~*****~

The rain is pouring down heavily as we race down the coast line. "There he is!" I snapped as I spot a ninja standing over him. "We need to hurry!"

"Oh, no!" Naruto gasped and started pushing his legs harder. "Idate!" He screams. "You rat," Naruto growled out as we skidded to a stop. "Are you in charge of those Rain Village Ninja?"

Sakura and I leap over to Idate. I lean down and press my ear against his chest. "Apparently they weren't quite up to the job. In a contest of genin, and one puny Chunin, it appears the Leaf Village are the stronger." The man mentions.

My hands glow green as I try to find out why he's down. "This is bad." I mutter.

"But Genin, no matter how strong they are, are no match against me." The man continues.

"Well, let's find out!" Naruto shouts as he and Sasuke leap into action. It's useless- the man leaps up, and slings an incredible wave of chakra down onto us. I brace the heels of my hands against the craggy rock besides Idate's shoulders as the pressure crushes against my body.

"As of expected of your squad. No more of a challenge than Idate, really." The man chuckles. "I'll just give you what I gave him." He stores his umbrella, and pulls out senbon. "No use in wasting my chakra."

"Watch out!" I snapped as he flings them towards us. The senbon dig into my shoulders as I pull Sakura underneath me.

"Needles," Naruto grit out as he tried sitting up.

"Needles that deliver a deadly poison." The man smirked. "No matter how strong you may be, you already have one foot in the grave."

"Yeah, yeah," Naruto groaned as he stood on shaky feet. "We've heard that before." He fell to his knee after a moment. Distant cheers echoed over the mountain range.

"Fukusuke must have reached the Modoroki Shrine. The last sound you'll ever hear, the sound of all your plans going up in smoke." The man left in a hurry.

"Sasuke, Naruto, Sakura-" I breath as I pulled out a bottle from my pouch. "Take these. Lady Tsunade gave them to me before we left."

"Grandma Tsunade." Naruto muttered.

"It's an antidote," I explain as I push one passed Idate's lips. "He should come around, now. Take one." I hold out the cap before popping one in. "We can't just leave him out in the rain, either. We have to get Idate some place warm." I lean down and slip an arm underneath him.

We find a small cave, and Sasuke lit a fire for us. I pulled out rag and started patting the sweat beading up from his brow and face. After a few moments, he finally began to stir. "What do you know, he's waking up." Naruto chimed.

He tried sitting up. "Whoa, hold on." I helped him slowly sit up so he didn't hurt himself. "How are you feeling?"

"Where is he?" Idate quickly asked. "What happened to Aoi?"

"He's gone," Sasuke answered. "So you're telling me that's that character's name? Aoi?"

"Who is he? Do you know each other from somewhere?" Sakura asked.

"He was.... a sensei I knew back in my Leaf Village days." Idate explained softly.

"What? You're from the Leaf Village?" Naruto asked uncertainly.

"After he... betrayed the Leaf Village, he became a Jonin of the Village Hidden in the Rain." Idate explained.

"Hang on. What are you talking about?" Naruto asked.

Idate tried moving more. "Slow down, your body is still very weak." I explain. "I healed what I could, but I can't use too much chakra, otherwise I'll be useless." I try to lighten the mood. "What is that you're holding? You've been clutching it this entire time." He hand shakily opened to reveal the small pocket knife.

"All that work, all the training, all for nothing." Idate grimaced after a few seconds as I checked on his leg wounds.

"You're giving up kind of easy, aren't you? That's not the way for any Leaf Village ninja to talk!" Naruto snapped.

"You've got the wrong guy." Idate murmured. "I haven't even thought of the Leaf Village since the day I walked away from it."

"Walked away?" I question.

