A/N: Be sure to pick up your complimentary popcorn before you start, this chapter is a long one, hope you won't mind terribly much.


Sai landed on top of the tall fence surrounding the cabin, shaking his wings as he stared back at the forest he had just flown over. They had just started making their way through it, but it would take them a while yet to reach their goal.

He shuffled around so he could look in the direction of the cabin. It was quiet. Everyone was inside, huddled around one of the fireplaces to escape the cold. Only Sai was outside, but the cold had never bothered him, his feathers keeping him warm. He preferred being in his bird form anyway.

He jumped off the edge and landed softly on the ground underneath, shifting back to his other form. Naked he turned towards the gate, unlocking it, feet melting the snow underneath, frost seeping into his skin.

They would be here soon, so he should get dressed.

He shifted back into a raven and flew towards the open window of his bedroom, landing on the window sill. They would be here soon, and then everything was going to change.


Snow creaked under their boots as they walked through the forest, keeping their eyes and ears tuned to catch anything out of the ordinary. They had no way of knowing if Shimura had surveillance or people in the forest to track them. They might end up face to face with a small army when they came to the other side, might have already lost for all they knew.

Sasuke walked ahead of their small group, Kakashi on his tail. No one was saying a word, and the forest was quiet around them. It was eerie. No life to be seen, no birds chirping or small animals scurrying. Sasuke had never spent a lot of time in forests, but he had always imagined them to be alive in a way this wasn't. Winter froze everything, scared animals into hiding, and now it was only them here, making their way through it.

A whisper of a wind made its way towards them, stinging his face, and he tilted his head down as he walked, until he saw the forest give way for a road.

He stepped onto it and looked around. One side twisted down through the forest, soon lost from view. The other made its way to a clearing, and in the middle of that clearing a tall fence rose up, and behind it the top of a cabin. Large and imposing in the middle of nowhere. There would be no sneaking up on it, the tree line drawn far away from the fence, so they would have to chance that no one were expecting them. They'd be sitting ducks walking up the road, but what other option did they have?

Kakashi stepped up beside him, and Sasuke saw Kakashi tilt up his eye patch, exposing the red eye underneath that Sasuke had only seen once before. He didn't question it now as Kakashi took a moment to stare towards the cabin.

"There doesn't appear to be anyone guarding the gate," Kakashi said as he lowered his eye patch again.

"Naruto never said anything of any other entrances inside, so if there are some they'll be hidden. We'll have to use the main door," Sasuke said, hand shifting to the handle of his katana, fingers curling around it. The feel of it grounded him.

Behind him he could hear the rest of the unit shifting restlessly. When they had arrived at the farm earlier, before they headed into the woods, they had seemed as determined as Sasuke was. For once there were no smiles and laughter, but a row of grim faces, ready to face whatever might wait for them. He should feel better prepared than he had when Naruto and he went to confront Itachi, but somehow he felt lost without Naruto at his side. A part of him was missing.

"We can kick that down just fine, yeah?" Kiba said, talking about the gate that blocked their entrance to the cabin. Sasuke wasn't as sure, but he wasn't about to tell anyone that. If they couldn't kick it down they would just shoot in the locks. No gate was going to be enough to stop him from getting Naruto back.

"We have no idea what we are stepping into now, but we're used to that," Kakashi said. All of them had been thrown into situations where the odds were against them before. Nests of vampires no one had been prepared for, barely able to make their way out again, but they had survived, every single time.

It might not even lead to a battle this time. Shimura could wave the white flag of surrender. It might be as easy as walk in, get Naruto and arrest Shimura.

Sasuke had a strong feeling it wouldn't though. A man like the councilman, influential and power hungry, he wasn't going to let his plans fall apart that easily. Sasuke wouldn't be surprised if he would try to wipe them out. Covering up their deaths wouldn't be hard, not if he really had contacts everywhere, as it appeared he did. No, he wouldn't give up without a fight. They would just have to overwhelm him to the point where it stood between surrender or death, because a man like Shimura would do anything to avoid death.

"You don't think he's been warned?" Sasuke asked Kakashi.

"Hopefully not. Tsunade wouldn't have given them much information if she thought they weren't going to give the OK, and I don't think they would already know about Naruto working with the councilman, unless they saw him on TV like you did."

Shit, Sasuke had forgotten about that. They might already have known about Naruto's new employment, might have called in and warned him. They might really be walking into a death trap.

"I'm going in anyway," Sasuke said.

"We know what we are getting ourselves into, Sasuke. We're in this together," Sakura said from behind him. Sasuke turned around, and saw the fierce determination in her eyes as she cracked her knuckles. The same was mirrored in the rest of their little group. Kiba already had a gun in his hand, and Lee was bouncing on the balls of his feet, as if he had too much energy to contain it, ready to get into it already. Kankuro had black lines drawn across his cheeks, like warpaint, and Neji looked solemn next to Kankuro, a katana at his side. The blade was shorter than Sasuke's, but the edge equally deadly. Like Sasuke Neji was without his partner, Shikamaru in Chicago, too far away to join them. Their eyes locked, and Neji nodded sharply, and there was understanding between them. Neji and Shikamaru might only be work partners, but Neji would feel the lack of a partner as well. You grew dependent on them, felt exposed when they weren't there.

Other than Shikamaru and Naruto only Gaara and Temari were missing from their group. Apparently both had been ready to throw away their own mission to go north, but they would have been too late, the mission couldn't be delayed until they came. No, it had to be today. Every moment they didn't hear from Naruto made the chances of him still being alive and well slimmer.

"No time like the present," Kiba said, and then they started walking towards the cabin.


Naruto was caught somewhere between sleep and being awake when the door to the cell slammed open, Kidōmaru standing in the doorway.

Naruto just glared at him, but it didn't seem to deter Kidōmaru in the slightest. He walked over to Naruto and grabbed a knife he'd sheathed at the small of his back. Naruto's eyes widened, afraid Kidōmaru was about to end what he started earlier. He squirmed to get away from him, but Kidōmaru grabbed his shoulder and twisted him over on his stomach. Naruto fought, expecting the bite of metal.

He was surprised when he felt his legs slam into the floor. Kidōmaru had cut the bonds tying them to his hands. The next he knew Kidōmaru was pulling him to his feet, the knife pressed to his throat. Naruto stood still, ignoring the pins and needles that were shooting up his legs as blood rushed into them. He barely dared to breathe, the knife biting into his skin, and he was sure one foul move would have Kidōmaru slice open his throat.

"Let's go." The words were spat in Naruto's ear as he was pushed forward. He forced his feet to follow through, wincing at the feeling of them waking up, and reminded of the not-yet-completely-healed gunshot wound in his shoulder.

Kidōmaru didn't have patience, half-dragging Naruto with him towards the stairs and then up them. Naruto had no idea what was happening, why he was being removed from his cell. He had been expecting to be kept there for a long while, until Danzo found a need for him. He had a hard time believing he'd done so already. He wasn't sure how long he had been down there, but it couldn't have been even a full day.

