'I'll stop them!' thought C, and started to make a hand sign. "Lightning Jutsu: Lightning Illusion, Flash of Lightning Pillar!"
C discharged electricity through his entire body in the form of an extremely bright light to disorient his target's vision. Once this was done, he was able to implant images in their mind and made Jugo see that Sasuke and Sakura had been smashed into the ground by the Raikage.
"Sasuke! Sakura!" Jugo shouted, desperation evident in his voice.
"Jugo, don't sweat it. It's a Genjutsu," Sasuke said calmly as he dispelled it with his Sharingan. However, both Darui and the Raikage seized the opportunity to launch an attack. The Raikage stood in front of Sasuke, while Darui positioned himself behind him, where Sakura was standing.
"You may have seen through the Genjutsu, but you're still too late!" Raikage exclaimed, ready to launch his heavy fist at Sasuke. Sakura quickly drew her katana to stop Darui's attack, while Suigetsu, now also joining the fray, blocked the brunt of the Raikage's elbow with his sword. Meanwhile, Jugo, who transformed his right arm into a sharp tool, defended against Darui's cleaver sword.
"Ugh!" Suigetsu grunted as he struggled to block the Raikage's attack.
'What monstrous power!' thought Suigetsu, frustrated. Just then, Suigetsu's sword snapped in half from the impact, making it impossible to block any longer. They quickly retreated from Raikage and Darui, causing Raikage to slam his fist into the ground instead. The ground shook violently as the Raikage's punch crashed into the ground, sending shockwaves through the area. Debris flew into the air, momentarily obscuring everyone's vision.
"If I weren't made of water, both my arms would be wrenched off, you know!" Suigetsu groaned as he looked down at his sword. "Waah! My poor executioner's blade!"
"Well, it had already gotten cracked against Eight Tails, after all," Jugo replied.
"C, check and see if they've got any other allies around," Darui commanded as he glanced around the area. "I don't want to worry about more popping in."
"I'm pretty sure there was one more, but if I have to focus on that, it'll be harder for me to participate in the battle," C replied.
"We don't need you. The boss and I are enough," Darui snapped, his focus sharp as he eyed the swirling dust from the Raikage's failed attack.
"Karin was hunting down Danzo," Sakura whispered to the others after hearing her enemies' conversation.
"I bet she's going to erase her chakra... since she's got that ability," Suigetsu whispered back.
"So that guy in the back is a sensor-type shinobi, huh? We gotta take him down," Jugo interjected and started to focus more on his chakra.
"W-wait, Jugo—" Sakura tried to say something, but it was no use. Jugo purposely tapped into his homicidal nature and entered into full Sage Transformation.
"GWA-HAHAHA! I'M GONNA SLAUGHTER YA! AHHA!"
"Jugo actually voluntarily gave in to his killer impulse this time," Suigetsu observed, his eyes wide with both concern and awe.
"I hope he still remembers we're on his side," Sakura said worriedly, glancing at Sasuke for reassurance. She couldn't help but feel anxious about Sasuke's state of mind. She had managed to stop him from going further with his killing spree, but since the Raikage had joined the battle, Sasuke had remained silent.
"You need to learn your place!" Raikage shouted, and with his speed, he was in front of Jugo in an instant. He punched Jugo and slammed him against the wall. Jugo's body hit the cold, hard stone, the impact sending tremors through his core.
Using this distraction, Suigetsu quickly got behind C and swung his broken sword, but Darui intervened and blocked it with his own sword. The metal clashed against each other, ringing out a sharp note that echoed off the surroundings.
"Nice blade you got there," Suigetsu taunted, still grasping the broken hilt of his sword.
"I ain't giving you mine just 'cause yours broke," Darui snapped back, his eyes steely with determination.
"Can you both shut up?" Sakura interjected as she suddenly appeared between them, quick on her feet, and retaliated with a well-placed kick that sent C stumbling to the ground.
