Chapter 4: reunion
-Orochimaru's Hideout a few hours later-
Naruto was sitting in the Altar of Orochi waiting for the Snake Sannin and his spy. As he looked around the room he began to let his mind wander.
"I wonder what really would've happened if I stayed in the Hidden Leaf. What would've been different?" thought Naruto. He then pictured all of his former friends laughing and smiling. His former teammates and former sensei going to Ichiraku's Ramen stand after team training. Himself, Sasuke and Sakura being promoted to jonin. Sakura and him finally going on a real date.
Naruto shook his head as he tried to rid himself of those useless thoughts. There was no way he was gonna beat the akatsuki and destroy konoha if he kept letting all these "what ifs" and memories keep getting to him. He then closed his eyes as he tried meditating to calm himself. However, his whisker marks became dark and more pronounced as he continued. He was interrupted, however, when Orochimaru and Kabuto returned with a ninja from the Hidden Leaf.
This ninja had short black hair and black eyes. His skin was pale and he wore a black and gray long sleeved shirt that showed off his stomach, black Anbu pants and ninja sandals, black gloves and an Anbu sword on his back.
"You're late." said Naruto with an emotionless voice and his eyes still closed. Orochimaru chuckled.
"Well, we ran into your old team at Tenchi Bridge." said Orochimaru. Naruto opened his eyes to reveal they were red with slits for pupils.
"Am I suppose to care?" asked Naruto. The Hidden Leaf ninja then spoke up.
"You must be Naruto Uzumaki. Sasuke and Sakura have told me a lot about you. My name is Sai." said the Hidden Leaf ninja as he smiled at Naruto, but the young jinchuriki immediately realized the smile was fake. Naruto's chakra flared before he and Sai appeared in a place that resembled a sewer. The floor was cover in ankle high water and Sai noticed a large cell door behind Naruto. Suddenly, a large red eye with a slit for a pupil opened behind the cell door causing Sai to fall to his ass in shock and fear.
-Reality-
Sai fell on his ass causing Kabuto to look toward Naruto with a glare.
"NARUTO ENOUGH!" shouted Kabuto.
"Hmph." Naruto grunted as his whisker marks and eyes returned to normal. Sai wiped the side of his face as he attempted to stand up.
"I thought I couldn't feel fear, but that's exactly what I... just felt." thought Sai. Orochimaru chuckled.
"Heh heh heh heh heh. He's shaping up to be a fine vessel indeed. Just a little longer and I'll be able to make that body my own." thought Orochimaru. Naruto then stood up.
"Let's go, Orochimaru. You were supposed to have started my training this morning." said Naruto before he disappeared.
"You'll have to forgive him. He can be a bit... touchy... when someone mentions his former comrades by name." said Orochimaru before he handed Kabuto a bingo book. "Take care of that." With that, he disappeared.
-Later-
After his training with Orochimaru, Naruto retired to his room. However, he noticed two very familiar chakra signatures in the hideout.
"They're both here? Probably for me. If it's one thing we all had in common, it's that we never gave up." thought Naruto. He then decided to wait for them to come to him before disappearing.
-Altar of Orochi-
Naruto appeared in front of the giant snake statue and sat down as he awaited the arrival of his former teammates. However, he noticed multiple strange little black and white mouses coming toward him. Once the mouses reached him Naruto's eyes widened as he realized what this mouses was. Suddenly, the mouses exploded. Causing an huge explosion.
Destroying part of the hideout where the sun was able to shine through the hideout. It was a large crater through the middle where Sai stood looking up.
Suddenly, a certain pink haired kunoichi ran into the room. Sakura, now a chunin, wore a red zip up sleeveless vest with black shorts and a pink skirt, high heeled ninja boots, elbow warmers and gloves. Her headband now had a red cloth instead of blue with the forehead protector that had the Hidden Leaf Village symbol on it.
Seeing Sai, Sakura rushed over to him and grabbed him by the front of his shirt.
"Sai, you bastard! You were planning to assassinate him this whole-!" said Sakura before she was interrupted by an all too familiar voice.
"Sakura. It's been a while." said a voice causing Sakura to go wide eyed as she looked up to see naruto standing on top of the destoryed hideout.
"Naru...to." said Sakura as she released her grip on Sai's shirt. Sakura couldn't believe her eyes. It really was him. It really was that idiotic, knuckleheaded
What's the matter, Sakura? You look like you've seen a ghost." said Naruto. Suddenly, a certain Uchiha ran out the hideout.
Naruto looked down at sasuke who wore a white high collar short sleeve shirt. With black pants with katana. His headband now had a black cloth instead of blue with the forehead protector that had the symbol of the Hidden Leaf Village on it.
