Flight

Decision to Escape

For the Sake of Mercy

~ Forenote ~

Shiryokugakure (shee*ree*oh*ku*ga*ker*): The Village Hidden in Plain Sight: This is my response to the Missing Hokage Challenge of Perfect Lionheart

There are some issues that readers have pointed out. I will address them later in the next few chapters, but for now I have put an explanation in my ~ Note ~ at the end of the chapter.

This chapter has been revised: Jan. 2016

Naruto slowly trudged after Sasuke, the once orange Genin, now resembled walking ground-beef. Charred from the burns of fire jutsu, and his several Chidori made holes in his chest and belly still gushing blood. Whatever Sasuke had done to him, the bastard Kyuubi was no longer healing him as fast as he should.

Our corpsified little ninja still hadn't given up. He still dragged himself after the boy who had thought to leave him for dead. And after all of what Sasuke had done to him, Naruto really should have been dead.

But the Genin moved onward, he would bring his teammate back, even if he had to do it dead!

0o0o0

Somewhere deep in rice country, Orochimaru's base was busy with activity. Sasuke was being prepared for that transfer.

"It will give you all of Orochimaru-sama's knowledge," The medic ninja said.

The medic had no idea how right he was. Sasuke smirked, if only he knew just how it would work. They thought he was just being arrogant, but he had a surprise for his new "Sensei." One that only he and that man were aware of.

It was time, Orochimaru stepped into the room. His arms were peeling and bleeding, and his body was haggard. Without the soul transfer, the Sanin would soon perish.

However, the Uchiha had arrived just in time. Not however, before most of his test subjects had killed each other. It was down to only a few left when the Sanin had been informed of the boy's arrival. They were dealt with.

After the final preparations were finished, the serpent sage began his incursion on the boy's young body and it was completed seamlessly.

Once he had transferred himself into the Uchiha, the veteran shinobi began to take control of all the functions of this new body… Right until he saw the jutsu.

It was something left to him by Itachi. Who had driven him out of the mercenary group Akatsuki shortly after arriving. Little Sasuke remembered his elder brother's words, back at that hotel when the man had come for the Kyuubi brat. "You are too pathetic to gain your own power, Sasuke. Soon, Orochimaru will try to steal the Sharingan, and I will not let our dojutsu fall into his hands."

The jutsu activated before he could flee the body. Shredding the Sanin's existence.

As Orochimaru was being processed, his personality was erased, his memories were distorted and filtered so that only information was left. Jutsu and methods. Times and dates. Names and places. But Orochimaru's feelings and opinions were gone with his past, his personality, and his memories. The Snake sage himself was erased from this world.

It would be as though Sasuke had memorized all of this from a text. Had learned the countless bits of information in mere moments, or hours, or days...

It would take time, the Sanin had learned many things in his life. It would take a long time... and Sasuke's occupied mind, would not process the outside world until it was done.

0o0o0

The soul transfer wasn't supposed to take this long. He had been there for others, and they never taken more than a single hour. It had been several hours since Sasuke's body had become unresponsive. For those hours, Kabuto was worried that it had failed. He continually checked on the sleeping Uchiha, and he placed the boy's body in the recuperation room.

After about 3 hours had passed, the distressed medic was informed there was an intruder on the base.

Leaving to find the intruder, he discovered none other than the Kyuubi child. Considering that they had evacuated the facility already, save for him, the body, and four others meant to guard them, Kabuto decided he could allow the brat to continue. So he would watch, and see just how far Naruto made it with all the injuries he had.

Those four, stayed hidden as this... moving corpse found its way to the recuperation room. Then the medic decided not to risk anymore. He wouldn't let the zombified brat damage his operation.

With the order to attack, the one guard Kabuto had brought back inside with him, stepped out and shot a kunai into the intruder. However, instead of reacting the boy just took it. It was like he really was a walking corpse.