"It hit me hard when I failed the first Chunin Exam. I didn't know what to do." Idate went into explanation. Aoi had tricked Idate, by telling him there were other ways to become Chunin. Idate had stolen the scroll of sealing, and the Legendary Blade of the Thunder spirit used by the Second Hokage. Aoi tried coercing Idate into joining him at the Hidden Rain village after he tricked Idate into committing treason. "I never say the Leaf Village again after that day. Nothing I do goes right." Idate explained softly. "I've never been of any use to anyone. But even so, Boss Jirocho-- even though he knew I was no good, he put his trust in me. He put this faith in me. And now look what I've done."

I bit my lip as I gripped at my kimono. It reminded me of what Kakashi told me what happened with Naruto, Iruka, and Mizuki.

"I've never been of any use to anyone." Idate sobbed. "Look at me. I'm worthless. Everything I do goes wrong. Aoi said it, and he was right. I'd be better off dead." Tears were pouring down his face now.

"Stop it! You idiot! You just said it yourself!" Naruto screamed at him. "You still got one person who believes in you, right?" He grasped at his shoulders. "One person is enough. That's all anyone needs!" Once  again, I'm floored by how much I respected Naruto. Brought up from nothing, and still tried harder than everyone else to prove himself. "Don't even think of quitting. Who says this race is over? You have no way of knowing how things are gonna turn out."

"Yeah, but--" Idate tried.

"Come on, on your feet!" Naruto urged.

"Stop it, Naruto!" Sakura scolded.

"He's far to weak to be running up a mountain!" I snapped.

"If he can't run, then I'll carry him on my back the whole way if I have to!" Naruto snapped back.

Idate pushed himself away from Naruto. "The other runner already reached Modoroki." Idate snapped back.

Naruto grasped his shirt and lugged him up. "You're not quitting! Understand!"

"No. Stop it, Naruto!" Sakura grit out.

"Sakura," I held my arm out.

"What are you doing?" Sakura snapped.

"Stay back." Sasuke mentioned. "Leave them."

"Jirocho's counting on you, and you don't want to keep him waiting! Pull yourself together!" Naruto growled. He let go, and let Idate fall back onto his haunch. "You're quitting now? After you get the chance you've been waiting for your whole life? To show someone he was right to depend on you, to believe in you?" Idate was silent. "Come on! Show them what you've got!"

Idate's resolve hardened. "I'll do it. But I'll need your help, Naruto."

A grin broaded the blond's face. "All right then! Let's shake a leg!" He hefted Idate onto his back. "Here we go!" Naruto ran out of the cave with the rest of us following close behind. 

~*****~

This damn rain wasn't letting up. My hair stuck against my face. My kimono was stuck against my frame, and the rain just kept pelting my body relentlessly. Usually, I'd feel at home with all this rain, but this time? I was burning up. Burning up to beat that bastard Aoi into a pulp. Ameonna was raging within, and her chakra was pumping through me without end. "How much further?" I question aloud.

"Not long now," Idate mentioned. "It's just up there."

"All the way up there?" Naruto panted.

"Yep." Idate confirmed.

"That's pretty high," Naruto mentioned. "How many steps are there anyway?"

"I'm not really sure, that's why they call these stairs the Spirit Breaker." Idate explained.

"They do, do they?" Naruto grinned. "Piece of cake! Just hang on!"

"Right! We've trained with the best Taijutsu Specialists we know!" I agreed heartily. "Here we go!" Naruto and I exchanged glances before starting our path up the stairs. They really  were known as the spirit breaker. Endless. Punishing. My thighs were starting to cramp. "I've gotta start training with Guy-Sensei again, I'm losing my touch!"

Naruto chuckled and agreed quickly. "Hey." Idate started. "Just one thing." Naruto hummed in response. "I appreciate the help, but don't think this is gonna make me trust you or anything."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Naruto panted. "As if I cared."

My gaze locked onto that thoughtful expression. "When you took the Chunin exam, did they--" Idate trailed off hesitantly. "What I mean is, was there a tenth and final question that came out of nowhere?"

"Yeah." Naruto hummed. "It was weird because the whole point of the question was whether you wanted to answer it or not."

