Btw omg new cover for The Outcast Of Konoha. Also... my laptop is kinda dying right now rip me... I'm still in the middle of saving towards a PC :(
Tsunade glared at Sasuke. He was currently caught in the arms of Kakashi and Kurenai. Who would have thought that the prideful and arrogant Uchiha would fall victim to Kurenai's genjutsu? Granted he broke free quickly, but it was all the time they needed to subdue him. The rest of the Leaf ninja were watching silently. They didn't want to speak. Well, those that were present anyway. Sakura and Sai were off with Ino in the gardens, and Kiba was nowhere to be seen. Only Akamaru was there. Hinata was taking care of him because for some reason Kiba wasn't.
"You have just jeopardised the relationship between the Uzumaki clan and Konoha. They may lack Ninja, but make up for in their economy alone. Sasuke Uchiha, you are hereby under arrest for treason and attempted murder of the Prince." Tsunade spat out, venom in her voice clearly discerned by all of the onlookers.
"Take him back to Konoha straight away. I will stay here and try to smooth things over." Tsunade ordered as she turned around.
"Very well..." Hiruzen said. "I assume you'll want me to resume my position as Hokage until you come back." Tsunade nodded. Hiruzen sighed. Not again... I thought I was done seeing all of that paperwork...
-----
The trip back to Konoha was peaceful to say the least. Sasuke didn't struggle at all. He seemed to have lost all will to resist after hearing Tsunade's verdict. When they got to the gates, they were allowed in. Hiruzen stopped everyone and then with a simple flourish of his hand, several ANBU appeared.
"Take Sasuke into custody. Lock him in a secure cell until the Fifth Hokage arrives. He will be sentenced then." Hiruzen said. Hiruzen turned around and was about to leave when a startled cry came from one of the ANBU. He turned around just as Itachi removed his mask.
"Big brother!" Sasuke yelled. He was crying hysterically.
"The Third Hokage framed me! He's taken my eyes and wants to take yours as well!" Sasuke screamed out. Hiruzen froze at the accusation and Itachi fixed his gaze on those holding him.
"Let. Sasuke. Go." Itachi said, his voice dangerously low as he looked at the empty sockets where Sasuke's eyes used to be. The jonin sensei all gasped and looked down at Sasuke before looking at Hiruzen.
"Wa-" Hiruzen started but there was a sudden explosion and a flurry of movement. When Hiruzen turned to look, all of the Leaf Ninja surrounding Sasuke were knocked out, and in their place, stood Itachi, his Mangekyo Sharingan blazing dangerously as he stared at the old man.
"What have you done to my brother?" Itachi asked quietly. "Answer me before I kill you on the spot!" Itachi shouted.
"Itachi I-" Hiruzen started again, but was cut off by a long sword protruding through his chest. The old Hokage fell to his knees, coughing sporadically. As he fell, Sasuke slowly rose from behind him, laughing like a deranged maniac.
"Power... yes... give me more!" Sasuke shouted before looking at his older brother.
"Thank you, Itachi..." he said, almost mockingly before he vanished. Itachi rushed to Hiruzen's side, his Sharingan fading back to normal as he helped the old man sit up.
"I'm sorry Lord Third! My emotions got the best of me... a simple genjutsu tricked me!" Itachi cried out in despair as he watched the aged Kage breathed slowly.
"Sasuke... he betrayed us all... he attacked the Prince..." Hiruzen gasped out before the light disappeared from his eyes. Itachi bowed his head in grief. So my foolish little brother has become a traitor to the Leaf... then I shall be the one to bring him to justice... Itachi thought as he stood up.
"I'm sorry, Lord Hokage. Forgive me."
-----
Tsunade rushed into the room where Naruto last was only to be met with a gruesome sight. Lady Mito and her Uzumaki bodyguards were all turned into stone. The very danger of absorbing far too much Nature energy. In the middle, was another statue. One of her grandson. Naruto. And beside him, sat Gaara.
"Lord Kazekage..." she murmured quietly. She knew how close the two jinchuriki were, and it came to no surprise when he turned around that she could see his tear stained face.
"What's wrong with him?" Gaara asked. "What's wrong with all of them?" Tsunade gave him a sad look.
"They've all undergone petrification by absorbing too much Nature energy. Such is the danger of Senjutsu." Tsunade replied sadly, before she turned and left the room.
Elsewhere, Kiba and Karin were finally getting dressed. Karin kept blushing and avoiding Kiba's gaze, as he kept looking up and down at her. They continued to dress in silence, until they both felt a wave of chakra rush over them. Kiba stiffened and looked in the direction from where it came while Karin froze. Her eyes widened and she tried to turn to Kiba but her legs were frozen.
"K-Kiba!" She screamed out as she felt the Nature energy invade her body, and she mentally cursed her own sensor abilities.
"Karin!" Kiba yelled as he rushed over to her, grasping her hand tightly and staring at her panicked face.
