Well, may the skies never fall. This is the first time I've updated two full length chapters in the same day. Yes. To make up for my shoddy work rate last month, I'm here with ANOTHER chapter.

When you get down to reading, check if you've read the previous one too, yeah?

So, in this, I introduce the first of many major twists to follow.

And so, without further delay, here we are.

DISCLAIMER : I DO NOT OWN NARUTO OR ASSASSIN'S CREED. I OWN THIS FANFICTION. AND YOUR MOM.

The thirst for knowledge.

Sadly under-estimated, however, unimaginably terrifying. Yes. To see a person possessed by that drive, that inane unquenchable thirst for information, for knowledge is indeed far more fear-inducing than you can imagine. For you see, for that period, that certain man is untouchable, is impenetrable, is unparalleled. When a man labors over knowledge, he is in his truest, most sublime form. In that time-space, not only is he frighteningly impervious to anything, he is, at the same time, equally fearfully susceptible, so easily subject to change.

Such a powerful tool, knowledge, information. And you see, the best part was that one would never possess it. One never possessed knowledge, you just strove after it.

After all, that was why striving for knowledge was only for that select few. Because only that select few can handle that crushing, yet insanely satisfying realization: That one never truly attained knowledge.

Orochimaru knew that.

Orochimaru knew that so well he surprised himself sometimes. It was so blatantly obvious, like a brick wall, always right in front of you. You would go on and on and on, striving after incredibly childish ideas like power, peace, immortality, and that was just it. You would simply go on and on, push yourself, mutilate yourself, beat yourself up over it, not realizing that answer was always right there in your mind. You suddenly realize it, that fact, that true knowledge is never achieved, and suddenly, magically, the brick wall in front you changes into a well furnished pavement, a flight of steps for you to ascend.

It was a cruel test, Orochimaru knew, one had to pass to realize it. He himself had succumbed to the phenomenon, that sapping heat that sucks the very life out of you when you're filled with that quest for knowledge.

And all for what, really?

Would it make you the strongest, the most powerful? What purpose would that serve, really? After all, someone would come, ready to challenge you, having amassed more knowledge than you at one point. No.

No no no no.

That was not it at all.

You see, that was why Orochimaru was so different than all of his predecessors, those who were crushed under the massive weight of their own knowledge.

There was one key, only one right answer. And a cruel one it was. People went through great pains to achieve it. All that amassed knowledge, what was it all for?

You see, this was why Orochimaru was one of a kind.

The key was happiness. It made him happy, pushing himself beyond all limits in that never-ending pursuit, it filled him with indescribable mirth, knowing that he'd never ever obtain absolute knowledge in his life.

He knew.

He knew it so very, very well.

There lay the beauty, the irrepressible, alluring beauty. Power, peace and immortality, the three things people would 'give up their lives for…'

There was no absolute power, no complete peace, and no true immortality.

What about happiness then? And yet again, there lies the beauty. Happiness too, is not absolute. It is relative, and in a way, for those who recognize that true fact, those who embrace are truly said to witness an inkling as to what absolute happiness actually is.

- Contrived -

Uchiha Sasuke paused, wiping a layer of sweat off his brow. He was in the spacious compound attached to his house. The evening sky was growing darker, and yet, Sasuke persisted with his training.

Two Bunshins were standing in front of him, each showing signs of quick movement. Sasuke had two Shuriken in his hand. He looked at both his Bunshin. They stared back, both illusionary doppelgangers as emotionless as their original. Sasuke drew back his hand, still keeping his eyes firmly trained on his Bunshin.

This was the final test. The last Shuriken that was unthrown, and the last of his chakra reserve had all led up to this, where he'd have to take out both his Bunshin in a single throw.

He reared.

He threw.

Uchiha Sasuke never really expected anyone to understand him truly. Of course, it shouldn't be mistaken. He was not some stuck up little snot whining for all the attention he got. He was not puffed up, thinking that his life was unfair, and that he didn't deserve this to happen to him.

