Hokage no Isan Chapter 47, a naruto fanfic

Another chapter already? I gotta lay off the caffeine again.

Hellboy: Did you forget what happened last time?

Kyugan: Forget what? (Takes a sip out of a Big Glug Mug ExLarge)

Hellboy: ...nevermind.

Kakashi: That can't be good for him...Maybe I should take it off him-!

FRAG-A-DOOM!

Kyugan: (Lowers the grenade launcher with a twirl) NO-ONe stands between me and my Java.

Hellboy: (Eyes the smoking wreck that WAS Kakashi's lower body) point Taken.

Kakashi: Can't...feel...my balls...!

Double trouble; the twin west gates!

"The sun's setting." Ukon muttered with a growl, scowling at the treelines in annoyance "Looks like those scum were more than he could manage."

"Screw him." Tayuya muttered nonchalantly "What I'M worried about is Orochimaru-sama's condition, we've been running for half a day and only covered a third of the distance."

"No joke." Ukon agreed, leaping through the trees alongside her with a scowl "And we were pressed for time as it was already…"

Orochimaru's howls could be heard throughout the tunnels of his secret lair in rice country. The crippled sennin stood under the merciless torrent of hot water in his shower, watching the putrid, dark blood seep from his rotting arms onto the tiles, sliding down the drain at a snails pace. Even as she stood there the arms were decomposing the flesh ripping, allowing more blood to flow.

"Sasuke-kun…" the serpent rasped, leaning an arm on the wall to steady himself, wincing as more rotted skin fell to the floor as a result "Where is Sasuke-kun?!"

"Orochimaru-sama." Kabuto called out, wincing as his master's pained gasps echoed around the bathroom "We have plenty of bodies available for you to use…" he paused for effect "and if need be, you can use myself."

"It has to be Sasuke-kun's body!" the serpent snapped back waspishly, veins bulging around his eyes "How long do you think I've waited for this?!"

"This is an emergency!" Kabuto insisted, waving his hands for emphasis "The late Sandaime's final curse was far more powerful than we anticipated! If you refuse to transfer now you risk losing everything, not just your arms!"

Orochimaru's scream was his only response, the serpent's silhouette collapsing against the shower wall as Kabuto realized what had to be done. "I've already made arrangements for the selection process." He informed his stricken master "Leave everything to me…I shall ensure Sasuke-kun's retrieval."

'Should I use Kimimaro?' he wondered, face set in a mask of professional calm, even as Orochimaru curses for the sandaime filled the air 'No choice, the other four have been profoundly lacking…even if there was a delay they should have reported in by now.'

He flipped through a series of seals, releasing the locks that held several of Orochimaru's 'specimens' in their cells. Walking onto a balcony he grinned down at them, his face a mask of friendly honesty.

"Hello ladies and gentlemen," he greeted "We're going to play a little game…the winner is the last man standing…and the prize?" his smile widened "Freedom."

In a dark room filled with medical equipment, a lone figure lay on a hospital bed, tubes and monitoring equipment hooked up to him in a vain attempt to monitor and maintain his condition. It was a losing battle, whatever was eating away at him was beyond even Kabuto's medical prowess.

"I see…" the patient noted tiredly from his prone position "So I wasn't summoned to serve him again…" the voice was full of longing and sadness "Kabuto-sensei…am I ever-?"

"Your sole concern right now is your body." The medic replied strictly, looking over at the figure "You've already fulfilled your duties…and after all, it isn't the 'sound five' anymore…Kimimaro."

"I…" the figure began weakly, his voice determined despite his rapidly deteriorating condition "I can…still…" he trailed off in a fit of coughs.

"We have already located your successor." Kabuto cut in, silencing the figure with his words "and he already has been grated the counterpart to your Gaiafuuin…the Tenfuuin." He nodded "He even possess a Kekkei Genkai, just like you." He smirked "I wonder…which of you is stronger?"

The figure on the bed was silent, but the heart monitor seemed to speed up as his heart rate increased, causing Kabuto to look up. "Hey! Don't get so worked up!" the medic warned, only for the patient to cough, blood seeping out the side of his mouth.

"Kabuto-sensei…" the invalid asked after the coughing fit had subsided again "How long...how much longer…do I have left…?"

"You shouldn't speak anymore." Kabuto insisted, the glow from the monitors shadowing his face, frowning as his patient continued regardless.

"I've wondered recently…" he muttered weakly "For what reason are we born? Does everyone have a greater purpose they must accomplish?" he breathed quietly "To discover that purpose…is the sole gift the Gods granted Humans."

