~*****~

My mind felt detached as I struggled to keep up after a couple of hours chasing after Sakon and Tayuya with the others. I hadn't realized my breathing had been so loud and ragged. "Ren, you sure you're okay?" Kiba called back. I gasped out in shock as my footing slipped. I quickly caught myself and slung myself over to the next branch, and leaned against the bark. "Listen, you're in no condition to continue on your own," Kiba explained as he looped his hand around my forearm. "Let me carry you for some of the way until the toxin works through your system, okay?"

I nodded breathlessly and climbed onto his back. I pull at his hood slightly before burying my face into the cloth.

"All right, let's keep moving." Shikamaru mentioned as he patted Kiba's shoulder. We started to move again.

The sun started to set over the quiet forest. "We're close," Kiba stated.

"There's only two of them left," Shikamaru reminded us.  "Against the three of us. I like those odds. If we play it right, the next time we meet them, we'll be able wrap things up once and for all."

"I'll say! Two against three? No sweat!" Naruto cheered.

"What do you mean, it's two against three?" Kiba asked hautily.

Akamaru barked in protest. I giggled and reached down to brush my fingers against his nose. "Oh, sorry about that, Akamaru." Shikamaru chuckled. "You're right. It's two against four. I like those odds even better."

"Wait'll they see our new technique." Kiba boasted to his furry friend. "These clowns won't know what hit them."

"Don't underestimate them," I pleaded softly. "These two aren't like the other ones you've faced."

"No, sweat, Ren! We got numbers on them!" Kiba boasted. I grimaced as a sickish feeling burned at my stomach.

"Yeah! Don't worry about a thing! As soon as we catch up to them, all I gotta do is my shadow clones jutsu and the shows over!" Naruto added pridefully.

"Well, that's comforting to know." Shikamaru sighed. "All the same, we're working as a team here, right? Just stick to the plan." He reminded them.

"Oh-- well, sure." Naruto said softly.

'Oh, now he listens to the platoon leader.....' I press my face against Kiba's jacket again with a whimper of discomfort.

"The most important thing is to at least get them in range before the sun goes down." Shikamaru mentioned.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Kiba smirked back at Shikamaru.

"I'm sorry for weighing you guys down," I apologize softly.

"You barely weigh anything! Let's hit it!" Kiba cheered.

~*****~

The sun finally went down, and the cool air felt good on my feverish skin. "We're almost there!" Kiba called.

"We're close enough," Shikamaru stated. "We'll stay right on their tail, but we're gonna maintain this distance."

"What the heck are you talking about?" Naruto snapped.

"We'll keep them in our sights, but we won't attack until sunrise." Shikamaru ordered.

"That's crazy!" Naruto shouted. "We can't afford to wait 'til then! What about Sasuke?!"

"Yeah, he's right. And besides, if we're gonna hit them with a surprise attack, it'll be an even bigger surprise if we hit them in the dark." Kiba agreed angrily.

"The darkness might give us an edge at the first moment of contact, but after that it would only put us at a disadvantage, right? Don't forget what we're really after. We want to keep them occupied just long enough to get Sasuke out of there. That'll take precision and split-second timing. We need to be able to see clearly. We can't risk going in blind, wandering around in the dark. Once they know what we were up to, all they'd have to do is fall back and guard Sasuke's coffin. They could take up a defensive position and wait for us to come to them. The advantage would be all on their side. Of course, things would be a lot different if we had Neji and his Byakugan." Shikamaru explained.

"Aren't you forgetting about me and Akamaru, and our sense of smell?" Kiba asked. Akamaru barked in response.

"I didn't forget about those sensitive noses of yours. It'll be what helps us find Ren after day light hits." Shikamaru mentioned. My peeked open an eye and tried to move my head, but I was too groggy. "But even so, in this part of the woods, they've got the geography in their favor. What's more-- what's the sense of attacking now when my jutsu's no help? The moonlights too dim, and there's too many clouds passing over it for my shadow possession to be effective. It's a drag, but to be completely safe, we've gotta wait 'til daylight."

Kiba grunted. "I don't know-"

"I agree!" Naruto quickly cut in. My eyes broke wide open. I slowly lifted my head and turned my gaze back at Naruto. He grinned happily.

"What?" Kiba hummed in confusion.

"Shikamaru's our leader. And if he says we wait, then we're gonna wait." Naruto explained.

"I just hope I'm right." Shikamaru sighed. I sighed out softly, and leaned onto Kiba's back again. My arms couldn't even grip around his neck anymore. I just dangled by now.

"Should we find an alcove for Ren?" I hear Kiba asked. He sounded fuzzy. "She's getting too warm. The toxin must be working it's course, and should leave her system at it's own rate."

"Yeah, she can't get mixed up in the fighting in her condition." Shikamaru agreed.

"I'll find her a spot!" Naruto suggested. "I'll catch up," I barely registered Naruto shouldering me. "Don't worry, Ren, it's almost over- and then we'll all be back in leaf village!" Naruto explained certainly. I felt a soft mass beneath me, and Naruto's fuzzy face appeared over my gaze. "I'll be back, all right?"

