Destiny of the Cursed

Chapter 33: Face-off

Silence… Painfully tense silence stretched on between the broken team, the air around them crackling with murderous intent and blood lust. Pure hatred, black as nightmare, radiated off the Uchiha's aura, his glare on them icy and unwavering. Behind the two shinobi, Katana found herself unable to pry her gaze away from the boy's face. Blood trailed down his cheek in a slow pace, the viscous red liquid oozing out of his eye as a result of using Amaterasu.

The rich crimson fluid clashed with his natural pallor, making his skin look even more chalk-white than it already was. The boy's mouth was fixed in a permanent hysterical grin, his dark eyes wild and crazed. Much to her horror and grief, Katana knew now that this was what his greed for revenge caused. As ironic as it may sound, hatred blinded the Uchiha from his right senses and his desire for vengeance had him dangling in the brink of insanity. The Sasuke that they knew had been long gone; driven mad by rage, he crumbled and withered away, leaving nothing but a hollow shell of his former self behind.

"Sasuke."

"What?"

Surprise flickered on her expression for a moment when she heard the name, her grey eyes darting towards a blonde head. Naruto stepped aside from behind Kakashi, allowing him to get a clearer view of the pale teen ahead. "Sasuke", said Naruto again, his usually vibrant voice holding no amusement, only grave seriousness. "Tobi from Akatsuki told us the truth about Itachi…I don't know if you believe him or not but that—that doesn't matter. I understand now. I understand why you did it."

Eyebrows drew together, knitting tightly in confusion. Truth about Itachi…? She questioned inwardly, reviewing the information she gathered earlier in her mind and searching for something that would somehow be connected. She found none. Grimacing in offense, she realized that Naruto hadn't told her entirely everything, despite reassuring her that he didn't leave out any information he considered important. Deciding to trust her friend's questionable action for the time being, Katana took a deep breath to calm herself, looking over to where Sasuke stood.

The avenger stood as stiff as a statue, mouth agape in incredulity, onyx orbs wide with outrage. He remained frozen for a minute, trying to process what the blonde said before his eyes narrowed into dangerous slits. "Naruto…" he hissed, hands fisting angrily at his sides, "I told you once before, you never had a sibling nor a parent. You don't know what it feels like because you never had anyone." Sasuke snarled in scorn, baring his teeth in a sneer.

"So shut up, you OUTSIDER!"

Hearing the roared insult, something inside Katana snapped. She had never been the impatient one and her temper had always been considerably long, but for some unknown reason, all she wanted to do at that moment was to lash out; to charge head-on for Sasuke and beat him senselessly just because it felt right. "You bastard…" the words slipped out of her mouth in a low murmur, her knuckles turning white from the pressure of her balled fists. Without taking time to reconsider her idea, she felt her feet inch forward, her body moving in its own accord, slowly making its way towards Sasuke.

"Katana, stop!"

Two hands followed the alarmed call, latching onto her arms and pulling her back hastily. She struggled pigheadedly against the hold, trying to wrench herself free from whomever it was that grabbed her.

"Katana, please! Calm down!"

With a forceful tug on her bandaged arms, the brunette staggered back in agony, clumsily colliding against Sakura's front. The pink-haired kunoichi kept her grip hard on the latter's limbs, though her voice was urgent and pleading. "Come on, Katana." She whispered shakily, her courageous façade slowly breaking. "Don't rush into things. Let Naruto and Kakashi-sensei handle this." Katana shook head a hard 'no', eyes ablaze as they fixed on their ex-teammate.

"You…" She found herself seething again, feeling her blood boil further at the mere sight of his unabashed scowl. Unable to contain her bottled-up emotions any longer, the girl broke into a furious scream, "You ungrateful, wretched bastard! How dare you call him that! Do you know how long we've been looking for you? How long we've been trying to get you back? Do you, Sasuke, have any idea how much effort Naruto had put into this whole thing?"

While she spoke, Katana thrashed violently under Sakura's grasp, fury distracting her from feeling the burn of her wounds. "He risked everything for you! He even fell on his knees and threw away his pride just to save you! Why can't you see that, you idiot?" Her screaming died down, voice coming out in a hoarse whisper instead. "Even when all of the others turned their backs on you, he believed, he believed that you could still be saved…" The kunoichi stopped resisting her friend's hold, exhaustion getting better of her stubborn resolve to get away.

Dropping her gaze to the water below, she glowered at it, face crinkling in remorse.

"And yet you keep pushing him away." She remarked bitterly, hands clenching at her sides.

