Desert Flower

Hunt for Sasuke

  How did it come to this? How did simply going back home lead to something like this?

  Naruto's stupid friend was so bent on getting revenge that he chose to side with Orochimaru to gain power. However, the people that snake surrounded himself with weren't normal. They could do things I'd never seen before, and we were all split up to fight them.

  Panting, I could smell the fox's chakra even from so far away, proof that Naruto was being driven into a corner just like I was. It almost felt like I was being toyed with, and that was not something I was used to.

  Wiping the blood from my chin, I heard a soft chuckle.

  "Come on, aren't you gonna keep barking?" They waved a hand at me, and I reached for my throat. Swallowing, I touched the headband tied there while locking eyes with the green-haired person surrounded by cobras made of roots. I didn't want to rely on such a dangerous tactic, but if it came down to it, I would. Naruto was strong enough now that he'd be the first one I'd go to in my berserk state, and he knew how to deal with it now.

  Before even going on this mission, I had him promise to help me if he could but to take me down if he couldn't. Taking in a deep breath through my nose, I slowly let it out from my mouth. Dropping my hand from the Konoha headband, I went low while stretching my shoulders.

  "Oh, I like the look in your eyes. Are you going to try another useless tactic?" They placed a hand on their cheek while humming. Unlike Naruto, I didn't fully master the Rasengan, at least not yet, I hadn't, so I didn't have that kind of trick up my sleeve. What I did excel at more than Naruto, though, was amplification.

  I had better control over chakra output and learned to use it to make myself physically stronger. I had learned some of the techniques to do so after Naruto had introduced me to Guy and Lee. They were a rambunctious duo, but no one could deny that they were strong.

  Chakra shrowded my limbs with a red glow, and I reached deeper, knowing that wasn't enough against this person. Growling as I bared my fangs, silver began to twist into the red. My eyesight grew keener before I bolted towards the person looking at me with an amused expression.

  Cobras shot out to build a wall between us, but I just punched right through it and spun in the air. My heel drove into their jaw, sending them flying into a tree. They pulled themself up with wide eyes, grinning as they held their jaw.

  "Where were you hiding that? What else do you have?"

  "You're really pissing me off." I snarled, bouncing on the balls of my feet before attacking again. Root snakes wrapped around my limbs in an attempt to stop me but tore as I twisted. My heel drove down on their head, driving them into the earth before more roots twisted together to make larger snakes.

  The cobras looked down at me while swaying. I watched their movement to avoid any attack, pushing harder as chakra continued to cover my limbs. I aimed for the snake charmer, jumping around to avoid the snakes diving for me until they were in a tangle of knots around the charmer. Digging my nails into the roots surrounding them, they screamed when I sank my teeth into their shoulder.

  Their chakra was disgusting as it went over my tongue, but the more I ate, the weaker the snakes got. I bit down harder, feeling blood dripping down my chin. They struggled, trying to get away, but were unable to due to their own snakes trapping them. My own wounds began to heal, and I grunted from the pain of my ribs popping back into place.

  Groaning as I fell back into the soft grass, I caught my breath now that it was silent. Closing my eyes for just a few seconds, I thought it was finally over until I had to roll over and vomit. Apparently, Kami-sama didn't like the tainted parts of their chakra.