Naruto : The Twin Swords

Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Naruto, so let's not get into a courtroom all right?

Chapter 34

Betrayal and Fury

( ): Thoughts

((" ")): Holy Talon's voice

(( )): Kyuubi's voice

…

In Konoha…

Naruto was tired and headed to the Hokage's Tower as he needed to deliver his own report alongside Kakashi, Sakura and the others had gone off to rest while Zabuza himself would be with them and then head off to the place he called home. Haku was also going to take a break and also meet up with the one he was very close friends with.

Naruto had no idea just who this friend was though he knew that said friend was female, but he trusted Haku enough and did not decide to pry since it was also not his business of Haku was seeing a woman in the village. Besides seeing that Haku was very happy and seemed to be on a very good relationship with said friend made Naruto happy as Haku was making friends in his new home, something that he did not have the luxury of when he was still wandering with Zabuza and working with that wretched bastard Gato.

He was still very curious on what was the exact nature of the relationship between Haku and the mystery woman but he decided not to ask those questions, as long as Haku was happy, he was going to let it slide. Not to mention the fact that it mirrored his very own romantic situation with the ladies he was already in a very unique situation with. As he and the others got to the tower, he looked about to see that things in Konoha looked to be rather peaceful and he had every desire to see it that way for as long as he was alive. All the lessons that he had gained since taking his training seriously were very helpful in keeping him focused on the many tasks before him. There was also the matter of making sure that he kept himself up to date with what was Death Fang up to.

The incident in the Land of Water was a serious cause for concern as he had no idea what was it that the evil sword would be doing with those samples of Kekkai Genkai. Holy Talon explained that Death Fang's actions might be geared into creating either new forces from the samples his minions had gained, or find ways to incorporate these abilities into minions that were present. The Holy Sword however explained that it might be possible for Death Fang to imprint corrupted and temporary but effective these abilities into a Dragon Champion to use in battle. It was not easy by any standard but it was well within the realm of the evil sword's abilities. And any means to spread it's evil desires was more than welcomed by Death Fang.

The thought of that being possible was not the least bit pleasant to the blonde as the Kekkai Genkai that he had seen thus far were dangerous to an extent and the idea of the sword doing all three possible scenarios with said Kekkai Genkai was less than good. He however then asked if Holy Talon could do the same as Death Fang, and he was informed by his partner that it was able to do the same thing, but it was discouraged since Naruto's already present abilities will be enough and it also pointed out that by developing spells and techniques of his own in battle, then Naruto could counter these kinds of attacks.

Those thoughts were placed out of his mind for now as he and the group that remained from the team they led into the Land of Water soon made it to the Hokage Tower to deliver their reports to the blonde Sannin.

...

Sakura's home...

Sakura yawned a bit as she finally got the chance to relax after taking a much needed shower and also get her things organized. It had been a good chance to unwind after the mission that they had taken part in and also make sense of what to do next. She was still disturbed somewhat by the battle and the things she had seen, but decided not to worry about that for now as she felt that it would have to be dealt with later. As she sat down on her bed, she looked out the window and looked at the clouds above even if it was already going to be night time and smiled a bit. Right now her training with Tsunade Senju was proceeding quite well and her medical jutsu skills were very much welcome, along with the training she had gotten to increase her fighting abilities. All she could hope for was that this would help her team but at the thought of her team, she began to feel uneasy and worried.

Ever since the incident between Naruto and Sasuke, she began to feel that there was going to be a serious change in the air. She still hoped that Sasuke would change and not go deeper. But she had to be realistic as well, Sasuke's darkening nature told her that it was not going to be long before he would do something that would bring him deeper into darkness. She wished that it would not be the case, yet she knew that if it came to that, she would be ready.

...

Kin was also heading to Naruto's home to relax there since technically she would go there every now and then. She was also happy to have the mission over and done with so she could enjoy herself and relax. The mission had been a real test of her skills and she was happy to have made it back to the village alive and safe. She was happy to now be a resident in this village since the place was a lot better than what things were back in Sound. The former Sound Genin was pleased to have made it through the whole mess she would have been dragged in so long ago had it not been for Naruto saving her life.

Once she got there, she decided to get some sleep before doing some chores since she had no doubt that Naruto was going to be a bit late in coming home.

...

In the Hokage Tower...

Tsunade read the report handed to her by Kakashi and after reading it detail by detail, she directed her attention to Naruto himself.

"Naruto, what exactly do you think is the plan Death Fang has for the Kekkai Genkai that was taken by Choumaza?"

"It might be used by that sword to give boost to either it's minions or to the user, Holy Talon states that it is within Death Fang's abilities. Honestly Tsunade-sama, I have no clue on what would be the results, only that it will be risky."

The blonde Hokage said nothing about it as she began to think about the implications of the whole thing and decided that with things as they were now, she would have to step up security and also make sure that the ninja forces of Konoha were ready. She was not going to be a slave driver to her people, but better to sweat a bit now than lose a lot of blood later.

"I see, well then, this report will be filed in and we have received payment hours before you arrived to show that our client was pleased with the outcome. At this time, you have no other missions yet so take a break."

The ninja nodded and soon left, but then Tsunade spoke to Naruto.

"Naruto, stay for a while, I have something to discuss with you."

Naruto nodded and the others did not mind, soon he was alone with Tsunade as Shizune was busy doing her rounds in the hospital. He looked at Tsunade and spoke to her, curiosity evident in both his facial expressions and voice.

"What do you want to talk to me about Tsunade-chan?"

"I want you to follow me to the library in the Hokage Tower."

Later...

Tsunade smiled warmly at Naruto as they were currently in the library in the Tower, the blonde was there to take a look at the same scroll that he had actually stolen a few months back before he became a Genin. This was something that normally would have been asking for trouble, even more so since this was the reason Naruto got into serious trouble in the first place. But since he had done so much already and he had learned a critical Jutsu that led to his growth as a ninja, this was all right in her book. As they got the scroll, Tsunade remembered the times her grandfather would allow her to read the scrolls that were filled with the Jutsu that he had known for some time. She might not have learned them and used them in her own time as a Kunoichi, but she decided to grow on her own terms.

Now she wanted Naruto to learn what he might be able to use, most would have considered her mad to allow him to get even within a hundred feet of said scroll, bu she trusted Naruto enough to do it.

And her trust in him was not lost to the blonde as he spoke to her.

"Are you sure about this Tsunade-chan? I mean, this was what got me in hot water before I became a Genin."

"True, I talked to Iruka about it actually, but if you were to think about it, you gained a valuable Jutsu there in that same scroll and you also managed to learn the truth about yourself and learn to be stronger. Most would think I am foolish to do this action, showing you the scroll once more, but I have faith in you Naruto-kun. You have grown very strong, and perhaps you might be able to learn something that can help you accomplish your dream of Hokage and possibly learn how to counter other Jutsu."

"What do you mean?"

Tsunade sighed and replied.

