Betrayal

He wouldn't look at her. He couldn't. The smell…

Fukasaku choked on tears, on vomit, on agony. Weak in the knees, he slowly sank to the singed grass.

"Fukasaku, I am so sorry," Gamaken whispered softly. Gamakichi said nothing, only reached out and gently covered up the burned, ruined body of what had once been Shima with blooming lilypads from a nearby pond that hadn't been touched by Kabuto's devastation.

They have taken everything. My wife. My home. My pupil. My faith. My pride in my abilities, all in one attack, Fukasaku thought numbly. Shima…Shima was supposed to have outlived him. It should have been her bent over in agony over his death. He had always assumed he would go first. Mostly because he couldn't handle the thought of being left in a world without his mate, no matter how much they bickered or annoyed and nagged each other. He hadn't even told her he loved her that morning. The last time he had told his toad wife he loved her was three weeks ago. They had fought before he had left for the temple in the afternoon.

It had been one of their usual, senseless arguments. He had left his empty plate on the table, he hadn't bothered to clean it. She nagged, as usual, but when she told him to take his saggy green butt to the temple so his face wouldn't make her angrier, she'd grinned, and he rememebered a time she was sleek and lovely. She still was. Had been. Slowly, as though his bones were brittle and his body too heavy for them, Fukasaku rose.

"We leave for Konoha. Naruto needs us…and Kabuto has a head start. Gamakichi, find someone…find someone to notify Tsunade," he croaked out. The two large warrior toads said nothing. Only obeyed.

The night waned, and when morning came, the toads had left the mountain.

Behind the walls of Konoha, an important meeting was taking place in an empty apartment building. In the streets, the morning carried on as if nothing unusual was taking place in the building by the market place. Children began to sneak out of bed to play in the streets, women looked at fruit, and vendors called out loudly. Never once knowing, that mere feet away, a villain had been cornered, caught, and now, was being interrogated.

But Sasuke Uchiha wasn't impressed, and he only smiled at Tsunade's attempts to get him to talk.

"Tell me why I shouldn't kill you right now," Tsunade growled. The glittering obsidian eyes of Sasuke Uchiha narrowed into slits. Amused slits.

"Because I might kill you first," he answered smoothly, his seemingly languid posture misleading. Tsunade had to keep from lunging at him. Such insolence. Such chilling arrogance.

"I ordered your death," she reminded him. Sasuke was nonplussed.

"I suppose you want it even more, given that I've killed an ANBU guard," he said indifferently.

"Yes, that's difficult to overlook." Tsunade said through gritted teeth. Sasuke leaned forward.

"He asked for it," he whispered, just to needle her, to get a rise out of her. Tsunade wanted to slap him. She could feel her body buzzing with rage.

"You're one to talk. Do you want to hang? The way you're talking, it sounds more appealing by the second."

"I can't die yet," Sasuke retorted, leaning back in his chair. Tsunade huffed at this.

"Maybe not," she reluctantly agreed.

"Speaking of threats…I'm sure the Allied Shinobi Forces won't overlook this. What you're doing, it's high treason to your country, to the Fire Lord. You could lose your position for keeping me here. You might as well order your own death."

Tsunade glowered at him. It was true, but she ignored this. "I want a word with you, first. You came to Konoha. Why?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Sasuke returned.

"I am more than relieved to have Naruto within the walls of my village once more, but why bring yourself along with him?"

Sasuke let a few moments pass before he spoke. "Have you not spoken with Fukasaku?"

Tsunade hesitated.

"So it is true. You plan on destroying the demon child." She felt oddly relieved. Sasuke scowled.

"And you've already tried to. You've made your plans quite obvious." He was looking at her in a way that made her flinch. She composed herself.

"We both know the dangers it poses to Naruto. Yet he is protective of it."

Sasuke leaned back in his chair, putting his feet up on the table before them, much to Tsunade's irritation. "It's not hard to understand why. He isn't a difficult person to figure out."

