AN: So, here's another chapter…I hint that there is a bit of disturbing scenes in this one…you've been hinted so don't freak out on me.
After saying my silent goodbyes, I turn my attention to reality. I look at all the members of my group; Karin, Iruka, Kakashi, Kurenai, Anko, Tsunade and Mifune, the head samurai. Tsunade is leading the group, naturally. She informs us of our mission with a stoic expression.
"The Kage's have decided that this group will be the one to confront Madara." At her words, some faces tighten while others close their eyes. I'm the only one who keeps a blank expression besides the blond herself; it's hard news to hear.
Lady Tsunade swept the area with her eyes quickly before continuing. "I'm sure that you all have different opinions about this, but time is scarce and there is none left for objections. We have one job, and one job only; seek and destroy Madara Uchiha."
She finishes and we all know what she means. We have no choice but to fight the enemy's leader. It's our duty, and may be our last. It one of our comrades fall, we'll leave them without a second thought to complete the mission. There is no time for mourning this time. For if we do, we might as well be thrusting a kunai into our chests.
The Hokage looks us over one last time before giving the signal for us to follow after her. We've already sorted out the formation we're to move in. Tsunade and Kakashi move in the front. Kurenai, myself and Iruka are in the middle in that order. Anko, Karin and Mifune bring up the rear.
I'm not supposed to lag too far behind Tsunade. She said I was one of the more important ninja in this group. That would explain why I'm in the center of everyone else. I'm still not that fond of being such an asset in this war, but I haven't complained aloud since the day the boys and I found out.
We follow behind Tsunade and Kakashi with all of our senses working to the best of our abilities. Moving quickly and silently through the thickest of the trees is a challenge. We're hidden, but if anyone discovers us, they will be as well. An ambush would let me release some of my stress, but it might also leave us short of allies.
I try to focus on making sure I don't fall and the sights and sounds around me. Alas, all I can hear is my unit's breathing and our foot pushing off from each passing tree branch. It's in this instant that I make an observation that I should have paid more attention earlier; where are we going? Tsunade said nothing of where we were headed, and now we're just getting further away from the fight.
Curious, I look to Kurenai. She is visibly pregnant now with Asuma's baby, but still chooses to fight like and honorable konoichi.
"Kurenai Sensei, don't you think this is weird? We've been going on like this for a while now." I whisper, attempting to keep the others from hearing. I don't know how Tsunade will take my thoughts.
The older woman locks her gaze on mine and answers me. "Lady Tsunade knows what she's doing. Just be patient."
Patient? What a generic answer. It doesn't sound like Kurenai at all. I would think she would agree with me, or at least tell me something a little more convincing. Something is wrong. No one has made even the slightest change in expression since Tsunade spoke. It's like their faces were frozen after the Hokage's words. What's going on?
"Lady Tsunade…" I start, not knowing how to voice my suspicions.
The busty old woman turns her head to me, then pulls out a kunai. She's followed by everyone else, including me. Where's the threat? I look back to my Hokage and gasp. Her features are morphing, becoming less womanly and more masculine. Her hair goes from blond to a black color that almost matches mine. She continues to change until she isn't Tsunade at all.
Choking on air, I stumble backwards and almost slip from the branch I'm perched on. For the person that has taken Tsunade's place is the last person I want this close to me.
"Sasuke…" I manage to get out of my throat.
It's weird seeing him again. I thought I wouldn't have to ever deal with this Uchiha after the Summit. Obviously not. He looks even more twisted than the last time I saw him. More than likely he's been listening to Madara's lies too much. He's gone insane.
Where is Tsunade? And why aren't the others freaking out? Karin could at least start crying or something. That would be better than nothing at all!
"Shit," I mumble as Sasuke smirks with an evil glint in his eye. He's going to attack me.
Gesturing with his fingers, the raven-haired male commands the others around me. They raise their kunai and fling them at me. Five projectiles coming at me at a speed of 95 miles per hour. I've dodged more than that before, but now from every direction and in a place like this. My only hope is to jump over or below them. I think this through in a matter of a half milli-second before carrying it out.
Summoning all my speed, I let my knees buckle and duck under the branch, falling to the ground. I hear the kunai hit flesh, meaning the minions hit each other. I wonder if one hit Sasuke. Doesn't matter; he's recover quickly anyway.
As soon as my feet hit the forest floor, I take off at the speed of light. I don't have time to stop and wonder why the others in my group listened to Sasuke. I just have to assume they're the enemy and carry out my mission while staying the hell away from my childhood friend.
