INTRODUCTION
Welcome back to the Chronicles of the Seventh. As always I begin by stating that I do not own Naruto.
THANK YOU
A speacial thanks to those who reviewed my previous chapter: airnaruto45; xDARKNESS; MyHikari; Cloud Ex-SOLDIER; theshrewedshrew; ZeroTail29; perfect beauty; Hideki411; Kushina's Truth of Hell; charles cdv; Diamond Man; Mudcake; XxMusicBlueLoverxX; Silver Senpai; KiiroiSenkou; Sazan; Konoha's Crimson Fox; SenninClaudio and hothead11.
RESPONCES
airnaruto45 - Never rush the climax dude. LMAO. Never rush the climax.
xDARKNESS - Glad you found the humor in the chapter. I like to break up the tension from time to time. As for this chapter I'm hoping it's pretty tight. It's extra long so that's one good thing. Thank's for bringing that error to my attention. I changed it immediately.
MyHikari - It will be fun indeed. Not for them. But for me. It was fun writing it. And yes, Sasuke vs. Naruto round 4 is coming very soon.
Cloud Ex-SOLDIER - LMAO! Naruto went Iron Man! Nice. Very good comparison. I didn't even think of that. Well, I can tell you that my version of Sakura is anything but helpless. You'll see. Glad you liked Neji's proposal. There aren't too many NejixIno fans. (In fact I don't think I've met any. Lol!) So I wanted to show how realistic and natural a paring between them could be.
theshrewedshrew - Yes, It has been challenging to juggle so many characters. I am also working on a Bleach fic and I'm excited to take what I've learned and see if I can do a better job there. But, and I don't want to seem cocky, but I think I've done a better job at dealing with this massive cast than I thought I would. Yes, my characters act a bit differently. But as you say, they came from a darker world and as a result deal with things a bit differently.
Style? TBH, I've never really considered what my style is. Actually, as I think about it, this is probably as far from my style as you can get. That's probably why I wanted to do this story. It was a challenge. It was an opportunity to do something outside the box where I could get some honest feedback from readers who don't know me and thus have no reason to sugarcoat thier thoughts. I think if you wanted a better idea of my style I think my Bleach fic is closer to what I write naturally.
Most of my original stories are dark supernatural stories. I prefer writing complex tales where there is no defined black or white, where the villans and heroes opporate in shades of grey. I've written mystery, fantasy and even a few comedies. But they all always have some sort of supernatural twist.
And so you know, it's not that I lack confidence to release my work. I'm just insanely critical of my work. Johnny Depp, in an interview, once said that he never watches his own movies because he wouldn't enjoy it. He would spend the entire time critiquing himself. I think I'm the same. Whatever I write I never re-read. I never enjoy reading them. It's for that reason I never show my work except for a few people.
ZeroTail - Glad you liked that moment. I really wanted that comedic moment to break the seriousness of the chapter. Don't count out Sakura yet. She can be surrising when she has time to plan for her enemy.
perfect beauty - CONGRATULATIONS! Wow, my 500th review comes from a perfect beauty. If thats not poetic I know not what is. My gratitude is forever yours my sweet. Wow, that line really went over well. Better than I'd hoped. Glad you enjoyed it. And it seems I'm making you a fan of the InoxNeji pairing. Lol!
hideki411 - Thanx.
Kushina's - Ah! Sorry but I had to get the story moving along. i couldn't linger tot long on his possible death. We all knew he'd live. Lol! But don't worry. There is more drama to come this I promise. Of course I would put more attention on Sakura. this is a NS fic. One thing I hate is to read NS fics where Sakura is relegated to background scenery or just the damsel in distress. Sakura is a student of one the most powerful living ninja in the world. I wanted to show that she could throw down too.
Diamond Man - Kabumaru is Kubuto after he absorbed Orochimaru's cells. I just prefer calling him Kabumaru rather than Kabutomaru. And yes, my version is creepy. But not as creepy as he will be in time. LMAO! Glad you enjoyed the chapter.
Mudcake - Sakura has a plan. But the question is, can any plan work against overwhelming power? We will find out.
MusicBlueLover - Still not a big fan of NejixIno? Sigh...that's fine I guess. But at least you liked his proposal. And yes, Sakura's moment has come.
Silver Senpai - Thanx.
KiiroiSenkou - Thanx. Glad you enjoyed it.
Sazan - Plot hole? Are you talking about the fact that I chose not to show thier fight? If so, there were several reasons for that. To properly show the fight it would take up a whole chapter. I didn't want to devote a chapter to that. Also, I wanted to show the overwhelming power Kubumaru had at his disposal in a subtle way. By skipping ahead to show danzo's complete defeat I think I was able to convey that. And finally there is one other reason, which I can't say. But in time, when this story is over if you think about it, i'm sure that reason will become clear.
Konoha's Crimson Fox - Lol! He's doing it as a favor to me. He doesn't like NS as he's stated so often. Naruto likes to push things to the edge. It makes things more interesting. Sakura will be fine...sorta...kinda...maybe...no.
SenninClaudio - Yes, I did give my word. but i have a good reason I missed my update last week. You'll see. I wonder how many others believe as you and Sazan, that skipping ahead in the Danzo fight wasn't a good idea? In the manga, Sakura would lose. But that's because Kishi hasn't improved her as he should have. But in my story, Sakura is stronger, smarter and more resourceful. Remember, though she lost to Sasuke in my story, she did put up a hell of a fight.
hothead11 - Lol! One thing I wanted to do was show that Naruto can fly, yes, but that it wasnt simply flying like Superman. Remember, he needed to be launched in the air first and then he could propel himself by releasing massive tornados from his fists. But that technique is only temporary. It's not like he could fly to Suna. Glad you liked the chapter.
MESSAGE FROM THE AUTHOR
Ok, so I am well aware I missed another week and unfortunately the reason for that is several things: 1. Things at my job has gotten busier, leaving me less time to goof off and write at work. 2. As things wind down I'm finding that I need to make my chapters longer. 3. Other things that come up have taken some focus away from my writing as well. As a result I've decided to make the remainder of this fic Bi-weekly. Now I will try to write and get my chapters out weekly if time permits. But most likely it will take me two weeks to properly finish a chapter. One good thing is that the chapters will at least be longer. So it's not a bad trade off. Sorry guys. But this can't be helped. Now, here is chapter 32 of my fic. Please remember to leave a little review once finsihed and thanks again for reading. 500 REVIEWS! YAY! I WONDER IF I CAN MAKE IT TO 700 BEFORE THIS STORY IS OVER?
Naruto: Chronicles of the Seventh
Book III: End of Innocence
Chapter XXXII: The Cherry Blossom Blooms
******Hokage Mansion******
"Are you sure," Tsunade yelled to the ninja who stood before her and the other elders.
