A.N.
If you have not kept up with the manga from here on out there may be spoilers.
Disclaimer: Naruto does NOT belong to me.
Sayuri and any characters that have not and will not appear in the manga and/or anime are completely original.
Please Review!
"Many things happened." Sasuke cast Sayuri a sidelong glance. "But I decided to protect the village and that I will become Hokage."They all became quiet, taken by surprise. Even Sayuri turned to him with a slack jaw.
Naruto frowned and thought for a second. Recalling Itachi's words about what becoming a Hokage was he smirked and pushed himself up to stand next to Sasuke.
"I'll be the one to become Hokage!"
"I'm happy that we have so many Hokage candidates but you're taking it too easy. Get ready! We have to defeat the Juubi with a combined attack!" Ordered Hashirama while trying to keep the barrier around Juubi up.
Naruto nodded and turned to the pink medic behind him. "Thank you for healing me, Sakura. You should rest." He then turned to the Uchiha and nodded. "Let's go, Sasuke!"
"You've been using up too much chakra between tracking Kabuto and heading to the village." Said Sasuke, as he turned to Sayuri. "Stay back and gather your chakra. You can join us when you're ready." He turned to Juugo who had been largely ignored throughout the whole ordeal and gestured towards the brunette. "Take care of her."
Sayuri felt her jaw drop as she and Sakura watched the Uchiha and Uzumaki leapt up onto a boulder. Both soon glared up at the two ninja in anger. The girls leapt after them catching them by surprise as Sakura stood beside Naruto while Sayuri took a place next to Sasuke.
"Do you think I'm some weak woman that can't compete with you?" Sakura hissed. "Tsunade trains her disciples as good as the other Sannin!"
"But Sakura—"
"I've almost stored the necessary chakra soon I'll be ready to use my real power!"
Sasuke stared down at Sayuri who held her ground as she glared up at the teen. "You don't get to tell me what I should and should not do…"
Sasuke narrowed his black orbs at the girl who crossed her arms over her chest. "You have to rest at some point Sayuri, especially after what Orochimaru—"
"What the snake did to me is nothing compared to what I'm going to do to you when we're done with all of this. I am an ANBU, and I have been one for the past year. I may not have been trained by a Sannin but I know damn well what I'm doing. And I don't need a baby sitter! You got that Uchiha?"
Sasuke looked slightly taken aback but slowly came to realization that the Marihasha was not about to back down. Reluctantly he nodded while beside him Sakura and Naruto grinned.
"Good! Team Seven is here again!"
Attack
Sakura, Naruto, Sasuke, and Sayuri stood side by side looking straight at the Juubi inside its box, courtesy of the four Hokage. The Shinobi Alliance all stood behind them, while team 8 and team 10 stood below them ready for the fight to come as the night air cooled with the setting sun.
Sayuri glanced down to see the two teams that had graduated in the same year she had and pursed her lips. Something in the back of her mind was bothering her, telling her that something was not quite right. Her eyebrows drew in as she narrowed her eyes in a slight frown. Whatever it was that was bothering her seemed to be important but she just couldn't say exactly what it was.
"Snap out of it or you'll end up dead." her attention snapped back to Sasuke who cast her a sideways glance.
The brunette's eyes widened slightly at his words. They were the same words he had told her when they were both Genin at the land of waves. She balled her fists at her sides and nodded. She couldn't afford any distractions at the moment. Sasuke, Naruto, and even Sakura would all be focused on the fight, this time there won't be anyone to save her if she loses track of the task at hand.
"All right!" Naruto shouted. "Sakura, Sasuke, Sayuri…Let's show them our strength!"
Sakura smirked as she pulled her gloves on. "Yes!"
"Yeah…" Sasuke put his hand near the hilt of his chokutō.
Sayuri chuckled and nodded her head. "Got it!"
"Hold on a second!" shouted the First watching as the Juubi gathered chakra using its flower like head to form a large black sphere. It yowled and released its chakra at the red barrier but all it really did was expand before shooting the attack straight up into the sky in the form of smoke.
"W-wow!" Naruto and Sayuri exclaimed in awe at the power of the barrier.
"This is the power the First, Second, Third, and Fourth Hokages?" Sakura wondered, green eyes fixed on the monster.
"Apparently it wasn't all just roomers." Sasuke mumbled beside them.
Yūkan grunted and pushed more chakra into the shackles forcing the Juubi's head down. "Damn thing…" he hissed, a small bead of sweat rolled down his cheek.
"Don't over exert yourself." Hashirama smiled at the man and turned back to the seal. "Now…Wood Style: Wood Clone!" Behind the First five wood clones emerged all speeding off into different direction as soon as they emerged.
"I WILL CREATE AND OPENING ON BOTH SIDES FOR ALL SHINOBI TO ENTER!" The clones shouted as they all landed on their respective spots.
