A/N: Well, my faithful readers, it seems I must apologize to you all. Once more, a new idea has passed through my cranium and it seems impossible for me to ignore it, so on with the show. Contrary to what is most likely common belief, I have actually started work on the first actual chapter of "Redemption", and I would like to inform all interested parties that no, in fact, this story is NOT on hiatus. Well, my dear friends, I hope you enjoy the latest installment of my growing one-shot library. Lately, I've discovered the wonderful world of YouTube, which let's me watch any episode of Naruto between 1 and 200. I'm currently sitting at about 161-ish. This story hit me right after I saw the fight in the Valley of the End.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of the places, characters or anything else associated with that anime. I only own the storyline… TT
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Enemies to the EndIt had come to this. Three years had passed, and they stood across the field from each other once again. Naruto stood proudly, his blonde hair fluttering in the breeze, making him look surreal in the fading light. The five had set out again, determined to retrieve their former teammate, one way or another. Orochimaru had launched another devastating attack on Konoha, resulting in the destruction of half the city. Naruto had never been fond of the villagers, but what Orochimaru had done was inexcusable. Naruto gritted his teeth as he stared across the battered field. Two armies had met there, and the battle had been fierce. He closed his eyes, and slowly let the tears flow.
"How did it come to this?" He whispered as he looked down at his bloodstained hands.
-Flashback-
It had been horrible. Konoha was a flaming ruin. Bodies lay strewn in the streets, and the once proud Hokage monument had crumbled to the ground. Many were dead, sacrificing their lives to protect the village, but the enemy had been driven back. Tsunade herself had led the counterattack, and subsequent conquering of the forces of Orochimaru. The snake himself was defeated by a combined attack by Tsunade and Jiraiya, and his bloody corpse hung from the village gates. After his master's death, Kabuto had assumed command of the forces of the Hidden Sound, and had ordered an immediate retreat of all his forces. The Konoha shinobi were engaged in a fierce running battle. The Sound nin were dropping like flies, as they were taken down by the enraged forces of the Hidden Leaf. Shikamaru, Naruto, Chouji, Kiba, and Neji were tearing through the forest, taking out the enemy as they came, and swearing to themselves to complete the assignment they had failed so long ago. Sasuke's Stage Two Curse Seal was the main weapon of the Sound nin, and they had relied on the Uchiha avenger for everything, but when his technique was countered by Hyuuga Hiashi, the nuke-nin had turned and fled, taking to the forest. The battle had quickly turned into a rout, and the five Konoha nin were after Sasuke again.
Shikamaru turned and looked at his team. They had become the most efficient team in Konoha, all Jounin-level, all exceptionally talented ninja. He smiled, and thought back to the fist time the five had set out together. They had all changed, yet remained the same. He grinned and shook his head. Sometimes, his logic confused even him. "All right guys! You know what to do! We'll bring that bastard back, one way or another!" He yelled back, and his teammates yealled back at him.
"Right!" They cried, and picked up the pace, speeding through the treetops as fast as they could.
-End Flashback-
Naruto clenched his fist, and watched in amazement as the blood dripped down onto the grass. He hadn't even noticed that his nails pierced the skin of his palms. Sasuke glared at him from across the valley.
"What's wrong, dobe? Are you mad? Do you hate me?" He called, his voice dripping with mockery and disdain. Naruto clenched his fists again, and squared his feet. Sasuke was going to pay. To Naruto, it was painful, it was so painful he could barely breath, but he knew, in his heart of hearts, that there was nothing he could do. Sasuke was too far gone. Sasuke smirked at him, it was a smile full of insanity, and the madness raging behind his Sharingan eyes frightened Naruto. Those eyes that were just like Itachi's. Naruto screamed across at Sasuke.
"You bastard! How could you do it Sasuke?" He yelled, his voice full of rage. "She loved you! She loved you more than anything else in the universe, and you killed her! She was your friend, your teammate, and you murdered her… you're really no better than your bastard brother!" Sasuke's eyes widened, and hardened again, full of rage at Naruto's words. The black-haired ninja screamed and charged at Naruto full tilt.
