Author's Note: FINALLY! After 2 and a half months of suffering through academic torture, I AM BACK, PEOPLE! :DDD

I am so, so, so, sooo SORRY I took this long to update another chapter. I still wanna rant stuff, but I know you guys wanna read already and will kill me if I delay you any further so, here it is! Enjoy and review, people!

Destiny of the Cursed

Chapter 29: Burdened Hearts

Pain. It was the only thing that popped up in her mind as soon as she realized her situation. She was there, running and jumping with every last ounce of her energy and pain radiated everywhere in her body. In fact, to say that it was painful was a total understatement. It was agonizing; the sting of wounds and abused muscles combined with the never-ending throb of her head, not to mention that her heart pounded twice as fast and as violent compared to the migraine she had. Though next to fear, she'd take on pain anytime. Pain, she could tolerate. Pain, she could ignore. It faded away sooner or later, after all.

But fear…Fear was different.

Fear was something that she just couldn't overcome, no matter how many times she tried to squash it and push it back. It always returned after every defeat, always coming back to haunt her in her sleep. Katana loathed fear. She hated the way it provoked horrible thoughts to rise up on the surface of her mind. With it came hesitation, irrational and unnecessary worrying, and the strong urge to cower and run away, just like now.

Katana leapt from branch to branch with blistered and aching feet that hardly mattered to her anymore. Rest-deprived eyes hastily darted back and forth from time to time, her anxiety growing by every passing minute. Her heart thundered erratically against her ribs and she once again tried to make her breathing shallower than it was already. From behind her, the sound of rhythmic tapping and quiet rustling of leaves could be heard getting nearer, throwing her mind into full-blown panic.

Dammit, she internally swore, racking her brain for ideas.

She was chakra-exhausted, wounded and bleeding and they were catching up to her. Should she just stop? Should she finally surrender to them? Katana shook her head, silently reprimanding herself for even considering such things. She can't give up and she won't. Inhaling deeply, she gritted her teeth and struggled to keep her shaky legs running.

There's nothing I could do about it now. I'll just have to endure this a little longer!

The hopeful thought was fast forgotten when something sharp pierced through her skin, imbedding itself onto her calf. Eyes widening, a strangled gasp escaped her mouth as muscles clenched painfully and she fell, down from the high branches and towards the hard and cold forest floor.

As soon as she hit the ground, an agonizing jolt coursed throughout her body, like long needles stabbing her everywhere. She groaned and pushed her head off the damp ground, craning it to the side. The blunt end of the metal rod came into view and further down, she saw the bloody half buried in her leg. Inhaling sharply, the girl looked away, closing her eyes as she grimaced. She had to get up. Using her hands, she pushed her torso up, only to halt when her ears picked up the sound of silent scuffling.

"Yotsuki Katana."

She froze, her heart stopping so suddenly. The deep rumbling voice from behind sent chills to run down her spine, dread lodging itself on her throat. "It seems that you've escaped death once again." Slowly, she turned, grey eyes meeting the icy gaze of violet-ringed orbs.

Tap.

Tap.

Tap…

The sound of his feet colliding against the forest floor echoed around the area. Frozen in place, Katana could only watch as the man in the dark cloak approached her, another black rod sliding down from his sleeve and into his grip. The thought of death flashed through her mind when he stopped next to her, so close that the end of his cloak brushed against her feet.

He glanced coldly down at her. "But no more", he murmured, his grip on the rod getting tighter, "Because this time…you'll die." Raising the weapon at hand, Pain gave one last stare. Katana's eyes widened.

"Goodbye." He struck and everything dissolved into darkness.

A bone-chilling scream erupted inside the confines of the tent and the girl on the mattress bolted straight up without a warning, hands trembling and chest heaving hard. Sheets were tangled on her stiff limbs, her chalk-white face glistening with a layer of sweat. A look of horror was etched on her expression and she stared absentmindedly at the empty space with traumatized eyes, her whole body still shaking slightly.

Her ears registered a series of dull thuds, creaks and taps from inside the room, but the whispers of her earlier nightmare drowned out the sound. A bleary figure entered her line of vision, hastily rushing to her side. It loomed over her sitting form for a moment, before it crouched down to her level. Two warm, calloused hands grasped both sides of her pale face, gently shaking her. "What's wrong?" The newcomer asked, alarm and worry lacing his tone. "Katana?"