"Orochimaru long before he left years ago, actually broke into this place and began to read this scroll. It was here that he learned the Impure World Resurrection Jutsu. The same Jutsu he used to bring back my grand father and my grand uncle, the First Hokage, and Second Hokage. It was something that I was disgusted to know when I came back to Konoha, to know that what my grand father learned is being used to cause misery and pain. But I think that if you can learn something that can help you, then I will allow it."

Naruto smiled and was pleased at the level of trust Tsunade gave him and nodded.

"Thank you Tsunade-chan!"

The two of them decided to work together on this and select a Jutsu or more that Naruto could be able to use in battle. And at least this time around, Naruto had official permission to read from the scroll. That meant he was no longer going to worry about doing something that would have a long line of ninjas chasing after him and getting himself in trouble. All he could hope for was that the Jutsu that he chose and trained in when he had the chance would help him change the outcome of a battle that he would one day find himself in. And who knows, he might be able to use the Jutsu in battle against Death Fang and the future master or mistress if found. As long as he still had time on his hands, he was going to make the most of it.

...

Sasuke was deeply brooding as he was still in his cell, running through the ideas in his head, it had been at least a week since he had been visited by Kabuto and he was more than ready to give his decision on whether he would willingly go to Orochimaru ot not. The former Konoha ninja was by far the only one he could go to for the power needed to do what he wanted. And also he planned to gain revenge on Naruto, but as much as he did not want to admit it, he knew that attacking Naruto head on was not a wise idea at the moment. He would have to strike in a way that would finally give him a chance to even the odds and make the blonde idiot suffer and bleed for all the things that have happened.

And he already had an idea about how he was going to pull it off. All he needed to do was to wait for the ones that Kabuto had promised. Before he left, the spy for Orochimaru told him that the ones he had spoken of were going to make their move soon to free him. And when that happened, they were on a set time table since Konoha had regained most of it's old strength if not it's numbers. He had no doubt that when the time came for him to strike at Naruto, he was going to make sure that the strike was going to stab the blonde Chuunin right in the heart.

But for now, he had to wait for the chance to get out of the prison, and get help from the team of Sound Genin that had the same Cursed Seal as he did. He was still not sure of what Kabuto said about the Cursed Seal was true, but for the chance to finally have the power needed to kill Itachi, he was ready to take that chance. And to prove to everyone, himself, and Naruto most of all that he was still the strongest ninja in the world. Kabuto told him that when the time was right, he would send in the Sound Four and they would help him escape and do what he wanted from them before he left with them to Orochimaru. The thought of striking back at his former team mate gave the dark haired traitor ninja the energy to make a very sinister smile.

And soon he was going to make his move...

...

Three days later...

Naruto was now off to take another mission, this time it was to escort a convoy carrying supplies to one of the other towns near the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Lightning. While the Land of Lightning and the Land of Fire were on cool terms, Naruto was well aware that Konoha and Kumo had a spotty history with one another so he hoped that it was not going to cause trouble for him to be around. He decided to wear only his leather armor with his vest while carrying Holy Talon along with his Reflex Bow along with his regular gear. So far the mission had not demanded a lot of his time and he was happy for that as he had begun to think back on the Jutsu he managed to find that he could use in the Forbidden Scroll at least. Tsunade had been there the whole day and they took a break in her residence in the Hokage Tower where he also helped ease her tension with a massage. They COULD have done more than that but they were in the Tower and that was a bit too risky, though Tsunade entertained that idea well into their break and made him nearly agree to the whole thing.

He had found some promising Jutsu and decided to keep them to himself until he had the time, help, and resources to train in them. Tsunade approved of the choices and then allowed him to get some training from her on how to improve chakra control. he had managed to at least to create smaller versions of the Rasengan by himself, a testament of her training, but he still needed a Kage Bunshin to make the more advanced and larger sizes. He also needed the Kage Bunshin to allow him to infuse Dragon Fire into his attacks when spells were involved, even more so for the more powerful ones.

He had also begun to train in increasing the potency of the Rasengan with Jiraiya when the perverted Sannin would come back to the village and hand reports to Tsunade and the rest of the Council. So far the new version of the Rasengan he and Jiraiay developed was working nicely, though he had yet to use it in battle. He figured it would be saved up to allow him the chance to surprise his foes with it. Not to mention he wanted to experiment with the idea of fusing Dragon Fire into the new version of the Rasengan. Kakashi also expressed to him that he could also fuse the Rasengan with his own Wind chakra to augment that already deadly power. The only reason he had not gotten to that stage was due to the fact that Kakashi was on another mission and therefore he was not there to teach him yet. the Jonin also mentioned that when he had the chance he would call on someone he knew from the ANBU who could help.

Naruto asked if it was Uzuki and the white haired Jonin shook his head at that. He pointed out that while Uzuki was highly skilled and someone he respected during his time in the ANBU, he knew that her abilities were not needed in this kind of situation. he knew of someone who could be able to help him due to his unique status though. But for now, it would have to wait since he still had to pitch the idea to Tsunade and see how she would take it. He also mentioned that since Uzuki was assigned to defense detail she could not be asked to maintain any training schedule unless someone else in the ANBU spotted for her.

Naruto decided to place those thoughts aside for now as he had to finish his escort job.

...

Back in prison...

Sasuke was patiently waiting now, not much else he could do but wait in the first place and while he was eager to finally leave this hellhole, he knew that revealing his intent was asking for trouble. There were still golems in the area that react to attack so he would have to play it smart. Kabuto, having been a resident of Konoha knew a lot of its's secrets, secrets that few ninja with the exception of the Hokage and some higher ranking Jonin knew about. One such secret was hidden passageways that were not fully sealed off and were near the prison. This was going to be his escape route. All he needed to do now was wait for his new found allies to help him. And he knew that it was not going to be long before he got his allies to help him gain his revenge on Naruto and also for Konoha. Due to the fact that he was a high profile prisoner and very dangerous due to his Kekkai Genkai and powers, he was isolated from the prisoners who could be influenced by him.

And he was guarded by ANBU forces and therefore he had to be patient. though he was still worried about how the Sound team would be able to get into the area he was in. But he did not have to wait long as the ANBU were suddenly being stuck in place on the ground by webs that were like spider webs, yet in a much larger form. The ANBU that were not secured quickly moved to engage the attackers and there the attackers were revealed to be the ones who came to free Sasuke. The dark haired Uchiha was quickly restrained by the ANBU who were near him and soon sent back to his cell.

"Warn the Hokage! We have a break in! The target is Sasuke Uchiha!"

Sasuke did not resist as he decided to let his 'rescue party' do their work. The shouts and commands was all over the place and soon the sounds of battle were all over the place. He remained calm in his cell and it was not long before the sounds were gone and then the sounds of his cell door being removed from it's hinges was heard. Soon the door was torn out and tossed aside as Sasuke turned to see someone. He was looking at a massive male ninja who was wearing the same style of clothing Orochimaru did when he first met the renegade Sannin and he was assured that they were indeed members of Sound. The man looked Sasuke over and Sasuke could see that there were marks on the ninja's face as he spoke.

