a/n: Wow, this chapter was a bit harder than I originally planned. Mostly because I don't want to give away too much yet. But I worked through it and here it is now for your enjoyment (hopefully).

Summary: Immediately after the failed retrieve Sasuke mission, Naruto is put in solitary confinement thanks to a council vote that neither sannin can prevent. The day he turns 16, Danzou makes a deal with Akatsuki for the good of Konoha. It sets in motion a chain of events that will bring three deadly ninja together and change the shinobi world.

Warnings: ItaNaru pairing; Possible manga spoilers throughout the story.

Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto

The Sun, The Moon and The Sea

Chapter 3 – The Sea

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Susanoo

The god of the sea and the storms and brother of the sun goddess Amaterasu and the moon god Tsukiyomi. He has a highly volatile temper yet has a hidden kind and generous side. During his visit with Amaterasu, he lost control and his reckless destructive actions caused Amaterasu to close herself off in a cave plunging the world into complete darkness.

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"Orochimaru-sama...is...dead..."

Sasuke and Kabuto stared each other down.

"Wait...it's more like..."

Sasuke smirked as he saw Kabuto suddenly come to the correct realization. "That's right...I've taken over." Orochimaru was stupid to think that he would actually give his body away. He'd worked too long and hard to become powerful enough to kill his brother. He wasn't about to sit in the background in some little corner of Orochimaru's head and allow the snake to have his vengeance. Avenging his clan's massacre was HIS mission, HIS purpose. He had prepared three years for this. He would kill him with his own two hands, with his own consciousness. No snake was going to take his destiny away from him.

So he had beat Orochimaru at his own game while he was weaker. Instead of the snake sannin taking over his body, he'd used the sharingan to suppress him instead. He had nothing more to learn anyway. He had grown too powerful to have need of Orochimaru's assistance any longer.

And now it was time to finally accomplish what he had intended to do since he was 7 years old.

He was ready.

Danzou sat back in his chair in his office at Root Headquarters. A small smile of accomplishment adorned his bandaged face. He had just killed two birds with one stone. He had finally gotten rid of the demon brat and he made sure Konoha would remain safe in the process. Giving up the Kyuubi jinchuuriki was a small price to pay for gaining protection by means of Akatsuki.

Now it was time to implement the next stage of his plan. He had patiently waited for his time to come. That blonde nuisance, Tsunade, had swooped in and taken his coveted position. What was it about him and blondes getting in his way? First that brat Minato, then Naruto, and now Tsunade. Well, it didn't matter anymore because now it was his turn. He'd pull the rug right out from under the sake addicted woman. Not that she'd notice now anyway.

No one would argue now about taking her position. Since Naruto's "death" she had become a shell of her former self. She'd lost her drive, her determination. He knew it was because of the Uzumaki boy. Ever since the news of the boy's supposed demise, she ignored her position, preferring to drink herself into a stupor. She skipped council meetings and ignored the elders.

Tsunade was no longer fit to rule and he was right there ready and willing to take her place. And he would make sure the village would be happy about it. He would make them see that he was the best person to take on the responsibility of carrying Konoha into the future.

A knock on his door interrupted his internal planning.

"Enter."

A teenager, looking to be about 16 walked in. He was very pale. And with the dark hair and eyes, almost had the look of a male china doll. He was clad in the typical black ops uniform. Walking forward, he kneeled before his master awaiting permission to stand.

"Rise young one."

The young man did as he was told and stood at attention before Danzou. His features were completely blank, impassive.

"This message came for you Danzou-sama." He said without a bit of inflection in the emotionless voice. He handed over the sealed scroll with a bow. Danzou took the scroll from him and read the contents. His eyes narrowed at a certain point before returning to his normal calm façade. He sent a nod toward the young man as a dismissal. The younger one was about to take his leave when he was stopped.

"You have been an exemplary ninja thus far young one. For that, you will be rewarded. You don't have a name yet do you?"

"No Danzou-sama."

"I shall remedy that for you now. From this point on you will be known as Sai."

"Thank you Danzou-sama."

"You may go now Sai."

With another bow, the teenaged boy now known as Sai, left the room. Danzou sat back in his chair with a dark chuckle. "So...the young Uchiha has grown strong enough to dispose of his master." Orochimaru was a man who had once had Danzou's grudging respect. He was strong, smart, an amazing shinobi. However, the snake was doomed by his search for immortality. Danzou was no idealist. He knew death was an eventuality that even the most powerful of humankind faced. He was not afraid of dying. It was inevitable. He just wanted to make sure Konoha would live on as the strongest village in the shinobi nations, even the world, before he finally succumbed to his final sleep.

