I said I would update sooner, and I did. Here is the new chapter, that will begin the new arc. What do you think of... The Great Chase Arc? Cool name, isn't it? It will probably be longer than the first two combined, if I have my way.

Special thanks to Third Fang and Alpha142, for betaing this story.

Traveler/Original Naruto: Kazama Arashi.

Pupeteer Naruto: Chibaku Arashi.

Werefox/Hybrid Naruto: Kitsune Arashi.

Deceiver/Original Madara: Tsukiyomi.

Destroyer/Rinnegan Madara: Susanoo.

Warrior/Collector Madara: Amaterasu.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, like more than 99 % of the world. Yeah, it sucks.


Chapter Twelve: Shifts in Mentality

Kakashi was sitting before a campfire, alone in the darkness. His surroundings were blurry, but he saw a pair of eyes staring at him sadly.

"Father," he asked to the appearing shade. "What have I done wrong? Why are my genin dead?"

"Son," Sakumo Hatake whispered. "Sometimes, bad things happen for no reason at all."

"If I had ordered them to leave…" Kakashi trailed off. "If I had been more firm… if I had forced them to save their skin, instead of fighting against someone they couldn't hope to defeat…"

"It has worked multiple times," Sakumo muttered. "When you saved Rin for the first time… and when you defeated Ayatsuri Kenta on your own. Your enemies were well beyond your level of skill… and yet you won."

Kakashi snorted. "At what cost? Obito and Rin are dead, because I was too weak to protect them. Your grandson is dead, buried in a forgotten forest. My students have been murdered, because I was to confident in their abilities. It's still my fault... I should have made them leave. I should have been a better teacher."

Having no answers to his son's questions, Sakumo's shade vanished, leaving place to the white shadow of the Yondaime Hokage, Minato Namikaze. "Kakashi…"

"Sensei?" the broken man muttered. "Is that you?"

"Yes," the ghost muttered. "I have come to tell you this: stop beating yourself over the past. Bury the dead and their memories, learn from them, but do not let them control you. Don't let your guilt prevent you from advancing, from living. It is always possible to redeem yourself, to correct your mistakes. Those who live in the past have no future, Kakashi."

"My future is empty," the jounin replied, with a despaired tone. "Dark. I have lost everything. All my dreams have been crushed, one after the other. All my beliefs… have been insulted, corrupted, destroyed. Minato-sensei… I have no future. The past and my memories are simply what I still have, in this sinister life of mine. Beyond them... I have nothing."

His teacher closed his eyes with a sad expression, before being replaced by another familiar figure of Kakashi's past. The disfigured face of Ayatsuri Kenta moved out of the shadow, his eyes radiating with pure evil… with the sadistic hunger for others' pain that motivated the monster all his life. "I have won, Kakashi-kun," the bastard gloated with insane glee. "I have broken you. I have taken everything from you. Your childhood… your lover… your son… your best friend… your very happiness…"

The monster smiled cruelly, caressing the copy-nin's hair, as if he was a trained dog... which he was. "Look at you. You are nothing more than a walking corpse. An empty shell of a man once acclaimed as a hero, a prodigy. You try to make Obito's memory survive, through your way of life… but he is dead, Kakashi-kun. As dead as your team is. Perhaps it is your fate, to suffer for all eternities… even without me around."

The jounin glared at his dead archenemy. "Disappear," he ordered. "You're just a memory. A mere illusion."

Kenta smirked cruelly… the same grin he was wearing when the Chidori had pierced his chest. "I will never be a memory," the shade murmured ominously, before vanishing. "I will never cease to haunt you, Kakashi-kun. Even from beyond the grave… I will never leave you alone."

Kakashi awakened in a bed, overlooked by a dark-haired woman. He had returned to reality, leaving the world of his nightmares.

And yet, he was still chained by them.


The Puppeteer, Chibaku

"I can't believe it," Chibaku muttered, as he massaged his shoulders. "All my bones have been healed… all of them." He stared up at the blonde woman with admiration. "Your reputation as the best medic of all times is not usurped, Tsunade-sama." And the lady with the biggest chest ever… damn, her boobs are as big as my head!

The woman blushed slightly. "You're too kind." Cute…

"Too much," Naruko groaned, as she stood firmly on her legs. "Chibaku is never polite with girls."

"Me?" The puppeteer snorted. "I am the most gentlemanly boy alive. You're just an exception, my dear."

The flat-lady sneezed. "Jerk."

"Anyway," Chibaku said to Tsunade, blatantly ignoring the blonde girl. "Thank you very much for your help. Really, healing a whole skeleton… is no small feat."

"I have done that many times," the blonde woman replied. "My son has the nasty tendency of running into bad situations…"

"MOM!"

"What? It's true," she said to her furious child, before looking at the unmoving Kakashi. "I didn't know you were traveling with the White Fang's son. I haven't met him for years… and it saddens me to see him like that. Who the hell was strong enough to put him in this state?"

Kazama visibly stiffened. "Let's just say they were S-Rank… at least."

Tsunade frowned. "They? Why multiple Kage-level ninjas were, or are, after you?" The lack of clear answer made her scowl. "And why have you such badly regenerated bones? Haven't you ever visited a competent medic before? It's like your skeleton had recovered from big cracks naturally, without any kind of cast to correct the process… for the matter, what is this malevolent chakra running in your veins?"

Chibaku blushed sheepishly, and he saw Sasori and Kazama tensing sideway… "Well, we have a lot of special abilities in the family…"

"Because you're all demon vessels?"

Everyone looked at Tsunade's son, with varying expressions. While the Senju matriarch didn't seem to be really surprised by the revelation, Shizune and Haku both gasped, Zabuza frowned, and Chibaku's group observed the boy with surprise… who rolled his eyes.

"Guys, I am the Kyuubi's container and I have already examined another Jinchuuriki before. Chibaku, Naruko and Kitsune, you all keep a demon in check… one that I know too well." His gaze turned serious.

"How the hell can there be FOUR Kyuubi?"

One hour later…

Tsunade, her apprentice and her son, were as pale as ghosts. Zabuza's expression was one of pure shock, and Haku's jaw had dropped. The girl was now looking at Naruko as if she had just said she was her long lost sister… or something just as amazing.

"Let me get this straight," the Sannin began. "You are all alternate versions of my son, Kakashi, and of three missing-nins, coming from different worlds each slightly different from our own." She stared at Kazama. "Accidentally, you gained the ability to travel between them."

The teenager nodded. "At first, I had no clear goal beyond returning to my home. But after meeting Naruko, Chibaku and Sasori, I decided to continue my journey through the universes, in order to save my counterparts from their fate as Konoha's sacrifice. My companions had different goals, but since they weren't in opposition, we decided to travel together."