Then, with a fearful shock, Kabuto realized what the boy was doing. If he released the beast here it would….! So that's why he didn't fight back! This was a plan he never thought the 'future Hokage' could pull out. The brightly colored loud mouth had always been about never giving up! But with that much damage done to his body, releasing the demon from its cage was the only thing the kid could do! The brat had followed in hopes that the fox would break free and kill them all!

Kabuto was again informed that there was another intruder. It seemed the demon-gaki had led the leaf right to them. Kabuto had to act quickly, there wasn't very many options on how to escape with the body, so he left without it. If Orochimaru's soul transfer hadn't taken, they wouldn't hurt the Uchiha. If it had, then Orochimaru would be able to fake the Uchiha brat's life easily until the Sanin had a chance to escape.

Quietly ordering those four to retreat unseen, the medic didn't even look back as he fled from the copy ninja's approach.

0o0o0

His body failed him as Naruto finally found his teammate. He had forced himself far past any pain, past life and death itself. Only to drop once he arrived at the base of the enemy.

But he could die proud. He had won. Maybe not the fight. But the pursuit, He'd finished that. He had kept his promise to Sakura. Sasuke was his now.

But the near-dead Genin couldn't get them back. He couldn't even move anymore. He could only lie there, waiting for the demon to do its job. Where was he? Why wouldn't the fox heal him already? What had Sasuke done to the demon inside his gut?

0o0o0

Haruno Sakura waited at the gate, waiting for what she knew to be impossible. But for that briefest of moments, she had actually hoped that Naruto would be able to beat Sasuke. Even though she knew, never would he be that strong.

Finally in the distance, she saw the last members of the retrieval squad returning. Kakashi-Sensei was making his way to the village at a speed she couldn't truly follow. As he passed she did catch a glimpse of him, and joy sprang from her heart. He was carrying two people! One was Sasuke and the other had to be Naruto! Even though the idiot was curled up in a blanket.

0o0o0

Hatake Kakashi suppressed his radiating fury, while he watched his only surviving Genin as she left the Uchiha's room. She had visited the traitor seven times in the past four days. The Jonin understood that. However, she hadn't even asked about Naruto! Not Once!

Finally realizing she was being watched the kunoichi greeted him. "Oh! Hey sensei. Did you come to see Sasuke too?"

"Yeah, and I was thinking about going to check up on Naruto after," Kakashi replied lazily. "Would you like to join me?"

His little pink student finally failed him completely by shaking her head and turning to the door.

"I'd rather not, I'll see him when he gets out."

Grabbing her arm, the Jonin darkened. Sakura flinched and let out a whimper when she felt his killing intent.

"He may not get out." Her sensei informed her venomously.

Jerking her head in surprise, Sakura tried to struggle from his grasp. "What- what do you mean sensei?"

He didn't answer. Instead the Jonin began walking, while dragging her behind him.

When he stopped, they were in the observation room, just above and behind the operation room. Where they were, they would easily be able to see the horrors that were being performed. "Sensei, what are we doing here? If you wanted me to go see Naruto you could have just took us to his usual room!"

"And when do you think he'll get there?" His voice was layered heavily with malice.

"What are you talking about? And why wouldn't they let Naruto out of the hospital? He didn't take any unattended medicine did he?" She asked, beginning to sound annoyed.

Grabbing her head in one hand, the Legendary Copy Ninja struggled to only turn her head towards the operation table, and to not twist it any farther.

"This is what I've been talking about."

Sakura gagged when she saw it. The room In front of her was occupied by the Lady Hokage and her assistant, as well as several others. Some, she could tell were just there to donate chakra. Among them were many of the village's Jonin, commonly known for not being medics. Others, were keeping the blood from pooling around the table.

Soo much BLOOD.

On the table itself, looked to be an autopsy taking place, but with a live person. Strapped down and struggling as his insides were shifted, pulled out, repaired and put back.

The medical legend herself was performing healing jutsu, after healing jutsu. She was methodical and perpetually moving. Her once voluptuous, seductive body, was now discolored, wrinkled and aged.