A gentle squeeze on her arm made Katana look back, her grief-stricken eyes meeting Sakura's green orbs, rage flashing through them. The latter glared at Sasuke, her gloved hands slipping down from Katana's arm. "Naruto had faith in you, Sasuke!" she called out indignantly, mouth set in a tight frown. "No matter how badly the world degraded you, he still considered you a friend. He still does…"

"Do you think I care?" spat the missing-nin, his eyes narrowing. "No. Just now…just moments ago, I finally got revenge on one of Itachi's betrayers. His name was Danzo, one of Leaf's higher-ups." The corners of his lips quirked up in a self-righteous smirk as he continued, "It was unlike anything I've ever felt. Like I was finally purifying the Uchiha name from its undeserved humiliation that tainted it for years. Like I was breaking its connection with this corrupt shinobi world." He let out a snort, arms entwining across his chest. His expression changed once more, this time morphing in disgust.

"Isn't that what you Konoha shinobi always wanted? After years and years of rejecting my clan, finally, you're going to have it wiped away from your memories. And I'm gonna do just that...by crushing every last one of you!" he exclaimed blissfully, onyx orbs widening with sick pleasure. Sasuke released a roar of hysterical laughter, as if what he said was the funniest joke in the world. "Starting from the elders that manipulated Itachi down to the youngest genin that looked down on my clan…I will kill everyone and destroy the Leaf once and for all. That is how I'll revive my clan."

"You've lost your mind." Hissed Katana in her place, her temper flaring up even more. Out of instinct, her hand flew up to unsheathe her weapon, pulling out the narrow metallic blade for Sasuke to see. Kakashi held out his arm in front, signaling an unspoken command of 'don't do it'. Grudgingly, the kunoichi lowered her sword to her side, her glare still threatening to drill a hole on Sasuke's forehead. Even Naruto, who had his hands up in a Kage Bunshin seal, stopped reluctantly, having no choice but to follow their captain's orders.

"Naruto, Sakura, Katana." Said Kakashi after a pause, the authoritative edge in his voice coming up to the surface. "I want you three to go back there. I'll handle this."

"But, Kakashi-sensei—"

"No 'buts'." Cut off the jounin, his tone uncharacteristically sharp and irritable. "This is my job. Get out of here." He ordered again as he took a battle stance, arms on guard and legs ready to sprint. He released a silent sigh, the usual gentleness creeping in his voice as he said, "I don't want you to see this." Sakura was the first to lose her stubborn streak, her emerald eyes widening in dread as realization sunk in. "Sensei, are you—" she stopped in midsentence, swallowing back the heavy lump of dismay in the back of her throat, "…Are you going to kill Sasuke?"

"Go." Replied the silver-haired man weakly, refusing to answer his student's question. "Just go. Now!" Flinching at the hard instruction, the medic-nin clumsily turned back with suppressed tears in her eyes, jogging away from the supposed-to-be battlefield. "Katana. Naruto." The man regarded the other two with what remained of his patience, sending them a silent warning. It came out almost as a growl of frustration but Katana, who knew him longer and better than anyone else, could hear the hidden desperation in him. Though it hurt to disobey him, she stayed by his side, calm and unyielding. Grey eyes quickly darted towards her other friend and the two shared a look of understanding. Bending her knees slowly, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

I'm sorry, Tou-san.

"Now, Naruto!" Cue to her shout, the brunette launched herself at the jounin's back, tackling him down. A yelp of protest escaped Kakashi as he jerked away, but Katana locked her arms around his torso in a steel-like grip, adding chakra on her heels to hold both of them in place. "Wait! Naruto!" demanded the older man as he kept trying to wriggle free, prying off the latched-on girl. The blonde leapt over them and ran for the raven-haired boy, a ball of compressed and endlessly rotating blue chakra in his hands. In response, a surge of electricity appeared in Sasuke's open palm and he charged, planning to meet the other shinobi head-on. "I won't hesitate for a second!" he yelled tauntingly, grinning like a lunatic. The two closed in on each other, their pulled-back arms meeting aggressively.

Katana winced as a blinding flash of light erupted from in between the boys, consuming everyone and everything into nothingness. The bright radiance seemed to go on forever and for a moment, all they can see was a vast of empty white space. Little by little, the glow died down, their surroundings altering into something recognizable again. The splashing roar of water beneath them reached their ears, the explosion causing a violent ripple in the pond. Both boys were blown apart by the impact, throwing them off back to the direction of their starting points.

Taking advantage of Katana's dazed stupor, Kakashi broke free of her iron hold and ran, jumping to catch Naruto's airborne form just in time before he hit the water. The jounin let him down; retracting his support once he was sure Naruto could stand on his feet. "I thought I told the two of you to get out of here!" Came the sharp admonishment from the team leader, his Sharingan eye both angry and worried. His reprimand went unnoticed by them; his students were too busy looking at the weakened Uchiha not far away.

