The Call of a Jutsu

by Hina-Kitsune

While walking through Domino Park, Yugi, Joey, and Serenity are pulled to a new world. This world is filled with danger, magic, and new enemies of the like they won't forget. Can the gang help those of this new world fight the new evil surfacing?

11. Ch 11 Lost and Found

A/N: Oh wow! I am so sorry it's been over a year since I was able to finally finish this chapter! It did NOT want to end! At the last count it is 43 pages long. I hope that makes up for the fact this has been so long coming. As always, let me know what you think and if there is anything I need to fix up! Oh, I'm still thinking about the "Yami summoning" thing, but I do agree with those of you that pointed out how unlikely it would be for Bakura and Malik to actually obey Yugi. We'll see I guess.

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh or Naruto! They have their own rightful awesome creators.

Chapter 11: Lost and Found

The four days passed quickly as the three prepared for the mission and built upon what they had been learning. Yugi was happily surprised by how much his two friends had advanced in the short time he had been 'resting.' However, he wasn't too thrilled with how exhausted Joey had made himself each day to reach that level of improvement.

They were preparing what last minute items they needed before meeting up with Iruka at the village gate. Their plan was to travel out of the village so that Yugi could more easily tap into the location power of the Ring. Hopefully it wouldn't take more than a couple of weeks, but they were prepared for longer.

Once fully packed, the friends headed out. "Ready for this, Yug?" Joey asked.

"More or less. At the very least, we can finish this part of our mission. After that, we'll see. I really don't like the idea of just up and leaving. Remember how Tsunade-sama made the comment that there was a 'snake' causing them problems? Jiraiya also mumbled something about men with giant snakes destroying everything before they take over the world."

"He did? When was that?" Joey worked through his memories over the past month or so, but just couldn't recall that event.

"Yeah. He said it when you were talking about Dartz and the Leviathan. From what Neji told me, it's the same guy that branded Sasuke with the seal I removed."

"That means we really need to be careful around him. If he brands one of us, he could use us against the others." Joey worried.

"Actually, our Shadow Magic won't allow that to happen. After the incident with the Orichalcos, it's much harder for us to be overcome. It was something that had Atem and I worried, mainly because of that incident. We're immune to it all, especially since I've already had the Shadows in contact with the dark chakra." Yugi informed him.

"We should probably help with that Akatsuki as well. I mean, if we don't this will happen all over again. They're the reason we were brought here in the first place. If they aren't stopped, they'll keep hurting people as well." Serenity commented.

Yugi and Joey nodded in agreement. The three continued on, walking towards the village gate in silence. Once the gate came into view, they noticed a group of people gathered around. The friends, as they got closer, realized it was their sensei-s and Tsunade waiting for them.

"Are we late?" Joey questioned when they were in speaking range.

"No. We usually come and see off important missions, unless there is a need for immediate leave." Tsunade explained.

Yugi nodded in understanding. "So, I think we have everything."

The blonde woman smiled at the three. In the short month or so they had been in this world, they had really grown and gotten stronger. She knew in her heart it was the right choice to bring them there. They would help save this village and others from the catastrophe awaiting. She had faith in them. Goodbyes were said and the group was on its way.

Once Iruka felt he had guided the team of teens far enough into the forest surrounding the large village to decrease the energy profiles left behind by Naruto, he stopped them and nodded to Yugi.

The small teen acknowledged the man's cue and began to concentrate. Moments later the Eye of Ra began to glow on the boy's forehead. Yugi scanned the headband in his hand. Iruka explained that it had originally been his own, but he had given it to Naruto the day the boy graduated from the academy. The younger ninja had worn it until it had been nearly irreparably broken. Yugi untwined Iruka's signature from Naruto's and studied the latter. He sent out his Shadow Magic, controlled by the Ring at the moment, to sense out the other's energy. Soon he was calling to the others to follow him as he began to run in the direction the Ring was pulling him.

The others ran after him, working to keep up. "Hey, Yug, can we not have the break-neck chase like with Ryou in the underground maze at Pegsy's?" Joey called out after a few minutes. He could remember the sharp turns and near falling on concrete and cobblestone. It wasn't something he wanted to repeat, even if the concrete and cobblestones were replaced with dirt and trees. It could still be painful!

"Sorry, Joey. I understand now why Ryou was running like he was. The power of the Ring literally drags you along. It feels like I'll fall if I stop or slow down." Yugi explained.

"Well then, let's just keep up our awareness and add a little chakra to our legs to run faster." Iruka ordered.

The other two complied; Joey doing so with a sigh. As they continued on, Iruka made the mental note that they were headed toward water. More specifically, they were headed to large bridge to a small village. When he determined Yugi wasn't veering anytime soon, he decided to bring it up. "Yugi, are you sure this is the way we're supposed to go? Are there any stronger signals going somewhere else?"

"Yes, sir, I'm sure. This is the strongest signal. The Ring is pulling me toward a beacon somewhere ahead of us. It doesn't work on small signatures that are floating in the air, as Neji explained how his Byakugan worked. The Ring's power is to pinpoint the person or object emitting the signal. I wanted to get away from Konoha because I'm still new at this, and I didn't want there to be a possibility of residual interference. I'm not the original owner of the Ring—there's been three—so I was worried it may be temperamental. Why? Is this headed into an enemy's territory or something?" Yugi clarified.

"Well, no. There aren't any Konoha enemy territories nearby, but Naruto has been here before. There is a tiny fishing village he helped a few years ago in this direction, and he's visited a few times since. The first time he was there he used his own special powers to protect his friends and the village's bridge builder from an extremely powerful threat. I thought you may have been zeroing in on that energy source still embedded within the structure of the bridge." Iruka was still a bit uncertain.

"Oh, a signal from that many years ago would have a weakened beacon. I'm concentrating on the strong pulsating one ahead. Ryou told me that was the living energy source. It was the same he felt when he first met me and while tracking Pegasus' Millennium Eye in the catacombs." Yugi explained.

"Well, if that is where we are headed, it should take us a week or so to reach the village." Iruka told them.

It was a couple more hours before they decided to take a break for lunch. It was a short break, but there was less time between it and the stop for the night. This continued for the next couple of days. The fourth day started out much the same as the others; however, it wasn't to end that way.

Just before the group stopped for lunch the kunai began to fly, one narrowly missing Joey's head. Instantly the group dropped into defensive stances. Yugi drove his Shadow Magic from the Ring's power and focused it as a shield around the team.

"Come on out! We know you're there!" Iruka called out.

"Even though it's extremely clichéd, why not?" Came a voice from within the forest.

Suddenly three ninja appeared: two males and one female. The headbands were plated with musical notes. Iruka slowly moved in front of the small group. "They are Oto ninja. Orochimaru is their leader—the one that marked Sasuke. Oto is the village he defected to. Be careful. Their power is to manipulate sound waves to ultrasonic pitch. Lee has gone temporarily deaf while fighting Oto shinobi. Your eardrums are not the only things in danger. The sound waves can be used as weaponry as well, causing other wounds due to compression of the air. They also have the same skills as any ninja."

"Guys, get the earplugs." Yugi directed.

The smaller boy still had the shield up, protecting them. Each brought out small foam-like devices which they placed in their ears. Iruka and the other ninja watched in confusion even as Serenity walked up to the Chunin, handing him a pair.

"They dampen loud sounds. It should protect our hearing." The girl explained.

Iruka looked doubtful. How was something made of foam supposed to protect their hearing from Oto ninja? And how did they know to make them and bring them? The latter he asked as they began sizing up the three across from them; two of which were eyeing Yugi, most likely due to him being so small and seemingly weak.

"Oh, I had a couple summons visit Sasuke. I figured he would need someone to talk to. Anyway, Atem and I also went a few times while he was sleeping. We talked about things that went on while he was in Oto. He told us about the Sound ninja's abilities. So we figured earplugs would be the best thing to use, it helps in the large factories and such at home." Yugi continued.

Iruka just shook his head. Of course this boy would do something like that. They continued to prepare for battle.

"Whatever, let's just get this over with. Orochimaru wants you to come with us, dead or alive, for some research and information gathering." The enemy group leader's voice took on an invitational tone.

"In other words, your boss-man wants to turn us into little lab rats and freaks for his amusement and gain." Joey popped up.

"Well, if you put it like that it sounds so much worse than what it is. How about we give you a demonstration of the power you could be given if you would follow us?" The girl spoke up.

She took a deep breath before letting it out in an ear piercing screech. The duelists were thankful for the heads up from Sasuke, and Iruka was grateful for the forethought the three had with the earplugs. Yugi looked toward his friends, and the other two nodded. It was time to fight.

Yugi took his Egyptian fighting stance, his light and dark chakra swirling around each hand as if two well acquainted partners. Atem stood at the ready. Only if Yugi or the either of the others were about to be killed could he join the melee. Joey slid into his street-fighter/martial arts stance, prepared to summon monster or magic. Serenity fell into the Iron Fist stance she had been drilled on these past few weeks. She wasn't as proficient as the others, but she prided herself on being a quick learner. Yugi was happy to note the confusion on the enemy ninja's faces at the sight of their strange fighting stances, well his and Joey's anyway.

The tri-haired boy let down the barrier surrounding his group and the battle began. While their ears were indeed protected, the same couldn't be said of the rest of their bodies. It was difficult dealing with weapons you couldn't see, especially when they are all around you and can be made by air compression. Yugi switched between throwing chakra blasts and Shadow magic at his opponent—the leader of the other group. Iruka jumped between each set of opponents, trying to keep the Sound ninja off guard enough so the duelists could get an upper hand. Yugi wracked his brain while fighting his hardest, trying to come up with a plan. Suddenly an image of Joey's duel with Espa Roba flashed before him. He had trained enough to be able to easily summon a level four monster. He maneuvered his fight closer to Joey's, and when they were close enough together he called out to his friend," Joey, cover me, please! I have an idea!"

The blonde nodded and called out to Junpei for help. The swordsman came forward and with a short warning from Joey, set to attacking with his Salmandra Strike from a distance while protecting both Joey and Yugi. Yugi stood back, the Eye appearing on his forehead. "I summon Reflect Bounder!" Yugi cried out.

Instantly the mirror clad monster appeared. It took its place between the two sets of fighters. The Sound ninja began to laugh at the mirror wearing clown-like creature. The leader shot out his hand, a blade-like wave blasting towards Reflect Bounder. When the sound wave attack hit the summons, it doubled over as if in pain before straightening up quickly and shooting the attack back. The speed increased double as it slammed back into the original sender. The leader was now sliced up and bleeding from both his wounds and his ears due to the bursting of his eardrums. "Gravity Bind!" Yugi activated the magic card.

A set of glowing strings shot from the ground and clamped around the injured ninja, inhibiting his movement and plastering him to the ground through the force of gravity.

"Well, that's one. Now let's get the others" Joey smirked.

Seeing their leader taken down by his own attack, the remaining two fighters became more cautious of the monster. They began throwing normal chakra attacks and weapons while implementing hand-to-hand combat. The kunai and shuriken began to do damage to the light attribute monster. Its mirrors were breaking, and Yugi could sense the creature's attack points and spirit energy dropping. The young teen knew he would soon have to release Reflect Bounder before it was destroyed.

Joey noticed it as well. He wracked his brain to figure out something that could be used to stop those two. As he was thinking, Iruka was fending off another wave of kunai, and Yugi was shooting his Shadow Magic out to keep the other ninja off balance. Serenity tried to slip them up by using water on the ground to create mud. As the girl began to slip, her arm shot forward in a stabbing motion, reminding Joey of a stance taken by Mahado against one of Mai's trap cards. That memory gave the blonde an idea. "Yug! Call Reflect Bounder back!"

Yugi, giving a short nod of acknowledgement, swept his arm in the direction of the wounded and weakened monster and released it. The Sound ninjas gave each other a silent motion to attack the blonde. Joey had not returned to the battle after Reflect Bounder was brought to the field. Both sent out their most powerful sound attacks. There was nothing to protect the warrior duelist. Junpei and Yugi were too far away, and Iruka couldn't get out a protective jutsu quickly enough. Joey was going to be ripped apart by sound. Just before the blasts hit, Joey cried out, "Mirror Wall!"

Instantly a giant rainbow colored mirror appeared in front of Joey, throwing the attacks back at both ninja. The returned assault worked just as it did in a duel. The strength was halved even as it was sent back, but it heavily weakened both enemies. This weakening gave Yugi an opening, "Gravity Bind!"

The two were slammed into the ground, knocked unconscious. With that, the group from Konoha gave a sigh of relief. "First, Joey, never do that again without letting me know you have an idea. You nearly scared me to death. Second, what are we going to do with these three?" Yugi spoke up.

"We need to get them back to the village, but the real question is how." Iruka commented.

"Well, Joey and I can summon a couple of dragons to transport them back." Yugi offered.

"I suppose that would work. However, I don't think they'll be going very willingly. They'll try to attack them." Iruka rationalized.

"Not if I do this: Energy Drain!" Yugi called. A ball of Shadow Magic hovered over each wounded ninja, pulling both life energy and chakra away until the leader fainted as well. "Alright, Joey, let's call them out."

Joey nodded. Both concentrated before calling out their respective dragons. "Hatori!" "Winged Dragon, Guardian of the Fortress!"

Both dragons appeared, awaiting instruction. "Could you two take them to Konoha? Iruka-sensei is writing an explanation letter to Tsunade-sama." Yugi explained.

The dragons nodded, Hatori took the letter, both grabbed members of the enemy ninja, and they took flight.

