"Again." The master stated.
The student huffed annoyed and yanked on the wire to recall the knives back to his hands. He executed the drill perfectly, landing gracefully as all kunai hit the targets in the dead center once more. The drill itself he had practiced since he was young, first seeing it done by his elder brother.
"Hm." Orochimaru watched on intently. "You never cease to amaze me, Sasuke."
Oh, how he hated the way the snake said his name. The tone always made Sasuke cringe inwardly. "You've seen me do the drill a hundred times now. Move on to the next phase or I'm heading back to train on my own."
The Snake Sannin chuckled. "Never patient. That drive you have…it reminds me of my own."
The Sharingan glared angrily. "Teach me something new or I'm done." The Uchiha turned to retrieve his things from a nearby tree.
"Relax, Sasuke. I have something in mind for you. But it's not training. A mission."
Sasuke fastened his sword to his backside with purple rope belt. "A mission?"
This was new. A rarity these days. The Fourth Shinobi War was in full swing and, with his name being on the M.I.A list for Konoha, Orochimaru did not want him out and about to be spotted. He was never let out of the compound without supervision by himself or Kabuto. Not that Sasuke would mind if Konoha, even Suna, found him, if they left him alone that is. He absolutely hated being near the snake, or the lapdog called Kabuto.
Orochimaru smirked at Sasuke's silent excitement. He felt it was time to award his allegiance. "Yes. You see, my arms are still unable to perform jutsu. While I am able to move them freely, my chakra is still sealed away."
A weakness Sasuke noticed again and again. And one he would exploit. "Get to the point."
"Since my battle with my dear old sensei, I've been researching the jutsu he used. My sources say there's a way to reverse the affects. Go to the Land of Whirlpools and in the destroyed village of Uzushigakure you will need to find a storage building for the Uzumaki clan's valuable collection of masks."
That caught the Uchiha's attention. "Uzumaki?"
"Yes…your dear old teammate is a part of a clan as old as yours. But enough about him. The mask resembles the Shinigami, the Reaper of Death. You'll have to gather info on where to look once in the deserted village."
"…And if I can't find anything?" His mind was elsewhere, and he surprised himself that he formulated a question.
"You will." The Snake Sannin turned back to the hideout entrance. "Gather your things and leave at once, Sasuke."
Not dwelling on the words, Sasuke silently followed the Sannin back into the hideout and returned to his quarters. He grabbed his pre-packed bag with his rations and equipment and swiftly exited the hideout. Once clear, Sasuke released a long sigh of relief.
'Solitude, at last.'
Relief of finally having some alone time was refreshing but not completely welcomed. He wished, dreamed, of his team being there with him. Pink, silver, and blonde flashed through his mind and guilt filled his body.
He knew he fought and did what he could to resist but the power of the Curse Mark proved to be extremely difficult to overcome. Thus, resulting in his battle with Naruto. Ending his best friend's untimely death.
Blaming himself for Naruto's death always weighed on Sasuke's mind. While he was not the one to physical do the deed, it was him who failed to realize what he had done until it was too late. If he had come to his senses earlier, then all would be well in the world and Sasuke would still have his friend.
Then, he woke up in that damned cell alone and unable to leave. Three months of fiery pain would never break Sasuke. Years of torment from his elder brother knowing that one day Itachi would be dead at his feet kept Sasuke's spirit alive.
But, as if he suddenly gained conciseness to the gravity of his situation, Sasuke realized what could be done.
A plan came to be. The Snake bastard wanted his body for his own sick and twisted reasoning. Sasuke could care less about immortality but the power that his master offered was something he wanted. A form of grooming, Sasuke assumed. Again, not much care about it. Performance enhancing drugs, all types of different tests and blood work, and an extreme training regimen were all only gateways for Sasuke to grow in power. Orochimaru would die, first. Then Itachi. And finally, he would return to Konoha.
Sasuke just hoped the Sakura and Kakashi would forgive him for his actions.
-Memory Fragment-
The alarm sounded for a brief moment before the button was lightly tapped. Sasuke sat there and watched the clock strike the set time. He felt no need to turn it off. Sleep had alluded him. Partly because he felt uncomfortable in the room the Hokage had set up for him to live in while the Uchiha Compound was thoroughly investigated. The night terrors only made what sleep he did get worse.
