Hey. School's been going okay. Not great (grumbles). Not much else for me to talk about. Just glad everyone liked the last chapter, and here's the next!! And I should also add that Sasuke will not be the final villain. That showdown…damn, I think you won't see that until Chapter 70 something! But anyway, please enjoy!
Mrfipp: Well, he's pretty uber-powerful in the manga, so this doesn't come as much of a surprise to me. And you will find out Lei Gong's grudge here. Naruto's mom…details on her will be revealed around Ch. 30 (I estimate).
JDay: You couldn't force me to do anything if you tried. Nonetheless, I'm giving you what you want right here.
LonewolfBloodstorm: Well, I made it clear Shizune was behaving a bit out of the ordinary.
Pirogeth: Please don't use computer slang, cause I don't know what the fk you're saying. I'm glad I finally stabilized my descriptiveness.
Bfavreg1: Apparently, not a lot of people did. And you're certainly right about some permanent damage being done. However, what I meant to say about Sakura was that she knew why Sasuke was there, and that Naruto would be sad. She is NOT BETRYAING ANYBODY. She's just more insightful than Naruto is all.
Now to get the rest of the show on the road!
Naruto and Sasuke stared at each other for the longest time, ignoring the screams and destruction around them. "Sasuke…I thought you wanted nothing to do with this village…why are you helping Orochimaru do this?"
Just like last time, in the blink of an eye, Sasuke was upon him, and drew his sword. Naruto pulled out a kunai in response, and for the first time in years, surprised him. Sasuke's sword couldn't break through the kunai! He took a closer look, and saw why. "Wind Chakra." He muttered. Sasuke broke off and attacked again. Naruto parried his blade each time, but he did not see the kick coming. Naruto sprawled against the wall, seemingly vulnerable to Sasuke's attack. However, before he got too close, the Uchiha was sent sprawling onto the ground when a bushin out of nowhere kicked him onto the floor. Soon, he was surrounded by a mob of Narutos. Sasuke wasn't worried at all; just miffed. He shot up and as each clone came close, he sliced them away with his kusunagi. Then, he thrust behind him…and his attacker coughed up blood.
"Sasuke…" Naruto dropped his kunai, and slumped. But Sasuke didn't sneer at his victory. Because he didn't win anything yet. He turned and sent a spinning back fist at the real Naruto. Naruto ducked in the nick of time, and landed a right cross against Sasuke's jaw. However, at the same time, Sasuke landed a kick to the blonde's gut. Both collapsed on the ground, panting. After a good minute, they looked at each other right in the eye.
"You have gotten stronger…dobe." Sasuke struggled up, and Naruto did the same. "Unfortunately for you, it's not enough." He finished.
"Sasuke…why are you doing this!?" Naruto yelled. "Abandoning us is one thing…but trying to kill us!?"
Sasuke looked away from him. He stared at the tower, and the Hokage monument. "Naruto…answer me this…is it true…that you killed Itachi?"
"What does that have to do with anything!?" Naruto yelled. "Look a-"
"Answer me, dammit!" Sasuke screamed.
Naruto just looked at him, confused, yet knowing why he was asking. "He was about to turn over one of my students to the Akatsuki. More importantly, there is something you should-"Naruto hacked when Sasuke rushed up and punched his gut. Naruto took at least ten more blows before Sasuke hurled him into an abandoned building right through the wall.
Sasuke jumped inside and said "It's true then. Naruto…ask yourself this…you know that since my childhood, I lived solely to kill my brother, correct?" Naruto didn't answer, but he was listening as he struggled back up to his feet. Sasuke's face contorted in rage as he said "What am I supposed to do now that he's dead!? To live in hate and anger as far as I remember for nothing!? What's the point of me living now!?" Naruto didn't answer, but closed his eyes and threw a flash grenade right in the Uchiha's face. Sasuke's sharingan couldn't take it and was forced to shield his eyes. Naruto ran and tackled Sasuke, hurling them both outside a window.
"Sasuke!! Your way of life now is the reason I've been training so hard to bring you back! I don't know what Orochimaru has done to get you to do this, but…"
Naruto stopped when Sasuke chuckled. "Naruto…you don't get it, do you?" Sasuke kicked Naruto off and shot back to his feet.
"Orochimaru!!" Tsunade screamed. She broke the headlock her ex-teammate had her in, but Orochimaru jumped out of range from her kick.
"It's been a long time, Tsunade-hime." Orochimaru paused to look around. "It seems, at least up until now, you've fared well as Hokage…Sarutobi-sensei would be proud."
Tsunade hissed "You. It was you who killed Tonton! And for kami knows how long, Shizune as well!! You somehow caught her off guard and stole her skin!! You planned on spying on me, but Tonton could tell that you weren't her, so you killed him before he got a chance to alert me!! That's it, isn't it!?"
Orochimaru laughed, and said "Quite right, Tsunade-hime. I believe it was approximately four weeks ago. I kept a close eye on Shizune, observing her everyday routine. I earlier disguised myself as a man that by my standards was considered incredibly handsome, and asked her out on a date. But the one who came back home to you was me!! That swine nearly blew it; a split second later and you would have heard him! I've been waiting for quite sometime to find the perfect opportunity to kill you!!"
Tsunade fought to keep her tears from flowing, but it was a loosing battle. Still, there was something fishy about Orochimaru's story."Just one thing I don't understand: I had my suspicions of Shizune's unusual behavior before. I asked you certain questions out of the blue, questions only she would know. And you got them right each time. How!?"
Orochimaru couldn't help but taunt her more. "So confused, aren't we!? Well, this is where everything will end, so I suppose there's no point in keeping secrets. I used a jutsu that allows me to look into the long term memory of those I kill. I know just about everything about Shizune, now!!" Orochimaru finally dropped his grin and breathed deep. "But, time is of the essence, and I need to fulfill at least one part of my dream myself. After this…" Orochimaru's face contorted in hate. "…'Sasuke-sama' won't have anymore use for me."
Tsunade's eyes widened. "Sasuke…-sama?" Impossible!
Orochimaru spat "That's right. Unfortunately."
Taganaki swung his sake and cackled madly. "Well, I think Konoha will have to do without you!! Goodbye!!"
The jonin felt their fear accelerate as they felt the walls close in, as well as their vision spin. Their confusion at their client's actions also made it harder to think of a way out. However, one of them was not the least bit worried. "Kai!" she shouted. In an instant, Kurenai dispelled the genjutsu. The palace they were escorted into turned out to be a dingy basement. And when they looked at their client, they found it was not the wealthy businessman they worked with so many times before…it was Kabuto, in a wheel chair.
With the genjutsu dispelled, he cowered. "I knew it!! I told him it wouldn't work!!" He immediately turned his wheelchair and pushed as fast as he could away from the jonin. For all the good it would do him.
Kakashi tore the chemical patch off his mask and pounced on the former-medic nin. He drew a kunai against the helpless man's throat and yelled "Where is he!? Where's Taganaki!?"
Gai came back into the room yelling "I found him!!" Gai had the real billionaire in his arms, and judging by the look on him, he was tortured severely.
"I'm sorry!" he cried. "I couldn't take anymore!! I didn't want-" One of the other kunoichi accompanying them hushed him. It was nothing to be ashamed of, especially for an average man; shinobi torture was very efficient.
Realization then struck Kakashi. "Orochimaru! He's attacking the village!! This was a set-up!!" Kakashi got up and shouted to his comrades. "We must return to Konoha immediately! We'll take Taganaki-san with us as well!"
Kakashi was about to leave, when he heard Kabuto chuckle. "You really think Orochimaru is the one who ordered the attack?"
Kakashi turned around slowly. "I don't have time for games." He hissed dangerously.