"You're Sasuke Uchiha eh?"

"Yes I am, what's it to you?!"

The man sneered a bit but did not attack Sasuke as he turned and spoke to someone.

"Kabuto-sama, you were not kidding that this one had an attitude."

The Uchiha turned and sure enough, Kabuto appeared, dressed as Konoha ANBU, apparently he had been able to sneak into the place and allow his strike team to move in undetected as Kabuto had done a LOT of work before this happened. Kabuto smiled at that and spoke to Sasuke seriously.

"I expected that from you Sasuke-kun, after all, your defiance is what makes you who you are. But now that we have made this move, I suggest that you do what you promised to do here before we leave. I have bought you a time frame of at least several hours. The ANBU who they had tried to contact have been placed to sleep and I will remain here to deal with the bodies of the slain ANBU. Now go and do what you want. Tayuya-chan, come here for a moment."

The person called Tayuya moved forward her own face and her arms armed with the Cursed Seal Tattoos and she was armed with a flute as well as wearing a strange helmet on her head. The woman looked at Kabuto and while she gave him a slight glare, no doubt in relation to the use of her name with the chan suffix. But that glare vanished just as the Cursed Seal tattoos also faded from the woman and her massive companion.

"What is it Kabuto?"

"I will be busy taking care of the bodies here and cleaning up the mess you all made. Did you really have to be so excessive Tayuya-chan?"

"Screw you! They were ANBU and we don't have time to play around so we had to improvise. So what exactly did you call me over for?"

"I want you to take the team and help Sasuke-kun with a personal matter of his. Once that is done, you are to escort him back to base and allow him to undergo the final step to gaining full mastery of the Cursed Seal."

Tayuya smirked a bit at that and replied.

"Why the heck can't pretty boy here do it himself?"

Sasuke glared at her and she merely looked at him in annoyance as Kabuto spoke.

"Now now Tayuya-chan, this is a direct order from Orochimaru-sama. Let Sasuke-kun do what he wants first before we take him to our territory and allow him to learn not only how to use the Cursed Seal, but improve his powers. You don't want to disobey Orochimaru-sama's orders do you?"

The veiled threat there was enough to convince the woman to relax and she replied in a huff.

"Fine, but we're on a strict time table Kabuto-san, if he takes too long, I'll knock him unconscious and take him with us whether he likes it or not."

Sasuke growled at that but decided not to worry about that, he had other things in mind.

…

On the way back to Konoha...

Naruto was happy to finally have the escort mission over and done with and he was going to be very happy to finally make it home. He was also looking forward to resting in his home and getting some much needed shut eye. He was in the need for it since the last few days had really pushed to his limits. the mission was not too hard though he had to fight off a number of bandits as well as some rogue ninja. There were even some less than reputable merchants to who tried to con his carges of their wares. He set them straight and was well compensated for his work and already the message was being relayed back to Konoha. Once he got back home and got his sleep

But he had no idea that he was about to get dragged into something that was going to test him to the very limit. The only thing that gave him warning as he neared Konoha was the sudden feeling of dread in his gut.

…

(I am SO going to hate myself for writing this…I did not look forward to this at all but I know that it had to be done. So here we are, and I hope that I do not get reamed by anyone over this.)

…

Back in Konoha…

Sakura was currently working on some papers for Tsunade and also her work on medical matters and when she was able to finish the papers in question, she decided to head off to check out how Naruto's home was doing. She had planned to pay the place a visit and hope that her blonde team mate had been able to take the time to get his home in order. She shook her head at that and got her supplies ready, he was off on another mission and would soon be home. She bade goodbye to her family and soon moved to where Naruto's home was. Along the way she spotted Ino and Hinata who were chatting with one another and heading in the same direction as she was. She smirked a bit and soon joined them and they smiled at her in greeting.

"So how are you doing Ino-san? Hinata-san?"

"Pretty good."

"Same here Sakura-san."

Sakura nodded and they all walked to Naruto's place, they were well aware that he was currently on a mission so he would not be back and they decided to see just how his place was doing. Kin was currently on assignment with Zabuza and her team so she was out of the house. That meant that the three of them could come in and make a surprise for Naruto when he would come back. But as they came closer, they were suddenly greeted by the sounds of an explosion...right where Naruto's house was located. The three Kunoichi managed to block their eyes from the incoming dust and managed to keep themselves stable from the blast wave that followed. They looked at the direction of the house of their loved one and were utterly shocked as smoke began to rise from the place.

They all looked at one another and di not waste time as they dropped what they had and headed there, it would not be long before reinforcements came, but since they were on site, they had to find out what was going on. They all wondered just what had happened there as they all knew that no one was in Naruto's place and everyone was busy doing their own things. Kurenai and Anko were on a joint assignment and would be back later from the mission while Shizune was busy working on the latest documents with Tsunade. The others were also busy as the elves and their dragon comrade was busy elsewhere since Tsunade had asked them help with some matters at the borders. All of them agreed to help and were out of the village and there was no word on when they were going to be coming back.

"What is going on?"

"I have no idea, but whatever it is, we have to stop it!"

All three were in agreement there and hoped that the attack would be seen by others and backup would be on their way.

...

As soon as they got to Naruto's house, they were in for a sight. A section of the outer walls had been torn down and smashed and the same went for the inside walls. The house had the roof damaged and there were signs of fire damage there. The really shocking thing was that the shed where Naruto had stored some of his creations had been broken into. All three of them moved to see what was going on but before they could, they heard a voice that stopped them cold.

"Well now...looks like I have been found out, but Naruto's little collection of friends and loved ones no less."

Thy turned and were surprised to see Sasuke Uchiha there with four unknown figures, but the way they were dressed was more than enough to tell them who they were. One was a woman with red hair and wearing a helmet with an odd design and she was carrying the usual gear but also had a flute with her. The other was a man with at least six extra arms on him, almost like a spider, the other was a massive young man with orange hair in a strange style and he was looking quietly at the three Konoha Kunoichi. And the last was a pale skinned youth with a sickly yet evil look on his face who was smiling at them. The clothing style might be different, but it matched what the ninja of the Hidden Sound village wore quite well.

Sakura was shocked by the sight and shouted at the assembled group of Sound Ninja and the sight of Sasuke willingly working with them. She was hardly alone either as Ino and Hinata were also shocked by what they were seeing. The pink haired Kunoichi knew that after what he had done earlier, Sasuke was no longer stable…but this was truly a sign of how far he had fallen and she shouted to him.

"What are you doing? Why are you working with them Sasuke? Answer me!"

The dark haired Uchiha sneered at his former team mate and replied.

"Why should you care Sakura? I am merely going to take something that our…former ally made, He was so proud of it so I felt that it's better off in my hands, now get out of my way."

