Н‘¾Ð‘¯Ð‘¬Ð‘Μ Ð‘»Ð‘¯Ð‘¬ Н‘¾Ð‘°Ð‘Μ𝑫 Н‘©Ð‘³Ð‘¶Ð‘¾Ð‘º €¢Ð’Ƒ𝒙Н’Ƒ• Just let go

He didn’t go back to the hot springs after that. He didn’t sleep that night.

Too afraid he was going to remember even more things.

He didn’t want that.

Everything was just too painful.

Too painful to remember.

_

He was walking near the river bank when he spotted him. Sai. Sitting and drawing. Next to him stood Sakura. She was leaning over his shoulder and looking at his drawing.

He reached back into his pouch and took out a kunai. Glancing between the weapon and the drawing boy, he weighted the pros and cons.

Finally coming to a solution, he whipped his arm forward and the kunai sailed trough the air. It embedded into the ground next to Sai and Akashi appeared at the same place a moment later. He bent down and took the kunai in his hands, putting it back into his pouch.

Sakura straightened up in surprise, but upon realizing it was just Akashi, she relaxed. “Akashi, good morning”. He nodded back in reply.

Sai glanced up at him with that fake smile of his. “Hello”. He said and turned back to his drawing. Akashi stepped closer and glanced over his shoulder at the drawing. There were various colors used to make it, but Akashi couldn’t figure out what he was drawing.

“Don’t people normally title their pictures?” Sakura suddenly asked, as if she was continuing a previous conversation. Akashi guessed that she was. “Like when you draw a portrait, you use the person’s name”. She said. “And with other pictures, you name it after what was happening at that time, your thoughts, or how you felt when you drew it”. She continued.

Sai stopped his drawing. “To be more specific, I couldn’t think of a title even if I tried to”. He spoke and Akashi leaned away, taking a few steps back. “Nothing comes to mind. I don’t feel anything. Nothing at all”. That… Akashi really didn’t know what to think of that.

He had sensed Naruto before he even came closer, but Akashi glanced back just now.

Naruto had an annoyed expression on his face. “Makes sense. No wonder you’re such a douche”. He said with a frown. “It’s time to leave! Captain Yamato told me to come get you”. He walked up to them with his hands stuffed inside his pockets. After he glanced at Sai’s drawing, an unimpressed look flashed across his features. “That picture’s nothing special”. He mocked.

Sai turned to him with that fake smile of his. “Yeah you’re right. Just like your dick”. Naruto’s face immediately burst into a fiery blush. Sakura covered her lips with her hand and looked away, a small blush on her cheeks. “Akashi and you are supposed to be twins… but I can clearly see the difference between you two”. Sai glanced at Naruto’s private parts, before casting a look at Akashi’s.

The redhead groaned and looked away. “Fucking idiots… All of them”. His tone was exasperated.

Naruto took a few steps away from Sai. “Let me make this perfectly clear! I hate you!” He angrily pointed at him. “If you’ve got a problem with me quit your fake smiling and tell me straight to my face!” He yelled at him. “I’ll fight you anywhere, anytime!” He finished with a glare.

Before things could escalate further, Akashi raised his arm and slapped Naruto’s hand down. “Stop pointing at people”. He reprimanded him, causing both Sakura and Naruto to look at him in disbelief. “It’s rude… How many times have I told you this before?” Without another word, he stuffed his hands in his pockets and walked away.

Leaving them there.

Leaving Naruto to his silent thoughts.

Leaving him with the pain in his chest that brought back so many memories from the past memories.

Akashi didn’t even glance at Yamato, who was leaning on a tree, probably listening to their conversation, as he passed him by.

_

A few minutes later, they departed and resumed their journey.

_

Instead of taking the main road, Yamato made them go through the forest, saying that there may be a trap waiting for them.

Night had fallen once they ended up in a small clearing and Yamato used his Wood Release to created a house for them to spend the night in.

That was one of the things that interested Akashi. The only person who ever had the Wood Release was the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, but somehow, Yamato had it too. Akashi had sensed no connection between Yamato’s and Tsunade’s chakra, since she was the daughter of the First Hokage. So he wondered… How was it that Yamato could do the Wood Release?

He really had no idea.

Yamato had called them all to him and told Sakura to describe Sasori as best as she could, so he could transform into him and talk with the spy with which the real Sasori was supposed to meet with.

He told them he would make the first move and that they will back him up. They are supposed to take the target alive, so this was a delicate mission. If the target accidentally ends up killed, they will lose a valuable source of information.

He had also decided in what buddy team everyone will be.

Yamato is with Sakura.

