Naruto could have been excused if he'd thought he was still dreaming when he opened his eyes. He certainly hadn't anticipated anything like what greeted him.
Where there had been trees, there was instead a flat clearing, surrounded by the Forest of Death. Orochimaru was nowhere to be seen. On one side of the clearing were the three Sound-nins who had attacked Kabuto before Morino Ibiki's written exam. On the other, the Leaf Village's Team 8 stood against them, Choji weaving to and fro in a daze, while Shikamaru supported a slumped-over Ino. Rock Lee, he of the bowl-cut hair, lay unconscious on the ground near them. Naruto turned his head slightly, and caught sight of the taijutsu master's teammates standing on a tree branch high above the battlefield.
Uzumaki Naruto cared for none of that. He'd caught sight of something much more important. Sakura lay behind Ino's team, crumpled to the ground, covered in bruises and not a little blood. She was moving, but with the deliberate slowness of someone who has too many injuries to favor any one body part. Her hair…what happened to her hair? Did they cut it off? The Kazama Code and most of what he'd just heard from his father vanished in a red haze.
"WHO THE #@*&!?$% LAID THEIR FILTHY HANDS ON SAKURA-CHAN?" Naruto stood up slowly, gauging how much of Orochimaru's damage to him had healed. Inwardly, he cursed the snakelike missing-nin; there wouldn't be any repeat of the time he'd gotten angry and wiped the floor with Haku. Not without the Ninetails' chakra to aid him. Dad wasn't kidding when he said I was on my own for now…
He thought back to the Wave Country, and their battle with the two former Mist-nins, Zabuza and Haku. He couldn't have won that battle alone, and from what he remembered about Kabuto's fight, this Sound-nin group would be an equal challenge. There was no choice but to team up with that arrogant, self-assured…
Naruto's thoughts stopped short as he discovered the person he'd been looking for. Purple energy swirled around Uchiha Sasuke's prone form, shrouding him in an ominous cloud. Naruto's rival didn't stir, other than the occasional twitch on his face. Of all the times for him to be knocked out, he had to do it now!? Even when I want to team up with Sasuke, he finds a way to piss me off!
So what'll it be, Naruto? Stay here and die like a sissy, or go down swinging? Like there was ever a choice. He reached into the pouch behind his back, searching for something to help him make the first move. Finally, his questing hand closed around an object.
"Hey, Bandage-Head! If you think you can just pound on Sakura-chan without consequences, you got another thing coming." Naruto raised the clenched fist above his head, ready to begin his assault, and grinned maniacally. "Cause you gotta go through Uzumaki Naruto first."
No sooner had he spoken than Naruto dropped the smoke bomb he'd concealed, and moved his hands to form a familiar seal. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"
* * *
Sakura could do little but watch as her teammate (and perpetual annoyance) prepared to rush the Sound ninjas. Ino's team had failed to do much, and Rock Lee's teammates had done nothing but stand there and mock their enemies. What were they waiting for? Move already, you pupil-less freak! Her inner voice screamed. They had to know that Naruto had no chance of winning this fight. Naruto had to know it was hopeless! But there he was, screaming a battlecry in stereo as dozens of clones rushed out of the smoke cloud. Why? Why does he keep doing this for me? I tell him time and time again I'm not interested, and that stupid idiot keeps on being…well…stupid!
A brace of kunai fell into her lap as one of the Narutos sped by her. "Sakura-chan! Cover me! We can still get out of this and get that second scroll!"
She gaped at Naruto, confusion warring with terror over what he was trying to do – and what might happen to him. "H-how?"
"Wait for my signal, then chuck all of these at Bandage-Head and that guy with the holes in his hands. With luck, that'll distract 'em while I go take out the girl and even up the odds!" Sakura gasped inwardly. But that's not the Sound girl, that's Ino! He doesn't know about the Shintenshin no Jutsu! She tried to find the words to tell Naruto, but before she could warn him off, the Naruto clone had already moved on, bouncing upwards to ricochet off a tree towards the Sound-nin.
