26Hello everyone, first things first I want to warn you all that this story is probably going to be jumping around quite a bit, so it things are going to be confusing, you need to remember that I will Hopefully be able to clear it all up by the end.
Secondly I need to warn you all that I will most likely Be changing POV's quite a bit, Third person to first person and back, so again I'm sorry if it gets confusing.
Finally, This was not a One-shot challenge. For those of you who were kind enough to send me challenges, they have been duelly noted, and I will hopefully be able to get to them soon. I might Add a different ending later as an Epilogue, but don't hold your breathe waiting for it. I all depends on the responses I get.
BTW: I don't know why, But I personally like the story as it is. for those of you who can't follow it I deeply appologise.
It was a calm day in the leaf, birds were flying, the wind was blowing, and Nin's walked peacefully in the streets of konoha. An Idillic day for all intents and purposes. Unfortunatly the hokage was not sitting easily. Only two weeks had passed since sound had broken the walls of Konoha. Like the last time they had used giant snakes… tearing through the heart of town, and once again it had been jirayia's frogs that had battled them. It had been a long and hard fight, but eventully the frogs had managed to crush the snakes. It had been a long and difficult battle.
Sighing the Hokage couldn't help but thank whatever gods were watching her that Sasuke had come. Had he not There was a very real chance that she would not be sitting She had been in the midst of a losing fight when he had appeared with re-inforcements. Uzumaki Naruto had been no where to be found. Appearently he had been on a mission when the fight started. It was odd though, First Jirayia had taken him for two and a half years, and then when he came back there was something … not quite right… about him. He had been an immediate heart throb to the kunoichi, as well as the non ninja female villagers. But he had never much cared for it. In fact he tried his hardest to not even see the looks he was given… Just yesterday however had come the news. Naruto had sent her a letter. That in it's self wasn't all that odd. She had been worried about his reaction to the fight however, and had sent a letter to him by currior reminding him that as long as he served his hokage and village he was always welcome back. His response had been… less than pleasant. What could have caused him to turn his back on the leaf?…
Meanwhile on the outskirts of leaf territory
"I'm telling you, we need to report back to the hokage."
"This could be nothing, a raid by another village, the Atksuki, anyone!"
"Whats the likelihood of them mutilating a body like this though?"
The two nins looked down at the body It had appearently been torn at by wild animals, but there were a series of parellel gashes down the front that could only have been made by a wild animal if it had been the size of a man.
"that's not natural."
"HEY YOU TWO!"
"what do you want?"
"you might want to look at this, Our assilant has left us a calling card."
Standing, and being careful not to disturb the bodies, the two nins joined the third member of their party. She was standing above a shallow pit filled with forehead protectors.
"Here, this note was with them."
Handing the note to the her commander she only managed two steps back before vomiting noisily in the bushes.
The note read:
To Whomever finds this,
Know now that you have an implacable enemy,
I have already destroyed fourteen of your patrols
And I am coming to take the city. .
Tell Sasuke that his life is now forefeit to my hand.
Tell the –Hokage- That I and my allies will destroy
Her within a week.
Uzumaki Naruto
The note, although threatening certainly contained nothing that should have upset a trained ninja to badly. Looking up the commander was about to make a biting comment when something about the forehead protectors caught his eye. Although he felt queasy as well he managed to keep on his feet. Although he hadn't realized it before all the Hit-ite were still around the heads of their owners.
"Alright, report back to the Hokage, this is defiantly not a good thing."
Roughly A week later
"Hokage-sama, Uzumaki is coming"
"Shit, he was serious. Alright rally the troups. I want triple the gaurds on the walls, and I want the ANBU to be ready to move at a moments notice."
After watching the guard leave the room at a dead run the Hokage turned to her crystal ball.
Sasuke, you are summoned to the Hokages towerWatching through the ball the hokage was happy to see the newly raised jounin stop his training and vanish in a cloud of smoke. Seconds later she could feel his presence as he re-materelized in front of her.
