A/N: PHEW! With how busy I've been lately it was a real chore, but now it's FINALLY here – brand new chapter! (whirls around with joy)
Awkay, I know you're itching to get going, but first. Massive, Godzilla sized thank yous for all those absolutely breathtaking reviews! Goodness, you can't even imagine how much it warms my heart to know that so many of you are waiting for this ficcy to continue. (HUGS, and lots of nice hot pie to you all) Anonymous reviewers and realityfling18, your responses to reviews are, as per usual, below the chapter. (grins) And hey,
Millions of thank yous for the incredible job of proofreading! (hugs) You can't even imagine what kind of a weight you lifted from my shoulders.
Okay, because I can sense you'll be throwing sharp objects soon… (sweatdrops) Let's go! I REALLY hope you'll enjoy the ride!
/ Feel the beat in your heart
It makes me strong tonight
Hey babe, you know me
You know it is our night tonight
We can reach little higher
We can tear down the sky
If something comes on the way we face it as one
Through the tears and the clouds
Through the times when they doubt
If something comes on the way we fight 'til dying /
(Sunrise avenue: "Fight 'til dying")
Naruto blinked several times – almost like desperately wanting to erase the image before him – but no matter how many times he repeated the gesture the girl beforehim remained.
She chuckled a little. " What? It's almost like you're not happy to see me."
Had he not been struck completely numb by shock, he would've snorted.
This, all of this, just couldn't be real…
The girl walked closer with slow steps that were filled with confidence. She obviously knew he was in no state to run away. He shuddered with something he couldn't quite name when she brushed his cheeks with surprisingly warm fingers that seemed to have a red glow around them. " Like I said, I've been waiting for this for quite a long time", she all but purred in a quiet, husky tone. " You see, Naruto… I want you to fight beside me. We've got the same blood running through our veins – the same power locked inside."
True enough, he'd never been praised for being brilliant, but even he understood exactly what she was talking about. His eyes narrowed. " Kyuubi…"
The girl nodded. There was something in her eyes he found foreign. " Our father knew that even if he'd take most of the blow, something that powerful would never remain sealed into only one person. Fortunately, he'd just had twins."
With those words, her eyes started to change and his heart skipped a beat when he faced the small yet dramatic changes. Her fingers pressed against his forehead hard, leaving no chance for escape. " No matter how little you want to, you will see my side of the story. Then, you'll be ready to finally face your true destiny."
Giving a faint gasp he fell down, consciousness fleeing.
Oh crap…
-
Much lower in the building Sasuke's eyes narrowed, Sharingan wanting to become activated. " What the hell have you done to Naruto?"
Madara didn't even fidget. Instead the man took another sip of his drink. " I haven't done a thing. The question goes, what will she do."
He frowned.
She?
Unfortunately he never got the chance to ask a thing, because a strange breath in the air aroused his suspicion. His muscles tensed, prepared for anything.
Madara, on the other hand, remained perfectly still and relaxed, sitting lazily on his seat. " You know, Sasuke… I was quite disappointed when you turned down my offer so harshly the last time we met – you left quite a collection of burn marks on me, remember? But your eyes will do very well as a payment for the treachery, and I have something in mind to take care of the interest." He couldn't see the man's face because of the mask, but he could still tell there was change in the eyes looking straight into his. " I want you to meet my new little… friend a student of mine just brought in."
He frowned, then – instinctively – he looked down. His chest performed a slight shudder when he saw a tiny snake that carried several shades of green circling around his feet. " What the…?!"
His voice directed towards it was apparently the trigger the snake had been waiting for. Excellent as his reflexes were the animal's was better, and before he could do more than twitch two razor sharp fangs sunk deep into his ankle.
He winced, but didn't utter a sound.
Oh shit…
" She's not overly poisonous, but according to my apprentice should give you nausea and a nice little fever for a while", Madara revealed. " After all, I wouldn't want you to run away."
He struggled with absolutely all his might, but no matter how strong his body was it just wasn't enough.
He slid into a dark fog.
CHAPTER 15: Fight 'Til Dying
/ Three Days Later. /
For the group of five steadily approaching the Akatsuki's base, it felt like eternity had passed from when they'd left Konoha, especially with all the tension lingering in the air. But eventually they were close – so close, in fact, that they could all feel a cold breeze on their skin and even Kiba became quieter than usual.
That very morning, Iruka found himself approaching Kakashi for pretty much the first time since they'd taken off from Konoha. Quite carefully making sure that the teens traveling along wouldn't hear, he spoke quietly to the man who was currently polishing his weapons to prepare them for battle. " Kakashi… You do know that they're expecting us, don't you?" he stated while sitting on a large rock beside the man.
The other ninja nodded quite stiffly. "Yeah." Although the other man was careful enough to not look obvious, Iruka could tell attention was paid to his still healing, somewhat sore injuries. " I wish you hadn't come."
Someone might've considered those words rude, but he heard the hidden message behind them. A small, somewhat sad smile appeared. "I know", he all but murmured, voice so soft that it surprised even him. " But my place is here. You're not the only one who has important people to protect."