Zaku laughed, raising his hands as some of the clones came at him. "You shoulda stayed knocked out, kid! Woulda saved you the humiliation! Zankuuha!" Air blasts jetted from the holes in his hands, forcing the clones to scatter away from him. The real Naruto, still hidden, frowned. Can't get in front of him. Have to hope Sakura can keep him facing away from me when I make my move.
On the other side, Dosu simply readied his arm-mounted sound amplifier and waited for the clones to approach. If this stupid kid was going to have his clones come straight at him, he'd just oblige, and take them all out at once! As Shikamaru had before him, Naruto paid attention to Dosu's actions. Forget directions, I can't even get near Bandage-Head. If Kabuto could dodge a punch and still get hurt, I'm in no position to risk it either.
The Kazama Code came back to him, and one rule in particular: defeat the weakest first. The Sound-nin girl was just standing there, as if unsure what to do. Ruse or not, she looked like the weak link, and Naruto wasn't in the mood to think it over. As he'd learned from years of pulling pranks in the village, when it came to harebrained schemes, it was best to trust your gut. The girl would be his target.
"Sakura! Do it now!" A last group of ten Narutos detached themselves from the shadows surrounding Kin (and Ino), behind Dosu and Zaku, falling toward the entranced Sound-nin. Sakura lay there, paralyzed for a brief moment, and then there was no other choice. Hurling the kunai in either direction, she screamed a warning to her longtime rival.
"INO! Get out of there! He didn't see you take over her body!" Realizing the danger, Shikamaru quickly scrambled back to Team 8's hiding spot, dragging Ino's unconscious body with him. "Choji, get over here! We're hiding!" Their chubby teammate leaped to safety as Ino made Kin's body form the seal to release her soul. As Ino returned to her body, the Sound-nin slumped bonelessly to the ground.
Sakura's warning had worked, saving Ino from further injury, and possibly death. It had also left Naruto hanging in mid-air like a hooked fish, his intended landing point gone. Dosu and Zaku, realizing their mistake, dodged Sakura's meager distraction and turned their attention to the real Naruto behind them. Aw, crud, this is gonna hurt.
* * *
"Naruto!" Sakura screamed as she watched a Zankuuha send her teammate flying into the tree behind Kin's body.
"S'okay, Sakura-chan…this nice hard…" Naruto weaved about dizzily, feeling for something to support himself, and reaching the tree trunk. "…tree…broke my fall." He took a moment to gather his bearings, and then looked back at Dosu and Zaku.
"Heh. That all…you got…Bandage-Head?" Inwardly, he was seething. So much for THAT plan, idiot…the element of surprise was all you had, and it's gone. He closed his eyes, until something snapped him to attention. Never. Give. Up. There's always a solution.
Sunlight gleamed off the sound amplifier on Dosu's arm, a flash of light like a bright star in the clearing. The other one has 'em built in; if I take out one arm, he can still point the other at me. Bandage-Head has to take a swing with that glorified cheese-grater if he wants to do any damage. Take the arm away, and you take his power away. But how can I do that if I can't get close to him? A little breeze blew into the clearing, ruffling his hair; suddenly, he knew how. Million-to-one shot, but heck, you only live once. Without the Ninetails' reserve of chakra, he couldn't have attempted this foolhardy idea more than once anyway. Gathering his strength anew, he grinned madly, pushing off the tree and rushing at Zaku.
"If that's…all you got…then you're going down, freaks!" Again, his hands came together in his favorite seal. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" A line of Narutos streaked across the clearing, aimed directly at the Sound-nin master of air pressure. Dosu roared a curse at the Leaf ninja's audacity, moving to intercept the real Naruto.
"Ignore me, you punk? Zaku! Send this fool over here, so I can teach him a lesson!" His teammate's mad laughter followed.
"You'll have to take him in pieces, Dosu!" Zaku stretched his arms out and pointed both at Naruto, grinning as crazily as his opponent. "ULTIMATE ZANKUUHA!"
