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Dragonheart	By : UmbreonMessiah Category: Naruto > General Views: 1644 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 15
- 16
- 17
Dragonheart

Chapter 15

The cold North Wind blew in from
across the clouded peaks of the Lightning Country and the endless prairies of
the Land of Rice Fields. For moments it carried the scent of wet ground and
endless farmland, before tossing the aromas aside during the arduous trip. The
gust climbed hills, mountains and trees, crossed the world during day and
night. It seemed to move unerringly, streaming across the lands without need of
rest. The restless journey was made with but one purpose. That purpose was to
feel the rustle of the leaves, the bending of grass and the soft skin of the
things that it would glide across. That was the North Wind�s call, which it
heeded without a second thought.
A certain part of the North Wind
had made the trip for a different reason altogether. While the conglomeration
traveled the world simply to blow on things, this secular portion of it had
traveled to blow on only two things. It weaved through seas of green, dodging
any other object it could have brushed against and felt in order to savor the
feel of its final destination. After an endless march through the skies and
canopy, the solitary whiff found its resting spot, diving headlong through
brown and olive toward the sides of two figures. It collided with them with all
the force it could muster, gently caressing their skin and toying with their
hair. Each body suppressed a shudder as the cool wind crawled over them,
touching one then the other with the most tantalizing of embraces. Brown and
pink fluttered atop the writhing form of the dying breeze, kicking stern
features and interrupting deep gazes. Having met its destiny, the individual
current died, whirling away into nothing as any trace of its existence was
removed from the face of the earth. All of its work was for naught as two
separate forests of hair fell back into place, resuming their places of rest.
Neither body had even acknowledged the flurry�s existence, continuing their
never-ending staring contest.
Sakura and Katai had been standing
before one another for almost five minutes without making a single move. The
pinkette was still holding her hand out in the traditional Goken stance, eyeing
her opponent�s rocky body with caution. The dark-haired male stood strongly
against the young woman�s intimidating stance, waiting for her to make the
first move. It was a standoff that neither wished to break, for the first move
could very well be the last. Katai was partial to the knowledge of Sakura�s
chakra-enhanced strength, whilst Sakura had seen first hand the destructive
power that the ex-suitor possessed. In reality she feared more for her own life
than she let on, filled with doubt as to whether even her powerful attacks
could pierce the thick hide of black diamond her enemy had been gifted with.
For what little time she had known Katai, she knew him to be nearly invincible.
Things that would have killed five people instantly had left naught but a
scratch on him, if even that. If she was going to do battle with the man that
the Tsuchikage himself had trained, she was going to need to not only go all
out, but be very careful at the same time.
Despite her inherent fear though,
Sakura did not think even once of backing down. It wouldn�t be right to have
made the offer to fight him only to give up. There were other reasons of
course, reasons that were close to her heart and her beliefs. They were the
fire that had stoked her resolve and caused her to make the very decision that
had landed her where she stood, in the graveyard of a lone gust of wind.
Sakura could feel a stifling aura
throughout the trees and traced it back to Katai�s dominating presence. As his
eyes bore into hers, she instantly felt herself lose control. Her body became
heavier and her heart started to race. A moment longer would have had her
struggling for life, but something snapped that control. It reminded her of her
first chuunin exams all those years ago, when she had looked directly into
Orochimaru�s eyes and saw her own death. Yet this time she had greater
fortitude, allowing her to fight against her insecurities and battle the
atmosphere that the high-ranking ninja was exuding. She would not simply curl
up and die. She would fight, like she had promised to.
�This silence begins to bore me,�
Katai sighed loudly, running his fingers through his hair. �Are you simply
going to stand there waiting?�
The medic ignored the obvious
taunt, checking her situation over once more. She stood before someone who
could possibly be the strongest shinobi she�d ever faced alone. To her
recollection, he was perhaps the only shinobi she had ever tried to fight
alone. When she had taken on Sasori all those months ago, it had been with the
help of one of the greatest kunoichi Sunagakure had to offer. It had been a
close call, but they had won by merely a hair�s breadth. Even now Sakura could
remember how she had felt when Sasori had died telling her nothing. She had
finished off her only lead as to Sasuke�s whereabouts. It took a moment for her
to shake her head clear, pushing those memories into the past. They were behind
her now, and she had to focus. In these moments, her training came foremost to
her mind, causing her to act on mental reflex.
Green eyes traveled over her own
supplies bit by bit. She patted her tool pouch to make sure it was still full.
She tightened her battle-skirt to make sure it was fastened tightly and
wouldn�t fly off in the middle of the fight. The small, apron-like addition to
her outfit seemed unnecessary when she delved too deeply into it, but it was
there and there wasn�t anything she could do about it. Black was not her
favorite color, but it did give her a certain level of camouflage in the dark
night. It also made her look a bit more threatening, at least she thought.
Black top, black gloves, black shorts...she felt ready to take on the world. It
was almost a great contrast to Katai�s darkened skin, if only separated by the
fact that it was not practically indestructible. For some reason, she found
herself swearing she�d go back to wearing red if she survived this.
She returned to her stance with a
short huff. It only took the cherry-haired girl a moment to realize that she
was stalling. She was postponing the battle, trying everything she knew of to
avoid having to fight Katai. It wasn�t that hard for her to understand why,
either. She still felt ashamed of herself, clenching the hand behind her hip in
anger. It was stupid of her to have taken on this job only to try not to do it.
Besides which, she still had to
make him pay.
�I�m curious,� Katai started
again. �Why is it that you of all
people decided to stay here and fight me? I don�t mean to insult your skills,
but you�re not very remarkable. Strong, but hardly remarkable. I want to know
how you expect to defeat me with nothing more than brute strength.�
�That doesn�t matter. All that
matters is I�m going to accomplish it.� Sakura had never felt more powerful
than when she had spoken those words. Her voice was utterly defiant, as if she
was speaking out against a god. �No matter what, I will beat you.�
�Well that�s an interesting way of
putting it I suppose. Still, don�t you think you�re overstepping your bounds?�
�Less talking, more fighting!�
Having finally found her spark of
courage, Sakura bolted forth with no more worries. Her fist flew forward, aimed
directly at Katai�s pristine features. Her strike was caught cleanly by a
chiseled hand, which twisted her arm downward and away from her target�s face.
The Kunoichi struggled against the solid grip on her hand, only to find that
she was unable to release herself from it. The more she struggled the tighter
her fist was squeezed, until it felt as though the pressure would shatter her
bones. Her green eyes angled up and stared directly into the muddy eyes of the
elite ninja, quivering beneath his placid gaze. He didn�t care for her or her
assault, nor did he seem frightened by it. Without a word Katai delivered an
open-handed strike that sent the thin woman skidding across the pebbled ground,
scratching her pale skin in various places. The bright-haired girl got to her
feet slowly, already feeling shame seep into her being as she caught the
demeaning stare boring into her.
�You�re only going to embarrass
yourself if you keep fighting,� Katai warned her. �You�ll die quickly and
painfully, without having accomplished a single thing. Is that how you want to
leave this life?�
�Didn�t you hear me the first
time?� she retorted. �I�m going to beat you. That�s all there is to it. Nothing
more.�
�I�m curious as to where this
confidence of yours is coming from. You certainly seem to be full of it all of
a sudden.�
Sakura did not respond to him.