"I understand," Kabuto replied, understanding the teen all to well "Orochimaru-sama is currently in great pain…the situation is beyond critical." He shot the teen a look "I'm afraid I must be frank, what possible use could you be as you are now? You've lost your value as a vessel…and a new vessel is on his way now." He turned to the monitor, where only two of the inmates remained battling "though he may arrive too late by this point."

He frowned as the survivor walked toward the camera, demanding in crass tones for the medic to open the doors. Kabuto did indeed open it…and Orochimaru walked into the chamber, dressed in a plain white kimono as he faced the survivor.

"What? There's still one more pest to swat?" the survivor muttered, smirking as he eyed the pale faced, obviously stricken figure confidently "Whatever, let's-!"

He froze, recognizing those golden eyes, the palpable killing intent, as if a giant serpent had coiled around him, head reared back to swallow him whole. 'Oh shit…' the man muttered, shuddering as he broke out in a cold sweat 'it's useless…I'm gonna be eaten alive…!'

"Kukukuku…" Orochimaru cackled weakly "Relax…I will indeed let you out of here…and will even grant you a single wish."

The man jolted, eyeing the lord of Otogakure in terrified disbelief, before lowering his head in defeat. "You captured my clansmen for your experiments." He stated in a defeated tone "I want you to release them."

"Kukukuku…it will be done." Orochimaru assured him, noting the resigned features with a small smile "Do not fret…your strong persona will reside within my subconscious…you will not lose everything." His smile widened as a dull hiss filled the air "Now…I shall take your body."

Kabuto watched on, fascinated, as the transfer process began, the screams of the former inmate echoing from the speakers, but ignored by the medic in favour of other, more pressing concerns.

'Now he will be unable to transfer for another three years.' The medic noted grimly, even as the final, agonized screams died away 'but…next time we'll be prepared!'

Behind him, the invalid litened to the fading screams, rising up as they finally came to a close "It is certain…that I am no longer of any value as a vessel for Orochimaru-sama." The seals covering his face tore off "In fact, having lost everything I find it hard to identify my true purpose…"

He sat up, the tubes in his back pulled forward as kept his head bowed "But that matters not…my new purpose is to ensure the new vessel reaches Orochimaru-sama…even if it costs me my life." He stood, ripping the pipes from his back "This is the least I can do…to repay Orochimaru-sama."

Tayuya swore as she sensed movement behind her, calling out for Sakon to hold up as they came to a halt, looking back to find three of the group from Konoha looking at them. "Dammit!" she swore, glaring at them in anger "What the hell are those idiot's Kidoumaru and Jiroubou doing?!"

"You're little buddies decided to take up Konoha's tour of the afterlife." Naruto shot back, smirking at the volatile redhead foxily "Perhaps you two'd care to join them? The price of admission is that casket potty-mouth neechan's got there."

Tayuya flushed at the title even as Ukon leapt at the group with a smirk "Now you asked for it brats!" He called out "I'll kill you before you can even blink!"

"Impatient isn't he?" Naruto noted, chakra swirling in his palm even as Kiba and Shikamaru leapt forwards, the Nara swiping at the Otonin with Kunai, only to blink as the fist in his face seemed to multiply.

"TARENKEN!" Ukon called out, multiple blows ramming into the two shinobi, their frames racked by the force, only to vanish in plumes of smoke 'Transformed Shadow clones again?!' he snarled, snapping his attention to Naruto and the sphere of rotating chakra in his hand "Don't think so." He smirked, grabbing the blonde's arm and holding it tight enough to make the bones creak "You aren't going anywhere."

"Who says I want too?" the blonde smirked, grabbing a fistful of Ukon's robe and smirking as the sound of Kiba's Tsuuga filled the air, bursting through the clone as it barreled towards a startled Ukon. The Otonin barely managed to duck under it, a few hairs from his second head clipped away by the force, even as the fanged tornado made straight for Tayuya. The sound kunoichi swore, only to stiffen as her body refused to cooperate, a smirking Shikamaru having successfully caught her in the Kagemane as Kiba captured the casket.

"What the hell are you doing Tayuya?!" Ukon roared, leaping towards the casket even as Tayuya leapt right at him. The two collided in midair, Kiba hurling the casket at a smirking Naruto, who caught it even as Shikamaru sighed.

"Kinda sloppy of you…so many damn openings all over the place." He smirked "Can you really call yourselves professionals?"