"Yes Lady Hokage," the ninja responded. "Akatsuki forces are making their way into the village via an underground network."
"It must be the entrances ROOT uses," Homura said.
"You don't think Danzo had anything to do with this," Koharu said.
"Who knows," Homura said. "I thought Danzo and I were of like mind when it came to Konoha. But it seems increasingly clear that I was mistaken."
"One thing's for sure, it can't be a coincidence that Danzo disappears just before Akatsuki attacked," Tsunade said. "Reinforce the guard and get more men to the hospital. We have countless injured there."
"Already taken care of Lady Hokage," the ninja said. "Yamanaka Ino, Hyuga Neji and Inuzuka Kiba have already helped organize a defensive parameter. And Naruto's Toad summonses are already pushing the enemy back."
"Excellent," Tsunade said. "Keep me notified." The ninja saluted and ran off.
"Have any of you received any info on Danzo's location," Tsunade asked Homura and Koharu.
"No," Koharu responded. "All of our men have turned up no sign of him. It's as if he just disappeared."
"Lady Hokage," Inoichi said as he walked up. "We've just received an update from all the Divisions."
"Right," Tsunade said anxiously. "How does it look out there?"
"Thanks to the efforts of the Alliance forces we were able to defeat the bulk of Madara's army," Inoichi said. "The remaining either escaped or were killed during the Biju's rampage. Yamato was gravely injured and lost his left leg in the process. But only a third of his forces have been confirmed K.I.A. The sensor division took some casualties but nothing major. However, Hiashi Hyuga was killed. Eye witnesses, including his second daughter, Hanabi, confirm that he appointed Hinata as his replacement before his death. Hinata was also badly wounded but is expected to recover fully."
"Both the Raikage and Kazekage received non-life threatening injuries," Inoichi said. "We believe Kurenai's division was the worst hit. Estimates suggest she lost nearly seventy five percent of her people. We'll have a full casualty roster put together once Masumi and the rest of the Medical Division returns."
"Masumi," Tsunade asked. "Why is she leading the medical division back? Where is Sakura?"
"According to Masumi, Sakura left her in charge after she saw Naruto head out into the field," Inoichi said.
"I see," Tsunade said. "Keep me apprised of the situation and order all the Captains to make sure that they keep every ninja capable of fighting out to guard the perimeter."
"Right," Inoichi said as he walked away.
"Hmmm, that was interesting," Homura said.
"What," Tsunade asked.
"You were just told that your precious apprentice decided to stay on the battlefield alone and you barely bat an eye," Homura said.
"She is not my apprentice," Tsunade said as she and Koharu continued to poor over the documents scattered on the table.
Homura chuckled and said, "Right, of course you she isn't. Nevertheless, aren't you the least bit concerned?"
"Is there a reason I should be," Tsunade asked. "Sakura can handle what ever comes her way."
"Can she," Homura asked. "Granted she performed quite well leading the Medical Division, but healing is far different than doing battle. Is she really equipped to fight?"
Annoyed, Tsunade looked up at Homura and asked. "Why do you ask Homura? Is it because you and Danzo spent all you're time spying on me? Is it because you know that I stopped training Sakura almost a year ago?"
Homura paused as he seemed a bit taken aback. "What," Tsunade asked. "You think I didn't know you kept constant surveillance on me? Of course I did. Just as I am sure you knew that I would know about it."
Tsunade stared at Homura and then smiled as a realization came to him. "Wait," she said. "Don't tell me that you two thought that I stopped teaching Sakura because I didn't want you to see my advanced techniques? Ha! I knew you were both morons! Homura I didn't stop teaching her because of that. I stopped because I had nothing left to teach her. Like I said, Haruno Sakura is no longer my apprentice. She's capable of handling anything that comes her way. So I have no reason to be concerned. Now can we please focus on what's really important?"
Just then they all heard the sound of slow clapping. Everyone in the room turned to where they heard the sound and much to their amazement, standing in a darkened corner of the room, stood Madara. "Very well said Tsunade," he said as he walked towards her. "Very well said indeed."
******Meanwhile******
Kisame looked at the kunai Sakura had just thrown and then back to Sakura herself and smiled. "Alright princess," Kisame said. "I guess I can spare a few minutes." Sakura instantly went on the offensive, running around, throwing kunai after kunai at Kisame.
Kisame tried to block the first kunai, but when it struck his sword, Samehada yelped in pain and the force of the blow knocked him back. "What the," Kisame whispered as he dodged the next few kunai and began to run with Sakura in pursuit. Kisame looked at where the kunai struck Samehada and he could see an indentation. That kunai pierced Samehada, he thought. Samehada should have been able to absorb the chakra from it. What's going on here!
Again several more kunai came flying at Kisame, forcing him to begin running and dodging. Sakura sprinted off in pursuit of Kisame and eventually she caught up and was running along side him throwing kunai after kunai. Kisame continued to run, dodging every kunai he could and blocking the others with Samehada. But every time a kunai struck Samehada he noticed it would yelp in pain. How is she doing this and where is she getting all these kunai from, Kisame thought as he continued to run and dodge Sakura's continuous onslaught.
Suddenly a realization dawned d on him and Kisame made several hand signs and took a deep breath. "Water Release: Water Shark Bullet!" Kisame then spat out a large blast of water that took the form of a shark and it hurtled towards Sakura.
"Shit," Sakura yelled as she leapt up and over the attack as it slammed into a tree behind her, toppling it. Sakura landed on a branch of a nearby tree and saw Kisame standing on a branch of a tree across from her with a wide grin on his face.
"I get it now," he said. "I was wondering where you keep getting all those kunai from and now I get it. You have a summoning seal stitched into both sides of the belt on your waist. Also, I thought you were using a technique similar to Killer Bee's technique where you charge your kunai with chakra to increase its attack power. But that's not accurate is it? You distribute your chakra into your muscles, increasing your throwing power."
"Hmmm," Sakura said with a smile while at the same time, summoning two more kunai. "You're pretty smart for someone who looks like a complete meathead. But knowing my technique is different that actually defeating it."
"You're pretty cocky," Kisame said. "Look's like I need to put you in your place!" Kisame suddenly launched himself at Sakura who quickly threw the two kunai at him. Kisame blocked the first kunai, but the second one slammed into his upper shoulder with enough force to launch him back and to the ground far below.
Sakura quickly closed in with another kunai, hoping to stab him in the heart but Kisame countered quickly. He used his free hand to put his sword in front of him, blocking her attack. Sakura instantly felt Samehada draining her chakra and leapt away allowing Kisame to get to his feet.
