The Beginning of the End (Naruto Fanfiction)

Chapter Twenty :: Invasion

Chapter Twenty

They pounced around in the forest, concentrated on the mission. Naruto's mind blanked and only concentrated on one subject, Jikoku. Neji and Rock Lee leaped silently while Sai and Sakura were talking strategy. Naruto leaped on a branch, and stopped taking a deep breath. "Are you alright?" Sakura asked leaping down to his side. The rest of the group stood on a higher branch looking down on the two. Naruto turned his head to Sakura, she could see he was as serious. "I really don't want you guys to intervene in the combat." Rock Lee managed to nod his head in sadness. "Oh alright, I just don't understand why we were sent if you'll be doing all the fighting." Naruto though for a moment and didn't understand either. Naruto took a sip of water, and handed it off to the rest of the group. Naruto silently began his course towards the land of waves, he knew himself that it would be not that long until they arrived. "Sakura," Naruto said avoiding a branch. Sakura turned her head diagonally. "Yes." There was a pause, enough for Naruto to take a deep breath. "I don't want you to heal me until we know it's safe, I can't risk losing you, or anyone else." Sakura's heart pounded in fear, but she nodded. "Okay." They escaped the long forest until they saw only water.

Naruto leaped off the peer and began to run on water, the others followed behind him. Water splashed each time someone stepped on it. They looked to their left and saw the beginning of the land of waves. It seemed to be a peaceful place, not that lit and colorful something that reminded Naruto of the Valley of Lillie's. He smiled as he continued to run. Suddenly a large bang sound corrupted the sky, followed by a splash. A rock made of fire landed in the water only a distance from them, they knew we were coming, but how? "New plan, make your way slowly to the bridge, if we split up then we'll rendezvous there. They split up, but not far from each other. Neji ran furthest from the land, but rocks still flew at him. His speed increased each time one would get closer to him. Suddenly, a rock came right in front of him. He leaped over it. Sakura whom was in the middle stopped every few moments to punch the rocks coming in her way, which easily crackled into dust. Sai and Rock Lee flew on the ink bird, that Sai had made only moments earlier. They did manage to avoid every flying object.

Naruto, was closest to the shore, where twice the amount of rocks came his way. He leaped, and avoided them and managed to keep his energy up. He flicked his slid a Kunai out of his hand, and attached a paper bomb to the hilt. He threw it towards one of the catapults. It missed by not that much, but the explosion made it useless, less rocks. With each passing second, Naruto managed to explode a catapult, until they reached the bridge. Naruto was the last to get there, with the rest of the group waiting. "So now what?" Rock Lee asked, he looked nervous but exited at the same time which didn't surprise Naruto what so ever. "Take off your forehead protector and let's go." As Naruto began to run, Rock Lee shouted, "Why, this represents whom we are!" Naruto turned around and rolled his eyes. "If they find out were Ninja of the leaf, they'll think we've allied with the Akatsuki causing a bigger war than what we have right now!" They looked at each other than nodded; they took off their forehead protector and began to run. Suddenly the last catapult launched it's final rock going towards the bridge. "Not my bridge!" Naruto said, "Sakura now!" Sakura leaped up on the pole, and bombarded the rock with her fist, smashing it into smaller pieces.

They got off the bridge, and ran on the roof. "There it is!" Naruto said as he saw the tallest building in the city. As he ran he heard another bang, He turned around but the group was on either side. The rock smashed right where Naruto stood, and crashed through the building. "Naruto!" Sakura shouted. Her heart pounded slowly, and increased with each passing second. Smoke exited the demolished building and wrapped around in the sky. It only took moments before the smoke disappeared, and there was Naruto without a scratch. Dirt and dust was the only thing that penetrated Naruto, as usual. Naruto then saw Three Ninja come in from the west, running from building to building. "After him!" The center ninja said, making various hand signs. Naruto took his Kunai and threw it. It would of hit the ninja, if they didn't side flip off it. But then suddenly there was an explosion which made them fly in various directions. They continued running when they saw another set of Ninja. Sai leaped out in front and took a scroll.

He quickly sat down and jotted some details on the scroll. When he finished, he slid the brush across the paper, and made a hand sign in front of his face. "Ninja Art: Super Beast Scroll!" Suddenly twenty inked lions came out rushing towards the ninja. They began to run once more with their hands thrown behind their backs. "I’m really fed up with the protection they have here, sending a small amount of ninja is so overrated!" The rest of the group laughed. The leaped from roof top to roof top until they arrived at the jail.

They hid behind a rock catching their breath from all that running. Naruto placed his back on the rock and looked over. "What do you see?" Neji asked quickly recovering all the energy he lost. Naruto's eyes widened as he looked back to Neji. "Ninja, many of them..how come they knew we were coming?!" Naruto questioned. The group looked confused except Rock Lee. "Naruto, we'll take these ninja, you just worry about going up there and reaching Jikoku!" Naruto nodded, and looked towards them. "I’ll fight with you for the beginning, then I'll slip passed them and find him.” They talked for a couple minutes until they got everything settled. "Okay take these." Naruto took five cloaks out of his bag, they were white, the bottom had two red lines circling around it. They placed it on and looked towards Naruto for the go. "Okay, three...two...one...go!" They quickly ran from behind the rock, making there way to the front door which was guarded by hundreds of ninja. Naruto placed his hands in a special motion. "Shadowclone Jutsu!" He roared. Suddenly clones surged from his body, they overpopulated the Wave ninja by two hundred.

They clashed. The wave ninja began the combat with Neji, Rock Lee, Sakura, Naruto and his two hundred clones. Neji flicked his hands away from him hitting two ninja square in the chest with his fingertips, making them fall towards the ground. Sai swung his swords in various motions, letting the blood spurt from the Ninja. Sakura let the ninja close in on her so she could punch them with her herculean strength. Naruto let the clones do all the work as he observed the scene. He closed his eyes and concentrated. ‘Come on! Naruto thought, where are you?’ Naruto opened his eyes and saw a flash of light come from inside a prison window. "There!" Naruto announced as he began to run forwards. He saw Sakura as she ran towards him. She pounced on him, wrapping her arms around him; hugging him. A tear fell from her face, and plopped on Naruto's shoulder. Her heart pounded vigorously as she gripped him tight, as if it were...for the last time. Naruto wrapped his arms around her waist and dug his head in her shoulder. He didn't say anything and neither did she. A ninja tried to stab Naruto, but lucky his close came and kicked him in the face. "Can't you see they're busy?!!" The clone questioned.

"Be careful Naruto!" Sakura said in desperation. Naruto didn't say anything, he had nothing to say for the first time. He simply gazed in Sakura's green eyes. The only thing he managed to do was close his lips on her cheek. He left his lips there for a moment taking a deep breath. Sakura stood there shocked, Naruto is affectionate, but he never tried to do that in his life. He departed his lips began to run. Their hands slipped slowly away from each other, From their arms, it slid up to their hands, and then to their fingertips. They got the energy as their warms hand departed from each other. Sakura suddenly flicked her wrist behind her punching a Wave ninja in which he flew back, rolled off the mountain, then plunged into the water. Sakura began to battle the other ninja but only one thing was on her mind Naruto.

‘Stay safe Naruto, she thought, stay safe!’