Tsunade felt a headache coming on. Gods, she just wanted to slap that ridiculously handsome face. No, a slap wouldn't be good enough. She was pretty sure stabbing him would be more satisfactory. She allowed herself a cold smile.

"Just wait until he sees who you really are. I will relish that day. Then when he comes at you with all his rage, not even your past with him will stop the fatal blows." Sasuke was quiet a moment, his face seemingly frozen in place. She relaxed in her seat, satisfied. She'd gotten to him.

"Then I look forward to that day I can prove you otherwise," Sasuke replied coolly. Tsunade's eyes gleamed.

"I'm sure you will."

"Why are you really talking to me now? Shouldn't I be dead?" Sasuke asked quietly. Tsunade's smile stretched a little wider.

"As much as I hate to admit it…after what I've seen this morning, I need you alive. I need you when it comes to Naruto and his protection. I also want information on Madara."

Sasuke was quiet a moment. "You will not be able to lay a hand on Madara," he said finally. Tsunade tensed.

"What do you know?" she pressed.

"It's a form of genjutsu. I am not familiar with it. No one can lay a finger on him. He is more apparition than human." A silence stretched between them.

"There must be a way to destroy him," she said quietly. Sasuke grunted.

"I'm working on it."

Tsunade clucked at him. He didn't seem to appreciate this.

"I plan on forming an alliance with the Mist," she said suddenly. Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

"I can see why." He fidgeted in his seat, glancing towards the window behind him. They were in a small apartment, unoccupied government housing. The furnishing was sparse, complete with a small table, two chairs, a nightstand in the vacant living room, and a small cot with a dresser in the single bedroom.

"He's in good hands. You shouldn't worry," Tsunade said suddenly. Sasuke scowled. A knock came to the door and Tsunade stood immediately.

"Enter!" Tsunade barked. ANBU guards, as well as Shikamaru, entered the small apartment, along with two cloaked and hooded figures. Sasuke stood, and noticed one of the figures tense, but the other figure calmed him with a light touch. The hoods were removed, and Sasuke found himself facing the Mizukage, and the man with the stolen Byakugan, his white eye glaring at the Uchiha venomously.

"Well, well, well, Tsunade. I know he's cute, but I would have expected more of you," Mei said with a light laugh. Tsunade huffed at this.

"Can I trust you, Mei?" Tsunade asked quietly. Mei looked around, noting the ANBU guards, her emerald eyes glittering. She flipped her hair.

"I suppose. Shikamaru Nara did impress me." She winked at him. Shikamaru reddened. Tsunade didn't relax. She was sure Mei had her own guard creeping about, waiting for a reason to strike. Mei sat down with a flourish.

"Don't keep me waiting." Her eyes bored into Sasuke, her red lipsticked lips curling into a smirk. Sasuke's frown deepened.

"What is it you want in return?" he asked, noticing the hunger in her eyes. She smiled, honey-slow. Sasuke could feel the anger within him beginning to churn, and he had a feeling the price for the woman's silence and loyalty wouldn't be an easy one to pay.

The sky was overcast, a light pearly gray. Beautiful, even in its emotionless color. Naruto shivered, pulling his jacket about him tighter. He was sitting on the roof of his apartment, gazing down upon his village, watching the people trickle through the streets and alleys. He saw laughter, he saw sadness, he saw children at play, and couples sneaking about in alleyways. Life went on.

He blinked, startled, when a cold raindrop splashed on his nose, then another, and another still, until a steady sheet of freezing rain began to fall. Naruto pulled his hood up, not bothering to leave the roof. The cold seemed to help clear his mind. He stared straight ahead, wondering how the Kage meeting had gone, and more importantly, where Sasuke was. He didn't need to turn his head to realize a presence.

"Fukasaku," He greeted quietly. The little toad sage stood beside him in the freezing rain, still as stone.

"I'm sorry, Fukasaku," Naruto mumbled after a moment. Fukasaku made a choked sound, but cleared his throat.