"That was once Naruto," The Jonin told her. "Lady Tsunade has been working on him the entire time since he was returned from the retrieval mission."

"Oh my god, what happened to him?" She finally turned from the sight, dropping when her sensei's gripping hands opened.

"Sasuke happened."

She couldn't understand... how could Sasuke be responsible for Naruto getting himself hurt? "What! If Naruto injured himsel—" Her words were cut off by the thunderous voice of an angry Jonin.

"Those injuries came from katon and raiton jutsu, more specifically, the Chidori that I taught Sasuke!" Kakashi was almost yelling but for the sake of the Godaime's work, kept his volume as low as he was able, even while his voice dripped with ice and venom "Sasuke intentionally tried to kill Naruto! And very nearly succeeded!"

"Wait! Sasuke would never—" Instead of letting her defend the traitor, the enraged Jonin continued.

"Naruto's own regenerative capabilities are six times that of an average shinobi, under normal circumstances! And! When its life threatening it increases! Yet even after four days of treatment from the medical expert SANIN, he is still in critical condition."

The girl flinched back when his killing intent flared again.

"And when I invited you to see him, you'd rather not! I was informed that you hadn't even asked about him!"

Sakura had dropped to her knees under the killing intent coming off of her sensei. She didn't know that he was so hurt! How was she supposed to know? She couldn't believe that Sasuke would do such a thing or that Naruto could even survive having that many injuries.

Then, the pinkette realized in horror, if her beloved had done this, then the Hokage wouldn't stop until he was in prison! "What's going to happen to Sasuke now?" She asked, and in that moment, she knew terror.

When she had shown more concern for Sasuke even after this, Kakashi lost it. Even after what he told her, and the sight of what the Uchiha did, she was now worried that Sasuke would be punished!

It took all of his years of regrets to keep himself from killing her!

"Kakashi! That's enough! Get out NOW!"

At the sound of Tsunade's pissed voice, Kakashi looked away from the crumpled form of his passed out failure of a student, and saw that several of the orderlies in the operation room had also passed out and others were terrified. His killing Intent had run through the entire hospital.

Grabbing a handful of pink hair he walked to the door and nodded to the Hokage, before leaving the hospital. On his way out, the Jonin tossed his student onto one of the benches just outside. He wasn't sure she'd survive the trip back to her house.

0o0o0

Uchiha Sasuke roused himself from one of the most exhausting sleep he'd ever had. At first, the Genin was confused about where he was. However, he recognized the flowers Sakura had always left him when he was in the hospital.

That meant he was back in the Leaf. His Jonin sensei, Kakashi, must have found him. An image of a bloody preteen crawling towards him flashed through Sasuke's mind. Shaking his head, the Uchiha cleared the image away. Naruto was dead now, and nothing could change that.

He so badly wished that his stubborn teammate had just given up. But it wasn't to be… he had kept coming no matter what Sasuke did to end his pursuit. So the avenger put him down. It wasn't easy, he didn't expect it to be. But he managed to do it. And in the moments after... he was disappointed by the fact that he still hadn't awakened the eyes his brother spoke of.

Moving from the bed, the Genin decided to check himself out of the hospital. He had training to do and a lot of it.

After his ill-fated meeting with Itachi, he had desired to find out exactly what the jutsu his brother had placed on him was. His research into the sharingan led him to realize that Itachi's jutsu would strip Orochimaru's mind from his soul and give the younger Uchiha all of the legendary missing ninja's powers.

The boy had learned so much trying to figure out what his brother had done to him. All he could find on the matter was theoretical concepts on the application of the sharingan in non-combat situations. He wouldn't have read any of it otherwise. That had been how the Uchiha managed to put his teammate's inner beast asleep. Whatever that monster was. It couldn't have actually been the Kyuubi right?

As Sasuke made his way to the door however, it burst open and the guard from outside raised his hands for a jutsu. Sasuke could understand having a guard, it was only a precaution to keep the Sharingan safe... But why was said guard suppressing his chakra.

