TWENTY FOUR

War: Part VII

Flying from roof top, Naruto pushed the thoughts of Shikamaru to the back of his mind and tried to focus on the task at hand. Any moment now, the Konoha shinobi he knocked out during Sasuke's escape would be waking up and notifying the rest of the village. Lucky for him, no one knew that he himself was there, aside from Shikamaru but he wouldn't sell him out. Naruto knew exactly where that Teme's sword would be; with the only person Tsunade trusted to keep it safe. Well this wouldn't be the first time she was wrong. The blonde made his way to a house he'd only been to a handful of times. Landing on the roof of that house, Naruto suppressed his chakra as much as possible, without hindering himself. Using a little bit of nature chakra he searched for anyone that would be near, and unfortunately the owner of the house was inside.

Since Sasuke channels chakra through the blade, I should be able to sense traces of that chakra, Naruto let out an audible sigh, I really hope I am right or its going to be a lot more difficult.

Kneeling down to help steady himself, he closed his eyes and gathered slightly more nature chakra. When he had gathered enough, he sent out a thin layer of chakra and searched for the faint hint of the younger Raven's chakra. His eyes flew open as soon as he located the sword, but unfortunately it seemed like he was going to have to deal with that grey haired shinobi after all. He was really hoping to get in and out of the village without being seen. However that seemed like it wasn't going to happen, seeing as the sword was leaning up against the wall right next to wear the grey hair shinobi was sleeping. Kakashi was definitely not a heavy sleeper.

Preparing himself, he stood up and found the closest window to open and fling himself in. When he felt himself land, he braced himself for any incoming traps, however he relaxed slightly when he felt nothing.

Cocky bastard, Naruto laughed to himself.

Glancing around he noticed that not much has changed since the last time he was in the same apartment. A couch, a dining table with two chairs, a kitchenette, one bathroom off the right and the bedroom off the left. The door to the bedroom was open slightly. Naruto relied on his nature chakra to inform him of when Kakashi's chakra spiked signaling the shinobi woke. But Kakashi was skilled and could easily control that chakra spike upon wakening.

The blonde slowly headed to the door that led to the bedroom. If he was right, the bed would be straight a head of him with the dresser to the right and a small night stand on the right of the bed as well. The sword would be leaning up against the wall on the left side of the bed. Unfortunately the door wasn't open enough for him to slip through, it would have to opened more.

Naruto pushed on the door gently causing the hinges to squeak, and as soon the sound was made, the shinobi sleeping the bed sprung to life and launched himself at the intruder, kicking him the chest and sending Naruto flying across the main room and in the wall across the apartment. Looking up, Naruto saw the man who had kicked him steadily walking towards him with an angry look on his face and his sharingan already exposed.

"I had a feeling you would be by," Kakashi snarled.

"He," Naruto replied standing up and wiping the small amount of blood from the corner of his mouth.

"Why are you here?" Kakashi asked, his voice laced with venom.

Naruto just gave him a wicked smirk and slid into a battle stance that mimicked that of Hyuuga. He spread his legs apart to and, turned his feet slightly to create a solid base. He stretched one arm up and out behind him, turning his palm open and upward, while the other arm was out in front of him and at a downward angle. Kakashi narrowed his eyes and slid in to his stance as well. Kakashi knew something was off. It wasn't the normal battle stance anyone took if they weren't using the gentle fist technique of the Hyuuga Clan. Naruto remain incredible still, causing Kakashi to advance with caution. The blonde wasn't that gullible little kid anymore. He didn't rush into a fight without a plan. He could tell Naruto was thinking a hundred steps ahead.

Thinking through Naruto's arsenal of techniques, there weren't many that aren't flashy or loud. With the way the other was acting, Kakashi knew it was going to be mainly a battle of taijutsu. Whatever Naruto's reason for being here was, Kakashi needed to inform the others. He wouldn't let his sensei's son get away again.

Lunging forward Naruto started with a roundhouse kick to the head, which Kakashi easily blocked. Pushing back, Naruto ran through his plan. He didn't need to defeat him, just get sword and get out of there. Knowing Kakashi, they were pretty evenly matched, but it wasn't going to easy to beat copycat ninja with just taijutsu alone. It was time to try his new technique. He wasn't practiced at it very much, but if it didn't work he wasn't out anything.

Naruto stretched out hand and manipulate his chakra to surround Kakashi, then pulled the chakra towards him causing Kakashi to come with it. As soon as Kakashi reached him, he grabbed him around the throat and threw him in to ground. The force of the technique caused the floor to break in slightly around Kakashi.

Once the debris around the two had settled, Kakashi saw the passive look on Naruto's face. He wasn't fazed by the fact he could kill him with in a split second, and that alarmed Kakashi more than the position he was in. Nothing would have prepared Kakashi for a technique like that. Then Kakashi's eye widened when he remembered what Jiraiya had told them "Deva uses gravitational pull to repel and attract any object or human… According to Shikamaru, Naruto's been able to mimic the Rinnegan's powers, so I believe that's what makes him so strong."

"Deva?" Kakashi muttered.

"How did you know that?" Naruto asked himself then came to the conclusion, "Jiriaya."

"Why, Naruto? Why are you doing this?" Kakashi asked grabbing Naruto's wrists with both hands to try and push him off, but failed.

Naruto gave him a miserable look with a very grave expression in his eyes that reminded Kakashi of the old Naruto, "I'm sorry, Kaka-sensei…"

"Naru…" was all Kakashi was able to mutter before Naruto crushed his windpipes enough to knock him out, but not kill him.

"But I need you out of the fight," Naruto finished pushing himself up to a standing position after he made sure Kakashi was completely out.

