CHAPTER 20

Reunion

The tears from the blonde kunoichi continued to fall and splash on the face of her beloved sensei, who was now lying dead in her arms. Miyuki closed her eyes, trying to forget everything that has happened: Ami becoming evil, having to kill her, and finding out that she never had that intention to begin with. It was just too much for her heart to handle and she was a person who couldn't deal with death all that well. Then, Ami's skin was becoming more and more pale as the minutes and seconds passed. Miyuki's eyes widen from this notion and this caught the others' attention.

"What's...happening to her...?" Miyuki asked while looking at her face. She placed a cool fingertip on Ami's cheek and it chipped from her touch, crumbling very slowly.

"Her body is withering away. Now that the Dark Chakra Seed is out of her body, she can no longer exist. Miyuki, the woman in your arms is just an empty shell of what you thought was your sensei. You have to let her go..." Karin explained as she walked over to the other side of the battlefield.

Ami's body was now white and soft like porcelain and starting at her feet, her body was eroding away into microscopic ashes. Miyuki didn't want to let her go, even if she was an empty shell of Ami's former self. So she held on to her body, being so tender and gentle with it so she wouldn't crush it.

Suigetsu continued to watch the woman disappear before his eyes. He knew that she had won the fight, but she lost it at the same time. To kill an enemy and lose a loved one like that was a pain that no one would be able to take. He was upset with himself that he even fought an opponent like Ami and still wasn't able to do much to take her down. Miyuki had to do it...by herself...It bruised his ego that a girl had to rescue them and he was not one to admit these kind of things out loud. Suigetsu knew that the next time the 'Bakudai' would attack, he would take down his opponent...without mercy...They would taste the edge of his sword...

Jugo was being really quiet about the whole thing. He had no idea that the 'Bakudai' were such strong and formidable opponents The way they used their strength, how they fought, and how they were willing to go to achieve their goal was what got to him the most. If he and the others would've of gotten fatally injured from Ami, not even Karin's Heal Bite and his healing technique would be enough to save them. Jugo thought over it and if Miyuki wasn't with them during this fight, they would've been killed...Enough said...

Karin had bent down to pick up something from the terrain and she examined it. She only hoped that this piece of evidence left behind would be able to help them for future battles and even get some more information about the 'Bakudai'. As she walked back over to the others, Karin wondered why she was not able fight against her. Her body and mind was so distraught during the fight, that she couldn't even help the guys like she usually would during a battle. She clenched her hand into a fist from frustration of being so inept while carrying the item she had in her hand. She couldn't continue this never-ending cycle of being incompetent, not being able to do anything. She wanted to be as strong as the men on her team and she was gonna keep that promise. Not only for them, but for herself as well. No questions about it.

By now, everything from the shoulders up was the only thing that remained on Ami. Miyuki's eyes never left her face and she smiled, knowing that her sensei was going to a better place...for a second time. The blonde's face was dried from her tears, sticking to her skin as the blood on her cheek had disappeared from her earlier tears. 'I finally understand what that saying means now. You've wanted me to be my own kunoichi and a person who can share that happiness. Someone who can bring a miracle to reverse the chaos of what happen ten years ago...Thank you, Ami-sensei...thank you for believing in me and my abilities as a kunoichi. I understand what I'm suppose to do...Even if I have to use fatal force, I will become stronger to ensure peace in this world...'

From the tiny hairs left on Ami's head, the last of her essence was completely gone. There wasn't a trace of her left. Miyuki closed her eyes and contemplated in silence, giving her sensei the prayers she deserved for getting tangled up with the 'Bakudai'. Karin had returned to the others and she sat next to them, taking off the huge pouch that she usually carried with her on mission.

The red-head pulled out a vial with green liquid and a cork top to keep the liquid from destroying the goods she had in her pouch. Suigetsu and Jugo watched as she picked up the Dark Chakra Seed and put it inside the vial, sealing back tightly.

Suigetsu was the one to ask the obvious question. "The Dark Chakra Seed...what are you gonna do with that?"

"I'm taking it back with us. With this, maybe Konoha's Decryption Team can do some encoding and be able to find some information about the 'Bakudai'. Today, we fought blindly against them and if we want to be prepared for the next time something like this happens, we gonna have to be ready for them."