Kabuto laughed some more. Arguably, not the smartest thing for a paralyzed man to do in the presence of an angry ninja. But Kabuto felt he had nothing to loose."Sasuke-kun is the one in charge now." Kakashi's eye widened. He didn't want to believe it. But he could read people very well, and no matter how much he would tell himself otherwise, Kabuto was clearly not lying. "That's right, Kakashi! Orochimaru tried to take over Sasuke-kun, but he tricked him into switching with another body! Now, he's the one destroying Konoha!! Ask that pig over there, he'll tell you your precious student tortured him personally!! And he nearly did the same to me before I agreed to sacrifice myself over here!!"
Kakashi's eye narrowed, and he stomped on Kabuto in a blind rage. Everyone knew he was going to kill him right then and there, but before Kakashi could go any further, Gai clenched him. "Kakashi, enough!! We don't have time for this!!"
Kakashi snapped out of it, taking one good look at the battered young man. He turned around, not facing his comrades. Instead, he just walked forward ahead of them. "My apologies for the delay." With that, all the jonin retreated outside to save their home.
Kabuto wheezed, and spat out a tooth. "Too bad you'll never know how Sasuke intends to carry out his plans…if you did, you might go easy on him…"
Shikamaru stared Shumokuzame down. The swordsman looked right at him, with a wide grin plastered on his face. "If I remember correctly, your clan specializes in shadow techniques, correct? I wonder, just how effective are you fighting at night?"
Shikamaru circled around him, deciding it would be best to distract him for at least a second. "I know you want to take out either my team or my dad's. Since neither are here, perhaps I can persuade you to postpone this duel until another time? It would make you look good if you took out the three of us all at once."
Shumokuzame hefted his swords up his shoulder and sneered "Nah. I don't follow that code of honor bullshit. I just have to say I killed you, and no one will question it. Back at home, if you killed someone, you earned it. For what it's worth, I find it amusing that you would even try to trick me."
Shikamaru sighed. "Well, it was worth trying." He turned to his opponent and sneered "And now to answer your question!!" He threw several kunai with explosive tags into the air, but none of them hit Shumokuzame.
"Haha! Not like you would've hit me anyway, but you missed!" When they went of, a fire surrounded them…and that was when the truth of Shikamaru's plan dawned on the swordsman. "Oh." The fire emitted a light around them, making it almost as bright as day. Shumokuzame threw his swords up and caught them. "Let's go!!"
He ran, circling the shadow ninja, while Shikamaru did the same. "He's not much of a tactician, is he?" Shikamaru thought. "Kage Mane!" His shadow extended, and caught the mist swordsman.
"Shit!!" he cried.
Shikamaru forced him to drop his weapons, and smirked. "I'm disappointed. One of the famous mist swordsman brags about being a badass, and not even ten seconds in, you're down and out. You should probably refer to yourself as 'The Legendary Mist Numbnuts'."
As he forced the swordsman closer to him, the unusual man chuckled. "What's so funny?" Shikamaru growled.
Shumokuzame sneered "You're the idiot this time. You didn't even see me make my hand signs when I threw my swords up in the air. Dokudokushi Isoginchaku no Jutsu!!"
Suddenly, some rope-like tentacle shot out of the ground and grazed Shikamaru's leg. Shikamaru managed to get away from the others, but he felt an incredible pain in his left leg. "Shit!! Well, at least he…"
Shikamaru looked up, and his jaw dropped in disbelief. Though Shumokuzame was clutching his leg just like Shikamaru, he smiled; he wasn't in any pain! "Any good poison user knows to develop an immunity to his own weapons." Shikamaru's concentration faded, and his shadow dissipated. Shumokuzame, able to move again, retrieved his weapons. "By the way, I wouldn't think about trying to change locations." Shikamaru looked around, and saw near the fire, the tentacle that snagged him had some companions as well. "Those tentacles are covered in poison, a poison you only got a scratch of. You come as close as a meter to them, they'll attack, and next time you will die of cardiac arrest."
Shikamaru threw his shuriken, but Shumokuzame blocked them with his swords, and sliced at him. Shikamaru stumbled, clutching his left shoulder. "Not a good time to cry like a bitch!!" Shikamaru let it go and back fisted Shumokuzame across the face. But it didn't feel right. It felt more like he hit a water balloon, rather than someone's head.
"WEW! That sent my world spinning for a minute there!" Shumokuzame cackled. Shumokuzame landed a kick against Shikamaru's temple, and unlike the swordsman, his head didn't compress with the blow. Shikamaru crawled up as fast as he could, but Shumokuzame grabbed him from behind across the neck.
"Well, I think I should take your head now!!" Shumokuzame prepared to slice his throat open, but was stopped again.
"Kage Kubi Shibari no Jutsu." Shikamaru whispered. A shadowy hand then gripped Shumokuzame right at the neck. The swordsman struggled to get it off, and Shikamaru struggled to not let go of his hold.
Shumokuzame, however, had control of his hands this time around. "Suiton!! Chuuten Houmatsu no Jutsu!!"
Shikamaru was suddenly surrounded by a bubble, and lost his grip. "Shit!"
Outside, Shumokuzame laughed. "What's the matter? Haven't you heard of popping a bubble? Go ahead, give it a shot!"
"I know it's not that simple." Shikamaru muttered.
Shumokuzame chuckled, and pointed his fingers up. "Quite right. This bubble will pop, but only under the right atmospheric conditions. It has to be up high. Very high." Soon, the bubble rose, very slowly. But it was accelerating. "I look forward to finding your corpse soon!!" Shumokuzame cried.
Shikamaru looked around frantically. He didn't know when, but soon, he would fall from a height not even a ninja could hope to survive. Shikamaru knew he didn't have much time, but it was the only way he could think his way out of it. He crouched, and held his hands together like he normally did to concentrate…
Jiraya stared Akkisebire down. He knew that this kid would be no joke if the mist swordsmen took him seriously. However, he was still a kid…and killing was something he was sure he didn't want to do to this boy. "Maybe I can coax him, make him surrender." He kneeled slightly, and said "Hey there! You don't want to be with those big, bad men, do you? I know they must've been so mean to you. You want to get away from them as soon as possible, right?" The child's eyes narrowed dangerously in response to his baby-talk. "Shit, maybe I should take him more seriously." Jiraya cleared his throat and said "Okay. No more bullshit. I don't know why you're with the swordsmen or how they got you to join your little group, but I can't see you enjoying it. I've met a lot of kids like you who were incredible prodigies and forced into killing…and not one of them enjoyed it. So-"
He was cut off when the child began to chuckle. "Fool." He sneered. "I love killing. It has brought me far more joy than any parent, toy or friend. But if you really want to be a saint and make my life better…" Seribeki raised his Guandao and jumped towards the sanin. "Why don't you just die right here right now!!"
Jiraya activated his Hirai Jizou immediately. The blade still managed to graze his cheek, but his hair prevented it from doing any further damage. Akkisebire himself didn't come unscarred, as his feet were pierced right through by the spikes and bleeding. Unlike most children, however, he didn't react normally.
"Hehehe. That was fun. The one who falls on his back and cries looses!!" Akkisebire swung his Guandao wildly, but the sanin managed to evade him.
"Katon! Edan!" Jiraya shot fourth a stream of fire from his mouth, but a wave of water blocked it. Jiraya got ready for the worst…and was surprised when no one was there. He looked around, and realized the attack would come from below! The blade appeared from the ground, much like a shark's fin through the water, and headed straight for him at an unimaginable speed. Jiraya jumped, but the blade still scratched him. A second later, and it would have severed his Achilles' Tendon. Akkisebire burst through the ground and followed through, hitting Jiraya with the blunt end of his weapon and sending him to the other side like a bullet. Akkisebire charged, sensing his weakness. Jiraya may have been upside down, but he was not out! "Gamayudan!!" Jiraya spewed some liquid from his mouth, and Akkisebire was bogged down to the floor. Instead of panicking though, he laughed. Like a small child would during a very fun game. But this was no game. And the scariest part was that this child knew it.
