groups. Sai and Naruto went one way while he and Sakura took the other. They checked door after door to no avail. Sakura and Naruto were both anxious, they had endured much for this day, and Naruto could feel the tension lying beneath his calm demeanor beginning to surface.
"There are no more doors to check on this level, let's head to the next one," Sai said calmly. Naruto nodded his head and began sprinting ahead for the next level when he collapsed. Although the Kyuubi had healed the mortal wound given to Naruto by Orochimaru, and Sakura had healed as much of the wounds given to him by his transformation, Naruto still needed more time before he would be fully recovered. Sai saw this and advised Naruto that it would do him no good to face anyone in his current condition and that they should take a quick rest. Naruto acknowledged Sai's point, but had decided resting would risk their chance at locating Sasuke. However, Sai won his point when Naruto passed out.
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Sakura had entered another room recklessly when Yamato decided to interject.
"Sakura I know how important it is for you to find Sasuke, but if you continue to be reckless you increase our chances of alerting Orochimaru and who knows what kind of traps he has set up."
"Yamato sensei I know…," was all Sakura said before Yamato cut her off.
"Sakura, it is only a matter of time before we find him."
"Have Naruto and Sai…?"
"No, not yet; be sure to be more careful from now on."
"Hai," Sakura replied looking down trodden.
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Yamato's Mokuton Bunshin stood watch over Kabuto.
"Have they found Sai yet," Kabuto asked expecting no response. "They are all probably lost wandering aimlessly. Too bad they don't have a map of the hideout like the one I have memorized in my head."
"I know I am a clone, but surely, you don't believe that I would be foolish enough to give you a chance at escape by taking you to a hideout you know so well."
"That is a shame," Kabuto said activating his chakra scalpel.
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"You are finally awake," Sai said to Naruto as he slowly came to. "You remind me of my brother; he used to go all out whenever he did anything like you. Except, he was noisy, brash, and vulgar, not to mention his di…."
"Sai," Naruto cried out before he could finish his last comment.
"Ah, never mind, but for some reason, when I look at you, I'm reminded of my brother." Sai said as he pulled his art book out of his pack and holding it up beside Naruto.
"If only you had met me earlier in life than you would have been able to say I was just like him." Naruto laughed. His smile provoked memories from Sai's past.
A young Sai sat drawing as his brother practiced his kunai throwing. Suddenly, his brother was over him watching and smiling as he drew. (Flash) They were much older now jumping from tree to tree as they rushed forward on some type of mission blocking kunai as they went. They landed in the middle of a clearing when they were attacked by masked men. They punch and kicked all the while blocking kunai and shuriken hurled at them. Each of the masked assailants, who attacked, fell before them, dissipating, not men, but Kage Bunshin. They dashed forward when Sai tripped and before he knew it his brother was there with a helping hand. (Flash) They made camp for the night his brother slept as he stood watch. He had begun working on the cover of the picture book.
"Sai, Sai, yo, are you okay," Naruto's voice roused Sai from his memories.
"I remember, I remember!" Sai said as he opened the book and began to draw "This is what I wanted to show my brother. The picture of our dreams." He said as he finished his drawing. For the first time, the smile on Sai's face beamed with sincerity, instead of the emptiness of his usual fake smile.
Naruto and Sai both shot up together, the moment of genuine happiness was gone, replaced by the animosity of Orochimaru's presence.
"Impressive, demon brat, I had thought you would have been a corpse by now. I guess I underestimated your power, but then again you are a Jinchuuriki." Orochimaru said as he stared at Sai. "Sai, I wonder whose side you will choose." Orochimaru said inquisitively. "Sen'ei Jashu" he cried as two snakes flew from his arm. Naruto and Sai leapt back avoiding the snakes who attempted to bite them.
"It seems you are on their side Sai, or whatever your name is." Orochimaru said calmly.
"Sai, I'll keep him busy, you go and find Sasuke."