Kakashi looked towards him, visible eye carrying some surprise that he couldn't quite hide, but didn't dare to ask whatever questions there might've been – obviously too afraid of the dangerous answer. He could see the silver haired man's hand twitch – as though wanting to grab his – but in the end it stayed completely still, as did all the words that would've been important to be spoken.
Electricity filled silence lingered while they both waited for the inevitable.
-
In the meantime, Shikamaru was all but sulking while sitting by their small fire some distance away, his thoughts in anything but the mission ahead.
Kiba – who was training with Akamaru nearby – finally snapped him out of those thoughts. " Okay, that's it", the boy barked out, allowing Akamaru to rest while looking towards him with stern, annoyed eyes. " I've watched you sulk all damn morning, and I'm not having it for another second, understood?"
For a while he played around with the thought of denying it all, but in the end allowed his expression to become even sourer. " Then what the hell am I supposed to do? She's practically running away from me!"
Kiba rolled his eyes, seeming to be an inch from coming to smack him. " How about starting with something as simple as talking to her?" The boy shook his head. " Geez, and you're supposed to be the genius…"
He frowned, folding his arms. " How am I supposed to talk to her when I don't even know where she is?"
Temari's voice caught him so badly off guard that he actually jumped. " She's right behind you." The girl was looking at him with a somewhat expectant expression. " What were you supposed to tell me, anyway?"
He opened his mouth, and for a moment – just a couple of seconds – the words he would've wanted to say almost crawled out. But in the end he produced something else entirely. " Nothing."
Temari looked at him for a moment as though not believing what she was hearing, then shook her head and turned back around. " I'll go and get us some water."
At that moment, watching the blonde's distancing back, he finally lost the last bit of his self control. " There was a good reason why I left Konoha without saying goodbye to her, damn it!" he snarled out. He went on as soon as the girl looked towards him with a quirked eyebrow, as though daring him to go on. " I'd made up my mind, and I chickened out, okay? I didn't tell her the truth!"
For a moment Temari stared at him, eyes filled with quite open bafflement. After some painfully long seconds, words came. " What did you decide, then?"
He opened his mouth – but never got the precious words out. For just then all five of them felt a clear, chilling change in the air. They exchanged hard looks.
It was finally about to start.
Their senses were so in tuned with the environment that they tensed up completely when hearing a dry branch snap broken under someone's steps. They turned around simultaneously – and blinked at what they found.
There, approaching them far closer than they would've liked, was an army of five heavily pierced ninjas. " We know what you came here for", one of them stated in a remarkably calm, deep voice. "But you won't get it without going through us."
At the very same time, the group of nine lead by Gaara suddenly stopped in front of a huge cave that was clearly a passage to a base of some sort.
" We're on the right track here", Karin announced in a voice that shuddered a bit with excitement. " I can sense them."
Neji almost dared to sigh with relief among the others, until his Byakugan spotted something that made him feel cold all over. " Something or someone is approaching", he announced in a stiff tone. " It looks like a troupe of twenty or thirty, at the very least, and there's more joining in."
" Kirigakure", Sakura suspected grimly.
Ino swallowed thickly and loudly. "What are we going to do?"
" I'm sure there are traps and Akatsuki members waiting for us inside", Gaara stated. " Neji, Sai, Ino and I will go there."
" I'm going as well", Karin announced. "I can sense those two. I have a good chances of finding them."
" In that case, I'm going too", Suigetsu stated with a smirk. "This could be fun."
" I should also go inside", Suzume murmured, seeming thoughtful. " There's another entrance I know of. I'd like to take a look at it."
Gaara nodded with a solemn expression. "Alright. The rest of you, do what you can to hold back the troupe. And all of you, be careful. Understood?"
-
While the others started to head towards their respective positions, Neji found himself walking up to Gaara, who was looking at the horizon with somewhat glazed eyes. They stood in silence for a while until he found it from within him to speak. " How do you think this will end?"
The redhead took his time before responding in a voice that didn't strike him as familiar. " In all honesty… I have no idea."
Not saying a word, he slipped his hand into Gaara's and squeezed. After a second's confusion, the redhead returned the gesture.
'Come what may', their hold said.
Then, just before any of the others would've noticed, they let go once more and started off towards the hallway.
They had a mission to accomplish.
-
Sakura took several deep breaths to calm her nerves and to push all disturbing thoughts of what might've happened to Naruto and Sasuke, along with all other sickening ideas her imagination could conjure up. In the end she turned to look towards where she knew Shino to be, to get some reassurance from seeing him. Her heart nearly broke at what she saw.
Some distance behind her, most likely thinking that no one would see, Shino leaned down and placed a small, extremely tender kiss to Suzume's forehead, then whispered something that didn't carry to her ears. The girl nodded, giving the boy's hand a firm squeeze, and also whispered something before darting away.