The Senju Naruto raised his eyebrows. "What do you mean by 'their fate as Konoha's sacrifice'?"

"You aren't abused?" Naruko asked, amazed. "Konoha doesn't treat you like a pariah?"

"Konoha worships the ground I'm walking on," the boy replied. "You cannot imagine the number of fan girls that are after me. Heck, I only spend one day in this town before fleeing. All that adoration… it's disturbing." He smirked. "That, and the Hyuuga wanted me to marry one of them. Hiashi's eldest daughter, in fact."

Kitsune gritted his teeth. "Hinata… she wasn't good enough for you?"

"What? No!" The little ninja shook his head. "She's nice and all, but I already have a girlfriend… and Gaara is going to bury me alive in the desert if I abandon his sister."

"You're dating Temari?" Kazama asked, with a surprised tone.

"Yep!" The boy smiled. "She's the coolest girl ever, and a super-strong kunoichi!"

"Anyway," Tsunade scoffed. "No, Naruto isn't abused. Or disliked, for the matter. Being known as the heir of the Shodaime and possessor of the Mokuton bloodline has many advantages… like being able to purify the Kyuubi's demonic chakra into a benevolent force. He's the village's greatest hero, and praised as such."

Chibaku couldn't believe his ears, and he wasn't alone. All of his counterparts were unable to say anything… the mere idea of being considered as Konoha's hero was an alien concept to them. Kazama seemed to be the most surprised, but then tried to mask his growing anger. Why is he like that? The blonde boy wondered. I mean, he should be happy that at least one of us has a good life…

"Judging your expression," Tsunade said, "I assume this is not the case in your home worlds?"

Kitsune shook his head. "We are all outcasts, and our parents are dead."

The Sannin raised an eyebrow. "I am dead?"

"You aren't our mother," Naruko said. "Our mom was named Kushina."

"Kushi-chan?" Shizune gasped. Tsunade only paled, as she looked at Naruko with shock.

"So this is how their daughter would have looked…" she muttered.

Kazama locked eyes with her. "Their daughter?"

"Minato and Kushina were going to have a child together," the woman explained. "A daughter… Naruto's half-sister… we thought they would grow up together, like twins…"

"Minato?" Naruko wondered. "That's our father's name?"

Tsunade blinked. "You don't know?" She stared at Kazama. "You don't-"

"I know who Minato is," Chibaku's older counterpart replied, attracting everyone's gaze in the process. "But I intended to keep it a secret for later... it's a delicate revelation, and I wanted to tell it to them once they will be mature enough. I assume you understand why?"

The Senju Naruto and his mother both frowned at the same time, in perfect coordination. "Your Minato were different from our own, isn't it?" Tsunade asked. "And not in the good sense, I suppose..."

"No," Kazama stated. "That is why the revelation must be a more intimate time."

"I understand," the Sannin replied, before staring at Chibaku, Kitsune and Naruko. "You have a problem with that?"

"I trust Aniki," Kitsune replied. "If he thinks it is better to wait, then I will wait too."

"Me too!" Naruko shouted. "I hate being kept in the dark, but if it is so important... I will deal with it."

Chibaku simply shrugged. He had already a pretty precise idea on who his father was, and...

"Euh…" Chibaku trailed off, his mind barely working as something just blew up his brain. "Our father got two women pregnant? At the same time?"

Tsunade blushed. "Well… yeah…" Chibaku almost fell comatose at that. Our father had a harem?

"Care to… elaborate?" Kitsune demanded.

The Sannin now looked like a tomato. "Well… one day, Jiraiya and his student, Minato, came to visit me… for old time sake. And… we got to a bar… drank… just a bit…"

"You finished six bottles of sake in a row. You didn't even recognize me. Heck, you even scarred Tonton away when you tried to eat him!"

"Shizune, shut up," the slug summoner ordered. "I did drink a little alcohol… like Minato… and, the day later, I awoke in his arms, in a bed, naked, still covered wi-"

"Spare us the details!" Kazama spat, his hand on his face. "There're kids here, you know!"

"Sorry," the Sannin excused herself. "But anyway, you get the idea. Three months later, I was pregnant, at the same time as Kushina was. She almost killed Minato when she discovered the truth, and I helped her beat the blonde into a bloody mess."

"It was the time Minato got the closest to death," Shizune said, a bit embarrassed. "I think that Jiraiya's felicitations about 'successfully realizing my dream of bedding the two hottest kunoichi in all of Konoha' only made things worse. He stayed on a hospital bed for a whole month before being able to walk again."

Zabuza snickered. "Never anger a pregnant woman… they become goddamn baby-making killing machines." All the girls (including Haku) glared at him, but he simply shrugged. "What? It's actually in the bingo book!"

"What happened?" Sasori cut through the discussion. "I mean, if your son is the Kyuubi's container, then I assume Kushina met a tragic fate, like her husband and daughter."

The temperature instantly dropped. The slug Sannin was now openly glaring at them. The Senju boy's expression had darkened, like Shizune. "We were going to give birth the same day. Kushina, being the Kyuubi's former vessel, was in danger, since her seal was weakened at childbirth. Jiraiya, Kakashi, my old teacher, Shizune… the Yondaime... they were all present, to prevent a possible jailbreak from the fox, and to celebrate… but another person decided to invite himself to the party."

Kazama frowned. "Uchiha Madara," he guessed, with a disgusted tone.

"You know him?" Tsunade wondered, and the teenager nodded. Her eyes were now radiating with fury.

"We fought him," Chibaku explained. "Him… and his counterparts."

"These three god wannabes…" Zabuza realized.

"Yes," Naruko confirmed. "They are all Madara Uchiha."

"Apparently," Kazama began, "when I travel between worlds, I leave a 'path' open, one that they take at will. My universe's Madara followed me, and recruited two of his counterparts to help him. They want to capture me, and exploit my power to their own nefarious ends, but fortunately, we managed to escape their grasp twice."

"At a huge cost," Kakashi murmured sadly, still barely paying attention to the conversation.

"They beat us, and killed some of our teammates," Chibaku continued, with barely repressed anger.

"Like us," Shizune said. "He took Kushina-san's daughter, Natsuki, hostage, wanting to exchange her for Kushina. Yondaime-sama tried to save both, but… well, the bastard had put an explosive tag on the child… and for once, the Yellow Flash hasn't been fast enough."

Naruko paled in horror. It was her… Chibaku guessed. It could have been her… or us...

"Madara unleashed the Kyuubi on Konoha, killing Kushina in the process. As the Yondaime, Minato and Kakashi went on to protect the village, the Uchiha decided he wanted to end the Senju line this day and attempted to kill my baby. Fortunately, Jiraiya, Shizune and the Sandaime prevented him from doing so, and I soon came to the rescue."