He left shortly after, and the silence that greeted me was soothing. My eyes slowly shut and I let myself fall into a deep slumber.

~*****~

The same dark hallways greeted me, with the dark purple torches lined on the wall. Once again, her soft coos lured me down the long, dark hallway. At the end, Ameonna pressed up against the cage, her long arms slithering through the bars now that the foreign seal had finally dissolved. "Your body is heavily damaged," Ameonna mentioned softly. I leaned against her arm and relished in the cool feeling. "But now that my chakra is free to flow through you, the toxin running through you will be purged in a couple of hours."

"Do you know what seal they had used?" I asked sluggishly.

Ameonna closed her large eye before shaking her head. "I'm sorry, but even in my ancient existence, I've never seen a seal like that before. It was made to keep my chakra from seeping out. Specifically."

"So, Orochimaru was after me as well..." I breathed out.

"Rest now, my vessel- I will aid your upcoming fights." Ameonna soothed the burning feeling through my body, and I fell back into the cool water below me, and sunk downwards, deeper, and deeper, until I was cradled in her soft embrace.

~*****~

My eyes snapped open at the bright sun peeking through the tree tops above me. It was blurred for a moment, and once it cleared, I sat up. No tightness, no soreness, no feverish feeling. 'The Toxin is proving difficult to purge. I'm going to pump my chakra through your body to keep it going during your fights. Until you can get the toxin removed, I'm afraid your body will fail at the end of this day.' Ameonna explains softly. I breathed out softly, and left the small canopy. I closed my eyes, searching for that chakra. I leapt off the branch, and headed towards the closest signature.

A flash of the familiar red hair I'd come to loathe came into view. "Tayuya-" I bite out, and a surge of chakra floods through me. Shikamaru had her in his shadow strangle jutsu, and it had finally broken. Her chuckle flies through my ears as I kick off a tree, shattering the branch, and swinging my leg out. "Leaf Hurricane!" My leg makes contact with her shoulder, and a definite crunch is heard. She flies off of Shikamaru, and hits a tree- hard. I land on the branch in front of Shikamaru in a crouch, and slowly stand up.

"You-" Tayuya barks.

"I'd say this was taken out of my hands," I hear a familiar voice echo from behind me. My eyes slice towards her, and a smirk wraps onto my lips.

"Temari," I drawl out before turning my gaze back onto Tayuya. "Sorry, but you should go on ahead. She's mine." She doesn't respond, and she leaves as I pull out a kunai.

"Ren-" Shikamaru gasped softly.

"You sure recover quick, I'll make quick work of you-" Tayuya sneers. She pulls up her flute, and starts playing soft notes.

"Her genjutsu is activated by her flute," Shikamaru explains softly.

"Then I won't give her a chance," I snap, and start forming hand signs. "Water Release: Lotus Light Rupture!" Water drops surrounded me, and formed small, razor sharp petals before flying towards Tayuya, cutting through the sound waves, and slicing clean through the trees.

"She must be hiding around here," Shikamaru breathed out.

"I'd grab onto something," I tell Shikamaru.

"Wait, what are you--"

My hands form the signs necessary. "Water Release: Great Vortex Jutsu!" The trees around us wither immediately, and a literal whirlpool swallows the forest around us for miles. Trees fall, the earth splits, and the raging waves just continue to tear down each opposition in it's path. It settles down, and the water starts to disappear. Among the rubble, Tayuya is crushed underneath a pile of fallen trees. I breathed out and relaxed the muscles in my back. "It's over." I mention softly.

Shikamaru just stares at me in utter awe.

"Pretty cool, huh?" I giggle. Shikamaru finally cracks a smile and rubs the back of his head as he slumps down the tree behind him. "I'm going on ahead," I mention softly as I kneel down. "Go and check on Neji and Choji. Sorry, but I'm taking over this mission, and dragging Sasuke back by his hair if I have to."

Shikamaru props his head on his hand and smiles. "I'll do that. I'll see you at the village, then."

"And we'll be on our way for our date~" I coo and leap off the tree.

~*****~

The open field I came upon is covered in upright, white... bones. A man is slumped off the side, motionless. The familiar gourd is sitting off to the side, just in the tree line. Then I hear his voice. "My sensei has often said to me, a good ninja always makes his own luck."

"Lee?" I call out uncertainly.

"Wha- Ren!" I hear him cry and wobble out from behind the tree lines. Gaara is behind him. His expression is as emotionless as ever, but I saw no blood lust in his eyes. I was hesitation, and a shyness. "Oh, Ren! When I had heard what happened! I wanted to come right away, and-- GYEH!?" I slammed my fist against his cheek. He plops onto the ground.

"YOU IDIOT! YOU'VE JUST HAD AN OPERATION, DIDN'T YOU?!" I shriek at him.