Naruto exulted, even as the massive shockwave approached. Idiots! You actually fell for it! This time, when his hands met, Sakura's eyes widened. Those seals…what is he trying to do? She soon had her answer.
Each of the cloned Narutos vanished as the shockwave hit them, until only the real Naruto, last in line, remained. Spinning as tightly as he could, he released the last of his kunai and shuriken into the path of the Ultimate Zankuuha, and then vanished in a cloud of smoke, leaving behind a simple log. Sakura gasped. Kawarimi no Jutsu! Then the kunai…
With no obstacles in their path, the throwing weapons were caught in Zaku's attack – and thrown directly at Dosu, momentum still taking him towards the place where Naruto would have been blown. Too late, Dosu realized what the Leaf-nin had intended to do by ignoring him: goad him into attacking. Arm already outstretched, prepared to throw his sound attack, the Sound-nin team leader was barely able to fire off one last wave before he felt dozens of sharp, piercing impacts all along his right arm and shoulder, the kunai and shuriken driven deep into his flesh by the force of the Ultimate Zankuuha. Dosu's tortured scream rang through the clearing as he hit the ground, clutching the limp, bloody wreck of his arm to his stomach.
Naruto never had the chance to celebrate his success. Even as he turned to think of a strategy to defeat Zaku, Dosu's final attack washed over him, turning the world into a sickly image of itself, his vision swirling like a whirlpool. His head was a mad carnival of noise, ears ringing as though they were the top of a bell tower. Naruto fell to his knees, writhing in agony.
* * *
Years later, Sakura still did not know whether it was frustration, panic, or even, God forbid, love, that had made her open her big mouth at that very moment, when she saw Naruto laid low. All the pink-haired kunoichi knew was that Naruto had rushed into the fray like the hotheaded, hyperactive ninja Kakashi said he was, and was now about to get his butt kicked by the last Sound-nin standing. The fact that she'd helped put him into this predicament by failing to warn him quickly enough about Ino was temporarily forgotten.
"Naruto, you idiot! What do you think you're doing? There's no way you can beat those three without…" Even as the words left her mouth, she knew she'd made a huge mistake. The end of the sentence hung in the air, unfinished, but both Sakura and Naruto knew what it would have been. There's no way you can beat those three without Sasuke-kun.
Naruto, who had been struggling to rise, stopped short and turned to stare, wide-eyed, at his crush. The kicker is she's probably right. I can barely stand up straight, and I've got almost no chakra left. He wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry.
Doesn't make it any easier hearing that.
Naruto didn't have to say it. The betrayal and hurt in his eyes said it all to Sakura. What the hell were you thinking? For once, it seemed her inner self had sided with the spiky blonde ninja. She covered her mouth with her hands, as if to stifle any further talk. Looking back to Zaku, Naruto winced.
THIS was a great idea, all right. Get hung out to dry by Ino, blown into trees, miss getting hit by a humongous wind blast, then get my head scrambled by Bandage-Head, and for what? So Sakura-chan could remind me that I still suck compared to Sasuke?
"Sakura…" Naruto stopped cursing himself as the voice spoke from behind Sakura. The kunoichi turned around quickly, hearing the familiar voice of her crush, but her joy was short-lived.
Sasuke rose slowly, still surrounded by the purple energy of the curse seal. A red – was it a rash? – spread out over the left side of his body, forming an odd tattoo-like pattern of black dots on his face, leg and arm.
"Sakura…who did that to you? Who?" It was Uchiha Sasuke, and yet it wasn't. Even Naruto couldn't recognize the tone of voice, menace implied in every word. The Sasuke he knew was arrogant, even flippant when facing an enemy, but had never sounded quite so…lethal…before. What did Orochimaru do to them when I was out cold?
Dosu rose to one knee, still cradling his useless arm. If Naruto had been a lucky victor, Sasuke represented a genuine threat. The waves of pure power emanating from the Leaf-nin's body wouldn't have been reassuring even if he had been able to fight. Now, after Naruto's handiwork, Zaku was the only one who could carry out the mission Orochimaru had given them. The curse seal…to actually get up from it?