"Understood, I will go find Sasuke and take him out of here." Sai said as he left running to continue the search.
"So, you came to take Sasuke. Your persistence is to be commended, but I wonder if things will go as you plan?" Orochimaru said smiling.
"I don't care if you are one of the legendary Sannin like Jiraiya-sama and granny Tsunade. I am going to kick your butt and take Sasuke back!" Naruto said through gritted teeth his anger surfacing for a moment. Something about Orochimaru's haughtiness got under his skin, eliciting his emotion without his consent. He would make up for his slip later, through training, but right now he needed to focus. The last time he faced this man, the encounter ended with a sword impaled through his chest. It was not something he cared to repeat. He called forth ten Kage Bunshin and prepared himself for round two against Orochimaru.
"Sen'ei Jashu" Orochimaru said releasing his snake hand jutsu. Seven snakes with there mouths opened and swords jutting forth dissipated half his clone army. "My, my, what happened to the prodigious skills you wielded earlier demon brat. Was it all just a fluke? Come show me the skill you displayed earlier," Orochimaru taunted sending forth his snake hands once again. Naruto's vision blurred, calling forth Kage Bunshin to aid him in his battle plan had cost him, but he needed them to distract Orochimaru's snake hands as he went in for the killing blow. He and his clones weaved and danced their way forward through Orochimaru's snake hands and Naruto was able to draw blood from Orochimaru's cheek before they were defeated.
Orochimaru held Naruto firmly; his tongue traveled like a snake up his cheek; it glided up until he was licking his wound. "Ku, Ku, Ku, it was very impressive the way you avoided my attack and drew first blood, but as I told you, it will take more than your impressive taijutsu skills to defeat me or Sasuke-kun." Orochimaru threw Naruto and he tumbled down the hall like a rag doll.
"I know you possess more power than this, show me."
Naruto struggled to maintain consciousness but was ripped from the reality of his current situation, pulled deep within his mind. The Kyuubi growled in a distant voice. "It cost me much to undo your foolishness from before; do not make me regret it Boy!"
"I have everything under control, not that I owe you any answers."Naruto quipped, happy for the chance to give the Kyuubi a taste of his own medicine. "Now send me back before your foolishness gets us both killed." Naruto's mindscape began to rumble at the Kyuubi's outrage. "And don't worry, back up is on its way." Naruto said before being violently thrown back into the reality of his situation.
He came too, his head aching. "He did that on purpose." Naruto thought as he dug a soldier pill from his pouch and ate it; he did not move from the ground, instead he waited for the soldier pill to take affect. Yamato announced their presence by sending a huge pillar crashing through the wall forcing Orochimaru back. Yamato and Sakura made their way to Naruto's side.
"Naruto are you okay," Sakura asked as she went to his side and checked him over before helping him up.
"I am fine now that you guys arrived; for some reason, Yamato-senpai, when I released my chakra like you said, I expected you to teleport here. I guess that's not how it works, huh."
"No, Naruto, that is not how it works," Yamato replied.
"I think you might want to work on that. It's a good idea." Naruto said lightheartedly, something about his last few encounters brought out the warmth and familiarity of his old self, releasing him from all the fear and apprehension he felt when he had first returned to Konoha. The heat of battle had finally brought him home. "Baka," was all Sakura said as she shook her head from side to side, there was no denying that this was her Naruto; the one she remembered from long ago.
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"Who's there?" Sasuke asked; he was lying down with his back facing the door to his chamber.
"So you know I am here," Sai replied as he opened the door wider. "But it is too late, I have the advantage." Sai said as his ink snakes surrounded Sasuke poised to strike.
"What is your purpose?"
"Danzou-sama ordered your death, but I have come to take you back to Konoha. Of course, I originally came to kill you. However, Naruto cares for you greatly, and I want to protect that bond of friendship he is trying so hard to keep."
"Bonds, you disturbed my sleep for that," Sasuke said activating his Sharingan. Sai sensing this bound him with his ink snakes.