"You might want to take your own advice." Yūkan grinned cheekily at the First who merely shrugged.
"GO!" Hashirama orders and soon all ninja are running after the clones of the First Hokage. They all pause momentarily only until the First can create a path for them to walk on using his earth jutsu and then charge right on ahead.
"First Hokage!" Sayuri shouts and nods over to the Juubi's feet where small little blobs are beginning to form, slowly rising and taking the forms of different types of monsters.
"It's splitting up. It doesn't want us to get to its main body." Hashirama explains. The blobs all jump out and roar at the shinobi as they charge at each other.
"DON'T BACK DOWN!" Naruto shouts as he and Sasuke leap into action leaving the two girls behind. The two kicked slashed at the white beings clearing the path for their two female teammates as they kept forward.
During the Chunin exam I thought I was already a good Konoichi. But I was always behind them. They always fought shielding me. Sakura thought as Naruto and Sasuke kept going. Eventually even Sayuri ended up protecting me. Her green orbs watched as beside her Sayuri rushed forward when a monster came from the sky, his hammer like hand aimed at the two girls. The brunette leaped, taking her katana out and severing its head off. Sakura balled her right fist as one of the monsters appeared right before her with a scythe for a hand ready to cut her down. I hated that and decided that the next time I would show them my back…protect them. But she soon raised her fist and punched it; however instead of letting the full brunt of the blow go she kept running forward, pushing the monster back ward. She balled her left hand as she charged on. But those three were always in front of me…I thought that I the end I couldn't reach them…that they were too skilled and all I could do was give up. Sakura closed her eyes and smiled.
Sayuri stabbed a monster through the chest and kicked him back. She paused and turned to Sakura sensing a spike in her chakra and leapt back and away from the center in which Sakura was pushing her monster to. Her eyes widened as the pink haired girl pulled back her arm and punched the monster sending the being flying back and right in between Sasuke and Naruto and into a larger cluster of monsters. The rosette then proceeded to leap up into the air and cry out as she aimed a punch into the ground ripping the earth bellow her apart and sending several of the white beings flying back.
Naruto's eyes widened comically as he shielded himself while Sasuke smirked doing the same. Sayuri felt her jaw drop as the smoke cleared and Sakura stood at the center with a triumphant smile.
I'm never, ever going to get on Sakura's bad side again…Thought Naruto who couldn't believe his eyes.
Is that Tsunade's Hyakugou Seal…? Sayuri wondered from her spot where she remained frozen in shock. Those three…Sayuri thought as she watched Naruto and Sasuke straighten themselves. They're in a league all their own. She thought dejectedly, her insecurities from before rising up once again. She wasn't trained by Sanin like they had. Instead she had been given to a new team, and a new mentor. Sayuri lowered her gaze to her hands.
"Hah!" Sakura smirked feeling quite proud of herself. Sakura froze, her smile vanishing as a large shadow loomed over her. Slowly she turned around. Three large monsters stared down at her, their jaws wide open revealing sharp teeth.
"Sakura!" Naruto yelled as he and Sasuke rushed towards the girl.
"Rasen Shuriken!"
"Blaze Style: Flame Control!"
The two boys rushed to stand on either side of the rosette, their backs to each other.
"Sasuke!" she exclaimed, a blush spreading across her cheeks.
"Hey I'm here too!" Naruto whined.
Sasuke took out his katana. "Don't get in my way Naruto…"
"Yes!" Sakura grinned. "If you two are too busy fighting, I'll snatch the Hokage set from right under your noses!"
"What!?" The blonde exclaimed. "Sakura, not you too!"
Slowly more monsters rushed towards them. The three tensed ready for a fight.
"Wind Style: Wind Barrier!" Sakura gasped as a dome of air quickly surrounded them, swaying her pink hair around her. Sasuke and Naruto paused and looked up at the sky and noted the gathering clouds though the dome. Soon a small rumbling echoed around them. "Lighting Style: Piercing Heaven!"
A lightning shower soon fell sporadically before them, striking several of the white monsters and turning them into nothing more than ashes. Sakura covered her head when she saw one bolt head towards them. Sasuke and Naruto tensed their fixed on the lightning bolt heading their way. They squeezed their eyes shut and felt the ground around her tremble. Cautiously the three opened one eyed and watched in awe as the lighting dispersed around the dome that surrounded them before being directed into the ground. The area quieted around her and soon the dome disappeared.
They took a look around. More than half of the monsters were gone, granted that the Juubi was creating more by the minute, but still. Sakura, Naruto, and Sasuke turned to Sayuri, taken slightly aback. Three years ago their teammate could just barely use one element at the time. But now she used two in a consecutive manner without even breaking a sweat!