"Sakura, tell me! Who was the one that hurt you?" Dosu watched in horror as Zaku pointed a thumb at his chest.
"It was me!" Fool! Do you realize what you've just done? Sasuke turned to face Zaku; as he did, the malevolent-looking seal spread to cover his entire body. Dosu recoiled. His chakra is too great! Zaku didn't seem to notice, bringing his hands together and psyching himself up.
"Dosu! What's there to fear from some half-dead freak?" The Leaf-nins were all lined up, Sasuke having moved in front of Naruto, who himself shielded Sakura. "They're all together. I'll take care of them all!
"ULTIMATE ZANKUUHA!" Anything Dosu could have said to stop him was lost; another massive air blast screamed through the clearing, cutting a deep trench in the earth. Everyone in the clearing shielded themselves from the backwash. When the wind stopped, all that remained where Team 7 had been was an empty gash in the ground.
"Were they blown to pieces?" Zaku stared at his handiwork, gloating over his success.
"Were who?" He had no time to turn before a hand smashed into his back, tossing him across the clearing like a rag doll. Dosu looked up to see Sasuke with an arm outstretched, Naruto and Sakura behind him.
"Zaku!" He's too fast! To move out of the way while carrying those two… The terror built within him, freezing him in place, waiting for the next blow to fall.
* * *
Behind Sasuke, Naruto too was frozen, but for a different reason. Damn it. Damn it! DAMN IT!!! Typical Sasuke, riding in like the damn cavalry. Let's see you try that after Bandage-Head hit you like me and Kabuto…
Naruto looked up, staring at his rival's back, and suddenly the anger drained out of him, leaving only a bone-deep weariness. Yes, he supposed he was tired, at that. Tired of being the one to stare at Sasuke's back all the time, of being ignored, disparaged, insulted. Tired of always having to play catch-up. Some Hokage's son you turned out to be. He would have cried tears of shame, had he the strength even for that – and then the memories flashed before his eyes, his parents' faces clearer than ever before.
…is the high-and-mighty Fourth Hokage afraid of a little pain?
We ARE the weapons…
…you're still a ways off…but you're on the right track…
NO! Tired or not, beaten, bruised, or not, he was the son of Kazama Arashi! Of Uzumaki Haruka! To give up on himself now would be the ultimate act of disrespect to both of them. Naruto might not have known Arashi or Haruka for more than a day, but he refused to disgrace his parents any further than he already had. Fatigue vanished, to be replaced by his father's voice. Know your objective.
The Sound-nins' scroll was theirs anyway. Sasuke would have no trouble dispatching Zaku in this super-powered state, the girl was unconscious, and Dosu was little more than a cripple. All that remained was to get to the central tower, give the two scrolls to Anko-sensei, and then… Then I'll take the first step towards never having to see your back again. When that happens, we'll see who's got whose bloodline beat. The respect he held for his teammate only went so far, and right now it was at its breaking point. If he wants to play hero, let him. I'll get my day soon enough. Only heroism didn't seem to be on Uchiha Sasuke's mind at the moment.
"Fire Element! Mythical Fire Flower (Housenka)!" A quick sequence of seals, and fireballs streaked from Sasuke towards Zaku, who sneered.
"So what? I'll blast them away!" A Zankuuha quickly dispatched the flames – but not the shuriken hidden within them. Unable to react quickly enough, he could only raise his hands to protect himself from the rain of metal death. Even that gesture would prove futile. Dosu's warning came too late to save his comrade from Sasuke's true attack.
"Zaku! Below!" The Sound-nin caught only a flash of blue clothing streaking by before his arms were yanked behind him, and a boot thumped into his back.
Naruto, Sakura, and all gathered looked on in shock as an odd grin appeared on Sasuke's face.
"So you're proud of these two arms?" Zaku's face twisted into a pitiful mixture of fear and helplessness.