Shino stood absolutely still for the longest time, his eyes locked to the girl's distancing back, until he managed to think clearly again and walked up to where she, Kankuro and Juugo were waiting. By the time he got there, they could clearly hear sounds of the approaching troupe. She could see the boy swallow. " It seems to be time", he said.
After walking for so long that absolutely all their muscles begged for rest, that mysterious young woman's corpse still with them, Hinata, Chouji and TenTen finally made it to Suna. They were immediately met by several quite grim looking guards. " What do you think you're doing here?" one of them – a large and remarkably threatening looking man – demanded in a voice that resembled thunder, casting a suspicious glance towards the body in Chouji'sarms.
TenTen – appearing to be the only one of them able to speak – took a step forth. " Our friend – Hyuuga Neji – is here", she explained, her voice tense. " There's something extremely important we need to tell him."
" Did you say Hyuuga Neji?" The guards moved, revealing to them a rather young girl with brown hair and slightly widened dark eyes.
TenTen nodded, mild hope appearing in her chest. " Yes. Is he here?"
" I'm Matsuri. Gaara told me to expect someone from Konoha to arrive." The girl's face tightened. " Come with me. We need to have a talk."
Naruto had long since lost track of time when his eyes opened towards the direction of the door to his new cell. His blue eyes were filled with something dark that shouldn't have belonged in them when they met his female duplicate. " So you haven't forgotten about me after all?" he noted.
She chuckled. " Snappy today, are we?" To his immense surprise she walked up to him and cut the ropes binding him, so roughly that he winced a bit despite himself. " Oh well, maybe you'll be more cooperative once I've let you see that little… friend of yours."
His heart jumped unnaturally. Sasuke? His eyes then narrowed as a bad feeling sunk in, and shivers ran through. " What the hell have you done to him?"
" You'll see soon enough." The girl hauled him up, and it felt like she'd nearly broken his arm. " Now let's go. We don't have all day, and there's much we need to discuss."
He followed quite willingly. If this meant that he'd finally get to see Sasuke…
He was lead through corridors for what felt like ages until they finally stopped in front a rather thick looking door. The girl took something from her pocket and placed it against the door. The door began to open slowly. " I must confess we were slightly worried about Sasuke here. He's had it rough, and it doesn't make things any easier since he keeps fighting us all the time."
His eyes squinted to slits dangerously. " I swear, if you've hurt him…!" He was pretty sure his heart skipped a beat or two when the sight met him, and all intended words froze in his throat.
There, lying in one corner with his wrists bound, Sasuke was slumped against a wall. The raven's face seemed a shade or two paler than usual, when the boy looked at him. Despite apparent resistance obsidian orbs carried the mildest flash of disbelief and relief when they met him. " Naruto?"
" He has poison running through his veins, and according to my accomplice he also has a bit of a fever", the girl restraining him explained, letting go of him. Deep confusion flared through him when she placed something metallic – a weapon – into his hand. " You've got three minutes."
Without thinking further or wasting time on trying to use the weapon against the girl – for some reason, he had a feeling that it would've taken a lot more than that to defeat her – he rushed over to Sasuke. The raven winced when he brought his hand to the boy's cheek, finding it warmer than usual. " Teme, what the hell have you gotten yourself into?" he all but hissed. He'd never felt anything even close to the dark feeling swirling underneath his ribcage. "We've gotta get you out of this rat hole", he murmured, thoughts whirring busily inside his head.
Yes, he wasn't the smartest one around. But he wasn't a total idiot, either. This girl – his twin – and whoever she was working with… They were strong. And he had a bad feeling that there was only one way to escape …
Even with the fever, Sasuke's mind seemed to work sharply. Black eyes sharpened when he looked directly into his, without an inch of hesitation or haze. " Naruto, no", the Uchiha snarled. " That is not an option – not for me or anyone else."
He swallowed thickly. " But…!"
All words were swept away when Sasuke's surprisingly warm, demanding hand was pressed against his cheek, what felt like millions of words drifted unsaid between them. " I'm fine." The voice was husky and barely audible, but for some reason he had a feeling that it was out of the Uchiha's own free will. " We will get out of here."
As much as he would've wanted to scream out in protest, a part of him already knew that there was no arguing against the raven. Therefore, seeing as it was the only thing he could do, he slipped the weapon given to him gently into the Uchiha's hand.
" Okay, I think that'll do." He was stunned by how powerful and forcefully the girl could rip him away from Sasuke – that power couldn't possibly be hers. " As adorable as you two are, this'll be a busy day. So let's go."
Just before he was completely out of the room, he peered over his shoulder once more, looking straight into Sasuke's onyx eyes. ' I'm sorry', he mouthed.
The door slammed shut between them.
-
After Naruto had been taken away, Sasuke remained somewhat numbed for a while until he frowned when sensing something Naruto had slipped into his hands.
A kunai? But how…?
He, however, decided that now was not the time to ask questions – if he really wanted to get out, he'd have to hurry. The blade moved swiftly, working its magic on the ropes cutting all the way to his skin.