Kisame grimaced as he pulled the kunai from his shoulder and threw it to the ground. Sakura could see his wound instantly begin to heal as she drew two more kunai. "Nice try," Kisame said with a smirk. "But you can't win this fight. My chakra is limitless. And your little kunai trick can't help you!"
Kisame again sprinted towards Sakura who prepared for his assault. Kisame swung his sword at her head but Sakura was just able to duck. He then swung it down, hoping to crush her but she rolled away and dodged again. Kisame then swung behind him but she leapt back and threw her kunai at him while in midair. Kisame blocked both attacks and leapt towards her.
Again he swung his sword at her head and again she ducked, but this time Kisame was ready and he kicked low, striking Sakura and knocking her back and to the ground. "It's over," Kisame yelled as he raised his sword, prepared to end the fight.
Sakura rolled to her left just as Kisame's sword came down and she followed with a kick, sweeping Kisame off his feet. Sakura quickly back flipped up and sprinted at Kisame who was unable to dodge in time as she buried two kunai deep into his chest and drove him back and into a nearby tree. Much to her surprise she saw Kisame smile before turning into water and falling to the floor. Water clone, Sakura thought in shock as Kisame appeared behind her and kicked her away.
Sakura crashed hard to the floor. She had heard that Kisame was strong. But it felt like she had been kicked in the gut by pure concrete. Sakura forced herself to her feet as she saw Kisame standing watching her with a broad smile on his face. It was clear this was sport for him.
Once satisfied that she was back on her feet Kisame again sprinted towards Sakura. Sakura was suddenly taken aback by Kisame's sudden increase in speed. He wasn't moving this fast before, Sakura thought as she dodged Kisame's first and second strike. Sakura quickly summoned two more kunai and countered, thrusting towards Kisame and forcing him back.
Kisame smiled as he dodged and blocked each attack but he suddenly felt like something was wrong. His vision was becoming blurred and his limbs heavy. Suddenly he felt one of Sakura's kunai pierce his stomach. Kisame swung his sword violently, forcing Sakura back before falling to one knee. Kisame was sweating and his mouth was dry. He looked up to see Sakura smiling. "Bitch," he yelled. "What did you do to me!"
"Each of my kunai is laced with a new poison of my own creation," Sakura said. "Do you like it? I honestly expected the affects to kick in much sooner but you're a tough one."
Kisame laughed as he felt Samehada pass along more chakra. He could feel the affects begin to slowly fade. "Idiot," he said as he got to his feet. "My Samehada will keep giving me chakra it steals from you to heal me of your poison."
"I know," Sakura said. "I don't expect it to kill you. But it will slow you down." Sakura then sprinted at Kisame as he raised his sword and ran towards her.
"Slow me down huh," Kisame yelled. "We'll see about that!" Kisame swung Samehada at Sakura who quickly leapt and flipped over Kisame and threw her kunai while in mid air. Both kunai hit their target, embedding into his back and pitching him forward and down to the ground. Sakura was right; his sword was healing him from the poison's effects but not fast enough. Kisame was slowing down. Sakura summoned two more kunai as she landed and threw them at Kisame. He was able to block the first but the second struck him in the arm.
Kisame got to his feet. His eyes had a wild look to them as he said, "You….little….BITCH! You're dead! Do you understand! DEAD!" Kisame didn't even bother to remove the kunai as he made several hand signs and spat out several blasts of water each taking the form of a shark. Sakura jumped forward and rolled under the first shark and leapt over the second. The third shark came flying at her forcing her jump to the left but as she did so, to her surprise, Kisame appeared from inside the water and struck her in her side with his sword sending Sakura flying back.
Sakura hit the ground with a thud and lay motionless for a moment. Kisame sprinted at her, intent on giving her no time to recover. Sakura's eyes opened quickly and she fought to get her self to her feet. Summoning two more kunai she raised them above her head just in time to block Samehada as Kisame swung it down. Sakura's arms nearly went numb from the impact of Kisame's strike.
Kisame smiled wickedly as he pushed harder and harder, forcing Samehada to bear down upon Sakura. "It's over bitch," he said. "Are you regretting not taking the Nine Tails' help?"
Sakura gritted her teeth as she desperately fought back but her strength was beginning to give out. Not only wasn't she trained to maintain a constant stream of chakra to her muscles for this long, but Kisame's sword was beginning to drain her.
"Do you know what your mistake was," Kisame said. "You foolishly assumed that your little trick would work against me. You foolishly thought you could be a challenge to me. And, you're biggest mistake of all?" Kisame suddenly pulled back with incredible speed and swung down towards Sakura. Sakura responded by instantly dropping her kunai and placing her right hand under the armguard on her left arm and as she did so there was a small puff of white smoke.
Kisame brought his sword crashing down through the smoke and yelled, "Your mistake was bringing kunai to sword fight!" Kisame was surprised however when his Samehada was blocked in mid strike. As the smoke cleared he was able to see Sakura had summoned a new weapon. It was a large single sided battle axe. The blade and hilt was as long as her wingspan and the blade was polished to a high shine.
With Kisame momentarily taken off guard, Sakura pushed him back and off balance and with one sweeping motion slashed him across the chest. Kisame, leapt back to put distance between them and instantly covered his wound with his free hand. "You're just full of surprises aren't you," Kisame said as he glared viciously at Sakura.
"Are you going to talk," Sakura asked. "Or are we going to fight?"
******Meanwhile******
Naruto continued to sprint through the woods as he made his way to the chakra signature in the distance. As he continued running however, his pace began to gradually slow from sprinting to walking until he finally came to a complete stop next to a large oak tree. Naruto looked to he ground in deep thought as he placed his hand on the tree. His entire body was tense as he fought through the conflicting emotions raging within him.
Part of him knew that everything Sakura said was right. There was a part of him that was screaming for him to forge ahead to where Sasuke waited. He knew, in his heart, the moment had come for them to put all things to right. But then there was an equal part of him telling him that despite what Sakura said, he shouldn't have left her alone. Sakura, he thought as his fingers dug into the bark of the tree.
"What's wrong Naruto boy," Lady Shima asked.
"She has a plan doesn't she," he asked. As if not really speaking to her at all. It was almost if he were trying to convince himself. "She has too right? Sakura is many things but she isn't reckless. If she planned all along to fight Kisame in my place then she has to have some way of winning, right?"
"Sakura-girl isn't stupid," Shima said. "She's knows what she's doing."
"But still, this isn't just any opponent." Naruto replied. "This is the legendary Monster of the Hidden Mist. A man so powerful he was given the nickname, 'The Tailed Beast without a Tail'. Would any plan Sakura came up with be enough. What if…..? What if…something…? How could I ever forgive myself if…..?"