The last Uchiha had been under Orochimaru's tutelage and therefore, he could not touch him. But now that the snake was gone…

He summoned his best Root members. He wasn't sure what the Godaime would do about the traitor. He didn't care. He would not wait for her permission. He would take care of it the way he wanted. When the ninja arrived, he outlined their newest mission.

"You are to hunt down the S-ranked missing nin, Uchiha Sasuke. Find him and kill him. Bring back his head."

"Yes Danzou-sama." The group of 12 bowed and disappeared.

Danzou folded his hands on his desk and smirked.

Yes, things were definitely going his way.

It was early morning. Naruto hadn't moved an inch since the night before. He flicked his eyes to the side toward the barred doors. Itachi had said he would bring him food and water, but he hadn't seen him yet. He felt a split second flash of disappointment before it disappeared and left him with his normal apathy. He closed his eyes. It wouldn't surprise him if he'd lied. They played the game enough in his previous prison. It was so silent that he could hear faint noises that sounded like screams coming from somewhere far above. He briefly wondered what was happening before he remembered what a waste it was to bother wondering about anything anymore.

So he did what he had become very adept at over the last couple of years...sleep. Although sometimes, it wasn't really sleeping as much as just shutting down. Sometimes it was for hours. Other times it went on for days. He was secretly hoping if he stayed that way long enough, he wouldn't wake up again.

A few hours later he was awakened by a noise. He opened his eyes just barely and saw blue skin in the corner of his eye. So it would be the shark man guarding him today instead of Itachi. Not surprising...they were a team after all. But he really had no desire to hear the gruff man talk so he closed his eyes once again and prepared to ignore everything around him.

"Hey I know you're awake fox brat. I'm here to make sure you don't try anything stupid."

Naruto rolled his eyes behind his lids. What could he possibly do in his position. He was in a cell, he had no energy because of lack of food, and he had on chakra restraints. The only stupid thing for him would be to attempt to move.

He didn't even notice that, no matter how minute the action, he had just physically responded to someone with a bit of the old Naruto.

Tsunade sighed and closed her eyes, putting down the scroll that she'd been holding in her hand. It had been sent to her by Jiraiya.

The news she received was something she dreaded, yet knew would happen one day.

Orochimaru was dead.

It proved that no matter how powerful he was or how many times he used the Fushi Tensei technique that he developed, he was still mortal. Human.

And life was short...transient.

It made her feel old.

She growled and reached down into her drawer taking another sake from her private stash. Pouring it into a dish, she proceeded to drink away her sorrow. As she drank, she thought back to the Orochimaru who had been her teammate. The kind, quiet, introverted and yet powerful prodigy Orochimaru. The one that wasn't arrogant and fixated on power. The one that wasn't sadistic and conducting secret experiments on human beings. The one that wasn't obsessed with immortality.

They were the elite back then. The Sandaime Hokage's students. The Sannin of Konoha. But his death only served as a reminder that their time was ending. She could generate the youthful image as much as she wanted, but that only hid the facts from others...not from herself. Her pride had always kept her from revealing her true persona. However, at a certain point she had to admit to herself that she was no longer a spring chicken. She was a 54 year old woman. Thanks to the transformation technique, she had the look of a twenty year old. Unfortunately, the youthful vigor of that young age didn't come along with it. She felt the aches and pains. She knew that underneath the mask hid the wrinkles.

A new age was dawning. A new crop of ninja were set to surpass them. Soon they would take over and continue what they, and those before them, had begun. Maybe out of this group would come the new sannin.

With another sigh she poured a new round and drank it down.

In another place and time, maybe if that gaki was still alive...maybe if Team 7 had stayed together, who knows what they could've been. They had such pure raw potential. Sasuke was the genius powerhouse like Orochimaru. Sakura had the booksmarts and perfect chakra control like she did. And Naruto was the goofball with tons of untapped potential, much like Jiraiya.

Unfortunately Naruto was gone. And the rest? Well...did it really matter anymore?

This time she grabbed the bottle and drank straight from it.

How much more loss could she take? It was too much. So much death she'd seen over the years. So many of her precious people - Nawaki...Dan...Naruto.... Even Orochimaru, while evil, was still her teammate and it hurt.

She poured once more and held her saucer out in the air. When she looked up, one could see the two tears that slowly trailed down her cheeks.

"Kampai you baka hebi."

A very distinctive group stood together. A redhaired female, A white haired male carrying a huge sword, and another man, taller than the rest. Sasuke stood among the three he had just released.

"It's time I explained my purpose to you. I'm going to kill Uchiha Itachi of the Akatsuki and I want you all to help me."

