DISCLAIMER: This story is solely written for fanservicing. All known characters and plot lines belong to Masashi Kishimoto and the publishers of the Naruto series. I am merely a fan who wishes to write her alternate story to the Naruto manga. The title "In The Name of Life" is taken from Joe Hisaishi's soundtrack of the film 'Spirited Away', by Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli. This fanfic is not intended for lucrative purposes.
In The Name of Life
Chapter XVI
"You see only one end to your journey. Sometimes, a man rises from the darkness." ~Alfred Pennyworth
Naruto sat atop the giant turtle's head, meditating. His eyes were surrounded by a vibrant orange glow, showing that his Sage Mode was activated. Luckily, he had been smart enough to trick Kurenai-sensei –who was too busy taking care of the cutest baby Naruto had ever seen—and Katsuyu's smaller clones. He'd summoned a Shadow Clone, who stayed at Killer Bee's vacation home, while the real Naruto had climbed up the turtle's head and was able to contemplate the Alliance's affairs going unnoticed.
According to his natural senses, no one had approached him yet. He was trying to sense the battlefield, but it was still too far for him to read. Slowly, he concentrated his own chakra flowing through his channel, strengthening his Sage abilities.
"Naruto-kun?"
Actually, he was trying to find Hinata's chakra in the battlefield.
"Hinata? What... what're you doing here!?"
He wanted to make sure she was safe and sound.
"I-I wanted to see you. I'm... going back to the battlefield in five minutes."
She was one of his precious people. He believed Hinata was underestimated.
"I still don't understand. I thought you went back to the refugee camp."
"It's been sacked. M-Many people died."
Naruto wished she could've stayed when she visited him at Killer Bee's vacation home. With his brow frowned, he remembered how desperate he felt at the news of the attack on innocent civilians. Those people did not deserve to die, he thought. They were innocent, caught in the middle of a war that had nothing to do with them. He had to stop it.
Those innocent civilians died because of him.
"I want to go out there and end this war!"
"Naruto-kun... I'm scared..."
At first, he didn't understand what Hinata was talking about. Was she scared of seeing him turn into the Kyūbi? He'd trained hard enough to enter his Bijū Mode, and his relationship with the Nine Tails had somehow changed. Naruto didn't consider the Kyūbi a foe anymore; the promise of taking away all of the beast's hatred resonated in his thoughts.
"I'm... scared of... losing you..."
"Hinata, take my hand."
He could still feel the warmth of her hand linked with his. It was the type of feeling he never wanted to forget.
"It will be with you when you go and kill off those bastards. When I have to face my own battles, your touch will be with me."
Her face looked cute with those rosy colored cheeks.
"No need to be scared! You're strong, I believe in you."
Perhaps it was the warmth he felt in his heart when he remembered his last talk with Hinata. Or the consequent thought of how he wished to feel this way and live in a world where Sakura was safe and sound at his side; where Kakashi-sensei could show him what was under his mask; where Yamato-taichō wasn't missing; where Sai could smile sincerely; where Sasuke wasn't such a complicated best friend.
Notwithstanding, Naruto felt all of his efforts channeled through his system and he finally sensed something –or rather, someone approaching him.
It wasn't a slug or Kurenai-sensei. It wasn't walking either.
It was flying. And it was flying really fast towards him.
Naruto opened his eyes, showing his frog-like irises, and saw a blotch of brown flying towards him. He wasn't so familiar with the hawk, but he was familiar with the person who was controlling it. He always thought of this occasion acting out differently, but war had happened and it had changed a lot of things. Since he was approaching, Naruto realized that there were many things he was going to leave undone. But this was his destiny, his prophecy. The Great Toad Sage had told him two things and nothing else. It said that Naruto would befriend a giant beat with tentacles, and he met Killer Bee and the Hachibi. It had also said that he was going to fight against a young man with strong eyes.
Well, said young man with strong eyes was coming his way at the moment.
"The time has finally come," Naruto said aloud, thinking that Death was at his doorstep.
