Frozen Heart

The Deal

Naruto had long ago removed his last restriction seal as trees and unshaped colors blurred past him. Behind him was both of his friends as they strainingly tried to keep up with his speed while calling his name. Their calls fell on deaf ears as he sped through the trees with speeds not seen since the late Yondaime Hokage.

Naruto came to an abrupt stop next to a fallen tree. Sasuke and Hinata stopped by him not even five seconds later out of breath and crouched over. Sasuke was the first to catch his breath as he stood upright, Hinata came in a close second as she stood.

Although they were grateful at his stopping, they were confused that he stopped at this tree, they had passed many broken trees on the way here so what made this one so special. They took a closer and found what made this tree special. There was the imprint of a man in the tree like someone had gotten slammed into it.

Naruto didn't acknowledge their presence as he searched the area in a hurry trying to quell the nagging sense of dread that had built itself up quickly inside of him and refused to leave.  

" Naruto what are you doing there is nothing here," Sasuke called to his friend as he followed closely behind him.

" Naruto are you okay, you just took off without warning us or telling us where you were going," Hinata said as they had caught up with him and were walking side by side. 

" Something happened to Jiji I can feel it," Came Naruto's short answer as he continued walking around looking for any clue as to what he was looking for since he had no idea he was looking for either. 

Sasuke and Hinata went silent when they heard the seriousness in his voice and the direness of the situation. They both shared a look as they split up to look for any clues as to what happened. 

Naruto froze mid walk when he saw the pale dead body of his surrogate grandfather. ' No,' Naruto thought as his heart burned in agony. Naruto fell to his knees as he stared at the body in shock and anguish. Naruto didn't even register that his two friends were now standing on either side of him.

" Naruto," Sasuke said silently as he laid a hand on his teammate's shoulder in a caring manner. Naruto's eyes jaded as he started towards the ground blankly.

~~~<(Timeskip)>~~~

Naruto let out an angry grunt as he stuck his training post for the hundredth time this hour. Naruto's fists were bloodied and bruised but the pole looked much worse as it snapped in half like a twin after his last punch. 

" Damn it," Naruto growled angrily as he stared down at his now blood covered fist.  Naruto's vision started to get blurry as he continued to look down at his hands. Naruto for the first time in a week cried. Naruto sunk to his knees.

" I failed," Naruto said to himself softly as tears dripped down onto his balled up fist. Naruto jaw was clenched in angst. ' I'll make that bastard Orochimaru pay with his life,' Naruto thought in anger as he stood, slowly. Naruto created twelve enhanced cloned without moving an inch. The clones ran off in different directions set on one goal, find and terminate Orochimaru along with his peon Kabuto.

~~~<(Sasuke^P.O.V)>~~~

Sasuke with a barely noticeable flick of the wrist, let loose 10 kunai in quick succession towards some seemingly normal bushes. Sasuke's three tomoe Sharingan shot from left to right as the bushes transformed into people and quickly surrounded him.

" Did you honestly think that your illusions would trick my Sharingan," Sasuke said, his tone thick with arrogance and tad of annoyance.

" You think that those eyes will save you but they won't," The biggest of the four said with a cocky smirk. Sasuke just scoffed at the proclamation as he disappeared in the blink of an eye.