"C!" Darui yelled, his voice laced with anxiety as he watched his teammate fall. Meanwhile, Jugo grunted in pain, trying to shake off the dizziness from Raikage's blow
"Get... off me!" he roared, but the Raikage only laughed, clearly reveling in his dominance. Jugo used his Multiple Lotus Nonself Connected Cannons on Raikage. His back grew more of his jet booster-like appendages, which he extended to gather natural energy before releasing it as a powerful chakra blast.
As the wave of energy rippled through the atmosphere, it interrupted Suigetsu's and Darui's sword fight, causing them to shield their eyes while C attempted to regain his footing. Sakura tried to stand her ground, watching the battle between Jugo and Raikage. Using this distraction, Sasuke paralyzed C with his Genjutsu Sharingan to take him out.
"C! Why are you lying down?! Get up!" Darui screamed while blocking another one of Suigetsu's attacks.
"KYA-HA HA HA, I KILLED HIM! I KILLED HIM!" Jugo cackled, his voice rising like thunder as he felt the raw power coursing through him. "WHO'S NEXT—"
Before Jugo could finish, Raikage jumped back toward him and, using his own body, slammed into Jugo. With his tremendous power and speed, he sent Jugo crashing into the wall, momentarily stunning him and halting his rampage.
'He is completely unscathed,' Sakura thought to herself, her heart racing as she processed the ferocity of the battle unfolding before her. With Jugo injured, Sasuke decided to face Raikage himself.
"Sasuke! Don't!" Sakura yelled, but it was no use. With Jugo unconscious, Sasuke busy with his battle against Raikage, Suigetsu fighting Darui, C paralyzed, and Karin using this opportunity to search for Danzo, Sakura took a moment to breathe and gather her thoughts, strategizing her next move as she stood amidst the chaos of battle. Concentrating on her chakra flow, she felt the surge building within her, ready to be unleashed.
'Three years of training under Orochimaru and Kabuto have paid off. The knowledge Tsunade taught me before I left the village has also paid off,' Sakura thought proudly as she surveyed the melee unfolding around her.
A diamond-like marking manifested in the center of Sakura's forehead. By storing a vast amount of chakra over an extended period into a specific point on her body, she succeeded in creating this seal. As the tumultuous battle around Sakura escalated, she felt the familiar rush of energy build within her—the powerful chakra honed through years of training as both a healer and a fighter.
'We need to find a way to leave!' Sakura thought as she quickly made her way to Jugo. He was still stuck on the wall because of the heavy impact of the Raikage's assault.
"Jugo! Are you still there?" Sakura called, her voice steady but laced with urgency. She reached Jugo's side just as he was regaining his senses. "I can heal you, but I need to know that you won't try to kill me."
"I... I am!" Jugo replied, eyeing the Raikage warily as he pushed himself off the wall with a grunt. As soon as he fell to the ground, Sakura quickly knelt beside him, placing her hands on his wounded side. She felt the warmth of healing energy flow from her palms into Jugo's body.
As they glanced up, they saw Sasuke lunging at the Raikage, his Sharingan swirling in intensity as he aimed to exploit any weaknesses in the formidable opponent's technique. Sasuke's Chidori managed to make contact with the Raikage's torso, despite the latter being cloaked in his Lightning Jutsu Chakra Mode. However, because the Raikage's lightning technique was far superior to Sasuke's, he wasn't able to do any damage.
"A thrust attack! The power is enhanced with Lightning... just like Hatake Kakashi's Jutsu. I'm impressed you were able to touch me through my Lightning armor!" complimented the Raikage.
"He failed?!" Karin gasped, her heart sinking as she watched Sasuke get grabbed and lifted up into the air. Using his extreme strength, the Raikage smashed Sasuke headfirst onto the ground in what resembled a powerbomb maneuver.
"Sasuke!" Sakura screamed as she felt the ground tremor beneath her feet from the sheer force of the impact. Panic washed over her, and her heart raced as she looked on helplessly, realizing that the battlefield was spiraling out of control. The impact was devastating enough to shatter a large area of the ground itself.