Instead of offering any vocal answer, the young woman set herself back into her
battle stance, drawing a deep breath to steady her nerves. The next moment she
was on the move again, lashing out with her fists as she struck at the dark
strands of Katai�s hair. Her aim was for his face once more, but her swings
landed nowhere near that mark. The young man toyed with her assaults, batting
her punches aside with lax hands. In rage she changed her tactic and swung low,
aiming for Katai�s stomach. The blow connected solidly, producing a loud noise
as knuckles hit solid rock. The ex-suitor�s body jostled slightly before he
grabbed the hand in his gut and wrenched it free. The diamond that encased his
form had not even been scratched by Sakura�s attack, having made it all the
more fruitless. With a heave Katai pulled the nurse from the ground and threw
her at a tree, watching as she slammed into the wood harshly. He offered
nothing as she slowly pulled herself to her feet once again, staring at him
angrily as she moved her hands into position.
�Why are you trying so hard?�
�I told you it doesn�t matter. I�m
going to beat you.�
�I�m afraid my curiosity can�t be
sated by repeating that statement.� Katai seemed withdrawn, refusing to fully
engage in combat until his question was answered. He was the kind of man who
desired understanding. It was how he had become so good at what he did. Failing
to understand his opponent�s motive irked him.
�Why should I tell you anything?�
Sakura huffed. �You�re going to be dead soon!�
It was Katai�s turn to strike. He
traversed the distance between himself and Sakura and dealt her a punishing
blow, forcing saliva from her mouth as his mineral fist slammed into her body.
The fragile-looking young woman grabbed the spot he had hit, her cry of pain
muted by the lack of air in her lungs. Before she could recover she was dealt
another devastating blow by Katai�s foot, which had come around in a brutal
roundhouse kick that smacked her dead in the face. The force behind the
powerful attack was equivalent to being struck in the face with a bag of
bricks, and hurt just as badly. Even before she had hit the ground, she felt
the bones in her cheek crack. The earth greeted her with a mouthful of dirt as
she tumbled to a stop, leaving her in a heap. She was painfully aware of how
outclassed she felt at the moment. She was even more painfully aware of how
badly her body ached after only two successive bashes. Her fuel had not burned
out however. She spat out the blood that had gathered in her mouth and slowly
rose to her feet, giving Katai a slightly shaken glare.
�Is that all you�ve got?� she
breathed, blood dripping down her lip.
Sakura�s taunting only earned her
more of the young man�s ire. Another swift punch met her body, tossing her
light frame into the air. Her velocity was matched by the heavy ninja, who
appeared in her path before slamming her down into the ground once more. The
air was forced from her lungs by the impact, muting her cry of pain. The tears
of agony that she shed could not be squelched by any force, staining the soil a
deeper shade of brown as they fell from her cheeks. When she finally believed
that the onslaught had ended, it began anew. Katai�s foot struck the medic�s
stomach roughly, pitching her across the forest floor with alacrity. After
several austere bounces she crashed straight into a rotting tree trunk,
blasting through the dying wood and scattering bark about. A deep burning
spread across her back as she rolled to a stop, her clothing growing moist as
she bled into it. They weren�t severe cuts, only large enough to expose certain
portions of her back. Sakura bit her lip and focused hard, drawing her hand
over the wounds as she to used one of her many medicinal ninjutsu to dull the
aching heat.
�You�re surprisingly durable,�
Katai snorted. �Most people don�t stand after something like that. Bravo.�
The mockery did not fall on deaf
ears. Sakura simply chose to ignore them, doing her best to straighten her
battered self. As soon as she could stand again, her hands and arms shifted
into place, resuming her previous posture without so much as a word. Her
breathing was deeper now than it had been, enhanced by the damage that had been
dealt to her. She struggled to appear unfazed, hoping that she wasn�t failing
as badly at it as she imagined she was.
�Just go home. I�m tired of
wasting my time with you. You aren�t even worth killing, you hear me? Go
running back to your cozy bed and live a little longer, why don�t you?�
The words rippled across Sakura�s
consciousness, delving into the pool of her mind like a freshly sharpened
fishing hook. That hook sought something within the pond it had been cast into,
and eventually snagged the gill of a particular fish. This fish represented a
whole cache of bad memories that Sakura had thought she�d stored away. They
were of her genin days, where she would constantly watch others fight without
her or to defend her, while she simply stood on the sidelines and watched. She
remembered her pathetic attempts to separate herself from her own weakness. She
remembered how she stared at horrors as they unfolded before her. She
remembered how her dependency cost her the things she cared most about. Most of
all, she remembered feeling hopeless and feeble amidst a sea of the powerful
and strong. It had been those feelings that had made her seek Tsunade�s
training. It had been those memories that had also made her seek out Rock Lee.
They were the worst memories of her life.
�You��
Katai�s eyebrows rose a bit as
Sakura stumbled over words. Her head was turned downward, her lips trembling as
she attempted to put her feelings into speech. There was a moment of
uncomfortable silence before the pinkette lifted her gaze, turning the blazing
glare of her green eyes on the onyx spheres of her enemy.
�You called Naruto�s dream trash.
For that, I�m gonna kick your sorry ass!�
A quiet moment went by before
Katai began to laugh harder than he ever had in his entire life.

Tree branches thumped loudly and
rapidly as three pairs of geta pounded off them, propelling three separate
beings into the deep northwest. The trees were beginning to thin, signifying
that the group was nearing the end of the vast olive ocean that encompassed
much of the Fire Country. Each limb shook and scattered leaves into the cold
hours of darkness as feet battered them. Three figures raced against the
surging tide of night and treetop, forcing their way through the countryside.
At the head of the school that swam against the unending current was a
scruffy-haired blond.
Naruto ran as quickly as his
muscles would allow him. He ached, his limbs having grown tired from a night of
chase. Yet somehow he continued to press on, pushing past his soreness and
deeper into the uninviting blackness that lay ahead of him. No matter what came
to try and stop him, be it an errant stem or failing body, he kept focused on
the shaded tunnel where his love lay. He still saw her at the end of that dark
tube, bathed in pure light. He could see and feel her, no matter how far he was
from her. With each footfall he felt himself steadily growing closer to her, to
saving her from her captors and returning her home.
He would not let them escape.
�Naruto, slow down!� Jiyumaru
called out.
Yakusho and Jiyumaru were several
feet behind the distressed shinobi. His fervor was driving him faster than he
realized, leaving his allies behind him. The more he focused on his goal, the
more he lost himself in his primal power. His chakra swirled and changed, the
Kyuubi�s influence making itself known with a hot burst of freedom. His
features changed as he called on the demon�s power, his whisker marks deepening
as his eyes turned red with feverish intent. With his new appearance came new
strength, adding extra might to his muscles. The ones in his legs seemed to be
getting the most attention, combining his already good agility and chakra to
provide an unreal boost in speed. The forest seemed to bend out of his way as
he rocketed forward, leaving his partners in his dust.
�Jeez, you�d think he was
possessed or something,� Yakusho huffed. �He�s getting too far ahead.�
�He�s also not listening. If he
rushes off without thinking he could get himself killed.� Jiyumaru�s brow
creased with concern for the Jinchuuriki. It would not be the first time Naruto
had done something reckless, especially while under the Kyuubi�s influence. But
this wasn�t the time or place for it. They could not afford errors here.
