I am fully aware that the last chapter was of a suckish quality. I am also aware that it took half a year to update. Don't make a big deal out of it. I am just one drop in an ocean of hopeful writers. This story shall retain its length, but with a considerable increase in complexity and emotional background. Hope you like it.
P.S. If ARC-056 is reading this, please don't invade Washington D.C. Not only will you probably get shot as a terrorist, but I'll be trapped in my school building because of the sirens. So keep your gerbils in their cages, okay?
Some would find it odd that Kumogakure no Sato, one of the five great Shinobi villages, could have another Jinchuuriki and an S-ranked criminal within its walls for six years, going through inhuman training, without anyone noticing. Those people were either ignorant or doubtful of Uchiha Itatchi's genjutsu abilities. The instant they had entered the walls, Itatchi had cast a multi-layered genjutsu of his own design on himself and on Naruto. It was coded to affect anyone actively molding chakra or spying on the user. It removed the user from the malevolent party's senses of sight, hearing, smell, touch, and even taste, as well as completely masking the user's chakra signature. To the Shinobi of Kumogakure, Uchiha Itatchi and Uzumaki Naruto did not exist.
Meanwhile, the civilians of the survivalist village assumed that the ninja knew everything. Thus, they felt no need to remark upon the strange pair of doubou (brothers) that were constantly going in and out of the village. The owner of Zatochi's and his niece didn't report simply because the two were a good source of income, and so did not feel any need to blab to some ninja who might take the paying pair away. The chef, obviously Zatochi, personally liked the pair: they were the first to not try to wheedle their way out of his usurious rent contract. His niece, whom he had forgotten the name of when she'd been left to him as a youji (baby), was too caught up in working for her uncle to have an opinion of the sole residents of the second floor.
The lack of attention was highly agreeable to the duo. Kumo already had two Jinchuuriki and would love to get their hands on a third. As for Itatchi, Kumo had no bloodline limits of its own, and would have gone orgasmic at the idea of dissecting the renegade Uchiha for his fabled Sharingan. So the fact that they had managed to remain incognito for over half a decade was a great source of pride for them. Itatchi was more level headed, but Naruto, for whom the need to stand out seemed to be coded into his DNA, he was constantly praising himself for avoiding unwanted attention for this long, placing it on his own stealth skills. Itatchi was too amused with the random boasting of his otouto (younger brother) to inform him that half of the accomplishments he felt were made by him were actually made successful because of his own work. Besides, was it really necessary for Naruto to know that he had blown Itatchi 100 meters with the Daitoppa (Great Breakthrough) simply because he had been too preoccupied in watching a butterfly to prepare himself?
Of the two, Itatchi was the least changed in appearance and attitude. Other than falling into the Kumo habit of letting his grey hair hang free instead of in its usual ponytail, he was the same as the day he walked past the gates: fishnet shirt, black cargo pants, and black Shinobi sandals. His face was slightly more lined, but the bags under his eyes were less noticeable. In all honesty, he had gone a little to seed. Being a sensei to the Sebone-Buruda was challenging, but it wasn't a real workout. In the absence of S-ranked ANBU missions, tiny bits of fat had started to grow around Itatchi's still-toned muscles. He didn't mind though: he could always work it off and with any luck the extra fat would drive off any fangirls that spontaneously appeared to win his love. He had mellowed out slightly, but in his core was still a sadistic slave-driver.
Naruto, however, looked as if some master artisan had seen a picture of him, and had decided to change it into a more pleasurable image. His hair was now totally bleached the same smoky white as his chakra, which had grown to his shoulders while retaining its ability to spike. His eyes had, at Naruto's request, stayed blue instead of turning into Kyuubi's red-and-with-slits eyes. However, the blue pools mirrored the horrors of the first half of Naruto's life, as well as the seriousness and responsibility that even he was aware came with great power. If there was ever a contest between Itatchi's sadistic grin and Naruto's death glare, the glare would win by a landslide.
All baby fat had been stripped from Naruto's lean physique, which stood at an impressive 5' 7''. His face was hard and angular, further accenting the raw power he seemed to emit like an aura. His whisker marks were thicker, looking more like tattoos than birthmarks, but they improved his image instead of marring it, giving him a feral look. He wore a fishnet shirt like Itatchi, but he had stopped the similarity there. He had, after a week's nagging, gotten Itatchi to take him clothes shopping. There, he had picked out grey shorts that came down to just below his knees, allowing for a free range of movement with his legs, which were bare until his modified black sandals, with a thicker base to avoid wearing and a looser hold on the top of his foot, to accommodate his high-step. He wore a black, short-sleeved jacket with the kanji for 'Ghost' on the back over his fishnet shirt (think Shikamaru's, but a different color). He had Gouzen Teisei (Roaring Whisper, which is the proper name. Sorry for the multiple typos in the first chapter!) strapped across his back diagonally from top-right to bottom-left.
As for Naruto's actual body, he looked like he had been sculpted by a master with an abundant supply of marble. His skin had had lost most of its tan in the natural cloudiness of Kumo (hence the name), but he was not as white as snow. His shade was most comparable to some brown tea that had been filled with three-quarters milk, leading to a tan-white that looked very good on him. His muscles were not freakishly maxed-out, but more lean and lithe. He was more like a jaguar than a bear: calm and controlled until he struck, where his true strength showed. But the Sebone-Buruda had hardened the toned muscles to the density of titanium.