"Never mention my brother again!" Sasuke quickly formed three seals, and began to gather chakra into his palm. "I'll kill you!" He screamed, and thrust his hand directly at Naruto's chest. Naruto's eyes widened, as he recalled the incident three years ago. "Die!" Sasuke yelled, as he thrust at Naruto's chest.
-Flashback-
Sasuke charged Naruto, the sound of a thousand birds radiating from his left hand, as Naruto rushed at him, the Kyuubi's aura whirling around his body, almost completely covering him in crimson chakra.
"Chidori!"
"Rasengan!"
As Sasuke plunged his fist into Naruto's chest, the blonde's Kyuubi-empowered claws reached out and carved a furrow through the Uchiha's hitai-ate. Each of them leaving a clear-cut sign to the other that said, 'I could have won'.
-End Flashback-
Now here they stood, but only one was charging, the other just stood, patiently awaiting his fate. When Sasuke was an inch away from victory, it was snatched away from him, as his prey vanished, only to appear behind him in a blur of yellow and blue.
"What?" Sasuke yelled, as he was cheated out of victory, and he thrust his Chidori into the ground, tumbling across the cracked and burned soil. Naruto assumed a fighting stance behind him, ready for the next charge.
"It doesn't have to be like this, Sasuke. Forget about the battle and come back to Konoha peacefully." Naruto said, raising his fists as his opponent regained his footing. The grin Sasuke sent him was terrifying in its insanity, and Naruto could feel the hate radiating off his former friend.
"Where on earth did the Naruto who wanted to kill me go? Face it Naruto, you can't beat me. You could never beat me. Not even when we were teammates. Sasuke spat the word with such contempt that it may as well have been a poisonous snake, or insect. "You've always been inferior to me, that's why you want me back in the village, so you don't have to worry about risking your petty little neck over me ever again. Face it Naruto, you're weak. You lack the hatred you need to kill me." Sasuke threw his head back and laughed to the heavens. He opened his eyes, his mastered Sharingan blazing. "Foolish little dobe… if you want to kill me, then hate, spite, and survive pathetically! Run and run, and cling desperately to life!" Naruto's eyes widened, and for a brief moment, he saw Itachi in those words, speaking through Sasuke. Naruto gritted his teeth, and the Kyuubi'schakra began to manifest itself around his body. Sasuke grinned madly, and sprinted towards his former teammate.
"Why did you kill her Sasuke? Why the hell did you do it?" Naruto growled as the pair stood, locked in combat. Sasuke grinned wildly and spun, backhanding Naruto in the face.
"It was so easy you know," Sasuke said, chasing after the tumbling blonde, "It was like squashing an ant. She never really had much of a purpose with me before, but now, she's helped me achieve more power than I could have obtained otherwise!" With that, he leapt forward and forced Naruto up against a tree. Looking him in the eyes, Sasuke spoke the words that only two other Uchiha had ever uttered before him. "Mangekyou Sharingan!" He said, and Naruto's world was changed, the skies were red, the clouds were white, everything else was monochromatic, and he was reliving every bad thing that had ever happened to him. Sasuke's voice broke though the waves of torment crashing over him, and seemed to come from everywhere. "For the next 72 hours, you will relive the most painful moments of your life." He slowly watched everything that was bad about his life unfold before his eyes. Finally, when it was done, he looked up and heard a chuckle. "Don't worry dobe, only 71:59:59 left to go." Naruto did the only thing he could in that situation. He screamed and bit deep into his arm.
- - - - - - -
Sasuke was jovial. He understood now, why it was that Itachi had slaughtered the Uchiha. The power of the Mangekyou… was incredible. He just had to know, that he was capable of the same things his brother was, and Naruto had been a… convenient guinea pig. Sasuke turned and began to walk away from the twitching figure he heard a voice from behind him.