Naruto is with Akashi and Sai.

The blond had practically glowered upon hearing those words. To be in a team with Sai and Akashi…

“Tomorrow we’ll devote half a day to a team-play simulation”. Yamato said.

“A simulation?” Naruto asked.

“That’s right”. Yamato confirmed. “All I know about you guys is what I’ve read in your files. I want to get an idea of your fighting styles, battle skills and jutsu types… with my own eyes”. He continued. “And the cooperation of the team should get smoother if we learn about each other”. He finished.

“Uh-huh, cooperation, eh?” Naruto sighed and lowered his head.

“You might think I’m being too cautious… But this is how I do things”. His face hardened. “You will go along with it”. He told them.

_

When morning came, they went out to do the simulation. Yamato had replicated The Heaven and Earth bridge and that was where they fought.

Sai had hidden in the trees, while Naruto and Akashi attacked Yamato. Naruto went in with his clones and his Rasengan, but Yamato managed to evade all of that.

Akashi twirled his kunai between his fingers, before he threw it forward. It flew past Yamato’s head and the man didn’t give it much thought, until Akashi appeared behind him. He whipped his first forward and Yamato moved to the side, successfully evading it. As Yamato did a punch of his own, Akashi disappeared from in front of him and reappeared at the spot his kunai was thrown.

While Yamato was busy, Naruto dashed at him and brought him to the ground. Sai used his drawing jutsu and a snake wrapped around Naruto and Yamato. It was in that moment that Akashi realized, that was no longer the real Yamato. He had used his Wood Release to created a wood doll. Sai ran after the real Yamato and Naruto was left with the fake one.

Akashi came closer to him and probed the snake with his blade. After a moment, he raised the blade up and slashed down at the same time Naruto let out a scream. The blade cut through the snake and it turned into ink. Naruto followed Akashi as the redhead tracked Yamato’s signal.

They found them and saw that Sai had managed to catch him.

“All right, that’s the end of the simulation”. He did a hand-sign and the wooden bridge disappeared. Naruto marched up to Sai and grabbed him by his shirt.

“You jerk!” He growled out at him.

“What is it?” Sai asked, a blank look on his face.

“Don’t you know what the word ‘comrade’ is?” He asked, but Sai brought out a scroll and started writing in it. “Listen, you! I’m asking you a question!” He tightened his grip.

“Of course I do”. Sai spoke up and turned the scroll to Naruto. The word ,’Comrade’, was written on it.

“That’s not what I’m trying to say”. Naruto forced out and Sakura tried to stop him, but it was useless.

“Please don’t blame your lack of individual competence on others”. Sai told him.

“What did you say?!” They continued arguing back and forth, until Naruto lost his will to argue anymore. He walked away saying how he will never accept Sai as a comrade or a member of Team Kakashi.

Akashi was leaned on a tree, looking at everything with an expressionless face. He glanced at Yamato just in time to see him sigh and shake his head. “I guess these two just won’t work as a team, huh?” He asked out loud.

“I wonder what Sasuke would’ve done”. Naruto stopped in his tracks and Akashi’s face hardened at the mention of the boy. “Would he have fought while protecting you?” He asked. “He’s a Team Kakashi comrade to you, right?” He added, the fake smile twisting his features. Naruto turned around and peered at him. “If you call someone who betrayed his village and hurt you… a comrade, that is”. Sai tilted his head.

“If it’s to save that comrade, then I’ll do whatever it takes”. Were the unexpected words which left Naruto’s lips. “I’ll even team up with you”. He turned back around and walked away.

Yamato relaxed, since he was prepared to stop Naruto. A kunai whizzed past Sai and impaled a tree a few feet in front of him. Upon noticing it was one of Akashi’s kunai, alarmed, Yamato whipped around to look at the boy. He was leaned away from the tree, no expression on his face and was staring at Sai. A thin trail of blood slid down the pale boy’s cheek. He raised his hand and wiped at it, before he glanced at the redhead.

“I told you once and I’m telling you a second time… Don’t speak of Sasuke in my presence… Or else you won’t live to hear me say it the third time”. He pushed off the tree and walked past Sai, grabbing his kunai from the tree it was embedded in.

“Why do those two feel so strongly about Sasuke?” Akashi heard Sai ask Sakura.

“It’s because Naruto thinks of Sasuke like a brother… As for Akashi… I don’t think it’s my place to say”. She was right about that, it certainly wasn’t her place to speak of it. Akashi grit his teeth and threw his kunai above the trees, a moment later, he disappeared from the ground.

He reached forward and grabbed his kunai, before impaling it in a tree. Grabbing a branch, he pulled himself onto the tree and leaned his head back onto it.