"W-what's wrong!?" He shouted, feeling panic set in to his own heart.
"I'm - I'm - the Nature energy is turning me into a statue!" She cried out. Kiba began to panic, feeling the mounting dread reach its breaking point from within.
"N-n-no no no no! Karin! Don't leave me!" He shouted, clutching her stone hand tightly, wishing, praying that he was just in a nightmare, except that he wasn't and he could do nothing but watch helplessly as the transformation finally reached her head, turning her into a stone statue with a single tear rolling down her cheek.
"K-Karin..." Kiba whispered, staring at the statue in front of him as he sank to his knees. Finally, when the full impact of what had just transpired came to him, he felt his tears flowing freely down his cheeks.
"KARIN!!!" He howled out.
Sakura, Ino and Sai stopped what they were doing upon hearing Kiba's howl. They couldn't discern what he was howling except that they could almost feel the emotion in his voice. He wasn't howling out of anger or anything like that, they could instantly hear the broken heart in his howl. The trio ran inside the palace and observed in shock, the state of all of the Uzumaki clan members. They were all petrified into statues in various modes of action. Shocked, and a little terrified, they ran to the throne room and were confronted with another surprise. The Kazekage, on his knees, crying on the floor. By him was a petrified Naruto.
"The Prince!" All three shouted at once. Surrounding the Prince were the Royal Guards and Lady Mito, also similarly petrified.
"This is so horrible..." Sakura said in a hushed tone.
"All thanks to Uchiha Sasuke." Came Tsunade's voice from behind them.
"I'LL KILL THAT BASTARD! I'LL TEAR HIM APART UNTIL HE'S NO LONGER RECOGNISABLE!" Kiba screamed as he burst into the room. Everyone turned and took note of Kiba's condition. His eyes were red from crying, and his face wet from tears. The way his canines were and his claws on his fingers, indicated he'd activated his beast mimicry jutsu, which meant he was seriously about to attack-to-kill someone.
"Calm yourself, Kiba. Uchiha Sasuke has been taken back to Konoha under heavy guard for treason and will be sentenced when I arrive." Tsunade said firmly. "Besides. The more pressing issue. How do we reverse this petrification? He's absorbed too much Nature energy, however by the same token, it is infused with his own chakra, therefore, there is a high chance, that something infused with his chakra, or something that is a product of himself, can be used to break the petrification of all of them." Tsunade explained.
"If it was pure Nature energy, then it is irreversible. Luckily it wasn't." Tsunade continued, seeing Kiba's face light up slightly.
"So have you found something?" Kiba asked hopefully.
"There is nothing here that is like that." Tsunade replied with a grim face. Then she noticed that the Kazekage had perked up during her explanation of the situation, and he seemed to be very far away.
-----GAARA'S FLASHBACK
He faced Naruto.
"Naruto, I have a serious question to ask you. Back during the Chunin exams with Temari... after her victory, and after the fight... did you two by any chance...?" Naruto said nothing, standing straight and looking out the window.
"And you are asking because...?"
"Because..."
-----END OF GAARA'S FLASHBACK
"Lord Kazekage?" Tsunade said and it snapped Gaara out of his flashback.
"Oh sorry, what?" He asked back. Tsunade shook her head.
"I was just checking to see that you were alright. Was anything the matter?" Gaara hesitated.
"No. Nothing's the matter."
-----
The little boy bounced happily on his mother's knee. His blue eyes searched the room intelligently, as he thought about things. What things, no one knew, because he was quiet, but also smart. Very smart.
"Mother, when is father coming back?" He asked out of the blue. Temari stiffened. She looked across the room at her giant fan, seeking out the strength to tell her son. Then she looked at him, turning him around and ruffled his hair, plastering a smile on her face, although the smile was cracked and anyone, including her own son could tell it wasn't real.
"Your father... he's dead. He was... killed during a mission." Temari said simply, watching as her son's face fell.
"Where is his grave?" He asked.
"I'm sorry, Takamatsu, but during his mis- our mission, he was captured and killed in enemy territory." Temari replied shakily.
"I'm sorry mother, for asking such questions of you." Takamatsu apologised.
"It's fine." Temari said, wiping a tear from her eye.
"It's time for school!" Takamatsu said as he bounced off her knee and ran around, his arms stretched out like a bird. Temari couldn't help but crack a smile. Bright and full of energy, just like his father... She thought. She couldn't deny it. At the age of 4, her son was an unprecedented genius, perhaps he'd gotten that from his father, but she'd never know. He was already in his first year at the Ninja academy, and maybe, just maybe, he'd be able to surpass them both before he turned 16. But he was also very childish, despite seeming to be so mature. He would often make his mother giggle or laugh at his antics, as she was seldom seen in a good mood.
"Let's go." Temari said as they left the Kazekage mansion and headed towards the Academy, her son's tiny hand held tightly by her own hand.