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ccwritesninja · 7 days ago

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Itachi- The Tenchi Bridge

A/N- Sorry this chapter took so long to post! It was originally supposed to be longer, but I've split it into two parts.

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Itachi woke to the sound of birds chattering outside. The sun was just beginning to rise, filtering in through the windows to cast a warm glow across the two of you.

You shifted beside him, sliding across the mattress as you pulled away from him.

Two toned arms snaked around your waist, tugging you back against his chest. He relished the sound of your sleepy laugh. “What are you doing?”

“Holding you,” he murmured into your hair. “You don’t need to get up yet.”

“Sasuke will be up soon.”

“Soon. Not yet.”

He began to pepper kisses across your shoulder, brushing his lips against your skin. You let out a soft sigh as you turned to face him.

Itachi took the opportunity to snuggle even closer to you under the sheets. He brushed his nose teasingly against yours, drawing another laugh from you.

The sound filled him with a bright, bubbling warmth that spread through his entire body. The thought of how lucky he was struck him like lightning.

He still didn’t understand how he’d managed it. He wasn’t sure how he’d earned the pleasure of waking beside you each morning, but he wasn’t going to waste a second of it.

Sasuke could wait a bit to eat breakfast. For now, you were all his.

“I-Itachi?”

He pulled back at the sound of your choked gasp. Your eyes, which had been glazed over with sleep moments ago, were now filled with horror. When he followed your gaze, he saw his own hands plunging a katana through your stomach.

Blood oozed from the wound, drenching your pajamas. The crisp sheets beneath the two of you were no longer white. They were now soaked and spattered crimson.

He choked out your name, trying to pull back, but his hands wouldn’t budge. They remained there, twisting the blade further in as you began to cough up blood.

It splattered onto Itachi’s face, flecking his cheeks and lashes.

“Why?” You gasped. “Itachi, why?”

—

He woke in a cold sweat, staring up at a sky full of shimmering stars.

“Who’s Y/n?”

Itachi sat up on his bedroll. Kisame was still sitting in front of the crackling fire, oiling his enormous blade.

Itachi feigned ignorance. “Y/n?”

“You said it in your sleep.”

“I was simply dreaming.”

Kisame grunted and continued his work. The blade chittered beneath his fingers like an animal.

“She’s that girl from the woods, isn’t she?”

Kisame finally looked up, leveling him with a knowing look. The light of the flames shifted and flickered in his cold eyes.

“Your brother seemed to know her, that day in the hotel.”

“Yes. I believe she was looking after him.”

The man blinked at him. “You put the girl caring for your kid brother in the tsukuyomi?”

Itachi remained silent.

Kisame suddenly burst into laughter. The sharp sound of it echoed across the clearing they had made camp in. Itachi nearly flinched.

“Damn, Itachi,” he mused. “You really are cold-blooded.”

Itachi ignored the man and settled back into his bedroll. He closed his eyes, willing sleep to find him once more. He still had a few more hours before it was his turn for watch, but rest never found him.

Kisame’s words gnawed at the deepest parts of him. Your startled face still flickered behind his eyelids. Though it had all been a dream, he couldn’t escape the look of betrayal in your eyes.

You told him a long time ago that you understood. That you would rather him hurt you instead of blowing his cover. But the effects of his brutality still lingered, years later.

He heard your whimpers as you slept sometimes. When he would wake you, there was always a brief glimmer of fear in your eyes. For a moment, you weren’t sure if it was really him, or a nightmare version of Itachi that was going to hurt you again.

It was an instinctual reaction, but a true one. It didn’t matter how easily you would curl up in his arms after the fact. He had still tortured you, and he could never take that back.

The question of where you were at that moment crossed through his mind. Sleeping fitfully in your bed, maybe, plagued with nightmares of what he had done. Or perhaps you were on a mission yourself, watching over your teammates in front of a different fire.

Like always, he ached to be beside you, to have some reassurance that you still trusted him, wanted him. Whenever he was apart from you, he always had to contend with the little voice in his head that insisted he was a monster. It whispered, deep down, that he didn’t deserve you.

You always had a way of quieting that voice, of reassuring him that he was capable of more than terrible things. He had something worth loving inside of him, even when the darkest parts of him were exposed to the light.

Now, far from your gentle voice and soft touch, he wasn’t so sure. Maybe that voice was the one telling the truth.