In about a couple of minutes Madara entered. " So… I assume you had a visitor." The man observed him while approaching slowly, as though sensing that something was out of place. " What do you think?"
" I'm thinking…", he said slowly, feeling the rope fall away from his wrists. "… that I just made a promise." He'd been gathering chakra for three days. He could feel Sharingan spinning when it activated. " And I'm actually intending to keep it."
While looking at the gang that stood before him, Kakashi made rough calculations on their chances.
Both sides had equal amount of ninjas, but he could sense the five attackers' strength and knew better than well that this would not be easy. In fact, it seemed they were quite desolately outmatched. But he wasn't about to tell that to his comrades.
" I'm taking the ", Kiba announced, revealing his teeth with a somewhat cruel smirk. " He looks like a fun one to face."
One of the attackers – a strange, creepy looking man – smirked in a blood chilling way while looking at Shikamaru. " You", the man stated. " I can tell I'll have a lot of fun with you."
The boy emitted a small growl, balling his fists. " Fine."
Temari's eyes flashed while the girl took a step closer to the boy. " No way I'll let you…!"
She was, however, stopped when a man with long, loose hair and strange, almost unseeing eyes appeared before her and pressed a hand firmly against her chest. " No. You and I have business to take care of first."
While the teens began their own fights, the two remaining attackers – a man with long hair in a ponytail and another with shortcut hair – approached Kakashi and Iruka. " Hatake Kakashi. I've heard a lot about you", the shorthaired man stated. " It'll be an honour to kill you."
Outside the cave, Sakura, Shino and Kankuro swallowed simultaneously while watching the troupe from Kirigakure approaching them like a tide wave. What they saw was a small army, at least fifty men strong.
" Oh shit…", Kankuro hissed.
Sakura barely saw her surroundings when the battle had begun. She kicked, punched, used her weapons until they were so covered by blood that no reflection could be seen. She received several injuries that were so painful she was almost ready to fall down screaming. With determination she couldn't have learned from anyone else but Naruto, she kept fighting.
She'd given up and backed down, been so infuriatingly useless, for so long in her life. Now, she was about to make a change.
That, however, might have to wait. Because just as she was preparing for an attack, she felt the tip of a sword being placed to her neck. There was no escape. "
You fight well, girl", a rough male voice told her. " It's almost a pity to kill you."
She gasped, and prepared herself for the sensation of metal piercing her neck. That never came. Instead she heard two steps, then a scream, and felt some blood showering her back. After a thud that came from the man falling to the ground, it became silent.
Barely daring to even think of what she'd find, she peered over her shoulder – and felt her stomach almost flip around with surprise. " What…?"
Kisame grinned. " I needed some amusement." The man's eyes flickered to the side. " It looks like we'll have our hands full."
She glanced towards the pointed direction, and felt a shudder. There, crossing a hill, even more ninjas from Kirigakure approached.
They didn't only have their hands full, she realized. They were in a deep shit.
Izumi traveled for what felt like ages, all her remaining senses strained to their extreme – ears sharp, every nerve underneath her skin prepared to feel absolutely everything. Eventually she stopped, feeling a soft, familiar scent in the air.
She was finally there.
She walked on for fifteen steps – which she'd counted many times since first coming to the hut long ago– then knocked five times, just like she'd been instructed. " Izumi?" came a somewhat confused voice she knew very well. The woman went on as soon as she stepped in, obviously alarmed by her expression. " What's wrong?"
She swallowed thickly, balling both fists. She absolutely hated bringing the woman into the middle of this, but at this point… " Kushina-sama… The Akatsuki's striking with full force. We need your help."
Unlike most people probably thought, Hinata had never been a remarkably patient person, especially when someone she cared about was in danger. That's why her wait in the Kazekage's building was almost unbearable.
Kiba… While she was just waiting around and thinking he could be…
All of a sudden – in the middle of the worst turmoil – her hand reached out towards the pocket into which she'd hidden that dead young woman's letter. And no matter how wrong she knew it to be, she couldn't keep herself from pulling it out and starting to read it. Who knew, perhaps there was a
certain meaning to that piece of memory.
The words were smudged by tears and time, but she could still make them out without any trouble.
' Dear Rina,
While you're reading this, I'm sure you already know what I've done – for the sake of Konoha, and Sasuke.
I'm so sorry for all the pain I'm causing you with this, but we both know that this must be done. After all, we've always believed in the
same things . Don't worry about me. We both know that sometimes sacrifices have to be made, and I'm more than capable of living with the price and weight of mine.
I'm asking you to keep fighting for the future we both believe in. Please,
also protect Sasuke when I can't – he's still much too young to understand that sometimes the most painful solutions are the right ones. And never, ever forget how much you mean to me. Only you and Sasuke convinced me into believing that this has to be done, that this price is worth paying.
Don't ever give up, promise me that if nothing else. Because we'll see each other again, I promise you. No matter for how long it takes.
With love,
Itachi '
Hinata felt her heart pounding, and her eyes widened while the letter floated from her trembling hands.
