Chapter 26: Rekindled Flames
You can thank Mike299 that I'm updating this so soon. While it may not seem very fast compared to how fast I was updating last year you should be able to tell that the chapters are of much better quality. Of course this is also without mentioning that I switched schools five months ago and my new school is way harder than my last one. Thanks to to all my reviewers especially the long term reviewers who I remember had this story on their alerts a year ago when it was first published.
AN/ HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
"blah" talking
blah- thinking
Heiri had a kunai in each hand, his left arm fully extended while his right arm was bent in a little the style that best combined offense and defence. "Where is my uncle?" Heiri asked, barely able to keep his voice calm. The figure walked closer stopping when he was a hundred feet away. Heiri turned to Naruto to see his blonde friend frozen as if he had been hit. "Naruto," Heiri called over his shoulder, "you okay?"
Naruto stepped forward nodding, and rubbed his eyes. "Itachi?"
Itachi walked toward the group of teenage ninja and tried to smile for Naruto. "Good to see you Naruto. You have been well, your feats have made Akatsuki all the more anxious to get their hands on you."
"Itachi..." Naruto paused lost for words. Itachi was finally back he could be saved. "Are you okay?" Naruto finally asked, noticing how sick his older brother looked. Itachi's eyes were dim as if he was only barely alive, he was pale, and he looked tired.
"I'm fine Naruto, but you need to get out of here before Kisame comes back or I'll have to either fight you or kill Kisame." Itachi turned to Heiri, " You are the son of the Raikage. My partner is finishing fighting your uncle. I'm sorry for your loss."
Heiri's green eyes locked on to Itachi's. "Where is he!" Heiri charged Itachi his anger getting the best of him. "WHERE IS MY UNCLE!" Heiri made it halfway before Naruto caught him getting behind Heiri and getting his arms under Heiri's and planting his hands on the side of his friends head. "Let me go, Naruto! He's going to kill my uncle, let me GO!" Heiri reached over his head and grabbed Naruto's jounin vest throwing him over his own head and into the rocky dirt.
"Fucking stop Heiri. He'll kill you!" Naruto yelled. Heiri completed a flash of hand signs and his right arm held a ball of electricity which he dragged through the ground while still running full speed. Itachi knowing the jutsu, performed his own and lunged at Heiri. The two ninja were within feet of each other when Naruto apeared between them, neither could stop. Naruto didn't have time for hand seals and caught the electrically charged spheres with his hands and dispersing them after the jutsus made contact with his skin with orbs of cycling wind.
Naruto bit his lip as he looked at his hands slightly burnt and bleeding. "Itachi, please, can you tell Heiri where his uncle is?"
Itachi nodded and pointed to a cave a to his right.
Naruto sighed in releif as the missing nin answered. "Itachi I'll fight you while Heiri goes to rescue his uncle. I want to see how I'll fare against you."
A twinkle appeared in Itachi's eye a sign of life. "I'd like that."
Heiri dissapeared in a burst of electricity. Naruto turned, "Hinata, Ino go with Heiri he'll need your help saving his uncle."
Ino's eyes widened, "But Naruto-"
"Go." Naruto ordered. He watched the two girls run past his brother. How would he protect them all. Gaara, Heiri, Itachi... Sasuke? They needed him but he was unable to stop so much of what happened to them. His father had almost died. Gaara had almost been killed by Akatsuki. Heiri had to suffer the trials which came with being the son of the Raikage. Sasuke was gone betraying not only his village but Naruto's friendship. And Itachi. He was dying, too far down his tragic path for anyone to save.
Naruto focused his vision on to Itachi's face. Naruto's handsome older brother looked down at him with the immense burden he carried. There was no way he was going to be able to come back to Konoha. The promise Naruto and Sasuke had made-solemnly swearing to save Itachi- had lost its meaning.
Naruto pulled off his headband and dropped it to the ground he was not fighting for his village, that would be too demoralizing for him to bear. No, he was fighting for his family. He tried to keep his composure as a few determined tears began running down his face. Naruto knew what he had to do. He had to fufill his obligation and free Itachi. He had to free his brother the only way he could. He wiped his eyes as they became so wet he could barely see. An intense power inside him was raging begging to be let out and Naruto let it out. "ITACHI!" Naruto cried as he charged. Time slowed down allowing his mind to sort itself out and focus.