"Little brats…" Tayuya growled, picking herself up angrily as Ukon shook himself out of his daze "don't screw around with us!"

"Tempting as that offer sounds potty-mouth neechan." Naruto shot back, "I make a point of not picking up leftovers…especially not Pedo-hebi's."

Tayuya gaped at the boy in shock and embarrassment, even as Ukon rose to his feet, curse seal and rage marring his features as he leapt after them. "I'LL CASTRATE YOU LITTLE SHITS!" the two-headed teen roared, leaping after the group as they made a break for it.

'Shit! Fucker's faster than I thought!' Kiba winced, hoping they had enough time to get clear, looking down to find Akamaru setting the last of the explosive tags for their trap. "GET clear the second it's set!" he barked out, cursing as Ukon got all the closer to them, noticing the nin-pup with a snarl.

"QUIT YOUR BITCHING!" the Otonin snarled, startling the puppy even as it made a break for it, Kiba staring in horror as Akamaru caught his paw on a branch, landing on a branch even as the trap activated, whimpering in terror.

"Akamaru!" the teen yelled, breaking formation and leaping after his partner, grabbing him just as Ukon entered the blast zone, the tag going off in an impressive display of pyrotechnics that belied it's size.

Kiba grabbed his partner and leapt through the trees, using the impact of the explosion to push him further, noticing Ukon sailing not so gently across from him, having walked right into the trap. Leaping at him and slugging him across the face with his free hand, the two opponents sailed uncontrolled through the woods, grappling fiercely and savagely in mid-air, only to blink as the trees vanished…to reveal the gaping chasm below.

"Oh SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII-T!!"

"KIBA! AKAMARU!" Naruto yelled, looking for the duo desperately, only to sigh as he caught their scent leaving the blast radius. His sense of smell might not e as powerful as an Inuzuka's, but that didn't really matter when you took into account just how much Kiba's jacket reeked of dog.

"YOU SONS A BITCHES!" Tayuya roared, leaping forwards in the wake of the explosion, raw fury etched across her face as she glared at the remaining two Konoha nins.

"Tenacious isn't she…" Shikamaru muttered with a grim expression "Naruto, I'll hold her off, you get that casket the hell out of here!"

"Shikamaru…" Naruto began, only to freeze, the hackles on the back of his neck rising even as he caught the scent of death and illness swooping down from behind. He lunged at Shikamaru, pushing the startled chunin out of the way in time to avoid a strike that severed the branch they were standing on, the casket grabbed and pulled away by a figure that looked down on them with impassive green eyes.

"You're late…Tayuya." The figure noted, turning to regard the terrified looking kunoichi with his impassive stare "Explain yourself."

"Why…why are YOU here?!" Tayuya stammered, a cold sweat soaking her frame as she eyed the former leader of Orochimaru's bodyguards "Kimimaro!"

'So that's the bastard's name.' Naruto noted grimly, eyeing the figure before him 'Didn't even sense him till he was right on top of me…and if the smell coming off him's any sign if he wasn't sick I doubt I'd have been so lucky.'

"Sorry Naruto…" Shikamaru offered, eyeing the newcomer with a smirk "Looks like I miscalculated…wasn't expecting backup considering how far we were from the border."

"Coulda happened to anyone." Naruto assured him, glaring up at the conversing servants of the serpent, his hackles rising at the scent of death.

"And where are the other three?" Kimimaro asked of Tayuya, impassive as always "You, who once claimed to be members of the sound five?"

"Why are you here?" Tayuya asked, looking over the man carefully, as if to check for signs of a henge or genjutsu "Your body…"

"My flesh may no longer function," Kimimaro replied flatly, face as emotionless as a Noh mask "But my WILL is more than enough to move me."

"Damn," Tayuya muttered, looking impressed despite herself at the man's tenacity "With one foot in the grave…you immortal or something?"

"Hardly," the white haired man replied "I have merely touched upon the fringe of Orochimaru-sama's dream." He placed a hand on the casket "THIS was meant to be the perfect vessel to accomplish that dream…" he scowled at the woman "but you took too long."

He raised an eyebrow as Naruto launched at him, sword sheathed at his side and attempting a mid-air battojutsu strike. "Hiten Mitsurugi ryu!" the Hanyou called out, "RYUKANSE-!"