"I'm certain now." Murmured Naruto under his breath as he evened out the erratic thumping of his heart, droplets of water traveling down his face. Ash-colored eyes flickered at him, Katana's eyebrows furrowing in confusion. "Certain of what? What the hell are you talking about, Naruto?" The blonde didn't answer her, his gaze fixed solely on Sasuke. There was a sudden shift in the air as a chakra signature popped out of nowhere, indicating that a newcomer joined them.

"I told you to rest, didn't I?" asked Tobi in disappointment as the masked man came out of the thin air, standing beside Sasuke. The Akatsuki member turned towards them, cocking his head slightly to the side. "Nine-tails, huh?" He acknowledged nonchalantly, nodding his head once in mock greeting. "We'll fight them when the right time comes, Sasuke." He reassured the boy, one hand reaching down to pat the teen's shoulder. "For now, we rest."

Wordlessly, Naruto boldly stepped forward, making his way towards the other group. Katana grabbed his hand before he could walk away farther, tugging him back in alarm. "Naruto." She said, a silent plea concealed inside her tone. The blonde merely squeezed her hand gently, soothing her worries away. "Don't worry, I know." He replied without looking at her, his azure blue eyes still glued to the pale shinobi ahead. "There's just something I have to say first." Reluctantly, the girl let go, watching anxiously as Naruto strode in the middle.

"Sasuke", he called out, eyes set in determination, "do you remember what you told me back then when we fought? About those top-class shinobi not needing words to communicate?" The boy took a few deliberate steps nearer, never taking his gaze off the latter. "We've become top-class shinobi, Sasuke. When our fists collided, did you see what was in here?" he asked, placing a hand on top of his heart. "Did you see what'll happen? If we fight again…" Naruto trailed off, stopping just meters away from Sasuke.

Pausing and narrowing his orbs meaningfully at the boy, he spoke loud enough for everyone to hear, "We're both gonna die."

Everyone froze at his statement, all taken aback by the sudden revelation. When no one said anything, the shinobi continued, "This fight is unavoidable if you really do attack Konoha. So keep your hatred and let it grow, then hit me with it in full force. I'm the only one who can bear your wrath. So I'll bear your vengeance…and we'll die together!" The missing-nin's face wrinkled in ire, his thin eyebrows digging deeper as he clenched his teeth.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Sasuke exploded in outrage, expression turning dangerously livid. "Why the hell do you care so much anyway? Why?" he demanded, taking a brisk step forward. "Answer me!"

"Because I'm your friend."

Uchiha Sasuke halted in his tracks, his fury vanishing all of a sudden, replaced by a mixture of surprise and disbelief. A good-natured grin broke across the blonde face when he saw the other's expression and he chuckled. "You know, Sasuke, we've been able to communicate through words properly. The only way we understand each other is through fists." He raised one balled-up hand, the grin on his face widening. Remember what I said: We're not wannabe-genins anymore; we're exceptional shinobi now, so I'm not giving up. I'm never giving up!" With his beam fading away slowly, Naruto lowered his eyes to the water below and forced out a dry laugh.

"Still, I'm done talking to you. Hell, I'm an idiot who can't even explain anything properly! I shouldn't be here lecturing you." This time, a melancholic smile ghosted over his lips and Naruto ruffled his already messy hair even more. "If it really ends like that...us both dying, I mean, and then we won't be Uchihas or jinchuurikis anymore. There'll be no more burdens to bear and hopefully, we can understand each other in the next world."

Getting over his shock, Sasuke grimaced stubbornly. "I don't want to change. I never will. And what's more, I'm not gonna die. You are." His words were half-heartedly spoken unlike before; they lacked power and authenticity.

A few silent minutes passed by them before Kakashi decided to walk up to Naruto, gently bringing a hand down his shoulder. "Enough." He told the boy, concern scribbled all over his masked face. "I'll handle Sasuke. You still have a dream, Naruto. No matter how hard he has fallen, don't let him drag you down—"

"How can I call myself Hokage if I can't even save one friend?"

At this, Kakashi fell quiet, his hand falling down from Naruto's shoulder. The jinchuuriki sighed, mouth set in a firm line. "The only person Sasuke's gonna fight...is me." A soft snort came out of Sasuke as a response, his dark eyes closing. Lips curling in a familiarly smug smirk, he opened one eye to look at Naruto. "Have it your way then. I'll kill you first." Finally coming to terms of understanding, the raven-haired boy spared his former friend a last glance before the mask-wearing Akatsuki patted down his hand on Sasuke and both vanished into a void, leaving the three members of Team 7 all by themselves.