Once they were sure the two dragons would be fine, the small group headed out once again. However, it was only a couple of hours later that Yugi became overwhelmed and could no longer go on. The battle coupled with dividing his concentration between the Ring and his dragon drained him quickly. Joey was feeling some fatigue as well. Iruka scouted out a good area for the night, and they were soon eating and falling asleep. Serenity offered to be the night watch, but Iruka wasn't having it. He insisted she get rest, and so she did.

The next morning, Yugi informed the elder ninja that the two dragons had arrived with no problems, and the three were taken into custody. After a slow breakfast, the group returned to their journey. The next few days of their trek were fortunately uneventful. When a full week had passed after the initial departure, they came upon a large well built bridge. Joey read the dedication plaque for the others to hear, "The Great Naruto Bridge, named for the one who returned hope to a desolate village."

"Wow," Yugi breathed. "He had quite the impact."

Iruka nodded. "He did. The entire village greatly respects him and will do all in their power to protect him."

They began to cross the bridge when suddenly the mist in the air began to thicken and cool. It was beginning to become difficult to breathe for the group. Serenity began to hear coughing and gasping coming from the direction Yugi was walking. She called his name, a hint of worry seeded into her voice. This alerted the other two to the noise. The gasping became more fevered as the seconds rolled by.

Joey rushed to his best friend's side, beating even Iruka who had been standing relatively close to the boy. The air was much colder around the small duelist, and the mist was even thicker. When Joey reached him, the younger boy had collapsed; even the Eye blazing upon his forehead was not helping. The blonde pulled the amethyst eyed boy into his lap and immediately saw that his lips were turning blue, and his eyes were hazy. The little one was suffocating.

The golden eyed teen heard his little sister gasp and felt Iruka's presence at his side. Serenity rushed over after a few moments, tears in her eyes and the Eye of Ra on her forehead. "We have to get someone to call off the guardians, or Yugi's going to die!" She cried.

"How do you know, Serenity?" Iruka asked calmly, hoping she was just jumping to conclusions.

"I awoke my abilities from the Necklace. It showed me Yugi suffocating to death and a little boy saying he would have been saved if someone had calmed the village's guardians. They are on high alert since Akatsuki members were hanging around not too long ago." The girl quickly spurted out.

The brown haired teacher's heart sunk. He kept reminding himself that the Necklace showed only a possible future, not one set in stone; it wasn't helping. He stood and walked forward a few paces. There was part of the explanation that made sense and helped with the idea of Naruto being in this village. However, why was only Yugi being targeted while he himself was the more experienced? "Hey! Is there a watchman?! We need help! We're ninja from Konoha!" The young man called out.

He heard what he thought was his name before a figure came bolting toward him. Before he could get into a defensive stance, arms were encompassing him and deep sniffs of his neck-line were being taken. Then he could make out the wild blonde hair of the boy he had always felt was his son. He hugged the boy back before saying, "We were so worried about you, Naruto. Tsunade-sama even got help to find you." This thought caused the elder to stiffen. Before Naruto could ask if his father figure was ok, the man was speaking, "Can you call off the village guardians? They are about to kill a small boy, one of the group Tsunade-sama called to help."

The blonde nodded, but was suspicious as to why the boy was attacked. He couldn't be as innocent as Iruka was making him out to be. "Haku, Zabuza, please back down. They can pass."

Slowly the mist and cold dissipated. Yugi's breathing was still labored, but he had begun to get his true color back immediately. The extent of torture the two put the—what looked like—child through surprised Naruto. He turned to his sensei as the other teens gathered the boy close, trying to give him warmth. "What did he do to anger them so badly? They never go to that extent to hurt anyone unless they're criminals."

"You said Zabuza is one of them, right?" At Naruto's nod, Iruka continued. "A couple of weeks ago, Yugi, Joey, and Serenity," The man indicating each, "were discovered by the council, namely Danzou. Hiashi-sama tried to smooth things over, but you know how that war-monger is. He wanted those three for himself, to be under his control. When he had his R.O.O.T. ANBU carting Yugi and Joey to his mind erase/loyalty lecture and Serenity off to be forced into having clan-family children, something in Yugi snapped. He called Danzou out, challenging him to a war/chess game where the loser's fate was decided by the winner. They had to summon warriors to fight for them. I had only seen one of Yugi's before, but all of Danzou's were familiar. Zabuza was one of them, but he was defeated early. He may have attacked Yugi thinking Danzou had won and was sending them after you."

Just as Naruto was about to comment, Joey interrupted him. "Hey, Junpei. Could you come out and help us warm Yug up?"

Almost instantly the large swordsman appeared with his sword on fire and holding it close to the small boy, "What happened to our King, Joey?"

"Some guardians decided they didn't want us here, so they decided to take Yugi out as a warning." Joey answered.

"Mahado won't be happy to hear that. But maybe I can put him at ease that our little one is ok or at least will be. He's been pacing since he felt Yugi go down. Once our King is warmed up or gotten inside, I'll go and let him know." Junpei nodded. His eyes were worried as he looked down upon the small boy all the Spirits knew to be their King. He could only imagine what worry their Pharaoh was going through.

Naruto watched them interact. "How did that other one get there? Who is that?"

"He is one of Joey's guards and summons. He's known as a Duel Spirit. His classification is Flame Swordsman, and he's named Junpei. I'm not really sure how much else I can tell you. They've only really uncovered what they can do to their personal instructors and Tsunade-sama. They are good kids and know the meaning of protecting those that you care about. I think you would get along with them very well." Iruka's tone was contemplating. After a few moments, he turned his attention back to the fox-ninja. He had already noted the changes the boy had gone through. At first it had worried him when Kiba told them the fox had started to meld with Naruto, but now, seeing him with his own eyes, he knew the boy was just fine. He motioned for the hyper ninja to follow him. "Is he ok now, Joey?"

"Yeah, I think he'll be fine now with a lot of rest. That attack took a lot out of him. Even with his Shadow Magic, his lungs were nearly frozen." Joey explained.

"I wonder if Chihiro could help him." Serenity spoke up.

Joey shook his head. "I think at this point, he just needs to rest and recharge. We need to get him somewhere he can do that. Besides, I don't want you passing out from exhaustion. You just unlocked one of your powers. Calling Chihiro may send you over the edge."

The girl nodded before noticing the teen standing close to Iruka. "Iruka-sensei, is that who I think it is? Is that Naruto, the one we were looking for?" At Iruka's positive acknowledgement, she smiled weakly before standing and stepping over, hand offered. "It's very nice to meet you. I'm glad we were able to finally find you. There are many at your village that are worried about you and hope you are ok."

Naruto took the girl's hand and shook it. "Nice to meet you, too. Iruka-sensei just told me your name is Serenity, right?"

"That's right. And they are Joey, my brother, and Yugi, our best friend." Serenity returned.

"Have your brother bring the kid and follow me. I know where you guys can stay. Gaara and I have been staying here for the past few weeks." Naruto gave a small smile back.

"Alright. Come on, Joey! We have a place to stay so Yugi can rest." Serenity dashed back over to her brother's side.

The Flame Swordsman took the frail-looking boy into his arms, allowing Joey to stand, before handing him back over to his charge. "I need to get back and let Mahado know Yugi is ok. He'll be relieved, but antsy until our King can summon him."

After the Duel Monster returned to their portion of the Shadow Realm, Joey held Yugi closer to his chest. Iruka instantly noticed the protective mistrust written in the boy's golden-brown eyes. He mentally sighed. This was what Jiraiya had told him about. He just hoped his killer intent didn't start flowing; he'd felt that once, and it was unpleasant. Yugi was sleeping soundly in the older boy's arms, head tucked under his chin. His breathing hitched ever so often.

Serenity led the boys after the two ninja. She had noticed the look in her brother's eyes as well. She just hoped he wouldn't cause problems with the ones they were there to help.

Naruto led the group to Tsunami's house and knocked before entering. A young woman stepped out into the living room with a young red-haired teen. "Who is this, Naruto?" She asked.

A little boy came out of another room, all three with suspicion plastered on their faces. "This is Iruka-sensei. Remember he was the one I was telling you about that's like my father. These other three are people Tsunade-sama got to help them find Gaara and me: Yugi, Joey, and Serenity. They need to rest for a while, especially Yugi. He's had a run in with an overprotective Zabuza and Haku."

"Oh dear. Bring him here. He needs to get into a nice warm bed. Inari, sweetie, get my medical kit. Gaara-sama, get some of the leftovers from lunch; I'm sure they are starving. Naruto, set up another couple of cots in your and Gaara's room. Iruka and Joey can stay with you both. Serenity, you can stay with me tonight. I think Yugi there needs to rest in quiet tonight. We may rearrange the sleeping order tomorrow if that's needed." Tsunami began throwing out orders.

Joey followed the woman and laid the small boy down on the cot that had been placed out. He watched over protectively as the woman went to work looking over the younger duelist for any wounds. She treated any she found and was finished shortly. "He'll be fine. Just let him get some sleep, and rest up yourself. He's well protected here, and we won't let anything happen to him. Come get something to eat." Tsunami informed him.

He was hesitant to leave his best friend, but the woman had been right, he was starving. "I'll be back soon, Yugi. Get some sleep until then, little bro." He followed the woman out of the room and into the dining room area where the red-head had laid out the lunch leftovers. The air was heavy with tension as they sat and ate. Joey and Serenity were worried about Yugi while the others, minus Iruka, were worried about the three newcomers.

Before the small meal could get anymore oppressing, Iruka turned to Naruto, "What happened with Akatsuki after you got separated from the others?"

"We fought waves of their drones. They weren't very strong, but it was tough getting through them after having so many attacks. I guess it's true: there's strength in numbers. We beat them into the ground, but they beat us down, too. Eventually it got to the point we were nearly dead. That was when you-know-who gave us an offer for help. After that, we met up with one more group of lackeys before heading into the nearby river. Each night we drug ourselves out, ate a small meal, and rested before heading back in each day. Our injuries kept re-opening, and I had to keep re-breaking my arm because it wasn't healing right. It was another few days of that routine before we took to land for a short distance and found the bridge Tazuna built." The blonde ninja took in the shared glance between the siblings, and the worried look from Iruka.

Naruto went on to explain what he and Gaara had been doing after recovery. Gaara studied the two new comers. There was a darkness radiating from them with the potential to be more powerful than anything he had ever witnessed. Shukaku told him to be careful of them. They seemed to be the protective type, and the blonde to attack at feeling the group was threatened. The red-head could also sense Naruto's unease around them.

When the room returned to being quiet, the silence began to become oppressing once again. Inari, being a curious child, decided to ask Joey and Serenity about themselves. "Where are you guys from? Iruka said you were called to come help find Naruto and Gaara. Did you know each other before you were called? What's it like where you're from?"

Joey chuckled, breaking the tension as Tsunami told her son to stop shoot out questions. "Curious one, ain't ya?" Joey piped up causing the boy to pout. "Actually, we did know each other before hand. Serenity here is my little sister. Yugi is my honorary little brother. We've been best friends since that hall monitor beat our other friend, Tristan, and me nearly to death. Little guy came outta nowhere, told him to stop and leave us, his friends, alone, and stood as a shield against him. Ushio said he didn't understand why Yugi was standing up for us and saying we were his friends. See we bullied him any chance we got. Now I regret everything I did to him and so does Tristan, but Yugi doesn't hold grudges, a very good thing for a lot of people. Let's see, where are we from…That may be hard to answer. We ain't exactly from anywhere near here. Yug and I are from Domino, Japan, and Serenity is from Tokyo, Japan. They are both pretty big cities and are a lot more industrialized that most places we've been here."

"Wait, I thought you were brother and sister. Why aren't you from the same place?" Inari interrupted Naruto who was going to ask about the places they were from.

"Yeah, we are, and Serenity had just recently moved back to Domino. You see, our parents got a divorce, and ma took Serenity to live with her and left me behind to live with our gambling, abusive drunkard of a father. Granted, he's better now, but it used to be bad." Joey quietly answered. Both Naruto and Gaara instantly felt a tie to the boy. He was abandoned by someone who was supposed to love him, and beaten by another. He also apparently began to act out to get attention.

After a few reflective moments Naruto spoke up. "I know I wasn't the greatest student in the academy, but Iruka-sensei and Pervy Sage [Joey snorted in laughter] did teach me what and where countries are, and I've never heard of either one. How were you called?"

Joey started to calm his laughing, all the tension in the room melting away. "Wow that's awesome. I'm guessing that's your nickname for Jiraiya. Tsunade warned us about how he is. In fact, she put Neji with him so he wouldn't run off on Yugi while training solo. Anyway, yeah, we aren't from this world as Yugi put it. Apparently, Jiraiya and Kakashi used some jutsu to bring us here. That was also when we met Hinata, your leader, and Shizune. The main reason we stayed to help was Hinata. She begged us to help the both of you. The others were asking as well, but she was much more, let's say, convincing.

"What jutsu could they have possibly used?" Gaara's quiet voice spoke up.

Iruka was the one to answer that question. "The Other World Jutsu. They made sure to have mental specifics to make sure things didn't go wrong again. Shortly after, these three were summoned with their special powers. They were tested, and then Lady Tsunade gave them trainers. Hinata works with Serenity, Yugi has Neji and Jiraiya, and Joey has Gai."