The Shinobi Alliance could take care of the clones of Zetsu. Hinata would be strong enough to endure his death. Kakashi-sensei would most likely retire after the war, after losing all of his students. Tsunade-baachan would have to choose another successor, but Naruto knew that he wasn't up for the job. If he couldn't save his friend, he couldn't protect a whole village.
The only thing he regretted was not seeing Sakura-chan. His Sakura. His other best friend and almost-sister. He missed her so much.
NAruto moved his hands, forming the right seals, "Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"
Sasuke was close enough to make out Naruto's form on top of one of the ends of the giant island. He suddenly disappeared under a poof, which dissipated and gave way to a giant, red skinned toad. He'd seen that summon before, back in their younger days. It was stupid of Naruto to use the same techniques as he did when he was younger; hadn't he learned anything new?
"Oi, Teme! Let's take this away from here!" Naruto stood atop the giant toad's head, with his arms crossed.
There was something different in him; his chakra felt... stronger.
The sudden thought made Sasuke's blood boil. He would show Naruto who was the strongest out of the two. The idiot thought of dying in battle with him; Sasuke would make sure that Naruto was the one lying on the ground as he stood victorious.
The giant toad hopped from the end of the island to the ground, creating a vibration that shook many rocks off the hills and mountains. Sasuke's hawk steered closer to Naruto's summon, just flying over it as the Uchiha boy finally made contact with Naruto's eyes. Red and black clashed with orange and black. This was a power of Naruto that he'd never seen before. At least the idiot had learned something else in the past three years.
"I don't want any innocent soldiers dying because of your recklessness," Naruto shouted in the same insanely annoying tone as always.
Whatever.
Sasuke would have willingly killed every single one of the shinobi who were nearby. They were gradually starting to gather a large crowd; ninjas came out of buildings, of the giant island where Naruto had been waiting, and were starting to point fingers are the two young shinobi. Sasuke felt annoyed at these intruders; he would make sure that they would all suffer a long and painful death with his Amaterasu when he was done with Naruto. All of his strength had to go towards the idiot, who was still acting as the useless hero he had always wanted to be.
When Naruto started to feel the presence of several spectators arriving in their meeting place, he decided that it was time to take another leap and stay away from the Alliance's headquarters. He quickly commanded Gamabunta to hop into the ocean, as Turtle's Island was stationed on it. Compared to the enormous turtle, Gamabunta seemed like a tiny amphibian. The giant frog responded to his command, and Naruto had to hold on to his slimy skin in order to keep balance. Gamabunta took a giant step towards the ocean and landed gracefully, without sinking.
Thank goodness the frog knew how to run on water, Naruto thought.
"Alright, Gamabunta-san! We have to keep Sasuke away from the headquarters!" he exclaimed. The adrenaline was making its way into his system.
"Is this the fight the Great Toad Sage was talking about?" Gamabunta asked, starting to move his limbs and directing away from Turtle's Island and the Alliance's headquarters. Naruto could see the infinite ocean ahead of them. They needed to find a place to fight; a place far away from the war zone.
"Yeah, that's Sasuke if you've never met him before. He's my friend but an asshole," the Uzumaki looked back to see that Sasuke was in fact following them. He hadn't attacked headquarters, seeing that it was still standing intact.
"What a nice introduction..." Gamabunta muttered. It was as if he wasn't taking this fight seriously.
"Gamabunta-san! This is the fight of my destiny, and I am not holding back with Sasuke! I will bring him back!"
Back to what, though? Konoha had been destroyed, half of the refugees were dead, Sakura was still missing...
He suddenly questioned his own intentions. Friendship was something Naruto truly valued; it was what made him stronger, what made him love Team Kakashi as a family. Hinata was a different type of love, but one that had started from mere platonic friendship. He had been able to save her from her insecurities. He had been able to save Gaara –the Kazekage— from sinking into more darkness. He had saved a whole entire village from destruction by mere words. No matter how bad it sounded, all the people Naruto had saved are not compared to the challenge of saving Sasuke.
Naruto would bring him back to the light. He would give Sasuke new eyes, eyes that saw the world differently. Even if it meant dying.