"In the following fight," Shizune continued, "we successfully killed him. Jiraiya-sama lost an arm and many of his summons, and Sarutobi-sama half of his face and his old friend Enma, but we won."

"We killed him, he and his trained falcons," Tsunade said, "even as he returned from the dead twice in a row. We reduced him to ashes and scattered them to the wind." Her stare hardened. "We annihilated him."

"But the Kyuubi was still in the middle of a rampage," Shizune continued. "To save Konoha, Yondaime-sama used a forbidden technique, summoning the Shinigami to bind the Bijuu and seal it into... a child, Naruto," she said, confirming what Chibaku already knew. "A few hours, I watched as they took Minato's corpse away to bury it."

Unlike his other counterparts, who apparently hadn't connected the dots about their father's identity, Chibaku had guessed it long ago. The physical resemblance was simply too startling, and it would have explained why the Yondaime had chosen him instead of someone else. The Hokage couldn't have sacrificed any other child than his own.

To be honest, he couldn't care less about who his father was. He had forsaken his past life long ago, and chosen his own way. He wasn't Chibaku, the son of the Yondaime, but Chibaku, the puppeteer.

However, Kitsune, Naruko and the rest didn't appear to have a sudden revelation about it... for now. Though if his face was of any indication, Zabuza had connected the dots too...

"The Senju have inherited from the great Sage's power and energy," the Senju boy muttered. "With the Uzumaki, they are the best people to contain a demon. My… talent with plants has only been discovered way later, during my early childhood."

"If this bastard is alive, even in another form," the slug Sannin declared, "then we will help you kill him. He deserves to die a hundred times for what he has done."

"Thanks," Kazama said, "but it won't be necessary. We won't fight them again."

Chibaku's head jerked to the teen's side, like Naruko. The Senju's matriarch and her relatives stared at him with shock in their eyes.

"They're simply too strong," the teenager continued. "They are on par with the Yondaime and the Kyuubi itself in term of sheer power, and fighting them would probably pose too many risks for us, and for your world."

"So we're just going to run away?" Naruko spat. "This is cow-"

"This is the safest path!" Her teacher snapped. "We are too weak to be more than an annoyance to them, and we need time. The day for us to confront them will come, but it's not now. We will flee and train and prepare, until we are ready, but right now fighting them is suicide."

The little girl, and just about everyone, fell silent at Kazama's outburst.

"They killed Kabuto, they killed Kisame, and they killed the Kyuubi," he continued. "They are too strong…" the teenager muttered, before staring at the group. "And I don't want to lose any one of you."

Naruko opened her mouth… and closed it immediately. Man… you're fleeing because of us? Because we… we are too weak? Chibaku cursed himself at his stupidity. Of course. This trio beat us twice, so he's worried… but… we are not weak...

Kitsune gently posed his hand on the blonde boy's shoulder, silently telling him to stay confident in himself.

"How can the Kyuubi be killed?" the Senju Naruto asked. "I thought Bijuu were indestructible?"

"They are," Chibaku said. "But they can still be killed. Basically, when they die, either in their original form or within the belly of their container, their chakra returns to the earth, before reassembling. However, doing so… costs the demon something irreplaceable: his identity."

The confused looks sent to the puppeteer made him groan. Not that he didn't understand them. When his inner devil had explained him that, he had had a hard time getting it right… much to the beast's sadistic amusement.Jerk.

Fortunately, the creature was still too stunned to reply anything. At least, Susanoo's beating had one advantage…

"It's like reincarnation. For example, the Kyuubi is immortal, but a specific Kyuubi isn't. When a Bijuu dies, he is reborn with absolutely no memories of his old life, returning as an animal for a few centuries before developing a new personality, different from the original. It's like complete and irreversible amnesia… or as if a new soul had replaced you in your body. That's why Bijuu are doing everything they can to protect their host from death: they don't want to reincarnate and lose their personality."

"That's why the Shukaku is helping Gaara!" the Senju Naruto shouted as realization hit him.

"And that's why the Kyuubi gives us its chakra," Kitsune muttered. "They could have let us to die somewhere and return years later… but that would, in a way, kill them."

I am the oldest intelligent being on this planet, the fox roared in the back of Chibaku's mind having finally mustered the strength to awake. I was there when your kind had no concept of civilization. I have seen entire empires rise and fall. I have seen my brethren dying and returning as mindless beasts. I will certainly not lose my memories like they have. I am eternal, and I am patient… one day, your puny seal will break… and I will be free once again, and burn the world until eve-

Yeah, whatever, Chibaku cut through his demon's inevitable megalomaniac villainous rant. I'm not in the mood to hear you talk. Continue, and I'm going to carve your heart out. With a spoon.

a spoon?

Just imagine how long you will suffer as I try to cut your flesh with it.

Tsunade coughed. "Well, if you're going to flee soon, then could you at least stay at our hotel until tomorrow? I want you to clarify some things…"


The Girl, Naruko

As Kazama-sensei vanished with Sasori, Tsunade and her newest self in a soundproof room for a 'proper examination', Naruko went to install herself in her new bedroom, which she was sharing with Haku. The ice-user changed herself, leaving her old, torn kimono for another black one offered by Shizune.

"Haku-chan…" the blonde girl trailed off. "Am I weak?"

The young lady half-rotated, blinking. "Of course not. Why are you saying this?"

"It's about Naru-sensei," she explained. "Because I… because Susanoo defeated me twice, he has lost hope in our chances of winning. Because I'm too weak to fight this guy…"

Haku frowned. "Never say this. You are not weak."

"But-"

"You are not weak," the missing-nin interrupted her. "You are strong, because you have something to protect. The bonds that unite you, Kazama-san, and the rest of your group, are powerful. Through you desire to protect them, you will gain the strength to overcome all obstacles."

"You think so?" she asked.

"Yes," the young lady confirmed, as she sat on her bed. "Susanoo, and his men… are only motivated by their lust for power. Their ambition makes them strong, but without a vision, they are doomed to self-destruct. Only someone that is fighting for his friends, his ideals and his dreams can reach true greatness."

"I…" Naruko fell silent. "Thank you."

Haku smiled warmly. "It's natural. I have asked myself this question many times, before finding the answer… through Zabuza-sama's teachings."

Naruko bit her lower lip. "Why are you exactly fighting for someone like him? Not to insult him, but isn't he a criminal?"

Haku shook her head. "Zabuza-sama is a very noble person, even if he is a little rough. He saved me from despair, and tried to save the Mist from itself."

"I… Kazama-sensei once told me that you were ostracized because of your bloodline."