"I bet Hinata's doing a great job with you, Serenity. She's awesome and a great teacher. She's also super nice and has a huge amount of patience. She's really great to work with. If Pervy Sage's mind stays out of the gutter, he's a strong teacher and can really help you to get stronger. Neji is a good friend now that he's got the stick out of his butt. [Again Joey snorted out a laugh.] With his Byakugan, he can really help with chakra usage and understanding its flow. But, Joey, I'm sorry you have Gai-sensei. He's great with taijutsu, but he can just get on your nerves so easily and quickly. This is coming from the biggest and loudest prankster in the village. Why didn't you get Kakashi-sensei? He can be lazy, but he's been a good friend to me and has watched over me for a long time. I bet he would do a lot for you." Naruto popped up.

"Actually, Kakashi was going to be my sensei, but a problem came up." Joey confessed.

"A mission?" Naruto inquired.

"He won't be on any missions unless dire need for a couple more weeks, Naruto." Iruka broke in. He could tell Joey was uncomfortable with telling the other blonde what had happened.

"What do you mean, dad? Is Kakashi-sensei sick or hurt?" The blonde ninja was getting worried.

"No, not exactly. I think the only times he's been injured was when I punched him in the solar plexis, and then when Lady Tsunade punished him." At seeing Naruto's shocked face he continued, "He and Joey sparred. After returning to the house these three are staying in, they began to talk. Joey brought up his quality of life, and Kakashi took it too personally. One of Joey's special abilities is to read a person's heart and spirit. He pointed out things that made Kakashi feel open, and he became defensive saying Joey was questioning his loyalty to the village."

"All I said was that he should be fighting harder to get someone he cared about back. He said everyone he loved was dead, and he didn't feel he was really a major part of the team he led, that they all had someone else to get help from. And I'm sorry to say, he thought it may be better for you, Naruto, to be left alone to come back on your own since you were with Gaara—someone he said had a similar past as you." Joey explained.

Iruka continued. "Kakashi snapped and attacked Joey. If Yugi and I hadn't shown up when we did, he would have slit Joey's throat. He already had the kunai against Joey's throat and had already started cutting. I thought Yugi was going to crush Kakashi's hand with one of his special abilities. That was a couple of months ago. I sent him straight to Tsunade-sama, and she was not happy as I'm sure you can imagine."

Naruto lowered his head, his face covered by his hair, but Iruka knew the boy, and Gaara could smell the tears that fell. Slowly, the boy stood. With a watery voice, the teen said, "I'll be back in a bit. I need some time to think." The fox-boy walked out of the house, Iruka and Tsunami calling out to him.

The tanned man stood, but Joey stopped him. "I'll go talk to him. I was the one who had the conversation with Kakashi, so I think I can make him understand the context a little better. I have an idea to how he took all this. The Key's giving me a push."

When the blonde duelist left out, the room became quiet again. Serenity stood, shyly saying she was going to check on Yugi. Gaara decided to follow, partly because he was curious about the boy he only got a glimpse of, and partly to keep an eye on the dark power making the tanuki demon within him so nervous.

Serenity felt the boy following her, so she stopped and smiled at him. "Come to keep me company?"

The red-head was mildly surprised she knew he was there, but shook it off quickly and nodded. "Your brother and you seem interesting and have had a tough life." He pointed out.

Serenity shrugged. "I suppose, but I'm not so sure we are the only ones. Naruto and you have had it bad too, huh? Of course, that idea is from hearsay. Anyway, you are from Suna, a desert village?" At Gaara's nod, Serenity smiled again. "I bet Yugi and Atem would love to visit. Atem was from a place much like that, and that gives Yugi a special tie to Egypt."

The two had only walked a few steps before Serenity felt her foot catch on a loose floor board. *How stereotypical…*came the only thought from the girl as she prepared for contact with the hard wood flooring.

The girl tensed, preparing to hit the ground, but after a second, she realized two arms were gently wrapped around her. She raised her head to look up at the taller red-head, their eyes meeting. The girl was still panicky and the second their eyes met, the Eye of Ra began to glow upon her forehead. Instantly, the two found themselves floating above a desert village.

"Suna," Gaara breathed. "Why are we here?"

"This is your home?" Serenity glanced over at the teen. "It's beautiful. We are going to have to set up a time to visit here. Yugi would love it."

Suddenly, a scream pierced the calm quiet that had settled between the two. Both glanced at one another before quickly flying in the direction of the pain filled scream. Gaara took the lead after Serenity told him how to fly as she had learned from Yugi.

Soon they found themselves at what Gaara informed her was the Kazekage's tower. The scream had been female and that caused him to fear for his sister, Temari. They flew through the window the scream had exited to find a middle aged woman in the latter stages of labor, runes written both on her and all over the room. What worried Serenity most was that the woman was all alone. *Shouldn't family or at least a nurse be here to help and comfort her?*

Gaara wasn't as surprised. He had spied a calendar telling him the date: the cursed day of his birth. What did astonish him was the woman herself. Even with her face contorted in agony and sweat soaking her skin, she was beautiful in his eyes and had a gentleness that he hadn't expected. "Mother…," slipped through the boy's lips.

Serenity looked over at the boy before returning to the scene unfolding before them. The woman curled around her swollen belly, being sure she would deliver her baby safely on the bed. She pushed and manipulated her child until he slid from the birth canal, her screams bouncing off wall. She fell back in exhaustion, but only for a moment. She reached over to the bedside table and picked up a kunai before gently cutting the umbilical cord. She scooped her tiny baby into her arms; Serenity now realizing who the infant was. The woman held the baby close as he began to cry. She leaned down and kissed his forehead in the exact spot he would later carve the symbol for love. Suddenly, sand began to flood in as the baby boy took a nap. A seal started to glow on his tiny torso as the sand began to crawl up the woman. She seemed to understand what it meant. "You demon, my precious baby boy will someday tame you. He will grow to be an incredible ninja despite you, my husband, or this village. He won't be the cold blooded killer you are, Shukaku, and he will learn to save and protect those he cares about and care about him. My sweet little baby, I love you, and I have faith in you. Don't become the weapon your father and the council want you to be. Please be the type that can think on their own and become strong on your own, not with the help of this demon sealed within you during your development. I may have been forced to become pregnant with you, but I love you with all my heart."

By then the sand had covered the woman, only her arms clutching her infant was clear. The seal flashed red, and the woman cried out a blood curdling scream. When the sand receded, forming into a gourd shape and resting in a corner, Serenity saw that the poor woman had been crushed to death. The baby began to wail, as if he sensed his mother's demise.

A group of ninja and a robed man slipped into the room. One of the ninja handed the crying infant off to the cloaked one. "So my son has already proven he is a pure killer. Let's see how we can manipulate this." He paused for only a moment before heading into a speech to his crying child, telling him that he was a demon that lived only for its self and would forever be hated and meant only for slaughter. He would be isolated from everyone and learn to hate all and love only himself. He then named the baby: Gaara.

After that other scenes began to flash in front of the two: the way the villagers threw things at him when he was a toddler, the way they ran in fear as he grew older, his failed attempts at making friends as the children ran, his own siblings fearing him, the betrayal of his dear uncle, the point the boy locked away his heart so he wouldn't hurt any longer, the psychotic killing spree he went on until the fateful day he met Naruto, the utter defeat he was handed, and finally the change back to the kindness he once showed that was reflected by the villagers even though he still held the blank stoic look. As the vision faded, both found themselves kneeling on the ground.

Serenity slowly looked at the boy, tears flowing down her face. Her heart ached for the teen. She began to shift in the boy's arms—they were still in the same basic position as they had been when he caught her.

When the girl began to shift, Gaara's first thought was that she was afraid of him and was trying to get away. However, he was stunned—and glad he had so much control over Shukaku's power—when the girl wrapped her arms around him and cried into his shoulder. She muttered that she was sorry he had to go through all of that horrid mistreatment due to his father's greed. She mumbled that she wished she and her friends could have helped him through it all. Eventually, shortly after the boy began to hug her in return, Serenity pulled away a bit. "I agree with your mother, and I know Joey and Yugi would too. The true demon in all I just saw was your father.'

Gaara weakly smiled at her. "Thank you, but I did not follow my mother's last request. I became the mindless killer she did not want me to be."

"That may be, but you saw another path and took it. You are making up for the mistakes forced upon you. It may not be my special ability like it is Joey's, but being nearly blind for most of your life you learn to read people. In you I see a lonely little boy wanting attention and love. You hold the people that treat you as you should—like a human—close to your heart. But because of your past, you're never sure who to trust because your heart has been abused enough. I'm so happy you have people who love you now, and you village respects you. You are finally getting what you deserve."

They sat in silence a few more moments before Gaara hoisted the girl into his arms and walked the remaining few feet to Yugi's room. Once inside he sat her down. The present Kazekage finally got a good look at the boy and couldn't believe the amount of dark power permeating the tiny innocent body. His breaths were still short, and he still shuddered from chill.

Serenity sat close to the boy, gently brushing his limp bangs from his face. "Gaara, I would like you to meet Yugi Mouto, the number one duelist in our world. He's also called the King of Games. He paid for my eye surgery and hospital stay by giving my brother the winnings from his first official tournament. I know you'll like him when he wakes up, and he'll like you. He has such a kind heart, which is why he is a Hikari." Her voice was hushed.

Gaara nodded, listening. For the next while, the two quietly conversed, telling stories of their past.

Meanwhile, Joey walked through the small village, asking around about the other blonde. Eventually, he found him speaking to a set of graves.

"Danzou didn't win, Zabuza. They are here to help Gaara and I home. Though, from what I've been told, my genin sensei doesn't even want me back. I guess it's only Iruka-sensei, Pervy sage, and Granny Tsunadae that want me back. Kakashi-sensei, who I saw as an older brother or uncle even tried to kill one of the ones brought to help me just to keep me away. I suppose I don't have the friends I thought I did…Maybe it's the curse of the fox demon within me…"

"Is it something about your little team that misinterprets everything I say?" Joey stepped forward as Naruto jumped around, kunai in hand. "And why do you guys keep brandishing those things at me?"

Naruto calmed when he realized who it was. "Well, it's not smart to sneak up on a ninja."

Joey shrugged. "The way every ninja is supposed to sense their surroundings, too?"

Naruto looked a bit sheepish before the sadness returned to his eyes. "Maybe that's another reason I'm not really wanted: too unpredictable."

"That'd be better than being boring. Look, it's obvious what was said back there is bothering you, but that's mainly because you took it wrong." Naruto looked up at the blonde speaking. "Kakashi wasn't saying he didn't want you home. He was thinking it may be better on you if you were with someone you cared for, that cared for you, and you both completely understand each other. He thought he had what was best for you in mind. Besides, all the others want you back, too. The main reason we even decided to stay was Hinata." Joey explained.

Naruto turned away from Joey, looking back out at the water. "It doesn't matter. I only have a couple of people that ever cared anyway."

Joey sighed. "And Kaiba thinks I'm dense. Look, that's not the case. They have been sending squad after squad to find you two. When we first got here, Hinata was begging for our help to find you, specifically. She was nearly crying. All those that graduated with you, they want you back. There are a lot from the village that wants you home. A few merchants and some of the council are the odd ones out. Though, I don't think the council will be much of a problem for a while, not after the beating Danzou got from Yug. Besides, we can just drag your butt back."

Naruto turned to Joey. "Hinata really reacted like that? She's actually worried about me?"

"Wow. You mean you've never noticed?" At Naruto's slow shake of his head, Joey continued. "She loves you. Serenity pointed it out just after we met them. According to Ren, Hinata uses you as inspiration for a lot of her training methods, especially with Ren's wind chakra."

Naruto's mouth fell open. He couldn't believe it. Since when did the Hyuuga girl like him, let alone love. Sure, they had gotten closer over the months between his return from training and the separation with Gaara, but still when did she feel like that? He shook his head, clearing his mind. This was something he would think on later. "How did a squirt like Yugi manage to beat Danzou of all people? The man's a war-hardened super strategist."

"Yugi played a Shadow Game with him. No body's ever been able to outsmart Yugi at any game. With a little help from our guardians and the fact that the Shadow Realm shows a person's true self, that Danzou had no chance. The guy tried to cheat, so the Realm punished him. He'll be outta commission for a while." Joey explained.

"Guardians? Do you mean something like a summons?" Naruto asked.

"I'm not really sure what a summons is. How about I show you what I mean, and you can figure it out?" At Naruto's shrug, Joey called, "Come on out, Anji. Meet Naruto."

Instantly, a light shown brilliantly, and a quiet grunt was heard along with the clanging of metal from within the light. The brilliance began to fade to reveal a tall heavily muscled axe-wielding man with long purple hair and a tan. His clothing consisted of a thick metal chest guard and a Roman-styled battle skirt of leather and metal. His boots were also a leather and metal mixture.

Naruto stared in awe, his mouth slack. He had seen humans be summoned before, but it was always by way of a teleportation seal, never out of thin air. He watched as the large man bowed to the lanky blonde teen. Joey made a comment about how Anji didn't have to bow; they were friends.

Joey turned to the ninja and laughed at the look on his face. "Gotten that look a few times, it's saved our butts a few times, too. I don't think we could have beaten those Sound ninjas those two separate times if it hadn't been for the surprise of our guardians popping out."

That seemed to shake Naruto from his stupor. "You three have fought Sound ninja? Were they genin or did you get help?"