"Suiton! Todo Gouon no Jutsu!!" He opened his mouth and water spewed out, like a high-pressure hose. The water blasted Jiraya through the ruble, and he flew so far, he swore he must have landed on the far end of Konoha. Jiraya struggled up, and felt the large blade press against his neck. "I hate fighting old guys." Akkisebire growled. "They don't know anything about fighting today, they tire too quickly, and it's always 'Oh please! Spare my life!' Quite frankly, I'm disappointed in fighting you as I was those other so-called grandmasters."
A vein on Jiraya's forehead popped. "First off, I'M NOT THAT OLD!! Second…" A puff of smoke erupted from him, and in his place, was a man-sized toad doll. Akkisebire wasn't annoyed at all; on the contrary, he was overjoyed. He looked up to a tall building, staring at his prey with glee. Jiraya then finished his sentence. "You've never fought a Sanin before."
Konohamaru and his teammates avoided the snakes, intending to regroup with the other Konoha ninjas. And while they did not get one of their first choices, they found someone: Ebisu! "Hey, closet pervert!!" Konohamaru yelled.
Normally, Ebisu would have corrected him sternly, but even he knew now was not the time. He turned and shouted "Young master, thank goodness!! I was-"
"For crying out loud, we're chunin!!" The young Sarutobi yelled. "Anyway, we need to meet up with the others, right now!!"
Ebisu adjusted his glasses. "Normally, I would agree, young master. But something came up. Something I think you should know."
"I've got no time for this!! We-"
"Konohamaru!!" Moegi yelled. "If it concerns you at a time like this, you have to listen!!"
Konohamaru cowered at her yelling. When she stopped, he stood up straight, and signaled for Ebisu to go on.
"I might be wrong, but some dying comrades I found claimed to have been defeated by the last of the remaining mist swordsmen. You know who those are, right?"
Konohamaru arrogantly said "Some ninjas who carry swords from Kiri. I've heard it all the time!!"
Ebisu freaked out and yelled "You fool!! You have no idea how powerful these men are!!" Ebisu and Konohamaru just looked at each other in silence. "We're being attacked by the last of them," Ebisu finished. "And one of them, a long time ago, swore an oath of revenge on your grandfather."
This got Konohamaru's attention. "But it's got nothing to do with me." He said.
Ebisu at this point was sweating. "According to what I've heard, he was not interested in killing your honored grandfather: what he wants is to kill the entire clan."
Konohamaru just stared at him, afraid. "He's…here?" Ebisu nodded. Before anything more could be said, they heard a woman scream. No one except Konohamaru knew who it was. "Kira!"
Moegi asked "Who?"
"A relative of Aunt Kurenai's. Since she's out on a mission, she…oh no, Asuma!!" Konohamaru ran in the direction of the scream like a cheetah chasing down prey.
"Kono, wait up!!" Moegi yelled as she and Udon sprinted to catch up to him.
Ebisu recovered from the shock and headed off after them. However, just as he was about to catch up with them, a huge snake blocked his path. As goofy as he was known to be, Ebisu was a formidable ninja, and without hesitating, pulled out a kunai. "I have no time for this!" Just then, several other snakes closed in on him. Ebisu gritted his teeth in annoyance, and leapt into battle.
Kira clutched her stomach, desperately trying to shield the young boy she was taking care of.
"K-K-Kira…" the boy said.
The woman valiantly tried to fight off the attacker, but she was sliced and beaten. "I beg you…please, spare this child…."
Lei Gong towered over her with his bloody swords, looking most impassive. "I will give you one last chance to run away. My feud is not with you, but with the Sarutobi." Kira turned and spat blood on his face. Though Lei did not show any annoyance, he nonetheless raised his hooksword and sent the chunin's head flying. He threw the body away, and looked at Asuma Jr. The boy was paralyzed with fear, and began to cry for his mother. "It's a pity you're not even a ninja. In fact, your pathetic position has even made me think of sparing your life." He raised both swords and said "But I have a vow of revenge to keep. If you must hate anyone, hate your foolish grandfather!!"
Before the blades could touch the toddler, a large shuriken collided with them and disrupted his strike. "Edan!" A stream of fire hit Lei's body. Before he could recover, two chunin hit him. It wasn't enough to even stun him beyond the initial surprise though, and he simply batted the two away. "Moegi! Udon!! Are you two alright!?"
Lei turned around and looked at the juvenile, now holding the child he was just aiming to kill a moment ago. "Ah, another Sarutobi, I see. " The old man cricked his neck and introduced himself. "My name is Lei Gong, and as you may have guessed, I am fulfilling a grudge against your entire family. Normally, I would just take the toddler from you and kill it, but…I haven't had any worthwhile fights, so I will make an exception."
Konohamaru, at first, couldn't get what he was saying, When the swordsman nodded in the direction of his teammates, he then understood. Konohamaru took his crying cousin and handed him to Moegi.
"I want my mommy." The boy weakly cried.
Moegi patted Asuma on the back and whispered "Don't worry. She' coming, I promise." She then turned her attention to Konohamaru, awaiting his orders.
"I'm the one he wants. You take Asuma to the shelter. If I fail, at least there will be enough ninja to protect you two."
"Udon can take Asuma. I'll stay and-"
"No, Moegi." Konohamaru said sternly. "Udon's with me. You go hide with the others. This is a mist swordsman we're fighting here. The odds don't look too good for us here."
"Konohamaru, I can fight just as well as you and Udon!!"
"No, you can't!!" Konohamaru yelled.
Moegi just froze and looked at his face. He seemed angry, and something else she couldn't quite put her finger on. "What does he mean?" It made no sense to her that Konohamaru would behave this way.
"Moegi, you've always been weak. Every mission we had, you've done nothing but slow us down. Take my cousin and make yourself useful for once. Maybe then, I can at least acknowledge you as a teammate." The two stood silent for a long time, a time which a not-so generous enemy would've taken advantage of. Moegi then slapped her teammate across the face. "You know that's not true…you spoiled brat." She shed a tear, and then took off. Konohamaru's face immediately softened as he watched his kunoichi teammate take off. He didn't want to do that to her. But he couldn't think of any other way to keep her out of danger. And it pained him to realize that he may never get the chance to apologize and tell the truth.
"Konohamaru…" Udon said. "You could've just said you were worried about her."
Konohamaru sighed sadly. "No, she would have argued until she convinced me to let her fight with me." He faced his best friend with a sad smile. "Udon, should anything happen to us, I want to let you know that you've been the best friend a guy could ask for. And I'm glad at least someone will understand why I did what I did."
Udon smiled back, and the two faced off against Lei. The old swordsman then placed his swords on his back, and began making his hand signs.
"Get ready…" Konohamaru warned.
"Suiton!! Kosui no Jigokudo!!" Konohamaru and Udon leapt out of the way…only to find nothing had happened.
As the two looked around in disbelief, Lei chuckled. "Fools. You two were not my target…"
Moegi held her emotions in check as she carried out her new task. No matter how angry she was at Konohamaru right now, the child was her priority. Just as she touched down on the floor, she lost her balance. The ground was becoming water!! Before she could sink completely, she threw Asuma under a pile of ruble, hoping that the weird phenomena wouldn't reach him. She then tried to swim out, but the water became more like quicksand and forced her down under.
