The Other Jinchūriki - A Naruto Fanfiction

Chapter 22

"Sakura..." Naruto grunted, trying to get up. "She's in trouble..."

"The others are probably in trouble too.." Rizaki puffed out, trying to get up as well.

"I'm gonna bust us out of here. I'll distract him!" Naruto looked a bit wobbly as he got up, but stood his ground.

"You are exhausting my patience," Haku warned them. Naruto put his hands together to channel his chakra, but when he saw Haku in front of him he jumped back. Rizaki pulled out all her needles from her body and fully got up, starting to run. She then heard:

"Naruto! Behind you!" Sasuke? Crap, that must not be good—

Naruto took all the needles that were shot at him and fell back, making Rizaki run towards him.

"Naru! Naruto, dammit, get up!" Sasuke was blocking all of the needles that were currently attacking them with another needle, probably one he pulled out.

"Get up loser!" Sasuke yelled, making Naruto groan. "We all got to team up!"

"I...know what we have to do," Naruto told them, grunting as he sat up. "Believe it, Sasuke. Rizaki." Haku appeared and threw the needles again, this time aiming for the vital spots. Sasuke pushed Naruto and Rizaki out of the way while still moving, getting a few needles in his legs.

"Dammit, where did he go?" Sasuke asked rhetorically. "Naruto, you better not pass out again. That means you too, Rizaki. I can't keep protecting you guys like this!"

"Well then don't!" Naruto yelled out, though it seemed a bit..faded. "I don't need..your...help...!" He passed out.

"Naruto!" Rizaki groaned in frustration. "Really?!"

"You can't revive him, he's reached his limits," Haku said to them.

"Shut up!" The blunette pulled out a needle from her arm and threw it weakly at Haku. Sasuke threw needles at the mirrors, but they just bounced off.

"Impressive," Haku started. "You have excellent moves. Your attacks are very skillful." He threw needles at Sasuke, but he dodged. "But you've reached your limits as well. Motor functions, reflexes, judgement—your abilities are weakening slowly but surely. Now, you're finished!" Sasuke was focusing the whole time the boy talked. He grabbed Naruto's arm, then Rizaki's, and dodged the attacks that came at him.

His eyes were red.

Sharingan eyes.

Rizaki slowly sat up. "Sasuke...?" She asked, looking at his eyes. "Holy hell, Ahiru, is that..?!"

"Yeah, Uzai," Sasuke said with a smirk. "It's not complete yet, but it's enough where I can see through his deception." Rizaki nodded slowly, getting up.

"I can...still fight too...!" She turned to look at Haku, but he wasn't fixated on them anymore. It was now on Naruto. Everything came in almost a blink of an eye.

Sasuke started running to Naruto. He was able to stand in front of him in a protective stance but there seemed to be someone else who stood in front of him.

Shink shank shank!

Thump.

Naruto's eyes finally opened, and he noticed a pair of feet in front of him. Looking up, he saw the raven-haired boy in front of him, back facing him, in a protective pose. Haku was against one of the mirrors, on one knee.

"Hey! You did it—huh?" Sasuke kneeled down and turned to face him, and Naruto's once victorious grin quickly faded.

She took the hits for me?!

The girl chuckled painfully. "Naru...that look on your...face is priceless!..."

"R-Rizaki?! Hey, s-stay with me!" Sasuke handed her to Naruto as he stared.

How was she able to get in front of me so fast? He thought. That's when even he fell back on the ground.

"Sasuke!" Naruto exclaimed.

"S-She's much more wounded than me..." Sasuke muttered. "I'll be fine.." Naruto looked down at Rizaki, his face scrunched up as he attempted to glare at her.

"Why the hell did you do that?! Y-You damned idiot!"

"B-Because..t-the boy before said you need to protect those who...are precious to you...and the first person I thought of was you. A-And my body kinda moved on instinct, s-so...you know!" Naruto's eyes widened in shock, his sight quickly becoming blurred with his tears. Rizaki slowly smiled sheepishly. "S-Sasuke tried protecting you t-too, so I guessed I-I wanted to save him as well. I find that w-weird. But hey, if this i-is the way I'm dying—!"

"Shut up!! You aren't going to die, you hear me?!"

"O-Okay okay, clear on t-that! I'm just t-throwing it out there! Hahaha—ow..!" She began to laugh before wincing at the pain. The girl slowly felt her blacking out. "But s-seriously...kick his ass for me! I-I just..need to rest my eyes...!" She gave him one more grin.

And then her body went into unconsciousness.

Naruto's tears were pouring down his face at this point as he pulled her close, ignoring the needles that pricked him. "I-If only I..." he cut himself off when he noticed something from the corner of his eye and looked up, noticing Haku trying to stand. Anger—no, rage—started to rise up within him. It..it was HIM who hurt her!! He thought, letting out a low growl.

Haku, who was getting up, looked at the situation. Rizaki, he thought, staring down at her limp body. She got in the way...in order to protect someone dear to her. She...is a kunoichi worthy of respect. He then noticed steam starting to form around Naruto and Rizaki, the boy's eyes now blood red with black vertical slits.

"You hurt the person...most precious to me," Naruto growled, the whiskers on his cheeks becoming thicker as he gently set the girl on the ground. "What you've done is unforgivable and I...AM GOING TO KILL YOU!"

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
978 words

Glossary
Uzai - In this he called her "troublesome"

I have waited SO long to get to this part, because it's so sad-
I also sense cringe within me but that's besides the point.

It's going to get even sadder in the next part, SO GET THE TISSUES!! UNLESS YOU'RE ME AND DON'T CRY ABOUT IT UNTIL LATER

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Hope you enjoyed the chapter! <3