Message: I'm sorry for leading the story into some confusing flow. I'm trying to use a writing style to make something better out of this, but if it seems not to be turning out of what I expect of it, then I think it will be better if I revert into telling the story in a more understandable format.

Author's Note: Less fights from now on. Editing of the whole story will be done once the post is done.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Changing Motives

Chapter 20 – The Great Intervention

Turtle looked impassively at the Konoha ninjas that stood defeated across the vision of three Iwa-nins that set foot with prepared stances, their calculating eyes lingering over the enemies, scrutinizing gazes almost yelling the need to end the little battle. He continued to observe in silence and mere meekness that no one seemed to have noticed his arrival. For the moment, he knew he needed to make some discreet movements for him not to attract attention, because he must take advantage of the situation to make a final blow. Even though how much he despised some ninjas in the large group of Konoha ninjas sent to deal within Takigakure itself, a little thankful he was for them buying his time to prepare for such things. He must understand the necessity of waiting for the exhaustion that loomed in battle, and, once it started to grow, his time to appear would come.

He must wait until he was sure that the Iwa-nins were out of their reserves. As most of tacticians must put it, it was better to let the injured enemies be handled by the injured ninjas as not to sacrifice the strength of ninja reserves. He must wait until the time for him to end the puny life of the worthless Iwa-nins would show. At the moment, he just wanted to know first how weakling those Konoha allies were.

"I never expected that these Konoha ninjas would last this far," the panting kunoichi in the group commented, flashing a sarcastic grin towards her adversaries. "So the reputation of the Hidden Leaf Village really lives on until now."

"That is one thing that the Tsuchikage wants us to learn, Sumi-chan." Moko said, going nearer to the woman, trying to block off the very small opening in their small battle formation. "I may be carefree, but I will never forget that we must never underestimate our opponents." Moko suddenly looked towards Nebi, who was looking anxiously towards the rooftop of a certain building not far away.

"Aa," Nebi answered, still not removing his eyes from the spot. Moko and Sumi started to tense when they felt the difference in Nebi's aura, a sign that an impending doom was already waiting for the right opportunity to take someone out. "We don't need to underestimate the enemy as they are, but also the situation at hand. Chances are that we are overly preoccupied in minding our present enemies without trying to prepare for something more epic." He made a motion to Moko. "Like that ANBU in hiding.

Ah… So that is why the young one is looking awkward, Turtle thought, smiling behind his ANBU mask. At present, there were very few people who actually had a very fine and attuned chakra sense, and fewer with those who could even trace the almost undetectable trace of ANBU chakra. It was impressive, but not really impossible. The ANBU knew that he wasn't a perfect ninja, and he knew the fact that he couldn't just kill off his chakra signature. He prepared some weapons in his hand, preferring a kunai that he took out recently upon his arrival at the scene.

Although one thing was in question.

Why was the boy not looking at his direction if he has detected an ANBU?

Annoying was one thing that Sasuke hated in his life. It was one of the very essences of life that would make him snarl, because it gave him some worst of feelings whenever possible. Annoying was something he wanted to not to experience. He would like to be always in peace, and so he hated being annoyed. Damn, it was the foolish perceptions of those annoying things that scattered the petty words that he was brooding. If he had just the time and the capabilities (though he would not do it, of course), he would want to broadcast that he wasn't brooding – he was concentrating, for Kami's sake!

But of course, it was one of Sasuke's rare imaginations, that he would subject himself into a very childish predicament that he warranted having a very childish solution. There was no way in the nine circles of hell that he'd be clarifying things into the public. He would do that, if the thing was of necessity or deserved the attention of a proud and great Uchiha. But it would just be too petulant to think of being affected by a misconception. He was an Uchiha, and there would be no more Uchiha that acted like a kid.

But it would also always be the fact that he didn't want to be involved in instances where annoying was the general matter. In that particular fight, it was already irritating that Sasuke couldn't simply defeat his enemy. It was because of immortality that made Hidan a tough adversary, and Sasuke couldn't take it very lightly. He could – he had done it, actually – resort into using his devastating jutsus, only for him to know that Hidan lives against his hellish attacks. He had finally realized that if he wanted to win, he needed to wait.

But waiting wasn't its real complexity when someone of Hidan's character was present around. The man was damn annoying, and his loudness was intolerable. With his loud curses that rang throughout the hall, Sasuke wanted to remove his hearing sense for him to be able to concentrate.

It was then he decided that he could consider Hidan as one of the very few deities of Annoying incarnate, a terrible being masked by a human body. He could not contain his own infuriation against his very loud and obnoxious opponent. Even though how much composed he was, there was no telling if how much his temper could hold him. Sasuke needed to think of better ways to defeat the enemy quickly – he didn't want to admit it, but fighting an immortal enemy was a painstaking task against his chakra stores and it made him wet.

In the time when the worst of all came, Sasuke had finally realized that he needed to return into usage of lower-rank techniques, those that didn't cost him much chakra. He found it effective to person like Hidan though; who could have known that the man had such very low perceptive skills? With that, Sasuke found it amusing that the small water jutsus he was using were more effective than his most caustic ones.