—

A pleasant breeze was drifting through the trees as you and Sakura came to a stop beneath the towering walls of the village. The afternoon sun filtered down through the nearby trees, casting a warm glow across the two of you.

The weather would be on your side for the journey, and you hoped the good fortune would extend to the rest of the mission. If it went smoothly, you would be closer to Sasuke than you had been in nearly three years. The thought of finding him after this all this time sent your nervous system into overdrive. You were itching to start the mission, to finally get your hands on Orochimaru before he could slip away, like every time he had before.

At the very least, you were sure you would find Kabuto. When you did, you would pin him down like the cockroach he was. You would make him tell you where to find Sasuke, no matter how you had to make him talk.

“I hope Naruto’s on time today.”

Sakura’s soft voice pulled you from your thoughts.

“I’m sure he will be,” you assured. “I heard he’s been taking his training pretty seriously.”

She nodded. “He’s grown a lot.”

“He’s not the only one.”

Sakura beamed at you.

This mission was a direct result of her and Chiyo’s defeat of Sasori. Without her, it would have taken much longer to uncover information about the spy. She was also instrumental in the Hokage’s decision to allow you on the team temporarily.

You were fairly certain Lady Tsunade had gotten sick of listening to her beg and plead for you to come along.

“Hey! Sakura! Y/n!” Naruto jogged over, waving excitedly. “Does this mean you’ll be replacing Kakashi-sensei while he’s in the hospital?”

“Not exactly. Lady Tsunade is allowing me to join this mission as a favor. I won’t be leading it.”

Naruto scratched his head. “Huh? So then where are the others? What if they don’t show up at all?”

“I’m sure they’re on their way. We’re a little bit early, after all.”

Another figure appeared, slinking out from the shadows cast by the high walls. The boy hadn’t even made any noise.

He was pale as a ghost, with short, dark hair that was a bit shaggy. He wore a standard Root jacket and black tac pants, and he carried a tanto on his back. He looked to be around the same age as the others, maybe fifteen or sixteen.

So this is Sasuke’s replacement.

What had Tenzo called him the other night?

Sai .

“Hey! You!” Naruto went rigid, thrusting a finger toward the newcomer. “You’re the guy from the roof!”

You and Sakura glanced between the two.

“Naruto, do you know him already?”

Naruto gritted his teeth. “Yeah. This jerk attacked me for no reason when I was with Choji, Ino, and Shikamaru today!”

In seconds, a kunai was clenched between his fingers. The Root operative’s hand settled on the hilt of his tanto.

“That’s enough, Naruto.”

Another figure stepped forward, materializing from the shadows. You recognized Tenzo instantly. Like you, he was wearing the standard green jonin vest and the metal protector that always framed his face.

“Oh yeah?” Naruto growled. “Who are you, anyway?”

“I’ll be filling in as team captain while Kakash’s recovering. Please, call me Yamato.”

“Captain Yamato.” Sakura spoke the words carefully, as if she were trying them out on her tongue.

You knew it was strange for her to have someone else leading their team. Though team seven hadn’t exactly been running a plethora of missions, she had never been under anyone else’s command but Kakashi’s.

“You three are going to be comrades now,” he continued, nodding between her, Naruto and Sai. “So you’d better learn to get along with each other.”

“You’re joking,” Naruto grumbled. “Comrades with him?”

Sai offered him a friendly smile. His eyes crinkled. “I’m sorry about earlier, but, you see, I knew we were going to be teammates, and I wanted to see how strong you were.”

Naruto frowned, but he withdrew his kunai. “Well, that was pretty stupid. You didn’t have to go that far.”

“I was just curious to see how strong you’d be. Now I know you’re not packing anything major.”

“What did you just say?!”

Naruto shot forward, only to be caught around the arms by Sakura. He struggled in her hold, trying to reach Sai.

She groaned. “We have to work together with this guy! You can’t start off fighting from the get-go!”

She leveled a reproachful glance at Sai. “And the same goes for you. That wasn’t very nice.”

He laughed. “Is that so?”

You cringed at his flippant tone. Sasuke hadn’t exactly been winning any prizes for kindness either, but Sai seemed to have no concept of social interaction at all.

At least Sasuke was aware he was pissing people off. You honestly weren’t sure if this was better or worse.