In short, Naruto was now officially the most beautiful boy his age, at least in Kumo. Luckily for him, and the rest of the world in general, he was always either away with Itatchi training or sleeping at Zatochi's, so the terrible mutating disease know as fangirlism had not spread in reaction to Naruto. The boy, while having masculine hormones flowing through him since the age of nine, was still susceptible to the terrors a raging fan club could wreak. But his uncanny luck prevailed, and the only female company he had was Zatochi's niece.
Said young powerhouse was currently talking animatedly with his unofficial niisan while eating the Deluxe Special at Zatochi's in celebration to his completion of the Sebone-Buruda. While the near-albino Jinchuuriki talked about subjects close to his heart, Itatchi tried to pay attention, but the boy was talking so fast that he could hardly keep up. All he could catch were the words "training", "finished", and "totally awesome". His otouto's ramblings made Itatchi smile, happy that he was happy. True, in some corner of his heart he still worried about Sasuke and how he was coping, but for the sake of his continued sanity he allowed his brotherly bond with Naruto to flourish. His actions under Madara's influence still haunted his nightmares.
Of course (to those who think I'm just giving Naruto free power), the Sebone-Buruda was not without its drawbacks, which Itatchi had conveniently forgotten to mention. First off, Naruto's muscles burned off calories much faster than a normal human's, which meant that under normal circumstances he would have to eat like a glutinous Akimichi every hour just to survive. However, Kyuubi again showed his worth, by slightly altering Naruto's biochemistry. Due to Kyuubi's tampering, Naruto's body now used up any and all forms of energy entering it, and to maximum effect. What that meant was that now Naruto could absorb energy from the sun through his skin, and perhaps the oddest change, used up every single substance that entered him. This effectively eliminated using the bathroom, since his body now just recycled the… waste into new proteins. While Naruto was at first a little creeped out by the idea of never using a toilet again, he now just saw it as a chance to live his life without unnecessary breaks.
Another consequence was that should the weight seal ever be removed, the body would be unaccustomed to the consequential monstrous speed, leading the tearing of muscles and possibly organs. However, Kyuubi had once again voided such worries, if unintentionally. The Reishikaku took no strain on the body other than a constant drain in chakra, so Naruto did not have to worry about winding up in the ER because of his speed, since all he had to do was activate his bloodline when his weighted speed was insufficient, instead of releasing the seal. Itatchi found it highly amusing that all the flaws in his 'brilliant' training regime were counteracted by Naruto's 'tenant.' The only real worry to the Sebone-Buruda in Naruto's case was the high chance of fatality, which he himself had beaten with his unyielding determination.
All of this boiled down to one simple fact: Uzumaki Naruto had no-strings-attached, totally-badass power, and lots of it. Hence the celebrations in progress in Kumo's greatest ramen bar (if the grammar looks weird, it's because my computer wouldn't shut up till I changed it).
Naruto ate his meal with the behavior and elegance of a starving dog. Sure, he had turned into a walking generator, but that didn't change the fact that he got hungry very fast. However, Itatchi had managed to beat (literally) some manners into him, so he didn't talk while he was shoveling the noodles, steaming broth, and every meat known to man down his throat. He was finished the entire bowl in 2 minutes 37 seconds: less than one fifth of the standard time it took to eat the obscene amount of ramen for most customers. Not wanting to annoy Itatchi too much, Naruto refrained from ordering seconds. While Naruto continued his one-sided conversation where he left off before diving into the bowl, Itatchi calmly ate his meal with patience and grace that would not seem out of place in a Daimyo's court.
As Itatchi ate, he was unaware of a customer spying on him. The man was from out of down, and was quite obviously out of place no matter the location. The man's skin was an odd blue color, reminiscent of dolphin skin, and was marred by six fins that immediately made any onlookers think of a shark. The man wore a black cloud embossed with red clouds, and carried on his back what seemed to be a sword wrapped in bandages. On his left ring finger, there was a ring with the kanji for 'South.' His eyes seemed to lock onto Itatchi's every movement, paying no heed to the genjutsu covering him like a thick haze. To most it would be impenetrable, but not to him. Pain-sama had given clear instructions on how to track his target.
When Itatchi finally finished the last morsel and Naruto ran out of exaggerated anecdotes, the two paid Zatochi's niece the bill, and made their way to their room.
When the two had settled into their futons, and were just starting to fall asleep, Naruto cleared his throat. With an appropriate amount of trepidation, he voiced an idea that he had been harboring and growing for the past month. "Hey, niisan (older brother), what would you say if I told you I wanted to go back to Konoha?" Itatchi was instantly fully awake and sitting up, staring at his otouto's back with incredulity and confusion so intense it was almost comical. Almost. "I would say that you must have suffered a recent head injury and are spouting nonsense." Naruto winced at that; he didn't like his ideas being written off as unworthy of attention. "Why would you say that?" Naruto asked. "Because going back to Konoha would be suicide," Itatchi retorted with all the venom of a striking cobra. "But it's our home," Naruto replied, knowing that the feeble excuse would not hold up with Itatchi.
Itatchi forcibly turned Naruto around to face him, a move that would have bruised a more fragile person, so that he could see the mixed apprehension and fear in Itatchi's eyes. Itatchi's emotional wall from his ANBU day's had crumbled over the years, something that he was eternally grateful to whatever god there was for; to deny one's emotions was to deny life itself. "We can't go back," Itatchi said, trying to convey to his otouto how impossible the proposed idea was. "You are supposed to be dead; go back and you'll either be killed for real or enslaved by the Council. And I… I couldn't handle going back there. I'd go insane from the memories," Itatchi confessed in a whisper. Recollections of that night rose, unbidden, from the depths of Itatchi's mind. He involuntarily started to shake.