�Naruto, slow down!� he called out
a second time.
�I don�t think that�s gonna work,
Blades,� Yakusho grumbled. �I guess we�ve gotta give chase, huh?�
�Looks like it. Try and keep up.�
Yakusho blinked as the jounin
zoomed past him, trying to catch up with the orange and black streak that had
since traveled far ahead. A moment later he picked up his pace as well, not
wanting to be left behind in the thinning groves. Together they raced towards
the captured Hyuuga girl, guided only by the animal instincts of Konohagakure�s
wildest genin.

Katai slowly ended his fit of
laughter, shaking out the giggles that had taken over his body. His arms swayed
slightly as he pulled himself together, rubbing a saltiness that could have
been tears of mirth from his eyes. After finally straightening out, he turned
his sights back on the short kunoichi, attempting to resume his once-cold stare.
The attempt failed however, his body still wracked by slight shudders of
amusement.
�You�re kidding right? You�re
going to die because I made fun of your little blond boy toy? You gave up your
life because I talked a little trash? That�s hilarious!�
Despite how much Katai seemed to
be pleased by the situation, Sakura refused to alter her stare. She continued
to look at the man of rock with the same intense feeling of anger she had felt
moments ago, attempting to cut through him with looks alone.
�I�m not going to forgive you, no
matter what you say,� she growled. �Prepare yourself, Kongouseki Katai!�
Sakura�s chakra control had always
been her most valuable asset, especially when she had decided to become a
medical ninja. It had also been her greatest advantage while she had been
training under Rock Lee. It had allowed her to perform complicated techniques
with little difficulty, while her natural intelligence allowed her to grasp the
difficult concepts easily. All of her hard work had paid off in the end, and
was about to show its fruit at that very moment. Using all the chakra she
could, the pink-haired girl flung herself at Katai with alarming speed, leaping
into the air and drawing her body into a sharp spin.
�Konoha Senpuu!�
Sakura�s toned right leg swung out
as her body swirled, striking Katai across the face. The force behind the blow
was augmented by the amount of chakra she had placed into her legs and foot,
causing a slight shockwave to spring forth from the point of impact. The sound
rang in the ex-suitor�s ears as he was sent sideways, only to be met in the
chest by Sakura�s left foot as she continued her deadly spin and kicked him
again. The chocolate-haired man caught the second attack as he pulled the
medic-nin�s foot to his chest. Sakura gasped as she landed on her free leg,
struggling in shock against her enemy�s grasp. With her balance caught between
Katai�s grip and her sole foot, Sakura realized she was incapacitated. She was
at the Iwa-nin�s mercy, completely open to attack. With her firmly in his
grasp, the rock-skinned young male began to whirl Sakura about by her ankle.
When he gained sufficient speed he released her, sending her crashing into
another tree. This one�s trunk did not break under the force, resounding with a
mind-shattering crack as Sakura collided with it. It took her a few moments to
get back up as the pain raced through her body.
�All this for some stupid little
boy�s fantasy,� he sneered. His face remained untouched, despite the force with
which she had struck it. �Why? Why do you care so much, I must ask. Why is it
so worth it?�
Sakura was taken aback by another
moment of Katai�s genuine curiosity. It wasn�t enough that he knew why she was
fighting him, but now he wanted to know more about it. For someone who was so
intent on killing her, he seemed very interested in the way she thought.
�What does it matter to you?� she
asked harshly.
�I consider myself an inquisitive
being. Someone who likes to know the answers to things that bother him.� Katai
ran his fingers through his long hair to straighten out his locks, continuing
to stare deep into Sakura�s being through his coal eyes. �Your resolve
interests me. The reasons behind it elude me. So, in short, I must know.�
Sakura did not even require
contemplation. She knew why she had chosen this path. She was proud of it, too.
If nothing else, she could satisfy the brunet�s thirst for knowledge and
imprint her determination on his mind forever.
�Because Naruto�s dream is his
life. It�s what lets everyone put their faith and hope into him.� She narrowed
her eyes, pushing all her hatred for the Iwa-nin through the thin circles of
lime. �When Naruto is strong, his friends are strong. When Naruto is sad, his
friends are sad. His heart is the heart of a true shinobi!
�His dream is to become the
Hokage�and when he achieves that
dream, he will use his power to protect his village, his friends, and his
family! When you call Naruto�s dream trash, you call all of us trash!�
�And that is exactly what you
are.�
Sakura gasped at Katai�s newest words.
He had said them without a hint of remorse or jest. His head tilted slightly as
he took in her reaction, intrigued by the sense of amusement it brought him.
The young medic girl felt a rage growing inside her that surpassed all the
anger she had felt in her life, all directed at the thin boy with diamond for
skin.
�What the hell�how dare you!�
�You�re all trash, every last one
of you. All because you continue to believe in something stupid like a
Jinchuuriki boy.� There was a cruel tone in his voice that had been dormant for
the last while, choosing only now to show itself. �The Kyuubi makes his power
almost without equal. It will only be a matter of time until he realizes that
and uses his power to dominate you all. I saw what he was capable of on the way
here. That creature was the real
Naruto you love and cherish so much. Power incarnate�and he wasn�t even at a
hundred percent!�
�Shut the hell up!� Sakura
screamed. �What the hell do you know about Naruto!?�
�Do you think I didn�t see how the
villagers looked at him as he walked by? Did you think I was unaware of what
most of them think? What the elders of Konoha think of him? He is hated and
despised, like a monster should be.
He shares the fate of every other Jinchuuriki, even in your peaceful little
village. The day will come where he will be consumed by his own power and
annihilate you all, just as the Kyuubi intended to do fifteen years ago!
�Become the Kage of a village that
hates him? I sincerely doubt it. He has a better chance of becoming a God. He
and the Demon Fox will end up being the doom of every last person he has ever
pretended to care about, including you!�
�You�re an idiot Katai.�
It was time for the Tsuchikage�s
prot�g� to be surprised by words. Sakura was steadfast, not abandoning her
words or even being affected by the haste in which they were said. She truly
believed every word that left her mouth. Katai could only shake in anger as he
attempted to do battle with her purpose.
�What did you just say?�
�I said you�re an idiot. Naruto is
Naruto, not the Kyuubi.� Sakura�s statement was succinct, not missing a single
beat. �No matter what anyone else says, that�s the truth. He has made friends,
great friends, all of who would give their lives for him and his dreams. I am
one of those people!�
�Oh, you mean like the Inuzuka
boy, right?�
As quickly as Sakura had been able
to make the tables of the conversation turn in her favor, they were spun around
on her just as fast. Some part of her felt the personal strike had been
unwarranted, but there was no way to stop it. The pain of losing a good friend
and ninja had only been masked by her focus on the task at hand. Forced to
recall another failure, Sakura felt her insides begin to churn.
�Sh-shut up! How dare you!� she shrieked defiantly.
�Struck a chord, did I?� Katai�s
grin was vicious and venomous, like a hungry predator tearing into the first
wound on its prey. �How did it feel to fail him? To watch one of your precious
friends�one of your precious people who stand up for all that you believe in,
die right in front of you? How did it feel to simply stand there and be able to
do nothing?�
�Sh-shut up I said! Just shut the
hell up!� Sakura�s body trembled and threatened to buckle under the weight of
her guilt, for she did indeed feel guilty. She was the medic of their team,
student of the great Tsunade, best medical ninja in the world. How was it that
she had simply let a shinobi � a friend � die without a real chance? She knew
that her feelings were being brought up on purpose, but that did little to save
her from herself.