That young woman – Rina… She'd kept that letter, for all those years. Her love had kept her going until her very last moment.
At that moment she stood up, making the most important decision in her entire life.
When TenTen came to look for her half a minute later, she was already gone, only the letter remained.
Kiba couldn't tell anymore for just how long the fight had went on, but in the end – although he still managed to stand his ground rather well considering the opponent – he was utterly exhausted as well as covered in cuts and bruises. But, apparently, there was no need to abandon all hope quite yet.
He smirked when his shuriken made a rather deep cut into his opponent's arm. " I knew it", he said, voice filled with relief and cautious triumph. " You're not invincible, after all."
The man made a sound of amusement. " Is that so, brat?" He felt shivers of alarm when the man managed to press a pair of hands to the ground before him. He wished he could've screamed out loud when Akamaru charged towards the man in a desperate attempt to defend him, only to end up getting thrown against the nearby rocks with a sickening thud. While he fought with his all against tears, his opponent watched with completely unfeeling eyes how the dog, his best friend, laid absolutely still and some blood appeared. Cold eyes found his. " I dare you to reconsider that opinion, long and hard."
The sound that came next was exactly like thunder, and he felt earth shudder underneath his feet.
What the…?!
Before he could ever finish that thought, the ground faded away and he fell into what felt like a bottomless pit of darkness, unable to do anything else but scream.
At that hopeless moment, there was only one person that came into his mind.
Hinata…!
Temari groaned as she tasted the blood flooding into her mouth when her opponent's attack – harder than anything she'd ever felt before – threw her straight against a tree, so harshly that the wood cracked a little, some shreds piercing her skin.
Damnit…!
She wouldn't be able to go on like this much longer.
Her opponent walked closer. " Had enough? Or do you still want to carry on this pathetic display of a fight?"
She was about to snarl, until something caught her attention. Sun – which had made its way quite high up into the sky already – it shone straight into her opponent's eyes. The man, however, didn't even flinch. And it was at that moment she understood.
Moving as quietly as humanly possible – barely even breathing – she pulled out a couple of kunais she'd made by herself not too long ago. Her moves effortless, she threw them towards her opponent, her fingers moving again as soon as the weapons left them, doing something Naruto had inspired her into practising.
As she'd expected, the man dodged her weapons easily, scoffing. " Is that the best you can do?"
" No", she stated, her eyes following as two of her clones approached the man from behind without making a sound. " It's not."
With what seemed to require tremendous effort, her opponent actually managed to destroy the clones completely unscathed. He received some nasty cuts. There was a snort. " You're still not worthy of my time." Unseeing eyes moved to her right, and her gaze followed nearly instinctively to find Shikamaru fighting. " You're as pathetic as that little friend of yours."
Her heart stilled for a moment while the scene was played out.
Shikamaru was strong, but even he had his limits. And those had apparently been crossed. Without being able to do anything else, she watched as the attacker sent a merciless, sickening attack on the boy who was coughing up blood. Crimson flew, and the sound of bones being crushed could be heard.
She didn't even know it was she screaming. " SHIKAMARU!"
Iruka's former injuries were quite close to being completely healed, but he nonetheless
pushed himself to the extreme while his opponent aimed attack after attack against him, showing absolutely no mercy.
Eventually, however, he found himself pinned against a rock, a weapon that didn't seem like anything he'd faced before pressed against his throat. "You've got guts, I must admit that. I can tell your injuries are painful", his opponent mused. " But that's just not enough – for you or your friends."
He grit his teeth so tight it hurt. " I swear…", he groaned, metal crushing against his windpipe. " If you hurt…!"
" I'm afraid it's a bit too late for that", the attacker stated, nodding towards something on his right, releasing his hold just a little.
He turned his head with a frown – and found his heart nearly stopping.
There – on the very edge of a small river – Kakashi was fighting with his own opponent, clearly sporting some painful injuries. But what his gaze locked on to was the silver haired's opponent, whose fingers were dancing before the man placed his hand against water. His eyes flew wide against his control when water rose like a wall, then crashed forward.
Unable to stop it, he allowed his eyes to grow moist while watching helplessly as the water washed over Kakashi, with what seemed like incredible power.
No…!
There was even more water, and he heard an odd sound he couldn't recognize.
Please, don't…!
When the water disappeared, there wasn't a trace of the Copynin.
Rin had no idea for how long she'd been unconscious when her eyes – very different from their usual shade – flew open against the darkness surrounding her, and suck in several fast, ragged breaths.
The voice echoing inside her head was the last one she would've wanted to hear. ' Listen to me, and listen to me carefully', the demon sealed into her body growled. ' That copy nin – Kakashi – is in trouble not too far from here.'
She frowned. Although she knew it was a huge mistake to listen to the monster, she couldn't control her tongue until it was already too late. ' What do you mean by trouble?'
' Trouble, as in if you don't let me help, he'll be killed by one of Pein's army.'
