Let It Burn: Life [Sasuke Uchiha]

Chapter 29

Naruto cursed under his breath as the platoons the Hokage sent out were once more pushed back. Nothing had been going their way since setting out from Konoha. They were so close to finding Sasuke. At some point, one of the blonde's clones had picked up his trail. But then they encountered Itachi, which had not gone as planned. The elder Uchiha had escaped. Even though it wasn't the real one it still would have led them to the Akatsuki member they sought. And then they came across another S-Ranked criminal. Someone who was acquainted with the Uchiha. Now it was him, who stood in their path. However, no matter what attack or formation they threw at him, none could meet their mark. Not even Shino with his bugs as they fed on chakra and consumed their targets whole. Tobi. That was the name he went by. He wore the traditional Akatsuki robe, an orange mask with a swirl design that centered around a single eye hole, and spoke with a rather childlike voice.

"Who the hell is this guy?" Kiba growled.

Kakashi and Yamato were scrambling to figure out his weakness and see through the enemy's defenses. These were techniques neither of them had encountered before.

Suddenly, they were no longer alone. Something materialized halfway out of the tree branch the masked criminal was perched on.

"Who's that?" Sakura questioned.

"Well?" Tobi asked.

"It's all over," the stranger spoke.

He too wore an Akatsuki cloak, skin half white, half black with golden eyes and green hair. There was a Venus Fly Trap perched on his shoulders, which made the ninjas' uneasy.

"What is that?" Sakura asked.

"Sasuke won. Itachi Uchiha is dead."

The declaration made the Leaf Ninjas' freeze in shock. None could think straight over the fact that Sasuke had indeed killed his brother. The mission had failed. They were too late to stop their meeting.

"Whoa, didn't see that coming!" Tobi exclaimed. "Not. Just as I predicted."

The fact that the mask criminal was treating the matter so lightly with childish innocence made Naruto's blood boil.

"Sasuke... killed Itachi?" Sakura whispered.

And her next thought went to Mai. Oh god, what were they going to tell her?

"Sasuke collapsed a second later," the stranger continued. "What do you say? He's probably fading fast."

None expected the rogue had walked away from the battle unharmed. But if he was dying, they weren't going to just sit around and allow that to happen.

"Yo! Aloe Vera!" Naruto shouted, gaining the attention of the Akatsuki members. "Where the hell is Sasuke!"

"Aloe Vera?" the green haired man questioned. "Just ignore him," answered another voice.

Those from Konoha were startled to discover it came from the same person. Were the two sides to them two different people?

"I'll play with you children some other time," Tobi stated.

Before they left, Kakashi noticed something. Though the eyehole, while his own Sharingan eye was activated, he saw a similar sight staring back at him.

"Sharingan...? Who the hell are you?"

"Bye, bye," Tobi said.

In an instant the Akatsuki disappeared.