Sorry for the long wait, life mostly in the form of work with mandated 58 hours a week got in the way of writing this story as well as some writer block. Now I hope you can forgive me and now I hope you enjoy this chapter. Thanks Wilkins75
Chapter 53 A Crossroad
The situation was almost heavenly for Ino Yamanaka, the dance floor was all theirs everyone else had gone to bed or at least had left the room. She lowered her head down onto her dance pattern's shoulder as they moved slowly around the floor to the music coming out of the music player. Sai for his part was just trying to remain as calm as possible as Ino lead him around the floor, all his ninja training and everything that he had done to become a weapon for the Leaf village hadn't prepared him to have a beautiful girl in his arms on the dance floor. He tried to remain calm but his natural instincts where starting to take over and he hoped that Ino couldn't feel his manhood through the fabric. His hopes where pointless because Ino noticed it a long time ago but she was still debating with herself if she wanted to take this back to her room or go to his room, Naruto and Sakura were in Sakura's room after all and she knew Naruto now had superhuman hearing. That would make it kind of weird but she would prefer it in her room.
She lowered her head onto Sai's chest as they moved across the dance floor, she inhaled his scent and for a moment she was in heaven. She forgot about all the horrible things that was happening outside of their hidden bunker, all the people dying from the flue, all the surviving and people struggling to make it through the night to the next day. On top of that there was the demons turning humans into their kind and that even while they had lived through the first infection of the flue that it wouldn't save them. The flue will return and they wouldn't live through that without a cure or becoming a demon. She forgot how the imagine of her mother's dead body burning on the massive funeral pile back in the Leaf, she forgot about when she and Shikamaru ended the life of their teammate Choji before the Flue could take him. All that was gone as she moved slowly across the floor in Sai's arms.
The music ended and since it was the end of the playlist it didn't go onto another song, Sai and Ino came to a stop and pulled apart slightly. Sai still had one hand on Ino's hip and another one stretched out so that it was on her back. Ino for her part had her arms wrapped around his neck, for a moment the two just looked into each other's eyes, Ino into his dark eyes and Sai into her sky-blue eyes. Slowly the two of them came closer and closer until their breath's mixed in the air. They were within millimeters of their first kiss when suddenly alarms began to go off and both of them where broken out of their little piece of heaven.
Before the alarms began going off, Kiba and Karui where in the process of undressing each other. Unlike others who had gone slowly and gently, Kiba and Karui where going at each other like wild animals. They were knocking things over and ripping at each other's cloths in a rush to each get what they wanted from the other. They were communicating in nothing more than grunts, growls, moans and the occasional word. Both of them where drunk and they knew it, both of them wanted this and they knew that as well.
"Faster, fuck yes." moaned Karui as she was pinned to the wall by Kiba while she ran her fingers through his hair. She did a play bit on his ear before stretching a bit so that her breast was in his face as much as possible. They didn't hear it at first but the sound of the alarm caused both of them to stop what they were doing.
"You have to be fucking me." complained Kiba
"I thought I was doing that." countered Karui with a playful verbal attack on her now lover, Kiba. He glared at her and she glared back but in their eyes there was no hate or anger only playful chain pulling.
Naruto's foot came crashing down on Sasuke's bedroom door with such force that it went flying back into the room. On some levels, he wished Sasuke was there so that he could kill him for what he had done to their research, he wasn't so luckily. The room was just as he had expected it, it was devoid of life and even the items that Karin and Sasuke had gathered in the city had been sealed away and taken. The walls where bare concrete and even the scent of the two people who called this room home was gone.
"Sasuke." Growled Naruto as he showed his teeth, which where elongated and his mouth. His blue eyes blazed with anger and even red demon chakra danced around him. "You son of a bitch."
"Naruto what the fuck is happening?" inquired Kiba as he came out of his room dressed only in a pair of pants which he was trying to button but couldn't because it was on backwards. Naruto didn't respond instead his fist tightened to such a point that blood was coming out of his palm.
"What is going on?" inquired Sai as he and Ino walked up, they weren't alone as Neji and Tenten emerged from their honeymoon suit, which was just their normal room. Still Naruto remained quiet his anger visible to everyone.
"I am going to kill him." Growled Naruto in pure anger and hate as he lip lifted a bit to show everyone that his teeth had sharpened into canine like fangs.