Sakura’s frown deepened. “You’re not winning any friends with talk like that.”

“Well, don’t write me off like that. I like everyone…even you, Ugly.”

Your brows shot up.

Sakura’s green eyes narrowed. “What did you just say?!”

She lunged, Naruto forgotten, but you caught her around the waist before she could make it very far.

“Sakura, easy,” you chided. “Take your own advice!”

You exchanged a nervous glance with Tenzo as she squirmed in your arms.

Unease stirred in your gut. If the kids couldn’t even work together, you would accomplish nothing.

You dragged Sakura away from Sai and Tenzo, urging Naruto to follow. They both needed time to cool off, and you needed to make sure that the tension between them wouldn’t put the objective at risk.

You hesitantly released Sakura once Sai was out of sight and began rubbing at your sore arms.

“Go take a walk,” you insisted. “Both of you.”

They wandered away, still grumbling amongst themselves.

You only prayed that they could put their animosity aside for the duration of the trip. Otherwise, this mission was as good as over.

—

Hours later, Team Kakashi departed the village. Despite the time you and Tenzo had given Naruto and Sakura to calm down, they were still just as irritated as before.

Tension simmered between them as you walked along the dirt path. The scowl never dropped from Naruto’s face.

Eventually, Sai turned toward the others.

“Well, what is it? If you keep on staring at me like that, I will hit you.”

One of Naruto’s hands bunched into a fist. “Where did that come from? Where do you get off saying things like that?!”

Sai shrugged. His expression remained vacant. “I really have nothing personal against you.”

“Yeah, then why’d you say it?!”

“You don’t understand. I was only trying out a certain type of personality, that’s all.”

Sakura frowned. “A personality type?”

“If you were trying to do it, then that means you meant it! We don’t need someone like you on our team!"

Sai stopped suddenly, turning to face Naruto and Sakura. You and Tenzo paused as well, eyeing the kids carefully.

“Okay, that’s enough. That’s no way to talk, especially not in front of me, your team captain, Naruto. Mutual respect and trust are essential elements of teamwork. Wasn’t it Kakashi that taught you that?”

“He’s not a part of Team Kakashi!” Naruto growled. “Not now, not ever! The fourth member of our team is, and always will be, Sasuke Uchiha!”

A pang of grief struck you. You knew Sakura’s heartache well. You had discussed it over countless training sessions and lunches over the years. It was a comfort to her to know that you were hurting just the same. Naruto hadn’t gotten that luxury.

He had been traveling with Jiraiya alone, without the other members of his team, as he dealt with his own grief these past three years. You doubted the old man offered much emotional support. Naruto was likely beside himself as he trained and fought to become stronger.

Just like you, he saw his inability to stop Sasuke from leaving as a personal failure.

“This guy, he’s just a fill-in for Sasuke! That’s all he is. He will never be a real member of our team!”

A smile began to curl at Sai’s lips. The sight made your stomach twist.

“Well, I’m glad. I’m glad that that’s how you feel. Sasuke is a traitor. He betrayed the Leaf and joined Orochimaru. Yes, you’re right. I’m not him at all. I’m not a traitorous cockroach. I can’t fill in for someone like that.

Your expression gave away nothing, but your teeth were clenched so tightly that you wondered if they would chip.

You fought to remind yourself that Sai was one of Danzo’s subordinates. He knew nothing but the old man’s hard line teachings, and he had never known a life outside of Root. His dislike for Sasuke wasn’t anything personal.

Still, hearing someone talk like this about him still sent your blood boiling. You could feel Tenzo’s gaze resting on you. He was likely wondering if you would be able to keep your cool.

Naruto didn’t seem to be able to rationalize Sai’s words in the same way you did. His killing intent was wafting off of him in waves. You heard his knuckles cracking.

“I’ve had it with you, Sai!”

He stepped forward, ready to advance on him. Before he could make a move, Sakura thrust a steady hand out in front of him.

“Remember what’s important, Naruto,” she chided. “It’s teamwork. Calm down.”

Naruto glanced over at her, his blue eyes widening. Sakura took a deep breath.

“Sai, Naruto was out of line. But it’s just because he doesn’t know you well enough yet. I’m sorry, I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive him.”

“But, Sakura…” Naruto whined.

“Glad we have one level-headed person on the team,” Tenzo muttered.