Sakura however shouted back as she readied herself for what was to come, and it was obvious that both Ino and Hinata were ready for this as well. The pink haired Kunoichi was utterly angered by this turn of events, as not only was Sasuke stealing a potentially dangerous weapon, but he was now allying himself willingly with Orochimaru's minions, as the man was indeed the ruler of Sound.

"NEVER! Don't do that Sasuke-kun, this is madness and you know it!"

Sasuke growled and replied back.

"Madness is it?"

Before the three could react, the Uchiha launched several kunai at them, forcing the three Kunoichi to move back and avoid the weapons that were thrown at them by the former Konoha ninja. They were soon beset by the other members that were with Sasuke and soon it turned into a serious fight. Ino was not used to such battles at this range, but she was not going to make herself fall prey to these people. The same mindset was with both Hinata and Sakura as they got ready to fight with the Sound Four. And it was not long before the three Kunoichi were deep in the fight.

Hinata managed to parry the attacks of the massive member of the Sound Four and quickly focused her Byakugan to give her an edge, Ino herself used her improving Taijutsu to give her some support in the coming battle. Ino was now facing off with the one with eight arms while Sakura was beset by the female member of the group and the pale skinned one. She had no idea about their abilities, but if they did break Sasuke out of prison despite the location of his prison area being heavily fortified and guarded by ANBU, then they were not to be taken lightly. Sasuke was hardly idle as he began to unleash his Fire Jutsu to destroy portions of Naruto's home as he shouted in anger.

"Is it madness for me to want to have the power needed to finally slay Itachi?"

"Is it madness to want the chance to finally have the power that should be mine to finally avenge my family?"

"Is it madness to feel that I have been held back and my brother walks the world unpunished?"

Sasuke turned around as the area was burning and he decided to end it as he faced Sakura who was still locked in combat with the members of the Sound Five. He then made his own move to attack Sakura alongside the eight armed fighter as he shouted fiercely at Sakura who was trying her best to fight him and his ally.

"IS IT MADNESS FOR ME TO PROVE THAT I AM NOT WEAK!"

Sakura was now assured that Sasuke was too far gone and holding back her training in chakra enhancing strength to stop him cold and she proved it when she lashed out with a powerful fist to the ground. Sasuke had seen signs of Sakura's training, but even he was not prepared to see the level of Sakura's strength as the blow sent him and his allies from Sound back and she charged at them to strike hard and fast at them. Sasuke blocked her attacks as best he could and his allies also managed to evade Sakura's strength, but it was also here that the lone female moved back and began to play her music.

It was here that Sakura, Ino, and Hinata were hit hard and not able to fight effectively, and the Sound ninja moved in and attacked the still reeling Kunoichi from the music based attacks of the only female member of the team. Sakura knew that the attack was in truth a Genjutsu and the only chance they had was for them to break free. She was the only one among the three Kunoichi who had learned how to dispel Genjutsu, sadly it was not going to be easy since Sasuke was the one who knew it as he quickly attacked her to prevent her to dispel the attack. She fought him off and grabbed a nearby bar of steel from the ruins near the house and while it did not last long before the sword that Sasuke took, it bought her enough time to force Sasuke back and she quickly dispelled the genjutsu and to make sure that it culd not be used, she attacked the only female member of the Sound Five.

Tayuya growled at the pick haired Kunoichi coming at her and tried to use some shuriken, but Sakura had been given training to toughen her body up and she was able to use her own kunai to block the attacks. And as soon as she was close enough, she struck and knocked out Tayuya with a hard punch that sent the woman to the ground. But the damage had been done as Ino and Hinata were badly injured and they had no choice but to back away and get some room and they were able to do so since the other members of the Sound Five had moved away since the two Kunoichi, prior to theme being weakened by Tayuya's Genjutsu had managed to hold their own.

However, their attempt was not without high risk. The others pursued the injured Kunoichi and as they entered the ruined area of Naruto's home, Sakura turned to try and buy her friends' time. Only for Sasuke to attack her with a large blow to her chest, she reeled in pain at the attack but recovered and fired an attack at Sasuke, but the dark haired uchiha was not going to be denied as he decided to finally sever his ties to Konoha and send a message to his blonde rival and enemy. He managed to avoid the blow and another from Sakura, and when he got the opening he needed, he did not hesitate.

SLASH!

...

Sakura shouted in shock and she was soon in pain as the sword cut deeply into her stomach. The blow had been unexpected but she was not going to give up as she finally managed to land a kick on Sasuke to force him back. Her wounded and exhausted state left her vulnerable as Sasuke grinned darkly at this. He turned his attention to Ino and Hinata. It was clear to the pink haired Kunoichi that Sasuke had finally committed the crime that could never be forgiven or forgotten in Konoha, doing it willingly and she had to act before he did something to her friends. And act she did as Sakura managed to use her kunai and quickly use them to wound Sasuke briefly in the face. The enraged Uchiha turned to her and quickly kicked her wound, making her shout in pain.

"SAKURA-SAN!"

Both Ino and Hinata were shocked at this and were even more angered when Sasuke quickly got on Sakura and violently kissed her despite her desire to resist. Sakura did resist and that served to amuse and enrage the former Uchiha as he got off Sakura as he spoke while looking at the pink haired Kunoichi's face.

"So, you love Naruto now? So you don't love me anymore? That's not a damn problem to me, he can have you, but not before I mar you a bit more!"

He began to violently kiss Sakura and Sakura fought on as best she could despite the pain she was feeling, and she quickly managed to her free her arm and struck Sasuke, forcing him off of her. Sakura turned and managed to get her body to heal and tried to help them, only for Sasuke to strike her from behind. Sakura cried out in pain as she fell down with her left thigh bleeding from the slash, she was still alive and Sasuke moved over to her and turned her over to her back as he rubbed his side. No doubt Sasuke was feeling pain as Sakura did not hesitate this time to use her training from Tsunade to hurt him. But with her blood loss and exhaustion, it was not enough. Sasuke moved away just as both Ino and Hinata managed to get to Sakura and fight him off.

"Damn you Sasuke, you really have lost it!"

Ino was outraged at how far Sasuke had fallen as she threw some shuriken at her and so did Hinata. Both of them were still exhausted form their respective battles but they were not going to give up without a fight. Sasuke however cut their weapons and quickly attacked both Ino and Hinata, injuring the both of them even more and he soon turned his attention to Hinata. He was well aware of the long time love that Hinata had for Naruto and while in the past he did not mind it and actually found it amusing, that was not the case now today. He grinned in an utterly feral at her and then avoided her attacks, hitting her on the stomach and then stabbing her in the chest. Hinata thakfully managed to avoid a fatal strike, but was still wounded badly as she gasped in pain as Sasuke spoke to her.

"You were always looking at Naruto shyly Hinata, and while you finally were able to be with him, I am going to make sure that the last thing you will see is his face twisted in horror!"

"NEVER!"

