Author's Note: Just when I was about to finish this chapter of the story, my Internet started acting up. Then when that was taken care of, I couldn't login to my account on this website for some reason. And to top it all off, I figured out the document I made for this chapter—that I was very close to completing—had been deleted. I was so discouraged at the time and lost motivation. I'd been waiting to write this chapter for ages and it just gets deleted out of no where right when I was about to finish it. So I eventually gained the motivation to start this chapter out from scratch again and I've finally completed it! I can't thank everyone enough for their patience with me. I'm determined to finish this story, especially since I'm so close. Enjoy!
Temari's fan clicked shut as the last of the debris settled.
Kurushimi's fingers twitched in frustration as he stared at the newcomers. "Such irritating children. They never go away."
"Who you callin children, weirdo?!" Naruto shouted from the freshly made entrance. He straightened his back and continued to yell at the enemy.
Grabbing Sasuke's arm and wrapping it around her shoulder, Sakura used the distraction as a chance to get themselves away from their attackers. The pair leaped across the cave until they were safely behind their friends. "Lie down," she ordered Sasuke as they came to a halt.
The Uchiha did as he was told, carefully laying down on his aching back.
"I'd watch my mouth if I were you, Uzumaki," Kurushimi warned, tilting his head. "Would you like to begin your inevitable demise already?"
Naruto let out a snort of amusement. "You and what army?!"
Kurushimi responded with a roll of his eyes. "Why would you even bother asking?" As if on cue, the thunder of his underlings' footsteps sounded from behind the man, growing closer with each passing moment. They came into sight not long after, all eager to get their hands on the small group of shinobi across from them.
"Naruto!" the blond's companions shouted in unison.
The Uzumaki chuckled nervously while scratching the back of his head. "Oops." After regaining his composure, the male turned to face Kurushimi once more. "You aren't the only one who has an army!" Naruto formed a hand sign and the next instant there were hundreds of Narutos beside the ninja.
"Shadow clones, hm?" Kurushimi questioned aloud. "Clones won't be enough to stop real men," he declared confidently.
"Ordinary ones maybe, but these are mine, Naruto Uzumaki's, the next Hokage's clones!" the real Naruto returned in defiance. "Let's get em!"
"Attack!" Kurushimi commanded his warriors. Within a second, the sounds of clashing weapons and battle cries resonated throughout the caves. The man watched for a few minutes in silence as the battle transpired, staring on as his men and Naruto clones alike were defeated. The battle appeared to be quite even at the moment. "Strength is in numbers, and I have more than clones," he muttered under his breath in reassurance. The dark-haired male blinked and with a flash of his multicolored orbs, the rock he stood on broke free from the rest of the structure and levitated in the cold air. Kurushimi moved closer to the edge as the boulder continued to rise. It stopped near the roof of the cave. From this position, he could view the entire battlefield.
"You want me to stay here?" Kenshi asked indifferently, not bothering to shift his gaze from the fighting below.
Kurushimi turned his head in order to look at the man. He had almost forgotten about his friend being next to him. "Why has he been so quiet?" the mastermind wondered. "I'd prefer if you did for now. Everything will shift into place shortly," he stated, placing his hands together in a seal. His attention then shifted towards Sasuke's still form on the earth far below. A smirk made its way onto Kurushimi's features.
Sakura gently pressed her hands against Sasuke's chest, a green glow illuminating the area she focused on. "When I'm done I'll get you to a safe place so you can rest," she announced, her gaze set on his wound.
"Rest?" he asked as if the word were an insult.
The Haruno's eyes met his. "There's no way you can fight in this shape. Even after I've taken care of everything serious you're still not going to be in any condition to help in this battle."
Sasuke was about to continue arguing until a loud shout caught his and his teammate's attention.
"Sakura!" Naruto called as he ran towards the pair.
"Naruto, is this the real you?" the pink-haired medic questioned.
"Yeah, I'm not a clone. Can't you tell?" he asked jokingly.
As Naruto and Sakura began to talk, Sasuke clenched and unclenched his fists in frustration. He ached all over and began to feel lightheaded. Those weren't the main things bothering him however. The Uchiha was infuriated at his body's current state. His friends needed him to help now more than ever and here he was, laying on the ground, unable to move a muscle without pain coursing through his battered being. He made a feeble attempt to sit up and couldn't even lift his head before giving out.
Failure.
The word rang through his throbbing head repeatedly. His breathing quickened, perspiration forming on his temples. Why?! It was all his fault. All of it... Sasuke cursed silently, teeth gritted in frustration.
"You're nothing but a failure..."
"Please..." Sasuke begged quietly. He had to do something, anything. The Uchiha faded completely.
"Uh, Sakura?" Naruto had just noticed their fallen comrade's still form and closed eyes.
"Huh?" The medic followed her blond friend's pointing finger and her gaze met the Uchiha's motionless body. "Sasuke?" She placed a hand on the side of his face. The woman began to worry when he made no response, verbal or physical. "Sasuke?!"
He was back at the lake again, eyes filled with hopelessness staring into the clear water. Sasuke sat on his knees at the pier's edge with his arms falling lazily at his sides. "What do I do?"
The shadow was there once more, towering over him. "You're tired of failing aren't you?" the younger Sasuke asked quietly.
Sasuke didn't answer. His counterpart continued.
