Journey of the Three Failures

Chapter 7: To The Wolves

throw to the wolves- to sacrifice someone, especially in order to save oneself.

Journey of the Three Failures

Seven: To the Wolves

Naruto ナルト

We retreated ten yards in the cover of the smoke bomb Lee threw. The shark-man looked amused, while the Uchiha looked just the opposite, if anything.

Have they caught on already? Okay then, we hold them off for as long as we –

"How stupid do you brats think we are?" the taller man asked with a sharp-toothed grin, and before I could blink the now unwrapped tip of his sword had run all three of us through.

Such was the gist of the memories that came to me from the three shadow clones – two of which had been under henge – as we fled. Crap! They weren't fooled for two seconds!

"The kage bunshin are down already! Just who are those guys?"

"Uchiha Itachi," Hinata whispered, "He was a Leaf shinobi. A few years ago he single-handedly slaughtered almost the entire Uchiha clan. I don't know anything about the other one, b-but Itachi is said to be impossibly p-powerful... If they catch up–!"

A sparkle of reflected light. Two kunai knives flashed in from straight ahead. But they weren't aimed at me.

"NO!" I cried, and before I even thought about it my hands were in the seal and two shadow clones appeared, one shielding Hinata and the other Lee. They gasped in surprise as the clones grappled with them and vanished just as suddenly. Th... they could have died. They c-could be dead right now...

"Naruto-kun!"

"Huh–?" Something crashed across my face.

The next thing I knew I was landing on my back with a grunt. I sat up and groaned, slowly shaking my head to clear away flickering stars. And Mr. Shark-man was fifteen yards away and slowly walking closer.

Flinching, I got up and turned – only to see the cold-eyed Uchiha barring my path.

"There is no escape, Naruto. Come with us, and no one will need to be harmed," he said, approaching at a walk. I gulped, but my mouth and throat were very dry.

Two more figures entered the clearing at a sprint, giving the sword wielder a wide berth before dashing toward me. Lee placed himself between me and the blue man, and Hinata swept past, eyes shut but Byakugan active, to face Itachi. The two stood protectively close on either side of me.

"To get him, you must first go through us," Lee declared icily.

"R-right," Hinata added, her body trembling but her voice firm.

"Well, well. Fancy meeting you here of all places, Hyuuga heiress..." Itachi remarked tonelessly. "You've grown."

"What do you want with Naruto?" she said, the slightest trace of venom tipping her words. "What do you have against him?"

"Get up, Naruto-kun," Lee muttered under his breath without turning to face me. I nodded and did as told. Realizing the two had already removed their leg weights, I knelt to hastily do the same.

"We have nothing against the boy personally. It is simply Naruto's misfortune ... that his tenant happens to be the prize that the Akatsuki seek."

My teeth ground together as I glared intensely at the man. "So you don't want me, you want what's inside of me?"

"The Kyuubi no Youko?" Lee murmured, "What could they want with it?"

"Listen," Hinata whispered quickly, "Naruto, stop glaring at him. Both of you, whatever you do, don't make eye contact with Itachi. The only two things that can stand up to Sharingan at his level are Sharingan at and equal or higher level ... and the Byakugan. I can see him with my eyes closed."