He was taken up into the foyer, and looked around in surprise. It seemed everyone had gathered here. He recognised Sakon and Ukon, and several others he hadn't even learned the name of. He couldn't quite decipher any of their looks, couldn't read the situation at all, but he was afraid he wasn't going to be walking away from this. At the back of the group he saw Yamato, and their eyes met for a split-second before Naruto looked away. He couldn't risk anyone finding out Yamato had worked with him, had to keep him safe.

Then the door to Danzo's office slammed open and the man himself walked into the room. At first glance he might appear calm, but there was a raging fury within that calm exterior, setting his flinty eyes on fire. Something must have happened since he visited downstairs, but Naruto had no idea what. Behind him Sai was standing, but his face was as impossible to read as ever.

"I have no idea how you managed to alert them," Danzo started, and Naruto blinked up at him. Them. Who was Danzo talking about? Had Sasuke come for him? But why them? Had he brought someone along with him? Or was Danzo talking about something else entirely? Naruto wanted to ask, but he kept his mouth firmly shut, not wanting to give Danzo the pleasure of rattling him.

"Rest assured that they will be regretting coming here," he continued, and Naruto wasn't sure he quite managed to keep his face from betraying what he was feeling. A hope that was fading as he looked around the room, saw the dozen or so shifters. If Sasuke was here alone he wouldn't stand a chance. No matter how good he was he'd be overrun. Naruto wasn't sure who Sasuke would have thought to bring, but he hoped there was a bunch of them.

If it was even Sasuke. Maybe it was someone else entirely, maybe he was just so desperate to see Sasuke his mind couldn't help imagining how it had to be him.

"Bring him outside," Danzo said, and the next Naruto knew Kidōmaru had a firm hand locked around his neck as he pushed him towards the main door of the cabin, and then outside, knife still pressed against his throat.

Naruto blinked against the brightness of snow and light, eyes not used to it after the dimness of the basement, and then he saw them.

A neat row just inside the main gate. Seven people he knew so well. Colleagues, friends. And in the middle, flanked by Kakashi and Kiba, was Sasuke. Naruto felt a sob rise in his chest, sudden and unexpected, and he barely managed to bite it back, his Adam's apple scraping against the blade as he did.

"Sasuke," he whispered to himself. He wanted to break free of Kidōmaru and run to Sasuke, but he knew that would only leave him bleeding to death on the ground, throat sliced open. He blinked eyes that were filling with tears.

They'd come for him. Seven agents against a dozen shifters. They'd come for him, and they were strong, and they would win this, Naruto had no doubt.

"Throw down your weapons," Danzo said, voice as cold as the winter air.

"We have come to talk, councilman," Kakashi said, back straightening as he took half a step forward.

"You do not need weapons to talk, Hatake," Danzo replied, as if he wanted to tell Kakashi that he well knew him, a thinly veiled threat.

"It's time to give up," Kakashi continued, ignoring Danzo's retort. "Surrender and we'll make sure to tell the prosecutor that you cooperated."

Danzo made a derisive snort. "Do you really think a jury will put me away? There is no evidence! Just the words of a group of agents that's more than likely to have gone rogue. Hunting vampires can be stressful, no one would be surprised." Danzo was still looking deceptively calm, even though Naruto was sure he was furious at the turn of events. It didn't appear as if he'd had any idea Naruto's unit was about to come knocking on his door.

Even so, Naruto knew that Danzo was right. The little evidence he had been able to find would be easily dismissible in a courtroom. Pictures of a room that looked like a cell but might just be an unfinished basement room, and magical paraphernalia. Danzo would blame the latter on the doctor, and then he would walk free to continue his quest for power, ascending to governor and then probably not stopping there. Naruto still didn't know just why Danzo was so set on getting power, willing to trample over anyone in his way for it, but he appeared to have spent his life on the hunt, having no trouble killing and scheming to get his way.

It wouldn't surprise him in the slightest if someone was in the cabin right now, destroying evidence in the event that Danzo was captured. Hard drives wiped, incriminating manilla folders burned. Time was running away from them.

"Actually," a voice next to Danzo said, and as Naruto looked out of the corner of his eyes, not daring to move his head on account of the knife to his throat, he was surprised to see Sai taking a step forward. He had been standing just to the side behind Danzo the entire time, saying nothing, doing nothing, stony-faced.

He lifted a hand, revealing a small black something cradled in his palm. "You are Sasuke, aren't you? The boyfriend?" he asked, head cocked to the side as he directed one of his emotionless smiles at Sasuke.

Naruto could see Sasuke stiffening in surprise, not answering.

"Catch," Sai simply said as he threw what he had been holding.

Sasuke snapped the small black piece of plastic out of the air and peered down at it. Naruto had no idea what it was, and he couldn't see, not from here.

"What's on this?" Sasuke called out to Sai, holding up the black square. Naruto narrowed his eyes. It looked about the size of a memory stick. But why would Sai give Sasuke one of those? Naruto hadn't been sure Sai even knew about Sasuke, but he must have. Maybe Naruto had mentioned him at some point.

"You needed evidence, you have evidence. Names, documents, anything you could need. You'll get the conviction."

Naruto was so shocked he almost forgot about the knife and jerked forward, only stopping himself when the blade bit into his skin, drawing blood.

Had Sai just given them everything they needed? Had he betrayed Danzo? Or was this some ploy to make them lower their guard?

"You would betray me? You would have been dead had I not taken you in, and this is how you repay me?" Danzo said, fury making his voice dark.

Naruto was stunned. It really did seem like Sai had betrayed Danzo. But why?

Sai didn't answer Danzo, but he turned to Naruto, face stony, no hint of smile on his face now.

"Did you really think I just happened to leave the key on my desk? I heard you talk, I left it there for you. Why did you think no one reported it to Danzo when you left the other day? I made it so easy for you, but you still got yourself caught," Sai said, and for a moment Naruto could swear his lips twitched into something that was almost a real smile, but it was gone again too soon for him to be sure.

"I never asked for all this, I don't want any of it. I just want to be free, and this seemed as good a way as any," Sai continued, shrugging, as if it was no big deal what he had done, as if he hadn't shook Naruto's impression of Sai completely. He'd thought Sai was little more than Danzo's lapdog. Trained to do his bidding and stay by his side.

"Sakon!" Danzo suddenly barked out. "Get him!"

Sakon lunged towards Sai, but he was too late. Sai jumped, and then he was gone, clothes fluttering to the ground as a raven flapped its wings and took off, vanishing over the fence and disappearing. Naruto stared after him, and suddenly things clicked into place. That time when Yamato and him had talked and a vase had broken, a single black feather lying amongst the shards. That had been Sai.

He'd been a raven shifter all along, small enough to blend in, unlike the jaguars and tigers and bears. The perfect spy, and Naruto had been clueless. Shook, he had no idea what to feel about Sai any more. He'd despised him, but now Sai had given them everything they needed, and Naruto was having a hard time wrapping his mind around it, his perception of the other slowly shifting in his mind.