"Uchiha Sasuke, if you attempt to escape I will be forced to put you under sedation."

Escape? From what? "What do you mean? I'm a Shinobi of the leaf. You have no right to hold me here."

Without answering the boy's question, the guard gestured toward the bed.

"You will remain in the bed until the Hokage has cleared you to be transferred to a holding cell, if you wish for food or drink, I will request it from the orderlies and oversee your meal."

"Have my guardians informed of where I am, and tell them I wish to know what's going on. I want to speak to them as soon as they are available."

That's right, he'd left the village... They needed to give him some kind of slap on the wrist. At least he was going to be 'imprisoned' in the hospital for now. He'd find a way to get the charges dropped when the old bats got here to bail him out.

After confirming the request, Sasuke lay back on the bed and focused on what he had learned during the transfer. It seemed he knew much more about the war and jutsu but he couldn't seem to bring anything solid or specific to mind.

Deciding it must be the chakra suppressant interfering with his Sharingan, the exhausted teen rolled over to wait in much needed sleep.

0o0o0

Tsunade exited the operation room for another sleep session. She needed rest. The ceaseless work she had been doing to keep him alive, took all of her focus and most of her chakra. Forcing herself to her limits near endlessly, drained her to the bone.

She had given up her image of youth within the first hour of surgery for the additional chakra, and for these days since, she hadn't bothered to replace it. She was also siphoning chakra from her reserve seal just to have the volume it took to perform the constant flow of medical jutsu. Her several volunteer chakra batteries could only provide so much before needing to rest, not that she lacked volunteer's, but the only ones whose donations would help had to be from the available Jonin and upper Chunin pool, or they would be drained to exhaustion before their donation could make much difference.

But it wouldn't be enough to keep going nonstop. There was also her mental capabilities to keep sharp. Even the tiniest of mistakes could blow into a disaster, setting the operation back by hours or even days! And she couldn't afford to wear herself down like that.

Instead she had others take the table when she left. They were supervised by Shizune. And would do what they could to keep him stable as she rested. After about four to six hours she would go back and continue. She had needed to do this many times. And each time was put off as long as possible. It had taken so long, almost nine days of nonstop healing just to ensure he'd remain stable for one of these breaks.

The weary old woman knew her limits had been reached. She only hoped the boy who called her granny would continue to disrespect her after tomorrow… if not… she couldn't let it happen again. She would never let what happened to Dan repeat itself!

He wasn't healing on his own as he used to either. Oh, he still healed faster than normal, but the Kyuubi was gone. Not a trace of it left it seemed.

In fact, that may have been the reason the others worked so hard on him. It was no longer there. Although the Sanin could sense the presence of its chakra, but the chakra itself was gone. And most of the others couldn't even sense the seal that held it. They might not have even known who he was, not that he was even recognizable when he came in.

She knew some of the nurses who did recognize him had thought that it had died, and the poor boy was free of the thing. One had even suggested changing his name after all this and having him adopted.

Dropping onto her bed, the Godaime considered her next dilemma. After tomorrow's healing she had a mess to deal with over the Uchiha.

The moment she had heard he was awake she had given an isolation order and forbidden anyone other than her assigned guard to even see him.

As well as a sedate-if-active order, so that should he use any chakra at all, even just activating his Sharingan, he would be put to sleep until she gave the waking order.

One thing Tsunade know for absolute certain, if Naruto didn't make it… neither would the Uchiha, trails and law be damned.

0o0o0

The council was gathered and ready for the proceedings. Needless to say that since the traitor lasted this long Naruto had pulled through. After two weeks of her best work, Naruto was fully stable. Although he had yet to wake, and probably wouldn't for a few days.

And while she attended this, she had her best and most violent guarding him. And alongside Anko and Ibiki, was an entire army of her most trusted. Kakashi had wanted to be there but he was also charged with testifying against Sasuke.