"Naruto what the hell is going on." added Ino
"We have been betrayed." said Sakura as she came out of her room, she had stripped off the dress and quickly put on her combat gear. All eyes were on her now as she put on her combat pack to her leg before zipping up the front of her jonnin vest. "All our medical research, all our samples and all the backups have been destroyed by the incinerator."
"My God." Said Ino as she covered her mouth with her hands. "Everything is gone are you sure?"
"Everything." snapped Sakura as she looked her best friend straight in the eyes, she did notice how close she and Sai were to each other and that Kiba and Karui had both come out of the same room half-dressed but none of that mattered right now.
"And Sasuke, Karin and Suigetsu are all gone." added Naruto as he took a breath calming himself but the rage, more rage then any of his friends had ever seen from him was just under the surface. "They or rather Karin knew how to get out of the base without us knowing. We can expect them to go over to the demons, to be turned and then hand over our location."
"They wouldn't do that? Would they betray all of humanity just to save themselves." inquired Tenten "Even Sasuke isn't as self-centered as that is he?"
For a while no one answered the question before Tenten shook her head.
"I knew it, but I wanted someone to tell me I was wrong." said Tenten with a sad shake of the head, resigning herself to the situation at hand, her wedding and the multiple magical moments she had just had was now gone from her mind as cold deadly reality showed itself once again. "How long do we have?"
"We don't know, the incinerator was on a time delay, Naruto-kun heard it in my room." explained Sakura "The real question is what do we do now?"
"They will know soon maybe already know where we are. It is only a matter of time until they come down here to get us." added Sakura
"What do you mean, we fight." snapped Karui as she spoke up for the first time. "We can hold them off while you do your work…."
"Work with what!" snapped Sakura with heat in her voice. "Everything is gone, they destroyed the samples, all the records even the back ups and then to top it off they destroyed the hardware. We can't do research here."
"Then where?" inquired Kiba "You need a hospital right, I am sure there is another one we can reach?"
"There is." Added Ino with a sad look in her eyes, she understood where Sakura was going. "There are a couple we could actually go to but we would have to fight our way past the demons outside. We would have to fight our way through them, through the Naruto's Parents, Kiba's and Hana's parents, Sakura's parents plus two different sensei. They are some of the best ninjas of their generation and that was before becoming demons."
"So not all of us will get away." added Shikamaru as he and Temari entered the conversation, the adults who had been sleeping mostly on the second level had finally arrived.
"How much time do we have?" inquired Temari
"Unknown not long, the moment Sasuke is turned he will spill his guts." said Naruto
"Unless he does it before he is turned." countered Shino
"No, Sasuke wouldn't do that. He would want to hold that card until he got what he wanted." countered Sakura "He would wait until after he is turned."
"Then you have at least an hour maybe two." added a new voice as they turned to see Meiko standing there, however unlike earlier when she had an illusion justu to make her look human now she stood before them a full demon. Her bright red fur with white highlights on the neck which disappeared under her sleeping shirt and black fur on her hands and feet. She crossed her hands over her chest and looked around at all of them with her silted demon eyes. "Believe me after you are turned unless you are properly prepared for it you don't really think straight for a while and all you want to do is sleep. When I was turned, all I did after having a shower was sleep for about 10 hours."
"Then why do you say we have an hour or two, not 10?" countered Hanabi as she appeared and glared slightly at the demon standing before them without even trying to pretend to be a human anymore.
"Because this is Sasuke, once he is able to he will tell them what they want to know." said Naruto as he closed his eyes. "Ok, there are two ways out of the base that we know about, the main one and the hidden tunnel they used to escape, likely in the bedroom. No sense wasting time looking for it when we can escape from a location we know."
"Both easy to block off and they can pin us down here with no real problem until reinforcements arrive and then they have nothing but options while we have next to none." said Shikamaru as he closed his eyes and began to try to wrap his mind around the problem. In his mind's eye he saw the layout of the city above them and the one main exit they knew about. From that information he began to map out the likely withdraw path they would have to take to make their escape.
