Change Chapter 5: Akatsuki II, a naruto fanfic

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters used within the story.

A bit late, huh?

Akatsuki II

Chapter 5

Okara Fumio, a seasoned ninja of the Hidden Rain, was undoubtedly one of the most powerful shinobi in his village.

A typical workday for Fumio revolved around guarding the gates of Amegakure, ever vigilant against any potential threats. Diligently, he reported any discrepancies or suspicious activities to the village's leader, ensuring the safety of his homeland. It was a job that required time, power, and most importantly, patience.

Pitter-patter.

But his patience was running thin.

"This rain is just waaaayyy too much – I mean, so far there is nothing here and I really wanna go home."

Okara agreed with that sentiment.

"Definitely. I too despise this rain and even with this large cloak and hat protecting us... anyway, I'm going off track. We have orders from the leader to stay extra vigilant today."

Pitter-patter.

"Hmm, I wonder..."

"What?"

"Is there something that our Lord fears? Could there be someone out there too much for even him to handle? I mean, look at this," the man gestured to his surroundings. Okara identified him as the youngest patrol guard inducted into his squad. "This is the tightest security I've ever seen in my life and that's saying something."

"He, Lord Pain, is the closest thing to a God we have in our time. There is absolutely no one – no one who could dare challenge him let alone win. He is rumoured to have killed Hanzo and that man was in a different league of his own. I would know – I was alive at that time. Most who lived in our time would agree with me and it would be better for you to listen to your elders."

"What are you, an old man? You were barely out of your diapers when Konoha invaded our nation. Don't patronize me with that grandpa talk."

Okara wanted to explosively sigh. Those two never got along well and heated arguments were the absolute last thing he needed.

"You – how dare you?! You weren't even alive and you have the gall to speak about age?!"

"Hey, my concerns are valid! Every great leader, no matter how powerful he or she was has fallen. The third and first Hokages were known as the 'God of Shinobi' – but both of them died. Our Lord can't be so different! He can't be immortal and all-powerful! No one has."

"How disrespectful! Have you no faith in the power of the Hidden Rain's Leader? This is the same man that sent fear into the hearts of the shinobi of the Five Great Nations!"

Okara could feel the last dregs of his patience dissipate into nothingness.

"Under the guise of a dead man!"

"You insolent brat—!"

"Enough!" Okara's voice boomed with burning ferocity. The two men went silent, their faces darkening with shame. "You are men sent here to guard the entrance to our nation and you are squabbling like children?! Is this the image our nation portrays to the rest of the world?"

"No, sir."

"Then stop acting like boys or you shall be relieved of your—!"

A hand was placed on his shoulder.

A sudden jolt of surprise and fear shot through him like an electric shock, causing his hair to stand on edge. His heart raced, and he could feel the weight of an unseen presence. With wide eyes and a heavily beating heart, Okara spun around at lightning-like speeds to confront the shinobi who decided to make an appearance behind him.

Black hair, smooth porcelain skin, two red eyes, and a sharp chiseled jawline greeted his immediate line of sight. The shinobi was rather short in his opinion and wore a black raincoat for protection against the heavy downpour.

Okara extended his arm to grab the offending appendage but he was far too slow as the boy withdrew his hand before the Amegakure nin could inflict some serious damage.

"Who are you?" He asked warily.

Those red eyes... an Uchiha no doubt. I thought they had all been killed.

"I'm here to meet your leader."

The burning anger that threatened to rise at the blatant insolence was suppressed with mighty restraint.

"I'm afraid that is not possible. If you wish to pass on an urgent message feel free to give it to me and in turn, I shall inform our leader of any pressing matters."

"I'm not going to repeat myself – I am here to meet your leader. Take me to him."

Okara glared at the impertinent boy who dared address a shinobi of the Hidden Rain in such a disrespectful, pretentious way.

The young Uchiha's audacity to demand an audience with their leader fueled a familiar anger in Okara, one that he had buried deep within his heart for far too long. It brought back memories of when Amegakure was turned into a makeshift battlefield for the Five Great Nations to wage their war, memories of when ninja from Konoha would walk arrogantly on the soil of his nation with complete disregard for the lives of native people.

"It seems that you do not understand your position here. If you wish to speak to our leader, it will be according to my conditions. Drop your weapons on the floor and raise your hands for surrender. You will be blindfolded, your chakra sealed and your hands shall be tied. Accept these terms or you shall find yourself seized immediately."