"How many times do I need to freakin' tell you that you can't drown me?!" Hidan made another round of his almost nonsensical babbling, which did not amuse Sasuke as he did in the first time that their battle went. The immortal scythe wielder charged for another time, making a random but powerful jab against his enemy.

Sasuke easily evaded the petty attack, but made a mental note that every dodging that he was doing was making its toll against his strength and finesse. The longer that their fight ensued, the more fatigued his body became. It was such shame that he didn't have any amazing amount of stamina to fight for very long periods.

"Water Release: Snake's Mouth!" Sasuke cast the same jutsu for the fourth time in their fight, large amounts of water being summoned, taking form of a huge snake. At the moment its form was completed, it went directly towards Hidan's direction, its mouth opening to swallow the enemy. Hidan, being unable to make an evasive maneuver due to the backlash of his power attack, was consumed by the jutsu. He felt the drowning experience for another time, cursing the Uchiha under the pressure of the liquid. The water subsided, and he was taken in a slight distance away from the washing water.

Sasuke would want to smirk in watching how Hidan got easily swept away by the water, but he found himself unable to do so. Hidan was immortal, and that very fact was somehow uncomfortable to know. He could not think of any actions that could possibly end the life of the stupid ninja, and he was indeed running out of time and chakra in discernment of such plan.

He suddenly saw Naruto's ojisan, Kakumo, from the open door of the large hall running in full might. It wasn't really surprising in his part to see that the person wandering about Takigakure, but seeing him in a different perspective was another thing. If not for Naruto's unusual protectiveness of the man, then he would kill the man in sight. The sudden appearance of a man having a Sharingan was unsettling to Sasuke's part. He knew that the whole Uchiha clan was slain that night, and he was sure that there must have been no more people to carry it. Unless Kakumo was out of the village that time or it wasn't from him. Sasuke deeply believed the latter – that his Sharingan didn't belong to him, as Kakashi's eye was.

An Uchiha or not, Sasuke would want to know where that eye had belonged before he could kill him. As far as he could remember, the Uchiha Clan kept records of every clan members that would be killed in action, or died of disease, or anyone who had passed away. It was a standard operating procedure in the clan, especially that there were people who were interested into studying the special capabilities of their eyes. It was one way to protect the thing that made the Uchiha Clan famous and strong, and the clan did make sure that the secrets of their eyes remained to the clan itself.

He had long tried to forget how Kakashi acquired his own Sharingan, but it was pressing issue that took him to think that there had been some infiltration issue that had occurred in the past. It meant that the clan had been somehow penetrated in the past. Sasuke would not want to believe that, of course. But the appearance of another person with the Sharingan eye clearly disturbed him. That meant there were more things that had happened to the Uchiha Clan before that warranted his attention.

After some three seconds, Sasuke's eyes widened in surprise when his eyes caught glimpse of another ninja running, trailing the path that Kakumo took. He didn't expect to see that person again, that ninja with the silver hair and a masked face. Of all the places in the world, why would he found him there?

Why was Kakashi there? A suspicion quickly followed his thoughts when he realized that Kakashi was indeed trailing behind Kakumo, and it meant that he was just following the latter. There was something wrong in that sight, a scene where Kakashi should have been chasing Kakumo because he was an enemy. But from the looks of the eyes of the two (the Sharingan was helpful to see the most negligible figure in that distance), Sasuke was sure that there was some hidden determination lingering around, a concealed goal that both of them were trying to achieve.

It was a good thing that the duo hadn't noticed him, or maybe not realized who he was.

But then, what was it?

Sasuke, not missing the slight difference in the displacement of air, was able to dodge another surprise attack from Hidan, who cursed for not being able to make another hit. The Uchiha hastily held onto his katana, making a huge slash attack against his attacker. The former was successful into taking down the enemy, when something unexpected happened.

Hidan suddenly turned into a puff of smoke. Sasuke quickly spun to the opposite direction, and tried to jump away from his spot. He knew that he was too late when he felt a stinging sensation that erupted in his back, a long trail of lacerating pain travelling in its length. Sasuke ignored the insignificant pain on his back, still continuing to move away from Hidan.

After bringing himself out of the spot, Sasuke tried to reach out his back, trying to calculate the type and severity of injury he had acquired from Hidan. Realizing that his evading of the enemy's attack actually helped, Sasuke concluded that Hidan had just scratched him with the very pointed tip of Hidan's scythe. He gave a threatening gaze towards Hidan.

Hidan had a grim smile. His face was twitching erratically, a signal that he would seem to spill up every hidden snicker and demise he hid from the battle. His eyes turned into an unusual orb of malice and ecstasy. He looked back at Sasuke indignantly, a devilish look lingering in his very eyes. "Now I got the most special thing for me to able to defeat you!" Hidan suddenly shouted, his voice thundering as if he had already achieved success. He proceeded into putting his hand inside his cloak and obtained a short metallic thing from it. He held the piece of metal in its thickest diameter, whipping it in sheer force that it revealed itself to be a retractable piece of spike. "You will witness how Jashin-sama gives pleasure to the people who serve him well!" Hidan announced, and suddenly pierced his thigh with the spike.

