To Mend the Severed Bonds

by IIVII

He made a promise; the promise of a lifetime. How was he supposed to know; how was anyone supposed to know that the price to be paid would actually be a life. At the Valley of the End, he's faced with a decision that will change his life forever. The question is... What awaits him in the path he chooses? M for violence and language

11. Chapter 10: Difference

Chapter 10: Difference

"You know, I read about you."

Kurama's turned his head to his companion, Kisame.

"The Orange Spark. That's quite the name you've got. I heard you took out around 500 ninjas to earn it."

Kurama smiled beneath his mask.

"That may or may not be true. Who knows?"

"Heh. Pardon me if I find it difficult to believe that you can do what the Bingo Books say you can do, but I'm sure a little demonstration wouldn't hurt."

Kurama let out a low chuckle; he knew what the man was trying to do. He had gotten used to it to some extent, as Itachi Uchiha was not without his own brand of mind games.

"Sorry, but I'm not the kind of man who shows his hand before the flop."

Kisame smiled widely at the boy. He had been testing him, and so far, the boy was passing. Itachi sure knew how to pick them. He feigned distress, let out a long sigh, and spoke.

"Well, it sure is difficult to get the truth nowadays."

Another test; Kurama smiled, as he knew exactly what to say.

"The truth is a rather valuable commodity. I don't think it should be given away so easily, do you?"

Kisame raised an eyebrow, obviously intrigued by the boy's answer, then grinned.

"You know what, if you keep playing your cards right, we just might get along kid."

Suddenly, Itachi appeared out of the corner of Kurama's eye. Kisame stood up and stretched upon seeing his partner return to camp.

"Well, I guess it's my turn to keep watch."

And with that, the blue-skinned man walked into the darkness. Itachi took a seat beside the fire and stoked it. After a while, Kurama couldn't take his own lack of knowledge anymore, and he spoke.

"So where are we going? What's my first mission as an agent of Akatsuki?"

Without a shred of emotion in his voice, the Uchiha responded.

"First, you aren't a member of Akatsuki yet; not officially. We're headed to a small village along the border of Yu, near Port City."

"Are we hoping to find anything in particular?"

"It's a Drop point. We'll receive our orders when we get there."

Kurama gave a nod, signaling that he understood. He sat and watched the fire for a few minutes, when suddenly, a thought stuck him. He got up and walked a few meters away from the campsite. When he was far enough away, he drew blood from his thumb, and slammed his hand on the ground.

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"

In a puff of smoke, Toshiko was summoned before the blonde boy.

"Ne, it's been a while eh Uzuma-"

Kurama covered the fox's nuzzle before he could finish his sentence. Before Kurama released him, he spoke in a gentle but assertive tone.

"From now on, I want you to call me Kurama unless I say otherwise, okay? Tell the other foxes too."

"Mm. So, what did you need today Kurama?"

"I need you to take me back to the Valley."

Toshiko's face brightened up upon hearing the command.

"Does that mean?!"

"Yes."

"Oh boy! Okay, here we go!"

Toshiko slapped Kurama with his furry tail, and disappeared in a puff of smoke. Kurama fell into a meditative trance, and slowly but surely, he slipped out of consciousness. When he awoke, he was once again sitting in the middle of the summit, but this time, there was no longer any blood. There was no longer any pain. The lake was clear. The grass was green. The flowers and the shrubbery were alive. The world didn't seem so dark anymore. Kurama took a good long look at his surroundings, taking in all the beauty and all the serenity. He allowed a nostalgic smile to cross his face. Suddenly, a voice spoke.

"I see you've found peace."

"It seems so."

"Should I take this as a sign that you are prepared for your next phase of training?"

Kurama cracked his neck and smiled.

"Let's do this."

"Since you've already mastered harnessing Natural energy, it is time for you to learn about the energies that constitute that energy."

Kurama hung his head in an exasperated manner. Just what he needed; more talk about energies. Deciding that he would get through it a lot faster if he played nice, he spoke.

"You talked about this before. Yin and Yang, right?"

"Yes. I will try to be as brief as possible. Yin is darkness; it is formless, nothingness. Like the imagination of the mind. It is the creation from nothingness. Yang is light; it is life, it is strength. Its very breath is vitality. The two are opposites; they contrast each other, and this constant opposition to one another is essential to the existence of Natural energy. You make use of these energies without your own knowing, every day. In fact, the Kitsune have reported throughout the years of clans that touch upon Yin and Yang energies, such as the Yamanaka and Nara."

Kurama raised his eyebrow at the statement. He never thought there was anything more to his friends' Clan Jutsu until now.

"While they do not quite grasp the whole idea, they touch upon it. The Yamanaka make use of Yang energy when they seize control of an enemy's body. The Nara use Yin energy when they manipulate the form of their shadows."

Kurama could only scratch his head; it was an interesting philosophy and all, but he didn't really see the big picture.

"Hold on, what does this have to do with me? I mean, I can already harness Natural energy. And if I can do that, then that means I already know how to harness Yin and Yang energy right?"

The boy had a point. If the whole was nothing more than a sum of its parts, then that meant there was no point in discussing Yin and Yang energy since he could already harness it. With a calm tone, the voice responded.

"That is true; although, unlike other energies, Yin and Yang energy are stronger in their raw form. You already understand how to harness Natural energy; what you must learn, is how to split it into its base parts, Yin and Yang."

"And what will that do for me?"

"Taking in Yang energy will tremendously increase your strength, speed, and durability; twice as much as Natural energy does. Your ninjutsu and taijutsu will be five times more effective. While taking in Yin energy will allow you to become more reactive. Your senses will be clearer and sharper; your mind will be clearer and sharper. While you have Yin energy in your system, you'll be impervious to illusions as well. On another note, when you gather Yin and Yang chakra, they leave traces of their energy. In theory, once you've harnessed these energies, it should mask the great Kyuubi no Youko's presence in your body, that is, unless you explicitly use the great one's chakra."

Kurama let out a hearty laugh.

"But…?"

"It comes with great risks."

"Such as?"

"At any given time, should you fail to balance the two energies, you risk losing more than what you gain. Take in too much Yang energy, and your body will not be able to handle the stress. Your heart will give out. If you take in too much Yin energy on the other hand, you risk losing your sanity."

"So it's a double edged sword."

"A gamble, yes."

Kurama ran a hand through his hair and smiled.

"I like it."

Without another word, he began meditating.

"Focus. Be like a sieve; sifting, separating. Yang is fast, unyielding and aggressive. Yin is calm, passive, and submissive. Yang is like an unstoppable flame, enveloping all it touches. Yin is like the water in a peaceful river."

Kurama focused on every ounce of energy that entered his body. With calculated expertise, he swiftly separated the hot Yang energy from the cool Yin energy. He continued to do so for 20 more minutes while simultaneously absorbing even more Natural energy. Finally, he opened his eyes. His whisker-like scars were once again replaced by thick black lines. Black pigmentation appeared around his eyes. His irises turned to a deep shade of hazel, and his pupils became slit. Kurama suddenly became more aware of his surroundings. It felt like he was invincible; so much power was being fed into every fiber of his body that he felt as if he could break a mountain face. His mind was unbelievably clearer; it worked like a well-oiled machine, taking in sensory information, processing them, and transcribing proper reactions. It was as if the world; as if everything around him was slower. His ears could hear the trickling of a drop of water on a blade of grass a couple of meters away. His nose could pick up on the faintest of scents. His tactile senses were so acute that he could feel the dust particles coming into contact with his skin. His already-ridiculously large chakra reserves felt almost limitless. He felt like a god.

But then, all the power dissipated, and he was left panting. His heart was racing and he could barely breathe.

"… Just as I thought."

Kurama turned around, forgetting for a second that the voice speaking to him had no corporeal embodiment. When he managed to compose himself, he spoke.

"What is?"

"The Kitsune aren't who you're most compatible with. Your affinity is greater with the Toads."

"So what the heck does that mean? That I just wasted my time?"

"No, it means your body cannot handle the stress of sifting Yin and Yang energies for an extended period of time."

"So I can't be a Sage after all?"

"You have already proven yourself to be a Sage; by successfully harnessing Yin and Yang chakra. In order to use the power for more than a few seconds though, you may require an external conduit. Without one, I'm afraid any power you absorb will be short-lived."

Kurama sighed and scratched the back of his head.

"So that was the drawback you were talking about, eh?"

"I'm afraid so."

"Well, is there a workaround?"

There was a silence that lingered; it was long enough to make Kurama question whether or not he had been talking himself all along. Suddenly, he felt two small, furry creatures tackle him from behind. The boy fell to the ground, and when he turned around, two fox kits were sitting on his chest.

"My name is Shiro!"

"My name is Kuro!"

The two kits then spoke simultaneously.

"We're here to help!"

The two kits jumped off Kurama, and stared curiously at the boy. Meanwhile, Kurama was wondering if there was any battle-worthy summon that came with the Kitsune contract. He wasn't asking for too much, it was just that Shiro was just a small white pup with a black mark on his forehead, and Kuro was just a black kit with a white mark on his forehead. Kurama couldn't exactly ride either of them into battle. Out of nowhere, Kuro tilted his head to the side, and spoke.

"You're the Sage? No offense but, I was expecting… more."

Shiro tapped the frank little critter on the forehead.

"Show some respect! You'll get us in trouble again."

Kuro clicked her tongue at her sibling, and gently smacked him on the forehead in retaliation.

"Don't you smack me!"

Shiro smacked him on the forehead yet again.

"I'll smack you whenever I want!"

"Oh yeah? I'll smack you!"

"You think you can handle me? You can't handle the smack-attack!"

"I'll smack your mother!"

"We have the same mother!"

Kurama could only stare at the sight of the two fox kits trying to smack each other on the forehead, and sigh. He didn't know where exactly he went wrong with his life, but he had to have made a mistake somewhere, if these were the sort of things he was forced to deal with. He rubbed his temples with his fingers to try and drown out the two pups, and spoke.

"What is this?"

The mysterious voice's sudden reply caught his attention.

"This or rather, these are Kuro and Shiro. They will serve as your external conduit. When you need to store up Yin and Yang chakra, these two will do it for you, but they will require time to build up a sufficient amount. When you want them to start gathering, simply summon them and ask them to. When you need them to transfer the chakra to you, simply let them touch their paws to your head."