The brunette shuddered under his touch, the traumatic vision still fresh in her mind. The forest, the echoes and rustling…everything seemed so real.

"Katana, look at me."

Hearing the voice once more, she snapped out of her thoughts. The man's voice was deep, smooth and vaguely familiar, unlike the rumbling tone that haunted her. Reluctantly, the spaced-out kunoichi looked up and found herself gazing into mismatched eyes; one charcoal black and the other a bright red. Realization dawned to her little by little. The shadowy silhouette started to morph into something clearer, spiky silver locks coming into view along with the dark mask, the navy sweatshirt and pants that the person wore.

A lump formed on her throat. "Tou-san…" Her voice sounded weak, too weak even to her own ears. Tears stung the corners of her eyes, a sudden burst of emotions swelling inside her all at once. She took a deep breath to try and compose herself, but it was already too late. A single tear rolled down the curve of her cheek and soon, several others followed suit. "I…"Katana began, searching her mind for words. There were so many things she wanted to say. So many things that she had to let him know. And yet, she sat there, crying and gawking at him, unable to form a single sentence.

"Shh." The jounin silenced her, his arms circling around her frame and pulling her into an embrace. "You don't have to say anything." He said, hand rubbing her back in an attempt to comfort. "Everything's going to be fine. No one's going to hurt you as long as I'm here." With a shaky sigh, Katana clung to his sturdy form, burying her face on his shoulder as she listened to his comforting words. She could feel her worries fade away, wiped out by his mere presence. For a moment, no one spoke.

Katana remained inside her father's hold, for once feeling truly safe. Kakashi simply held the girl in his arms protectively, once in a while brushing a few stray strands of hair. Peaceful silence stretched between the two of them. The older man closed his eyes and released an exhale, relishing the rare chance of being able to hold his daughter after such a long time. It had been years since he had been this close to her. Years since she'd been his little girl who used to be so sweet…years since she used to stay under her his shadow. For her to cling to him so helplessly once again only meant one thing…

"What did you dream of, Katana?" The question was asked with utmost caution as not to provoke the girl, but even then, Kakashi felt her body tense. He fell silent, patiently waiting for her response. Slowly, she relaxed again, her stiff shoulders sagging down, burrowing further into his arms.

Katana swallowed before answering, "Death."

It was a faint whisper, but the jounin heard her clearly. A sharp pang hit him hard in the chest like a bull's eye. Gray eyebrows knitted tightly. "I see…" Kakashi knew well what hurt him inside. Guilt. How could he, a man who claimed this girl as his daughter, leave her all alone, especially in a situation where she needed him most? She was here now, frightened, scarred and broken. And it was his fault.

She had always seemed so confident, so certain of things, so strong and untouchable, that sometimes he forgot the fact that she was still just a child, a 17-year old girl who happened to be unfortunate enough to experience such horrible things in her youth.

"I'm sorry." Were the first words that escaped his mouth after his musings, effectively breaking the silence that surrounded them. "I'm sorry you had to go through all that. I should've never left you alone to fight with them. It must've been hard for you to manage." The younger one lifted her tucked head up, gazing at him in a more composed manner. She frowned.

"Don't be, Tou-san." She muttered, eyelids lowering at the end of her statement, "I was the one who couldn't do anything right. I'm sorry I couldn't save you on time. If I had just—"

"It's not your responsibility to protect me. Daughters aren't obliged to save their fathers." Cut off Kakashi lowly, and when Katana glanced up questioningly at him, he offered a wistful smile. "Rather, it's my job to take care of you. Because, no matter what happens", drawled out the silver-haired man, "you'll always be my little girl." Surprise etched on the girl's face before her eyes softened, a small beam forming on her lips. She sighed wistfully, shaking her head in defeat.

"Yeah? Well…I still am sorry though." Katana whispered, shifting her head to the side lazily. A gray brow rose at her somewhat stubborn statement, and Kakashi smirked in amusement. "I know." He answered, before a thought descended to his mind.

"Say, Kat-chan?" he inquired teasingly, and said girl let out an irritated grunt in response. "I heard from several villagers that you helped out Sakura in healing them. Shikaku-san also told me", he continued, "that you volunteered on holding back Naruto alone while he was on his possessed state." He tilted his head to the side, meeting her half-lidded grey eyes. "That true?"

"…Yeah."