The young lady nodded sadly. "Mist has… a complicated history. When the Nidaime Mizukage died in his duel with the Nidaime Tsuchikage, the country fell into civil war, as multiple clans struggled to seize ultimate power from the Sandaime Mizukage, who wasn't as competent and charismatic as his predecessor and died very early. The bloodline users, and especially the Kaguya clan, were the cause of many tragedies, and the Mist entered into an era of brutal civil wars, staying isolated for decades and deprived of a strong, powerful government. Civilians and ninjas alike began to hate bloodline users with passion."

Her stare darkened. "One day, someone powerful and ruthless named Yagura appeared. He was the vessel of the Sanbi, created by a clan to serve as its ultimate weapon… but unfortunately, years of mistreatments and isolation had driven him insane. He turned against his creators, exterminated them, and through sheer power, enforced his rule upon the country with an iron fist, imposing his life philosophy to everyone. 'Only the strong survives' became an official policy, and Kirigakure gained the nickname of the Bloody Mist. Do you know why?"

Naruko shook her head.

"Kirigakure's Academy produced, each year, a hundred of potential genin, but only half of them, at best, would become ninjas. Because the final exam in Kiri… was a one-on-one duel to the death between the students."

Naruko paled in disgust. "That's disgusting!"

"Yagura thought that only someone able to kill anyone should deserve the title of ninja," Haku stated. "There are simply not enough missions for a village with too many people, and the Yondaime firmly believed that violence and bloodshed were the best judges to evaluate people's value. Culling the weak was a holy mission for him. Zabuza-sama… ended this practice… by killing a whole class during the graduation."

"… WHAT?" Naruko jumped on place. "He KILLED them all?"

"It was a horrible act," Haku complied. "But it was necessary. Zabuza-sama… has lost his parents very early because of the Yondaime's rule of terror. He wanted to change our country for the better, starting with this exam. It was a difficult decision, but in the end, the sacrifice was worth it. Yagura acknowledged the system as flawed, and abandoned it for one similar to Konoha's one. Zabuza-sama's spectacular debut also allowed him to rise to a position of power where he could organize a coup against the Yondaime… in the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist."

"It's…" Naruko closed her mouth. "I can't accept such action as justified. There must have been another way."

"Perhaps," the lady replied. "But what has been done is done, and we can't change the past. Anyway, we have drifted away from our conversation. The citizens of the Land of Water hated wielders of bloodlines, like my mother. She was a member of the Yuki clan. She hid herself in the countryside, under the guise of a normal civilian, and installed herself in a remote village. One day, she fell in love with a male farmer, married him, and gave birth to me. For years, we lived happily… until I discovered my gift."

Sadness spread over her face. "My father once saw me manipulating ice. Connecting the dots, he realized his wife and daughter were bloodline users. He gathered a mob, raided our house… and murdered my mother, right before my eyes. And then, tried to kill me."

Naruko gasped. How can a parent do that to his own family, to his own child? This is… monstrous.

"At this moment… I snapped. I lost control of my power… and passed out. When I awoke, I was alone, in the middle of a field of impaled people, including my father. After that… I lived in the streets, unwanted, hungry, and sad… until Zabuza-sama found me."

She smiled warmly. "He gave me a family, a home, and a purpose. For the kindness he showed… I will always be at his side."

She's me, Naruko realized. I was right… she is my mirror, someone who shared the same ordeals, and received the same kind of help. Her savior is simply… darker, than my own. "Haku-chan… thank you for saying me this. I mean, it must be kind of hard to remember that."

"Naruko-san… you're the one I should thank, for listening to my story," the Yuki replied. "I mean… I have never seen someone that could understand what I went through, except Kimimaro… who is now dead."

The blonde girl smiled warmly, her look determined. "Haku… I promise you that, whatever you are going to do, I will always be there to protect you. You are now officially a member of my dearest people."

"The feeling is mutual… Naruko."


The puppet master, Sasori

Kazama raised his eyebrows. "What do you mean?"

"I mean," the Senju Naruto explained, "that there is something wrong with your chakra. When I met you, you were driving the nearby plants completely crazy. It was like you were some kind of abomination, or undead. They said you were empty."

The blonde teenager frowned, and Sasori imitated him… inwardly. "This might be linked to your black chains," the puppeteer stated. "Chakra is supposed to be blue, after all. Has something happened during your fight with Tsukiyomi?"

Kazama reluctantly nodded. "I don't know what happened exactly, but he attempted to implant… something… in me. But then… Kushina saved me."

"Kushina?" Tsunade wondered out loud. "Isn't she supposed to be… well, dead?"

"She was… sort of," the blonde said. "I don't know how, but apparently Minato had put a bit of his, and my mother's, chakra into my seal, to help when the time for me to confront the Kyuubi would come. When Orochimaru twisted it, they tried to fix the damages, at the cost of Minato's final death. The result… well," he took off his shirt, showing them the twisted arrays, "is that."

As Tsunade and the Senju stared at it with interest, Kazama continued his story. "But when Madara tried his technique… Mikaboshi, I think its name was… she interrupted him and saved me. Unfortunately, we have had an altercation, and she has vanished ever since."

"An altercation?" the Sannin asked.

"None of your business," the blonde teenager answered with a cold tone. "Let's just say it's very, very personal."

Tsunade stiffened, but said nothing. "Your friend talked about chains…"

Instantly, blue chakra erupted from the world wanderer's body, taking the form of chains. "At first, it was Kushina that manifested them, but now, I can control them at will. They are part of me."

Sasori's eyes widened. "But the color… they were black before." What happened?

"In a nutshell…" the blonde muttered, as he looked at the chakra. "They changed colors during the fight. Wierd…"

Tsunade locked eyes with her son. "Naruto, I will need your help with this. We are going to examine his whole chakra pathway system, and I want you to say it if your Mokuton notices something abnormal."

"Okay," he said, as his, and his mother's, hands were lightened by a green haze. Putting them on Kazama's back, they began to move them on his skin. Sasori silently observed the two, intent on memorizing any helpful technique.

It took only one minute for the Senju to find an anomaly. "The heart."

The slug Sannin blinked. "I see…"

"What?" Kazama wondered.

"Apparently, a large amount of very potent chakra is quickly fusing with your own," Tsunade stated. "In doing so, it's also kicking something out of your system."

"The process is in its terminal phase," the wood-user added. "Within a few hours, the new chakra will be fully absorbed into your own, and the anomaly completely purged."

"I'm not sure of exactly what is getting expelled," his mother continued, "but I think that the absorbed chakra comes from Kushina. It is, however, acting strangely, because it seems slightly different, and fluctuating… as if it was conscious. However, I'm certain that whatever is expelled from you is something external. It's alive, or, at least, dying."