Uzumaki Naruto had seen to that.

It was so weird, their relationship, to begin with. He'd taken to the blonde-haired boy out of mere curiosity. Uzumaki Naruto was this standout idiot back then, screwing up at everything, and trying to make it look cool. The boy craved attention, Sasuke could see that back then. He could see that want for that which he so lacked, care, attention, love, respect, friendship. Sasuke didn't know how he could predict it, but it was obvious, whenever he would look at the Uzumaki.

And out of sheer curiosity, he'd decided one day to walk up to him.

"Hey."

The blonde-haired boy looked up. He seemed to have been pouting, muttering under his breath. The crease on his forehead had indicated that all hadn't gone to plan when Haruno Sakura had responded to Naruto's invitation to have lunch with him by slapping him. It was to be expected, of course.

Sasuke though, didn't understand why the blonde-haired persisted in asking her every single day. He personally thought that the pink-haired girl was of absolutely no interest whatsoever, other than the fact that she and her friend used to top the class during their tests.

The moment Naruto had heard Sasuke's greeting, he turned, rearranging his expression quickly to a more indifferent one.

"Hey."

Sasuke knew the boy's tone didn't match his thoughts. He sounded aloof, and knew for a fact that the boy was faking it.

All the while, the blonde-haired boy had been staring at Sasuke curiously. No one, after all, ever took a voluntary interest in the dead-last Uzumaki Naruto.

"Ummmm…yeah?"

The inquisitive voice of the Uzumaki shook Sasuke free of his thoughts.

"Oh. Nothing."

Sasuke turned. Out of peripheral vision, he could see the boy slump back on his bench, getting back to chuntering under his breath. Sasuke had barely walked a few steps, when….

"Hey….emo! Wanna' share lunch?"

Literally everyone in class turned towards them. Sasuke frowned inwardly. What was with the sudden familiarity in the boy's tone?

For a split-second, Sasuke's mouth formed the ghost of a smirk.

"Sure. Get it outside...if you have anything to share that is…dobe"

A collective gasp was heard. Murmurs were breaking out all over the class. Every single girl, and most of the boys were staring open mouthed at the two of them. And amidst the shock, Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke walked out.

Well, that had been the start of their weird relationship. Somehow, it had fuelled rivalry between the two boys. Suddenly, to his surprise, Uchiha Sasuke found himself coming to school to talk to the boy, found himself…well…looking forward to it. He couldn't help it. It was just that Uzumaki Naruto was interesting. Beneath the tomfoolery, the obnoxious orange shirt was a boy who was quiet, didn't talk all that much, someone who wwas ashamed to show that he was depressed at the lack of attention.

Of course, the boy was a screw-up when it came to anything related to academics, or even their practical application. Sasuke couldn't blame the boy. It was like a chain reaction on a permanent loop. The teachers would ignore the boy, the boy wouldn't pay attention, the teachers would test the boy, subsequently failing him, the boy would retaliate by doing something supremely foolish in front of everyone, the teachers would ignore the boy, and it went on and on and on.

But part, no, scratch that, the reason that class-topper, handsome hero Uchiha Sasuke hung out with Baka Naruto no Dobe was that, was that it was simply a very effective outlet. Naruto had this ability to make him forget about his own worries, his brother, his murdered clan, twisted thoughts of revenge and anger simply fled from Sasuke's mind as he would talk to the Uzumaki.

And then, the boy had disappeared one day. A measly excuse of a kidnapping had been met, when announced, with base indifference, to Sasuke's incredulity. Surely, surely the Hokage knew more about it. After all, the Hokage knew everything.

The Hokage for instance knew about Itachi.

"Hey…a-are you all right? What's your name?"

Two young boys were alone in a deserted alley. One was blonde-haired, currently down on his knees, next to a black haired boy. The latter seemed to have passed out in the middle of the alley, and was slowly just regaining consciousness.

"Who…Who are you?" the black haired boy asked groggily, clutching his head.

"Uh…my name's Naruto…What's yours?"