What he thinks of Sasuke? He wasn’t so sure anymore.

Before… He had liked him… Now? Would nothing be the appropriate answer? Something gnawed at him in the back of his mind. If there was nothing, then why did he react the way he did every time Sai stained his name?

He had betrayed him… Betrayed Konoha… Betrayed everyone who saw him as a friend…

Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath.

He didn’t know anymore.

_

After a few minutes, he was called back down and they went back to the house to spend the night there.

Akashi didn’t close his eyes.

They resumed their journey at dawn.

_

After Yamato had transformed into Sasori, the rest of them hid while they waited for the spy to come. “He’s here”. Akashi announced once he sensed the person’s chakra. A few moments later, a man, covered from head to toe in black clothes, appeared.

Akashi’s eyes widened as he realized who that was.

“That’s-!” He bit out. “It’s Kabuto!” He whisper-yelled at the others. Naruto and Sakura turned to him in surprise.

“Kabuto?!” They said at the same time. Akashi nodded and observed what was happening next.

Kabuto walked until he came to the middle of the bridge. That was when he stopped.

Yamato did the same.

They talked for a while, before Akashi felt a numbing sensation run through his body. “Shit… Things just keep getting worse and worse…”. He whispered and the others turned to him again. “Orochimaru has followed Kabuto”. They immediately look towards the bridge just in time to see the man appear behind Kabuto. The said man managed to dodge Orochimaru’s attack and he jumped to Yamato’s side.

They exchanged a few words, but then, Kabuto suddenly whipped around and destroyed Yamato’s disguise. Orochimaru wrapped his snakes around Yamato, but he used his Wood Release to create a wood doll again. He dropped into a crouch and held onto his bleeding arm.

A moment later, he gave the signal and the four of them jumped out in front of him.

“You again?” Kabut asked, looking at Naruto.

“A face I’ve already seen many times…”. Orochimaru said while glancing at Sakura, before his gaze slipped to Naruto and Akashi. “And now the Nine-Tails boys are here, too”. He smiled that creepy smile of his. “I suppose we can play around for a bit”. He continued. “We’ll see whether you’ve gotten stronger than Sasuke”. He finished.

“Give Sasuke…”. Akashi glanced to the side and noticed Naruto’s state. Bubbling orange layers started covering his body, clearly the Nine-Tail’s influence. “…back!” He growled out.

“We can’t simply ‘give him back’, Naruto”. Kabuto raised his glasses. “Don’t you get it yet?” He asked. “Sasuke came to us of his own free will”. As much as Akashi hated it, it didn’t hide the fact that Kabuto was saying the truth. Sasuke had left with a clear head. Nobody had forced him to leave, but he had left. “You got too attached to him. Be a man and stop dwelling on the past”. Kabuto said.

“Shut your goddamned trap, four-eyes!” Sakura suddenly exclaimed. “I’m sick of your attitude!” She yelled out. “You have no idea how Naruto feels!” Kabuto and Orochimaru just smiled in reply.

“If you’re so intent on finding out where Sasuke is, you’ll have to force it out of me”. The snake-man said. “If you can, that is”. He taunted.

A second later, the wood under Naruto’s feet broke as he lunged forward. Neither Kabuto, nor Orochimaru had any time to stop him. Naruto jumped at Orochimaru and hit him, knocking him all the way back from the bridge and to the other side of the cliff.

Akashi felt the all familiar burning sensation inside his body and in a moments time, he stumbled forward, almost loosing his footing. “Akashi!” Sakura exclaimed, reaching a hand towards him. Her hand was harshly slapped away and she felt a strong stinging sensation on her palm. She looked at it and noticed a scratch mark. Confused, she glanced at Akashi’s hand and saw that his nails had turned into claws. “Akashi?” She asked, not knowing what was happening.

“Yamato… If Naruto stays like that, or if things get even worse, I won’t be able to keep my half of the Nine-Tails calm”. The said man looked at him in alarm. Something like this had been mentioned to him by Kakashi. The masked man had told him that Akashi’s half of the fox responds to Naruto’s, but Naruto’s doesn’t respond to Akashi’s. It had something to do with the fact that Akashi’s seal was weaker than Naruto’s.

He was snapped out of his thoughts when the redhead let out a wince. He was already panting harshly, beads of sweat rolling down his neck. “Naruto!” Akashi called out, but the blond didn’t respond. Instead, he faced forward and the others noticed Orochimaru came back. His skin was ripped away, but it revealed another face underneath.

The wind was howling around them, scattering leaves across the bridge.