"I'm not really sure what level those last three were, but that first guy wasn't weak, that's for sure. I didn't see how Yugi and his guardian, Miroku, beat him. I distracted him so that Yugi could figure out what to do. I wasn't much of a distraction, though. I made a few comments about how he was nothing but a wanna-be Malik out for power he couldn't have. I used my mouth as usual even after he had thrown me around. Made him mad, that's for sure. I think I gave Yugi's Chaos Mage enough time to find out where the darkness was coming from, some cursed seal on the base of his neck. According to Yugi, Miroku helped him to get close enough to the guy and that seal. Yugi used his Shadow Magic to rip the dark chakra and stuff out of him. Miroku had to release himself because Yugi used so much power. Both of them were knocked out. Yug was out for over a week. The other guy had just woken up when we left. Yugi has a power that allows him to talk to others in their soul rooms. He said the other guy had been awakened from the darkness surrounding his heart. The dude even told us, really Yugi, a lot about Sound's attacks, strategies, and things like that. He was part of how we were able to beat the group that attacked us on the way here. He was why we keep ear-plugs on us at all times. Yugi even told him why we were here, and apparently he became worried about you."

Naruto went quiet, mulling over what the other blonde had told him. Things sounded suspiciously familiar. He had to find out the name of this enemy Yugi supposedly awoke from the darkness, so he asked Joey just that.

"Well, Hinata told us his name is Sasuke. Apparently he had been some traitor a few years ago. Yug, though, may have the power to sway his punishment and make it lighter."

The blade ninja's mouth fell open at hearing the name. That kid had done something he had not been able to: defeat Sasuke and bring him back. "There's no way that's possible! How could he have done that when I couldn't? I tried months ago and got beaten. How did that little kid do it and not get hurt?"

Joey shrugged. "I was unconscious, remember? Besides, Yugi had help from one of his strongest and highest level guardians. And I didn't say Yugi did it without any problems. He was out for over a week. His Shadow Magic and special chakra was what kept him going and let him pull the darkness out. Yugi hadn't used that power before, but knew it was the only way. So, he used the Ring's power in a way he saw a long while ago. I'm guessing you and this Sasuke were really as close as Hinata had said."

Naruto deflated, sighing. "Yeah, he was like a brother to me, one of my first friends. I've been trying so hard to get strong enough to bring him back. It hurt every time I failed, beyond the physical pain I would be dealt."

Joey nodded in understanding. "My girlfriend was once lost in the darkness. I tried giving up our duel to her, but Yugi and Yami wouldn't let me. They knew it wouldn't help. I tried everything to help her, but she wouldn't listen. That group had messed with her head so much she believed she would be happy again if I was out of her life—dead or whatever. They had members belittle her. Dartz, the leader, preyed on Malik's attack on her. He used that moment to make her feel that no one wanted her, that she was all alone. She did some pretty bad things, but she was just lost in the darkness. It took everything within me to save her. I have loved her through all of it, no matter what she did. She knows that, and it's what has helped her to start forgiving herself."

Naruto was quiet before, "So are you saying I just need to remind Sasuke that he's my brother and that there are people in Konoha who love him? Do you think that will help him heal and forgive himself and his brother?"

Joey nodded. "More or less. I mean, he won't stay away from the darkness unless he knows someone is there to chain him to the light."

Naruto slowly nodded, understanding what Joey meant. He needed to show Sasuke that he still saw him as a brother and would support him through whatever was coming. "Let's head back."

Joey nodded, and the two started to walk back to the small house.

"So, do you guys know when Sasuke's trial will be?" Naruto spoke up after a moment.

"No. They haven't said. I do know they want to wait to get more information on a couple of things. First, Yugi is having some monsters analyze that seal to find out what it does to the one branded with it. Second, we plan on finding his older brother and have Serenity use one of her special abilities to get some facts outta him." Joey answered.

"What kind of facts?"

"Well, a couple of months ago, Yugi felt some darkness coming from a set of houses. We stopped, and Hinata told us we were at the Uchiha residence. She then told us the general knowledge story of what happened there. Yugi had to know where the darkness was coming from, so he brought out Kuriboh and had him scout out the place. The story Yug got back was very different than what was going around. We want Ren to use the Necklace and see the real story. To do that, we need to get Sasuke's older brother and let Serenity touch him while she has her Shadow Magic activated and controlled by the Necklace. It has the ability to see the past and a possible future." Joey explained.

"So you mean that all this that Sasuke's been through could have been caused by a lie from his brother?" Naruto asked in disbelief.

"It's very possible. According to what Yugi saw, it was actually the dad's fault along with most of the other adults in the family. But we'll get the full story once the guy's found and brought to the village and after Serenity has some more training." Joey answered.

"So you mean Sasuke's reason to live until now has been a lie?"

Joey shrugged. "Not really sure what his reason to live has been."

"It's been to kill his brother for what he did to their family with no other reason than to test himself. He only spared Sasuke because he was weak." Naruto explained.

"Doesn't it seem odd that out of all the kids, he only spared his brother? I mean, there had to be others smaller and younger than him. Why kill them and not Sasuke if the reasoning was because he was too weak? He couldn't have been weaker than toddlers or infants." The blonde duelist rationalized.

The ninja went quiet. The other teen had a good point. But if that was the case, why did Itachi tell Sauske that? As if sensing the other boy's thoughts, Joey shrugged to himself. "And maybe he felt he needed to punish himself for not being able to stop it but couldn't harm himself physically. Maybe he wanted Sasuke to keep pride in what their family showed as their values and not what they were in the dark. It's something only Itachi can answer."

The remainder of the walk was silent. Joey didn't have anything else to say, and Naruto was lost in thought. When they arrived at Tsunami's house the latter opened the door. They were greeted by Iruka. "Feeling better now, Naruto?" His voice showed worry.

"Yeah. I guess I just needed to talk to someone."

The teacher nodded before noticing Joey looking around. "Serenity and Gaara-sama are checking on Yugi and looking over him."

Joey threw out a "Thank you" as he headed toward his best friend and baby sister.

Naruto smiled and hugged Iruka. "Thanks for the worry, dad. I think everything will be ok now. I need to go tell Joey something before he talks to Serenity."

At Iruka's nod, the teen rushed off to catch up with the other blonde. "Joey, I have to tell you something." The two stopped in front of the room. "About the fox demon, you can't tell your sister or friend. It's protected under a law the 3rd Hokage set up. It's punishable by death to anyone telling but Granny Tsunade or me, and I don't plan on telling them. You found out by accident."

The two had stopped at the door. "Are you afraid Yug and Ren'll treat you different? They won't treat you like a monster. Then again, for us, being treated like a monster is a good thing." Came the blonde duelist's comment back. "Besides, Serenity has the powers of the Necklace and the Eye. She can read your mind, your past, and your possible future once she's fully trained, not that she'd use it on a friend intentionally. Then Yugi has this 6th sense about these things. He'd probably be able to read it from your spiritual energy or something. And if he were to treat you like a monster, it would be like the Duel Spirits, our friends. You have nothing to worry about."

"Serenity already knows, Naruto." Came the voice of the red-haired Kage.

Naruto threw open the door, being sure to stop it from making noise, and whispered harshly, "How does she know?"

"It is simple. She fell, and I caught her. In her panic from falling, she activated her Shadow Magic and saw my past. She knows of the both of us."

Joey heard the other blonde mumble, "Stupid Chunin exam…"

He turned to his sister. "You haven't changed your opinion of them have you?"

"Unless you count respecting them more, no." She replied.

"See, Naruto. I told you that you should have more faith in people, especially friends. Hinata told us you finally told all of them, and they didn't turn on you, the village some maybe, but not you." Joey looked at Naruto, who blushed sheepishly before his face fell.

"You wouldn't trust many people either if you would have dealt with the abuse I have." Naruto returned.

"Oh, I didn't. It wasn't until recently that I learned to trust others and, more importantly, myself. I came from an abusive family. In fact, our dad was still abusing me in some way until recently. He's one of those rare cases where the right woman can change him. He's even got a good job and has stopped drinking. Everything that happened to me before I met Yugi made me use violence as a defense mechanism. I joined a gang to fight people older and bigger than me. I became a bully, someone I hated, and started in on Yugi. He had his fair share of reasons to not trust people, me and Tristan especially. Instead, I learned I could put my trust in someone. He then taught me to trust myself." Joey sat down beside Serenity, staring intently at Yugi.

The room was quiet for a moment as Naruto took the time to sort through all he had been told. Maybe these three were different from the majority of his village, just like his friends. He still wasn't completely convinced, but if Gaara felt he could trust them, Granny Tsunadae trusted them to find him, and Iruka-sensei defended them, believed in them, then maybe he could let down his mask and defenses around them.

"Besides, we know the differences between a person and a second spirit within them, even when the lines are blurred. Ryou, Marik, Yugi. We know they weren't the same as the spirits that shared their bodies, no matter how good or evil that spirit was or could be." Joey informed him.

"We are fusing with our demons. Soon we will be half-human, half-tailed-demon. There will not be a difference." Gaara put in.

"Sweet. You'll be like InuYasha." Joey smiled excitedly.

Before he could explain what he meant to the two confused ninja, Serenity spoke up. "That may be, but the two of you are still separate from your demons personality and spirit wise. Marik and Yugi melded with theirs all the time, but they were still separate beings, even if Malik was more a split personality created to protect Marik from the abuse his father caused."

"Yugi has a demon sealed in him?" Naruto asked.

"He wasn't a demon. He was an ancient spirit. He sealed his own soul away to protect his home from evil beings. He and Yugi were extremely close. That is until the spirit moved on as he was supposed to. We hated to see him leave, but he had to go home where he truly belonged." Joey cut in.

Serenity put a hand on her brother's shoulder before her attention turned to the other two. "He had his moments. Yugi was even afraid of him for a while, and then they became so close. It was heartbreaking, those first few weeks. Yugi was so depressed after he had to leave, even though he knew it was for the best. But let's talk about something else. I don't feel right talking about Yugi while he lays here with no way of commenting."

The group nodded and began to exchange stories. Joey shared some of their past and Duelist Kingdom, Serenity shared some of her time with their mom and Battle City, Gaara went into more detail about his uncle's betrayal and his rise to Kage status, and Naruto shared his Genin exams and some adventures with Team 7. They talked into the night, getting dinner at one point. Iruka and Inari joined in at different points. Finally, the four grew weary and decided to crash with Yugi that night, even if Tsunami had told them to stay in their own rooms.

This continued on for a few days. The only breaks taken were for meals and training. When Naruto and Joey spared, the blonde ninja was surprised at the other's strength and speed. Both had a similar style of attacking: random, erratic, surprise attacks. Both agreed to not use special abilities, and Iruka was always present to make sure things didn't get out of control. After each match both boys would be tired and sore, but laughing.

On the fourth day, Serenity was taking a turn watching her close friend, nearly falling asleep herself,, when she felt movement coming from the futon. She held her breath as the boy's eyes slowly began to open, signifying he was finally awaking from his exhaustion and near suffocation induced sleep. The red-head watched as he blinked his large innocent eyes to return focus to his eye sight. His head fell to the side as he sensed her presence.

"Serenity?" He called.

"Hey, Yugi. How are you feeling?" Serenity's voice was hushed.

"Much better. What caused that?" The little one's voice was still weak.

"Apparently Zabuza's spirit protects this place. He was the one that attacked Summoned Skull in the Shadow Game. He either wanted revenge or thought we were here to hurt Naruto."

Yugi nodded in understanding before trying to sit up. He was weak, but not in pain. Serenity helped him up, and Yugi leaned against her. "How long was I out?"

"A few days. We've been worried. Ms. Tsunami has been helping us get you water. I'm sure you want a bath and a meal, am I right?"

Yugi nodded. "Wait. Did Naruto ever show up? This village is where he's signal was coming from."

"He was the one to call Zabuza off. He's a really nice guy and so is Gaara. They've been helping us watch over you." Serenity said as she moved away to go inform the others of Yugi's awakening. Before she left, the girl kissed his cheek. "I'm glad you're finally up."

Yugi blushed as he watched her walk out of the room and close the door behind her. A chuckle resounded in the back of his mind. "This was not something I was informed of, little one. When did you and Serenity become loves? What about Tea?"

Yugi's blush increased at Yami's words. "It's not like that. We just told one another we have mutual feelings that exceed friendship and are planning to see how far it goes once we return home. We do not feel 100% safe here. And as far as Tea, I have not heard from her since she moved to New York." Yugi answered a tinge of sadness evident in his voice near the end. He may not be in love with the girl anymore, but she was still a dear friend, and it hurt to not know what was going on with her.

Yami quietly chuckled again. "I am sorry. I am sure she is working to focus on dance for a short while. She will contact you soon. But I do not understand why you are so embarrassed about the situation between you and Serenity. I am quite happy with the idea of you two together."

Yugi simply shrugged as the door opened. Joey rushed in, nearly tackling the poor boy to the ground as he hugged him. Tsunami scolded the blonde for being so rough, but Yugi politely told her it was ok. "You must be Ms. Tsunami." At her nod, Yugi smiled. "Thank you for helping my friends and me."

She returned the smile. "Of course dear. Now come on. You need a bat and a good meal. Then you can get caught up on everything that's gone one while you were recovering."

Yugi nodded before slowly following; Joey at his side. Soon the small teen was seated at the dining table, slowly making his way through the food Tsunami set before him. Joey and Serenity filled him in on what had gone on while he was out of commission.

When he finally finished, his friends decided to show him around the village. Joey looked up at the time. Yugi was finished eating so the blonde tugged at his arm. "Come on, Yugi. Let's go meet the reasons we are in this village."

Yugi nodded and stood to follow his friend. Joey led the way into the forest surrounding the small fishing village. Soon they came upon the sounds of battle and taunts. They stepped into the clearing to see the blonde and red-head throwing weapons, attacks, energy, and taunts (the latter mostly from the blonde). Yugi could instantly sense the darkness in both boys. The darkness wasn't of his Shadows and though he could feel no pure evil, he knew they were demons—he could sense it.