Using this distraction, Darui managed to impale Suigetsu, whose Hydrification Technique was affected by the Lightning Release running through the blade. Darui then helped C to his feet as they observed in shock at the sight of Sasuke surviving the strike.
"Sasuke..." Sakura breathed out in relief, her eyes wide as she witnessed Sasuke rising from the ground. It didn't take long for her feelings of relief to turn into fear as she realized skeletal structures, such as a ribcage, surrounded Sasuke.
"A ribcage?" Sakura gasped, a mix of concern and confusion flooding her thoughts. The skeletal structure encasing Sasuke was known as the Susanoo, a powerful technique of his bloodline that granted him protection and enhanced combat abilities. It was a dangerous display of power, one that danced on the edges of desperation.
"Itachi told me about it... but to think it would happen so soon..." Sakura mumbled, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Jugo, leave this place immediately; we'll meet up later!" Sakura demanded, and before he could respond, she quickly dashed away. Seeing that the Raikage was distracted by the sudden appearance of Sasuke's Susanoo ribcage and how Sasuke was left unscratched, Sakura seized the opportunity.
She quickly appeared between Sasuke and the Raikage, channeling her chakra into her feet at the last possible second. With a kick that rang like a bell, she connected with the Raikage's side, sending him stumbling back. The distance was just enough for Sasuke to back away, distancing himself further from the Raikage.
"Are you okay, Sasuke?" Sakura asked, concern etched across her face as she regarded the skeletal figure surrounding him. "Don't get me wrong; I was able to push him away from you just because he was distracted by the skeletal figure. I'm at full capacity now, but I doubt I did any damage to him..."
"Full capa—?" Sasuke noticed a purple diamond-shaped seal at the center of Sakura's forehead.
"That unique seal... You're using your chakra like Tsunade," said Raikage as he regained his footing, his expression turning into one of annoyance mixed with a hint of respect. "I heard the rumor about how the disciple of the Fifth Hokage of the Leaf had defected from the village. I didn't think you'd join this brat, and of all things, the Akatsuki?!"
"I did train under Tsunade before I left the village, but I... we did not join the Akatsuki!" Sakura proclaimed fiercely. "Tha—"
Her eyes darted to Sasuke, whose Sharingan gleamed ominously beneath the skeletal shield of Susanoo; he had activated his Mangekyō Sharingan.
"Good to see the rumor was true," he remarked, adjusting his stance. "Though it means you're a bigger threat than I initially thought. You might be stronger than Tsunade."
The air was thick with the tension of battle, the shimmering energies of chakra swirling like a storm around the fighters. As Raikage glared at the duo, his fists still crackling with lightning, the world seemed to hold its breath, waiting for the next move.
"Sakura, go help Suigetsu," Sasuke commanded, his voice steady yet laced with urgency.
"But—"
"I need you to trust me," Sasuke replied, his Sharingan flashing with intensity. "Your healing is more important. We can't afford to have anyone fall in battle right now."
Realizing there was no room for argument, Sakura nodded sharply, the determination in her eyes reflecting Sasuke's. "Fine! Just don't do anything reckless!" She turned swiftly, her heart pounding in her chest as she dashed toward Suigetsu.
"This is pathetic, Suigetsu," Sakura said with a mix of frustration and concern as she reached her comrade, who was pinned against the wall.
"I'm too vulnerable to lightning. I'm so tingly that I can't turn to liquid like usual," Suigetsu groaned, his face contorted from the effects of Darui's attack. "And what's on your forehead? It wasn't there before the battle began."
"I'll explain later," she answered. Not wanting to touch the sword and needing to vent some anger, she punched the pillar of stone with her strength, causing fragments to crumble and scatter like pebbles.
"Is it just me, or has your punch become stronger?" Suigetsu asked, marveling at the newfound power emanating from Sakura. "It looked like you barely touched the pillar."
"We don't have time for th—" she stopped when she heard someone screaming from behind. The chilling sound echoed in the frigid air, causing both Sakura and Suigetsu to whip around just in time to see a samurai screaming as he was consumed by black fire. It was a terrifying sight, a clear manifestation of Sasuke's pent-up rage and the unyielding power of his Mangekyō Sharingan. The black flames—known as Amaterasu—were an inferno that burned unquenchably, leaving nothing but ashes in its wake.