Naruto instinctively patted his niisan on the shoulder to comfort him, abusing his power to instantly lightening a person's mood to serve his own ends. He needed to make Itatchi see his reasons. "Itatchi," Naruto began, trying to convince the stubborn weasel. "I know that Madara mind-fucked you to no end," he said, ignoring Itatchi's glare at him for swearing. "But think about how Sasuke must be living. He's lived every day for six years with the belief that you, the niisan he looked up to and loved, murdered his and your entire clan in cold blood. He's either gone clinically insane, or developed an avenger complex. Tell me, would you want your real otouto, your own flesh and blood, to live, breathe, and exist solely for the chance to kill you and take revenge for your clan? That's no way to live, and when he succeeded, he would have nothing. Do you want that for him?"
Itatchi suppressed the horrors Naruto's words inspired in his mind and gave the blond his most piercing stare. "Stop playing on my inner fears. For what reason on this earth would you want to go to the place where the people on the street, whom you never did anything to, made you want to curl up and die like an insect every second of every day from the intensity of their hate?" Naruto didn't flinch or react in any way to the question; the only sign of him hearing was the coldness in his eyes dropping a few more degrees.
Naruto began slowly, trying to explain the feelings that had plagued him for weeks without reason. "It's true that I hate them," he said, with no trace of any guilt or shame: it was the undeniable truth. "But it's not their fault that they made me hate them. They woke up one morning, and they realized that their loved ones, their brothers, sisters, spouses, neighbors, were all dead. They were killed mercilessly and beyond recognition. They woke up, and it was all gone." Naruto's tone caught Itatchi's attention: he spoke from understanding, even though he had never had any of those people until Itatchi, and even that was not a bond of blood. He spoke like a poet mourning the death in the stories he told. Itatchi got chills from the tone; here was a twelve-year old speaking like an old, withered soul that had seen and experienced every sadness and misery that life had to offer, and was able to sympathize with any other troubled soul. It was true that Naruto had had no one, but if anything that made him understand more. To have actually had those kinds of bonds and then to lose them… Naruto couldn't contemplate the horror.
"They needed an outlet. Their loss threatened to consume them utterly, to tip them into the abyss and let them fall into the void. Imagine how they felt when they realized that they did have something they could blame it all on, someone to heap their sorrows onto so that they could feel just a little better." Itatchi found himself doing just that, all the while shocked with his otouto's story-telling skills. "I was that something. I was the vessel of the very thing that had killed all whom they loved so ruthlessly that they were just blood staining the ground. So, in their infinite loss, they targeted me. They felt that by hurting me, they could hurt that thing that had caused them so much pain and suffering. By hurting me, they were getting their revenge on the demon of demons, the Kyuubi."
Inside Naruto's mind, Kyuubi felt like pointing out that he had only come to kill the corrupt and all those innocents got in his way, but stayed silent because he felt that Naruto was on a roll. "Overtime, the concept of me as a middle-man mutated. I was no longer the container of the Kyuubi; I was the Kyuubi. I was the monster that had hurt them so, and I insulted the memory of those I killed with every breath I took. I was a destroyer, mocking them with my continued existence." Naruto had given considerable thought on how he was perceived by the villagers, and he had come to understand just how much pain the villagers were in. He had long accepted that he had been made to suffer as a scapegoat to insure the continued sanity of the people of Konohagakure no Sato. The psychology lessons from Itatchi had helped, though.
"I understand why I was treated the way I was, Itatchi. That doesn't lessen my hate, but I understand. And I can't let them keep thinking of me that way!" Naruto spoke with such emotion that Itatchi was startled. "My father didn't give up his life so that the villagers he loved could treat his Sochi (son) as if he were some punching bag for them to let out all their hate and anger out onto. For it to continue would insult my parents, myself, and the name of Konohagakure itself. That's why I want to go back. I need to correct this dire mistake. I can't live with this on my conscience." Itatchi was surprised with the wisdom in Naruto's words. The way Naruto phrased it, Itatchi had half a mind to storm back to Konoha right now and make the villagers see the errors of their ways.
Surprising Itatchi, Naruto took out Gouzen Teisei and pointed to the inscription on the sheath.
"In the Age of the Jinchuuriki, a true hero shall be scorned for the burden he carries. But he will forgive all, for the ones who scorned him made him strong. And wielding this sword, the Guardian of the Wind shall bring peace to the land."
He still didn't know what the last part meant, but he understood the first two lines fine. Naruto read the words with a small smile on his lips, turning to Itatchi so that he may bask in its brilliance. "Even my sword is trying to tell me to go back. The 'he will forgive all' part, that's exactly what I'm doing. But to forgive, there must be understanding. And how can I forgive the village if all they'll see is the Kyuubi mocking them further?" The question was truly unanswerable, so Itatchi kept his mouth shut.
"Besides, all the stuff I said about Sasuke is true. Madara made a mess, and you have to clean it up. If not for your otouto than at least for your own peace of mind." Itatchi heard Naruto's words, and he thought it over. After he had analyzed the request, he could see that Naruto had every justification to go back to the village. And personally, Itatchi had a responsibility to heal his brother of whatever illness the massacre had infected him with. Finding no way he could honestly say no, Itatchi finally nodded his head.
Naruto's smile could be seen from the top of the Hokage monument.