"Bring him in"

Uchiha Sasuke wasn't dragged in. Instead he walked, in a dejected yet confident manor. She would have to fix that.

"We are here to discuss the actions of Uchiha Sasuke.—"

"It has come to our attention that the prodigy of the Uchiha has successfully assassinated the traitor Orochimaru of the Sanin"

The one who had interrupted her was not Danzo as she had expected but instead it was her sensei's teammate Koharu Utatane.

"What the hell do you mean assassination?"

"Lady Hokage," Homura Mitokado explained, "We were informed directly from Sasuke himself of his secret mission to act as bait and trap in order to assassinate Orochimaru."

Most of the council had now, began looking at the traitor Genin as if he really were a hero. She though, was furious. She had placed an isolation order and it had not been kept.

"Utilizing an old jutsu of the Uchiha, young Sasuke erased Orochimaru from this dimension. And during this mission he proved himself more than capable of performing as a shinobi of the leaf. It is our request that he be raised from the rank of Genin to the rank of Chunin until such time that he has taken the Jonin exam as well."

"This shall give him more opportunity to train in the various arts his Sharingan has reclaimed from the traitor Sanin."

She hadn't even had a chance to charge him with anything. Instead the council had voted and his promotion passed, only the parents of those on the retrieval mission had voted against it.

She couldn't wrap her mind around what had just happened. Sure, the Sanin understood that the council had the authority to make decisions like this. It was one of the few reasons the Third Hokage hadn't retired long before he passed. The workload had just been too much for him, so he delegated. And on paper it made sense. But here! Now! It was like seeing the world flipped upside down!

His gag order had been lifted and he was issued a training pass to learn all of the Village's public shinobi jutsu. Those jutsu that were not Forbidden between the ranks A, B, and C.

By this time Tsunade had realized that he had just gotten away with everything he'd done. But she could at least restrain him and keep him out on missions until she had a way to get around this. And she would get around it, she would wipe the sharingan off the face of the earth for this. Accepting their decision was hard, acknowledging it was not impossible. Only just barely not!

Then, the two elders finished their little usurping with one last issue. One that chilled her to the bone.

"On to the final matter of the Uchiha's training, we understand that Uzumaki Naruto has survived his attempted murder of Uchiha Sasuke, and we believe it is time that he is dealt with."

They didn't even flinch when her fury washed over them. Murder!

Only Sasuke's slight paling was any indication that her Killing Intent was having any affect at all.

"During Sasuke's fight to defend himself, Uzumaki accessed the power of the beast within him."

At this many of the civilians shouted for his death and some of the shinobi had grown pale as well. And Tsunade decided that she would murder the elderly teammates of her old sensei.

"It was at this time that Uchiha Sasuke, our village's hero, discovered his greatest ability…" They paused and let the silence build.

"The Sharingan has allowed him to not only suppress the beast, but he believes it would also give him dominion over the demon's chakra!"

One moment it was silent, the next there were cheers for the traitor Genin. She was shaking with rage and on the verge of simply killing all three of them right there.

"It is time the demon be used as a weapon," Danzo interjected, "Therefore, I issue the motion that the Kyuubi be extracted from Uzumaki and turned over to the one who can control it." and she could hold back no longer.

"An extraction would kill him!" Tsunade shouted, slamming her fist down to break the dais.

Only to be met with shouts of 'punishment for his crimes' from the civilians. And with an order from Danzo they went silent. The Uchiha stood rigid and silent his eyes as wide as they would go.

"We must do this as civilized as we are able, The Hokage has the ability to restrain her anger at you sniveling cowards, so you should be at least able to conduct yourselves as a council rather than a mob!"

It was drawn to a vote. And three civilians voted against it, as well as the majority of the shinobi.

They weren't just voting to save Naruto, but some voted because they didn't want to mess with the seal, or out of fear of freeing the beast.

Tsunade was saved, she wasn't sure what she would do if they had voted against him. However she also knew that sooner or later they would find a way.

