TBBO Twenty Seven

Naruto's POV

"Ero-sennin, why did you call me here, 'ttebayo?" I folded my arms, displeased. The stupid pervert had sent for me, at this hour, and all we were doing was walking! If I wanted to walk- which I didn't, I wanted to sleep- then I could have done so around the village!

"I decided that it's time you got stronger-"

"At this hour?!" he frowned at me for cutting him off, then continued.

"So I'm going to teach you a new jutsu. But first, I need you to do something for me." my eyes widened, extreme excitement filling my tired system with energy.

"A new jutsu! Great! What do you want me to do?" I exclaimed, and Ero-sennin smiled.

"Well, there's this woman I need to get to go on a date with me... it's for my research..."

- - -

I sighed heavily. Bumped off again. That Ero-sennin...

Alcohol, girls, and money. I could count them on my fingers- three things that shinobi were not meant to partake in, and yet the supposed Legendary Sannin Jiraiya did all three. And sent me back to the hotel with an empty Gama-chan and a bunch of papers for his stupid novel.

Still, I was extremely tired. I slept like a log that night, deciding that I should sleep quickly- the sooner to get to my training the next day- only to wake up and find that Ero-sennin had not returned to the room! I growled to myself and folded my arms, sitting hunched on the bed and readying myself for a long wait.

A knock sounded on the door, and I shot to answer it, all geared up to yell at the pervy Sage for shrugging me off yesterday. I yanked the door open, but was met by the sight of two dark figures.

'Sasuke?' I shook my head, 'No... not Sasuke. But he has his Sharingan... who is this guy?'

"Naruto-kun... you're coming with us." he said, his voice deep and smooth. I glared at him.

"What makes you think I'm gonna drop everything to go with two weirdos like you, 'ttebayo?!" I growled, and the... blue... one chuckled.

"It would be better for you if you just came quietly." the dark haired guy spoke, and the blue guy piped up.

"I don't think we can trust him to not pull anything, Itachi-san..." he grinned, flashing jagged teeth, "I should cut off a limb or two, just in case." he swung this weird bandaged wiggly thing in an arc, and I felt my body weaken.

"What the-?!" that thing, it was taking my chakra! I grinned, expression strained. If it wanted to steal my chakra, then I'd give it something to feast on! I mentally subdued the fox, and red chakra began to blaze around my form, blistering and burning on my skin, but I couldn't focus on that. I leapt into the corridoor to collide with my foes, only to halt at a voice.

"Itachi... Uchiha..." I looked up.

"Sasuke?" I questioned, confused.

"Stay out of this, Naruto!" he ordered, seriously. His tone took me by surprise, and I didn't argue. His eyes were red, and glued to the dark haired one, who I assumed was 'Itachi'. "It's as you said, brother." his hair and clothes began to lift with static, the familiar blue electricity sparking to life on his hand, "I've fostered my hatred for you for all of this time... living for one soul purpose." he thrust his arm into the brickwork with a loud crunch, "To see you die!" Then he charged.

The battle was over before it had even begun. Itachi, impossibly, caught the chidori, and bent Sasuke's wrist until it broke with a sickening snap. I heard a whimper to my left, and finally realised that Sachi stood beside me, agony written all over her face as she watched the war between the two Uchihas. I turned my gaze back to the match with a frown.

Sasuke was slammed into the wall by his throat, Itachi's companion seeming thoroughly entertained by this. Sachi visibly winced, and I felt her hands reach out to grip my jacket in tight fists.

"You can't beat me. You lack the hatred necessary to become strong. And you know what...?" Itachi leaned close, and I put an arm in front of Sachi to stop her as she tried to intervene, knowing she'd only get herself hurt. "You never will." he formed a one handed seal and stared right into Sasuke's eyes, "Mangekyou sharingan!"

Sasuke let loose a cry of pain, and fell unconscious.

"Kuchiyose no jutsu: Mountain toad's innards!" Ero-sennin's voice boomed, as the floor became really squishy and the walls and ceiling formed some kind of pink-red mush. Itachi leapt away as Sasuke was sucked slightly into the fleshiness.

"Jiraiya of the three Sannin... what a surprise." Itachi spoke, though his tone remained emotionless as ever.

"I could say the same about you, Itachi Uchiha and Kisame Hoshigaki." I frowned up at my sensei- how did he know who these people were? "This is actually quite fortunate- now I can finish you both off at the same time. But tell me; what do you want with Naruto?"

"Naruto is the prize that the Akatsuki are after." Itachi said, "But fighting you isn't in our plans, so... goodbye for now."

With that, the pair turned and ran down the hall in the opposite direction. Jiraiya made chase, while Sachi ran straight to Sasuke. I followed my Sensei, after much hesitation.

Sachi POV

I ran to Sasuke, panic screwing my stomach into a tight little ball.