Luckily, Gamabunta's giant leaps were bringing him closer to another coastline. He wasn't completely sure of the exact location, but they were somewhere near the Land of Hot water. The vegetation reminded him of all those adventures he had while travelling among all of the smaller countries. However, this was no time to reminisce good memories; Sasuke's hawk was catching up to them. He recalled the map that Hinata had brought along with them during their failed attempt at saving Sakura-chan. It showed that the Land of Hot Water was near the Lands of Fire and of Sound.
Bringing Sasuke to the Land of Fire would take too long. On the other hand, Land of Sound had been completely deserted for the war. Perhaps he could run towards it; it would only take him a few minutes. Gamabunta was already hopping in land, taking jump after jump among the trees.
"Gamabunta-san, I'm gonna need you later. Thanks for your help!" he said, and the giant toad disappeared under a poof.
Naruto landed on his feet in the middle of the forest. His Sage mode allowed him to track Sasuke's coordination in the air. The Uchiha boy appeared above him, still flying on the hawk. With that sign, Naruto started running at an almost lightning speed. He sped by rows and rows of fully grown trees, sensing that Sasuke's hawk had also vanished and the Uchiha boy was following his trail with the same speed.
He considered it to be the beginning of their fight, to see who could get to the Land of Sound first.
In less than five minutes, Naruto knew that they had passed the border and entered Orochimaru's former country. The landscape had changed; it was not like the northern coastline he had explored with Hinata, but rather a barren land with small grey hills and several ponds scattered around. There would be no destruction of trees or nearby infrastructure.
The place was perfect.
Naruto's legs abruptly stopped when he was standing over one of the larger ponds of the barren plain. He deactivated his chakra mode, knowing that it would exhaust him if he were to hold it for much longer.
Sasuke's footsteps splattered over the water. He had never seen Naruto run that fast before, not even during their first fight three years ago. The idiot had made a stupid decision in turning his eyes back to normal. Sasuke had yet to figure out what powers the Uzumaki boy had acquired; the orange hue around his eyes was something he was not familiar with. They stood on the opposite ends of the large pond, unmoving, waiting for the other to start.
The Uchiha boy observed how Naruto brought his hand up front, raising his index and middle finger over his face. The sight of seeing a matured Uzumaki Naruto reminisced him of the several times they had to spar back in the Academy –and of all the times he successfully kicked Naruto's ass. The idiot still hadn't learned. Tch.
"You have to do it too," Naruto said with a raised voice, "It's the standard shinobi procedure. We're shinobi; we should at least follow some of the rules!"
Naruto following the rules? Had his head gone mad? He wasn't the one who stuck to the book like Sakura. Naruto usually took care of things his own way. But perhaps it was time to start acting accordingly. After all, he was going to die like a mediocre shinobi.
Sasuke scowled, not comprehending the Naruto's idiotic manners. Nonetheless, he placed his raised index and middle finger in front of his face as well. It was as if they'd gone back in time.
"But that doesn't mean I will follow all the rules!" Sasuke shouted, and then lounged forward.
Naruto also ran towards him, making hand seals. Before they could physically touch one another, Sasuke unsheathed his Kusanagi and swung it forwards. Naruto had summoned a Shadow clone, which stepped forward and took the blow, disappearing in a poof that gave time to Naruto to jump and land a few feet away from Sasuke's attack.
"So what did you think of my Sage mode?" Naruto asked, keeping his fighting stance.
Sage mode? Was that the reason behind those orange marks around Naruto's eyes? Sasuke could barely suppress his shock at hearing that the idiot had been able to accomplish such a state. Many shinobi failed at the attempt; Naruto should have failed too.
But there he stood, still, gathering natural chakra to reactivate his Sage mode.
"It was hard to get, but it helped a great deal when I saved Konoha," the Uzumaki boy continued, not moving.
Unlike Naruto, Sasuke analyzed the situation before taking action. He noticed how Naruto remained still while he prepared for his Sage mode, and how he couldn't keep it on for a long amount of time. If the fight were to prolong, Sasuke would have the opportunity of attacking Naruto when he replenished. How ignorant of him, to fully show his opponent one of his biggest weaknesses!
