Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, the characters and pretty much everything else is aaaaall Masashi Kishimoto! Cant believe I forgot these disclaimers...
A/N: Story Key:
Lines: Separate different times or locations.
Italics: Flashbacks. (Usually within lines)
I keep running edits on chapters to suit critisicsm, shouldn't be many changes, I'll post in A/N when serious changes occur!
Rehauling this chapter and the next one. It should be finalised today (31st Oct 2013)
Chapter 2
Sasuke's battered head hung heavy as his hazy mind throbbed, tortured and torn. His stomach, filled with churning acid as his chest drummed with nauseating drum beats. He began to think back to what the dobe had asked of him, causing his fists to clench into white balls as he fought back sizzling tears. He had to get back to the Hollow. The others needed to know the plan.
Naruto's eyes glanced upwards and stiffened, a resolve of steel undented by Sasuke's words, 'What about the Uzumaki growing inside of Hina-chan?'
Sasuke's head bowed, caged desperation beat upon his heart as anger boiled his blood. His brother, the dobe before him who did everything to bring him back home and keep them together, was being forced to pass on Kurama. What else could he be planning on losing? Whatever Naruto lost, Sasuke promised himself to inflict it upon Danzō tenfold.
Naruto stood, his cloak hanging heavy as the stinking water clung to it. A childish excitement fizzed and bubbled in eyes as he prodded his index and forefinger in to Sasuke's forehead, pushing his head back so their eyes could meet. Naruto cocked his head quizzically to the side as Sasuke's eyes snapped open in shock at the gesture. Naruto grinned and wiped at the trembling tears escaping Sasuke's eyes. A deep bubbly blue once more met an exasperated ruby. 'I have a gift for you Sasuke-kun.' Naruto began, a faint smile forming on his lips.
Screaming leaves and whirling winds whipped through Sasuke's hair, tearing at the eye sockets of the restricting mask. Landmarks and clearings became an ecstasy of blurring colour and melting shapes, shooting backwards as he rocketed forth. The merciless midday sun rebelled, hazing Sasuke's vision with unyielding blasts of light and fiery heat. Trapped inside his mask, Sasuke's face was alight. A maelstrom of perspiration and glare fogged his vision and boiled his perceptions. The sweet desire to remove the prison clawed at his mind, as his fingertips tingled and itched to act. ROOT-nin never removed their masks and now wasn't the time to expose himself.
An explosion of shining white blossom and warm, wet dew furtively spiralled and danced around the shadowy swirling ex-ANBU as he landed. His feet were but a whisper as they touched the rugged ancient bark. Sasuke's eyes blazed crimson as he whirled into a crouch. Eagle eyes trained on to every minute detail around him, tracing the teasing tingle of dancing blossom, tracking the fall of dew on the lush emerald grass thirty feet below. Sweet, sugary air filled his chilled nostrils and kissed his unwavering lips. Chastising breezes blew whispers into straining ears as he touched for the comforting cool leather of his chokutū's hilt. 'Paranoia,' he spat, backing slowly towards the rugged trunk behind him, a recoiling cobra.
An itchy tingle on his hot, wet scalp spun the Uchiha, his fingers, lightning in speed and precision, plucked a retreating Kikaichū insect from the air. Clutching her struggling ebony body between his nimble index finger and thumb, the slight panicked buzz hummed strong as his twitching ears caught the air, the humming multiplied.
Below him, every blade of grass erupted into a spiralling ink storm. Converging on to the target, the Kikaichū buzzed and whirred, raring for blood. Shock blasted his heart as he hissed into action, releasing the female from her prison. Whirling around in the screaming wind, he caught only a straggler shook by the tailwind.
Dispersed as soon as they engaged, Sasuke could feel the tearing killing intent of a million scolding compound eyes as nature stood still.