"It is war, Naruto," he answered, as if this alone explained everything. Silence stretched, with nothing but the sound of the rain hitting the roof.

"You do not want to go inside?" Fukasaku asked wearily. Naruto shrugged.

"I have a lot on my mind."

"Sasuke, you mean."

Naruto didn't answer, but the toad didn't miss the way the blond's mouth twisted.

"You cannot change him. There will always be a darkness-"

"I used to say I would be a light to that darkness. I would be the wind to his flame." he chuckled softly at himself. Fukasaku was quiet.

"I can't say I no longer believe that, because I still do." Naruto turned bright blue eyes to Fukasaku.

"What are you planning?" he whispered. "I know something is going on. I confronted him before Kabuto attacked…then afterwards I asked something of him to see if…" Naruto's voice trailed. It was flat, dead. Fukasaku shivered. Naruto had discovered his secret, he realized. It should have pained him, but Shima's death had taken everything, even the strength to care.

"I think you know," Fukasaku said.

Naruto began to talk, going off an a seemingly unrelated tangent. "When we were cornered, Sasuke killed one of the ANBU guards that tried to lay a hand on me. He'd taken up shuriken against me. I was only trying to calm them down...I was so pissed. I can take care of myself, he didn't need to throw himself in there like I was some damsel in distress. The bastard. Always trying to steal the show." He paused for a while.

"Sasuke killed him though. The guard was dead before he hit the ground, and you know what? I knew him. I knew who he was. His name was Hisoka."

Fukasaku listened, unsure of why Naruto had suddenly changed the subject, but his heart ached. Naruto fidgeted. He noticed the gray sky and weak light made the colors more vibrant. The green of the trees and grass looked emerald, and blood was brighter than a sparkling ruby in the rain. The red river that had burst from Hisoka's neck and splashed on Naruto's clothes had looked brighter than any blood he had ever seen. He grimaced at the thought.

"I'm lost, Fukasaku. I've always done what I could to protect those I love. To protect my village, my country. I fight for what's right. If I don't…what else is there in this fucked up world? What good can the world be if I don't try and make it that way? I lived that way for so long. But with Sasuke…" Naruto shook his head.

"Sasuke Uchiha is lost as well," Fukasaku whispered. "Only you seem to keep him from drowning in the blood he has spilled. Even so, your love cannot erase the dark years of his past. As for what's right in the world…you can't always preserve what's right, Naruto. " He surprised himself by saying the words, but in his heart he thought it was something the Great Elder would have approved of.

"Hisoka was dead before I could stop it. I don't think I even really tried to…"

"Love is a crippling emotion for a ninja. It is the most beautiful thing that is offered to us to experience, and yet it is the most dangerous." The cold rain was beginning to make Naruto's hands pink and numb. He rubbed them together and blew warm breath into cupped hands.

"I saw something today." He whispered. Fukasaku looked to him then.

"What?" He urged when the blond still hadn't spoken.

"A funeral. Some parents were buying their kid. He'd only been a chunin..." Naruto said quietly, voice trailing as if he were reconsidering finishing the sentence. He seemed to decide against it. "Fuck, I wish I could have a drink." He groaned suddenly, burying his face in his hands.

"There is no good in the world if innocence can't thrive," Naruto said. Fukasaku snorted despite himself.

"You believe in true innocence?" he asked bitterly. Naruto looked to him defiantly.

"Of course I do."

"Do you still believe in innocence even when it turns into something ugly?" Fukasaku asked. Naruto grimaced, and stood.

"Don't go there, Fukasaku. Just don't fucking go there. I'm really sick of constantly hearing this-"

"Naruto you must understand-!"

"I thought you believed in me once. Believed in what I fought for. I thought we fought for the same thing."

"We do!" Fukasaku agreed, "We fight to end Madara's reign of terror! To bring peace back into our world! To protect-"

"Protect who? Are we going to sit here and pick who lives and dies based on what their future abilities might be? Last time I checked, Fukasaku, we were fighters, we were ninja, not Fate itself. We aren't murderers."

