The Paths We Walk

--The Paths We Walk--

A Fork in the Road

"What am I? The question rang in my head, refusing me the peace I desired. Was I merely a tool to further the goals of others? Did anyone care about me beyond my power? Had it all been a lie? Sandaime…Ero-Sennin…Cloud…was I truly alone? Was it true…that no one loved me? I got little rest that night, as I wandered my mind, searching for anything to contradict what my dark side had told me. I found nothing to truly erase the though. Was all that joy truly an illusion? I always had been horrible at Genjutsu. I began to truly fear…fear that my dark side was right…fear that I was loved no more than Gaara…"

--With Naruto--

Naruto's eyes flashed open, greeted with the sight of the very narrowed gaze of Kakashi. He was close…too close for comfort. Naruto began to notice he was leaning in…

Naruto leapt back in shock, slamming his own head into the wall. He gripped it in pain, muttering a small string of swears.

Kakashi smiled happily in his usual chipper manner, amused at the sight of his young friend. "Ah, awake at last, are you?"

Naruto looked up, glaring daggers at he man. "Ow…what were you doing?!"

Kakashi lazily pointed up to the ceiling vent, where sunlight shot through in a ray, illuminating a small strip of the room. "Sleepy-time's over. Time to rise and shine!"

Naruto sighed, staring down. The floor was clearly a light brown in color, having been carved out of the rocks at the founding of the village. The sector he was in was under the command of his Sensei, Kakashi. It was large, large enough to shelter over a hundred people, but only about fifty were harbored at the moment.

Naruto eyed Kakashi, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "So…what's up?" Naruto asked, yawning.

Kakashi just kept his charade up, acting happy as he pleasantly announced "War. We counterattack in an hour. Prepare yourself."

Naruto's eyes widened. "What?! Already? Why didn't you wake me up sooner?!" Naruto leapt up, pointing a finger straight at Kakashi.

Kakashi regained his bored expression, wondering where the sudden jolt of energy came from. He then remembered he was talking to Naruto, and concluded that some things are better left unanswered. He smiled again, standing up and patting Naruto's head. "Ah, good! Full of energy, as always. Eat up, and good luck!" Kakashi gave a lazy thumbs up, setting down a plate of food in front of him, before wandering off.

Naruto's gaze softened, staring at Kakashi's back as he walked away. '…a tool, huh?' Naruto looked down at his food, noticing that, once again, Kakashi was forcing him to eat vegetables. Naruto stared at the food, and decided to risk it. He extended a finger, and slowly forced it to the food. He drew nearer, but quickly pulled away, thinking that he saw it twitch.

"What are you doing, dumbass?" Sasuke muttered, walking over to Naruto with Sakura in tow. "Considering you're probably made of ramen, anything else may be poisonous, idiot."

Naruto looked up, growled, and raised the plate to his mouth, shoving every last vegetable down his throat, from cucumber slice to cauliflower, and even that demonic black pepper in the corner. Naruto chewed with all his might, but the phrase 'biting off more than you can chew' bubbled to the top of his mind when he felt something catch in his throat. He began to wiggle, pounding his chest in a desperate attempt to dislodge the evil vegetables.

Sasuke sighed, walking up to the idiot, and slapping him on the back. Naruto coughed hard, sending half-chewed vegetables all over the floor. It was by sheer luck that Naruto managed to retain most of the food, swallowing once more, giving Sasuke a death glare all the while.

Sakura walked up to them, carefully avoiding the unfortunate food. "Thank you, Sasuke-kun!" She smiled cutely, before turning to Naruto, looking slightly sour. "And you! Never do something that stupid again!"

"I think you're asking too much of him, Sakura." Sasuke scoffed. "He's terminally moronic."

Naruto glared at Sasuke. "Shut up, bastard!"

"Idiot!"

"Asshole!"

"Dead-Last!"

"Copycat!"

"Wannabe!"

"Sasuke! Naruto!" Sasuke and Naruto, now literally face-to-face, turned quickly to meet Kakashi. "Ah, getting along as usual, I see? Like moose butting heads."

They glared at Kakashi for a moment longer, before returning to their little game.

"Emo-king!"

"Ramen-bitch!"

"Tattoo-freak!"

"Psychopath!"

"Fu-!!" Kakashi reappeared right behind Naruto, slapping his hand over his mouth.

Kakashi leaned in, putting his chin on Naruto's shoulder. "Now now, play nice! We wouldn't want to frighten the little ones, am I right?" Kakashi stood aside, giving the trio a view of the Konohamaru squad.

"Naruto!" Konohamaru ran over, followed closely by Udon and Moegi. The trio tackled their leader to the ground, staring at their leader with wide eyes full of excitement. "Boss! Good ta see ya! What's with the hair?"

"And the clothes?" Udon asked.

"And the eyes!" Moegi piped.

Naruto went blank, unable to answer the barrage of questions. "Uhh…hey guys. You alright?"

Konohamaru and his team nodded enthusiastically. "Yup! Iruka-Sensei took good care of us!"

"Iruka-sensei…is he around here?"

Udon shook his head. "He left…probably doing something boring."

Naruto sighed. "Hey…can you guys get off me?"

The three nodded, slowly removing themselves from Naruto's body. Naruto sat up, dusting himself off. "Great to see you, boss! We've been looking for you!"

Naruto's eyes widened curiously. "Oh? Why's that?"

"We need orders, sir!"

"Orders?"

The squad nodded their heads vigorously. "Yes sir! What can we do to help? Our teachers just keep telling us to sit down and stay quiet, but that's no fun! We want to defend the village too!"

Naruto crossed his arms, unsure of what to say. "You mean…fight?"

"Yeah!" Konohamaru pumped his arms, trying to show off. "You guys get to fight! We don't wanna just sit around anymore!"

Naruto's closed his eyes and tapped his chin. They didn't know how to fight. They had no idea what they were talking about. 'What can I say to them?' Naruto asked himself.

Naruto looked up at them, and stared into their eyes. He searched for any doubt, and hesitation. He found none. 'Cloud…is this what you saw…when you looked at me?' Naruto sighed, scratching the back of his head. He couldn't encourage them to actually fight. They were still in the academy. Naruto looked at them once more, smiling.

"You want to help? Very well. Stay put and defend the citizens." Needless to say, the three were very unhappy.

"What?!" They shouted. "We wanna fight!"

Naruto stood up and bopped each of them on the head. "You're young, and inexperienced. But…if the enemy does get this far…we'll need people to help defend those who cannot protect themselves." Naruto kneeled, meeting them on eye level. "Can I trust you to defend them?"

Konohamaru, Udon and Moegi's eyes widened, taking in what their boss just said. Then, the three saluted, smiling widely. "Right! We'll defend them all, no matter what! After this is over, let's play ninja again."

Naruto gave a small look of surprise, before quickly flashing his cheesy grin. "Yeah, definitely!"

"You can count on us, sir!" Moegi smiled.

"Come on! We've gotta prepare!" Konohamaru and his friends smiled at Naruto once more, before running out of the shelter, probably to find their sensei. Naruto smiled slightly as they went, leaning back against the wall. Turning his head to his side, he saw his sword, along with Cloud's and Arash's weapons. 'Guys…' Naruto tilted his head against the wall, wondering what he'd say to them when he saw them again.

Meanwhile…

"Sasuke-kun!" Ino jumped on Sasuke, glomping him to the best of her abilities. Needless to say, Sasuke wasn't pleased. And Sakura…

Sakura shoved Ino off Sasuke, glaring at her. "You've got a lot of nerve Ino, you pig!"

Ino stood up, and met her glare. "Shut up, billboard brow! I've been waiting for my Sasuke to come back forever! I was worried about him."

Choji, standing next to Shikamaru behind Ino, turned to his best friend while offering him a chip. "She didn't even notice you came back, did she?"

"Nope."

"Oh well, it could be worse. A glomp like that would probably kill someone like you."

"Ah geez…maybe Sasuke ain't got it so great…"

"Maybe…"

Shikamaru placed his hands behind his head, cocking it slightly to the left. "Ah well…a life like that wouldn't suit us at all. Way too troublesome."

"Yup." Choji commented before shoving a handful of chips into his mouth.

Sasuke sighed as his fangirls bickered over him. "I thought they were over this…"

"Geez, you get all the girls, don't ya?" Kiba commented, walking up to Sasuke's side with Shino and Hinata behind him. "What's with all the complaining."

Sasuke narrowed his gaze. "Like you know anything about girls, Kiba."