"Mm. Then I'm proud of you." He hummed, smiling underneath the mask. "To be as selfless as to sacrifice yourself for other people's sake, knowing that you could've died in the process…I'm proud of you, Katana." At this, her annoyed facade was replaced by a lopsided smile. "You should be." She replied mockingly, grin getting wider. "Being selfless takes a lot of effort. I'm not about to do it again soon." The older man laughed, shaking his head in mirth. "You", said Kakashi as his laughter ceased, "have really grown up over these years, ne? You're no longer the same kid that used to peek from behind my back."

A muffled sound was heard and Katana raised her head up from the sweater to protest clearly. "I never peeked from behind your back." She thoroughly denied, glaring at him. Kakashi raised a challenging eyebrow. "Really now?" he asked, tone obviously disbelieving. "What? I didn't." said Katana again and added, "Besides, weren't you the one who used to hide behind me when Iruka-sensei hunts you down? Especially that time when you didn't attend the PTA meeting for the sixth time in a row. He got so mad, he was ready to rip you a new one." She chuckled, recalling the hilarious scene of her normally nonchalant father panicking when the academy instructor finally caught up to him.

Kakashi, however, winced at his daughter's words, pouting at the way she openly laughed at him. "I don't need to be reminded of his wrath." He muttered in a deadpan, shuddering at the thought of him going through that again. "Anyway", he continued, breaking apart from the girl and standing up, "I need to go and meet up with Gai. He's been waiting for me for about an hour and a half now." He chuckled sheepishly when she glared. "Will you be alright on your own?" he asked in the middle of his exit, halting and looking back. The question was casually asked, but the kunoichi could see the worry radiating from the older man's eyes.

She smiled reassuringly, shooing him off with a dismissive wave. "Go. I'll be fine."

He smiled skeptically. "Okay then. I'll see you later."

Kakashi gave one last glance before he waved goodbye, jumping off. An almost inaudible sigh escaped Katana as she ran a hand to comb through her hair. It would seem that she was alone once again. Deciding to take advantage of the time in her hands, she scanned her surroundings. The room she was in was small but not cramped, the space sufficient enough to house four to five people. The sunlight that peeked through the flaps of the tent was the only source of illumination inside. Her gaze fell down on the floor where heaps of scrolls, weapons, clothes and other stuff that Katana knew belonged to her were laid. Sighing, she looked down on herself, inspecting the injuries she got.

Her left arm was entirely covered in bandage, from the end of her shoulder down to the tips of her fingers. Her right hand was bandaged as well. "What the…?"

Pushing the covers off her body, Katana stared, with the little amusement, at her bind up stomach. Her shirt was full of burnt holes and tears, both sleeves ripped off. Her shorts were no better, shredded and smelling of smoke. Damn, she thought with a grimace, I've messed up pretty bad this time.

Wasting no time, she stood, zipping the tent close and knelt down in front of one of the bags. She dug through its contents and drew out an overly large navy sweater. Pulling the torn shirt off, she proceeded to put on the blue one before snatching a clean pair of pants to replace the one she wore. Once done, Katana gave herself a quick once-over. The dark sweater was a tad too big on her, she mused, taking notice of how it reached down to her thighs.

She inwardly shrugged. At least now, thanks to the long sleeves of her father's shirt, no one would see the multiple bandages she had. The last thing she wanted was to inform her enemies that she was wounded and weak at the moment.

Satisfied with her change in clothing, she craned her head to the doorway longingly. How long had she been out anyway? Outside, cheerful voices and vibrant laughter of children could be heard, drowning out the constant hammering and sawing of workers from farther away. Katana cautiously approached the opening, before yanking the zipper down completely. The patches of grass and dirt road that led to town peeked invitingly back at her. So many questions revolved around her mind. What did Konoha look like now? How were her friends doing? Where was Naruto? And Sakura?

Taking a deep breath to ease her nerves, she took a bold step outside and braced herself. The burst of sudden radiance blinded her temporarily and she winced, squinting in reflex.

From a distance, she could see the tiny group of tents and houses, and only a few number of trees that survived were scattered around the area. Children ran playfully side by side, unbothered by the previous catastrophe that hit their village. Men and women, shinobi and civilians alike, roamed back and forth, carrying loads of boxes of medicine, food and other supplies in their arms. Even when struck with misfortune, the people of Konoha remained intact and strong, determined to help one another. The barest hints of a smile ghosted over Katana's face.

"Katana-chan?"

