CHAPTER 12: VALLEY OF THE END
Naruto chased Sasuke through the woods, ignoring the vines and the thorns littering his path. He continued to chase after his friend until they ended up at the Valley of the End.
"Why do you keep following me?! Get lost!"
"No way, we're friends Sasuke, I can't just let you leave the Village!"
"Exactly, We're friends!"
"What?! I thought you said you weren't coming back?!"
"I can't!"
"I'll force you back!"
The fists flew, Sasuke landing constant blows on Naruto, using the Sharingan to avoid Naruto's onslaught. Shadow clones flew around the waterfall, popping into and out of existence in a cloud of smoke. "These eyes can see through your lies!" shouted Sasuke, targeting the real Naruto and forcing him under the water. Naruto sank down into the depths of the water, bubbles protruding from his mouth marking his spot beneath the surface.
'Dammit' thought the jinchuriki, 'I can't beat this guy, but I need to bring him BACK! I'm gonna bring Sasuke back whether he wants to or not!'. Orange chakra begins to form a cloak around the blond boy, almost bubbling from the surface of his skin. Naruto's wounds begin to heal as he rockets from the surface, engaging Sasuke in a now-equal fight. As the battle progresses Sasuke begins to lose his upper hand, the Sharingan draining his chakra. With this limiting his power, Sasuke is pushed into the walls of the Valley by Naruto.
"Return to the village Sasuke!"
"Why, they ignored me and they damn sure ignored you! When my clan was killed by Itachi they ignored me almost instantly! He runs around killing as he wants, he even killed Kakashi!"
"What?! Kakashi sensei is dead!"
"The village let the murderer get away, they never even told you!"
"It doesn't matter"
"What doesn't matter?"
"The village is my home, it's your home, it was Kakashi sensei's home. I know he wouldn't want you to leave!"
"It doesn't matter anyway, I'm too weak to kill him now! The village is keeping me weak!"
Sasuke begins to unleash his curse mark, wings protruding from his now grey skin. This was enough, Sasuke began to pound Naruto into the ground. Naruto fell limp onto the ground. The damage was too much for his now dimming chakra cloak to heal.
"You better be grateful brat." the Kyubi muttered as he unleashed enough chakra for Naruto to have one tail on his chakra cloak.
"SASUKE, I WILL DRAG YOU BACK!"
—-
Shikamaru lay broken on the ground. The sound four were more than he had estimated. Though he had done everything right, perfectly strategizing it didn't matter. The Sound Four was too powerful for Him, Choji, Ino, and Sakura. He had used everything he had, and so did everyone else. Choji was the last one left, after using the red chili pill he could hold his own normally against one member of the sound four, but when they all attacked there was little he could do. While Choji held his own against one opponent, another snuck up behind him and attacked. "CHOJI!" Shikamaru cried out as Choji was about to fall when suddenly a green flash appeared.
—-
"The Kaguya clan was one of the fiercest in history. Obsessed with battle ever since its namesake first landed, Kaguya the Rabbit Goddess. Kaguya, the origin of all chakra *cough*. Her skin was white like the moon, and she used her bones to attack her enemies." said Kimimaro, lying on the floor in a puddle of his and Asuma's blood. "These bone attacks *cough* are the kekkei genkai that would be passed on throughout history until they ended up with me. I am the last of my clan, possessed by an incurable *cough* disease. Orochimaru can't use me as his vessel, he'll use Sasuke though. Sasuke *cough* will be the perfect vessel…" Kimimaro died with a smile on his face, next to a man who he never even told his name,
only his clan. Asuma could barely hold on as well, passing out seconds later to blood loss.
—-
Asuma woke up hours later in a Konaha hospital, anchored to the bed with thick leather straps. "Hey, where am I?!" he asked. "You were turning in your sleep," answered Tsunade, "and muttering something about Kaguya. We brought you here after your battle, well actually Might Guy did."
"And my team?"
"Hurt, but still alive. They're better off than you actually, Naruto has the worst damage from his battle with Sasuke."
"Did he bring him back, Did he win?"
"Hard to say, We believe that they knocked each other out, and then Kabuto dragged the Uchiha away."
"Does Naruto know yet?"
"Yeah, it seems Sasuke told him. He took it better than expected, Sakura didn't take it so well."
"Poor kid, and what about Guy. Is he being detained?"
"He's on trial right now, but the evidence seems to point toward Hiashi. It seems that Guy's posters he put around the village calling Hiashi a pedophile brought the Hyuga to insanity."
"Anything else I need to know?"
"Yeah, when Naruto finishes healing he is going to train with Jiraiya and Sakura will train with me. They are not staying on your team."
—-
Sakura and Ino waited for Naruto at the gate. Jiraiya stood just outside it, ready to begin the boy's two-and-a-half years of training. Naruto ran from his apartment as fast as he could. He had spent the previous night wondering what to take with him while training. It wasn't until just before he left that he was finally able to decide what to bring. After hastily packing he was still late. He lept out the door at a lightning pace, dashing toward the village gate and forgetting to say goodbye personally. On his way, he did yell his farewells to everyone he passed for good measure. When he got to the village gates, he Yelled his farewell, "GOODBYE SAKURA, GOODBYE INO!". He soon got to Jiraiya and stopped. "Let's get going kid," Jiraiya told his apprentice as they headed out into the larger world.
"Goodbye village, I'll be really strong when I get back!" Naruto yelled in the direction of the village.
'I believe it!' Ino thought. "Common Sakura," she said, "we have to get stronger!". "Yep, I can't let you surpass me Ino-Pig." They too went to get stronger, not wanting to repeat their experience with the Sound Four. 'I can't stay weak like this,' they both thought in unison.