The Cost
of Vengeance
By Ami-Chan
Chapter X: The Choices of Fate
We are not free to choose our own paths. There is a force that drives us to do whatever it is we do. People are never in control of their destinies. There is nothing one can do to change the choices that fate may choose. Every person is at the mercy of the force that writes the journey of our lives. Those who dare defy fate pay a great price.
“Naruto…” Shikamaru said to him. His face was grim and dull. “It was quite troublesome to get this information, so you better thank me.”
“What’s wrong?” Naruto never saw him like this before…
“I’m not really worried about it, but I’m sure you’ll be heartbroken…” Shikamaru delayed it once more. He didn’t want to break it to him.
“Just say it already!” Naruto exploded with his short temper and lost patience. “I am not afraid of bad news.”
“You asked for it.” Shikamaru warned. “Your Uchiha friend went blind.”
“You’re lying!” Naruto was in complete denial. “There’s no way that he’s blind after I’ve gone through Naraku and back to save him!”
“Look, I know it’s hard to accept…” Shikamaru kept his cool. “But he’s alive. You should be happy. He only had a 50-50 chance of making it, so he’s lucky.”
“Shikamaru…you may not care because you’d never go through what I did to save someone…” Naruto remarked. “I can’t let you spread those lies throughout Konoha though!”
“Naruto, are you going to fight me over this?” Shikamaru closed his eyes and sighed. “This isn’t my fault. I’d never lie to you. And you once said I was one of those you’d suffer for. Yet, you also told me you never go back on your word…are you going against your shinobi way just to fight me? What are you trying to prove?”
“Forgive me, Shikamaru.” Naruto bowed his head. “It wasn’t my place to blame you.”
“It’s fine.” Shikamaru slapped his back. “Lighten up, man. You’re such a pain when you’re blue.”
“What’s up with you?” Naruto whirled around and bared his teeth. “You and Iruka-sensei are both two-faced…one second you’re sad, and the next, you’re smiling!”
Naruto walked away from Shikamaru without another word. He knew exactly where Sasuke was…he was living with Kakashi. He had to see it for himself if Sasuke was really blind. He stopped in front of the third house on the right and just opened the door. Kakashi couldn’t have been doing anything too bad… Naruto stood rigid. This wasn’t expected. Hyuga Neji was lying across the couch.
“What are you doing here?” Naruto blurted out.
“What are you doing here?” Neji retorted.
“I’m here to see Sasuke…” Naruto replied. “What about you?”
“I was sent here on a mission…” Neji said. “It involves that Uchiha…”
“What do you have anything to with Sasuke?” Naruto was confused, yet suspicious.
“He’s showing sign of developing Byakugan since he was a blinded Sharingan wielder…” Neji stared straight up at the ceiling without blinking. “I was called to train him, and it was said that I couldn’t decline…”
“Heh...Sasuke wore you out.” Naruto smirked.
“This is my worst mission.” Neji muttered. “Since his Byakugan was a blinded Sharingan, putting his against mine was a bad idea.”
“Neji, you can…” Kakashi stopped his sentence. “Naruto, you weren’t invited!”
“Where’s Sasuke?” Naruto didn’t really answer… “He does live here, right?”
“Yes…” Kakashi rolled his eye. “Neji, I was going to say…you can go home now.”
“At last…” Neji sighed. He stood up and pushed the front door open, and closed it behind him.
Kakashi sat in his chair and started to read “Come, Come Paradise” again. Naruto looked around…there was no sign of Sasuke showing himself. Just stacks and stacks of Jiraiya’s published perversion he called “art”. Both of them heard footsteps. They looked in the same direction. There stood Sasuke. His eyes were pure white, yet everything else was the same. Naruto was at a loss for words. Sasuke was blind, but to see him alive, to see him walking…that was the greatest blessing of all.
“Sasuke…” Naruto muttered.
Tsunade stepped into her old estate for the first time in years. The house itself hadn’t changed one bit, everything was still in the same place since the day she left. She walked up the stairs. She cheerfully greeted one of the workers on the estate as she walked the hallway. Tsunade put her hand over a golden doorknob. She pulled it open, and stepped inside the one place that set her on a trip to memory lane. There was a canopy bed in the left corner. On the opposite side was a treasure chest that had her name on it in child’s writing. Right next to it, there was a large mirror that she always beautified herself with. This was the room she lived in as a child, untouched since the day she left for Akatsuki. Some white curtains slightly dimmed the light shining in. She pushed them open. They led out to a balcony, where she found Shizune there waiting for her, folding her arms over one another and resting her head over them. Tsunade walked next to her. Shizune turned her head and lifted it.
“I knew you’d come here, sister…” Shizune said. “This was your favorite place when we were kids.”
“That was a long time ago, wasn’t it, Shizune?” Tsunade reflected on their early days. “The times were great...”
“Why did you come back to us? You know, you could have stayed in Akatsuki. That’s what you believed in. You believed in nothing.” Shizune was saddened…her tone gave her away.