"Stop…!" As well tell the earth not to spin, or wind not to blow. Sasuke's horrific smile only widened as he pulled the Sound-nin's arms backwards. The sickening crack of bone told everyone what had happened. Zaku's scream was simply the chilling confirmation.
Sasuke let his broken foe drop and turned his eyes on Dosu, still frozen in place, shuddering as he beheld Zaku's fate.
"You're the only one left. I hope you let me have some fun." He began to walk towards the Sound-nin.
That's not Sasuke. Not the one I know. All events considered, Naruto and Sakura would have been surprised to find out they were thinking the exact same thing at that moment. Only the kunoichi did anything about it. Ignoring her wounds, she rose and threw herself at Sasuke from behind, clasping him tightly.
"Stop…please. Just stop…" Her tears had the desired effect, as the curse seal began to recede, fading from Sasuke's body, and the Uchiha boy slumped to the ground, gasping for breath.
Naruto turned away, biting back a curse. He'd seen enough of both of them today to last him a good long while.
* * *
"You're strong. Sasuke-kun, we can't defeat you at this time, so here's a gift for you. I'll promise you this: if there's another situation where we meet in this exam, we will neither run nor hide." Dosu had left those words, and a Scroll of Earth, before seizing the opportunity to escape with the wounded Zaku and Kin. Ino's team, satisfied that all was as well as it would get, prepared to leave, as did Neji and Tenten, shouldering Rock Lee's limp form. All of them accepted Team 7's profuse thanks; Naruto gladly admitted that he'd not have survived to defeat Dosu without their help.
In the meantime, he again had cause to curse Orochimaru, as the tale of the lost Scroll of Heaven was related to him. The Uzumaki training ground would remain locked a little while longer, until they could find another team with the second scroll. He bit his words off in grudging acceptance.
"Fine. We should get moving, then. Every team in range is going to come through here, trying to find out what happened. We'd be too easy a target if we stayed." Swiveling on one heel, he strode into the forest again, followed by his teammates. Too engrossed in cursing his fate, he missed the two pairs of eyes that followed his disappearing form with an interest and curiosity they had never held before.
Night fell quickly as Team 7 advanced. Soon enough, their visibility fell to nothing, and shelter was hastily arranged under another giant canopy of roots. Sasuke, still exhausted from the day's events, quickly fell asleep.
"Naruto? We should talk…" Sakura had been going over the words in her head as they walked, but the time hadn't seemed right to try and apologize. Naruto hadn't spoken to anyone since they'd left the clearing, keeping his attention firmly focused on their surroundings and searching for enemies. Now he was perched on one of the roots that formed their shelter, looking everywhere but back at her. Silence blanketed the shelter for a long moment.
"What's there to talk about? I screwed up. Sasuke saved the day. We're back to square one. Business as usual." Sakura almost missed his low growl, not used to hearing Naruto do anything but shout. Before she could respond, he shrugged his shoulders.
"Get some rest. We'll take turns standing guard; call it three or four hours to a watch. I'll take first watch." For a moment, Sakura thought Sasuke had somehow invaded Naruto's body. The cold indifference in his voice reminded her more of Sasuke's usual attitude towards her advances than the never-ending declarations of love she was accustomed to hearing from the hyperactive ninja. But why did she even care what he thought? Why did this sudden shift in his personality stir an empty feeling inside her?
"But, Naruto, you're hurt from just now, and from Orochimaru. Shouldn't you sleep first?" He spoke again, back still turned to her.
"I've been asleep long enough." The odd tone of his voice made her pause, wondering what hidden meaning it carried. "Rest. I'll wake you when it's your turn."
Not daring to challenge his order, Sakura settled back down under the tree, next to Sasuke. As she fell into an uneasy sleep, she couldn't help but feel as though a gap had suddenly opened between all of them – one that was widening by the day.
Naruto listened until he heard Sakura's breath even out, making sure she was asleep. Then he turned his senses back outwards into the forest, still keeping his objectives in mind. Only when they acquired their second scroll would the real journey begin. Until then, he'd bide his time and do the job he had been assigned. Just as Arashi would have done.
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