Kiba smirked, crossing his arms. "Oh yeah, well neither do you, by the looks of it. Surprising, considering the number of fangirls you have." He leaned closer to Sasuke, whispering in his ear. "Are you…straight like a rainbow?" Akamaru yipped on his head in agreement. Hinata blushed, covering her mouth, while Shino remained as unmoved as ever.

Sasuke stepped forward. "Like I'd ever lower myself to date a crazed fangirl."

"Heh…maybe I should tell your fangirls that."

"…Do as you please." Sasuke smirked. "But…what would they do to you…if you said that to their face?"

Kiba raised an eyebrow, but quickly froze when he imagined the fists of two very pissed off fangirls in denial coming straight for his face. "Good point…"

Sasuke smirked. "Heh…"

Naruto stood up and walked over. "Hey…what's with them?" He asked, pointing to Sakura and Ino, who were testing their catfight no jutsus.

Hotaka walked up to him, with bandages covering a wound on his left forearm. "Sasuke."

"Oh, again? I thought they were over that…"

Hotaka nodded. "They're almost as bad as you."

Naruto twitched. "Not funny…"

As everyone else began to talk, Hotaka looked over his shoulder upon hearing a dragging noise across the rock. He sighed upon meeting Yoko, who was almost unwillingly dragging Michiko across the floor by the back of her collar. "Hey, Hotaka. Hey Naruto."

"Five more minutes…" Michiko muttered.

Naruto turned to Hotaka, pointing at Michiko. "She's still asleep?"

"You're one to talk. You've been sleeping since the fight with Gaara."

Naruto grumbled. "I took on a giant tanuki. Sue me."

Yoko stepped aside and let go of Michiko's collar, giving the back of her head a 'friendly' meeting with the stone floor. "Yeowch!" She sat up, covering her head. Upon realizing what just happened, she glared at Yoko. "Not funny…"

"Schadenfreude." Yoko shrugged, walking up to Hotaka and Naruto. "So, how'd the mission go?"

Michiko stopped wining, eyes widening with realization. She quickly sat up and leapt in front of the two boys next to Yoko. "Oh yeah! How'd it go?" She asked.

Hotaka looked at Naruto, and shrugged. "Don't look at me. Ask him."

Yoko raised an eyebrow. "You beat Gaara?"

Naruto grinned, scratching the back of his head. "Yeah…pretty awesome, huh?"

Michiko nodded happily. "Looks like you weren't slouching around these past three months after all, huh?"

Naruto's face went blank. "And what gave you that idea?"

"Because you're an idiot." Yoko commented.

Naruto's grin twitched, glaring at Yoko. "Thanks. I feel so loved." His comment had so much sarcasm he was practically foaming.

"You should! We came all the way over just to check on you!" Michiko chirped.

"…Technically, you were dragged." Naruto commented.

"Shut it!" Michiko crossed her arms, looking away. "Honestly, why do I talk to you?"

"Cuz ya love me!" Naruto smirked.

Michiko grinned. "Wow, your illusion skills are better than I thought."

Naruto growled. "Oh yeah! I'll show you an illusion! Wanna see next week?!" Naruto flashed his fist, advancing.

"Bring it, you little brat!" Michiko growled, flashing her fist as well. Both were now so close that their foreheads were touching, daring the other to back down.

Yoko sighed. "Wrap up the newlywed fight, you two."

Both turned and glared at her. "Shut it!"

"Heh, I was beaten by this noisy twerp?" A cocky voice came from behind. Everyone turned to watch the approach of Team Gai. "So, the gang's all here, eh? Quite a reunion." Neji commented.

Sasuke smirked. "Well, look who's up and walking."

"I didn't beat you too bad, did I? Naruto taunted.

"Hmph. Next time I won't go down so easy."

"Are you talking…rematch?"

"Someday."

"Heh…I'll be waiting."

"I look forward to it."

Sasuke talked over to Team Gai, looking Tenten over. "The medics treat your ankle?"

Tenten nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"So…we're all fit?"

"Well…" Tenten muttered, glancing over at Lee, who was still on crutches. Lee looked down, clearly depressed over his condition. "…In time, I suppose…"

Sasuke nodded. "Fine. At least all on our team came back safely."

"Indeed." Shino commented, sneaking up behind them. Tenten went wide-eyed while Sasuke just turned around, cocking his head to the side.

"Stop that. You freak us out." Tenten grumbled.

"It seems to be what I'm best at. I try to use anything to my advantage."

"We can see that." Sasuke shrugged. "So, your father brought you back?" Shino nodded. "Good."

Hinata walked up behind Sasuke, twiddling her fingers together. "We're glad you're alright, Shino-kun…"

"My thanks for the concern. I'm glad to see you unharmed as well. The evacuation went as planned, I take it?"

Hinata lowered her gaze, staring at the floor. "Well…for the most part…but some of the civilians were killed in the crossfire. We couldn't save the bodies, so…"

Neji lowered his gaze. "I see…"

"How many?" Shikamaru asked.

"…Nearly a dozen were killed, all over that short time, and we've no idea how many were lost trying to reach these shelters. And they're still out there…"

"…The body count may be in the hundreds by now…" Sakura noted.

"…Operation Inferno begins soon…we need to prepare." Hotaka stated.

"How? Any ideas?" Ino asked.

Sasuke growled. He turned his gaze to Naruto, who appeared to be distant…he hadn't made any recent comments. 'Say something, you idiot!' Sasuke's frown deepened when the idiot didn't react. After a minute of silence from the two of them, Sasuke spoke up.

"Oi, Naruto. This isn't your first battle, is it?" Sasuke stated. Naruto blinked, ending his train of thought.

"Ahh, whaddya mean, Sasuke?" Kiba asked.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "It wasn't me who beat Gaara…Naruto did. And before that, he killed four men in the arena, three more on the wall, and then the nine men trailing us, all without blinking! You know how to fight a real war…" Sasuke leaned forward, activating his sharingan. "…so tell us!"

Naruto hesitantly looked around. Several of the other Genin's eyes had turned to him. He gulped. This really wasn't his specialty. "Well…I really don't know ho-"

Sasuke stormed up to Naruto, grabbed his collar, and slammed him into the stone wall. Naruto gasped as he hit the wall, closing his eyes tightly. He slowly opened them, with his eyes going wide when he watched Sasuke glare at him with his sharingan fully active. The other genin watched, keeping back, fearing the Uchiha's wrath. "We know damn well this isn't a game! We've seen what's going on, and we know what's going to happen!" Sasuke pushed Naruto further against the wall, as if trying to crush him. Naruto cringed as he began to feel the pain. "We know we're going out there, and we're willing to face it!" Sasuke's fists began to shake as he lowered his gaze. "But…the truth is…none of us are ready for this. So…" Sasuke growled. "We need your help."

Sasuke let Naruto down, stepping back a few paces. Naruto caught himself as he hit the ground, staggering for a moment. He looked up, and saw that Sasuke was averting his gaze.

"…You really wanna know what it takes to fight?" Everyone nodded, some more hesitant than others. Naruto kept his voice low, calm and collected. "…Remember what they used to say in the academy? When in a fight, kill or be killed, fight to survive? Well…every word of what they said was right. That's what you need to do to fight a war."

Naruto hardened his eyes, looking at the group once more. "You wanna fight? You wanna kill? They teach you the first, but never the latter. Perhaps they wanted to preserve our innocence, but…now's not the time for that. However, it's very easy to learn."

Naruto pointed at the door. "Go to Ibiki. I'm sure he's done with some captured enemies by now. To learn to kill…go to him, and offer to dispose of one enemy apiece." Before anyone could voice their opinions, he raised his hand. "But don't just kill them. Take off their masks. Let them beg for mercy. Let them tell you their stories, and plead for forgiveness. Let them tell you of their newborn children…and then take it all away. Only by doing this will you truly understand what it means to kill."

"Are you crazy, Naruto?! Just what did that guy put into your head?!" Sakura shrieked.

"Nothing that I regret now having." Naruto shrugged. "If you wish to ignore my advice, feel free. But I warn you, it's better here then on the battlefield. Some will weep, and in that time, you will be killed. Others will hesitate, and you will see your target grin as he takes his opening and ends your life. This is what happens…in war."

Naruto smiled sadly. "Speaking of which, if you have any unfinished business, better finish it now, so that if you do die, you leave the world without regrets. I promise you, not everyone will come back alive today." Naruto nodded slightly. "Now, if you'll excuse me."

Naruto walked towards the crowd of Genin, who seemed to part ways for him. However, he intentionally approached Lee, and shoved him slightly, shoving a small vial of glowing elixir into Lee's robe. "Drink it." Naruto whispered, before continuing on.