"Sasuke, it appears that Naruto is on his way."
"What are your orders Hokage-sama?"
"It appears that he can not be made to see reason, I have sent two separate envoy's to him alone. He has sent back their heads as a response. As much as it hurts to say this, you are charged with terminating him the moment he arrives."
"Yes Hokage-Sama."
So saying he dissapeard again, presumably to gather his weapons.
POV Jirayia:
As I stepped out of the shadows I winced, I couldn't hide the emotions on my face, nor could I keep the pain from my voice, after all I had trained naruto for almost three years.
"Was that Wise Tsunade? Just letting go of him like that?"
As she turned to look at me The redness of her eyes showed me that she was on the verge of crying.
"Can you think of a better plan Jirayia? Please, I beg you, if you have a better one, tell me now."
I was stunned for a moment, In my sorrow at the announcement I had completely forgotten that he was like a surrogate brother to her. Sighing I pulled her close and hugged her. For once she let me, probably because Although a pervert I know when to stop.
"No, I can't. But we should at least be there when it happens."
Pulling away Tsunade wiped the tears from her eyes.
"Your right, Go and rally everyone who isn't already moving. This will probably be our last stand, but at least we can die with honor."
"Hokage-sama! What are your orders?"
"All Nins are to take their designated fighting positions. I've called to our allies for help, but I don't think that they will make it in time."
POV Tsunade:
I'm standing looking at the wall of the city. Its already obvious to me that there is no way that they will stand against Naruto's assult. I hated giving the order that I did, but I had no choice. There was no other way to stop them. It's going to be a tough day though, and I'm going to see friends and students dieing. Worst of all, I'm certain that today I'm going to end up watching Naruto fighting his former team-mates. Team seven has probably always been the team with the most potential, but I get the distinct impression that either Naruto is going to die, or Sasuke and Sakura will. I know which I prefer, but it's going to be a difficult fight none- the less. Hearing movement behind me I prepair to strike, just in case it's not a friendly. Luckly it's Jirayia.
"Alright Tsunade this is it. I don't know whats going to happen here but he's about to hit the walls."
Oddly I can't help but smile a little bit at him.
"You know, when you're not being such a pervert you're not half bad."
"I really don't think that this is the time to be flirting with me Tsunade-sama"
Normally I would have bashed him over the head for that comment, but today… well even now a little humor is better than the overwealming tension.
"Alright Jiraiya, Lets do this."
POV Uchiha Sasuke:
I stood looking out at the red blaze that was tearing through out foreward sentinels, and I couldn't help but smirk. The Vaugly human attacker hasn't seemed to feel the few attacks that managed to make it past the chakra barrier that surrounded it. To the untrained eye it looked like a three tailed fox. To my eyes it's Uzumaki Naruto.
Well well naruto, It looks like you might be a worthy opponant after all.
"Hey DOBE!"
I yelled as I jump to the ground
"Why not leave those weaklings alone and take on a true ninja."
I know that I'll feel sorry later about what I'm going to do, but to be honest. This is something that the dobe and I should have settled back in the valley when I first left for Orochimaru. I'm defiantly confident, at least until he looks up. That feral look in his eyes… I admit that I shivered a little bit. From the looks of things I'm going to have to use the curse seals to keep up.
Naruto's POV:
"Hey DOBE!"
I can feel the Blood lust retreating just a little bit, Dropping the nin that I had been tearing to shreds seconds ago. I stand still for a moment fighting Kyuubi for control, This is one kill that I want to be MINE, AND MINE ALONE. It's difficult but slowly I'm managing to exert some control over this form. It's always difficult to both fight Kyuubi and use his chakra, but somehow I'm managing.
"Why don't you Leave those weaklings alone and fight a REAL ninja"
I'm seeing red again, I'm just a hairsbreadth from losing control,
Let me at him kit, you know you want to. We BOTH want his head on a spike. Just let me out and I assure you that we will be bathing in his blood soon.