The third eye lit up Yugi's forehead, allowing him to read their energies. As it faded, he smiled. The demons were protecting the boys, fusing with them. He wondered if the demons were why the two were targeted. If they fused, the demons would not be able to be separated, thus keeping the boys from dying from the process. He could read that their life energies were intertwined with the demons.

Shortly after activating his Shadow Magic, he realized it was a bad idea as he felt extremely weak. He reached out for Joey's arm, using it to steady himself. Joey shot him a look of worry. He gave the boy a tired smile, and the blonde duelist sighed before scooping him up into his arms. "Hey, you two! Pay attention to your surroundings! You just got scanned and didn't even realize it."

Both boys froze in mid-attack to turn and look over in the direction Joey's voice came from. Both instantly realized it was Yugi in his arms. They began to walk over, Naruto arriving first. "Dude, look who finally woke up. How are you feeling?"

"Hi. It's nice to finally meet you. I'm feeling tired, but otherwise great." Yugi smiled weakly.

"What did you mean by us being scanned and not realizing it, Joey?" Gaara spoke up, inclining his head in greeting to Yugi.

"He meant I had sensed a strange darkness from your spirits, so I used my Shadow Magic to analyze it, make sure it wasn't hurting you or wouldn't be harmful to my friends. I'm just a bit paranoid about those kinds of things. It goes along with a feeling of unease sometimes, but I've started doing it to everyone new because I tend to second guess myself and my instincts. But you don't have to worry. I know you and we are perfectly safe. They protect you both, don't they? In fact, they are saving your lives by fusing with you now, aren't they? That group wants to tear them from you, but from what I saw, there would be no way for that to happen without you dying in the process. Oh, and don't worry, your secrets are safe with me." Yugi explained.

Gaara nodded, "It has happened to me once already. They were not able to relieve me of my entire demon without me dying from the purging. One of my village's elders brought me back from the brink of death at the cost of her life. Seven others have already been taken and killed by the Akatsuki. Naruto and I are the last remaining tailed-ones."

"Well, I guess this proves you are alright to trust, just like Joey tried to hammer into my head. You don't think lowly of us?" Naruto had to ask to quell his own fears.

"No, I don't. We've met numerous of your friends back in Konoha and here and everyone thinks so highly of you. They all love you both and have told us so much about you. We know that even though we've only scratched the surface; we have a pretty clear of your true personalities. Besides, if you were evil, then the second I saw you my Shadow Magic would have warned me. After all the people we've met that's only after our power or to take over the world or whatever else those people tend to want, I've been able to train myself to properly read my magic. If my eyes and everything else is telling me that all is just fine, but my magic is telling me to run like heck, I'm going to run like heck. I've been burned and put my friends in danger too many times not to listen." Yugi placed his head back on Joey's shoulder and closed his eyes once he was finished.

Joey sighed. "Yug, you have to learn restraint…Well, I guess we need to head on back. Tsunami'll be having dinner ready soon, and I for one don't want to be late and have to explain why Yugi passed out."

The other two nodded before following the blonde duelist to the small house they had taken refuge in. "I am glad he trusts us. I do not believe he will treat us as most others do." Gaara spoke up.

"Yeah, I was so adamant about not telling him. I was so afraid he'd treat us like monsters, just as everyone else tends to do if they don't know us originally. I'm glad he scanned us, even if it makes us look a bit bad as ninja and caused him to pass out." Naruto relented.

"I told you, guys. If any of us treated you like monsters that would be a good thing. Besides, Yugi's not like that anyway. Remember what I told you the other day about him and grudges/hard feelings. Kid doesn't have any, for the most part. The only times he really gets a temper is when his friends are threatened, in danger or if someone comments on his height. That's a sore spot for him because so many use it as criteria for torment, even his father." Joey pointed out.

The two soon-to-be half demons nodded as the group walked back the rest of the way to Tsunami's house silently. When they stepped inside the woman was instantly worrying over Yugi. "What happened to him? I told you not to let him overexert himself. He just woke up, Joey. I thought you were going to watch out for him."

"Hey, hey. Wait a minute. Yugi was fine until we met up with these two." Joey motioned to the pair of ninja behind him. "He has this automatic reaction to anyone new. He has to scan them with his Shadow Magic to make sure they're friendly and won't try and hurt us. After everything we've been through, it's a defense mechanism, namely since 'Namu'. So, I didn't let him do it; he did it on his own."

Tsunami nodded. "Ok." She sighed. "Take him back to his room so he can rest." Joey nodded and did as told. He knew the boy would be back up and about in a couple of hours. Tsunami nodded after before turning back to Naruto and Gaara. "Could you two go and get us some meat for dinner tonight? I'm sure Yugi's going to be quite hungry when he wakes up again, and you know how you two and Joey eat. Thank you, boys."

The ninja nodded before stepping back out the door to head to the market. It didn't take them long to buy what was needed and start heading back. Half way to the house, both boys heard their names being called. They turned to see Inari, Serenity, and Iruka. The two males were getting off guard duty, and the girl had went to get them, picking up a few extra vegetables along the way. Inari waved at the two as they approached. Once in line with each other, the small group headed back to the house. "How is Yugi doing since he woke up? Have you been able to talk to him any?" Serenity inquired.

"For a moment. He was awake long enough to tell us he knew of our demons and that he trusted us. Once said, he passed out." Gaara informed her.

Iruka and Inari looked worried while Serenity giggled. "He scanned you, didn't he?" At their nods, the girl sighed. "It's become such a defense mechanism he doesn't even realize he does it now…Oh well, that saves you two quite the awkward conversation. He'll be up again in a bit. His Shadow Magic doesn't take long to recharge his body when it's such a minor release like that. It'll be fine." Serenity tried to reassure the four. It had happened before. Ever since that 'Namu Incident' he would scan those that came along. He didn't fully trust his judgment since then, especially with Yami gone.

"He really should be more careful. That could cost him energy and time he doesn't have." Iruka spoke up.

"You may think that, but if the person already shows no reason to trust them, or is aggressive, the Shadow Magic doesn't even try to scan them. It prepares for offense or defense. You see our Shadow Magic is basically part of our spirit, even our soul. It's an extension of us that reacts to our feeling of needing protection. Yugi's 'auto-scan' –as he calls it—has saved us numerous times, and it's really helped some of our friends to see the truth or to see their motivation. The only reason Yugi passed out this time was because of having just woken up from being nearly suffocated. That doesn't normally happen." Serenity explained.

Naruto piped up. "Joey was telling us that. He said something about a time with Namu and if Yugi had had that automatic reaction then a major headache would have been avoided."

Serenity nodded. "My brother wouldn't have been hit by lightening either, probably."

The four boys gapped at the girl. "Seriously, lightening?" Inari whispered in awe.

"Angered Egyptian Spirit. Joey's opponent was using a fake Winged Dragon of Ra, an Egyptian God to make us believe Odion, the opponent, was Marik and not 'Namu', the actual Marik. The Duel Spirit became enraged at the use of a fake him and attacked all in the duel, thus striking Joey. We, his friends, came to him in a dream and helped him up, getting him back in the duel which he won by default. That was one tournament Joey drove the doctors insane during." Serenity stepped through the door allowing Joey to hear the ending of her statement.

"Oh, haha, sis. I wouldn't have driven them nowhere if they hadn't kept trying to say I wasn't healthy enough to be up and walking around." The boy in question huffed before helping the two younger ninja take their purchases to the kitchen.

"You were struck by lightning, took part of Ra's attack on Mai that Yami and Yugi couldn't stop, and then fell into a coma after taking the full brunt of Ra's attack. You really expect them to just let you go five minutes after waking up while both Mai and Ryou were still in comas from Egyptian God card attacks?" Serenity sounded exasperated.

After sitting the package on the counter, Joey turned to his sister and shrugged. "Yugi needed me. I knew he was starting to loose some of his faith and confidence after I fought against Marik and got hurt. I had to show him that everything was going to be ok."

Serenity just shook her head while Naruto snickered.

"I will go check on Yugi while dinner is being prepared." Gaara spoke up, walking toward the room.

"Ok. Let us know when he wakes up. Maybe dinner'll be done by then." Joey called after, receiving a grunt of acknowledgement.

The group left in the kitchen got to work cleaning and cutting the food for cooking. Gaara slowly and quietly opened the door to come upon a common image of the past few days: Yugi sleeping. The red-head took his usual place aside the boy and sat guard.

After the red-head left, Naruto sighed. "I just don't understand." His voice was hushed.

Those in the room looked over at him. "What don't you understand, Naruto?" Iruka spoke up.

"How come some kid we never met before knows without a doubt that even our demons are not enemies, but our freaking villages, especially the 'all-powerful' elders wanted us dead? They were all so sure we'd let our demons out to kill everyone, that we were all puppets controlled by them, or the actual demons re-born." Tears streamed down the boy's face as he fell to his knees. "They hated us. They tried to kill us. They treated us as scum, monsters, or worse: as non-existent. They looked at us with cold dead eyes, not even acknowledging us as living beings even after we have been nothing but loyal and faithful. Then here's the three of you that know about the demons, accidentally or not, but you don't care. You don't think any different about us and you barely know us. Why?" He turned his eyes toward Joey then shifted to Serenity.

Joey sighed before looking over at Tsunami. She nodded and the blonde helped the other to stand before leading him into another room. Once they were both seated Joey took a deep breath. "The Millennium Items were dark mystical items that gave the owners the ability to control portions of the Shadows. Each had its own power. The ones I'm in control of in this universe are the Scale and Key. The Scale judges the heart and a person's soul. The Key unlocks a person's heart and soul so that I can see their true self. The Key also gives me the ability to turn someone into my puppet by rearranging their soul room. The ones Serenity controls here are the Necklace and Eye. The Necklace gives her the ability to see the past and a possible future. The Eye lets her see into a person's mind. She can see through lies and read a person's true self. The Eye also lets her transfer or capture a person's soul into a blank object." Joey paused for a moment.

"What does any of that have to do with why you guys don't hate us?" Naruto inquired.

"Well, for one, I just told you that our items let us know a person's true self, no matter who they are or where they are. Second, I'm not finished. It's really the back story of Yugi's items that explains it. You see, Yugi controls the Ring, Rod, and Puzzle. The Ring has the ability to separate influences on a body from the body. This can range from a dark presence to dark chakra to the person's actual soul. It can also lock on to a spiritual signal and track the owner by it. That's actually how we found you two here. We knew it could be done because we've seen it in work before, but I'll get to that in a minute. The Rod can be used to control opponents or any random person. To do that, it wipes the person's mind clean, locks them away within themselves. It can also paralyze people; even throw them across rooms or anywhere away from the user. Finally, Yugi controls the Puzzle. It's probably the strongest of the items and the most closely entwined with Yugi's very spirit. The Puzzle grants Yug the ability to control the powers of the Shadows. With it, he can manipulate the Shadows into attacks, barriers, or restraints. He rules over the Realm of Shadows, including the creatures in it. He can remove souls from their bodies, and he can put them back. He can block the other items' powers, but the Puzzle gets stronger when untied with the others. He has the ability to see the purity in others and help them see it around and in themselves. He can pull people from some very dark places. It also gives him the ability to unite those around him, to pull them back into the light, protect them, and help them see the power in unity." Again, Joey paused, preparing himself for the rest of what he had to say.

"Still, are you trying to say that he sees the purity in us, even the demons? I don't see what any of this has to do with it." Naruto spoke up again.

Joey sighed out the breath he had taken. "That's part of it. But the bigger piece is what I'm about to tell you. See, the three items Yug has are more special than the ones Serenity and I have, to an extent. His items held 'spirits'. The Puzzle's we kinda already told you about. Atem was like Yug's brother. They were extremely close and not just because of having to share a body. Atem was like the other half of Yugi's soul: one dark, the other light. The shielded and protected each other. Atem taught Yugi confidence and gave him the ability to tap into his true strength. Yugi taught Atem humility, kindness, and how to be humble and ask for help. They were of the same bloodline, were connected spirits, were inseparable, but no matter how close or how long they were together, they were separate people. They knew that, we knew that, nothing would ever change that." Joey stopped a moment, remembering the day that it was projected in front of them all so that they could see and realize just what Yugi was about to have to go through.

"But both of them were good guys. Kyuubi nearly destroyed Konoha, and Shukaku took over Gaara just so that he could kill and feel the blood soak into his sand and trickle through it. That's not exactly a definition to 'good guys'." Naruto pointed out.