A smile adorned the visage of the boy. "No."

"Very well then. Apprehend him!" he ordered his suspiciously reserved men.

Silence.

What?

"I said... apprehend him!" Okara roared.

The boy who at the moment had his attention simply raised a hand slowly and pointed to his left.

Okara turned to face his left—

Frozen.

Heart beating faster and faster, he turned to face his right—

His men were frozen—completely and utterly paralyzed. Not a twitch, not a blink, not a word, nothing but silence. He could've sworn, without a shadow of doubt, that not a minute ago they were all moving, talking, and bantering with each other about the horrible day. Seeing them in such a state was something he had never envisioned in his entire lifetime.

Kai!

KAIKAIKAIKAIKAIKAIKAIKAI—

There was no change in the surroundings. He was too weak to even make a dent against the incredibly powerful genjutsu.

Cold, overwhelming fear poured through his entire body as he forced himself to turn toward the child responsible for such a display of power. For the first time since the Third Shinobi War, he found himself alone and helpless against a foe magnitudes more powerful than him. He felt his hair stand on edge as he turned to face those eyes.

"You should've listened when I asked you nicely."

Pure, reckless hate momentarily overtook the fear that encapsulated his very being. "Nicely – Nicely?! You took me by surprise, demanded our immediate service, and forced us into submission! You call this... NICE?! Have you no shame?!"

"I have no interest in delaying my goals any longer. Sleep."

Any ideas, any thoughts of his family, his career, and his nation were all swiftly wiped out and swallowed by the engulfing darkness that consumed him.

Papers flew past him in the thousands, fluttering and flying until they amassed together forming the shape of a human.

"Have you gathered any information on Madara's whereabouts?"

His most trusted comrade shook her head in the negative. "Unfortunately, no. I've tried to get in contact with his ring but there does not seem to be a response. The most likely scenario is that they were destroyed."

"I see... that is not good news," Pain commented, internally grimacing.

Nagato detested the man who cloaked himself under the guise of Uchiha Madara, but he would not lie—the man was an invaluable member of the Akatsuki that provided intel that one would normally be unobtainable and extremely hard to come across. Losing another important member of the Akatsuki, someone who held the powerful cards under his belt would not bode well for his organization and his plans for peace.

"And what of Zetsu?"

"No sign of him either."

Even worse news.

"And to think all this is happening because of a child."

"You think Sasuke Uchiha is responsible for... this?" Konan questioned, her tone coloured with skepticism. "According to Madara's reports his chakra is indeed formidable, but to be on the level of the Masked Man himself?"

"It is certainly possible that they are alive, but it is in our blood to prepare for the least favorable scenario. I will not risk it – not since his death."

Yahiko's demise had been a glaring example of being unprepared. He had fallen victim to a betrayal no one in the Akatsuki had foreseen. Nagato would never allow such a mistake to happen again. It was beneath someone who called himself a God.

"One by one, the strength of our group dwindles before we can launch and proceed with our objective. I expected this to happen, but not so early," Pain lamented, mourning the loss of a large contingent of their organization. "Does anyone know of their deaths?"

"No. Kakuzu and Hidan remain marked in the Bingo Books as 'Alive'."

"Good. Jiraiya and Orochimaru's snooping has caused us great difficulties in trying to maintain Akatsuki's secrecy. It would be best if they do not know of—"

And then he felt it.

Like a thunderclap in a tranquil sky, he felt it—an unmistakable shift in his rain, a disturbance in the delicate balance of chakra that he used for detecting any threats in his nation. A presence, so vast, so potent, so powerful, it sent shivers coursing down his spine and his heart pounding against his chest as if seeking an escape.

The air seemed to thicken, and he became acutely aware of his own heavy breathing, each inhalation and exhalation resounding in his ears like the beat of a war drum.

"—gato? Nagato?! Can you hear me?!"

"Konan," he rasped out, his eyes still as wide as saucers.

"What happened to you Nagato? You suddenly stopped responding to me and you... your breathing. I've never seen you like this before. What happened?"

"My rain... it detected someone... someone powerful. This chakra... it was just so... strong."

Nagato ruthlessly suppressed the shudder that threatened to course through his spine. He was a God, born and destined to change this world. He was not allowed the luxury of fear or uncertainty.