She expected to drown from lack of oxygen…but she was surprised when she found herself encapsulated in a bubble. "Odd." She thought. Then she noticed it was getting hot. Dreadfully hot. In just a few seconds she was starting to sweat. "I have to get out of here!" She found the bubble wall to be thin, yet it did not burst as she put her hand through. However, as soon as she brought her hand out, she screamed and withdrew! The water outside was freezing! She stared at her hand in horror, realizing it already turned blue! She could either stay here and fry…or she could escape and freeze to death. Though ninja were trained not to panic, for Moegi that was proving extremely difficult right now. When she came to realize what her situation meant, her thoughts turned to one person "Konohamaru…"
Konohamaru heard Moegi scream, and realized whatever Lei Gong did, the technique was meant for her!"Bastard! What did you do to Moegi and Asuma!?"
Lei Gong emotionlessly replied "My technique forms a lake in the ground and imprisons my target in a bubble. Inside, it is a sweltering 82 degrees Celsius. They can escape if they choose…but outside it is fifty below freezing. It's…unlikely, that they can swim to the surface, and even if they could, they still have to fight off the hypothermia."
Lei Gong began to chuckle quietly, leaving Konohamaru struggling to keep himself from screaming. The young Sarutobi reached into his pouch. "Let's have at it."
Lei Gong nodded, and preformed another jutsu. "Suiton!! Fuhen Suijinheki!!" A water wall, much like the one Kakashi created in his first fight against Itachi, but larger, erupted from the land and surrounded Konohamaru and the swordsman, leaving Udon outside.
The chunin yelled his comrade's name, and charged at the water barrier. He tried slashing a kunai through it, but it would not budge once he pierced the surface. Udon backed away and whispered "Hang in there, Konohamaru." He made his hand signs…
Konohamaru looked around the wall in fear, knowing what his enemy wanted.
"As confident as I am facing off two on one," Lei Gong said, twirling his swords. "I much rather prefer a more duel-like setting. More fitting for a Sarutobi."
Konohamaru got into a stance and prepared to fight. "I don't know what kind of grudge you have with my old man, but you're going to wish you forgave and forgot!!" The chunin charged, and fired taijutsu blows with the swordsman. All of his strikes were evaded, and Lei circled around him and sliced the Sarutobi's back, almost as if he was trying to open up his spine. Konohamaru gripped his back and jumped away. With his free hand, he let his shuriken fly.
"Such basic tactics!! Show me the power that was once the professor's!!" Lei parried each shuriken, and attacked with another jutsu. "Katon!! Oushi Yofun Hitonami no Jutsu!!" He spat thin tendrils of fire, which became fire bulls making a bee-line for the chunin.
Konohamaru quickly made some more signs. "Doton!! Doryuu Heki!!" He vomited a muddy substance from his mouth that quickly became a perfect wall. Though the wall cracked, the bulls couldn't get past him.
"Raiton!! KamiKarento!!" A wave of electricity shot forward and dissolved the base of the wall. Konohamaru's barrier collapsed, and the bulls ran straight towards him. Though Konohamaru managed to evade a direct hit, just being in close contact with them left him badly burned. Lei Gong just sighed at what he was witnessing. "Perhaps I should have allowed your friend to join in. It would have been a little more interesting, at least. But, I'm a firm believer in following through, so I will make that decision upon your death."
Konohamaru rose, and took a deep breath. He remembered how he boasted about how his grandfather should have just retired and let him be Hokage. Though the former was true, after he learned about what his grandfather did to Orochimaru, he couldn't help but feel proud."Old man…guide me through this, please." Konohamaru then opened his eyes, and charged. He threw a single shuriken and yelled "Shuriken Kage Bushin no Jutsu!!" The weapon duplicated a thousand times, and Lei parried each one.
"Is that all you have to offer!?" the old swordsman screamed.
"Kage Bushin no Jutsu!!" A duplicate of Konohamaru formed, and put there hands together. "Katon!! Karyukyuu no Jutsu!!"
A large ember formed in the hands of the two clones, but Lei Gong was not impressed. "My hands are so calloused that I can grip it as if it were an ordinary stone!!" And so he did. But he wasn't prepared for what happened next.
Konohamaru yelled "Burst!" The explosion knocked Lei Gong against the wall of water, singing his skin. He looked up in the nick of time to see a dragon made out of fire flying straight at him.
"Tsu!!" A stream of water landed on the dragon and it began to vaporize. But not fast enough. Lei Gong cross blocked and took the brunt of the beast. He lowered his burnt arms, and panted.
Then Konohamaru rushed up to him and kneed him in the groin. Before the elder ninja could recover, Konohamaru threw him clear to the other side. "You're the same age as my gramps was before he died. Maybe even older." Konohamaru noted, feeling guilty and a bit embarrassed fighting him. "And just like him, your body is failing, isn't it?"
Lei Gong struggled up, whispering "Little brat."
"Listen. Release that jutsu you have Moegi imprisoned in. Promise you'll never return, and I'll let you go."
Lei Gong looked at him in the eyes, full of rage. "You little brat!! You're the same as your grandfather!! Believing kindness, not ruthlessness, is the true strength of the shinobi!!" Lei used his swords to help him stand. "We, the ninja of Kirigakure, had always believed it was brutality that would ultimately ensure our strength and survival. That was what I, as Mizukage, had taught everyone and enforced."
Konohamaru's eyes widened, and his body turned cold. Mizukage? Even if this old man was no longer at his peak, he still possessed power that was beyond the reach of most shinobi. And he probably wasn't out of tricks yet.
"During the great Shinobi wars," Lei Gong continued "I became the second Mizukage. Like my predecessor, all I believed in was strength. Failures were disposed of. Clans with valuable Kekkei Genkais were ordered to have as many children as humanely possible. And the only way to pass the academy…" Lei Gong began to sneer "…was to kill a fellow student."
Konohamaru, though he had been told many times by his grandfather himself, could not believe it! "The mist ninja really were insane!!"
"During the Shinobi Wars, our forces landed in Fire Country. After destroying that pathetic Whirlpool village, we closed in on this village. Then, your grandfather, came walking out of the gates to greet me. He challenged me to a fight to the death, and if I lost, my troops would withdraw. I accepted. Of course, I planned to use my guards to stay in hiding, waiting for my signal to shower him in shuriken. But he was too clever for that. He immediately erected a cage using his damned dirty apes! I didn't think much of it. After all, I was a kage, and I was confident I could defeat your grandfather. We fought an incredible battle, and were evenly matched. But ultimately, he prevailed. Yet, he refused to kill me. He called it mercy. But no, he did not realize that what he did was the opposite. My people left me for dead. I eventually recovered, and made my way back to Water Country. But once I was there, I found out I was no longer the Mizukage, but a fugitive. Someone had taken my place, and because of the system I helped to create, I was betrayed by my own people. From that day forward, I vowed that your clan would pay for their so-called-kindness!! I would take advantage of it by killing them all!! At first, I tried rather unsuccessfully to raise an army. But my chance finally came in the form of a young man named Uchiha Sasuke."
Konohamaru couldn't believe it. Sasuke, Naruto's friend and teammate? True, he heard he abandoned the village, but Naruto and Sakura told him that he was manipulated. But if he was the one who organized this attack…"That's not important right now." Konohamaru adjusted his scarf and said "My grandpa was one of the strongest shinobi ever. And he was strong because he WAS kind and merciful. You better pray that you receive mercy from me." Konohamaru took a kunai and charged. He leapt into the air, and slashed at the former Mizukage.
