At the border, at the border, at the border …

Naruto was racing through all of Konoha, past trees and people and stands and all manners of thing, blind, uncontrolled emotion welling up inside, anger, yes, fear, of course, exhilaration, for sure; behind him raced Sai, Kakashi and Sakura, her face drawn and pale but her eyes determined. They weren’t going to let Sasuke slip through their fingers this time.
“Up ahead.” Kakashi called from ahead. Naruto’s stomach tensed tightly.

At the border, at the border, at the border …

--

I look up at the sky with blank, uninterested eyes; a few clouds drift in my line of vision. One of them strongly resembles a leaf, and I am reminded once more of my home, the land I defected from 3 years ago. Below me is unpaved ground, covered in footprints. “Why are we here?”

“Patience now.” Kabuto says reprovingly, examing the landscape. “Our orders were clear, to await for Lord Orochimaru and meet with the ninja from the Sound.”

“And why are we meeting them?”

“Operation Destroy Konoha.” Kabuto answers simply; it is all I need to hear. I don’t feel sadness or pain for my former village- indeed, I feel nothing at all. I am here for one reason: to kill Itachi. Nothing else matters. Nothing else is important.
We had already killed someone. He was a Black Ops agent, and his partner and him had tried to stop us. Fools … don’t they know by now that their power will never compare to my own? His partner got away- we let him run. And now reinforcements will come, and the shedding of blood will begin again. It’s a waste.

“Leaf Ninja.” Kabuto says suddenly.

I turn with disinterest, but when I do, something clenches inside. Damn it … its like a curse, a cloud that follows me everywhere I go, and no matter where I hide, it trails behind me, only a step or two away.
Naruto.

--

Naruto skidded to a halt only a few dozen paces from the clearing. There was that feeling that comes just before a battle: Naruto never could place it well. It wasn’t fear- Naruto had laughed in the face of Death far too often to be fearful. It was … it was hope. Hope that a victory would bring him one step closer to becoming Hokage, to be seen by the village as a hero. That a failure would teach him what he needed to know, to become even stronger.

This time he didn’t feel hope. He felt dread. He felt fear. He stared in the eyes of the person who could always get a rise from Naruto without saying anything at all.
Sasuke.

--

“I see you’re still as foolish as ever, Naruto.” Kabuto’s voice is taunting, the words meant to no doubt bring the Nine-Tailed Fox sealed inside Naruto out: to test the power of it, to see if it will indeed destroy the Akatsuki. I’m expecting it too … that moment when Naruto’s eyes turn blood-red and that shocking amount of chakra seeps out. But it doesn’t happen. Naruto looks cold and purposeful and… mature.

What the hell? Naruto, mature?

“Kabuto.” Its Kakashi-sen… Kakashi. He sounds very pleasant, probably smiling underneath that mask of his. I never did find out what was under that thing. “We’re not interested in a fight.”

“Ahh, Kakashi. Are you going to make your demands now?”

“Just simple orders that you should obey if you know what’s good for you.”

“Always the smart one.” Kabuto smiles slyly. “Its too bad it won’t do you any good here. I have orders from Orochimaru himself, and nothing is going to change that.”

“We want Sasuke back.”

--

At the sound of Naruto’s voice, echoing around the clearing, Sakura started and turned to look at him; straight-back, fists clenched, eyes boring a hole into their former team-mate. Sasuke returned the gaze calmly: not a flicker of emotion in his eyes.

Kabuto turned to face them, his own mask alight with savage pleasure. “Ah, the dunce speaks.” He said mockingly.

Naruto didn’t take the bait. “You can either give us Sasuke now, without a fight, or you can suffer. You’re the smart one- you decide.”

Kabuto’s eyes widened and for one heart-stopping moment, Sakura thought that Naruto had pushed it too far, that Kabuto would attack and Naruto wouldn’t be able to duck. Indeed, Kabuto started to reach for his belt; even as he did so, a sword before him called halt.

“I’ll take him.” Sasuke said lazily.

All gazes switched to Sasuke. Kabuto frowned.

“Lord Orochimaru was very clear-“

“Move. Or I’ll run you through as well.”

Kabuto hesitated, then bowed and moved aside.

“Do you really want to fight me, Naruto?” Sasuke said quietly. “Do you really want to suffer like this again?”

Naruto’s face twitched. He was still Naruto in every sense, holding his temper this long would surely not have great consequences.

“Fight me.” Sasuke said maliciously. “Fight me, and prove your not ‘dead-last’.”

He was going to: Naruto clenched his fists harder, but just as he started to move, there was a cry from behind him, a horrible, fearful cry, one that pierced Naruto’s heart.

“Naruto! Help me!”

Four faces turned.

“Lord Orochimaru.” Kabuto said reverently.