"Do you know where this person is?" Konan's face had shifted from a concerned expression to a cold, unemotional mask, reflecting the seriousness of the matter at hand.

He knew exactly what she was thinking of doing.

"Towards the North gate he has decided to make an appearance," Nagato responded. His eyes suddenly gained a hard gleam. "Find him, Konan. However, you are to not engage the invading shinobi. Your only job is to lead him to me. Whoever this is, is far beyond your capability and immensely powerful, so I repeat myself... do not engage or provoke a fight. Lead. Him. To. Me."

"Understood."

With a nod, his most trusted comrade transformed into a flurry of paper leaving Nagato with the weight of his thoughts.

The chill of uncertainty settled in around him, a stark reminder of his vulnerability in the face of the unforeseen. He abhorred this feeling, the sudden sense of being exposed and outmatched. But he knew he had a duty to fulfill, a destiny to uphold. Whoever this powerful intruder was, no matter their strength, he pledged to himself that he would annihilate any evidence of their existence.

For anything less would be unworthy of the title he carried—the title of a God.

The Hidden Rain remained an enigma, its details shrouded in mystery—a fact that became all the more evident as Sasuke sifted through the information he had extracted from Orochimaru's memories, only to find that much of it was outdated and incomplete.

The village sprawled before him, a mass of metallic towers and grey brick bases that seemed to stretch endlessly into the sky. The city's architecture was a combination of sleek, futuristic designs and industrial structures, all adorned with a multitude of power lines, pipes, and other metallic structures necessary for human survival.

Despite the city's grandeur and impressive architecture, there was an undeniable feeling of desolation and emptiness. It was a place that exuded a sense of unease and seemed to keep its inhabitants at arm's length as if isolating them from the outside world and guarding its secrets with unwavering alertness.

There was also that.

The previous downpour contained the chakra of a particular chakra signature, far more potent than any of the Akatsuki members he had just fought, barring Obito. From the intelligence he had gathered about the place, two possibilities emerged regarding the source of this scattered chakra.

The first possibility was a means to kill a person from afar. However, despite the ominous nature of the situation, Sasuke's confidence remained unshaken. He was no stranger to danger and possessed the power of chakra absorption, a direct counter to such an extreme method of killing.

The second possibility was far less sinister—an intruder detection method, a defense mechanism designed to sense and identify foreign chakra within the village's boundaries. If this were the case, then Sasuke's mission would end quicker than anticipated as a confrontation would end well for him. He knew his superior power and speed were no match for any living being on the planet at this moment in time.

In any case, both situations were to his advantage and more times than not, he would emerge as the victor.

"The Rain has stopped."

"That's unusual."

"Good riddance, I say. It was brutal."

From the gathered information, the incapacitated gate guard had revealed an organizational structure within the Hidden Rain. The nation's leader appeared to hide behind and operate through a hierarchy of individuals, each reporting to a higher-ranking senior. The building in front of him, according to these details, stood as the primary working place for these upper echelons of power.

In any case, it would seem that he had finally reached the intended destination. Perched atop a wall, Sasuke took a calculated leap, landing with an almost ethereal grace before the two guards stationed at the entrance of the building.

"Who the hel—!"

"What—!"

Universal Pull.

Both men, their strength inadequate to resist the power of the Rinnegan, found themselves ensnared in his unyielding grip with little effort. Sasuke's hands closed around their throats after which he swiftly initiated the Chidori Current seizing them by paralysis, rendering them immobile and helpless.

He hefted the man in his left hand by his neck and forced him to look into the Sharingan to ensnare him into a genjutsu.

"Your leader who goes by the name of 'Pain.' Where is he?"

"I.. don't know."

Useless.

Sasuke's patience waned as he released the now unconscious man, his body thumping onto the ground. His attention then shifted to the remaining individual, a figure gripped in the vice of his right arm. The Sharingan, its crimson glow intensified, fixed its hypnotic gaze upon the trembling Ame ninja.

"Tell me," Sasuke's voice was firm, commanding, "where is your leader?"

The man's emotionless voice answered, "It is said that our Lord has taken residence in the tallest tower in the Western part of the city."

That reduces the need for interrogating any more of these shinobi.

"Show me the way."

The man pointed to his left. Sasuke turned, following the indicated direction. Before him stood a colossal tower, unmistakably the loftiest among the ensemble of structures. It rose far from the core of civilization, distanced from the city's populace. This tower, he mused, was a fitting ground for a confrontation—one that could unfold without the stain of needless collateral damage and bloodshed.