And now Sai was gone, flown away, probably believing that Danzo would be locked away, unable to hunt him down like he had done other deserters.

Naruto remembered the pictures he had seen Sai draw, of birds flying free over a vast forest. How Naruto had longed to be free just like in them, and now it struck him that maybe Sai had always dreamed the same thing. That they both looked at that picture and longed to be that bird, free of shackles, soaring high above.

Sai had that now, had escaped, and Naruto found himself thinking that he was happy for him, that Sai deserved it. He'd lived his life tied to Danzo, but the bounds had broken, and now it was up to Naruto and the rest of Unit seven to get Danzo locked away so Sai could keep living, free. He had given them what they needed, now they needed to do their job.

"It's over, tell your men to stand down and give yourself up," Kakashi continued, voice calm and steady.

Naruto glanced over at Danzo. His eyes were flint, and his jaw set. He didn't look like he was about to stand down.

"You think you'll be able to get a conviction? You really think they'll believe you over me? You think they aren't all in my pocket?" Danzo took a step back and glanced over at Naruto. "Drop your weapons or Naruto's life will be on your conscience."

Naruto snapped his gaze back towards his friends. "Don't listen to him!" he yelled, biting himself off when Kidōmaru pressed the knife closer to his trachea, cutting deeper into his skin. Naruto would sacrifice himself in a heartbeat if it meant Danzo behind bars and the rest of the unit walking away, unharmed.

"What are you going to do, kill us?" Kiba yelled out, not one to back down quietly.

Danzo didn't answer, and Naruto didn't like it. He could sense how Danzo was weighing his options. He would probably be able to cover up their deaths if he wanted to, and then the evidence wouldn't ever fall into the hands of the justice system. Naruto was desperately trying to find a way to get out of the situation, but he had no idea how. His arms were still bound at his back, and the suppressants were rushing through his system, its icy grip keeping his true power at bay.

"Sakon, it's time," Danzo said, and Sakon stepped forward and grabbed Naruto's hair.

Naruto wanted to fight the grip, but he couldn't, and the next he knew his head was twisted to the side, knife digging into fresh skin as he was moved.

"I won't kill you, but I can't say the same about Naruto," Danzo said, and then Naruto could see Sakon lift a syringe filled with muddy green. Sharp pain exploded as the needle was plunged into his neck, and then a flash of fire spread through him, sending every nerve ending in his body screaming from the white hot agony.

The pain was so absolute there came no sound as he yelled, and Kidōmaru took a step back, knife gone from Naruto's neck as Naruto's entire body spasmed, back bowing from pain.

Naruto fell to his knees, head thrown back as he was consumed by internal flames, devouring its way through his system. He was burning, and nothing mattered but the pain.

He couldn't hear, he couldn't see, he couldn't sense anything other than the roar of fire in his ears. It went on for seconds, for days, he had no idea, was lost to the pain.

Then it stopped. The magma in his veins receding to his gut where it churned, twisting and turning as something alive, and then he felt it, his beast stirring, the shackles of the suppressants burned away, and there was nothing Naruto could do as the beast tore through him, taking over his body, claiming it as his.

The ropes around his arms broke and Naruto fell forward, hands clawing at the frozen dirt as his nails grew and elongated into lethal weapons. His vision filled with red, and he could feel muscles and bones twisting and adjusting, he was nothing but a bystander to the change. The loud snaps of his spine cracking was all he could hear.

The world was hazy, he couldn't focus, pushed too far back in his mind. He could feel how his jaws snapped at the thin air. Could feel a heavy tail behind his back shifting his balance point, could feel the prickling of fur sprouting down his back and arms, thick and golden.

He roared, the sound primal, and then the change was over, and he was Naruto no more, but pure beast, angry and out of control.

Then there was a loud sound, and yelling, and the scent of freshly spilled blood hit his nose, and the beast only knew one thing, and it ran, claws digging into the ground to send it forward, running towards the gate, where someone was lying on the ground, tainted with red, and the coppery scent meant hunting, and fighting, and death.


It went too fast. One moment they were in the middle of a stand-off, and the next someone was plunging a syringe into Naruto's neck. Sasuke had no idea what it contained, but it was the start of chaos. Naruto seemed to be in agony as he fell to the ground, and then Sasuke saw the telltale flash of red from his eyes and he realised what was happening.

Naruto's beast had been let free. Something about the drugs the grey-haired man had injected had forced it forth, and from Naruto's reaction he didn't seem to be in control. This wasn't like back in the barn, where there seemed to be a fight of dominance between Naruto and beast, this appeared as if the beast had completely claimed control of their body. He looked terrifying, lips peeled away from a mouth of fangs, brows drawn into a scowl, tail snapping at the air behind him as he shook his head and looked around himself with fiery eyes.

Then there was a gunshot, and Sasuke had no idea where it came from, because all his attention had been on Naruto, but then Kankuro fell to his knees next to Kiba, a hand pressed to his stomach, a dumbfound look on his face.

They had no time to retaliate, because the next they knew Naruto was bounding across the clearing between him and the agents, headed directly for Kankuro.

The blood. He was smelling the blood, and was attacking. Driven by instinct he had found his prey.

This couldn't happen, Sasuke couldn't let Naruto hurt any of them, Naruto would never forgive himself, it would break him.

Sasuke acted instantly, leaping past Kiba and planting himself in front of Kankuro just as Naruto reached them.

Naruto pushed off from the ground, and Sasuke could already tell that this was going to be a tremendously stupid idea as he was going through with it, but he had to do something, so he dropped his hands away from the handle of the katana and prepared to meet Naruto head on.

The last time it had led to him almost bleeding out from the cuts Naruto had left over his chest.

He had no idea what was going on around them, all his focus on Naruto, trying to meet his eyes, pleading that Naruto would be able to get control again.

Him moving in front of Kankuro must have confused the beast a little, because when he landed on Sasuke it wasn't with claws or fangs, but palms. Sasuke would have praised himself lucky, but he didn't have time for that yet. Instead he locked his arms around Naruto, pressing his face into the side of his neck where it was safe from fangs and held on.

"Naruto!" he all but yelled, desperate to get through to him.

Naruto didn't respond, but Sasuke felt how Naruto's body strained to get out of his grip, and Sasuke wasn't nearly strong enough to hold him.

He lost the grip, but he was quick to scramble to his knees, pulling Naruto's face close to him, looking into his eyes for any sign of Naruto in that red gaze.

Warm breath fanned over his face, but Naruto didn't attack, so it had to mean something.

The drugs must have forced the change, catching Naruto unaware, making it easy for the beast to get control over their body, but Naruto was still there, he had to be, and Sasuke knew that he could find him. He just hoped Danzo didn't use the moment to attack. They'd already shot Kankuro, so clearly they were armed, at least one of them.

Naruto growled deep in his throat, and Sasuke could feel the vibrations in his fingers.

"Fight it, Naruto, don't let Danzo win," Sasuke implored.