She whirled around at the sound of her name being called and found herself staring at a dark-haired boy riding on top of a large dog. Katana blinked twice.

"Kiba?" she called out questioningly, taking in the shinobi's heavy breath and frazzled expression. "What are you doing here? Is something wrong?"

The Inuzuka swallowed tightly, almost breathlessly, before speaking. "Never mind that", he told her, eyebrows knitted in worry, "Did you hear? That Danzo guy—whoever he is, has been proclaimed the new Hokage!"
Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion at his flurry of words. "Kiba, what are you talk…?" She froze, replaying the words in her mind all over again. Danzo. Proclaimed. Hokage. It took a while before the news finally sank in her brain. "What?" she asked in disbelief, the dread of it dawning fully into her.

Her eyebrows creased. "But what about Tsunade-sama? Surely they couldn't just dismiss somebody from the position of Hokage, right?"

At the mention of the blonde woman, Kiba's face fell into a deep frown. "That's just it." He muttered darkly, looking down at his feet. "Tsunade-sama's in a coma. She hasn't woken up since."

Great. Just great. Thought Katana bitterly, massaging her already throbbing temples, a migraine making its way to her head. And to think that I just woke up. The boy in front of her kept on ranting, but Katana cut him off sharply, "Where's Naruto and Sakura? Do they know already?" Startled with the hoard of questions directed to him, Kiba paused and thought twice.

"Well, they were headed towards the forest when I met them a while ago. So I informed them of—O-Oi! Wait! I wasn't done yet!" protested Kiba indignantly when the girl sprinted away, yelling for her to come back.

Where are they?

Katana asked herself inwardly in growing impatience and worry, head jerking side to side to search for any signs of the hyperactive blonde. She had been searching for almost an hour now, but Naruto was nowhere to be found. Perhaps they've gone back to the village? A barely contained hiss slipped out of her mouth in frustration and she halted, feeling her brain pound mercilessly against her skull.

A hand flew up to clutch her aching head, mouth set in a frown.

So many problems… When will this all end?

It always did end, she knew, one way or another, but somehow Katana could never bring herself to agree to it this time. Things just kept on piling up, adding themselves one after the other into the never-ending list.

"Agh!"

The pained groan distracted her from her glum thoughts and her head shot up, eyes narrowed. "Who..?" she muttered under her breath, taking a few steps forward and waited for the sound again.

"I-I'm s-sorry. I can't—gah!"

Katana clicked her tongue against her teeth in anxiety. Naruto! The kunoichi hastily picked up her pace and ran, rushing to the source of the voice. As she got nearer, violent punches and screamed profanities were heard echoing around the area. Hiding behind a tree trunk, Katana came across a large building and two people who were huddled over somebody else, cornering whoever that was back up the wall.

The first person, the female, spoke up, anger and pain distinct in her tone, "No amount of hitting you would ever make me feel better!" she roared at the cowering figure in front of her. "I'll keep just this up until you answer my question!" Her statement made Katana's gut twist into knots, a sign that something worse was on its way to reaching them.

With a grudging scowl, she decided to wait a bit more until she discovers the duo's identities. She glanced over the girl's quiet companion. The guy was about all tall as his partner, hair a pale blonde and skin tanned. He wore a white and gray vest over his dark jacket, red hand guards placed on his arms and a sword slung over his shoulder.

Grey eyes widened at the style of his outfit, before turning into dangerous slits. Kumogakure. Hands balled into fists, shaking uncontrollably as she trudged her way towards them without hesitancy. The shinobi was the first one to sense her, stiffening as he reached for his weapon but readily dropped his hand to his side when he saw her and instead, fell down on the ground in a deep bow.

The red-headed girl stopped her bellowing for a moment, turning to her partner in confusion, before fully whirling around to meet Katana's deadly glower. The kunoichi paled. "Karui", grounded out Katana, not even bothering to hide the rage in her glare, "step away from him." The girl obeyed without a protest, fear visible in her face. She kneeled beside her partner, head hanging low in a bow.

Face still contorted in a grimace, she turned to the severely beaten blonde boy, scanning his bloodstained jumpsuit, bruised and swollen face and barely standing structure. "Naruto…" she regarded stiffly, her cold look softening by a fraction, worry replacing anger. Cautiously, she approached him, taking his arm and slinging it over her shoulders to support his frame. The blackened eye of her friend widened slightly in surprise.