"That may be, but the spirit of the Ring wasn't exactly a sweetheart. And the split personality the Rod gave Marik to deal with the abuse wasn't the nicest of people. And you'd be surprised at what all Atem did before Yugi befriended him and started asserting a little control. Let's just call the spirit of the Ring Bakura. He, in ancient times, was a tomb robber, the self proclaimed King of Thieves. He loved ransacking the tombs of the pharaohs past, especially Atem's dad's. He did it just to upset Atem. Even in modern times he was a kleptomaniac and a just plain grade A nutcase. Our friend, Ryou, owned the Ring. It was a gift from his dad, but he never realized all the headaches it would give him. Bakura would take over any time he wanted and force Ryou to blackout. Ryou has told us he'd wake up sometimes in his bed covered in blood or with some new trinket or soot all over him. He never knew what Bakura had done, but it was easy to figure out that it wasn't good. We never were sure why Bakura forced him to blackout, maybe for the innocence plea, maybe to protect him. They were two sides of the same soul, from the same bloodline, just like Yugi and Atem were. But they were never close, never truly friends. Ryou was actually afraid of Bakura, but he wouldn't back down unless overpowered. He would do whatever he could to keep Bakura in his place, but he couldn't have his guard up all day, every day. Marik's created split personality was more than a little psycho. He took great pleasure in torturing anyone he could and that even included Marik's sister and adopted brother. He nearly killed him, made Mai slowly loose her memories—creating a broken shell of who she was—when he trapped her in the Shadow Realm, tried to banish Marik, kill his brother, and slowly ripped away at Yugi's soul during the duel between him and Atem. It really hurt hearing Yugi's cries as his body was being torn apart, especially since it was at the soul level. Marik was able to rid himself of that personality, but the impact was there. Then there was Atem early on in reassembly. The guy was stir-crazy, and after being in the darkness for 3,000 years, you can't really blame him for it. Before Yugi and he became friends, Yugi blacked out a lot and suddenly here was this commanding presence rolling off the body. Subtle changes occurred, but Yug never knew it. He just knew that there were moments of darkness during the day after he was beaten up or had gotten upset. I guess it was about a two month period of time that this was happening. During that time, people that had hurt or upset Yugi had gone insane, had strange accidents, or there were even a couple of seemingly self-caused accidental deaths. We never put it together until after Atem was willing to blast Kaiba off a three-story tower on top of about 100 feet of cliff to a water death and scared Yug half to death. He didn't even want to duel anyone anymore because he was scared Atem would be willing to kill them to if that's what it took to win. The difference in all three of these spirits is that Atem repented, felt horrible about what he had done, though he didn't feel guilty; Bakura possibly protected his lighter half, but did whatever he wanted to get whatever he wanted without any remorse; Malik, the split personality, never cared about anyone but himself and felt everyone else was in his way. In all three cases, there was a definite line drawn between who was whom, and that line never fully blurred. What Yugi saw when he scanned you and Gaara was two sets of spirits inhabiting the same body, and even though the lines between you are blurring and you may eventually become one, you will always be separate beings. It's obvious that the two demons feel bad about what they've done in the past, and they are trying to make amends by protecting you two now. Yugi sees a reflection of himself and our other two friends in both of you, so how could he hate you without hating himself? Serenity and I see it too. Do you get it now?" Joey finished explaining.

Slowly, attempting to absorb it all, Naruto nodded. "We are a lot alike. It's why I couldn't bring myself to hate Gaara no matter the horrible things he did at the demon's command. Yeah, I understand now. Thanks, Joey."

The blonde duelist shrugged. "No problem, bro. Now come on, let's go help finish up dinner. Yugi's gonna be starving when he wakes up again."

At Naruto's nod, the two headed back into the kitchen. Naruto was quieter than normal, but he had a lot to think about. However, a smile stayed on the boy's face for the rest of the night.

It was another hour or so before the sleeping boy groaned and started to wake up. He slowly sat up. "Alright, Yami, we have got to work on making that a conscious reaction, not an automatic one."

"Is this Yami the reason you have no hatred toward Naruto and me?" the sand user inquired.

Yugi jumped slightly before smiling sheepishly. "Sorry. I didn't notice you there."

Gaara just nodded before repeating his inquiry.

"Kinda." Yugi sighed. "My Shadow Magic told me you tow weren't any threat, nor were your demons. But I understand your differences because of him. He's sort of like my brother, but he was born 3,000 years before me and is my ancestor. During my years as his vessel, trying to help him regain the memories he had lost, we became extremely close. He's back to help me train, but when we are done here, he will be returning home, to his own time once again. He's my encouragement and inside helper."

Gaara contemplated the boy's words before inclining his head in understanding. He stood, saying, "Joey asked to let them know when you had awoken. Dinner will be done shortly." With that said the quiet ninja stepped out of the room and closed the door.

Yugi watched him go with a mild set of confusion. He shrugged his shoulders when Yami appeared beside him. "Not one for conversations, is he?"

The younger shook his head. "I guess not. Yami, I was being serious about training more. I need more endurance."

"I know you were, Little One, but I hope that this sudden urgent need to increase your endurance does not have roots in your last unconscious state. No amount of training will allow you to take being suffocated and frozen for longer before you succumb. You still needed rest when you scanned them. All that has recently happened has nothing to do with your strength or endurance levels. I believe the training you need is to control your 'auto-scan' when you are weak and in need of rest."

Yugi sighed. "But I've been such a burden lately. I couldn't even stay conscious after that fight with Sasuke. And now Joey's had to carry be twice because of me passing out. Some great leader I am."

"We have worked on your control of the Ring's powers, and you have improved greatly. Remember, Joey didn't do nearly the damage you did, nor did he last nearly as long in that battle as you did before he was knocked out. And you showed great control as the Ring led all of you here. Again, Little One, do not beat yourself up over things you had no control over." Atem sat in front of the boy and took his face in his hands. "Remember what I told you a few years ago: you have what it takes to be an incredible Pharaoh. You just have to believe in yourself."

Yugi blinked and tears slipped from his eyes, gently running down the curves of his cheeks, and Atem's hands. The elder softly rubbed them away. He smiled gently at the younger, *Some things never change, but I'm glad that he's the same innocent boy he has always been.*

The small duelist giggled, the gentle wiping had tickled. With a smile on his face again, Atem smiled brightly, nodding. "Now you should get up and get something to eat. I believe I hear Joey headed this way. We'll talk about your training more later." When he said that, the dark spirit disappeared from sight, relaxing in the knowledge that his light was happy once again.

Joey enter the room to see Yugi sitting up, faint trails of tears were staining his cheeks. The blonde sighed. "What's up, Yug? Why were you crying?"

Yugi looked up, but smiled at seeing his best friend. "Nothing anymore. Don't worry, Atem talked some sense into me. I was just feeling a bit like a burden after having passed out twice."

Joey chuckled. "Yeah, that sounds just like you, little bro. Glad you ain't still beating yourself up. Now come on, dinner is being served."

Yugi smiled, and the blonde helped the younger duelist to his feet and made sure he was steady before leading him back to the dining room. Once seated Yugi was introduced to Inari and was told that Tazuna was still away on a building job.

The group quickly dug into the food presented to them. Everything was quiet for a bit until Naruto decided to break the silence. "So, Yugi, what chakra element are you? I'm wind, and Gaara's earth."

"Oh, I'm a dual primary element according to Jiraiya. We're guessing that my Shadow Magic influenced it because mine are darkness and light."

Naruto's head popped away from his plate. Gaara just stared hard at him. Yugi blushed at the sudden attention as even Inari and Tsunami were looking at him in shock. "Seriously?! Nobody's ever had those elements alone, never mind at the same time. I thought it was impossible for opposing elements to be alive in the same person without causing problems for that person, Iruka-sensei." Naruto turned to his father figure, a bit worried for the small duelist.

"Usually that would be the case. Tsunade-sama thinks his Shadow Magic keeps him safe, and that the two protect each other within him. In fact the two elements are like brothers coinciding in the same space. It may be because of Yugi's past and the fact that both have always lived peacefully together inside him." Iruka explained.

"I was a Hikari strictly for years and someone who was like my brother was a Yami. Our souls were linked by an item I possessed. The powers granted him as a Yami protected me, and my powers as a Hikari allowed me to protect him. When he…left us a few months ago, he passed his Yami energy to me. A piece of his spirit is with me, protecting me. I guess it would be easier to show you how my two energies work together than trying to explain it." Yugi stood from the table before extending his right hand. He concentrated on bringing up both elements. They sprung forth like small flames, dancing on his palm. One was a mixture of blue, purple and black, while the other was a mixture of white and gold, and both intertwined with each other, caressing each other gently. It was an almost intimate interaction between the energies, as if they were twins separated for far too long. He soon dismissed the chakra and sat back down before looking into the shocked faces of those that had not truly known what he was capable of.

Suddenly, Naruto burst from his seat. "That was AWESOME!" He cried out, surprising the three duelists. Joey even chocked, but quickly got it under control. He was, as he basically told Mai once, used to it happening.

Once over his shock, Yugi giggled. "Thank you, I guess. I'm just not used to people reacting so much to my powers. Sure Neji looked like he was going to have a heart attack, but I just kinda figured that was because it was Neji."

"Well, I'm sure that was part of it, but seriously, no one has ever had that ability as far as I know. I've traveled all over with Jiraiya, and I've never seen anyone with opposing elements let alone a dark element or a light element." Naruto had calmed down and was sitting in his chair once again after looks from both Iruka and Tsunami. "I mean, Joey told me the basics of your abilities that you get from some items you control, but I never expected a display like that."

Yugi looked at Joey. "How did my powers come up in a conversation?" Yugi looked a bit amused.

"Well, Naruto was a bit upset and confused as to why we so easily accepted them, demons and all. So I basically said that for one, we each have the ability to see a person's true self. Second, we have ways of telling spirits inhabiting the same body apart. We've had so much practice with it." Joey had a cheeky grin as he finished.

Yugi sighed and rolled his eyes. "I suppose that's true. I just hope things weren't overly exaggerated. But either way, are you feeling better with it, Naruto?"

"Yeah, I am. It was a lot to think through and accept, but I have. And if anything, after that display, I think Joey understated everything you all can do." Naruto admitted.

There was a comical feel to the air despite Naruto remembering his earlier frustration and irritation. The blonde ninja brought up the subject of Joey's hospitalization on a blimp. After the explanation behind Joey being in the medical ward and his subsequent refusal to stay in bed that all had a laugh at, it was time for bed.

That night as Yugi fell asleep in the presence of the other boys; his spirit entered his Soul Room. Looking around, the boy smiled at the familiar room filled with the toys of his childhood. After standing there reminiscing for a few moments, the small teen headed toward the door. He crossed the hall and entered the adjoined room after knocking.

Once he slipped in, he was bombarded by all the memories of the past: both his and Atem's. A small smile appeared on his face before he called out to his spirit brother. Almost instantly the once Pharaoh stepped out of the shadows. The maze of the room had disappeared, having changed to the palace. "Hello there, little one. Are you sure it is wise to train tonight? I think you should wait until you have returned to the village. It would be safer."

Yugi sighed. "Can we put together a plan then? I know I still need to practice with the Ring before I even attempt the Rod. I also want to work on controlling my auto-scan and my endurance levels when using both my Shadow Magic and chakra."

"Working with the Ring's tracking ability would be a great exercise with your ninja friends. They can give you much more of a challenge than I can. We are connected by our spirits. We will always know where the other is. It would be wise to master one item not synchronized to your soul before starting on another, you are correct. Working on your auto-scan will require, in part, you meeting new people. I'm sure your ninja friends can help you there as well. I can help you recognize the feeling it gives off so that you may be more aware of it occurring. That way it may be easier for you to shut it down or even activate it. I can help you work on endurance while you are here after you have returned to the village. To do that, we will spar. I can bring in Duel Monsters for you to spar with, and as practice you can work on summoning here too. It should be simpler to do here with those levels you haven't quite mastered yet." Atem contributed.

Yugi nodded. "I'm still having trouble with level five's. The ones in our deck I can summon without too much problem. It's the ones I'm not really familiar with that are being difficult. Oh, and magic's like Raigeki sometimes gives me a hard time. I can't hold it for long. And I haven't even tried the field spells. I'm not sure what they'll do for me, advantage wise."

Atem stopped to think for a moment. "I believe the spells will become easier for you the more practice you get. I'm sure it is just a matter of increasing your endurance as well. As far as what the fields go, I think I know what Yami will do. You do remember our duel with Panic, correct?" At the smaller's nod, he continued. "I believe it will blanket our forces in darkness so that the enemy cannot decipher our moves while they are completely within our view. Others, such as Umi, may help against certain element users. Umi may plunge us into a watery field, where Serenity would flourish, but one such as Gaara and those Oto ninja would fall. Sogen would boost you and Joey, but cause problems for someone like Shikamaru or others than utilize darkness or shadows as a means of protection. In Wasteland, Gaara would flourish, but a water or plant user would suffer. It could even cause problems for the Oto. I think it would be interesting to try each out with your friends just to see what special effects each had. We already know how they work with our summons. It would be interesting to see if they would have the same boost effects on you and the ninja."

The small duelist thought for a moment before smiling and nodding. "That would be awesome. I wonder if I could activate Wasteland and try it out with Gaara tomorrow. I would love to see if it could boost his power."

"You could try it, just remember to release the magic the moment you start to feel weak. I would like to find out what each does, including Rising Air Current and Ancient Sanctuary." He gently ruffled Yugi's hair earning a yelp from the boy and him batting the Pharaoh's hand away.

Suddenly Yugi's smile became mischievous. Atem noticed and began to back away from him. Before the elder could get very far he was tackled to the ground by a giggling Yugi who snuggled against his chest, his arms wrapped around his waist. Atem chuckled as he began to pat the boy on the head. "I missed you so much, big brother. I'm so glad you came back, even if you have to go home again. It's nice having you here with me again. It's been lonely without your calming presence."

The Pharaoh sighed, hugging the boy. "You know I am always with you, no matter what. You are and will forever be my little brother. The monsters and Shadow Realm connect us. This room will always be open to you; you just have to remember how to enter once I go back. It will be akin to a open line of communication between us, just as Mahado can be."

Yugi nodded against the elder's chest, but didn't show any signs of getting up. Atem just smiled, idly rubbing the boy's back. Things were quiet for a while. The two just laid on the carpeted part of the floor, staying in each other's presence. Suddenly, Yugi felt an outside force calling him. He groaned. "I guess it's time to wake up."