"They will likely be around where the plant that turns people are." advised Temari as Shikamaru nodded his head in agreement as he placed the enemy in his mind by the shop where the plant was located. That was down the road from the entrees that would block their route to the North, if they headed east they would head back toward the Leaf and the demons that held the land. If they headed west they would have to run across the lake, a lake which was almost 12 miles across with only a single island in the center for cover. Twelve miles in the open with no cover, that was asking to die. That left only one move on the board.
"We have only one option, we need to head South and then head west from there." said Shikamaru
"If we go south, do you have a hospital in mind where we can get the supplies we need to start research over?" inquired Kiba as he looked at Ino.
"Yes, there is…" started Ino
"Stop." ordered Naruto with force uncommon in his voice. Ino stopped at once and looked at him. "You can't tell us."
"Why the hell not?" inquired Ino
"Because Ino-chan, not all of us will be getting out of here." explained Sai as Ino's eyes widened, first because it was the 1st time Sai had called her Ino-chan and second because of the realization that he was right. Not all of them, in fact most of them where going to get out of this one.
"Aside from Sakura-chan, Hana and you none of us really maters all that much." Explained Naruto with sadness in his voice.
"There is another way." Offered Meiko as once again all eyes fell on her. "Let me go up there and talk to them, we can make this as peaceful as possible. If you attempt to run it will only cause at best hurt feelings as families are forced to fight each other and at worse real harm. Someone could die and it would be all for nothing."
"You want us to give up." Snapped Kiba
"Looks to me like you are trapped." Countered Meiko as she took a deep breath. "I admit what the demon council did was something that can't be put into words how horrible it was, but it is over. You lost, humanity has lost and the red flu is still in all of you. You will die unless you become demons within a few months at most."
She turned her demon eyes toward her brother who was still boiling in a dark rage.
"And that includes you and Fu, Naruto. You may not die from the flue because of your demon chakra but that cure is what is killing you already and there is no idea how long your body will last under the strain of all that demon chakra." Said Meiko "Please, I am begging you give up. There is no logical point in fighting this anymore, the war is over it is time to go home, to build new lives in a new world."
For a while no one spoke, everyone simply looked around the room. They were all young for the most part and not a single one of their numbers wanted to die but they didn't welcome the cost of that life would be. Naruto nodded his head in agreement with his sister which caused others to look at him.
"You are right." admitted Naruto "There is no logical reason to fight and maybe we should give up. To go home to build a new future a demon future. I will not accept that until every option is off the table and I have no other moves that I can do. Sakura-chan, I need the honest answer is there any hope of finding a cure for the red flu?"
"Here none." admitted Sakura before closing her eyes and lowering her head. "Even outside it is likely none and that isn't even focusing on turning people back human."
"And even if you find a cure then the demons who have an organized army will just turn people by force." added Shino "Humanity is disorganized and spread thin on resources because of the flu, they are not and that will give them an edge that can't be solved by even the best medical minds of our generation. We appear to be in a no-win situation."
"We are in a no-win situation." confirmed Shikamaru as his parents nodded their heads in agreement. That sealed the deal for almost everyone. Shikamaru and his parents where the best military planners in the Leaf and Temari was their equal in the Sand. If all four of them agreed that there was no winning move here then there wasn't a winning move. "We are in check and in a couple of moves we will be in checkmate."
"So I guess we have to decide what we do." added Naruto "We can run, we can hide, we can fight or we can die. Those are the options before us and I think that it is all something each of us have to decide on our own. We don't have much time."
"We are staying." Said Kurenai as she held her daughter close to her.
"Kurenai-sensie?" inquired Kiba
"We would only slow you down and having a baby in the field only adds to the issues you will face." Said Kurenai with tears in her eyes as she looked at her daughter's smiling face. She had no idea what was being decided for her and that it would mean losing her humanity. "She will never remember being human in the end and maybe seeing her growing up happy will in time cause me to forget as well."
"The odds are very good that the two of you will be the same demon kind and if not you can change to match your daughter." Added Meiko as Kurenai nodded her head.
"Very well sensei." Said Shino with his head lowered. "Is anyone else going to stay?"
"Fuck no." snapped Kiba as one by one everyone shook their heads in agreement none of them where staying.
"I think the older generation should hold off the demons while you all make your escape." said Shikaku as he looked at his wife. "We can hold them long enough and it will buy you time to get away."