"Sasuke…teme." Sasuke's eyes widened and he whirled around to see Naruto standing before him, with a large bite mark in his forearm. The blonde jinchuuriki smirked at him and raised one fist in his direction. "Don't underestimate me… you murderous coward."
Sasuke grinned wildly as the jet-black marks stretched across his body. "C'mon Naruto! Let's have some fun!" He roared, and the pair lunged at each other. Sasuke puled back his arm and unleashed a flurry of punches at Naruto, who began furiously ducking and weaving around them. Sasuke laughed as he taunted his former teammate. "What's wrong dobe? Can't fight back? Then I'll put you out of your misery!" Naruto ducked under one of Sasuke's haymaker punches, only to take a foot to the nose. He went soaring backwards and smashed into a rock. Six shuriken attached to cables quickly bound him to the rock.
"Farewell dobe." Sasuke grinned as he formed a set of seals. "Ryuuka no jutsu!" He said, and fire shot down the cables, engulfing the rock in a flash. Sasuke smiled as he saw the rock being reduced to ashes in a matter of seconds.
"Hey Sasuke!" Came Naruto's voice from behind him. The black haired boy whirled, only to have a ball of spinning chakra forced into his chest. "Rasengan!" Naruto yelled as he released his hold on the energy, sending Sasuke spinning backwards into the wall of the valley. The Uchiha pried himself out of the hole in the canyon wall that his flight had created, and grimaced, holding his ribs.
"That's more like it Naruto! But you're still too WEAK!" He said as he flung himself at his rival, smashing him into the opposing wall with tremendous force. Naruto spat out blood as he too pried himself from a crater. "Where's that beast that fought me three years ago? Where's that power you had then? Don't you want revenge? I killed the one you loved and you still can't bring yourself to let go of the past? You're pathetic Naruto!" The blonde was bend double as Sasuke's fist slammed into him over and over until finally, he grabbed and thrown into the river. The crimson aura of the Kyuubi began gathering around the Jounin as he floated in the river. Naruto's fangs and claws lengthened, his eyes turned crimson with slits for pupils, and a set of five glowing chakra tails spouted from the base of his spine. Sasuke's eyes widened, and he settled into a fighting position. Three years ago, the best that his rival could achieve was the two tailed mode, but then again, Naruto had been undergoing fierce training, as had Sasuke. Naruto quickly formed a set of seals that seemed slightly familiar to Sasuke, though he couldn't quite remember…
"Hey Sasuke, this should bring back some memories! Suiton: Sensatsu Suisho no jutsu!" The water that surrounded the two rose into the air, forming needles, just as Haku had years before in the Land of Waves. Sasuke's eyes widened. He couldn't recognize the seals because Haku had done them one-handed!
"Shit!" Sasuke yelled, and leapt, trying to avoid the piercing liquid spikes. It was the perfect opening, and Naruto didn't waste it. Sasuke jerked forward as a shuriken slammed into his back, imbedding itself deep in his flesh. He managed to spin in midair, avoiding the majority of the needles, however. Naruto grimaced, as the Thousand Flying Water Needles was one of his trump cards in this battle.
"You're just as fast as ever, Sasuke, but I've still got some tricks up my sleeve!" Sasuke stopped and slammed his hands together. 'Horse, Tiger!'
"Katon: Goukakyuu no jutsu!" The power of the Grand Fireball technique, combined with the power of the Cursed Seal of Earth was devastating, as a river of flame shot straight at the Jounin. Naruto grinned fanatically, and began to spin faster and faster on top of the water.