Despite the pain in her body, the Hyuuga heiress fought back and pulled herself away from the sword and struck several blows on the arrogant Uchiha, injuring his arm and forcing him away from her and the others. Sasuke growled at Hinata's defiance and quickly managed to fight back, using his stolen sword's flat edge to block Hinata's Gentle Fist and he moved in to attack once more. Hinata could only scream in pain as she was soon cut on the left side of her stomach but not before focusing all her chakra and creating a massive Lion shaped aura of chakra on her hand to smash into Sasuke. That blow sent him flying back as Hinata collapsed in pain from the new wound.

"HINATA!"

Ino was angered greatly at this and quickly attacked Sasuke, hoping to buy her friends some space even though she knew that her actions were high risk since she was now alone. She could not use her clan's signature Jutsu like this since she had no one to help her. So she had to rely on her other skills as best she could. he other Sound ninja stayed back since it was clear to them that this was going to be Sasuke's mess to deal with. Ino knew that as well as she faced off with her former crush and now proven enemy. She did have feelings for Sasuke, genuine ones, but after this and being intimate with Naruto many times and seeing the true side of the blonde ninja, those feelings were gone. The sight of Sakura and Hinata wounded by Sasuke, and seeing that he had done it willingly with clear killer intent was very disgusting to the blonde Kunoichi and she knew that she was next. Sasuke snorted and spoke to Ino in a cold and malicious tone.

"You also like Naruto huh? Just like Sakura and Hinata?"

"Yes I do, he changed for the better, but you changed for the worse...doing this and now harming Sakura and Hinata? Why? Why have you done this?"

The dark haired Uchiha did not reply as he charged at Ino and she was lucky enough to move away to avoid a blow to the back of her head and she managed to use her Bunshin technique to leap over Sasuke as he slashed at her and she landed a blow to his back. Sasuke moved awa as Ino moved back to get some distance between her and the now rogue ninja. But Sasuke expected that and he turned to fire a smoke bomb at Ino. The blonde managed to avoid most of the smoke, but that was the opening the Uchiha needed as he attacked Ino from behind.

Ino screamed in pain as the sword cut into her back as she turned to face Sasuke and land a punch to his face, only for him to stab her on the stomach, just about her ribs on the right side. Sasuke then cruelly yanked the blade away and kicked Ino to the ground. She was soon next to the others as Sasuke looked at them with a dark and evil look. He then moved to Sakura and slapped her hard on the face, once more violently kissing her while she was still trying to heal herself. he then did the same to Hinata and she resisted him as well despite her wounded state, he even spat some of his own blood and the Hyuuga heiress's face as an insult. And soon did the same to Ino, who managed to slap him away.

He glared at them all and spoke.

"You can all love that blonde idiot to hell for all I care. He was and always will be a dead last to me."

The three women however were not cowed at all and despite them being wounded the spat at Sasuke's face and Sakura spoke first.

"No, you're the dead last now."

Hinata spoke next with courage in her eyes despite her wounded state.

"N-N-naruto-kun was never weak...unlike you!"

And Ino spoke next with anger in her eyes.

"He was nothing like you, and we're...thankful he never was. You gave your soul to evil...he did not!"

Sasuke sneered that them and he was soon joined by the Sound Four, no doubt with the intent to harm the still wounded Kunoichi trio, and one of them was eager for payback.

But before they could be harmed further by the now rogue Uchiha and his group, they had to pull back, but not before Sasuke made sure to flick the blood on his sword all over the now ruined living room of Naruto's new home and on all three Kunoichi. He smirked darkly at his handiwork and then left with the others. There was a place for them to go to and allow him to finally be able to take command of the Cursed Seal. He would let Naruto deal with the mess later and was eager to see just how their battle would be once there was no one left to interfere and he could finally end the blonde's life to gain the power he needed. And there was good reason for it, as he had been able to read something in the ruins of the former Uchiha Clan compound.

…

In his home…

Naruto was horrified when he and the other ninja came to where his house was. The sight of his ruined home filled him with shock and anger as he had been told that something had happened in the prison and Sasuke had escaped. He prayed that whatever happened it was not too late for him and the others. But when he smelled the flames, he was filled with fear, even more so when the faint smell of blood...female blood filled the air as he moved deeper past the ruined area of his home.

Naruto was utterly enraged by what he had just seen, Ino was there, holding the right side of her stomach just above the ribs as her blood was flowing out from the wound as she tried to heal herself as best she could and she was also bleeding from a deep cut at her back. Hinata was clutching the right side of her chest near the shoulder and trying to heal the left side of her stomach, and Sakura was doing the same to her left thigh, and the right side of her stomach. All three of them were trying to heal and his living room was covered in splashes of their blood and the smae blood was on them as well. The blonde wasted no time and took out Holy Talon and used the Dragon Fire to try and heal the three women, he knew that he had to remain calm…but how can one remain calm after seeing three beloved people in his or her life were wounded and bleeding before him or her?

"SAKURA-CHAN! HINATA-CHAN! INO-CHAN! HOLD ON!"

Naruto managed to begin the healing process but the cuts were deep and strong and it was taking a good deal of Life Branch Magic to heal them. The only way someone could do this much damage was with a powerful sword with a killer edge, and seeing the ruined store house; he knew just what the sword in question was. The wounds were not just to the flesh but also the organs and blood vessel. These were no faked cuts, these were done with killer intent.

As he healed them as best he could, he lifted them and placed them on the couch and spoke to them as quickly as he could.

"Who did this to you? Please tell me who did this to you?-!"

Ino looked at Naruto and so did Sakura and Hinata, and while they were healing, the blonde could see that they were all in pain. Sakura was the very first to speak.

"It was…Sasuke…"

Naruto's heat stopped at this, his brain could not process just what Sakura had just said and it took a moment for him to finally get his voice back.

"What…how…?"

"H-He…he broke into…the s-store house…h-he…was not alone…"

"What?"

Ino spoke next…

"H-he had…help…Sound Ninja were with him, four of them."

Hinata then spoke next.

"W-We tried to stop them Naruto-kun…but they…they had the same seal. The same seal as Sasuke did and they were…strong, too strong to be normal ninja. They nearly…had us and Sasuke…was the one who attacked us before they…left."

It was at this moment that reinforcements arrived…in the shape of Shizune, Tsunade, Yugao, Kurenai, Neji, Hiashi, Anko, Zabuza and Haku along with a band of ANBU. The assembled group rushed into the living room and they all were aghast at the sight of the three wounded Kunoichi. Tsunade was the first to recover and quickly ordered that all three Kunoichi be taken for medical treatment. Hiashi and Neji along with two ANBU were quick to get Hinata on a stretcher, while Kurenai and Anko took Ino on a stretcher, while Tsunade and Zabuza helped by some ANBU took Sakura with them on a stricter as well.

Yugao quickly ordered the whole of Konoha sealed up and was soon joined by the Head oof the ANBVU who dispatched some of his men to locate the Sound Ninja and the renegade Sasuke Uchiha.