"I can help," he stated, taking a step forward and placing his hand onto the kneeling male's shoulder.
The Uchiha turned, shaking the other's hand away. Onyx met onyx. Sasuke's eyes widened at the declaration, yet he remained skeptical. "You... how?" he breathed.
The younger teen blinked. "Do you know what's at stake here? If we don't do something, you know what could happen. They need us and you know that as well as I do."
Sasuke stood so that they were on eye level. "But-"
The other lashed out and grabbed his collar, shaking him as he spoke. "You know what Kurushimi is capable of! We're heavily outnumbered! Naruto's clones can only do so much, they're no where near as capable as the real thing. And how long until our friends start running out of energy?"
Sasuke considered, a deep frown resting on his lips.
The younger male released his collar and took a step backwards. "You saw it, when you looked into the lake. You'll lose them all. Kakashi, Naruto, Sakura..." He slowly reached a hand out towards his elder self, who only stared at the open hand. "All your comrades, OUR comrades, will die if you don't take my hand."
Sasuke continued to stare at the man's inviting hand, still unsure. "I..."
"Don't let it happen again. You don't have to lose anyone else," the Uchiha swallowed. "Itachi did everything in his power to save us, now it's time to pay him back. Live up to him. Be the protector he was. You won't fail, you'll be unstoppable..."
Sasuke stilled at the mention of his deceased elder brother. The other Sasuke was right, he must do something. He couldn't sit there like a lame duck. There was no way he would let Kurushimi take away everything and everyone that meant something to him. The Uchiha took a deep breath and reached out, taking the other's hand in a firm grip. He opened his eyes, revealing his normal stony gaze. "Give me the power I need."
A smirk played its way onto the younger Sasuke's lips. "No one will stop us..."
The blackish hue that had settled along the lake's edge crept onto the pier and towards Sasuke.
"Sasuke I'm serious, wake up! This isn't the time to be taking a nap!" Naruto yelled, shaking his friend by the shoulders.
"Naruto don't hurt him anymore!" Sakura scolded, making him set their friend down.
"What's wrong with him?! Why isn't he waking up?! Why isn't he breathing?!" Naruto shouted frantically.
"I don't know! I don't know... Sasuke, please wake up..." Sakura pleaded while on the verge of tears.
Just as the desperate plea left her lips, the Uchiha let out a scream of pain and began squirming around on the cold cave floor, his eyes still squeezed shut.
"What the-?!" Naruto hopped to his feet in surprise. "What's going on?!"
Sakura offered no reply, her emerald orbs focused on the strange phenomenon happening in front of her. She would've immediately jumped into action to help the struggling male if she hadn't noticed the wounds that were disappearing, mending themselves all across his body.
"Sakura, you gotta do something!" Naruto screamed, hoping the girl could relieve their teammate of the intense pain he was suffering.
Suddenly, Sasuke stopped moving and opened his eyes, shooting up to a sitting position.
Naruto and Sakura gasped simultaneously.
"Sasuke!" Naruto exclaimed in relief, launching towards his best friend and incasing him in a crushing hug.
"Get off me dobe!" the Uchiha growled, shoving the Uzumaki away. The last of his clan placed his hands on the ground and pushed himself up to stand. He slowly took a step forward, looking at the battle raging on in front of the trio. He flexed his hands, breathing in and out slowly. Sasuke felt better than ever. No pain or annoying injuries plagued him. The Uchiha felt this newfound power coursing through his body. He was itching to fight someone, craving to tear them apart. However, there was one person in particular, no, two people... His mismatched orbs scanned the battlefield, trying to catch any sign of the pair, even their chakra signatures would do. That's when he found the both of them, perched on top of a boulder high above where the brunt of the battle was occuring. A low growl came from his mouth at the sight of the two men. Sasuke was bloodthirsty. He wanted to tear Kenshi and Kurushimi apart, to make the two of them-
"S-Sasuke?"
The Uchiha immediately whipped around and met Sakura's scared eyes. He momentarily let go of his need to join the battle and approached the female medic.
"Are you...?" she trailed off, not knowing how to finish. Her gaze shifted past him.
"Look at me," Sasuke whispered.
The moment Sakura's eyes met his again, Sasuke placed his hand on her cheek and leaned forward so that their lips met. They stayed like that for what felt like forever to Sakura. Sasuke finally pulled away and flashed a small smile. "I won't let them win, I promise." He leaned down and picked up his sword. The Uchiha gestured towards the cloak Sakura had bought him. "Do you mind keeping it in your pouch or something? I don't want to risk damaging it anymore."
Sakura let a small grin place itself on her lips as he slowly turned and sped off into the heat of the battle. It fell into a frown the second he disappeared. Before he left, the Haruno caught sight of the dark markings on his back. They weren't exactly glowing, but, burning? She wasn't sure how else to describe it.
"Ha, about dang time," Naruto chuckled. "Now, lets go kick some of these wimps' butts!" He started to dash towards the ongoing battle, but stopped when he noticed his teammate wasn't following him. "Sakura?" he questioned.
"Naruto," she began, her tone dead serious, "I have to tell you something right now."