“Shizune, I joined Akatsuki because I thought there was no one else who’d believe in me after all my loved ones perished. I was wrong though…there was one person who has always believed in me. Because of him, I realized where I truly belong.” Tsunade said every word with pride and sincerity.
“You know, you should just admit it…” Shizune chuckled while covering her mouth with her hand.
“Admit what?” Tsunade raised an eyebrow at her.
“You’re in love with Kamizuka Jiraiya…”
“What?” Tsunade looked away from her. “That’s ridiculous.”
“The most ridiculous things are true, dearest sister.” Shizune winked, and she walked through the white curtains.
Tsunade thought a little while about what Shizune said. She wasn’t falling for Jiraiya, was she? No. She’d never do such a foolish thing. For her to fall in love with him would be the biggest mistake she’d make. Even though he was the one who convinced her…she could never see him like that. To her, Jiraiya was just a childhood friend, and an immature open pervert.
At Kakashi’s home, Sasuke was struck speechless. Was this what he thought he heard? That was a familiar voice…
“That voice! I’m not hallucinating, am I?” Sasuke thought. He had to hear him again. “Is that you, dobe?”
“No...” Naruto teased. “I am a figment of your imagination.”
“I knew it!” Sasuke exclaimed. “It is you, dobe!”
“And I thought I was actually messing with your head…” Naruto whined.
“You’re horrible if you’ve just come to do that.” Kakashi looked at him so fiercely; he could send all the Hokage running for the hills.
“You know me!” Naruto grinned as he put his hand behind his head. “I live to prank the best possible people at the best possible times!”
“And you fail miserably too, dobe.” Sasuke remarked.
“Why you….” Naruto’s fist shook as he held back the urge to beat Sasuke senseless.
“That’s enough!” Kakashi raised his voice and made them both flinch.
Naruto and Sasuke both fell silent and Kakashi read more of his book. Neji was home at last, and everyone was asleep. He yawned as he opened the door to his room. Hinata was sound asleep on the top bunk bed. Neji slipped himself into the bottom, and he had his head pointed to a picture on an end table. It was a group graduation picture, taken after Naruto had finally graduated along with the rest of the class from the ninja academy. He blinked at it as he stared at it with his Byakugan night vision. The glass on the picture unexpectedly cracked. Neji gasped, getting up from his bed. He placed a hand over the broken picture in silence.
“I don’t believe in superstitions, but…” Neji thought. “I believe this might be a bad omen.”
“Brother Neji?” Hinata had stirred. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong, Hinata-sama.” Neji answered.
“Ok…” Hinata turned herself away and closed her eyes.
Neji climbed in his bed again and he tried to sleep. That bad omen bothered him though… this was on his graduating class. Something horrible was in store for them…a terrible, horrible thing. It was brewing in the Sand’s territory…
“Kisame, us 3 are the only strong Akatsuki left…” One of them said. “What are we going to do?”
“Yes, Kisame…” another Akatsuki member muttered. “We must avenge the death of Itachi, along with getting payback for Tsunade’s betrayal.”
“Even though Itachi was killed, our leader’s orders stand firm.” Kisame stated. “We must, before all else, capture the nine-tails.”
“That’s absurd!” The first Akatsuki exclaimed. “Itachi was our comrade…”
“On top of that, betrayal can’t go unpunished, or the others will go crying home like Tsunade!” The other added.
“That’s enough!” Kisame furiously lashed out on them. “I know our recent losses are a heavy blow, but our leader’s orders are the first priority. The best way to honor Itachi and get vengeance on Tsunade is to capture Uzumaki Naruto, draw his soul, and then get the Konoha’s “Yellow Flash” on our side.”
“Yes, sir…” Both gave up the ghost. Honor wasn’t part of the Akatsuki…
The three Akatsuki all moved out. They could sense Naruto’s chakra close now… They still had a serious flaw in their plan. Waiting in the shadows was every shinobi’s greatest fear, Kamizuka Jiraiya. With his two hands alone, he’d make them regret they ever set foot here. They took another step. A Rasengen got shot in the middle of them, just scattering them. They all looked around, baffled. Jiraiya flipped in front of them. Kisame smirked, while his followers darted behind him.
“You’re Kamizuka Jiraiya…” Kisame said. “Do you know what I’m even here for?”
“I’m not stupid!” Jiraiya exclaimed. “You’re here for Tsunade…but I won’t let you touch her!”
“Do you mean your words?” Kisame grinned. He turned to his subordinates. “Scatter!”
The two obeyed. One headed to Tsunade’s house, while the other headed to Kakashi’s. This way, the knight in shining armor would be confused as to whom they were after. Kisame drew his huge sword. Jiraiya bared his teeth…
“I don’t have time for you…” He started to draw Kisame’s evil energy.
“This jutsu…he uses dark or youkai energy. But if I give him too much, he’ll be overwhelmed, and he’ll stay out of this.”