An irritated buzz nipped at his senses and turning slowly, he eyed the single female as she turned to face the solitary trunk and flitted inside the solid object. Irate, Sasuke winced, he was about to get an earful from some baka about the bugs, he knew it. He reached out and gingerly touched the withered bark with gentle fingertips. Matte, white kanji splashed across the crevices as he felt a tiny drain on his chakra. With another anxious glance behind him, he was swallowed by the blossom tree.
Cracked earth and arterial roots, some of them metres wide, encompassed the overwhelming cavern in a gloomy web. The Hollow, home to the old guard of Konoha. Foggy shadows claimed the distant horizons of the area. Icy clear water fickly trickled around the columns of roots and dirt above.
A musky odour filled her lungs as she strode between parted seas of shinobi in battered, olive flak jackets, gnarled, grey-black cloaks and tattered blue jumpsuits. Tenten held her head high, her dominating hazelnut eyes sharp steel, focussed only on parting the slowly dispersing crowd.
Her exterior stood confident and strong but inside, she shuddered as her heart collapsed, a deflating balloon shrivelling into ash at the sight of the broken shinobi all around her. She ignored her grimy white blouse and torn, charred, loose red-brown three quarters that hung limply around her legs, bound in places by unrecognisable blades, daggers and chains, dull with shadowy malice as they clutched at her slim legs.
'Today, I will stand strong. I'll inspire these ninja today.' She thought to herself. Fixing a lone tress of chocolate hair into an efficient tight bun affixed to her head, she looked around at the dirt cage they all cowered inside. Shame panged at her chest upon that thought and the 'decorations' helped nothing.
Hundreds of Konoha hitai-ate littered the crawling roots on the walls. The countless pieces of dirty cloth and dull metal hung crucified by kunai. Some were accompanied by shredded photos, some browned with cracked, aged blood. Some hung, betrayed and murdered, by deep, horizontal slash wounds across the well-worn and dulled metal, others still glinted and gleamed, spared a kunai by being wrapped around the overburdened roots. She could feel her unwavering lips begin to quiver and masterfully held back tears at the sight of her own old hitai-ate, abandoned to rust next to an old photo of her grandfather. The lonely old kenjutsu master. She smiled as an intense warmth blazed back into her chilled heart.
The air hung thick with spiralling dust and grime. Low, dead voices emitted from the parting masses of the sombre uniformed figures. As the crowd thinned, Tenten's eyes blazed. A raging orange fireball, suspended high above the motley crowd beneath, blared brash light over the centre of the cavern, beaming at a dusty, compacted arena which waited expectantly, the centre of the Hollow.
The energy in the room was full of respite and hopelessness, low ebbing's and throbbing's of chakra weakly pulsed among the crumpled and battered Konoha-nin who had stood tall and proud on the battleground only half a year ago, steaming with angry chakra and raw battle cries as a reborn Uchiha god bore brutal judgement upon them. She was going to change their attitude back.
In the area stood two shinobi, one with a ragged nin-dog. An inferno of dirty white hair bristled outwards from the overbearing creature, as he paced behind his shinobi, his size and movement that of a prowling lion as his squinted eyes bared raw fury. The shinobi he eclipsed stared through feral black eyes, his pupils glinting slits. His arms were crossed in a seemingly arrogant manner as snarling fangs pierced his bottom lip, his brow set to glare at his opponents. A tangled, matted forest of ash brown swept above his head highlighting the brash red markings stinging the cheeks of his shimmering orange face. The shinobi extruded his wild atmosphere as he drew his razor sharp claws against his ruined leather jacket and let out a snarling howl.
Tenten allowed herself a strangled smile at Kiba's cocky composure, but wept for him inside. She like many others, couldn't rid herself of the images, the screams and the iron stench of blood, the day of the Rokudaime's coronation, the day of the military 'correction'. The memories flooded back.
Tenten stood with the remains of the Konoha 11. Sasuke stood next to Naruto. The imposing gateway behind them offered safe haven from the smoking, screaming village thrashing in agony before them. She knew this gate would become a finish line for the lucky.
She caught Hinata recoil as her stomach audibly lurched. Naruto's eyes bore down on her, visible panic tearing at his quivering pupils.