"Here's a little something Neji taught me! Eat this Sasuke! Akishou Kaiten!" A domed shield of red chakra sprung up around Naruto, forcing a shield of water up along with it. As the fire dissipated, Sasuke grimaced, and noticed that Naruto was adopting a peculiar fighting stance. "Another thing Neji taught me! Aki Rokujuyon Sho!" Naruto disappeared in a blur and reappeared in front of Sasuke, with his hands at the ready. "Two strikes," He slammed two fingers into Sasuke's chest once, twice, "Four Strikes," four more hits, every time his fingers made contact, a small burst of red chakra would strengthen the blow. "Eight, sixteen, thirty-two, sixty-four strikes!" With the final blow, he landed an open-palmed strike to the center of Sasuke's chest, his demonic strength sending the Uchiha flying. "Maybe I can't see the tenketsu like Neji or Hinata, but I've seen Sakura-chan's medical books enough times to know where the important pressure points are in your muscular structure!" Sasuke lay in a heap on the ground, trying to force his limbs to obey him, but having no such luck. Naruto's red chakra had inflicted a massive amount of damage to his muscles, ripping, burning and reducing them to a fine paste.
'Damn… this is bad. I can't move…' Sasuke thought as Naruto approached his crippled body. "You… how did you…?" Naruto looked down at Sasuke with disgust written all over his face.
"How did I what, Sasuke? How did I beat you? Simple, really, I worked at it. I figured that you wouldn't attack for a while, and I asked the strongest people I knew to help me. It's something that you should've tried every once in a while. Asking for help. You know Sasuke, you had it so damn good and you didn't even realize it. You had a fortune, a fan club, and access to whatever you wanted, simply because you were the only survivor of the tragic Uchiha Clan. You've never known true loneliness. I had no friends, anyone to give me a pat on the back, or a kind word now and again. I had to work for everything, when bastards like you get everything they want handed to them on a silver platter. Your self-imposed solitude was only a front to cover the fact that you were afraid of making ties, wasn't it? Now look at what's happened to you. You've become a pathetic little creature that clings desperately to the hope of defeating his brother and restoring his clan one day. What clan Sasuke? You have nothing now, and it's entirely your fault. The Uchiha Clan of Konoha is no more." Sasuke was growing angrier and angrier by the second. How dare this second-rate hack of a ninja stand there and lecture him, Uchiha Sasuke?
"Shut up! You don't know anything about me!" Sasuke yelled, trying once again to get his muscles to obey him. Naruto glared and grabbed him by the collar, lifting him off the ground.
"And why's that Sasuke? I'll tell you. Because your damn pride always got in the way! Every time Sakura-chan or I tried to get to know you better, you just shrugged it off by saying that you had to go train, or some other stupid excuse! Your fear of your brother overrode all your other instincts, all you could ever think of was him, of surpassing him!" Naruto punched the crippled Uchiha in the face, sending him flying backwards to land on the shore of the river. "I'm taking you back to Konoha Sasuke. And I have a feeling that you and Morino Ibiki will have a nice long chat." Sasuke's world was spinning, and he still couldn't move. "I told you last time, Sasuke. I'll bring you back to Konoha even if I have to break every bone in your body to do it." With that, he hit the dazed Uchiha on the top of the head, knocking him unconscious.
- - - - - - -
Sasuke awoke in a white room. Completely white. Everything from the paint on the walls, to the curtains and bed-sheets, was pure white. He grimaced slightly and raised his hand to touch the junction of his left shoulder and neck. He felt the twin scars from Orochimaru's fangs, and grimaced again. Apparantly it wasn't a dream. His eyes darted quickly between the door and the window. He smirked to himself. Security here was lax at best. He raised his head and noticed a figure in blue and green standing in the corner of his room.
""Don't even think about escaping Sasuke. If I have to, I'll kill you." The figure moved into the light, and Sasuke saw a figure that he recognized very well.
"Kakashi…" He murmured as he saw his former sensei approach his bed. The grey-haired Jounin looked down on Sasuke with distaste. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small orange book. Sasuke eyed his teacher warily. He hadn't changed much, an extra scar here and there, but he still wore his half-mask, had his hitai-ate pulled down over his left eye, and had his nose buried in one of his perverted novels. Sasuke smirked slightly, remembering how appearances could be oh so misleading. Kakashi glared down at Sasuke.