"Perhaps is it this Mikaboshi?" Kazama speculated.

"It might explain why you don't see Kushina anymore," Tsunade said. "By fusing with you, she must have lost any semblance of consciousness… and in doing so, is kicking out whatever Madara implanted in you."

Mikaboshi… Sasori thought. Where have I heard this name?

"You don't notice anything wrong anymore, Senju-san?" Kazama asked.

The boy shook his head. "No, there is nothing wrong. Heck, even this dying anomaly doesn't tick my senses off. It's strange, but I think whatever that was wrong with you is now gone."

As the teenager smiled, Sasori gritted his teeth. He didn't know why, but he had the feeling he had missed an important detail… I will have to stay wary, the puppeteer thought. This situation bothers me greatly…

It was simply too good to be true.


The Traveler, Kazama

When Tsunade invited them all to dine, Kazama politely accepted, like the rest of the group, Zabuza and Haku. In fact, only Kakashi didn't show up, pretending not to be hungry, on a very pained and tired tone. His actions were beginning to disturb the blonde teenager to a great extent. The jounin was simply suffering from an illness called despair, and needed to be cheered up… a thing Kazama intended to do after the dinner.

Sitting in front of his Senju counterpart, the world wandered glanced at him. The boy was the very picture of happiness, joking with Kistune and Chibaku. Kazama refused to admit it, but he was jealous of this child who had the life he, and his counterparts, rightfully deserved.

The Senju had a loving family, while the others Naruto's parents only saw their child as weapon. He was loved by Konoha, while his alternate-selves were pariah. He had the talent, a cool bloodline, and all the training he could want, while his counterparts had to struggle to earn their abilities. Jiraiya cared about him, unlike the pervert's doubles.

If this perfect life existed… then why his counterparts didn't have it? Why had they suffered? Why hadn't people acted decently toward them?

Why did their life suck so much?

So yes, he hated the Senju, for being happy while he was not. He hated Tsunade for being treacherous while she could have been kind. He hated Jiraiya for being so damn selfish, while he could have been selfless. He hated the people of Konoha for abusing him, while they could have supported him. He hated Minato and Kushina, for having sealed the Kyuubi inside of him while he could have been killed, even if only temporarily. He hated them all so much…

He hated the gods, fate, or whatever cause of his suffering. He hated the world itself for having denied him this possibility…

What am I thinking? The teen wondered, as a distant squeak ceased to resonate in his mind. I… I must stop thinking about this. This way of thinking… will only send me in the madness that Gaara and Sasuke both experienced. Hatred… only leads to destruction, for everyone.

He didn't hate the Senju. He had a good life, and Kazama was happy for him. He deserved it… and it wasn't the world wanderer's right to steal it from him. This boy would probably one day rise as Konoha's greatest hero, and was bound to make friends, to bring peace… and not to be hunted down by three madmen, always fearing for his life. Without Madara, Akatsuki certainly didn't exist, or at least wasn't as dangerous as the one Kazama knew. The Senju would have the life Kazama himself wanted desperately…

But only if the world travelers were to leave, before the Uchiha trio reached them.

Sideway, Kazama noticed something strange. Zabuza, appearing silent and disinterested in talking, was discreetly, but intensively, staring at his protégée, who was currently talking with Naruko. The two looked like they were best friends… and if the swordsman's eyes were of any indication, he was happy about the situation. He locked eyes with Kazama… before looking at the room's balcony. Getting up, the Kiri-nin advanced toward it, eying the skies.

Imitating him, Kazama came to his side. "Nice twilight, isn't it?" He said, as he staring at the vanishing sun.

"I have taken my decision, brat," Zabuza growled, blatantly ignoring the blonde's attempt at beginning a polite conversation about the weather. "I will follow you."

The teenager raised his eyebrows. "Why?"

"Don't fuck with me," the man spat. "You perfectly know why. To avenge Kisame… and for Haku's well-being."

"You know, getting pursued by three power-hungry SS-Rank ninjas is not good for a young woman like her," Kazama pointed out. "Her chances of survival are… low."

"Just as they were, when she helped me fight the Yondaime Mizukage," the man replied. "In term of dangerous missions, we have seen worse. But Haku… has only a few people she holds dear to her heart. Your…sister… is her only friend, now that Kimimaro is dead. You have met her once, in another earth… you can understand her. What will happen if, or rather when, I die? Haku needs emotional anchors, beside me. I'm probably going to die before her… and she deserves to have someone that will be at her side, no matter what."

The blonde blinked. "I… see…" Damn… if someone had told me that I would see Zabuza's soft side one day…

"However," Zabuza growled menacingly. "If one word of this conversation ever comes out…"

"I know, you're going to kill me," Kazama said. "I will keep it a secret, I promise."

The missing-nin nodded in approval. "Nice sword that you have," he said, changing subject.

"The Kusanagi?" the blonde wondered. "Yes, it's cool, but…"

"You suck at swordsmanship," Zabuza stated. "You're using it in the worst way possible. However, there might be hope… tomorrow morning, I want you and Kisame's successor to be ready for intensive training. We are not going to beat this Amaterasu asshole if you stay that weak."

"Thank you."

"I'm only trying to erase the disgrace to swordsmanship that you both are," the man shot back. "You are a humiliation to all of those that wielded these blades, and I will have to wash away their honor. Thanks a lot for that."

Say that to Orochimaru...

After this conversation, Kazama left with Kakashi's dinner. He hadn't shown up to eat, and it worried the blonde. After everything that happened to the man, Kazama feared for his health… and especially his sanity. Opening the man's bedroom, the teenager found him sitting on a chair, looking at an object in his hands.

The jounin was holding a knife… pointed toward his belly.

Reacting quickly, Kazama used the Shunshin to appear right before the man, and grabbed the weapon before he could finish his morbid act. Kakashi didn't even struggle, nor look at the blonde. He was simply lost in his thoughts, staring at the floor as if it was going to swallow him.

"Are you mad?" Kazama snarled. "Do you realize what you were going to do?"

The jounin stayed silent a moment. "I was going to end it all."

"By committing suicide?" the teen asked, mesmerized. "Kakashi… killing yourself won't bring your team back."

The man stiffened. "I have failed them… just I have failed everyone I loved." He began to cry. "I have failed again…"

Kazama was taken aback by the spectacle. He had never seen his old teacher reacting like that.

"They are dead because of me…" Kakashi sobbed. "Obito… Rin… Minato… and now Sakura, Sasuke and Naruto… and so many more… they have lost their life… because I wasn't strong enough…"

The teen put his hand on the man's left shoulder. "My friend… you couldn't do anything."