"Alright. So I guess that's it then. I'm a Sage."

"Yes. We hope to serve you well, Master."

Kurama smiled; he was excited. Not because there was an entire species that considered him superior, but because he was now one step closer to fulfilling his dreams. For some reason though, he also felt happy; happy to think that maybe, somewhere in the world Jiraiya was feeling proud but didn't know why.

---

When he came to, it was already dawn. Itachi and Kisame had just finished destroying their camp. Suddenly, Kisame approached the boy.

"Shit kid, where do you go when you zone out like that?"

Kurama stood up, and turned to his companion. Kisame gave him a nod as if to say 'let's go' and they were off. In no more than half an hour, they arrived at the Village. Itachi turned to his companions.

"I'm going to fetch the package. Kurama, I want you to restock on your supplies."

Kurama nodded and watched the impassive Uchiha walk away. When Itachi was gone, Kisame started stretching.

"Well, I'm going to hit the bar; try to see what sort of information I can squeeze out of these backwater pigs. I'll meet you two back here in a few hours."

And with that, Kisame walked away. Deciding that no good would come of him standing in one place, Kurama decided to take a walk. The town wasn't all that bad; it looked pretty shanty in certain parts, but the people seemed friendly enough. He often received looks of admiration from the children as he walked down the street; probably because of his mask and coat, while the adults would simply look at him with friendly curiosity. It was a nice enough place, but for some reason, it made Kurama uncomfortable. Finally, he stumbled upon a rundown consignment store. From an outsider's point of view, it seemed like a regular house, forced to look like a store for appearance's sake. When he entered, the world seemed to, for a moment, slow down, and a few things immediately caught his attention.

"There's a sign; second hand ninja weapons for sale. Most of them are just basic gear. They're all too worn down for use, except for those strangely shaped shuriken. The woman behind the register: long black hair, weary expression. Slight wrinkles evident on her face in certain areas; most likely caused by stress. There's a locket around her neck, and a sleeping child on her arms. Beside the counter is an altar, with candles, incense, and a picture, of a young couple. The woman; is she a ninja? No. If she were, she would have kept these tools in better condition. Married to one, then? There's a wedding ring on her left ring finger. Yes, married, wait, the altar. No, not married; widowed."

Kurama felt a sudden surge of lightheadedness. He shook his head, and tried to steady himself.

"… Where the hell did that come from?"

He looked at the woman, and immediately, he knew he was right. She was just a woman trying to get rid of painful memories. The woman smiled at Kurama as he came in, and he smiled back. After a few seconds of just standing at the doorway looking like an idiot, Kurama approached the strange looking shurikens. They weren't exactly what you would call 'conventional'; instead of having four points, they only had two and they were shaped like an 'S'. It looked like a dual bladed throwing scythe. There was enough space in the center to put in an inscription, and they felt incredibly lightweight in the boy's hands. Suddenly, an idea came to the boy. While it wasn't much of a gesture, Kurama took the entire box of 'S' shurikens and took them to the counter. He took out what was left of the money Itachi had given him back in Yugakure, and placed it on the counter. The woman immediately widened her eyes.

"Sir, that's too much money."

"I'm sorry about your husband."

Her expression only showed more shock. After a while of speechlessness, she spoke.

"How did you…?"

And Kurama just shook his head. She understood what he was trying to say. What he knew wasn't important; it was what she needed to know, that was.

"Everything will be okay."

She needed to hear it. Somebody needed to tell her explicitly. Without another word, Kurama took 20 of the shurikens, placed them in his weapons pouch, sealed the rest into a storage scroll, and left. He arrived at their meeting point at about the same time Kisame did. When all of them were present, Itachi handed a brown envelope to Kisame.

"You have an assignment in the Land of Tea."

Kisame raised an eyebrow at his partner.

"Me? Don't you mean 'we'?"

"I was given a different task, so you'll be going with Kurama."

Kisame eyed the boy for a few seconds then grinned insanely.

"Fine by me. We're going to have plenty of fun, right pup?"

Kurama could only give a nod of agreement; for some reason, he felt incredibly uncomfortable and a little intimidated.

---

"Are you sure you didn't just make another mistake, mutt?"

Kiba couldn't take it anymore. He snapped.

"Watch what you fucking say, Uchiha! I've been taking it easy on you because Hinata asked me to, but don't you fucking push my buttons!"

"Or what? What will you do about it?"

Sasuke and Kiba stared each other down. After a while, Kiba let out a dry laugh.

"I'll tell you what I'm not going to do."

"Get rid of your fleas?"

"I'm not going to run my fucking hand through my best friend's chest!"

Sasuke was immediately silenced. Chōji interjected.

"Kiba!"

"What?! That's the only reason we're even out here, looking for him in the first place! Because of him! And you know it's true!"

Sakura put her hand on the silenced Uchiha's shoulder.

"That's not fair, Kiba!"

Suddenly, Hinata chimed in.

"Ano, Sasuke hasn't exactly been fair with Kiba either."

Sakura raised her eyebrow at the girl's remark.

"And how is that? Ever since we found that last camp, he's led us into four false tracks. And so far, with his recent find, we've got nothing."

Sakura struck a nerve. Hinata glared at the pink-haired girl, and spoke.

"That's easy for you to say. Out team has done the most amount of work since this mission started!"

Ino immediately contested that point.

"Hey, don't go deciding that on your own!"

Chōji could do nothing more than retreat to a corner and sadly eat a candy bar while Shikamaru leaned against a tree and silently muttered to himself.

"How troublesome."

Tenten was trying to calm the women down while Rock Lee and Shino were trying to keep Kiba and Sasuke from coming to blows. Suddenly, a single, authoritative voice silenced them all.

"Enough!"

They all turned to the source of the commanding tone; Neji Hyuuga.

"We're all tired, and we've all worked hard for this mission. We've all said some things that we don't mean. So all of you, just give it a rest, okay? Nobody is to blame for anything. We're all here because Naruto is gone, and we want to get him back. Now, do any of you actually believe that this is what Naruto would want to come back to?"

Silence was his only reply, as all of them lowered their heads in shame. They had forgotten what they were doing this for in the first place.

"All this bickering and infighting isn't helping us at all, so stow it away. We have a chance to bring Naruto home. Don't fall apart on me now. Can I ask all of you to do that?"

After a while, the rest of the search party smiled and gave a solemn nod. Up in the trees, Kakashi and Gai watched the entire thing.

"I knew it was going to take its toll on them sooner or later. Youth should not be wasted fighting with your comrades."

Kakashi nodded.

"… Neji handled it pretty well, though. If you ask me, I'd say he's ready to handle his own Team."

Gai could only lament solemnly.

"Don't say such things, my eternal rival! I can't help but feel so old!"

Kakashi shook his head at his old friend's antics. He knew better than anyone just how proud Gai was deep inside.

---

They had been walking for a good hour now. The journey was eerily silent. Even the usually talkative Kisame wasn't bothering to make small talk about their criminal past. Suddenly, Itachi stopped. With a face devoid of all emotion, he turned to Kurama.

"Kurama, I want you to stay here."

Suddenly, Kisame cut in.

"Oi, Itachi. What are we doing here in the first place?"

"We have something to take care of; or rather, Kurama does."

Kurama suddenly saw Kisame raise his eyebrow, as if he had suddenly become aware of something. What that something was, he'd never know.

"Kurama, you are to stay here, understood?"

"Sure, but what for?"

Itachi turned and started walking away with Kisame following shortly after.

"Guests will be coming your way soon; show them some hospitality."

And with that, the two jumped into the forest, jumping from branch to branch. Kurama stood there for a while, pondering on what he should do to prepare. An idea came to him from out of the blue.

"Well, I'm still not sure if these 'guests' are hostile, but better to be safe than sorry."

Kurama then proceeded to bite his thumb and draw blood. He slammed his hand against the ground.

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"

In a large puff of smoke, two fox kits appeared before him.

"Shiro!"

"Kuro!"

The two simultaneously spoke.

"At your service!"

Kurama got down on one knee, and addressed the two.

"You guys up for a little fun?"

The two foxes looked at each other, then looked back at Kurama, and nodded enthusiastically. Kuro and Shiro wrapped their tails around each other's, closed their eyes, and began to gather Natural chakra, while separating the Yin chakra from the Yang. Meanwhile, Kurama sat down and meditated.

"Kit, we've got a shadow. 8 o'clock."

Kurama didn't even bother to look. He had complete faith in his partner's words.

"What does it look like Kura-kun?"

"Doesn't seem to be all that hostile, but whatever it is, isn't too keen on the idea of a fight."

"So we've got a watcher, eh?"

Kyuubi grinned insanely from inside his cage.

"Make sure you put on one hell of a show."

---

"Oi, what the hell was that back there?"

Itachi and Kisame were jumping from tree branch to tree branch, on their way to the next stopover.

"What do you mean?"

"Don't play coy. I sensed Zetsu back there, keeping an eye on the kid. What, does Akatsuki have some sort of probation period now?"

"The leader read Kurama's Bingo Book file. He was intrigued."

"… Intrigued enough to want to see it for himself, so he sends his eyes and ears to work. I get it."

Kisame grinned widely.

"This kid just keeps getting more and more interesting, right Samehada?"

The sentient weapon gave out a low grumble of agreement. Suddenly, the two men stopped.

---

They had been moving for about an hour now; jumping from tree to tree. Suddenly, Kakashi's eyes widened, and he raised his hand slightly. Their entire search party stopped dead in their tracks. Kakashi turned to his old friend, who had a look of worry on his face.

"You sensed it too, eh Gai?"

As if he had heard Kakashi's thoughts, Gai nodded subtly at the copy nin. Kakashi then turned to his juniors.

"Listen up; we've got potential trouble ahead. Whatever happens, don't lose your heads. Understood?"

The Konoha 11 all responded with a quick 'Hai'. Suddenly, Kakashi rested his hand on his student's shoulder. Without even reacting, Sasuke spoke.

"Don't worry. Naruto is the mission."

Kakashi couldn't help but smile at his student's reply. With that, they all trudged forward.

---

Kisame licked his lips, excitement clear in his voice.

"Oi, Itachi. We got a lot of chakra signatures coming straight at us, and I even recognize one of them. But you already knew that, didn't you?"