All the while, Naruto was shocked at what he had learned, seeing the blood in the living room, knowing that it was the blood of three women he loved very much, and knowing that his former team mate had willingly wounded them with the stolen sword he made filled him with absolute fury as he shouted out at the possible direction Sasuke had left.

"DAMN YOU SASUKE!"

…

In the Konoha General Hospital…

Tsunade sighed as she got out of the emergency room an faced the collected group there who had come the very second they heard the news of the vicious attack that happened in Naruto's home and the fact that it had been done by Sasuke. Sakura's parents were there along with Ino's parents and Hiashi along with Hanabi, Neji and Kurenai. They were all outraged by this but none of them were more so enraged by the events of this night than Naruto who had been standing there the whole time.

The Hokage could tell that Naruto was bristling with rage and she could not blame him for his feelings and she also was enraged by the actions done by Sasuke on his fellow villagers. This and willingly working with Orochimaru's followers filled her with anger as well, but she managed to rein in her temper. She had to do so in order to keep people focused on the matter at hand, they could not afford to be distracted.

She then spoke to them.

"The wounds were pretty deep, and also severe. Sakura's liver was cut deeply and so was her small intestines, her femoral artery also was cut deeply and a portion of her nerves were badly severed. Hinata's right lung had been punctured and her ribs have been grazed and there is a chance that a cyst might form, her liver also took a cut and it damaged and resulting in some internal bleeding. Ino is also wounded near the stomach and it has been cut badly by the weapon that wounded their medical training and use of ,medical Jutsu had helped to stabilize them and Naruto-kun's Life Branch Magic also managed to help increase their healing. And they are currently recovering as we speak…it may take some time though."

Tsunade looked at the assembled parents and all of them seemed relieved, even the normally calm and stoic Hiashi seemed happy that his first born daughter had made it. That was a far cry from what he used to be when it concerned Hinata, but it was also clear to Tsunade that all of them were utterly furious at what had happened. The only one she could tell who was more furious than the parents of the wounded Kunoichi was Naruto himself.

(It's amazing that he's managed to keep it together.)

The blonde was dead silent and was at war now with his emotions and thoughts. He had hoped that when he was given time to cool off and get his head back in order, Sasuke would be a lot more reasonable. But now he felt different, he had never felt so much anger in him before, and this was not mindless and baseless anger, it was raw anger that had a focus and a target. He wanted to track down Sasuke, track him down and beat him to near unconsciousness, and even…to death if it came to that. It was taking all of his hard earned training in mind and spirit to not go out and track down Sasuke himself and get himself in even worse trouble.

His thoughts were balanced by the fact that he knew of Sasuke's inner demons, he recalled the history Sasuke had, along with the encounter with Itachi, and what the results were, he was there as well. The blonde also recalled his promise to Sasuke not to interfere with his desire to avenge his family as well as his warning that he was not going to let him go down the dark path. He also knew of the things Itachi told him months before, about how there was more to the Uchiha Clan massacre than what he and the others in Konoha knew of. But this was something he could not and would not let go of.

He looked at Tsunade and he spoke only a few words.

"Do we go after him Tsunade-sama?"

Tsunade did not have to say too much and knew that this was personal, she too was in the need for answers and she was more than willing to get them. Attacking your own team was deplorable to her, but to willingly attack with killer intent was even more disgusting. Sasuke Uchiha had attacked Naruto already and that galled her a great deal, but this new attack with killer intent on three Kunoichi, with one being her apprentice filled her with greater amounts of anger. She however managed to keep calm and focused on what was their next move, it would do them little good for her to lose her head.

"Yes, I will get things ready Naruto, I need you and a team ready to track down and intercept the Sound Ninja who are with Sasuke Uchiha."

"Orders?"

"Capture him alive to stand trial for this atrocity. If he refuses to comply, then bring him back here by any means needed even if it means beating him to near death, as for the Sound Ninja, capture them alive if possible, if not…I leave that up to you. I'll get a team ready once I am sure that Sakura, Hinata, and Ino are all right."

Naruto nodded and left, already thinking on what he needed to do for this mission ahead of him. And what he was going to do once he located Sasuke and captured him. Holy Talon was well aware of his master's state of mind, and could not blame him at all for the desire for answers and justice for those harmed. It however knew that allowing his darker emotions to cloud his thoughts would make him vulnerable.

(("Master Naruto, don't let your anger overwhelm you, it is all right to feel anger, but not to the point it becomes all you know."))

(I know…but I cannot help but feel angry, real angry.)

(("I know, and in truth anger is part of your human nature as it is in all life, but that is tempered by your other emotions. The emotions I speak of already known to you Master. The ones who throw away those said emotions all for the sake of power and embrace all dark emotions are the ones who must be stopped. The followers of Chorvax have done so and have become dark mirrors of what it means to be living beings. To throw away your humanity for power is the greatest crime one can make for in the end you will never be satisfied and become nothing more than a ravenous beast. Beasts themselves feed to survive and care for their young for their reasons and their survival, but even they know the limits of their actions for to feed ravenously and kill without reasons such as defending their land and their young is wasteful. For them to throw those aside as well invites only unending destruction and limitless hunger. Sasuke has given himself to such thoughts now Master, but as you yourself feel, you can still save him. You still see him as a friend, and remember your promise to him to not stop him to avenge his family. In some ways, this is the same anger he felt for his brother Itachi when he saw Itachi kill their clan. His anger and hatred stem from the deaths of his family and clan by the hand of his own brother though we both know that there was more to the tragedy than even he knows. Now that anger has blinded him and it is all he knows, the same events that happened to him are now happening to you. There is one difference between you and him however."))

(What is that?)

(("You already know the pain of loneliness and isolation, and because of this, you treasure the bonds you have made and will do everything in your heart to protect them. He on the other hand has sworn off those bonds and will cut any he will form. This is because instead of looking beyond merely his past and his anger to make a future once all is done, he has allowed his anger to be his future and it will drive him deeper into the darkness until it is all he knows."))

(I understand, yet I cannot help but feel that I should make him pay for what he has done.)

(("And you shall, but do not become like him, you fight and kill as any warrior would, but unlike him, who is willing to kill those who are not even his enemies, you are different. You easily could have become an enemy of Konoha considering all you have endured even before you met me. But you found people who you care about and call family, they in turn have given you something to live and fight for, you yourself said it in front of the Council after all. And you know that at times you have to kill your enemies when they prove too dangerous, but you kill only them and no one else. But that is all I can say, remember to never forget that you are are yourself and you forge your own way."))

Naruto nodded and it was here that the Kyuubi next spoke

((While I really don't care much for what you do brat, make no mistake about this, you will have to fight and I am more than willing to help you with that. The Uchiha have always been a real pain in the neck for anyone, they lie, even more so than the rest of you humans.))

(Why do you carry so much hatred for humans and the Uchiha?)