Sasuke dodged the enemy warrior's axe with ease and ducked as another enemy slashed at his throat with a long sword. The Uchiha evaded another strike from the man with the axe. When the man with the sword tried to land a hit on him this time, he blocked with his own sword and grabbed the male with his free hand, wrenching his wrist back until he heard a snap. The enemy screamed and dropped his weapon. Sasuke acted quickly when he heard the man with the axe striking towards him once more. The Uchiha yanked on the other male's wrist, positioning him so that he would shield the last of his clan from the blow.
The man with the axe attempted to stop but it was too late. His comrade fell to the ground, howling in pain. Momentarily distracted, Sasuke used the opportunity to deliver a devastating kick to the second enemy's chin. The man's head flew back from the kick's force and his body hit the earth with a thud.
Sasuke sheathed his sword and took off towards Kurushimi and Kenshi once more. The Uchiha ran through the legs of Sai's beasts and jumped over a trio of enemies sent flying by Lee, Tenten, and Kakashi. Continuing on, he caught sight of Shino, Hinata, and Kiba and Akamaru engaged in a battle. He kept his pace and returned his attention to the boulder floating above him, as it seemed they were handling their situation.
Suddenly, something caught the Uchiha's ankle with an iron grip and he immediately lost his balance. He reached his arms outward in an attempt to break his fall, but the hand gripping his leg yanked the Uchiha high into the air, slamming him into the rock below with a resounding smash.
Dazed and confused, Sasuke barely had time to react when the brute who had thrown him brought down the sword in his other hand. Metal clanged against metal directly in front of Sasuke's neck. Before Sasuke could figure out some kind of escape, a spear made of sand sailed through the giant, who fell sideways to land in a heap next to Sasuke. The Uchiha breathed a sigh of relief as an open hand reached towards his downed form. He took the hand and was helped up.
"You let your guard down," Gaara declared with a small smirk.
"Tch," Sasuke scoffed while dusting himself off, "he would've had a fireball in his face a moment later. Thanks though." The Uchiha silently cursed himself. The Kazekage was right, he had let his guard down in pursuit of Kenshi and Kurushimi. Sasuke tilted his head towards Gaara. "Tell the others we need to start aiming for Kurushimi. He controls everything in these caves and without their leader, these guys are nothing." Ino had established a telepathic communication between the group of shinobi from Konoha and Suna. The group had passed along information through it every once in a while during the battle. Although Sasuke hadn't paid much attention to the comments, he figured it wouldn't be hard to pass along what he'd just told Gaara. The problem was, how would they get to where Kurushimi was and attack him? Multiple members of the group could make some sort of small transportation to get up there, like Gaara, but they had to dodge all these enemies down here and Kenshi up there while doing so. Sasuke was sure that Kurushimi had some other sort of defense up his sleeve as well.
Gaara remained silent for a minute, contemplating all the problems Sasuke himself pondered about. While trying to figure out any sort of plan, he watched as his siblings fought a group of enemies. A grin found its way onto his lips when he saw how they were thoroughly destroying all who opposed them. His expression faltered, however, after seeing one of Temari's fan strikes go rogue, missing its target and speeding towards the roof of the cave. A deafening bang echoed throughout the area and Gaara stared with caution at the rocks falling from far above.
"We need to move before we're caught under the wreckage," Gaara warned, sand coming to shield his head.
"No," Sasuke replied. His signature smirk made an appearance. "I'll handle Kenshi, the rest of you go after Kurushimi." The Uchiha didn't wait for the Kazekage to reply and was gone in an instant.
Sakura carefully eyed her giant of an opponent as he lumbered towards her once more, raising the massive hammer over his head in preparation to bring it down on top of the kunoichi. The Haruno thought it best to play it safe with this opponent rather than go on the offensive. The giant was much stronger than the other underlings she'd faced off against and Sakura didn't exactly have as much energy in the tank as him right now, to say the least. "I'll have to make some sort of counterattack," she concluded silently. The medic wanted to save as much energy as possible, as there were still many more enemies to defeat, not even counting the two most formidable ones perched above.
The brute became infuriated when the girl dodged yet another blow from his hammer. He yelled in fury, dragging the large object behind him as he leaped out in an attempt to catch the swift ninja in his grip. Failing, this brought the giant over the edge. Summoning all of his strength, he brought the deadly weapon over his head for a second time and brought it down with great speed.
Sakura's emerald eyes widened in surprise at the man's agile movement, barely dodging what would have been a deadly blow.
"What would such a tiny woman like you do?" the warrior jeered.
"Tch," Sakura scoffed. Now was her chance. The determined kunoichi jumped on top of the hammer's head still planted on the cold rock below. She readied her fist and charged up the hammer's neck.
The enemy warrior only watched and chuckled as the girl dashed towards him. He was silenced the moment Sakura's fist connected with his face, sending the brute flying across the battlefield. She landed gracefully and popped her knuckles in satisfaction. "Who's laughing now?" A shout behind her ear caused Sakura to whip around, replacing glee with alert.
Another enemy, a female with a face covering lunged directly at the Haruno with a spear. Sakura had no time to move. She knew she'd have to take the hit this time so the woman braced herself for impact, eyes squeezed shut. The feeling of sharp metal penetrating her flesh never came. Sakura opened her emerald orbs, a confused expression settling on her features. The female warrior was frozen in front of her, the sharp spear only inches away from her abdomen. The Haruno peered around the paralyzed person.
Shikamaru stood with one arm around an unconscious Ino, clutching her limp body, while also holding his shadow jutsu on the female who attempted to attack Sakura. "You ready Ino? I trust you'll release it in time."