�You want to know the truth of the
matter? I�d do it again. It was rather satisfying.� Katai�s confession was even
less wanted than the guilt he had been brewing. The poison that dripped from
his mouth in words turned to acid as he kept talking. �He was incredibly
annoying. Bad enough that he could have thrown a wrench in the entire plan all
by himself, but he was so full of himself. And noisy, too. Noisier than Naruto.
I�m glad I was able to shut him up for good.�
�SHUT UP!!!�
Sakura�s body shook as she cried.
It was impossible for her to stem the flow of tears that wetted her cheeks and
stained the soil. She shivered and sobbed in both sadness and rage, looking up
through moist eyes to glare at Katai�s malice.
�Y-you�re�you�re the worst kind of
person there is! You have no respect for the sacrifices of others! Kiba�he
loved Hinata! He loved her! He loved
her and came out here to risk his life�just so he could save her and bring her
back to us! Back to Naruto! How dare
you speak in light of Inuzuka Kiba�s life!�
�And what exactly are you going to
do about it?� he challenged. �You who are nothing but a failure? What can you
do to stop someone like me?�
�I don�t care who or what you are.
I said I�m going to kick your ass, and by God I�m going to kick your ass! YOU
HEAR ME!?�
When Sakura charged, she had no
more doubts in her mind. She would kill this man who stood before her, or die
trying.

Sakai wasn�t known for being
overly fast. He was the kind of shinobi that didn�t rely on his overall speed
for combat. Compared to his allies, he would probably be classified as �slow�.
That didn�t stop him from running so fast he practically left an after-image
behind him.
For the first time since he had
joined the group, Sakai felt the tingles of fear rolling up his spine. He
wasn�t sure if he was still being followed or not, nor did he care. All that
mattered to him was to keep running, to get to the rendezvous point and escape
the Fire Country intact. He certainly didn�t want to get caught at this point.
He really didn�t want to get caught
by the Jinchuuriki, especially after what Katai had said to him.
So he ran, completely unaware that
a soft finger belonging to an unconscious girl was twitching near his thigh.

Sakura�s fist missed its target.
She had been sure that her blow would connect solidly, but was met with
disappointment as it only flew through air. Upon inspection, she realized the
reason she had missed was that Katai was no longer standing where she had
thrown the punch. A quick turn of her head revealed that he had moved behind
her, remaining tall and placid as he stared down her anger.
�Interesting,� he mumbled. �It
seems that you really are intent on
fighting me. Fine�if that�s what you want, you�ve got it. If you survive my
first attack, that is.�
The amount of chakra that Katai
summoned into his fist was immense enough to visibly glow. That pale shine did
not last long, dispersing through the earth as his arm buried itself inside the
rich soil at his feet. The ground trembled at the force, shaking under the
sky-shattering tone of the mighty shinobi.
�Hishigata Fukai Mori!�
Compared to what Sakura had seen
of Katai�s original form of the jutsu, the current version was much more
devastating. Where once a plethora of spikes and pillars erupted from the
ground, giant towers and soaring peaks split the earth and ravaged the forest.
Trees were knocked over and uprooted as the new dense canopy of dark rock
skewered the sky and made way for new land. Sakura�s eyes almost did not
register the sight, if only out of sheer disbelief. A moment later her body
reacted on its own as a giant shaft of dark crystal flew out of the ground at
her. With a hard leap she found herself riding one of the extending columns,
watching the world below her shrink beneath extravagant heights. The only thing
that kept her steady on the slick surface was her chakra. Much like on trees
and water, her energy was allowing her to adhere to the slippery face of
diamond she had jumped on. As more and more giant spikes rose up from the
ground behind and before her, she began to wonder just when the earth-altering
technique would finish.
It was at that point that each
�tree� began to sprout branches.
What had been a chaotic and
destructive ability transformed quite quickly into utter insanity and
pandemonium. Every single looming black skyscraper began to unleash spikes from
its sides, tips of sharp mineral springing forth from sharp mineral. Sakura�s
reflexes saved her from being stabbed by one of the many limbs that exploded
from the tall tree of diamond she had been hanging from. She continued to dodge
more erratic growth as she climbed to the top of the rock, looking down at the
jungle of darkness that had flourished beneath her. From each of the several
�branches� smaller, sharper stems began to spread forth. The sight was glorious
to behold as the incredibly dense substance began to replace the regular
foliage with its own mock version of nature. Were it not for the fact that
every single part of it was made with a deadly point, it would be a truly
breathtaking thing to see.
The pink-haired girl had become so
absorbed in observing the growth of Katai�s forest that she had lost track of
him. As her green eyes scanned the canvas of gleaming black spikes, she heard
the distant chuckling of her adversary float through the air. Standing
perpendicular to the growth she had nabbed in her earlier jump, she turned to
face the form of the Kongouseki clan member rising from within one of his own
creations. Raven-colored orbs scraped away at the night as they caught her pale
skin on the stern structure, singling her out in a menagerie of obscuring
gloom.
�So you�re alive,� he muttered.
�You�re faster than you look.�
�I was taught that evading attacks
takes priority,� she admitted, rubbing her wrist tentatively. �If I get hit,
then it�s bad for everyone. How can a medic do her job if she ends up
incapacitated or worse?�
�A wonderful analysis of events.
You certainly are good at what you do. Do you take pride in being able to run
away?�
�I�m not running. Not now, not
ever!�
�Then please, entertain me a
little longer.�
Sakura�s booming shout echoed
across the awning of the woods as she rushed forward, drawing her arm back for
yet another punch. Katai was unaffected by her hoarse cry, rising but his palm
in response to her wild antics. She could only watch as he simply caught her
attack in his own hand, wresting control of her appendage from her. With a
quick yank he drew her into the air before tossing her down into the stone
undergrowth below them. The velocity at which she traveled was mind-blowing,
her eyes unable to give shape to the sticks of black zooming past her blurring
vision. The descent littered her body with cuts and gashes as she slipped
across branch after jagged branch. She realized the ground was approaching
swiftly, and that if she were to make contact with it she would most likely end
up dead. Desperately she reached out, focusing chakra into the palms of her
hands so she could latch on to anything she could to avoid her fate.
Her body swung and jerked
violently as she grabbed onto the side of one of the huge diamond shafts,
skidding slowly to a stop a mere twenty feet from the surface of the world.
Relief flooded her being and forced a sigh from her lungs, while her hand stroked
her chest in an attempt to calm her frustrated heart. It throbbed madly in her
chest as blood pumped throughout her, racing in time with her feelings.
�That was too close,� she panted.
�If that was �too close�, I hate
to think what you�re going to say next.�
The young woman didn�t even need
to think about moving. Katai�s words tugged at her limbs, making them haul her
higher on the black tree on their own. No sooner had she started moving than a
sharp spike burst from where she had been hanging from previously. Something
within urged her to keep going, entering her arms and pushing the limbs
forward. As she grappled the pitch-dark structure, more and more ebony spears
began to chase her, seeking the warmth of her blood and flesh. Her pace
increased the closer each attack got to skewering her, sending her into a
frenzied race to the top. Katai�s razor-sharp attack followed her, never
leaving more than a split-second between them. The dark-bodied male chuckled in
dark amusement as his newest trick closed in on his victim.