Sayuri lowered her arms to her side and admired her handy work and then looked down at her open palms. Yes, she hadn't been trained by Sanin. Yes, she had been put into another team. And yes, she had been given a new mentor, but that didn't mean she was useless. I can still keep up with them. She thought as her lips quirked into a smile. I can still protect them… Because every Hokage, no matter how strong still needed a guard, still needed to have someone beside them, and that was exactly what she was going to do.
XXX
"Keep moving forward!" Diachi yelled as he avoided being shoved into the ground by a rather huge white spawn of the Juubi. He turned on his heel and stabbed it through its head and watched as Hajime landed not too far ahead of him taking out another.
"Sai!" Hajime called out and the teen nodded and pulled out his scroll quickly drawing a bird on it and making it come to life.
"Let's move!" the dark haired, former Root member, ordered and the three hopped on heading straight to the Juubi.
"We'll attack its true form from above!" Hajime said as he brought his hands together, followed by Diachi and Sai, in order to perform a jutsu.
Bellow them Naruto and Sayuri called out to them just before they were shot down. The three were quickly caught by Naruto's chakra hand and brought to safety.
"Are you all right?" Sayuri asked looking over each of them for any sign of injury. Having found none she stepped back and looked at the area.
"They're getting bigger and multiplying by the minute…" Hajime bit the inside of his cheek in irritation.
"Naruto can you still give the others chakra?" asked Sai suddenly.
The blonde shook his head. "I can't do it now. I haven't saved enough of Kurama's chakra!"Sayuri, Diachi, and Hajime looked at their enemy and narrowed their eyes.
"We're not close enough to jump…" spoke Diachi.
Hajime tilted his head. "We'll need to take down the big ones first and slip through to be close enough to slip through and beat the real thing."
Sayuri looked around them to get a better look at how many ninja were left. "There are enough of us to keep the enemy away. That should buy you some time to—" She explained.
"But he might suffer some severe wounds." Sai interrupted know where those three were heading. "Naruto won't be able to get close enough and even if we did have enough people to keep those beings back without sufficient chakra he'll only get hurt. Not only that, but the healing team can't make it up to the front in time to help."
Without a second thought Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura bit their thumbs and placed their hands on the ground. "Summoning Jutsu!" the tree yelled out.
Diachi, Hajime, Sai and Sayuri all gasped in shock as they suddenly found themselves atop a large slug, frog, and snake.
"Wait!" Naruto paused and looked down at who he was atop of. "You're Gamakichi!" the blonde exclaimed in surprise. He looked around him, arms wide as he tried to figure out his summons size.
"Dad is busy so I came in his place! Are you surprised!?" Responded the toad.
"No! No! I mean you got huge!" Naruto exclaimed, eyes wide.
"You humans are too slow! By the way, what the matter?"
When the blonde was too busy looking over Gamakichi, Diachi cleared his throat. "Naruto, I believe your…um…toad just asked you a question."
"Oh yeah!" he laughed before becoming serious. "You see that huge thing over there?" he pointed at the Juubi who was behind all of its smaller counter parts. "I need you to get close to it with one jump!"
"Lord Sasuke," the snake spoke. "What do you need?"
"Just head straight forward. I'll take care of the main body." Responded the ever so calm Uchiha.
"Whoa…" Sayuri whispered as she looked around her. "This isn't Manda…"
"His name is Aoba." Sasuke clarified.
"Sakura, you were finally able to activate the seal! Lady Tsunade would—"
"Katsuyu please listen to me!" The rosette interrupted. "Please split in many parts and attach one to each person in the alliance. We need to help them recover!"
"Got it!" answered the slug.
"All right…Go, Aoda!"
"Jump, Gamikichi!"
"Please, Katsuyu!"
Sayuri gasped and stumbled forward as Aoda hissed and began to move. An arm shot out in front of her keeping her from falling down. She quickly grasped it and looked up. Sasuke glanced down at her, their eyes meeting for a second before the two turned back to the front. Behind them Gamakichi blocked any attacks from bellow as he leapt up into the air.
"Lady Sayuri," the brunette in question turned to see a miniature form of Katsuyu behind her. "Sakura sent me to heal you. Excuse me." The slug slid up her side to her shoulder and soon Sayuri began to feel her healing effect, curtsey of Sakura.
"Lord Sasuke!" Aoda called out as a spiked wall suddenly emerged in the way. "Keep going!" Susanoo's arrow cut the wall in two and the snake along with its master and company slid through it. Susanoo created another arrow made of Amaterasu's fire and pulled it back with its bow. Above them Naruto stood with the Rasen shuriken ready.
"Sasuke!" Naruto called out. The Uchiha narrowed his eyes and Susanoo released the arrow at the same time Naruto released his Rasen shuriken. The two soon merged reminding Sayuri of their time as Genin in which Naruto and Sasuke had once worked together to one up Zabuza. The thought made Sayuri smile as the Juubi was struck by their combined attack.