"What're you smiling at? Are you happy to finally have been caught and dragged back to the village by your rival? Are you happy that Naruto actually surpassed both of us in power? Or are you happy that you were able to take down at least one of us before we got you?" Kakashi glared down at his former pupil, hatred and loathing shining in his exposed eye. "Why the hell did you do it Sasuke? Why did you kill Sakura? She never did anything to you, and you used her as a sacrificial lamb in order to ascertain more power. You're even worse than your brother, Sasuke." Kakashi sighed and placed a package on Sasuke's bedside table. "I'll be back, Sasuke, but now, I have a funeral to attend. I'll leave this here for you to mull over while the council decides your fate." With that, Kakashi formed a quick hand seal and disappeared in a puff of smoke. Sasuke turned his head and glanced at the wrapped parcel on the bedside table. He weakly reached his hand across the space and knocked the bundle into his lap.
"What the…" He wondered aloud as a flash of silver caught his eye. He gasped as he pulled aside the dark cloth to reveal a bloodstained, cracked forehead protector. "Sakura…" He whispered, and screamed, leaning forward, grasping his head. His cries were long and loud, and filled with agony and torment beyond the comprehension of humans. A pair of ANBU guards rushed into the room, intent on restraining the captive Uchiha. "Bastards! Let me go!" Sasuke yelled, as the ANBU grabbed his wrists and held him back.
"Damn it, we need backup!" One of the ANBU cursed, as he tried to restrain the struggling boy. Suddenly Sasuke's eyes flashed open, he could see himself cutting Sakura down, envisioning that moment of anguish as his Chidori plunged into her breast. He remembered the power that had surged through him as the Mangekyou had awakened, and he remembered the loophole he had found in the Scroll of Records in the Uchiha Compound.
'The Mangekyou is a fearsome power, said to be unobtainable by most members of the Uchiha Clan. The method of achievement is barbaric, requiring the slaying of the possessor's closest friend as a medium for the awakening. The other method of achievement is worse still, resulting in a more powerful Mangekyou, but relying on the slaying of one who loves the possessor unconditionally.'
The promise of power had been too much for the avenger to contain. He knew of two people who loved him, one of which was a very close friend. Perhaps, the combination would give him a new kind of Sharingan, something more akin to Kakashi's Mangekyou's properties. As the ANBU struggled to restrain him, Sasuke grinned again. His arms shot out and grabbed the pair by the necks, pulling their faces in close to his. He ripped off the masks and forced open their eyes.
"Look into my eyes… Mangekyou Sharingan!" Sasuke's pupils expanded into a jagged shape.
It was the last thing the two ever saw.
- - - - - - -
Naruto stood in the rain, head bowed, with tears streaming down his cheeks. It was a hard thing to accept, even for a person as scarred as he by the truths of life. No one ever said that the life of a ninja was to be an easy one. He stood next to Kakashi in the rain; both drowning in their sorrow, praying for Sakura's soul to peacefully find it's way to the afterlife.
"I can't believe she's really gone…" Naruto said as he placed a bundle of white roses on the freshly turned earth. "She'd finally gotten over him, and I thought… that maybe I'd have a chance for once." Kakashi smiled shakily down at his remaining student. True, Naruto was Jounin now, but he still held the silver-haired man in high regard both as a ninja and a friend. They had been through a lot together, and they were each other's closest friends; despite the age difference between them.
Kakashi looked down at the young man beside him, and wrapped an arm around his shoulder. "Naruto, you'll find another girl to stalk and annoy soon, I'm sure." Naruto smiled half-heartedly, and shook his head as his sensei walked off. He knelt by Sakura's grave and spoke a short prayer.
