This was originally just going to be a one shot story but someone asked me for the next chapter so I'm turning it into a story.

"Kyu, if you call me baa-chan again, I will punch you into next Tuesday!"

"Hn?" Sasuke listened closely, picking up more of the conversation as he came closer to the talking group. He absentmindedly blew one of his bluish-black bangs back from his face and loosened the grip on his katana.

"Why would you do that to me, baa-chan?"

"Even if you are very dear to me, I am not a baa-chan! Raaargh!"

"Would you two knock it off! You're supposed to be Hokage and the future Hokage so stop acting up!"

"But it's fun to tease baa-chan! Ooowww!" Sasuke jumped back as the person who had been hit whizzed past him and was surprised to see the perso n wave and say, "Hi teme!"

Naruto thwacked into a tree, making a big hole and a lot of smoke. The other two voices made their way the last few feet of the way towards the cloud that obscured his vision of them, but he had a pretty good guess who they were.

"Geez, Sakura! That wasn't nice!"

"I'm not nice," she informed Naruto, hands on her hips. She slipped off her mask and wryly turned towards Sasuke. "He's barely changed a bit."

"That's evident, Sakura."

"So, Sasuke. You really have changed. I take it you killed Orochimaru," Tsunade said, combing wood chips out of her hair where they had fallen in the explosion following Naruto's flight across the woods.

"Yes, but I haven't killed Itachi," he replied, looking at her curiously. "Why are you out of the village right now?"

"This coincides with you. We are on our way to the trial of Uchiha Madara, Uchiha Itachi, and Hoshigake Kisame," Tsunade said, exchanging a meaningful look with Sakura.

"Don't say a word, Sasuke. Just come along and put this uniform on. We might as well give you an ANBU tattoo as well," Naruto said, throwing the ANBU uniform into Sasuke's face and pulling him over to Tsunade. Tsunade performed the jutsu to create the unique mark on Sasuke's left shoulder and went to the next clearing to talk with Sakura, leaving Sasuke to change.

"I really don't understand this at all," Sasuke grunted, pulling on the skintight suit. His long arms fit neatly through the holes in the vest as he pulled it on. His wolf mask actually nearly made him look like a wolf what with his slightly spiked hair.

"Neither do I," Naruto grumbled,, looking sourly at the place where the two women had disappeared. "All know is that those three are on trial but I don't know what for. Sakura and a few others disappeared for a week and came back with those three."

"Wait, Sakura helped bring those three back!?"

"Yep."

"That aside Naruto, I guess they didn't explain because you would naturally start attacking someone and start running after me," Sasuke said through the mask, flipping back to his feet and heading to where the others waited.

Sasuke stood next to Sakura, in between her and Naruto, watching the other rulers file into the room. As the three prisoners were brought in, he tensed, looking them down for any weapons. It was strange, he thought. Those three could have brought down the majority of the people in the room but the only one who showed that tendency was the one who was called Uchiha Madara.

"Before we begin this trial, you have the chance to tell your story. Please proceed if you wish to," Tsunade said, gesturing for the prisoners to sit on the chairs.

Kisame remained standing, staring at the board of Kages. "Since my story is so interwoven with Itachi's, I might as well tell both of our stories in one go. This is how it began."

FLASHBACK

Kisame stood by his best friend, watching the Konoha shinobi carefully before asking, "Itachi, what's on your mind?"

The teenage Uchiha looked up at the Mist Shinobi, sighing as he began his story. "One of my friends has been killed by another Uchiha. It's obvious that he was killed by a Sharingan technique that is quite complicated, so of course, everyone suspects me. Furthermore, Kisame, it just seems strange, not right. Like there's something missing from the puzzle."

"Itachi, I'll help you figure this out. Lord Third might not mind as long as I stay mainly out of sight."

"Itachi, hold up!" Kisame held up a hand to stem the flood of emotion from his normally calm friend. "Basically, Uchiha Madara is still alive, and he's threatening to kill Sasuke unless you take responsibility for the murder of the Uchiha clan, which will be committed by him!? Kami, this is unlucky."

"I have no other choice, Kisame. I have to join the Akatsuki, but leave Konohagakure enough clues that they can figure out the truth or let Sasuke kill me," Itachi said, looking off into the setting sun.

"Not without me, you aren't, Itachi," Kisame said, clapping a hand on the other man's shoulder and pulling him to his feet. They clasped hands, outlined by the setting sun, joining in friendship against even betrayal.

Looking back at his former village, Itachi fled, the memory of his last moments with his brother filling him with an overwhelming sorrow.

At his side, Kisame was filled with the similar memories of explaining to the Mizukage of his friend's need and how he wanted to help him no matter what the cost. He had gained the approval he wanted but still felt guilty.

END FLASHBACK

"And so, that is the story of how Itachi and I came to join the Akatsuki," Kiame concluded, shrugging and sitting back down. The five rulers who sat before him were all shocked, except for Tsunade, who had heard the story before.

"Uchiha Madara, what do you have to say for yourself?" Tsunade asked, keeping her facial expression from morphing to loathing and revulsion. When he looked up at her with those evil eyes, she gave an involuntary shudder of loathing.

"Nothing," he whispered malevolently. "He spoke the truth. I have no regrets about my actions. The shinobi villages are corrupted. They deserve to be destroyed. Mwahahahahahahahaha! Hahahahahahahahahah! Heheheheheheheheheheh (AN: I just love evil laughter. It's so evil.)!"

"OK," Sakura whispered to Sasuke. "Are you sure he's your relative?"

To her surprised, Sasuke chuckled quietly and whispered back, "Very distant. Veeery distant."

"Look who decided to get a sense of humor," Naruto murmured quietly, laughing under his breath.

"This feels almost like the old days," Sakura added, smiling at her fellow teammates.

"If everyone will please be seated while the rulers adjourn to the next room to determine their final decision, based on the convict's testimonies," Tsunade announced, leading the group of Kages into the other room.

"Due to recent discoveries, the shinobi villages have decided to pardon both Uchiha Itachi and Hoshigake Kisame, but Uchiha Madara shall receive the death penalty from an appointed executioner," the Mizukage announced, smiling at Kisame.

A few seconds later, Sakura had jumped into the arms of Itachi and Kisame. "Itachi-onii-san! Kisame-onii-san! Thank kami you got off that easy!"

"WTF, Naruto!"