"Na…ru…to?" the black-haired boy's visions started swimming again.

However, just before blacking out for the second time that night, beside the vague sound of the blonde-haired boy shaking him lightly, he thought he saw an old man in white robes.

"Hey. You been here all day?"

Naruto Uzumaki walked into the backyard. Sasuke was lying on the ground, panting, exhausted with the day's efforts.

"Yeah."

"Training hard, eh?"

Dusk had well and truly set in. He could hear the tell-tale rise in chatter down on the streets. Right about now, a gaggle of pedestrians would flock every shop and restaurant, exclaiming happily about a new sale or begging their groaning dates to buy them something.

"Hn."

Naruto sat down next to Sasuke. Pulling up a small bit of grass, he threw it on Sasuke, who immediately grimaced.

"You were rude to Sakura, teme."

Sasuke looked up at Naruto with a blank expression on his face.

"So?"

"SO? We're a team, you dick! Now I know she really likes you and stuff, and you find it annoying, but it wouldn't be cool if you ended up wrecking our dynamic by pushing her off, like you do every time."

Naruto finished this rather long monologue on a breathless note. Sasuke, still lying down, acknowledged his team-mate's words.

"But I thought you'd be happy, dobe, you like her too don't you? Like like like, right?"

Naruto grunted. "Drop me out of this, teme. I'm not in the picture. It's a team we're talking about, see? Why would you care who I like like?"

He turned toward the Uchiha, who sat up with a grunt too.

"…Because the one you like like is on our team, dobe. Okay, then. Let's do this shall we? You go the way you're going, and I'll continue with mine. I have no interest in going out on dates with Sakura, I have several other things on my list of what not to do, right?"

Naruto looked at him with a solemn expression on his face.

"She really likes you, Sasuke."

Sasuke stood up now, stretching his arms and legs.

"More like she really fangirls me, dobe. It's scary. And I'm having doubts too. The two of you seem to be doing a lot of talking lately, if you ask me. I'm not su-"

Deciding against retaliating verbally, Naruto decided to mess with Sasuke's legs, when something in the far distance caught his eye. It seemed to have alerted Sasuke too.

With his heart pounding rapidly, Naruto rose. The air seemed to have become colder all of a sudden, and he seemed to have lost his breath, become winded. Sasuke next to him seemed to have become still, and staring almost mechanically.

He walked out of the rather boring office. For a job where he was double-crossing a world-known criminal organization by siphoning information to their enemy, this certain part had been very boring. Uchiha Itachi had just informed the Hokage of the Akatsuki's next move. Having done so, he'd walked out with Orochimaru.

On exiting the office, Orochimaru had stumped off to the Forest Of Death, claiming that he had to retrieve some of his old gear for their upcoming mission. Agreeing to meet outside the gates, unseen, of course, in half an hour, they'd separated.

Having nothing to do, Itachi had decided to take a stroll through his former village. Of course, aware of the fact that there would be mass panic if people saw a mass-murdering villain wearing criminal robes calmly walking their streets, Itachi had taken measures.

No, not the Henge. Concentrating hard for a moment, Uchiha Itachi conjured up a very powerful Genjutsu around himself. Now, when people would look at him, they would see a tall, thickly built man with a stony expression on his face.

Walking through the streets with a small smile under his Genjutsu, Itachi found not many things had changed, after all. The atmosphere remained the same, with the usual chatter and the babble, and the groups of girls exclaiming excitedly about a new clothes-sale. The roads remained the same, mildly dusty, yet nice to walk on, even barefoot. The lights were coming on for the evening, and the smell of the roadside stalls were starting to make themselves known.

Stopping short, he turned. He didn't expect a reaction out of himself, but his stomach gave a pleasurable squirm as he passed by the Uchiha compound. It was deserted, the front, the porch. Of course, he knew his brother Sasuke would still be here.

Thinking of his brother seemed to add another squirm. Stopping for a second, he decided.