As she left the council chambers she decided she needed to plan for it. And in the next three days she had begun setting it up. She had searched for ways and means through the laws. And had prepared many orders to issue.

0o0o0

It was only three days after the vote that Tsunade received the first sign that no laws would save her grandson. A death report arrived, informing her that a member of the civilian council had been assassinated, one of the three civilians that had voted against the extraction.

She instantly ordered the other two under ANBU watch. Shortly later receiving word that one of those two had all but publicly agreed to change his vote, probably due to threats to his family.

The other was taken into protective custody and would be guarded for now.

The Hokage had no choice, but to accept that the danger would remain. Sooner or later, they would find a way to get what they wanted. There was no way to keep Naruto safe in the village! As long as he remained in the village, her grandson would have no chance to escape when the time came. And if she had to send him away to keep him safe, she was leaving too.

Omake:What would Tsunade do if they asked to execute Naruto!?

"We have voted." Stated the councilman, "And the result is, that Uzumaki Naruto is to be labeled a missing ninja, apprehended and executed!"

Tsunade shook with rage! They had just voted to kill her little hero! Tsunade would die first! But she would kill even before that! Shaking her head in resolve, the Godaime stood from her chair, and gently lifted up the dais in front of her, "I call for a recount of the vote!"

"But lady Hokage, the numbers were obvious, why would we-" he was cut off as the dais landed on him and three others who had vote for the execution, crushing them to death.

"See..." the Sanin pointed her thumb at the mangled and splattered bodies, "Some of those who voted were not in good health and as such could not have voted right."

"Ehhhem... " Began another councilmen "I believe, Lady Hokage was right... another vote is in order."

The rest of the council members murmured their consent.

~ Note ~

Okay so this is how it went, It all started to change from canon when Sasuke's older brother (Itachi) told him that he wouldn't be able to protect his eyes, (hotel scene in canon)

So he left a jutsu sealed into them for when Orochimaru tried to steal them. (Just like he did with Obito.) Sasuke knew about it, but didn't know what it would do.

So when studying to find out what the jutsu was, he learned more about his eyes than he had thought useful in canon. (Since Sasuke didn't think it was useful, he didn't study it in canon)

That lead to him developing his eyes farther than in canon, and learning to use them to suppress the Kyuubi the way he had when Naruto and him met in Orochimaru's lair in shippuden.

Because the fox was suppressed, he beat Naruto much faster, but Naruto being Naruto, he didn't die or give up. He just kept crawling after the boy. Even after Sasuke himself had been convinced he'd finished his teammate off.

So because Sasuke won the fight faster, he got to Orochimaru in time. And the transfer took place.

The fox isn't gone, it's just put to sleep for a while. All of its chakra is suppressed into the seal where no-one can sense it. (Not because it is suppressed, but because it is in the seal)

Yes, this is a Sakura-basher. However she won't be seen in the story very much. In fact she probably won't even be mentioned more than three or four times after they leave the village.

The Third gave the council more power to handle things as he aged, keep in mind he was already retired because he was old when the fourth was hired, it has been like 15-20 years since his retirement. He couldn't keep up, so he let them take over. And they kept that power when Tsunade came in.

Also, I will never, ever, write anything about an evil Naruto or about Sasuke being the real hero. Naruto is the hero, the good guy and the main character. It will stay that way. Sasuke can be good, bad, bashed or brotherly. But he will always be Second-To (or even lower), than Naruto.

Most items in all my Naruto fan-fictions will be based off of T8: Retroversion's timeline. Many of these details will be universal across them all.

Meaning any mission or OC, or other major details will be included, based on their background and trigger events.

{This will not include Kurenai's conspiracy or Hinata's abuse}

While T8: Retroversion will be my main Fic, Five others are on my list to work on at the moment: LATE Naruto: Life After the Ends; Uzumaki: A Lone Fox; The Thousand Ninja; Village Hidden in Plain Sight; and Wisdom of Chance. Descriptions on profile.