findpeace | IC: CONTACT

[ It was supposed to be simple. Just a message to issue a challenge to the blond.

But what the fuck...?! Yeah, hanging up after the first three lines. ]

[ No, he needs to do this, because all he's finding are more reasons to want to beat the hell out of Naruto... so calling back.

..................... "let Naruto handle your stresses"?

This is like a horrible trainwreck.

Yeah, he can't get through this. Have another hang-up click. ]

[ Okay, he's going to force himself to sit through it this time...

Or he'll set the Cerevice down, walk away while the message plays, and forget to come back in time.

There's a lot of nothing here with some muffled sound in the background until the recording times out. ]

[ TRYING THIS AGAIN.

Trying so hard not to laugh at this. Or facepalm. Or do anything other than sy what he needs to a--

And now he's choking on the drink he'd grabbed when he'd wandered off the last time because he's trying not to snicker at this and failing.

Another hasty hang-up click. ]

[ Alright, he's getting through this even if it kills him.

It's just... so hard to do because wow he is having a hard time taking this seriously when he needs to because this is important. Okay, finally, it's over. Really, you need a new message that isn't... this.

Sasuke does not appreciate rap. ]

...That was terrible, and you owe me for making me listen to it.

[ Many, many times. ]

[ DAMMIT! There was a reason he'd bothered to contact him in the first place, and that stupid rap had distracted him enough that he forgot to say what it was.

This time, though, he's gotten smarter. No voice, no video, just text. It's easier that way. ]

Sakura said something to me that I need an answer to. And the next time I see you, I'm punching you in the face because you deserve it.

[ For possibly making him lose an arm. For leaving. For coming back. For a lot of things he doesn't know about yet. For anything and everything because it'll make him feel a little better. Not a lot, but a little. ]

[He sucks at texting so he'll just respond to this via audio. Also, what?]

Oh yeah, I forgot about that. [Naruto had recorded the rap before he left last time and apparently it's still there. Which is kind of funny and now he's trying not to snicker at the idea of Sasuke listening to it.]

I thought it was pretty good. [The rap, that is.]

Meet me in the garden 'cause I've got something for you too. You can ask your question there.

It's terrible.

[ Not that he has room to talk, because he wouldn't be caught dead rapping, so Naruto has one-upped him in that respect.

But the garden, huh? Okay, he can do that. Can't guarantee it'll still be standing afterward, but it's a place and hit works. ]

You weren't supposed to come back.

You think everything's terrible. [Basically.

He wouldn't trust Sasuke's word on his rap anyway. Naruto would only trust Octopops and he's not here.

That's why he picked the park and not some building because he's fairly sure it's going to devolve into the two of them fighting and blowing a couple of trees over is better than knocking a building down.]

It's not like I could leave all of you here either.

Not everything. [ Just most things. ]

We were perfectly fine, except for the Hyuga.

[ Hinata seemed to take Naruto's disappearance a little harder than any of the others, but she'd managed to survive. And now there were others here. Children, even. ]

Almost everything. [There's like maybe... five things Sasuke doesn't think is terrible.]

You weren't upset that I left when we had unfinished business?

[Maybe Sasuke didn't miss him in the same way that Hinata or Lee would. But Naruto would bet that his friend did miss him in his own way. His own, slightly crazy way of not being able to beat the crap out of him in an attempt to make him give up on the whole friendship thing.]

Almost is still not everything. [ TECHNICALITY! ]

Why would I be upset? [ Annoyed, yes. Upset, it's debatable. Or more like he was able to hide it pretty well. ] Don't be so full of yourself. You aren't that special.

Close enough. [In Sasuke's case anyway.]

Yeah, yeah. See you at the park. [Not going to say that Sasuke was the one to seek him out this time instead of the other way around.]

[ In his head, he has it all planned out. He's going to punch Naruto in the face and make himself feel better, however momentary that feeling is. That is what will happen.

Everything that transpired with Sakura that first night had left a bitter taste, and while he'd been good and hadn't done what he wanted to by taking out the guy who he collected his pay from, he's decided he's going to channel that into this. Sarada, his arm that everyone keeps saying he lost but that he still has, the idea that he has a child with Sakura of all people, Naruto's return, Naruto's leaving. All of it are reasons for why he wants to do this. As far as he's concerned, Naruto deserves it.