Naruto began to walk towards the door, and reached for the handle, but just as he reached it, he paused, speaking once more with his back to them. "Oh, I almost forgot. If any of you see my tall friend…tell him I want to see him. I need to have a word." With that, Naruto opened the door, walked through, and slammed it shut.

--With Cloud & Kakashi--

Cloud leaned back against the wall of a simple broom closet. His hood was down, revealing his glowing mako eyes and spiky blonde hair. He sighed, staring across the small room at Kakashi, who was gazing at him intently. "So, what is it?" Cloud asked.

Kakashi sighed. "Before I begin, I truly want to believe that you are a good man. You've taken excellent care of my pupil, that I cannot deny, nor do I harbor any ill will against you." Kakashi shifted his gaze to another wall, unable to meet Cloud's any longer. "But…I cannot say the same for your organization."

Cloud raised an eyebrow. "Just what are you proposing?"

"…Please understand that this doesn't come from me, but from the rest of the village, including the head councilmen. I was merely chosen to relay the message."

"…What are you saying?"

"…The council…and the villagers…want you out. All of you." Kakashi lowered his gaze to the floor, as if ashamed of himself.

Cloud's eyes widened. "What?!"

"Although there is no proof…the timing is just too much for a mere coincidence, they say. That, with the level of secrecy you've kept, and the various shady activities surrounding your organization…we can't trust you."

Cloud growled. "We paid for that land! We've done nothing wrong!"

"And the land beneath it?"

Cloud gasped, lowering his eyes. "…How'd you know?"

"We're no fools. We patrol our village constantly; north, south, east, west, even the earth and sky. We see everything." Kakashi raised his head, steadying his gaze. "You've deceived us. For our betrayal, or our allegiance, we do not know…but…"

"…I suppose we did…"

"…If the Third hadn't died…things may have been different. He wanted to trust you, ya know?" Kakashi smiled slightly beneath his mask. "But…things don't always work out how we want."

Cloud sighed. "I guess so…"

"If any Konoha ninja see your forces wandering our village…we may be forced to eliminate them. Don't let us catch them."

"…Understood."

"…But I will trust you…for the Third…and for myself, I want to believe." He stood off the wall, and placed a hand on the door handle. But, before he opened it, he stopped. "There's only one problem…"

"…Naruto…" Cloud muttered.

"…Who will he go with?"

"…Should we let him decide?"

Kakashi sighed. "Either way…he will be a traitor."

"Well…let him decide his own path. We can no longer choose it for him." Kakashi nodded in agreement, before opening the door.

"It's been a pleasure, Strife-san."

"Indeed, Mr. Hatake."

"If we ever meet again, I hope it shall be under friendly terms."

"…It is shared."

Kakashi nodded, stepping outside. Cloud stayed behind, sighing as he reached for his phone on his belt. He flipped it out and dialed a familiar number. He raised it to his ear. "Reeve? Yes, it's Cloud. Look, I've got some bad news…"

--With the Genin--

Sasuke stared down at the man. His head was covered in a cloth, but he was clearly a sound shinobi by the rest of his uniform. Each Genin was staring at an identical sack, all lined up in a row. Ibiki walked behind them, gazing into their eyes as they stared down their victims. "I won't lie to you. This is perhaps the most difficult trial of a shinobi. Perhaps getting it over with now is for the best." Ibiki sighed, before walking out of the stone room, and leaving the Genin to their business.

Sasuke didn't bother looking at the others. Whether they did it or not was none of his business. He steadied himself, and raised his hand, grasping the bag, and threw it off.

Beneath the sack was a large man, possibly as large as Kakashi. He was probably in his late-twenties, and had short black hair tied in a bun. There were some fresh cuts along his face, and his right eye was bandaged. He snarled at the Uchiha. "Whaddya want, punk? You want me to spill the beans, too?!"

Sasuke scowled. This man was arrogant, and annoying. He decided to make this quick. He reached into his kunai pouch and drew his weapon. "Say goodnight!"

The man quickly grasped what was going to happen. "W-wait! You're going to kill me?!"

"What's it look like? This is war, after all."

"B…but you…I can't die!" The man shouted.

Sasuke glared. "And why not?"

"But I'm a prisoner!"

"That tried to kill innocent people."

"No! I can't die yet!"

"Why is that?" Sasuke was starting to get annoyed by all this.

"I…I promised my parents I'd become a great ninja, and bring honor to my family!" The man shouted. "Please don't kill me!"

Sasuke's eyes went emotionless as he raised the kunai. "Then I shall give you a ninja's death."

Sasuke stared at the man as his eyes widened. He raised the knife high, and let it rest in his palm for a moment. Just as Naruto has instructed, he'd looked the man in the eye, taken in his fear, and heard his story, but he felt nothing. He still felt that killing was no big deal. Perhaps it was because he'd seen his entire family slaughtered for three days, but he felt nothing for the man as he brought the knife down, into his beating heart. The man froze, his mouth dropping, and in moments the life left his eyes. He fell to the ground on his side, blood painting the ground red.

Sasuke slashed the knife to the side, ridding it of the man's blood. He placed it back in his holster, and smirked. He'd done it. He'd killed, and it wasn't nearly as hard as Naruto had said it was. 'Besides, if he can kill his own kin, I must be willing to do the same. A man such as that…is nothing.' Sasuke stood and walked out of the room, back to their shelter.

However, the other Genin, staring as Sasuke so easily killed his victim, found the task much more difficult than their prodigious comrade.

--With Cloud--

Cloud had just finished making the necessary calls, and was now walking down the halls back to the shelter where Naruto was. Arash had long since left to scout out possible locations to ambush enemies, but Cloud's call had changed all that. The few agents of the W.R.O. outside of base were stealthily heading back.

Cloud turned a corner and walked down another hall, noting the markings above the various wooden doors. Upon sighting the one under Kakashi's command, he entered.

Cloud looked around for a moment, but quickly noted that although dozens of people occupied this shelter, not one of them was Naruto. He looked against the wall once more, and noticed that although Arash's equipment was now gone, Naruto's still remained.

He stopped his inspection upon sensing the glances of one of the Genin. He turned his gaze and locked eyes with Sasuke Uchiha. He kept up the staring game for a minute, before turning to the rest of the Genin. 'Alright, so here we have Sasuke Uchiha, Neji Hyuuga, Hotaka Sasaki, Shino Aburame, Shikamaru Naru, and one I have no name for.' Cloud concluded.

"Excuse me, I don't suppose you know where Naruto Uzumaki has gone?" He asked.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "No, but he asked us to tell you he wanted a word."

Cloud nodded. "You have my thanks." Cloud muttered, turning to leave.

As he left, the girl Cloud left unnamed leaned over to Hotaka. "See? What'd I tell ya! Long-lost older brother! They're practically clones!"

Hotaka sighed, smacking her across the back of the head. "Just stop, Michiko."

Michiko grumbled, rubbing the back of her head.

Cloud picked up his sword, but as he strapped it to his back, he noticed Naruto's Buster Sword. Cloud stared at it for a moment, narrowing his eyes. Naruto loved that sword. He wouldn't just leave it behind…

Cloud shook it off and decided to take it with him. Carrying it across his shoulder, he turned to leave. However, he stopped, taking note of how Sasuke had positioned himself right between himself and the exit. "You wish to speak with me?"

Sasuke nodded. "Just how did he get so strong?"

Cloud sighed. "A great master makes a great student. Is that all?"

"…Why him?"

Cloud narrowed his eyes, glaring at Sasuke. "…Is that any of your business?"

Sasuke growled. "Nevermind…how can I receive this training?"

Cloud lowered his gaze, steadily walking towards the Uchiha. Sasuke didn't move, holding his ground. Cloud kept his pace, his feet hitting the hard stone floor, echoing across the room. Even amongst the chatter of the other occupants, those two kept all their focus on the other.

Cloud halted his pace when he was less than a foot away from the boy. Sasuke stared up at him, expecting an answer. "How can I gain that power?"

Cloud initially made no other answer than to step to the side, walk past Sasuke, and towards the door. Sasuke turned around, preparing to ask again, but Cloud had stopped moving, keeping his back to Sasuke.

"…When I began searching for people to train, I knew I wanted to keep our numbers small. I would choose only those that met a specific set of guidelines." Cloud looked over his shoulder, staring at Sasuke. "You, Sasuke Uchiha, are truly a fit warrior…just not proper for SOLDIER." Cloud turned around, and walked towards the door. "Others may one day come with the same teachings as I, but I shall not train you."