Her chest turned unbearably cold, and she gasped lightly despite herself. Die? No… No, no, no…! " No!" she snarled out loud, her heart starting to hammer fast.
She… She couldn't let Kakashi die, but a price like this…
' I know you've been struggling to keep me under control.' The demon's voice was filled with something that chilled her down to her core. ' But face the facts, will you? You've already lost everyone else important to you. Do you really think you'd be able to pay the price of losing him, too – especially with how precious he is to you?' There was a small pause. ' Let me out, for just this once – for his sake. Let me save his life – you know I can.'
Her head fell in defeat while she struggled to inhale and exhale wheezing breaths, her whole frame shuddering uncontrollably. A couple of wet drops fell to the filthy floor below her.
In a couple of minutes a loud, far from human screech echoed through the hallways.
Inside the Akatsuki's base, Suzume's steps made hardly any noise while she sped through stony hallway after another, eyes sharpened to their extreme while darting around.
Where the hell are those two?!
Suddenly – just before approaching steps could be heard – she sensed someone's presence and froze completely. " I figured one of you would end up here", a voice she recognized well although it was very different from the last time they spoke out. Quite slowly, she turned around to face Pein's pierced face. The man's face carried no emotions she would've managed to recognize. " I figured you'd come back sooner or later with your… friends."
Her expression remained sour. " I suppose it was inevitable."
While they kept measuring each other, she made a discovery that disturbed her. Pein… There was something… different about him – like something had been amiss.
And then, after about twenty seconds, she realized.
Just before faking her way into the Akatsuki, she'd joined the squad that'd found Jiraiya's body about two minutes before the man died. And suddenly, the man's final words returned echoing into her ears.
/ " The… real one… it's not with… them." /
Their eyes locked together, and her heart took a couple of extra beats.
So this was why Jiraiya had fought so long and hard… This was the secret he'd died to unravel, the message he'd tried to send them…
When all masks, illusions and tricks were removed, Pein was just another Shinobi – horrendously strong (most likely too much so for her), yes, but not immortal.
She made a small snort. " So you're not a god after all", she noted out loud. " You are just a thief who shields himself with stolen bodies."
The man remained silent for a couple of moments, as though in disbelief over her having figured out the truth, but in the end spoke in a perfectly even voice. " That's right. But I'm also willing to die for the world I believe in. The question is…" His strange eyes bore straight into hers. "Are you willing to die for yours?"
Her eyes took on a shade of gold as a response while her Kekkei Genkai started toactivate.
" Very well then." She could actually feel the man gathering his strength. " You knew from the beginning what the price of betrayal would be. I hope you're prepared to face it."
She readied herself, eyes hardening.
-
About fifteen minutes later Shino – who was currently fighting five Kirigakure's ninjas – suddenly
shuddered, his eyes flying wide.
No…!
As his all but frantic eyes flew to side, he found the very last leaf of a nearly dead tree falling to ground. At that exact same moment a loud explosion came to his ears.
He gasped lightly when feeling metal pressing against his throat. " Losing interest, hmm?" The weapon was pressed harder. " Bad move."
Back inside, Sai and Ino walked firmly side by side, ears prepared to catch absolutely any
sound. All of a sudden they stopped when seeing a new hallway open up before them behind a doorway. Both could sense that there was something important waiting for them.
Ino's voice was barely above a whisper when she spoke. " Do you think we should go?"
She could hear Sai take a deep breath. " I… don't think we have much of a choice."
Their hands brushed together and almost held on when Sai started to walk forward towards the doorway. She almost followed – until something caused every single one of her muscles to freeze. Her eyes widened when spotting Sai's foot hit a metallic wire of some sort while the boy stepped into a pitch black hallway, heading towards the dangerous unknown.
A trap…!
" Sai!" She tried her hardest to scream, to utter a warning of any type what so ever, but her voice refused to work for her. Tears appeared into her eyes. "Sai, stop! It's..!"
She gasped quite loudly, words dying into her throat, when metal was placed against her throat. "Brat, stop whining. It's infuriating", a male voice commanded quite harshly. " Besides, right now you have far more important things than your friend to worry about."
Only a couple of hallways away, Neji felt his chest perform abnormal moves while he and Gaara entered a small, circle shaped room. Even with his Kekkei Genkai pressed to its very extreme, the situation felt ominous.
" Something's wrong", Gaara voiced out his thoughts in a tense tone.
He opened his mouth – most likely to tell the other to be careful – until things happened with such speed that even his eyes would've never been fast enough to detect it all.
What seemed like an invisible force flew through the air, narrowly missing Neji – and hit Gaara with full force. The redhead's eyes – filled with pain and surprise – turned towards him while the boy gasped.
For some time nothing happened, and he already thought he'd imagined the attack. Then – so fast his heart nearly stopped – a gaping wound appeared into Gaara's throat. The Kazekage's eyes fell closed just before the boy fell limply, straight into his arms.