However, Lei Gong blocked it and counter attacked with a kick to the chunin's stomach, sending him skidding across the floor. "Katon! Fushido no Rentan!!" The ground Konohamaru was lying on suddenly became intensely hot. Konohamaru struggled up, burning his hands as well. But this torture wasn't enough to stop him! Konohamaru pretended he was about to reach for his shuriken…but instead whipped out his scarf, which extended an impossible length around Lei Gong's neck. As it tightened, the swordsman struggled to cut it off, but a protective barrier of wind chakra prevented him from doing so. Suddenly he was lifted off into the air and was slammed into the coals that Konohamaru had just been in. The mist swordsman screamed in rage as he got up. "I will kill you!!"
Though many of Konoha's famous jonins were away on a mission, the majority of the ANBU squad was there to rescue their Hokage if need be. For all the good it would do them, anyway. The barrier proved to be impenetrable. Then, they felt a familiar presence behind them coming up. To them, she was known as Hiiro Hakumei. However, she did not bring her mask, so it was appropriate to call her by her actual name. "Sakura-san!!"
Sakura landed, acknowledging her comrades. "Any luck cracking this thing!?"
"None. Our experts don't recall a barrier like this in the archives. And nothing we tried is breaking it!!"
Sakura looked around. Though neither she nor Tsunade knew much about barriers, one thing was common knowledge: Every type had a weakness. "It's sides are covered. There's no entry through the top." Sakura then looked at the corners. "Seals are holding the barrier in place." Then the wheels in her head started turning, and she found her answer. "Get me Naka Shiguri."
Naruto stared down Sasuke, circling him. "I do get it, Sasuke. Orochimaru convinced you to go ahead with his plans to destroy the village." Naruto smirked, though inside he didn't find anything funny. "You're pathetic, teme. You've become nothing but a puppet."
Sasuke only chuckled at him. "You think so? I don't know what kind of training you have undergone, Naruto…but it apparently has done nothing for your mind!" Sasuke faced him, grinning insanely. "Orochimaru is MY subordinate! And I'm the one leading this attack!!"
Naruto's eyes widened in horror. "Cut the bullshit Sasuke!! Orochimaru is just us-"
"He can no longer change bodies. And because of that, in a few years, he will die." Sasuke tapped his sword against a pile of rubble. "But that's beside the point. Naruto, you took away my purpose for living." Sasuke tilted his head to the side, and said "So in return, I'm taking away yours."
Naruto clenched his kunai, dreading the answer. "What do you mean?"
"Your dream was to become Hokage. The easiest way to destroy that, most would argue, would be to kill you. But no, then you wouldn't live to suffer like I will. What I have in mind is much worse." Sasuke drew his sword and sliced off the banner of a building with Konoha's symbol. Slowly, he turned his head around and looked at Naruto with insane eyes."I'm going to erase this damned village from the face of the earth!! Without the council, there will be nothing but political chaos!! When I burn all the money in the treasury, your people will be forced into poverty!! After a devastating attack like this, no one will fund nor hire from this village! No matter how many of the ninja here survive, no matter how determined you are to rebuild, Konoha will only be a place of history."
Naruto couldn't believe what he was hearing. Sasuke betrayed them, sure…but it was because of a childhood trauma. Had he managed to get revenge on Itachi, he would have been no threat to Konoha! He was certain that Sasuke would even come back of his own free will. But then he remembered the story of Uchiha Madara and the Shodai Hokage…
"So you see, Tsunade-hime, that is how I've come to be here, as I am." Orochimaru said, spreading his arms as if he finished telling a great story.
Tsunade looked outside in horror. "It's just like before. Sasuke…has become like Madara!"
Orochimaru chuckled. "That's half-right. But I'll let you in on a little secret." Orochimaru licked his tongue across his lips in anticipation. "Sasuke, despite how he intends to utterly destroy our humble little village…does not wish for anyone besides the council members to be killed. Maybe a few ninja who put up a fight. But no civilians. Sasuke-kun, despite how dark he thinks he has become…still does not know what true evil is. He cannot bring himself to kill those he views as innocent. He wants the village destroyed so long as we give bystanders enough time to escape. The ones who, according to his plan, should be worried are the council members, which also includes you. Then he plans to rob you all, and then Konoha is gone." Tsunade, at first, felt relieved. Surely, Naruto would defeat Sasuke, and everything would be alright. He would still be punished severely, but she could at least spare his life. "But what Sasuke-kun doesn't know is that I have already mucked up his plan!! I suggested using the mist swordsman in the first place. He assumed so long as they were paid, they would do as he said. But he doesn't know the swordsman like we do. They care nothing for money; they only live for carnage!! And I'm sure that someone is bound to get hurt." Orochimaru laughed. "It's so strange!! I used to crave immortality, but now, I no longer fear death, whether it be from my decaying body or at my former protégée's blade! HAHAHAHAHA!!"
Now Tsunade was shaken. Instead of thinking about helping Naruto and Sakura get their teammate back safely, she realized that her priority now was the village.
Orochimaru calmed down, and finally dropped his smile. It wasn't a frown either. Just like their days together as teammates, Orochimaru was expressionless."Anyway, Tsunade-hime, I believe it's time to settle it once and for all. I'd like to fight Jiraya one last time as well, but you're more relevant to this village than he is." Both Sanin prepared to fight.
"Shizune, I'm so sorry! I failed to protect you, I failed your uncle! The same goes for you, Tonton. But I promise you, he will pay!!"Just when she was about to pounce on him, Tsunade felt something wrong. She was beginning to feel dizzy, queasy even. And then an intense migraine kicked in. Suddenly, she lost her footing, but not her sense of touch. "What's…happening…"
"Kabuto may be a burden when it comes to battle, but he's still good at making concoctions. I believe it was a chemical similar to the one you drugged Jiraya with. It probably won't kill you…" Orochimaru rushed up and kicked her in the gut. "But then again, that's what I'm here for. And it is going to happen oh so very slowly."
"Sasuke…" Naruto whispered. How could it have come to this? He failed to stop him at the valley at the end. And he was far too weak to rescue him from sound. Now, it seemed time had taken its toll. "Even so…I will…" Naruto readied his kunai and charged, as Sasuke leapt and prepared to strike with his kusunagi. "I will…" The two blades collided, with both wind and lightning chakra running through them. "I will save him!!"
The two disengaged. Sasuke rolled up his sleeves and revealed tattoos. From them, he summoned two windmill shuriken. Naruto rolled out a scroll and summoned a giant shuriken. At the same time, he created a bushin which transformed into another giant shuriken. They both threw their weapons. Both pairs collided, but only one windmill shuriken fell to the ground. Sasuke pulled the string on the other, its blades flew, knocking Naruto's second weapon to the floor. At the same time, one of the blades managed to cut his leg, but fortunately, Naruto sidestepped to avoid a deep cut. Naruto created three more bushins, and two of them transformed into chains. The two in human form picked them up, and flung them at Sasuke. The Uchiha was caught unprepared, and the chains wrapped around him. The two Narutos pulled tight, forcing Sasuke to kneel in pain. He looked to his side to see that he dropped his sword. He tried to reach for it, but he couldn't make it.
"Give it up, teme!! These chains my bushin have transformed into are coated with plastic; your chidori cannot run a current through them!!"
Sasuke struggled, and finally knelt down in defeat. "Perhaps…" Suddenly, his head shot straight up, and a chidori blade from his left hand impaled Naruto. Sasuke knew he hit the real one; he tracked Naruto's original body like a hawk. The jinchuriki coughed up blood, unable to speak. "Don't worry Naruto; you'll live. You'll live to see the place you love burn to the ground forever."
"I kind of doubt that."
Sasuke looked down and was met by Naruto's foot. Sasuke flipped over, and his surprise left him vulnerable to an onslaught of punches and kicks. Naruto finally grabbed Sasuke, and wrapped him in an arm lock. "How!?" Sasuke yelled. "I tracked the very body that formed the sign!! That should have been you!!"