The next morning, the sun broke over the horizon, shining through the mountains surrounding the village, reveling in shedding its light unobstructed before it was blocked by the impenetrable clouds. As the light briefly covered the village, it seemed to favor a pair walking out of the gates, bathing them in golden rays. As the two walked, there was a preeminent feeling of purpose, as if the two were about to embark upon a momentous journey that would change their lives. The looked the part: packs on their backs, weapon pouches and personal weapons strapped on, and the figurative steel of resolve in their eyes. Unknown to them and hidden from the sun, there was a third figure leaving the village. However, this person was not walking the road of the civilian, but the road of the ninja, jumping from hiding spot to hiding spot, remaining totally undetected as he kept up with his quarry.
Several hours passed in this fashion: the two travelers keeping up a steady pace on the road to the southwest, and the third figure creeping behind them every step of the way. Little could be seen of the man watching them, but in the rare moments he was in the sunlight, you could just see the Kiri hitai-ate on his forehead. However, the headband was slashed horizontally, apparently by a sharp knife. To some it would seem like the hitai-ate was merely damaged, but to those that were aware and cautious, they would know what the slash signified: that the one wearing it was a traitor. Despite his outlandish appearance, his skill was great, and he kept below the radar the entire time, no matter that the two he were tracking possessed heightened senses and battle experience. The hunter was just that good.
Eventually, the pair walking the normal road came to a stop, and began the myriad but enjoyable operations of preparing the midday meal. The hunter watched them, not missing a detail.
The two had apparently known each other for quite some time, for they had mastered the art of communicating with a glance. No conversation was needed, and thus the serenity of nature's symphony continued uninterrupted. The two were slow in their eating, savoring the beauty of the scenery. The hunter waited in patience; he had time, and no need to rush his mission.
Finally, the two finished their simple yet filling meal, and started to pack their supplies back into their packs. The hunter decided that now was as good a time as any, and used the moment to reveal himself. Seemingly from nowhere, an aquatic-looking man walked out of the trees towards the pair, who quickly noticed the intruder and instantly put themselves on alert. For a few seconds, both parties appraised the other. The shark-man noticed how the travelers handled themselves: graceful, conservative, and not a single move made was unnecessary. The pair in turn sized up the hunter: large, slightly restless, with a power that was noticeable even when he was still. There could be no doubt: the two groups were polar opposites of each other.
When the traveling pair had recovered from the intrusion sufficiently, the hunter spoke, displaying his serrated teeth.
"Hello, there. I am Hoshigaki Kisame, and I represent Akatsuki. I was wondering if you two would be willing to hear a business offer." Kisame spoke with total confidence, assured in his ability to escape danger should danger arise. Itatchi and Naruto noticed this, and raised their guard slightly; this was not a man to mess with. "What is this 'Akatsuki' and what deal would it be offering us," Itatchi inquired, adopting a civil tone in order to avoid the fight that it was obvious this man was expecting and hoping for.
Kisame smiled, and delayed the question. "I see you did not inquire as to who I am. Do you already know me by reputation, or do you assume I am some underling for whom the recognition of a name is not worth the effort?" The man's muscles tensed minutely, and his body language shifted to show hostility. Both Naruto and Itatchi saw the changes clear as day. Itatchi, being more experienced with situations similar to this one, answered Kisame instead of Naruto, who was aware of his lack of finesse in such matters. "By reputation, of course. All who are worthy to call themselves a swordsman knows of the infamous Hoshigaki Kisame, a former member of the Mist Seven Swordsmen. Even now, you carry your legendary Samehada, which you used to kill the feudal lords of Mizu no Kuni."
Kisame smiled, as if pleased that the tales of his killings had reached the ears of the two. "It seems that I am not totally unpopular, despite the efforts Kirigakure makes to brand me a traitor. Those lords were greedy and selfish, concerned more with their personal gain than the genocide that was tearing their country apart. I was doing a public service when I cleaved their heads with Samehada." As Kisame spoke, the covered sword on his back seemed to bulge, as if the blade itself were shivering in the memories of its deeds. Itatchi smiled cordially, ignoring the odd the behavior of Kisame's weapon. "As pleasant as it is to converse with one as well-known as you, I can't help but notice that you haven't answered my questions. What is this deal that this Akatsuki is offering, and what of Akatsuki itself?"
Kisame smiled, or more accurately showed his teeth: there was far too much predator-like glee in the expression for it to be a true smile. "Since you asked so nicely, I'll tell you. Akatsuki is an organization of men like myself who tried to help their countries but were scorned because of it. United by our Leader, who knows our pain, he leads us in the name of bringing this troubled world to an endless peace." Itatchi raised one eyebrow, calculating how high it would go to show both interest and amusement, but not too much of the latter in case it angered the man talking to them. "A lofty goal, there is no doubt. Many have tried and failed to do the same thing. What sets this Leader of yours different from countless other hopefuls?"
Kisame smiled, and spoke in the manner of a fanatic describing his master. "Our Leader is different, because he knows the true ways of peace. By his efforts, the world will fall into endless pain, so great to change mankind itself. Then he shall, in his benevolence, take the pain away, leaving a world that knows the consequences of evil. After living through such pain, the people will hear the truth when our Leader says that all evils must cease so that there may never be pain again. And thus there will be and endless peace, because the world will know that should it not follow peace, it will once again feel the pain our Leader can bring." A smile of nearly orgasmic pleasure plastered Kisame's face, while Naruto couldn't hide his shocked expression. Itatchi had more discipline with his features.
