Hello everyone... I apologize for the late posting. I know I promised you a new chapter a month or two ago. But things came up, juggling this story and a multitude of different writing projects is quite a pickle. But luckily I can work around this. I hope you guys love this new chapter. Like always, please review this story.

Chapter 16

One more rematch

Kai sat outside, looking up at the moon. The thoughts going through his mind at that time were a mix of optimism and worry. The optimism of Sakura being the one to wield Ashimaru and being free to live a normal life. But the worry is that possibly some damaging side effect that could in the end kill him. He wanted to spend his life with Ino, but the sheer fact that he was immortal in a sense was something he hated, but tomorrow could make him mortal once again.

"Worried about tomorrow I take it?"

Kai turned around and saw it was Tsubaki, she sat next to her pupil. His gaze didn't break as he weighed the pros and cons of tomorrow.

"Tomorrow might be the most important day for both me and Sakura. I don't know what it may entail for both of us. It may lead to my demise. But it will lead to her no longer having this weight on her shoulders. I'm scared, but I hope that everything will work out."

"Well you know Kai, some things are better left unsaid when it comes to our futures. I may not be a fortune teller but I know that whatever happens tomorrow I know it will be a great outcome for you both."

"I sure hope so. Not just for me but for Sakura as well."

"Kai, there is another person you will hope that things will work out."

Kai smiled, thinking of the one person she was referring to… "Ino!"

"Make tonight all about you and her Kai. Tomorrow is a brand new day for you so cherish whatever time you have left."

Kai got up and proceeded back inside the cabin. "Thank you for the pep talk Tsubaki-Sensei."

"No problem Kai, it's no problem at all."

As soon as went back inside, she felt a spike of sinister chakra. She can feel a presence in the vicinity.

"You decided to show up huh, trying to harvest Ashimaru? If they can't stop you, I will." She thought to herself.

Kai soon entered the bedroom, Ino was sound asleep. He stroked her hair gently, hoping not to wake her. But her eyes opened slowly and saw Kai by her side.

"Kai-Kun… is everything alright?"

"I was just thinking of tomorrow, and how everything is gonna change."

"Like what may I ask?"

"I will no longer be some immortal fool guarding a stone. I can finally be mortal and grow old."

"So you're looking forward to something like that?"

"Of course, I am because of one thing and one thing only."

Kai held her hands and looked into her eyes.

"Because I can grow old with a person I fell in love with."

Her eyes shimmered as Kai leaned in with a soft kiss. He then kneeled before her.

"Ino Yamanaka, you're the person I want to spend my life with. Ino I have been in love with you since the day we first met and I want to ask you a very important question… Ino will you become my wife."

Ino couldn't believe her ears, Kai just laid down a marriage proposal. It may have been a few months since they first met, but they bonded over that time and it was apparent that he loved her and she loved him. She had tears well up in her beautiful eyes. She nodded her head and told him her answer.

"Yes Kai-Kun, I will become your wife."

Both Ino and Kai embraced each other and soon would curl in bed together. They smiled at each other knowing that no matter what happens tomorrow, they will stand together as a couple.

Naruto and Sakura were sleeping in the next room. Both were cuddling with each other, caught in each other's glow. They were content, they figured once everything was said and done with bringing Sasuke home, they would take it to the next level. As Sakura slept in Naruto's arms, he thought of a future with the girl of his dreams, he was going to protect her tomorrow and make sure she was safe and sound.

"Sakura, I vow to protect you with my very life. That is my promise to you forever and ever." He said with a kiss on her forehead.

The morning sun rose uninterrupted, it was a beautiful glow as everyone awoke and started to get ready for the ritual. Kai and Kushina prepared some seals, as Sakura would get a few more touches added to the runes painted on her body thanks to Naruto, Ino, Itachi, and Tsubaki preparing the elixir from the plants gathered earlier that week. They would start to make their way to the location.

On the way there, Ino told Sakura the news about Kai proposing to her. Sakura hugged her best friend. She was so happy for them, as Ino and Kai both blushed. Naruto padded his new friend on the back and he also congratulated the both of them. Tsubaki was proud of her student, taking the advice she gave him. She prayed that he would make it through this so he and Ino could live happily ever after.

After walking for what seemed to be hours, they would finally arrive at the ritual area. It was a huge pavilion as there was a pedestal with a place where Sakura would be placed. Naruto would take Sakura by the hand and would gently bring her down to the ritual area. She was dressed in a white dress, the runes painted over her body made Naruto blush. He would put the final touch on her head, a flower crown.

"Here you go, we will keep an eye out for any intrusion to the ritual. Wishing you a lot of luck." He says to her, as they exchange a kiss.

Kai approaches Sakura as the both of them share a bit of conversation.

