A/N: The story continues with chapter 44! This chapter was fun to write. Kind of challenged myself with how to make everything work.

I don't own Naruto.

Chapter XLIV - ...and Hell Followed With Him

Judging by the fact that his escorts had not returned to rendezvous with him, Danzō surmised they were either incapacitated or killed. He knew they were necessary sacrifices, but he still felt the regret of expending such valuable assets. His fatigue slowed him down some, as did the storm, but he was making steady progress towards the border of the Land of Fire. Soon, he would be in the Land of Sound, formerly known as the Land of Rice Fields. Once there, he'd be able to regroup, lick his wounds, and move forward with his campaign to usurp Tsunade's control.

He should have had Itachi killed before the boy even set foot in the Land of Fire, especially seeing as how the assassination attempt before the trial made even more of a scene than was necessary. Why he didn't think to send any ROOT to trail the so-called delegation to Kumo was anyone's guess. However, hindsight is always twenty-twenty, and there was no use kicking himself over what he didn't do.

Since he was clearly being hunted, someone must have put a bounty on his head. That meant Itachi must have testified and revealed that everything that was done in connection to the Uchiha Clan Massacre. Heaven forbid someone find out that Danzō had some involvement in the Hyūga Affair as well—explaining himself out of that one to Hiruzen was a nightmare in and of itself.

Danzō flexed his right hand, which hung limply from its sling. He had a nagging feeling that the time to utilize his acquired abilities would soon come.

The storm was as relentless as the hunter squad's pursuit. Rain pelted the canopy above and the forest floor below. The squad leapt from branch to branch, with Neji spearheading and following the traces of chakra left behind. A thick silence hung between them as they readied themselves for the unexpected.

The scroll that the Hokage gave them held a brief dossier with information about their target, including the fact that he was a teammate of the late Third Hokage. Most shinobi would sooner turn in their headband than face a former student of Tobirama Senju himself, but Naruto, Sasuke, and Neji weren't most shinobi. Try as they might to keep themselves in check, a bit of their collective desire for justice bubbled up from within them, keeping the trio more on edge than was ideal for a squad of hunter nin. However, they were smart enough to know to channel these emotions into strength when the time came.

None were sure how long they'd been following the trail, only that the rain finally started letting up. The forest floor was dotted with puddles of water and spots of mud. The tree branches acted as half-functional umbrellas, softening the pelting rain into a light shower. Thunder rumbled through the now thinning forest once more.

Neji spotted a chakra signature up ahead, his eyes narrowing. "Straight ahead. One chakra signature. It's near a bridge. Five hundred yards."

Sasuke swallowed thickly, silently acknowledging before speaking up. "That's him, then. You two watch his back. I'll confront him head on."

His comrades returned the silent acknowledgement, preparing themselves for the confrontation. The three masked their chakra signatures, using the rain to their advantage to move undetected before pouncing. They approached the target, and Neji pulled back, letting Sasuke take point.

Like thieves in the night, the hunters instantly surrounded the traitorous elder. Naruto and Neji got into position behind Danzō, the latter shifting his stance, while the former drew a Hiraishin kunai. Not a second later, Sasuke landed gracefully directly in front of the old man. Without a word, the masked Uchiha drew his chokutō.

Danzō merely narrowed his uncovered eye, sizing up his opponent. A tense silence settled over the bridge. He sensed the two shinobi behind him, immediately knowing what was happening. "I would never have expected Kirigakure to send hunter nin so deep into the Land of Fire, let alone this close to the border with the Land of Sound."

Silence.

The old traitor's brow furrowed. "Your slaying of my subordinates will be seen as an act of war against Konohagakure, I hope you realize. The Hokage will not take kindly to this."

More silence.

The former ROOT leader harrumphed. He knew Kiri had a flair for the dramatic, but these hunter nin were something else. The fact they hadn't tried killing him by now struck him as odd, but some hunters were known to confront their victims head-on for the sake of honor. A rather archaic tradition, but a tradition nonetheless.

The masked shinobi raised his chokutō, pointing it at Danzō. Lightning flashed, thunder rumbled, and he spoke only a single word, which came as a growl that could only just be heard over the rain. "Murderer."