Sasuke grinded his teeth, clenching his fists. "And that dobe…he met them all?!"

Cloud turned the handle, letting the door slide open just enough for him to leave. "…Yes." Looking over his shoulder, he stared at him on last time. "Tell me…is copying all you can do, Uchiha?" He slipped through, and closed the door.

--With Naruto--

Naruto sat on the head of the Fourth Hokage, overlooking the Leaf Village. Many buildings along the edge had been destroyed, and several others were in flames in various locations. Diluted smoke rose through the air, turning the air a gloomy color. The wind was blowing, ruffling Naruto's blonde hair and sending his black bangs into his eyes. Naruto's eyes were glazed over, once again lost in thought at the words of his other half.

Naruto raised his gaze when he noticed two sound ninja leap up in front of him. The first one to come down raised his kunai to stab him, but Naruto leapt up, grabbed his arm, and quickly flung him around, sending him crashing into his comrade moments before he landed, and sent them both falling to their deaths in the village below.

Naruto stared down for a moment, before falling to his knees. 'Is this really all I'm good for?'

"I had a feeling I'd find you here." Cloud muttered, landing right next to Naruto.

Naruto turned, but was unable to meet his eyes. "Hey." He muttered. Cloud noticed the meager greeting, but chose to let it go for the time.

Naruto scooted over a bit, giving Cloud room on the head. Cloud sat down on Naruto's right, setting his own sword to his right while putting the Buster Sword between them. "Something's wrong, I take it? It's not often you travel without your sword."

Naruto wrapped his arms around his knees, lowering his gaze. "Mmm."

Cloud raised an eyebrow, but once again said nothing of it.

"…It's quiet." Naruto muttered.

"It's the calm before the storm." Cloud looked down at the village, watching as another building in the distance collapsed in an inferno. "Konoha will make its move soon."

"…And what about the W.R.O?" Naruto asked.

"…We won't be fighting."

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "I guessed that much, but what about you and Arash? What're you going to do?"

"…Naruto…" Cloud sighed, closing his eyes. "…The Third Hokage has fallen." Naruto's eyes shot open, spinning to meet Cloud's, but Cloud wasn't looking at him. "Orochimaru killed him, on top of the arena booths. At the least, it seems he managed to incapacitate Orochimaru for the time."

Naruto lowered his eyes, looking past Cloud to the face of the Third next to them. "Old man…why?"

"It seems he was Orochimaru's teacher."

Naruto's face registered this new information with shock, before twitching, turning to anger. He formed a fist, and slammed it down on top of the fourth's head. "That bastard…how could he?!"

"…He probably thought…it had to be done."

"What?! Are you defending him?!"

"No. Never, but I think that in Orochimaru's mind, he needed to kill him."

"…What?"

"One must be willing to do whatever needs to be done, no matter what others believe." Cloud stated. "He knew that, and he did what he thought must be done. We wanted to save him, but were unable to do what we thought had to be done. In the end, Orochimaru got his way, but paid a heavy price."

"…I see…"

Cloud sighed. "For now, let's forget about this. He is gone, and nothing will change that."

"Yeah…I know, but…"

"…I've lost people I've loved, too. I know how it feels."

Naruto nodded. "Yeah, Zack and Aerith, right?"

Cloud nodded. "Yeah, and it took me forever to get over them. But one day, I realized that the more I mourned, the more I hurt those around me. Even if I couldn't save them, they knew I cared, and returned those feelings. No one wanted me to suffer for their deaths, or those of others." He turned to Naruto, patting him on the shoulder. "And…he doesn't want you to feel that way, either."

Naruto nodded slowly. "Yeah…you're right." Naruto looked up, staring into Cloud's eyes for the first time that day. "But…I just wanted to know if you were going to fight. Why did you bring up the old man?"

Cloud looked at him, frowning. "Naruto…the Third was the last one allowing the W.R.O. to stay." Naruto's eyes slowly widened in realization. "We'll be gone by tomorrow, the base and all."

Naruto gaped, unable to believe it. "B-bu…why?!"

"They note the timeline of events. We, an untrustworthy organization arrive our of nowhere just before the attack. Of course we should have expected this." Cloud sighed, tapping his fingers on the rock. "We're making preparations to leave by nightfall."

Naruto looked away, unable to form what he wanted to stay. "And, uh…what, I mean…"

"What's going to happen to you?" Naruto nodded absentmindedly, still finding himself unable to form proper sentences. "I talked it over with Kakashi. The choice is yours."

Naruto bowed his head, taking everything in. "I know it's a lot, but you've got to make a decision soon. I need to know if you're going to stay or go."

Naruto bit his lip, trying to think. He knew he wanted to go with both, but it seemed impossible now. 'One or the other…but which one?' He thought to himself. '…First, before anything, I need to know…' Naruto raised his head.

"Cloud…I met the berserker yesterday."

Cloud turned to him, raising an eyebrow. "You what?"

"…The berserker…is like a darker version of myself." Naruto stated. "I suppose he's my dark side." He looked up at Cloud. "…Did you know?"

Cloud slowly shook his head. "No…I thought it was the Jenova cells…"

"…I think it was. He told me he used them to get out, but then they used him in an attempt to create a reunion. I think that's what he meant by 'finding the others.'"

"…That makes a lot of sense. You always were too nice." Naruto looked confusedly at Cloud in response. "…The villagers here never treated you with respect, and as a child, you hated them, didn't you?" Naruto nodded dumbly, not sure where he was going with this. "Then, one day, you start wanting to get along with them, become their leader and live with them happily ever after. There's only one thing that makes sense: you locked your darker side away."

"I…locked him away?"

Cloud nodded. "Yes…I believe you would have sealed away your dark desires to block out the pain. Without darkness and those desires of revenge, you were happy, if ignorant, and began to see more good in the world. Then, one day, the cells in your body freed your dark side, and when you lost control of your body in unconsciousness, he took over under Jenova's control. Later, when the cells were bound under your control, he was freed of their influence. At least, that's how it seems."

Naruto looked down at his right arm, where the Geostigma had once run rampant. "He said…he loved me."

"Of course…both of you possess one of the meiangan, one light and one dark. You are one in the same. He is you, and he will love you, and will do anything to protect you and your happiness."

Naruto's eyes narrowed as he clenched his fists. "But…he wanted to kill everyone I knew…everyone I cared about…even you." Naruto looked up, unsure of what to expect.

Cloud remained mute for a moment, not even moving, Naruto was unsure of what to do. It was technically him who wanted him dead…what should he do?

Finally, Cloud's lips began to move. "…Darkness, while not necessarily evil, is selfish. Your dark side sees that others have caused you pain, and wants to end it. He doesn't want to hurt ever again. In doing so, he feels that he'll save you the pain as well."

"But then we'll be all alone! What good will that do us?"

"…Naruto, he thinks that's all you need." Cloud stated. "Don't forget, you did the same to him."

"But I…"

"You sealed him away in your mind, for years. All he could do was watch as you ran the show. So…what you were doing is no different."

Naruto shook his head. "But I didn't kill anyone. My way was peaceful…and now I have friends. I can't regret that choice."

Cloud sighed. "This matter…is up to you. I can't tell you what to do. You have to make your own choices, and deal with the consequences."

Naruto smirked, nodding. "You're right…I do. I'll think on that."

Silence passed, with each trying to come up with something to say. "So…" Naruto began. "How's Tifa?"

"She's good. She wants to get to know you better."

"Really?"

"Yeah. You are the newest member to our little group, after all."

"Yeah…"

"…You're stalling."

Naruto gripped his left fist that Cloud couldn't see. "What do you mean?" He asked innocently.

"Where will you stay?"

Naruto hung his head. It seemed he'd stalled all he could. He'd have to ask his last question. "…Cloud, one more question."

"Fine."

"What am I to you?"

"…?" Cloud gave Naruto a confused look. "I don't follow…"

"…Am I a tool to you?"

"…What?"

"Am I a weapon to you, or what?" Naruto asked, meeting his eyes fiercely. "I have to know."

"Naruto…"

Naruto looked down at the village, specifically at the Hokage's tower. "I learned a long time ago that a Shinobi is a tool of their nation and leader, to be used however they see fit." Naruto sharpened his gaze. "Now, what am I to you?"

Cloud lowered his head, unable to answer immediately. "I…" He tried to think of what to say, but found himself silent for over a minute. "…Did I use you? I can't deny that." Naruto's eyes dropped. "However, that doesn't mean I didn't consider you a friend."