"Are you ready Sakura?"

"Yeah Kai, but I guess I could say the same to you?"

Both of them laughed. And he nodded to her.

"Yeah, I should be fine. The pain shouldn't be that god-awful. But all that matters at this point is you."

"Then if your ready Kai, let's get started." Tsubaki softly told her student. Kai nodded and gave her a thumbs-up.

Tsubaki soon places 6 torches around the area, lighting them with some fire infused with her own chakra. She soon started to start some chanting, As Kai would soon do his part for the ritual. He sat cross-legged and exhaled. He flew through hand signs so fast they looked like a blur. As he did this, he began to glow as Sakura's eyes grew wide. He began to emit a red aura, as he would place a unique seal on his body. He began to groan and moan, as a black flame enveloped him. He began to scream in such agony that it could be picked up as far as a quarter mile from the location. His eyes began to glow a crimson red.

"Kai-kun, are you alright?" Ino said, running to him. He would hold his palm out.

"Ino, I know you're worried, but please don't touch me until after the ritual is done. The flames could burn you to a crisp." Kai warned his love.

Kai then threw Tsubaki the other seal to place on Sakura. The seal would transfer the elixir coursing through Kai's veins into Sakura. Tsubaki placed it on her and started to flash through hand signs with hypersonic speed as the seal began to glow. Kai would approach Sakura.

"Sakura, now place your hands on my chest and the transfer of power will begin." Kai pleaded with her, as Sakura nodded her head as she did as he asked.

The fiery aura would start to travel from Kai's body to Sakura's. The blazing black flames that surrounded him would slowly move towards Sakura, as she would become enveloped by the fire that engulfed Kai just a second ago. A blinding light would envelop the area, and the aura surrounding Kai would dissipate, as he would crumble to the ground. Ino ran and lifted Kai's exhausted body and hugged him. Sakura's body, on the other hand, was a radiant pink. It fit her hair color to a tee, soon it would recede and a faint glow was all that was left. Tsubaki smiled, this was a sign that everything was going according to what the ritual entailed. But now it was time for the final step.

Naruto would approach Sakura and walk her to the pedestal where she would lie down. She would take a drink of the special tea made earlier, as Tsubaki would start to strap her on the stone. Tsubaki would soon start to go into the final step by chanting from the book. However, a giant fireball would be shot from the sky to interrupt the ritual. Naruto would scoop up Sakura to save her from the fireball. They looked up to see that it was Kagome, and she looked alot more imposing than before.

"I guess you just can't take a loss can you?" Naruto screamed at her.

"You should know me by now Uzumaki, I just can't help myself." She said, with a demented smirk. "The pink-haired girl is now prime for the extraction now."

"Like I said before Kagome, you want me, come fight me." Sakura said, with her fist clenched.

"Sakura, do you think you should? I mean you're still in the final phase of the integration?"

"I'm fine Naruto, I can still fight."

"Alright, then if you think you can still fight… Let's go!"

Ino was still healing Kai, he still was hurting after getting the elixir removed from his body. She was terrified, she didn't know if her healing abilities would heal him. But she tried everything she could to bring him back to fighting shape. He was wincing in horrible pain, it really could be more of his body getting adjusted to his normal body now. But this could have ended his fledgling ninja career.

"Relax Kai, I'm here for you. You have to calm your body, I know it hurts, but please relax."

"I know Ino, I'm trying to, but damn, it feels like every nerve in my body is burning" He screamed out, as she continued to pump healing chakra into the palms of her hands.

"Please, please I beg of you, let me heal him. I can't stand to see him in pain. Please, give me more strength to heal my Kai-kun." She whispered to herself.

Another pair of hands soon joined her, it was Tsubaki… she was channeling a black aura from her hand as chakra soon traveled from her to him.

"Tsubaki? But how?"

"I didn't tell Kai, but I too have some of the elixir in my body."

Ino didn't want to ask questions at this point, they had to continue to heal him. Tsubaki felt a strong presence on the horizon, and they needed him to be in fighting shape.

Itachi and Kushina faced off against Keiko, who didn't seem like herself. Her body was like a puppet, as she launched herself at them. Itachi would push her into Kushina who would bash her with a punch, knocking her down. Keiko would kick up and try to grab at Itachi, but he would break into a flock of crows.

The crows would fly right at her and surround her like a black feathered tornado. With every moment her body would try to move or even flinch, the crows would peck and scratch her with their beaks and claws. She screamed out in pain, even in a controlled state it was still very painful.

The crows would soon erupt in flames as it soon became a fiery cyclone. It would soon envelop her into a fireball. Engulfing her in flames, but as soon as the flames dissipated her body wasn't burnt to a crisp.

"Hey Itachi, why isn't she incinerated?" Kushina asked the Uchiha.