"Peace through the threat of war? A different approach, to be sure, but how this threat would be enough to ensure peace, I cannot see. It is in human nature to quarrel; no outside discomfort, no matter how great, could change the heart of man to its core. Even if it were possible, how would your Leader be able to inflict such pain?" Kisame's smiled before answering, his eyes now on Naruto. "Leader-sama knows pain like no other. He recognizes that the greatest tools of pain were none other than the fabled Bijuu. In his infinite power and wisdom, he discovered the means to bind the Bijuu to the will of one man. That is how this peace will last: because if there is war, it will be quelled and destroyed by the beasts that could make the very mountains quake. With the Bijuu at his and his descendents disposal, Leader-sama will guarantee the continuation of the world peace, lest the Bijuu were to deliver retribution."
Naruto had gone on high alert from the word 'Bijuu.' It was only a minimal surprise when Kisame pointed to him. "Over the ages, mankind has learned of a way to trap the Bijuu. We must gather those that house them in order to obtain the will of the beasts. The extraction is lethal, but for the greater good, sacrifices must be made. And what are nine deaths compared to no death at all except that brought upon by nature's hands? This is our offer, Uchiha Itatchi. You killed your clan, who in their arrogance believed themselves gods among men. You know what it means to make sacrifices for the greater good. Give us the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki as a good-faith offer, and we will let you join the ranks of the organization that shall bring the ultimate salvation."
Naruto had to forcibly stop his lip muscles from curling into a smirk. Kisame had just signed his own death warrant.
Itatchi calmly replied, the only sign of the destructive force he was about to unleash the twitching of his hands toward his ANBU issue ninjatō. "Well, Hoshigaki Kisame, you seem to be a little presumptuous in your demands. Naruto is my friend that I have come to see as my otouto; I could not and will not hand him over like some trivial possession to trade. Besides that, why would you think I could just hand Naruto over? He is his own person as well as an extraordinarily powerful young man trained in the Shinobi arts. You would have to defeat him to even get him to come with you, unless he has some sort of suicidal tendency that I do not know about. And finally," Itatchi said, activating his Sharingan as he stared Kisame down. "I did not kill my family of my own free will or inclination, so I do not know anything of this 'sacrifice' concept."
Itatchi expertly drew his ninjatō, putting Kisame on alert. "You have insulted me and Naruto with your offer. I will not join Akatsuki or have anything to do with it on any level. In fact, now that I am aware of such an abominable group, I will do everything in my power to bring it down. Starting with your demise." With that, Itatchi disappeared, only to reappear behind Kisame, his ninjatō already swinging in an arc that would cut off Kisame's head. However, Kisame was not classified as an S-rank missing-nin for nothing. Without even looking, the shark-man ducked the swing and jumped away, drawing Samehada in midair.
Kisame smiled, and it wasn't a 'happy-birthday-here's-your-cake' kind of smile. No, it was an 'I-can't-thank-you-enough-for-this-chance-to-kill-you' type of smile, further accented by his shark-like face. "You WILL serve with Akatsuki, even if I have to drag you there by your broken legs. As for the Jinchuuriki, he'll get the same treatment."
Itatchi shook his head at the Kenjutsu master's arrogance, which was on par with his father's, and believe it when it's said that means something. "While I acknowledge that you are probably one of the more powerful opponents I might ever face, that doesn't change the fact that Naru-kun and I will kill you." Naruto smiled while gripping Gouzen Teisei, replying "You're too kind, Chi-kun. You should handle it considering how he mocked your family's murder."
Kisame, slightly annoyed that the fight hadn't already started, yelled at the pair "Stop acting like some gay couple and fight me, damn--" Kisame stopped talking so as to better avoid the stab Itatchi had aimed at him, crossing the distance between them in seconds. A feral grin threatened to bisect Kisame's face as he countered Itatchi with a horizontal swipe, which was easily dodged. Itatchi was faster, no question, but Kisame had more power and a longer reach.
Taking advantage of that, Kisame brought Samehada up and brought it down on Itatchi's head, only to hit air. Sensing a presence behind him, Kisame swung Samehada around, making a scar in the ground as he did. He was slightly surprised to see it was the Kyuubi-brat, but he didn't turn down the challenge. Expertly, Kisame hit the near-albino in the side with the flat of Samehada, knocking him into a tree. Or rather, that's what should have happened. Instead, the boy somehow twisted in the air, almost dancing around Samehada while in midair. Seeing that he wouldn't have time to bring Samehada back to block, Kisame performed a Kawarimi (if you don't know what that means, you shouldn't even be reading this), leaving Naruto to slice a log in half.
Kisame was about to lunge at the brat's unprotected back from the cover of the nearby trees, before he heard a cry of "Goukakyuu no Jutsu (Great Fireball Technique)" from his right. When he did hear that, and noticed the giant ball of flame headed towards him out of the corner of his eye, Kisame instead swiped at the offending attack. Samehada greedily ate up the chakra that fuelled the fireball, effectively canceling it. Kisame brought Samehada back up in time to block the swipe that Itachi had aimed at his heart. Before Kisame could hurl the annoying weasel into a thick swath of trees, said weasel said, in a quiet whisper, "Bunshin Bakuha (Shadow Clone Explosion)."
Pure instinct saved Kisame from a few pesky third-degree burns. He performed another Kawarimi, avoiding the impressive explosion that occupied where once there was an exact copy of Itatchi. Not getting a chance to catch his breath, Kisame was forced to bend over backwards to avoid the barrage of shuriken thrown at him by the Kyuubi-brat. Still stuck in a Matrix-reminiscent position, the brat formed a single hand seal before yelling "Daitoppa (Great Breakthrough)!" Following his words, the boy breathed out a gust of chakra-enforced wind headed directly towards Kisame.