A week spent in dozens of different interview rooms and countless mind probes by that sternly gentle Yamanaka clan head, Inoichi, had mentally drained Sasuke almost as much as the death of his family. That was over quickly, at least in real time. Itachi replayed their deaths over and over in that genjutsu for Sasuke to memorize where his father and mother's blood would stop spreading on the hardwood. The interviews and questions dragged on and on. He hated it.
Did he even have the energy to go back to the Academy? Maybe. Did he want to deal with everyone's stares and questions because of his absence? Hell no. But there was nothing else for the young boy to do. Sasuke had nothing left and life would never be normal again. Going to the Academy was the only sense of normalcy left for him.
His stomach growled again, and he ignored it. When was his last satisfactory meal? Mother's homemade ramen? Or the stale bread and dry meat he was brought daily by a random hotel staff member? Who knew. He certainly didn't.
Sasuke walked across the classroom and found a seat in the corner, behind everyone. He felt the stares, the murmured chatter completely stopped as soon as he entered the room.
'Great.' He thought. 'They know.'
Of course, his classmates would know. Such an event would be talked about by everyone. Children his age definitely wouldn't be kept out of the loop. While the details were kept under wraps, no doubt everyone knew about the incident. An entire clan of people was killed in a single night by one of their own, best and brightest they called him.
Most kept their eyes off the Uchiha boy, fearing they would upset them in some way. Those that dared to stare felt nothing but sympathy for Sasuke.
Sympathy that was not, and never would be, accepted.
Thankfully, Sasuke was left alone. No one came up to him and try and talk to him. Even the blonde menace, who rarely came to class, didn't shout at him like usual. He had some manners. Sasuke was appreciative of that.
The lunch break came and the class ran outside to fill their hungry bellies. Sasuke slowly trailed behind, empty stomach and emptier hands. It dawned on him that this was the first time he wouldn't have a lunch to eat because it was his mother who made it for him. He found a spot away from everyone, not wanting to make his stomach growl harder from others eating.
The blonde menace, Naruto, was nowhere to be seen. Loneliness seemed to not only plague him but Naruto as well. A small comfort.
"E-Excuse me…"
A stuttering young Hyūga girl had quietly approached Sasuke. Were his senses really that bad?
"Um…" The girl fettled with the small bag in her hands nervously. "I don't know if y-you remember my name but I-I'm Hinata, we're in the s-same class." The girl quickly shook her head, trying to overcome her nerves and finish what she was trying to say. "I-I saw that you didn't have a lunch…and I know heard what happened…" She gently set the bag on the ground in front of the bewildered Uchiha. "Please take this!" Nearly passing out from embarrassment, Hinata turned and sprinted away.
Sasuke watched the girl leave his view with curiosity. Why was she such a nervous wreck? Was it simply him or something else entirely? Probably a mixture of the two. That girl seemed timid by nature or a sheltered home life, he assumed.
Reaching inside the bag, Sasuke realized how full the bag was. There were an assortment of fruits and vegetables, a delicious looking sandwich, and a bottle of water. Even his absolute favorite food, a simple ripe tomato, was among the contents. His stomach growled fiercely in emptiness. A filling meal had been graciously given.
'Hinata…'
Sasuke would remember that name.
-Present Day, shore of Land of Whirlpools-
The rain poured down like sprinkler from the heavens, light but constant. It proved to be a blessing in disguise. The smell of rain covered his natural scent so he could not be hunted down. His foot tracks would be washed away eventually. The only thing Sasuke found annoying that his feet were getting wet beneath his large cloak.
Traveling through the entirety of the Land of Fire was uneventful and melancholy. Sasuke came nowhere near Konoha or any of her shinobi. And the map that was provided gave him great insight on how avoid possible Konoha patrols in the direction he was taking. Details and research were everything to Orochimaru and this map showed that in near every aspect.
Sasuke did note that, from his own personal knowledge of the world -which wasn't much- the Land of Whirlpools was hardly covered during his time in Konoha's academy. And the Uzumaki clan was never mentioned during that lesson. An oddity, Sasuke thought. The clan itself seemed important. And if it caught Orochimaru's attention, it was very important.
Sasuke stepped off the shore and felt the emptiness. He could feel the deserted land almost speak to him. It reminded him of his empty home back in Konoha. The stories this dirt could tell of the people that once lived here, like the once blood-stained walls in his home. The crunch underneath his sandals were the first in years, decades even. It felt haunted.