The blonde trailed off as Tayuya sucker punched him from the side, sending him crashing into Shikamaru, who steadied him with a grunt. "Tayuya…" Kimimaro stated calmly in the frozen redhead's ear "the reason I have yet to kill you, is that you still have a mission to accomplish." He looked towards the recovering leaf duo "I leave those two to you…do NOT fail again."

And with that the leader of the sound five departed, taking the casket with him.

'Shit on a goddamn cracker…' Tayuya cursed, whipping out a flute as she glared at the meddling brats 'Blondie's a close ranged specialist with kenjutsu and clones…and the leader's a mid-range type good at restraining opponents with that shadow jutsu of his.'

She smirked as they braced themselves for a charge, "Bring it bitches." She taunted, smirking as they tried to double-team her "Numbers mean squat to me! Bring it!"

She deflected a strike form Shikamaru, glaring up as Naruto leapt at her from above…only to blink as he gave her a victory sign as he passed overhead.

"Ja-na! Potty mouth-neechan!" the blonde taunted "Yo Shikamaru! Try some of that Nara charm on her, you like tough women don't ya?"

"AHO!" Shikamaru barked after the blonde, a vein bulging on his forehead as he gave the teen the finger "Who likes tough women?!"

"WHAT THE FUCK?!" Tayuya snapped, eyes pupil less as she rounded on the Nara in an embarrassed rage "You tricked me you cheating bastards!" she leapt back as she noticed the Nara's shadow, glaring at the smirk on his face.

"Not the type to be caught twice are you?" Shikamaru shot back, smirking at the annoyed redhead "At least Naruto got away…remember Jutsu ain't what makes a ninja…brains are pretty darn reliable too."

"Asshole." Tayuya muttered scornfully "What do you think a loser like you can do?" she smirked "Think about it, every time you've caught up to us your numbers have depleted, is Sasuke really that important to you?" she scoffed "How sweet…makes me wanna puke."

Shikamaru regarded her solemnly, before sighing "Since your so chatty, this is my first time as squad leader…I was worried I might make the wrong decisions." He frowned "Their lives were in my hand, I should have put more value in them then a single abducted person and abandoned this suicide mission."

"Then why didn't you?" Tayuya asked, honestly intrigued. If it had been her she'd have bailed, punishment or not.

"Thing don't always go as planned in the real world." Shikamaru smirked "Besides, there isn't a single member of my cell that would abandon their teammates to protect themselves…including me." He got to his feet "As a poor excuse for a leader…all a lazy bastard like I can do is have faith in my team." He made another seal "Don't refer to them as sacrifices…they aren't dead." He scowled "Don't underestimate my team…oh wait…too late."

"Fucker…" Tayuya hissed, preparing for battle.

"GATSUUGA!"

Ukon smirked as the twin tornadoes rushed him from the front and rear. 'These two never learn.' He muttered, grabbing Kiba's arms even as his twin grabbed the beast-clone, sending his foot through Ukon's stomach to block Kiba's kick to the groin.

"Two on two sounds a lot fairer to me." He muttered snidely as the Inuzuka's jaw dropped "Wouldn't you agree…Sakon?"

Kiba barely had time to blink before the silent head punched Akamaru in the face, dispelling the Jujin bunshin and sending the puppy sailing. Ukon followed up by launching another Tarenken at the Inuzuka's torso. Kiba attempted to dodge just before the blow pulverized his face, only for a second arm to extend from Ukon's elbow, grabbing by the throat even as the older teen pulverized the rock.

"My aniki and I have been inseparable since we were brats." Ukon informed the stunned Inuzuka mockingly "Normally he like to sleep within me but pitches in during a fight…extending his arms, legs, any part of his body in fact, to strike and defend."

Kiba gaped in shock as a second head grew out of Ukon's skull like a disgusting wart, a fist extending from it to punch him in the face. Before he could recover, the twins launched a barrage of kick at his mid-section and crotch, sending the teen sprawling into his partner.

"Three times the damage in a single blow!" Ukon cackled madly, his face twisted in a malicous sneer "How's it feel bitch?! Lemme hear ya howl!"

"Ukon…" a deeper voice growled, a hand wrapping around the teen's mouth as his Aniki's seal started to take over his body "Quit fooling around…that's what got the others…" Sakon shifted into the second state, a single horn extending from his right temple as he came forward "Activate the second state…Let's kill them!"

"Always so eager to kill aniki…" Ukon muttered, shifting into an almost identical oni form, the horn on his left temple "So how do want them? Deep fried? Boild?"

"Shredded." Sakon growled, the two crouching down in preparation for their attack.