Without even turning to look at his partner, the Uchiha dryly responded.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Kisame let out an annoyed grunt.

"Tch. Do you really expect me to believe that these guys found us by sheer coincidence?"

His question received no answer.

"I've been your partner long enough to know, that the only way anyone can get close to you, is if you want them to be."

---

"They're close."

Kakashi readied himself.

"Get ready, all of you."

As soon as he said that, the two groups met. The Konoha 11 was stopped dead in their tracks. Looks of shock and fear were clear on every one of their faces, except Sasuke's. Kakashi gritted his teeth. There he was, Itachi Uchiha, casually sitting on a tree branch, with his partner Kisame Hoshigaki. Suddenly, Kisame spoke.

"Oi! The Green Beast of Konoha! Looks like we get to play again!"

With a worried expression clear on his face, Gai responded.

"… I'm sorry. I'm not very good with faces. Have we met before?"

Kisame clicked his tongue at the bushy-browed man's insolence.

"Maybe I'll take away a limb or two; maybe then you'll remember."

Kakashi suddenly spoke up.

"Itachi. What do you want?"

Itachi said nothing, but merely stared at Kakashi. There was a long moment of silence. The air was thick with tension. Suddenly, Kakashi decided to end their standoff when he addressed his juniors.

"Listen to me. I want all of you to keep pressing onward. Gai and I will follow when we're done here.

"Kakashi-sensei…!"

Sakura was about to object, when suddenly, Sasuke grabbed her hand. She looked the boy in the eye, and he shook his head. Just like that, she understood. Gai didn't like the strategy; he didn't like the idea of leaving their students alone, but considering the circumstances, it was the best strategy they had. The Konoha 11 wouldn't last ten seconds against either Itachi or Kisame, and neither Gai nor Kakashi would be able to fight at a hundred percent if they had to protect someone else. Just as Neji and the others were about to leave, Itachi spoke up.

"You'll find your answers not too far away from here."

The statement caught all of them by surprise. With renewed vigor and hope, Neji's team took off, jumping right past Itachi and Kisame.

And that's when it happened. As Sasuke passed Itachi, their eyes locked; it was only for a second, but it happened nonetheless. That second was more than enough; more than enough for Sasuke to say all that he needed to say, and the message was received loud and clear.

You're not my brother.

When the Konha 11 had gone, Gai finally relaxed. He cracked his neck, and smiled at his opponent.

"Well then, shall we take this somewhere more… spacious?"

Kisame grinned insanely, and spiked his killer intent.

"My pleasure."

A wild grumbling came from Kisame's back.

"My, my. Samehada's going crazy."

Without any further delay, the two men jumped away into the same direction, leaving only Kakashi and Itachi, who was still sitting casually on a tree branch. The copy nin then raised his headband, activated his sharingan, and spoke.

"I won't be holding back."

Itachi's pupils spun as he subtly activated his sharingan.

"I wish I could say the same."

The two men disappeared in a flash.

---

"And so it starts."

Inside Kurama's mind, Kyuubi was smiling. Kurama heard the pitter patter of multiple feet landing on the ground, a few meters behind him. He stood up, and faced his guests.

Looks of shock and awe were clear on their expression. Kurama could imagine why; they were probably sent to search and retrieve Naruto. They were under orders to capture Naruto, and bring him back alive. He was glad to see the old faces. Truth be told, he was happy…

It was only too bad that their reunion wasn't on better terms. They were on a mission to retrieve a comrade. They were sent to look for a kid; a kid that they had grown up with, a kid that they fought with, and a kid that they saw as their friend. A kid named Naruto. But he wasn't Naruto right now; he was Kurama, a wanted, S-class criminal and apprentice of Itachi Uchiha. It was a shame that this was how it had to turn out, but it was just another price to pay. Suddenly, the raven haired boy with the sharingan spoke.

"Naruto…?"

They say dark theaters are suitable for dark deeds.

"No thank you, I'm not hungry."

Sasuke clicked his tongue at his former friend's bad humor.

"Don't fuck with me, Naruto! It's you, isn't it?!"

"Look, kid, I don't know what you're getting at, but I think you've mistaken me for someone else."

Kurama smiled beneath his mask. He eyed the Uchiha with curiosity. Sasuke was no longer wearing the black shirt that he always wore. He now sported a white tank top beneath a black sleeveless coat and a pair of ninja pants and sandals. He had black tape wrapped around his forearms, and a Konoha headband on his waist.

"Heh. Now you're a proud ninja of Konoha? You really do shed faces like a snake sheds its skin."

Suddenly, Sakura took a step forward.

"Naruto, we know it's you… please…"

The girl shot him the sweetest smile she could muster. Tears were forming around the corner of her eyes.

"Just come home with us."

It was a tempting offer, but one he couldn't afford to take.

---

"Seems like they aren't buying it, Kit."

"You think so?"

"You're not exactly doing much convincing."

"Then maybe I should take the act a step further."

---

Kurama cracked his neck, and lazily turned his head to the pink haired kunoichi.

"You know what; I think I do remember that name…"

The expression on the faces of the Konoha 11 brightened immediately.

"… Yeah, I do remember. A year ago, I was travelling near the border of Ame, when suddenly; I felt this massive chakra surge near me."

The entire group looked at him as if he had gone insane.

"So naturally, I poked around to see what it was. When wouldn't you know it, I found this kid surrounded by dead ninjas. Of course, I panicked, so I took the kid with me and ran. Little did I now, that the kid was a ninja just like me!"

Kurama ran a hand through his hair, and let out a hearty laugh.

"The little runt was so desperate for a friend! It was pathetic, really. He didn't even think twice in telling me about the fucking demon sealed inside him."

Neji was starting to lose his patience. He took a step forward, and in his deep, commanding tone, he spoke.

"Naruto, we have orders to take you, and we will use force if necessary."

Kurama merely tilted his head in confusion, glared insanely at the Hyuuga, and spoke in a deep, gruff voice.

"My name is Kurama. But that kid I found; his name was Naruto too, if remember correctly."

Sasuke was about to say something else, but was stopped by Shino. The Uchiha turned to his comrade.

"… He's telling the truth."

"What...?"

"My bugs landed on him five minutes ago. I can't sense the Kyuubi's chakra. He isn't Naruto, Sasuke-san."

"He's right…"

Kiba chimed in.

"… The scent is off. It's not Naruto."

Kurama smiled. He could almost hear their hearts shattering. He looked at his shoulder and dusted away a bug.

"That's a disgusting technique you've got there."

His insult received no response. There was a long pause; silence reigned over them. And deep inside, he was glad. He wanted to spend as much time as possible with his old friends. The longer they took to realize that he wasn't who they thought he was the better. Suddenly, he spoke.

"This is awkward…"

"… Where is he…?"

"I'm sorry? I didn't quite catch that."

"WHERE IS HE?!"

Kurama raised an eyebrow at the seething Uchiha.

"Kit, our audience is getting anxious. You better get things rolling soon."

"Got it."

He had to do something; he had to press their buttons. He had to give them a reason to want to fight, and when the right reason came to him, he smiled.

"You're too late."

Sasuke and the other members of the Konoha 11 froze in fear; fear of the next words that were to come from the masked man's mouth.

"… The Akatsuki's taken the Kyuubi. Your friend is dead."

A trigger had been pulled. The tears that were lingering in the corner of Sakura's eyes poured forth. Ino and Tenten could do nothing but cry as well. Shino hung his head in disappointment. Shikamaru looked away; part of him knew that that was a probable outcome, but it didn't stop the guilt and regret that assaulted him. Hinata sought out comfort in Kiba's embrace, where she last found it the first time the blonde boy died. Chōji, Lee, and Neji were too shocked to even react. While Sasuke…

Sasuke was fury embodied. His entire frame was shivering. He could feel the bloodlust growing inside him again. The back of his neck was starting to heat up.

"… Did you give him up…?"

"What?"

"… When the Akatsuki confronted you, did you give him up…?"

Kurama allowed a twisted grin to pass beneath his mask.

"I am Akatsuki."

The curse mark was glowing. Suddenly, Sasuke slipped into his fighting stance. The enraged Uchiha spoke.

"Neji! You're the jonin here. Give the order!"

Neji gritted his teeth; he had to make a tough call.

"Sasuke, think this through."

"GIVE THE ORDER."

With hesitation clear on his face, Neji bitterly accepted the fact that there was no reasoning with the Uchiha now. He was going to attack whether he gave the order or not.

"Take down the enemy at all costs."

When he said the words, the Konha 11 quickly tucked away their emotions, straightened up, and slipped into their battle stance. Kurama let out a sigh of relief.

"Finally."

He turned around, got down on one knee, and nodded at the two Kitsune that were hiding behind him. Shiro and Kuro looked at each other, nodded back at Kurama, and placed their paws on his head. When the transfer was complete, the two Kitsune returned to their home. Kurama's irises turned into a deep amber hue, and his pupils became slit once again. Black pigmentation appeared around his eyes. His whisker-like scars became thick black lines. He had entered Sage mode.

He stood back up, and turned to his opponents. A dark smiled made its way onto his face.

"Did you know, that a month before we sealed the Kyuubi, I had your friend teach me a little something?"

Kurama created a clone directly beside him. Said clone then proceeded to pump chakra into Kurama's right hand.

"I'm sure you're all familiar with it. He told me all about how it was his 'signature move' and all."

Doubt and anxiety passed through each and every one of the Konoha 11, as they stared at the masked man holding a Rasengan in his right hand. Sasuke began to pump chakra into his own right hand, creating a large raging electric current. Kurama primed his attack, as did Sasuke's. Suddenly though, the world seemed to slow down yet again. No; that wasn't the case. Kurama finally realized; the world wasn't slowing down, his mind was simply moving too fast. he closed his eyes.

"Their advantage, numbers. My advantage: their rage."

---

Kurama and Sasuke clashed. The resulting explosion sent the two flying back the direction from whence they came. Rock Lee managed to catch Sasuke and safely set him down, while Kurama merely flipped in midair and landed on his feet. He slid away a few feet upon making contact with the ground. Neji and Hinata immediately capitalized and advanced. Kurama barely managed to avoid the dual assault of the two Hyuuga by jumping away. At the corner of his eye, Kurama saw Tenten throw a barrage of weapons into the air. Shikamaru used the shadow that those weapons cast to lengthen the range of his jutsu.

