41 Chapter 41 Clash! Leaf VS Sand!

After walking into the woods for some time, Sasuke finally stopped and turned to face Naruto who was still wondering about what was happening.

"This is good enough." Sasuke said.

"What's going on Sasuke? Why'd you bring us all the way out here?" Naruto asked.

"Naruto, ever since we graduated from the academy, you've changed." Sasuke said suddenly.

"Eh? What do you mean?" Naruto asked as he worried Sasuke might have caught on to him somehow.

"You used to be the worst in the class, but now, you are definitely stronger than anyone else." Sasuke continued.

Naruto worried about what Sasuke was going on about, and began thinking about an excuse to make sure he didn't catch on to him.

"Ever since our first match when you defeated me, you've been my goal to surpass, but then during the chunin exams, you were forced to leave, and I didn't know when I'd ever see you again." Sasuke explained.

Naruto remained silent as he listened to Sasuke.

"But then it made me realize something, I'd grown used to you being stronger than me, and I stopped thinking about trying to surpass you."

"But I can't do that, if I can't beat you, then there's no way I could accomplish my goal of killing him."

Naruto suddenly realized what Sasuke was going on about, he knew that Sasuke had started seeing him as a rival and one he wanted to surpass, and Naruto had hoped that Sasuke would slowly forget about killing Itachi. But now, it seemed that his absence caused Sasuke to start focusing on his goal of killing Itachi.

"Naruto, I challenge you, I must defeat you in order to achieve my goal, so don't you dare hold back against me!!" Sasuke shouted as he started rushing toward Naruto.

Naruto frowned as he took a step back and blocked Sasuke's kick that he had sent flying toward his head. Then he pushed Sasuke's leg making him step backwards. Sasuke jumped back and pulled out several shurikens that he then threw at Naruto. Naruto jumped backwards as he dodged the shurikens flying toward him.

Then he saw Sasuke start weaving hand seals.

Snake → Ram → Monkey → Boar → Horse → Tiger

<Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu>

Naruto watched as Sasuke breathed in deeply before exhaling out and spewing a gigantic fireball at him.

Naruto then weaved his own hand seals in order to counter.

Tiger → Ox → Dog → Rabbit → Snake

<Wind Release: Great Breakthrough Jutsu>

Naruto poured in enough chakra in order to blow away the fireball away. Like blowing out a candle, the fireball was dispersed and Sasuke was sent flying into the air as well. Grimacing, Sasuke stabilized himself in the air as he began falling back down toward the ground. He focused on Naruto who was standing below him and he began weaving together more hand seals.

Then he grabbed his wrist with his other hand as he gathered the chakra in the palm of his hand.

<Chidori>

Sasuke closed his eyes briefly before opening them wide to reveal a two tomoe sharingan in each eye.

As he fell toward Naruto, he had held up his hand that he formed the Chidori in and remembered what Kakashi had told him when he was training.

<Flashback>

"Sasuke, in order for me to teach you this jutsu, you must promise me to never use this technique against your comrades." Kakashi said.

<End Flashback>

Sasuke shook his head, forcing himself to not think about Kakashi's words and to instead focus back on Naruto.

Naruto watched as Sasuke used Chidori and he couldn't help but think back to the time from before. Are we really meant to fight like this? Naruto wondered, despite him trying to not bicker with Sasuke, he still found himself at odds with him. Why do we have to fight like this? Naruto asked himself as he found himself feeling a wave of sadness.

Then he shook his head and created two shadow clones then he held his hand up as he formed Rasengan within his palm. I guess the only way to get through to him is to beat him down until he decides he doesn't want to fight it out anymore. Naruto thought as he prepared himself to fight for real.

Then he had the two clones grab him and throw him up to meet Sasuke head on. There were no words spoken between the two as they both brought their hands forward to clash. The two jutsus clashed creating a large blast that blew away the immediate surroundings away from the two.

Sasuke was sent flying and slammed into a tree before falling onto the ground while Naruto flipped through the air and landed onto a branch. Sasuke pushing himself up and steadied himself before glaring at Naruto in frustration. He's just too strong!! Sasuke thought to himself as he clenched his teeth in anger.

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Baki raised his hand then swung it down, sending a blade of wind rushing toward Kakashi and the others.

"Move!" Kakashi commanded as they all jumped out of the way.

Then Kakashi turned back in time to block Baki's attack with his kunai. However, he had to get out of the way as the blade on his kunai was sliced in half by Baki's blade of wind.

"Gaara, you take care of those two!" Baki shouted as he slashed at Kakashi once again.

Gaara didn't respond as he slowly walked toward Sakura and Lee. Causing the two of them to tense up in anticipation for whatever Gaara would do.

"Where is Uzumaki Naruto?" Gaara asked.

"Eh?" Both Sakura and Lee uttered in surprise.

"Why do you want to know?" Sakura asked.

"Because he is the only one I will fight, he's strong, and therefore, is worthy for me to test my existence against." Gaara answered.

"What do you mean?" Sakura asked.

"When I was a child, my father ordered for my assassination, however, each assassin failed to kill me. In the end, he realized it was pointless to keep making the attempts. My existence is to only love myself, and for everyone I kill, I prove my own existence to myself." Gaara said as he looked at Sakura and Lee.