Naruto pressed down further, causing Sasuke to bend down. "I found a neat way to use my bushin. Once the clones form, I use a mild space/time jutsu to switch places. Not even a sharingan user can see it."
Sasuke , oddly enough, smiled in response. "That's actually quite relieving to hear, that you are a true challenge. It then means that my life was not for nothing after all. Ryuu Yofun no Jutsu!!" Flames erupted out of Sasuke's body, and Naruto was forced to let go. While he was off guard, Sasuke punched the blonde across the face, following up with another back fist and then a round kick. Finally, he tackled the jinchuriki and leapt into the air. "Hayabusa Otoshi!"
Naruto landed head first onto the ground, but thanks to his taijutsu lessons, he was able to stop Sasuke from breaking his neck. Naruto stood, and with one hand, formed his Rasengan. Sasuke immediately countered and jabbed at him with his Chidori. The two were locked in a stalemate. Sasuke pushed forward, bringing his face close to Naruto's. "I sense no killing intent from you. Are you that confident? You think you can beat me without killing me!?"
Naruto pushed back. "Whichever one of us is stronger doesn't mean a thing to me anymore!! I refuse to kill you!! You're my friend!!"
For some reason, this struck a cord in Sasuke. "Friend!? Even when he knows all of this is my doing!?" Sasuke screamed "Don't make me laugh!!" He brought his free hand to the floor and shouted "Chidori current!!" The electricity traveled on the ground and hit Naruto, causing him to loose his footing. "Goukakyuu no Jutsu!!" The massive fireball erupted from Sasuke's mouth, burning everything in its path. Naruto jumped again, but his right arm was caught in the flame. The jinchuriki landed on his side, moaning in pain.
After some hitched breathing, with Sasuke no doubt taking the time to relish in the sight, Naruto began to move his hand. It hurt, yes, but he could still use it to fight. Naruto slowly got up, and formed his Rasengan. Then, he formed a bushin to insert wind into it. "Futon Rasengan!!"
Sasuke smiled. "You're just a glutton for punishment, aren't you!? Well then, I'll give it to you!!" Sasuke prepared more hand signs, but not for his previous fire technique. "Katon!! Gouryuuka no Jutsu!!" Another blast of fire shot forward, but instead of a simple ball of fire, it took the shape of a Dragon King. "Not only does your technique lack the power to push it back, Naruto…You'll make it even stronger!!" It looked like the blond jinchuriki was doomed, but then Sasuke caught something in his left hand. "Is that…water!?"
"Hahonryuu!!" At the last second, Naruto combined the water with his elemental Rasengan. "Gufuu Suika no Jutsu!!" The emerging whirlpool began to push the head away. But by the looks of it, it was more likely that it would evaporate.
"No!! Housenka no Jutsu!!" Sasuke sent several smaller fireballs to aid the original, but soon the waterspout came right at him.
As soon as it evaporated, Naruto knelt, hoping that worse hadn't come to worse. "Sasuke!! Are you all right!?" When the vapor finally cleared, Naruto found him. But not the way he hoped. He wasn't dead. He wasn't even hurt.
As the wings around him unfolded, revealing his Curse Mark 2 form, he said "Actually, dobe, I've never been better." It was then that he ran straight up to Naruto, and looked into his eyes with his Sharingan…
In the catacombs within Naruto's mind, the Kyuubi awoke. He couldn't get out of the cage, and the brat was getting better everyday at keeping him under control. That was when he noticed the so-called last Uchiha staring right at him. "So, we meet again. Afraid to face my power, brat!?"
Sasuke chuckled. "I admit, that's partially correct. But it's a bit more complicated than that. You see, I want to face Naruto without any interruptions. And that includes you. Besides, I was helpless to stop him from taking what was mine…and I want to duplicate that feeling."
As stone pillars rose from the spaces between the bars, the Kyuubi growled with a strange sense of amusement. "Hm. It's a shame that Minato didn't choose you to be my host. We could have been great together. I'm almost rooting for you. But remember: Don't kill him. You will regret it."
As the walls closed, the demonic Sasuke smirked. "I highly doubt that."
Naruto stepped back, feeling something was off. It didn't take long for it to dawn on him. "It will make no difference, Sasuke!! I'll show you I've gotten strong without the Kyuubi!!"
Sasuke could only laugh. "Naruto, don't you remember the Valley of the End!! You used your special power before me, and I still defeated you easily!! Without that monster, you have absolutely no hope!!" Sasuke placed his thumb close to his fanged mouth.
Naruto did the same. "We'll see about that!!"
Shikamaru's eyes snapped open. "I've got it!! It's going to take a lot of chakra. Still, it should work. That guy proved to be clever at times, but he's no strategist." Just when he thought that, his bubble prison popped. He must have been twelve kilometers high! "Not for long." He thought grimly.
He took out a scroll, and did his best to fight the wind pressure. Out of the scroll came several light bombs, all weighed down with dumbbells. "The odds of this working are slim." He held his hand in the sign of the tiger and yelled "Kai!!" The bombs exploded with light. He had to take a chance and pray that the anvils had landed. "Kage Joku no jutsu!!" Indeed, the anvils had just landed, and their shadows shot straight up and combined. Shikamaru landed right in the center. But now he was sliding. The good news for him was that he could extend it into a slide. The bad news, for Shumokuzame, was that Shikamaru was heading right for him. Shikamaru tackled him, and used him as a sled as they practically sailed through all the rubble. It seemed like an eternity before they stopped.
Shikamaru, despite his exhaustion, got up immediately and put some distance between him and his opponent. The Kage Joku saved his life, performing a feat impossible for a safety net. Even so, he was hurt. Not critically, but his sore arm and sides would be a bit of a handicap. Shumokuzame grunted, and rose. "Whoa. That sure hurt like a bitch. Good thing I'm practically a terrestrial jellyfish." Shumokuzame drew his swords and said "But falling from that height, if you managed to survive, that's gotta hurt!! You're nothing to me but wounded prey!!" The swordsman charged, thinking it would be a one-shot kill.
"How wrong he is." Shikamaru thought dryly. He clasped his hands together and shouted "Kage Nui!!" His shadow extended, and tendrils came out.
"What the-!?" The tendrils managed to pierce him, and his blood spilled out. Frantically, he gripped his sides. But the wounds were deep, wide, and accurate."I…can't…stop it…" The swordsman collapsed onto the ground.
Shikamaru finally breathed. "Oh man. I don't think troublesome accurately describes this guy." Shikamaru was tempted to take a nap, but he knew other things were going on. He got up, facing the Hokage tower. He then felt a sharp pain in his back. "Oh man, forget troublesome. This whole day is the pits."
"For you, anyway." Shikamaru turned around in horror, and could not believe his eyes. The blood that poured out of Shumokuzame was forming into three of him!
"It's an unusual kekkei genkai, isn't it? Making me bleed to death will actually create three more of me!" Shikamaru was, for perhaps the second time in his life, dumbfounded. One of them drew his swords…and swallowed them! Suddenly, blades appeared all around him; one on each wrist, elbow, knee, and two at the side of his head. But he didn't attack just yet. He decided to perform another jutsu. "Seiya no Jutsu!!" The other two Shumokuzames spots began to glow even more intensely. Then, they ran circles around Shikamaru. Shikamaru threw a kunai at one, but missed! Normally, he would've chalked it up to bad luck. But Shikamaru could see that it wasn't his opponent's agility that allowed him to evade the weapon: The lights they emitted distorted his vision. The shadow nin tried to engage one in taijutsu, but once he was up close, he could not see the punches in time to counter them. "Didn't your mother ever teach you not to get up close to lights?" one of them taunted. "You could go blind!" Shikamaru took another punch to the face and stumbled. Then, the one with the blades was right at his face, and slashed! Shikamaru clutched his face, and screamed in pain. "Hehe, just so you know, I was prepared to take on your entire team if need be. But seeing my victims so helpless…it gives me shivers of pleasure!!"