"Kagemane no Jutsu!"

Before he could react, Kurama was caught by his old friend's Clan jutsu.

"Bubun Baika no Jutsu!"

He saw the Akimichi charging at him from a distance with an enlarged fist, but could do nothing to stop him, as he was still under the Nara's control. He closed his eyes and gritted his teeth in anticipation of the pain that came no more than a few seconds later. Kurama felt a hammer-like force smash against the side of his face. He staggered, but remained unmoving.

"Chaaa!"

Suddenly, he saw a flash of bright pink, and felt a bloodcurdling blow connect with his gut. Kurama doubled over in extreme pain as the pink-haired kunoichi's powered-up strike took its toll.

"Konoha Shōfū!"

Rock Lee slid beneath the masked man, and delivered a rage and youth-filled kick to the man's face. Kurama's vision instantly turned skyward, and just as he thought it wouldn't get worse, he heard a familiar voice.

"Gatsūga!

Kurama felt an intense pain shoot over his body as a solid blow connected to the back of his head. Before too long, he saw the familiar long-haired blonde sneak up beside him and land a three-kick combo of her own. Suddenly, he heard the voice of the two Hyuuga from afar.

"Hakke Kūshō!"

Kurama felt a strong, concentrated pressure-like force slam into his left and right shoulder. He let out a grunt of pain as both of his shoulders were dislocated and his arms rendered useless. The sheer force of the attack pushed the masked man so that he was slightly leaning back, and then, came the finale.

"Chidori!"

The rage-filled voice screamed; as if he was trying to call out to someone that was long gone. Kurama felt the searing pain slam into his abdomen and pierce his chest plate. He shut his eyes; a futile attempt to coping with the pain. It entered his body, ran right through his left lung, and exited through the back, before retreating away. Out of nowhere, the ninjas surrounding him jumped away. The sudden retreat caused the boy to open his eyes in curiosity, and that was when he saw it. The last sight he would ever see was a barrage of weapons falling from the sky. Tenten's jutsu rained down on Kurama, stabbing and running through seemingly each and every inch of his body. The blonde boy coughed out blood, and closed his eyes…

---

"… I'm in a dangerous situation. Outcome is inevitable."

Kurama opened his eyes, smiled, and allowed the Natural chakra around him to whip around wildly. The outburst of energy instantly killed Shino's bugs that were near him. He could feel the Sage chakra flowing in his system, and it brought a twisted grin to his face.

"Unless…"

Sasuke charged forward with his Chidori, and as he did so, the masked me burst into a sprint, his Rasengan primed for the kill. At the very last second though, Kurama slammed his Rasengan into the ground, causing a cloud of dust and dirt to rise up spontaneously. When the dust settled, the Konoha 11 stared in shock at the brutal sight that they beheld; Sasuke had run his Chidori right through Kurama's chest. A bitter yet satisfied smile flashed across the Uchiha's face as he spoke.

"I can't believe someone like you inherited Naruto's Rasengan."

He was about to relax, but a sudden realization dawned on him. By the time it did though, it was too late. His prey disappeared in a puff of smoke, and Kurama reappeared from out of nowhere, above him. The Uchiha felt his opponent's heel slam against the back of his head, and almost immediately did his world go dark. Kurama wasted no time and turned to his other adversaries.

"Looks of shock evident on their faces. My chances of survival have dramatically increased. They'll play safe, attacking as a unit. Can't let that happen. Employ blitz tactic."

As soon as Kurama's feet touched the ground, he sprang into action, charging at one of the more troublesome members of his opponent's team. Shino had never been an expert in Taijutsu, and with the strength and speed of his opponent, he could do nothing but cross his arms in an effort to block. Kurama saw the gesture, and narrowed his eyes.

"Grab wrists. Pull arms to the side. Slide hands to back of neck, break nose. Injure rib cage, incapacitate."

Kurama stopped just short of Shino, and pulled the guard apart. He then grabbed the boy by the back of the neck and threw a sickening knee at the ninja's face. Kurama could hear the sound of cartilage breaking, and inwardly cringed; he hated that he had to do these to his friends, but he had no choice. Shino's head shot upward, and Kurama capitalized on the opening by throwing two body blows to the Shino's side. He finished it with a front kick to his opponent's diaphragm that sent Shino flying into a tree. The impact of his head slamming against wood knocked Shino unconscious. Kurama immediately jumped away from where he once was. He heard someone click their tongue.

"As expected, Shikamaru's jutsu proves to be troublesome."

Kurama scanned their battlefield and, after a while, found the Nara standing in the far corner.

"Target acquired."

Kurama flipped in midair and landed on a tree branch. He immediately kicked off and darted off in the direction of Shikamaru. As soon as he reached the ground, Kurama did a barrel roll and sprinted off. Of course, he didn't expect to get to the Nara so easily.

"Multiple interceptors coming my way. First, Sakura; her chakra control is much better now. She's focusing it all on her fist. I need to avoid getting hit."

The pink haired Kunoichi threw a straight right. Kurama telegraphed the attack, twisted his body to the right, and leaned back, narrowly avoiding the possibility of a dislocated jaw.

"Attempt counter."

Kurama threw a left uppercut that landed flush, causing the girl to stagger forward. The masked Sage spun around the girl, pushed her away, and continued sprinting.

"Gatsūga!"

"Up next, Kiba and Akamaru. I know this move all too well. A double drill-like attack. But they keep their distance from each other in order to prevent collision. There's a small gap between them; my window of opportunity."

Kurama jumped forward and twisted his body in midair at the very last second. He managed to slip in between the attack, albeit a little too close for comfort. They boy completed his corkscrew flip and dashed towards the last two obstructions in his path.

"And last but not the least, Team 10. Although, Chōji and Ino aren't my priority."

"Bubun Baika no Jutsu!"

The enraged Akimichi aimed for the man's head, but soon found that his attack was futile when the man easily vaulted over him and pushed him down to the ground, using Chōji's own weight against him. As soon as he landed, Kurama weaved under Ino's spinning roundhouse kick. Seeing an opening, Kurama tripped her by chopping the back of her knee, and somersaulted over her falling form.

"Kagemane no Jutsu."

Kurama allowed a playful smile to pass over his expression.

"I can't let you do that Shikamaru. Let's see… he positioned himself so that the sun would be behind him, which would make his shadow longer. Alright, let's make our own sun."

Seconds before the shadow could reach him, Kurama threw an 'S' shuriken with an explosive tag attached to it straight up. The brightness of the explosion dispelled Shikamaru's shadow. Kurama capitalized on the opportunity by charging at the Nara, and landing swift kick to the side of the boy's head. Deciding to give the boy no quarter, Naruto narrowed his eyes and analyzed his opponent as the world around him, seemed to slow down.

"Shikamaru's taijutsu: capable, but inexperienced. Their team relies on their formation too much. Each one is fair game without the others. While incapacitating him would be ideal, I'd rather not take any chances."

Kurama caught the blind right jab that his opponent sent his way. He pivoted his foot, twisted the boy's arm, and slid his left hand to the boy's face. Without any shred of hesitation, Kurama broke Shikamaru's right wrist, eliciting a yelp of pain. He followed it up by throwing a knee to the boy's gut, spinning around him, catching the other wrist, and twisting it until it broke as well. Once he heard the pop, Kurama incapacitated the shadow manipulator with a quick chop to the back of the neck.

"Regroup!"

Much to his surprise, the Konoha 11, or at least what was left of it, jumped to the far side of the small clearing, anxiety evident in their expressions. Kurama smiled at his former comrades.

"That's 3. And here I thought I wouldn't have to hold back."

The snide comment seemed to irritate Neji and the others even more. With one quick exhale, Kurama analyzed the situation.

"Prediction: a change in their strategy. No longer attacking as a unit, they'll come at me one by one to wear me down. I can sustain Sage mode for about four more minutes… but I'll only need three."

Without even waiting for their leader's command, Kiba sprang into action. Kurama slipped into his fighting stance, smirking beneath his mask all the while.

"Here comes the next contestant."

Kiba scooped up some dirt and threw it at Kurama's face, but the latter simply slid to the side, avoiding the attack completely. Kurama exhaled sharply.

"Incoming assault, feral. Residual bloodstains on left sleeve and tear in shirt along the right shoulder indicate possibility of pre-existing injury. Use to my advantage."

Kiba swung wildly, in hopes that he might hit his target or at least make contact. Kurama expertly avoided Kiba and Akamaru's attacks. Kiba threw a right jab aimed at the blonde's face. Kurama parried the jab with his right hand and threw a quick chop to the boy's shoulder. Kiba cringed in pain for a second, and backed off. Kurama smiled.

"Definitely an injury. Nothing's changed. He's still so rash and thoughtless, just like I was."

Kiba dashed towards his opponent and threw a right cross.

"Slip left."

Kurama avoided the attack by mere millimeters.

"Trap arm, and wear down prey."

The Inuzuka's arm was immediately caught in a vice grip. Kurama slammed his palm hard against the boy's shoulder, eliciting a grunt of pain from his opponent. He followed up the attack by twisting the boy's arm, causing him to bend forward. He slammed his elbow down on the shoulder yet again.

"Isolate the target."

Suddenly, Kurama pulled Kiba to the side, just in time to block Akamaru's attack with the boy's arm. Akamaru, who had been aiming to bite out the enemy's jugular, instead ended up biting down on his partner's arm. Kurama then proceeded to throw an elbow at Akamaru's temple, and when it connected, the dog fell to the ground with a loud thud. He then grabbed Kiba by the right shoulder, pulled him up, and readied his hand.

"Put the nail in the coffin."

Without warning, Kurama plunged his right index and middle finger straight into Kiba's wound. Blood poured out of the reopened wound, and dripped down on the floor.

"Then hammer it down."

Kurama released Kiba, only unleash a devastating combo on the boy; he threw a left cross at Kiba's jaw and followed it up with a straight right to the injured shoulder. He then connected with a left-right body shot and threw a left elbow uppercut that landed squarely on Kiba's jaw. Then, Kurama caught Kiba's right arm in an underhook, and proceeded to punch the injured shoulder.

"Kit! 6 o'clock!"