His clenched fist buried itself in Itachi's stomach causing the older ninja to fall to his knees. Itachi was not going to fight back he wanted Naruto to save him. To end his pain. Naruto's surprise was quickly overcome with frustration. God damn it! He looked up at the sky where black clouds were forming while violent winds tore at the earth. "Please," Naruto whispered, struggling not to break down. He ground his teeth, "Please Itachi don't make me do it like this. Teach me one final time." Itachi looked up as two tears hit his forehead, the tears had rolled down Naruto's face.
"Of course Naruto. You know I would do anything for you." Itachi said standing up. "Let's begin... one last time."
Naruto and Itachi faced each other they faced each other as they had years before when Itachi had taught Naruto and Sasuke in the Uchiha training grounds. When the Uchihas would bring the trio lunch and laugh with them. They stood reminicing in a past long dead. A past where Naruto would be holding Itachi's hand in one hand and Sasuke's in the other and be content with the way things were. That's what I'm fighting to save that's what I'm fighting to protect. Naruto pulled a scroll out of his jounin vest. Lightning pierced the silence signaling the start of the storm. Naruto and Itachi disappeared when the flash was created.
The sky darkened and the two ninja clashed, and the darkness every so often was penetrated with the sparks from colliding metal.
-/-/-/-
Heiri found his uncle lying on the ground panting with Kisame standing over him his chakra absorbing sword in hand. The Akastsuki member turned his head to see Heiri enter the cave. The cave wasn't dark near the entrance but Heiri couldn't see where it ended as the piercing blackness seemed to go on forever.
"Leave him alone." Heiri said.
Kisame grinned. "This is almost getting funny. It's always kids trying to save their parents and they force me to kill them. Get out of here I have no time to play with you squirt."
Heiri was not going to argue he was to angry for that. "Wrong answer asshole." Heiri fired an electric bolt at Kisame who was forced to jump back into the darkness to avoid being hit. Heiri was kneeling beside his uncle as Kisame emerged from the darkness.
"Uncle are you alright?" Heiri asked, shaking his uncle.
His uncle groaned slightly, barely conscious.
Heiri let out a sigh of relief his uncle was fine. "Don't worry I'll protect you. Repayment for all the times you looked out for me." Heiri wiped his watering eyes and stood up.
Kisame grinned. "Touching. I think I'm gonna throw up. However, your not bad kid I'll enjoy watching you breathe your last breath."
Kisame raised Samehada, and pointed the heavy sword at Heiri. "Any last requests?"
Heiri ignored the comment and charged the sword wielding missing nin careful to avoid being hit. He ducked as Kisame swung the massive sword and created a sword of electricity with two simple hand signs. Kisame swung his massive sword down towards Heiri who managed to roll to his side avoiding the devastating blow which dented the floor of the cave. Heiri analyzed the sword for a second wondering why it looked familiar.
"That wouldn't happen to be Samehada, would it?" Heiri asked, admiring the unique weapon.
"You're very observant. It is the great sword Samehada, the chakra eating sword." Kisame looked at Heiri's thin blade of electricity. "That wimpy thing wouldn't be able to block a single swing of Samehada."
Heiri grimaced. That's true I won't be able to fight him using a weapon my best chance at defeating him is cornering him in the back of the cave and then using some powerful electric jutsu once I'm sure he can't escape. He hurled his lightning bolt sword at Kisame like a spear and after creating a clone began his plan to push Kisame to the back of the cave.
-/-/-/-
To the untrained eye it would appear that fairies were dancing in the storm. Sparks from metallic weapons would erupt from the darkness and it was unclear where they were coming from. In the sky the storm brewed worse and lightning hurtled to the earth with unimaginable speed creating the stench of burnt earth, thunder boomed in defiance of all that existed. Rain blinded everything.
And thus three senses were dulled with the stormed ferocity. One might question why on earth they would continue to fight in the despicable conditions when it would be easy to escape under the cover of the storm.
But for Itachi and Naruto there was no question. The storm to them was Naruto and Itachi traded blows back and forth using weapons and taijutsu but foregoing jutsus. Naruto knew without justu it would be impossible to kill the sharingan master and that fact alone kept him from deploying one of the many techniques he could use to end a person's life. Naruto slid to a halt kicking up mud at the older ninja and then twisting his body so his heel swung into Itachi's side causing hims to crumple.