The park isn't hard to get to, and fortunately it's not terribly populated today so they don't have to worry about any idiot bystanders getting pulled in. This is between him and Naruto. And now it's just a matter of finding him. ]

[He'd already been on the way to the park while he argued with Sasuke but it isn't a rush to get there - not like the time Naruto rushed from one battlefield to another. This time he knows for certain that the other will come around, he knows how much more it will take for all of this to end. Even if Sasuke doesn't hang around them all as if they're the best friends that they actually are. It just isn't that kind of friendship.

Once he hits the park, Naruto can pinpoint the Uchiha's location rather easily and heads towards him without hesitation. He's pretty much expecting Sasuke to hit first, ask questions later so when he gets closer, he prepares for an assault.

Actually takes both hands out of his pockets and clenches them tightly into fists ready to block any punch that might come. Or maybe Sasuke will get distracted by all of the changes - his shorter hair, his growth, the fact that his left arm is covered in bandages from the elbow down (at least that's what is visible with his sleeve in the way).]

[ He's fully intent on hitting him. In fact, the moment the blond is visible, his mind is made up and nothing is going to stop him short of actually being blocked. But his approach is not rushed, there's no indication to any bystander what his intentions are. The closer he gets, though...

...and before he can get too close, he stops, keeping some distance between them. Something's not right. There is something seriously wrong with this picture, and he can't put his finger on it. Finger. Hands. Two...?

'Naruto and you... um, you both lose a hand.' She'd said it to his face, while he'd still been reeling over the Sarada thing. She'd told him that the two of them each lost an arm, that she had just come from stabilizing them both. She'd insisted that he should ask Naruto about it.

She lied to him.

And that's when the attack comes, Sasuke now angry enough over the thought that Sakura had lied to him, fully intent on taking that anger out on Naruto. Maybe questions would come later, but right now, he's only interested in this. ]

[There's no talking, not like the last time they fought. Instead it's just Sasuke coming for him, pausing as if taking in something and then continuing on. He doesn't know what's been said by anyone else. Any number of things could have been talked about with all of these different people from different times. Naruto doesn't even know what Sasuke called him out here to ask him about but pretty much most conversations with the Uchiha involve fists.

This one is no different. And he's ready for it, especially with the hesitation in the middle. Naruto raises his right arm to block the hit that's coming for him and once he's stopped it from connecting to a more sensitive area, he jumps back to land on a tree branch.

There's none of the determination that's been embedded in his eyes during all of their other fights. Instead there's something else, something knowing. It's spread to his lips and curled them up into an easy smile.]

You know, it's been a while since I did this.

[Fought with Sasuke. There really isn't anything quite like it, honestly. Nothing else compares to going toe-to-toe with the last Uchiha.]

[ He doesn't like those eyes. It makes him feel as though he's not being taken seriously, as if this is just some sort of game to Naruto. Like the other is just toying with him.

It's aggravating.

But besides having been lied to, there's still something very not right, and it's driving him crazy because he can't quite figure it out. It shouldn't be this difficult! Fine, he'll try again, this time using the sharingan to follow movement and the rinnegan to teleport himself closer. It's risky since the rinnegan is still something he's not entirely used to using, but he's willing to take the chance. Screw caution. ]

Then you should've stayed gone!

[ Still hasn't broken out the chidori yet, but that doesn't mean it's not coming... ]

[Two years. That's how long it's been since Sasuke left the village for the second time. He can't force the other to come back to stay - that's impossible. Sasuke is just as stubborn as he is which is exactly why the two of them fought until limbs were lost. But they've learned to bend just a little.

Now he has to achieve that again. He knows he can and that he will - even if it costs him a second limb. Naruto meant what he said all of those years ago about dying with the other. Many times over if necessary. This time around it's a different sort of determination. It isn't the desperate thing it once was. It isn't for himself or Sakura or anyone else. This time it's solely for Sasuke. To make him see what was always right in front of him, to prove that he isn't alone.

There is definitely something very not right. His right arm contains a mix of his and the Kyuubi's chakra but it's different. It might even remind Sasuke of another Uchiha he had an encounter with recently.

Naruto remembers how violent it was to have chidori and rasengan clash, so he's going to attempt to avoid that if he can. Instead he'll let Sasuke come at him and block the next blow, only to follow it with one of his own.]

I didn't get a choice either way!