Naruto looked up sadly, trying to understand. "I am the leader of Kyusokai. I have to use others, no matter what. Yes, I used you and had us fight, but before you forget, we have been used by you as well." Cloud pointed his finger at Naruto's arm. "The Geostigma, the training, and the healings. In that way, you are guilty of the same crime."

"…" Naruto thought about that for a moment.

"You can still turn back…" Naruto's eyes widened as Cloud's voice rang in his head. Naruto smiled slightly, understanding the words Cloud has muttered such a long time ago.

Naruto stood up on the Hokage's head, looking off to the horizon. "…When I was in the hospital, learning everything on that Datapad, I took a special liking to the quotes." Naruto muttered. "Everything they said was so obvious…and made so much sense. I began to memorize them; I could say over a hundred right now…"

Naruto walked to the tip of the head, standing on one of the spikes. "But then I realized…quotes weren't my thing." Naruto smiled sadly, while Cloud stared at his back. "Quotes, are what other people believe. They are what others follow and live for…but not me. If I do nothing but live by others quotes, what others believe in, then I'll really just be their servant, won't I? But…I want to be my own messenger, and make my own quotes for others to read and enjoy."

Naruto turned around, looking Cloud in the eye. "And that's why…I won't stay with Konoha, or with the W.R.O. I will follow my own path, and find what is truly worth fighting for."

Cloud didn't gasp at Naruto's words, nor did he flinch. He had known this might happen. He'd seen that it could happen. Slowly, he stood up, and picked up his sword, strapping it to his back. He grabbed the Buster Sword, and keeping his eyes on Naruto, he slowly began to approach.

Naruto watched as Cloud slowly marched towards where he was standing on the edge of the statue. The sound of destruction below was drowned out as the only thing filling the air was the pat of Cloud's feet against the stone. Cloud gripped the Buster Sword's hilt tightly, feeling it tremble in his grasp, as if trying to break free.

Cloud stopped a few feet away from Naruto and held out the sword, keeping the blade to the sky. Naruto looked at it skeptically, unsure whether or not to reach out and take it. "Cloud…I'm not fighting with you anymore…"

Cloud nodded. "I know…but this is my gift to you. Just as Arash gave you that handgun, I give you this. Your loyalty was never apart of this."

Naruto looked from Cloud to the handle of the sword, and slowly, hearing his words, raised his right arm. Grasping the hilt just below where Cloud held it, Cloud let go, allowing Naruto to fully bear the weight. Naruto brought the sword back, bringing it to his face, wrapping his other hand around the hilt. Naruto stared at his dull reflection in the grey steel, tapping his head to it. "Cloud…thank you."

Cloud narrowed his eyes, and nodded. "And now…" Cloud muttered, gripping the handle of the First Tsurugi.

Naruto's eyes widened as his senses flared once more. On instinct, he bent his knees and leapt far to the side, narrowly avoiding the falling sword. Naruto landed on the head of the Third Hokage, expecting to meet an enemy Ninja, but only widened his eyes in shock, and complete disbelief. The ground where he'd just been standing was now a small crater.

All done by a single stroke of Cloud's sword.

Cloud raised his sword from the ground and looked over at Naruto, narrowing his eyes, filling them with determination, and perhaps a small bit of hatred. "Defend yourself!" He roared.

Naruto stepped back, unable to believe Cloud just attacked him. "Cl-Cloud, what the hell was that for?!"

Cloud raised his sword in his battle stance, with the tip rising ever so slightly, right at Naruto. "The path of freedom…is one walked by traitors." Naruto's eyes shook, not wanting to believe what was happening. "I told you before we started training, you could still go back…now, if you want out, then we must fight!"

"Cloud…wait…stop this, no!"

"Naruto…raise your sword. This time…is not for training. This time…" Cloud kneeled, before leaping into the air, straight at Naruto. "…I won't be holding back!"

--With The Genin--

Hotaka gasped, looking up at the ceiling of the shelter.

"Hotaka?" Sakura questioned, watching him stare intently at the rocky covering.

"…It's Naruto and his teacher…they're fighting."

Michiko's eyes widened. "Really? Can you tell who they're fighting?"

Hotaka shook his head. "No…I can't sense anything else…their opponents must be really weak. They can handle it."

Sakura sighed. "I'm glad. I was worried for a moment."

Sasuke scowled. "What about us?"

Kakashi popped up behind Sasuke, giving his trademark grin. "Time to go!" He chirped.

Yoko glared at him, ignoring the shouts of Sakura and Michiko demanding he stop the sneaking before one of them throws a kunai on reflex. "So it's beginning?"

"What is?" Hotaka asked.

"Operation: Inferno." Kakashi stated. "We shinobi shall spread throughout this village like flames across grass, burning everything, and everyone we meet along the way. It's also known as the purging of the great tree." Kakashi narrowed his gaze, forming a tight fist. "Every enemy we meet…is a dead man!"

Sakura sighed, looking at the floor. "War…could this break out in a war?"

"Most likely. We may be facing a fourth great shinobi war."

Hotaka clenched his fists, bowing his head on his hands. "No…"

"It can't be…" Michiko gasped.

"Quiet!" Kakashi roared, effectively silencing the five genin. Kakashi took a quick glance around the shelter. All civilians had been moved to shelters further back and he'd just reported how many of the shinobi assigned to his shelter were present. Two were missing, meaning they were either dead or unable to reach the shelter. He'd informed the other five teams in the shelter of their assignments, and now only his and Ryuunosuke's remained. Gai, Asuma and Kurenai were all in charge of their own shelters, so their students had gone with them.

Turning back to the genin, he gave them a stern look. "I understand that you killed a prisoner each after the interrogations ended, is that correct?"

Sasuke nodded. "Killing isn't as hard as it's made out to be."

Sakura bowed her head, closing her eyes. "Please don't say that, Sasuke-kun…"

"…Hm."

Kakashi sighed, tapping his fingers in a line along his leg. "Our two teams will be moving out together. Anyone know where Naruto is?"

"He's fighting outside with that blonde guy. That's all I can sense. Their opponents must be weak." Hotaka muttered.

Kakashi glanced upward, as if trying to see through the rocks, but without the Byakugan, such a thing was impossible. "I see…then we'll try to meet up with him later."

"We? As in us?" Yoko asked.

"So we're working together?" Michiko raised an eyebrow.

Ryuunosuke stepped up behind his students, grinning while crossing his arms. "Yes. You worked well in the Forest of Death, and that's exactly what we need. Kakashi will be the team leader, and I'm second in command."

"Our objective?" Sasuke asked.

Kakashi smirked, laying down a map of the leaf village. "We'll be heading to the academy. Several important records are kept there, and need to be kept out of enemy hands. We'll rendezvous with two more teams at that location, and we'll clear the academy of any enemy ninja, and lock down all records. Then, two teams will stay behind to guard the academy, while the other two leave to assist in the main defense. Understood?"

Everyone nodded. "So, when do we leave?"

Kakashi stood up, and walked over to a spot five feet behind the group. He kneeled, and ran his hand along the floor. He circled it, feeling it over for something, before stopping, and hooked his finger around a hidden latch. He lifted it up, pulling with it a hidden door with a ladder leading down into the mountain. "We'll be taking the express route. We leave now."

Sakura gasped. "Now?! It's time already?!"

Michiko growled, clenching her trembling fists. "Real war…I think I'm…"

"We're all afraid." Yoko muttered, bowing her head. "But, I guess…we'll just have to be brave, and have faith that we'll come out alive."

"But…what if we don't? We don't know what's going to happen." Hotaka leaned his forehead on his fists, trembling slightly as memories of the past swept through his mind. The past, before Ryuunosuke, before Konoha.

"…Hmph." Sasuke growled, standing up. "Let's go." He stated, walking over to Kakashi.

"Sasuke-kun…" Sakura exclaimed.

Sasuke looked at them over his shoulder, his back still turned to them, before turning back to Kakashi, and climbing down the ladder, into the hole.

Kakashi turned to the rest of the Genin, sighing. "All of you…are still children. You've still got a lot to learn before you can be called adults. But Sasuke understands something that none of you have yet to grasp." Kakashi calmed his gaze, looking into their eyes. "What must be done…must be done." Kakashi walked over to the trap door, and stepped onto the ladder. "Let's go." Kakashi ordered, climbing down the ladder, followed by Ryuunosuke.

The Genin turned to each other, slowly debating who would make the first step. Nodding as a group, the four stood at once, and walked in sync to the ladder, and one by one, descended into darkness.