Fukasaku winced. "We fight to keep the peace! Even if that means doing something we might consider vile. It's for the good of the country, of our world. Are a thousand lives not equal to one? Listen to yourself, you foolish boy! You know nothing! Nothing! Your concept of the world will be your end." Naruto laughed harshly at that.

"So be it."

"They will come to Konoha. He will come for you. It won't be long. Then what? You cannot fight!" Fukasaku argued desperately.

"I'll do what I can." With that, Naruto leapt off the roof, much to Fukasaku's distress (how could the boy be so agile still? Yet, at a single glance, Naruto's pregnancy was not easily detected, and it was no ordinary pregnancy by any means. But still!).

"Get back here, boy! We must talk to Tsunade! The Kage meeting should be over by now!" Naruto paid no heed to Fukasaku. He pulled his hood up and hurried down an alley, past a ragtag group of orphaned children running wild through the rain. One of whom spat in his direction along with an accusing yell of "pussy!". Despite himself, Naruto flipped the little brat off.

"Ungrateful little fuck," he muttered as he turned a corner, a narrow little alley between two apartment buildings. The rain was still falling, and it felt like daggers of ice on his skin. He stopped suddenly, sensing a presence. A second later, there was a thump on the fire escape above him. He bristled and looked up. Sasuke was staring down at him, leaning forward against the metal rail, cloaked and using his sexy no jutsu disguise.

"I never thought you liked the rain this much," the Uchiha drawled, taking in Naruto's drenched appearance and leaping over the rail, landing beside him. Naruto sneered, not trusting himself to say anything. Sasuke's eyes narrowed, his voice barely above a whisper as he leaned in to speak.

"Listen, tonight, leave a clone in your bed. We-What? What's that look for?" he asked, trailing off from what he was originally saying.

"Oh, you know what," Naruto growled. Sasuke raised an eyebrow. For a moment, he matched Naruto's venomous gaze, before reaching out to him. Before Sasuke could touch him, Naruto smacked it away.

"Don't fucking touch me."

Sasuke's nostrils flared. "What the hell is your problem?" he hissed, annoyed. Naruto yelled in exasperation, looking up at the sky.

"Really? You want to know what my problem is? I'm sick of people thinking I won't fight for them, that I'm a coward, that I don't care. I'm sick of seeing my friends die. I'm fucking sick of constantly hearing that I'm an idiot and the baby is some evil fucked up demon. You want to know what's worse than all of that? Do you?"

Sasuke waited. Dread, colder than the icy rain, was beginning to seep into his bones. Naruto stepped close, so close that their noses almost touched. When Naruto spoke, his voice was a deadly whisper.

"What's worse is knowing that I've been letting you kiss me, touch me, fuck me, and all this time, you were just waiting. Waiting to get rid of the kid."

Sasuke stared into the cornflower blue eyes, and saw only anger, hurt; raw emotion that burned like blue flame. Something inside him twisted and broke, but he wasn't sure what.

"For you," he said finally, berating himself internally for such a stupid answer, his voice stiff and awkward. Naruto shoved past him, but paused, deciding to turn around.

"Yeah. For me. You're a real fucking hero, Sasuke," Naruto spat. Sasuke said nothing, but the cold anger on his face was easy to see. He made a move forward but paused. Naruto looked to his left, noticing an ANBU guard hidden in the shadows. He huffed, glaring at the masked figure.

"Don't follow me."

Sasuke watched Naruto bound away, numb in the rain.

There was a rage stirring within him, and it frightened Naruto slightly. He threw a dark glare at the ANBU guard, leaving Sasuke to simmer in the rain, and turned the corner nearly in a run. He jogged down the street, before turning into another alley. Breathing hard and shaking, he leaned against the wall.