Katana found herself staring blankly at the empty space, her mind still processing the sudden turn of events.

Sasuke's gone again…

The thought kept repeating inside her head like a broken record until the idea of it fully sank into her, causing a miserable sigh to escape her lips. The thoroughly exhausted girl closed her sleep-deprived eyes, tilting her head back in an attempt to ease the throbbing pain in her temples.

The sound of a throat clearing caught her attention. "You okay there, Katana?" The question— based on the deep, smooth voice and the underlying worry in it— without a doubt, came from Kakashi. Katana nodded once in affirmation, not even bothering to look at him because doing so would require opening her heavy eyelids once more. It was just too much work.

Loud 'poof'ing noises of Naruto clones startled her out of her relaxed position and immediately her eyes snapped open to glance at Naruto, whose face was a sickly shade of green. He wobbled on his feet a bit like a drunken person, his eyes hazy and unfocused. Katana narrowed her eyes with little amusement. "Oi, Naruto, what the hell are you doin—" Before her statement was completely delivered, the staggering boy fell over his back and would have been submerged under water had Kakashi not caught him in time.

Alarmed, the brunette knelt beside the knocked-out boy, scrutinizing his face for injuries of any kind. A small, clean cut on his cheek was all she could find but the silver-haired man knew otherwise. "Sakura!" he yelled out quickly, sounding calm despite seeing foam come out of Naruto's mouth. "Bring us the antidote! And hurry!" He added, emphasizing the last word. The younger kunoichi blinked twice in confusion, looking up at him through a bewildered gaze. "Antidote?"

"Poisoned kunai." Answered Kakashi sheepishly with a sigh, scratching his ear. "This idiot never fails to get into some sort of trouble." In seconds, the pink-haired was by their side, cursing and apologizing for her mistake. "S-Sasuke used the kunai I poisoned, didn't he?" Sakura stuttered out, shrinking in embarrassment in her place as Kakashi poured the liquid down Naruto's throat. Katana pursed her lips, unsure of how to answer.

"Yeah. Pretty much, I guess."

A groan emitted from the previously unconscious teen and he shifted a little, wincing when he felt another sharp jab on his stomach. "Ugh, it hurts…" he whined, squirming in discomfort. Relief flashed on Kakashi's face when he saw the blonde stir and he motioned for Katana, lifting Naruto's head from his support. "Hold him. I'll go get the girl." He said, transferring Naruto on the brunette's lap before she could ask who the girl was.

"Mmhn…K-Katana-chan? Sakura-chan?" mumbled Naruto in question, his words still a bit slurred. The medic beside Katana inched closer to them, hand rubbing Naruto's arm in comfort. "Sorry, Naruto." She apologized guiltily, positioning her other hand over his upset stomach. Green, healing chakra glowed out of her palm and immediately, the boy relaxed. "I didn't mean to cause you trouble."

"Nah, s'kay, Sakura-chan." Said the blonde with a casual wave of his hand, though the dazed look on his face was still present. He grimaced then, clutching his stomach gently. "Still feel like dying though." He admitted, closing his eyes. Katana shook her head slowly, letting dark brown strands of hair to frame the sides of her face. She sighed again, this time out of relief, a smile threatening to take over her face. "You're gonna be just fine, baka." She said, reaching down to brush away the yellow wisps of hair that was splayed over his forehead. Naruto let out a contented little hum, enjoying the temporary peace they had.

"Time to go."

The declaration made Katana turn her head back, the sight of the jounin carrying a redheaded girl on his back taking her by surprise. "Who's she?" she asked curiously before a darker thought entered her mind, her eyes narrowing involuntarily. "Another one of Sasuke's innocent victims?" Kakashi shook his head, looking at said girl from the corner of his eye. "No. She's his comrade, actually. Well, was his comrade. Sasuke betrayed her after she fell into Danzou's hands while they were fighting."

"I see." Mutter Katana, eyebrows furrowing in obvious disappointment and misery. As soon as their captain started walking, the three others followed his lead, all eager to finally go home.

"Uh…"

Katana blinked twice at the scene before her, mouth agape in speechlessness as her brain tried to process the view. Her eyebrows knitted together in confusion and she frowned, settling for a firm, "Huh." Apparently, her mind failed to understand the given situation. Her pink-haired teammate let out an embarrassed laugh by her side, looking utterly ashamed. "Yeah, I know. This wasn't exactly the best of my ideas—"

"That's a total understatement, Sakura." Cut off Kakashi from their left, causing the medic-nin to wince. "They were only trying to help you, after all. I expect you to apologize to them as soon as they wake up."