He didn't look away from Naruto's eyes once, didn't even hear anything that was happening, his focus solely on Naruto. People could have been yelling in his ears and he didn't think he would have even noticed. No one else mattered, only Naruto.

"You are stronger than this!" he said, trying to keep his voice from wavering as red eyes narrowed, head cocking to the side.

Sasuke pressed his forehead to Naruto's. "Naruto," he said again, voice lower, breaking a little at the end.

When red flickered to blue he knew he had won, that Naruto had proven his strength once again.

He didn't change back fully, it was just his eyes turning back to their usual beautiful blue, but it told Sasuke everything he needed. Naruto was in control again, and Danzo had just lost his biggest bargaining chip.


The beast was a primal force in his mind, its power absolute, fuelled by the heat of the accelerants flooding Naruto's system. He knew he should fight it, that there was something he needed to fight for, but it was so easy to just relax, soothed by the heat into curling up and letting go.

He would have retreated deeper, if not for a voice calling him back. He recognised that voice, cared about that voice.

It was a beacon in the darkness, dragging him out until he could look into Sasuke's eyes and knew that he had managed to beat back the overwhelming force of the beast.

This time, rather than pushing it back into hiding, he felt the heat of the beast and allowed it a place at his side. Everything was falling into place, the two aspects of him mixing together, creating a one that was stronger than either was alone. The strength of the beast and the mind of the person.

He turned around slowly, looking across the clearing and saw Danzo staring at him. His usually so controlled features were set into a look of shock, and Naruto delighted in it. Danzo hadn't believed Naruto could control himself, but look at him now.

He could see Danzo's facade fall further as he seemed to realise his plans were crumpling in front of him, Naruto's betrayal complete. He wouldn't be at his side, and he wouldn't be his slave either.

The beast felt Naruto's hatred, and it fuelled its bloodlust. He wanted to bolt across the ground and tear Danzo apart, limb by limb. Wanted revenge for his parents and everyone else Danzo had hurt in his hunt for power.

He shifted forward, poised for attack, his tail thrashing behind him. His muscles grew tense in preparation, ready to run as soon as—

A hand fell to his shoulders, fingers tight around it, a grounding force.

Sasuke, voice calm as he spoke. "Don't fall to his level, not unless it's absolutely necessary."

Naruto bit back a growl that rose in his throat at the thought of not being allowed to kill Danzo, but he knew Sasuke was right, knew that they were above this, that they shouldn't stoop to his level. Naruto wasn't a killer. Danzo might be a murderer, but he was still human, and he would get his justice later, in front of a judge and jury.

"Give up, Danzo. Don't spill any more blood today," Kakashi said, and with that Naruto remembered the scent of blood that had pushed him into attack earlier, and he snapped his head towards Kankuro, saw him sitting on his knees, Kiba next to him, pressing his hands to Kankuro's side.

Kankuro's face was twisted in pain, but Naruto didn't think the wound would be too bad, both Kiba and Kankuro looked calm. The shot was probably aimed to draw blood, not to kill him. As soon as Danzo gave in they would get him to a hospital to get patched up.

Naruto's gaze flicked around the group of shifters. He'd seen them all around, but he didn't know the names of most of them. No one had cared much to introduce themselves to him over the weeks, as if they resented him even being there.

In shifted form they'd be a formidable force. Jaguars, bears, wolves—predators with the mind of a human who wanted to fight. But he also knew that even though his friends were only human, neither of them sporting superhuman senses or strength (apart from maybe Sakura, he couldn't quite believe her punch wasn't superhuman), they would win in a fight. They faced demons on a daily basis, they could take out a group of shifters.

He also knew that Kakashi would do his utmost to keep that from happening. He would want them all to walk away from this safely. A fight might lead to causalities on both sides, and they were going to keep that from happening with any means possible.

Danzo had lost, and he knew it. They had evidence, and now Naruto was in control. All his plans were shattering, and there was nothing more dangerous than a cornered beast. Naruto was afraid Danzo would rather go out fighting than end up rotting away in a prison cell.

"Doctor!" Danzo yelled out suddenly, and the rat shifter scuttled up to his side. Naruto could sense the rest of his unit grow tense, wary as to what Danzo would need the doctor for, but not ready to attack yet, not if there was still a chance they could keep from harming anyone.

Naruto could see the doctor shake his head repeatedly, saying something to Danzo, too low for them to hear across the clearing.

"Be ready," Kakashi said, and Naruto was aware of hands going to guns and blades, preparing for what might happen.

Danzo suddenly grabbed the doctor by the front of his lab coat, lifting him up until the doctor was standing on the tips of his toes. Danzo was stronger than he looked, should be too old to go lifting people like that.

Actually, now that Naruto thought about it, Danzo had looked different too, younger. Somehow Naruto didn't think it was the result of cosmetic surgery, but rather something else entirely.

"It's not tested yet, he was just a fluke!" the doctor squealed.

Danzo said something back, and the doctor quaked, nodding.

Danzo turned towards Naruto. "You think you are unique? You think you matter? You were little more than a test subject. This is the future of the Protos!" he said, voice growing louder. It sounded like Danzo was losing grip on reality, pushed too far in his desperation and hunger for power. Gone were the facade of a businessman, and left was someone who would do anything to get what he wanted, would walk over dead bodies and thrive in the path of destruction he left in his wake. He might have had true reasons for what he did once, but Naruto wasn't sure even Danzo could say what it had been any more.

"Prepare to move in!" Kakashi ordered, clearly realising something was about to happen. "Apprehend them, do not harm them unless you are forced!"

Naruto curled his claws into the dirt, getting the purchase that would send him flying across the clearing if needed, head low, muscles tense.

He could see the doctor shuffle over to Ukon while Kakashi called out to Danzo to surrender once again. Then the doctor lifted a hand, a new syringe with more muddy green lifted. The accelerants, the ones that had forced the change in him. Then the doctor plunged the needle into Ukon's neck and pressed the stopper.

Naruto's eyes widened in shock as he realised what the doctor had done. Ukon was just a regular shifter, not a Protos like Naruto.

No.

Danzo was going to turn them all into Protos.

He must have implanted the dormant Protos genes in the shifters earlier, and now he was activating them.

It happened instantaneously, Ukon collapsing to the ground, shuddering and screaming in pain as he curled in on himself.

Naruto wanted to yell at the doctor to stop, but his voice came out more as a bark than anything.

He saw the doctor move to Kidōmaru, and he knew the same would happen to him. He probably intended to turn all the shifters, to create an army of Protos. They had to stop him or they'd never get out of here alive.

Naruto started running, hoping the rest of his Unit would follow him. They were running out of time, Ukon was already shifting, muscles twisting and shuddering as his body took on a new form. It was violent and seemed unnatural, the way the spine suddenly cracked, a broken scream rising in Ukon's throat until it choked off.

Naruto headed towards the doctor, but he barely made it halfway across the clearing before something slammed into his side.

He had been so preoccupied watching what unfolded in front of him that he hadn't seen one of the shifters intercept him.