"Sakura, what happened?" asked Sasuke.
"And Sasuke, too." said Naruto causing Sasuke to go wide eyed as he turned and looked up to see naruto his former best friend.
"Naruto?" asked Sasuke. Naruto looked around the area and didn't see a familiar face. "Where's kakashi?" Asked naruto. "All we need his him now to complete this little Team 7 reunion." Suddenly, another jonin appeared. This jonin wore the same outfit as all the jounin's but wore a silver headband similar to the second hokage, tobirama.
"I'm afraid Kakashi couldn't make it so I'm here in his place. Call me Yamato." said the jonin. Naruto then looked toward Sai.
"Then is he my replacement?" asked Naruto. Sai chose this exact moment to speak up.
"I want to see the bond between you and Sasuke." said Sai. Naruto looked toward Sasuke before looking back at Sai.
"The bond between me and Sasuke? That bond was severed two and a half years ago. I saw to that personally." said Naruto. "Though there wasn't much of a bond to sever back then." Sasuke stepped forward.
"Even though I said I wanted to break our bond at the valley of the end I just couldn't do it because you meant a lot to me." Said sasuke.
"I'm going bring you back, so you can feel the same pain I felt when you brought me back." Said sasuke.
Naruto. Suddenly, he disappeared before reappearing in front of Sasuke with his left hand on Sasuke's right shoulder. Sakura looked toward the two in shock and amazement.
'So fast! I didn't even see him move!' thought Sakura.
"Last I remember, you wanted revenge on Itachi for destroying the Uchiha clan." said Naruto as he gripped the handle of his katana. "What happened to that?" While looking straight ahead with determined look, Sasuke answered.
"I let it go...when I saw what it was doing to my best friend." said Sasuke. "When I do see itachi I make sure I end him but I won't be chasing him and let revenge get to me again." Spoke sasuke.
"Hmph." Naruto grunted as he unsheathed his katana and made to stab Sasuke in the back.
"NARUTO!" Sakura shouted in an attempt to stop him. However, Naruto's blade only met the blade of Sai's katana for the Hidden Leaf ninja had moved behind Sasuke to block the attack.
"The block you chose... was the correct one." said Naruto as Sasuke and Sai leaped away from him. Sasuke pulled out several kunai and activated his three tomoed Sharingan while Sai pulled out several shuriken before both ninja tossed the kunai and shuriken at Naruto. The young jinchuriki, however, merely swung his katana at a speed so fast that Sasuke's Sharingan couldn't keep up and deflected the kunai and shuriken before sheathing his katana.
"Is that it?" asked Naruto. Sasuke gritted his teeth as he preformed a couple handsigns before gripping his left wrist. His left hand became encased in lightning chakra as he charged up a Chidori.
"Chidori, huh? Alright, I guess it gives me a chance to test it out." said Naruto as he gripped his sword before it was covered in lightning, the sword grew longer and wider almost as big as zabuza sword.
Naruto and Sasuke rushed at each other before colliding their attacks together. Lightning crackled around the two former friends as their jutsus clashed. Even tho narutos wasn't really considered a jutsu.
Sasuke glared at Naruto while the jinchuriki simply stared at him with that emotionless stare. Having had enough, the two jumped away from each other.
"How can you use lighting infinity?" Ask sasuke.
"It's one of my chakra nature's, no need for you to know and more." Said naruto.
"SUPER BEAST SCROLL: DOG!" shouted Sai as he unraveled a scroll and out came several painted dogs that rushed at Naruto. The rogue ninja, however, turned quickly and impaled one of the dogs with his lightning chakra enhanced katana.
"LIGHTNING STYLE: LIGHTNING CURRENT!" said Naruto before an electrical current shot out of the first dog and engulfed the others causing them to explode and cover the area in smoke. Naruto then appeared in front of Sai once the smoke cleared and kicked him in the gut sending him flying into the wall. Sasuke then rushed at Naruto and threw a punch at him, but the rogue ninja simply caught the punch before elbowing Sasuke in the gut and threw him into the other wall. After recovering, Sai and Sasuke ran at Naruto.
The rogue ninja, however, sheathed his katana before both his hands became encased in lightning. Seeing the danger immediately, Yamato preformed a couple of handsigns.
"WOOD STYLE: WOOD HAND JUTSU!" shouted Yamato as his right hand became wood and stretched toward Sasuke and Sai.
"LIGHTNING STREAM!" said Naruto as he released Chidori from his entire body just as Yamato grabbed Sasuke and Sai shocking not just them, but him, too. Sakura was too shocked to move.
'Naruto can use lightening and emit it from his entire body! Just how powerful has he become?' thought Sakura. She then got a look of determination as she dashed toward Naruto. Yamato, seeing this, went wide eyed.