"Of course, Kakashi-sensei." Nodded Sakura obediently, glancing down at the three asleep shinobi and one snoring dog. A disgruntled snort came from Naruto, his face sour with annoyance. "While you were going in a crazy rampage out there, these guys were here all that time, snoring like bears?" he scoffed incredulously, stomping towards the trio of snoozing shinobi. Sakura bit her lip worriedly, chuckling awkwardly again. "It was my fault, Naruto. Don't be too hard on them."

The blonde unceremoniously dropped like a log to the ground, causing everyone to jump at the unexpected thud. Irritation flashed through Sakura's earlier concerned look. "You're passing out again?" she demanded, her hands on her hips. Ignoring her question, the boy fell fast asleep in seconds, silent snores escaping his parted mouth steadily.

"Sakura…right? You're the one who poisoned the kunai in the first place." Reminded the girl on Kakashi's back in a low voice, sounding unsure on how to act around them. Sakura groaned in defeat, her back slumping dejectedly. The silver-haired man gave an easy laugh, his visible eye creasing in amusement. "Why don't we stay here for a while? Just until they wake up." He suggested, bending his knees to lower the redhead down.

With a grunt of thanks, Katana plopped down on a soft patch of grass by the roadside, leaning back against the sturdy bark of a tree. She took a deep breath, inhaling the relaxing scent of the forest. Rebellious, drooping eyelids descended down as the girl finally succumbed to her body's plea for rest.

The repetitive bumping motions jostled Katana up and awake, much to her displeasure. Throbbing muscles, a stiff neck and a pounding migraine inside her head were the first things that greeted her back from slumber, making her regret even sleeping at all. An irritable whine escaped her and she twisted in her place, only to feel the sensation of falling backwards. What the—?

On instinct, Katana flung her arms around whatever she could grab first, her hands coming in contact with strong, muscular shoulders. Only then did the girl realize that she was being carried around and she blinked rapidly, trying to shake away her dizziness. Hands adjusted their grip on the underside of her knees, their hold on her tightening securely. She raised her head and stared unfocusedly at black, shiny locks of hair, bouncing along with the pace of walking.

"Lee…?" Her voice was barely audible, raspy from sleep and her throat was almost impossibly dry, causing a frown to form on her face. She really hated waking up like this.

"Oh! Katana-chan! You're finally awake, I see."

The cheerful boy turned his head back to face her, his wide eyes and bright smile meeting her baffled expression. "How are you feeling?" he asked, bushy eyebrows drawing deeply together in a moment of concern. The girl looked at him dazedly, her vision still not of the best. "I'm…fine, I guess." She said weakly, dismissing away his worry. "Why am I being carried by you anyway?" The energetic shinobi shifted his attention back to the path, the smile on his face never faltering. "Kakashi-san didn't want to wake you so I carried you instead. Do not worry, Katana-chan! You can still rest while we're on the way to Konoha! It's probably just another 100 meters away or so."

Katana nodded silently at his explanation and did a quick scan of her surroundings. At their right, Kiba, Sai and Naruto bickered nonstop, Akamaru joining their yelling match with his own barks of protests from time to time. Off to their left, Sakura strode in a relaxed pace, humming a quiet tune under her breath. In front, Katana could see Kakashi's silhouette, covered by the back of the redheaded girl he was carrying.

"You can put me down now, Lee." She said, patting the older boy gently on his shoulder to grab his attention. He shook his head at her request and kept on walking, his smile still present on his booming voice as he spoke, "That isn't necessary, Katana-chan. I can put you down once we reach Konoha."

"I can walk by myself. It's alright, I'll be—"

"You need your rest." Lee interrupted her midway, his compassionate tone sounding unusually stern. "You are still running a high fever." At this, the kunoichi's frown tightened, using the back of her hand to feel her forehead. As soon as her clammy hand came in contact with her face, she retracted it instantly, startled by the heat radiating off her skin. Overcoming her shock, Katana sighed in resignation, her form slumping against Lee's bulkier body. "Are you sure?" She asked after a minute of contemplation, trying for the last time to convince him, "I wouldn't want to be a burden."

"Of course!" Answered Lee eagerly with a small chuckle, his shoulders shaking slightly in sync with his laughter. "This is also considered as training, after all! Surely, Gai-sensei will be proud of me!" She raised one eyebrow in a mixture of disbelief and hilarity, unable to prevent a smile from creeping in her expression. She shook her head and sighed again, deciding to rest her head against his back for the time being.

"Katana-chan? You awake now?"