"Dad." Countered Shikamaru
"No, we will do this you are the future we will hold them back." Said Shikaku as his wife, Guy and Inoichi nodded their heads in agreement. "Likely Anko and Iruka in the checkpoint would agree with this, it is our best move. We will hold them off while you all make a break for it."
"No." said Naruto as he took a breath. "I will, I can hold them off longer and it is better to sacrifice one than half a dozen and if they get past me you will may have to hold them off."
"Naruto-kun." Countered Sakura
"What matters is getting Sakura-chan, Ino and Hana out of the combat area." explained Naruto pushing through the objections that Sakura was going to raise. "They have the medical information and our only chance. None of us matters beside those three, they have to get out if they don't then humanity will fall."
"Alright, if that is our only move then we have to take it." said Shikamaru "It's a bad move but it is the only move we have."
"We should move soon, less time for the demons to get into position and we will have darkness to provide some cover." said Temari
"Then we need to get ready, everyone get dressed, get armed and get ready to move out." ordered Shikamaru before moving back to his room, everyone followed suit aside from Sakura who was already dressed for combat, Meiko and Naruto.
"What the hell Naruto." cursed Meiko at her brother as she stormed up to him. "It is over, you all know that right?"
"Yes, we do." admitted Sakura as she let out a sigh and looked at Naruto. "Are you sure you don't want to just call it. I could see it in the others eyes just as easily as you could."
"I know." admitted Naruto with a sad resigned laugh. "It is over, but if we don't try how could we live with ourselves and who knows we have gotten lucky before maybe lady luck will be with us this time as well."
"I am not going to go with you, I am not going to fight our parents and neither should you." Stated Meiko firmly as Naruto nodded his head in agreement.
"You will stay with Kurenai and watch Hinata and Samui we don't want them to enter the fight." explained Naruto with his eyes close. "If there is anything you want to keep from your room, I would seal it up by this time tomorrow you will likely be in the Leaf."
"Yes, at home with my big brother and his girlfriend." stated Meiko as she turned and left as well.
"I am surprised she didn't try to offer a deal that would hand you over and let all of us go." Admitted Sakura
"She wouldn't." countered Naruto
"I guess she wants us all turned." explained Sakura as Naruto shook his head.
"In some ways, but she really only cares about you and me." explained Naruto "If she was going to offer a deal to them it would to let everyone go but you and me."
"Would we want to offer them a deal like that? It would give them all a better chance of getting away and maybe finding a cure?" offered Sakura
"Do you think Kiba's parents would agree to that? Do you think they will let Hana and Kiba go as well?" countered Naruto "Because I don't."
"I forgot about them." admitted Sakura with resigned sigh as the two of them stood there, Naruto dressed in a fine suit and her dressed for combat with her ninja boots on an a jonnin vest over her red shirt. "No, they would want Hana and Kiba along with the two of us. Two out of our three medical personal, we are already fucked we don't want to make it worse."
"Our only move is to fight, I'll hold off my parents and the others while you all make a run for it." stated Naruto with sad laugh as he looked down at his suit. "I can't really fight them in a suit at least we are only dealing with eight enemies but one of them is only the best ninja in living memory."
All Shizune wanted to do was close her eyes and get some sleep but the demon council which had enforced this march. They had left the Leaf a couple days ago and headed toward Nysa, which would be used as a staging ground for operations in the Land of Earth. The council had enforced a march and the leading elements of the force was now moving down the main street of the resort city. In the distance, the sky was aglow and the sound of thunder could be heard.
"Finally, we are here." Said the demon beside her, she sounded as tired as Shizune felt. "Why the fuck did the council do this force march."
"They had their reasons." Stated Shizune knowing the reason was the human prisoner they had picked up on their way here. They would turn him and then using that as an example in a deal with Sasuke which would give them the location of Naruto and his band. Sasuke hadn't gone into who was all in their group however part of her wished that Iruka was there.
"Maybe if I explain my actions, Iruka-kun will understand in time and we can maybe be together." thought Shizune with a heavy heart as she passed by a closed house with a sign written on it with the number of dead written on it. "Then again, I helped design this flu, this flu that is killing humanity, maybe I don't deserve to have love in life."