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"Naruto-kun, I will allow you to live for now; do your best to try and kill another Akatsuki member for me. For now, I have business to attend to with that Sai boy." Orochimaru said disappearing in a cloud of smoke.
Yamato bent to retrieve Sai's pack when a book fell out. Picking up the book Yamato exclaimed "This is not good."
"What is it Yamato-sensei," Sakura asked.
"It would appear that we where wrong about Sai's mission. He was not here to be a liaison between Orochimaru and Danzou, but as an assassin."
"What makes you say that," Naruto asked
"Because of this book, Anbu elite carry a book just like this. It is an assassination list or bingo book." Yamato thumbed through the pages and found that the first half were all crossed off.
"What are all the Xs for," Naruto questioned.
"I believe they are for the people he has already taken care of. Each person in this book had been known to have strong anti-Konoha tendencies, and none of the people in this book were pushovers."
"Then it's nothing to worry about," Sakura said.
"That would be true, except for this," Yamato held up the bingo book, revealing a picture of Sasuke. "Danzou-sama sees Sasuke as a threat since he is to be Orochimaru's next body, and he must have sent Sai here to stop that from happening. He wasn't trying to betray Konoha, he was trying to protect it; this is exactly something a warmonger like him would try."
"I can't believe it! I knew we shouldn't have trusted him. We should have just left him behind with Kabuto." Sakura ranted enraged. "What were we thinking?"
"There is no point in standing around and whining; no matter what we believe Sai's orders are. Right now we have to join back up with him and get to Sasuke." Naruto said believing that Sai had changed and would not follow the orders given him by Danzou.
"Naruto is right. I just felt Sai's chakra a moment ago, let's hurry" Yamato said taking off down the corridor with Sakura and Naruto close behind.
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Sai stood dusting himself off, Sasuke in a display of power had destroyed the whole of his room. Sakura rushed through the corridor opening and grabbed Sai by the collar demanding to know how many times he would betray them. She froze when a familiar voice called her name. "Sakura," her heart skipped a beat as she slowly turned to face the voices owner. "Sasuke-kun," she whispered, her eyes widening with disbelief. How long had she waited for this moment? It seemed like a dream; she held her breathe, for fear that even the slightest disruption would cause her to wake, and she didn't want this moment to ever end.
Naruto dashed forward from behind Yamato and was the second to exit the long corridor.
"Naruto, I see you're her as well." Sasuke said greeting him. "I am guessing then, that Kakashi is not too far behind."
"Gomen, but Kakashi couldn't make it. I am Yamato and I am filling in as team captain for the time being." Yamato said introducing himself. "Sasuke, team Kakashi is here to take you back to Konoha."
"A team of loser's, and you must be my replacement," Sasuke said looking at Sai.
Sai unsheathed his small sword. "I am here to help take you back for Naruto. I wish to help him save his "bond" with you, and because I think he can help me to remember what it is like to feel what bonds are."
Sasuke laughed mirthlessly before reappearing before Naruto. "When did he move," Sakura thought.
"Instead of chasing me down, wouldn't your time be better spent training yourself to become Hokage, eh, Naruto-kun," Sasuke said placing his arm on Naruto's shoulder.
"A man who can't save his friend, shouldn't be able to become Hokage, should he Sasuke-kun." Sasuke answered Naruto's question by drawing Kusanagi out and drove it towards Naruto's liver. Naruto disappeared from Sasuke's sight and reappeared behind him holding a kunai to his throat.
"And who said I haven't been training," Naruto asked as everyone gave the two boys there space, not wanting to interfere.
"I did," Sasuke answered from behind Naruto as he came in for a stab through his ribcage.