Edited 2016-05-29 05:09 (UTC)

[ Teleporting himself right into things like he did was probably not the smartest idea he'd ever had. After his initial blow was blocked, it meant he had to pull some aerial acrobatics to avoid getting hit himself, using Naruto's attack as a springboard to keep from crashing to the ground. Because he didn't have much by way of forward movement to ricochet from it's not the most graceful of landings, but it gives back the distance he tried to close too quickly. Note to self, propulsion is important, and until he gets a better grasp of his maneuverability with the rinnegan, it's probably best to not pull risky stunts. At least not when the opponent is Naruto.

And this Naruto seems off.

Now that he's gotten a closer look at him, even though it hadn't really been his intention, there are things that seem very amiss. His face isn't as round as it had been. The hair is completely wrong. The bandages on his arm are new. The clothes... eh, he can chalk that one up to having to go with whatever can be found in Cerealia. But the biggest difference is that he's almost too calm, and it feels out of place. ]

That's not my problem.

[ Amassing chakra at his left hand and applying a nature transformation has become something he can do without really focusing on it, the distinct chirping sound piercing the air... and then he's moving again, rushing at Naruto. If fists don't work, go for raw power.

Either way, he's determined to hit him. ]

[Rushing into things headfirst was supposed to be Naruto's stick, not Sasuke's. Which might be weird now because now is the time when he'd follow up that punch with more attacks but he keeps back and watches what the other does next. Even though he's enjoying this fight with someone who is his equal it isn't about him - it's about Sasuke. So it's better if the Uchiha comes to him to keep going with this fight.

As it is it seems as if he keeps getting distracted for a few seconds here and there. Like he's slowly examining Naruto but doesn't yet realize what's changed.]

Seems to me like you're the one who has a problem with all of it.

[The others might have been sad that he left Cerealia in the first place but Sasuke is the only one upset that he came back.

Seeing chidori form has him thinking that he should break out rasengan but every time those two jutsus have clashed, it's been bad. So he doesn't and instead breaks out a clone (using just his left hand rather than both) in order to double team Sasuke's attack. The clone goes for the left arm and the chidori it contains while the original swings his foot towards Sasuke's face.]

[ He doesn't understand. Naruto wasn't supposed to come back, he was supposed to stay gone and take care of things because home had chosen to take him back instead of Sasuke. If he's returned, then it's one more thing to blow everything the Uchiha thought he'd figured out about this place clean out of the water, and he doesn't want to accept that. Add to all of it the fact that there are kids who claim them as their parents, and it's a giant billboard that screams 'Everything you thought thus far is wrong'.

That's not something he really wants to accept.

Unfortunately, all it's doing is driving him to distraction. He should've waited to confront the blond, given himself a chance to take in everything and try to sort it out in his head, but he didn't. And now, he's paying for it. ]

You're supposed to be at home.

[ He knows what comes next. This is a familiar song and dance for them -he pulls chidori, the other breaks out rasengan, clash, explosions, nothing but collateral damage- but this time-- What the hell is he doing?

This is wrong. This is all wrong, and they need to stop. He needs to stop. He's too close to stop.

The chidori cuts through the clone, leaving the telltale poof of smoke in its place as his own attack flickers and dies out, but he's too close to completely avoid Naruto, instead choosing to pivot on one foot at the last second to keep from taking Naruto's kick head on and using his right arm to block. If nothing else, it gives him the chance to take hold of the blond's ankle and upset his balance. ]

And you're supposed to be missing an arm!

[ Or so he's been told.

Never go rushing into a fight when you're distracted by other things. It doesn't go well. ]

[Well he went home, saved the world again from the moon and everything was fine now. This time around Naruto wasn't worried about what would happen if he never got back to break the jutsu that had put everyone to sleep, he wasn't worried about the impending fight with Sasuke or how much longer he'd be at trying to convince the other to come back to Konoha. The same was not true for the guy he was currently fighting. Sure he might be facing the same situation with suddenly having a kid but other things had been settled for Naruto.

It makes it easier to accept the future to have the past sorted out.

Plus, you know, having a kid... having a family is actually pretty great in his opinion. Weird but kind of exciting at the same time. He does feel bad for Boruto because neither of them really know him. But they can get to know each other.]

So are you! None of us are supposed to be here.

[This is wrong. He should meet chidori with rasengan and he knows that the chances of the pair of them losing an arm isn't that high at the moment - they're both not exhausted and have enough chakra to prevent another such incident.

Naruto feels the resonating pain from his clone but manages to ignore it in favor of focusing on his own actions. He uses his momentum to flip back and his other foot kicks out to break Sasuke's hold on his ankle.]