"Black fire?" Sakura felt a chill run down her spine as she watched the flames flicker and dance. It was beautiful yet horrifying.
"Yeah, he used it for the first time when we were fighting against the Eight Tails," Suigetsu explained, his voice trembling as he recalled the devastating imagery.
"It doesn't just consume—once it catches you, there's no escaping it," Sakura whispered, her heart racing as the reality of the situation set in.
"Wait, how did you know?" Suigetsu asked, his eyes wide with surprise. "Sasuke never mentioned how he defeated the Eight Tails, right?"
"Itachi told me about it. He had a hunch that Sasuke must have awakened it. Something about Sasuke's behavior gave him the hint or something. I'm not sure what he was talking about," Sakura responded, her gaze fixated on the chaos before them.
"He sure knows his little brother," Suigetsu muttered with a chuckle.
"Jugo already left. I need you to leave this place as soon as possible. We'll meet up later back at the villa—"
"No way! Are you insane? I'm not leaving you alone with Sasuke! Not again!" Suigetsu protested.
"Suigetsu, snap out of it!" Sakura grabbed his shoulders, her grip firm yet gentle as she searched his eyes for understanding. "It's not going to happen again! I will be fine! Nothing—will—happen—to—me!"
Suigetsu hesitated, torn between his loyalty to Sakura and his unwillingness to abandon her side. Before he could continue arguing, his words were cut short by the intense vibrations of the ground beneath them.
The Raikage rushed toward Sasuke in order to attack him through the Susanoo, but Sasuke used his left eye to manipulate the black flame to shield the Susanoo and stop the Raikage from attacking him. Despite this, the Raikage continued with his assault, causing his left arm to burn.
"Don't underestimate the Raikage!" he yelled as he slammed Sasuke into the ground once more. The impact sent tremors through the battlefield, a cacophony of clashing powers and fierce determination erupting around them. Despite the flames still burning his arm, the Raikage decided to finish off the exhausted Sasuke with his Guillotine Drop.
The Raikage jumped into the air above Sasuke and performed a downward kick, using the momentum of the fall to increase the power behind the attack. Sasuke, on the other hand, shielded himself with his Blaze Jutsu: Kagutsuchi, shaping the black flames to protect him.
Before the Raikage could injure himself further, Gaara, the Kazekage, intervened, who used his sand to negate both Sasuke and the Raikage's attacks. Wishing for a chance to speak to Sasuke, Gaara also provided the Raikage an opportunity to deal with his arm. The Raikage cut off his burned left arm and had C heal it while Temari and Kankuro removed the Amaterasu-ridden samurai armor from the soldier.
"Sasuke!" Sakura dashed toward her friend, her eyes reflecting a mix of worry and hope. As Gaara's protective sand shielded Sasuke from the Raikage's relentless assault, she felt a brief moment of relief wash over her. Slowly observing the situation, she saw blood dripping from Sasuke's mouth and left eye, indicating the toll the battles were taking on him, both physically and mentally.
"Jugo and Suigetsu left the scene just like you commanded," she informed Sasuke while healing the small cuts that peppered his face.
'Is this the side effect of using the Amaterasu?' thought Sakura as she watched blood dripping from Sasuke's eye.
"Gaara of the Sand..." Sasuke mumbled as he sat there, the skeletal structure of his Susanoo shimmering faintly around him, a testament to both his power and the toll it had taken. "Why are you here?"
"Your eyes are still as they were in the past," said Gaara, an unexpected softness returning to his voice. "I have come to realize that taking revenge does not resolve anything. It is not too late for you... Do not be so obsessed with that hatred that you escape into a world of solitude... or else you will not be able to return."
"So... If I were to return... what is there for me on your side?" Sasuke asked, his voice barely above a whisper, laced with curiosity but underlined with skepticism.
