Naruto: My Way!

By: Hugo Reed and Dirk Thine

Chapter 1: Train me

Naruto could feel the pain of his blood pumping, but he didn't care. He could feel the hurt in his body from his earlier battle with Orochimaru, but he didn't care. He could practically feel the spot on his chest were, three years ago, he had been run through with a chidori, but he didn't care. There was currently one thing that mattered. That one thing, and that one thing alone made him continue onward. He must reach Sasuke. He must bring his friend back. Naruto ran so fast that his legs were blurred, and his face was cool from the sweat being forced off of his face. He yelled out with all the air left in his collapsed lungs.

"SASUKE!"

Then Naruto could see it. There was a large opening that lead to the outside and he could barely see the outline of Sai and Sakura from beyond it. He continued pumping his energy and chakra into his legs, leaving their captain far behind. Naruto could hear Yamato yelling something at him, but he no longer cared even about the mission. He wanted to see Sasuke no matter what the cost. Naruto forced himself through the opening in the rock and stumbled. He forcibly caught himself and forced himself upright, then stared at the scene. Sai had his blade out and pointed slanted at a figure.

Sasuke. Naruto turned slowly and saw his old friend. His clothes weren't nearly the same, but that had no interest to Naruto. He looked Sasuke in the eyes. He wanted to speak so badly. Why was his mouth stunned shut? Sasuke's eyes were black, and showed none of his eagerness to challenge Naruto. They showed one thing. Hatred. Naruto flinched. He saw Sasuke move, quick as an eye blink as Yamato came through the door.

"Naruto!" cried the ANBU.

Naruto didn't react. He didn't even blink. He knew what Sasuke had done and had seen the move. Now Naruto was waiting for Sasuke to make his move.

"Shouldn't you be training, instead of running after me?" said Sasuke in a dark voice.

"If I can't save you, I won't even bother calling myself a ninja," said Naruto softly.

"That was a foolish thing to say," Sasuke said, placing his hand behind him back, on the handle of his blade. "Because I am going to kill you, and obtain the supreme form of the sharigan."

Sasuke whipped out the blade in a flash and swung it down at Naruto's back. Naruto didn't move. His clenched fists relaxed and let his hands fall limp. His eyes fell closed and he prepared for the bleak black world of death. However, quick as he could, Sai leapt just behind Naruto grabbed Sasuke's wrist with his left hand and slashed at the Uchiha with his right, which held his blade. Sasuke fell back quickly, dodging the blow.

"That was the right way to block my attack."

Yamato ran forward, attacking Sasuke with long planks of wood. Sasuke showed little or no real trouble in fighting off the captain. Naruto angrily ran at Sasuke screaming.

"Will you still not come back with me?!"

"I have no need for a fool," said Sasuke.

"YOU SAID I WAS YOUR BEST FRIEND!" screamed Naruto, crying slightly. "BEST FRIENDS! THEY DON'T DO THIS TO EACH OTHER! YOU WERE LIKE MY BROTHER SASUKE!"

"I had a brother once. Now, I only want to kill him. It is ironic that the same thing happens here."

Naruto twitched his right arm and a knife came flying out of his sleeve into his hand. Naruto saw the blade twirl and Naruto blocked it with the kunai. To his astonishment, the knife broke in half.

"What the—"

"That was the wrong way to block me," said Sasuke.

He skimmed Naruto's shoulder with the blade. The demon container yelled lightly and glared at Sasuke.

"Naruto-kun!" said Sai.

Naruto looked and nodded. Sai came to his aid, scribbling quickly on a scroll. Several large griffins came off of the paper and went for Sasuke. The Uchiha easily blocked and swiped through beast after beast. However, he was too distracted to see Sakura rushing at him, fist drawn back. He did eventually notice her, and dodged her blow, only to find Yamato in his face. Sasuke swung quickly and neatly took the majority of the skin off of the captain's left cheek. Yamato fell to the ground writhing in pain. Naruto and Sai ran forward together, working as a perfect team. Sakura was working on healing their downed man's wounds.

Even working as a team, Naruto and Sai couldn't top Sasuke. He was a perfect fighter, with a flawless form. On top of that, his sharigan, though not full yet, was a curse upon the two boys. Then Sasuke made impossibly quick hand seals and a large pit appeared behind Naruto. Sasuke forced Naruto down in with his blade and as Naruto fell, his world slowed down. In desperation he threw up his hand. Naruto honestly expected to be given over to death by the several large spikes of metal at the bottom of the pit. However, Sai's hand grasped his arm and Naruto looked up at the ANBU from ROOT.

"Sai…"

"Come on Naruto-kun, do it."

As Sasuke moved over to stab Sai in the back, Naruto came flying over the lip of the deep hole and flew through the air, right as Sasuke, resengan in hand. Sasuke allowed a split second of shock to take him, then blacked the attack with his sword. Naruto kept throwing large amounts of his chakra reserves into his other hand and went at Sasuke with the other one. Sasuke had been pumping his chidori along his sword's length, but quickly put enough chakra into his right hand for a chidori and matched Naruto. The two stood for a moment, great huge waves of chakra flying off of them in random directions.