Naruto might be strong, but when five hundred pounds of black bear barrelled into your side there was little to do, and Naruto found himself skidding across the ground, shoulder first, leaving bits of skin scrubbed off.

He turned onto his back just in time to see a large maw of a mouth open in front of his face, and he knew those jaws could probably crush his skull.

Muscles bunched up and he kicked out, hitting the bear in the chest, and it was thrown backwards, hitting the ground hard, and then Naruto was shifting around and moving again.

Kidōmaru was lying on the ground as well, shaking as he screamed, consumed with the internal flames Naruto was sure was tearing through him, every nerve ending on fire. Naruto knew that feeling intimately.

Naruto's eyes moved and locked on the doctor. There was nothing Naruto could do as Sakon got a dose pumped into his system, but it would stop with him, it would—

Sharp pain exploded in his shoulder, and he twisted with the impact of a bullet biting into his muscle. It distracted him enough to let the beast within get more leeway. It didn't understand drugs and the consequences of it, but it understood pain, and when it twisted its head to the side and saw the raised gun pointed at them it could draw enough on Naruto's knowledge to pinpoint where the pain came from, and it sent them flying at the man.

Naruto had seen him around the cabin, he seemed to usually do small chores. Food runs, cleaning. Him using a gun rather than shifting meant that he probably wasn't a predator. Some rodent maybe, like the doctor.

Naruto tried to get the beast to focus on the real threat, but it had claimed its prey, and Naruto could just hope that the others could stop the doctor.

Another bulled thumped into his side as he leapt, but the beast didn't care about the pain as it slammed into the man, taking them both to the ground. The gun flew from his grip as he yelped, and as Naruto tried to fight it he saw himself lift a hand, curved claws ready to tear through any flesh they encountered.

He tried calming the beast, tried to get it to refocus, but he could do nothing as his hand sliced through the air and carved into—

Fabric?

One moment it had been about to rip out the man's intestines, the next there was nothing but clothes. Then a rustling, and a squirrel shot out of the pile of discarded clothes, fleeing the scene, headed towards the open gate to escape into the forest.

The beast was too surprised to react, and Naruto used the moment to get control of their body again. The man was no threat, he was probably little more than a follower too afraid to leave, but he had been given the opportunity to escape, and hopefully he used it wisely.

Naruto didn't have time to think about him, turning around and seeing the mess the situation had turned into.

There was no way for his friends to keep the shifters at bay without hurting them, so blades and guns had been drawn. A few shifters were on the ground already.

Naruto swivelled his head, looking for—

Sasuke was standing in the middle of it all, sword drawn as he dodged a paw from a bear, probably the same that had attacked Naruto. The blade sliced into the bear's paw and it reeled backwards from the pain.

Then Naruto saw the doctor. He was crawling backwards away from the fighting, lab coat dirtied, the front stained a muddy green that matched the accelerants. The fabric was soaked through with it, as if a series of syringes had been broken over him. Hopefully it meant that he wouldn't be creating more of whatever Sakon, Ukon and Kidōmaru was turning into.

Naruto leapt into the battle, heading for Sasuke as he saw the bear shifter stagger forward again, roaring as it prepared to attack. He needn't worry. Sasuke sidestepped the attack and then his blade bit deep into the bear's thigh, cutting through muscles and tendons, and he fell to the ground, unable to fight any more. Naruto just had time to see him shift back into human form as he drew up next to Sasuke.

"Sasuke, the doctor?" he said. His words were muffled, something between actual words and growling. It would take some time getting used to talking in this form.

Sasuke understood what he meant. "I destroyed all the syringes. He got three of them before I could stop him. None of them has risen yet."

It was chaos. Agents fighting shifters, blood soaking into the snow, colouring it bright red. Kankuro was left behind, clutching his side, gun in his hand. On the other side the doctor and Danzo had stepped away from the fight, Danzo clearly not willing to get his hands dirty.

Then Naruto saw Yamato again. He was standing on the edge of what had become a battle field, watching as if he was unsure what to do. He hadn't shifted, which was just as well. Apart from Sasuke none of the agents would know that Yamato was on their side.

Naruto realised that a few more of Danzo's men must have used the opportunity to escape, because there were far fewer of them than it had been when they started. They were winning, and soon it would all be over. None of those that had been given the accelerants had gotten up yet, so it must not have worked. The doctor had tried to warn Danzo about it hadn't he?

Naruto almost felt bad for the three. It would be an awful way to go, their bodies torn apart from the inside by a flash fire. No one deserved that.

A couple of the shifters had changed back into their human forms, hands behind their back as Lee and Kiba locked their arms with reinforced handcuffs.

He really thought they had won, was almost ready to let out a relieved breath, but then everything fell apart.

Naruto had been on his way over to Yamato, wanting to make sure he knew it be safe now, when one of the twins got up from the ground. There was no way of telling which, because the only way Naruto could even tell it was one of them and not Kidōmaru was the shoulder length grey hair. The twin's facial features were twisted into something that was neither human nor animal. One of his ears had grown pointed, dragging his facial features as it had moved higher on his head. The other was still human. His mouth was forced open by fangs too long for it, and his lips were already bleeding where he'd nicked himself on them.

One side of his body seemed more affected by the change than the other. One shoulder was kept higher, arm corded with muscles the other didn't have, hands elongated into claws, longer even than Naruto's, but the arm hung limp by his side, as if his shoulders weren't strong enough to lift it.

Both eyes were a fiery red though, and there was no trace of humanity in them.

He swung around, and Naruto saw how the flesh of his arm pulsed, as if the change wasn't absolute, muscles growing and receding again, the change appearing unstable.

Something had gone horribly, horribly wrong. The twin wasn't a Protos, he had mutated into something else entirely, and Naruto could see how both agents and shifters recoiled from him.

Then someone else was rising, the brown hair hanging lank down his face betrayed that it was Kidōmaru, but that was the only recognisable aspect of him. His skin had turned darker and looked more like wood than flesh, thick around his body, deep valleys and hills that cut across his exposed chest, moving and twisting as if something separate and alive. He stretched his body, arms lifting into the air. It made the remainder of his torn shirt fall off to hang around his waist, and Naruto noticed something that made his stomach turn. Kidōmaru's sides had split open as if something had tried to tear its way out of him, the flesh broken and bleeding, and out of each side, where you'd expect to see flashes of ribs, a pair of limp arms hung. Smaller, like a child's, each with fingers that curled into claws.

And then the last of the twins were rising as well. Like his brother the change seemed to have only affected one side of his body, the mirror to the other. But where the first had disproportionate mass the second twin (Naruto thought maybe Ukon) hadn't grown bigger by much, but his side had turned dark grey, spikes overlapping down it, like some dragon of mythology. His bottom jaw was pushed outwards into an under bite, a thick row of fangs rising from behind his bottom lip, digging into the soft skin of his upper lip, tearing it open.