"K-Katana-chan", rasped out Naruto weakly between dry coughs, "wh-what are you doing here? S-Shouldn't you be res-resting?" Staring at the pitiful boy, Katana felt a twinge in her heart. "I woke up. Kiba told me about Danzo." Explained Katana softly, her angry facade crumbling down. "What happened, Naruto?"

He looked away guiltily at the question, using the back of his hand to wipe blood away from his split lip. Katana stared at him, waiting, but no reply came. "Katana. Naruto." Katana craned her head to the side, looking at the newcomer. Relief washed over her system when her gaze fell on a pale teen that was hurriedly running to their side. "Sai", she sighed, eagerly handing Naruto to him. "Take him to Sakura, okay?" she requested immediately and watched as Sai nodded before departing with Naruto securely in his hold. Once the two were finally out of sight, the young kunoichi's face turned hollow, calling out, "You can stand, you know."

From the corner of her eyes, she saw them stand up hesitantly, Karui's head still lowered in shame. Katana could feel her irritation fade away, pity coursing through her. A part of her, the irrational, selfish part, was tempted to explode, to lash out at them. It would seem only fitting, since they did beat up a random person, which, by the way, happened to be her friend, in the middle of their—at least she thinks it is—mission. But no person is faultless and everyone makes mistakes. She thought, feeling guilty of her earlier actions.

"I'm not mad", she stated awkwardly, trying to ease the tension off their bodies, "if that's what you guys think." Katana faced the nervous pair, eyeing them lightly. "What happened?" It was a simple question, but evidently, the duo found it difficult to answer. Omoi was the one to speak first, stuttering through the lollipop inside his mouth. "I..W-well, we—R-Raikage-sama, h-he uh…um—"

"Calm down." Sighed Katana, rubbing her face in exasperation and exhaustion. "I'm not going to bite, Omoi." At the girl's words, the tan shinobi took a minute to collect himself, swallowing hard and evening out his breath, before he tried again, "Raikage-sama sent us, together with Samui-taichou, to… deliver a message for Konoha, Katana-sama. After that, he ordered us to meet him in the Land of Iron." He answered, this time without his voice trembling.

A nod came from Katana. "I see." She murmured, another question brewing in mind. "How come Naruto was brought into this?" Silence answered her. Biting his lip, Omoi turned to the redhead, asking for support. The girl remained passive. He sighed dejectedly, scratching his head. "Um, well, you see—"

"It's my fault, Katana-sama." Interjected Karui silently, startling both her companions. "I got carried away. We were gathering information, and that guy, Naruto, knew something but he wouldn't tell us. He offered that we hit him instead of talking. So I…", Karui paused, clenching her jaw together, remembering the previous scenes inside her head. Her voice dropped to a whisper. "So I beat him up. I'm sorry, Katana-sama."

Meanwhile, Katana fell quiet, eyes in a downward gaze, expression looking lost in thought. The two stared at her expectantly as she concentrated, eyes creased into narrow ovals. "He let you beat him up, eh? I thought just as much." she murmured incoherently under her breath; tone down to a mere hushed mutter that Karui and Omoi almost missed it if not for their shinobi-trained ears, "Naruto would never be that battered unless he actually permits someone to strike him. But why would he?" Her head snapped up, turning to Karui for explanation. "What did you ask him?"

She blinked twice, golden orbs confused for a moment before stammering, "Uchiha Sasuke. I asked him about Sasuke." Katana's eyes shot open at the name. "Sasuke? What does he have to do with any of this?" she inquired, voice getting unconsciously louder. Omoi's mouth twitched downwards in a wounded frown. "He…He's the one who killed your uncle, Killer Bee-sama. We found it out just days ago."

Katana's mind stopped processing when the puzzle pieces fitted together all of a sudden. She could remember overhearing a conversation between her father and the council just a few months back when she stayed in Kumo to train. Her father had been so grief-stricken back then, so distraught and lifeless when he heard that his younger brother had been missing and eventually concluded that he was dead. They prepared a funeral for him, added his picture into the growing collection of picture frames of deceased jinchuuriki that hung on the wall, but no one knew if he was truly dead or not. Now, hearing the words tumble out of the girl's mouth, Katana's knees buckled.

"W-What?" she stammered out, taken aback by the news. A sudden wave of nausea and daze hit her, bile rising up at the back of her throat. Though disbelief was written all over her face, Katana knew it wasn't entirely impossible. Sasuke had changed so much, grown so strong when they last fought each other; she was almost too scared to imagine how strong he'd gotten now.