--With Cloud & Naruto--

Naruto stood inverted inside the left nostril of the Third Hokage. Looking down, he could see the flames of the battle below. Smoke rose into the nose, making it harder to breathe.

'This…this is…unbelievable!' Naruto thought.

Naruto quickly ended his train of thought as he turned to his left, leaning back just as the First Tsurugi plunged through he rock. He stared at the reflection of his eyes in the sword for a moment, not even an inch away from his nose, before grabbing the opening of the nose and swinging into the next nostril, but Cloud slid down the nose, flipped over the gap, and stabbed straight into the nostril, but Naruto pressed himself inside the nostril, before dropping, and swinging once more onto the side of the nose, leaping on top of the bridge of the nose. Cloud threw himself up, cutting right through to the top of the nose, landing right in front of Naruto.

Cloud swung down, but Naruto raised his own sword, blocking Cloud's strike. Cloud kept pressure on Naruto's sword, before removing the sword attached to the right side of the main blade, and stabbing forward. Naruto knocked the first Tsurugi off and knocked the other sword away, before leaping back onto the head of the Second.

Naruto looked up at Cloud, standing so high above him on the Third's head. "Naruto…this is insulting." Cloud strapped the secondary sword behind his back, and released the sword on the other side of the main blade. "In these past ten minutes, you still hesitate to strike…pathetic!"

"Cloud…"

"You say one thing, and do another. Never any dedication, I see. You fight as if your freedom means nothing!"

Cloud twirled his swords over his head for a moment, creating a small gust around him. He leapt high into the air over to the Second's head and raised his swords. "Limit break: Meteorain!" Cloud slashed forward, six powerful flaming meteors appearing at their tips, straight at Naruto.

Naruto watched them come as time itself seemed to slow down. Those words gripped him, freezing his very soul. 'My freedom? Is that what's this fight is about? Then…does that mean he's trying to take it from me?!' Naruto tightened his grip on his sword. 'Am I just a slave to you?!'

Naruto raised his sword to his face, looking at his reflection in the dull steel. He watched as his eyes burned with anger, his gaze narrowed, the wind sending his unkept hair into a frenzy. His mouth was tight and stern. Naruto hardened his gaze even further, to a level he'd never before reached, slowly mirroring Sasuke. For once in his life, he looked determined, perhaps even terrifying.

Naruto turned the blade and faced the onslaught of meteors. He lowered his blade to his side, and cut through the first one, before rolling to the side to avoid the second. He jumped into the air over the third, and spun around, kicking the fourth to the side into the rock face. Naruto began to fall back to the Second's head, but sliced another in half vertically as he fell. As he hit the rocks once more, the stretched his arm back, and thrust forward, stabbing the final meteor coming at him, halting all movement.

Naruto held his sword up as the rock began to crack. His eyes flashed as he leaned back just as the First Tsurugi plunged through the rock, shattering the giant rock, sending small stones rolling off the head to the village below. Naruto looked up at the sharp blade, an inch away from cutting his face.

Naruto scowled, swinging his left leg in a circle, knocking the blade away, and spinning in a circle as he rose, using his left hand to backhand Cloud's face, but Cloud weaved underneath, swinging his sword to the side to cut Naruto's torso, but Naruto kept spinning, in his right hand the Buster sword, and slashed upwards, knocking away Cloud's smaller sword, and cut downwards, trying to get Cloud. Cloud raised his main blade to block the blow, and swung his sword high, bringing it down with both hands. Naruto swung his sword in an arc, and swung his sword diagonally, but Cloud leapt out of the way, and raised his hand to catch his smaller sword. He twirled it a bit in his hand before reattaching it, and took a battle stance once more.

Naruto leapt further up onto the Second's head, and Cloud followed. Naruto leapt behind a spike representing hair, and just rolled forward in time to avoid Cloud's blade as it cut the spike in half. Naruto turned around, and leapt back as Cloud leapt into the air and planted his sword into the ground where Naruto once was. However, Naruto looked down, feeling a slight vibration, and gasped as a pillar of flame engulfed him. Naruto quickly leapt out of the flame before his armor could take too much damage and flew into the air.

Cloud soon leapt up to join him, and the two began exchanging blows much faster. Cloud would give him a strong slash, and Naruto countered with a powerful stroke. Both continued to strike the other in hopes of breaking their guard. However, as the two flew through the air, Cloud managed to kick Naruto's sword out of his way and cut Naruto from head to toe, sending him back to the First's face.

Naruto managed to regroup just before he reached the head. He plunged his sword into the wall, and cut through the First's right cheek, from the bottom of his eye to the corner of his lip. He grabbed his chest, still feeling the blow from before, but quickly turned when he saw Cloud soaring towards him. Naruto held onto his sword with his right hand and reached up his right sleeve with his left. Pulling out his dagger. Digging the dagger further to the side of the face, he dislodged his sword and swung off the dagger just as Cloud slashed where Naruto had been, leaving a small crater. Cloud took out his smaller sword sheathed behind him and planted it in the rock face, allowing the two to meet eye-to-eye handing off the hilts of their weapons.

Cloud raised his sword and slashed downward, with Naruto copying his movements. A loud clang filled the leaf village as the two blades battled with each other for dominance. The scraping of metal against metal rang through their ears as the continued to push, gripping their weapons for their lives.

Naruto felt his palm began to sweat, and his grip on the dagger loosening. Naruto scowled, looking back at Cloud. He couldn't hold on much longer, and Cloud knew it. Naruto swung his legs up and brought them down hard, using that momentum to swing into the air. Naruto pulled out his dagger as he began to swing upward, and landed on Cloud's smaller sword planted in the rock. He parried Cloud's strike and leapt off the sword hard, dislodging it as it fell. As Cloud fell, Naruto landed on the top of the First's head and sheathed his knife, lowering his blade and gasping for breath.

Naruto raised his head, breathing hard. 'Too strong…he's just too strong! He's probably just warming up…'

Naruto panted as he tried to regain his breath and plan his next move. 'At this rate, I won't be able to hold out much longer. I've gotta get outta here, one way or another…!!'

Naruto looked at his feet, and began to feel a trembling. He attacked himself to the rock as the shaking began to increase, looking for an escape route, but as the rock beneath his feet began to crack, his eyes widened. It was too late.

Lightning erupted beneath his feet, surrounding the poor boy. The lightning leapt up to the sky in a cylinder shape, rising to the clouds themselves. His armor shattered as the lightning surged through his body, sending him into a world of torment. Naruto shrieked at the feeling, closing his eyes tightly as his entire body became a conductor for pain. Naruto was tossed back as the lightning ended, lying on his back with his sword held loosely in his hand. He looked over, trying to lift it, but found his strength gone.

Cloud leapt through the hole extending from beneath the First's jaw all the way to the top of his head. He walked over to Naruto slowly, perhaps even menacingly. "Weak…so very, very weak." Cloud stopped a few feet away, holding his completed sword at his side. "This is all you can do? You won't even look at me with your true eyes…" Cloud raised his sword, pointing it right at Naruto. "If this is all you're willing to fight for, then I'll end your pathetic attempt at life."

Naruto didn't move. Cloud was right. He couldn't fight. He was afraid. The fear had never left him. It had been with him all along, and now, looking into the eyes of his teacher, his comrade, his friend, he couldn't do it. He couldn't raise his sword against his own comrade.

"You fight as if your freedom means nothing!" Cloud's voice rang through his head, snapping his eyes open. 'C-Cloud…has this been…' Naruto's eyes went blank as realization hit him. 'What is my freedom worth?' Naruto closed his eyes, concentrating.

Black. No light, no nothing, just black. Naruto kept his eyes shut, focusing his entire mind on Cloud's words. Cloud's face flashed in his mind as he said the words over and over again.

"You fight as if your freedom means nothing!"

"You fight as if your freedom means nothing!"

"You fight as if your freedom means nothing!"

"You fight as if your freedom means nothing!"

"You fight as if your freedom means nothing!"

"You fight as if your freedom means nothing!!"

"You fight as if your freedom means nothing!!"

"…No."

Cloud's eyes widened as Naruto slowly began to pick himself up. "I see…you still possess some will to fight."

Naruto forced himself onto his elbows, ignoring his joints crying out in protest. He rolled himself over onto his stomach, before propping himself on his sword, slowly standing upwards, turning to face Cloud. "You…you told me…"

"…"

"You told me to…bring some light to these dark times… Naruto scowled. "And…recently, I've been seeing this little glimmer in the sky. I've been chasing after it ever since, wondering just what it holds…and…I can't get there by your side." Naruto looked up at the sky, stretching his left arm as if to reach a light on the ceiling. "I'll go it alone…even if I never see any of you again, I'll do it! I'll protect everyone in my own way! I'll become the planet's guardian angel!"