Quite suddenly, Sakura stopped
running away. With a loud cry she pushed herself from the black pillar, dodging
another one of Katai�s impaling blows at the last moment. Her heel came down on
the protrusion with incredible force and focus, snapping the relatively brittle
connection it shared with its parent. The genius shinobi�s dark eyes flickered
in surprise and intrigue at the development, trying to judge just when she had
managed to pinpoint the weak point in his jutsu. He had very little time to
continue thinking about it as Sakura grabbed the barb she had stolen and threw
it at him. The strength granted to her by her immense chakra sent the large
chunk flying at incredible speeds, causing it to almost scream as it cut
through the air. The Rock ninja�s reflexes would never have been quick enough
to dodge the furiously thrown object, and failed to do just that as the spine
slammed into him.
Instead of piercing him however,
the sharp slab simply shattered against his body. Sakura looked on in disbelief
as shards of the broken quill rained down upon the woodland and her cheeks,
perched upon one of the many other points that Katai had sent after her.
Completely unharmed, Katai ran his fingers through his long hair once more
before letting the breeze carry the chocolate locks across his face.
�Impressive,� he smirked.
�Impressive, but futile.�
Katai dislodged himself from the
high-reaching structure and fell through the man-made canopy towards the girl.
Sakura�s eyes widened further in distress as she recognized that he was heading
straight for her. The thought had not dawned on her quickly enough though,
leaving her helpless as Katai collided with her. He brought out his arm at the
last moment and knocked her from her temporary roost with a cruel clothesline.
The force of the impact cracked several of her ribs with a sickening noise and
sent her towards the ground once more. With Katai as her guide she found a
landing spot between two towering masses of diamond and smashed into it,
displacing her oxygen and voice in one fell swoop. Her body shuddered with the
violent connection to the ground, sending a shockwave through every last one of
her bones. Katai recovered gracefully from his attack with but a simple
somersault, bringing himself to his feet only a few meters from Sakura�s prone
body.
The fact that she stood up again
only seemed to make him chuckle more.
�You�re still going to get up after that?� He almost sounded worried, yet
Sakura knew that he couldn�t be. �You must love to get hurt.�
�Shut the hell up you bastard
pretty-boy!� she snapped.
�Such language! You�re not being
very lady-like.�
�Screw you!�
Though her spirit remained
unaffected, Sakura�s agility had taken quite the blow from her consistent
injuries. Where once her attacks had been swift and well aimed, she now charged
forth sluggishly and with poor timing. Katai easily sidestepped her punches and
errant kicks, parrying each lackluster strike with a bat of his hand. The less
threatening she became, the wider the smirk on his now-chiseled face grew. The
sight was so aggravating for Sakura that her anger eventually took hold and
sent her forward in a red haze of rage. It was in that moment of blind fury
that he struck back, catching the pink-headed girl in the stomach as she lunged
forward again. The force behind his counter was astonishing, instantly knocking
the wind from his opponent yet again. The back of his hand shifted slightly
before he struck the smaller girl with it, slashing her face with the
razor-like edges he had given himself. The backhanded blow sent the medic
skidding, dragging her opened and bloodied cheek across the pebbled dirt along
with her body.
This time, she didn�t get up right
away.
Her body did not move to stand for
several reasons. The foremost was that she simply lacked the ability to do so.
Having been put in so much pain so quickly and having her body battered left
her with very little stamina. The second reason was that she probably stood a
better chance if she simply stayed down. Katai may find her unworthy of death
if she simply stopped fighting back. Yet deep down she knew she could not
simply lie down and give up, not after what she had said to him. Remembering
her resolve gave Sakura the strength she needed to begin slowly pushing herself
to her feet.
Katai struck her with his knee
just as she had gotten up. Finally having the air to do so, she screamed at the
pain that flew through her. Her body tumbled forward into one of the large
black towers and smacked into it hard, rattling her already damaged frame.
Driven by her adrenaline she pulled herself to her feet, ready to offer a
rather startling defense. Her chance to do so evaporated as soon as her
opponent reached out and lightly tapped the surface of another chunk of
diamond, causing a long ebon spear to surge out from the surface behind her and
stab her through the leg. The blistering pain slashed at her nerves and dragged
a howl of agony from her, followed by tears she could not hide no matter how
strong she may have been. The disgrace that came with them barely had time to
stain her pride as she felt the shaft recede and her weight buckle. She would
have hit the dirt instantly had Katai not caught her by her chin, giving her a
sadistic little grin before delivering a second backhand swing to her other
cheek. The razor edges dug into her face more deeply the second time, ripping
open her cheek and spilling her blood across her clothing and the ground as she
was sent rolling away. Dust and grime filled her wounds before she came to a
harsh stop against an angled black beam, only serving to augment the rather
large amounts of pain she was already in. Slowly she brought herself up against
the long onyx strut, trying to catch her breath and formulate a plan.
The plan scattered to the winds as
Katai grabbed her by the chin and slammed her against the column she had been
resting on. Her back exploded in pain as her spine was violently curved against
the dull object, letting out a crack as it was pushed near its limits. The only
thing that prevented her from shouting out were the fingers attached to her
mouth, holding her jaw in a fashion that made it impossible to speak. She
squirmed against her attacker�s mighty grasp, grabbing his forearm and kicking
at him. Her failing strength made it futile to resist, her feet beginning to
suffer from the reckless defiance she offered. His arm refused to budge, and in
fact only stiffened its clutch on the bright-haired girl the harder she tried
to pry it off.
�I�ll have you know I find it
disgraceful to scream when you die.� It wasn�t really an observation, nor was
it an order. Katai seemed to simply throw the statement out there, as if it
weren�t attached to anything he was doing or anything he believed in. It was a
hidden testament to his priorities as a shinobi, removing himself and his
emotions from the battle to remain as ruthless as possible. �I figured you
might be a screamer, so I�m going to hold your mouth shut for a little while.�
If nothing else signified that
Katai had ended his effort to give Sakura another chance, the fact that his arm
was slowly rearranging into a sharpened blade would have. The hapless girl�s
eyes widened in fear as she witnessed the long weapon taking shape, but her
body declined any action. She was broken, abused, bloodied and tired. Even as
the pale moonlight glistened off the very tip of the sword-arm, Sakura could
not muster the vigor to continue the fight.
I�m sorry everyone. I�ve let you all down. Naruto�Hinata�Lee�
You are not just going to sit there, are you Sakura-san? Show me what
your youth can do!
From within, it was as though a
great light had burst into Sakura�s conscious, illuminating a dark corner of
her mind that she had forgotten about in the heat of battle. As the light shone
brighter, she suddenly realized what it was she had overlooked. It was her
trump card, one she had only just recently been able to use. She had thrown it
away in the back of her mind for a reason though.
Lee�you said I couldn�t. Not unless someone precious to me was in
trouble. It�s not a power I can just use!
Stop being a little weak crybaby and do
it! It�s the only chance you�ve got. What�re you, scared? Dying�s better than
doing it? God, you�re totally useless.
