Chapter 10: Reunions Pt. 2

Killer B sat back on the ground in weariness. The fight against the 'Monster Of The Hidden Mist' had been as brutal as as expected especially with his freaky sword's ability to eat chakra.

He thought he had him a couple of times but it had been a mistake and now he was paying for it. Now here he was with the sharklike missing nin looming over him with obe of his blades in one hand, his intent clear.

"I gotta say that you put up a better fight then I expected." Kisame said as he raised his borrowed blade. "But this is the end for you."

But before he could do anything, a lightning chakra enhanced shuriken whizzes through the air and breaks the blade Kisame was holding. Looking towards the source of the interruption, he sees the Raikage as well as two other Kumo nin whom he assumed were the Raikage's bodyguards.

"Looks like we made it just in time." Ths Raikage said, glaring at Kisame before glaring at Bee. "I'll take care of you later. Right now, we need to get rid of this nuisance.

Killer Bee nods in understanding as he gets back up on his feet. "Roger that brother."

Kisame starts forming a string of rapid fire hand seals. "And what makes you think I'll even let you try anything?" But before the missing nin could finish his seals, he was promptly decapitated by the Kumo duo's famous double lariat attack.

"F-Fast." The decapitated head of Kisame managed to say before life left his eyes.

Killer Bee sighs in relief as he deactivated his Hachibi cloak and turns to the Raikage with a smile on his face. "What can I say bro? We still got it yo!" He raps but soon finds his face in the grip of the Raikage's excruciating Iron Claw. "You bleeding idiot! Do you know how much trouble you caused me?" The Raikage roared as Bee helplessly flailed around in his unyielding grip.

"Well after all that's happened, I can't really say that Bee doesn't deserve this." Shi comments.

"Harsh man." Darui said before adopting a somber look on his face. "I hope everyone else is having as much luck as we are."

(With Sasuke and Sakura)

"Join me you say?" Sasuke repeated with a raised eyebrow. "And why should I believe you Sakura?"

"I regreted the fact that I wasn't able to stop you years ago." Sakura answered. "So I swore to myself that the next time we see each other, I'll be joining you even if it means abandoning Konoha. I'll do anything you ask me to."

Sasuke was silent for a moment before answering. "Fine. If that's how you really feel, then you won't mind doing something for me." Sasuke gestures towards the injured Karin. "Kill her for me. She's no good to me in this condition anyways. You're a medic too, right? You'll be her replacement."

Sakura looks at Karin uncertainly then looks at Sasuke who gives her a grim nod before finally drawing a kunai and walks with purpose towards Karin.

As Sakura looms over Karin, a thousand thoughts were racing through her mind. "Sasuke Kun has really changed. The person I loved wouldn't ask me to kill an innocent woman.I can end things here if I just turn around and stab him but…." Looking into the face of woman named Karin, Sakura could see that she was quivering in fear. But aside from that, her lips were also moving.

"S-S-Sas-u-ke K-Kun…. D-Don't."

Sakura barely heard the words. But it was enough of a warning for her to barrel roll to the side to avoid a Chidori to the back by Sasuke.

"Excellent reflexes." Sasuke said with a smirk. "Do you REALLY think I'm dumb enough to buy that crap about you wanting to join me? I'd just as soon kill you and be on my way."

"Why Sasuke? Why would you join with Akatsuki? They're trying to destroy our home!" Sakura argued. "It's not too late. Come back to Konoha with me and we can sort this whole thing out."

At first, Sasuke doesn't speak. Then he starts laughing.

"You want me to stop Sakura? You want me to go back with you so we can 'sort things out'?" Sasuke asks as he laughs before his expression turns slightly psychotic. "Then bring back my clan right now! My father! My mother! My brother! Everyone! Give them ALL back to me right now!' When Sakura doesn't answer, he continues his rant. "That's right! You CAN'T! Because the elders of Konoha ordered their deaths and I intend to get my revenge one way or another! Even if it means declaring war on the whole damned world, then so be it!"

Sakura's eyes are shadowed by her hair as she mulled over Sasuke's answer before she started speaking. "I thought I could get you to change your mind Sasuke but I guess I was wrong. You're already too far gone for that." She said as she glares at Sasuke. "I refuse to let Naruto bear this burden any longer so I'm going to finish you myself and spare him the pain."

The last Uchiha scoffs at this. "Do you REALLY think you're a match for me Sakura?"