They had gathered in the lowest level of the bar which had at once been one of the most expensive and upscale place to eat in the entire land of fire. Famous Actors, Daimyo's and the richest of the rich had eaten here and now most of those people where either dead or transformed into demons. There was 18 of them in total, Kurenai was staying behind in the base along with her daughter, Meiko, Hinata and Samui where also in the base however the last two where in cells. All of them had put on black traveling cloaks which ran straight down to their knees and with their hoods up it would be next to impossible to tell who was who quickly.
Everyone was making sure they had all their sealed scrolls which contained everything they would need to live in the feed for at least a week. They also had personal items sealed up, along with ninja tools and other items. Every one of them was armed with a bronze weapon of some kind since they knew that bronze burned demons on contact, thanks to having demon chakra in them Naruto and Fuu shared that weakness even so they armed themselves with them. Their weapons where slightly different being only edged in bronze not made totally out of the metal like everyone else was.
"So remember we are going to follow the lake road to the South and then break off to the West once we get past the edge of the lake." explained Shikamaru again as he ran his hand over a map located on the hardwood bar top.
"What is the meetup point?" inquired Kiba
"There is none." explained Temari "We can't risk someone turning into a demon and then leading them to us. If you get separated you're on your own."
"Wait, what about Naruto?" inquired Ino
"I can slow down my parents and the others I can't stop them." admitted Naruto, he knew he was walking into a fight he didn't think he could win and on some levels, he wasn't even sure he wanted to win. He was going to do battle not only against his own parents but the woman's he loves parents as well. If that wasn't enough his sensei was also in the mix along with the parents of another one of his friends and another demon who was his sister's sensei as well. It would be eight against one and he was the one going up against the best ninja in living memory. "I will buy every moment I can but the greater distance you get between here and wherever you are going the better."
"If we run into more demons then we will hold them off." Said Guy before looking at the younger generation. "Our goal is to get the next generation away safely, they hold the future."
"Most of all Sakura, Ino and Hana they have the medical skills to find a cure." added Anko "Getting those three away is all that really matters."
"Alright everyone take a couple minutes double check everything and then we will head out." Said Inoichi as everyone kind of split up for a moment.
"Naurot-kun." Said Sakura behind him as he double checked to make sure he had everything he would need to the coming fight. "Are you sure you want to do it this way?"
"Sure? No." answered Naruto as he turned and faced her, she had a sad tired look on her face. He could tell part of her wanted to call it quits too but she wouldn't forgive herself if she didn't fight until the end. "However, it is what needs to happen."
"Yes." said Sakura as she moved closer until they were all but sharing the same spot. Sakura wrapped her arms around Naruto's neck pulling his head down to her while he rested his hands on her hips. "And whatever happens tonight we will be with each other again. Either as humans or demons we will be together. I promise you that."
"I love you so much." said Naruto as he gave her a sad smile pulling her even closer before removing one of his hands up to her check and pulling her into a kiss. She moved one of her hands to the back of his head pulling him deeper into the kiss while the other rested on his check, brushing over his whisker birthmarks. Finally, they had to pull apart just to get air but they remained in each other's arms.
"I love you too, you baka." said Sakura with a heavy heart because both of them knew what was going to happen soon.
Elsewhere people where thinking what lied in their soon to be future. Kiba for his part had raided the world class bar full of spirits that cost thousands of dollars a bottle. He cracked open a bottle of aged bourbon which dated back almost 250 years and poured himself a drink. In the process of putting the bottle down a hand shot out and grabbed the bottle and his hand. He followed the thin hand toward the dark skin red head which only a short while ago he had shared a bed with.
"I'll take that." said Karui as she took the bottle out of his hands and poured herself a glass. She raised her glass and chimed it against Kiba's glass. "Well if this is the downfall of humanity might as well go out with a good drink."
"Might as well indeed." confirmed Kiba as the two of them lifted their glasses and drank the bourbon and downed it. For a moment both of the just stood there looking at each other. "Not worth the price of the bottle in my view."
"No." agreed Karui as she poured herself another drink but didn't take a drink, instead she looked at the liquid. "Not worth humanity either."
"Nothing is worth that." added Kiba as he poured himself a drink as well, this time it was him to clicked her glass with his. "Well here is to being totally fucked but going down swinging anyhow."