"All set," another voice sounded close to Sakura. She tilted her head to the side and found one of Kurushimi's men casually walking towards his frozen comrade. He removed his sheathed sword and pointed it at the female, who also unwillingly aimed her spear at the male. "Go." The two weapons connected with flesh and both bodies slowly fell to the ground after the jutsus were released.
"You okay?" Shikamaru asked Ino as she recovered.
"I'm good," the blonde replied with a small smile. "Thanks for lugging my body around for a few minutes. We got rid of quite a few of these losers though."
"Ah, it was worth it," Shikamaru added in agreement. His cold gaze met that of the two fallen warriors they'd just taken care of. "That one was for Choji," he muttered, his thoughts wandering to his injured friend back in Konoha.
"Sakura," Ino started, taking a step in the direction of her best friend, "you've gotta be more careful than that!"
"I know," the Haruno responded shortly.
"You okay Forehead?" Ino and Shikamaru joined the pink-haired woman.
The woman's lips parted, about to reply, when a giant bird flew overhead and landed next to them.
"What's it looking like Sai?" inquired Shikamaru as the newcomer hopped off of his ink creation.
"Their numbers still appear to be plentiful," the pale man responded, his gaze landing on Ino and silently scanning her condition. "I fear if we don't do something spectacular soon, then we'll begin to lose. It's been fairly even thus far but Naruto's clones are dwindling and we are all running out of stamina and chakra..." He turned his attention to Sakura. "Except for Sasuke. Naruto is still fighting at about his normal capabilities, but it seems that Sasuke has made some sort of miraculous recovery in such a small amount of time."
"I passed him a few times while we've been fighting and Sasuke seems... off," Ino added.
Shikamaru's eyes met Sakura's. "I know you're an amazing medic and all, but I've never seen anyone recover from something like that with just medical ninjutsu in such a short amount of time. Do you know what's going on?"
Sakura took a deep breath and prepared to respond but she was interrupted yet again. This time it was because of a voice that entered all of their minds simultaneously.
"We need to focus on Kurushimi. Sasuke will take care of the threat Kenshi poses," Gaara announced.
Sakura, Ino, Sai, and Shikamaru all shifted to face the levitating boulder Kenshi and Kurushimi were perched on. Sections of the cave's roof had started to collapse. Squinting her eyes to gain a clearer view, she caught sight of a dark blob climbing the debris as it fell, heading towards-
"Get down!" one of her friends yelled.
It was the last thing Sakura heard before the explosive tag thrown next to the group exploded, a deafening bang echoing throughout the cave system.
Sasuke was determined, driven by his steadily increasing lust for blood, to reach the levitating boulder that grew closer with every leap. He rapidly pushed off each piece of falling debris his feet touched, anticipating the moment he got into range of his tormentors. The Uchiha felt better than ever. Not even the horrific slam against the earth his enemy delivered to him earlier made the last of his clan feel much pain.
Kenshi sliced through another Naruto clone and frontflipped so that his feet could rocket off of falling debris. He landed on the boulder, crouched next to Kurushimi while catching his breath. "That's the last of those annoying clones," he thought to himself. The swordsman spent the last few minutes fighting off continuous waves of them in order to protect Kurushimi. Kenshi noticed when he peered upwards that the last chunks of debris caused by that sand girl separated from its original formation, sailing towards the earth below.
"Huh?" Kenshi breathed. Something wasn't right. Whipping around on one heel, his eyes widened in surprise.
Smack!
Kurushimi gasped at the sudden noise. He opened his strange orbs and looked at the spot he heard Kenshi land on just moments ago. Nothing. He then craned his neck downwards, confirming his fears. To make it worse, the shinobi from Suna and Konoha were already forming up in preparation to attack him now that his guard had vanished. The dark-haired man muttered a string of curses, his eyes twitching from the constant pain hammering against his head. Kurushimi released the seal he'd been holding ever since the battle began and weaved a handful of signs. "Come on!" he growled in frustration as the enemy shinobi traveling towards him came closer. Just before the first barrage of sand spears landed a solid blue cage surrounded the man, momentarily shielding him from anything that could interfere. He breathed a sigh of relief, gritting his teeth in pain as the throbbing in his head intensified. "Not... now!" He clasped his hands together, this time in the original seal he'd formed. Kurushimi attempted to ignore the annoying pains as he trained his focus once more on the seal that, once activated, would be the beginning of the end.
Sasuke landed gracefully and shook his foot around. He couldn't remember the last time he'd delivered such a forceful kick. Regaining feeling in his limb, the Uchiha looked up and smirked with satisfaction. His comrades were already starting to bombard Kurushimi with various attacks. "I knew he'd have something else to protect him," he thought, noticing the newly formed cage covering the male. "How long will it hold though?"
Kenshi blinked rapidly, moving a shaky hand closer to his face in order to wipe away the dust that accumulated there after the impact between his body and the ground. The swordsman groaned in pain, carefully touching the spot on his face where Sasuke's foot had connected. The man gathered his wits as quickly as possible. He couldn't allow Sasuke another opportunity. Stumbling to his feet, Kenshi caught his breath and turned to face the Uchiha.
Sasuke leisurely stuck a hand out in a taunting gesture, urging Kenshi to attack. He twirled around his sword with his free hand, imagining driving it through Kenshi's flesh. The bloodlust steadily increased, making Sasuke anxious to rip apart the male standing across from him.