"Yeah. Three years ago, I got the same sort of question." Idate mentioned. Idate failed for staying to take the final question, even if it meant sacrificing a squad member.

"Yeah, I see what you mean." Naruto hummed.

"So, what was the question that he hit you guys with?" Idate asked.

Naruto hummed. I smirked and tried hiding that snicker as he tried to remember. "Aw shut it, Ren!" He cried. "He explained it at the time, but I didn't get it!"

I guffawed. "All I know is, I trusted my brother, and he failed me." Idate stated. "I trusted him, and it ruined my life forever." Naruto and I hummed in confusion. "I wasn't just gonna take it. The least I could do was make him explain himself." Ibiki had told Idate he was not suit to be a ninja, and refused to explain. Even from going on a few information gathering missions I went on with him since I became Chunin, he never talked about himself when we had completed our mission. "All this time, I still haven't been able to figure it out."

"And that's when Aoi came along and tricked you, right?" I ask.

"That's right," Idate nodded. "That's what he did." Cheers erupted from the crowd as we finally got to the top.

"Unbelievable! We made it!" Naruto gasped as his legs wobbled around and he fell face first. I knelt down and panted heavily.

"Right. I'll take it the rest of the way." Idate stated. "You can take a break if you want."

Naruto hummed in confusion. "Oh, now you don't need me anymore?" 

"Naruto," I scolded. "This is his race. We can't run it for him."

"I have to win on my own two feet, or else I haven't won." Idate explains.

"Hey, wait! Idate!" He hesitated for a moment, but I knew the medicine I gave him was working excellently. "Take a breather, we're going to be following closely behind. Which means the Spirit Breaker steps all over again." Naruto groaned in exhaustion before I hauled him up.

~*****~

We were slower now, and it was hard keeping up with Idate now. When we finally did catch up to him, Naruto had to lob mud balls at Aoi who stood over Idate. "Mudballs, really?" Aoi asked in annoyance.

"Sorry! But I didn't have any kunai knives on me!" Naruto grinned.

"Naruto, Ren!" Idate gasped.

"You're gonna need more than an umbrella to catch the next ball I throw at ya!" Naruto held up his hands. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" I moved over to Idate and braced my palms against his chest.

"Hold on, I'm healing your injuries." I state softly. A green glow ebbs from my palms.

"Medical Ninjutsu," Idate gasped.

"This couldn't be all there is to it, now could it?" Aoi asked snidely as Naruto struck the Blade of the Thunder God with his Rasengan. Naruto flew back. "Ninja Art, Senbon Shower!" Senbon tacked Naruto's legs. "I should've told you. The Blade of the Thunder Spirit can cut anything. It even cuts through chakra as if it were water."

"Run, Naruto!" Idate shouted as I pushed him behind me. The thunder blade neared my nose as Aoi pointed it at us.

"I don't want to underestimate you again." Aoi mentioned before looking down at his feet.

"Mud Style, Head Hunter jutsu!" One of my clones shouted as the ground below Aoi moistened and shot up to swallow him whole. With one swipe of the sword, the mud trap explodes away from his body.

"First, I'll take care of the little runt in front of you, Idate. Then I'm going to take you out." Aoi seethed.

"Come on, what are you doing wasting your time on him?" I quipped.

"Yeah, your fights with us, remember!" Naruto snapped.