Damn it, Give me control you Impotent Kitsune, This is MY fight, either I'm in control of the body while you do your normal chakra moves, or I'm cutting you off. I've done it before, and I swear to KAMI that I'll do it again.
Kit, your only redeeming qualities are that your stubborn, and you know how to press an advantage. Fine, just don't expect me to block the pain like normal, THIS time you feel every blow, as well as the burn of regeneration.
I never quite seem to come out ahead when I deal with that damn fox, but at least I'm back in control of the body. Looking up I meet Sasuke's eyes. Like everyone else who has ever faced me when I went 'Foxy' he shivers a little bit. I really can't blame him for that, Glowing red eyes tend to do that to a person. I really can't help but wonder though. Why did he do it.
Flashback
It's early morning and Naruto is out at the training grounds that the old team 7 used to use. He's obviously had a long night, because he movements are far slower than normal. In fact they are slow enough for a well rested to gennin to keep up now, if just barely.
"Hey there dobe"
Shocked Naruto looked up into a pair of red sharingan. Unfortunatly that was all the time needed for sasuke to act. In his tired state naruto could do nothing but watch as his body fell limp.
"Grab him, he won't struggle, Mind prison is impossible to break unless your willpower is higher than that of your captor, and his isn't, I assure you."
They had taken his body up to the top of the hokage monument and tied him to a tree so that he could see the whole of the village.
"Now sit and watch Naruto-san, we're about to instill the new hokage."
With that sasuke had jumped away again followed by four other nin's whom naruto hadn't been shocked at all to see wore sound hit-ite.
By the time naruto had managed to recover enough to break out of the mind prison technique it had been to late to Warn anyone. Sound had attacked again and naruto did what he could with the frog summons. He had actuly been training with them under the direction of gama-bunta. He had managed to direct the frogs into defeating the snakes when he realized that two prominent fighters had been missing. Appearently Jirayia and Tsunade had been captured rather than killed, and quite frankly it made his blood boil. Both were obviously suffering under some form of drug that must have been slipped into their food or drink before the attack.
End flashback
"You had the drop on me last time Sasuke. This time I'm not half asleep."
"Keep dreaming Dobe, You don't now, and you never have, stood a chance against me."
Naruto stood silent for a moment, thinking, remembering how wave after wave of sound Nin came pouring over the walls, watching the gates open…
"Naruto"
Naruto looked up, There dressed in the hokage's robes was…
"Sakura."
Flashback
Sakura stood above the south gate laughing as the wind whipped though her hair.
"For you sasuke-kun the doors have opened!" Onward. We shall crush these puny leaves benieth our feet."
So saying she kicked the body of a guard over the wall. It was Shikamaru, A look of surprise frozen on his face, as it had been when she drove the knife into his back.
End flashback
"Naruto this is your last chance, Swear alligence to me and I Swear to you that you will be welcomed back into the leaf."
Naruto Hesitated for a moment.
Sakura
Suddenly firming his resolve Naruto stood straight up.
"No, I'm done with the both of you, I'll be damned if I'll Fall, Bow, Or ever waver again in my resolve to destroy the you or that teme! Come Sasuke, Lets end this."
"Whats happening?"
"It looks like he's talking to them."
"Why?"
"Who knows, maby they are trying to get him to turn traitor."
Tsunade listened to the whisper of the troups behind her. She still didn't much like the Idea of Naruto being up in front alone, but there was really nothing that she could do about it.
"Jirayia?"
"What Tsunade?"
"Do you think that they can turn him?"
Jirayia sighed, as little as he wanted to admit it, he had his doubts as well.
"Remember that He's Dan's kid, He knows his duty, and he despises traitors. I really don't think he would."
"Your right, I need to have faith that he will…. What the?"
The spot where Naruto stood was now beginning to glow again, Naruto glowed a brilliant red, the intensity of which was painful to look at. Sasuke on the other hand now seemed to be deepening into an impenetratible black. A black that seemed to drink in the light.