The brunette inclined her head to the side where Naruto was, returning the blonde's grin with a small beam of her own. "Hey. You feel better now?" she asked casually, studying his form up and down just to check. But seeing the genuine happiness and carefree beam on his whiskered face, Katana knew that her worry wasn't needed anymore. Naruto was alright now—at least better than before, with his arms crossed behind his head in a nonchalant manner.

"Yeah." He answered, chuckling guiltily. "Sakura-chan's antidote finally worked its magic on me."

"Sleeping Beauty's awake? Good." Piped in Kiba from beside Naruto, his voice sounding gruff and rather sharp. "Some nerve you have, sleeping in the middle of a mission." He spared the girl a glance before turning away with a huff, his face fixed on a permanent-looking grimace. "You look like shit, by the way." He informed her, earning a horrified gasp from the spandex-wearing shinobi.

Lee shot Kiba an incredulous stare, making his eyes look even bigger than it already was. "Kiba!" scolded the taijutsu specialist, his expression appalled by Kiba's attitude. "That is not the way you should greet a girl!"

Naruto grunted in annoyance, backing the latter up supportively. "Bushy Brow's right, Kiba. Lay off Katana-chan, will you? She didn't even do anything to you, jerk."

"It's fine, Lee, Naruto." Katana murmured in reassurance to them before turning her head sideways, facing the Inuzuka. Normally, Kiba was vibrant and boisterous, much like how Naruto is, but even he had his moments. Right now, he seemed to still be in a foul mood. Sighing tiredly, Katana raked her fingers through her hair, adding a little bit more pressure to ease her headache. "I'm aware of that fact, Kiba." She said, trying to sound as patient as possible. "I probably smell like shit too. It's not like I had any choice though. Pain attacked the village, wrecked everything, and then Danzo becomes Hokage all of a sudden. What's a girl supposed to do, take a shower while her village is in chaos?"

The ill-tempered boy shrunk back at her statement, averting his gaze down on the ground guiltily. Katana waited for his response, never taking her eyes off his form. She watched as he let out a dejected sigh and faced her again, looking less grouchy this time around. "Sorry." He mumbled, jamming his hands deep inside his pockets. "I didn't— I wasn't…I didn't mean to snap at you like that, Katana-chan. I'm sorry."

Her gaze softened as soon as she heard his apology and once more, she leaned against Lee. "It's okay, Kiba. I understand. We're all stressed by the sudden string of occurrences, ne?"

"Yeah." He said, nodding slowly. The boy gave her a fleeting look again, clearing his throat awkwardly. "And you…" he trailed off, swallowing slightly as a faint blush appeared on his face. "You don't smell like shit." The girl blinked at him in confusion, her eyebrows knitting together; she wasn't quite following where he was going with his statement.

"What do you mean?" She couldn't help but ask, the blush on his face bewildering her.

"Y-You…" Kiba began, squirming uncomfortably as he walked. He cursed under his breath and closed his eyes, suddenly blurting out loud, "You smell like Kazekage-sama, Katana-chan." His remark made both Naruto and Lee stop walking in shock and with the addition of Kiba, the trio of boys turned to look at the girl. Katana gave Kiba a wide-eyed stare, her face heating up and turning into a violent shade of red. Her eyes darted down to their feet and she swallowed hard, fidgeting in her spot. "O-Oh."

In frustration, the dark-haired boy threw his hands up, sighing, "L-Look, I don't want to know what you were d-doing with h-him or anything, but really, m-my nose is just too sensitive for my own good! I can practically smell him all over you!" He admitted, the blush on his face darkening. At Kiba's not-so-subtle hinting, the two other boys reddened as well, getting his point.

"W-We weren't do—doing a-anything!" Katana protested in a hurry, waving her arms in a frantic manner.

"I—He—I-It was a one-time thing! I m-mean, w-we hugged a-and stuff", She watched as her friends' faces grew from pink to crimson, "but t-that's all there is!" Her expression was positively mortified, her face so red and warm that she thought she'd faint anytime soon. Silence stretched on between the four, all of them looking at anything but at each other.

"Here we are!"

Kakashi's lively call rang in the tense air, earning all their attentions. Naruto was the first to react, coughing lightly while scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. "So…" he drawled out, his mind trying to forget about the information he learned just a moment ago, "promise act like this didn't happen and never talk about it again?" His words were in such of a haste to be heard—some even tumbling over each other— that he didn't expect anyone to understand him but apparently, Katana did.

"Sounds good to me." She agreed instantly and pinched Lee, causing him to yelp in surprise and stutter out an 'okay'. Kiba merely nodded twice, not trusting his mouth to say anything anymore.