"If I had been a better teacher…" he trailed off. "If I had abandoned the mission as soon as it became obvious it was so damn dangerous…"

Kazama bit his lower lip. "We all make mistakes…"

"I have done more than you could ever possibly imagine," the man whispered, before eying the knife. The world wandered immediately hid it in his pocket.

"Kakashi… I don't know your life story, but if you're willing to commit suicide, it must be pretty bad," the blonde said. "You don't have to keep your burden for yourself… you have friends to help you, to listen to you." He sat next to the jounin, on the bed. "Why don't you explain me why you are so… troubled?"

The man stayed silent for a few seconds, taking away his tears with his hand. "I am the son of Sakumo Hatake, the White Fang of Konoha," he began, "one of the greatest ninja of Konoha, and of his wife, Hikari, who died in childbirth. I was considered a genius, graduated early, and had a loving father… until his reputation crumbled."

"Why?" If he was so strong…

"During an important mission," the jounin explained, "he chose to save his teammates instead of sacrificing them to accomplish his goal. When he returned, he was a disgrace… even in the eyes of those he had saved."

Kazama snorted in disgust. "Ungrateful bastards… somehow, it remembers me of a Jinchuuriki's situation."

Kakashi nodded sadly. "But unlike you, my father couldn't live with this hate. One day… one day, he decided to end it all. He committed seppuku, while I was at school. I was the first one to find the corpse."

Before the blonde could say anything, the jounin wavered his hand. "He was a coward. A coward, that took the easy way, and who, in his blind despair, left me alone in a cruel world. Now, I see his qualities, and know that he did the right thing in saving his friends… but for most of my childhood, I hated him with passion. Since I was still a child, the Hokage assigned me a ward…"

Kakashi's eyes flared with hate. "Ayatsuri Kenta," he spat with scorn.

The teenager stiffened. "I heard Madara speaking this name…"

"He was a jounin of Konoha," Kakashi said angrily. "He was in charge of an orphanage, for the children whose parents had died during the Shinobi Wars. He was a well-known philanthropist, and respected… but it was simply a mask. In reality, he was a monster. A psychopath."

Kazama frowned. "He hurt you badly, did he?"

"He twisted me," the man declared. "For years, he trained me to be a killer who followed the rules at all costs. Because of him, I became the ideal of the ninja: an emotionless tool without any goal beyond the mission. Your father, Minato Namikaze, saw that Kenta's treatment was unhealthy after working alongside me, and successfully convinced the Sandaime to take me away from the bastard. Minato became my ward, and assigned me to his team."

"I assume Kenta wasn't happy."

Kakashi's look darkened. "I was his toy, his greatest success, and he didn't want to share. He tried to recuperate me legally, but once the Hokage refused, he turned to more… extreme ways."

He closed his eyes. "After being promoted to jounin, I was ordered to destroy a bridge, during the Third Great Shinobi War, with my teammates, a kunoichi coming from a civilian family named Rin, and my best friend, Obito Uchiha. Kenta became informed of it, and contacted our enemies, the ninjas from Iwagakure. In exchange from info, he tasked them to bring me alive to him."

Kazama's eyes flared with anger. This man was willing to betray his home simply to get his tool back?

"They complied… sort of. They captured Rin, and tried to lay a trap, but at the time I was… a total asshole," the man sneezed. "I wanted to leave her to whatever fate our enemies had in mind for her and accomplish the mission. Obito, on the other hand, attempted to save her, on his own, saying that Sakumo was a hero and that I was worse than trash for leaving my friend to die and spitting on my father's grave. I realized later that he was right, and rushed at his help, attacking our enemies' lair."

His eyes were empty, as if he had left reality for a dream. "During the fight, an Iwa-nin tried to bury us underground. Obito sacrificed his life to save me, and Rin, transplanted his Sharingan to replace my own, destroyed eye."

"This is how you obtained the Sharingan!" The blonde gasped. And I though the Uchiha were all assholes…

"Yes." The jounin looked at the window. "During the fight, I fell unconscious, but the enemies didn't kill me, keeping me alive for Kenta. Rin… they molested her. Minato came to save her from death, but she was barely the shadow of her former self after her traumatic experience. I lost two of my dearest people because of Ayatsuri's schemes."

Kakashi sighed. "After an investigation, Konoha found proofs of Ayatsuri's betrayal, and I was sent with Minato at Kenta's orphanage to arrest him. Unfortunately, he had predicted this outcome and bravely fled. It's only when we interrogated the personnel that we realized that his activities were far more terrible than we all thought."

Kakashi locked eyes with Kazama. "He gathered the orphans from destroyed villages, officially to help them… but officiously, to brainwash them. He tortured them. Transformed them into loyal dogs. Those who could fight were sent to the frontlines, and those who couldn't… were used as prostitutes to fund Kenta's activities."

The blonde paled in disgust.

"When I saw those kids," Kakashi whispered, "my Sharingan memorized their expressions. These broken shells, these ten years old whores, these insane soldiers unable to recognize love… I remember them all. They are always in my mind. This is the curse of the Sharingan, being unable to forget. Most Uchiha go insane after watching more than ten battles, and those who don't aren't generally the most sociable people around."

In some twisted way, this can explain why Sasuke and Madara are so fucked up in their head, Kazama thought. The first saw his family getting killed in his brother's illusion, and simply can't let it go. The second survived through multiple wars, witnessing horrors all the time and being unable to erase his memories of them… seriously, the Sharingan's downsides are terrible.

"After that, Kenta vanished for years. The searches ended, as most people believed he had died. In the meantime, I helped Rin overcome her traumatic memories, and we… grew to love each other. Our relationship ceased to be platonic… and she became pregnant with my son, a short time after the Kyuubi's attack."

Kazama's jaw dropped. "You have a child?"

Kakashi glared at him. "I had one." He closed his eyes again. "It was during her late pregnancy that Kenta returned, or at least his spawns. Brainwashed children showed up in multiple towns, infiltrating families, before assassinating them, apparently just for the thrill. I investigated, and discovered that their objective was simply to attract me… away from Rin. When I rushed back at our home, she had vanished. I tried to find her trace, but even Pakku didn't succeed. One month later… I received a special gift."

Kakashi raised his eyelids, and cried. "A dead baby."

Kazama couldn't say anything. Horror had paralyzed him.

"My son," the jounin confirmed. "Strangled to death by Kenta himself, right before Rin's eyes, while he was only a week old. Ayatsuri kept him alive for so long uniquely to better break her. With the corpse, there was a letter, where Kenta invited me to Rin's execution, at an abandoned castle. I came… with an ANBU team. They fought the bastard's henchmen and mercenaries, and I infiltrated his lair alone. What I found inside… was so unspeakably atrocious that no word will ever be able to describe what Kenta had done in his basement." Kakashi locked eyes with Kazama. "He tried to recreate me."