"Sakura-chan… If you can hear me, I want you to know that I love you, and I always did. It was never easy you know, being overshadowed by that bastard constantly, but I always loved you. Even when you hit me, yelled at me, insulted me or mocked me, I always loved you. So please, tell me somehow… just once, that you loved me too…" Kakashi smiled softly at his young friend. Sasuke and Naruto had reminded him of himself and Obito at that age, with Sakura playing the part of Rin, the girl helplessly in love with the boy with a superiority complex. He had decided to let things run their course, as his sensei had, but it seemed that Yondaime had been a much more capable teacher than Kakashi was. Kakashi sighed and looked up at the darkening sky.
"It looks like it's gonna rain soon, Naruto. C'mon, let's go have some ramen. My treat." The blonde rose and wiped his eyes, before giving Kakashi a small smile and nod. Kakashi laid a hand on Naruto's shoulder and the two walked off in the direction of the Ichiraku ramen shop. As soon as the pair was out of sight, a figure seemed to melt from the shadows within which he had been concealing himself. The raven-haired youth stepped into the light and moved steadily toward the monument to fallen shinobi. His fingertips traced the outlines of a name, and he stood, lost in the past. 'Uchiha Mikoto'.
"Kaa-san…" He whispered as he continued tracing the name, he looked next to it and traced another name. 'Uchiha Fugaku'. "Tou-san…" Sasuke could clearly picture the images of his parents mutilated bodies lying in a pool of their own blood in the middle of the dojo, with his brother's shadowy silhouette looming overhead, his Mangekyou blazing pools of red in the black room. "Nii-san… I promise, I'll never forget my path… I am an avenger, and I WILL avenge my Clan." He looked over his shoulder in the direction that Naruto and Kakashi had walked. "But first, I need to tie up some loose ends." He smirked and disappeared in a puff of smoke.
- - - - - - -
It was Morino Ibiki who found the bodies, slumped over the sides of an empty hospital cot, with looks of terror on their faces and an open window behind the one on the right side of the bed. He gritted his teeth and stared out the window.
'Damn. I'm gonna get an earful from Hokage-sama this time. Thanks a lot Uchiha, you little bastard.' With that, the scarred old ANBU disappeared in a puff of smoke.
- - - - - - -
Kakashi and Naruto sat at the Ichraku ramen bar, drowning themselves in a combination of inhuman amounts of dehydrated noodles and cheap sake. It didn't matter that Naruto was underage, they both needed some relief from their sorrows, and at that point in time, Alcohol was the quickest way to get it.
"You know Kakashi-sensei," Naruto slurred, leaning slightly to the right on his stool, "I know that Sakura-chan is in a better place now… But when I find that bastard, I'm gonna give him a punch in the face, special delivery from the Uzumaki Express! POW!" Naruto swung his fist at the empty air in front of him so hard that he ended up lying on his back on the ground, staring up at the rapidly spinning universe. Kakashi looked down at his pupil.
"Naruto…" Kakashi began, pretending to choose his next words carefully, before smiling foolishly and saying, "You're drunk! You're drunker than drunk! You're so drunk, I dare you to go up to Sasuke and give him a big kiss!" Naruto, who was lying on the ground, laughed drunkenly and got to his feet, before rushing out of the Ichiraku, yelling at the top of his lungs.
"Sasuke-teme!" He yelled into the street, and a passing raven-haired civilian turned and looked at him curiously. "Don't try and hide yourself with a henge, you bastard! You can't fool me! You killed Sakura-chan, and now I'm gonna kill you!" The villager's eyes widened, and he turned and started to sprint down the street, with an enraged demon-vessel behind him. A wave of crimson energy swept past him, and he stopped in his tracks and fell to his knees, his legs no longer able to support his body.
"Please, please don't!" The villager screamed as Naruto bore down on him, his features feral and a pair of tails sprouting from the base of his spine. The villager covered his head with his hands and prostrated himself before the charging blonde.
"Die!" Naruto yelled as he raised his claws to take his victim's life, when suddenly he was entrapped by a pair of forces that struggled to hold him back. His shadow was no longer his own, and tendrils of sand that held his limbs and battled his chakra tails. Naruto strained against his bonds as Gaara and Shikamaru struggled to hold him in place.