The swordsman cautiously took a wobbly step backwards, still not fully recovered. There was something strange within Sasuke's eyes. No, not strange, but dangerous. Kenshi shuddered. He felt as if he were not staring into the eyes of another enemy, but a demon. He growled in frustration, placing the newfound fear at the back of his mind. Whatever sudden power the Uchiha gained, it wouldn't be enough to beat him. Kenshi unsheathed his sword.
"You and me, right here, right now. Let's end this," Sasuke declared, his Sharingan blazing. "I won't use any ninjutsu, not that I would have to," he taunted.
Kenshi's eye twitched in fury. "Don't get too cocky Uchiha," he warned quietly.
Sasuke's taunting worked. He trained all his focus on the swordsman as he dashed forward, swords clashing an instant later.
Kenshi eyed their connected blades with surprise. "He kept up?" the man thought. He caught sight of Sasuke's growing smirk. "What the-?"
Sasuke sidestepped and nailed Kenshi's shoulder with the hilt of his blade. Taking further advantage of the man's lack of concentration, Sasuke swept Kenshi's feet out from under him. The Uchiha watched the fallen shinobi with boredom, tilting his head to the side with disgust. "Is that all you've got?" Adrenaline coursed through his veins. Kenshi was nothing to him now. When he attempted to attack the Uchiha, Sasuke's Sharingan was able to keep up with the swordsman. His younger self didn't lie, he felt unstoppable. "You're nothing if you can't use your speed on me," he muttered darkly.
Kenshi quickly rolled out of the way of Sasuke's blade, hearing metal clang against the rock he was just laying on. Frustrated, the swordsman lunged towards his opponent, landing a strong punch to the jaw. The two men tumbled down a small rocky precipice in a frenzy of kicks and punches. Both discarded whatever pain they might've experienced during the fall, sheathing their swords and engaging in a brutal bout of taijutsu.
Neither of the two men kept up with how long they chased the other or how many brutal hits they took; however, both warriors knew they weren't even close to giving up. Nonetheless, Kenshi started to feel the pain and exhaustion set in after a while. He couldn't get away from Sasuke for even a moment to recover. The Uchiha never lost a beat and was relentless on offense. Kenshi realized from the moment their blades first connected on this battleground that he held no advantage over the man anymore. Even with how long they'd battled, Sasuke still appeared to be near full strength.
Kenshi cursed aloud, running through the warring shinobi and attempting to recover a little from his brutal battle with Sasuke. He knew the Uchiha was right on his heels though. Kenshi knew exactly why Sasuke could keep up with him now, why he brushed off even the most painful of attacks, why he became even more formidable with each passing second. The Uchiha was out for his blood, it was no secret to Kenshi. This was dangerous though. If he couldn't put some distance between himself and Sasuke, there would be no way to initiate the next part of the plan. Everything had to line up just right, and soon. Kenshi didn't know how much longer he could keep up with this superhuman version of the Uchiha. He reached the vast cave wall. There was no where left to run. Kenshi needed to think, fast.
Sasuke casually stalked towards his prey, wiping a trickle of blood off the side of his face. It was enjoyable, toying with the man who had previously beaten him. Now he was the one to decide if his opponent deserved any mercy. Sparing Kenshi remained the last ideal on his agenda though. "Done running?" Sasuke questioned. "I've got plans with Kurushimi so I guess I better hurry this up."
Without moving his head, Kenshi's gaze carefully drifted upwards. A plan formed in his mind. He hoped that he could catch Sasuke off guard for it to work. It was normally a difficult task, but Kenshi could see that the only thing present in the Uchiha's eyes was the desire to draw blood. He could see it in the way his hands twitched, or throughout their fight when he looked at the demon-like expressions on the Uchiha's face as he cut some part of Kenshi's flesh. Sasuke was blinded by this rage. The swordsman knew to expect it but he never figured it would be this difficult to execute the next part of the plan.
"Ha, I'm not done yet Uchiha," Kenshi declared. The man whipped around and took off running up the cave wall.
Sasuke followed immediately. Kenshi was only delaying the inevitable, he figured. The Uchiha wanted to absolutely destroy the man but he knew he needed to finish this and help his friends defeat Kurushimi. They still hadn't managed to break the blue barrier surrounding him. Sasuke would make sure it shattered once he got involved. With this power surging in his body, nothing could stop him.
Kenshi's feet met the roof and he hopped onto a cracked section, waiting for his opponent. Sasuke spun around, his leg outstretched and slammed into the rock. Kurushimi's comrade barely dodged the strike and let his body fall through the air. Opening his eyes, he perceived that his idea was working so far. "Sasuke isn't thinking twice about any of his decisions right now," the swordsman thought. In a way it benefitted him, but it was also dangerous, as Kenshi didn't have much time to think what his opponent's next move might be over the course of their battle. This instance, however, would work to his advantage.
Sasuke flipped through the air, gathering momentum. He marveled at Kenshi's stupidity. "What did you think that would accomplish?!" he shouted in fury, sailing downwards. The attack met its mark this time and the pair crashed to the earth with Sasuke standing on top of a battered Kenshi.