With a chorus of sighs, they resumed walking, making their way towards the giant gates of Konoha.

"—that's why, I'm the only one who can do this. I'm the only one who can fight Sasuke. So please guys, just back down and let me handle this, okay?"

The series of violent protests and enraged disapprovals Naruto's request had earned rang inside Katana's ear, giving her another impending migraine on the way. She shrunk back even further from the rest and huddled quietly in her own corner, a hand clutching her pounding temples. They had just returned to Konoha and already, they were ambushed by their comrades. They didn't even give us a chance to take a breather or two…Thought Katana glumly as her headache worsened, threatening to split her head open.

A loud slam made everybody jump, all of them falling into hushed silence. They turned to the girl responsible for the action, watching as her normally smiling face became livid. "You're gonna fight Sasuke alone?" Tenten shrieked in question, fuming that Naruto even dared to think about the idea itself. "Are you freaking insane? Do you think we'll just stand here and actually let you?" The bun-haired girl demanded, her large brown eyes narrowed in hurt and anger.

By her side, Neji had his back leaning against a pile of lumber, arms crossed over his chest. He looked more composed than his teammate was, but the slight downward furrow of his relaxed eyebrows made it clear that he was just as troubled. "Tenten's right, Naruto." He said tersely, looking at the blonde with doubt, "We can't afford to let you have your way on this one. This is a problem for the whole village, not a problem to us alone."

"Is this what you meant by 'explaining when we get back home'?" asked Kiba from above the other stack of wooden boards, his brisk tone indicating that he was back in his rotten state. "We were all prepared to kill Sasuke! You just had to go and be hero again, didn't you?"

"I'm not trying to hog the spotlight, Kiba." Naruto said, letting just a bit of exasperation to seep in his tone. There was only so much one person can take, after all.

"Then what are you trying to do?"

"I'm trying to end this once and for all. Isn't it obvious?"

"Hah! Well, great job on trying to 'end' this! You've just let Sasuke get away again!"

"Naruto", Intervened Shikamaru before the blonde can retort back and start a physical fight, his laid-back demeanor gone, replaced by a grim expression and a disappointed frown. "You're not planning to handle this alone so you can side with Sasuke and protect him, are you?" Naruto shook his head thoroughly, sincerity radiating off him.

"No, trust me, I won't."

"If Sasuke was so weakened from his fight against Danzo", Neji piped in again, confusion clear in his voice, "then why didn't you finish him then and there, Naruto?" Instead of the jinchuuriki, Sakura answered the Hyuuga, finally unable to keep quiet and bear the sight of her teammate being interrogated by their circle of friends. "Madara was there too!" she snapped, taking an abrupt move forward and alarming Chouji beside her to take a safe step back. "You keep oversimplifying things! I was there too and I saw that it wasn't possibl—"

"He still couldn't have just slipped away!" barked Kiba in irritation, bringing down one fist to collide noisily with one of the wood planks. "You're as strong as they come, Naruto! You're already a legend for kicking the crap out of Pain! Sasuke couldn't have just—"

"You're wrong." Said Naruto, the confidence in his voice fading away. His azure orbs darted towards the ground, mouth tugging down in a pained grimace. "I couldn't have defeated him…I just knew." Hands balled into fists at his sides and he closed his eyes, releasing a sigh. Naruto raised up his head again, swiveling around to give them all a good look. "I can't let you guys face Sasuke. I'm the only one who can fight him." His tone was firm and unyielding, indicating the end of the discussion. All of Konoha 11 stared at him with bewildered gazes, their expressions holding a dozen more questions left unanswered.

"What in the world happened?" asked Neji, uncrossing his arms and straightening up. The slight pinch of his eyebrows became deeper, a worried frown now accompanying it. "You have to tell us." Naruto nodded reassuringly, smiling at them. "I will…when the time is right. Now if you excuse me", he added, turning on his heel to walk away, "I'm starving! I'll be at Ichiraku if you need anything." He strode pass them with his hands behind his head, stopping in front of Katana. "Ne, Katana-chan, wanna join me?"

The brunette in question looked up, her tired grey orbs scrutinizing his face. His inquiry was deceivingly casual and Katana would have believed him if she hadn't known better. She didn't miss the way his grin was fake and painfully forced, or the generous offer of an escape hidden in his statement. As much as she wanted to go with him, Katana knew better. They wouldn't be able to achieve anything if both of them kept dodging questions. And since he had already been bombarded with endless doubt and inquires, she could only guess that it was her turn now.