Naruto was completely torn. But before he could come to a decision it seemed fate made one for him. Just out of the corner of his eye Naruto caught an object being thrown his way so fast he had no time to dodge. Before it could strike, one of Naruto's clones appeared behind him and pulled him out of the way and was hit with the attack, disappearing in a puff of smoke.
Chakra infused kunai, Naruto thought as more and more kunai were thrown at him forcing him to duck and dodge each attack. Wait, those aren't kunai. It's pure chakra given form. Damn how could I get so lost in thought that I allowed someone to sneak up on me?
Naruto quickly located his attacker and said, "You might as well come out Karin."
Karin appeared out of the shadows and pushed back her hood revealing her face. Naruto stared at her for moment and noted a difference in her face. The last time he saw her there was a cockiness to her. There was usually an air of unbridled confidence and a lack of fear. But now, there was a hint of indecisiveness, he could see fear in her eyes despite how she glared at him. But above else, he could sense sadness emanating from her chakra.
"What are you doing here," Naruto asked.
"What do you think I'm doing here," Karin asked. "You are my enemy. I'm here to defeat you!"
"No," Naruto said. "I mean why are you here alone?"
"It doesn't matter," Karin said as Naruto could see she was fighting back tears. "I am Akatsuki. I can fight! I can prove myself to Sasuke-kun!"
Prove yourself to Sasuke, Naruto thought. Naruto stared at Karin and didn't see a warrior. He saw a woman in pain. A familiar pain he had seen in Sakura so often. Karin created two more chakra blades and readied herself to fight when much to her surprise Naruto simply turned and began to walk away.
"Where are you going," Karin yelled.
"Sasuke sent you here to throw your life away so that he could prove a point," Naruto said. "But I don't plan to play that game."
"That's not it at all," Karin yelled. It was at that moment when she recalled what had happened.
******Some Distance Away – Several minutes ago******
Karin followed Sasuke in complete silence as they made their way through the woods. Several times they had come across Alliance ninja so far and each time Sasuke efficiently and coldly dispatched them and continued on his way. All the while he remained completely silent as he focused on the task at hand.
A few minutes had gone by as they continued on their way when, much to her surprise they saw Sakura sprinting by, just ahead of them. Equally surprised, Sakura came to a stop and walked out into the clearing. "Sasuke," she said.
The two spoke for a brief moment as Karin chose to remain silent. Why? Even she didn't know fully. But there was something about the way they spoke. There was finality in their words. Near the end of their brief conversation Sakura looked to Karin and she found herself unwilling to meet her gaze. Just then there was the sound of an explosion nearby. The large water dome suddenly shattered. Karin could sense Naruto's chakra coming from that direction.
Sakura suddenly turned and without hesitation ran off in that direction. Karin began to run after when she noticed Sasuke had stopped and instead he walked over to a fallen tree and sat down.
"What are you doing," she asked. "We should follow her. Naruto clearly has gone to fight Kisame. We can take advantage and overwhelm him."
"No," Sasuke said. "I don't need to chase Naruto. He will come to me."
"How can you be so sure," Karin asked. But Sasuke didn't answer.
"I don't understand," Karin said. "We can take him down now if you join up with Kisame. We can use it to our advantage! Why wait for him to come to us and give him an advantage?"
"Because it doesn't matter what advantage he has," Sasuke said. "He will lose. I am stronger than Naruto." Sasuke then stared at Karin with a hard glare and asked, "Don't you agree?"
Karin paused momentarily before saying, "Of course I do. It's just….."
Sasuke then said, "Karin…..I want you to leave."
Karin paused for a moment before asking, "Leave? Ok, what do you need me to do?"
"Need," Sasuke asked as he leaned back and stared into the sky. "No. You misunderstand me. I mean I want you to leave. I don't need anything from you anymore. I don't care where you go or what you do."
Karin felt like she had been punched in the face. He merely stood there staring at him like it was all some sick nightmare that wouldn't end. "B…but why," she asked as tears streamed down her face. "I don't understand Sasuke."
"What's so difficult to understand," Sasuke said casually. "I don't need someone like you anymore. I've grown tired of having to drag you around. Why should I do that when you don't even believe in my strength? You were a tool. You have done your job. But now everything will end today. So you are no longer needed."
"A tool," Karin said as she grew more and more upset. "Is that all I've been to you! All I've ever been! After all the years I've stood at your side and done anything you asked! Even after the nights we shared!"
Sasuke sighed and leaned forward and finally looked Karin in the eye. "What did I tell you when I first recruited you," he asked. "Your purpose was to be an instrument for my revenge. And as an instrument you have performed up to you masters expectations. Isn't that your purpose? You have done your job. No, you did more than what was expected. But now your job is done and your services are no longer required?"
Karin found her whole body shook with anger, frustration and grief. "So that's it then," she asked. "Thanks for everything. Now go!"
"Karin," Sasuke said. "I have no interest in explaining myself to an instrument that is of no use to me. Leave now or I will kill you."
Karin's eyes grew wide as she stared at Sasuke. She could see the same malice in his eyes that he had when he stared at an enemy before they died. Despite how annoyed and even angry he seemed by her at times he never….ever….looked at her like this before. He meant it. If she didn't leave he was going to kill her.
Karin covered her tear streaked face with her hood and turned to leave. In a fit of anger she quickly turned to him and said, "You son of a bitch! I have stood by your side and never waivered in my faith in you! No matter how badly you treated me I stayed! But now I realize that you never respected the strengths I have! You've never cared to see my strength! But I'll show you my strength! And when I'm done I know you'll finally see me the way you should have from the beginning!"
******Now******
Karin stared at Naruto as he faced away from her. She was struck by the brilliance of his chakra. His chakra was as light as Sasuke's was dark. They were true Yin and Yang. "You're going to go and kill Sasuke-kun aren't you," she asked.
Naruto sighed and looked at his open palm. "For a while I was positive I was," Naruto said. "When I believed Sasuke killed Sakura all I wanted was his head. And even though she survived. Even though she's alive, my anger won't go away." Naruto clenched his fist as he continued. "My body is literary shaking with anger. So to be honest, I don't know. But I do know this. Sasuke has to learn that he was wrong. And it seems the only teacher he is willing to learn from…is pain. So I am going to hurt him. Badly."
Naruto turned to face Karin who was hugging herself as she cried and moaned. She knew, she could see it in his eyes and feel it in his chakra. Naruto was lying. He was going to kill Sasuke. And unlike the last time they fought, this time she believed he could do it.
She couldn't let that happen. Karin suddenly stopped crying and glared at Naruto with a look of determination. Naruto stared at her and seemed a bit off guard. What is this feeling, he thought. I'm looking at one person yet I can feel two chakra signatures coming from her. It's low, almost unnoticeable. But something is there.