Performing his third Kawarimi in almost-as-many seconds, Kisame was feeling just a little pissed. 'This is ridiculous! One of them attacks while the other gets ready for me, and then attacks when I avoid the attack. If I weren't on the receiving end, I'd say that it was the perfect strategy. As it is, I can't even land a hit, and that makes me MAD!"
The instant he was in a new position from the Kawarimi, he created a Mizu Bunshin (Water Clone), and leapt in a random direction. Itatchi, going by reflex, attacked the Mizu Bunshin when he saw it with a kunai barrage, while Kisame got just enough breathing room to perform one of his favorite jutsu. "Suiton: Baku Suishouha (Water Release: Bursting Water Collision Waves)," yelled Kisame, before vomiting a massive quantity of water from of his mouth. Naruto had been expecting another Kawarimi and, unprepared, was swept up in the deluge. Itatchi, however, had both experience and an active Sharingan. Almost as if it were choreographed, Itatchi leapt above the wave of water headed toward him. As the water settled to create a miniature lake, Itatchi almost artfully settled onto the water's surface, turning to face his once-again grinning opponent.
"You had me going for a second there. Now that I'm warmed up, let's get serious." Kisame followed up on his words, by forming a single hand seal. Itatchi raised an eyebrow when the shark-man yelled "Tajuu Mizu Bunshin no Jutsu (Mass Water Clone Technique)!" The raised eyebrow quickly became furrowed in concentration when a positive ARMY of Mizu Bunshins rose up out of the water. Hundreds of Kisame's smiled like a predator, before one of them roared "Atakku (attack)!"
Now, a Mizu Bunshin has only a tenth of the casters' chakra. However, Kisame had such large reserves that each Mizu Bunshin had enough chakra to take on a rookie Chuunin. Add a parasitic broadsword copied a thousand times over, and Itatchi was not facing good odds. He didn't have enough room to make any Kage Bunshin (again, this is too basic to have to translate), as they would only limit moving room as well as be quickly dispelled by one of Samehada's strikes. He couldn't use genjutsu, as the clones technically didn't have any brains to manipulate. He could use a wide-area Katon jutsu, but that would consume too much chakra, assuming the clones didn't avoid it in the first place.
Itatchi, unfortunately, didn't have enough time to come up with an effective strategy in the time it took for the first of Kisame's clones to reach him. Deciding to simply survive until a better plan came to mind, Itatchi avoided the strike and delivered a crippling cut to the clone, returning it to water. Instantly, two more took its place. Adopting a mantra of 'Avoid, slash, repeat,' Itatchi started to slowly make his way through the legion of clones.
Kisame, well aware of Itatchi's skills, didn't trust his clones to finish him off. But Kisame had free time, something you should never give any S-rank enemy. Kisame quickly went through hand seals, while Itatchi steadily made his way towards his position.
Itatchi was working at a frenzied pace, trying to reach the original Kisame in time to interrupt whatever plan the swordsman had. But numbers would always slow down skill, and before Itatchi was anywhere close to the original Kisame, he heard a cry of "Suiton: Suikoudan no Jutsu (Water Release: Water Shark Projectile Technique)!" Following the yell, a giant shark made out of water formed from the lake water and rushed towards Itatchi, plowing through countless Mizu Bunshin, which only added water and mass to the jutsu. Itatchi was in the middle of contemplating whether he had time to perform a Katon jutsu in time to intercept the attack when Kisame formed an additional seal and yelled "Katsu (split)!"
The next moment, Itatchi was facing five smaller, more maneuverable sharks instead of one massive one.
Itatchi might well have been in serious trouble had not a white and black blur shot up from the lake. Said blur had a sword in its hands, which was currently spinning like the blades of an electric fan. The blur threw the rapidly spinning sword towards the diminishing gap between Itatchi and the sharks, yelling "Fuuton: Bouheki Tate (Wind Release: Protective Shield)!"
The sword stopped in front of Itatchi, staying in place as it span even faster, forming a wall of wind that was spinning around and around, resembling a round shield. The sharks impacted with the wall, exploding into millions of water droplets, until Itatchi was standing behind a whirling wall of water. Smiling ever so slightly, Itatchi formed some borrowed hand seals, before yelling "Suiton: Suikoudan no Jutsu (look above for translation)." In seconds, the wall had reformed into a giant shark, this time filled with wind chakra for extra wind power. Gouzen Teisei came back to Naruto's hand, having been the blur from before.
Kisame, while slightly shocked by this turn of events, performed yet another Kawarimi with one of the many Mizu Bunshin that still existed. The clone that suddenly occupied Kisame's position didn't last long, being hit by the water shark less than a second later. While when Kisame performed the jutsu, the clones were absorbed into the shark, Itatchi's shark had the disadvantages of being both mediocre (Itatchi was not a primary water type) and containing residual wind chakra. Therefore, the clone provided just enough resistance for the shark to explode, which upon destruction released both a torrent of water droplets and a blast of wind.
Hidden by the mass of clones, Kisame observed the reunited pair of Itatchi and Naruto. Both turned towards the still impressive number of clones. As if reading each others' minds, the two simultaneously formed hand seals. Kisame, recognizing both jutsu, hastily dived beneath the surface, knowing what was coming. He was none too soon, as the pair finished sealing moments later and yelled in sync, "Katon/Fuuton Kentai: Kakka Aori (Fire/Wind Release Combination: Burning Gust)!" Naruto then blew out a Daitoppa while Itatchi breathed out a Goukakyuu. The two jutsu combined to form what resembled a flaming funnel of wind, being a large blast of air burning with white-hot flames.