The drugs hadn't just failed, they had created monsters straight out of a horror movie or a nightmare, and no one seemed to have any idea how to react, not until Kidōmaru threw his head back, a ragged scream tearing from his throat, and then the three of them moved.

They looked like they'd have a hard time moving, but they were fast, and there was barely any time to think before they were upon them. Kidōmaru headed straight for where Sasuke was standing, and Naruto spared no time as he started running to stop him before he got that far.

He had no idea what was happening around him, his concentration fully on keeping Sasuke safe. He let the beast get more space in him, and the two of them finally agreed on one thing. Kidōmaru was their prey and they would take him down.

He felt a growl tear from his throat, and he saw Sasuke lift his sword, ready to defend himself. His vision narrowed, everything that didn't matter fading away until all he could see was Sasuke and Kidōmaru.

Sasuke drew his sword into a battle stance, body twisted to its side, grip by his face and blade pointed towards Kidōmaru.

Naruto saw him step forward, thrusting the blade, and it bit deep into Kidōmaru, spearing through his shoulder, but Kidōmaru just kept moving, falling upon Sasuke as if the sword was little more than a bug bite.

Naruto was finally close enough, and he didn't hesitate as he dug his claws into Kidōmaru's shoulders and pulled him away from Sasuke, throwing him to the side and placing himself between the two of them.

There were no humanity left in Kidōmaru's eyes as he shifted his attention towards Naruto. Naruto braced himself, his tail flicking behind him as he leaned forward, lips peeling away from his fangs as he sneered, challenging Kidōmaru.

Kidōmaru answered the challenge immediately, leaping forward and grabbing for Naruto. Naruto dodged and shot his hands out, claws carving across Kidōmaru's chest, drawing deep gouges in his thickened skin. Kidōmaru roared, but when he twisted towards Naruto again there were not a single drop of blood spilled, and his skin knitted together over the marks Naruto had left.

"Shit!" Naruto cursed, eyes darting across what he could see of Kidōmaru, trying to find a weak spot. From what Naruto could tell Kidōmaru's entire body was covered with the thick layer of wood-like skin, too thick for his claws to penetrate. Not that Naruto was going to let that stop him from taking him down. There were little love between Kidōmaru and him, and any humanity he'd ever had seemed lost the moment he had been injected with the drugs. There were no time for mercy, Kidōmaru and the twins had to be stopped, and right now Naruto was the one best suited for that.

He didn't give Kidōmaru more time to prepare, just ran at him, taking him to the ground with a tackle and pinning him down. He let the beast run through him, let the primal rage of it fill him as he started hacking at Kidōmaru's chest.

Kidōmaru thrashed underneath him as Naruto tore off chunks of skin, exposing the pink flesh underneath before dark skin flooded over the cuts again. Naruto roared and kept on going, claws finally digging into flesh. He was aware of the beast taking over, the scent of blood in the air making it frenzied. The world narrowed on nothing but its prey as it kept fighting the healing ability to kill Kidōmaru.

He never noticed the claws until they curled into his sides, digging deep. The pain was enough to draw Naruto out of his murderous daze. He looked down, and saw that the extra pair of arms Kidōmaru had grown, which he had assumed were useless, had lifted enough to stab its claws deep into Naruto's sides, ten daggers spearing him, curving into him between his ribs.

Kidōmaru used the distraction to get out from underneath Naruto. He used his grip to topple Naruto to the side, claws ripped from his body, and then Kidōmaru took a step back, red eyes blazing as his skin knitted together. It was smeared with spilled blood, his own and Naruto's, and he looked like it had taken a toll on him, even if his skin seemed healed again.

Naruto fell into a hunch, preparing to attack again when Kidōmaru staggered to the side, once, twice. Naruto looked around, and saw Kiba standing to the side, gun lifted and aimed at Kidōmaru. It would be filled with expanding bullets, to create the maximum damage, enough to take down a bear, but Kidōmaru just shook it off and turned towards Kiba, finding a new prey. More bullets hit his chest, but he just absorbed the shock and stalked towards Kiba who was starting to look decidedly less confident than he had when he had shot his first bullets.

The click of an empty chamber, and then Kidōmaru's face twisted into a grin. Naruto saw Kiba pull out a knife that had been strapped to his back, and he knew it wouldn't be enough.

The beast and Naruto flooded together into one, bloodlust from beast and the knowledge that his friend was in danger from Naruto, and together they ran, acting as one as they stopped Kidōmaru mid-attack, throwing him off and allowing Kiba the time to retreat. Naruto followed after Kidōmaru, digging his fangs into his neck and tearing, howling in frustration when all he was left with was a mouthful of what tasted like tree bark.

He spat it out and bit again, but this time Kidōmaru twisted away, grabbing Naruto around the shoulders. Naruto knew what he was aiming for, and strained enough that he could grab onto the second pair of arms before they could skewer him again, and then he twisted.

Twin cracks sounded as the bone broke, and Kidōmaru howled in pain, twisting away and getting to his feet again. This time the two extra arms hung limply at his side, bone splinters punching through the skin before the wood-like texture flowed over it again. It didn't seem to heal the damage, merely covered it, arms still useless.

Kidōmaru didn't have Naruto's healing power, couldn't heal wounds. It was just the new skin that could heal itself, a living armour around him. If only Naruto could get through that he could take him down. Punch an arm through his chest and pull out his heart. Tear out his trachea.

He couldn't tell where he ended and beast started any more, the anger and bloodlust all mixed up until all he knew was that Kidōmaru had to die. Not because he was prey, but because he was dangerous, because there was no humanity left in him, and because Naruto had friends here he had to help, friends that had been left to deal with the other two mutant shifters.

He allowed himself a quick look around and saw his friends working seamlessly together to fight them off. Most of the shifters were incapacitated, in some state of crawling away from the fray of fighting to protect themselves. The fight seemed to have gone out of them when the mutants rose, as if they'd finally seen what would come of them staying on Danzo's side.

Naruto saw Sakura draw back her fist, the flash of brass knuckles before it connected with the still human side of one of the twins' faces, sending it reeling back, right into Lee's spin-kick. Teamwork at its finest.

They could protect themselves, Naruto had to focus on taking out Kidōmaru.

He felt a hand on his shoulder, and he didn't even have to look to know it was Sasuke, could smell him, warmth and comfort and home.

"You won't get anywhere with claws," Sasuke said. "Break his neck."

Naruto nodded. It sounded cold and calculating, but Naruto knew he had to take out Kidōmaru before things went to hell. He didn't think even their reinforced handcuffs would be able to contain these mutants, and he wasn't going to risk it. He was a DPA agent, and it was his job to keep people safe, whether it was civilians or other agents. They couldn't allow Kidōmaru to hurt anyone, and they couldn't give him any opportunity to escape, because they had no idea what would happen then. This ended here today.

A growl rose in Naruto's throat, and then he ran. Kidōmaru was strong, but so was Naruto. He lashed out with claws, and Kidōmaru reeled back before lunging forward, fangs parted as if he meant to tear out a chunk of Naruto's face.