The Whirlpool Country was hardly a large island. Trees and sorts of ruffage covered most the land and was dominated by steep hills, Sasuke assumed the village was somewhere in the middle. And he was right. He wished he missed it.
Uzushiogakure was in complete rumble. From his observations, Uzushiogakure seemed to have been composed of several high-rise buildings. A wide river ran through the village and was gapped by large bridges, with only a few remaining together. And from his heightened position that overlooked the entire village, Sasuke could see that the river split the country in half.
He entered the shattered village through the main gate, or he assumed what remained of it. The main road was laid with rock and rumble. He approached the center of the village and saw a tall statue of a woman with long flowing hair and her hands were clasped together in a seal. Seeing the beautiful construct reminded him there was not a single soul on this entire island. Sasuke was alone in the village his best friend's clan apparently came from. This was his home. Was he the final one? Were there any others?
"Well, there isn't any more of them…I guess"
"Not anymore? I wouldn't say that."
Immediately drawing his sword, Sasuke spun swiftly on his heels and pointed his weapon at the surprise target. An extremely elderly man barely flinched, almost unimpressed, as Sasuke held his weapon to the bridge of his nose.
'Good footwork and technique but needs better control.'
"Who are you? Why are you here?"
The elderly man chuckled as he stroked his long goatee that was squared-off at the bottom. His white hair was equally long, nearly touching the ground he walked on. "I should be asking you that question. You're in my home, after all. In my village."
Sasuke looked at the man slightly perplexed, never moving the sword away from his target. "You're village? That doesn't make sense. This land has been abandoned for decades."
"It was never abandoned, my young Uchiha." The man simply turned away from Sasuke's sword and began walking, rather shuffling, away. "Come, come. It is nearly dinner time."
Sasuke slightly lowered his weapon at the man's lack of fear towards him. There was a sword mere inches from entering his skull and stopping all brain function and he could have cared less. There was another thing Sasuke noticed. The man was wearing a headband with swirl design, it resembled the same one that was on his chūnin flak vest. Sasuke always assumed that the swirl was a design choice, nothing more. He questioned that now.
"Keep up, Uchiha. I don't have all day."
Sheathing his sword, the Uchiha quickly caught up to the man and moved at his pace. He kept his distance with caution. "What makes you think I'm an Uchiha? All of them were killed."
"Even if you didn't have your clan symbol painted on your back, I knew the second I saw your eyes."
It was a small Uchiha clan symbol on the collar of his white jacket, even if he was away from Konoha he would never be away from the Uchiha clan. He carried the burden of avenging his slain clansmen and resurrecting his clan to its former glory. His dream, his goal, would be accomplished no matter what.
"You knew Uchiha then."
"Ho-ho, my boy. I didn't just know them, I fought them. Along side Hashirama back in the Warring States era, before the formation of Konohagakure and the four other great villages."
"Impossible!" Sasuke said louder than he intended to. "That was over a hundred years ago. There is no way you could live that long."
The man merely smirked, simply not saying another word. Irritated, Sasuke continued to follow.
"What brings you here, young Uchiha? No one has visited this land in decades."
Sasuke continued to keep his distance. "I'm on a mission to retrieve something from here."
"Oh?" The man continued to stroke his beard as he shuffled along. He suddenly turned into a pathway that led through two piles of rubble. Sasuke skeptically followed to the other side. A small camp that was perfectly hidden in plain sight. "Sit." He motioned for Sasuke to sit on the adjacent piece of building. "Now, what is it you seek here in an abandoned land?"
"My master believes there is an item here that'll heal an injury of received some time ago. It's my mission to find this item."
The elderly man put some meat on a set of sticks and placed them over the open fire. "Interesting. And what is it your master believes is here? Uzushiogakure was never known for their medical abilities. And I don't have much for medical supplies."
"The injury itself was healed through…unorthodox means. What I'm searching through will restore his chakra into his arms and wield jutsu once more."
The man flipped the food to cook the other side. There was a knowing look in his weary eyes. "You are being quite vague. Spit it out already."
"I am careful with what I say because this item was valuable to the clan that came from this village. The Uzumaki clan's collection of masks."
The man barely flinched. He acted like he heard nothing but everything changed. "…The masks, eh? So, then, your master had the Reaper Death Seal used on him?"