Nonetheless, the Uchiha boy felt a presence behind him half a second before a Rasengan would have collided with his back. He stepped aside, jumping up in the air and landing atop a giant rock just as Naruto's Shadow Clone sank and vanished in the water. Sasuke looked back at the real Naruto, and noticed that he looked ready to continue the fight. From this point on, he wouldn't take the idiot lightly. He would attack with all his hatred and crush every single one of Naruto's bones.
Lighting covered all of Sasuke's body, and he lunged forward once again. With amazing speed, he was able to push Naruto off his feet as they both dived into the water. Since Sasuke was on top, he pushed the Uzumaki boy into the depths of the pond, whereas the attacked was immobile. Even though his lighting covered body should have created a large electrocution in the body of water, Sasuke took notice of how Naruto looked at him with his orange glowing eyes, without moving.
Naruto was able to cancel the lightning from transferring to the rest of the pond. His Sage mode abilities allowed him to cancel the lighting current enabling him to stare straight at Sasuke's crimson eyes. Perhaps he could find a glint of hope in them, something that showed him that Sasuke was not completely lost.
All he saw was an unbearable amount of suffering that clouded any sight into the future. It frustrated Naruto. He wanted to help his friend more than anything, but death seemed to be the only option. He felt like a failure; Sasuke was a brother to him. If he could not save his best friend, how could he lead a whole village?
Sasuke's body was no longer covered in lightning. Instead, he'd chosen to look into Naruto's eyes as well. The idiot was still a hopeful, naive knucklehead. Naruto's declaration that Sasuke was still his friend only infuriated him. Naruto was just an obstacle; a person who was not meant to have any significance in his life. He only proved that bonds weakened shinobi. It was best to just rid oneself of every type of emotional bond.
His mind suddenly drifted to Itachi's memory, and how much his older brother still affected him. Then, without controlling his own thoughts, the image of Sakura's face flashed through his mind.
He forgot about it right away, as he charged a Chidori in his hand and punched it into Naruto's chest. The Uzumaki boy opened his mouth, letting out all of his air, and sunk even lower. Sasuke made his way to the surface, standing up in the water as Naruto sunk deeper.
Naruto felt the electricity of Sasuke's attack all over his body. His eyes retrieved the orange hue as he lost his breath. He kept sinking deeper and deeper into the pond. It felt as if the body of water was an endless abyss, as his back still hadn't hit rock bottom. Naruto's lids felt heavy, either due to the emotional roller coaster he was feeling or the exhaustion from Sage mode. His ears would only feel the pressure of the water taking over his body...
'Boy, you are stronger than this,' the Kyūbi spoke.
'What do you mean?' just as many other times, Naruto found himself in his subconscious. The Kyūbi's head rested over his crossed paws, locking his hatred-filled eyes with Naruto's.
'You took most of my power. This Uchiha brat is nothing compared to me,' the beast argued as Naruto moved closer to it.
The Uzumaki boy stood a few inches near the barriers that locked the Kyūbi. Every other thought wiped out of his head as he stared at the beast. Was it really encouraging him to fight? Naruto's philosophy of not giving up had never reached the Kyūbi's mind, so hearing the beast saying that he was strong was rather... strange.
'Hmph, if you die here it means that I die too,' the Kyūbi continued, 'You always boast around saying you'll never give up. Why now?'
At this time, Naruto chuckled. It was really happening! Although the Kyūbi was expressing his support in its own strange way, it was actually supporting Naruto!
'What are you laughing at, boy?'
'Oh, nothing. It's just that you sound like you finally understand what I've been saying all this time!'
'I've spent too much time inside of you...'
Naruto reached out his hand and touched the Kyūbi's vivid orange fur. He'd never touched the beast in such an affectionate way. The Kyūbi tensed up under his touch, not really knowing how to react to human emotions. All it had ever known had been hatred and rejection from the shinobi world.
'I promised to free you from all this hatred,' Naruto said with a softer tone, taking another step towards befriending the beast, 'so why don't you help me with Sasuke and we forget about this world's injustice?'