"You may be strong dobe, But I'm stronger, Even orochimaru can't come near my power, because I made it to the next level."
Sasuke had completely changed, Naruto had watched as the first and second stages of the cursed seal had come to pass, he had watch in astonishment as the demon seemed to shrink back into sasuke, even as this new darkness extended out.
"Do you know what I found out Dobe? Demons aren't born, they are made. When you give yourself, heart and soul to the blackness, you can emerge with such power that NO-ONE can stand in your way."
Naruto had only been stunned for a moment.
"So you finally gave up the last bit of your soul hmm? Do you know that your not really the first?"
Sasuke looked startled for a moment.
"The first was the former leader of the Atkusuki, he was a tough fight, I'll admit that. But in the end, he was still mortal."
"You LIE!"
Snarled sasuke as the blackness deepened.
"NOBODY has EVER been as powerful as I am, and NOBODY EVER WILL BE."
Lunging, Sasuke threw himself at Naruto, Naruto stepped silently to one side as sasuke flew past.
"you know whats even funnier sasuke? Once you know how, that particular form is rather easy to beat."
Naruto started running though a series of hand seals, sasuke turned and leapt again, intent on tearing Naruto to shreds, just as he reach him however Naruto finished the seals.
"Angelic Aura-no-jutsu"
Blinded sasuke staggered back, falling to his knees he vomited noisily into the grass as the blackness that had surrounded him was enveloped in white light and destroyed, even the tattoo where the cursed seal had stood was gone. Naruto stood staring at his former friend.
"It's not to late, you and Sakura can still come back if you will only…"
Suddenly Roaring in pain Naruto dropped to his knees and pulled out the Kunai that had hit him. One he pulled from his stomach, Sasuke had thrown it underhanded, and the other he pulled from his back, where Sakura had planted it just as sasuke threw.
"B… Bastards"
he wheezed
"Shut up dobe" snapped Sakura "I'm the Hokage now, and it's time for you to die."
Naruto woke up the the hospital three days later to the sound of voices talking quietly beside him.
"A…Are you certain H…he'll be fine? That w…was one hell of a poision that s..sakura had on that dagger. W…With all the running around he did…"
"You know as well as I do how delirious he was by the time we fought our way to him. Thankfully however Kyuubi seems to have prevented most of the damage."
"I guess we won't know till he wakes up hmm?"
"B… but"
"Look Hinata, I know that your concerned, but you really do need to trust that he'll be fine. Besides, with your father injured I'd think that you would have many things to do."
"I…I resigned my position as the heir."
If Naruto hadn't been so tired and hurt he would have smiled as Jiraiya and Tsunade yelled
"you WHAT!"
"Hey, Keep it down, some of us are trying to sleep here."
This time Naruto did smile.
"Oh be quite Kiba, If you were really hurt that badly you wouldn't be awake yet." Grumbled Tsunade.
There was a 'Hrumph' and the rustling of covers before Jirayia sighed
"oh well, he's probably right I suppose, Care for a drink Tsunade? Hinata?"
"Jiraya, you know the laws about drinking."
"Hey, you put in the exemption for Shinobe not me."
"Th… Thank you anyway Jirayia-san, B… But no thank you."
Naruto heard clothing moving again and could only assume that Jirayia had shrugged
"Suit yourself, Coming Tsunade?"
"I suppose."
Naruto cracked an eye just soon enough to watch Jirayia slip a bottle of Sake and a couple of glasses onto his table as Tsunade turned away.
"But this time I get to pick the card game. I don't care how much of a rage it is out west, I'm not playing poker with you ever again."
Naruto had closed his eye again, when he heard a small giggle and then a sigh. Without opening his eyes he finally spoke.
"Those two will never grow up."
Again he heard a giggle and slowly opened his eyes to look at a slightly blushing Hinata
"O…Ohoyo Naruto-kun"
Naruto managed a weak grin
"Ohoyo Hinata-chan"