"He trained children to be like you?" the blonde asked weakly.

"No," the man shook his head. "He didn't try to create someone like me. He tried to recreate me. He tried to make another Kakashi Hatake. By modifying children's bodies so they looked exactly as me… and he almost succeeded, after a lot of failures. I saw boy whose face had been mutilated because they weren't like mine. I saw kids chained to table, suffering from infections and the aftereffects of Kenta's operations. I saw incomplete copies of me, breed in test tubes, or baby left to rot, because they weren't perfect copies of me."

The demon vessel was now repressing the urge to vomit.

"When I finally reached Kenta… he greeted me… by showing me Rin's body," Kakashi sobbed. "She had died the day before, tortured to death. Her… disfigured corpse… I still remember it too well. I attacked Kenta to avenge her, and during our battle, he revealed me his goal: to fix me. After failing to recreate a perfect ninja, the monster decided to remake me as I was before… by destroying everything I loved. I killed him. Slowly. Painfully. But he simply smiled. He thought he had succeeded."

He stared at the floor. "After that… I buried Rin and my unnamed son in a remote forest… near the house we had bought… the place where we thought we could have founded a family."

Kazama stayed silent.

"After that… I don't know what happened. I lost the will to live. I took the deadliest assignments possible, all of the time… hopping that maybe, one day, one enemy would get lucky and kill me…" he sneezed sadly. "Unfortunately, I suck at dying. I hadn't even the courage to end it all myself."

The jounin closed his eyes. "After years of successful suicides missions in the ANBU, the Sandaime suspended me from my duties, and ordered me to take genin teams. I failed them all, fearing they would one day die and join the many people dead because of me… until I met Team 7. I saw my sensei's son, Obito's cousin, and the Yondaime's legacy. How could I have resisted the need to make things straight again? How could I have resisted the need to redeem myself in the eyes of those I hadn't been able to protect?"

Kazama had no answer to this.

"But now, I have failed at that again," Kakashi said. "Life has once again given me the middle finger. So, please, respect my wish, and let me do what I had never mustered the courage to try."

"Kakashi…"

"I'm tired of living," the man cut through the teen's worries. "I have lost everything I lived for. Now… what do I have left?"

"Us."

The jounin frowned.

"We will never be able to replace the people you have lost," Kazama stated. "But you can always… I don't know, find a home and a family with us. If you die… our chances to win against our pursuers will drop. The ones that caused so much suffering are going to escape justice. But as long as there is life… there is hope. You can restart your life from scratch… find a new family… maybe see your loved ones again, in another universe… the possibilities are endless." He locked eyes with the broken man.

"You have a chance to search happiness again. Please… do not waste it."

Kakashi stayed without word for a few minutes. "Naruto-san… do you really think so?"

"Of course I do!" The teen affirmed. "'Never give up' is my motto."

"I... I do not have the same willpower as you," the jounin said. "I am sorry, but I don't."

"Kakashi..."

"However," the man interrupted him, "you are right. I am... selfish. You have saved me multiple times, and I am being ungrateful. I..." he trailed off. "I will stick with you, and help you as much as I can. It might not be much... but I will do my best not to hinder you."

"You never did that, Kakashi," Kazama replied. "And you are always welcome."

The jounin seemed to smile under his mask, albeit only slightly. "Thank you, then."

"It's natural."


The Prince

"Are you sure?" His mother asked to the group. "I mean, you are going to face them alone..."

"Certain," Kazama replied. "It is between them and us. A battle will only bring more deaths and suffering... but not if we can avoid it. And who knows how they would react, if they ever realize that there is a new successor to the Senju? You will have enough problems in time with the citizens of this universe. Rather, enjoy your life and happiness."

"But what are you going to do?" Naruto asked. "I mean, fleeing is only a temporary solution. They will track you down one day."

"We will train," Naruko answered evenly. "Train, train, until we are able to keep up with them." She looked at her oldest counterpart. "Naru-sensei, I want to work with you like never before. Please..."

"Okay," the blonde said. "I intended to do so anyway."

"This will be the occasion of testing your abilities, Kazama-san," Sasori pointed out. "We do not know anything about your seal's possible limits and applications. It might contain the secret of our victory against the Uchiha."

"Perhaps," the teen complied. "But how do you want to study my seal's powers?"

The puppeteer smirked. "I have my own ways."

"Also," Kakashi began. "Before we leave this universe... I have something to ask. Sasori, do you still have my students' corpses?"

The puppeteer nodded. "You want to give them a funeral?"

"Yes," he confirmed. "For them, and Sakura… even if it's only symbolical. I mean, they can't rest peacefully without it."

"Mmm..." the puppeteer put his fingers together. "I think we can do much more than that..."


The Ice Princess

The lake was big and the water pure. In some way, it looked like the place where Kazama's group had fought Zabuza and Kisame for the first time. The moonlight was reflecting on the liquid's surface, making it shine beautifully.

Lightened candles were floating on the water. They were many, and of different colors. Names were engraved on them. Kisame, Sakura, Tsunami, Inari, Tazuna, Kimimaro and many more. All the regretted people that died at the Land of Waves, known or not. Chibaku and Sasori added one with the name of Kabuto on it, eying it sadly as it went to join the rest.

On two little embarkations made of wood, the partially restored bodies of Kakashi's students were floating without a sound. Putting his hands together, the jounin breathed fire on them. The flames consumed them, allowing their soul to rest.

The assembled ninjas stood still, silently observing the spectacle. Even if they had been once enemies, Zabuza and Kakashi were still united in mourning. Haku herself was standing beside Naruko and her counterparts. A bit away, the Senju matriarch was observing the scene with her apprentice and her son.

After one minute, the silence ended, and Kitsune stared at Haku and Zabuza. "Are you sure you want to follow us?"

Her master's snickered. "Little boy, do you really think I'm going to forget what happened to Kisame? I will wash his honor with Amaterasu's blood. That, and I hope to see something specific in another world."

"May I ask what?"

"No."

A free Kirigakure, Haku thought. A Land of Water that isn't ravaged by racism and pointless cruelty. Zabuza-sama's vision… a Land of Water freed from the name of Bloody Mist.

Kazama then stared at the ice-user. "And you?"

"I will follow Zabuza-sama until the end," the young lady replied firmly. That, and I hope I will meet my mother alive, somewhere…

"Then it's settled," the blonde boy stated. "Welcome to the Arashi Clan."

Haku bowed respectfully, while Zabuza only grunted. "Why Arashi? The Momochi Clan sounds better."