He released his grip from the man's throat, a thud echoing in the general surroundings as the Ame shinobi landed ungracefully on his back, unconscious.

With a lightning-enhanced flicker, Sasuke moved.

Under a fraction of a second, Sasuke covered the entire required distance, landing him directly on top of one of the metallic pipes attached to the tallest tower in the vicinity. Reaching out with his sensing abilities made him discover a single large, powerful chakra signature approximately thirty degrees to his right. Turning to face the direction of the enemy standing horizontally on the wall opposite to him, Sasuke scrutinized his foe.

The black cloak littered with red clouds, long orange hair, and the unmistakable presence of the Rinnegan were the most distinguishing features of the man before him. And those rods... they're receiving chakra from behind the walls.

"Sasuke Uchiha," the man's unyielding, authoritative voice boomed. "You have made a grievous mistake presenting yourself before me. However, before your inevitable demise, I must ask... for what reason have you chosen to fight me?"

"My words will not be saved for a mere puppet. Where is the real you?"

A flicker of surprise danced across those otherwise apathetic eyes. "You saw through my disguise? Impressive. No one has managed that feat before."

However, the astonishment of having his elusive masquerade unraveled instantaneously soon gave way. The man's hands clapped together with a resolute snap. "Yet, it matters not. You, a mortal, a child, dare to stand against me—a higher being. By trespassing into our realm, invading our people, our nation – you have sealed your fate – a common destiny shared by all mortals... death."

"A god, huh?" Sasuke understood why the leader called himself as such. The shinobi he had interrogated disclosed that those who had faced this man never emerged victorious, meeting their end swiftly after surrendering. Unlimited power often fueled arrogance and the desire to assume divine roles. "And what will you consider yourself after your certain defeat?"

"Heh, I do not waste my time thinking about the impossible."

With chakra molded within his palms, his opponent summoned forth a plume of smoke obscuring a section of the wall. Within moments, the smoke dissipated, revealing a colossal, three-headed canine creature, its eyes mirroring those of its summoner.

So, this... is another power of these eyes Sasuke deduced seeing the brief chakra flare in the ocular power of his opponent. The Rinnegan seemed to hold powers that he was unaware of. How interesting.

A deafening roar erupted from the summoned creature as it surged toward him, evidently aiming to deliver a fatal blow.

"Enton: Honoikazuchi!"

A resounding scream pierced the air as the flames of Amaterasu engulfed the creature, its agony echoing through the surroundings. The blaze seared through until the sharp tip of the flames burst through the opposite side of its head.

In a matter of seconds, the ferocious beast vanished, dispersing into a haze of smoke.

"I see. It appears our intelligence regarding your power was... outdated."

Sasuke raised an intrigued eyebrow. "You were keeping tabs on me? Madara, I presume?"

It wasn't far-fetched, given Obito's possession of a creature capable of covert attachment, escaping most detection methods.

"So, you have crossed paths with my subordinate... I suppose Madara is no more, judging by your presence before me."

"He's dead."

"Unfortunate. If you have the power to end a man as renowned and strong as Madara, then your presence demands more serious consideration than I had initially thought," another clap resounded. "Summon—!"

His hand now covered in lightning chakra, Sasuke blurred with pure physical speed.

The interval between the clapping sound and Sasuke's appearance was infinitesimal, leaving the orange-haired puppet frozen in his actions. With lightning chakra enveloping his hand, Sasuke materialized right before the puppet, moving at a speed that seemed to defy perception. A torrent of powerful lightning chakra was released, obliterating his opponent along with multiple steel-enforced walls behind him.

Sasuke walked toward the hole he had created behind the now-destroyed opponent. His strategic strike had been flawlessly executed, the angle of impact meticulously chosen to mirror the path of chakra flowing through the black rods embedded in the puppet's body.

As he stepped through the debris-strewn aftermath, his gaze instinctively lifted, tracing the path of destruction he had carved through the surroundings. At the farthest point of this trail of devastation, his piercing eyes caught the figures of two men.

One of them had the same hair as his old teammate except in the shade of orange. The telltale black rods piercing through the visage, the cloak adorned with red clouds, and the eyes that mirrored the previous puppet all pointed to one undeniable fact—Another Puppet.

Yet, it was the figure behind this puppet that truly captured Sasuke's attention.