Nausea made his head spin, and he vomited behind a trash bin. He wiped his mouth across the back of his hand, and realized he was still shaking. He stared at his shaking hands a minute, and urged the anger and heat of the Kyuubi down.

Just try and cut it from my belly…

Naruto closed his eyes.

I'll stop you.

He looked up at the gray sky, and suddenly wished it was blue.

Are a thousand lives not equal to one?

Can you still believe in the innocence you fight for when it turns into something ugly?

Naruto wasn't sure. He looked at his hands again, as if afraid the red chakra would begin to rise like steam off his skin. He was relieved to see nothing unusual. The anger within him was terrifying. He could feel the Kyuubi's spite burning with it. Something was happening to him, something frightening. Nothing scared him half as badly as the Kyuubi surfacing. That morning, he had dreamed about it after drifting off into a light sleep…

He was staring at his reflection in a cracked mirror. There was blood, thick and warm and dripping down his thighs. He couldn't tell where it was coming from. He could hear a baby's thin wails echoing through the room, yet he saw nothing. His body was taut, tense, ready to strike.

"I can't do this," he said to his reflection.

"You can. I did."

He turned, startled by the second voice. Her back was to him, hair red as flame spilling down her back. A hard, painful lump formed in Naruto's throat. Kushina. His mother was visiting his dreams.

"How? How did you do it?" he asked, desperation thinning his voice. She turned to face him, her face bright and flushed. She smiled, and seemed to glide towards him. She placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, pulled him into a hug. Rubbed his back like he was a little child.

"You'll want to give in, and badly, but you mustn't. You have to be strong. For everyone."

"Give in to what? The Kyuubi?" Naruto wanted to know. Kushina looked to the mirror, and Naruto followed her gaze, only to recoil in fear. Staring back at him in the mirror was a feral version of himself, eyes as red as blood, with pointed fangs. The Kyuubi, not Kushina, had a red glowing arm snaking around Naruto's shoulders. Fangs dripping and bared in a malicious grin, the Kyuubi snapped at Naruto's ear as he whispered.

"You'll want to give in to me. You'll need me to protect it. Let me keep it safe…" the demon urged, yet the velvety rumble of its voice a mockery of parental instinct. Naruto shook.

"No," he said. The Kyuubi snapped at his ear again.

"You can't keep me at bay, whelp. If you keep me contained, I will only rip from your body in a few months later, and then the world will know my hatred."

He had woken from the dream with ruby red eyes, and heat rising from his skin like steam. It had frightened him so badly he'd holed himself up in the bathroom, in the shower, repeating to himself. You won't escape. You won't escape. I won't let you. The memory made him shiver, and he looked about. He sighed.

"Didn't I ask not to be followed?" There was a pause. An ANBU guard shuffled into view.

"Lady Tsunade requests an audience with you," the guard explained. Naruto grimaced. It was the last thing he wanted.

"Yeah, sure." He cast a quick glance about him and followed.

...

"How are you feeling?" Tsunade asked slowly. Naruto tried to keep his face expressionless. He glared.

"Fine," he muttered, staring at the tea set before him. The steam rose into the air, dancing and swaying. Silence reigned for a few more moments.

"Alright, let's cut to the chase. I need you out of the village again for your own safety. The Mizukage and I have come up with a plan and a destination. It took a lot of convincing, but we got our way. It's actually the first place Kushina had been hidden at, when it was unsure how the birth would affect her."

Naruto nodded in understanding, but said nothing.

"And Sasuke?" he ventured carefully. Tsunade's eyes narrowed.

"He will stay here."

Naruto nodded once, staring out the large windows behind Tsunade.

"In fact…contact between the two of you will be limited and constantly supervised." Naruto's blue eyes sparked like flint in his anger, but he said nothing, only nodded quickly. Right now, he could live with that.

"Anything else?" he asked tersely. Tsunade sighed.

"Naruto-"

"If there's nothing else, I'd like to go home now."

She blinked, and for a moment, Naruto thought she looked hurt, but she composed herself. He didn't feel guilty.