'Shit, something tells me those horns aren't for show.' Kiba growled 'Dammit, bad enough that twin came out to play…now their chakra's increased tenfold!' he jumped as Akamaru barked at him, eyes widening in disbelief "Wha-you want us to use THAT?" he stammered "We can't! That jutsu takes up too much chakra. Without backup we'd be road kill for those –Ack!"

He gaped down as the puppy sank his fangs into his hand, half expecting it to turn into Naruto, only for the puppy to chastise him with a growl and turn to face the charging twins. 'Hmmph…some master…bitten by my own dog…' he got to his feet with a growl 'Alright Akamaru…let's do this…!'

He stood his ground as the twins rushed him, allowing them to body-slam him into the canyon wall, grabbing a fistful of robes as he did so. "Akamaru! Mark him!"

Sakon swore as the puppy spun through the air like a furry sprinkler, corrosive, foul smelling piss splashing him in the face as he howled, loosening his grip on the Inuzuka.

"Try this on for size!" Kiba called out, Akamaru landing on his head as he flipped through the seals "Inuzuka-ryu: Combi Jujin bunshin!"

The brothers 'kon' gaped up in shock at the massive, two headed canine that loomed over them, corrosive drool falling from it's massive fangs as it growled at them.

"SOUTOROU!"

"Hmmph, yeah whatever." Ukon replied with a dismissive smirk "A bigger bitch is still a bitch, what difference does larger fangs make?"

"More than enough for you!" Kiba's guttural voice snarled, the lupine behemoth spinning forward in a larger, faster form of the regular Tsuuga. The twins barely managed to avoid it the first time, Sakon cursing as it clipped the inside of his leg, ripping the skin to shreds. Before they could gather their wits, Ukon landed badly on something dark, brown and decidedly smelly, stumbling in disgust.

"The fuck?! Oh I did not just step in-!" the disgusted teen retched, only to spin round at his brother's insistent warning, eyes wide in shock, "SHI-!"

"GAROUGA!"

The gigantic cyclone of fangs and claws barreled into the teens, smashing them through several stalagmites, before finally ripping the conjoined body in two, the halves flinging about with the momentum of the tornado before flying off to different sides of the scar it left on the ravine floor.

"How's that!" Kiba snarled at the duo, the wolf's head seeming to smirk ferally "Garouga is a high-speed rotation, so fast we can't even rely on our vision." He smirked "Even if it doesn't connect, the shockwaves can still rip you to shreds…but seeing as you idiots took it head on you should understand that by now."

He blinked, feral pupils widening as he watched the two supposed corpses sprout armored arms and legs from where they'd been separated, Sakon sitting up with a smirk as Ukon walked up beside him.

"Nah," the latter muttered offhandedly, as if being ripped apart hadn't meant anything at all "We were just thinking of a little divide and conquering."

"I'll give you one thing though." Sakon noted, getting to his feet, the blood from his earlier wound still dripping "That last one would've finished us…if it'd hit." He smirked as he stood up "Now the real fight begins."

'Dammit.' Kiba snarled, even as his partner whined quietly 'We only got one more shot at this…we gotta nail them this try!'

"GAROUGA!"

The tornado launched at the twins, who separated, landing behind to separate boulders, at least thirty feet apart. "No use hiding!" Kiba called out over the spin "I already told you we aren't using our eyes…we marked you earlier! A wolf follows it nose!"

The twins merely chuckled, biting their thumbs and slamming their hands down in a summoning.

"RASHOUMON!"

Kiba could only gape in shock as the demonic gate loomed up in front of them, unable to turn due to the techniques velocity, crashing into it headfirst, actually leaving a dent in the massive gate.

'Hate to admit it, but that's one hell of a blow.' Ukon muttered grudgingly, watching as the wolf slipped from the dent lifelessly 'For Orochimaru-sama's Rashoumon to have faltered that much…heh, no matter, this is the end!'

He leapt at the wolf alongside his brother, only to curse as the left head spun the body around so it took the brunt of his blow, pissing right in his twin's face even as the jutsu dispelled, the mutt and the pup crashing down on the floor.

'Akamaru…' Kiba breathed, eyeing his partner in concern, ignoring Sakon's hysterical screams as the corrosive piss burned his eyes. 'Where's the other one!?' he snarled, looking round for the left horned one only to flinch as a chuckle sounded in his ear.

"Looking for me?" Ukon asked, his head growing out of the Inuzuka's shoulder like some sort of demonic wart "What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?"