Suffice to say, the Mizu Bunshin didn't so much dissipate as evaporate.
Kisame stayed safely below the surface of the lake, watching the blinding flash of the combined jutsu. Kisame's gills were not just for show, at least not in the concept of breathing underwater. While the gills themselves were merely cosmetic, Kisame had discovered that by focusing chakra to his lungs, he could extend his body's use of oxygen, to the point where one breath was equivalent to 100. Of course, that was two minutes at most, but that was plenty of time for Kisame. Unfortunately for him, he was coming up blank. Itatchi he had expected a decent fight from, but the brat was a wildcard. He had revealed impressive skills, and when in concert with Itatchi, the two appeared invincible. Of course, invincible is a concept hard to swallow for many ninja; for example, how could you believe in invincibility when the Shodai Tsuchikage was assassinated by a Genin?
Kisame weighed his options. He could run away, and risk the infinite wrath of Pain-sama. Kisame immeadiately discarded the idea; he didn't have any interest in having the Human Realm dragging his soul out of him. He could try a surprise attack, but that had proven ineffective so far. And even Kisame wasn't proud enough to think he could win in the classic macho standoff. He sighed, releasing a good chunk of his air. He'd have to use that technique. Well, it was either that or death, so…
Itatchi was eying the environment, trying to watch out for Kisame, while Naruto used his hearing to try and track the missing-nin. Both of them were surprised, however, when Kisame jumped up right in front of them, bursting from the surface of the water. Before they could so much as gasp, Kisame tossed Samehada into the air and yelled "Samehada Jusui (Sharkskin Drowning Suicide)!" The sword suddenly glowed from the inside, revealing an artificial chakra system, flowing with blue energy. It was only visible for a second, because the next moment, the sword exploded, turning into a torrent of water… aimed straight down on the three.
In an instant, before any reaction could take place, the mass of water hit their shoulders. The water appeared to have retained Samehada's leeching capabilities, because Itatchi instantly felt his chakra take a severe dive. He was forced under the lake's surface, his precious oxygen flowing from his lips in a stream of bubbles. Itatchi was only aware of tumbling around with no sense of gravity, feeling like his chakra was being sucked out of him like a straw, and the burning sensation of his lungs bursting.
Itatchi had never wondered how he would die until that moment.
The millisecond before his lungs collapsed like popped balloons, his head broke the surface. He greedily sucked in air, tasteless and raw against his strained lungs, and more delicious than sake from Kashu no Kuni (Land of Wine). As the life-giving oxygen was distributed back into his bloodstream, Itatchi regained some semblance of situational awareness. He was currently lying like a limp rag on the ground, with small rivulets of water flowing downhill and into the ground. Some of the water still ate at Itatchi's chakra, but he was too tired to move away.
After a minute, during which time Itatchi remained feeling like a piece of used toilet paper, a shadow blocked the sun shining into Itatchi's eyes. The Uchiha prodigy could vaguely make out blue skin and hair.
"You owe me a new sword," Kisame huffed out, panting for breath. Even with his gargantuan reserves, he still felt like he had fought for three days straight against an army of ANBU. In layman's terms, he was dog-tired. He could see Itatchi lying at his feet, looking as dangerous as newborn mouse, and the Jinchuuriki lying in the bushes a distance off. Kisame shakily reached into his pouch, searching for a soldier pill. Trying to keep his mind off the hollow feeling of chakra exhaustion, Kisame chose to enlighten Itatchi as to what technique he used.
"I made that move as a make-it-or-break-it maneuver. I would overload Samehada with water chakra, and then let it implode. I'd get a wave of chakra-sucking water equal to how much chakra was flowing through it. And trust me; I put in enough to make a Kage envious." Kisame grinned, bringing a soggy soldier pill to his mouth. Upon chewing, Kisame felt a brief surge go through his body. It wouldn't last though; you could give a person with sleep deprivation coffee, but nothing worked better than sleep. That was as close a comparison as any to using soldier pills. Kisame was aware of strength in his limbs, but still felt a bone-deep weariness.
Just as he was preparing to hoist Itatchi onto his back, Itatchi heard a weak "Wait just a minute." Kisame whirled around, staring disbelieving at the Jinchuuriki as he picked himself up, before staring at him with those disconcertingly cold eyes. "How the hell are you standing?" Kisame yelled, unable to accept the images his eyes were sending to his brain. Kisame had the chakra of two Kages, easy, and he was barely able to move without a soldier pill. This kid was moving on his own energy minutes after Samehada was sacrificed!
It was inconceivable.
Naruto managed a weak smile, before picking Gouzen Teisei from the ground near him. He merely said "I'm Uzumaki Naruto," before he vanished. Kisame had no warning; no itch at the back of his head that identified as his 'ninja sense.' He didn't hear the whisper of feet moving across the ground, or the telltale intake of breath preceding the yell of a jutsu. One moment he was seeing the world, and the next there was only darkness and peace.
Naruto starred at the corpse at his feet. He had used a minor Shunshin (Body Flicker) to get behind Kisame, before executing a slice to the neck with Gouzen Teisei. The blade cut through the skin, muscle, and bones like a hot knife through butter.
Naruto looked at his hands, reflecting on how they had taken a man's life. However, he had been driven to the brink of death enough times in his first half-dozen years to be familiar with it. Besides, Kyuubi had killed thousands, and with the merging of their reserves, it was almost as if there was a muscle memory of killing. All in all, instead of dry-heaving in the bushes, Naruto merely sighed.