I sprint, not entirely sure where I'm going. Spotting a clearing in the midst of the forest, I rip into my second state to use the added speed. I can feel the burning as the curse mark spreads down the right side of my body. With one last pump of my legs, I burst into the clearing. I catch my breath, my hands on my knees. Panting, I look around, and then my eyes grow wide with horror.
"No…" it's all I can manage to let escape my lips. I crumble to my knees as tears start trickling down my face.
There are dead bodies thrown all over the area. They aren't random either. No, it's every single person I gave my love to before any of this even started. Good God, what am I going to do?
Uncle Sate has been hung from a tree with material from his own clothes. Gontei is sitting against the base of the same tree, his decapitated head in his lap. Gaara lays sprawled out on the ground, his throat slit and blood pooling around him. Juugo and Suigetsu lay near each other, Suigetsu with no arms and Juugo with no legs. They both have their bellies cut open. Tsunade has been cut clean in half, both halves at different ends of the clearing. Shoji and Oricha Sensei are lying face down with multiple shuriken in their backs. Temari is pinned to a tree; a familiar sword going through her chest and lifting her off the ground so her legs dangle.
The scene is so gruesome, but I can't look away until I find them. There are still tow people that aren't here; my beloved Kuro-kun and Shiky. Where are they?
I hear a rustling behind me and turn my head to the side so I can see what it is. It's neither Kankuro nor Shikamaru. Sasuke studies the bloody corpses then looks to me in my second state. He almost looks like he's disgusted under all that evil. I don't have time to react, I'm too dead inside to care about my well being as the Uchiha grabs me by my roots and drags me to a different area. This catches my attention, I can see them they were here, just blocked by some of the trees.
Sasuke throws me down in front of the two boys, and I lift my head up weakly and study my loved ones. Both Kankuro and Shikamaru are lying on the ground, bloody and burnt. They're bodies are so marred, I almost couldn't tell who they were. But I know better than to hope they were the remains of someone else. They were burned alive by Ameratsu. I can tell. They're bodies still twitch from the left over black flames.
I look at Sasuke, my eyes no longer wet, but hard and head. "Why?" I ask, wanting to know what compelled him to show me this.
He smirks, then laughs in one short burst. "Because I wanted you to feel my loneliness before you die." And then he puts one hand over my mouth while the other pushes a kunai to my chest.
"You are such a liar, Popori Ikame. You never cared for me…you left me. You never cared for me any more than you care for my ancestor, Madara." He hisses into my ear.
I could tell him he's wrong, I could tell him that I loved him more than everyone else. But he wouldn't listen; I know this because he's killing me in cold blood. He pushes the kunai so far into my chest that I can feel it come out of my back as well.
He pulls both hands away and I fall onto my back. I can feel the curse melting away as I die. I stare up at him, everything in black and white, as he snickers at the bloody mess he made. Before my eyes close, I use my remaining strength to perform a basic hand sign. One I learned at the Academy for such situation.
"Release."
And just like that, I'm back. Karin is staring at me wide-eyed with her hand pressed to my forearm. She must have sensed the Genjutsu and pulled me out of it with her chakra. I give her a nod then study my surroundings.
I'm in the same instant I said my goodbyes. Sasuke must have trapped me when I looked at him afterwards. He captured me form so far away…he's gotten even stronger since the last time we've been together.
"Popori?" Karin calls my name, making my head instinctively turn towards the syllables. "That was Sasuke wasn't it? I know it was, I felt his chakra consume you… It feels so different from before, even more so."
I don't really know what to reply. She answered her own questions. I give her another nod, then turn my attention elsewhere. Tsunade is giving the same speech she did in the Genjutsu. There is a difference, although. She actually tells us that we're taking a hidden route through the trees to get to Madara. We'll hide there until he's alone and we can attack him when he has no one to defend him. It's a simple plan, but at least we have one.
I tell the others of my encounter with Sasuke and how he knew about our intentions, to a degree.
"What? How could he know?" Tsunade asks, sounding enraged.
I shake my head, "I'm not sure how, but he did. So we should be prepared for being ambushed rather than doing the ambushing."
The group nods, and I notice Kakashi has a strained look in his one visible eye. He must not be looking forward to having to maybe fighting Sasuke. I heard that he, Naruto and Sakura went after the Uchiha after he had killed Danzo. He almost killed Sakura, which must be hard to see from Kakashi's perspective. It's a shame Sasuke has become such a prick, but if he tries killing me again, I won't just take it; I'll fight for my life as well as his.
AN: Well, this chapter is short. Kind of annoying, but whatever. At least it got here faster than the other. So, I think the next chapter will be the big fight between Popori's unit and Madara. I still haven't decided who's going to die and who will live…so you'll just have to find out.