"Ukon!" the distraught Sakon yelled, as he clawed at his face "You used me as a shield! Dammit this isn't ordinary piss! It's like acid!"

"I'll handle the rest from here," Ukon growled out "Go soak your head in that stream over there." He watched as his twin stumbled off, only to smirk and switch to the Inuzuka's left shoulder to avoid a punch, grabbing the punk's fist with his own. "I don't think so," he mocked "My ability specializes in assassination, all the senses and claws in the world are powerless before MY skills."

He leered at the enraged mutt "You know how the Keirakukei entwine with the vital organs right? Well it even extends as fall as the production of cells, all the way down to protein." He smirked "At level 2, I can dissolve and reform those cells through chakra, in other words, I break down my own body…and become a part of yours…in other words, right now we're sharing this body."

He chuckled at the Inuzuka's look of shock "Oh don't be so alarmed, we aren't completely assimilated, my cells can swim around freely to generate parts unique to myself…enabling me to sever the parts which AREN'T linked to me from this mortal coil."

"That so?" Kiba replied, grinning ferally as he used his free hand to whip out a kunai, burying it in his own gut with clenched teeth, his grin widening as Ukon choked, spitting out blood "Well now…ain't that a kick in the pants?"

"S-SUICIDE?!" Ukon gaped, blood trailing down his chin as he glared at the boy in shock "Y-you wouldn't!"

"Welcome to hotel Kiba bitch…" the Inuzuka smirked, eyes defiant even as blood trailed down his chin "Sorry to say this, but we have a strict freeloader policy!"

"You're crazy!" Ukon screamed, only to shriek as the brat stabbed himself deeper in the gut, the demonic visage twisting in agony as Kiba smirked.

"You saying I've gone mad?" Kiba asked, a glint in his eyes that the demonic parasite didn't like one bit "Too bad…my clan has polices about mad dogs…" he raised the Kunai above his head "Time ta be put down!"

Ukon gaped and barely managed to separate himself, cursing as his own stomach tore as Kiba stabbed himself. 'Dammit! Losing blood!' the parasite cursed, raising his armored left arm to deflect the Kunai hurled at him by the Inuzuka, cursing as he tore through the smokescreen left in his wake. "WHERE IS HE?!" he snarled, looking round for the punk, only to see the prone form of the puppy lying abandoned "Heh, so he abandoned the mutt and escaped…smart thing to do, but even I'm not that heartless."

He blinked, eyes widening as the puppy started to smoke, only to gape in horror as the thing expanded like a balloon, the disguised trap exploding as several Kunai rocketed towards him like freshly loosed arrows.

Sakon cursed as he washed his face, listening in as his brother's scream of rage shattered the relative calm of the ravine. "Quit your bitching." He growled, eyes still tearing from the piss "It's making my eyes ache-what the hell happened to you?!"

"Shut up." Ukon growled, having reverted to semi normal form "I'd hunt those brats down myself but I'm drained…catch them alive! I'll kill them when I wake up."

"Yare-yare," Sakon growled, "I get it, don't worry." He smirked as a second horn formed on his skull, his aniki sinking into his back "We'll kill them together."

Kiba cursed as he caught their scent coming ever closer, Akamaru resting on his lap as he tried to stem the flow of blood. 'Dammit…lost too much blood, and the pain in my gut ain't doing me any favors either.' He eyed the form of his partner sadly 'Akamaru…I may have saved you…but…'

'What? You're just giving up?' Naruto's voice mocked the canine teen, 'C'mon, what happened to the only guy that tried to out prank me back at the academy?'

Kiba blinked, the sound of the rushing river and the ever-approaching scent of the twins rushing through his head as he smirked, whispering in his partner's ear.

"Too damn easy…" Sakon smirked, following the trail of blood through the path of stalagmites, catching sight of the slumped form of Kiba's jacket behind one dead ahead "Payback time bitch." He hissed, readying his clawed right arm for the final blow, slashing down at the coat only to gape in shock as it fell open to reveal a big steaming pile of-!

Kiba smirked, listening to Sakon's howls as he waded through the river, patting his partner on the head as he went. 'Teach you to underestimate a cornered dog.' The Inuzuka mocked, the cursing of the demonic parasites music to his ears. 'I just hope the others managed to get away.'

Will Kiba survive the brothers kon? Will Shikamaru make any headway with Tayuya?

And what of Naruto and Kimimaro?

All these and more on the next installment of Hokage no issan!