Naruto shook his head to clear his thoughts. He needed to get out of the village as soon as possible. He made enough noise from his fight to have woken a few people up. They would soon find Kakashi in this state and the alarm would sound. Naruto quickly grabbed the sword from the bedroom. Naruto was about to leave through the window, but he took one last look at his unconscious sensei that was lying in the dented in floor. It would take months before Kakashi was fully recovered. For a moment Naruto felt bad for what he had done. He almost killed his sensei, one of the few people left in the world that might actually still care about him, but he need Kakashi to stay out of the war if anything was going to go according to plan. Gripping the sword a little tighter, Naruto jumped out the window and started jumping roof to roof to reach the front gates as fast as possible.

As Naruto was flying from roof to roof, he glanced down in one of the streets he was passing and noticed a group of shinobi. Naruto narrowed his eyes, and thought that it was well into the night, the only shinobi that would be awake were ANUB, and there is no way they had found Kakashi yet. Then examining the group further he noticed it was composed of his old comrades.

Why are they awake? There is no way they caught on to me yet?

Naruto took a deep breath, masked his chakra and changed his direction so he was heading to that group. Sliding to a stop on one of roofs near them, he used his chakra to enhance his hearing.

"I doubt Hinata-san is lying Neji!" a loud voice called.

"Lee! Keep it down!" a female voice replied.

"I'm not saying she is lying but I highly doubt he is here in the village," a voice Naruto recognized as Neji's replied with a hint of frustrations, "I'm sure Tsunade-sama would have known by now if an Akatsuki member was lurking around. What reason would he have for being here?"

"But why would Hinata wake us all up if she was completely sure that he was here?" the same female voice asked, which by now Naruto had identified as Tenten.

"Shouldn't we be getting Tsunade involved if he really is here?" a new voice spoke up, which sounded like Sakura.

"I already have," a voice said from the distance.

At the sound of the voice, Naruto stiffened. Using his nature chakra determined who was standing in the group. It seemed it was Hinata, Neji, Shino, Tenten, Lee and Sakura. Shikamaru was walking up followed by Tsunade, and Shizune.

"Shishou!" Sakura called.

"We've been informed that we have an intruder," Tsunade said as she was walking up, "and Hinata you were right. It is that little blonde rat."

What? Who knew I was here besides… No. He wouldn't…

"Do we know why he is here?" Neji asked.

"To take back something he has given," Tsunade replied confirming to Naruto who ratted him out.

"What does that mean?" Tenten asked turning to Shikamaru hoping he would know.

"I don't know," Shikamaru shook his head.

"Sasuke," Sakura muttered.

"Sasuke?" Tsunade repeated.

"You don't think…?" Shizune started.

"Nothing that brat does surprises me anymore," Tsunade shook her head, "Neji see if you can find Sasuke anywhere around here."

Oh shit… He's going to find me…. Fuck you, Shikamaru.

Naruto unmasked his chakra and called out, "Sasuke is long gone by now."

"Naruto!" Several out of the group called.

Naruto didn't care about any of them besides the Nara who sold him out. Shikamaru wouldn't make eye contact with, but just continued to stare at the ground. The rest of the group picked up on the fact that the blonde was staring at Shikamaru with a look full of resentment and hate. Only a few of them understood why. Tsunade shook her head, she knew their plan had flown out the window now that Naruto knew Shikamaru was feeding her information. Naruto stood up and jumped down from the roof top, landing swiftly in front of the small group. He walked up to Shikamaru who still wouldn't look at him.

"I trusted you," Naruto whispered loudly enough that only Shikamaru heard him. Then surprising everyone Naruto ripped the necklace from Shikamaru's neck. No one had realized that it was out from underneath his shirt. Shikamaru flinched as the comfort of the neck was ripped away from him. Almost feeling like it was his heart that was being ripped away.

Naruto, with the necklace in hand, flipped up his hood and started to walk away.

"I hope you don't think you can just walk out of the village now, Naruto," Jiriaya called.

Naruto didn't reply but just turned around, Sasuke's sword flashing in the moonlight.

"That sword," Sakura said, "Kakashi-sensei had it."

"What?" several of the others replied.

"Its Sasuke's," Tsunade answered, "Kakashi had it because Sasuke was his previous student. How did you get it from him?"

Naruto turning around, flashed them a wicked grin, "you better go and see for your self."

Then not a moment later, Naruto flashed away.

Sakura's expression went from worried to horrified as she took of in the direction of her sensei's apartment, with the rest of her comrades falling close behind her. Upon arriving, she pushed through the front door and promptly collapsed on her knees at the sight.

"Sakura-chan!" Lee yelled before the grave sight too silenced him.

"Move!" Tsunade yelled as she pushed by Sakura and Lee.

Rushing over to the sunken in Kakashi, she reached for his arm to check a pulse. Breathing out a sigh of relief, "he's alive. But barely."

"What did he do?" Lee asked.

"Naruto crushed his wind pipe," Tsunade replied checking over the rest of his body to assess the damage, "I didn't want to believe it, but Kurenai was right. Naruto has malicious intent towards Konoha."

Shikamaru walked past the group standing behind Sakura. He looked at the unconscious Kakashi and a pang of guilt hit his stomach. He couldn't take his eyes off of the man. If Naruto was capable of doing this to his sensei, then what would he do to him? If he wasn't surrounded by all his comrades earlier, Naruto might have killed him on the spot. He shook his head. He couldn't think like that. Tsunade looked up at him, and gave him a look that was supposed to be reassuring. But it wasn't. He had risked everything and lost it all. Naruto hated him. His comrades would too once they knew, and they were sure to ask in the morning. His superiors didn't trust him anymore. His father didn't trust him. There is nothing more he can do.

"We need to get him to the hospital," Tsunade instructed, "Sakura! Get a hold of your self and help me!"

"Hai!" Sakura replied and did as she was told.