"And you... Sakura. Why are you helping him instead of stopping him? You even betrayed your village, your friends, and your family for him?" Gaara looked at Sakura with a measured gaze, the weight of his question hanging heavily in the air.
Sakura took a deep breath, her heart pounding, every decision she had made leading to this moment crashing around her like waves against a rocky shore. "That's none of your business. Just because it ended well for you doesn't mean it will be the same for other people. It is far too late now," she declared.
"Gaara... it's useless. If he could be convinced, Naruto wouldn't have failed. He's a criminal who's fallen to the level of the Akatsuki. He's not you," Kankuro replied, stepping forward and crossing his arms as he regarded Sasuke with a mix of disdain and wariness.
"Sasuke, you're a lot like me. You've been walking through this world's darkness. That's why even a tiny ray of light ought to reach your eyes, whether in the past... or now," Gaara tried to convince him, but it was no use. With his bleeding eyes from using the Mangekyō, Sasuke merely stated that what he wanted exists only in darkness. Rejecting his suggestion, Gaara saw there was no other choice but to eliminate Sasuke and Sakura. The three Sand siblings, along with Darui, decided to finish the job.
"Don't let your personal feelings interfere... remember, you are the Kazekage." Kankuro gripped Gaara's shoulder firmly as they all prepared to face their formidable opponent.
"Heh, I should've left you dead," Sakura retorted, her eyes flashing with anger. "I should have just taken the antidote for myself when Sasori poisoned you, Kankuro."
"H-how-?!" Temari stammered, taken aback by Sakura's bold declaration.
"The traveler who just happened to pass by the Sand Village? Who happened to know what kind of poison Sasori had been using?" Sakura continued, her voice rising in confidence as she confronted the Sand siblings. "Kankuro, you wouldn't even be standing here if it weren't for my help. And now that I think about it, neither would Gaara."
"What do you mean?" Kankuro asked.
"I wanted to face Sasori and I did. I interfered in the battle with Chiyo and Sasori. She saved your life in exchange for hers. Who knows... she might have won the fight or not. I guess we'll never know."
Sakura's words hung in the frigid air, a delicate tension coiling around them like a predator watching its prey. The remnants of battle still crackled with energy around them, but the weight of Sakura's statement turned the focus inward, forcing each participant to reconsider their raw emotions and motivations.
"So you were the one who defeated Sasori?" Kankuro's eyes widened, and Temari shifted nervously, her brow furrowing as she processed the implications of Sakura's dedication.
"You're claiming all this, yet you chose to side with him," she spat, gesturing toward Sasuke, who was still encircled within the glimmering shield of Susanoo. The raw, pulsating power radiating from Sasuke was captivating yet terrifying—a reminder of the fine line between protector and destroyer.
"You will never understand why," Sakura replied, her resolve steady despite the unease swirling around them.
"Enough!" Darui shouted. Having had enough of this conversation, he fired his Storm Jutsu: Laser Circus. A halo of bright energy spread around Darui's hands as this technique was activated; then it encircled his hand, and from that, several beams were shot out toward Sasuke and Sakura.
Seeing they really had no other choice, the Sand siblings also joined the attack. Kankuro revealed that he had somehow obtained the Sasori puppet. He was able to retrieve it from the forest where Sakura and Sasori had fought. From the moment he heard that Sasori had died in battle at the hands of someone unknown, he went out there to confirm whether it was true. Miraculously, Sasori's puppet body had survived the fire, and he decided from then on to use the puppet body.
Kankuro used Red Secret Jutsu: Machinery Triangles. Using the Sasori puppet, he detached its head and launched several triangular blades with explosive balls attached to them from the neck and palms of the puppet.
Temari used Wind Jutsu: Great Sickle Weasel Jutsu. With her giant fan, she created a more powerful and larger-scale version of her Great Sickle Weasel Jutsu, releasing heavy air currents that collided to create many vacuum pockets to slash at Sasuke and Sakura. To top it off, Gaara used his Successive Shots: Sand Drizzle, rapidly firing bullet-like sand at Sasuke and Sakura.