"N-Naruto!" Shikamaru yelled, as he strained his powers trying to hold back the tide of malevolent energy surging from the blonde boy's form. The harsh guttural sounds ripping from Naruto's throat sent a shiver down both of their spines, and it took all the power they had just to keep him from killing an innocent civilian. "Run, for God's sake!" He yelled at the man who was cowering on the ground. The civilian took one look at the snarling, slavering beast struggling against it's sandy bonds, and took off down the street, yelling back something about getting help.
"Uzumaki… Naruto…" Sweat rolled down the sides of Gaara's face in waves, as he strained his muscles trying to hold back this demon. He smiled to himself, and wondered aloud if even Shukaku would have stood a chance against this Naruto. The man was long gone, and Naruto began to calm, slipping from an enraged two-tails, to a growling, snarling one-tail, to his current drunken stupor, before collapsing to his knees on the ground in a sobbing and extremely volatile state. Shikamaru and Gaara collapsed to the ground back to back, panting from the exertion, and knowing that if Naruto had had even one more tail, they wouldn't have been able to hold him back.
"I… I can't believe she's r-really g-gone!" The blonde boy pitifully sobbed, holding his head in his hands. "That bastard had everything in life that I didn't! What gave him the right to take away the one thing that made my life worth living?" He howled out his anguish and pain to the heavens, before collapsing in on himself, and letting the tears flow freely and unchecked down his face.
"I did it because you were weak…" A quiet voice came from the shadows of an alley off to the left of him, and as he turned, he saw Sasuke step from the darkness, walking slowly toward him. "You were always weak, yet at the same time, you were always so strong… I hated you for it, you know." Naruto's eyes widened slowly as the raven-haired avenger approached him. "I always felt so damn… inferior, and that wouldn't do. An Uchiha is inferior to NOBODY!" He roared the last part, his eyes bleeding red, and not from his use of the Sharingan. "Then my dear brother returned to the village and gave me a great gift; the power… of hatred. What he said was true, you know. I was weak because my hatred was weak, and so, I turned all my anger and resentment against you, and this whole damn village into power, and look," He laughed aloud and threw his arms wide, looking over his shoulder at Naruto, "I'm more powerful that even the Hokage! I needed a challenge, and somehow, I knew that only you could give that to me. So I exploited you. Made you hate me, loath me, despise me with all your being, and now, I'm ready for my challenge!" Naruto stood, and faced Sasuke, looking at the ground. The sole surviving Uchiha lunged at his former friend, intent on killing him now. "Embrace your hate! It's the only way to save yourself!" Sasuke pulled back his arm, and threw a blazing punch at his friend, who sidestepped, and kicked him in the stomach, sending him skidding across the street.
"You… you sick little freak!" Naruto spoke, his eyes still fixated on the ground. "You murdered Sakura-chan, so you could fight me? You killed the woman I loved so that I would hate you?" His eyes flashed open, and a deep cerulean blue met his opponent from across the street. Hatred filled Naruto's gaze as he snarled out five words to his former friend. "I'm going to kill you." Sasuke felt a tremor flow through his body when Naruto spoke those words, and knew that Naruto had every intention of backing up his claim. He smirked, and threw himself at his rival again.
"Sticks and stones, Naruto." Sasuke laughed as he rushed his friend, unleashing a flurry of kicks and punches more rapidly than the eye could perceive. Naruto ducked from side to side, blocked and finally drove Sasuke back with chakra-empowered fist to the face, which sent him flying twenty feet. Sasuke flipped himself at the last possible second, and saved himself from what would have been a very painful impact. The fight continued like that for some time, neither one gaining an inch on the other, and the ground was littered with shards from buildings, kunai, shuriken, and needles. Sasuke was panting, and leaped back onto a nearby arbor for a quick breather. No matter what he tried, he couldn't land a single hit on Naruto. It seemed like everytime, the blonde managed to rescue himself at the last second and drive the unsuspecting Uchiha back. Naruto stood in the middle of the street, one hand behind his back, on held palm out in front of him, resembling Rock Lee's stance when they had fought in the Chuunin exams. Sasuke was beginning to get worried. His Sharingan was already activated, and with Orochimaru dead, his Curse Seal had no effect. He grimaced, and held his side where Naruto had kicked him earlier. 'Damn…he's not even berserking like he usually does. Why can't I hit him?' Sasuke barely dodged a blow aimed for his head, and leapt sideways as the ground beneath him split apart from the force of Naruto's strike.