"I'm not the same helpless little girl you knew before. You and Naruto are not the ONLY ones who were trained by one of the Densetsu No Sannin." Sakura said before she disappears then reappears in front of Sasuke who manages to jump back to avoid a chakra enhanced punch which, much to his shock, creates a massive crater on impact. "Care to know who MY teacher is?" Sakura asks with a dangerous glint in her eyes.

"Shit! She learned Tsunade's strength technique! And I'm still weak from my battle against Danzou! Gotta get some distance!" Sasuke thought to himself as flings a brace of shurikens at Sakura who dodges the projectile and tries to close in again, leading off with a pair of bunshins to try and confuse Sasuke.

"This old trick again? That's not gonna work on me!" Sasuke said as he dispels the bunshins with his sword before charging at the real Sakura. "You're mine!" He yells out triumphantly as he stabs Sakura who, much to his surprise, dispels as well. "What? Another bunshin? Wait! That felt more solid…. Kage Bunshin!" Sasuke realized as he felt Sakura's presence behind him.

"No Sasuke. YOU'RE mine." Sakura said as she held a poison laced kunai she prepared beforehand over Sasuke's neck. "C'mon Sakura. You rehearsed that Kage Bunshin-Kawirami trick countless time for this moment. Just one little prick and the poison will do the rest." She thought to herself as her grip on her poisonous kunai trembled.

Unfortunately, Sakura couldn't bring herself to stab Sasuke and the missing nin manages to turn the tide by wresting the kunai away from Sakura and prepared to use it on her instead until….

"Haakkekusho!" A compressed blast of air blows Sasuke off his feet and sends him flying back. He manages to right himself and lands on his feet then looks up to see who had interrupted the fight and standing there was Naruto, Hinata, Kankuro of Sunagakure as well as a well endowed blonde kunoichi who sported a modified kumo flak jacket.

"Hmmpp…. They're coming out of the woodworks it seems." Sasuke said as he sneers at Naruto. "This is quite a reunion."

"Skip the small talk Sasuke. Where's Danzou?" Naruto snaps.

"Dead." Sasuke said flatly. "And so will you when the time comes."

"So we were too late to capture Danzou. Not cool." The blonde kumo kunoichi said.

"Uchiha Sasuke is here though and he'll have to do for the meantime." Kankuro said as he prepares Sasori.

"I'm afraid I can't let you do that now." A disembodied voice said. A moment later, Madara warps into view besides Sasuke. "I'll be taking Sasuke away for now but rest assured that I will arrange a time and place for you two to battle."

"Wait!" Naruto calls out. "I know we can't stop you from taking Sasuke away now but before you go, there are a few things I want to say to him."

Naruto turns his attention to Sasuke. "You know what? I thought I was being a proper Hokage when I had you declared persona non grata in Konoha and I was really aiming to kill you back at the summit. But now that I've had time to think things through, I'm glad I wasn't able to." Naruto then scratches the back of his head in boyish embarrassment. "Guess I'm not that good of a Hokage, huh?"

Naruto's expression then turns serious. "What DOES it mean to be a good Hokage anyways? Remember what you told me at the Valley Of The End? When two shinobis are skilled enough, they can read each others thoughts through a trade of blows."

Naruto then places a fist over his heart. "I've learned things by fighting you Sasuke. How about you? Do you know what I'm thinking? Can you read my thoughts? You know right? That if you and I fight again, we'll BOTH die."

A pregnant silence follows this statement but Naruto was not done yet.

"I'm not naive enough to think that you won't be training yourself after this because you WILL and it will be for the sole purpose of destroying everything I hold dear. But make no mistake. If you invade Konoha, I WILL fight you and when we do, you can throw ALL that hate you feel inside you at me. That's my responsibility and nobody else's." Naruto said. "I will bear all the burden of your hate and die with you."

"Why the hell do you care so much dobe? Why do you keep interfering?" Sasuke demands.

"Because you're my friend Sasuke." Naruto answered honestly. "I may be the Hokage right now but I still haven't given up on you. And I'm NOT worthy of being Hokage if I can't even save my own friend. It sounds like a stupid notion but that's what I believe an that's what I'll stick to."

The two rivals stares at each other before Sasuke finally speaks. "I don't have any plans of changing nor do I plan on dying. But if you insist, I'll kill you first before I destroy Konoha."

"That's fine since it's clear you don't respect me yet." Naruto said.

"Enough." Madara stated, placing a hand on Sasuke's shoulder. "We need to leave now." The two missing nins then warp away leaving Naruto and company behind.

"I'll be waiting for you…. Sasuke."

Author's Notes: Been a while since I updated it. A bit short but I wanted to close this arc ASAP. As usual, R&R