A kind smile curled at her lips. Sai smiled back. “Oh, don’t worry. He doesn’t bother me in the least.”

“Good. That’s a relief.”

Before you even had time to react, Sakura shot forward, punching Sai across his left cheek. The boy flew several meters across the path, landing on his ass in the dirt.

You blinked, stunned.

Sakura’s green eyes were suddenly glinting with something sharp and bitter. “I don’t care one bit if you forgive me.”

Sai wiped a trail of blood from his lips. “You fooled me quite well. That smile looked so sincere.”

“You don’t know a thing about Sasuke. I won’t stand for you talking as if you do.” Her fingers curled back into fists. “Keep badmouthing him and next time I won’t hold back.”

“Hm. Fine then. I’ll keep my mouth shut in front of you.”

She crossed her arms over her chest and stomped over to walk beside you. “Hmph.”

“Sakura,” you sighed. “I think we need to have a little talk about restraint.”

—

For a long time, you thought Sasuke’s attitude was karma for the way you behaved when you were younger. In the ANBU, you were often reckless, insubordinate, and stubborn. Having those traits reflected back at you in the form of a pre-pubescent, emotionally stunted terror made you rethink the perceptions you had when you were initially placed on Itachi’s team.

You must have driven him mad, and you were sure that the universe was attempting to get back at you for that.

Now, you were realizing that Sasuke’s ire was nothing compared to Sakura’s. She was just as quick to anger as you had been, and far more eager to actually land a blow on her teammates.

At least she’s not considering punching her captain , you thought to yourself.

Itachi would be amused if he could see you now, trying to talk Sakura down in the gardens outside the bathhouse. She paced back and forth among the hedges, curling and uncurling her fists.

You were grateful there were no other patrons milling about the area. Perhaps the sound of Sakura’s outburst had scared them all off.

She had maintained a calm enough demeanor for the majority of the trip. After Tenzo threatened to lock them all in a wood-style cage and have them battle it out, there were no more sharp words or blows exchanged.

Sai seemed to be a bit quieter too, but he still maintained his flippant, aloof attitude. Naruto simply continued to walk beside him with his fists tightly clenched.

Sakura was clearly still upset as well. That much had been evident when she pulled you aside the moment you arrived at the bathhouse. As soon as you dropped your packs in the guest room, she grasped your wrist and yanked you into the gardens.

“How could you just sit there and listen to him talk about Sasuke like that?” She growled.

You sat in the grass, legs crossed, and balanced your chin on your hand. “I don’t like it any more than you do, but he has no idea who Sasuke really is. What he thinks doesn’t matter.”

“But he’s so…so…Kami, he’s such a jerk!”

Her fist crashed into the trunk of a nearby tree, causing it to shudder. A large branch crashed down into the grass and landed in a rustle of leaves.

You watched it topple with a sigh. “Jerk or not, he’s our teammate right now.”

“Can’t we just drop him in the next town and do the mission ourselves?”

“Sakura,” you said gently. “Do you want to find Sasuke?”

She paused. “Of course I do.”

“And you’re willing to do anything right? Even if that means working with Sai?”

You watched her lean shoulders slump in defeat. Her big, green eyes were focused on the ground beneath her feet. “Yes.”

“Then let's forget about Sai and relax. I doubt Captain Yamato will want to spring for any property damage you cause. He’s already paying for us to stay here.”

She huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. “I guess you’re right.”

“Come on. I think we could both use a dip in the hot spring. I’m sure the boys are doing the same thing.”

Sakura followed you back toward the room reluctantly. Even as the two of you changed into your robes, she was still simmering with anger. You only hoped that the hot spring would improve her mood.

Otherwise, this was going to be the longest mission of your life.

—

It was another full day of travel before you made it to Tenchi Bridge. After another night camping in a wooden structure crafted by Tenzo, the day of the meeting finally arrived.

Slightly before noon, you, Sakura, Sai, and Naruto took cover in the treeline. You hid in the bushes, watching silently as Tenzo approached the spy.

Wind howled across the canyon, causing leaves to whip past him as he walked, still disguised inside a clone of Sasori’s puppet body. He must have been greeting the spy, but the gusts were so powerful that you couldn’t hear a thing.

The man was turned toward the left, gazing out over the edge of the railing. The hood of his dark cloak was pulled down over his face, shielding any of his features from view.