"Sasuke?!" I shook what little part of him I could reach from where he was in the weird flesh wall. "Sasuke, wake up!" I blinked back the tears I could feel growing in my eyes, cursing Itachi Uchiha to the fiery depths of Hell.

"He can't hear you. He's trapped in Genjutsu." a large hand rested on my back, and I looked up at Jiraiya with big, tear-filled eyes. I attempted to force them back, but to no avail.

"Will he be okay?" I asked, lacing my fingers through those of the unbroken hand of Sasuke, barely registering Naruto's shocked expression or Jiraiya's surprise.

"He needs to make his own way out." The white haired man said solemnly. "There's nothing I can do."

I wiped my eyes, trying to pull myself together, but my breath was still somewhat jerky, "If we get him back to the Leaf village, though- the healers can help him..." the expression on the Sannin's face blanked my security in my words, "Right?"

He shook his head slowly, "He's going to be in this state of shock for a while... but you're right. We do need to get him back to the hospital." he formed a hand seal, "Release!" the wall mush started to fade, and Jiraiya caught Sasuke before he could drop. I stayed close beside them as we ran (I could somehow keep up despite my crutches), barely aware of Naruto tagging along behind.

A few weeks had passed since then. Sasuke had regained consciousness, but was acting weird again, so I tried to stay away as much as I could, thinking he needed alone time to think. The Leaf village was being slowly rebuilt, with the help of our new Hokage, and I had been enlisted to help with a lot of the carpentry work rather than take proper missions for the next few weeks. But things were looking up.

Village-wise, anyway. It was hard to enjoy it when I had the dark cloud of Sasuke's worrying depression hanging over my head.

'He's going to leave.' and, to top it off, Izanami had made her comeback.

'He won't. He promised.' I retorted, though my fists clenched around the strap of my tool-pack as I crutch-walked towards the all-too-familiar hospital doors.

'A promise is just words with a fancy name. It means nothing. He's going to leave to seek power, and you'll never see him again.' Izanami said offhandedly, and I gritted my teeth. 'Of course, we could stop him. We're powerful enough to make his leaving an impossible dream.'

'"We"?' I muttered, and her presence rolled onto her back in the stretching wilderness that was her home in my mind.

'You'd have to release me, of course. How else would I give you all of my power?' I growled at her angrily.

'I will never release you! Ever! I made a promise to the Third, and I'm going to keep it!' I roared at her. She fell silent, and didn't speak again- though I could feel her simmering fury.

I hobbled to the hospital elevator, and my eyes widened. The ride seemed to go frustratingly slowly, and I pushed the rooftop button repeatedly- as if that would make the trip any shorter. But I had to hurry, Sasuke should not be out of bed yet! He was still really weak, but he was on the roof, and- from the fluctuation of his chakra- was fighting! Was he insane?!

"No, stop it, stop it!" I heard Sakura cry, the elevator door opening just in time for me to see her runnig towards a collision of the chidori and rasengan. I shrieked silently and tried to run towards them, forgetting my useless leg and stumbling to the ground. I cussed aloud, feeling prickles on my hands, no doubt from the fall.

Before I could even react, Kakashi-sensei was between them, throwing them into the big water silos that stood atop the hospital. He quickly walked over and helped me up, and I watched as Sasuke smirked at the difference in size between the holes he and Naruto had each created. I frowned sadly. This wasn't my Sasuke...

"Sachi, are you okay?" I nodded, and Kakashi smiled then turned away. "Sasuke, that was not the size Chidori you use against a comrade. Were you trying to kill Naruto just now?"

Sasuke dropped his gaze while Sakura gasped. My only consolation was that he at least looked somewhat ashamed.

"The same goes for you, Naruto." I wasn't sure where Jiraiya appeared from, but he was there nonetheless. "That rasengan should not have been fired at a comrade, not even if he can counter it."

Naruto frowned at the floor. Sasuke grunted, and flung himself into the air, disappearing behind the roof. My stomach twisted. Sakura stepped back beside me as the two senseis conversed. I reached out and took her hand for comfort, and she squeezed mine.

The sense of foreboding only grew as Kakashi-sensei walked back towards us.

"Kakashi-sensei... will Sasuke and Naruto be all right?" Sakura asked. Although I knew the answer was not the affirmative, I still looked up to Kakashi-sensei for guidance, hoping with all my heart that he could make the set future change. He lowered his gaze to the floor for a moment, before closing his eye in a smile.

"Don't you two worry. Everything will be back to normal soon enough, you'll see." Kakashi assured, and I looked down at my free hand, wishing I could believe him. I was astounded at what I saw.

A strange, silver sheen dusted my palm, quivering and grouping together...

- - -

IT'S ALMOST OVER! AMG, ARE YOU SAD?

I'm not.

CUZ I'M READY FOR SACHI TO KICK BUTT IN THE SEQUEL!! BOO YAH!!

Man, I wish I was a ninja. Then I could be all 'Ha, I'm too ninja for you!' and do ninja-y things. But anyways, vote and comment! :D