Kisame pointed his sword forward, giving more and more of his evil willingly. Jiraiya realized his planes, quickly canceling his energy draw. He had to be quick, or those two would carry out their twisted plans… With a swift move, Jiraiya placed his hand on the floor. He summoned his favorite monster, the “Boss” toad. Yet, he didn’t know that his distraction was useless and he was too late. Sasuke stirred in the middle of the night. He could hear the door fly open, and he could sense another unfamiliar presence.
“Who’s there?” He asked out of desperation.
“Get back, Sasuke!” Naruto warned. “It’s the Akatsuki!”
“This makes things much easier…” The Akatsuki member smirked. “Sleep, dear fox…”
Naruto was lulled to sleep as the Akatsuki shinobi waved his hand in front of him with a magical seal. Naruto fell into him, and the Akatsuki lifted him. Sasuke made a lunge to try and rescue his friend. He felt himself slam hard into the wall, and then he fell right on his face. Sasuke knew it… as soon as he didn’t hear his friend’s voice anymore. He knew that he failed to protect him, and his captor escaped unscathed. The Akatsuki won. Sasuke closed his blinded eyes in deep rage and sorrow. They were the only things holding back the tears that flooded behind them.
“I’m so sorry, Naruto…” He whispered. “You were so obliged to protect me…yet I couldn’t do the same for you…”
“Sasuke!” Kakashi called out. “That guy came here too…are you all right?”
“It wasn’t me they were after…” Sasuke said remorsefully. “They’ve captured Naruto.”
“I was afraid this would happen…” Kakashi said more to himself. “Sasuke, don’t worry. I’ll inform the strongest clans… I know that with them, we can handle this.”
“The Hyuga clan, the Inuzaka clan, and the Nara clan…are you certain they’ll cooperate?” Sasuke asked.
“Even though my last mission failed miserably…I’ll make sure this one doesn’t.” Kakashi assured him. “Sasuke, just stay in the house until I get back from informing the clans of our situation. Don’t answer the door unless you know for sure that it’s my signal.”
“I understand.” Sasuke nodded.
Kakashi exited his house and he raced down the streets, stopping at the first clan, the Nara clan. In the meantime, Kisame and his two minions all bowed to their leader, presenting that which they were meant to accomplish. He gave them all a smile and then he ordered them to stand. He was proud in what seemed like ages since the last even smirk he presented. His plans would be carried out, and Konoha’s legendary Yondaime would be his…
“I must express my appreciation… and your sleep seal should be on him long enough for me to perform the ritual. We only need one last thing… the preserved body of Yondaime. Bring that for me…” The Akatsuki leader said as he took Naruto into his hands.
“Yes sir!” They saluted him by putting their fists to their shoulders.
“You’re dismissed…” he ordered.
After the three left the room, the Akatsuki leader laughed sinisterly. “Just you wait, Yondaime. You’ll get revenge on those Leaves playing “helpless” so they could murder you so mercilessly…especially Kamizuka Jiraiya… the sensei who had sworn to protect you but without warning, broke his promises…”
In the secret side entrance to the Flaming Leaf, the strongest clans and Team 7 gathered at a circle table in the shadows. Sasuke had been told earlier to come to the meeting… and so had Sakura. They were all here; Kiba, Neji, Hinata, and Shikamaru. All they needed now was the plan. Kakashi couldn’t attend the meeting however… a call to a mission cut the group off from him. They had to do this on their own, for one of their own.
“So what’s the plan? Do we even have one?” Kiba asked as he put his feet on the table.
“Not exactly.” Neji replied.
“We can’t spend all day here…” Hinata muttered. “Otherwise, Naruto-kun could be in real danger…”
Shikamaru unrolled a map. “They’re hiding right here…” he pointed to the headquarters, marked. “So we know where to strike. How to strike is the problem, since they’ll be expecting us. I believe that we would have the best advantage here though…”
“A desert plateau right above them?” Sakura shook her head. “That’d work if we were birds.”
“No…” Neji blinked. “Shikamaru is saying that we’d use our chakra to float above them for an aerial ambush.”
“I see.” Everyone nodded.
“I just want to ask you guys something though… it’s probably stupid but…” Sakura sighed. “Why are you all banded together to save one person?”
“Well, he’d never ditch me, so I think it’s my duty to go after him.” Shikamaru answered.
“I owe him my life…” Neji added.
“He’s my buddy, but also kind of my rival. I’ve got to look after him.” Kiba said proudly.
“I don’t… really need a reason.” Hinata smiled as she blushed lightly. “What about you, Sakura-san?”
“Well…Naruto’s my friend.” She shrugged. “What better reason than that?”
“All of you.” Sasuke made them all turn their heads; he had his eyes closed as he spoke. “Even if I stood alone, I would have stood to save Naruto…”
“Sasuke-kun…” Sakura uttered.
Sasuke stood from his chair, his eyes still closed. “I will do anything and everything in my power to get him back… because I have sworn to myself that I will never fail him again!”
Sasuke opened his eyes. They were crimson red, and they burned with the fire of Sharingan once more.