"Katana-sama…? You okay?" Omoi asked in concern as the two stared at the drained kunoichi.

Head rising up, she failed to hide her unease on time. "Yeah, I'm…" she swallowed thickly, silently knowing that it was already too late to cover up her anxiety. She did, anyway. "I'm fine." Although her poker face was in place, a small crease between her eyebrows betrayed her, giving out what her thoughts in mind were exactly. Her ex-best friend-turned-avenger was responsible for the death of her beloved uncle.

Dismally, Katana knew what was coming next: Her father was going to kill Uchiha Sasuke.

Fighting the urge to scowl, Katana got to her feet and glanced at the waiting shinobi. "I'll go with you in the Land of Iron. Find Samui-san and wait for me at the gate, understood?" The pair nodded curtly in agreement and leapt off, leaving Katana to sprint back to her tent, a dreaded thought stuck in mind.

Layers of cold, white dust concealed every inch of dry ground until there was no empty spot in sight. Snowflakes fell from the sky in a deliberate pace, hovering over their heads for a minute before finally descending down onto them. The sound of rushed footsteps was heard drumming continuously against the snow-covered ground in a tense rate.

A thick fog ghosted over Katana's mouth as she breathed out heavily, lips pale blue in color and cheeks slightly flushed. A tingling sensation traveled down her arms as the passing snow soaked her sleeves wet, reaching her bandaged wounds.

Face turning grim, Katana forced herself to ignore the sting and focused instead on the trail ahead. The person in front of her was already a meter away and with a little additional effort, Katana managed to catch up just in time, acting as if nothing was wrong. Even with the rest she previously woke up on, she noted, the repetitive jutsu she did while holding back Naruto took a large toll on her body.

A sharp pain shot up her limb and she involuntarily winced, biting back a hiss. She stopped completely, gripping her arm, teeth gnashed together in agony. The blonde male craned his head back and halted, jogging his way back to her. "What's wrong, Katana-sama?"

"No, no. I'm okay." She grounded out with difficulty, the ache already reaching up to her upper body. "My arm just got…caught in some branch." Expression scrunched up in confusion and doubt, Omoi boldly took a hold of her arm before she could move away. He pulled back the sleeve, eyebrows shooting up when he saw the bandages.

"Sure doesn't look like it got caught up in a branch." Muttered Omoi rebelliously. Katana shot him a hard glare, causing him to raise his hands in defense. "S-Sorry", he said quickly, knowing that he'd crossed a line, "here, let me help you." Just as he was about to reach out for her, Samui's voice rang in the air, "Omoi! What's taking you so long?" He jerked his head back, ready to call out when a hand clamped down his mouth shut. Eyes widening, he turned to the girl in confusion. Katana had a stubborn, nearly desperate look on her face as she mouthed the word, 'No' to him. Staring at him for a little longer, she lowered her hand.

"This is nothing." She drawled out slowly, emphasizing every word. "I'm fine and nothing's wrong, you got that?" He nodded in understanding though his eyes still held confusion.

"Good." Said Katana, making her way past him. They ran, closing the gap they had with the other two girls. Samui inclined her head back, genuine concern evident in her gaze as she peered at Katana through thick lashes. "Is something the matter, Katana-sama?" The brunette shook her head dismissively. "Just had to catch my breath, that's all." The group continued towards the path and only when they came across an intersection did the female blonde stop, stopping them altogether. She held out a hand. "We wait here." She said. A few silent moments passed by and only the quiet whoosh of the cold breeze was heard. It wasn't long before a dull thud sounded and three figures coming from above descended down to them. Samui and her two companions bowed down before the middle person.

"Raikage-sama", spoke the team leader, head angled downwards, "We have returned from Konohagakure." The burly man nodded once, his gruff voice booming, "Good. How'd it go?"

"The mission was successful, my lord, though we encountered some changes along the way. We have a newcomer with us, Raikage-sama." The tall Kumo leader cocked his eyebrow in question. "Who?" The team parted, revealing the young kunoichi behind them. Katana lowered her head in a quick bow. "Tou-sama." She acknowledged, waiting for his response. Her father's grave expression changed into one of surprise. "Katana, what are you doing here?"