The two of them stared at Gaara as fear slowly began taking hold of them.

"That's why, I must fight against the strong, to further prove my existence, so if you won't tell me where Uzumaki Naruto is, then you must die." Gaara said as he lifted his hand up.

Suddenly, Lee jumped in front of Sakura.

"LEAF HURICANE!!" Lee shouted.

Lee's kick had stopped sand that had formed above Sakura's head. Sakura took a step back in shock seeing Lee's sudden movement.

Lee landed onto the ground and stood up straight holding one arm behind his back and holding the other one up with the back of his hand facing his opponent.

"If it is a fight you wish, then I shall give you one." Lee said.

Gaara frowned as he looked over at Lee.

Lee glanced over at Sakura and smiled. "Sakura, don't worry, you'll be safe with me!"

Then he turned his head to look at Gaara again.

"From what you said about your past, I can understand your desire to fight against others. However, I will not stand by and let you hurt the people I care about!" Lee said.

Suddenly, Gaara clutched his head as if he was experiencing a headache. Then he looked at Lee with a crazed look.

"Then you must die for me to live!" Gaara said as he stared at Lee.

Lee narrowed his eyes as he did a backflip and dodged sand that flew to where he had been standing.

"That sand is fast!" Lee said as he continued dodging the attacks that kept coming.

He kept dodging and moving around until he found himself next to Sakura once again.

"Sakura, get out of here, go find Naruto and Sasuke, I know they are strong, but we don't know anything about the other two that went after them." Lee said.

Sakura stared at Lee before shaking her head.

"No! I refuse to stand aside and let you guys protect me! I'm going to fight as well!" Sakura said as she pulled out several kunai's and threw them at Gaara.

Gaara's sand quickly blocked the kunai's however, they exploded shortly after, as Sakura had tied explosive tags to them before throwing them.

"I can at least provide you with support!" Sakura said toward Lee.

Lee stared at Sakura in surprise before smiling and nodding his head. "Alright, I'll distract him so you can create an opening, then you can leave the rest to me!" Lee said as he took a battle stance again.

"Right!" Sakura replied as he began pulling out more of her ninja tools.

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Kakashi dodge the blades of wind that Baki sent flying toward him as he continued to analyze him. Then he rushed Baki and began fighting in close quarters combat. Kakashi threw a punch which Baki blocked, then Kakashi grabbed Baki's wrist that blocked his fist and threw him over his shoulder. Baki grabbed Kakashi's wrist and re-stabilized himself midair, before bringing his knee up to his chest and swinging it toward Kakashi's face. Kakashi let go of Baki and caught his knee, then used his other hand to throw a kunai at Baki. Baki flipped backwards dodging the kunai but not before it could cut his cheek slightly.

Baki landed onto the ground and jumped backwards to create distance between him and Kakashi.

"Looks like you live up to your reputation Kakashi!" Baki commented.

"As do you Baki." Kakashi replied.

"Worried about your students?" Baki asked.

Kakashi frowned slightly before shaking his head. "No, but you should be."

Then he started weaving hand signs rapidly.

Ox → Monkey → Hare → Rat → Boar → Bird → Ox → Horse → Bird → Rat → Tiger → Dog → Tiger → Snake → Ox → Ram → Snake → Boar → Ram → Rat → Yang Water → Monkey → Bird → Dragon → Bird → Ox → Horse → Ram → Tiger → Snake → Rat → Monkey → Hare → Boar → Dragon → Ram → Rat → Ox → Monkey → Bird → Yang Water → Rat → Boar → Bird

<Water Release: Water Dragon Jutsu>

Using the water from a nearby pond, Kakashi created a large water dragon that he sent lunging toward Baki.

Baki frowned as he jumped backwards and concentrated more chakra into his hands as he created a stronger blade of wind that he used to slice the water dragon in half. When he landed back onto the ground, he saw that Kakashi was nowhere to be seen. Suddenly, the ground below him cracked apart as Kakashi appeared and punched him up into the air. Baki grunted in pain as he flipped himself midair and threw several shurikens toward Kakashi in retaliation.

Kakashi clapped his hands together and slammed them back onto the ground.

<Earth Release: Earth Wall Jutsu>

A wall of earth rose out of the ground and the shurikens that Baki threw impaled themselves onto the earth wall Kakashi created. Looks like it won't be so easy to incapacitate him, Kakashi thought as he sighed to himself.

Baki landed onto the ground and frowned as he thought about the exchange, he just had with Kakashi. Looks like he's as strong as the rumors suggest. I can't get a good opening on him.

Kakashi jumped out from behind the wall and started rushing toward Baki. Baki frowned as the two clashed but then smiled as he brought his hand down.

"Fool, you shouldn't disregard your defense like this!" Baki shouted.

Then he swung his arm down as he slashed with his blade of wind. He sliced Kakashi in half, causing Baki to smile before he realized that something was wrong as Kakashi's form began changing until he changed into lightning and electrocuted Baki.

Kakashi then appeared in front of Baki.

"I didn't forget." Kakashi replied.