I got it replaced!

[Obviously someone has told Sasuke about that - Sakura maybe considering when they saw each other she'd been surprised that he had two arms again. Or Lee could have said it.]

[ Replaced? Well that's certainly a convenient 'story'. ]

Bullshit! She lied! They both did!

[ His hold broken, Sasuke retreats again, careful to keep some distance. Now that he's gotten close enough to figure out that what he was seeing wasn't wrong, Naruto doesn't look the same as he did before, so there's no telling what else has changed besides his appearance. He may be reckless at times, but right now, all he really wants is to punch the blond in the face. Having a drawn out fight with someone who isn't what he remembers is not something he wa--

Oh to hell with it.

Making use of the seals he keeps in bandages on his forearms, there's barely any time at all before he lets a handful of shuriken fly toward Naruto. He's not expecting it to work, but he wants to know if this is something worth pursuing before making another attempt to get close. ]

[He doesn't quite know who "she" is. It could be Sakura or Hinata or Tenten or Temari. There are a lot of "she's" now when before it had just been one. And Naruto doesn't know who "they" are either. Again there are a lot of people who could be "they".

Not that it matters because he doesn't think that "they" would lie.]

No, they didn't!

[Don't be so mistrustful, Sasuke. They aren't the older generation - the one who kept way too many secrets. Typically the things they say are the truth. And the sentiment is returned. Naruto wants to punch the Uchiha in the face and get him to see reason but one punch won't do it. It's gonna to take a few.

Might as well get started.

As the shuriken get close, Naruto leaps up and over not bothering to stand still long enough for Sasuke to pull some kind of trick with wire. Instead he heads straight for the other, his right arm begins to glow but it doesn't consume him entirely. His hand is balled into a fist - a sign that he isn't going to pull rasengan out.]

Then why do you have two arms?

[ Sarada had said Sasuke was supposed to be missing an arm. Sakura had confirmed Sarada's words, stating that both he and Naruto each lost one. And yet, here is Naruto with two arms. Replaced? Like he's supposed to believe that without proof!

Sharingan and rinnegan fix on the other's movements, watching for signs of impending attack, the glow of that right hand a sure sign that something is coming. This time, though, he won't rush to meet him, and while a fire attack could be useful to slow him, the flames would block his vision and put himself at risk, so he chooses instead to wait, opting for the same thing twice. A second volley of shuriken is sent, just something to split the other's attention.

He'll let Naruto come to him, bring him close enough that he can get that one shot in, and prepare to block whatever comes with Susano'o. ]

Because I wanted one but you decided not to stick around long enough for Tsunade to replace yours!

[Clearly someone has told Sasuke that they both lost an arm in their fight. Sakura didn't know that Naruto had gotten that replacement but Boruto knew so Sarada had to know too. But hey, if Sasuke wants proof then he can have it - up close proof.

His left hand reaches into the pouch at his back and Naruto uses a shuriken to knock the next wave away instead of attempting to dodge it. He keeps heading straight for Sasuke, intending to use his own fist to knock some sense into the guy. It really isn't the fight of two years ago when they came at each other with everything they had, exhausted themselves until they had no choice left but to use their fists. Fighting until they're black and blue, unable to move and bleeding out.]

If fighting until we both lose an arm is what it takes to make you realize that I'm not giving up on you, then that's what I'll do. Again if I have to.

[Naruto closes the distance and aims his fist to punch Sasuke directly in the face. That's it, a simple punch. Well, an extra-extra strenght punch with Kurama's enfused chakra but still.]

I'll keep going until I can't and then I'll get patched up and do it all over again.

[ Why in the world would Naruto think that he actually wants to fight until he loses limbs? He kind of needs those! And what if this time, it's a leg? Or both arms? Why is it so important that they keep doing this same song and dance? ]

Are you crazy?!

[ Why is he fighting? It's not a search for power anymore. Revenge against the very world they lived in? The desire to bring about a revolution and force change, to be that darkness which holds everything together through a mutual hatred and fear... but for what? The world that needs changing is not the world they're currently residing in. The bijuu, with the exception of the Kyuubi, aren't there. There is no Infinite Tsukiyomi holding the world hostage. Even the Naruto in front of him isn't the same, living proof that he probably failed at what he set out to do.

So what is it he's fighting for?