Akkisebire brought his blade down, only for Jiraya to block it again with his hair. "Ranji Shigumi no Jutsu!" Jiraya's hair transformed into a lion shape and pinned the child to the wall.
Akkisebire, despite his predicament, smiled. "My, you are good. Anton! Ingei no Eidan!" What seemed to be a portal opened in Akkisebire's chest. Then, a black hand reached out and pinned the toad sage parallel to the child. If that wasn't bad enough, Jiraya felt his chakra draining, and fast.
"Dark chakra…huh? You're an interesting kid." Jiraya didn't have much time. Dark chakra could drain the life out of an opponent. And he was afraid he didn't have enough to counter it. "But, I've got THAT!" Jiraya, his hands still free, pulled out a scroll and unraveled his weapon: A flute!
Akkisebire's brow twitched. "I hate music." He muttered.
"Ooh, that's good. Then you are going to absolutely hate this!" Jiraya began playing.
Akkisebire actually didn't mind it. It felt…soothing. "I could just go to sleep like this…." That was exactly what happened. Seribeki's eyes closed, and once he did, he was surrounded by a chakra cage. The chakra hand that held Jiraya disappeared as well.
"This is no ordinary flute, kid. This is the Flute of Tranquility! Whoever posses it can play a melody that will force a person into a dream-like genjutsu. And the barrier around you prevents anyone from deactivating it as well." Jiraya, content that the fight was over, put his mythical weapon away. What he failed to notice, though, was that the Guandao was glowing.
"Bah. I should have known my brat was too young to make it on his own. Wake up, kid!!" The barrier shattered, and Akkisebire's eyes glowed bright red. He then charged towards the toad sage. By the time Jiraya heard him coming, it was too late. He avoided a fatal blow, but the cut he received nearly paralyzed his left arm.
"Impossible!" he shouted.
"For him, yes."
Jiraya's jaw almost dropped. That wasn't the kid talking…it was the blade. "What is that thing?"
"Hnhnhn. Jiraya the Toad Sage I presume." It spoke. "I suppose it should come to no surprise that not even a sanin knows about me. I am Shachi Gaikotsu…the father of this boy. Not too long ago, I battled with a powerful ninja, one I'm sure even Orochimaru would be afraid to take on. I was defeated in that battle, and dying. So, I transferred my mind and soul onto my blade, and commanded my son to wield it. We have been a formidable team since then."
Jiraya was stunned at first, but remembered something from Tsunade's reports about a puppet master from the Akatsuki turning himself into a puppet. "I guess nothing's impossible." He muttered. "Well, I am impressed, but all you will accomplish is making this fight just SLIGHTLY more interesting."
"Oh, I'll do that, and much, much more."
Jiraya opened another scroll and pulled out a spear. He thrust his weapon forward, only to have it blocked by the blade. Jiraya and the child vessel continued parrying and attacking. Finally, Jiraya's weapon managed to scratch the boy's shoulder, to which he grinned. However, the boy did not feel it and landed a double jump kick to the Sanin's face. Jiraya spun, and dealt the boy a surprise. "Rasengan!" The Rasengan hit the boy square in the chest and sent him spinning. However, unlike most enemies, he rose up again. "Shit. That boy really is nothing more than a vessel." The child then swung his blade wildly; he didn't even seem to be aiming for Jiraya. "What is he trying to…" Suddenly, he heard an intense whistling sound. One so intense, that Jiraya had to hold his ears shut. Even keeping his eyes open was a struggle. It wasn't long before his stomach began to churn. "What's…happening…to me…" Jiraya fell over in pain, without even being touched.
"The rings on my blade emit a special sound, too. They throw off your equilibrium. The tone is so loud that your head will feel like it's about to explode. And the sound waves can turn your organs into mush. As long as this blade swings, you'll never counter attack!!"
Akkisebire lifted the weapon that was his father and began to beat Jiraya with the blunt end. And all he could do was scream in pain.
Konohamaru yelled "Suiton!! Dohajikeru no Jutsu!!" A wave of water went right for Lei Gong, but instead of knocking him off balance, the water simply seeped into the ground.
"Ah, it's been years since I saw that trick…" the elder swordsman thought. The ground suddenly burst in an explosion of water.
"All right!!" Konohamaru yelled with joy. "If that doesn't knock him off his feet, nothing will!!"
"The latter is quite correct." Before Konohamaru could turn around and face him, he heard "Doton! Supaikudorine on Jutsu!"
The ground beneath Konohamaru crumbled, and the chunin fell. He only caught a glimpse of what awaited him, but it was all he needed to see: A pit of spikes. Instinctively, he threw his scarf up, and just his luck it wrapped around the swordsman's throat. Lei Gong gagged in surprise, and Konohamaru used his body to launch himself out of the pit. As soon as he was out, he kicked the old man right under the chin, and landed back on solid ground. Konohamaru spun around to face him again, but was not prepared for what Lei Gong did next: He threw one of his swords within the curve of another and slashed, using the extra-long reach.
Konohamaru stepped away in time to avoid being sliced in half, but judging by the pain he felt, he would be lucky if his guts didn't spill out. Lei Gong grabbed the debilitated Sarutobi and pounded him mercilessly. "How does it feel, young one!? To be disgraced!? Perhaps as soon as this village burns to the ground, I should let you live!! Everyone will question how you survived while I still live!! You'll be hated, disgraced, you will have failed to live up to the standards of a shinobi!!" Lei Gong finally sent a kick to Konohamaru and smacked him into the water wall.
Konohamaru just sat there, gripping his stomach and panted. "I kinda doubt that." He whispered hoarsely. "Unlike the village from which you hailed, we think of ourselves as more than tools for war. We know we can have both strength and our souls. You thought of your people as nothing but an army under your personal command. And when they saw you defeated, they saw an opportunity to take power into their own hands. Here, it's different. We're family, and we stand by one another, no matter what. We don't view the death of a shinobi as a failure; it's a tragedy for us all, one we do our best to never repeat. But I guess that's something you'll never understand."
As he said that, Lei Gong saw the image of the Sandaime Hokage as well. His eyes widened in fright, and he gritted his teeth. "Even today that fool still curses me!! I'll end it here!!" He threw his swords on both sides of the arena he created.
"What's he doing!?" Konohamaru thought.
Lei Gong made his hand seals, and sneered. "Well, I suppose to get you to show the true strength of the Sarutobi, a penalty of instant death should you not defeat me will have to suffice. Tsuchi no Ingatekimen!!" The sky around them lit up, almost as bright as day. Then, lightning came down on all sides. Konohamaru couldn't be too sure, but it seemed like the sky was moving down. "Here is your ultimatum: Defeat me before that chakra ceiling comes crashing down on us. If I am not defeated before it does, not only will you loose your life; your friend and baby relative will go as well. I, of course, will remain unharmed."
Konohamaru struggled up, ignoring his pain. "Moegi…I swear…I will protect you…"
Moegi lay on her back, sweating profusely. She didn't know how much longer she could take this, but at least Asuma was safe. And her thoughts turned to Konohamaru as well. "It's so silly. He was so mean to me…and yet…"
Moegi panted, fearing it would be her last breath. "I can't stop thinking about you. I can't stay mad at you. If I get out of this…I suppose I could give you another chance…" With that, she finally passed out, giving into the heat.
