Another thanks to Harteramo for the review. This chapter is pretty short, but it needs to be, or it'd mess up the flow of the story. Also, anybody see the new season 9 opening for Naruto, its pretty good. Chapter 11 coming at ya.

I don't own the Naruto francise or any of its characters.


Chapter 11: Brothers

Gaara looked up at the night sky. The were almost to Konoha. The sand platform he made for them to travel on was much larger than the one he had used before. He had made it large enough so all nine of them would have room to sleep for a short while, even though he, Naruto and Itachi were still wide awake. Well, Gaara didn't have much of a choice, he had to stay awake to keep the jutsu active, but, as he had said before, he didn't sleep much anyway. Naruto and Itachi were talking on the opposite side of the platform.

"Your going to kill him, aren't you?", Itachi asked.

"Yeah...", Naruto said, trailing off.

"How interesting.", Itachi said looking up at the stars.

At this Naruto looked angry.

"How can you be so calm about something like that?", Naruto asked.

"Death", Itachi replied. "does not effect me in the same way it does you."

"This is your brother we're talking about!", Naruto shouted.

Gaara was about to look over his shoulder to see what was going on, but thought better of it.

"Do you think of me as one who cares deeply for the lives of his family?", Itachi said.

"No.", Naruto said, calming down. "No I don't."

"Well then.", Itachi said. "You have no reason to get worked up."

"But...", Naruto trailed off again.

"You don't seem like you want to kill him at all.", Itachi said. "and after all that training for it."

"What do mean?", Naruto asked.

"Wasn't that what it was all for. The scroll and your training with the kazekage over there.", at that Itachi noded towards Gaara. "Never in all the years of the war did you look for a way to defeat me, or Akatsuki, nor did you care about our plans. Him however, you cared about."

"Of course I do!", Naruto yelled out. "He's my...my best...or he was..."

"My brother, as you knew him no longer exist.", Itachi said, cutting Naruto off. "Just as the brother he knew no longer exist."

"You!", Naruto said, as if just realizing who he was talking to. "This is all your fault!"

"And what makes you blame all off "this" on me?", Itachi asked, amused by the situation.

"He would have never tured out this way if it wasn't for you!", Naruto shouted. "Everything he's done up until now has been because that damn ambition to kill you!"

"You have nothing to blame on me.", Itachi replied. "If the events of the past had not taken place as they did, then he would not have turned out as the same person you knew. He would not have been the person you befriended."

Naruto sat silent for a moment before he spoke up.

"Your right.", Naruto said, causing Itachi to look almost surprised.

--------------------------------

The door opened, letting light into the room.

"Orochimaru, what took you so long?", the man chained to the wall asked.

"Kuku, to still be so aragent, even in your current situation.", Orochimaru said with an evil grin.

"I get lonely in here, you know? It wouldn't hurt to send in someone to keep me company.", the prisoner said.

"I suppose I could send Kabuto down here every now and then.", Orochimaru said, half laughing.

"That's not funny.", the prisoner replied. "I don't want that little prick of yours down here."

At this Orochimaru let out a laugh.

"You almost sound like that Uchiha.", Orochimaru said, amused.

"So, you've still got him around here?", the prisoner asked.

"Of course.", Orochimaru replied. "what did you think happened to him?"

"Knowing you, no clue.", the prisoner replied. "If he's here, can I see him?"

"Now, why would you want to do that?", Orochimaru asked with curiosity.

"No reason.", the prisoner replied. "Its not every day you get to talk with someone like him."

"I see.", Orochimaru said. "Well, I'll have Kabuto send for him, but don't blame me if he's in a bad mood."

"Of course.", the prisoner replied.

And with that Orochimaru walked out of the room, closing the door behind him.

--------------------------------

After his conversation with Itachi, Naruto finaly layed down and tried to get about an hours sleep before they reached Konoha. Itachi layed on his back to get a better look at the starts, losing himself in his thoughts.

"You, Uchiha.", Gaara said after a while.

"Yeah", Itachi replied.

"What can we expect to find in Konoha?", Gaara asked.

"Don't you think I've told you what I know already?", Itachi said.

"Not really, frankly I don't trust you at all.", Gaara replied.

"Your smart not too.", Itachi said. "The hokage takes me and the organization far too lightly."

"How to you figure?", Gaara asked.

"If he was smart he would have killed me before he even left the hidden waterfall.", Itachi answered.