The Kyūbi slanted its eyes, looking intently at Naruto as is let out a low growl, 'You promised that kid that you were going to die together. If you die, it means that I cease to exist. How will you rid me from hatred if we will all die in the end?'
Naruto smirked, adopting feral features that resembled the Kyūbi.
'We'll see,' he responded, and then exited his subconscious.
Sasuke's patience was on the verge of despair. Naruto was taking incredibly long surfacing from the depth of the pond. He couldn't be that weak. Sasuke had to give Naruto credit in not being a second-class ninja. His crimson eyes glared at the spot where he'd sunken Naruto's body, concentrating in his disappeared form. Then, out of nowhere, a glow appeared. It was faint at first, but as it made its way to the surface, Sasuke's eyes could make out Naruto's form being surrounded by the flames.
Or rather, Naruto was the flame.
The Uzumaki boy shot up from the depths of the pond, opening the waters and causing large waves that made Sasuke jump upwards. He followed every one of Naruto's movements with shocked eyes. The idiot had turned his body into a lively flame; his skin blended in with his garments. Naruto seemed to realize Sasuke's expression, as he showed a smug grin, satisfied at impressing his former friend.
"You see this? It's called Bijū mode!" he said with a raised voice, "I'm controlling the Kyūbi's chakra, and not even all of it!"
The power was still overwhelming him, but he didn't feel as exhausted as he did on Sage mode.
Sasuke's expression quickly changed as he finally landed on the opposite side of the pond. He adopted an arrogant and sinister smirk before speaking, "You're not the only one who has new power, Naruto."
"Meet Susano'o!" he exclaimed.
His Sharingan started to spin while blood ran down through his eyes. Sasuke felt a dark force enveloping him as violet chakra started to take form. A large demonic-like creature was created; it had a pointed hood with several fangs, which covered the obscure face of the shield that was protecting him. A pair of six fingered hands grew out of its sides with the same violet colour. Sasuke felt the adrenaline of hatred running through his veins, knowing that this was the first time he was using his strong techniques against Naruto.
"Kyūbi, do you still think Sasuke is nothing compared to you?" Naruto asked aloud as he watched his former friend's jutsu take formation.
'He's just a brat,' the beast answered.
From this point on, the fight was taken to another level.
Kakashi had a bad feeling.
He just did.
It was similar to the feeling that preceded Obito's death. It was a like a giant lump hitting rock bottom in his stomach. Like the feeling of loss he'd always dreaded that would return. Somehow, Kakashi just knew that something was happening.
And it was something that he needed to observe, experience, and interrupt.
"Gai, I will be back," he announced to the black haired man.
Gai gave him a questioning look, not entirely comprehending Kakashi's sudden urge to leave. They'd been looking over the map of their Division. Kakashi was known for never leaving his friends and comrades behind. What had caused him to take a break from commanding more than a thousand shinobi?
"You will be in charge until my return. Do not expect to see me until nightfall," he continued, gathering his weapon pouch and adjusting his mask.
"Senpai, do you think it's happening?"
Sai, who was also inside the tent making a copy of the map, blankly stared at his commander. Somehow, Kakashi knew that Sai was aware of the horrible feeling in his gut. Gai looked back and forth between the two members of Team Kakashi, trying to understand the situation. After a few moments, he gave up and put a hand on Kakashi's shoulder.
"Come back safe," he said, worry skimming over his tone.
Kakashi stared at his long time rival with his sole eye for a while. Gai could be able to act as a proxy commander during his absence. He'd gotten to know and understand the ins and outs of managing a whole Division. The attacks of the Zetsu clones had ceased since two days ago, when Konoha's sacking had been announced. Although the youth worshipper had been deeply affected by the news of innocent civilians, he regained his composure and continued following his duties. Kakashi was glad of having someone like Gai on his side.
However, now it was his turn to be on someone else's side.
Kakashi exited the tent and looked at the several groups of shinobi from different villages who have gathered up to enjoy the calm time. Some were talking loudly about mundane things, such as their favourite dishes or animals. Others have settled their backs on a rock and were resting from the continuous fighting. All these shinobi fought to protect the one person he was about to go looking for. The funny thing was that this person wasn't even protecting himself at the moment.