"Summoning no Jutsu!!" Naruto stood atop Gamabunta, as Sasuke stood atop Manda.
"How dare you summon me!?" Manda yelled. "Where are my sacrifices?!"
Sasuke simply flew down and looked him right in one eye. Manda immediately calmed down, and Sasuke resumed his position. "I'm afraid snakes are not as good summons as other animals. Bigger ones like this require hypnotism to be brought under complete control."
Naruto gritted his teeth, and looked down on Gamabunta. "Got a problem facing off against him, chief?"
"None at all. I've actually been looking forward to a rematch with that bastard. It was embarrassing being saved by Katsuya." Gamabunta unsheathed his sword and took to the air. Manda launched a sword from his mouth and collided his blade with the toads. Both dropped their weapons at the sudden impact, but Gamabunta was quick to react. As soon as he landed, he flipped over and double-kicked Manda across the face. The giant snake went down hard, much to Sasuke's dismay.
"Damn it, you piece of shit!! Get up!! Get the fuck up!!" The snake complied, and began to move toward Gamabunta again. The two fired water bullets, dodging each one and launching a counter attack. Finally, using another bullet as a distraction, Gamabunta leapt behind Manda and wrapped his tongue around its neck. Manda thrashed around frantically trying to break its grip, but Gamabunta held on tight.
"What's wrong, teme? It seems your summon isn't good for much after all." Naruto, however, would regret saying that. Manda suddenly grew nine heads and struck the toad behind them. Gamabunta screamed in pain, while Naruto held on for dear life. Sasuke grew his wings and used the opportunity to fly. The Uchiha tackled Naruto and slammed him to the ground.
"Let the summons have their fun." Sasuke growled as he choked his former best friend. "This is OUR battle."
"Sasuke…please stop…I don't want to hurt you…"
Sasuke looked at him strangely. Then, he laughed menacingly. "Hurt me!? HURT ME!?" Sasuke lifted Naruto and threw him into one of the buildings. "You should be the one worried about getting hurt!!" Naruto suddenly came threw the wall with an Oodama Rasengan in his palm. Quickly, Sasuke formed his Chidori, and flew right towards him. The two techniques collided…and Naruto was blown away. Sasuke flew around and kicked the jinchuriki sky high. "Hidden Snake Hands!!" Snakes popped out of his arms, wrapped around Naruto, and slammed him back down.
Naruto only briefly fought Sasuke's Curse Mark 2 form. Back then, he was a child, untrained…but his power was incredible. And his training and maturity have increased it significantly. "I could use…no, not the Rasenshuriken…"
Sasuke ran up and grabbed Naruto's head, squeezing tightly. Naruto let out a small groan in response. Sasuke lifted him up and pounded his body. "What kind of friend takes away one's destiny!? To leave him in disgrace!?" Sasuke slammed him down and kicked him. "I should have killed you at the Valley of The End."
Naruto gripped his side and spat blood. He turned around, and looked Sasuke in the eye. "Sasuke…your brother didn't want to kill your clan. Akatsuki forced him into it."
Sasuke just stood there, like someone had slapped him. "What?" His voice sounded both confused and angry at the same time.
"Itachi was forced to make a choice…between having the village destroyed and killing your family, in exchange for sparing your life." Naruto, on his shaky legs stood up. "Itachi loved you. And this village. He turned himself over as a slave to the Akatsuki to protect us both."
Sasuke's mind was reeling at the concept. Protect? Impossible! He spared him only because he wasn't worth killing, the look on his eyes alone showed it enough. But then…Itachi was always a good actor; he had to be. His brother was notorious for operating under all sorts of cover. And he always kept his emotions in check. Could it be…? Sasuke then snapped back to reality and looked at his proclaimed nemesis. "No. I will not be denied what is rightfully mine!!"
Sasuke punched the black and blue Naruto across the face and sent him to the ground again. "Liar!! You saw my brother back at the hotel!! He tried to kidnap you!!" Sasuke planted his foot onto Naruto's gut, and forced him to scream. "If you're going to beg for your life, at least tell the truth about what happened!!" Sasuke continued to torture him, but he got the same answer. Dissatisfied, Sasuke picked him up, and flew straight up.
Naruto chocked as he was placed into a headlock. Despite his depleting air, his eyes widened in horror as he got a good look at his village: Ruins. Some buildings were still intact, but it was clear that any moment now their village would be reduced to ruble.
"Take a good look, Naruto. Without government or money, your village will stay like this forever. And you are going to watch as it happens. You'll know the true meaning of helplessness. The inability to protect your dream."
Naruto glanced at Sasuke from his side, then at the destruction below him. Naruto closed his eyes. No choice. "Sasuke…I'm sorry…but I must stop you now."
Sasuke looked at his prey incredulously. "Kukuku. Stop me? I hate to break this to you, but that's what you just tried."
"No. I was holding back. All I was trying to do was restrain you. I wanted you to come back to us, even if it meant spending a good portion of your life in the dungeon. But to save my home…Naruto clenched his fist, and with the intent to kill looked at Sasuke and said "I will kill you!!"
Sasuke only laughed some more. "And how do you propose to do that!?"
Naruto, despite the situation, spoke calmly. "I'm not the same knuckle-head you once knew. Now, I'm one with the wind."
"Uggh!!" Tsunade took another punch from Orochimaru. She did have a jutsu that could cleanse the poison right out of her body. But it required concentration, something she would not get in this battle. And Orochimaru was not giving her the opportunity to use her Souzou Saizei.
"Well, it's been fun, Tsunade-hime. I would have liked to have done this when you were at your best. But with the way things are looking right now, I'm not taking any chances. Regrettably, it's time to end this." Snakes sprouted from the dark sanin's arms, wrapped around Tsunade, and lifted her off the ground. Orochimaru opened his mouth…but before he got a chance to do anything, something burst through the roof between them. Orochimaru looked as he saw a pink-haired woman gently lay the Hokage on her side. Orochimaru's eyes widened. Sakura turned to face him. "Ah. I remember you. You're that useless little girl back at the chunin exams. I was surprised you were even allowed to go with Naruto-kun to retrieve Sasuke. You were no threat to me…until now. I saw your fight with Kabuto. I was very impressed. But without help, you haven't got a chance against me."
Sakura was barely paying attention to what he was saying. She quickly checked her master's vital signs. It was similar to the poison Sasori used…but it wasn't fatal. Healing her would have to wait. "Hang in there, Shishou." Sakura turned around and prepared to fight the evil Sanin.
"I did say I was impressed…but not concerned. You may be her apprentice, but you have no chance against me." Sakura audibly gulped, internally agreeing with what he said.
Tsunade looked over her side, and smiled. "Oh, Orochimaru, neither you nor she knows what she is capable of."
There you have it!! Next time: Can Naruto really take Sasuke down? Will Konohamaru, Jiraya, and Shikamaru survive? Will Kakashi and the others make it in time? Plus, Sakura vs. Orochimaru! The night is darkest just before the dawn, but the dawn may never come.
Dokudokushi Isoginchaku-Venomous Anemone
Chuuten Houmatsu-Rising Bubble
Todo Gouon-Sea Lion Roar
Kosui no Jigokudo-Lake of Hell
KamiKarento-Divine Current
Karyukyuu-Fire Dragonball
Tsu-Spit
Fushido no Rentan-Bed of Coals
Kage Joku-Shadow Cushion
Seiya-Starlight Night
Anton-Dark Release/Dark Style
Ingei no Eidan!-Hand of Judgment
Shachi Gaikotsu-Orca Skeleton
Dohajikeru-Ground Burst
Supaikudorine-Spiked Sinkhole
Tsuchi no Ingatekimen-Hammer of Swift Justice
Hiiro Hakumei-Scarlet Dusk