"Hell, no!" Chibaku groaned. "The Arashi Clan is much, much cooler."

Zabuza sneezed. "Guys, even the Ramen Clan sounds cooler."

Kakashi snickered. "You know what… I think that the Hatake Clan is much better than any of your options."

"It sucks!"

"It's the most crappy name I've ever head."

"Seriously, no. Just no."

"Mmm… why not the Kyuubi Clan?"

"Kitsune… I'm afraid to say that, but my Bijuu is actually agreeing with you… and that's why we can't take it," Chibaku grinned malevolently.

"I'm not a Jinchuuriki, and proud of it," Zabuza pointed out.

"Me too," Kakashi said. "So the Hatake Clan is still the best option."

"NEVER!" They all shouted.

"Never say never…"

"Gentlemen, please," Sasori said as he interrupted the debate. "This argument is completely pointless."

Haku nodded, happy to hear that at least some of them had common sense…

"Because, obviously, you can't deny that the Sasori Clan is the best name possible."

The ice lady repressed the urge to groan as the others glared furiously at the puppeteer, before loudly voicing their disagreement.

"Naru-sensei," Naruko said, blatantly ignoring the stupid debate. "May I ask you something from you?"

Kazama blinked. "But of course! What do you need?"

"The next time that you have to name something, don't forget to add Naruko to it. It will prevent this kind of debate, since it's the most awesome name of all."

Haku put her hand on her face, and Kazama only smirked. He then stared at Tsunade's group, slightly bowing. "I assume it's time to say goodbye. Thank for your help."

"The knowledge you gave us on Akatsuki and Orochimaru was a big enough payment," the Senju matriarch replied. "Take care of yourself, gaki, and look over your family for me... especially Naruko."

"Don't worry," the girl smiled. "I'll be fine."

"It's just that I already saw you die once," the woman declared. "I simply hope you won't meet the same fate."

"I will protect her," Kazama promised. "No matter the cost."

"Then... you have my blessings."

"I'm sure they will succeed in defeating their pursuers," Shizune said. "They have a strong will, and they're strong."

"Really?" the Senju boy asked with a mirthful smile. "Or is it just your crush on Kazama-san that's talking?"

The young woman became as red as a tomato, and embarrassment spread over Kazama's face. "Naruto-kun!"

"What? I'm only telling the truth!" The wood user declared, before locking eyes with his eldest counterpart. "You must understand her. She's still a bit worried about not having found a boyfriend at her age. You should have seen where she making a pass at that Sun-"

The blushing medic put her hands on the boy's mouth, preventing him from continuing. "So-sorry! He's always indiscreet and shameless!"

The blonde teenager grinned warmly. "He reminds me of myself at the same age. I hope you will find love one day, Shizune-san."

"Thank you," she said with a little smile.

"Anyway," he said, "It's time to leave." He rotated and eyed his companions. "Prepare for the travel!"

"Momochi Clan!"

"In your dreams!"

"Hatake forever!"

Haku finally snapped. "Oh please, shut the hell u-"

And, in flash of light, they vanished from this world, never to return.


The Prince

Three days after his counterparts' departure, a blonde boy screamed in his sleep.

"Naruto!" His mother took him in her arms. "Calm yourself! What's going on?"

They not natural! The forests of the Land of Fire were screaming. They have come! The empty ones are here! They are three, and they are evil!

"Mom…" Naruto trailed off. "I think our friends' pursuers have just arrived."

Even Tsunade's gaze wasn't as frightening as the crazed howls of the plants.

The void is looking at us, observing us! It will destroy everything, until nothing but itself remains! The darkness are growing, and they are empty! The void is coming, and will consume everything!

The darkness are eying us, and they are going to devour us!


The Deceiver, Tsukiyomi

Madara was staring at the breach in space, before a beautiful lake. Not that he cared about the background. Only the damaged fabric of reality intrigued him.

"From what I have observed," the Uchiha said to his two counterparts as they materialized behind him, "they have left this world days before our coming. The leftover candles and bodies have been burning for a long time." He turned on himself to face them. "What about our counterpart?"

"Dead," Susanoo stated. "I violated the mind of ninjas present during the Kyuubi's attack. He has been killed by Hashirama's granddaughter."

Madara frowned. "This is… unfortunate. It the second time we are dead in the multiverse."

"We should stop worrying about recruiting our alternate selves," Amaterasu declared. The man was now wielding Itachi's eyes, and was comfortable with them. "I mean, we are already strong enough to pawn our preys without any help, and they are going to distance us…"

"I agree with you," the Rinnegan wielder said. "We are wasting a precious time. The more we spend our days trying to find people that may or may not be dead, the more our enemies are going to prepare themselves and increase their strength."

Tsukiyomi blinked. "Okay. Anyway, we can always recruit them by traveling backward, after finding Uzumaki Naruto. Some might even follow us, who knows…" he smirked, as an idea came to his mind. "In fact, I have even an idea to bolster our number, without recruiting anyone."

The two others looked at him strangely.

"My Nagato had developed a very interesting technique," Tsukiyomi explained, as he looked at the burned corpses he had extracted from the lake. "The Six Paths of Pain..."

Really, this chase would be very interesting…


Author's notes:

Yep, it will be a big game of cat and mouse. Who will won?

Anyway, I tried, once again, to fix some of the plot points in canon. I mean, really, why is the Kyuubi helping Naruto, if he can be reborn? Simply letting him die from the fall from a certain cliff would have spelled freedom for it...

By the way, Nagato is now officially a SS-Rank ninja. Anyone able to fight an undead Itachi, Killer Bee and super-powered Naruto at the time, beating the crap out of them and almost defeating them all deserves the title.

Also, before you ask, yes, Ayatsuri Kenta is an OC. I added him to explain why Kakashi is so messed up, and why Rin is nowhere to be seen in the manga.

Zabuza... I have rarely seen a truly heroic Zabuza, and I honestly think he has the potential to be one hell of a noble anti-hero. I mean, he's like a darker Naruto: he is obsessed with the Kage title, never surrender (even in exile he is still gathering funds for another coup), took a child under his wing because he has 'the same eyes as I' (what did he mean by that? Somehow, it makes me remember of Naruto and Konohamaru), and fought a Kage-level ninja without any bloodline or clan techniques... only a few jutsu (like some blonde fought a certain Six-man army).

Really, the similitude between Naruto and Zabuza is glaring. In fact, I think that all the main villains are evil mirrors of Naruto himself. Gaara, Orochimaru, Danzo, Pain, Sasuke, Kabuto, Madara... really, they have many things in common with our favorite ramen addict. They are what he could have been... or what he could become.

Anyway, please review and tell me what you think of this chapter, and write you soon!