Kurama released the underhook and jumped away, just in time to avoid a would-be fatal flying kick.

"Yosh! I will be the one to defeat you, in the name of Naruto-san!"

Lee darted off after Kurama and managed to land a devastating side kick on his opponent's guard. Although the attack was blocked, the sheer force behind it caused Kurama to slide away a few meters. The masked blonde clicked his tongue in slight irritation.

"Lee's taijutsu is much better than mine. I ought to take him seriously."

Lee pursued his opponent. Kurama weaved under a roundhouse kick, leaned back to avoid a spinning heel kick, and stepped to the side to evade Lee's axe kick. After doing so, Kurama threw a straight right, but Lee caught the punch, albeit with a little pain in his hands. Lee tried to counter with a neck shop, but Kurama returned the favor by catching the attack as well. And just like that, the two were caught in a deadlock.

"Arsenal running dry. Adjust strategy."

Kurama tried to stomp down on Lee's right foot, but Lee managed to move his feet back just in the nick of time. Lee countered by attempting to kick his opponent's left shin, but Kurama saw it coming from a mile away, and stopped the attack with the sole of his left foot. With the same foot, Kurama tried to kick and hyperextend Lee's left knee, but to no avail, as Lee once again managed to dodge. Lee threw a knee aimed at Kurama's thigh. Kurama telegraphed the attack and raised his leg, blocking the attack with his shin.

"This tactic leads to nowhere."

Kurama suddenly rammed his body against Lee's and pushed away, effectively breaking the hold they had on each other. Both ninjas jumped away a few meters, and when they landed, Lee immediately charged in with his fist cocked. Kurama narrowed his eyes.

"Attacking with a right cross. Use own momentum against him."

Kurama was well aware that he was stronger in his Sage mode and that in a dual clash, he would turn out victorious, but there was no reason to take unnecessary risks. He dashed forward and imitated Lee's movements. When Lee threw a right cross, Kurama did as well, and their fists met. The force of the collision cracked Lee's knuckles, while Kurama allowed the momentum of Lee's attack to push his right side back. Kurama twisted to the right, pivoted his foot to preserve the momentum, and landed a spinning elbow on the bushy-browed boy's temple, knocking him unconscious.

"That leaves Chōji, Kiba, Ino, Hinata, Neji, Sakura, and…"

Kurama heard a faint whizzing noise coming from behind him. It was the sound of something razor sharp, slicing through air. The sound would have been impossible to detect, but with the enhanced senses that the Sage mode granted him, he was able to pinpoint where it was coming from. Kurama rolled to the right, and as soon as he did, three shurikens embedded themselves on the ground where he once was. Tenten could only stare in shock.

"… I missed? I never miss…"

Suddenly, Kurama disappeared and reappeared behind Tenten. Before the masked man could do anything, she pulled out a retractable bo staff and attacked. Kurama had just enough time to allow his kila dagger to slide out of his sleeve and to parry. They clashed with each other for a while, neither side letting the other gain the upper hand. Suddenly, Kurama couldn't help but let out a slight laugh. When he saw that Tenten noticed, he used the hook-like protrusion near the handle of his dagger to disarm the girl. In a last ditch attempt to gain the upper hand, Tenten threw a roundhouse kick to the man's side, but unfortunately for her, Kurama ducked under it. And it was at that moment that Kurama saw his window.

"Her weapon scrolls are tucked away on her lower back. I need to keep her from using those. She's got her weapon satchel and a water canteen around her waist… that's it."

Tenten felt something tug on her waist, and before she knew it, Kurama placed his right leg in front of both of her legs, and pushed her forward, causing her to fall face first into the ground. Suddenly, the masked man jumped a few feet away from her. When she got up, she checked her gear, and realized that her water canteen was missing. She heard the masked man whistle to her, and then she felt it; cold water was running down her legs. She saw her canteen in the hands of the masked man, and her hand immediately went to the scrolls on her back. She looked at her hands, and just as she thought, the scrolls were ruined; she had ink on her hands. She was too shocked; it had taken her days to make those scrolls. They were her greatest weapons, and the masked man had just disarmed her. Kurama took advantage of her shock and reappeared behind her. With one well placed chop, she was out cold.

"Kit."

"I know."

"Nikudan Sensha!"

Kurama turned around and faced the giant human boulder. Chōji was about a hundred feet away. He started pumping chakra into his right hand. Seventy-five feet. The ball of chakra was starting to take form. Fifty feet. Kurama readied himself. Twenty feet. He gritted his teeth. Ten feet.

"Sorry about this, Chōji."

Kurama's Rasengan slammed and grinded against Chōji, before the latter was aptly sent flying into a tree.

"Chaaa!"

Kurama sighed.

"Sakura… you're too predictable."

Kurama leaned back and avoided the haymaker that came from his right side. He grabbed the offending arm, flipped the girl over, and slammed her to the ground. He drew his fist back, and struck her on the temple, knocking her out. When he stood up, he felt a kick connect with the side of his head. He staggered for a while, and when he turned to his attacker, he smiled. It was Ino, and she was shocked; shocked that she actually managed to hit her opponent, and for some reason, he couldn't help but find her adorable.

"Someone's having fun."

"Why shouldn't I? This is the first and last time I'll see them in a long time."

"Just hurry it up Kit. Don't want our shadow to get suspicious."

"Will do, Kura-kun."

Kurama let out a slight laugh, and spoke.

"Come now, it's like none of you are even trying. All of you, now."

Kurama slipped into his fighting stance.

"Come at me."

Neji grimaced at the man's bravado; he was being underestimated. But as much as he wanted to think that the man was all talk, he had just witnessed his entire team get decimated, and he couldn't help but blame himself. At present, it was clear that to keep fighting was suicide. It was painfully evident, Neji thought to himself.

This was the difference, between shinobi and Akatsuki.

He let out a sigh, and spoke.

"Stop. We surrender. What do you want?"

Kurama was honestly shocked; Neji was never the type to back away from a fight. Where was the superiority complex that he had gotten so used to seeing? Before he could say anything, Kiba and Hinata contested the call.

"Neji-kun! You can't be serious!"

"Yeah! What the fuck Neji?!"

Neji turned to his teammates.

"Look around you. We're outmatched."

He was right. Shikamaru had two broken wrists. Sasuke was knocked out in one blow. Lee was beaten in a taijutsu battle. Tenten, Sakura, Shino, Chōji; all knocked unconscious. This was Akatsuki, Neji thought to himself. They weren't a group of mercenaries, like the Bingo Books would portray.

They were a group of monsters. They were the things that go bump in the night. They were demons. And they weren't trained to fight demons. That much Neji knew.

"I refuse to risk the lives of my comrades."

Kiba, in complete, rage, stood up, ignoring the pain from his injury.

"Bullshit! Akamaru! You ready?!"

Akamaru limped to his partner's side. Neji turned to the two.

"Kiba, don't-!"

"Gatsūga!"

Just like that, the Inuzuka and his ninken dashed off towards Kurama, who silently thought to himself.

"… I've got three minutes left, which means two minutes to finish this… Distract, then, block attack."

Kurama suddenly grabbed Ino by the wrist, and pulled her close. The girl struggled against her captor, and when the two attackers were halfway to their location, Kurama looked the girl in the eye, and spoke.

"Sorry about this."

Kurama lifted his mask halfway, and crushed his lips against Ino's. The girl shut her eyes in shock, and just as she did, Kurama threw her straight at Kiba and Akamaru. The Inuzuka and his ninken slammed against Ino's body. Kurama simply stepped to the side as the Gatsūga and the Yamanaka passed him, and crashed into a tree behind him.

"Kiba-kun!"

Before Hinata could charge forward, Neji stopped her, and shot her a commanding gaze that stopped her dead in her tracks. Before too long, she spoke.

"B-But Neji-kun, how can you expect me to do nothing when someone I love gets hurt?!"

Kurama raised an eyebrow at the statement, and glanced at the unconscious Inuzuka.

"… I see. Hinata and him…"

Kurama's gaze went back to the two Hyuuga standing in front of him. Then, he spoke.

"Let's end this."

Neji gritted his teeth, and slipped into his Jūken stance. Suddenly, both Hinata and Neji charged at the man. Kurama inhaled slowly, and exhaled; the world seemed to slow down yet again.

"… I've fought you before, Neji. I know you."

Neji and Hinata stopped short of the masked man, poised to strike. Kurama smiled; clearly pleased of the benefits that came with being a Kitsune Sage. His mind was so sharp and perceptive that it almost seemed as if the world were moving in slow motion, and his body so reacted so well that it was as if he was too fast for the rest of the world. He readied himself.

"Incoming assault: precise, and experienced. Blocking, out of the question. Their advantage; their eyes. Distract target. Then, even the playing field."

Kurama reached into his pocket and swiftly took out a coin. He then proceeded to toss the coin in the air. The two Hyuuga reacted to the sudden movement on pure reflex, and their eyes went up with the coin, if only for a second. Capitalizing on that one second, Kurama kicked a good amount of dirt into his adversaries' faces, effectively blinding them momentarily.

"Frenzied, will attempt blind tenketsu strikes. Turn attacks against them."

Neji and Hinata both threw a Jūken strike. Kurama parried Neji's attack and pushed it to the left, causing Hinata to strike a random tenketsu on Neji's arm. Kurama threw a right flicker jab that landed flush on Neji's jaw. Then he threw a straight left aimed at Hinata's shoulder, but Hinata lost her footing and slipped slightly to the right, causing his opponent's attack to land on her left breast. Kurama felt his knuckle come into contact with a soft mound of flesh, and as soon as he saw what he had hit, his face heated up intensely. The two Hyuuga jumped away to avoid any further attacks on their eyes.

"… Did you just punch her on the boob?"

"S-Shut up about it! It wasn't on purpose!"

"Right…"

Hinata's hand immediately went to her left breast, and a blush appeared on her clearly furious face. Kurama exhaled slowly.

"Focus… Handicap, wearing off. Must avoid getting cornered. This mustn't drag on for too long. The best tactic: to keep my distance and let clones wear them down."

Kurama caught the coin in his hand.

"Once more."

He threw several S shuriken at the two, and proceeded to create ten clones. The ten copies charged at their target. Kurama then subtly threw four S shuriken rigged with explosive tags at four trees that surrounded the small clearing. Suddenly, he found himself caught between the two Hyuuga. Hinata and Neji managed to dispel all ten clones and surround him without him noticing.