Finally, he turned, revealing his face. He was young, most likely no more than eighteen. A pair of wide, round glass was perched on his nose, and his silver ponytail spilled out from beneath the hood.

Kabuto Yakushi .

Naruto and Sakura gasped beside you.

Every fiber of your body tensed. You fought the urge to spring forward and lunge for him. The last time you had seen Kabuto, he was holding a scalpel over Sasuke’s throat, preparing to kill him in his sleep.

Your fingers dug into the earth beneath your sandals in an attempt to keep yourself still.

“No way,” Naruto whispered. “He’s back?”

“It’s crazy,” Sakura murmured. “So the Akatsuki spy was actually Kabuto?”

You should have known. You should have suspected that the two might be one in the same.

Did this mean that Kabuto had been working for the Akatsuki all along? Or had Orochimaru sent Kabuto to Sasori to do the same for him?

“The wind is so loud, I can’t hear a word they’re saying.”

Sakura huffed. “You’re such an idiot. That’s why we were able to sneak this close in the first place. The wind blows away our scent and hides our sound. Why do you think he hasn’t noticed us?”

The tension was thick as you crouched there with them, watching Tenzo speak.

“What’s he waiting for?” Naruto hissed. “He should just grab the guy while his guard is down.”

You shook your head. “This is Kabuto. Playing it safe is the right way to handle it.”

“Besides,” Sakura added. “If he manages to escape, then this was all for nothing.”

Sai tilted his head. “But if he takes too much time, the spy might get suspicious…and then our whole plan would be put into jeopardy.”

“Maybe,” you agreed. “But this is the Captain’s mission. We have to trust his judgment here.”

As if on cue, Tenzo pulled a kunai from the skirt of his robes. Was he deciding to attack?

Another figure suddenly flickered onto the bridge. This one was also familiar, but unlike Kabuto, he chose not to hide his appearance.

His silky, black hair fluttered in the wind, framing his sickly pale face. Beady yellow eyes met Tenzo’s as he grinned at your captain.

Orochimaru.

An enormous, green-scaled python began to coil around Kabuto’s body.

He darted forward in an instant, coming to a stop beside Tenzo as the two faced down the Sannin.

Control was slipping through your fingers. If you thought the urge to kill Kabuto had been strong, the desire to get your hands on Orochimaru raged inside of you like a hurricane. The fact that the man who had taken Sasuke was here, only meters away, set every inch of your skin ablaze.

You weren’t sure what gave it away. Maybe it was your expression, or the faintest twitch of your hand toward your weapons pouch. Sakura picked up on it instantly.

Her hand came down to grasp your wrist with crushing force. Her green eyes met yours, pleading.

“Until we see him give the signal, we just have to stand by.”

Her words brought you back to reality.

You wouldn't jeopardize the mission. As much as you wanted to destroy Orochimaru, you needed to find Sasuke before that happened.

Kabuto raised a hand, letting it shudder and glow blue with the force of his chakra. You assumed he would go for Orochimaru, but then, he whipped around and aimed for Tenzo.

Your captain jerked away, bursting out of the wood clone puppet he had created. It broke into pieces beneath him as he flew back, landing closer to your side of the bridge.

Orochimaru sent a hoard of snakes after him, but they only managed to slither over another wood clone. The Sannin’s lips curled up.

You were sure Orochimaru recognized Tenzo. He had created him after all.

Tenzo’s right hand suddenly rose, gesturing forward slightly. He was giving the signal.

The bushes rustled as you and the rest of Team Kakashi burst from the treeline. In seconds, you were positioned on the bridge in front of Tenzo.

Kabuto tilted his head and smirked. “Well, it’s you again.”

Orochimaru’s beady eyes landed on Sakura. “I know that face all too well.”

She had told you of their confrontation during the chunin exams. He had tormented her and Sasuke with visions of their own gruesome deaths before sinking his fangs into him.

Orochimaru’s gaze settled on you. The feel of his eyes locking onto yours was nothing short of chilling. The look alone oozed killing intent.

“Big sister’s come to play too, hm?” His tone was silken and patronizing. “I must say, when Sasuke first came to me, I was curious to see if he had learned that little blood jutsu of yours. I was rather disappointed that you didn’t teach him.”

“ Saiton isn’t his strong suit. Shouldn’t you know that?”