The old man's eye narrowed. Another bolt of lightning split the sky. In the blink of an eye, the masked swordsman charged Danzō. Acting quickly, the scar-faced elder drew a kunai, blocking what would have been a debilitating strike. He twisted, narrowly avoiding pinpoint strikes from Neji's Gentle Fist and being gutted by Naruto's kunai.

Using his momentum to his advantage, Danzō brought his right foot up in a spinning kick. All three opponents were pushed back, but only for a moment. Just as the hunters moved to charge, Danzō flew through hand seals and took a deep breath. As he exhaled, he spun on his foot, letting loose a wave of air that pushed his opponents back even further.

The aging Shimura bit his thumb, quickly weaving through more hand seals. A thunderous boom echoed through the clearing, and a plume of smoke billowed into the air, revealing a gigantic elephantine chimera known as Baku. Summons had many forms, but this was the first that any of the hunter nin had seen something like this.

Naruto slammed two palms on the ground without hesitation and called forth a summon of his own. A burst of smoke announced the giant green bird's arrival. It leapt into the sky, instantly diving headfirst towards the chimera with a screech. Just as the flightless beast moved to dodge the bird's jagged beak, a Rinnegan-bearing two-headed dog bore down from another direction. Naruto hung back, creating three shadow clones to send Danzō's way while he focused on controlling his summons.

Sasuke, Neji, and the shadow clones charged, weapons drawn and dōjutsu blazing. As they did, Danzō freed his right arm from its hidden sling. The half cloak slid down to his waist, revealing bandages and vambraces covering his arm, no doubt holding some kind of power at bay. The old man drew two kunai, shifting his stance as his attackers closed in.

The masked Uchiha struck first, aiming a fury-filled slash at the traitor's stomach. Danzō blocked using both of his kunai. Not a second later, Neji aimed strikes at the vulnerable Shimura's arms to render them useless. Despite his age, however, Danzō was quick on his feet, and nimbly dodged Neji's jabs.

Seizing the opportunity, Naruto's shadow clones charged in. One aimed a sweeping kick at Danzō's legs. The blow connected with a crack, drawing a wince from the older man. Still, he stood. A second clone followed up with a sucker punch aimed for the elder's face.

The clone was fast, but the former ROOT leader was no pushover. Using the momentum from the kick, he sidestepped the sucker punch. A third clone aimed a kick squarely at the old man's solar plexus, only for it to be blocked by his vambrace clad arm.

Neji pursued Danzō once more, aiming a flurry of jabs at his right shoulder. Yet again, the old man moved to avoid the strikes. To his dismay, a few of the attacks hit their mark, closing off some of his tenketsu and weakening his bandaged arm.

Uttering a frustrated growl, Danzō brought his right foot up and piledrove it into the masked Hyūga. The kick was blocked, but not without sending Neji back a few yards. Regaining his balance, the aging shinobi slashed at the three Naruto clones, catching them off guard. Two clones disappeared in plumes of smoke, while the sole survivor leapt back.

As the clones dispelled, Danzō felt the air shift behind him. He whipped around, blocking what would have been another debilitating strike from the crimson-mouthed Sasuke. With an agitated grunt, Danzō shoved the masked nin away and sped through hand seals, taking a deep breath.

Sasuke reactively conjured his Susanoo's spectral armor. Not a second later, Danzō unleashed a near supersonic wind jutsu, forcing Sasuke to guard his face with his forearms and pushing him back even further. Before the Uchiha could recover, the old man had already woven more hand seals and sucked in another breath. This time, he spun as he exhaled, releasing what looked like a blade of wind.

Thinking quickly, Neji shifted his weight and immediately started spinning, causing the jutsu to bounce off his impenetrable defense. Naruto's shadow clone unleashed a quick Shinra Tensei, achieving the same effect as Neji's Rotation. Sasuke held his ground, making sure his face was covered by his armored forearms.

As the dust settled, the real Naruto stayed away from the unfolding battle, still preoccupied with trying to dispatch Danzō's monstrous summon. The clash of the massive beasts served as an all-too-fitting backdrop for the struggle between the traitorous Danzō and the three hunters. Sweat beaded on Naruto's brow as he fought to stay focused on controlling the bird and the dog, the latter of which had sprouted four additional heads on top of the usual two.

Without warning, Naruto's control of the bird slipped. He swore, seeing that the elephantine beast held his bird by the beak with its trunk. Before he could intercept, Baku heaved the bird up and slammed it against the ground, dispelling it.