((Because no matter what words they use, and no matter the intentions they say they have…humans lie all the time brat. You of all people should know that, and as to why I hate the Uchiha, that is MY business, I just decided to speak because I was getting bored out of my demonic skull listening to this discussion. Now if we get into a fight with that Uchiha brat, then that is when I will get really into the whole thing. I hate your kind brat, but I work with you only to stay alive, but I would rather work with you than an Uchiha!))

(Why?)

((I said it before, and I will say it again, do not ask me that because I will not answer it! I will think about it, but remember that just because I am willing to work with you does not mean we are on the same side. This is merely an alliance of convenience, nothing more. But what that sword of yours did say is true to some extent, even if I think it's not all true either. Humans can lie and deceive and they crave power…that brat you call a friend is a good example.))

((That brother of his…bah, I personally feel he did this village of yours a favor even if I don't know what it is. All I can say is that it's fitting a family of liars and power hungry bastards like the Uchiha were betrayed and killed by one of their own. They for all their supposed superiority deserve it.))

(("You say it as if you know more than you let on about the Uchiha, Itachi spoke that there was more to the massacre than what others knew."))

((There always is, and that is all I am willing to say, now let me sleep.))

Naruto sighed and decided to head out and get himself ready. His house was a wreck but it could be rebuilt. A house was just a roof with walls after all, and could be rebuilt when there was enough time and effort, but for now, he had a mission to do, and it was going to be personal.

...

In the hospital...

Naruto came back to the hospital and he was able to speak to Tsunade and ask her if it was all right that he saw Ino, Sakura, and Hinata to see if they were fine. The blonde Hokage nodded and informed him that they had been able to recover well and were going to be all right though they were all going to be out of action for a while. She also stated that while she knew he would be careful with the way they were, she still wanted him not to be too energetic and talk to them before moving out on the mission.

The young man nodded and soon he was allowed in, and he saw all of them. All three Kunoichi were on IV drips and were wearing hospital gowns and were conscious and all three were in bed. His heart ached to see them like this and he headed for Sakura who was able to wake up and smile at him as he touched her hand.

"Naruto-kun..."

Sakura's voice was weak from her traumatic experience and it was enough to make the blonde Chuunin all the more eager to hunt down Sasuke and not only do his mission, but beat the crap out of him for attacking Sakura. He smiled and gently held her hand as he spoke to her.

"Sakura-chan, how are you feeling?"

"Better I guess, Tsunade-sensei said I was lucky that the attack did not break the bone or cut it in half so I should be able to recover and not..."

She began to tear up and he held her hand as gently as he could to assure the pinkette that she was going to be fine as she recovered and spoke.

"Tsunade-sensei said that I would not be crippled by that attack due to my healing Jutsu and the fact that she had been toughening me up in training,. Thought thought of it...I was so scared Naruto-kun, what Sasuke and those ninja had done. It was horrible."

The utterly pained and vulnerable look Sakura had angered Naruto but he tempered it with the fact that she was safe and alive. He was going to make sure that she would not lose faith and hope as he spoke to her.

"I won't let this slide Sakura-chan, I have faith you will pull through and no one I know can heal anyone better than Tsunade-chan and Shizune-chan. I will also help you all when I can with my magic, I will not lose any of you, you are all very precious people to me and I will make sure that anyone who hurts you pays for it. I'll make sure Sasuke-teme answers for this as well. So you rest up now and I'll do my best to make him come back to answer for his crimes."

Sakura smiled and despite her still recovering state, she moved up and Naruto caught her and he was soon kissed on the lips by Sakura and who hugged him as tightly as her weakened state could allow her to do so. Naruto in turn hugged her back gently and soon moved to let her rest. She felt tired but happy that the man she loved had come to visit her and the others and now she needed her sleep. Naruto then kissed her on the forehead, making her smile at the loving gesture as Naruto moved to Hinata who was also waking up.

He was happy to see that she was safe and sat down to hold her hand, she looked at him and she blushed a bit, knowing that he was here beside her right now. She could see the emotions on her beloved's face and she spoke gently to him despite the weakness of her current state.

"Naruto-kun...I am...happy to see you here."

"Same here Hinata-chan, how are you?"

"I...I am fine, it still hurts, but at least I can breathe better now."

Naruto was happy and gently held Hinata's hand and could not help but look at the area where her stab wound had been and he could see that even with the healing there was a slight tinge of red on the bandaged area just below her gown. The idea of anyone harming someone as kind and gentle hearted as Hinata filled him with absolute loathing. That feeling was even more intense as he knew who had stabbed Hinata and vowed to beat Sasuke to a pulp for daring to harm Hinata as well as Sakura and Ino.

"Hinata-chan..."

"I'm sorry...I'm sorry for not..."

"No, don't say that you are sorry, you are not at fault here Hinata-chan, if anyone here should be sorry, it was me. It was me for not making it in time to prevent this from ever happening to you, Sakura-chan, and Ino-chan. But I swear to you that I will not let this slide. Anyone who hurts my precious people, especially the people I love with all my being will get what's coming to them. I will make sure that Sasuke-teme gets what is coming to him and I will make sure to help you recover. For now, rest and heal. okay Hinata-chan."

"H-Hai!"

Naruto then gently hugged Hinata and she hugged him back as much as her healing body would allow her. He then gently laid her back on the bed and moved to check on Ino. The blonde haired Kunoichi might have been less injured by the others at least in terms of sword wounds, but that did not mean that she was all right. He sat down and stroked her face gently and making her open her eyes. She looked to see Naruto and smiled warmly as she could to the man who she loved now with every fiber of her being.

"Hey Naruto-kun."

"Ino-chan, how are you?"

"All right, but hospital gowns are never my thing."

Both blondes smiled somewhat at that and Ino became serious a few moments later as she recalled what had happened to her. She could not help but feel angry and betrayed at the actions of Sasuke and could not help but feel disgusted at how far her former crush had fallen. She looked at Naruto and spoke gently to him.

"I'm sorry, I was not strong enough to stop him...he destroyed all you built. He wounded Hinata, Sakura, and me, and even with all I...I had learned I could not stop him. I was a disgrace as a Kunoichi."

"No...don't say that."

Naruto did not want to see Ino like this, this was a far cry from the bossy and confident Ino he had grown up with and he did not like it one bit.

"you are no disgrace, you fought with all you had, you, Sakura-chan, and Hinata-chan di your best even when you were not prepared for what happened. You fought as best you could. And you are all alive and recovering. You should rest now Ino-chan and get stronger when you recover. I swear to you that I will not let what happened to you all go unpunished. You are a precious person to me, and whoever hurt you is going to pay, that I promise you, Hinata-chan, and Sakura-chan. I am going after Sasuke and I am going to make sure he answers for what he did. You're current mission is to rest now okay Ino-chan?"

Ino nodded and smiled as she gently kissed Naruto's hand on her face and then him as she rested. Naruto kissed her, Sakura, and Hinata and bid them farewell for now.