Shikamaru and Temari where also paired off talking over plans, it was a rather straight forward and simple plan. They would head to the South before taking the turn to the west away from the where they knew the demons where. The two ninjas looked at a map of the land around them and then the rest of the world as a whole. Large red Xs covered the land of Fire, Lightning and Water along with dozens of smaller nations across the world. In addition to that where multiple black Xs over cities they knew where heavily hit by the virus. They were going into a heavily infected area but the entire world was in that state, at least the lands of Water followed by Fire and Lightning had been first hit by the red flu and in the days before the demons arrived there was some evidence that the virus was beginning to burn itself out. The Land of Earth, Sand and the smaller nations inland where still in the peak of the virus outbreak and the last reports they had was that those nations had descended into pure anarchy where it was everyone for themselves.
"Into the heart of the viral outbreak, we will have to be extra careful we will have just as many problems with humans as we will with demons." Stated Shikamaru "But what if we have too we could head East into the Land of Fire and swing around to the West."
"The key will be remaining under cover." Said a new voice as both of them looked toward the source only to see Yoshino Nara and Shikaku Nara. "Our enemies have the ability to fly so staying under cover is key."
"Agreed, if that wasn't the case then we could risk heading straight east out over the lake but that route has no cover." said Shikamaru as his father nodded his head in agreement, going out over the water would be suicide.
"And whatever happens you two need to get out of here." added Shikaku as Shikamaru and Temari looked at him. "I know the medical team needs to make it out but they will need planners to help them which means your mother and I will hold them off so you can get away."
"Temari." said Yoshino as Temari turned her gaze toward the older woman. It was clear to Temari that she was deadly serious and that whatever she had to say next was very important. "I am trusting you to keep him safe."
"She doesn't expect to make it either." thought Temari as she looked at Shikamaru's father, he had the same look. "Neither of them expect to make it, they expect that this will be their last day as humans or even alive."
"I will." Said Temari "I'll keep the little boy safe."
"Good." Said Yoshino with a smile before turning on her son and ordering him like a school master would order a trouble student. "You keep her safe too, do you understand?"
"Yes, mom." Said Shikamaru as the walls of emotion fell and she pulled her son into a hug.
"Remember this, whatever happens we love you." said Yoshino in the most emotion her son had ever heard from her. Suddenly another pair of arms joined in as Shikaku joined the hug. Temari stood a little back with a smile on her face until Yoshino extended one of her arms and pulled her into the Nara clan hug as well.
"Ino, whatever happens I will be with you, just like your mom is smiling down at you from the next world." Said Inoichi as he pulled his daughter into a the tightest hug he had ever held her in.
"Daddy." Said Ino in a voice that belonged more to a six-year-old afraid of the monster's under the bed then a full grown ninja veteran. "Trust in yourself and your friends and you will make it out just fine."
"We will make it out just fine." corrected Ino as she looked at her father who gave her a smile but the truth was in his eyes.
"I will try my best but you have to make it out." reassured Inoichi
"She will make it out." said a voice as Inoichi turned to see the black haired pale skinned young man he had seen his daughter with during the wedding. "She will make it out, I will die before I let them get her."
"Sai-kun." said Ino with worry in her eyes as her father gave this young man a sad smile before looking around the room. Guy, Anko and Iruka where sharing a small drink like comrades tended to do before a coming battle, Shino leaned against the wall as if nothing was going on and Fuu and Hanabi where both double-checking weapons. That was what he expected what he saw in addition was Naruto holding Sakura who was basically a second daughter to him because of her friendship with his daughter close. Temari had been pulled into a hug with the Nara clan, the newlyweds Neji and Tenten were also close as Neji showed tenderness uncommon in Hyuuga clan. Kiba and the ninja from the land of Lightning Karui where sharing a drink looking more at each other than anything else.
"Finding love in hell." whispered Inoichi with a sad smile.
"Naruto." said Fuu as she walked up to Naruto and Sakura. "I think it is time we get going."
"Agreed." said Naruto sadly as he shared one last kiss with the woman he loves before together they headed up to the main floor all of them expecting to fight at any moment but no enemies appeared.
They gathered near the large windows looking out into the street before the people who ate here could look out over the lake it's beauty, now only darkness and stillness filled the air. The only light come from the rays of moon light coming through gaps in the thick clouds, over the lake the sky was full of light as the front of a massive thunderstorm which was common in the fall in the Land of Fire was heading right toward them. It would be on them within a few minutes, already the temperature was dropping as a cold fall rain was approaching. There was just enough light for the outlines of buildings could be seen by the eye.