"… Seems I'm cornered. No choice."

Neji and Hinata rushed him. He tossed the coin in the air as hard as he could. He closed his eyes. The world went silent.

"… Let's keep this short and simple."

Curtain call.

"Attacks coming from both front and back. Neji's priming an extended knuckle strike; will aim for a tenketsu. Eyes indicate he'll strike to the right. Slip left. Palm strike from behind. Move left foot to 5 o'clock behind right foot, pivot right foot, turn, and weave under."

Kurama avoided the tenketsu strike, much to Neji's surprise. He stepped his left foot to the right and expertly evaded the palm strike aimed at his spine.

"Hinata's stance is unsteady. Favoring left leg. Tear in pants along left thigh. Bandage underneath suggests gash along thigh. Attacking injury will make offense more tenable. Take advantage."

Kurama threw a knife hand chop to the injured thigh and landed a brutal palm strike uppercut on Hinata's jaw.

"Neji's aiming a Jūken strike at my collarbone. Hinata will try to retaliate with palm strike to heart. Pull left hand back. Twist to the right. Grab wrist with left hand. Move right foot back, and pull."

Hinata attempted to counter with a palm strike aimed at the blonde man's chest, but her opponent twisted his torso at the very last second, and caught her wrist. Kurama shifted his right foot back and pulled, causing Hinata to take the brunt of the Jūken that was meant for him.

"Traumatize solar plexus. Parry assault. Focus… Use your head. Crack eggs. A pinch of salt. Avoid spilling. Butter the pan. Add a touch of pepper. Wear down the mixture. Flip in pan. Breakfast is served."

Kurama released his hold on the girl's wrist and slammed his triceps into the girl's solar plexus, causing her to stumble back. Neji threw a series of Jūken strikes, but his opponent parried all of them. Kurama suddenly stepped in, and retaliated with a headbutt that broke Neji's nose. Using the very same foot he used to step in, Kurama kicked Neji right in the groin, causing the boy to double over. He then proceeded to get down on one knee and throw an uppercut that sent Neji's vision skyward. He leaned his head back. He could feel the chakra around Hinata's left hand as he evaded the Gentle palm aimed at his head. He then chopped Hinata's injured leg, causing the girl's entire form to destabilize. He quickly got up, and peppered Neji's midsection with four straight body blows. Kurama then turned to Hinata, and landed a quick palm strike on the same leg. He threw his knee upward, connecting with the girl's abdomen. Suddenly though, he felt three strikes land on his chest. Before he knew it, Hinata had recovered and landed her own Jūken strikes on his collar bone and shoulders. The two cousins followed up with a joint palm strike, sending the masked man sliding a few feet away. Kurama smiled beneath his mask, as blood trickled down his mouth.

"… Additional seasoning required. As expected, coming out unscathed was impossible. Chakra flow was disrupted. Can't have that, else it might ruin the balance of Yin and Yang chakra in my system. So I'll fight fire with fire. Luckily, the family scrolls had diagrams illustrating the tenketsu points. Focus. Do to them what they did to you. Focus chakra on finger tips, and expel upon contact. I've seen them fight. My mind remembers, and my body can imitate."

Because of his Sage chakra, Kurama could sense and to some extent, see the chakra of others, especially when it's being gathered in one place. With a clear image of how Gentle Fist works in his mind, Kurama dashed forward, right between the two.

"Neji's eyes are targeting my right shoulder. Hinata's aiming for the left. Evade barrage, launch my own."

The two once again rushed their opponent. Kurama twisted his body sideways, causing both Hinata's palm strike to the left shoulder and Neji's palm strike to the right, to miss entirely. Kurama pushed Hinata's arms upward and landed a Jūken strike on her left shoulder. He then turned 180 to his left, caught Neji's extended left arm in an underhook, and landed a barrage of tenketsu strikes on Neji's back. When he released, the two cousins jumped away. He caught the coin in his hand, and smiled.

"Where did you learn that?!"

Kurama lazily turned his head to the source; Neji Hyuuga.

"From you, just now."

Looks of shock appeared on both Hinata and Neji's faces.

"I don't have those fancy eyes of yours, but I did read a book about tenketsu's once. I may have missed a tenketsu or two. What can I say? My memory's not perfect."

Suddenly, he dashed forward.

"Gauge opponent. Neji will inevitably go for my arms now. Hinata will try to keep me busy by attacking my abdomen. Incoming tenketsu assault; slip left, fade right."

Kurama rushed Neji. The latter threw two Jūken strikes, but Kurama saw it coming from a mile away. He did a quick left-right weave, a stepped into Neji's guard.

"… Opponent breathing through mouth heavily. Broken nose impairs respiration. Take his breath away."

Kurama landed a devastating left hook to Neji's solar plexus, and followed it up with a shoulder butt that sent the boy stumbling backwards. Finally, Kurama knocked him down with a front kick to the diaphragm. He saw Hinata coming from the corner of his eye.

"… Significantly slower. As I suspect; wound taking its toll. Capitalize, then put her to sleep."

Kurama avoided the flurry of attacks that came his way. When he saw an opening, he threw a snap jab at the injury. The pain shot through Hinata's entire body immediately. She collapsed to her knees, and Kurama took advantage by vaulting over her and locking her in a sleeper hold. Suddenly, just as Hinata succumbed to sleep, he heard the strangely familiar words.

"Hakkeshō Kaiten!"

A wall of chakra made contact with Kurama's body. It grinded against him, and sent him flying a good distance away. When the blonde boy got up, Neji looked straight into his eyes, and he understood. This was the last stand. Kurama clicked his tongue; he was almost out of time.

"… Alright. Now or never. Can't close the distance. I know what happens when I get 'within range of his divination'."

Kurama suddenly threw a barrage of S shuriken at Neji.

"Hakkeshō Kaiten!"

The dome of chakra formed once again. They repelled the weapons. This time though, Kurama was anticipating it. His hands formed the seal of the Snake. Suddenly, four trees surrounding the clearing exploded. The said explosion was especially bright, and with Neji's Byakūgan activated, it caught him off guard. The sudden shock managed to weaken the wall of chakra for a second, which was all Kurama needed. He pumped half of the Sage chakra he had left into his hand.

"Ōdama Rasengan!"

The blue sphere slammed into the dome of chakra, grinding against its rotation. The two adversaries were sent flying by the resulting explosion. Kurama flipped in midair and landed on all fours while Neji slammed into a tree a few meters away from the clearing and fell to the ground, unconscious. Kurama got up, sighed, and relaxed.

"… It's done."

"… Not yet!"

He turned around only to see Uchiha Sasuke. Kurama smiled; he had to hand it to him, he was tough. Even after taking a full-forced hit from Kurama's Sage mode, he still had it in him to get up. Sasuke took two unsteady steps forward; he was still groggy from the last attack, but he would fight. He subtly activated his Sharingan.

"… It seems they've asked for an encore. Sharingan will prove troublesome. First, feint with right. Slip counter right. Then, land fist to patella.

Kurama charged in at Sasuke. He baited the Uchiha with a feint, and moved his head sideways to avoid the right. He then threw a left cross to Sasuke's left patella, but the boy's Sharingan was quick enough to see through it. He moved his leg back, drew the tanto from his back, and attempted to stab the masked man. Sasuke could feel the swords tear through something, and he smiled, as did Kurama.

"… It seems he's gotten more proficient with his eyes. I just barely sidestepped that attack, the sword pierced my coat. Trap weapon, and break."

Kurama then twisted the cloth around the weapon, and brought his elbow down on the broad side of the sword, causing it to break near the hilt, much to Sasuke's surprise.

"Opponent is in shock. Take advantage. Flurry to the face, then, finish with shovel hook to solar plexus."

Kurama threw several jab-straight combinations at the boy's face but, much to his surprise, they were all parried, as was the shovel hook. The Uchiha retaliated with a left cross aimed at Kurama's jaw which he planned to follow up with a haymaker to the man's jaw.

"… Incoming attacks high and low. Employ elbow block. Counter with snap left. Then, front kick to lead knee. Finish with knee to face."

Kurama proceeded to block the left cross with his elbow. Sasuke followed up with a right haymaker to the body, which was also stuffed. Kurama's lightning left connected with the boy's jaw, causing his head to snap back. Just as his front kick was about to land though, Sasuke once again moved his leg and evaded the attack and landed a spinning heel kick to the side of Kurama's head. The masked blonde staggered for a second. But then, he let out a slight laugh.

"… That Sharingan is perceptive. It's seeing through my offense. As expected, Sasuke is tough to take down. Will have to put everything I've got into one attack but where…?"

Kurama dashed forward and primed his right fist. He poured a good amount of chakra into his right fist, and narrowed his eyes.

"… Into an attack he can't see."

Kurama threw a straight right, which the Uchiha saw coming a mile away. The boy slipped to his left, and threw his own counter right. Both men managed to avoid each other's attack, but suddenly, Sasuke felt an intense pressure press into his right cheek. He was then sent rolling away to the right. When he stopped, he couldn't move. Kurama had used the Natural chakra around him to extend his range. After a few seconds, Kurama let out a sigh of relief.

"Finally…"

"… I'll kill you…"

"Shit…"

Kurama stared at the downed Uchiha. It was clear that he was seconds away from passing out, but for some reason, he was still holding on to his consciousness. Suddenly, the boy spoke.

"… I'll kill… each and every… one of you… of Akatsuki… for taking Naruto…"

Kurama was honestly shocked. Never in his wildest dreams would he have imagined Sasuke Uchiha to want to avenge his death. As far as he knew, Sasuke was still after Itachi, but all that changed when he heard the last words of the Uchiha, before he slipped into unconsciousness.

"… For taking my brother…"

There was a silence that lingered. Kurama smiled.

"… You've changed, teme."

"Kit, our shadow's gone. It left after you beat the shit out of the Uchiha."

"Mm. Is there anyone else around?"

"No."

"Okay. Thanks, Kura-kun."

And with that, Kurama felt every last ounce of his Sage chakra leave his body. He collapsed to the ground, panting, with a bitter smile on his face.

"That was fun… But damn do I feel lightheaded."