Sasuke was taken back. Red flags ignited in his mind. He slowly reached for his sword. "How do you know about that technique?"
The man chuckled, quietly turning dark. "Because I am the one who created the ability to summon the Shinigami."
Sasuke's hand landed on his hilt while shock filled his system. But it seemed he found what he was looking for. "You created the technique?"
"That I did, young Uchiha. And it is my duty to safe guard my clan's collection." Two katanas were drawn out of nothing from behind the man's back. "I will not allow a disciple of evil near something so powerful!"
The metal clashed with sparks flying. Sasuke had to quickly activate his Sharingan to see the attack coming. Dueling someone who could use two swords was hardly a foreign thing to the Uchiha, his dōjutsu was responsible for that. But this man's ability greatly surprised him. He was old. Old enough to have fought his predecessors.
The sword play was fast. Literally. Despite his impressive work and ability to summon katanas out of nothing, the man let out a very long breath and sat back down on his seat.
"That's about all I got left…" The man was clearly out of breath.
Sasuke stood, sword still firmly in hand, bewildered beyond his own belief. It was clear the man was not lying about his age. "It seems you weren't lying. How old are you exactly?"
The man was still trying to catch his breath. "I'd say…I don't know, around 150 years old. I lost track a decade or two ago."
Not as old as he was expecting, honestly. "Immortality?"
The elderly man chuckled lightly. "No, I'm not that unfortunate. My clan was always praised for their long life expectancies due to our strong life force. The longest I've seen a member of my clan live is roughly 200 years, that's without injury or sickness interference."
Ignoring that bombshell, Sasuke took his seat back but kept his sword drawn. "The Uzumaki clan…"
"Precisely. But I assume your master told you this much."
"I was told enough. I'm not here for a history lesson. Just tell me where I can find the mask I need to undo the seal."
Taking the meat off the flame-a perfect medium rare-the man sighed. "Clearly you weren't paying attention. It's my duty to protect those who search for my clan's collection. Under the current circumstances, I simply don't have the pep in my step I used to. I'd never beat you in a duel of swords."
"Then you're useless to me." Sasuke fiercely stood up and turned to leave. "A complete waste of time."
The man took a bite from his meat. "Your master…Orochimaru of the Sannin, correct?"
The young Uchiha stopped in his tracks, glancing over his shoulder at the elderly man. "What of it?"
"I never taught the seal to anyone, but I did leave the signs in a scroll for my descents to pass along. I gave it to my great granddaughter when she left for Konoha. I instructed her to only give the scroll to someone who would never use it unwisely. There were only two who knew the technique. The Third and Fourth Hokages. The Fourth died sealing the Kyūbi inside a young boy. That is known across the lands. The fate of your master's arms not so much."
Sasuke turned to face the man again, keeping his guard up. "You certainly know a lot for being a hermit."
"Sarutobi died trying to take the Snake with him. Why would I dishonor that?"
"You either give me the mask I need, or I take your life and get I what I desire anyway. Pick your path, old man."
The man laughed at Sasuke's threat.
"What's so funny?"
"You would never defeat me boy. I am far more powerful than you in nearly every way possible. I may be old, but I'm still fully capable."
"You just said-"
"-That I'd never best you in swordsmanship. That is only because of my age. All other aspects, you simply wouldn't compare."
A semi wild wind fly by the two, carrying a strong chakra in its wake. Followed a small rumble of the ground and an echo of a distant explosion from many miles away. Sasuke examined the area to make sure nothing had changed while the man bathed in the familiarity.
"What was that?"
The man stroked his beard again as he removed the meat from the flames. "An interesting development. Someone is fighting a Bijū. By the direction the wave came from…the Land of Waves." The man took another bite from his meat. "A Bijūdama…" (Tailed Beast Bomb)
"…Bijūdama?"
"The strongest attack in a Tailed Beast's arsenal. It's been a long since I've felt that type of chakra…not since Hashirama's battle with Madara."
An opportunity. The man was distracted by the sudden presence of this foreign chakra. Lightning ignited in Sasuke's hand and coated his sword. Not powerful enough? He would prove that to be false. With the speed of a bolt, Sasuke sliced through the man's neck.
Or, at least, he would have if the man was there. He had completely disappeared.
His Sharingan flaring, Sasuke's eyes wildly searched all possible approaches for his enemy. He could no longer feel the chakra.