And then he had to watch and wait as Suigetsu and Karin argued. No wonder he liked to work alone. If he wasn't among them, he might've facepalmed and shook his head. Why did he always end up with people like this? It was like seeing Naruto and Sakura all over again.

Sasuke blinked. Then inwardly shuddered. Why was he still thinking of him? He had no reason to think of him and definitely not her. Those people meant nothing. He forcibly wiped the offending thoughts from his mind and waited for their decision.

Suigetsu smirked at Karin. He already knew she would go with Sasuke. "I plan on sticking close to Sasuke. Hoshigaki Kisame, one of the seven swordsman of the mist, is with them. I will defeat him and take his sword."

Karin rolled her eyes in disgust. "You're just gathering swords. That's so lame."

"No lamer than you wanting to go with the group just to be near your precious Sasuke-kun."

She glared.

He glared.

"Suigetsu..." Sasuke glared.

"Fine…whatever…" He grumbled with a shrug and then turned to the peaceful looking Juugo. "Well? You're free now. What do you want to do?"

"Kimimaru risked his life for him. I need to see for myself how strong a shinobi he is."

Sasuke nodded. "Then it's settled. Our group will now be known as Hebi. Hebi has only one purpose..." His glare intensified. "...to find and kill Uchiha Itachi."

Itachi was on his way to the kitchen to make some broth. Not for himself, but for their prisoner. He didn't give it much thought beyond making sure the jinchuuriki didn't waste away to nothing while waiting for the other tailed beasts to be sealed. Naruto looked like a pathetic shell. Itachi had no doubt that another month of malnutrition and he'd be dead. Without the Kyuubi's power, there was no way the boy could live without eating for too long.

And he was not going to allow that to happen.

He heard heavy footsteps and felt the chakra of the one person he really didn't want to see. So he turned to the pot and watched the water boil, hoping to ignore the other presence.

"Tachi-sempai! Tobi knows something you don't." Yes, he would definitely ignore him. Unlike almost everyone else in Akatsuki, he knew exactly who the hyperactive, childlike, masked person really was.

"Come on Tachi-sempai! Guess!"

"Hn."

"Aw...why won't you play with Tobi?"

Itachi turned finally, hiding his irritation behind his cold image. "I don't have time for games."

Tobi giggled, but the giggle slowly changed into a deeper chuckle. The figure glided up to Itachi, exhibiting none of the energetic or clumsy qualities that were part of the goofy persona. He leaned close to Itachi and whispered in his ear. "You know what they say about all work and no play…"

Itachi didn't move a muscle, even though the man was much more intimidating than his guise let on. But Itachi was still an Uchiha and could be just as intimidating if need be.

"Why are you here?" The man known as Tobi moved a foot away and raised his hands in a submissive manner.

"Oh Itachi...you're so cold to your uncle."

Itachi raised a brow. "What do you want?" He knew that orange mask hid a knowing smirk. He hated that man, although he took great pains not to reveal it.

"I have some news you might find interesting."

Itachi waited for the other Uchiha to finish. For some reason, the man loved to drag things out so he could be dramatic.

"Our old friend Orochimaru seems to have finally met his demise."

'Good riddance.' Itachi thought. "And why should I care?"

"Ah…that is the best part." He clapped his hands with undisguised glee. "You see, I've heard that your brother was the one who killed him."

There was a moment of silence before Itachi answered. "Hn." 'Sasuke has become more powerful. It won't be long now.'

"Little Sasuke has become quite powerful over the last few years. You might have to work harder to stay alive Itachi." With a laugh, like it was such a great joke, Tobi left the room.

Itachi turned back to the stove and finished the broth, then ladled it into a cup and grabbed a straw. He assumed Naruto wouldn't be able to hold a spoon yet and although he might not be evil enough to leave him with no food, he sure as hell wasn't about to feed the boy. He would not stoop so low.

As he went down the stairs to the cells, he realized that Tobi had accomplished exactly what he wanted. His mind was now filled with thoughts of his brother. Damn him!

He could feel the change in the air. Things were about to change.

'I wonder...what will you do now otouto?'

--

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Fushi Tensei - Living Corpse Reincarnation (Immortality jutsu)

Otouto - Younger brother

a/n: So anybody think they know what the screams were that Naruto heard? I'll give you cookies if you know. :D Well, now you know who 'The Sea' is. And now that the 3 part prologue is taken care of, it's time for the real story to begin. Anyways, thanks for reading. Reviews are appreciated. :)

p.s. Thanks to Kitten for pointing out that Suigetsu's hair is White. Darn it, blame the fanart I have that has his hair looking aqua blue XD