As long as Sakura had been aware
of herself, her own inner voice had driven her. What sometimes seemed to just
be an imaginary cheerleader made of chalk-white contours, Inner Sakura had
always been right in the past. That perfect version of Sakura had all the guts.
It knew when to say things that Sakura felt shouldn�t be said. Right now, her own
inner voice was pushing her once again, like it had so many times before.
Don�t just sit there damn it. What, I
gotta paint you a friggin� picture? Either you do it or you�re dead. So get off
your ass and DO IT! You think Naruto�s gonna have any respect for a
ninety-pound weakling who can�t even beat a freak show like this PRETTY-BOY!?
Sakura needed no more coaxing than
that. Her mind retained a focus it had not achieved during the battle,
something she knew she needed to work on. She remained motionless and drowned
in thought, even as Katai prepared to bring the sharpened tip down on her. The
rest of the world didn�t even register as she delved deeper and deeper into her
own mind, her own subconscious, her own body. Somewhere within she found what
it was she was searching for, and with a deep cry both she and Inner Sakura
barged right through two sets of tall, foreboding gateways.
Somehow, Sakura thought she heard
a clicking noise.
Katai�s sword swung down with
brutal intent, only to be stopped by something just as powerful. It took him a
moment to realize that the thing that had stopped him was Sakura�s own hand,
clenching down around the blade without a single drop of blood being shed.
Despite how hard he struggled, the diamond-man could not push the sharp form of
his arm past her steel grip. His other arm slowly shuddered as it was wrenched
away from her face, held up to his side against his will. It took him a moment
to accept the reality that somehow, his prey had found a new well of power.
Sakura slowly stood up from the beam, holding Katai�s arms tightly as she met
his frightened visage with a smirk. Had someone only just begun watching, it
would appear as if Sakura had only just started to fight, ignoring the fact
that she had only just recovered from near-death.
�How!?� Katai snarled.
�Healing wounds isn�t the only
thing I�m good at. I�ll show you just what I�m made of!�
When Sakura�s fist connected with
her enemy this time, there was a force behind it that had never existed within
Sakura�s limits. Katai slid across the soil and grass, coming to a stop only
because his back slammed into another one of his glorious pillars of diamond.
He winced at the amazing pressure that had been put on him by the blow, rubbing
the spot on his chest where he had been struck. The cursory touch of his body
revealed that part of his rock-hard skin had chipped in the scuffle. Confusion
and anger invaded his mind for the first time in years as he tried to piece
together how the pink-haired young woman had gone from being pinned down and
marked for death, to hitting him so hard it actually damaged his defense.
�What�s the matter Katai?� she
snickered. �Not so tough now that I can actually hurt you, are you?�
�Don�t get cocky just because of
this. I�m still going to crush you.�
�Is that so?�
Katai swerved around just in time
for Sakura�s foot to slam into his face. She had moved so fast that she had
actually vanished from vision, reappearing behind him to deliver a spinning
superblow with her foot. A loud boom accompanied the bone-shattering kick,
turning Katai�s body as his momentum began to match hers. The Kongouseki
prodigy spun several times, shuffling to the left as he tried to keep himself
from falling over. His cheek, stern as it was, throbbed in pain for the second
time in recent memory. The meagerly-clad teenager pressed the advantage she had
created, bringing her other leg down to sweep the young man�s legs out from
under him. This time she did not get caught on his thick skin, knocking his
support out and sending him tumbling to the floor. He hit the ground with a
loud thud before rolling away from Sakura, quickly getting back on his feet the
second he had put a decent distance between them.
�I told you I was going to beat
you,� Sakura called. �I meant that.�
�Don�t get smart with me,� Katai
snapped. His anger had risen, replacing the suppressive aura he had once exuded
with the wavering heat of his emotions. In reality he was wary. He didn�t
understand the nature of Sakura�s sudden burst in strength, but knew that it could
not simply be some sort of second wind.
The question is, how do I beat it?
�I�m not getting smart with you,
Katai. Just stating facts. You�re going to lose.�
Sakura gave her nemesis a powerful
thumbs down, burning through his impenetrable defense with the acid of her
eyes. She was confident again, willing and ready to do whatever it would take.
She never dreamed that her secret weapon could have such an effect on her. She
felt tall. She felt alive. She felt energetic.
She felt powerful.
Despite the fact that Sakura felt
like the entire world was at her back, Katai was not down and out. While
Tsunade�s student was taking but a moment to repair the wound on her leg, he
was already acting on a plan. It had only taken him a moment to settle on his
course of action, picking the correct jutsu from his wide variety. It was one
he didn�t get to use too often, because the situation that allowed it to work
rarely presented itself. After using the Hishigata Fukai Mori however, the
circumstances were perfect for it.� With
the mere instant he had been gifted with, the dark-skinned man dove towards one
of the great skyward-facing blocks of dark matter and pressed his palm against
it.
�I�ll show you just what it means
to oppose me! Hishigata Kokou!�
The entire mass of black towers
shuddered as the jutsu took effect. Each massive structure began to curve
towards Sakura, aiming their flickering sharp tips at the girl�s flesh. The
ground erupted around her, thick brown soil being replaced by the slick
darkness of more black diamond. All around her, sharp murky teeth began to
close in. A mouth of death surrounded her, putting her in a place where no
matter where she ran her end waited. The maw started to close, cutting off any
hope she had to escape, sealing her in doom.
�It�s just like I said,� Katai
called out. �You�re nothing but trash.�
�Then I�ll show you just what trash can do!�
Katai had fatally misjudged two
things about Sakura. One was the newfound speed she had attained by opening the
Hachimon. The second was her already incredible dexterity. With what appeared
to be very little effort, Sakura ran right towards Katai and dodged every
single tooth and spike that headed in her direction. By the time the Iwa-nin
was aware that his trap was failing, it was too late for him to escape. Sakura
appeared below him, low and crouched to the ground, before delivering a
crushing blow to his chest. The power behind it sent the Rock ninja skyward,
arcing through the air like a loosely thrown ball.
Then she was behind him again.
Katai felt Sakura seemingly materialize out of thin air behind him, following
his trajectory flawlessly. Her head was right below his, so even he could hear
her soft words.
�This is for Kiba, you son of a
bitch.�
Sakura�s powerful arms grabbed the
rogue shinobi hard, squeezing his arms against his side and grappling his
chest. The two began to dip downward, heading back to the ground as he
attempted to wriggle from her grasp. Sakura paid his futile endeavor no heed as
she began to turn her body hard, bringing the two of them into a spin so fast
that it began to create a small whirlwind. With the hurried whirling of their
bodies, Sakura bore him down to the hardened ground, ready to smash him head
first into the ground.
�Omote Renge!�
The impact was more intense than
Sakura had imagined it would be. The ground buckled for an instant before the
shockwave blasted through it, sending an ear bashing noise through the air as a
giant crater was formed. Sakura flung herself from the crash site, landing
gracefully on her feet and sliding just a foot before coming to a stop. She
instantly fell to her knees, gasping for air as the consequences for using the
intense taijutsu attack fell upon her. Her body was exhausted from the ordeal,
her muscles throbbing in such pain that she could barely stand. She didn�t care
though, especially as she saw Katai�s lifeless form topple over in the pit that
had been born from driving him into the dirt.
�I should have warned you�I don�t
lose to pretty-boys.� Sakura�s face twitched as she formed a wide smile.