Naruto was such a knucklehead.
Once he made his way to the outskirts of the campsite, Kakashi summoned his ninken. "Spread around and look for traces of Naruto or Sasuke. Each of you should go to a key destination of the war. I have a bad feeling about this."
After several poofs, his summons disappeared following his orders. The only dog that stayed on his side was Pakkun. The small animal walked beside the shinobi, sensing the worry that washed over Kakashi's stance.
"Don't you think that walking slowly is a little counterproductive?" Pakkun asked while Kakashi placed his hands inside his pockets.
"I can't run unless I know where they are," the ninja responded. His gut was feeling heavier and heavier with every step he took.
Kakashi looked back at the campsite, noticing how smaller it looked in the distance. Their numbers have decreased with the several attacks, but his Division had been able to hold strong. Soon, they would have to either receive recently graduated chūnin or merge with another Division. Kabuto's big attacks have finally arrived; he'd summoned people from the dead. So far, the Alliance had been able to seal away many of the resurrected bodies, but at the cost of a large loss in numbers.
Like they said, playing with the dead was always a dangerous game.
Without realizing, Kakashi's steps had quickened. He was now running, but to where? He didn't know. He was just following his instinct. If the feeling in his gut worsened at the turn of one direction, then he would take it. Much like his ninken, he would follow his own instincts until he finally found his two former students.
"We got a trace from Mountain's Graveyard," one of his dogs had caught up to him and Pakkun.
He was now jumping form branch to branch while the dog continued explaining.
"It's been destroyed. There are no traces left of Sakura or C inside the cave, but they've successfully sealed two of Kabuto's resurrected bodies. They will not be able to come out of mess that was left behind."
A part of Kakashi felt relieved knowing that his only female student had survived whatever she'd experienced as Akatsuki's prisoner. However, he was still frightened at what she would tell him when they met again –if they were to meet again. Just like his ninken had said, there are no traces of Sakura left in the Mountain's Graveyard. She and C were still missing.
Another poof appeared at his side, showing that a third dog had joined his entourage. Kakashi looked over at his recently arrived ninken. The animal looked flustered and shocked.
"Kakashi! They're in Sound! Naruto and Sasuke are in the middle of fighting and it's not looking good. You better get there fast!"
The shinobi gathered chakra on his feet and ran faster than he'd never done it before. Luckily, his Division wasn't too far from the border than brought him closer to the Land of Sound. Nonetheless, he was still scared of not making it for the second time with those two. Naruto and Sasuke, his students... They held so much hope and now they were fighting to the death. Not to mention that Sakura was missing, and probably deeply traumatized from being Akatsuki's prisoner. She'd always been more sensitive towards those types of situations, though it didn't steer her away from becoming an amazing kunoichi.
The rest of his hound appeared by his side, all of them with their heightened sense of smell. They were directing him to his final destination.
Kakashi's expression stiffened under his mask. He couldn't lose another team, not again. He never could protect his own gennin team. Three years ago, he'd arrive to the scene of an unconscious Naruto, a missing Sasuke, and a devastated Sakura. This time, he begged that his luck wasn't so unfortunate.
"Guruke, Akino, go back to the Alliance's headquarters and let them know about the destruction of the Mountain's Graveyard," he ordered, briefly returning to his duty as a commander.
However, his loved ones needed him more now.
Kakashi lifted the side of his hitai-ate that was covering his Sharingan. He opened the crimson coloured eye, knowing that what he was about to encounter would require heavy artillery.
"You damn PRICK."
Naruto was panting. Sasuke was putting up a good damn fight, but the bastard was still as exhausted as he was. There were traces of small bruises around his lips and cheeks, but the Susano'o still kept him protected. They've been going at it for a while, or at least that was what Naruto's body was telling him. He felt that every signle one of his limbs was about to fall off, but the radiance of the Kyuubi's chakra provided him with enough energy to prolong his stamina.
"Why don't you get it, Sasuke!?" he continued, trying to catch his breath, "I want what's best for you!"
Sasuke's glare was dark and full of hatred. There was no way that a person could harbour so much pain like Sasuke did.