'Kiba! Shino! Take Hina-chan with them!' Naruto screamed, his finger striking forwards. His powerful voice shook the earth and erupted against the thundering olive and black swarm of fleeing Konoha-nin.
Shino and Kiba searched for a way to argue. But to no avail. Shino knew of an abandoned Aburame shrine, an old Kikaichū hollow, and Kiba was needed to navigate towards it. They took their old teammate and led the stampede through the gate.
An olive tidal wave of battered Konoha-nin surged forwards, fleeing the village. Tenten darted sideways, two blurs followed. Standing, she looked to see the sea separate around Naruto and Sasuke, their hair whipped backwards and their cloaks flew, black banners of hope, against the tearing tsunami daring to stop them. They tipped their heads forwards slightly and began idly wandering forwards through the stampede, smirks on their faces.
Behind her, Ino rolled over and Shikamaru twitched. She straightened up tall and flashing them a stern look, took charge.
'Let's move!'
Smoke stung her eyes. Bloodied, contorted bodies, civilian and shinobi alike, hailed the damp stalls of the marketplace below as echoing wails resonated inside her skull.
Crimson rivers thrashed across the once white sand of the snaking pathways. Increasing her speed blurred the scenery in to crimson, dirt and black blurs. The stench of coppery blood stained her nostrils, unescapable.
Flying kunai tinked of Tenten's wild blades, shadowy figures dispersed at the bite of her snarling fists and curved daggers. Blood playfully flecked her forearms until an ivory mask zipped out in front of her. Her teeth crushed as an impact shot her backwards. Thick, strangling blood gurgled and warmly hugged her throat. Pressure forced her shoulder down. The ROOT-nin blocked out the sky. A kunai drove towards her face.
With a heavy grunt, Shikamaru and Ino kicked at his shoulders, landing on them. The shinobi swirled, the pair crushed his shoulders under their sandals, skidding along the red sand. Tenten flipped to her feet. Eyes ablaze with anger, her mouth boiling with blood she flung herself forwards at the pinned man in the ivory mask. Her fist drove forwards with a crack. Dark fingers ran up the bone white mask. Black bled crimson as the cracks oozed warmly, the shadow slumped.
'Troublesome,' the shirker moaned.
A huge explosion rocked the three. Tenten's stomach churned as her hands stung in front of her face, stones nipped and stuck to her bloodied limbs.
In the distance, the quivering bricks of the monumental Hokage's tower barely stood above the murky smoke and stinking blood. Vibrant orange and purple blazed and spiralled at the crown of the pillar.
Tenten smiled at the prospect. 'Naruto-san, Sasuke-san. Make him regret being born.'
They took off towards the tower, wildly slashing at the glinting metal senbon rain that bore down upon them. Coming to a clearing, their eyes flashed with horror, shaking fingers only just able to hold their weapons. Tenten had to stop herself from buckling.
A long pathway led directly to the tower. A pathway covered with shadowy cloaked ninja. Their marble faces bore into the three ninja with lifeless black eye holes. They stood among piles of twisted bodies.
Piles of wild and ravaged ninja lay dead or howled at huge open tears at their flesh and throats. At their sides lay curled up mountains of fur. Teeth and claws drenched in blood, every inch of sticky, red and matted fur was embedded with thousands of bleeding needles.
Other hooded ninja lay, contorted and deformed, their eyes hidden behind smashed glasses or goggles, singed and burnt. Their blackened skin cracked as baked earth, the soft flesh beneath lay screaming with boiling blisters. Gnarled bones were seen through the cooked pink flesh of their hands and necks. The stinking sizzling skin on their faces had burnt back, revealing agonised skeletal grins. Around the burnt ninja, innumerable pin pricks of fire squealed in a tortured frenzy, before dispersing into tiny clouds of smoky ash.
The air attacked Tenten's lungs with the retching smell of cooked flesh and metallic blood, thickened by the fog of black smoke forming from the fallen bodies piled around the statuesque ROOT-nin.