Hellish burning appeared behind his eyes while he slipped to the cold floor, cradling the unmoving body protectively against his chest. "GAARA!" Something warm slipped to his cheeks when the other didn't move the slightest. He pulled the redhead even closer, he ran a trembling hand through slightly unruly locks and still warm, and across a chalk white cheek. "Gaara,please…"
"You do realize that he isn't able to hear you, right?" His eyes where narrowed with such wrath he'd never felt before while rising to meet Kikyo's utterly emotionless ones. "Hello, Hyuuga Neji. I've been waiting for a chance to get to meet you again." (1)
The last time he faced off with Madara, Sasuke had been at a great disadvantage due to his recent battle with Itachi at the time. This time certainly wasn't much better with a slight fever slowing him down. But he realized that his opponent wasn't at his best, either. It was almost like Madara had been poisoned as well.
Careful to not waste much of his precious chakra on jutsus they spun around each other, throwing kicks and punches the best they could, both of them ending up bruised yet determined.
" Well how about this…", Madara stated, wiping away blood from skin that was now exposed with Sasuke having managed to break a small piece of the man's mask. " It looks like your brother didn't overestimate you, after all."
Gaining new fuel from those words he struck forward, missing the man's throat within less than an inch. They spun around each other twice. "Don't you dare talk about him", he snarled, sounding like a beast of some sort.
Madara chuckled. " Now, now, Sasuke. Haven't you learned your lesson by now?" Moving so fast that he didn't have even the slightest chance to block, the man kicked him straight to the stomach, sending him flying against the wall. "Hatred only makes you weak."
He growled and narrowed his eyes, desperately trying to catch his breath with hiss like, hungry pants.
Damnit…
This was not going well. Unless there was some miracle…
He never even managed to finish that thought until his confused eyes noticed that something Madara saw behind him caused the man to freeze completely. Turning his gaze with a frown, he spotted that his opponent's eyes were nailed to a black raven sitting on a branch just outside the room's tiny window. He was almost sure light played tricks with his mind, but it looked almost like the bird's eyes had been glowing red. A warm shudder – of something like recognition – flared through him.
Forcing his eyes away from the disturbing raven, he looked back at Madara. He had no idea of what the man saw when staring at the bird, but the skin he saw from where the mask was broken was completely white and one of the man's balled fists trembled ever so slightly.
His eyes flashed.
This was his only chance.
He charged for an attack.
-
Naruto found something quite close to rage and helplessness flooding through his veins while the girl led him through all the hallways. He wished from the bottom of his heart that he would've managed to whirl around and run – to fight her – but at some point Kyuubi had deviously taken such a hold of him that he couldn't do anything but walk forward. " Where the hell are you taking me?"
He got his answer when they suddenly stopped at a door and she opened it. To his great surprise, the outside world was revealed to him. Burgundy eyes turned to meet his blue ones. " You have two options when walking through this door", the girl announced. " Either you go back to Konoha, to your old life, and forget all about this. In that case, Sasuke will stay here – and die by my sensei's hands. Or you kill Danzou, then come back here and regain Sasuke's freedom as well."
For several seconds he stared at the girl's eyes in utter disbelief, his body having grown completely cold. It took a long time before even the slightest sound willed its way out. " I'm not a murderer!" he snarled, feeling the strangest burning behind his eyes. " What the hell makes you think I'd do something like that?!"
" So you still haven't figured it out, have you?" The girl's voice was filled with an infuriating amount of amusement. " I can't say I know you, but I do know what you've already done for him. The years you spent training, your determination to find him…"
His eyes narrowed. " What's that to you?"
" I'm incapable of feeling such…", the girl stated slowly, searching through his eyes. " … but I do recognize love when such is presented to me. It makes you ready to do anything."
Naruto felt his heart beat pick up and his mouth opened up for a loud protest, but in the end all words died into his mouth.
He… He couldn't…
The girl shook her head. " My goodness, brother. Do you have any idea of how terribly weak you've made yourself?" She tilted her head a little. " We only suffer because of our bonds, you see."
In any other situation, he would've laughed out loud. " I've already been fed with that crap once", he hissed out. " I didn't swallow it then. Why the hell should I do so now?"
She shrugged quite nonchalantly. " Because it's the truth."
Before he could make another arguing statement, a scream of utter pain he knew much too well drifted into his ears, turning his blood into ice.
The girl, clearly having heard as well and now drinking in his reaction, grinned coldly. " See? I don't know what your definition is, but to me that's suffering."
-
Back in his cell, Sasuke had just finished his attack, feeling chilled by just how easily his kunai went through a part of the distraught Madara that the man would most certainly not recover from. For quite a while time had stood unnaturally still until the man had slid to the floor, making a sound of surprise. Feeling extremely dizzy all of a sudden, he'd fallen to the man's side, panting heavily and futilely trying to fight away nausea.
Madara's chuckle had brought him back into awareness. " I must… admit that… you caught me… off guard… But…" So fast that he'd been only able to blink the man's fingers had flown to his forehead. "… that doesn't mean… that I should fail…"
For a couple of seconds nothing had happened. Then – so swiftly that it'd taken him completely by surprise – a hellish, sickening wave of pain unlike anything he'd felt before had traveled through him.