"Boy, what did I tell you?"
'There!'
Dashing again, he aimed for the heart to come out on the other side. His sword meet nothing but the air where he stood. His speed was off the charts! Not even the precognition of the Sharingan was giving Sasuke the advantage.
'What the hell is he doing?!'
"I told you wouldn't win against me."
"Katon: Ryūka no Jutsu!" (Fire Style: Dragon Flame Jutsu)
Much like a dragon, Sasuke spat fire from his mouth. Covering the area while spinning a full 360 degrees, Sasuke was sure he burned the elderly man alive. He couldn't feel the man's chakra again.
"So, you wanna play with fire? I'll show you real fire!"
Suddenly, the dirt beneath Sasuke's feet moved away and revealed a massive seal had been placed underneath. What on earth was going on?!
"Kuchiyose: Rengoku no Honō!" (Summoning: Flames of Purgatory)
Every etched part of the massive seal summoned forth flames of absolute death. The heat was intense. The surrounding rubble and whatever vegetation was nearby were charred and burnt. In the middle, Sasuke felt the intense flames at full force.
An object shot from the center and up into the sky. Sasuke tapped into his Curse Mark powers and transformed into his Level 2 state. Floating above the flames from hell, he searched the flaming area for his adversary.
"I'll admit, I didn't expect you to survive those flames." Standing a top one of the few remaining buildings at Sasuke's flight height, the elderly man looked on. "And that state…I've never seen anything like it. Powerful boost, it seems. Using those wings to fly above them."
Another Chidori covered Sasuke's monster-like hand. He slid to a stop on the roof top, his jutsu passing through the man like butter. He was sure of it this time. A clean hit. A simple glance said otherwise. He was gone.
But Sasuke finally noticed something about the man's god-like speed. Where the man was standing was a small, near unnoticeable seal that resembled a summoning seal. Or, at least, that's what it looked like to Sasuke. Was that he was doing this?
The man reappeared. "Those wings of yours, a great tool for escaping. But a disadvantage against its own ability."
A flurry of hand seals that Sasuke could barely read with his Sharingan. This man's ability was off the charts!
"Kuchiyose: Kami no Kaze!" (Summoning: Winds of God)
Winds raced down from the heavens above. No storm, no jutsu compared to the winds the man summoned forth. Sasuke braced himself for the strong gale, believing he could try and withstand them. Near instantly, he realized that would be impossible. His wings opened and he was launched back with the current of air.
The man ceased the winds, allowing the boy to crash somewhere across the water and in the Land of Fire. There was no question he survived, the man hadn't summoned nearly enough to kill him. But injury was all but guaranteed. The Uchiha would not come back any time soon.
And with that, the elderly man, formerly known as Ashina Uzumaki, returned to his daily life…
-With Sasuke-
Using his wings to protect himself from the crash, Sasuke impacted several trees before jerking to a stop from the small trench his body created. His body slowly returned to normal as he laid there, trying to ignore the pain that echoed through his body.
The events played through his mind like a reel, examining each scene like he was studying for a test.
'I've never encountered someone like that before…he holds so much power!' Sasuke pushed himself to a seated position. 'And he knew so much. Was he telling the truth about his age? He certainly doesn't move like he's that old.' He removed a piece of bark that was embedded into his thigh. 'I'm stronger now but I'll never match up to what he can do...whatever that is.'
It was tough for Sasuke to admit to himself, even harder to say it out loud, he was trying to fight someone leagues above him. In all aspects. He used to feel like this when he first started training under Orochimaru. But these past three years proved to Sasuke that Orochimaru is a husk of his former self, weakened.
The gap between them was not as far the Sannin believed. With the perfect moment, Sasuke would be able to take the Snake down. But he needed some more time and knowledge first on his own strengths first.
This mission provided just that. It'll go down as a complete failure in Orochimaru's eyes. But Sasuke saw it as a success. Whether he actually retrieved the mask his master wanted meant nothing-he would've hid or destroyed it-the ability to gauge himself against someone other than Kabuto was far more important than some mask.
Maybe if he had simply explained his true intentions to the man then perhaps things would have went differently and have been more beneficial.
'It is what it is.'
Picking himself up off the ground, Sasuke dusted off his clothes and dressed himself properly. Out of muscle memory, he had pulled his arms free of his long-sleeved shirt before his Curse Mark transformation.