The entirety of the Inuzuka and Aburame clans lay piled amongst pools of bubbling blood and smoky ash. Their corpses, desecrated by the ROOT-nin that walked upon them.
A hunched ROOT-nin tore into the bloody corpse of an Inuzuka with rapid glee, slicing through flesh with huge metal claws. He turned to face the trio and howled before he pounced.
Tenten shuddered as ice gripped her spine. Even now, within the Hollow, the old non-ROOT ANBU within the crowd quietly stood in slightly separated groups. A separation that wouldn't be tolerated. Yet their reminiscence to the ROOT-nin burned the memories of the other shinobi and perhaps, the minds of them themselves.
None of the non-ROOT ANBU could face wearing those lifeless masks anymore.
So there stood Kiba, tall in the arena. An example, Tenten hoped, that would show the other ninja to never back down, despite their losses. But most importantly, the rabble needed to remember to fight together, like the trained Konoha-nin some seemed all too happy to forget that they once were.
She finally turned to the other shinobi. He stood against the pair, awash in an aged white and red cloak, emblazoned in kanji. The mark of the Sandaime. Another young shinobi, about the usual chunnin age, to have had lost his close family completely. He had grown colder over the years. Loss seemed to shadow the boy like a predatory wolf hunts prey, casting an icy spectre over anyone who neared him. His face used to be full of tireless energy and his black eyes used to bubble with life,
'A lot like Naruto-san once was.' Tenten sighed to herself.
The shinobi idly twiddled a long black staff in his fingers before it became a whirling hurricane high above his head. Short, rough cut brown hair bristled with anticipation over a rare, gleaming konoha hitai-ate and energy bristled as he slammed the staff down. Dust erupted into the air twenty metres away. The trio flew into action.
The kunoichi stood solid, baring two katanas as fangs and claws flew forwards. Adrenaline ablaze, arms as cyclones, her swirling blades bit bone and teeth as she pirouetted on the spot. Lashing a leg upwards, she caught the feral shinobi's throat and threw him into a howling backflip. She smirked at the raging bruise, 'Gotcha! Kiba-chan!' She winked.
Sasuke's head pounded as he tried to figure out why there was a sound of a fight going on.
'Explain. Now. The ROOT organisation, objectives, leader and your presence here?' Tattled a dry voice. Sasuke's vibrating retinas became hot coals harassing the back of his eyeballs, blinded by the genjutsu, ninjutsu, whatever,
'Aburame Shino...' He seethed.
There was a long pause. Sasuke sensed his signature and looked towards him. Calculating, Sasuke wondered why he was being given the silent treatment.
'Incorrect. Your response and inability to access this position without engaging the guardian Kikaichū indicate your loyalty to Danzō-sama, compromis-' Blinded and sensing overwhelming killing intent cutting through his heart, clashing with scorching anger and a titanic, crushing concern for his loyal brother, Sasuke erupted.
'Would you quit the lecture and nitpicking Shino! This isn't the time for-' A strong hand gripped his shoulder from behind, paralysing pressure pinned his spine as two prods tore at his pressure points.
'ROOT, Sasuke-kun. Now.' A husky masculine voice grilled. Sasuke's mind fogged over.
'I can save your mind, Sasuke.' Naruto's eyes closed as he grinned.
'We do it, tonight. The Shinigami… …Half your soul… …The memories... ...All gone...
Sasuke couldn't bottle his weakened voice, Naruto-kun needed to stop with these plans, he cried out to stop his brother from continuing 'But what about you, dobe?Hinata carries your-'
Sasuke's teeth gripped and grinded tight as he forced back the boiling memory tearing at his mind. He began talking, slowly.
'Danzō, he-' his mind fogged.
Emotions betray the ideals of Konoha, for we are her weapons, sharpened, unthinking, unfeeling.
Sasuke shook his fazed mind into action, a hollow ringing stinging the back of his mind, a seal lit up inside his head as a foreign, flaming chakra burned away Danzō's voice within.