Just then Naruto saw behind Karin and in the distance, Kisame's large water dome go up. Damn, he thought.
Seeing that he was distracted Karin launched into an attack firing volley after volley of her chakra blades. Naruto saw the attack coming this time. Calmly, he slightly moved his head to the side as the first chakra blade whizzed by his head. He then began to dodge each blade as he swiftly made his way towards Karin.
Damn, Karin thought as she tried to throw as many blades as she could. He's moving faster than I've ever seen. Even Sasuke has never moved this fast. Within seconds Naruto was on her. He raised his hand ready to punch her and as his fist closed in a startling realization came to him that caused him to stop.
Using the opening, Karin stabbed him in the left shoulder with one of her blades. Naruto grimaced in pain and leapt back to the other side of the clearing. Karin's blade absorbed into his shoulder as he felt his arm go dead. "Stupid boy," The Nine Tails yelled. "That's what you get for hesitating! Why would you do something so stupid!"
"You know why I stopped," Naruto responded. "She's….!
"She is none of your concern," The Nine Tails said. "Now finish her off so we can move on!"
Again Karin launched several chakra blades at Naruto who to her amazement, disappeared altogether and re-appeared right behind her. Before she could react Naruto struck her in the back of the head and she immediately lost consciousness. Naruto caught her before she hit the ground and threw her over his shoulder.
A few minutes later Naruto had arrived in a small cave where he slowly placed her on the ground. He tied her by the wrists behind her back and also by the ankles and leaned her up against the walls. A few feet away he placed a kunai on the ground and walked out of the cave.
Outside Naruto looked up in the sky and took a deep breath and looked towards the large dome of water in the distance before looking in the other direction where he could feel Sasuke's chakra. Naruto then sighed and took off sprinting towards his chosen destination.
******Konoha – The Night before the Attack******
"Are you sure about this Sakura-chan," TenTen asked as she slid open the large metal door.
"Yes," Sakura said as she followed Tenten into the large darkened room.
"Gimme a sec," Tenten said as she lit the nearby torches, flooding the room with light. "Look Sakura, it's not that I don't want to help you. But I'm not sure how wise it is for you to take a weapon into battle that you have little practice in."
"Which is why I'm looking for something simple but effective," Sakura said. "I need something that I can use with little effort yet can have major advantages." Sakura paused as she took stock of the massive storage room. "Wow."
"Wow is right," Tenten said with a smile. "This is the storage area for my families' weapons. All the weapons we use and also any prototypes we create are stored here. To be honest, I'm not supposed to bring you in here without my fathers' permission. So let's hurry up ok?"
"Right, right," Sakura said. Sakura began to look about as Tenten followed.
"How about this," Tenten yelled as she held up a massive scythe. "You could be like a grim reaper!"
"Ummm no," Sakura said as she looked at the scythe and waived her hands nervously. Tenten shrugged as she threw the scythe off to the side and continued to look around.
Sakura felt the ground shake and turned to see Tenten pushing a giant metal ball towards Sakura. "Ah," Sakura yelled as the ball came to stop inches from her face.
"How about this one Sakura," Tenten said.
"What the hell is this," Sakura yelled.
"It's called a Jidanda," Tenten yelled. "I know it looks weird but trust me this things is awesome! It fires exploding tags and it has spikes!" Tenten flipped a switch and the spikes popped out. One spike popped out right between Sakura's eyes, less than an inch from her face. Panicked, Sakura backed away and felt like she was about to have a heart attack.
"Not only that," Tenten said. "You can swing this bad boy around. Just think about the damage you could do with your massive strength!"
"No," Sakura yelled. "Tenten I said I needed something simple, like a sword or an axe!"
Confused Tenten looked at Sakura and then at the massive weapon. "But this is simple," she said as she scratched her head. "For me anyway. Ok, so you want a simple weapon huh?"
Sakura then noticed Tenten staring at her. "What," she asked.
"If I didn't know any better I'd say you were looking for a specific weapon for a specific target," Tenten said. "What's going on here Sakura?"
"I…just need something to give me a bit of an edge out there," Sakura said. She then looked at a nearby table and saw a sash sitting there. She picked it up and looked it over. "What's this. It's not some type of bomb is it?"
Tenten laughed. "Nope," she said. "It's something my mom made. It's a sash with summon tags stitched into it so she could summon weapons easily. But she didn't like it cuz it could only summon small arms like kunai. And my mom only likes big weapons. She likes to overdo things."
"Hmmm," Sakura said as she looked the sash over. It was then something caught her eye and she looked up to see a large weapon hanging on a hook on the wall. "What's that," Sakura said.
"Oh, you like that huh," Tenten said proudly. "This was something I was working on a few months back. It's amazing but unfortunately it's hard to carry around. If I could get around that it would be a great thing to use."
"Hey Tenten," Sakura said. "You wouldn't happen to have a summon tag capable of summoning this would you?" Tenten smiled deviously as she considered Sakura's question.
******Land of Fire - Now******
Kisame began a slow laugh that grew to raucous laughter. Kisame had been a swordsman since he could walk. He had been trained to size up an opponent with just a glance. This woman's stance was slightly off and she was holding the axe slightly wrong. She wasn't trained in the use of this specific weapon. Kisame smiled and sprinted towards Sakura and swung his sword. Sakura blocked the attack but the force of the blow nearly knocked her off her feet.
Kisame used the brief opening to attack and slashed at her, just catching her in the shoulder and forcing her back. Kisame smiled as he saw Sakura's hands wobbling slightly. Just a bit more pressure, he thought.
Kisame moved in ready to end it but Sakura suddenly gripped the axe tight and swung to meet Kisame's attack with as much force as she could. Samehada screamed in pain as the axe struck into its side and Kisame staggered from the blow. Sakura used the opening and kicked Kisame with as much force as she could. Kisame was launched back and through a tree and crashed to the floor.
Sakura closed in swinging at Kisame before he could get to his feet. Again, Kisame blocked, but again Samehada screamed in pain from Sakura's blow. Staggered, Sakura knocked Samehada out of the way and slashed her axe down into Kisame's shoulder and chest. But to her surprise, Kisme turned to water and fell to the ground. "Water Clone," Sakura yelled as Kisame leapt down from a tree above her and sliced her in half.
But Sakura exploded in a puff of and was replaced by a log. What the, Kisame thought as he felt a sharp pain in his back. Sakura was behind him and had thrown one of her kunai, catching him in the back and launching him forward.
Kisame slowly got to his feet and pulled the kunai that was buried to the hilt, out of his shoulder. Kisame turned to face Sakura who seemed worn down and guarding her injured arm. "You sure have a lot of tricks," Kisame said as he felt Samehada pouring chakra into him. With a smile Kisame said, "Let's see if you have a trick for this!"