Naruto didn't let him get close enough, ducking around him and kicking out, feet connecting with the back of Kidōmaru's knees. Normally it would be enough to take down anyone, but the thick skin seemed to protect his nerves, and he just stumbled before turning around, hands fisted as he aimed for Naruto's head.

Naruto praised himself lucky that Kidōmaru only had claws on the second arms as the fist slammed into his cheekbone. Claws would have torn his face off.

He let his body move with the punch, ignoring the splintering pain. He'd probably broken something, but it didn't matter.

The world tinted with red as the beast's powers filled him, and he let it, drawing on the beast's strength and channelling it into calculated attacks, dodging a sweeping fist and sending off an uppercut that had Kidōmaru stumble backwards, stunned.

Not giving him the time to recuperate Naruto pushed forward, getting close enough that any punches wouldn't be effective any more, and then he grabbed Kidōmaru's head, and with a roar as he pulled on all his strength, he twisted.

There was a sickening snap, and then Kidōmaru collapsed to the ground. Naruto watched as the red bled from his eyes, leaving them lifeless. He never changed back, but the skin seemed to dry out, like an ancient tree.

Naruto turned away from the corpse, looking over the battleground to see where he could help out.

He could see the last twin lying lifeless on the ground as well, and how his friends had turned towards the last shifters still fighting. They were winning, and Danzo was all out of—

Danzo!

Naruto hadn't seen him since Kidōmaru and the twins had been turned. He couldn't let him escape, had to stop him. He was the king to take down, the rest were merely pawns, disposable. If Danzo got away he would continue where he left off, Naruto had no doubt about it.

He swept his gaze over the grounds, and then he saw him. He'd edged away from battle, probably on his way towards the cars, but Lee taking down a wolf shifter had blocked his path, so he had been pushed back towards the house.

He was not going to get away, not as long as Naruto still drew breath. He was going to be stopped, and atone for his sins, for the lives he'd ruined.

Naruto turned away for a moment, just to make sure Sasuke was still safe. He could see him walking towards the shifters on the ground, probably to make sure they were all safely incapacitated. Sasuke was safe, and this was almost over, he just had to stop Danzo. It wouldn't be hard, Danzo was human, he wouldn't be able to fight back, not against Naruto.

There were no rush, he wanted Danzo to feel the fear his parents had probably felt as they escaped. A loud growl had Danzo's attention snap towards Naruto, and he seemed to realise his predicament then as Naruto stalked closer, none of Danzo's thugs around to keep him safe.

"Danzo!" he yelled out, voice gravelly in this form. "It's time to give up."

Danzo didn't look scared, he looked furious. Angry at how his plans were all falling apart, about how he would never get what he had been working towards, how he was about to spend the rest of his miserable life locked away in a prison cell, withering away, powerless.

Naruto saw someone move up at his side, and risked a quick glance, glad to see Yamato. He looked a little worse for wear, so clearly he had joined the fray at some point, probably to help take down the twins. He had shifted into his Protos form at some point, all brown-red fur and fangs to mirror Naruto's. The only two Protos left in the world. Danzo didn't stand a chance.

"I might kill him," Naruto said.

"No one would blame you," Yamato said back, voice deeper than usual.

Danzo clearly heard them, because he took a step backwards, sneer on his face.

"I'd rather see him in a cell though," Naruto added, and he felt Yamato's hand on his shoulder.

"Minato would have been so proud of the man you've become." Then he took a step backwards, letting Naruto be the one to finally stop Danzo, giving him the revenge he longed for. This way Naruto would be the one to stop Danzo, would ensure that no one else suffered what his parents had suffered. The world would be a better place with Danzo locked up.

He walked closer. "Drop to your knees," he said. He didn't have cuffs on him, but he knew Sasuke or any of the other agents would help him with that the moment he had pinned Danzo to the ground.

Like a rabid dog backed into a corner Danzo grew desperate.

Naruto should have been prepared for it, shouldn't have drawn this out, should have just stopped him.

There was a shout from his side, some pissed off shifter, and it drew Naruto's attention for a split second, but that second was all it took for Danzo to pull a gun out of his pocket and aim it at him.

As Naruto turned back the trigger was pulled.

Time seemed to slow down, and Naruto could do nothing as there was a flash of russet red in front of him. The sound of bullets were oddly muffled as Naruto's eyes widened in shock, face to face with Yamato.

Yamato barely twitched as the bullets found their home in his back, but then he stumbled forward, and Naruto could only catch him, still not sure what had just happened.

Yamato blinked up at him, and for a moment he looked fine, but then he coughed once, blood filling his mouth and staining his lips. A warm gaze met Naruto's, but then Yamato's eyes grew glassy, and he became nothing but a limp weight in Naruto's arms, and Naruto was too stunned to catch him, and Yamato slid to the ground. Now Naruto could see the gunshots on Yamato's back. He looked up, still in disbelief, and saw the gun in Danzo's hand, still aimed towards him even after its bullets had found their home in another body than what had been intended.

Danzo hadn't been ready to go down without a fight, and had resorted to guns, only he hadn't shot Naruto, because someone had stepped in the way, someone with golden-red fur and a thick bushy tail tipped with white.

Yamato.

Yamato had taken the bullets for him, and now he was lying on the frozen ground, bleeding out, all because of Danzo.

Yamato had been the one good thing in this place, and now he was dying, and it was all because of Danzo. Danzo had taken his parents and now he was taking his friend, and if given the opportunity he would keep taking and taking and taking.

Naruto's body was on fire with rage, air shimmering red around him as he charged. There were no more plans, no more chances. Danzo was going to die, right here, right now.

He heard another gunshot, and he was vaguely aware of a thump in his shoulder, but he paid it no attention as he ran the last few feet and launched himself at Danzo, sending them both sprawling to the ground.

The gun skidded away, lost in a pile of snow, and Danzo was lying on his back, Naruto's hands pinning him down, and he even now he didn't look afraid. He looked angry.

Naruto wanted him afraid, wanted to see terror in his eyes as he slowly gutted him, wanted the rancid stench of his fear clogging his nose as he pulled the life from him.

He was on the verge of giving in, on shredding Danzo to pieces when he got a grip over himself again, stopping himself before he fell to Danzo's level. Naruto wasn't like him. Killing Danzo wouldn't give him his parents pack. Wouldn't stop Yamato from bleeding out on the ground, wouldn't right any wrongs. He fought with himself, muscles shaking with the effort of holding himself back. This was the hardest fight he'd endured, both sides of him wanting to see Danzo dead, but a small part of him telling him that he was better than this.

Instead he growled, deep in his throat as he leaned closer, claws curling until the tips pressed against Danzo's sternum, a threat of what they could do, and Naruto saw some of the bravado leave Danzo's eyes.

"You're not getting away this time," Naruto said, voice pitched low. "All that death and suffering, and you still got nowhere.

"Would it have been worth it? All those deaths on your conscience, and for what? Power? To be governor, and then president? Sitting in an office signing off on plans that will be shut down later anyway?"