Now, it was time to figure out his way back.
Four individuals suddenly closed in on his location. There was no time to hide or escape.
"No use in hiding, Sasuke. I can see you."
Looking up, the Uchiha internally cursed at the four above him.
"It really is him!" Lee shouted. "Yes! We found out missing comrade!" He turned to their Suna counterpart, Kaito. "This our missing comrade, Sasuke Uchiha! We have searching for him for years!"
Kaito looked on curiously. A deep feeling of dread filled his stomach. "I'm aware of him."
Tenten was not as excited as her teammate, but she was relieved to have one of their own back. She looked over at Neji, who still had his Byakugan active, confusion overwhelmed her. "…Neji?"
The two members of prestigious clan's locked eyes.
"Uchiha…"
"Hyūga…"
Intense animosity filled the air. Despite the positive vibes of seeing their long-lost comrade alive and well, there was something off about him. Neji could see that clear as day, and he didn't need his Byakugan.
"You don't seem happy to see us."
"Truthfully, I'm not. This complicates things. Besides, I was never fan with how you tried to kill your cousin and my teammate."
Bringing up his past transgressions was never a good idea, both Tenten and Lee learned that lesson the hard way.
"What do you mean, Sasuke? You are saved! What is there to be complicated?" Lee's enthusiasm never disappeared, it seemed to have only increased with his age.
Sasuke was able piece together something rather quickly. By their reactions, he assumed a story was created to cover his fight for defection with Naruto. Capture was very easy to spin from how it was. "Everything. So, I'd prefer you don't make this difficult. I need to get moving."
Neji jumped down to ground level, followed by Kaito and Lee. Due to her long range abilities, Tenten stayed in the trees for the height advantage. It was common strategy for their team.
"What happened to you?" Neji questioned. "You were captured by Orochimaru that night. But, here you are, traveling without a care in the world."
Kaito removed his hands from his pockets. "A cover story from the looks of it. Your capture, was it staged?"
Lee looked at Kaito ludicrously for suggesting the idea. "That doesn't make any sense! How could you say something like that about one my comrades?!"
"Think Lee." Neji interjected. "Sasuke was supposedly captured by an Orochimaru henchmen and Naruto went out after him. Naruto's report on the mission was sketch and there were clearly some missing pieces to his story. He was holding something back." The Byakugan ignited in Neji's eyes. "Something happened out there that we were never told."
Lee looked over at Sasuke, stress filling his face. "Then, are you saying Sasuke's a…"
"I wouldn't go that far." Kaito spoke up. "But you do have a point. Something is odd about this."
Before he would resort to violence against a comrade, Neji decided to be the pacifist. "Let's clear this whole thing up then. Sasuke, come back to Konoha with us and everything will be squared away in no time."
"I'm not going anywhere with you." Sasuke replied quickly, shocking the group. "I have a mission to complete and you're interfering with it."
Neji's patience was wearing thin. He didn't want to resort to fighting but he was being left with little choice in the matter.
'Something happened in the last few years. Especially on that mission…Naruto, what didn't you tell us?'
Despite the gravity of the situation, Neji was forced to make a decision. Attack a possible confused comrade and return him by force or allow him to be free and report it.
Fortunately, or not, Neji was not forced to make a decision. Kaito decided for him.
Sasuke turned to leave, trying to avoid the conflict. But the Suna elite Jōnin had other plans.
"Fūton: Hauru!" (Wind Style: Howl)
The concussive blast smacked Sasuke square in the back. Shaking off the ringing in his ears, the Uchiha avenger angrily looked over his shoulder. While surprised by the man's actions, the team was ready for a fight.
"Fine. Don't say I didn't warn you."
Dashing with great speed, Sasuke leapt to Tenten's height and delivered a powerful kick to her midsection. Ninja tools flew wildly as she crashed through a series of trees.
"Tenten!" Lee called out.
Kaito began to fill with rage. "What the hell's your problem?! Aren't you their comrade?!"
"Don't bother, Kaito. His mind is made up. We'll have to bring him back by force." Neji moved into his clan's fighting stance. "We'll get our answers back in Konoha."
Both Lee and Kaito followed suit, preparing for a fight. The Sharingan spun into life, the tool Sasuke would need for success.