�Is that all you�ve got?�
Elation was ripped out of Sakura�s
body so suddenly that her skin chilled. Dread and alarm replaced the singular
emotion as Katai slowly got to his feet, looking no worse for wear than when
she had slammed him into the earth. The longhaired teen shook his head to
remove the daze that had filled his senses, revealing that he was not entirely
undamaged from the assault. His upper body showed several chips and one single
crack down the length of his chest. She had indeed hurt the untouchable man,
but knew that it availed her to nothing. She could barely stand, while he was
still able to fight at full strength.
�I will admit�you have proven to
be more of a challenge than I imagined. Pardon my previous assessment. You, at
the very least, are not trash.�
There was something about her
enemy praising her that only made the situation worse. She tried to get to
stand her ground, but found that she could not too more than simply get up. She
held her arm tightly, panting as she stared at her failure. Blood still dripped
from her badly sliced cheeks, slowly coming to a halt as the flow was cut off.
She felt like the roof of life was coming down on her, and there was nothing
she could do to stop it.
�Despite that, if I let you live
any longer, you�ll just embarrass me. So I fair thee well in the afterlife! Dai Hishigataryuu!�
Sound did not process in Sakura�s
ears as Katai punched the ground and called out his giant crystalline dragon.
The savage red eyes of the chakra-induced attack narrowed as it appeared to
bellow, racing through the air towards her. She could see the glinting teeth in
the dragon jutsu�s mouth, ready to tear her apart limb from limb. Yet no matter
what she tried, she could hardly move. She couldn�t even hear the rustling of
leaves, or the rolling sound of stone. The world, for all she knew, had gone
mute.
Then the world seemed to vanish,
replaced by endless space. In front of her two figures appeared from the void,
placing their hands on her shoulders. One was the white outline of her inner
self, while the other was the bandaged palm of Rock Lee. The instances of her
imagination each gave her a thumbs up, as if they were some sort of sign.
It�s okay. Don�t be afraid.
Yes, do not be afraid Sakura-san. Do not forget everything you have
learned.
�But what can I do?� Sakura felt
like she wasn�t thinking her words, but rather she was actually speaking to Lee
and her avatar. She knew that to be impossible, but for some reason where she
stood, the impossible seemed possible.
What you know you can do. Do not be afraid to show him the hidden fires
of your youth.
You�ve still got one last ace in the
hole. Don�t be scared to use it.
�But I��
You wanna die here? You wanna die having
been useless again? Is that what you want?
Sakura-san�show him your power! Show him the fire deep within!
Suddenly, the pink-haired girl
understood. Something within her had been holding her back the entire fight.
Her fear had held back her full potential, hiding it from its owner under a
veil of doubt and codependence. She had taken on her duties to prevent herself
from feeling useless, but had decided that in order to do that, she would have
to fight alone. She only now realized that she would never be alone as she
fought, for her will to continue was driven by her friends and allies. In a
split-second, she understood where Naruto got all his limitless strength. She
now knew what she could�no, had to do
to win.
I only hope Naruto and the others can forgive me.
Reality returned. The dragon
hurtled toward her at amazing speed, snarling wildly as it bore down on her
with its razor-sharp teeth. It opened its massive jaws, ready to swallow her
whole and bite through her.
Then suddenly, the dragon was no
more.
Katai was forced to look twice as
he watched his powerful ninjutsu shatter before a single punch from the medical
champion. Her fist caught the makeshift beast head on and blasted through its
dense body, smashing it to pieces with but a single blow. His inability to
grasp the concept of something he thought impossible was interrupted as his
sight drank in the terrific event before him. Sakura�s
skin had turned an odd shade of red in the absence of his vision, her body
shimmering and flowing with an unbelievable flow of chakra. Her eyes were
blank, though whether from simple fury or from the immensity of her current
strength was up for grabs. He could feel an incredible pressure on his body,
placed upon him by the force that flowed through and out of her endlessly. She
was power incarnate at that moment, her body trembling in an attempt to contain
it all.
�What the hell!?� he cried out,
unable to form any other words.
�This is the end for you,
Kongouseki Katai!�
He blinked and she was upon him.
Her foot found his chest once again, striking him with incomparable force. The
diamond that encased Katai�s entire form cracked anew as she hit him, sending
lines across his chest as he was violently flung into the sky. His course was
changed as Sakura appeared in his way, delivering a sharp elbow that sent him
careening in another direction. She met him once more as he flew through the
air and kicked him, sending him in yet another direction. Soon he was bounced
around the coal-black canopy like a pinball, bounced back and forth between
Sakura�s furious blows, her glowing red form creating crack after crack in his
unstoppable armor. Katai was helpless to retaliate, unable to even form a
thought as he was tossed about like a chew toy. When he thought the assault
could not get worse, he felt himself hurled straight towards the moon, meeting
less resistance than he had felt the entire trip. He was finally able to become
coherent enough to figure out just where he was when Sakura appeared above him
once more, her fist blazing with light from the chakra gathered within it.
�Burn in hell! URA RENGE!�
Sakura�s might-infused fist drove
itself deep into Katai�s thickened gut. The strength of the blow created a
sonic boom that knocked over the giant pillars of diamond around them and broke
through the layer of armor that defended the helpless shinobi. The remainder
that force sent Katai earthbound like a bullet before he collided with the
world, creating a loud, ground-shaking explosion of dust and mineral.
Dark-colored shards flew out from the disaster zone as Sakura landed next to
the point of impact, waiting as the clouds of debris slowly blew away in the
wind. When they parted, Katai�s crippled and crushed body came into view. He
was without his diamond skin, which lay all about him in cracked and broken
pieces. His skin was bruised and bloodied from the fury of Sakura�s attack,
leaving him unable to move.
�You�ll never break Naruto�s
future�do you hear me!?� she shouted hoarsely at him.
�Such�power. How is it�possible?�
Katai�s voice was strained, the sound of a man on his last few breaths.
�Because of my friends. The people
I love and trust. The people whose dreams fuel this country. That is how.�
�What�utter nonsense��
Katai coughed violently, blood
spewing from his lips as he did. He could only draw at air twice before his body
went limp and his head tilted to the side, leaving him dead on the ground.
Happiness began to flood Sakura�s body as she realized she had won. She had
upheld her promise. With a renewed sense of pride, she began to run in the
direction that Naruto and the others had gone off in, hoping to be able to help
them.
It was at that moment she realized
just how much pain her body was in. The invisible agony that had littered her
bones and muscles suddenly came to a head, making her gasp. Her legs would not
move rapidly without intensifying that pain, forcing her to limp as she tried
to advance. Yet somehow the reality did not sink in, leaving a smile on her
face and allowing her to giggle happily.
Did you see that Naruto? For once, I wasn�t a weak little girl!
Sakura came to a stop as a hacking
cough impeded her progress. Her body wracked with the violence of the action,
blood pouring out from her lips and staining what little grass remained in the
area. She hadn�t realized just how much of a toll using the Hachimon would take
on her body, especially for it being her first time actually using the powerful
art. Her body had surpassed its limits, leaving her enfeebled. Her muscles were
shot and torn, and her organs pulsed weakly from the battering they had taken. She
pitched forward and met ground, tumbling to a heap on the forest floor. Yet the
grin on her face did not recede, even as strands of her hand fluttered over her
lips and stained themselves in redness. She continued to laugh, reaching
forward across the ground towards the northwest.