The Uchiha boy's eyes slanted, looking at Naruto as if he was the biggest idiot in the world. Naruto knew nothing, nothing about suffering. He grew up with nothing; he'd never been ripped off anything. He said he understood why Sasuke's intention was to destroy Konoha, yet those were just empty words.
"You say you are my friend, yet you still don't understand what I've gone through," Sasuke growled as is Susano'o was preparing its bow and arrow for another shot.
Naruto was about to hit the point of despair. He knew that emotions were going to drive his every action in this fight, but it was still difficult to harbour every feeling and try to maintain a strong composure.
"You say you know what it feels like to lose a person now, Naruto," Sasuke continued. The chakra around him was getting darker and darker.
He was about to hit rock bottom, Naruto thought, and if he didn't do anything now then he would lose his first true friend.
"Yes, I do know how it feels like! I'm not stupid, y'know!? I lost Jiraiya-sensei! I lost my parents!"
Naruto's last words caught Sasuke's attention. However, before he could further ask the Uzumaki boy about his family, the arrow that Susano'o had been preparing was shot. It flew quickly across the large pond, but Naruto's chakra had somehow materialized two large limbs that caught the purple glowing arrow, and redirected it to one of the many giant rocks that were part of the plain. The waters shook at the rock exploded into large and small pieces, which rained over Naruto's and Sasuke's forms. Both boys protected themselves with their own jutsus without looking away from one another.
There was no need to know what Naruto's story was, Sasuke thought. He was going to die anyway; there was no need to listen to his life story.
"My dad... he was the Fourth Hokage!"
Wait, what?
"And my mom was the Kyūbi's Jinchūriki before me!"
Naruto's words were not getting across Sasuke's mind. But the truth in his voice told him that Naruto wasn't lying. He sounded proud, yet hurt.
"He and my mom... they died because of Madara. They died protecting me."
Naruto would never know if he would understand the level of love that his parents felt for him. However, he knew that he would also put his life on the line for those he held dear. Sasuke was one of those people, regardless of how much things changed, or how many years passed.
In another time, another life, they would have been the best of friends with no need to kill one another.
Perhaps in a future life, Naruto thought. After all, he did say that if he and Sasuke were to die, they would no longer have to bear the burden of being an Uchiha and a Jinchūriki. They would just rest in peace, with no hatred or enemies chasing after their tails.
"We could join them in the dead world. It would be nice to finally be with them," Naruto pondered, but then Hinata's face flashed through his mind, followed by Sakura, Iruka-sensei, Kakashi-sensei and the rest of Konohagakure. If he were to die, it would mean that a lot of people would suffer and that the world would be under Madara's rule. He couldn't allow that to happen.
That was why he needed to defeat Sasuke and show him that the world was not only darkness. If he accomplished this, then he could take on any challenge.
"You're a lost cause, Naruto," Sasuke said, preparing his final attack.
Lighting started to gather in his Susano'o's limbs, creating a large bolting sphere that was larger than any of the previous ones Sasuke had created. He was amazed at how much power his hands held; the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan had been a good weapon during this fight. Naruto was half exhausted after exchanging blows, but the damn fire-like chakra still surrounded him. The idiot was going to go down, and he was going to lose painfully.
Naruto, knowing that this was the decisive attack, extended two more limbs with the Kyūbi's chakra. He remembered the several training sessions with Killer Bee, where he tried to produce the Tailed Beast Energy Ball but failed. Although he'd never gotten around to mastering that technique, he could still perfect his signature Rasengan. In the Kyūbi's form, it was excessively more powerful. Nonetheless, he didn't underestimate Sasuke's abilities.
The two former friends lunged toward each other for one last time, both screaming at the top of their lungs, giving their all for the attack that could rid them of their burden.
It all went blank.
Sakura heard the explosion. It confirmed her beliefs.
She followed her senses, her instinct, and was about to arrive at the right place. Her chakra had slowly returned, but her limbs still felt wobbly and the pain she carried in her chest hadn't diminished. In fact, it increased when she realized that she might arrive a little too late.