"…Che."

Naruto flung his arm to the side, as if slashing his sword. "I'm through with listening to others! I won't serve as a tool for any country to use in these shinobi gang wars, and I won't fight in your war for a cause I don't even know! I'll find something truly worth fighting for, you'll see!"

Cloud smirked, raising his sword. "And just how far are you willing to go?"

Naruto smirked. "Wherever, however, forever! I'll never quit! I'll find a way to make the world brighter all by myself! Nothing's gonna stop me from doing what I think is right! I'll cut down anything in my way!" Naruto raised his giant sword with his right hand, pointing it straight at Cloud. "And…Cloud, you're blocking my road."

Naruto leapt into the air. "Limit Break: Braver!" Naruto slammed his sword down onto Cloud's, before landing on his feet, ducking low, and launched himself upwards into Cloud's chest. Cloud leapt back before Naruto could hit, but Naruto was still sailing through the air and flipped, landing behind Cloud, and swung around in a full circle. Cloud ducked beneath the first stroke, but Naruto kept spinning around until he was facing Cloud once more, and stabbed straight forward. Cloud leapt up, landing on the extended blade, and backflipped. Naruto used the force from Cloud's kick as well as his own strength to cut through the very rock, swinging his sword around, and connecting with Cloud's as Cloud began to fall.

Thus began an exchange of high-speed sword blows. Naruto used such force that Cloud never got the chance to hit the ground. He swung like the possessed man he was, finally having his own ray of light that was all his own. Naruto began to rapidly circle his sword beside him like a saw, spinning around and changing hands to keep it going. It cut through the very rock, turning it molten red as small flames peeked out from the crevices. Cloud blocked each blow, each time being sent further into the air. Then, with one mighty blow, Naruto gathered all of his strength into a single cut, melting the rock as he cut through, and impacted Cloud's sword, sending him high into the sky. Flames flew out from the cracks, blown by the wind of the attack.

Cloud soared up into the sky, flipping around so that he could view the field below. He watched as Naruto kneeled, before rocketing into the air, straight past Cloud. Naruto backflipped in the air, before accelerating straight down. Cloud used his energy as a propellant, soaring straight up to Naruto.

"You wanna know how much freedom means to me, Cloud?!" Naruto roared, drawing his sword back, preparing for a powerful thrust. "Well take a good look!"

Cloud held his sword out in front of him to parry the blow, only to blink as the Buster Sword stabbed right through the broad side of the First Tsurugi.

Naruto smirked, chuckling auspiciously. "Limit Break…"

Cloud watched as the Buster Sword began to glow with power. The blade began to shine with blue Mana swirling around the blade. 'I never taught him a limit break like this…' A series of sharp snaps filled the air as cracks began to spread along the First Tsurugi from Naruto's Buster Sword, taking on a design similar to a spider-web. 'Is this…an original?!'

Naruto grinned, flashing his teeth to his shattered reflection in the First Tsurugi.

"Shining Stardust."

Blue Mana filled the cracks of the great sword, shattering it into a thousand tiny metal shards. Cloud could now watch as Naruto grinned at him behind the wall of steel shards. Cloud stared at the particles for a moment, quickly glancing at the six handles now dangling uselessly in the sky.

'What is this technique…!!' Cloud instinctively brought his arms up to shield his body and head when the thousand pieces of steel rushed towards him. They came in a constant barrage, as if there were a dozen machine guns firing at once. Cloud's aura armor slowly ripped and teared, unable to regroup fast enough. Some pieces began to breach the weakened armor, cutting through the skin, coating their sides with blood. Cloud cringed as the barrage continued, curling up as much as he could, before finally smashing into the fourth's head, crashing through the rock, sending both stone and dust into the air as the barrage ended.

Naruto landed in front of the crater, breathing heavily as the six hilts landed around them. He blinked as dust blew into his eyes, tearing up at the unwanted contact. Naruto took another deep breath and walked forward, raising his sword, and cutting horizontally fast and hard. The slash blew away most of the dust, revealing Cloud implanted in his own rock angel.

Cloud slowly opened his eyes, clearly in pain. He has two cuts on his left cheek and one on his right, and his clothes were torn, with several strips missing, blood slowly altering the deep blue color. Cloud lay there, with his mouth slightly open in awe. "That…was impressive, Naruto."

"…I learned from the best." Naruto muttered, keeping his head low.

"…Impressive…" Cloud smirked. "…But not good enough!" Cloud pushed off the ground and grabbed Naruto's face in his surprise, pushing him back, and into the ground, into a rock angel of his own. Naruto clenched his teeth in pain as he felt Cloud grip his sword and rip it out of his hands, releasing his grip on his face and pointing the tip of the Buster Sword at him.

Naruto stared for a moment at the sword, and then at Cloud. He had an unreadable expression, one that showed no remorse, no sorrow, no joy. Naruto's gasped, eyes widening as Cloud drew his arm back, preparing to stab. Naruto snapped his eyes shut, gritting his teeth, unable to meet his master's eyes any longer.

Cloud stared at Naruto for a moment longer, and pushed the sword forward.

Thuck!

Naruto kept his eyes tight, awaiting the feeling that accompanied impaling, but none came. He peeked through one eye, and saw Cloud staring at him, still holding the Buster Sword, but the tip was no longer in front of his face. Naruto noticed the blade running slightly off to his right side, and followed it, before looking fully to the side, where the tip of the Buster Sword lay embedded in the rock.

Cloud let go of the handle, and kneeled on Naruto's left, using his right arm to steady himself and raised his left. He kept his fingers curved, pointed right at Naruto's stomach. His hand began to glow pure white, shining with power. He looked at Naruto with empty eyes once more. "Steel yourself, Naruto." He stated, thrusting his hand forward.

Whatever peace the sky held ended as Naruto's cry pierced the heavens themselves.

--With Denzel--

"Tifa! Marlene! Have you seen Cloud?" Denzel shouted, running up to the two in one of the steel halls.

The two turned around, smiling. "Yes, I saw him yesterday. He'll meet you as soon as he's back."

Denzel nodded happily. "Can you tell him to meet me in my room?"

Marlene tilted her head to the side cutely. "Why?"

"Something I wanna show him!" Denzel shouted excitedly.

Tifa nodded happily. "Alright, but remember, we need to leave by sundown. Be sure to pack your things."

"I got it! Thanks Tifa! See you later, Marlene!" He shouted, buzzing off.

"Bye Denzel!" Marlene shouted at his retreating form.

Denzel darted through the halls, past scientists with clipboards and men carrying equipment to storage. He could've sworn he caused three accidents along the way, but paid it no mind as he ran into his room.

He excitedly pressed a small button next to a steel door, which slid open a moment later. He walked inside, turned around, and locked the door to his small guest room, before smirking. "Finally."

Dark smoke erupted around Denzel, surrounding the young boy in the mist. It was a deep blue in color, wrapping the boy in a swirling cocoon.

As the mist began to clear, a dark silhouette could be made out in the blue mist; thought it was clearly different from the boy who entered it. It was a man, a tall one, but nothing more could be made out by that.

The man extended his hand, holding a top hat. He tapped it, letting any unwanted particles drop to the floor. "Ah, holding that form is a real hassle." He said in a cheery, high male voice, clearly not that of a child. He raised the top hat, and placed it on his head.

The mist began to clear, and soon, his closed right eyelid became visible, along with a few strands of hair, no different from child Denzel's. He slowly opened his eye, revealing a deep blue eye lacking any whites, with a small white diamond-shaped dot in the center with something similar to purple mist floating around that little dot. "Don't keep me waiting long, master."

--With Cloud & Naruto--

Naruto screamed as Cloud's hand met his skin. It seemed to phase through his clothes, and even his skin, but Naruto felt something grip something deep inside him, and pulling it, hard. Naruto's eyes were wide as saucers as pain surged through his body; unbearable, unimaginable pain, the likes of which he'd never known.

Naruto raised his left arm to Cloud's attempting to remove it, but Cloud brought his right up and grabbed it, pushing it out of the way, and over to his right, which he also grabbed, disabling both arms. Naruto began to kick in a last desperate attempt to free himself, but Cloud raised his left leg and straddled him, leaving him completely defenseless.

Naruto began to feel something within himself untangle, and struggled with all his might, but the fight had taken a lot out of him, and he had yet to fully recover from the limit break. All he could do was lay there as Cloud continued to pull.