Dispelling the Genjutsu, he backed up a few paces. With one lithe jump, he landed on a building. Walking forward, across a parapet, he stopped when the Uchiha compound came in sight.

And Uchiha Itachi watched. Casting another Genjutsu ensured complete invisibility. He just sat down, squatting, put his arms on his knees and watched two boys, one of whom was his brother, and the other of whom was Uzumaki Naruto. They seemed to be talking, and to Itachi, it didn't matter about what, he didn't need to hear it to be assured of the fact that his younger brother had a trustable friend.

A lot of people thought a lot of things about Uchiha Itachi. He was considered a genius, a prodigy like no other, ever since he was at the Academy, and it surprised none when he decided to enter the ANBU. He was physically powerfully, trained mentally to a fearful degree, and his Ninjutsu prowess was unmatched. He was a master wielder of the Sharingan, and his Dojutsu skills could even compare to Uchiha Shisui himself.

And once he did enter the ANBU itself, it was a whole new world, full of people, geniuses like himself in their own rights, that he'd never met before.

Step into the ANBU, and suddenly, it would be as if the ANBU itself took you in, embrace you with affection and sit you in its lap, proceeding with informing you of its darkest secrets. That was it, the ANBU. A world where lies were as common as a stone on the road, and secrets as abundant as the air you breathed. And, of course, it helped that violence was considered as essential as breathing.

And through all that, the twists and turns, Uchiha Itachi had asked himself, had he allowed himself to be twisted by the ANBU? After all, his deed took its place among one of the most sinful acts, murder of one's own kith and kin in cold blood. And who else but a twisted person could sink so low as that?

He'd ignored it, those voices. He was outwardly unfathomable, no one could ever dream of reading Itachi's thoughts. Maintaining that took its toll on him. He ignored those voices, and prevailed.

And then, finally, there it was, the light at the end of the tunnel. Just when he'd condemned himself to consort with the Akatsuki and their plan of gathering the Bijuu, he'd received contact from none other than the Hokage.

Surprisingly, Sarutobi Hiruzen had already known quite a bit about the Akatsuki, and had initiated preparations. He was, apparently, in contact with a man who could wield The Apple, an artifact created by the Rikudo, capable of keeping the beasts in check, and once thought to be lost. When Itachi was told of the existence of the Apple, he'd been shocked, thrilled by the possibilities. He could be of help again! He was part of the Akatsuki, after all.

And once again, Itachi donned his mask. Not the same one donned at the ANBU, but yet a mask, one that could be worn so easily when he interacted with Uzumaki Nagato, the Leader. Orochimaru had joined too, on the orders of the Hokage, and the two of them worked in tandem, reporting everything to the Hokage.

And now, the war had begun. The Assassins were summoned, across many lands, across space, and time. And pretty soon, it would erupt with the fury of A Thousand Suns.

And amidst all of that, Itachi couldn't help but smile as he watched his only remaining family talk to his best friend. Sasuke wouldn't understand, but he would, at least, be happier, lead a happier life than himself.

"Tell….Tell Sasuke. Do not….Do not keep it from him. Let him know about me. And let him hate me for it. Let him hate me for being too weak to dissuade my own clansmen. Let him know the truth. Let him…know that Uchiha Itachi was no criminal that night….."

"Please…Hokage-sama…tell Sasuke…the truth."

With a sigh, Itachi stood up. Sasuke wouldn't understand. Sasuke might hate him for it. But at least…at least Sasuke knew that Uchiha Itachi was only commanded to strike.

Dispelling the Genjutsu for a mere second, he stared straight at the two boys staring at him with bated breath.

The next second, Uchiha Itachi had melded back into the evening air of The Village Hidden In The Leaf.

"That was Itachi."

The Uzumaki wasn't questioning Sasuke. He was merely stating it. Naruto had always been wary of Sasuke's obsession with his elder brother, the murderer of one of the most powerful clans to tread the earth. He'd been careful to avoid the topic, and he'd never spoken to Sasuke about it since the night the two of them had been told about Itachi.