"Must be the seal that was used on you as well. She must have died at some point and the mastermind behind this must have used a stronger resurrection seal."

Kushina would then restrain her with some chakra rope she had on her person. After tying her up, they picked her up and made their way to the battlefield. However, Itachi sensed something, the ground under their feet began to tremble and shake. Suddenly, in the blink of a nano-second… the entire ground exploded, catching them completely off guard.

Naruto and Sakura went against Kagome once again, and the battle was fierce but with both working as one unified force Kagome would fail to gain any type of advantage. But something was different about her this time. She seems more focused this time and not as angry as before. She would start to laugh methodically.

"What's so funny?" Naruto asked her.

"Oh, what's funny is that we will finally get that damned bird soon."

"You seem so confident for someone who will once again get their ass kicked." Sakura taunted her, but all Kagome could do is laugh.

Naruto would create a few clones, and Sakura would channel black fire to her fists.

"So Naruto, what's the plan?"

"Well, I'll send a few of my clones at her, then with the clones I'll distract her enough for you to whomp her will everything you have. I'm sure at this point, with Ashimaru nearly awakening you two should be able to hit her with that amazing strength of yours."

"Sounds good, let's put an end to this once and for all."

Sakura would slam the ground with a powerful force, causing a dust cloud to block Kagome's vision of the two Konoha ninjas.

Out of the dust cloud, the clones would begin their turn in the battle, One went to the left, the other went to the right and Naruto himself would go right for her. Kagome was ready for this however, she would block one's kick and would send it spinning to the ground. She would then grab the other and slam it onto the clone, causing it to vanish. Naruto would leap into the air and go in for a punch, but she would block it with her arm. She then would grab his fist and nail him with a fierce elbow smash. However, that one would vanish in a puff of smoke.

"Come on out you two, I still have a bone to pick with you." She vented, licking her chops with the power she accumulated from her master. Suddenly a voice caught her attention.

"HEY KAGOME… UP HERE!" The voice screamed as her sight caught about 20 Naruto clones, in their hands were fully charged Rasengan. She created about 20 blood clones to do battle with the Naruto clones.

"So Uzumaki, you want to go to war with me? Then prepare for a battle you will so regret."

"Then bring it on! But I got to warn you, you will not like the result."

The clash between clones then would begin, and Naruto and Kagome clones would dissipate left and right. It was a fierce battle but in the end, it would only be one Naruto and one Kagome would be standing. Both panting after draining quite a bit of chakra. Kagome ran at Naruto and he would sweep her leg as he would attempt to hit her with an uppercut. She would tumble before the connecting attack kick him in the chest and launch herself into him, slamming into his gut. With swift action, she would grab a kunai and go in for a stab. As she sinks the kunai into Naruto, a log appears.

"WHAT THE HELL!" She would scream as a pair of hands would pop out of the ground and grab her ankles, holding her in place. "YOU BASTARD, YOU PLANNED THIS OUT DIDN'T YOU?"

However, her eyes opened wide as Sakura appeared above her with a fist blazing with black fire. "KAGOME… IT'S OVER!" She said as she laid into her a ferocious fiery punch with all of her and Ashimaru's power. "SHANNARO!"

The force of the punch would cause a powerful explosion. Sending her flying across the battlefield, tumbling into a tree that would splinter.

Naruto, with the help of Sakura, would dig himself out of the ground. She would give him some chakra pills that were on her person. She also took one.

They would soon walk over to the battered and bruised woman. She was still breathing, with the headache she gave them. A cold-hearted person would just let her suffer and die. But Sakura leaned down and began to heal their adversary.

"How is she Sakura?" The blonde Jinchurichi asked.

"She'll be out for a bit but she'll be fine."

Naruto held his hand out and she grabbed it. Both Naruto and Sakura began to search for everyone but the sound of clapping distracted the both of them. Their eyes focused on the noise and there was a man in a cloak. He was clapping his hands like he was applauding them.

"Who the hell is that?" Naruto and Sakura both asked.

"Fantastic work my friends, I didn't think you would defeat Kagome as you did. But here we are and you didn't disappoint. Sakura my dear, you've grown so beautiful."

"Sakura, you do think?" Naruto asked before Sakura clenched her fists.

"Yeah, that must be the bastard that placed Ashimaru in me."

"Your assessment is correct, I was the one to give you that gift. But sadly I must ask for it back. You know the both of you don't have to make this more complicated than it has to be. But if you must fight me then bring it on."

Naruto and Sakura both looked at each other with a smile and the two of them would leap right into battle.

As always, please review the chapter. I hope to wrap up this story in the few 3 to 4 chapters. I will not abandon this story, so please stay tuned. The next chapter should be up by the end of the month. Thank you once again.