“Oh, I think it might surprise you just how much Sasuke’s improved under my tutelage…but, no matter. I can learn as much as I like once I dissect your body.”

The last few words spilled from his mouth in a hiss. Your fingers tightened around the sword strapped to your back.

“And it looks like the nine-tails tagged along. Well, we might as well have a little fun together.” Orochimaru grinned at Naruto. “Let’s find out who’s gotten stronger? You, or Sasuke?

A low, breathy sound escaped from Naruto’s throat. It sounded less like a noise a teenage boy would make, and more like something you would hear from an animal.

Claws dug into the wood of the bridge beneath him, elongating far past his natural nails. Fangs began to protrude from his mouth.

“Give Sasuke back! You give him back!”

Chakra, bright orange and ghastly, seemed to bubble up around him. The sheer power of it made the hair on the back of your neck stand up. This must be the nine-tails cloak that Tenzo had described earlier.

“It’s not as simple as giving him back.” Kabuto reached up, adjusting his glasses on the bridge of his nose. “Really, you’re way off here. Sasuke came to us of his own accord.”

You gritted your teeth. “Because you manipulated him.”

He tilted his head. “You really can’t dwell on the past like this. It’s unbecoming…but I suppose it’s what we can expect from you, Y/n.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Before he could respond, Sakura shot forward with a snarl. “Shut up Four-eyes! You don’t understand how people really feel! You only understand cold logic!”

“If you really want to know about Sasuke,” Orochimaru began. “Then I’m afraid you’re just going to have to force it out of me…if you think you’re up to it.”

Naruto shot forward, leaving a trail of burning chakra in his wake. Several planks of the bridge burst up around him as he moved. You watched, completely stunned, as Naruto struck Orochimaru so hard that he shot back into the trees and disappeared.

Everyone stood there, frozen. The foliage rustled as the Sannin appeared from the bushes and began to walk toward him again.

“You’re starting to act more like a jinchuriki, aren’t you, boy?” he asked. “Now I see.”

His eyes settled on Tenzo. “That’s why he was chosen to be your watchdog, yes? Seems some of my experiments came in handy, after all. Honestly, the Leaf Village ought to be more grateful to me. Wouldn’t you agree, my darling little test subject?”

Sakura glanced back toward the Captain. He gritted his teeth.

Kabuto raised an eyebrow. “Test subject? Who exactly is this guy?”

Orochimaru launched into an explanation of his human experiments, admitting that he never expected Tenzo to survive. Kabuto glanced back at him, clearly impressed.

“How fascinating. We’re looking at the end result of your work, all those years ago. You can observe the fruits of your labor.”

A grin curled at Orochimaru’s lips. “There’s no question he’s intriguing…but I wonder more about Sasuke. He needs to stretch his wings. Maybe we can put his growth to the test by pitting him against Naruto here.”

“You don’t own him,” Naruto snarled. “Sasuke doesn’t belong to you!”

His words caused something inside you to shatter. Once again, you were coming to realize just how similar you and Sasuke were, and far too late. Orochimaru’s game all along had been to own Sasuke, to take him for his own gain. It wasn’t dissimilar to what Hideki had been trying to do by forcing you into a marriage. He had wanted your blood, your power, to improve the strength of the clan he intended to lead.

It had never been about you, really. More about what he could use you for. Orochimaru was a similar type of monster.

Once again, the shameful burn of your failure bit at your insides. Maybe if you had been more open with Sasuke about your past, he could have learned from it. Maybe he would have seen that the sickly-sweet allure of power wasn’t worth being a pawn in some madman’s game. That, in the end, Orochimaru would only consume him.

“Don’t you talk about Sasuke like you own him! Especially in front of me, you rotten bastard!”

Snapping, coiling tendrils of chakra began to whip out from Naruto’s body. The ghastly ripple of his killing intent shot toward you in a physical manifestation so strong that it changed the direction of the wind.

The air strung your face as it pushed you back, and you and the others fought to stay in position against the force of it.

“Oh no,” Tenzo muttered.

Sakura’s hands began to shake. You guessed she had never seen Naruto’s true power either. You weren’t even sure if she had known the truth about him to begin with.

Naruto suddenly tensed, readying himself to leap for Orochimaru again. Kabuto raced forward with a glowing chakra scalpel, likely intending to protect his master. He only made it a few meters before Naruto whipped around.