Then as if by a timer, the two attacks exploded and Sasuke and Naruto were both hit with an amazing pressure. Naruto used chakra to stay where he was standing, and Sasuke was sent tumbling back. Naruto stood where they had hit together. He was still calm and fine. Sasuke looked up at Naruto with eyes that undoubtedly wished him an extremely painful death, as he slowly disappeared in a wheel of fire. Naruto didn't move for a full three seconds, then he fell down and hit the ground sobbing. To Sakura's and Yamato's surprise, Sai was there in a heartbeat.

"Naruto-kun, are you alright?"

Naruto shook his head, crying softly into the dirt. Most think that crying makes one look like a child. However, in this case in was not true. It was a heartbreaking thing. The sobs were shaking Naruto's shoulders as his shiny tears his the dry, waterless dirt. He spoke in small gasps of air and between sobs.

"I am so damn useless. I couldn't stop Sasuke leaving. I couldn't save Gaara. I couldn't stop Orochimaru. I don't have the power to bring Sasuke home at all…"

Naruto was in a bad situation and everyone knew it. It was more then likely that he was considering suicide. It wasn't safe for him. Sai knew this.

"Naruto-kun, you bring out the best in people."

Naruto turned and looked at him, wiping tears away.

"People like me," said Sai.

Sakura came over, trying to hide her tears and helped Naruto up. Yamato kept whispering a little bit of advise to Naruto. However, they could all see that Naruto was dead inside. All the way home, he never shouted anything once. He remained completely quiet, only now and then saying yes or no. Sakura hoped that Naruto would cheer up when they got back home. However, he just went straight to the bathhouse. Sakura thought he was going to bathe himself or even peek on the girls, but he didn't. He found Jiraiya with his telescope and grabbed the man by his collar.

"Oh hey Naruto."

Naruto said only two words.

"Train me."

"Naruto," said the sannin. "I just got done training you for three years."

"I am done playing around. I'll get more then what I had done in three weeks! Train me you damn old man!"

"What no perverted hermit?"

Naruto made a shadow clone.

"Jiraiya-sensei, train me now, or I am going to fight you, giving me the training I need."

Jiraiya smirked.

"Come with me brat."

Naruto was lead to the training field and Naruto cast off his jacket. Jiraiya quickly talked about several types of wind jutsu that would be good for him to use. Then he also talked about Naruto's water affinity. Before the sun was set, Naruto had at least ten new jutsu on his list. They were smaller, distraction jutsu, but good ones nevertheless. As the light completely disappeared, Naruto dispensed the shadow clones he'd used for training. Jiraiya looked at him concerned.

"You ok kid?"

Naruto responded in a low tone.

"No, I doubt I ever will be again."

Jiraiya left in deep thought as Naruto kept practicing.

"I'll meet you here at dawn," said Jiraiya.

Naruto didn't respond and kept training. He was making ice crystals and spraying extremely powerful, hot jets of water from his mouth. Naruto also learned how to keep using wind to slice and dice up foes, which was exactly his style. He kept going on late into the night, and kept pushing himself harder. However, you can't push yourself farther then your body will allow. Naruto's body was more powerful then most, but it did have limits. At well past midnight, in the middle of a kick, a tendon in Naruto's left leg ripped and split. Naruto dropped to the ground and yelled in pain, felling the red chakra heal him.

However, his scream had worried someone, a certain dog and boy. Kiba was standing watching Naruto train. When Naruto ripped the muscle, Kiba ran out to help him.

"Naruto!"

He grabbed the blonde by his arms and carefully carried to boy indoors. Naruto kept whimpering in pain and grabbing his leg. Then another door opened and Hana, Kiba's older sister, came downstairs. Kiba was removing Naruto's headband and trying to find the actual injury. She took one look at him and gave instructions quickly.

"Cut the left pants legs off! Go get some warm water, a rag and bandages."

Kiba did as he was told, using Akamaru for help. Hana was already carefully checking his injury. She managed to set his leg in the best position it could've been in. Then she went to work, healing him occasionally. Once in a while, a vein would break and go through the skin, causing heavy bleeding. She would pinch the needed vein and wipe up the blood. It was dawn when Naruto was finally asleep. When it was about breakfast time, he awoke and stretched a little.

"Hey, relax would you!?" shouted Hana. "You'll open that wound again."

"No, it's fine."

He unwrapped it and showed it to her.

"Thank you," he said.

He got up and spoke again.

"I am sorry, but I am currently unable to pay you. When I can, I shall repay you."

He began to leave, but Hana stopped him.

"Look, what's with you. You aren't yourself right now."

"I don't want to talk about it," said Naruto softly.

At this point Jiraiya found out where his student had gotten to and appeared in the window. He immediately began explaining in a soft voice and Hana held a hand to her lips. Kiba, being himself, overheard it and offered his service as only he could.

"Hey Naruto, I'll spare with you anytime."

Naruto nodded, not really thinking about it. Then he wearily got up. Hana leapt up to him, and told him to sit back down, but Naruto ignored her and went outside, pulling Jiraiya along with him. He repeated the only two words he'd said to his sensei from the time he had gotten back from the failed attempt to save Sasuke.

"Train me."