"You're excused," she said.

"Thanks."

The rest of the day passed in a blur. Naruto ate ramen and reminisced on his couch. He didn't leave the apartment, not even to seek out his friends; no one had been notified of his return, and it was meant to stay that way. He hadn't seen Sasuke since that morning, and he wasn't sure that he minded. As he watched the ceiling fan spin, he frowned suddenly, remembering something.

Leave a clone in your bed tonight…

What was Sasuke planning to do? Had he wanted a secret rendezvous? Naruto snorted, turning onto his side.

"Rendezvous my ass," he growled into a pillow, and sighed. It was as if there was nothing left to feel, nothing left to hurt and surprise him. Everyone was against him. No, they were against it. The baby wriggled, and Naruto placed his hand slightly below his belly button.

"Don't worry," he whispered hoarsely, his mind whirring. He listened, trying to sense where the guards were. Quietly, he rose, walking casually to his bedroom, and closing the door. He made a point of putting on pajama pants, and crawling into bed, pulling the covers over his head. He'd tricked Yamato similarly once, surely he could trick a couple guards with the same trick again, especially given that the guards were on high alert, concentrated on more than just Naruto. If they could just sense his chakra signature, they wouldn't pay his apartment too much mind.

The sky was darkening, and Naruto waited for the darkness to make his move. It was time to act, and he'd be damned if he sat around and waited for the inevitable.

"What are we to do, My Lady?" Ao asked. Mei was sitting in the gardens, an umbrella propped open above her. She liked the rain. Shikamaru Nara had visited them with a most interesting proposal, and later Tsunade had confronted the Mizukage, wanting an answer. Mei had given her one. She was quiet a moment.

"We play along. Tonight, I want you to set up a visit with the boy, under the pretense that you're using the Byakugan to see the truth of this. When you're inside…kill him. He is far too dangerous." She was decided. Ao frowned.

"If he were fit to fight, he'd be an amazing asset. He has great strength-"

"And he'll lose control of it. I think we both know how this will end, Ao. Tsunade cares for the boy like she would a son. She is blinded by her care for him. She cannot be trusted to make a wise decision."

Ao was silent before saying,"Very well."

"Once the deed is done, send word to the Raikage of this treachery. I don't want him aware of this quite yet. We need to be convincing, and our dear friend in the clouds is much too brash. Sasuke Uchiha must also face proper punishment for his crimes…pity, he has such a lovely face." Ao shifted uncomfortably at this comment.

"What of the price you asked to be paid in order for our cooperation?" he wanted to know. Mei grinned.

"We get money for the Mist, and get the danger out of our way. We win both ways, Ao. It might seem dirty, but Naruto's death is for the best. Allowing him to give birth is like putting the Kyuubi away in a room and leaving the door wide open. It can't happen."

"We'll gain an enemy," he pointed out.

"The Leaf wouldn't dare turn away from their only allies in a time like this. They need us. Tsunade will come to an understanding," Mei said.

"I doubt that, since we'll be taking something from her and betraying her-"

"She will understand in due time that it was for the best. In fact, once this is over, there will be enough grounds to remove her as Hokage, once this is brought to the Fire Lord's attention. We won't need to deal with her much longer. Now leave me to the rain, Ao." Mei dismissed him. He paused, as if unsure whether or not to mention something, but in the end decided against it and took off.

Mei turned her attention back to the garden, beautiful and stark against the gray sky. A figure caught her eye, a beautiful raven-haired woman. It was then Mei realized the gardens held the Uchiha memorial. She wondered if the woman had lost an Uchiha lover, or was somehow related. A bastard child perhaps? She let her imagination wander, closed her eyes, and listened to the rain.

The apartment was in view. Night reigned, and the moon was full, bathing the dark earth in pale celestial light. It was just bright enough to see without any assistance. The figure moved lithely, taking note of the ANBU guards posted around the area. He wasn't surprised when, the moment his foot hit the wooden steps that wound up the building to the boy's dwelling, a guard appeared as if he had materialized out of a shadow playing on the walls.