A burst of chakra flew from his mouth, emitting a blinding beam of light. It struck outward, hitting Kabuto square in the chest and blowing out a large portion of the bridge between them.

The blow sent him sailing back like a projectile. His body crashed into Sakura’s, causing her to be knocked off her feet. She slammed against the wooden boards of the bridge and crumpled into a heap.

“Sakura!”

You shot forward, only to be knocked off balance as the ground began to shift beneath your feet. The whole bridge was beginning to collapse, breaking into sections from the force of Naruto’s chakra blast.

A void had erupted between you and the kunoichi. You were now separated by a huge gap, and her body was beginning to slide toward the edge.

“Sakura!” you shouted. “Can you hear me?!”

If she didn’t wake up, if you couldn’t grab her, she would plummet into the canyon. She would either be crushed by debris from the crumbling structure, or drown in the rushing current below.

Could you make the jump and get to her?

“Wood-style jutsu!”

Several wooden branches shot forward as Tenzo attempted to support the bottom of the bridge. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough. It was still falling apart, and Sakura was slipping even closer to the edge.

Sai whipped a scroll from his pouch. He hastily scribbled on it with a brush, and an enormous bird made of ink appeared from the parchment. He hopped onto the back of the creature and shot forward. For a moment, you were sure he was grabbing Sakura.

Horror washed over you as you watched him sail straight past her. Her body finally slid off the edge, plummeting toward the canyon below.

“Sai!” Yamato shouted. “Grab her!”

The boy ignored him completely, flying toward where Naruto and Orochimaru had gone off to.

That was when you ran, leaping straight off the bridge toward Sakura’s falling body. Your stomach flipped as you plummeted through the air, frantically forming the hand signs for a massive water wave. It rushed up to meet you, cushioning you as you grasped Sakura around the waist.

You pulled her body into your arms as the wave rose higher, depositing the two of you on the end of the bridge that was still standing. You laid her onto the planks, reaching out to support her head with your arm.

You were both dripping wet, soaked from the wave.

Tenzo knelt next to the two of you. His eyes were clouded with worry.

“Sakura,” you gasped, still breathing heavily from the exertion of the jutsu. “Sakura, wake up! Please, Sakura!”

You couldn’t stomach the thought of something happening to her. You couldn’t lose her, not when you’d already lost Sasuke.

After what felt like an eternity, her green eyes fluttered open.

“Are you alright?!” You didn’t even try to hide the panic in your voice.

“Yeah.” She winced as she attempted to sit up. “I’m fine.”

She reached for the back of her head with a groan. You knew the pain must have been brutal, judging by how hard she hit the ground.

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah. Sorry. I’m okay now.”

She gazed out over the decimated remains of the bridge. “What happened?”

“Naruto,” Tenzo explained.

“Where is he?”

“With Orochimaru.”

You nodded toward the catastrophic battle that was occurring further into the trees. You weren’t close enough to see exactly what was happening, but you could hear the roar of the nine-tails and see the billowing clouds of smoke and debris forming.

Another set of footsteps approaching caused you to straighten up.

Kabuto,” you spat.

You drew your sword as he walked forward.

He held a hand to his bloody stomach, healing himself with his medical chakra. A thin trickle of blood was still trailing from his lips. Naruto’s blow had injured him severely, but like the cockroach he was, he had found some way to wiggle out of any major damage.

“Hold,” Tenzo ordered, narrowing his eyes at you. “Don’t do anything rash.”

Kabuto laughed as he watched you lower your blade.

“So I take it Sasori won’t be coming after all, huh?” He asked. “It’s strange. He was the only person who knew that I would be here today. Not even his fellow Akatsuki were privy to that information…and yet, you’re here, Leaf Ninja.”

He tilted his head. “I can’t imagine Sasori being forced to reveal the secret, even under torture, which makes me think he must have told you willingly. I suspect he was hoping that, by coming here, you would gather enough information about Lord Orochimaru to enable you to take him down, once and for all.”

Kabuto crossed his arms over his chest and continued to study the three of you like you were his next experiment.

“Sasori bore a grudge against Orochimaru. He always said that he would be the one to personally bring him down. The fact that he ended up involving all of you means that he must need you to do the job for him. He’s either been captured, or he’s no longer alive.”