Cloud used all of his power to pull his left arm back, pulling whatever he'd grabbed with him. But, it was tightly embedded within Naruto's body. It wouldn't be easy to remove. Cloud gave another hard tug, and the base of his hand reached the edge of Naruto's skin. Red energy began to shoot out from Naruto's body from the sides of Cloud's hand. A powerful roar filled the air, drowning out Naruto's cry for a moment, before settling into a deep growl. Cloud remained unfazed by it and continued to pull, while Naruto stared at his stomach in terror.

Naruto's mouth began to tremble, feeling something inside him unwind, like mixed wires forcedly being torn apart. Looking up at Cloud, he noticed how his expression had not changed, and remained as calm as he had when he started. Naruto gave one last determined effort to escape, but to no avail. Cloud had too much strength; he couldn't free himself. Nevertheless, he continued to struggle as much as he could, refusing to give Cloud an easy time killing him.

And then, Cloud ended it. "Limit Break!" Cloud felt a surge of energy in his hand, and with one last pull, freed his hand from Naruto's stomach. All at once, Naruto felt the pain leave him, ending his cry. He looked at his stomach in shock; he'd expected to die. Instead, he felt great, if not better than ever!

Naruto examined his stomach, taking note that nothing appeared to have changed. Cloud's hand seemed to have phased through both skin and cloth, which left him to wonder just what Cloud had done. Looking up, some questions were answered, only to be buried under a pile of new ones.

Cloud's hand was now glowing red, and looking at the back of it, he could see a great black eye surrounded by yellow staring at everything that it could catch. It held such hatred, such malice. He stared at it for only a moment before gasping; he knew the owner of that eye…

The Kyubi.

Cloud stood up, keeping his hand as still as possible, before reaching into his pocket with his right hand, pulling out a white glove with various black seals running along it, and covered his hand. "That should keep it calm for a while." Cloud muttered, clenching his left hand.

Naruto stared at Cloud, still amazed he wasn't dead. "Wha…what just happened?"

Cloud looked down at him for a moment, before returning his gaze to his hand. "…You no longer hold the title of Jinchuriki."

Naruto's eyes widened. "So…that thing really is…"

Cloud turned around, and started walking away. "I can't let you going wherever you wish holding something of such value, fool." Cloud muttered.

Naruto shakily stood to his feet, grabbing his stomach to confirm his hand wouldn't find a hole, and ran after Cloud. "So you weren't trying to kill me?!"

"Of course I was."

Naruto's eyes widened at the statement, and while losing his focus, he tripped, falling on his hands and knees. Cloud, however, just kept walking. "'Were you truly dedicated?' That was my question; you answered it. If this is the path you wish to take…then take it, but I'll have no part in it." Cloud turned around, and looked Naruto in the eye one last time. He didn't smile, and kept his calm look throughout their encounter. "From this point on, you go alone. This path has room for no one other than yourself. If you're truly dedicated…then walk."

Cloud and Naruto locked eyes at that moment, and in that instant, Naruto understood everything that Cloud wanted him to know. It was an awakening for him, a new age. Cloud nodded, and turned around. "Get up. No one's going to help you now. Stand on your own two feet, and through the harshest storms, look ahead and walk…until the day you die."

Naruto stared at Cloud from the ground, tilting his head as high as he could to look at him. "Cloud…"

Cloud closed his eyes, bringing his right hand to his face. "Until the day you die…" Cloud flung his right hand to the side, bringing with it a black feathered wing. The base of the wing emerged from a long slit on the back of his clothing, before growing from the base, forming the body of the large wing.

Cloud turned his head, keeping it low so his hair covered his eyes, and only his lips were visible. "Until the day you die…Never. Stop. Walking." Cloud's wing rose high into the air, before flapping down, sending the man high into the sky. Naruto watched for a moment as Cloud lingered in the air, before he flew off into the clouds, and beyond his sight.

Naruto clenched his fists into the earth beneath him, lowering his head. "Another test…" Naruto mumbled, trying to comprehend what just happened. "You wanted to know…if this was really what I wanted…" Naruto smirked, pushing off the ground, and standing on his feet.

"…I feel lighter." Naruto noted, looking at his stomach. "From Kyubi…from Konoha, the W.R.O…" A smile began to play on his lips. "I'm free…I'm free!!" Naruto shouted in happiness. Free of Kyubi, free from servitude, he was free. He laughed for a bit, falling on his back, looking up at the sky. "I'm free…" He muttered again, savoring the flavor of the words, looking up at the clouds.

His eyes locked onto a small black feather drifting down from above, watching it sway through the air as if it were dancing. It watched it fall, until at last it landed on his chest. Naruto reached up and grabbed it, holding it delicately in front of his face, as if it were an antique.

Naruto stood up once more, with the feather placed in his palm. Slowly, he tilted his palm until the feather fell out, falling to the ground, settling among the dust. "Well, no point hanging around here!"

Naruto turned around and walked over to the Buster Sword, grasping the handle, and with one fluid motion, he dislodged the sword, twirled it around for a moment, before strapping it to his back.

Naruto took a moment to look around, taking note of the unlucky monuments. "Hehe…guess we took it a little far…" Naruto chuckled, keeping his right hand on his sword. Looking down at Konoha from atop the head of the Fourth Hokage, he watched as Konoha began to fight back.

Naruto drew his sword and stared down at the battlefield once more, before raising his sword, and tapping it against his forehead.

"I promise, Cloud…no matter what happens, I'll keep on walking." Naruto gripped the hilt tightly, determination burned into his every feature. "I'll keep on walking…until the day I die."

Naruto lowered his sword to his side, and leapt off the Fourth's head. For the first time in his life, he knew what it was like to fly.

--With Cloud--

Cloud opened the door to Denzel's guest room, revealing a messy bed with comics scattered over the mattress as the blanket lay on the floor. The nightstand lay in next to the bed with a small television on top, and a videogame system hooked up to the side. On the wall there was a bookcase filled with children's books and short stories, but Cloud paid no attention to this as he shut the door behind him. Taking a few steps into the small room, he walked over to the bed and brushed the comics off to the side, before plopping his tired form down on the bed.

"Hey, that wasn't nice. I just started that series." A playful voice echoed throughout the small room.

Cloud turned to the source of this: a man wearing a black tuxedo, bowtie and all, and a top hat. His head was low, but one could see the strands of brown hair surrounding his head. "Denzel, Tifa told me you wanted to see me."

The man looked up, revealing the youthful face of a man barely into his twenties. "Ah, yes! About that…the rest of your generals have requested you answer some questions…of course, that's entirely up to you, my lord." Denzel said, smiling politely all the while.

Cloud sighed, placing his arms behind his head. "What about?"

"Recent activities, and future plans. You really should meet with them, master." Denzel chirped.

"…Hm, like I have the time. Either way, they'll do as I say. I'll meet with them on my own volition."

Denzel nodded. "Of course, but still…it would be nice to give them what they want. It's not like they'll betray you or anything."

Cloud sighed, sitting up on the bed. Looking the young man in the eye, he sighed, running his hand through his hair. "Alright, tell me…what do you want to know?"

Next Time: Operation: Inferno

Notes

New format. I think it works better this way. I'll work on updating all the chapters to have this easy format next time.

Also, I need some assistance. I'm thinking of including an omake section, but I need someone who I can show them to first who can tell me if they're good, or they should be sealed away with E.T. for the Atari 2600. If they could help me improve them, that'd work, too. I only need one person, so if you're interested, please contact me.

This chapter was originally supposed to be longer, but I quickly noticed that if I made it as long as I wanted it to be, it'd be over 40,000 words, so I split the chapter outline into 3 chapters, and it's working out much better.

This chapter may actually seem shorter compared to my other chapters, but I can still proudly say that this chapter alone is longer than most stories on the net, and that doesn't include only one-shots.

So…yeah, this part of the story is almost done…and then off to part two! I'll probably update my other stories soon, but I've really started to get into this one, so we'll see.

I've got the next chapter all in my head, and I plan to start writing soon. Summer's just around the corner, and I want to get this part of the story done by mid-summer, so wish me luck!

So yeah, Cloud removed the fox from Naruto. He's no longer a Jinchuriki, but he's still got that dark side. More on that later.

As always, thanks to everyone who reviewed! I'll get to work on the next chapter soon, but no guarantees…finals are a bitch (I think that's the only time I've sworn in this whole chapter! Upon further investigation, I am wrong. Very Wrong.)

Reviews would be nice!

Later

Tsurugi-Sama