The Juubi cried out in pain as the black flame spread. Naruto landed next to them with a grin on his face. "Hey Sasuke, the other bijuu are in there too! When it's weakened enough put off those black flames and Kurama and I will take them out!"
"No. I'll burn it down." Was the Uchiha's reply.
"Sasuke…" Sayuri frowned. "The other tailed beasts need to be extracted."
"I said no." he replied. I will put an end to this twisted system and create a new one…
Movement from the Juubi caught their attention as the three ninja watched it peel off its burning section and creating a new one like it was nothing.
"Well there goes that plan." Sayuri crossed her arms as Katsuyu slid off her, having finished her job.
Beside the brunette the two boys began to argue over what measures to take. The Uzumaki opting for a peaceful, less forceful measure while the Uchiha was dead set on eliminating the tailed beasts once and for all. Sayuri frowned in annoyance and turned to the two teens getting ready to tell them to shut up when a sudden spike in chakra caught her attention. With a gasp Sayuri turned to her left just as an arm shot out of seemingly thin air, and pulled her into a swirling vortex.
"Sayuri!" Both Naruto and Sasuke cried out. The young Uchiha reached over to quickly grasp her arm but, much to his disbelieve, his arm went right through it. In an instant the spawn of the Juubi began to creep closer to them, surrounding the boys and their summons preventing their escape.
Sasuke quickly turned back to the Juubi, where two bodies suddenly fell on top of its head. "Naruto!" he called the blonde who turned to his teammate. Following Sasuke's gaze the blonde saw as the two people rose to their feet and narrowed his blue eyes. There, facing each other, were Sayuri and a seemingly injured Obito.
XXX
"Who the hell are you!?" Sayuri demanded as she took a defensive stance, left hand wandering over to her shuriken holster.
The man before her, with his scarred face, holding on to a bleeding wound, gave the brunette a crooked smile. "Long time no see, Lady Sayuri…"
Sayuri's eyes widened in shock. "Tobi?" This was the first time in ten years that she's seen the man up close and finally without his mask.
"My real name is Obito Uchiha…but I'm glad to know you remember me."
Sayuri gritted her teeth and glared at the man. "You killed my mother!" she shrieked and in a blink of an eye was in front of the injured man, arm pulled back ready to punch him into oblivion. Her fist collided with his jaw and he was sent flying off the Juubi and crashing down into the ground. Sayuri leapt after him and pulled him by the collar, slammed him against the ground, took out her kunai and aimed it at his head. She had never known that she could have reserved so much hate towards someone in her life. Sure she had been aggravated from time to time, even angry, but she had never really, truly hated anyone. Yet here she was about to kill a man that had changed her life years ago.
Her hand stopped, just a few centimeters above the man's forehead. Maybe this is how Sasuke felt like all these years…She thought in the split second that she managed to come back to her senses.
"What's the matter, Lady Sayuri…?" the man below her coughed. "Can't kill me after all these years?"
Sayuri slammed him once again against the hard ground, as the Juubi roared above them. "Shut up!"
Obito smirked up at the girl. "What? Did you not want to avenge your mother? How about that Hyuga boy…what was his name again…?"
Sayuri froze. "…Neji…?" she whispered in disbelieve.
"Ah, yes…Neji." She looked down at him with a mix of confusion and fear.
"How did you know about Neji…?"
"I know everything there is to know about you, Lady Sayuri. I knew of when you joined the academy, when you graduated, who you talked to, even your favorite pass times…everything. It was important for what I had in store for you." He looked down at his collar as the girl tightened her grip on it.
"…Neji…" she repeated again, a slight tremble in her voice as she continued. "What did you do to him?" Obito only laughed, raising her anger once again she punched the man with her free hand. "Tell me!" she demanded.
"Can you sense him?" was all he said. And it suddenly dawned on her.
A couple of minutes ago…when she had felt uneasy, like something was amiss, all that time it had been Neji. Sayuri closed her eyes focusing on his chakra alone but didn't find it. She tried again, again, but the result was the same. He wasn't amongst the ninja fighting against the Juubi's spawn.
"I would suggest you look over there."She watched Obito nod to his left. Turning her head slowly, her eyes scanned past the few ninja that were left to the very back where several ninja lay dead. Among them she recognized Neji's characteristic long brown hair, and Konoha vest. A strangled sob escaped her lips as she slowly released the man below her.
"Pitty, he was such a great ninja too." Sayuri whipped her head back to the man in anger and froze as his Sharingan began to spin. Her hands fell to her sides uselessly and her body relaxed. "You make it too easy." He said as the girl robotically moved off of him. Obito stood with much effort and suddenly coughed into his hand. He held his wound and looked into Sayuri's half lidded eyes. "Let's get started."
A.N.
Thank you so much for reading.
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