Suddenly, the swordsman disappeared in a could of smoke, leaving Sasuke alone. He began searching among the crowd of underlings for the coward when an approaching whizzing noise caught his attention. Sasuke hurriedly shifted his head upwards, eyes widening in shock.
Crash!
The boulder he himself had knocked free from its hold on the rest of the structure smashed directly into the Uchiha. A flurry of dust and small rocks flew in each direction in the wake of the explosion.
Sasuke hissed in pain, pushing his upper body off the misshapen ground. The shield of purple surrounding his torso faded. He attempted to get to a standing position but was stopped almost immediately. "Tch," the Uchiha grunted in pain, peering towards his body's lower half. His right leg was stuck under the mass that nearly crushed him. Without his Susano'o cushioning the impact, his appendage would certainly be a pile of mush. Pain started to settle in the male's leg. Sasuke was going to attempt to free his limb when footsteps stole his attention.
Kenshi knelt beside Sasuke's trapped body with one hand on the ground and the other gripping the hilt of his sword. The man wiped perspiration off his forehead. "You made a massive mistake Uchiha," he stated.
Sasuke narrowed his eyes at the swordsman.
"The moment you took that hand, you sacrificed yourself," Kenshi continued calmly. He stood up and slowly unsheathed his blade.
The Uchiha prepared to defend himself as best as he possibly could while his leg remained trapped under the rock. Even though Susano'o saved his limb from being crushed, he was positive that his leg was broken. Sasuke refused to let it hinder him.
Kenshi's gaze shifted elsewhere, landing on exactly the person he was searching for. "Tell me, in a moment, what it's like to have your world fall apart for a second time. Mine ended just like this, now it's your turn." He spared Sasuke one last glance before speeding off.
The Uchiha tracked the swordsman as he dashed off, confusion taking over the forefront of his mind. How did Kenshi know about his vision, his deal? What was he talking about just before he ran off? He scanned the area to see where Kenshi was headed. Sasuke's eyes widened in terror and his heart skipped a beat. "No..." he breathed.
Directly in Kenshi's path stood Sakura, who leaned against a boulder for support as she caught her breath. She wouldn't see him coming, Kenshi was too fast. Momentarily forgetting his predicament, Sasuke jerked forward in another effort to stand. The motion sent a wave of pain rolling through his right leg. He couldn't suppress a shout this time. His thoughts were all jumbled up and panic overtook him. "STOP!" Sasuke shouted in desperation. It would take too long to free himself and make it to Sakura before Kenshi did. Frantically racking his brains for a solution, he ruled out any ninjutsu or throwing weapons. Kenshi could easily dodge them. Sasuke attempted to focus his Rinnegan on Sakura in order to switch places.
He was too late.
Kenshi had arrived at his destination during Sasuke's panic. Even though the Uchiha quickly found a solution, it wasn't fast enough. His blade drove into the surprised kunoichi's chest and Sasuke watched the scene in horror, his body frozen. "NO!" It was as if the entire world around him had gone silent. Everyone else disappeared in front of him except for Kenshi and Sakura, the horrifying sight engraved in his mind. In that moment, Sasuke felt as helpless as he did upon discovering his clan's lifeless bodies the night Itachi slaughtered them.
Kenshi removed his blade from Sakura's chest and watched the woman sink to the ground in a motionless heap. He'd completed his mission. The man panted for air and took a step backwards from the scene. He turned and without warning, received Sasuke's sword through his stomach. Kenshi looked past the man and found that he'd used his Rinnegan to switch with a discarded weapon. With fury illuminating the Uchiha's red and purple eyes, Sasuke drove the blade as far as he could through Kenshi's stomach. The male gagged and hunched over, air entering and escaping his lungs in harsh pants. Sasuke wrenched the sword out of the man's flesh and threw him to the side.
Dropping the bloodied sword, the raven-haired male reluctantly peered downward. "Sakura?" He limped towards her still body and crouched. His mind went blank as he looked at her face and saw that her eyes were closed. "No, no, no..." the last of his clan pleaded. "Don't fool with me," he choked out. No response. Her chakra signature had vanished.
Kurushimi, who had been watching in frustration as the ninjas from Suna and Konoha tried to penetrate his chakra barrier, caught sight of the scene. A devilish smile grew on his lips, which led to him releasing a booming laugh. Confused, the shinobi from Konoha and Suna stopped their assault and tried to figure out what made the man perk up all of a sudden. When they too laid eyes upon the scene, expressions of shock and horror lined their faces. Ino and Hinata let their tears fall. Naruto's spirit immediately drained, his face falling. Tears threatened to spill from his blue orbs the longer he stared at Sasuke cradling Sakura's motionless body.
"I knew I could count on you Kenshi," Kurushimi thought with satisfaction. He let the barrier disappear now that it wasn't under constant fire.
Shaking fingers pressed against her neck in search of a pulse. Nothing. Sasuke didn't stop the moisture from leaving his eyes and rolling down his cheeks. His bloody hands cradled his pink-haired teammate close to his chest. "Don't do this to me Sakura," he whispered, pulling her closer. Sasuke's unsteady hand traced over the necklace he'd given her and then rested on the side of her face. "Please..." A sob tore through the Uchiha's chest. "I'm sorry... I'm s-so sorry... I wasn't fast enough..." He continued to plead with no one in particular, refusing to accept the reality of the situation. "Please come back to me..." His tear filled eyes never left her face, hoping, praying that it wasn't true, that she was still there. Sasuke's heart dropped again. No response at all. "I love you... I love you so much Sakura Haruno... so p-please don't leave me... please..."