Putting on a faux smile for everyone to see, Katana shook her head slowly, meeting Naruto eye-to-eye. "I'm not hungry." She said with a shrug, her gaze then darting to a certain lavender-eyed individual. Another reason why Naruto must have asked her to join him was because he needed a friend, a comforting shoulder and a patient listener, not somebody who'd question him again for the umpteenth time that day. It was a good thing she knew someone who'll gladly listen to him like she would. "Maybe Hinata over there can join you." Katana suggested, gently smiling at the shy girl. "That okay, Hinata-chan?"

"E-Eh?" squeaked the unsuspecting Hyuuga, her face readily heating up. She turned to Naruto, her blush intensifying. "W-Well, anou…"

Blinking, Naruto turned to look at the flustered heiress, and then gave Katana a perplexed glance. Katana cocked her head to the side, motioning encouragingly. "Go on." The blonde faced her with an 'I-trust-you' look before breaking into a wide grin and jogging towards the indigo-haired girl. He promptly reached for her hand and tugged her lightly along. "Come on, Hinata-chan!" The girl staggered beside him with her beet red face, much to the amusement of everyone. They left the group, leaving silence to take over the rest again.

Pleased with her work, Katana stood up from where she sat, dusting the dirt off her shorts. She faced the group, raising an eyebrow at their expectant gazes. "What? Me too?" she asked jokingly, arms overlapping one another across her chest. Clearing his throat lightly, the Nara took a deep breath, letting it out as a sigh. "Katana, what happened?"

Realizing that they wouldn't buy her nonchalant façade for even just a second, Katana dropped her smile and the relaxed look in her eyes, her arms falling to her sides. Since truth was what they wanted from her, it was truth that she'll give them. "Akatsuki happened." She bit out, her mouth set in a thin line. "They recruited Sasuke to join their side. Specifically speaking, it was Madara who convinced him. I wasn't aware of this fact until moments ago when Naruto mentioned something about knowing the truth about Itachi."

"Itachi?" asked Neji from her left, his grayish pale orbs creasing slightly, "Isn't he Sasuke's brother?"

"Was Sasuke's brother. He's dead now." Corrected the kunoichi, glancing at him. "As I was saying, Madara spoke to Sasuke and successfully brainwashed him. I fought him back at the Kage Summit earlier this day." Looking down, Katana released a strained exhale, her voice lowering as she continued, "Sasuke—He…He was different. He's not what he used to be." Even with her eyes glued to the ground, she could almost see their grief-stricken faces, silently mourning with her. "He's killed people…And he tried to kill me and Sakura too."

A soft snort sounded from a distance and Kiba's voice cut in, "That's why we can't just let him roam around freely." He said bitterly, anger overcoming his sadness. "Killing innocent people, wrecking havoc everywhere… We can't let Naruto—"

"But I still believe in him." Katana interrupted, sharply looking up. Bloodshot grey eyes shone with newfound determination, boring a hole on Kiba's forehead. "Just like Naruto, I still think he can be brought back."

"Katana", Came TenTen's frustrated groan, the weapons mistress gently slapping a hand down the side of her face. "You have got to stop trusting him!" she said, clearly sick of the same argument. "I know he's you friend and all and that it's hard to accept the fact that he's turned against us but, please! Stop being so naïve! You said it youself: he's changed. There's nothing we can do about it now. He's nothing but a cold-hearted murderer—!"

"I'm a murderer too!"

The sudden outburst took everyone aback, halting Tenten in midsentence. The bun-haired girl stepped back, looking away guiltily. Katana glared at them, her patience wearing thin, her temper finally reaching its peak. Moisture stung her already aching eyes, making it harder for her to prevent them from falling. All the pent-up frustration and the pain that affected her both physically and emotionally threatened to let loose all at once, pressuring the girl to recover her composure immediately.

Shutting her eyes, she swallowed back the lump in her throat and said, "That's right. I've killed people too. I'm no better than Sasuke is. I'm just another monster—"

"That's different, Katana."

"No." The brunette shook her head, a few tears escaping the corner of her eyes. "It's not different. I'm the same as him. The only thing that makes us different from one another is the reason behind our actions. But that's beside my point. What I'm trying to say is, whether murderer or not…" She gazed at them from behind moist eyes, desperately trying to make them understand, "Sasuke will always be my friend. Nothing's ever going to change that." With a deep breath, she wiped away her tears, forcing her mouth to twitch in an agonizing smile.

"So…I trust Naruto. I hope you guys do, too..."

Katana turned back and stalked away, leaving them to ponder about what she said.

End Chapter

Author's Note: Gah, I absolutely despise this chapter! . It's too long and too dramatic! And there's no enough Gaara in it, too! T_T

I hope my opinion doesn't apply to you guys though. XD Enjoy and Review Chapter 33, guys!