"You were my first opponent," he said, not caring that the ears his words were meant for no longer functioned. "You were a truly masterful warrior," he said, paying his respect to the fallen swordsmen. Crouching, feeling like an 80-year old man with arthritis, Naruto picked up Kisame's decapitated head. Sighing, Naruto took out a storage scroll from his waterproof backpack and sealed the body part into it. Kisame had a bounty of 25,000,000 ryo, enough money for a man to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner at a five-star restaurant every day for 10 years.
Itatchi stared silently at his otouto as he dealt with his first kill. Personally, Itatchi was amazed that Naruto was dealing with it so well. But then again, he was Naruto. Gasping, Itatchi gathered enough breath to say, "Amazing, Naruto-otoutosan. I'm proud of you."
Naruto stood stock-still for a second, before feeling as if his heart was expanding to fill his entire body. Were he at full energy, he would have proclaimed his joy to the heavens. As it was, Naruto merely grinned and said "Thank you, Itatchi-oniisan." At that moment, despite the fact that he felt as tired as if he had done the level five workouts all day and his weights were making his every moment like pushing against steel, Naruto felt as if he could die right then and there and have no regrets.
Naruto returned to earth after a minute, still on a pride high. Leaving Kisame's body to decompose in peace, Naruto dragged Itatchi to his feet, forced a soldier pill into his lips, and continued walking down the path, dragging his limping brother behind him.
The night was perfect by all standards. The multitude of the forest animals had settled down into their nighttime haunts, while those of a nocturnal nature left to hunt and otherwise experience the world. There was a comfortable silence in the air, one that seemed to say "All is well, go to sleep." And sleep was surely on the forefront of Naruto's and Itatchi's minds when the two painstakingly made a campfire and set about making a halfway-decent meal. These actions, normally as easy as breathing, were impaired by the fact that their muscles were screaming so loudly with pain that they were honestly surprised that their cries couldn't be heard. The effects of the fight with Kisame had taken hold and festered during the half-limping walk the two of them had made on the road to the border.
After half an hour of jerky winces and cringing hisses, the two managed to fill their stomachs with some oatmeal, beyond caring that it was food for the wrong meal.
When the two of them had full stomachs, they sat in silence while the nighttime sounds continued around them. After a time, Naruto, as usual, broke the silence. "So, Itatchi how was I?" Itatchi knew what Naruto was talking about, but was too tired to inflate Naruto's ego by only pointing out the good stuff. "You were lucky. You have skill, but experience always trumps talent, and if you didn't have near-unlimited chakra deserves from Kyuubi, you would have died at the end. Kisame was an accomplished Jonin in Kirigakure for almost twenty years. You caught him by surprise and when he was tired. That's all."
Naruto flinched from his niisan's words. "But I got him with all those jutsu! And I practically cut his head off the first swing!" Itatchi retorted, silencing his otouto's whining. "Naruto, if you can't take criticism, then you shouldn't be fighting. NO one is perfect; understand that." Naruto, officially rebuked, cringed under Itatchi's glare, feeling strangely guilty for his outburst.
"I won't deny that you were impressive, considering that this was your first action. But we were going up against an enemy we outnumbered, whom was ordered not to kill us. And, frankly, at first glance, I'm a much bigger threat than you. I saw a dozen different opportunities for Kisame to kill you, and keep in mind that the fight lasted all of ten minutes." Itatchi lectured to Naruto, trying to fill the gaps in the boys learning.
"You have all the power, Naruto, but you have to know how and when to use it. And that comes from experience, something that you are seriously lacking. Against a Chuunin or a rookie Jonin, raw power would win the fight. But in the higher ranks, you are measured by the strength of your enemies, and you can only gain enemies if you beat them or something related to them. How did the Sannin become famous? The survived a run-in with Hanzou, the Amekage, and survived. How did the Yondaime become famous? He massacred 200 Iwa-nin in the Third Shinobi War. You need a few epics under your belt before you become recognized as someone to pay attention to."
Naruto scratched his head. "But how could Konoha be recognized as the biggest military power, then? If recognition is given through exploits, then all of the Sandaime's policies about peace are counterproductive!" Itatchi chuckled darkly at this. Naruto asked, indignantly, "What's so funny?" Itatchi spoke, in a mocking tone, "There's a council member that agrees with you, Naruto. His name is Danzou, and from the moment of your birth he argued with the Hokage to turn you into a weapon, to be used to mindlessly kill any who oppose Konoha."
Naruto paled as he realized that. Still amused, Itatchi said "Konoha gets compensates for no new 'legends' in the foreseeable future by having an excess of old ones. The Professor, the Sannin, the Ino-Shika-Cho group, the Copy-nin. Because of that, other countries still give Konoha a wide berth."
Naruto mulled over this, while his body began preparing for sleep without his conscious consent. As he felt his eyelids tugging down, Naruto managed one more question. "If I were a legend, would people stop pissing on everything my senpu (dead father) stood for?" Itatchi watched as his otouto fell deeper into unconsciousness. Just as he was about to fall under, Itatchi said, in a low whisper, "Maybe."
Naruto slept with a grin, having found the solution to his problem.
You know, I was going to write about when they enter Konoha, but I figured I'd leave you begging for more, so that you wouldn't desert me. Hope you enjoyed it. Don't try to destroy me if it doesn't. Review, please, and have a good one. Ja ne.
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