This is a smaller chapter then the last, but i really had fun making it, for those who have waited, and waited for someone to arrive, well he has ;)
Now for the reviews
Ymere - Thanks for the review, just read this chapter, i hope it makes you feel better about her, this was why she had to get captured, it was a setup for this chapter
crsstlk - Thanks for the review, Sakura's battle was indeed a good one, it was a challenge since when i looked at her list of jutsu, she has no offensive jutsu at all, except for the shadow clone jutsu i gave her :P but i think i did a good job, as for Naruto and his nine tail powers, right now, he just unlocked the basic mode, he hasn't had the time to think about anything else
naru-ca-titan - Thank you, wow, i feel all warm and fuzzy inside, thank you so much :), please keep reading as i hope you continue to enjoy my story
well that's everyone for today, on with the show
This chapter was revised on May 30th 2017. Most grammar errors should have been addressed (Hopefully :P) I did a few enhancements and changed a few things around but the story remained unchanged
Saving old bonds
Chapter 24 (Revised)
Toshiro and Renji were just standing on one of the buildings with Sakura still in Renji's grasp. They had stopped as they couldn't believe what their eyes were seeing, the Kurokage's black wolf and a huge fox with nine tails "Is he really powerful enough to force Kurokage Sama to use his summon?" Renji asked in awe of the battle taking place in the distance while Sakura was also staring at the sight. Naruto had grown so strong but she never would have imagined he would be that strong. Now he could control the Nine Tail foxes power
"That's right; show them who is boss Naruto! Now if only we could get away from these brutes" Inner Sakura screamed out. Suddenly Renji felt a presence, but before he could do anything something from the shadows struck Toshiro sending him crashing to the ground. With his wounds and injuries, it was enough to knock him out. Renji tried to find out where the attack came from or where the attacker had run off to
"Come out you coward and face me like a man!" He demanded
A voice from the darkness responded back "This coming from a guy who has a girl as a hostage, real manly" from the darkness Renji could see two red eyes, they sent a chill down his spine "Katon: Gōkakyu no Jutsu!" a huge fireball came from the direction of the eyes. Renji had to think quickly, he didn't have time to do anything else. He released Sakura and used his sword to surround himself for protection. The snake like sword took the brunt of the attack as Sakura landed on her feet and got into a defensive position on instinct alone. Suddenly four more ANBU joined them and surrounded Renji
"It would seem that I am at a disadvantage, 6 against one huh?" He said as he hid his grin
"Actually, it more like 9 against one" another voice came from a building just behind them as Yuki, Konohamaru and Hanabi jumped to Sakura's side
"You're kidding, right? Kids? HA!" Renji said trying not to laugh
"What's so funny? He is a kid!" Konohamaru said pointing at the downed Toshiro
"Yeah well, he is a freak of nature, he can control ice itself" Renji responded back
"Well I don't know anything about ice, but how do you like earth?" Yuki said with a grin as she quickly made a few hand signs causing parts of the building to turn into earth and attack Renji. He easily deflected it with his ban-kai
"Not bad kid, but you're still nothing compared to a captain"
"You sound confident, but are you really? You have all this power but what if I told you that against me it means nothing. Look into my eyes and face me if you dare" the man in the darkness simply said
"Are you trying to say that you're somehow going to beat me just by having me look into your eyes, that's ridicules" he said with a grin as he looked into the red eyes. They suddenly began spinning and Renji found himself in a field of flowers "Oh please, genjutsu? You think I can't break this?" he said as he tried to raise his hands, but he found himself unable too
"Welcome to my world. I control everything here, including the passing of time. We are going to get to know each other really, really well" a voice came out of nowhere yet sounded like it came from everywhere at once "Welcome to hell" the voice said coldly
Suddenly the field of flowers turned into flames and Renji could feel his body burning, yet his clothing or skin did not char. He could only feel the pain, the burning sensation. He was screaming as the pain became unbearable but he wouldn't pass out. The flames lasted for what seemed like an entire week of nonstop suffering, then everything went black
Sakura was staring as Renji's Ban-kai receded back into his Katana and fell to the ground, Renji himself fell onto his knees before passing out. The man in the darkness stepped into the light, and Sakura was in shock. Although she already knew when she first saw the eyes, she still couldn't believe it
"Sakura, are you alright?" he simply asked her
"Sasuke? Is that really you?" she asked him
"Yeah…" Sasuke no longer had the outfit that Orochimaru had picked out for him, instead he wore a black outfit. Very much like the one his brother use to wear at his age
"But how? I thought you were in your cell. You didn't break out, did you?!" she suddenly asked him
"Of course not, these guys here are the guards. Naruto instructed them to let me out if I ever decided to…Rejoin" he said as Sakura had finally noticed his headband, the blue clashed with the black of his outfit. That's when she realized it was his old headband, the one Naruto brought back all those years ago "Are you alright?" he asked again since she had not answered him yet
She simply nodded, Sasuke had finally noticed her hands, and they were still encased inside their prison of ice
"I will assume since this guy said the small one controls ice itself that he did this to you correct?" he asked simply as she nodded once more. Still not sure what to think of the situation. Sasuke walked up to the white-haired captain who had not moved. He took out his Katana from his back and was about to strike at him but Sakura shouted at him
"NO!" Sasuke stopped as it was about to reach the boy's neck "Don't kill him" she said pushing him away from the small boy
"What do you want us to do? He is too dangerous to leave alive, and he needs to be conscious for me to put into a coma"
"He is conscious…." She simply said "But you are not going to touch him!"