Lee just bows onto the ground, his head constantly hitting the grass ever so softly. "Ren Yukimura." Gaara hums softly as he reaches me. "I apologize how I acted the last time we met." He bows slightly, but his is graceful.

"It's fine, really." I chime as a flush crawls up my neck. "Really, I understand. You and I are one and the same, right?" I gently pat my lower stomach.

"I suppose so..." Gaara's eyes shift uncomfortably, and I decide to push this along.

"I know it's a lot to ask, but can you make sure Lee gets back to the Leaf Village okay? I'm heading after Naruto and Sasuke." I explain softly as I job past them.

"Ren, are you sure you're up to it?" Lee calls.

"No?" I shout back before leaping into the tree lines. 'Naruto. Sasuke... Please.... Don't break the bond...' I close my eyes for a brief moment to stop the tears oozing from my eyes.

~*****~

Naruto's dangerous chakra flooded the air, and I wasn't anywhere close to where it was centered. "Oh, no-" I gasped. "Can't I go any faster?" My legs start thumping against the trees with heavy bursts as I try to push myself harder. "Come on," I start repeating that phrase as rain starts falling from the skies. The sky darkens almost immediately, and I skid to a halt at the border of the Land of Fire, and the Land of Sound. At the waterfall where Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha had their great battle. At the bottom, Naruto floats in the water as Sasuke stares at him from above. "N-Naruto!" I cry out. I leap down, and nearly collapse into the water. My heart is hammering as I reach the duo. I reach into the water and pull the blond upwards, and press my ear against his chest. His heart beat is soft, but he's okay at the moment. My gaze flinched upwards at the emotionless Uchiha. "Why- Why, Sasuke?!" I shrieked. He doesn't respond. I struggle to keep Naruto in my arms. "You were our friend- You were our family! Did any of that mean nothing to you?!" Tears burned down my face as the rain really came down. "You were my best friend- I trusted you!"

"Ren-"

"Shut up!" I cut him off. I think of dropping Naruto, and wanted to murder Sasuke where he stood. But the pained groans escaped his throat, I stopped, and buried my face into his chest. "Just-" My shoulders shook as I refused to look up. "Just leave!" He doesn't speak, and he doesn't move for a moment before turning on his heel. "I'm not going to hold back the next time we meet." I seethe. "The next time we meet- I'll crush you."

Once again, he doesn't speak. He just limps away. Leaving me broken hearted, leaving me horrified.... just leaving me in general. I pull Naruto onto the rocks, and place my palms on his chest, and start trying to repair some of the damage. Sobs continued to wrack through me as I tried harder to focus through my thoughts, and my medical ninjutsu was not up to par. "Ren..." I hear a soft voice I'd been wanting to hear since I got abducted. I let out a harsh sob, and rounded on him, burying my face against Kakashi's chest.

"I-I could- Could've stopped him! But- But I couldn't- I couldn't just--" I sobbed harder.  He patted my head tenderly, and wrapped me up in a tight embrace.

"How did it come to this?" Pakkun asked softly as he sat besides Naruto. Sasuke's headband lay next to his head as Kakashi cautiously stepped over. I stayed in my spot, gripping my kimono as I try to stop crying. "It's Sasuke's..." Kakashi gingerly lifts Naruto up, and gazes down at me as he turns around. "Come on, Ren..." Pakkun speaks softly and nudges his head against my leg. I lean down and pick him up. I hold him to my chest and follow after Kakashi at a sluggish pace. "The Final Valley, huh?" Pakkun sighed as we reached the peak. The sky turned a darkish tint as we stared down at it. "To think that Sasuke and Naruto would battle it out here. It's pretty ironic, don't you think?" My heart beat stuttered slightly. Ameonna heaved a slight warning in my mind. The venom hadn't worked out of my system completely, and I was fighting against the last leg of it. But I had to remain upright- at least until we got to Konoha.

"Yeah..." Kakashi breathed out. "Look at that river. The water rages on for eternity like this epic never-ending battle, as eternal as the two founders of the Hidden Leaf Village, forever standing as these statues." Kakashi turned his gaze on the unconscious blond on his back. "Naruto, and Sasuke, as long as they live, the cycle will continue."

We stayed there for a while. Until the storm had stopped raging. I gazed up at the blue sky that had been littered with gray clouds. "The storm, it finally broke." I breathed out weakly. The sun broke from the clouds, and the warm rays seeped into my bones. A nice feeling despite the sorrow in my heart.

"All this rain," Pakkun started. "I won't be able to follow his scent, but keeping Naruto and Ren alive is more important than finding Sasuke." He reminded us. I tried to protest. "I'm an elite ninja hound, I can smell the toxin, Ren." His cold nose pressed against my forearm, and I felt woozy.

"Tell me if you're at your limit," Kakashi reminded me quietly. I nodded and stumbled after him.

"Your chakra is too low to be carrying me," Pakkun stated and leapt out of my arms. My arms stung with relief, and I just kept my pace behind Kakashi. I felt worthless. I felt useless. I couldn't fight against Sasuke. I couldn't lift a finger.