Kisame made several hand signs and suddenly sank underground. Sakura's eyes went wide as she saw him disappear and she quickly switched her axe to her left hand. She winced in pain as the weight of the axe hurt her injured arm. She then summoned a kunai into her right hand. All right, she thought. I hope his works.
All Sakura could see was the tip of Samehada that protruded like a dorsal fin out of the ground as Kisame closed in on her. Sakura readied herself as Kisame swam towards her, zigzagging as he closed in. Kisame closed in and just as she was about to strike he seemed to disappear and then launch out of the ground behind her. Sakura tried to twist out of the way but Kisame struck her in the upper leg causing blood to gush everywhere.
Sakura crashed to the ground, still holding on to her axe. Her body was now wracked in pain as blood flowed from the large wound on her leg and arm. And the dull ache from her old wound on her back began to thump in pain.
Slowly Sakura began to pick herself up as she gritted her teeth and fought through the pain. Her vision was fading as she saw Kisame laughing as he watched her. Sakura got to her feet and lifted her axe.
"So you want some more," Kisame said. "Fine." Again Kisame made several hand signs and sunk into the ground and attacked. Sakura again put her axe in her left hand and summoned a kunai in her right.
Kisame moved in and Sakura raised her hand and again Kisame seemed to vanish. But this time Sakura quickly turned behind her and punched the ground with all her might. The ground shattered and chunks of it flew up into the air. And much to his surprise, Kisame was shot up into the air as well. Sakura quickly threw her kunai as Kisame was in the air forcing him to block it. But this left him open and Sakura swung her axe, slicing him in the stomach and nearly cutting him in half as his body was launched back.
Kisame's motionless body crashed to the ground as Sakura fell to her knees in pain. She quickly began to heal her body as quickly as she could when she saw Kisame begin to move. "No way," she whispered when she realized his sword was still touching him.
Desperate, Sakura began to concentrate and suddenly the purple diamond over her heart began to glow and spread out into a pattern over her chest and all her wounds began to quickly heal. However Sakura felt a sharp pain from the wound in her back that nearly made her pass out.
As the pain subsided Sakura's vision began to clear just in time to see a smiling Kisame rise to his feet. Sakura grabbed her axe and got to her feet defiantly as Kisame watched as her wounds healed. "My, my, my, aren't you just full of surprises," Kisame remarked. "I have to hand it to you; you are far more interesting that I thought you'd be."
Suddenly Samehada began to make a terrifying sound. "Fufufufufu," it sounded as it began to grow and Sakura saw a large mouth with sharp, shark-like teeth. Sakura stared in amazement at the sword. Lady Konan had described Samehada to her in full detail. But nothing could prepare her for seeing it in person.
"Are you impressed," Kisame said with a smile. "Well, if you like what you see then you are going to love this." Suddenly the sword began to merge with Kisame and he began to take on a more shark-like appearance.
Sakura gasped and stabbed her axe into the ground in front of her. She quickly wiped some of the blood on her arm onto her palm and made several hand signs and slammed her open palm onto the ground just as Kisame completed his transformation. "Summoning Jutsu," Sakura yelled as Kisame spat out a massive wave of water.
As the smoke cleared Sakura was standing on the head of her large Summon Slug as the wave of water headed towards her. "Kotetsu, are you ready," Sakura asked.
"Yes Sakura-sama," Kotetsu said just as the water crashed into them.
******Meanwhile******
"You," Tsunade yelled as every guard ran and placed themselves in front of Tsunade and the other elders. "Why have you come here Madara Uchiha!"
"Oh," Madara said. "So you know who I am? Good. This makes things easier then."
Suddenly two ninja appeared on either side of Madara and made several hand signs and two large scrolls appeared and wrapped around Madara's body. A third ninja appeared behind and made a hand sign and a beam of light appeared from both hands that extended to the other two ninja forming a triangle of light around Madara.
Calmly Madara looked about and asked, "A new version of the Three Directions Seal? Interesting. I may have to take this one."
"Enough games Madara," Homura said. "Why are you here!"
"Calm down," Madara said. "I didn't' come here to fight. In fact all I've ever wanted to do was avoid senseless fighting. I came here to talk. Although, I must admit I did not come here to speak to any of you. I've looked about the entire village but I can't seem to locate your Hokage. Where is Shimura Danzo?"
So Danzo really has left the village, Tsunade thought. "His location is none of your concern," Tsunade said. "If you have something to say then say it to me!"
Madara stared at Tsunade in silence for a moment and then asked, "You don't know where he is either, do you? Hmm, it seems he's run off hasn't he? Tch! That bastard was always someone I couldn't trust."
"Wait," Koharu said, "Are you saying Danzo was in league with Akatsuki?"
Madara stared at Koharu and said, "Yes of course. It was through my machinations that he eventually became Hokage." Madara sighed and said, "And all he had to do was follow my orders when I gave them. Instead all he pays me back with is incompetence and betrayal."
"Why are you here Madara," Tsunade asked.
"Hmm, I would think that would be obvious," Madara said. "I've come to retrieve the Nine Tails. Hand him over and I will put an end to my war against you."
Tsunade laughed and said, "You've got to be kidding? I thought you were crazy but now I know you're insane as well. Look around you Madara! Your army has been laid to waste and your secret weapon has been beaten back. You're done! And now you come here trying to make this request!"
"Why do you say it like that," Madara asked. "You refer to my releasing the Biju as if it was my last resort. Do you really think I would show myself to you like this if it was?"
Tsunade remained quiet as she considered her options. One thing was clear, Madara was insane but he wasn't stupid. He clearly had at least one more trick up his sleeve. "The Nine Tails," Madara said. "Where is he? Hand him over to me know and I will go easy on you."
"Hollow threats," Tsunade said. "That mask can't hide the desperation in your voice Madara. You've lost. And you know it as much as everyone else in this room. So your threats are hollow. As hollow and meaningless as the seal we've placed in hopes of holding you."
Madara cocked his head slightly as Tsunade continued, "Yes, I am well aware of your ability and that this seal can't hold you. But it doesn't matter. You're failure here today will be your final undoing. Because now you're enemy isn't just Konoha. But now you are enemy of the world. It doesn't matter where you go because we will find you. You can run but we will chase you. Hide underground and we will dig you up."
"And you know the most ironic thing about it is Madara," Tsunade said. "The one to lead the hunt will be the one you have sought after so badly. Namikaze Naruto will lead us. He will find you and defeat you. Because he is stronger than you Madara. Because our faith in him and in ourselves will give us a strength you could never hope to match."
"I see," Madara said. "So you think that because you defeat a few insignificant humans. And because your little savior batted down a few Biju that it proves him to be the strongest ninja to walk the earth? I see that the so called Will of Fire that Hashirama called it, which is nothing more than an honorable way to refer to your own arrogance, still burns quite bright."