The masked jinchūriki cursed the chimera, withdrawing the dog for a moment to regroup. He'd have to split it into six separate dogs and try to overwhelm the beast. As he recalled the dog, Naruto leapt up onto its back. With a single hand seal, the six-headed creature separated into six individual dogs.

All three hunters felt the air shift before they could charge. Just as they regained their footing, Danzō took another deep breath. This time, however, his monstrous summon inhaled along with him. Four pairs of eyes widened beneath porcelain-colored masks, and they braced themselves for what would undoubtedly be a powerful attack.

Neji spun, Sasuke lifted his arms, and the shadow clone readied itself. Multiple colossal blades of air hammered against the hunters, pushing them back even further. However, their defenses held fast.

Once the onslaught ceased, Naruto drew his knuckle scythes and flexible torso blade and charged Baku. He might not have the size advantage, but he knew that his dogs were faster than the elephantine summon. That, along with the fight being seven against one, put the odds steeply in his favor.

In the blink of an eye, Baku was surrounded by gnashing teeth and slashing fangs. Just as Naruto thought he was gaining the upper hand, the chimeric beast opened its maw and started sucking in all the surrounding air. The dogs leapt away, keeping their distance for the moment.

Gritting his teeth and cursing, Naruto retracted his knuckle scythes and extended his column of rockets. With a yell, he fired, sending the bombs directly into the summon's mouth. Before the beast could react, the rockets detonated, halting the overwhelming vacuum force. The chimera trumpeted, swatting its massive paws at its mouth and stumbling backwards.

Not a second later, Naruto and his summoned dogs descended upon the disoriented Baku. Before the chimera could react, four of the dogs clamped their jaws down on its legs, while the other two went for its neck. Just as the last one sank its teeth into Baku's neck, Naruto leapt up, extended his serrated torso blade, and quickly produced a black chakra rod. With more grace than he thought himself capable of, the masked jinchūriki plunged both the blade and the rod into the beast's nape. Baku trumpeted one last time before disappearing in a massive plume of smoke.

The blond dropped to the ground, dispelling the chakra rod and retracting his torso blade. He took a deep breath, dispelling the six dog summons before turning to his primary target and masked comrades. Not wanting to show his hand too soon, Naruto held back and let his shadow clone remain for now.

As Sasuke and Neji regained their footing, Danzō reached up to his bandaged eye, parting the linen wraps. A crimson, three-tomoe Sharingan slowly opened, its gaze aimed at the masked Uchiha. Not a moment later, the old man sped through hand seals and inhaled. Green wind chakra snaked from his mouth on the exhale, coating and extending each of his two kunai to the length of a katana.

, Sasuke's breath hitched beneath his porcelain façade. He stared slack-jawed at the crimson eye in Danzō's head as thunder rumbled. The Uchiha took a shaky breath, clenching his jaw hard enough that his teeth might crack. As his blood boiled, he glanced skyward, taking note of the dark clouds gathering overhead. He wouldn't need a fireball this time.

Neji's eyes widened as his brow furrowed, his pale gaze fixated on the old traitor and his clearly stolen Sharingan. He shuddered to think of what might have been if Hinata was kidnapped and taken by Kumo. The Hyūga prodigy shifted his stance, ready to charge.

Across the way, Naruto observed. He pressed his mouth into a tight line, not wanting to step in too soon. However, judging by the way Sasuke tensed up, Naruto couldn't help but feel that he would need to intervene sooner rather than later.

Sasuke twitched. Neji noticed. The shadow clone stepped off. In an instant, Danzō was once again surrounded by three masked hunters who wanted nothing more than to mount his head on a spike. Sasuke's onslaught was more ferocious than either the Naruto clone's or Neji's. As he hammered away with his chokutō against the aging traitor, his Susanoo and Sharingan blazed with unbridled fury.

Neji and the shadow clone were unrelenting. Danzō couldn't help but curse under his breath at how the three hunters slipped past his wind blades. He aimed a kick at the bare-handed Hyuga that was incessantly jabbing at him, but his target sidestepped. Neji went for Danzō's wrists, but the old man was just as slippery. The blows were glancing, and only slowed him down slightly instead of fully disarming him.