First, Lee charged. The taijutsu prodigy battled Sasuke across the fields and trees with blinding speed and powerful strikes. If it weren't for the Sharingan, Sasuke would never have been able to keep up. Despite Naruto's bout with Lee being three years prior, he was impressed that his former teammate was able to keep up.
Kaito and Neji would come in for side attacks, jumping in where there was openings. But Lee was the main assaulter.
Drawing his sword to counter the nun chucks, Sasuke had evened the playing field once more. Lee kept his eyes down and watched Sasuke's feet, predicting his upper body movements by the positioning. A technique created by Maito Gai to counter his eternal rival's own Sharingan.
Sasuke caught Lee's kick, kneed him violently in the stomach, and threw him into Kaito. Leaving Neji to battle the Uchiha alone.
Byakugan and Sharingan fought for dominance as the better dōjutsu. The near 360 degree of view allowed Neji to counter every one of Sasuke's strikes. The precognition gave Sasuke the advantage to dodge and evade Neji's attempts to disable his chakra system. Prodigies in their respective clans.
"Dynamic Entry!"
Another technique learned from his master; Lee's powerful flying kick launched Sasuke back several meters. Kaito laid in wait for the perfect moment.
'Air Blast!'
Manipulating the air through an aerokinetic ability, Kaito directed a powerful pulse of wind from his palms. This was different from before. This was no ordinary chakra-generated technique. Unique.
Sasuke crashed through trees as bark was blown off from the strength of Kaito's attack. Spiked metal balls with explosive tags covering them fell from Tenten's massive weapon summoning scroll. The area sudden ignited and became a small crater.
'Damn it!' Sasuke cursed.
The team came together as the smoke began to clear.
"I thought we were trying to capture, not kill." Kaito commented.
"She didn't." Neji stated, his veins protruding. He could see into the smoke. Sasuke was not dead. Far from it. But this was unforeseen. "Something isn't right."
"What do you mean, Neji?" Lee questioned. He couldn't see what his teammate was seeing.
The smoke cleared, revealing their comrade was not dead. But completely different. His hair, not a sickly blue, draped down to his back. His skin was a dark shade of grey. His hands and feet were animalistic, sharp and feral. A black pointed cross stretched across his face as his Sharingan shined bright over his black irises.
"What…what on earth?!" Tenten gasped.
"I've seen anything like this before…" Kaito was appalled by the appearance. It made him sick to his stomach. "It's like a curse…
Neji kept his eyes focused. 'This reminds me of Naruto's Kyūbi's chakra…it's sinister.'
Lee gulped in fear. This was beyond anything he could ever imagine for his friend and comrade. Whatever had happened to him while he was captured must have been absolute hell for him to have something like this.
Sasuke chuckled. "I warned you, didn't I?"
Kaito moved closer to Neji. "We need to fall back. We aren't prepared for this."
Lee glared at the man. "Suna may leave behind comrades but not Konoha!" The spirit of his master suddenly overcame him. "Sasuke! We will bring you back to Konoha!" The taijutsu user reached down inside himself and readied for the consequences of his actions. "Gate of Limit: Open!"
Power burst wildly from Lee's body as he ignited the fifth inner gate, increasing his power tenfold. The sheer force knocked Kaito off his feet. Both Neji and Tenten knew what was coming.
"Lee no!"
"Don't Lee! This isn't worth your life!"
Through the power surge, Lee looked at his comrades. "I will never leave a friend behind! I will free Sasuke from this curse with my own strength! Gai sensei, forgive me!"
With greater speed than ever before, Lee appeared in front of Sasuke in a split second. Kicking him high into the air, Lee hit Sasuke with repeated punches and kicks that sent shockwaves through the forest.
"Ura Renge!" (Hidden Lotus)
With the final blow, Lee kicked Sasuke harder than ever before. The ground shook with absolute devastation. Lee's boost gave out as did his body. Muscle tears and bone fractures laid waste throughout.
"Damn Lee! Now, I really think he's dead!"
"Think again."
The monster-like hand burst through the rubble and gripped Lee by the green flak jacket. Sasuke emerged from the ground, his protective wings followed. A series of powerfully precise strikes incapacitated Lee and left him unconscious. Sasuke merely tossed the body aside.
"Who's next?"
Kaito was in absolute shock. That attack was powerful. How on earth could someone survive something like that?! "How'd you survive that?! Impossible!"