Atem chuckled at the boy's reluctance to get up. "The others will get worried about you, little one. You know I will still be here. Now go on."

Yugi sighed but sat up anyway. "Alright. I'll see you later then."

As the boy woke up in the outside world, the palace around him faded. The last thing he saw of it for the day was Atem smiling and waving.

His eyes slowly blinked open to see Joey kneeling beside him with his hand on his shoulder. He gave a slight glare at his best friend, but just sighed as he sat up. Joey chuckled. "I'm guessing you were having a good dream."

"Kinda. I was talking to and spending time with Atem. We were talking about training and some of the possible card effects, like dealing with field spells." Yugi yawned and stood up to follow his friend into the dining room.

He sleepily greeted the others as he sat down at the table just as a plate of food was placed in front of him. "Thank you. This looks great." Yugi smiled up at Tsunami before digging in.

Joey pushed out an agreement past his full mouth. She gently chastised the teen but smiled in thanks nonetheless. When he swallowed, Joey turned to Yugi and asked him what kind of plans for training he and Atem had made. The name caused Naruto's head to snap in the direction of the smaller teen.

Once Yugi swallowed, not really noticing the attention he was now getting from the ninja present, he explained what he and the Pharaoh had spoken on. After finishing the explanation he turned to the sand user. "Oh, that reminds me that I wanted to try something with you today. Would it be ok if we went out to the training area I first met you in and try out one of my spell cards? I just want to see if it would boost your abilities. I was told you used sand. Is that right, Gaara?" The young man nodded. "Will you let me try it after breakfast? It won't take long mostly because I have a spirit that worries more like a mother than a brother in my head. I would also love to see how you train, both you and Naruto. If that's ok."

"Sure, that sounds awesome. What all booster magic things do you have?" Naruto piped up.

"Oh, well there are numerous ones like the one I want to try, but they aren't as common as equipment magic cards. The one I want to try is known as a field spell. It allows me to change the scenery in order to give my monsters and me an advantage. Each monster has a specific land type that they do best on. For example, I'm sure you've met Junpei—Joey's Flame Swordsman." At Naruto and Gaara's nod, he continued. "Well, he does best in open areas and gets a boost from meadows. So, for him, I would use Sogen. I'm not sure as of yet what all effects the field spells have, but I really want to experiment with them."

"Yeah, I would love to see something of those powers you have. We can head out as soon as we get done. How much longer before we head back to Konoha?" Naruto spoke up.

"I sent notification to Tsunade-sama yesterday of Yugi waking up. We'll probably be here for a couple more days, just to make sure Yugi is back to 100%." Iruka noted.

At the groups nod, they quickly finished up their breakfast before gearing up for training. Iruka followed mostly to make sure nothing got out of control, but also because he was intrigued by this new possibility of a power boost.

Soon they were again standing in the small clearing that served as training grounds the past week. Once settled and stretched, at Iruka's bidding. Gaara and Naruto took their places across from each other. The two spared for a few minutes, to fall into the right mindset. Shortly after, at Yugi's request, the two started to use jutsu. "Can you gauge the strength of their attacks, Iruka-sensei?" Yugi asked.

Iruka nodded and began to watch them intently. After some time, Yugi called out, "Wasteland!"

The environment around them began to flicker and change before there was a giant flash. As the white light dissipated, the air grew dry and hot. The sound of sand slowly tumbling over barren parched land could be heard. Once visible, the group never seeing the card game before was in utter shock.

Joey whistled. "Dude, this puts Kaiba's virtual and holographic tech to shame!"

Yugi giggled. "It is really life like, but I guess that's the point. Maybe we're in some form of the Shadow Realm." Yugi shrugged. "Anyway, Gaara, can you try your attacks again? Be careful, Naruto. They may be stronger."

With a nod, both went back to their experimental sparring match. Naruto, just to see the true power his friend had now, sent out five kage bushin. Gaara, seeing what the other was doing, went all out with the sand blast he went out against the clones. It was normal for a single attack to take them out, even though they were solid. However, the resulting explosions rocked the area. They were much more violent than normal, and the strength of the sand attack was obviously greatly increased. The sparring stopped due to the awe both boys were in.

After a beat, Yugi cheered. "It worked! When we get back to the village, we have got to try the others!" The small teen was extremely excited.

"Hey, Yugi, how much longer do you think you can hold this? I wanted to try something with Junpei." Joey stepped forward.

"A while still. The only drain I felt was during the activation."

Joey nodded at his friend. "Junpei, come on out!"

Instantly, the Duel Spirit came forth and greeted his charge. "What do you need, Joey?"

"I want to try something. Naruto, can you send out those clones again?" Joey turned to the other blonde.

Naruto nodded and instantly sent out three clones. The brown-eyed boy sighed out a breath before ordering the blue and red clad warrior to attack. "Salamandra Strike!"

The warrior went into action immediately. He jumped back then slashed his, now glowing, sword to the side. A giant flaming dragon burst from his blade. The dragon was twice the size it normally was, and the heat rolling from it was intense. The three clones were incinerated before even coming into full contact with the flames. Everyone stood in awe. "That was awesome!" Joey and Naruto exclaimed together after a few moments of stunned silence.

Shortly after; however, Joey began to feel drained. The dragon hadn't dissipated, and the blonde realized it was his Shadow Magic and energy that fed it as well. "Junpei, call off you attack and head on back. That was a great showing, but I'm starting to feel drained. Thanks,, buddy."

Junpei nodded. "See you later, Joey and my friends."

The group waved to the Duel Spirit before he went back to his realm.

Yugi closed his eyes and concentrated on pulling his own Shadow Magic from the physical form of the magic card he conjured. He too was feeling tired, but once the wasteland returned to a beautiful forest, he felt back to normal.

"Alright! I think lunch and a nap is in order." Joey stretched as he headed back toward the house. When he passed Yugi, he ruffled the boy's hair.

The small one giggled while batting at the taller's hand before making a show of straightening his hair.

Naruto stepped over, throwing an arm around the Game King's shoulders. "Then I'm borrowing this."

When the blonde ninja turned, he spun the boy with him. Yugi began to stumble as the fox-boy didn't give him time to catch his balance before walking on.

Serenity looked on, a worried gleam in her eyes. She jumped slightly as a hand was placed on her shoulder. "Don't worry. Naruto will take good care of him. He just wants him to meet a couple of people." At Serenity's slow nod, Iruka squeezed her shoulder and walked off.

After a couple of minutes of walking/dragging, Yugi finally asked, "Where are we going?"

"You'll see. I have a couple of people I want you to meet, properly."

Yugi nodded, and they walked the rest of the way in silence. The land began to open up to stone and dirt, and Yugi could hear and smell running water. Shortly after those sensations, he could see two graves overlooking the water way. Soon Naruto brought them both to a stop. There was a moment of silence before the blonde began to excitedly speak. "Zabuza, Haku, I want you both to meet Yugi. You're first meetings have been a bit rock, but he's my friend now, and he's a good guy."

Yugi blushed a bit at the praise, but bowed respectfully to the gravesites. "It's very nice to properly meet you both. I'm sorry you had to be drug into that Shadow Game, Zabuza. We didn't realize Danzou would try using deceased warriors as well. Our side was our loyal monsters and guardians. But you don't have to worry about him trying to hurt Naruto when we get back. He's reliving every horrible deed he's done in the name of his greed as if he were the people he did it to. I'm not sure how long the Shadows will keep him, but he will be a whole new person when they are done."

Suddenly, three misty forms appeared. Both solid boys recognized two, just not the same. Yugi smiled brightly at the spirit of the Pharaoh. "Feeling left out, big brother?"

"You could say that, little one." Atem chuckled.

Naruto slowly stepped towards the other two. "Haku, Zabuza…How?"

"This area is closer to the spirit world because of our graves. Some kind of pull allowed us to appear in this form before you both as we were being addressed. How this other man arrived, I am unsure." Haku explained.

"Oh, I bet it was my Shadow Magic that gave that pull you felt. Atem's here because he, too, is a spirit, but he is connected to my Shadow Magic. He was my Yami before he was truly laid to rest. He was the one that suggested the Shadow Game because I was angry and upset. My friends and I are not to be threatened." His voice was sweet and innocent as he spoke, though his words were not.

Zabuza grinned. "I like this kid. Sorry about the other day. We have problems with threats, too, and since I had seen you in that fight, I knew you were a possible enemy. I could even feel that darkness around you, but you seem like the kind of kid I could deal with."

Yugi smiled brightly. "Thank you. Oh, Naruto, since you are officially introducing your friends here, I should do the same." He stepped aside, motioning toward the spirit beside him. "This is the great Pharaoh, Atem. You can also call him Yami. He's my ancestor connected to be through my Shadow Magic. But more than my ancestor, he's my best friend and big brother."

Atem blushed at the younger's words. His translucent arms wrapped around his tiny shoulders in a hug. "And you, little one, are my little brother, and you shall forever be so." After a beat and Yugi returning the hug, the modern duelist turned to his new blonde friend.

"Atem, now you can officially meet Naruto, my newest friend."

The elder chuckled before stepping toward the living ninja, hand raised. "It is nice to finally meet you in person. I have been watching you and getting to know you through Yugi." In awe, Naruto shook hands with the once great leader and protector of Egypt. After, and while the fox-boy sputtered some, Atem turned to the other two spirits. "You are the protectors of this village, I surmise." At their nods, he continued. "You are doing well. I am sorry as well that you were pulled into our dispute. I am glad; however, that the two of you released my Hikari. Otherwise, I would not have been so gracious. You would have seen the force that protected my kingdom and my loved ones. Why were you on such high alert to use such drastic methods? I would not believe a 'kill first, question later' philosophy would work well in this realm with possible allies everywhere."

"Well, first was the thing with Danzou,, that much is obvious. But even before that, a member of the Akatsuki tried to just walk in to the village. We ran him off, but him and his partner kept hanging around, even after the other was taken with me to work as Danzou's pawn. I guess after that, they took off to Konoha to figure out what happened. That was about a week before you showed up. We didn't want to take any chances you were from either group, and I was pretty sure the solid one was the leader of the little group. It tended to work well in my old village, Mizu, to kill the leader of any team or the strongest member. The rest usually fell into place." Zabuza explained.

"But you gotta remember, Zabuza, your village was the most sadistic of all the ninja villages when you were becoming a genin and before Oto was actually considered a village. You were the kid that slaughtered an entire class of academy students before you were old enough to enter the academy. They lost so many potential ninjas over the years, and the ones that survived were ultra brutal. The major council finally stopped that practice, but still. That's why the 'kill the leader' worked so well." Naruto countered.

Yugi stepped forward, "Wait, you said that one of the ones on your team in the Shadow Game was on his way to Konoha and a member of Akatsuki?" His voice was worried.

"It was a guess as to his destination, but he was a member of Akatsuki. His name was Itachi and his partner was Kisame." Haku clarified.

"I remember him. He used fire didn't he?" Yugi said thoughtfully. Suddenly his large eyes widened. "Hey, Naruto, Itachi is Sasuke's brother right? I know Joey told you what I saw when we walked past the Uchiha complex." Naruto slowly nodded. Yugi continued. "If Itachi is headed that way we need to let the others know. We may be able to clear his name. Serenity's unlocked the power of the necklace; I can since it. She can use it to see his real past, what actually happened that night. We'll have to leave soon, before they send out a group to get us, or they get orders to leave."

Naruto shook his head. "They won't be ordered to leave, Gaara and I are too important to be given up on, sadly. But it's possible the group may send more grunts after us. Especially since they know we are here and that you guys are probably here too. They'll become interested in your powers if they aren't already and will either try to persuade you to their side, capture you, or kill you."

Yugi and Atem sighed. "Well, at least they aren't after our souls, little one. That's different from the norm."

Yugi giggled. "Yeah, that is a switch for once. But they'll still be after our power, and that gets old."

Atem nodded. After a moment the great Pharaoh shrugged. "You have a great amount of new, strong, and loyal friends. I know you are strong, as well, Yugi, in body, mind, and especially heart. Remember what I said against the 5-God-Dragon to Kaiba: we'll win together, or together we'll fall. Now, I do not believe Naruto brought us here for things to turn so melancholy."

Yugi nodded, smiling and blushing at what his best friend had said. "I like that saying. It goes along with my nindo, which was inspired by Haku here."

That got the group off the depressing subjects and to talking about their pasts and just generally getting to know each other.

It was a couple of hours later that Joey popped up, wondering what had happened to his friends. The warrior duelist was slightly surprised to see the three spirits, but shrugged it off. He grinned to himself before rushing over and grabbing Atem in a headlock of a hug. "Yams! I've missed this spikey head of yours!"

Said spirit struggled to get out of the suffocating hug before giving up and patting the taller's arm. "It's great to see you, too, Joey."

Joey pulled back with a large grin on his face, before it became thoughtful. "How can I touch you, let alone hug you?"

Atem chuckled while Yugi giggled. "We believe it has something to do with how close this place is to the spirit world. That, and probably a bit of my Shadow Magic." Yugi explained.

The blonde duelist just nodded, not much really affected him anymore when it came to that kind of thing. "Hey, I recognize you. You were the dude that attacked Summoned Skull during the Shadow Game." He motioned toward Zabuza.