The shadow clone Naruto sent in was particularly robust, and would take a significant amount of damage before being dispelled. He decided he would join the fray as soon as it was dispelled, but almost had to gloat at how adept his clone was at bobbing and weaving to avoid Danzō's attacks. That inkling of a thought was promptly erased by a stab from Danzō's wind-infused kunai that popped the clone out of existence.

Cursing, Naruto drew a Hiraishin kunai, ready to transport himself into the ongoing fight. That thought, too, was shelved when thunder boomed overhead. The masked jinchūriki craned his head to see dark clouds swirling overhead in an ominous maelstrom.

Neji, too, heard the unusually close thunder, but he also felt the air shift, and not just from Danzō's wind style chakra blades. He spared a quick glance to Sasuke, who, despite his fury, was actually easing up. The Hyūga prodigy surmised his comrade must have had a plan of some sort.

Sidestepping another of Danzō's attacks, Neji blocked with his forearms and emitted a quick burst of chakra to shield himself. Before the old traitor could react, Neji landed jab after jab across Danzō's back, drawing a wince from the man. The persistent wretch turned, his wind-infused kunai poised to deliver a sweeping cut that would gut Neji like a fish.

The Hyūga jumped, flipping up and over Danzō's head and landing gracefully next to Sasuke. "Tell me what to do," he requested as he spun to face their target.

Sasuke tightened his grip on his chokutō. "Immobilize him," he said under his breath.

Nodding, Neji gathered his chakra. Just as Danzō dashed in to attack, the masked Hyūga snapped his right hand forward. "Hakke Hasangeki!" The blast of air didn't knock Danzō off his feet, but it staggered him just enough to give Sasuke the opportunity he needed.

Not wasting any time, Sasuke raised his sword, pointing its tip skyward. "Get back!" he ordered. A bolt of lightning arced through the sky, chased by a particularly loud thunderclap, as though the heavens themselves were warning Neji.

The sky above opened up, and the maelstrom grew darker with fury. Lightning crackled once more and branched from its center, the smell of ozone permeating the air below. Neji leapt back, the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end from the growing charge in the air.

Sasuke brought his sword down with a roar. With it came a colossal bolt of lightning. Danzō could only gaze up in awe at the force of nature being brought down upon him. The resulting thunder echoed through the area, leaving a loud silence in its wake.

Sasuke caught his breath, while Neji and Naruto watched on, the latter moving closer to his comrades. The lightning bolt kicked up a cloud of chakra-laced smoke and dust that hung in the air despite the rain. Neji kept his gaze fixated on where Danzō was standing, his dōjutsu still active and searching for any signs of life.

To his horror, he saw a flicker peek through the smoke. It wasn't a residual effect from the massive jutsu, either. He could faintly make out the outline of a person—one who should be nothing more than a scorch mark on the ground by now. Neji immediately shifted his stance, his comrades taking notice.

Only when the smoke cleared did they see the reason why. A still very much alive Danzō stood before them, vambraces falling to the ground with unceremonious metallic thuds. The bandages that covered his arm unraveled. The linen wraps concealed a horror the likes of which none of the hunters had seen: an arm that was too pale to be natural, much less his own. Embedded within it were crimson orbs—each held three tomoe.

Realization sucker punched the hunters. Naruto stared at the arm with a mix of revulsion and morbid curiosity. Neji couldn't help but think back to when Hinata was nearly kidnapped, shuddering at the possibility of someone possessing such a grotesque arm full of Byakugan instead of Sharingan.

Sasuke had to stop himself from throwing up what little food he'd eaten, knowing each of those orbs was a Sharingan that was stolen from his dead kinsmen. The rage that percolated in his stomach threatened to boil over, his breathing growing shallower by the second, his grip on his chokutō now tight enough to snap the tang in half.

"No fucking way," Naruto breathed.

Danzō drew two more kunai and coated them in the almost sickly green wind chakra. "You three are more persistent than I would have originally thought, but you're in my way. International incident or not, I'll deal with you accordingly."

A/N: Translation note:

Hakke Hasangeki: Eight Trigrams Hazan Strike/Eight Trigrams Mountain Crusher

I think there's some poetry in how Neji and Sasuke are facing down Danzō in this universe. The fact that Naruto is there with them is just a bonus. Also, I apologize for the shift from calling Sasuke's sword a ninjato in previous chapters to now calling it a chokutō. I only learned that it's a chokutō after I had already started calling it a ninjato. Thank you so much for reading!