Naruto and the others grouped up below Kurushimi's floating rock, all horrified and heartbroken. Ino grabbed a frozen Kakashi and shook the Hokage by his shoulders. "What are we all doing just standing here?! We have to go help!" she shouted through furious tears.
Kakashi only stared with sorrowful eyes at the blonde yelling in his face. "Sakura, I've failed you..."
The Yamanaka continued her rant. "Why is no one doing anything?! We have to-!"
"Ino," Shikamaru interrupted quietly, "if Sasuke is reacting like that, then..." he trailed off, he himself in disbelief.
The blonde's body racked with sobs. Sai put an arm around the kunoichi and pulled her close, a massive frown present on his features. The pale man's eyes shifted to gaze at his feet.
Naruto wiped the tears from his eyes and took a step forward. He couldn't remove his stare from Sasuke's shaking form and Sakura's motionless one. A thought grazed his mind. "This is what she-"
"HAHAHA!" Kurushimi bellowed from above, hunched over from laughing so hard. "Oh how the mighty fall," he said to himself. "It's all over now." He weaved a multitude of hand signs, eliciting a strong glow from his multicolored orbs.
Sasuke had laid Sakura's body back down on the earth. He felt as if his soul literally split in half. The Uchiha couldn't hear anything else going on around him. The only thing he could focus on was the lifeless body in front of him.
"The only thing you'll ever be is a failure..."
The words rang through his head, further distracting him from Kurushimi's jeers and his underlings' laughter.
Thump.
The Uchiha's eyes widened, a bloody hand shooting up to clutch his chest. He hunched over, breathing in uneven gasps. Sasuke's other hand wobbled when he pressed it into the rock beside Sakura's body. Pain. A searing, agonizing pain tore through his entire being.
Thump.
It burnt everywhere. Sasuke lost control. Screams of anguish erupted from his mouth, his body thrashing around in every direction. He desperately attempted to satisfy his lungs, to fill them with air, with no avail. Nothing registered in the Uchiha's mind besides the torture he was suffering.
The shinobi from Konoha and Suna started to make way to their comrades, but were almost immediately surrounded by Kurushimi's underlings, all brandishing their weapons in warning to the group of ninjas. Naruto forced himself to remain where he was. Regardless of how much he hated it, the Uzumaki knew what he must do, even if it meant standing by at the moment.
Then, a silence filled the caves. The Uchiha laid face down, sprawled out next to his motionless pink-haired teammate. The quietness abruptly ended as what was left of Kurushimi's army whooped and howled with joy, jeering and taunting the surrounded shinobi of Konoha and Suna.
Kurushimi let a demonic smirk take over his facial features. If only they knew. He could afford to lose some more of his worthless underlings. As long as he acquired complete control, it didn't matter.
Sasuke's legs gave out and his knees smacked onto the wooden pier. The Uchiha shifted his gaze upward, eyes drilling through those of his younger self. "You... you said I couldn't be stopped," a hint of anger filling his voice.
The teenager made no response at first, meeting the other's stare. Then he released a low chuckle.
Sasuke's eyes narrowed.
"People are wrong about you."
"What?" Sasuke questioned, forcing his legs to comply with his wish to stand.
The younger Sasuke stepped closer, his voice lowering. "It's a widely accepted view that you're just a selfish spoiled brat. They're wrong though," he finished quietly.
The older man shakily and painfully lengthened the distance between himself and the other, stopping with his heels on the edge of the pier.
"You aren't selfish. In fact, it's quite the opposite," he whispered ominously, stalking towards the wounded Uchiha. "All you wanted to do was save your friends, your family. You've constantly attempted to keep their safety above your own. But that is where the fault is found. You take it all as your own burden to bear. You fail over and over and over Sasuke. And it's all, your, fault."
Sasuke threw a punch at his counterpart, who caught his hand with ease.
"Tch, what a slow and weak attack," the other mocked, tightly gripping the appendage. "You care so much about your comrades that it's made you into a fool. You were willing to accept the first offer of help, hardly giving it a second thought."
Sasuke grunted in frustration as his younger self grabbed his throat. "It wasn't only your friends who have caused you to make such irrational decisions. You are not just a simple fool Sasuke. You're a fool in love." With that, the younger Sasuke shoved the elder off the end of the pier.
The water engulfing Sasuke took on a blackish hue. The Uchiha fought to get his head above the dark water, but parts of the liquid morphed into solid hands, pulling him further and further into the depths of the lake. He tried to summon a fireball, to make Chidori in his hand, or release black flames on whatever latched onto him. Nothing. Sasuke continued to thrash against the restraints, but they only clutched at more of his body. The ninja felt himself steadily weakening, sinking under the water.
He was drowning in darkness.
Naruto growled in fury at the taunts from the enemy shinobi surrounding them. He perceived his comrades felt equally angry as they too stood in place, but for different reasons than the Uzumaki. Even if they all did attempt to attack, there was no way they'd stand a chance at defeating all the remaining enemies, much less Kurushimi. All were exhausted, whether they desired to admit it or not. Watching two friends die right in front of their eyes didn't help either. If they did go through with an attack, it was almost guaranteed they'd witness more friends fall.