Sasuke quickly pulled Sakura behind him, the light of his Susanoo intensifying as he countered the onslaught of attacks. All four of their attacks were blocked by Sasuke's Susanoo, which had now fully formed. Sakura watched in awe as the ethereal figure of the Susanoo enveloped them. Sasuke proudly declared it to be the ultimate defense for those who possessed the Mangekyō Sharingan in both eyes.
"Sasuke! Danzo is running away!" Karin exclaimed from high up, not caring if she was revealing her location at the moment. Her voice was urgent, her eyes wide with determination. "He slipped through the chaos while you were all distracted!"
Sasuke's gaze sharpened as he turned toward Karin, the ethereal glow of Susanoo flickering slightly.
"Damn it, we wasted too much time," Sakura mumbled, frustration boiling within her as she realized their chance to confront Danzo was slipping away. She moved to stand in front of Sasuke, which caught his attention back to her. She took a deep breath and focused her chakra into both her hands. Lifting them in the air, she forcefully slammed them hard onto the ground. The ground beneath them broke apart, along with the pillars around them, causing the roof to collapse. Using his Susanoo, Sasuke saved himself with Sakura in his arms and grabbed Karin with his Susanoo's arm, escaping the hall where the battle took place.
The snow settled around them as they landed several feet away from the chaotic battlefield, the remnants of the clash still echoing faintly in their ears. Sasuke's Susanoo faded, depleting his energy and leaving him feeling weak and vulnerable. The adrenaline from the battle began to dissipate, replaced by the heavy weight of reality.
"Is everyone alright?" Sakura asked, glancing at her comrades, her breath still shaky from the earlier chaos. She noticed that the fury that had once burned in Sasuke's eyes was now replaced by a haunting fatigue, one that made her heart ache.
"Where is Danzo? Can you still track him, Karin?" Sasuke impatiently asked.
"Y-yes. I—"
"Then show me the way!" he demanded fiercely, his voice firm as he fought to push through the fatigue that clung to him like a heavy cloak.
"Sasuke! You just went through a fierce battle! You need to rest!" Sakura insisted, her voice trembling with concern as she reached out to steady him. The shadows of doubt loomed over her, fearing the toll that the endless cycle of vengeance would take on him if he continued down this path.
"I'm fine," Sasuke snapped, pushing her hand away, a defiance in his tone that she had heard more than once before. "We need to act before Danzo slips away completely."
"Fine, but at least let me heal you first and take this." Sakura bit her lip, wrestling with her emotions as she took a pill out of her small bag that she carried. "Chakra pills. They will restore a significant amount of chakra. I made them in case we needed them."
Sasuke hesitated for a moment, the weariness etched on his face conflicting with the determination burning in his eyes. He glanced at the pill in Sakura's outstretched hand, his pride warring with his exhaustion.
"Fine," he relented, his voice low. "But just this once."
Sakura's expression softened as she watched him swallow the pill, relief flooding through her. She gathered her chakra, placing her warm hands on his shoulders and focused on the gentle pulsing of his energy, amplifying it with her own.
"Something weird is happening..." Karin mumbled. "The other Kages stopped searching for us. They are all together back at the meeting; however, someone else also appeared out of nowhere. It's a familiar chakra I'm sensing. It's that Akatsuki guy with the mask."
"Tobi..." Sakura murmured. "First, he revealed your location to everyone, and now he is there with the other Kages? What the hell is going on?!"
"Karin, just keep your focus on Danzo," Sasuke snapped, his eyes narrowing as he focused on Sakura. "Are you almost done?"
"Just a little more," she encouraged, stifling the worry gnawing at her heart.
As the healing energy coursed through Sasuke, he could feel the fatigue receding, replaced by a surge of renewed strength. He pushed back the remnants of doubt that clouded his mind, the urgency of their mission taking precedence over his concerns. With a nod of gratitude toward Sakura, he turned to Karin.
"We go after Danzo," Sasuke commanded, his voice steady and resolute.
~To Be Continued~
Comment! Follow! and stay awesome!
Next chapter; November 13 2024