Naruto stood at the exit to the bar which held the underground Sound base entrees. Like the others he had a traveling cloak over his body aside from his head. Under the cloaks and with the darkness of night it hid their figures and therefore their ability to be quickly identified at a distance.
"Remember Sakura-chan, Ino and Hana have to get away, if they don't get away. They have the medical knowledge if we have any chance at all it is with them." Said Naruto as he turned his gaze down the Northern street, he thought he could make out a couple of figures headed toward them. That would be his parents along with Sakura-chan's parents and the other members of their party. In total 8 enemies he would have to hold off, maybe as many as 11 if Sasuke, Karin and Suigetsu joined the fight but according to Meiko they wouldn't be in a position to fight for a while after being turned.
"Naruto we have a problem." said Fuu's voice as Naruto turned and looked at her, she had dropped her cloak and looked down the road with duel over lied diamond shaped demon eyes. Naruto turned that way as well, only to see multiple lights and figures heading down the road toward them. Judging by their outlines and the shadows they cast on the darkened buildings they were demons a lot of demons.
"Fuck." cursed Kiba
"It's alright, you all head South…Naruto will hold the North, I will hold the east." Said Fuu with a slight grin.
"By yourself you are asking to be turned into a demon aren't you." Stated Shikamaru as he ran the possible through his mind and didn't like the answers he found.
"Not going to happen and look them, they are marching like they have been at it all night. I am rested and I will have the element of surprise." explained Fuu as she dropped her cloak and showed her white shirt with an open back whit straps across the back of her neck and the around about the hallway point between her bellybutton and her breasts. She stretched a bit as she ran her hands through her green hair and for a moment, it actually looked brighter in the darkened night.
"Well this is it." Said Fuu as she pulled her own weapons, two long daggers about the length of her forearms out from her weapon pouch. She stood up and turned to look at the rest of the group. "Good luck everyone."
"With luck, we will have our family back together by dawn." said Kushina with hope in her voice as they headed toward the entrees of the sound base. They had left Rin behind to watch over the recently turned Sasuke and Karin with the still human Suigetsu in support. If the entrees wasn't there then they would have words with Sasuke but hope was high. Suddenly she noticed that her husband had stopped and was looking forward, he wasn't alone Kakashi had stopped as well. She turned and looked, standing in the road directly in front of them was a figure dressed in a black traveling cloak that went down to their knees. His hood was down allowing her to see the features of her son, his wild blonde hair and deep blue eyes. His whisker marks where hard to make out in the darkness but it when a flash of lightning illumined the area she saw them.
"Looks like they know about Sasuke's deal." said Minato as more figures appeared, these headed to the South following the road away from them.
"Sakura, we are here your parents!" yelled Mr. Haruno and a single figure did turn and look and for a moment he thought he saw pink hair but she kept moving away from them.
"Let's go get our daughter back." said Mrs. Haruno as she ran forward only to have a kunai land in front of her path. She stopped just in time to jump back before a paper bomb went off, it wasn't a full high explosive charge but instead it spread out a wall of flames which stretched out across the roadway bathing the area in orange red light. Minato's eyes were locked forward as for a brief second his son wasn't visible through the smoke and flame but he quickly came back into view. He was standing in the same spot and in the same position. His hands where under the cloak and he was looking straight forward, straight into his father's eyes. They told the story without words and it was one his father had seen before on the battlefield of the last war.
The storm which had been threatening for a while finally began as the first drops of rain began to fall only to turn almost at once into a downpour as the wall of fire began to die. Naruto lifted his head to the sky and let the rain run down his face with a sad smile on his face. With that done he lifted his traveling cloak to show a kunai in one hand while the other remained hidden.
"To get to them we will have to go through Naruto." explained Minato with his own sad smile it was clear Naruto was doing a holding action buying time for his teammates to get away. He had seen multiple ninjas during the war do the same thing at a cost of their own lives, now his own son was doing it against him.
The Final Battle is about to begin, now until next time which will come much sooner than this one was. Now until next time please keep reading. Thanks Wilkins75