V2.C6. Invasion V – A Challenge

Chapter 6: The Invasion V – A Challenge

The forest was alive with the sounds of distant chaos. The invasion had spread through the village like a fire through dry grass, and the echoes of it reached even this deep into the trees, muffled and distorted by the thick canopy above. Birds had long since fled. The only things moving were the shinobi who had come here to chase and be chased.

Naruto burst through the treeline, his feet landing on a thick branch with the economy of someone who had been running for hours and was not about to stop now. His black outfit blended with the shadows, making him difficult to track. His face was blank, but his eyes were sharp, scanning the forest ahead.

Pakkun landed beside him a moment later, his small body moving with surprising speed. His nose worked the air, his ears twitching as he processed the scents around them.

"He's close," Pakkun said. "Just ahead. Maybe fifty meters."

Naruto did not answer. He was already moving.

Sakura landed beside them a moment later, her breathing steady despite the exertion. She had trained for this. She had pushed herself harder than she had ever pushed herself before. She was ready.

She looked at Naruto. At the cold focus in his eyes. At the way his body moved without hesitation. She had seen him like this before. In the Land of Waves. In the Chunin Exams. In the hospital room when he had told her about his plans.

She followed him.

They found Sasuke in a clearing, his Sharingan active, his body tense. He was facing the direction Gaara had gone, his hands clenched at his sides, his breath coming in short, controlled pulls. The wound in his side was still bleeding, soaking through his jacket in a dark stain. He did not seem to notice.

Temari was just visible in the distance, carrying Gaara's unconscious body. Kankuro was nowhere to be seen. He had slipped away while Sasuke was distracted, leaving the Uchiha to deal with the new arrivals.

Sasuke heard them coming. He turned. His Sharingan locked onto Naruto's face.

"You're late," Sasuke said. His voice was flat, carrying none of the warmth it had once held. "I don't have time for this."

Naruto landed on the ground between Sasuke and the direction Gaara had gone. His hands were in his pockets. His face was blank. His eyes were cold.

"Kakashi sent us," Naruto said. "He told me to stop you."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. The two tomoe in his Sharingan spun faster. "Stop me?"

"Retrieve you. Bring you back. That's the mission."

Sasuke laughed. It was a short, sharp sound, devoid of humor. "You're going to retrieve me? Like I'm some lost dog?"

"Like you're a teammate who's about to do something stupid."

Sakura landed beside Naruto. Her face was pale, but her voice was steady. "Sasuke, please. Kakashi-sensei gave us orders. We need to get you back to the village."

Sasuke's eyes moved to her. "I don't care about orders."

"I know you don't. But we're not leaving without you."

Sasuke's Sharingan spun in the dim light, the two tomoe catching the fading sun. His body was tense, coiled like a spring ready to release.

"Gaara is right there," he said, pointing toward the direction Temari had gone. "He's wounded. He's vulnerable. I have to finish this."

Naruto did not move. "You don't have to do anything."

"Yes, I do." Sasuke's voice was cold, cutting through the evening air. "You don't understand. You've never understood. This is what I've been training for. This is why I've been pushing myself. I need to know that I can beat him."

"You already proved you can beat him. The Chidori went right through his defense. He's bleeding. He's running. You won."

"That's not enough."

Naruto's jaw tightened. "Kakashi had direct orders. We're supposed to bring you back."

"Then go back. Tell him you couldn't find me."

Sakura stepped forward. Her voice was softer than Naruto's, but no less firm. "Sasuke, we're not going to do that. We're here to bring you home."

"Home." Sasuke's laugh was bitter. "Konoha is not my home. It never was. It's a place I was forced to stay until I was strong enough to leave."

"That's not true."

"Isn't it?" Sasuke's eyes were hard, his Sharingan still visible. "My entire life has been about getting stronger. About revenge. About killing a man. That's all I've ever wanted. And now I have a chance to prove myself against someone powerful. Someone who can push me to my limits. And you want me to walk away?"

"To protect you," Naruto said.

"I don't need protection."

"Everyone needs protection sometimes."

Sasuke's Sharingan spun faster. "Is that what you think of me? That I'm weak? That I can't handle myself?"

"I think you're bleeding," Naruto said. "I think you used the Chidori twice in one day. I think you're running on empty and you're about to fight a guy who appears to have a fucking demon inside him. And I think you're going to get yourself killed."

"Then let me die trying."

"That's not happening."

Sasuke's voice was sharp. "You don't get to decide that."

"I'm not deciding. I'm following orders." Naruto warned.

"Orders from Kakashi? From the Hokage? From the village that doesn't care about anyone except themselves?" Sasuke's voice was rising, the careful control he usually maintained slipping away. "You're going to stand there and lecture me about duty and orders and protecting people when you don't even care about this village? I've seen the way you look at it."