The trees around her started to shake violently. It was obvious that Naruto and Sasuke had used all of their energy towards their last attack. She couldn't even start to imagine the geographical damage they'd caused in Sound...
Sakura gathered energy on her heels and shot forward, following the trail of chakra that her former teammates had left amidst the atmosphere. She had nothing to defend herself, no weapons, no shield. Her clothes were stiff from all the time she'd spent without getting a proper cleanse. There were rips all over her flak jacket and her pants, revealing the several bruises she had yet to heal from Zetsu's torture sessions and her encounter with Sasori and Deidara. C's dried blood still stained her cheeks and hands, as she hadn't bothered in cleaning herself. A part of her didn't want to let go of the last trails of his touch, reminding her of how much one could suffer in a shinobi world war.
The vegetation was getting more and more scattered as she made her way to Naruto and Sasuke. She wasn't a good sensor nin, not like C, but she could still follow the trail of her friends with no problem. She'd grown accustomed to Naruto's warm and welcoming chakra, Sasuke's dark and painful.
But what she was sensing at that moment was diminishing. They'd ended their battle, much to her fears. Their chakra signatures were slowly declining, showing that the battle and their lives were about to be over. She was scared of arriving to the scene of two of her most precious people in their deathbeds, leaving her completely alone in this unjust world.
"NARUTO!" Sakura screamed, feeling the tears falling down her cheeks. She'd already lost someone important to her. She didn't want to lose another one.
"Madara is the reason why I'm an orphan. My parents entrusted me with the task of defeating him and bringing stability to the shinobi world."
"Why is it that you get to destroy whoever took your family away from you but I can't?"
It sounded almost like a child throwing a tantrum. However, Naruto saw the point Sasuke made. Konoha was the reason why he'd lost his family, why his brother had become a murdered. It held all the hatred that Sasuke harboured. In a weird way, Sasuke would be making justice by avenging his family like Naruto wanted to in killing Madara.
But... the answer that Naruto had to come up with was by far more difficult than the one he gave Nagato. His own philosophy had been drastically shifting since Pain's attack. He didn't really know what to think anymore. Perhaps that was the thing about life; one was in constant change.
"There was a prophecy that said that I was going to fight you, and I did. It never said if we were going to survive, I just assumed that we were going to die—"
"You haven't answered my question."
It was unfair that Naruto could act as the hero because, through everyone's eyes, Madara was the bad guy. Konoha was a village, and like every village, it had a dark side that affected people. He had been rejected by every citizen of Konoha, so he should also harbour some hatred towards it. However, his parents had died protecting his future, and he was now a respectable shinobi.
Could he throw it all away for one friend...?
"There is no more Konoha, Sasuke. It had been sacked by Zetsu's clones. The population is less than one third. The village itself –the buildings aren't even done," it pained him more to say the words than to think about them.
"Then it will be easier to exterminate all of them and—!"
"Is Sakura-chan still alive?" this time, Naruto interrupted, but there was no answer.
Naruto's and Sasuke's ears were deafened by the sound of a large explosion.
It was the final part of the large impact caused by their jutsus.
WHALE WHALE WHALE, what a quick update! Let's just say I am giving you as much as I can before my break is done :)
I based the fight scene on an OVA that was released a while ago. It seemed like a perfect setting and I would have loved to see it play out like that in the manga. Any scenes and/or similarities found between that OVA and this fanfic belong to the creators. I am just a fan writer who likes to take an idea and make it better (wow that sounds cocky LOL).
Kakashi needed to be in this part. This chapter was all about team 7, and it was so nice to finally write something that connected most of the plot points! Sakura's side will be further developed in the next chapter. Care to guess what I have planned for her? Also, more characters will come to play in the future. Who do you think will appear?
A lot of you asked to see the scene between Naruto and Hinata, and I hope that the beginning of this chapter reached your expectations. This part was so fun to write. I had to do a lot of research to understand the boys' jutsus. If you find any misconceptions please let me know! A huge shout out to those who've helped me make this fic better and more accurate :)
Do you like Christmas presents? I do! So take this as a treat from me to you, as the end of another year. All the best to everyone!
Sincerely,
MSM