He was a red-haired man, crippled and gaunt, his form frail and emaciated as though he had endured years of deprivation and hunger. His body was contorted, held within the confines of metallic pipes and a wooden structure that enveloped his lower half. The very essence of suffering seemed etched into his weakened features, his skeletal frame alluding to a prolonged agony that had taken its toll. Sasuke's left eye, enhanced by the powers of his Rinnegan, discerned the intricate flow of chakra that emanated from the eyes of the man entering the black rods of the puppet.

There was no doubt of who this man was.

"So... you are the real leader, eh?" Sasuke understood why he chose to hide behind so many disguises. People would refuse to believe such a weak-looking man as a God. "How unexpected—"

Sasuke's senses tingled, feeling a scattered presence behind him.

Pivoting on his heel, his gaze fixing upon the source of the impending threat—flying paper rushing toward him in the thousands. No, they weren't just any ordinary paper with those markings. They were—

Paper bombs.

Sasuke's chakra flared as the explosives surrounded him.

BOOOOOOMMMM!

It had been years since Nagato fought an opponent that made him feel such powerlessness.

Nagato Uzumaki was a man born from hopelessness, weakness, and frailty. His childhood had been some of the worst times of his life, living as an insignificant rat, a weakling easily trampled on by the trials and tribulations of life. That despair and grief would have continued had he not met them.

Konan and Yahiko had been the two to uplift him from his constant state of hopelessness. From then on, it had been perfect, a flawless record of some semblance of peace and happiness. It was not until Hanzo and Danzo had conspired against them, destroying all of Nagato's optimistic ambitions of peace, that he felt the same taste of powerlessness, not since the death of his parents. It was only at that point did he realise that peace was impossible, at least according to human standards.

There was another realisation after the killing of Hanzo by his hands that to accomplish the impossible, he would have to be the impossible. Nagato refused to give up on Yahiko's vision of a world that lived in harmony, without the taint of war. So, to accomplish the dream of his deceased comrade, he chose to become the impossible—he chose to become a God. An all-encompassing, all-powerful God that would be so undeniably strong, there would be no man, no mortal on Earth to challenge his ideals—they would only have to accept whatever he ordered them to.

And for nearly two decades it was an undisputable fact that he was the strongest being alive. Not even that pretender who hid under the title of Madara could boast a victory over him, not without Konan by his side.

"Is he dead, Konan?"

His friend shook her head with a grimace. "No. But my technique may have damaged him a little."

Through the eyes of the Deva Path, he watched as the residual smoke dissipated revealing his most powerful opponent to date—

Unblemished and unscathed.

Nagato could see residual whisps of purple flames surrounding Sasuke, vanishing into the wind. He could feel Konan's vexation and anger at her attack being shrugged off as though it were a mild annoyance rather than a lethal, killing blow.

Yet, despite the overwhelming feeling of uncertainty and trepidation, Nagato's resolve remained unshaken even in the face of such an indomitable opponent. He still had his most powerful path available, one capable of gravity manipulation.

Infusing a significant amount of his own chakra into the Deva Path, he compelled it to form a black rod in one hand and lift the other.

"Universal Pu—"

A flash of lightning and his vision from Yahiko's path went black.

Sasuke Uchiha stood completely and utterly unfazed, occupying the space in which his friend's corpse had been torn asunder.

Impossible. How?

HOW?!

That is – that is – What is... this?

He hadn't even seen him move with the Rinnegan, the most powerful dojutsu in existence.

It was only then did the cold, unsettling reality slowly... settle in. It was a frigid, painful realisation that no matter what he did, Sasuke was simply too fast for him to launch any attack, any defense—anything in retaliation.

It was a worthless endeavor.

His closest ally moved to stand in front of him as a form of protection. "I will not let you harm—"

"Konan... stop."

"But, Nagato—"

"No, Konan – we have done enough. He is too strong for us," Nagato felt a lump in his throat as he said that. It hurt his pride, his ego, and most importantly, his ambitions to admit the truth. However, all was not lost and he could still negotiate for the lives of his people. "Let me speak to him."

Konan reluctantly backed down, but not without molding a large amount of chakra in her hands, ready for a strike.

His eyes turn to focus on the child... no, the man responsible for his pathetic defeat. "Sasuke Uchiha, are you here to kill me? Perhaps pilfer my eyes and seek even more power and vengeance?"