"Lady Tsunade sent me," Ao said in a casual tone. The guard said nothing, only stared through the slits in his ivory dog mask.

"The animal faces are unnerving," Ao joked. The guard was quiet, his hand poised to whip out a kunai. The man looked to the topmost window of the apartment building.

"The Leaf needs water to grow, does it not?"

The guard grudgingly moved aside.

"You will be closely monitored," the guard said gruffly.

"Of course." Ao made his way up the stairs. He knocked softly on the door. When no one answered, he let himself in. He didn't remove his eye patch. He didn't want the guard to become suspicious, or Naruto to immediately get on the defensive. The apartment was filled with shadows and moonlight. Naruto hadn't left a single light on. Ao looked to the window, turned on the kitchen light, and moved silently down the narrow hall. The door was open a crack. Taking a deep breath, Ao unsheathed a dagger. He was surprised the ANBU guard hadn't followed him in yet.

The boy was sleeping peacefully in his bed. Ao smirked a little sadly, like a disappointed elder. Had a few months of not training and being looked after left Naruto so careless? He moved without a sound, raising the dagger. He paused another moment as he hovered over the boy's bed. Still nothing. The quiet made Ao hesitate, made him feel as though something was wrong, but he knew what had to be done, and he couldn't hesitate. It was better to take a chance than not take one at all. Without another second's hesitation, he plunged the dagger into the boy's lower abdomen. Naruto's eyes shot open, and his mouth gaped in surprise.

"I'm sorry it had to be this way," Ao whispered sincerely, but then the boy disappeared in a puff of smoke, and before he could move, he felt the cold kiss of a blade as the steel pressed threateningly against his Adam's apple. He grinned, wincing as the edge of the kunai broke the surface of the skin.

"I should have known," he whispered. The masked guard, the same one to have questioned him earlier, lifted his mask slightly and whispered in Ao's ear.

"You should have lifted your eye patch sooner."

Ao moved quickly, whirling, but his blade met the masked guard's in a shower of sparks. He went onto the offensive, jabbing and pushing the guard back, but the guard was excellent and dodged deftly. Ao slashed, whirled, and kicked, aiming to trip the guard, but the masked man leaned backwards just enough to miss the blade by a hair's breadth. As Ao aimed to kick, the guard reached out, caught the older nin's leg and tried to trip him, making Ao stumble. He used that momentum to help throw Ao. Ao was thrown, and he grunted as he crashed into a mirror, glass shattering and slicing into his back. He lifted his eye patch. His pale Byakugan eye widened as it activated.

"Interesting. So it really is true," he muttered, choking as the masked man flew forward, pinning him and gripping his neck with a crushing grip. His opponent raised a fist, but Ao did what he could. He delivered a nasty headbutt to the ANBU guard, cracking the mask, splitting open his own forehead in the process. Ao groaned, both eyes closing for the briefest part of a second. Blood spilled into his Byakugan eye, and he kept that left eye closed, concentrating on the figure now with his right. The guard was stumbling, and the kunai fell from his hand. A piece of the mask fell away, revealing a bright blue eye. Ao laughed.

"I thought so." He growled, and with amazing speed, shot forward, slashing with the kunai. The guard only dodged. Ao cornered his opponent, and held the knife to his stomach. Naruto held up his hands in surrender, eyeing the knife warily.

"Please-"

"I hope you understand." Ao said as he stabbed.

"Oh, I understand," a voice whispered from behind him. Ao's eyes widened as the figure before him once again disappeared. The words gurgled in Ao's throat as a kunai quickly slit his throat, blood flowing down his front. He fell to his knees, eyes bulging, mouth gaping. Naruto turned away from the sight and pulled the mask back over his face with a dark look.

"I'm sorry it had to be this way." Naruto whispered as he fled out the window, and he meant it.