The Strength of the Weak {A Naruto Fanfiction}

The Strength of the Weak - Chapter 25

Satomi P.O.V.

"Naruto!" I shout, running forward to try to reach him before the kunai.

I don't get there in time.

Kabuto, thinking fast, performs hand signs and dives over Naruto, taking the impact for him. Naruto watches with wide eyes as blood seeps out of Kabuto's back, having impaled him in multiple places.

Kabuto's mangled body transforms into a log, assuring everyone on the team that he hadn't died as we had all thought. We all sigh in relief as Kabuto walks out from the woods, a sheepish expression on his face.

Despite the fact that he saved Naruto, I couldn't bring myself to trust him.

::

"How long have we been walking for?! It seems like we haven't gotten any closer to the tower!" Sakura exclaims, falling to her knees in exhaustion. Everyone was extremely tired since we have been walking for hours on end without any notable progress.

"Looks like you're right," Kabuto notes, pointing towards a tree off to the side. I follow his sign, sucking in a sharp breath at the sight. We've been walking for hours... but the centipede Naruto had killed earlier was still right next to us.

"Looks like we've fallen into a genjutsu," Kabuto muses, pulling out a kunai. My eyes widen as realization seeps into my bones. A... genjutsu? I've never been susceptible to genjutsu. In fact, it was my specialty. Whenever I was given the chance, I would use a genjutsu on my enemies.

Scoffing, I activate my sharingan to try to dispel it, but as soon as my sharingan appears my curse mark flares up, the mysterious tattoos traveling across my body.

"Satomi!" Sasuke calls, running to my side as I freeze up in pain. Deactivating my sharingan, the marks recede back and I sigh in relief. Looks like I'm not using my sharingan again until I get this curse mark fixed up.

Clones start to surround the five of us, causing us to each take out a defensive weapon. Naruto wastes no time in attacking the clones, however when his punch hits the body, it goes through it and another clone emerges from the injury, a kunai knife in hand.

Sasuke, despite what happened to me, activates his own sharingan to see where the real ninja were, or if this was a genjutsu. The clone with the kunai throws it straight towards Sasuke, although he can't move because of the pain flaring in his curse mark.

"Sasuke!" I call, throwing a hand out to stop the kunai, although Kabuto once again got there before I could. He tackles Sasuke to the ground and the kunai ends up scratching his leg. So... this wasn't a genjutsu? But clones can't use real weapons... they are supposed to be mere illusions.

"I see... so this is a genjutsu... but the real enemy is hiding in the shadows and throwing kunai to make it seem like the clones are the ones attacking. Not only that... but they probably won't come out until we are defeated," Kabuto realizes.

Looks like we're in for a long battle.

::

I watch from the bushes as Naruto and his clones transformed as us are finally worn out, thrown to the ground like mere insects. The three enemies finally come out of hiding, dispelling their jutsu and glaring down at our fake team with disdain.

"You're the one who messed up my shoulder," one ninja says, referring to Sasuke, "Now look at where you are. You guys are like cockroaches."

Naruto's worn out expression spreads into a large grin as he reveals that all of the others on the battlefield with him were clones. Sasuke, Sakura, Kabuto, and I come out of the bushes, smirking confidently as the Ame team's jaws drop, their efforts having been in vain.