Naruto spied Sasuke over his right shoulder, and spun away to his back left side, leaving Sasuke to destroy his own clone. Naruto finished his movement; capturing Sasuke by the throat, he slammed him into the ground sweeping his legs out from under him. Yamato began forming the signs necessary for his wood bind technique. Sasuke seeing this quickly brought his Kusanagi around in a chopping motion forcing Naruto to withdraw his hold and flipped up. Sai and Sakura charged Sasuke in order to recapture him but before they could get close enough he performed a Chidori-Nagashi (1000 bird's current). Naruto saw the lightening and moved to dodge but was not fast enough and was electrocuted. Sai, Sakura, and Naruto were blown back, away from Sasuke. Sasuke used that moment to leap into the air after Naruto; he angled the blade for a strike at his heart but was stopped by Yamato.
Yamato grabbed Sasuke by the wrist and hurled him away from Naruto spinning like a cyclone. Sasuke performed a flip in mid air and landed on his feet. Dashing forward, Sasuke sent a current of electricity through his sword and stabbed at Yamato, who drew his kunai and tried to deflect the blade, only to have it slice his kunai in half and imbed itself in his left shoulder. Sasuke drove him back to a peace of debris and pinned him their.
"You blocked my sword wrong" he told Yamato as he ran a steady current of electricity down his blade.
"Sasuke, don't you understand? Orochimaru just wants to take control of your body." Naruto said weakly, pleading for Sasuke to gain some sense.
"If that's what happens, then it happens." Sasuke said emotionlessly. "My vengeance is all that matters to me; as long as I can exact it I don't care what happens to me or anyone else. As it stands right now, I am no match for Itachi, so if I have to sacrifice my body to Orochimaru in order to have my vengeance and kill him, I would sacrifice my life a million times over."
Sasuke leapt back onto high ground, as Yamato removed his Kusanagi from his shoulder by creating a wood pole.
"Enough talk," Yamato said as he stood and squared himself with Sasuke. "Naruto, Sakura, I had hoped to spare you the sight of me injuring Sasuke, but now it is time for me to get serious.
"Captain Yamato!" Sakura said startled and worried about what was to come.
"Get Serious," Naruto asked.
"He is the same as Orochimaru, a rogue ninja who left our village, and we cannot allow him to roam free, and we are returning with him to Konoha no matter what!"
"Konoha, I am tired of all of you." Sasuke said as he stabbed his Kusanagi into the ground and began to form hand signs. "This is the end."
Orochimaru appeared from nowhere and grabbed his hand. "Sasuke-kun, you are not using that technique.
"Beat it." Sasuke replied tersely when Kabuto appeared a few feet away.
"Come now, your still using such foul language with Orochimaru-sama."
"I see no reason to stop."
"You know what Akatsuki is up to. That's why we want Konoha to help eliminate them." Kabuto pointed out to Sasuke annoying him to no end. "If they are able to kill even one Akatsuki member, that's one less to get in the way of your vengeance." Kabuto continued to reason with him.
"That's pathetic."
"That's improving your chances of success if even by one percent."
"Let's go." Orochimaru said releasing Sasuke. Sasuke sheathed his Kusanagi all the while staring at Naruto, before turning and walking away.
Sakura leapt after him crying his name, but Naruto wrapped her ankle with wire and yanked her back. Their forms slowly disappeared, consumed by fire.
Sakura ran at Naruto angrily and gripped him by the collar. She cocked her right arm as far back as she could, before releasing a chakra enhanced punch, targeting his jaw. Naruto brought his left hand straight up from his side turning his palm down and deflected the punch at the forearm. Before bringing his hand across and slapping her in the face.
She stared back at Naruto teary eyed. "Sakura, we are in no condition to give chase, let alone to fight." was all Naruto could say before he started coughing up blood and fell to his knees. The sight was enough to bring Sakura back to her senses; she knelt down beside him and began tending to his internal injuries all the while crying.
"We still have six months to save him, and three people have a better chance than two." Sai said smiling in an attempt to stem her tears.
Yamato looked at them and thought "So it begins again."
Next Time: Chapter 15: To tell or not to tell: Legacy of the Yondiame