He had an enemy to catch!

…

Later…

An assembled team of ninja were there in front of the gates, and in the lead were Naruto and Shikamaru, both would serve as team leaders since both were Chuunin, and for them, this mission was more than part of their job, it was personal. Shikamaru considered Ino as a good friend despite her attitude and actions, and he respected her a great deal so to know that Ino was nearly killed by Sasuke Uchiha was something Shikamaru found to be very offensive. He wanted to get answers from the former Konoha ninja just why he not only willingly betrayed Konoha, but even willingly tried to kill his team mate and several others.

Naruto had his own reasons, he was going to get answers from Sasuke once and for all, and he would do what he had to beat out an apology from him and then toss him into the deepest, darkest prison Konoha and let him stay there. That was also increased by his desire to really hurt Sasuke, he could forgive some of Sasuke's actions, but attacking and severely wounding Hinata, Sakura, and Ino with one of his own swords and not caring one bit that he had done so, was pushing the line! But his discussion with Holy Talon tempered his anger, and his discussion with the Kyuubi made him all the more curious about what happened in the past, especially between the Kyuubi and the Uchiha Clan, he was aware to some extent that one person of the Uchiha Clan, one Uchiha Madara had once somehow controlled the Kyuubi and used it in the Battle of the Valley of the End.

He could easily see just how that would serve to incite hatred in the Kyuubi, he however suspected there was more to the whole story, but he was going to keep it in mind.

The description of Sasuke's accomplices in the attack on his home was pretty odd to him, but he was not going to let the oddness of the whole situation stop him from doing his job. The rest of the team were also ready, and that team included Rock Lee, Neji Hyuuga, Kiba Inuzuka and Akamaru, and Chouji. There would be no Jonin support as the other Jonin including Asuma, Gai, Kurenai, and Kakashi were elsewhere due to the some missions of their own, usually the A rank type.

The ANBU had already deployed a team to try and intercept Sasuke and the Sound Ninja earlier, but they had not reported in yet so now they were being deployed. It was unheard of for Genin and two Chuunin to be deployed with no Jonin backup, but this was no ordinary situation and everyone knew it. They also carried their own desires for this mission as well.

Neji was there to avenge the wounding of Hinata by Sasuke and the injuries she endured, not because it was merely his duty, but because he wanted to. He had finally begun to mend fences with his family and the thought of anyone harming them filled him with the desire to avenge them. It was even more serious to him since it was Sasuke who did it to Hinata as he had disliked the situation that transpired between Naruto and Sasuke having heard of it from some of the villagers and Tenten as well.

The same was in both Kiba, and Akamaru, Hinata was like a little sister to Kiba and the idea of Sasuke doing that to Hinata filled the Inuzuka youth with anger and the desire for justice for Hinata. Akamaru also cared for Hinata as she was very kind to him, played with him when Kiba was busy, and also was someone he personally considered as one of his family. The idea of anyone willingly spilling her blood filled the canine familiar with rage and he was literally forthing in the mouth mentally to get his chance to attack Sasuke and his posse.

Rock Lee was with them and his reasons were obvious, he might no longer have romantic feelings for Sakura, but she was still a very important person to him and was someone he cared deeply about. The thought of her being harmed along with the other Kunoichi did not sit well in any point to the Genin so when this mission was called on, he was more than ready to take part in it.

Chouji was also with them as the Akamichi heir was also less than pleased at the news that Ino had been badly hurt by Sasuke. There were few things that could incite the more serious and at times terrifying side of the youth. The easiest was to call him fat, but the one that REALLY galled him now was when people he cared about were hurt. Ino might tease him or pick on him for his plumpness, but she was a good friend and no matter how bossy she was, they had worked together too long and had been close friends for him to dislike her and let anyone who hurt his friends get away with it.

Shikamaru looked at Naruto and could see that the blonde was keeping himself cool and that both impressed and worried the Nara youth. The first was that by all rights, Naruto in the past would have demanded they got going right off the bat, this calmness at least showed that he was going to keep his head together. The second feeling was that he had no idea what Naruto would do. Though in hindsight he was not blaming his blonde co leader one bit. Had they not been ordered to bring Sasuke alive but to kill him, he would not hesitate to bring Sasuke back as a corpse.

He decided to test the water a bit and spoke to Naruto.

"You okay Naruto?"

"Yeah, and I am ready for this."

"I can see that, look, I'm not going to lie, but are you sure you won't lose it?"

"Hm?"

"Don't get me wrong Naruto, nothing would please me more than to beat the shit out of Sasuke for this crime, but we were told to bring him alive to stand trial for it. I just want to know if you are going to follow through."

Naruto sighed and nodded.

"Truth be told, I am VERY close to beating him to near death and running him through for what he did to Ino-chan, Sakura-chan, and Hinata-chan. In fact I WANT to so badly I could almost taste it. But I know that if I let myself fall and become like a monster, then I am no different from my enemies. I will not disobey Tsunade-sama, I will bring him alive back here to stand trial for this so at least he can be judged the right way. I will not break my promise to let him deal with his brother, but what he did is not something I will let go. I will do the mission as what I was asked to do Shikamaru, you can count on it."

Shikamaru nodded as he could see that Naruto was dead set on his plans and replied.

"All right, we'll bring him back and let the rest of the court decide what his fate would be."

Naruto nodded and soon they were on the move to intercept the Sound Four and Sasuke.

...

To be continued...

...

Author's Notes:

Well, here we are with the next chapter and I have to say I was not very pleased that I had to write it the way I did. I hated having to write about this, but I knew that this was going to be a critical part of the story and this would set the tone for the rest of the arc. Obviously Sasuke has really done it and gone off to the dark side and it had to be something that would really enrage Naruto. This is one of the times I wished that I could just move past this one, but like they say, stories are not always fun or nice.

If anyone expected a rape scene yet again, then it did not happen, I don't condone violence like that to women and abhor it greatly. The scenes where Sasuke not only wrecks Naruto's home with his little posse, but also wounds Ino, Sakura, and Hinata after violently harming them comes very close to what I needed. And I hope that it will make the most of the situation. Anyhow, on the next arc, we will have the battles we saw in canon, though their outcome might be made different due to the way things turned out for the characters in this story.

Now for the benefit of the readers, I have decided to send out a number of updated chapters for some of my Halo stories, One of which is Fallout Hope from Beyond the Stars, and also G.I Joe Halo, Vandread Halo the Second Stage, Justice League Spartan Alliance, and also Mass Effect Halo Spartan Dawn. it's all just one chapter worth so don't expect a huge amount to come in right now. Afterwards, I will go back to the Non Halo stories and will update them. Once I am done, I will be working on my Halo stories, including the ones mentioned here. And yes I will post a new chapter for WOW Halo as soon as I can so don't ask me abut that anymore okay?

Now with that out of the way, see you all on the next update!