Naruto was silent for a moment. His face was unreadable.

"That's different," he said finally.

"Is it?"

"Yes." Naruto answered. Growing impatient with the conversation.

"Then explain it to me."

Sakura stepped between them. Her hands were raised, palms out. "Stop. Both of you. This isn't helping."

Sasuke looked at her. His Sharingan was still active. "Stay out of this, Sakura."

"No. I'm not staying out of it." Her voice was firm. "I came here to bring you back. Both of you. And I'm not leaving without you."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "You think you can make me?"

"I am not the same person I was,” Sakura explained. “Even if I can’t, I am more than sure that Naruto can."

Sasuke laughed again, but there was less certainty in it this time. "Him? He's been chasing me for the last hour. He couldn't catch me before. What makes you think he can stop me now?"

Sakura's voice was steady. "Because I've seen what he can do. I've seen him train. I've seen him fight. You haven't been here, Sasuke. You've been training with Kakashi-sensei, but you haven't seen what Naruto has become."

Sasuke's smile faded. His eyes moved from Sakura to Naruto. He studied him. The black outfit. The longer hair. The cold, flat expression. The way he stood with his hands in his pockets like none of this was a threat.

"Become?" Sasuke said. "He's the same as he always was. Loud. Annoying. Desperate for attention."

Sakura shook her head. "That's not true, and you know it."

"Then what is he?"

"He's the strongest genin in the village," Sakura said. "He's stronger than anyone from our class. Stronger than Lee. Stronger than Neji. Even stronger than you."

Sasuke's Sharingan spun faster. "That's a joke."

"It's not a joke. I saw what he did to Neji. I saw how he moved. How fast he was. How easily he matched Neji's speed and then surpassed it." Sakura paused. "He wasn't even trying. He was playing with him. And when he got serious, he ended it in seconds."

Sasuke was silent. His eyes were fixed on Naruto.

"Neji was a prodigy," Sakura continued. "He was called a genius. He had the Byakugan and the Gentle Fist and the rotation. And none of it mattered. Naruto beat him without breaking a sweat."

Sasuke's fists clenched at his sides. "You're lying."

"I'm not lying. Ask him yourself."

Sasuke looked at Naruto. "Is that true?"

Naruto shrugged. "I won. That's all that matters."

Sasuke's jaw tightened. "And you think that makes you stronger than me?"

"I think it makes me strong enough to stop you," Naruto said. "Strong enough to bring you back. Alive."

Sasuke's Sharingan spun faster. "Then prove it."

He stepped forward, his body tense, ready to move.

"I've been training for a month," Sasuke said. "With Kakashi. I've been pushing myself harder than ever. I've been mastering the Chidori. I've been learning to control the curse mark. And I've been thinking about this moment."

Naruto did not move. "Thinking about what?"

"About you." Sasuke's voice was cold. "About the day I would finally face you and see who was stronger."

Naruto was silent.

"The dead last," Sasuke continued. "The boy who couldn't pass a written test. The one who was always chasing after me, always trying to prove himself. I used to think you were pathetic." He paused. "Now I think you might actually be a challenge."

Naruto's eyes narrowed. "A challenge?"

"I want to fight you." Sasuke's voice was steady. "Right here. Right now. No interruptions. No distractions. Just the two of us. And when I win, you'll let me go after Gaara."

Sakura stepped forward. "Sasuke, that's insane. You're both exhausted. You're both wounded. This is not the time…"

"Stay out of it, Sakura."

Sakura's jaw tightened. Her hands clenched at her sides. But she did not argue further.

Naruto looked at Sasuke. His eyes were flat. His hands were still in his pockets.

"Fine," Naruto said. "You want to fight? We'll fight."

Sasuke's Sharingan shone brighter. His body tensed.

"But when I win," Naruto continued, "you're coming back to the village. No arguments. No running."

Sasuke smiled. It was not a warm smile. It was the smile of someone who had been waiting for this.

"Deal."

The forest was silent. The distant sounds of the invasion faded into nothing. There was only the two of them, standing in the clearing, ready to tear each other apart.

Sakura watched them, her hands pressed against her chest. Her heart was pounding. She wanted to stop them. She wanted to scream. But she knew she could not. This was between them. This had always been between them.

Pakkun watched from the branch above, his small eyes unblinking. He had seen many fights in his long life as a tracking dog. He had seen shinobi tear each other apart for reasons that made no sense. He had seen friendships dissolve into bloodshed. He had seen the worst of what people could do to each other.

He did not intervene. Naruto took his hands out of his pockets. Sasuke's Sharingan spun faster. The fight was about to begin.

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Next Time: The Uchiha and the Uzumaki – Naruto vs. Sasuke