"Allow me to enlighten you," Madara said. "Your little savior might be strong. But the strongest? I have faced the strongest and I still live while they do not." Much to everyone's surprise Madara began to walk right through the seal surrounding him and he slowly began to walk towards Tsunade. "Do you know what the problem with your belief in the Will of Fire is? It forces you to never admit your limitations. An admirable quality, but one that could also lead to bitter ends."
Madara continued to slowly walk towards Tsunade as ninja after ninja tried to attack him and throw themselves in their way only for Madara to pass harmlessly through them. "I mean look at these fools who surround you," he said. "They continue to throw themselves at me even though they know it's meaningless and in the end all they can do is watch helplessly as I do as I wish. But this could have all been avoided if you all simply admitted your limitations. But your Will of Fire would not allow such a thing."
Madara passed harmlessly through the last of the guards and came only inches from Tsunade. "And now all they can do is watch helplessly as another of their Hokage is killed," he said.
"I don't fear you Madara" Tsunade said defiantly. "We will defeat you. Naruto will defeat you."
"Because he's stronger than me right," Madara said. "Oh Tsunade, so beautiful. You of all people should know that no matter how strong you are, all men…have a weakness." Madara disappeared leaving his cryptic words hanging in the silent room.
******Meanwhile******
Sakura fought to get her bearings after the water slammed into her and Kotetsu. After a brief moment Sakura was able to look around and see Kisame floating some distance away in the murky water. For a while he just stayed floating, looking at her with a big grin on his face and then, he suddenly took off, swimming at her at tremendous speed.
Sakura was still standing on Kotetsu and as she looked down she sent a silent message to her summon. Now Kotetsu!
Kisame closed in and then watched as Sakura was absorbed into the large slug. "Ha," he said. "You think hiding inside your summon matters! I'll just destroy it and force you out!"
From inside Kotetsu, Sakura took a deep breath. "Are you alright Sakura-sama," Kotetsu asked.
"Yes," Sakura said. "Thank you Kotetsu. Are you ready?"
"Yes, but please remember that I only have a limited supply of oxygen," Kotetsu said. "We need to finish this quickly Sakura-sama."
"Right," Sakura said as she could sense Kisame closing in. "Alright Kotetsu….split and divide!"
Kisame roared as he raised his hand, prepared to slice into Kotetsu with his claws when to his surprise the large beast divided its body into hundreds of smaller versions of itself and began swimming around Kisame in a circle. "What the," Kisame said as he tried to figure out what was happening. Suddenly a kunai flew out from one of the bodies of Kotetsu and impaled Kisame in the stomach. Kisame yelled in pain as blood poured from the wound.
Kisame pulled the kunai out and the wound began to heal when another kunai flew at him, impaling him in the shoulder and then another striking him in the leg. "Damn it," Kisame yelled in pain and frustration. She's hiding in one of the bodies of that slug and is attacking before I can locate her, Kisame thought. And I can't sense her chakra! Her chakra must be identical to her summon so I can't tell them apart.
Again another kunai flew out and struck him in his back. "Enough," Kisame yelled as he pulled the kunai out. Kisame began to slice at every slug he could. I'll just take them out one at a time if I have to, he thought.
"Are you ready Sakura-sama," Kotetsu asked.
Sakura gripped her axe tightly and said, "Let's do this!" Sakura then shot out of one of the slugs towards Kisame whose back was turned. Kisame turned as he sensed her but wasn't fast enough as she sliced him in the side with her axe as she swam by and entered the body of another slug.
Kisame was infuriated. Now she was launching herself like a missile out of one slug body, attacking him before he could react before she re-entered another slug. Again she attacked, slicing him in the upper back before being reabsorbed by another slug that continued to circle him.
Kisame looked about frantically, Samehada was releasing a massive amount of chakra to continuously heal the wounds she was inflicting, not to mention the amount of chakra needed to maintain this form. He could feel Samehada weakening, which would mean it would need to start feeding on his chakra to sustain itself.
Again Sakura flew out of a slug and tried to cut Kisame in half. Kisame was just fast enough to dodge and only receive a deep but not lethal wound before Sakura entered another slug. Inside the slug Sakura could tell the oxygen stored inside was getting thin. Kotetsu is using tons of chakra to extract the oxygen from the water for she and I to breathe, Sakura thought. I need to hit Kisame with a lethal blow. His wounds aren't healing much at all. His sword must be reaching its limits. Just as Sakura prepared to attack again she felt a paralyzing pain from the scar on her back that nearly caused her to lose consciousness.
"Are you alright Sakura-sama," Kotetsu asked. But Sakura didn't answer. "Sakura-sama!"
"Y…yes Kotetsu, I'm fine," Sakura finally said as the pain subsided. What's going on, she thought. Why won't this wound heal? Why is the pain getting worse. It won't heal even after I released the chakra seal.
"Sakura-sama," Kotetsu said. "We need to finish him. My chakra is getting low."
"Right," Sakura said as she focused on the task at hand.
"All right," Kisame said as he was still surrounded by slugs swimming around him. "I've had enough of this!" Kisame then made several hand signs and said, "Water Release: A Thousand Feeding Sharks!" Kisame created a thousand sharks out of the surrounding water that instantly attacked the slugs that surrounded him.
"Please hurry Sakura-sama," Kotetsu yelled frantically. "His sharks are going to defeat me!"
Sakura waited until she was directly behind Kisame and then launched herself out of the slug towards him. Her axe was raised as she closed in as he remained unaware. I got him, she thought. I got him!
But as she closed in she felt another spasm of pain from the scar on her back that caused her to pause. Fighting through the pain she swung the axe at Kisame, but the momentary hesitation allowed one of his sharks to grab the axe in its teeth and snap through it. Kisame quickly turned and grabbed the shocked Sakura by the neck. "Got ya," he said as he squeezed.
Sakura frantically fought to get free of Kisame's grasp to no avail. She could feel her strength fading as she felt Kisame absorbing her chakra. "I was planning to kill you quickly," Kisame said. "But now I'd rather see die slowly." Sakura's limbs were getting heavy and her lungs were on fire and screaming for air. "Did you know that drowning can be one of the most agonizing ways to die. You feel helpless as you fight to hold your breath. But eventually your body betrays you and you gasp for air. But only there is none and your lungs quickly fill with water."
I'm going to die, Sakura thought as she knew she was moments away from gasping for air hat was not there. I'm actually going to die! No! I…..I don't want to die! I don't wan to die!
They say your life flashes before your eyes as you are about to die. It is a feeling Sakura has felt before. And as she recalls the moments of her life she can't help but think of Naruto. Not of the times they shared. But of the times they were supposed to share.