"Relax Kit. You just took on eleven of your former comrades. I'd be surprised if you weren't winded."

"Why were they here though? And how did they find me?"

"Something tells me that Uchiha's got a hand in this."

"Same here, Kura-kun. But you know… I'm glad."

Kurama took a good look around him. He had just decimated a platoon of his closes friends and former allies. And it was fun. Just seeing them again, was fun. After a while, he got up and walked over to Kiba and his ninken.

"… Sorry about your shoulder, Kiba."

He dragged the boy and the dog away from the tree that looked as if it was about to fall. Then, he turned to the blonde haired girl.

"… Tayuya's going to kill me if she ever finds out what I did just to win."

"You mean if she finds out."

"… Yeah… If… If is good…"

He lifted the girl in her arms, and laid her down a few meters away from the unstable tree. Then, he walked over to his former teammate, Sakura Haruno.

"… You know, looking back, I was a stupid kid."

He kneeled down beside her and stroked her cheek.

"… Sorry for all the times I annoyed you… And I'm sorry I didn't come back."

He threw a glance at the Uchiha's sleeping form, a few feet away.

"… I'll do you one last favor, Sakura-chan. To make up for it."

He walked over to Sasuke, and grimaced at him.

"You know, you were an asshole. And I have a feeling you still are."

A sad, knowing smile appeared on his face.

"… But I'm glad I managed to get through to you. And now…"

He then grabbed the unconscious boy by the wrist and dragged him to where Sakura was. He proceeded to position the two of them so that the Uchiha would be lying directly on top of Sakura. When he was through with that, he walked over to his old friend, Neji. He sat down beside him and let out a slight laugh.

"So… I heard. Jonin huh? You beat all of us to it. You really are a prodigy."

Then, Kurama proceeded to take off the boy's forehead protector. He stared at the mark on Neji's forehead for a while, before allowing a frown to pass over his countenance.

"… I thought so. Neji… I'm sorry. It was my clan that created that seal. If they had known that they would pervert it and use it like this, I'm sure you wouldn't have had to suffer."

Kurama took out his sealing kit and a blank scroll. He had read all about the different types of seals that his family created. He wrote a few special markings along the edges of the scroll, placed it over Neji's forehead, and smiled.

"You know, I'm probably the only one who hasn't given you a congratulatory gift yet."

Kurama then pumped chakra into the scroll and, after a few seconds, the Caged Bird Seal appeared on the paper. He rolled up the scroll, packed his sealing kit away, and got up. With that done, he walked away, with a smile beneath his mask.

"Fly high, Neji."

---

Kakashi stood on a tree branch a good distance away from his opponent. He was panting; almost out of chakra. That wasn't what troubled him though. No, what troubled him was that his opponent hadn't even broken a sweat. Itachi stood on a tree branch, without a hint of strain on showing on his face. Suddenly, Itachi turned his head to the side, as if listening for something behind him. Then, the stern faced Uchiha spoke.

"We're done here."

Before Kakashi could do anything, his opponent dissipated into a murder of crows. Kakashi's expression soon turned grim.

"I have to find the rest of the team."

---

Stalemate. But even so, he couldn't help himself. It was too much fun. Out of nowhere, a crow landed on the tip of Samehada. Kisame clicked his tongue in frustration, and turned to address his heavily breathing opponent.

"Oi, our fight's over for now. You got no idea how lucky you are. But don't you dare forget who I am again, or the next time, I'll have to shred your legs off!"

And with that, Kisame disappeared. Worried for the well-being of his time, Gai immediately darted off as well.

Kurama got up as soon as he heard the soft thud of feet landing on the ground a few meters behind him. He knew who it was; he got up, turned around, and looked Itachi dead in the eye.

"So how did you do it?"

Itachi stared at him impassively, before speaking.

"What?"

"How did you get them to find me?"

"When we were still travelling together."

Kurama smiled and shook his head.

"… You were leaving a trail of breadcrumbs. All the times when we just abandoned our camp… But Akamaru… how come he never knew it was me?"

"The coat."

And that's when Kurama noticed; the feathered collar on his coat had an aromatic scent to it. If he had to hazard a guess, it smelled faintly of Oranges and Vanilla; Musk. It had been masking his scent. Itachi had probably applied it right after the first coat he gave to the boy was ruined during his fight with Han and Fū.

"You knew they'd be following, and you've been helping them. Why?"

"Because I knew the time would come when Akatsuki would want to test you."

Kurama nodded; it made sense to him. He had something he needed to do, and to do that, he needed to get into Akatsuki. He turned around, and as he was about to walk away, Itachi once again spoke.

"And because I wanted to see how far you were willing to go."

Before Kurama could respond, Kisame arrived. The large man walked towards the two, looked all around him, and was evidently startled. He slowly turned his head towards Kurama, and grinned insanely at the boy. Kurama tensed up; he felt a wave of killing intent wash over him

"Oi. You're just full of surprises, aren't you, kid?"

When Kurama recovered, he simply smiled beneath his mask, and spoke.

"I am the Orange Spark, after all."

Then, Kisame turned to Itachi.

"So, what now?"

"You and Kurama should head out to the Land of Tea. We'll see each other at the headquarters."

Kisame smiled and cracked his neck. Kurama and Itachi exchanged nods, and just like that, the three men disappeared into the forest.

---

The pitter patter of heavy rained echoed throughout the silent, war-torn country, but the people went about their own business, not caring the movements in the shadows, and the shifting in the sky. In a tower at the peak of it all, a lone figure stood above all the others; a shepherd standing among its flock.

"… What did you learn?"

As if on cue, Zetsu sprouted out of the floor inside the room, and addressed the man sitting on the ledge.

"… His chakra signature was overwhelming. He easily overpowered his opponents, and when holding back."

The man raised his eyebrow, his curiosity obviously piqued.

"… Holding back?"

"Regrettably, I wasn't able to observe his special jutsu. He didn't use it."

Both men were silent for what seemed like eternity. Then, the man spoke.

"That'll be all."

Zetsu took his leave immediately afterwards. Once they were alone, a purple haired woman emerged from the shadows.

"Why the sudden interest…?"

Without even turning to face her, the man replied.

"… Every variable must be taken into account, especially him."

The woman could only shoot him a solemn look. Then, after choosing her words carefully, she spoke.

"… You're wary of his skills. They're reminiscent of that man from Konoha."

"I want to be certain that he will aid in furthering our goals. Once he arrives here, I will want to see him myself."

"You mean you're going to use that body to speak to him? You can't; your real body is already so weak, and you mustn't push the range of your control. Give yourself time to recover."

"I will have to. There is no more time for waiting. The Akatsuki will make its move, and it will do so now."

A worried look dawned on her face.

"Nagato, you're overexerting yourself.

"My name is Pain, Konan. And the world will know Peace through me."

Lightning struck and shattered the silence that loomed over Amegakure.

---

"… What happened…? Ah, my head feels like a nail was run through it."

Neji slowly sat up, clutching the side of his head. he looked all around him, yet all he saw was darkness.

"Night… how long was I asleep…?"

Suddenly, his eyes adjusted, and everything came rushing back. His body tensed up, and he frantically searched all around him.

"… That's right! The man with the Kitsune mask… wait, where are the others…?"

He let out the breath he wasn't aware he was holding when he saw his comrades sitting around a campfire a good distance away. As he was about to get up, he saw his forehead protector on the ground.

"Strange… it must've fallen off when I was hit."

His mind was still cloudy when he was tying the forehead protector around his head. Slowly, he walked over to where the others were. As he was getting closer, he started getting a better view of the scene at the camp. Chōji was bandaging Shikamaru's wrist. Hinata was applying some salve on Kiba's shoulder. Sakura was using her medical ninjutsu to heal Sasuke's cheek while Sasuke begrudgingly letting out a whimper of pain every now and then. Lee was doing pushups for whatever reason. Ino on the other hand, was consoling a crying Tenten. When he arrived, he quickly sensed the tension in the air dissipate as Tenten immediately stared at him wide-eyed and mortified. She got up all of a sudden, ran to the Hyuuga, and embraced him. the sudden display of affection caught everyone's attention and interest, as their faces soon brightened up as well.

"Neji! We thought they had taken you!"

Neji froze up at the sudden embrace. He could feel his face heating up intensely. When Tenten released him, he sat down beside the fire along with everyone else. Out of nowhere, Kakashi and Gai appeared and greeted the boy.

"Yo, Neji. We just came back from doing a quick patrol. It's good that you're okay, everyone thought you had been taken."

Suddenly, Gai burst into tears.

"Yosh! I knew it! I knew my pupil is far too good to allow himself to be captured! Youth and passion flows in his veins as it does now in mine! Come, Neji! Bask in the joy of the moment with me!"

"I'd rather not."

Gai immediately sank into a mock depression. Kakashi shook his head at his friend's antics; he knew all too well that the man was only trying to lighten the mood. Suddenly, Neji spoke.

"… What happened to the masked man?"

The morale of the group instantly plummeted. The atmosphere immediately became tense yet again. Then, Sasuke gritted his teeth, and answered with vehemence in his voice.

"… He got away."

"Yeah. Thanks to you."

Kiba spat the last sentence out, drawing the ire of Sakura and Ino. Before the two could say anything though, Sasuke bit back.

"The hell do you mean?"

"You got knocked out with one kick, that's what I mean!"

"And I woke up afterwards and fought him again, after you knocked out one of our own."

"Bullshit."

Ino suddenly chimed in.

"I-It's true! I started to stir a few minutes after you hit me, and I saw Sasuke land a hit on the masked man, but I fell unconscious again a few seconds later!"

The argument was quashed before it could escalate when Neji raised his voice.

"Didn't I say stow it away? It's no one's fault. We were simply outmatched."

The statement did nothing to increase morale. Suddenly, Kakashi asked the question that everyone was trying to avoid.

"… What happened?"

When it was clear that no one wanted to explain, Neji spoke up.

"… We were confronted by a man claiming to be a part of Akatsuki; a man named Kurama. He…"

The boy fell silent. Gai kneeled beside Neji and gently rested his hand on his shoulder.

"… He claimed to have known Naruto. He said he found him near Amegakure. That he traveled with Naruto and learned all he could from him. And that…"

Neji truned away and spoke through gritted teeth.