There was a derisive snort on the other side. "Has your mind painted such a pathetic picture of me?"

"Are you in any position to blame me? You came into my nation, bested me in a battle with casual... ease – you refused to give me a reason as to why you have done all... this? Your motivations are far from clear to me."

"Fair point," Sasuke surprisingly admitted. "You neither have the members nor the firepower to challenge me... very well then. My reasons for the elimination of the Akatsuki are to prevent the resurrection of the Ten-Tails and most importantly... the initiation of the Infinite Tsukuyomi."

Silence. Shocked, yet confused... silence. Then Konan spoke.

"We were going to create the Ten-Tails as a weapon for distribution – yet we have no recollection of anything called... Infinite Tsukuyomi."

Sasuke seemed to detect the unfamiliar way Konan spoke the final two words. "You... don't know? Is that not the motivation for the creation of the Akatsuki?"

"No."

"Madara's vision, The Moon's Eye Plan, the God Tree... the ability to reflect a genjutsu off the Moon to trap humanity in an eternal, never-ending dream that fulfills any and all desires... you do not know any of this?"

"...No."

"..."

"Oh."

"I detect something – no, someone here."

"Where?"

"Beneath us, amidst the rocks, over there. The chakra is faint, but it's there—erratic and feeble."

"I see," the masked man walked toward the indicated direction. "Earth Style: Moving Earth Core!"

The very ground seemed to shiver and groan as a section of it upheaved, forming a crude mound of soil and stone.

"Overhead, slightly to the left corner of that rock."

"Very well," a hand was placed on the intended location. "Earth Release: Earth Style Split!"

Boulders cascaded downward, a significant chunk of rock breaking away as the earth shifted and gave way. Amidst the disarrayed rubble, a figure was revealed.

"That is..."

"Lord Danzo would undoubtedly prefer this individual alive," the commander of the team immediately took charge lest his squad do something rash. "Rat, ascertain his condition. Is he unconscious, deceased, or is this a ruse to lure us into letting our guards down?"

"No. He is well and truly unconscious."

"Very well," the decision was made. "I will not take any chances. We must seal his chakra immediately and transport him back to the Leaf Village without delay. The knowledge he possesses is far too valuable to ignore."

"Eh? So you pranked Lord Jiraiya like that? And he didn't reprimand you – not even a little bit."

"Nah. He was too busy perving or goofing off for that. Besides," a smile as bright as the sun's rays lit up his face. The blonde prankster gave a thumbs-up. "You're talking about Konoha's number-one prankster. There ain't no one as good as me, ya know!"

"Huh, you're quite the exception Naruto," Izumo commented, his voice carrying a tinge of amusement. "The village has been... dull without your enthusiasm filling every nook and cranny of this place."

"You guys slack off all the time. Of course, it's going to be boring."

"Hey! You try sitting here nearly all day doing nothing and you'll find out the true meaning of boring!" Kotetsu chimed in petulantly. "I mean, just look at this," he waved a hand in the direction of the opened gate and Naruto turned in the indicated direction catching sight of something—no, someone. "It's empty all the time. Those patrol guards have stolen our jobs – hey, where are you going?!"

The container of the Nine-Tails paid no heed to the call for he had recognised the people that were close to the gates.

The blonde ninja ran and ran, panic and apprehension openly written on his face, seeing the condition the approaching shinobi were in.

Nononononono –

There were seven people, with three walking. Naruto identified them as his old classmates and—

"Sakura-chan!" He yelled in extreme terror and fear—fear for her wellbeing.

She looked horrible along with the rest of the team. Bushy brows was placed over a large white dog—Akamaru—unconscious along with his Sensei. He recognised Kiba having Neji draped over his shoulder and Sakura carrying Neji's female teammate.

The entire team was littered with scrapes, cuts, and bruises. Clothes were torn in certain areas, an indication of severe battle, and there seemed to be an air of depression clouding the squad.

"Sakura-chan!" he yelled, finally reaching the team. Worry etched on his expression, Naruto reduced his volume to a near whisper. "What happened? Who... who could... who could do this to you?"

For a second there was no response as she hung her head low. Naruto observed trails of tears on her cheeks.

Kiba, seemingly knowing her weak emotional state turned to him, his eyes cold and emotionless.

"Sasuke. It was Sasuke, your old... friend."

AN: And done! The next chapter will contain an important conversation.