That was totally fantastic. Naruto�nobody can ever insult your dream in
front of me ever again. Not anymore�because I�I believe�that your dream is
worth dying for.
Sakura found she could no longer
move her arm. It wasn�t that she did not want to, so much that the chilling
cold that was beginning to devour her body prevented her from doing so. She
wanted to shiver, but found she didn�t have the strength. Still her happiness
remained unabated. Her eyes kept focused on the path ahead, even as the edges
of her vision began to fade.
Does�does that make me�weak�?
Silence fell upon the clearing.
The only motion that occurred was the rustling of a single blade of grass which
was drawn back and forth by the pace of Sakura�s slow, labored breathing.
Eventually, even that ceased to
move.

Naruto tore a blazing path through
the forest, skipping branches and stones as he leapt amazing distances. His
legs were tireless, constantly throwing him faster and faster, eager to reach
the sole destination he could think of. His pace was endless and fatal, his
body being pushed onward regardless of fatigue or damage. He had already made
many close calls with the woodland as he rushed ahead carelessly, not watching
out for low hanging branches or traps of any kind.
Eventually the blanketed landscape
opened up into a wide clearing that encompassed a stony brook. The small stream
was not much to behold, and was not even close to the main attraction of the
area. The marvelous architecture that nature had devised with the various rock
formations truly were what would have drawn someone�s attention, especially as
the small amount of water toppled over a small set of stone stairs. Had Naruto
had the time to notice, he would have known it was a very beautiful place.
He didn�t even turn his head as he
landed on the ground and kept moving forward. By now he had lost his thoughts
to the Kyuubi�s guidance. His mind was buried in a red haze, blocking out all
of the outside world and replacing it with the view of the black tunnel, with
Hinata as its only light. Naruto would
rescue her, no matter what it took.
A powerful blow to his side shook
his body. For the first time in almost an hour his eyes turned from his
intended path, curling over his side to see what had hit him. The tunnel
dissipated and gave way to the sights and sounds around him, revealing
Jiyumaru�s shoulder lodged solidly in his stomach. The powerful shoulder tackle
had come with alarming speed from the forest and sent him tumbling to the
ground. The two ninja rolled for a few feet before coming to a stop, a dull
throbbing making itself known through Naruto�s right side. That throb
eventually traveled to his legs, which he soon realized he had been pushing far
too hard.
It was at that moment that Naruto wondered
exactly how he had lost himself to the Kyuubi. It had not been a willful
transfer, but somehow the beast had come to be in charge of his actions. A
small shiver went up his spine as he contemplated just how far the demon could
have taken that control. Somehow though, he knew that it would never go quite
as far as his nightmares had. He still had power, and that was all that
mattered.
�Are you absolutely out of your
damned mind?!� Yakusho hollered. �Next time, slow the hell down.�
�G-Gomen Yakusho, I don�t know
what came over me.� Naruto rubbed his side slowly, getting up to his feet with
a look of shame on his face.
�Yeah, don�t give me that. You
know full well what happened.�
�This isn�t the time you two,�
Jiyumaru spoke up. �Naruto, I understand why you�re going so fast, but you
can�t just leave us behind. You could get into some serious trouble. There�s no
telling just how powerful this Sakai person is.�
�Blades is right, so just stop
trying to play hero, okay?� There was very little room to argue with the
red-vested shinobi. Naruto simply nodded his head in acceptance.
�Alright, I get it. I won�t rush
off anymore,� he said.
The ground began to shake
violently a moment after the conversation had ended. Yakusho fell to one knee
and gripped the surface nearby to steady himself as the world around them began
to tremble wildly. All three ninja looked around desperately, shocked to the
core by the abrupt rumbling.
�What the hell?� Naruto yelped.
�Is it some kind of earthquake?�
The forest behind them exploded
with noise as pillar after pillar of black diamond soared into the air. All
three of them were struck speechless by the sight, stunned into stillness by
the enormity of the sight. It took several moments for the tremendous shaking
to stop, leaving a large part of the woods they had just left consumed by
pitch-black crystal.
�What the hell?� Jiyumaru
muttered.
�Katai�that son of a bitch, he�s
capable of something like that!?� Naruto seemed more worried than usual as he
looked at the behemoth figures towering in the sky.
�It would seem so. You think
Pinkie�s alright?� Yakusho seemed unfazed, but the truth was told in his grip
on the Dragon Fang, which had tightened considerably.
�We have to go back and help her!�
Naruto cried. �She can�t stand up to something like that!�
�Don�t you even think about it!�
Jiyumaru snapped. His tone descended upon Naruto, scolding the younger ninja as
harshly as he could. �Sakura gave us a chance to go ahead. If you go back to
help her and lose Hinata, then that gesture is meaningless.�
�Yeah, don�t you remember lesson
number one, kid?� Yakusho did not turn around to face Naruto as he spoke,
keeping his eyes transfixed on the spectacle that they had past.
�Yeah, I remember��For a shinobi,
the mission is everything. Completing it is your top priority�. But Sakura is��
�Don�t worry about Pinkie, she�ll
be fine. She�s one lady you know you can count on, no matter what. If you turn
around now, I doubt she�ll ever forgive you.�
Naruto clenched his fists tightly
as he looked out at the sea of dark columns. He did not want to abandon one of
his friends, but he knew that both Yakusho and Jiyumaru were right. If he
turned back now, then all of the sacrifices that had been made up until this
point would have been in vain.
�You�re right. I can�t just stand
here and watch everything go to hell. I�ve got a mission to complete, don�t I?�
�That�s the spirit, Naruto!�
Jiyumaru smirked, patting the younger boy on the shoulder.
�Let�s get our asses in gear
then!� Naruto hurried off across the clearing, leaving Jiyumaru to catch up to
him. The older male nearly stumbled over a rock as he picked up speed, both of
them ready to move off once again.
�Out of curiosity though Naruto,�
Yakusho called out, �do you remember what lesson number two was?�
Naruto stopped and pressed a
finger to his chin, causing Jiyumaru to slow down and stop at his side. The
blond pondered it for a moment before turning around to return his message.
�Well I think I do, but I don�t
see what��
The ground at his feet exploded. The
attack was sudden and powerful, sending both the Jinchuuriki and the ANBU
member flying. The two bodies met ground shortly after, leaving Naruto to roll
across the pebbled surface until he came to a stop. Jiyumaru was not so lucky,
his body skimming across the rocks and kicking up a large cloud of dust before
a rather large boulder stopped him. His back slammed into the big stone,
stopping him completely where he lay. It was a moment before the dust and
rubble settled, and yet another moment before the two shinobi rose to their
feet to determine where the attack had come from.
Standing not more than fifteen
feet from where the ground had blown up was Yakusho, holding the Dragon Fang
forward in the air. At his feet was a single stream of fire which connected
with the exact spot that Jiyumaru and Naruto had been standing previously. The
Dragon ninja lowered his blade to his side and opened his mouth to utter a set
of ten chilling words.
�Lesson number two�never turn your
back on your enemy.�

��End of chapter.
For those of you who
are interested, the Dragonheart website is now up and running. If you want to
visit it, just go to http://dragonheart.exofire.net/fansite
.
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