A/N: Don't own Naruto.
Chapter 15: The Moments That Take Our Breath Away (Part 2)
October 10
Madara scowled. The prolonged use of the sharingan was having more of an effect on Obito then he'd thought it would. The boys help in widening the portal was waning and his own chakra was draining at a faster rate than he'd thought it would, which was the only reason he'd noticed Obito's output at all. The enormous amounts of dark chakra spiraling out of the portal and his location directly in front of it made it impossible to feel, let alone gauge, anyone's chakra but his own. He'd had to increase his own chakra production just to keep the portal opening at the same pace ,which was the only indication he had that Obito was faltering. The amount of chakra he was expending for the summoning was incredible, but feeling the power coming from the doorway he knew it would all be worth it. Konoha would soon be paying for its crimes.
Once he deemed the gateway large enough he would signal Itachi, who would perform the ceremonial sacrifice; tossing the fox into the fire. Undoubtedly the entryway was nowhere near the size it needed to be yet, the nine tails was gigantic and their current doorway was barely able to clear the height of a young tree. Hopefully Obito would be able to hold out until they were finished, though it didn't look good. The boy's face was already sweating and his eyes were closed with the effort to remain focused on his task. Seeing the effort his protégé was putting in and thinking of the chakra he must be burning through for the cause wiped the scowl from his face. Even if he had to disburse more chakra then he'd counted on, the Kyubi would be here soon and today would be a good day.
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Itachi looked around in awe at all the chakra arching, lacing, and spiraling around him. Not only was Madara's and Obito's chakra churning the through the air around them, the unnatural chakra of the demon dimension was spilling out of the doorway and dancing in the wind. Now that Kakashi had opened the other portal and Obito was lost in his focus to work on both, it fell to Itachi to keep the plan rolling; it was his turn to have the most important task in their plan. He was the only one who could see the smaller opening and Madara at the same time, not to mention he was the only one able to keep his eyes open, and he had to be sure the gateway was large enough to fit their unwanted leader before he made his move. He also had to make sure they didn't allow it to grow so big that its presence became noticeable, though with all the chakra noise flying out of the giant demon doorway Itachi doubted anyone who didn't know to look for it would be able to find it.
It was Itachi's job to get Madara through that doorway, at any cost. While Obito had been training to widen portals and Kakashi to open them, Itachi had worked relentlessly on his speed. If he wasn't fast enough the consequences would be dire. There was the possibility Madara would see his movements and knowing what he was about, stop him before he accomplished the goal; in which case Konoha would burn. In another scenario the Uchiha patriarch could see him coming and step out of the way, sending Itachi flying into the portal himself, once again leaving Konoha in ashes. Yet another contingency allowed Itachi to push the man through the door only to be pulled in along with him. At least if that happened Konoha would survive and Sasuke would be safe. It was due to this possibility that Obito had been against the plan. Itachi recalled the conversation with nostalgia; it had been the first time anyone had expressed concern or worry for him other than his mother.
"He could pull you into the vortex with him, it's not safe," Obito had argued.
"I would gladly give my life for Konoha's safety. It is a small price to pay," Itachi had answered.
"What? How can you say that?" the older Uchiha had exploded.
"How can you not say it? A shinobi is a tool for the village. If my death can save the village it is a necessary one. What good is a tool that fails to do its job?"
"You're a person Itachi! Not a tool!" Obito had shouted, angry at the clan who had raised this child to put such little stock in his own worth.
"Be that as it may, we have no other options. Unless of course you've managed to come up with something?"
Obito had shaken his head. As much as he hated to admit it, while he was the heart of this operation, the 6 year old was definitely the brains.
Dragging himself from the fond memory of familial concern Itachi had to focus on the task at hand. To allow for the greatest amount of deception to occur before Madara could figure out their subterfuge, he had devised his own plan within the parameters of the group's plan. Relying on the craftiness of the squirming fox in his arms, when he perceived the doorway to be large enough he would allow the animal it's opportunity to spring free right towards Madara. Under the guise of recapturing their sacrifice Itachi would run seemingly recklessly in his zeal, toward them, taking the opportunity to knock that man right into hell. Never taking his eyes off Madara or the almost big enough portal, Itachi prayed everything went as planned; he had to protect his brother. Sasuke needed him and he couldn't fail.
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The Forest of Death? Were they serious? Of all the places for those idiots to be it just had to be the Forest of Death, the most forbidden location in the entire village. Leave it to her teammates to get them all demoted. Entrance into the Forest of Death was granted only for ANBU training purposes and the occasionally chunin exam, otherwise it was completely off limits to everyone in Konoha. Punishment for getting caught within it was severe, but Anko couldn't find it in herself to leave. She just had this awful feeling that her boys were in over their heads and there was no way she wouldn't be there to pull them out.