The Kyuubi-enhanced fist connects hard, his head snapping to the side as the force of it throws him backward. It's the price for allowing his thoughts to get muddled, distracting him from the task at hand. A tree catches him, keeping him from slamming into the ground and rolling, the trunk snapping under the weight of impact. He's pretty sure he can feel his bones grating together, can tell where the bruises will appear. Still, he pulls himself out of the tree trunk to get to his feet again. He should be better than this, not faltering and stumbling like some silly kid fresh out of the Academy.

It's not worth it. ]

What the hell is wrong with you?

[ The whole goal of this ordeal was just to punch him in the face for leaving and coming back, for making him lose an arm that he hasn't lost yet, for anything and everything up to this point. It's a goal that he wants to see through to the end.

Another headlong rush to meet him, only this time he's a bit more careful - attacking head-on is an idiot's move. As soon as he's close enough, fist drawn back, fully intent on making this time count, he takes the gamble and uses the rinnegan to jump himself to Naruto's left side. A surprise attack... which limits him to one more use of that eye before he can't use it again until it recharges. ]

Just let me go already!

[It's probably a crazy answer, one that a lot of people wouldn't agree with. Actually there was a time when even Sakura told him to give up even though it pained her to do it. To Naruto the answer is very simple. And that answer is - that they're friends. Sasuke was the first person he ever felt a connection to and he honestly cannot just give it up so easily. Even if it costs him his life. An arm or a leg are nothing in comparison to the loss he'd feel if their bond was broken.]

I'm not crazy! It's everyone else who's crazy!

[As much as he cares for his friends, Naruto couldn't ever agree with their decision to turn their back on Sasuke. Does he understand it? Sure. It's reasonable to take in all that Sasuke has done and have no other choice but to make the decisions they did. They weren't as close to the Uchiha as he was, hadn't been through the things they have. They don't understand the pain of being alone like they do.

He watches as Sasuke flies back and hits a tree so hard that its trunk snaps. Naruto isn't all that worried about the individual who caused it because his friend has taken harder hits than that - ones hard enough to break stone. Instead he leaps forward, intent on following it up with another punch to the stomach.]

What is wrong with wanting to save my best friend? What is wrong with never giving up on something I want?

[Naruto - who never had anybody growing up just can't let go of the bonds he's made. He lost Neji and he's not losing Sasuke just because of some stupidity. Because that's what it is. It isn't that Sasuke's idea of changing the world is stupid - no, it's how he's intending to go about it. About how he is going about it. Sasuke is pushing aside all of the people who care about him and intending to use force to change the world. That makes him no better than the bad guys they've been fighting against. No better than Madara and Obito and all those others.

That isn't the way to change the world.

He's close to where Sasuke had impacted with the tree when his friend suddenly uses the rinnegan to close the distance. Naruto doesn't have time to block and so the blow strikes. It knocks him back, unbalances him until he's lying on his back in the dirt. Blue eyes glare up at Sasuke even as he lifts a hand to wipe across the area of his cheek where the fist connected.]

What kind of friend would I be if I did that? There's no way. No way I could turn my back on you.

[Naruto gets to his feet, slowly. Still intent on fighting until this truly is settled once and for all.]

[ The feeling of fist connecting with face is disgustingly satisfying, though that satisfaction is short-lived. He won't make another hasty attack, allowing time for Naruto to get to his feet. If he could find it in himself to walk away, he would, but that's just... not possible right now.

He hasn't gotten the answers he wants. ]

You can't have everything you want! Only a selfish child would think otherwise. [ Pot, meet kettle.

He doesn't understand it. Why should Naruto bother with him? It's not as if he hasn't done everything humanly possible to distance himself from the blond and try to force that tie to be severed. Why on earth would he want to hang onto someone like that? After everything he's done, why won't Naruto just wash his hands of him and be done? Why does he always have to get in the way of everything?

...of... whatever there is here to get in the way of.

This isn't home. Cerealia may not be huge, but there's enough space that they can just avoid one another. They can have their space without encroaching on each other's territory... so why are they fighting?

Oh. Yeah. Because he wanted to punch Naruto in the face for leaving. And for coming back. And for making people worry about him. And for several other reasons he can't recall at the moment. Not at all because somewhere inside, he was worried, though. Nope, not in the slightest.

It actually takes a lot of self-restraint to keep his voice at a normal volume -shouting outside in public is probably not the best idea given that most anyone in earshot doesn't know about what went on at home, nor is it any of their business- but somehow he manages, even if he's got to growl out the words through clenched teeth. ]

Why should you get to decide whether or not I need "saved"? Did you ever stop to think that maybe I don't want you to? What right do you even have to make that decision? Why the hell does it matter so damn much to you?