He promised that he would survive. He promised that he would live. That they would be together forever. And now, she was going to die. No, she thought. I can't die! You….you have to die! Suddenly Sakura felt a sharp pain in the scar on her back. The pain was as powerful as she had ever felt and just as it came it was replaced by a sudden calm. If she could have somehow looked at the scar on her back she would see it begin to heal.
Kisame looked at Sakura's face in confusion. Her eyes were closed and her body was completely still. Is she dead, he wondered. No, I'm still absorbing chakra from her. And Her heart is beating. What's going on? Just then Kisame felt a spasm of pain that reverberated throughout his entire body. It was a pain unlike anything he'd ever felt that seemed to come from every organ and tissue in his body.
Suddenly Kisame spat up blood and his skin began to look as if it were trying to tear away from him. A strange bestial sound arose from the skin itself as Kisame let go of Sakura who floated back and was caught by one of Kotetsu's miniature slug bodies.
Samehada, Kisame thought. What's wrong with Samehada! At that moment, as if in answer to his question Samehada tore itself from Kisame violently and began tossing about and screaming in agony. Without Samehada, Kisame dispelled his dome as he, Sakura and all of the remaining slugs crashed to the ground.
Kisame's insides were burning and he was bleeding from his eyes, nose, ears and mouth. His skin burned as pieces of his flesh seemed to be falling away. As he looked over he saw Samehada writhing in pain as pieces of its scales fell to the ground revealing a bony grey skeleton underneath.
Some distance away Sakura was on the ground coughing up water. Her head was on fire from the lack of oxygen. Just then she felt Kotetsu come up to her and slide under her arm to prop her up. Sakura could feel chakra flowing into her. "I don't have much chakra left Sakura-sama, but it's all yours," Kotetsu said.
Sakura looked around and saw she was at the edge of a large lake and she saw two large statues at the opposite sides of the nearby waterfall. The Valley of the End, Sakura thought as she fought to get to her feet.
What is this, Kisame wondered as he tried to fight the pain that kept getting worse and worse. It felt like there was a live volcano inside of his body as he continued to bleed. His vision was hazy as he looked about and saw Sakura slowly getting to her feet.
Sakura could barely stand but the chakra Kotetsu was giving her was helping. She could see both Kisame and his sword writhing in pain. What the hell is going on, she wondered. She couldn't explain her good fortune but she wasn't about to let go of a great opportunity. Sakura looked at her hand and clenched it into a fist. She had enough chakra for maybe one or two more attacks.
Sakura glared at Kisame who glared back. Both knew this was it. Kisame stumbled to his feet just as Sakura began a slow awkward run towards him. Kisame made several hand signs and pulled a massive amount of water from the nearby lake and made it take the shape of a large shark. "Water Release: Great Shark Bullet Technique!"
The blast of water hurdled towards Sakura as she ran right towards at. Kisame smiled as the attack closed in but he felt a spasm of pain throughout his body and just as the attack was about to connect the technique lost all momentum. The shark disappeared and it returned into water and fell to the ground as Sakura kept running and punched Kisame into the ground with all her might squarely in the chest.
Kisame felt every rib and his spine shatter as his body created a crater under the power of the blow. Sakura screamed as she felt a sharp pain in her right leg. Looking down she saw it was Samehada that had bit into her. Before she could react Samehada let go and lurched back and screamed in pain as more of its scales fell away.
Sakura fell to one knee and inspected the damage. Not that bad, she thought. Samehada seemed to over come the pain and was preparing to attack again when Sakura quickly crouched down and, focusing as much chakra into her legs as she could, leapt straight up into the air. Sakura flew higher than any tree and was so high she could see Konoha in the distance.
Once she reached as high as she could she began to fall, picking up speed and focusing all the chakra she could spare into both legs as she aimed for Samehada. Sakura crashed into the sword with such force, Samehada was pulverized as scales, flesh and bone scattered about and large crater was formed.
In the center of the crater was Sakura who didn't have the strength left to stand. A short distance away was Kisame who stared in shock. After a few moments Kisame smiled and forced his arms to move and forced his hands to make several hand signs. To Sakura's surprise Kisame trapped himself in a Water Prison Technique. He then summoned three sharks and Sakura watched in horror as the sharks began to feast upon him.
Sakura looked away and began to drag herself out of view of the gruesome sight. Sakura leaned against a tree and took a deep breath. One of Kotetsu's bodies came over and stayed next to Sakura and gave her chakra. Sakura's head kept nodding off as she fought to stay awake. "Sakura-sama," Kotetsu said. "I've sent the rest of my bodies out to find help. I don't have enough chakra to heal you properly."
Sakura smiled and said, "Thank you Kotetsu. I'll try to stay awake as long as I can."
Just then Sakura heard someone clapping. She looked around and saw a familiar person sitting on the tree branch above her. Seeing him made her blood run cold in fear. "You," she yelled in shock.
"Well done Haruno Sakura," Madara said. "You never cease to impress me my dear. To think you were able to kill defeat Kisame. Even though it was an accident it was still impressive. Tch. It's a real shame I have to kill someone with such potential."
******Meanwhile******
Sasuke remained seated on the log in quiet contemplation. The words Karin had said to her continued to resonate in his mind. "You've never cared to see my strength," she said. "But I'll show you my strength!"
No Karin, Sasuke thought. That's not it. That's not it at all. But that was always the problem. Despite all the time they spent together and despite all the effort she put into him, there were just things about Sasuke she could never understand. But how could she understand everything about him when he couldn't understand everything about himself.
The things he wanted, there were times he wasn't sure he wanted. The things he needed didn't always seem important. In his heart he knew the path he had chosen was the right one for him. He never questioned that. But that didn't make it always easy. And then there was Karin. Despite his efforts she understood him in ways he never thought possible. Despite the distance between them she was closer than anyone.
She didn't always understand what he wanted. The fact she chose to prove her strength to him was proof enough of that. He should have stopped her. He should have said something. But as usual those words couldn't come. It just wasn't in him. That too, was something she should've known.
Just then Sasuke heard the rustle of nearby bushes and looked up and saw a familiar face stepping out into the large clearing. Naruto glared at him with a look of anger that he'd never seen directed at him before. Even during their confrontation in the Land of Lightning, Naruto never looked at him like that. It was then some familiar words seemed to come to Sasuke all at once, "Foolish little brother," Itachi said. "If you wish to kill me, hate me, detest me. And yet survive in an unsightly way. Run, run and cling to life, and when you have the same eyes as mine, come to me."
Ah Naruto, Sasuke thought. Now you have the same eyes as mine.
End of Chapter Thirty Two.
Next Time: The Battle of Brothers