Yes, Sasuke was strong. And he'd fought for what'd felt almost like eternity. But eventually even he had been shattered.
His screams echoed in the walls, going all the way through the building.
-
Elsewhere Naruto's eyes watered while he listened to what felt like never ending screams, feeling each of them strike like a dagger to his heart. ' See, kit?' Kyuubi – apparently seeing this as a proper time to make its entrance – stated. ' This is what you get for getting attached to petty humans.'
Starting to shudder uncontrollably, he grit his teeth and screamed through nearly spilling tears. " What the hell are you doing to him?!"
" I'm not doing a thing – it's my partner at work up there." Her eyes flashed red, and he felt Kyuubi's hold become even stronger still. " Just kill Danzou, then come back and join me. That's all it takes to save the one who means more than anything else in the entire world to you. That's the only way to save his life. Fight by my side, and we'll recreate this pathetic world." Her eyes turned red as well. " You owe this to Sasuke."
He grit his already changing teeth, working his very hardest to resist, but the images flashes in his head made it almost impossibly hard.
/ Sasuke treating his leg wound. /
/ The two of them holding hands. /
" Naruto, Danzou's the one responsible for our mother being taken away. Because of him she had no idea of who I was, although she trained me for years." As much as he tried to chase it away, the unforgiving hatred he found from the girl's eyes seemed to catch him as well, flowed through his veins as though her mere presence had managed to trigger it. " Think about everything he's put you and Sasuke through", she coaxed, seeing the change in his eyes. " Danzou deserves to die – we both know that."
/ Sasuke screaming under Danzou's torture. /
/ Danzou coming to arrest the very weak Sasuke. /
His heart pounded, and he wished with his all that he could have managed to scream out loud.
"Give in, Naruto. I know you want to."
Such burning crossed him that he emitted a groan that sounded nothing like his, not even human.
" Save Sasuke's life, and get your family back. Pay back all that's been done to you."
Kyuubi sneered. ' Kit, you're making this too damn easy.'
" Let go, and you'll have everything your heart desires."
/ He and Sasuke sitting side by side in a pond. /
/ The determination upon Sasuke's face when the boy had stated that he was
going along to this journey. /
/ " I'm not letting you go and get yourself killed." /
He fought with absolutely all he could find inside himself, but that wasn't enough. Blood pumped like lava through his veins when Kyuubi rushed through, and in a matter of second the chilling transformation was already well under way.
Giving a loud cry that was a mixture of remorse, grief, anguish and rage, his body stormed off, with him having absolutely no idea of where he was being taken.
' Now, kit, its payback time', Kyuubi enlightened him.
-
When Madara was finally through, Sasuke opened his eyes slowly, breath hitching in his throat. " What… the hell did you think you would accomplish with that?" he hissed out, blood boiling in his veins.
Madara's lips – visible now that the mask had cracked – transformed into a bitter, icy smirk. " You… may have succeeded… in killing me… But you also just… destroyed your friend."
He opened his mouth to demand an explanation, but before a syllable came out he heard a deafeningly loud, furious screech from somewhere below. His face paled a shade as realization sunk in.
Naruto…must've heard him scream, and now…Kyuubi…!
Madara gave a sickening, wet chuckle. " Don't you… see?" The man coughed, a large amount of blood which sickened him. " The only way… to save him now… is to kill him."
His eyes flashed, then turned red, Sharingan refusing to stay hidden. He grabbed Madara's throat with such force that he was surprised he didn't manage to crush the man's windpipe. " You can keep believing in that…", he snarled, voice low and dangerous. " … but I'm done with being an idiot."
With those words as his last judgment he left the man lying there in a pool of his own blood and ran, not taking another glance over his shoulder.
He hoped from the bottom of his heart that he wasn't too late already.
TBC, believe it!
1) Again, to keep you guys from getting a HUGE headache for desperately trying to remember insignificant names… This is the chick who met Gaara and Neji when they arrived into that chilling tiny village some chapters back. She was responsible for having Neji poisoned, and she's working for Naruto's twin.
A/N: (sweatdrops)
I'm going now. Seriously.
(screams when weapons start flying)
Until next time, folks! PLEASE leave a review before you take off, yeah? (glances hopefully)
Be good!
Four chapters to go, counting in the epilogue.
colgate: Awww – I'm making a small dance here with joy of hearing you enjoyed of your stay with the chapter!
Truck loads of thank yous for the review! I really hope you'll be staying tuned.
-
realityfling18: Quite a dramatic chapter, huh?
I really hope that raven is Itachi, too! Gosh, Sasuke would really need his big brother right now (in the manga, too). (sniffs)
Gigantic thank yous for the outstanding review – it truly means a lot to hear you're excited about the story! I really hope you'll find the rest just as good.
-
CrystalSearcher: (chuckles and bows) Your wish is my command!
Huge thank yous for the review! Stick around, yeah?