Jugo agreed to the idea, but Suigetsu was completely against it. "Karin, I'm all for being prepared and everything, but I don't think that's a good idea to bring that thing back with us to Konoha. I think we should just destroy it right here and now." The water-nin pondered. He didn't know why, but he had a gut feeling that taking that Dark Chakra Seed with them could cause problems in the future...problems that could have some serious consequences to them.

"It should be fine now, Suigetsu. Judging by the looks of it, the Dark Chakra Seed lost all it's chakra." Karin hoped that she put the water-nin at ease, but it was only slightly that his expression had changed. He still didn't think it was good idea, but what choice did they have? He rather fight knowing his enemy's strength than to fight blindly and get killed.

"All right, Karin. You're right..." Suigetsu said, finally standing up from sitting on the ground for too long. "Miyuki...are you ready to go?"

Miyuki was pulled from her thoughts and she looked up at the water nin. He had tried so many times to try and help her, but he wasn't able to. She had been selfish to the others about fighting Ami and she was now regretting even coming with them. They would of fared well without her, but she only thought if she didn't suggested going with them, would she seen them again? Would she see Suigetsu again? The blonde didn't even want to think about what would life be like if he wasn't here. Suigetsu had offered his hand to help her up and she took hold of it with a strong grip, holstering herself up from the ground.

Just by looking at him, she could tell that everything was gonna be all right. The concern that he shown her with his eyes told her that. It was not the end of the world. They won the battle for now, but the war was a long road ahead of them and they would face it head on...along with Naruto, Sasuke, and every shinobi around the world..."We should get going. Sasuke probably caught up with blondie and screwing him into oblivion by now!" Suigetsu joked out loud and Miyuki smiled from him laughing, despite everything that just happened. He was such a sweet guy. Carefree...yet sweet nonetheless...

"You're right, Suigetsu-kun. Let's go!" With that, the others started to head out into the forest. With one last glance behind her back, she looked at the spot in the grass that has been flatten from Ami's body lying there. Miyuki had smiled and gave a thumbs up, making a new vow to herself to keep her promise and do her sensei proud. She ran out to the exit of the forest, going after the others.

Sasuke had reached the opening of the forest, completely exhausted from running so much. He looked around the forest, checking his surroundings for any sign of Naruto. He wasn't present, but all he saw was charred trees, grass with blood stains on it, destroyed boulders, a white bandana with a leaf symbol on it, a kodachi wedged in a tree, an unconscious female body - - wait, what? He had to look again to see if he had missed something and he didn't. Right in front of him was a young girl lying on her side on the ground in a small pool of blood. He figured she must have been fighting another member of the 'Bakudai' and it looked liked she had lost. She wasn't Naruto but he couldn't just leave her lying there like that. Although her chakra was extremely low, she was still alive.

Vanishing and reappearing to where the girl was, he took the kodachi out from out the tree and knelt down to take a look at her condition. Her hair had came out from her ponytail and covered the left side of her face, her body was cut and bruised, and her stomach had a huge gash in it. This girl needed some serious medical attention. There wasn't much he could do for her at this point. The best option would be to take her back with him, hopefully run into Naruto so he could admit her in the hospital.

Reaching out his hand, he brushed the hair from out of her face to get a better look at her. When he did, his eyes widen from what he saw and retracted his hand. 'W-Who...who is this...?'

The girl had black hair like his, only hers had more blue tint in it than his. Her complexion was just like his and her face...good God, her face...she even had his facial features as well. Was his eyes deceiving him? First, it was Miyuki when he saw her for the very first time. She resembled Naruto so much and it had bothered him to no end. That was bad and now this? This had to be a joke. This girl...she looked just like him! This had caught him off guard because he wasn't expecting anything like this to occur.

'Who...in the hell is this girl?' That was the only question Sasuke could come up with from all this sporadic craziness. Ever since Miyuki told him about the 'Bakudai', he tried to piece together all the information she had gave him, but he was unsuccessful in doing so. He needed to know more, because nothing was making sense anymore. There was one thing he remembered and that was when Miyuki told him that her sister would be here. That much was certain and here she was.

'If this girl is Miyuki's sister, then...she's...'