"Then, do you wish for death?", Gaara asked.

"Yes.", Itachi replied. "I think from the beging that was all I wanted. But, up until now nobody could give it to me. I killed every fool of that entire clan looking for one that could chalenge me, I even left my brother alive, thinking that through his thirst fot revenge he would obtain the power needed, but even he is still too weak."

"And then there's Naruto.", Gaara said.

"Yes, wouldn't it be my luck, that the shinobi that finaly exceeds me is kind at heart.", Itachi said with a slight laugh.

"So, what do you plan to do now?", Gaara asked.

"Its not like I have much choice in the matter.", Itachi said. "I'm now in the custody of the Lord Hokage."

"Thats not true.", Gaara replied. "I'm the only one awake, you could easily escape right now if you wanted, you could go back to Akatsuki and tell them Kisame is dead and all that has happened, but I don't think you want to."

"Mabye your right.", Itachi said. "I think I want to see where the path of this shinobi goes."

At that Itachi looked over at Naruto.

"Besides, he will lead me to my brother.", Itachi said. "And I need to see him one last time..."

--------------------------------

The door opened again, this time a much darker figure entering.

"Ah, so they really did send you down here.", the prisoner said.

"Don't waste my time old man.", the Uchiha said. "What do you want?"

"Now now.", the prisoner said. "thats no way to treat your elders."

"I'll ask you one more time, and then I'm leaving.", the Uchiha said. "What do you want?"

"Fine, fine, have it your way.", the prisoner said. "What I want to know is, what does Orochimaru plan with Konoha?"

"And what makes you think I would tell you that?", the Uchiha asked.

"Because.", the prisoner replied. "you care nothing for Orochimaru or his plans, so what would it matter if you told an old man like me?"

"Thats true.", the Uchiha said. "In truth, things have been far too easy for him lately, and I hear the Hokage is gone from Konoha."

At this the prisoner got a slight worried look on his face, but only for a split second, so as not to alert the Uchiha.

"You know", the Uchiha said. "I'd like to see what you can do in this kind of situation. Orochimaru marches on Konoha in three days. He takes with him three-hundred shinobi, myself, and...", but he was cut off.

"That little prick.", the prisoner said. "God I hate him, I mean really, coming down here all the time and disturbing me, if Orochimaru thought that was funny, its not."

"You really are amusing, old man.", the Uchiha said.

With that he turned towards the door, when he was a step out the doorway he heard the prisoner's voice.

"Can you really do this without feeling any kind of sorrow?", the prisoner asked.

"I you think me", the Uchiha said. "someone who holds any kind of sentaments for that village at all, you are wrong."

"There are shinobi in that village that still believe there is hope in you.", the prisoner said.

"I am afraid", the Uchiha replied. "that you are wrong there too. I have broken every last tie I had with those fools."

"Are you so sure of that?", the prisoner asked.

"Let me tell you something old man.", the Uchiha said. "I care nothing for that village or its villagers for that matter. I care nothing for this entire world's existance. And I care nothing for the past, nor the present, nor the future. I lament only for that day".

And with that he left the room. After walking for a while he heard an explosion, which caused Kabuto to run out into the hall.

"What was that!", Kabuto asked, worried.

"The prisoner has escaped.", the Uchiha said calmly.

"What!", Kabuto yelled, running off for Orochimaru.

The Uchiha turned around and kept walking.

--------------------------------

Everyone was waking up, they were now minutes from Konoha.

"Is everyone ready?", Naruto asked.

"Yeah.", came from everyone, except Itachi.

"Gaara, which side are we coming from?", Naruto asked.

"We'll come up on the tower first.", Gaara replied.

"Ok.", Naruto replied, thinking of their stradegy, when he was tapped on the shoulder by Shikamaru.

"If your thinking up a plan, don't worry.", Shikamaru said.

"Ha, thats right.", Naruto said, feeling a little better.

Everyone was quite for a few more minutes, when suddenly they saw smoke in the distance.

"My brother is here.", Itachi said.

"Gaara, step on it!", Naruto shouted.

"Yeah, I know!", Gaara shouted back, now worried himself.

The platform of sand landed right infront of the tower, and as they touched ground, the shinobi of the Leaf stood in horor. What they looked upon was an empty village and a burning tower.


This ends Chapter 11 of The Last Shinobi War, please read and review.