[ Why do I matter so much to you? ]

[It probably wouldn't help to know that the pain from the hit is already fading, that it won't leave a bruise as Kurama's healing regeneration takes hold to heal this minor injury. Naruto doesn't move right away.]

I have never wanted anything as much as I want this. Even more than being Hokage. [Which is saying something considering how long he's proclaimed he's going to become the Hokage one day.

Naruto and Sasuke understand a lot about each other but what he feels for their bond... maybe Sasuke doesn't understand that. Not in its entirety. Sasuke has never known what its like to feel as though he never had a bond to start with - he had his parents and Itachi growing up even if they were taken from him. But for Naruto, Sasuke had been the first.

Two kids who could understand what it was like to be alone even in a crowd of people. Two kids who were angry at the world because none of them knew what it was like. Two kids who would go home at the end of the day to an empty apartment that would never truly be home because it was empty. As time has passed, they've come to have more understanding.

And they're fighting because it's them and they've always fought, even when they were on the same team. They cannot possibly be in the same room without some kind of fight... or in the same vicinity as they are now. This is just one of the times when they're using their fists.

Unlike Sasuke, Naruto doesn't care about the volume of his voice - doesn't care if other people can hear them. His feelings on this matter cannot be contained.]

Because you're too stupid to realize that you do need to be saved! That's what friends are for! I know exactly what you want me to do but do you think that I could just give up? This isn't just about you, you know. This is about the both of us! And I can't give up on that. You're my friend. My best friend, my first friend. You were the first person I bonded with, the first person who I knew understood what it was like and I have the right to fight for that.

[Honestly, there aren't any words that he can possibly use that would describe just how much Sasuke matters to him. It isn't something he can say.

He rushes forward, ready to knock some sense into the other.]

[ In a way, he does understand what Naruto is saying. After he'd lost everything, he'd actually been rather glad to know there was someone else just like him - someone else who had nothing, who went home to nobody, who was just as trapped as he was. But then Naruto started forming bonds with others and began to have something... where he didn't. Naruto had never had anything to lose, so he didn't understand what it was to have those bonds torn away. Suddenly, Naruto wasn't like him anymore. He became like everyone else and even though a part of Sasuke had wanted to try again, he was still afraid of it all going away again. He'd been left to stare at Naruto's back, just like he'd always trailed behind Itachi.

And he hated it.

They'd become as close to best friends as Sasuke would allow himself to have, but all the while, he'd been incredibly jealous of him.

To him, this fight is meaningless, because as far as Sasuke is concerned, there's nothing to be fighting for. ]

Maybe you need to start getting used to disappointment!

[ At home -and the last time Naruto had been there- he'd wanted him dead. A final sacrifice and the beginning of a new world order. But then Naruto had disappeared, and suddenly everything he'd been wanting so badly seemed so out of reach. He'd questioned whether or not Lee's memories were real. He'd put together every possible theory he could think of for how things worked and why Lee would remember something beyond his own memories -which had clearly meant he'd died, or else why wouldn't he remember any of that?-, he'd questioned Sakura, he'd come so close to making Sarada cry, he'd even ripped down everything Boruto had suggested about the man the kid called 'sensei'.

...but Naruto was different too. His story about the missing arm thing fell more in line with Sarada and Sakura. And he hates it.

Even as the blond rushes at him, Sasuke can see him move, can follow and predict with practiced ease.

Naruto, Sakura, Sarada, Boruto, even Lee... Every single one of them remembered things he didn't.

Blocking is second-nature. Counterattacking, as well.

They'd all passed him up, leaving him to watch their backs as they went on ahead.

...but he's not in the right emotional state to focus on this fight. He's angry, he's hurt, he's frustrated. This fight doesn't matter... and that knowledge is slowly bleeding into his actions. He's never lost his cool like this before -except for when he fought alongside Itachi, and when he was a child- and it's making things a bit sloppy, taking swings that are just shy of their mark (getting to punch him had felt really good, though) and taking hits he should've been able to guard against easily. ]

Friends? You expect me to believe that?! You left me behind!

[ ...Not that it was actually Naruto's fault he'd left, but that doesn't make it hurt any less. ]

IC: CONTACT

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lights, camera, aaaaand action!

cue the hero, enter stage right

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