"Bastard!" Naruto yelled, keeping up with Sasuke even with his Sharingan activated. "Get back here!" The blonde lunged to the right unexpectedly, and Sasuke felt a sharp pain in his side. He looked down to see Naruto's fist with a Rasengan thrust into the right side of his rib cage. Sasuke had enough time for one coherent thought.
'Shit.' The raven-haired teen was blasted across the street, and impacted the side of a store some distance away. He slumped against the wall, as blood flooded from his open mouth, dribbling down his chin and onto his shirt. He chuckled a few times, and coughed, more blood flowing from his mouth and soiling his clothes. Naruto let out a breath, and straightened up, beginning to slowly walk over to the pitiful remnants of what had once been a strong and proud ninja. He knelt down and stared Sasuke straight in the face.
"You know Sasuke, without your Cursed Seal, you really don't have much to offer. I didn't even have to talk to Kyuubi about lending me some chakra." Sasuke glared and spat a small amount of blood in Naruto's face. The blonde glared and wiped his face, before punching Sasuke so hard that his head made a small crater inside the already existing one. Sasuke gasped, and his eyes glazed over for a moment. Naruto stood and walked into the middle of the street, which led to the only gate out of the city. Sasuke stared at the blonde with loathing shining in his eyes. Naruto feigned deep thought for a second and then snapped his fingers and looked at Sasuke. "I've got it, teme. If you can actually get past me and out that gate, I'll let you go and tell everyone that you were stronger than me. Well, you already know what's waiting for you if you stay." Sasuke was in a tight spot. Tighter than any he had been in during all his years as a ninja. In his current state, he knew that he wouldn't make it three feet before Naruto swooped down like a hawk and ripped him to pieces, but he also knew that if he stayed, he'd be sentenced to death, at the least. If he was lucky, they wouldn't revive him to torture, then kill him again. With this in mind, he did the only thing that came to mind.
"You know, it's your fault she's dead Naruto." Naruto's eyes opened wide, and his fists clenched tightly. Sasuke grinned, and managed to look even more insane than he had looked before. "It's true. If you hadn't been constantly flaunting how much loved her all over the place, I never would have chosen her, and would have used someone slightly less important… like Iruka or Kakashi-sensei." Naruto lost it at that moment. He saw red, and rushed foreward. Sasuke never saw any of the following moments. All he was aware of was the intense pain ripping through him as his head was dragged along the side of the wall like a piece of cheese across a grater. Blood spattered everywhere, and bubbly, gurgling screams came from what was left of Sasuke's throat. After half a mile, Naruto stopped his mad rush, and looked down at the pathetic and obviously lifeless piece of meat he held in his hand. His clothes were covered in blood, but that didn't matter. All that mattered to him was the corpse in his hands, and the look of anguish on what remained of the Uchiha's face.
"You're right Sasuke. It is my fault she's dead. It's my fault for not killing you when I had the chance." He grabbed the tattered Hitai-ate from the ground and walked off, holding the chunk of metal in his hands. As the dawn broke, the crows began to circle, seeing that there was fresh meat aplenty for them.
It's true what they say you know. Sometimes, your best friend really is your worst enemy in disguise.
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A/N: Well, there you go. Another Naruto fic for my adoring public. As per usual, R&R, and I'd love some more responses to my other work. Later days!
KingofFoxes