A faint footstep brought Sasuke out of his thoughts and he turned his attention to four people that was standing at the other entrance of the forest. One had shaggy brown hair with a tan with black slits in his eyes, another one was a female with lavender hair and white eyes. They both had displeased looks on their faces. He easily recognized them as Kiba Inuzuka and Hinata Hyuga. Beside Hinata was the pink-haired girl that he known cruelness towards a certain blond in past was here as well. Sakura...he could never forget her face and judging from the expression on her face, she was ready to kill something. Last but not least was the blond he had made an effort to save him from harm's way, Naruto Uzumaki. From what he could see, he was fine.

Naruto's left hand had formed into a fist as his eyes narrowed in anger. "Sasuke...what have you done?"

That was the only thing that came out of the blond's mouth. Sasuke had no room to think or give an answer, because Sakura had grabbed a hold of the tanto that she always carried on her back from the hilt and came at Sasuke with a speed he didn't know she possessed. Thinking quickly, he held up the sword and he realized the mistake that he made. He had never put the sword down and Sakura thought that he was the one responsible for the girl's state she was in. Her tanto and the kodachi that Sasuke had clashed together with a loud clang.

"What are you doing, Sakura?" Kiba asked from the distance.

"SASUKE-KUN!" The pink-haired kunoichi roared and she infused her fist with chakra, hoping to use her super strength to try and punch Sasuke, but she had missed and her fist drove into the ground. The strong impact had nearly caught Nariko, but Naruto used a Shadow Clone to get the raven away from the area.

"SAKURA-CHAN!" Naruto yelled and went after them. The Naruto Clone had gave Nariko to Kiba before he disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"SASUKE-KUN, HOW DARE YOU!" Sakura leaped in the air to finally get Sasuke. She was gonna make him pay for killing Nariko as she reeled her fist back and lunged forward. Sakura felt her attack halt and it was Naruto that had stepped in front of Sasuke, protecting him from getting pulverized by the girl. This would have been easier if this was a normal punch, but she was stopping her from midair.

"Sakura, stop it!" Kiba yelled at her as he watch Naruto barely holding her at bay from her punch. "I don't smell Nariko's blood on him and there's none on his body! Sasuke didn't do this!"

"Sakura-chan...!" Naruto strained through his teeth. He wouldn't be able to hold her back much longer before he would be forced to swing her away from him. Sakura soon realized that the Naruto and the others were right and she let herself down to her feet. She had made an incorrect assumption against Sasuke and Kiba and Hinata had sighed a breath of relief, knowing that Sakura had calm down.

"I'm sorry, Naruto...and to you too, Sasuke-kun..." Sakura apologized and took a slow walk over to where Kiba and Hinata were, so she could heal Nariko from her wounds. But she wasn't going to give up on fighting Sasuke. She intends to keep that promise...and she'll make sure that Naruto will not be hurt ever again...not even by her former love interest...

In future Konoha in a dark corridor, a dark figure was sitting on a blood red throne and their legs were crossed. This person was swishing around the liquid in a goblet that they were drinking out of. Someone enters the room and that person is clad in a platinum cloak.

"Lord Touran? Sir, I'm afraid I have some bad news..." The male had announced in a somber tone.

"What is it...?" Touran's voice was always so demonic and disoriented, but the male in front of him could always understood him.

"Ami and Mizuki have failed us. They were both killed by those brats..." The man said in disdain. He always hated when he had to announce a mission failure, because he knew it upset his leader. "I'm sorry, sir..."

"Don't be sorry. They were weak and pathetic anyway. Besides, Mizuki was a fool to believe that I would let him kill Naruto Uzumaki. Ha! I want that pleasure for myself. I want to drain him of his chakra once again and drink it to fill my power...just like I did his lover, Sasuke Uchiha..." Touran chuckled devious under his breath and takes another sip, savoring the taste of the Uchiha essence.

"What do we do now?" The man asked now that his leader's plan had failed.

"There's nothing we can do at this point. The girls may have diminished my plan but the other plan is already set in motion and if this one fails...Let's just say Naruto and Sasuke will get an unwanted visitor that will destroy everything. For this plan to work, all it needs to do is wake up. I'll let the girls savor their victories for now, but on the night of the new moon, it will awaken and hell will be unleashed on everyone." Touran's evil laughter filled room and echoed off the wall as his faithful follower had left him to take care of other matters...

* * *NEXT CHAPTER SYNOPSIS* * *

The next special chapter of Changing Fate is:
Special Announcement

A special chapter as Naruto, Sakura, Nariko, and Miyuki have fun recapping the most crucial and special moments of Changing Fate they have a special surprise for the readers!