"He is conscious?" Sasuke asked "Then why did he not defend his friend or try to stop me just now"
"Toshiro, was what he called you right? I know your still awake, you told me yourself. There are only two ways for this ice to come off, either you allow it to or you are knocked unconscious. So I know you're not unconscious, please get up" she simply said
"Why couldn't you just let him finish me off…" Toshiro said in a sad tone of voice that surprised even Sasuke. Why did this kid have a death wish? He wondered
"Because, I don't believe you to be a bad person, since you arrived here, I bet you never killed a single person, am I wrong?" Toshiro didn't respond but Sakura knew she was right "And you stopped this guy from attacking my mother back in the shelter"
Toshiro sat up, all of the ninjas surrounded him but Sakura walked over to the boy and bent down so she would be at eye level "why do you fight?" she simply asked him
"Because, my Kurokage and country need me. Although I refuse to kill unless I have no choice, I cannot betray my people"
"Wow, he is so loyal to his country. Even if it goes against his personal belief" Konohamaru said
"Yeah, and he's really cute too" Yuki said with a grin
"Do you find half the world male population cute or hot in some way?" Konohamaru asked slightly annoyed
"Yeah well, you're not!" she said as she stuck her tongue out at him
"What did you just say?!" Konohamaru responded shaking his fist
"Guys, we are in the middle of a war, can't your fight wait until latter?" Hanabi stated as Yuki and Konohamaru suddenly realize she was right
"Release her hands or I will do to you what I did to him" Sasuke suddenly told the young Toshiro
"I am sorry, but I cannot" Toshiro got back to his feet with his Katana in hand "I am sorry but I cannot surrender to you, as a captain of the nigh country I must fight until I am unable to continue" he said as he stared into Sakura's eyes
"Fine by me kid, I have to say you are a true Shinobi. One that I respect, when I kill you I will honor you by having you buried among our honored dead. I am sure Naruto will agree with me" Sasuke said as he got into a fighting position
"NO!" Sakura suddenly said surprising everyone "You are not going to touch a single hair on his body, do you understand?"
"But Sakura, he isn't going to back down…" One of the ANBU said
"I know, that's why I am going to be the one who takes him out. You are not to interfere, do you understand?" she said sternly "We began this fight, and we are going to end it!" She said as she got into an offensive position
Sasuke and everyone else got out of the way as the two prepared to do battle. Toshiro smiled as Sakura began her attack. Just before she hit him as hard as she could she heard him whisper something in her ear "Thank you..." he was then sent flying through the air, going through a building and slammed into another. His body was now free falling but Sakura caught him before he could hit the ground. She laid him on the ground as his hand had dropped his Katana, the ice on her hands had begun to crack until they finally shattered into pieces and all feeling had returned
Sasuke and the rest of the group had joined her "I don't understand, you just ran straight at him, he could have dodged it easily but he didn't even try to avoid it"
"Yeah, that's what he wanted. I believed that's what he was trying to do all along. Even when we first began fighting he didn't want to participate in this invasion. Yet he couldn't disobey his Kurokage's orders. He was loyal to his country but also loyal to his beliefs. And this war created a conflict within himself that he couldn't handle. This was the only way for him to not fight and yet not betray his people at the same time"
"Some would call him a coward for doing that, but I think that he is more of a shinobi then most of us" Konohamaru said which surprised everyone, especially Yuki who begun looking at Konohamaru with warm eyes
End Chapter 24
well That's the newest chapter, not as great at the chapter 23, but its hard to fallow up something like chapter 23 :P , Ymere, i hope you are happy with what i did with Sakura now :), if not, then i am sorry :/