He chuckled softly to himself. “That’s wonderful news.”

Your eyes narrowed.

Suddenly, the ground beneath your feet was rocked by another shattering explosion. Sakura's fingers shot out, clutching your arm for stability.

You and Tenzo exchanged a worried look as an enormous cloud of chakra and billowing smoke erupted from the trees.

It traveled toward you, blasting a strong gust of wind across the canyon. You pulled Sakura close and tucked her face into your vest, shielding her from the whipping air and dust.

When the smoke finally cleared, you saw Naruto, still in his nine-tails form. He was pinned into the nearby cliff by Orochimaru’s snake sword. The blade protruded from the Sannin’s mouth and stretched for meters.

Despite being pinned by the sword, it looked like the nine-tails had suffered no major damage. He picked his head up and roared. The sound echoed across the canyon and caused the nearby trees to sway from the force.

He writhed against the rock, gripping the blade with a firm hand and ripping it from his body. It swung out and to the left, striking toward you and the others.

Kabuto quickly launched himself into the air to avoid it. You grabbed Sakura and pulled her with you as you hopped out of range. Tenzo quickly followed, until the four of you were standing in a little group.

“This isn’t so much a battle between ninja anymore,” Kabuto remarked. “It’s some kind of epic battle between two monsters.”

Orochimaru began to withdraw the sword, likely realizing that it would deal no significant damage. Naruto rose from the cliff, tails still whipping behind him, and roared once more. The sound caused you to shiver.

“Well, well,” Kabuto mused. “Look at that. The boy is gone and only the monster remains. What a pitiful child.”

“Shut up,” you spat. “You don’t know anything about him.”

Your fingers flew up to grasp at the hilt of your katana. You wanted nothing more than to cut him down, to tear him to pieces for every heinous thing he had done and said. He was still taunting you and Sakura, even now.

Before you could draw your blade, Sakura raced past you and Kabuto, headed right for the nine-tails.

“Naruto!” She cried.

What she didn’t realize was that this wasn’t Naruto anymore. It was a tailed beast with immense power and no moral compass, and it wouldn’t hesitate to wipe her out.

“Sakura, come back!” you shouted. “You have to stay away from him!”

But she wasn’t listening. She sprinted toward him, still desperately calling out his name.

“Naruto, stop! It’s okay!” she sobbed. “I can rescue Sasuke! Naruto, please stop!”

Grief struck you like a bolt of lightning, sharp and hot as it raced through your body. Sakura was still attempting to carry a burden that should never have been thrust upon her in the first place.

She and Naruto both were, despite being far too young to bear that responsibility.

Once again, you thought of Itachi. Of how he was saddled with the fate of the village, of his entire clan, when he was merely a pawn in an old man’s political game.

You thought of Sasuke, inheriting a broken legacy and the pressure of avenging nearly everyone who had ever loved him.

You even thought of yourself, and how you had nearly been forced into a political marriage for the sake of your clan’s continuation. Over and over, the weight of the world was placed on the shoulders of children who had no business carrying it.

Sakura skidded to a stop in the dirt, nearly tripping over her own feet as she paused in front of Naruto. She realized her mistake as soon as the tail whipped toward her, but it was too late.

The chakra on the nine-tails was insanely powerful. It burned hot, like molten lava, and Sakura could feel the sheer force of it radiating toward her.

She froze in place, a look of horror passing through her green eyes.

No , you thought. I won’t lose her. I can’t lose anyone else.

Sakura threw up a hand in a last ditch effort to shield her face, but the blow never came.

A sudden flash of color entered her vision. It was your hair, fluttering in the wind. You had shunshined in front of her to take the hit instead.

The tail slammed into your body, lighting every single nerve on fire. You might have screamed, but you couldn’t be sure between the roar of the nine-tails and the blood rushing in your ears.

You didn’t have time to reflect on the possibility that Naruto would kill you, or utter a word to Sakura, or even ensure that Tenzo would retrieve Sasuke. By the time your body hit the dirt by Sakura’s feet, everything but the agony was slipping away.

You tried to keep a grasp on your consciousness, to focus on something, anything that could keep you awake.

But the only thing you felt was the pain. Sharp, brutal and white hot. It overtook you quickly, drowning out every one of your other senses, and dragged you down into the darkness.

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