And he was wary, as Sasuke turned back to him.

Uzumaki Naruto needn't have worried really. Sasuke looked at him, before smiling.

"So it was, dobe…It was Itachi….At least…It seems like Nii-san is still doing his job well."

Naruto looked at Sasuke in surprise, before grinning back at him too. As long as Sasuke was was taking it well, he needn't fear. It wouldn't do, however, to dwell on the topic. He punched the Uchiha's shoulder playfully.

"At least you're talking it well. So…Ramen, then? I'll call Sakura too?"

And as they walked out of the compound, still recovering from the shcok that Uchiha Itachi had given them, Naruto was glad. The time would come for the two brothers to face themselves. And he hoped to God it wasn't in battle.

Naruto tossed around that night in sleep. He didn't know why, sleep hadn't come so easily that night. And when he'd finally dozed off, it was an uncomfortable on.

He was running…from what, he wasn't aware of, but he was running as fast as he could, his heart pounding. And suddenly, he was in a garden….a beautiful one, filled with nothing but the most awe-inspiring red roses.

Stopping in amazement, he bent down, stooping, to pick one. And as he nipped the flower from it's stalk, he pricked his hands on a thorn.

And suddenly, he was bleeding…his hands were bleeding. He looked up, his eyes were obscuring with red…blood…blood everywhere. It hurt…It hurt… It hurt…It hurt… It hurt…It hurt… It hurt…It hurt…

And suddenly, the world exploded.

He was no longer in a garden. He was in a dark, dank, sewer, and something that had only appeared obscurely in his dreams now appeared in full focus, never could it have been clearer.

A cage separated him and the Nine-Tails. And once again, the tails swished and an eye opened.

Naruto gulped. The temperature had grown incredibly warm, as if he had sunk into a tub of boiling oil, and yet, there was no sweat.

"So…Uzuamki, we meet again….boy."

"How…why are we…."

"Why are we talking? Do not presume that I am talking to you. You are here right now, because you are at your emotional weakest, human."

The malevolent eye, fixed on the young boy flickered for a moment. The vision of the beast itself seemed to fade before regaining in clarity.

"Ahhhhh…..how much…how much time has passed since I have set sight on that…that thing? Old Man Rikudo himself wielded that once…"

"You're talking…about…"

"You do not know, human. You possess it not. Someone else wields the object. No. not one. I can sense it…I can sense five of your kind…Well well, human. We shall see. We shall see very soon. Am I to be united with that object, forced back to docile suppression, or will I roam the lands that you tread once again? We shall see, indeed…"

The world collapsed, and Uzumaki Naruto awoke instantly, trembling. His heart was still beating fast, and his jaw still trembled.

He placed a hand on his forehead. No…he wasn't warm, and yet…

Deciding to decipher what his 'meeting' meant later, he stood up to drink some water.

Yet even such a beast is tamed,

Wicked Demon, no more the same,

Now is seen, was hidden then,

T'was done once, now once again,

At the very same time, Uchiha Madara sat in his cave, a smile playing on his handsome features. He was gazing at the complicated contraption he'd just set up. A teal force-field seemed to swim in and out of sight repeatedly around the setup.

Getting up, he walked, slowly and surely towards the force-field. Pausing outside it, he observed the fine work of his servant.

"You have done very well."

"Thank you."

He stepped in slowly. Though he looked like his former self, Uchiha Madara was greatly weakened, just a mere shell, incapable of even the lowliest jutsu.

He walked in. The field did him no harm whatsoever. He could see the five segments, just like he'd ordained. Each of them looked like they could easily fit even the biggest of men.

Yes. Yes. It was all in order. The plan had been set in motion. The game had begun.

"We shall see who will win…"

He bent down, sliding his long fingers against the cold hard metal of the segments. Each segment, resembling a bunk, had a name engraved on it, signifying the person it would hold, the person who would lay in it.

The first one read Desmond Miles.

I'll reply collectively to reviews for this one and the previous one in the next chapter.

Cheerio!