"I came to talk to you. I heard about Uncl—" Before she could even finish her statement, three new chakra signatures popped out of nowhere, seemingly masked and blended in the surroundings. Everyone tensed, except for Katana who stiffened for a different reason. Well-acquainted with the chakra signatures, Katana felt her frustrations growing rapidly. They shouldn't have come here!

"Come out Konoha dogs!" Ordered Shee, his tone laced with slight irritation and disgust. As Katana expected, three silhouettes came out of hiding, all wearing the same caramel-colored cloaks to fend off the cold. The blonde ninja in the middle of the two jounin stood out the most, with his bright golden locks and right eye bandaged. From beside the Raikage, Darui murmured a comment under his breath, his exposed eye flickering at Kakashi's cloaked form. The Raikage's response was to grunt indignantly before asking in a rough voice, "Did the Hokage send you, Hatake Kakashi?"

The silver-haired man shook his head calmly, meeting the tanned man in the eye. "We have a favor to ask you. My student, Uzumaki Naruto of Konohagakure, wishes to speak with you." In her place, Katana's throat constricted in worry. Alarms bells were ringing inside her head, her instincts telling her to prevent Naruto from even opening his mouth.

Stop it, she wanted to tell him, just go and let me handle this!

But the words died in her throat as soon as Naruto took a brave step forward, sapphire blue eyes staring at the Raikage without fear or nervousness. A Yotsuki scrutinized him closely from head to toe, goading the boy on, "Well then, spit it out!"

The normally hyperactive ninja took a deep breath, releasing it to calm himself before speaking out loud. "I want you to stop Sasuke's…Uchiha Sasuke's execution."

Stunned silence answered Naruto's plea. Everyone, save for the Raikage and his daughter, gaped at his bold statement. Hearing no protest, he continued, allowing his emotions to take over. "I know it's a lot to ask…but I had to try. Sasuke's my friend! I couldn't just sit back and watch him be killed! And I don't want Sasuke to be the cause of war between Konoha and Kumo. I don't want anyone to get caught up in revenge like he did." Sincerity radiated off the boy's expression and words, but the Raikage's eyebrows creased together in doubt, as if unconvinced.

Averting his glance and without even so much of an acknowledgement, he told his companions, "Let's go." An audible thump made everybody stop in their tracks and double take at Naruto, who—from his previous position—was now kneeling on the ground, face almost touching the heap of snow. "Please!" he cried out desperately, "I'm begging you! I don't want anyone else to die because of revenge! That's all what Sasuke thought about. It consumed him and changed him! He was driven mad with that hatred inside him! I don't want people of Konoha and Kumo to kill each other! So please…Please! I beg you…I beg y-you…"

The blonde sank lower into the ground as his body racked in sobs, tears of despair spilling down his whiskered cheeks. Katana could feel her own eyes water and her heart threatening to break at the sight of her friend throwing away his pride and dignity just to save their teammate. Unsure of what to expect, she gave a tentative glance at her father, taking in his closed eyes and the distressed sigh that escaped his parted mouth.

Much to Katana's surprise, black orbs slowly opened, flashing with pain. "No." her father said, his hard tone wavering with barely concealed suffering. "I will kill Uchiha Sasuke. It's up to you to stop me." He looked down on the boy, eyeing him disapprovingly. "A ninja should not be quick to bow down to others! In this world, you will not last long if you continue to wallow in your weaknesses! Think about what you must do." he said, turning around abruptly. A spared the group a last look before trudging away, his shinobi following not far behind.

Biting her lip in hesitation, Katana knelt down beside the crestfallen teen instead of sticking with her father. "Get up, Naruto." She gently pulled him up by the shoulders, only to be tackled and crushed inside the blonde's tight hug.

She stiffened reflexively, feeling her injuries ache against his rather firm grasp. However, the sound of his sniffling made her relax, her arms encircling the latter in a comforting hold. She said nothing, waiting for him to open up. After a few moments, Naruto choked back a sob. "I…" he began weakly, "I couldn't do it…I c-couldn't save him." He gazed up at her, blue orbs pleading. "Please, Katana-chan, please…" he begged, resting his head on her shoulder, tears flowing freely from his eyes. "Save Sasuke."

The girl in his grip inhaled sharply, eyes shutting close. Katana gave him a gentle squeeze before muttering softly but clearly, "I'll save Naruto. I promise. I won't allow Tou-san to lay a finger on him."

End Chapter