Joey was then introduced to the other two spirits. The group began to talk again before Yugi remembered about Itachi. He quickly explained what they had told them. The blonde duelist's eyes widened, "We need to let Iruka know. He may want to send off a warning to Tsunade-sama. At the least, we could tell them it's possible they are headed that way. Besides, though I hate to leave, dinner will be ready soon, and Serenity is starting to worry."

The group sighed. Joey had a point, and they had missed lunch. "Hey, maybe we can come back tomorrow and let Serenity meet everyone. She never got to see Atem face-to-face, only when he took control of my body. And Iruka-sensei, too. And maybe before we head home to our world, we can come back and say good bye." Yugi suggested.

The others nodded in agreement. Atem felt a pang of sadness and pain rolling off Yugi, but it was quickly hidden. The Pharaoh knew what his little brother was thinking. He was already thinking of their next parting. He hugged the younger, who hugged him back tightly.

Naruto watched on, confused. He looked to Joey. "What's wrong?"

Joey sighed. "Yug's getting ahead of himself. He's already thinking of Yam's leaving him when all this is over."

The other blonde nodded sadly. He understood how the younger felt. He always hated the thought of being away from his friends. That was why he was so worried and upset over Sasuke.

Shortly after, the three spirits disappeared, and the rest headed back to the small village.

When the group returned to Tsunami's house, Naruto and Joey went to see what they could help the woman with to finish up dinner only to be sent to fetch Iruka, Inari, and Gaara from their watch duty. Yugi stepped into the main room to see if Serenity was there.

He smiled when he saw her. She looked tired and her hair was wet like she had just come from a shower. He made his way over to the girl and felt Atem close the door to his Soul Room with a chuckle and a final "I'll see you in a bit, Aibou." Yugi stood before the girl for a second more before she slowly raised her head to look up at the one watching her.

Serenity smiled at the sight of Yugi and slowly forced herself to sit up. The boy giggled before take a seat beside her and wrapping his arm around her shoulder, pulling her to his side. She sighed, her head rested on the thin boy's chest. There were a few moments of silence before Yugi quietly broke it. "You look tired. Did you go out and train?"

The auburn haired girl nodded slowly while cuddling into his chest more. "Yeah. I worked with Gaara some. And then I had Iruka-sensei by my practice dummy for my abilities with the Necklace. He had a miserable childhood. I'm starting to think that's a common theme in this world. I even got to practice on Inari." She stopped and began to sniffle. "He saw his adopted father tortured and killed right in front of him during a public display and execution." Her voice was watery.

Yugi hugged her close and began to gently rock her as she began to cry. He lightly kissed the top of her head and spoke quiet words of comfort to her. It hurt him to see her so upset and in pain over something she had no control over. He knew she was also tired and drained, so part of her reaction was from that. She was draped across his lap.

Serenity buried her face into his chest, starting to feel content with where she was. As her tears and sorrow began to subside she wondered if all her distress was a side effect of still learning to control her first Item. That thought forced her mind to begin to wonder. What kind of past did Naruto have to cause him to be so afraid of telling anyone his demon secret? What about Yugi? What was his life like before Yami came along and started his self-appointed duty of protecting and defending the boy? What about their other friends? Why did Tea feel the need to cut all ties with their group after being by their side for so long? She slightly shook herself from her thoughts, deciding it was better to concentrate on the feeling of being in Yugi's arms. Though they weren't ready to admit it, especially with all the threats in this world, she knew without any doubt: she loved the boy. She had for a long while now. She completely fell when she learned the boy was just as incredible as Joey made him out to be.

She heard Yugi quietly humming some tune she didn't recognize. She leaned back and took in the boy's face. His large beautiful amethyst eyes were closed; his full eyelashes were gently kissing his round cheeks. As if feeling her eyes on him, the small teen opened them to show the large innocent orbs. Their eyes met, and they could feel a tug toward the other. Slowly they started to move toward each other. After a second their lips caressed in a sweet and shy kiss that seemed to last forever for the young couple. Their eyes slid shut as they began to lose themselves in the kiss.

The moments pass by slowly while the two ignore the outside world. Atem noticed the quiet and thought his young official brother had fallen asleep on the couch with the girl. He was quite surprised to find his Aibou locked in a kiss with the girl, but he was also extremely happy. His young one would no longer feel so alone in his life after he was forced to return to the afterlife. Part of him knew they would both be saddened at being separated once again, but they both had the one they were meant to spend the rest of their lives with by their sides. That gave the Pharaoh some comfort. His little one would heal much easier now.

The tow pulled away from the kiss, somewhat reluctantly. Yugi smiled gently down at Serenity. Both had a dusting of a blush across their cheeks. The girl shyly returned the smile. "Feeling better?" Yugi quietly asked.

"Much. Thank you." Serenity answered, equally quiet.

"I'm glad. I don't like seeing you so hurt." Yugi hugged her close.

Serenity giggled as one of his bangs tickled her cheek. "I feel so safe right now, here curled against you. I feel like I don't have to worry about anyone or anything."

The girl sighed, burying herself even more into his arms. The young man smiled; his own worries disappearing. He knew Atem would have to leave again, eventually. It wouldn't do to waste what time they had left together thinking about and being upset over something that was still a while away, and they had no control over. He got to spend his nights in his Soul Room, curled up by his big brother's side or being taught by the elder. He had to be happy with what he had and deal with what would come after. At least now he knew he had people that would truly help him through the loneliness and heartbreak of losing his brother once again. At the moment, he was extremely happy to have Serenity in his arms and feeling Atem's watchful and approving stare. Then he could feel the young man smile before he retired for the day, leaving the two completely alone in the living room. Shortly after, Yugi realized Serenity had fallen asleep, so he decided to follow.

Dinner was served an hour later, and once it was finished the large family and group returned to the living room to chat before bed.

The next morning, Naruto and Yugi took Serenity, Joey, and Iruka to the gravesites of the two fallen ninja. Again, the three spirits appeared before them, surprising the elder ninja and the young girl. Serenity had known Yugi and Atem had been close in looks from what her brother had told her of the Ceremonial Duel, but she was shocked at how close they actually were. She could only imagine how much more similar the two looked when the elder was more Japanese looking in skin color and clothing.

The great Pharaoh smiled at the girl before bowing, a gesture he learned from Yugi. "It is a pleasure to finally meet you face to face, Serenity. I already know a great deal about you from my time spent sharing Yugi's body."

Serenity smiled brightly, returning the bow. "It's incredible meeting you finally. Yugi's told me so much about you. I'm so happy to finally be able to meet you. I want to thank you for all that you've done for my brother and me and for Yugi."

Atem chuckled gently. "Yugi was the one to teach me the compassion I had forgotten in the 3,000 years of solitude and darkness. He is the truly incredible one. But you are welcome, nonetheless. Nothing has given me greater joy, besides my wife Mana and my children, than to watch over and protect my little brother and make sure he is happy in life."

Yugi blushed. It felt odd to hear the elder talk about his family in Egypt. He knew that Atem was his ancestor, but to hear him so easily say it was strange.

Atem could feel Yugi's discomfort and smiled, chuckling in his head. *(I'm sorry, little one. It does seem strange that I am already married and have a set of twin boys when I believe it has only been a few months to you that I went home.)* He could feel Yugi mentally nodding.

Joey cringed. "Dude, the idea of you married with kids is freaky. Especially knowing it ain't been long since you were in Yug's body."

Serenity's eyes widened as if just thinking of that as well. Atem and Yugi began to laugh. Swallowing his own feeling of unease, Yugi decided to push his best friend some more. The Yami noticed the mischievous glimmer in his Hikari's eyes before pure innocence took over. The others were watching as well, having become curious after hearing Joey's comment. Naruto also noticed the glint in Yugi's eye. The blonde ninja began to smile.

Joey continued to shudder when Yugi curiously called his name, causing him to look at the innocent face. "But, Joey, how else do you think I got here?"

The blonde was quiet and a bit confused for a moment before he got the insinuation. Instantly the older teen began to blush and sputter, causing Yugi to start giggling, and Naruto to bark out a laugh. Naruto got the others laughing. It was then he realized what Yugi had done. He growled slightly. "Yug…"

Said boy glanced up at his friend, a look of pure innocence on his face. "Yes, Joey?"

Suddenly, Joey lunged forward, trying to grab the smaller teen. Yugi yelped before diving behind Atem. The spirit chuckled, but stood in protection of his brother. Zabuza laughed out. "I know I'd like this kid!"

Serenity just sighed as Joey dove around the spirit of the Pharaoh, grabbing at the smaller teen. Yugi giggled even louder as Atem cut the other off, laughter in the elder's eyes. The little one ran behind Naruto next, gripping the hem of his jacket. The blonde looked at Joey who had the spirit in some form of a head-lock, both laughing happily. The entire group, even Haku and Zabuza, joined in on the little game the small inadvertently started. Eventually, the non-spirits were worn down and a bit tired, but they were all still laughing and giggling.

Atem was holding Yugi up, against his chest as the boy worked to control his laughing and breathing. Serenity was leaning against her brother. She was still giggling and trying to catch her breath. She hadn't had that much fun in a long while. Naruto laid on the grown beside Iruka, still laughing loudly. Iruka just simply shook his head as the other two spirits stood over everyone, a smirk and smile on their faces.

"Wow that was awesome. I've never been able to just play." Naruto finally spoke up. All eyes turned toward his still prone form. "As a kid, I was hated by pretty much the whole village. No one let their kids play with me. I was the freakish monster everyone wanted dead. When I did get friends, we were pretty much all adults or too busy. There are so many times I wish I could just forget my past, erase it, and just be able to act my age for once in my life."

Everyone was quiet for a moment, digesting what the boy had said. Iruka looked sadly at him. It was Atem that finally broke the silence. "I do not believe any memory is good to forget. Our past is what makes us who we are in this world, in our lives. I did not know anything about myself during my time with Yugi, and I was afraid everyday that what I did not know was going to get him hurt. If it were not for him, I would still be lost in the darkness."

Yugi tilted his head back to look up at his darkness. "You did so much for me during Duelist Kingdom, and you were one of my first true friends, became my brother. I had to do whatever I could to help you. But you are right, Naruto. It is nice to put aside a painful past, forgive it in your heart, and just play. After all the hard duels and putting our lives on the line, it's nice to be able to act age and not worry about what power-hungry nutcase is coming after us next."

They all agreed and were quiet for a bit, just resting and relaxing. Atem was the one to break the silence once again. "We forgot to inform them of what Zabuza and Haku told us yesterday, little one."

Yugi was confused at first before he remembered Itachi and the Uchiha compound. "Oh, yeah. Guys, Itachi was here. They think they may have headed toward Konoha just before we got here because of the Shadow Game. We need to send word so the other know and don't run them off."

Iruka nodded before pulling out a scroll and began to write. Yugi summoned Little Chimera to deliver the message to Tsunade. The small cat-like creature curled around the small duelist's legs, willing him to pet her. Yugi giggled, doing as she wanted. The purple creature took the letter in her mouth after licking her summoner's cheek and dashed off in the direction of the village.

It was another couple of hours before the entire group went back to Tsunami's house. Serenity, Yugi, and Iruka had returned earlier to put together a picnic lunch. Gaara and Inari had returned with them, meeting the three spirits. The group entered the small house laughing at something Joey said.

Tsunami smiled at the sight they made. She was thrilled to see such large smiles on the faces of her son and the two demon holders. She felt so grateful toward the three newcomers. Their acceptance of the two really did a lot for their morale. She giggled before calling out, "Joey, Naruto, would you two clean up and come help me finish dinner?"

She received two positive answers before both boys hurried off to wash up. It was a few minutes before they returned to the kitchen.

Dinner was served an hour later to another filled table. "Will it still be a few days before you guys leave since you found about Itachi and Zabuza?" Inari asked.

"Depends on the response we get in return." Iruka stated. "We may have to leave tomorrow."

The small boy nodded, feeling a bit sad about not being able to spend more time with his friends and brother.

"We'll be back to visit, Inari. We'll make sure to come back before we leave." Yugi assured him.

That brought a smile to the boy's face. "Do you promise?"

Each member nodded, causing an even larger smile to break out on the boy's face.

Conversations were slow afterward; everyone was tired from the day's activity, so after baths they headed to bed. They were all awaiting the news Little Chimera would return with the next day.

The next morning, the darkness monster returned, licking at Yugi's face to waken him. He awoke with a start before beginning to giggle, waking the other boys. Iruka took the letter while Yugi thanked the monster. After reading it, the elder ninja announced, "It would seem we're headed back today. Let's get up and start packing. I'll go let Serenity know to start packing and help Tsunami with breakfast." He headed out after giving out chores for the boys to do once they were finished packing.

The teens nodded and got to work packing. Once done, each set off to do their chores. Joey set to checking what supplies they had left and was soon joined by Serenity. Gaara went to hunt for the meat they would need for the return trip.

Yugi and Naruto set out and quickly returned with both food and supplies. They packed the things up before heading to the final formal breakfast they would have for a couple of weeks. While eating, Joey decided to send out Masaki to check the area and some of the path they would follow to make sure they wouldn't have anything to deal with for at least the first couple of days. By the time they were done, the samurai returned to let them know the coast was clear.

Tearful goodbyes were said between Inari and Naruto. Once that was finished, the group waved at the townspeople gather before heading off. It would be around two weeks before they would be back in civilization. Fortunately, the trip was an uneventful experience. Soon, the large group was standing in front of the gates to Konoha, a welcoming committee, including Tsunade, waiting for them.

They stopped, looks being exchanged, before they started at a near run toward the village. One person broke rank from those at the gates. She ran directly to Naruto, arms open.