"Still at it, eh? How touching. Defending each other, looking out for each other. Pathetic nonsense." Aoi scoffed. "Only a weakling needs to depend on others. Trusting other people to give him the strength he hasn't got for himself. For a man like that, it's always easiest to just run away. Isn't that right, Idate? I mean, isn't that what you did after you stole the Blade of the Thunder Spirit?" Idate's posture stiffened as the memories flooded through his mind. I could only imagine what he was going through. "Incredible, isn't it? That someone would actually lay down his life for the likes of you. You could have hurried back to the village and summoned help. But that meant facing up to your guilt, wouldn't it? So, instead you just ran away. You didn't even have the excuse that Ibiki was dead, so there was nothing you could do, because he was alive, wasn't he? I have to give him credit for that much, at least." Fury was slowly building within my body. This guy was poking at everyone of my buttons, and I was close to boiling over. "He not only survived the torture and the fire, but he even managed to get back the forbidden scroll, all without telling me what I wanted to know. What I really can't get over is that he did it all for your sake, his worthless little brother. Someone who betrayed his own village, who's only ever thought of himself. Who trusts no one. Not even your brother Ibiki. Your own brother, who would have given his life for you. You don't even trust him, do you? You don't trust the people in your own village enough to go back to them and admit what you've done. You trust nobody. And nobody trusts you. You've learned your lessons well. I couldn't have asked for a better student. As a reward, Idate, I will kill you quickly."

"About time," I gasped as three kunai were deflected by the Thunder Blade.

"Idate!" Sakura called.

"Hey, guys!" Naruto cried.

"We need to work on your speed, you guys!" I called.

"Don't sweat it, you two." Sasuke retorted. "Just sit back and leave this clown to me."

"Don't underestimate him, Sasuke," I warned.

"Yeah, he's tougher than you think." Naruto agreed.

"It doesn't make any difference how many of you there are." Aoi smirked. "You'll never defeat me." He held up the blade. "I'm Aoi of the Rain, and I wield the Blade of the Thunder Spirit."

"Is that so?" Sasuke scoffed. His eyes flashed red, and I found that flush slowly crawling up my neck. What a time to get flustered by it. "Perfect," He thrust his arm down, and the distinct sound of birds chirping wildly filled the air. "The Blade of the Thunder Spirit against my Chidori. All right," He started running towards Aoi. "Let's find out which one of them is stronger!" Aoi easily deflected him, and Sasuke started attacking with a kunai.

Aoi scoffed. "I see that the stories are true. I'd always heard that the last of the great Uchiha clan was a hopeless loser unworthy of his family name." He deflected him again.

"Sasuke!" Sakura cried.

"Run, Sakura!" Idate called as we stood up. "He'll show no mercy! He'll kill us all! Get away while you still can!"

"Forget that!" I snapped back at him.

"What?"

"We're not going to abandon you. It is our sword duty to protect you! And if it means crushing this pathetic coward, then so be it! You can trust us!" I promised as I ripped open my vest for better movement.

"Yes, well then, back to the matter at hand-- Idate and his two little friends. Time to start your journey-- to the next world!" I raised my fists and chakra slowly enveloped them. I stopped as Sasuke growled out.

"Take it back," My gaze shoots over to him. "Take back what your said."

"What are you talking about?" Aoi snapped.

"I'm warning you-- don't mess with me!" His hand is suddenly engulfed with another Chidori. "I'm Sasuke, of the Leaf Village. The last..." His eyes are full of rage. "Of the Uchiha!" He strikes the blade again, and I think it's going to shatter the sword from the force, but Aoi brushes him off like yesterdays garbage. He tosses Sasuke over his head, and onto the wobbly bridge.

"Sasuke!" Sakura yelps. She throws a kunai to be able to run for him. "Get up, Sasuke! Hurry!" The usual stab of jealousy burns at my belly, but I admonish myself and turn my attention back on Aoi.

"It's a long away to the bottom of the sea." Aoi mentions as he points to the rope above.

"No, leave him alone!" Idate screamed, running at Aoi. My feet move before I can help it, and just as Aoi slices at the rope, I grab Sakura's ankle just as she falls.

I turn a gaze over my shoulder and my vision morphs as Aoi stands over me with the Thunder blade. Electricity burns over my body, and I bite back a scream of pain, but I do not move. Aoi's face is contorted in shock, and even fear as an unfamiliar feeling arises from my stomach. Rage. Unadulterated rage. Blood lust. And I can feel the burning feeling of Ameonna's rage tearing through me as my vision finally cuts out and its replaced with soft blue hues.