It was the first clean hit Naruto had landed and Itachi stood up with a ghost of a smile on his face impressed with the blondes use of taijutsu. Naruto picked his sword out of the muddy earth where he had dropped it to complete his complex assault and with renewed confidence again attempted to cut his brother down. Itachi had a sword as well Totsuka and though he did not utilize its full capabilities he proved that he was the superior swordsman. Naruto parried and then slashed at Itachi but it was clear that he would not deal a blow to Itachi with his sword. For a second time Itachi dislodged the sword from Naruto's hand and tapped the steel blade against Naruto's neck careful not to cut the blonde. It was clear to Naruto as well as Itachi that a real battle between them would leave Naruto dead but that was not important. What was important was Naruto helping to spare Itachi any more misery.
Naruto had let his anger subside and with it the Kyuubi's chakra. Fighting was way too hard. Naruto couldn't feel anger towards Itachi no matter how much he needed it to acomplish the task at hand. Binding pressures of his obligation tore at his consious and he wanted nothing more than to be able to sit and talk to Itachi about their childhood.
Itachi sheathed his sword. "Let us advance our battle Naruto I feel the fight in the cave coming to a climax. Itachi fired a series of fireballs at Naruto indicating what he meant. Naruto frowned and dodged the flames. This was the final test. It was clear Itachi was superior to Naruto in taijutsu, swordsmanship, and genjutsu. But who was superior in ninjustu? In all honesty Naruto would put his money on Itachi and his sharingan but he did not count himself out. He knew dozens of jutsu that Itachi would never have come across. There was a chance that one of those would help him end their battle.
He disapeared from view sinking into the ground. Itachi waited patiently wondering what techniques Naruto would employ. Naruto emerged underneath him rasengan in hand forcing Itachi to jump upward. Naruto grazed Itachi's arm which surprised him. He had not expected Itach to be caught so unawares. Itachi twisted back performing handsigns at a god like speed sending a fireball into Naruto's face. Naruto dispersed the fire with a wind exploding it in Itachi's face. Itachi exploded sending Naruto hurtling back. Had the clone sustained the hit and continued to fight? Or had Itachi also made a clone in the split second when he had emerged from the ground? Naruto sprung up warily checking to see if Itachi still had the scratch. Itachi nodded answering Naruto's unspoken questions.
Itachi was unmarked. "I do not have the time to explain but one day you will know. All things can be explained if you understand chakra." Once again Itachi exploded but this time not into fire. A hundred crows burst out of Itachi their wings pounding against the air. The genjutsu was so subtle yet so powerful a combination which was not present in taijustu or most ninjutsu. Naruto concentrated to break free of the spell closing his eyes and tilting his head downward. It took a moment for the birds to cease existing but when they did Itachi did not reapear.
Naruto calmed himself quickly forming a plan. "Itachi there is one thing I would like to know... Where do you rank in power among the members of Akatsuki?" Naruto ducked under a shuriken and followed the path the projectile had come from.
Naruto twisted his sword producing a powerful slashing wind which consumed the area where he believed Itach hid. Itachi appeared behind Naruto and put his hands on Naruto's shoulders.
"Please do not pretend that is your only question Naruto. I know there are countless others you wish to ask. In answer to your question I would guess I am the third strongest Akatsuki member. But not for long, right Naruto?" Itachi's face did not express any pity for either of them nor the overwhelming sadness and grief which Naruto felt.
"Itachi..." Naruto began. "I-"
Itachi raised his hand, "It is as I wished it. Sleep beckons me."
Naruto turned around and hugged his older brother. As tears pushed down Naruto's face one of his clones emerged from the ground behind Itachi katana raised to finish the battle. No...Naruto corrected himself. The ceremony. A ceremony in which Naruto's quest to free Itachi would end. The clone thrust the blade into Itachi's heart.
Or at least tried.
An explosion of electricity destroyed Naruto's clone and paralyzed Naruto and Itachi. For an instant Naruto wondered if it was a bolt of lightning that had left him unable to move properly, but his previous thought was shredded as the source of the attack came into focus. A sword had found its way into Itachi's stomach but it was not Naruto's, the blonde finally made out the face of the attacker.
The attacker smirked as he stood over Itachi, "It's good to see you again Naruto."