Noticing the large force of enemy samurai camping out, she knew her assumption had been right. Protocol dictated she inform the Hokage about the intruders before she continued on, but she was pretty certain she didn't have time for that, nor did she want to be kicked out of the ninja ranks which was certainly what would happen if she went directly to the Hokage. Shouting from up ahead in the camp confirmed her suspicions and she decided to ignore protocol to find her teammates. Nevertheless, observing the size of the enemy force Anko made the decision that backup could very well be necessary, even if it wasn't the Hokage, after all she had no idea what her teammates were up to in here.
She bit her thumb roughly, boar, dog, bird, monkey, ram, her fingers flew through the seals and she slammed her palm to the ground summoning a two foot long lime green snake. Looking up at her through yellow eyes Akasha hissed, "Itss been a long time ssinsse you had any need for me Anko. And now you call me out in the middle of the night? And in thisss plassse?"
"I am sorry Akasha-kun," Anko apologized. Normally she wasn't so polite to her summons but she needed cooperation right now. "I need you to carry a message for me. It's very important."
After a few minutes of haggling Akasha agreed to deliver the message at Anko's promise that she would call her out more frequently for battle, the snake's bloodlust was insatiable, and it was something she had been hesitant to do. Truth be told, since Orochimaru left her she hadn't summoned even a single snake up till this very moment. She'd been afraid to remind herself of anything that had to do with her sensei and worried that to do so would hurt her too much. It hadn't. She was okay and she was sure it had something to do with the morons out somewhere in this treacherous forest; the only family she had left. She had to hurry; something was telling her that the boys needed her.
Now able to feel a sinister chakra not far away, with Akasha's departure Anko took to the trees. Ever since she'd died (an experience far more painful than she ever let on), her velocity through the canopy of Konoha's trees was spectacular. Her improved eyesight, increased coordination, and boosted speed let her practically fly through the woods. But even as she raced along toward that awful aura, faster than anyone else could have gone, she had a terrible feeling that she still just wasn't fast enough.
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Obito tried not to smile. So far everything was playing out just as they'd planned it. Despite their slow start it looked like they were going to do okay as far as time went. Kakashi had improved his skill with the portal and he was pretty sure the opening was now big enough. Itachi didn't seem ready to make his move yet though, so Obito continued to pour his chakra into both doorways.
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Itachi took a deep breath. The gateway was finally big enough, bigger than they needed even, but he'd wanted to be sure. There was no way he wanted that man outside the door after he had obviously tried to push him in just because he'd been impatient and jumped the gun. Now though it was definitely large enough, it was time. Itachi held the fox up and began to shake the already volatile creature in preparation for his release, figuring the more riled up it was the more it would look like an accident that it got away. Unfortunately for all involved, Uchiha Madara chose that instant to bellow, "Now Itachi! Now!"
The man's shout startled the young boy just enough that during the ill-advised shaking process the fox was able to wiggle free. Disoriented by the rattling Itachi had given it, and doing everything in its power to get as far away from the frightening miasma engulfing the forest, the frightened animal unwittingly ran right into the fire. His cries of pain echoed in Itachi's ears as he managed to fail at the most important mission he'd ever been given. As all the breath left Itachi's lungs, Madara cackled maniacally.
"Sumimasen Sasuke," he whispered as he fell to his knees.
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Anko had been unable to discern what the hell was going on down on the forest floor below her hidden perch in the trees. The raging bonfire and evil chakra emanating from the portal within it could not be good and she just knew she should stop it. But Obito was down there participating in whatever it was, so maybe she was wrong. Obito wouldn't do something to hurt the village, right? Immediately after she had the thought she wished she could take it back. Her trust in her teammates was absolute and if Obito was down there then there was definitely a good reason for it. Quickly taking stock of her surroundings, in an attempt to figure out what was happening down there, she'd noticed Kakashi crouched in a bush not far from the fire. Concentration burned across his face and she decided interrupting him from whatever it was he was doing would be a poor decision.
Itachi kept his focus intently on the space directly behind the crazily grinning man who emanated more power than even Orochimaru, and she found to her annoyance that she couldn't see that spot from her position. She could tell that man would be trouble, but what kept drawing her eye was the boy's constant stare at a seemingly empty location. Moving to another branch she was able to see another portal.