“They placed you in charge of him and Akashi because they are Jinchuriki”. Orochimaru said while looking at Yamato. “It appears my experiments benefited Konoha, after all”. Experiments? Akashi glanced at their Captain. What kind of experiments? “One would think my old village would’ve been more grateful to me!” He smiled. “Don’t you agree, my adorable little lab rat?” Akashi’s eyes widened in realization.

Orochimaru proceeded to explain how he dug up the First Hokage’s remains and implanted his DNA samples into sixty children as an experiment. But, unfortunately, they all died a violent death since their bodies rejected the DNA. As he tried to get rid of everything, someone stumbled upon his experiments and he was forced to escape, which meant that he had to abandon all of it.

“I assumed all sixty children were dead. I had no idea one actually survived!” His face had healed by now. So that meant that Yamato was one of the children who were implanted with the First Hokage’s DNA and he was the only one who survived.

Orochimaru said that he was very interested in a fight between Sasuke and Naruto.

“He doesn’t belong to you!” Two more tails appeared on Naruto, making three in total and the pressure was becoming too strong on Akashi’s body. He was struggling to keep himself calm and collected. But… Hearing Orochimaru talk about Sasuke wasn’t making things easier for him. “Don’t talk about Sasuke… like he’s some toy… that you own!” Naruto yelled out.

Spiraling dark red chakra appeared over his form and the wind grew even harsher. The space around Naruto distorted and everything started breaking.

Kabuto ran towards Naruto, cloaking his hand in chakra, but Naruto had turned around and blasted him away with a pure chakra blast. The bridge exploded and Kabuto was thrown towards Sakura. They collided and she slammed into the ground head first, which knocked her unconscious. Kabuto continued on his way, until he slammed into the trees behind Yamato.

The bridge started collapsing and Yamato used his Wood Release to hold it in place. Akashi raised his head and through blurry eyes, saw Sakura was about to fall off the edge. Without thinking things through, he lunged forward and grabbed her by the wrist. But, since the bridge was bent downwards, Akashi had slid down along with her.

They started pummeling towards the wild river below the bridge. He hurriedly grabbed his kunai and threw it upwards, unluckily, it hit one of the beams and bounced back. Gritting his teeth, he wrapped his arms around Sakura’s still frame and closed his eyes.

Golden chains burst out of his back and impaled the cliff on the side. The force of stopping the fall made him wince as something cracked near his shoulder. He can’t hold Sakura and longer. His skin was burning hot and her combined body heat made him dizzy. So, with a painful grimace, he pulled himself up with the chains. Once finally on stable ground, he settled her on the ground, before sending Yamato a nod.

Without another word, he whipped out another kunai and threw it to the other side. It impaled a tree and he teleported to it. Grabbing it, he put it back into his pouch and made his way to where Naruto’s signal was.

He ran as fast as he could, but his body just grew hotter and hotter. It was then, that a violent shiver went through him, making him stumble forward. He dropped onto his knees, harsh pants escaping through his lips. It was too hot. He couldn’t breath. The world around him was spinning too much… It made his own head spin…

His fingers dug into the dirt under him and the claws left deep, straight lines in it. He can’t let this happen. Not now. He needed to-! “Need to do what? Save Naruto?” The fox spoke up inside his mind. “Really? Save him? After everything he’s done to you?” Akashi shook his head in reply.

“Shut up!” He forced out, his spine arching in pain. “Just shut up!” His teeth elongated into fangs and they bit into his lip.

Warm blood slid down the side of his mouth. The veins in his hands bulged out and he let out a cry as an orange layer covered his body. “Stop this!” He yelled out, clenching his eyes shut.

It hurt.

Everything hurt.

Everything fucking hurt.

“Let go and the pain will stop… The more you fight against it, the more it will hurt and the longer it will last”. Akashi violently shook his head as an answer. “He’s got the fourth tail now… You can sense it, right? His pain and his anger is flooding into you…”. Yes, Akashi could sense it… The emotions were overflowing and his thoughts were getting hazy.

He can’t think properly.

The only thing on his mind was anger, anger, anger.

“Release the rage… Release it all…”. The fox quietly whispered. “Everything will be fine…”. It cooed at him.

“Everything will be fine…”. Static filled his ears at those words. Those words. Those words. Those words.

His body went still. His heartbeat slowed down. His breathing slowed down. Everything slowed down.

The tails formed one after the other.

Then, as the fourth tail formed, everything changed.

The world went into a standstill.

The wind stopped blowing.

The birds stopped chirping.

Everything stopped…

Until…

A monstrous roar rang out through the forest, echoing for miles and miles…