'-he leads ROOT. Naruto-dobe, he-he has a plan to stop him. But it only goes as far as getting us out of here.' Sasuke crumpled, his knees buckling from the towering pressure of Naruto's plan, his spine seething with spasms.
'Okay, Shino-kun.' Grilled the voice behind Sasuke, 'Release him.'
Sasuke's eyes opened to glorious, stinging vision, as his retinas stilled. Undercutting panic lifted as he fought back chilling memories of previous threats to his sight, his chest lightly elated. Two fingers released the pressure off his back as a gruff hand gripped his armpit and stiffly lurched him up to his weak feet.
Maito Gai sighed, his head slumped downwards to face a shinobi alliance hitai-ite dangling from an uncaring hand. He straightened and stood tall and solemn as he hung his hands behind his back and staring longingly at the flame above. He took uneasy steps towards it, his shadow flickering behind him, malshapen and bruised.
'Flame of Youth…' he mumbled with spite. The shinobi's old brilliantly clean composure was lost to torn, dirty, green fabric. Loose tresses of matte black hair waved and danced free amongst the usual straight gleaming bowl cut. Sasuke mistook a few grey strands for shine as the man's dying coal eyes turned towards him, his faced aged by shadow and shrunken cheeks, tanned leather in the orange light.
'Hmph… the irony,' Gai glumly muttered, casting a gaze towards the dead hitai-ate, littering the walls.
'Irony?' Sasuke questioned, a glaring rage of impatience and urgency clashed with the wavering respect for the broken figure before him. He knew he still felt lost without Lee and thinking better it better to humour the defeated former jonin than to boil over. He waited. Fists clenched white as his internals threatened to explode violently, he pretended to listen as his raging red eyes scanned the hazy area and found what he needed. A crowd.
'The fact is, our new-found enemies refer to themselves as ROOT-' the voice paused, '-when it is us, in reality, who reside among the roots of a tree. That, is ironic.' The same voice from before was drawling, humming with a boring repetitive rhythm. Shino appeared before Sasuke in a crouch, dispersing ebony insects to the already saturated, dirty air.
'Unless of course, Gai-sensei is mistaken. If he's referring to the literal flame beneath the roots, threatening to burn them then he is, of course speaking metaphorically considering the Will of Fire within us will, someday, burn ROOT. Shino's black tinted goggles flashed upon his last words, his drawl became steel sharp as his hands reached into his pockets. His body seemed to turn very stiff momentarily, before he further straightened up.
'Logic dictates this so.'
A husky growl surged from Gai's throat, 'metaphors, Shino-kun? No, irony. We love our village. We would die for it. Yet here we are, living in a hole hanging and slicing our beloved hitai-ate like nuke-nin.' His hand gripped the alliance headband with a trembling fist.
'Aye, the Flames of Youth are dying indeed.'
Sasuke left the musing pair behind, disgusted, his face contorted into stone, shoving his way through the crowd towards the arena. Hot hate bubbled up as he mercilessly shoved past dulled green flak jackets, tattered black cloaks and patched blue jumpsuits. A pulse of killing intent extruded from him, causing further spiralling outrage as the crowd split without a word. Not bothering, or too scared, to question his motive as the inky ROOT look alike surged towards the sparring trio. His head ached.
'-I'm dead to you the second we do this, Sasuke. You need to understand. I'll be a danger to you, to Hina-chan, to the baby.'
The dust separated between the kunoichi and feral shinobi. Her eyes snapped open at his evil grin. She spun. The staff just missed her as she bent backwards, forcing chakra into her feet to keep her up. An impact clipped her ribs. Recovering, her katanas flared. A red and white cloak blazed forwards as she brought the blades to spin. The staff spinning high above his head met swirling swords at her wrists. Searing sparks spat out at the clash. The kuniochi's blades failed, flying from her hands. She whipped her wrist. A kunai tore at the boy's throat. Connecting, he dispersed into a log. The kunoichi whirled, a hawk eyed sentry.