"… That Naruto is dead. The Akatsuki has the Kyuubi."

Kakashi and Gai froze up; it was exactly what they were afraid of. It was exactly what everyone was afraid of. The tears that were lingering in the corner of Sakura's eyes fell once again. It was the second time they lost Naruto. They would have moped on longer, but then, Kakashi spoke.

"… We don't know that for certain. It could be a lie."

Suddenly, Sasuke stood up and yelled at his mentor.

"You don't get it Kakashi-sensei! He knew the Rasengan."

Kakashi tensed up for a moment. It was worse than they had feared. They had lsot Naruto, they had lost the Kyuubi, and to top it all off, an A-rank jutsu that belonged exclusively to Konoha was now in the hands of a criminal organization.

"… I know you're all angry and emotional, but we need to put the mission first. That being said, I think the best we can do now is to go back to Konoha and report everything that's happened. Before we do that though, Gai and I are going to need to get the facts straight."

The Konoha 11 nodded with a melancholic expression on their faces. Kakashi inwardly cringed; he still wasn't used to seeing his juniors so dejected and demoralized.

"… Now, I'm going to need information on this Kurama you fought. Do any of you remember anything?"

Kakashi turned to the ninja to his right; Rock Lee. The bushy-browed boy spoke with unbecoming seriousness.

"His Taijutsu was superior to mine. As a matter of fact, he was able to take most of us out using Taijutsu alone."

Then, the Akimichi spoke.

"Hmm… he didn't use any ninjutsu other than Naruto's Rasengan. He was wearing a weird mask. I think it's called a Kitsune mask. Oh, and he had blonde hair too."

The Uchiha then spoke up through gritted teeth.

"He was stronger and faster than any of us. And he even managed to keep up with my sharingan."

Kakashi nodded in understanding.

"Shikamaru?"

"… It's troublesome to admit it, but it was almost as if he could tell what we were going to do before we even knew it ourselves. Almost like he knew all of us."

"We can't rule out the possibility that maybe Naruto talked to him about all of you. Tenten?"

"Hmm. Well, Shikamaru's right. He knew about my weapon scrolls even before I used any of them. And he's smart too."

"What makes you say that?"

Tenten blushed and scratched the back of her head.

"I-It's embarrassing to say, but while we were fighting, he stole my water canteen and used it to douse my scrolls."

Kakashi's expression turned pensive. Then, he turned to Shino.

"He was able to kill my bugs with a burst of strange chakra."

"What do you mean 'strange'?"

"My bugs sense chakra and pass the information on to other bugs that, by extension, then pass it on to me. I then receive a clear image of what the chakra is like. When he flared his chakra, it was… unlike any chakra my bugs have ever seen. Their minds were immediately destroyed, killing them in the process. The chakra was cold… yet warm at the same time, and a white and black aura seemed to emanate from him."

Kakashi took in all the information, and then turned to Hyuuga heiress.

"Ano, he was very perceptive. During my fight with him, I think he saw my wound, and he took advantage of it immediately."

Kiba then raised his hand, and spoke.

"The same happened to me! He saw the wound on my shoulder and probably thought that the only way he could beat me was to take advantage of it."

Hinata let out a giggle as she moved in closer to the Inuzuka. Akamaru barked in agreement with the boy. Everyone else, on the other hand, merely sighed. Suddenly, Neji spoke.

"… He's a on a totally different level than us, he completely decimated all of us by simply observing and taking advantage of our individual weak points. He even learned the basics of Jūken simply by being hit a couple times with it."

Kakashi, along with everyone else present with the exception of Hinata, raised their eyebrows at the last sentence; learning Jūken was difficult enough as it is, but to do it after only getting hit a few times with it, and without the help of a Byakūgan no less, it was a feat never done before. Whoever this Kurama was, he truly was a monster to be feared. After recovering from the shock, everyone turned their eyes at the pink haired kunoichi, who at present had a pensive look on her face. After a few seconds of silence, she spoke.

"… Despite everything everyone else has said, I could tell; this Kurama guy was still holding back."

Neji and the others begrudgingly nodded their heads upon hearing the statement.

"Other than that, I think everything important has been said. Ino?"

The blonde girl immediately tensed up. She could feel all the blood rush to her face and before anyone could wonder about her uncharacteristical silence, she spoke in a flustered and bewildered tone.

"I-I don't know what y-you're talking about! I don't know anything. I didn't get a chance to notice. Kiba knocked me out! It was his fault!"

Kiba started apologizing profusely to the girl, while everyone else stared at her with curiosity. Neji could only shakr his head in disbelief of the girl's behavior, while Hinata; Hinata could't help but giggle. No one else knew that Ino's first kiss was stolen by a criminal. It almost sounded like a love story. After a while, Kakashi stood up and addressed the team.

"… Alright. Get some rest, all of you. Tomorrow, we head back home."

The copy nin turned around and walked to the far corner of the camp to take first watch. He frowned underneath his mask. He didn't like the idea of coming home bearing bad news.

Back in the camp, everyone returned to minding their own business. Once Sakura had finished patching up Sasuke's cheek, she turned to do the same for Neji's injuries, but Tenten had already beaten her to the punch. After tending to the boy's broken nose. Tenten couldn't help but laugh at her teammate.

"What?"

"Your forehead protector; it's upside down."

"Oh, I didn't realize…"

"Here, let me."

Tenten moved to untie his headband. The sudden gesture left their faces so close to each other that, for a while, Tenten could almost feel Neji's breath on her lips. When the blushing brunette managed to take of Neji's headband, she stared in shock at the boy.

"Neji…!"

The sudden reaction caught everyone's attention. Soon enough, both Tenten and Hinata were staring wide-eyed at Neji's face.

---

"Where are we headed?"

Kurama and Kisame had been jumping from tree branch to tree branch for a few hours by now. They had managed to cover a good amount of ground, and with the speed their going, it would probably take them no more than four days to reach the Land of Tea. Strangely though, the large shark of a man had been silent the whole while. When his question received no answer, Kurama once again spoke.

"You know, if we're going to do this, you need to give me more information. I won't be much help without any."

Kisame let out a dry laugh.

"Alright kid. We're headed to the Land of Fire's Port City. I heard from a… friend I made in the last town that there's a shipment of weapons and ninja equipment arriving there, and we're getting the pick of the litter."

"… And what did you do to get that information…?"

"Heh. Relax kid. Truth extracted under duress isn't worth much. People will say anything to get the pain to stop, so I just asked."

"…"

"… And then I killed him."

Kurama could only grit his teeth and berate himself for being so affected. He knew that if he was going to work under Akatsuki, he would have to get used to people like Kisame, but it was a feat easier said than done.

"Did he really have to die?"

"If he was willing to give that information to someone like me, what's to stop him from giving it to anyone else?"

Suprisingly, Kurama saw the logic in Kisame's reasoning, and found himself nodding in agreement. Then, without warning, Kisame let out an exaggerated sigh.

"It's a shame that we have to run all the way there though. But, it's not like we can teleport or anything."

Kurama shook his head and laughed at his companion. Not in a million years did he expect he would ever find himself draped in Akatsuki colors, and enjoying the company of one Kisame Hoshigaki.

"Heh. You know it doesn't work like that."

"Oh? Well maybe if I saw it, I'd understand it more."

Kurama smiled wryly beneath his mask. He found it ironic that the trick that got him into Akatsuki in the first place, would be the one that would hang him if he ever used it. Without another word, Kisame sped up, and Kurama kept pace.

"Kit, you need to be careful around this guy."

"Mm. Don't worry so much Kura-kun. You can just relax and let me handle things. By the way, I have a few questions I wanted to ask you later."

"About what?"

"I've been reading about the different kinds of seals, and I saw something interesting about the Kuchiyose no Jutsu. Did you know there was something called Reverse Kuchiyose no Jutsu?"

"Of course, but they're essentially the same. The only difference is, with Reverse Kuchiyose Jutsu, it's the human that's summoned."

Kurama's eyes widened upon hearing that.

"Humans can be summoned?!"

The conversation in the boy's head was cut short though when he heard a low grumble come from Kisame's sword.

"… There's something strange about that sword of his."

"I know… It's alive, isn't it…?"

"Yeah… And it knows I'm here."

---

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

I figured I should at least try to be a decent author and not keep you guys waiting. So here you go. Again, if I'm doing anything wring with the story, or if I've made any errors, please feel free to point them out. I will appreciate it. Also, if you just want to tell me what you think of the story so far, go right ahead as well. I won't prod for reviews, but I do appreciate them.

angel11xpr - Thank you for pointing that out! I've read a few Naruto fics in my time, and you're absolutely right. It is a big problem, and I was actually afraid that I myself might fall prey to the whole omnipotent noses tragedy. I hope this clears things up, since I wanted to show everyone that there's a reason for every little detail that I write in the story (i.e. Naruto and Itachi suddenly abandoning their camps and not bothering to cover their tracks). I hope I didn't ruin the story for you though.

El Frijolero - I try to update as fast as I can, and the only reason I didn't update for a long time was because my best friend died, but I hope I managed to update this fast enough. My readers really do mean a lot to me, and as long as I can continue to excite and satisfy you guys, I'll keep trying to do better. Thank you. As for the pairing, I won't turn this into a mushy love story of sorts. There are far too important things going on in Naruto's life to leave space for something as trivial as love (The bitter and lonely part of my soul has spoken).

Jashin worshipping Jaganist - Thank you Missa! Yes. I know who you are... Be creeped out. Woooo~ Anyway, I love the Akatsuki members too, and I can't help but feel that they were a bit dehumanized in the manga and anime. I think Kishi focused too much on the protagonists, and didn't have time to show that bad guys are usually bad for a reason. Thank you for liking my Itachi. He likes you too. Itachi 3 Missa 4ever.

He-Who-Shall-Live - I do my best to pique the interests of my readers. I'm glad you like the story, and I hope you stay tuned because there's plenty more action in store!

DjKuhns - Thanks for that! That's actually one of the main goals I have in writing; to try and show as clearly as possible all the little changes and growth that goes on in a character. I don't like it when I see a character that's so flat and one-dimensional (I'm looking at you Twilight). I like it when they're personalities have the depth and breadth of a deep abyss.

That said, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. I'm trying to make my Naruto a little more original. So yeah. -IIVII