Neji racked his brain for a strategy, but nothing came to his mind. Whatever that transformation was, Sasuke had quickly overpowered them. If Lee's opening of the Fifth Gate did little damage to him, there wasn't much any of them could do against him.
'Is this what training with a Sannin can do?'
Now, three instances of greatly increased strength were because of the Legendary Three's teachings. And all were from the same team. Were they that special? Apparently so, Neji thought.
"We need to fall back." Tenten spoke up. "Lee's hurt bad. He wanted us to leave him alone, let's just go."
"There's no guarantee that he'll let us go now." Kaito added. "One of us needs to stay back and distract him while the others get away."
The Uchiha simply shook his head in amusement. "Get your comrade." Sasuke called out. "Leave now before my good graces run out." His sword was quickly drawn from its scabbard. "Ten seconds."
Quickly, Tenten grabbed ahold of Lee and jumped away. Neji took another look at the fallen Uchiha and shook his head in disappointment. He followed Tenten. Leaving Kaito to stare down the monster Uchiha.
"Sasuke Uchiha…you were teammates of Sakura and Naruto, right?"
The grip on the sword tightened slightly. "What of it?"
Kaito needed to say this. "I'm not sure why I feel so strongly about this…but you hurt them. I can tell that much from what little time I spent with them."
Sasuke glared at the Suna shinobi. "How would you know the feelings a dead man? Keep his name out of your mouth!"
"Naruto's not dead!" Kaito shouted. "Maybe if you hadn't allied with Orochimaru then you'd know that!"
Concealing his true emotions was never a difficult thing for Sasuke. But hearing from this random person that his best friend, the one he felt responsible for, was alive and had met him? Shocking, to say the least.
"When…when did you see him last?"
Kaito glared. "A few weeks back when he saved Lord Gaara from the Akatsuki…which, so happened, to be your older brother!" Kaito chuckled darkly. "Man, your family is really fucked up, eh? Were all Uchiha like this?"
The Sharingan ignited brightly. "Insult my clan again and you'll be dead before you hit the ground!"
Kaito decided to not push his luck any further. Taking one long last look at the Uchiha traitor, Kaito jumped into the trees and sped up to the others.
The Curse Mark instantly retracted back into the seal, returning Sasuke back to his normal state. Breathing a small sigh, he fixed his clothes and re-fastened his belt.
"Fuck…"
-Kirigakure, Mizukage's Office-
Through the thick mist that surrounded the entire village, with several mountains that covered its back land, was the Hidden Village of the Mist. Kirigakure's architecture was mainly cylindrical buildings with the Mizukage's office being the widest and large of them all.
The Fifth Mizukage, the red-haired beauty Mei Terumī, had continued to work tirelessly to reverse and reform the internal policies that were put in place by her predecessor. The Fourth Mizukage, Yagura Karatachi, was quite possibly the worst Kage to ever have taken the title. In Mei's opinion, at least. He destroyed international relations with every Great Village and was the sole reason that Kirigakure was given the dreadful nickname 'Bloody Mist'.
But due to his untimely, yet welcomed, death, Mei had been elected to fix all the problems the Fourth created and do what she could to patch relations between the other villages. This proved be tougher than any fight she had ever been in. Politics were never her cup of tea. Council meetings, political discussions with the Daimyo, it was all just boring to her.
Besides, it really put a damper on her love life. Which, honestly, was already close to nonexistent.
Suddenly, the ground beneath her office trembled from an intense roar of power. Her entire office shook like an earthquake. She waited for the trembles to stop before leaving the safety to investigate.
It wasn't long before she was greeted with her top advisor and head bodyguard, Ao.
"Lady Mei, we have a situation."
"Really? I didn't notice, Ao." Mei tried to keep the situation lighthearted. She didn't like conflict much and tried to make light of it. "What's the report?"
"At the moment, we aren't completely certainly. But I have some ideas." The man with the eye patch commented.
"Care to explain? I'm dying to hear it." She giggled to herself.
"…Bijūdama…"
Her lightheartedness left her and was replaced with absolute seriousness. For Ao to say such an ability, this was critical.
"Did the Three-Tails resurrect?"
"I'm…not sure, m'lady. But it seems the blast was a good distance away. We'll send a scout team out at once to investigate."
Mei nodded. "See that it happens quickly, Ao. This is the last thing Kiri needs."
"Understood."