Suddenly it fell into place, well not the exact story of what they were doing down there, but certainly she could tell her friends were working against this man, which meant he was the enemy. She could easily discern that the plan was to push this villain into Kakashi's vortex, what she didn't know was what they were waiting for. Anko was a girl of action, and her first instinct was to take out the opposition; knock him through that doorway there before anything bad could happen. But Kakashi had been telling her she was too rash, too quick to act, and too emotionally involved with everything she did; traits that would get her, if not all her teammates, killed one day. So in what she would come to view as the biggest mistake of her life, Anko did nothing but wait.
Seconds later the man's voice rang out, ("Now Itachi! Now!") and the fox's cries mixed with the demented cackle of her enemy.
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Obito's eyes snapped open at the sound of Madara's cry and he watched helplessly as the fox ran into the flames. No! This couldn't be happening, not when they had been so close. How did this happen? There plan had been sound, this shouldn't be happening. He didn't know what to do. He dropped his hold on Madara's portal all together but held onto Kakashi's in some futile hope that their plan could pull through, but honestly he had no idea how.
"Ahhhhh!" Itachi's gut wrenching scream pierced the night as the small boy flung himself at the man who had been tormenting him and torturing him in his dreams for over a year.
So caught up in the ecstasy of his plan finally coming to fruition Madara didn't seen the attack until it was too late and Itachi had knocked him back into Kakashi's portal. Regrettably, the bastard had noticed in time to grab the boy and pull him along for the fall into hell.
For Obito it was already hell, right here in Konoha, as he watched it all take place in slow motion. Itachi's small figure grabbed from behind, his body almost snapping together while his arms and hands met his legs and feet like the mandibles of a trap-jaw ant, as he was yanked backwards his panic stricken face, and terror filled eyes as they locked with Obito's own, were cataloged for eternity by his sharingan. He would never forget how helpless he felt at that moment, watching one of his few remaining family members ripped from his life was an experience forever burned into his soul.
So completely focused on the visual of what was happening, Obito failed to hear what was going on around him, everything falling away from his consciousness including the voice of one Mitarashi Anko.
"Sen'eijashu! Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"
Suddenly Itachi was being wrenched back out of the portal as Anko's snakes bit into his arms, legs, hands, and feet; fangs sinking his flesh for a true hold than Madara could get with his one arm, his other being sucked too far into the doorway to do him any good. Unfortunately, as Anko pulled the little Uchiha out of the portal Madara clung to him and began to emerge as well. Still in shock, all Obito could do was stare.
"Kakashi! Close the portal!" Anko screamed out in distress, as she struggled against the pull of the vortex. Abruptly the spiraling hole vanished, dropping Itachi to the ground; Madara's arm still clutching his middle.
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Hearing Anko's shout Kakashi immediately closed the portal and practically collapsed. His body could barely move and his chakra resources were all but gone. Shakily he crawled to the clearing to see his friends and relieved to have gotten rid of the evil Uchiha. Upon clearing the bushes the horrific scene that met his eyes made him wish he could just close them and it would all go away.
The blazing hellfire remained, and crawling forth out of the flames, was the Kyubi no Yoko. Its malevolent chakra filled the small area; completely overwhelming all who stood before it. Without Madara to hold the portal open it should have collapsed on itself but the demon fox had been summoned and with its massive chakra it had continued to hold the gateway open. That was not to say it wasn't having some problems, its enormous form was too big for the opening and the demon was struggling to rip its body through.
Plagued with chakra exhaustion Obito lay crumpled on the ground, dragged to the far end of the clearing. Itachi stood, just barely, to the collapsed boys' right, his arms and legs dripping blood from the numerous holes puncturing his skin. To the forefront, protectively hovering defiantly before them, katana clutched in her right hand, stood Anko looking fiercer then any warrior Kakashi had ever seen. Ready to take on the demon, even though it surely meant her death, the kunoichi refused to lose any of her precious people. Kakashi intended for no such thing.
"Itachi, can you run?" he asked.
"I think so, I might be slow," the boy answered.
"That's okay, so long as we're moving," Kakashi said quietly, doing his best not to attract the attention of the thrashing demon. Painfully he pushed his abused body up from the forest floor. Looking to Anko, he motioned toward the unmoving Obito, "Can you carry him?"
"Hai," she answered. Sheathing her sword in one quick motion she knelt down and hoisted Obito's body onto her shoulders. "Let's move."
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A/N: I know this chapter is pretty terrible but I've redone it several times and I just can't make it better, and to be honest I just wanted to be done with it so I could move on to the next chapter. I hope you are able to get through it and stick around for the next one. I promise I will try to make it better.
Thanks for reading and please drop me a review. They're like candy, and who can ever get enough candy?