A staff erupted from the earth below, connecting with her chin. Blood spewed from her mouth as she fell backwards. The boy sprung upwards and lashed back down. She failed to see the staff come down on her.
A flash of sapphire lightning nimbly danced along a thin chokutū, inches from her face. She could feel the wind hit her skin as the staff bounced off the blade. Ringing vibrations cut through her ear drums, stinging her mind and senses with toe curling power. Gritting her teeth at the noise alone made her appreciate something.
Konohamaru had improved.
Tenten glanced up as the light danced along her 'saviors' angular pale face. Ruby red eyes clashed against the sapphire light dancing along his features. Her mind washed out the dull, aching pain from her chin as she felt as her movements slow, yet her heart fluttered as her cheeks warmed a little before she bit her lip, waving off the adverse effects of Sasuke's Sharingan.
Sasuke smirked, the strange sensation of being impressed fluttered in his chest and drowned the raging hatred for the weakened ninja crowded around as he offered her his hand. Kunoichi usually struggled to stop the new passive effects of his Sharingan. He could see through the kunoichi's inspired plan, to try and restore some spirit among the ninja before them. But it wouldn't work. They needed inspiration and he knew who that excitable, knuckleheaded inspiration would be. Who it had always been. Naruto.
He hadn't noticed that many ninja gawped in awe at the chidori blade technique he had just applied.
Kiba recovered his composure from the dusty ground. Did weapons really have to make so much noise? He rubbed his sensitive, shrieking ears and attempted to properly maintain his dizzy balance.
'Sasuke,' he half muttered, half moaned, 'Were kinda busy, y'know. Putting on a show for the boys and girls. Gotta keep the guests entertained, yeah?'
Sasuke's steely glare caught Kiba's. Kiba straightened, his concussed composure evaporated, he knew this was serious from the stern look on the Uchiha's face. Little did he know Sasuke was just testing his Sharingan's effects on males. It wouldn't do him any good to have men blushing and falling over themselves whenever he activated it.
'Urm, sorry? Sasuke-San?'
Sasuke smirked again, 'Intimidation on males,' he thought silently, 'that, I can deal with.'
Tenten and Konohamaru stood silent too, as the other ninja bristled with interest and slight anxiousness. Sasuke's trial seemed to be reoccurring all over again.
Sasuke held their gazes as he scanned the crowd intently with blazing rubies, he could see the flow of chakra between them begin to relight as their interest was sparked.
'ANBU-senpai, Konoha-nin,' He addressed, 'you all owe a debt to Uzumaki Naruto.' A smirk threatened to split his cheeks as he saw the crowd light up at the name. Murmurs grew louder, glances became bustling conversations. The classroom faced Sasuke. One by one, all of the ninja, jonin, genin, chunnin, ANBU and their shadowy seniors saluted. The risk had been worth it.
'Hai, Uchiha-san!' The crowd erupted. The ground shook slightly from the chakra surge that followed.
Tenten was ecstatic, bubbles inflated and danced in her heart as she glanced around past the crowd to catch Guy saluting towards Sasuke. Shino stood in the shadows, releasing a bug somewhere.
'Well then,' Sasuke continued, hiding his quivering voice masterfully, barely able to believe the ninja before him.
The ninja that had spent so long judging whether he was loyal to Konoha or not after the war followed his word so easily. Naruto had spent weeks by his side upon his return, defending him from the glares and insults they sent him, before attacking him with other insults anyway. He even fended off a few Sasuke fan-girls. How they even existed after his crimes was an insult to female intelligence.
Furthermore, he stood in ROOT standardised gear. Had the time not been running desperately short on his seal, he would have thought something was amiss. An air of silent anticipation hung heavy over the crowd, contrasting the thick thumping of Sasuke's thick, heavy heart.
'This is what we must do.' He began.
A/N: Check out my profile for updates on new chapters. Apologies for this chapter arriving late. Taku94 out .