Danzo scoffed. "I was going to change everything. With an army of Protos no one would have been able to stop me. I wouldn't just be president, I would be the true ruler. No one stronger, no one more powerful. The Protos would rule the world, and I would be their leader. You are weak, held back by your humanity, but I would not let that happen, I would be so strong. Not held back by this frail human body any more."

Naruto felt the beast within strain against Naruto's tentative hold. Kill him, kill him, it urged, and Naruto wanted to give in, wanted to feel flesh tear underneath his claws, sticky blood welling up as Danzo's life ebbed out, spilling to the ground, but Naruto kept back.

"I'm not like you," he said. "You think my humanity makes me weak, but you have it all wrong. It's what makes me stronger than you. I could kill you here, right now, could break open your chest and feast on your heart, but I won't. You don't deserve a quick death."

Naruto didn't have any handcuffs on him, so he turned away, trying to figure out which of his friends were closest and could give him a pair.

He never found out, because the next he knew there was a sharp pain in his thigh. He glanced down, and saw a syringe planted in the muscle, the stopper pushed down.

His eyes widened at the familiar icy feeling of suppressants flooding his system.

He should have known Danzo would have kept them on him, should have known better than to look away for even a second.

He shook his head to clear it even as he saw his claws curling in on themselves.

He didn't need his Protos powers to stop Danzo, could do without, but his body was growing numb, the rush of drugs stronger than before. Probably a higher dosage than he usually got, and he felt himself crumpling down, landing on top of Danzo as his entire body trembled, not responding to his will at all.

Danzo shoved him away and Naruto saw his feet leave his vision just as he curled up in a ball, entire body seizing up. Danzo was leaving, was getting away, and there was nothing Naruto could do. He couldn't even unclench his jaws long enough to yell for someone to stop him, and by the time the seizures stopped and Naruto was human again Danzo was long since gone. Nauseous and weak, but alive at least, Naruto rolled to his hands and knees to get up, to find Danzo, but then Naruto saw Yamato, still on the ground, Sasuke kneeling by his side, and he didn't even care about Danzo any more. They could find him again later. He would be prey, and he would catch him.

Naruto stumbled to his feet and made his way over, collapsing at Yamato's side. Yamato had changed back, no more reddish fur, just Yamato, looking utterly human at the ground, eyes clenched shut and blood pooling around him. He was still on his stomach, but his head was turned to the side, in Naruto's direction.

Naruto looked up at Sasuke, meeting his eyes. Sasuke gave an almost imperceptible shake of his head.

"No," Naruto said, grabbing Yamato's hand. It was limp in his.

"Yamato! You are stronger than this, you're Protos, you're not letting bullets stop you!" Naruto hissed, fighting back sobs as he realised that Yamato was dying, right here, and there was nothing he could do. Sasuke had added pressure to the wounds, but there were spots of red bleeding through the fabric.

Yamato groaned and cracked open a single eye. He'd coughed blood, small sprays of it around his lips, and his skin was so pale, eye barely able to focus.

"I'm not as strong as you, Naruto, I never was," he said on a broken whisper before he coughed again, a wet sound that brought more blood out.

"I've called for an ambulance," Sasuke said. "I had hoped his healing would…" he trailed off.

They were in the middle of nowhere, an ambulance would take too long. And Yamato was only half-Protos, they didn't know how strong his healing ability was compared to Naruto's, but he was still bleeding from his wounds, and a part of Naruto knew he wasn't going to make it, that there was too many bullet wounds to heal.

He wasn't sure even he would have been able to survive that many, not while already having had to heal the wounds from the fight with Kidōmaru. The deep wounds in his sides were only just closing up now.

Yamato had thrown himself in front of the fire, saving Naruto, and Naruto hadn't even been able to make sure Danzo was stopped.

"I'm so sorry," Naruto said, a sob ripping from him.

"I promised your father I wouldn't let Danzo get you, I broke that promise once, I wasn't going to let Minato down now." Yamato's voice was quiet, as if he didn't have the energy to talk any louder, and the words faded at the end, the last drowning in a cough that sent more blood to the ground. His lungs had clearly been damaged, and Yamato had trouble breathing, rattling in his chest as he tried.

Tears welled in Naruto's eyes.

Yamato closed his eyes, brows drawing into a frown for a moment before relaxing, grip growing lax against Naruto's hand.

Naruto pressed his other hand to Yamato's face. "Yamato! Yamato! Don't do this!" he yelled, but Yamato didn't respond, his chest barely moving at all, his breath wet in his throat, and then there were no more breath at all, a ragged exhale the last sound Yamato made.

I couldn't keep him safe, Naruto thought as his eyes welled over, tears streaking down his cheeks. Yamato died because of him, because Yamato sacrificed himself for Naruto, and now he was dead, and Danzo was still alive, scampering off like some rat.

"I'm going after him," Naruto said, voice thick.

Sasuke nodded once and handed over a gun, not questioning anything. Naruto knew Sasuke would support him even if he killed Danzo, would be there by his side no matter what happened.

Naruto wasn't even sure what he would do, but he knew he was going to stop Danzo. He'd have to take a car if he wanted to leave, so Naruto set off towards the row of vehicles, hoping to catch him before he got in one, because Naruto wouldn't be able to stop a moving car, not easily at least.

He made sure the gun was loaded and the safety was off before he weaved his way through the parked cars, finger near the trigger in case Danzo was hiding between any of them.

He found him lying next to his Mercedes, on his back with his head cushioned on a patch of snow.

Ruined eyes stared up at the sky, wounds around them as if they'd been pecked at by a bird.

Naruto walked closer, and saw how Danzo's neck was twisted at an odd angle, clearly broken. His right hand was curled tightly, a few black feathers in them, as if he'd pulled them out while trying to protect himself.

Naruto lowered the gun as he looked around, almost expecting to see a raven watching him, but the skies were empty.

His mind was a mix of emotions. Relief that Danzo wouldn't get away. Anger that he hadn't been the one to stop him, and an odd gratitude that he hadn't had to be the one to kill him. His shoulders sagged, adrenaline having kept him going for this long, but he was exhausted, and he was hurt, and he found that even standing up was a chore.

His legs folded underneath him and he fell to his knees, head hanging heavily, gun resting on his thigh, safety flicked back on.

He heard voices from behind, knew his friends were making sure everyone were safe, and that the shifters were all restrained.

He startled when arms wrapped around his shoulders, but sagged back into Sasuke's hold, feeling so tired and cold and empty.

"You came for me," Naruto said quietly.

"Of course I did."

"I'm so sorry about everything, this is all my fault," Naruto choked out, throat closing as his eyes watered with tears. Yamato was dead because of him, as was several of the shifters. Just because Naruto had run away. All his fault.

"Don't apologise, Naruto, just come back home." Sasuke's voice was soft, and warm, and everything Naruto needed right now, cutting through his tiredness to clear his head.

"Okay, let's go home."


A/N: Pssst, there's one more chapter left after this one!