Blackish-purple chakra exploded out from the Uchiha's body, and he went into a spin with a cry of "KAITEN!" The last of the clones were tossed back and destroyed. The terrific force of the technique shattered the pavement of the bridge, a web of cracks forming and splitting apart until the fighters were dropped to land on the surface of the river below.
As the sphere of chakra faded two misshapen, leathery wings unfolded from inside its protective radius. Sasuke smirked and mocked his erstwhile team mate as he was revealed, hair longer and shocking white against his darkened skin, a light star-shaped patch on his nose and cheek bones framing those terrible eyes. He taunted the real Naruto, who'd waited while his clones pressed the opening attack. "What's the matter, scaredy cat?" his wierdly distorted voice asked. "Have you realised your destiny of failure?"
"Bastaaarrrd..." the blond growled, red chakra bursting out around him. The burning ache it caused made him stumble slightly, shifting down to all fours as the marks on Naruto's cheeks grew wide and dark, his fingernails becoming sharp claws as he crouched, ready to spring. "I'll bring you back, even if it means I have to break all your bones!"
Fell black sparks began to crackle away from Sasuke's braced right arm, the high pitched noise of the discharges sounding like the chirping of a huge flock of birds. His smirk never faded, even as the Uchiha survivor confided, "Naruto... you have become my closest friend. That's why it will be worth it when I kill you!" Blasting forward with chakra-enhanced speed, he called out the name of the attack. "CHIDORI!"
It never landed. A sudden blur of maroon and pink interceped his charge, and blood spattered over the surprised jinchuuriki as a hand clutching a still-beating heart burst out of the suddenly-interposed back, faint remnants of the black lighting still coursing over it as the organ was cruelly crushed. "S-Sakura-chan!?" he gasped, beastly features fading as shock broke him out of his rage.
"Sasuke..." the mortally wounded girl sighed, a thin line of blood already trickling form the corner of her mouth. "Only when you are protecting someone precious to you, can you become truly strong."
The Uchiha's transformation, too, began to revert, the contemptuous reply somehow lodged in his throat.
"Sakura-chan, no," Naruto whimpered, drawing her attenion at last.
Still impaled on her long-time crush's arm, the girl looked back over her shoulder, a forced smile beneath pained eyes. "Next time, we'll get him together, ne Naruto?" she promised weakly. Those achingly green eyes rolled back under drooping lids, and she collapsed as if deflating...
Under an olive tree somewhere near the border of Grass and Wind countries, a foxy blond teen started awake with a horrified shout.
In the Villiage Hidden by Leaves, a medic-nin in training, apprenticed to the legendary Tsunade herself, jerked awake with a shriek, clutching her chest.
And, in the silent underground chambers of Orochimaru's lair, a pair of troubled red eyes snapped open, three tomoe whirling to a halt as they faded slowly to their usual black. It was a long time before sleep returned to any of them.
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(Posted Mon, 17 Aug 2009 13:27)
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らんま1/2 © Rumiko Takahashi
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