Naruto pondered over that idea, but it wasn't the main reason he stood rooted in place. This was the one instance Naruto absolutely needed to have his temper in check. He could do it just this once, right? It was proving to be an immensely difficult task.
As if on cue, the roars from the surrounding ninjas steadily decreased until an eerie silence filled the cave hideout. Naruto wondered for a moment if he'd accidentally voiced his frustrations out loud until his blue eyes landed on what had caught the enemy ninjas' attention.
The sight visibly sent a shiver down people's spines. Sasuke rose slowly, zombie-like, from his position on the ground. He froze upon getting to his feet, eyes covered by dark bangs. Purple and black steam drifted off the Uchiha's exposed back, the black markings Kurushimi had engraved into his skin glowing a fierce red. Even the sight wasn't nearly as terrifying as the aura the Uchiha gave off. It seemed to radiate throughout the cave. It was ominous and violent.
Almost demonic.
"What the heck just happened to Sasuke?" Kiba breathed quietly, heart thundering against his chest. Akamaru whimpered and tucked his tail between his legs. Even he could sense the complete shift in the Uchiha's aura.
"That's not Sasuke..." Naruto thought to himself. He narrowed his eyes, brow creasing in a frown.
Kurushimi's henchman shared confused glances, scared to give any other type of reaction. Two brave souls mustered enough courage to launch themselves into the air, outstretching their weapons in preparation to strike the Uchiha. A purple skeleton encased Sasuke and two giant purple hands captured the attacking enemies. The men struggled frantically to escape from the tight hold. They howled in pain as the hands increased the pressure of their grip. "Please stop! Please!" they begged with whatever air their lungs still held. Surprised that the skeleton's grip loosened, both men whipped their gazes towards Sasuke's still form in caution. Their shock further increased when they were released from the skeleton's hold, landing flat on their butts. Both men shared a relieved glance, only to turn their attention back to the Uchiha with worry when he took a step towards them. They hesitantly met Sasuke's gaze, paralysis overtaking the pair upon seeing the flaring red and purple.
Gasps of shock and horror filled the crowd of underlings as their comrades screamed in agony, black flames engulfing their bodies. They rolled around in desperation, trying in vain to extinguish the flames.
No remorse, no thoughts of mercy. There was no light left in his multicolored orbs, only hatred and the desire for revenge.
Sasuke watched with satisfaction as the two men were burned alive. Their screams were music to his ears. He wanted more, more shouts of agony, more screams of terror, more bloodshed. Sasuke wanted to kill. He wanted to watch every enemy standing before him die a terrible death, and he'd make sure to accomplish this task, but first...
Sasuke's eyes scanned the terrified masses until they found the person they were searching for. "You..." he spoke darkly, quietly.
Kenshi stopped crawling at the simple word and carefully turned. He had one hand pressed against the open gash in his stomach and the other on the ground to keep himself from falling. For if he fell, there was a great chance that the swordsman would not get back up again.
"Are you satisfied?" Sasuke asked, his voice the only source of noise in the tension filled cave. His fists clenched and unclenched in fury, his gaze falling downwards once more so that his eyes were hidden. The Uchiha was a time bomb, so very close to exploding and causing chaos. Kenshi made no response as he continued. "You've done it... taken away my world. Look at you now though..."
Kenshi swallowed hard when Sasuke's Susano'o reappeared, taking on the form of half a person.
"You're in such a pathetic condition," Sasuke spat ominously. "Now..." His gaze returned to Kenshi's downed form, a devilish smile present on his features. "I'll kill you. And I'll make sure it hurts..." the Uchiha finished, amused at the thought of Kenshi's contorted corpse after he finished with the man.
Kenshi's heart skipped a beat as the Uchiha's Susano'o lifted its hands, a bow and arrow coming into view. The flaming purple arrow was aimed directly at him. There was no way for him to attempt an escape, his injuries were too serious. Kenshi quivered in fear.
Pain. Blood. Cold.
Those were the only things she could register. No, there was something else, more than one thing. There was something warm and then something wet, like tears. It disappeared after a while and it became cold again, dark...
There were shouts and flashes of light. That's when the realization hit her.
She was alive, but barely. She'd been stabbed, she remembered. Poison. There was also some kind of poison along with it too.
A single word, a name, entered her mind. "Sasuke." The Uchiha perceived she was dead, Sakura knew.
She forced her body to allow her emerald eyes open a sliver. The Haruno's blurry vision picked out a hand, her own, laying beside her. She tried to move, only getting a twitch out of it. As Sakura's thoughts became clearer, she was able to assume what'd happened while she was immobile. "Those markings on his back," she thought. If she didn't do something soon, Sasuke would be gone forever.
Sakura knew what she had to do, it was now or never. Releasing the yin seal on her forehead, Sakura felt her chakra and strength returning to her body. Sakura refused to let Sasuke be consumed by darkness again. If he was completely overtaken this time, he wouldn't have a chance to return to the light...
Author's Note: I'm so mean, another cliffhanger. This is the most emotional chapter I've written so far. I literally almost cried while writing it, haha. Thanks everyone so much for your support and patience for this story! Please review and thank you for reading! Hope you enjoyed! I plan to update this often now unless I start having internet issues again. We're so close to the conclusion of this story and I can't wait to wrap all the loose ends up for you guys. I'm leaving so many unanswered questions right now for a reason, haha.