"SAKURA, NO!" shouted Yamato.
"I have to do my part and help save Naruto. That's why I trained under Lady Tsunade!" thought Sakura as she reached Naruto and threw a chakra enhanced punch at him. Naruto side stepped the punch before having to jump back when Sakura threw a chakra enhanced kick at him. However, Naruto saw as Sakura disappeared in cloud of smoke.
"A clone?!"thought Naruto. He then looked up to see Sakura coming down with her right foot aimed at him.
"HEAVEN KICK OF PAIN!" shouted Sakura as she came down. Naruto, however, jumped out of the way just before Sakura's kick hit the ground causing the floor to crack and shoot up.
Once the smoke cleared everyone looked toward the cliff to see Naruto sitting there with that same emotionless look.
"You trained under Granny Tsunade, didn't you, Sakura?" said Naruto. "She's the only one who knows how to use that heaven kick of pain jutsu."
"All that make you is an tsunade wannabe, matter of fact a tsunade two point, O."
"You're nothing special and don't have anything of your own." "At least sasuke and my replacement have they're own identity, while you over here running around playing ninja stealing another identity just trying get fame." Spat naruto causing sakura to flinch with tears filling in her eyes.
He then appeared in front of sakura before slamming his knee into her stomach causing her to fall to the hard ground coughing up blood. Naruto gave sakura a glance before turning to face Sasuke who had managed to get free of Yamato's grip. Sasuke made a couple handsigns before gripping his left wrist. His left hand became encased in lightning as he charged up a Chidori.
"I'M TAKING YOU BACK!" shouted Sasuke. Naruto held out his right hand as he charged up a Rasengan.
"It's...over." said Naruto. Yamato quickly grabbed the down sakura before getting himself and Sai away from the area. Lightning and wind whipped around the two former best friends as they stared each other down. One determined to save his friend from the darkness. The other determined to continue immersing himself in the darkness. Finally, after having briefly seen their past conflict from two and a half years ago flash before their eyes, Naruto and Sasuke launched themselves at each other.
"NARUTOOOOOOOOOOOO!" screamed Sasuke.
"SASUKEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" screamed Naruto.
"CHIDORI!"
"RASENGAN!"
The two jutsus collided with each other just as they had all those years ago causing a black sphere of energy to form around the two. However, white cracks formed on the sphere and spread all along it before the sphere exploded. When the dust settled Yamato reappeared with Sai and Sakura before looking to find a battered and bloody Sasuke whose left arm was covered in his own blood. He then noticed Sasuke was looking toward the cliff and looked there also only for his eyes to go wide.
There stood Naruto completely unharmed.
"I'm done holding back against you." said Naruto in an irritated tone as he held out his right.
'WHAT?! HE WASN'T FIGHTING AT FULL STRENGTH?!' thought Yamato. Naruto started charging a Rasengan before it became encased in lightning. He then held it up before four blades came out of it and began rotating around it. Suddenly, however, a hand grabbed Naruto's wrist causing the jutsu to dispel as he looked to his right to find that Orochimaru was responsible for interrupting.
"I wouldn't use that jutsu, yet." said Orochimaru. "Besides, we need them." Naruto glared at Orochimaru.
"Let go." said Naruto in a cold and menacing tone.
"I'd listen to Lord Orochimaru." said a voice causing Naruto to look to his left to see Kabuto.
"Give me one good reason." said Naruto. Orochimaru chuckled.
"How about them taking out as many Akatsuki members as possible for us?" asked Orochimaru. Naruto glared at Orochimaru. "I'm the one who will destroy akatsuki but I won't be mad if they were to eliminate some of them." Responded naruto.
"The Akatsuki are hunting the Tailed Beasts and have already gotten their hands on the One-Tail. They'll come after you sooner, or later. So why not have them take out as many as possible so that way your battle with the leader will go undisturbed." explained Kabuto. Naruto looked toward Kabuto before his hand went limp in Orochimaru's grip.
"Bright boy." said Orochimaru as he let go of Naruto's arm allowing to fall by Naruto's side. Naruto looked down at the beaten Team Kakashi.
"Get in the way again and I'll crush you, and take that trash with you." Said naruto looking at the beaten sakura." Suddenly, Orochimaru, Kabuto and Naruto's feet all were engulfed in green flames that slowly rose up their bodies and made the parts that already were engulfed disappear.
"WAIT NARUTO!" shouted Sasuke as he made one last attempt to convince his former best friend to come back with him. But it was too late as the trio vanish.
Author notes: I think I felt very good about this chapter which was inspired heavenly by another author. Thanks for reading and to next time bye and keep reading love all!