Someone you loved

Chapter 41

IT'S THE END! OMG! IT'S SO CLOSE!

Make sure you've read Chapter 39 and 40 before this one!

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The moment Kakashi left them, everything changed. Team 7 was still watching their sensei's retreating back perplexed when Obito suddenly stopped laughing and attacked them mercilessly. Earlier the battle had been tilted in their favour but now – one man down and taken by surprise – the young Jounin were pushed to their limits.

Naruto had just blocked another fire dragon when out of nowhere a squad of foreign shinobi dropped into the battlefield and for a second the blond thought they were reinforcement sent from the other villages. That was until the white-haired shinobi appeared behind Sasuke, thrusting his choto through the Uchiha's chest.

A frightened noise echoed over the battlefield, loud enough for Sasuke to hear and glance worriedly over his shoulder but it took Naruto a minute to understand that the sound was coming from him. His feet were glued to the ground as he saw Sasuke cough, katana slipping out of his hand, and the other shinobi pulling his sword back out carelessly.

Kurama was screeching and yapping in his mindscape, but it was like time stood still for the blond. As if in slow-motion he saw the brunet double over, hands pulling back red from where they pressed down frantically.

Suddenly, Kurama took over control, forcing his still petrified body to move. He was so close to him when golden chains burst from the red-haired kunoichi's back and wrapped around his body, holding him back from coming any closer to Sasuke.

It was the first time that Naruto felt Kurama's fear, and it was the quickest they had ever swapped places again. The situation was overwhelming, too much was happening in such a short time and suddenly even Kurama was leaving him alone.

"You have to get up!" Naruto cried as chaos reigned down around them.

Explosions echoed too close to comfort and the scent of blood added an unnerving weight to the air. The woman holding him forced him onto his knees as he watched, helpless, as Obito advanced to Sasuke, the young Uchiha still trying to catch a desperate breath.

"Please!" The blond pleaded frightened. "You're important to me, you piece of shit!"

Sasuke heard Naruto's cry – full of anguish and pain and desperation – and his heart went out for the blond. But there was nothing he could do, nothing he could say to reassure or help him. They were losing and it was forcing him to use the last resource. He didn't know where Sakura or Sai were, but from the reoccurring earthquakes and roars he guessed they were kept busy.

Time was running out, but Sasuke turned around nevertheless, his usual smirk on his lips, he mouthed silently: "I like you too, usuratonkachi."

Azure blue eyes widened in shock – perhaps there was horror too – but Sasuke couldn't afford to gaze into them any longer. Crawling to his feet, he slammed himself against Obito, pushing the man further and further away from his pack and towards the underground training ground.

It was a secret kept by only Team 7 and their teachers. Sakura wanted to increase her physical prowess without the support of chakra and as such Naruto had invented a seal that when used would block out chakra from a certain space. Hence, a training room had been built, walls covered with that seal and a space without any chakra influence was born.

The idea had come to Sasuke in the middle of a sleepless night when he was brooding over possible whereabouts of Madara again. Kisame had told them about Madara's – Obito's – kamui but without chakra the ability wouldn't work. However, Naruto had refused his idea, telling him about the sensitivity of the seal. One wrong line, one wrong push and the whole thing would explode into their faces. The seal was effectively acting as a dam, but it could break under enough pressure and the held back chakra would be released at once, resulting in a milewide explosion.