Sasuke looked in hidden surprise when his enemy did that. Why in the world would he need to hurt himself?

Hidan felt the pain and pleasure he felt when he was wounded. Hurting himself was certainly out of the normality of life, but it gave him the oddest sensation of elation that could never be felt from normal things alone. It had disgusted many, but he knew he would never forsake his methods from the insight of other people. There were just too much pleasure in serving Jashin, and Hidan would forever be his humble servant for being able to relinquish the most enjoyable feeling in the world. He slowly lowered his head and watched his own blood flow out from his wound, feeling the warmness of the red fluid in his very skin. It was in blood that his religion and his methods were revolving, and he was very happy to see those red fluids be flowing from everything... Blood dripped into the floor, and the small trickling sound from it delighted Hidan's ears. He looked again at Sasuke, who was watching him with bizarre amusement. "Now, the serving of Jashin-sama will start now! You little shit will experience hell soon."

With his foot, Hidan started to form some figure from his blood, a similar drawing of his own amulet. In a short time, he was able to complete the figure – an almost perfect copy that had been drawn with great precision. It may have taken Hidan to perfect drawing the figure with his feet for him to be able to do it in a short time and in great exactness. "Witness how Jashin-sama gives me his power!" With the final statement, Hidan licked the blood of Sasuke in his scythe, swallowing it in pure smoothness. His skin suddenly turned into black, with some bone-like marking covering some prominences in his body.

"Let's make this slow and painful, shall we?" Hidan talked to Sasuke before he plunged his spike into his uninjured thigh. He quickly looked at Sasuke, anticipating a quick response because of his ritual.

Sasuke just smirked.

Hidan's eyes widened in surprise as his expectation quickly faltered in his mind. "What the fuck?!" He cursed as he thrust his spike into his abdomen, somewhere over his spleen, to confirm the reality of what was happening. Seeing the still smirking expression from Sasuke, Hidan hid his spike for the moment, as he panicked in his own supposed to be advantageous situation. "What the hell did you do, you asshole?!"

"I just destroyed the consistency of your plan." Sasuke answered, making another tight hold of his katana. "Now that what you're planning is rendered ineffective, I can see to it that you may have a weakness, after all." He said before he disappeared from Hidan's side and emerged beside him. Sasuke gave a hit to Hidan's side, causing a large gash of wound throughout his right torso. He was also able to pierce Hidan's stomach before he retreated back into his spot.

"You ingrate! I will crush you to death!" Hidan said as he took the sensation of pain from the wounds Sasuke gave him. He finally noticed that the attacks made by Sasuke had pushed him off his ritual circle – the sacred spot that made his jutsu successful. Taking a quick look towards the symbol, Hidan finally realized Sasuke's answer from lately. Consistency... the word echoed throughout his mind. "Fuck you..." The words were full of rage and vexation. He suddenly whirled towards Sasuke's direction.

"You're slow brain finally realized?" Sasuke talked.

"You weren't foolishly drowning me lately, but you were trying to make the whole place wet..." Hidan spoke of his realization. He looked back at his ritual symbol as his blood he used to draw was being washed away by the water of Sasuke's jutsu's remnants. "For me not to be able to fuckin' draw." Hidan was finally brought under another dawn of realization. "Hey! You knew my jutsu!"

"I thought to you were brainless." Sasuke sighed.

Hidan tried to make another attempt to attack when he was suddenly stopped when a number of ninjas suddenly arrived at the place. "Uchiha-san, we're glad that you have finally left him unable to perform his jutsu." A masked individual dropped directly in front of Sasuke, his head bowing in deep respect. "Our leader will be very glad of this progression."

"Be glad that in this time I am willing to perform the tasks you're leader is giving me." Sasuke answered emotionlessly, but the hints of his disdain and annoyance were present in his tone. "Yet I must say that you're information was commendable."

"That is most kind of you, Uchiha-san." The masked ninja replied, making another small bow towards Sasuke. "We are also tasked to help you dispose of your enemy. Should you want our help?"

"I can take care of this myself." Sasuke answered.

"Just make sure of that, Uchiha-san." The masked ninja answered, slightly puzzling Sasuke.

Naruto could not believe how flawless the simultaneous attacks done by Kakashi and his Kakumo – Obito – against their fight against Kakuzu. There was smoothness in the synchronized attacks and the coordination was almost simply perfect. It seemed that their movements were so choreographed and it was practiced for more than years. His Uncle Kakumo – err, Obito – had just told him lately that he and Kakashi were actually old teammates. He was also surprised by that fact that Obito was indeed and Uchiha and he gave his left eye to Kakashi. He didn't further his explanation how did he acquired a new eye in replacement of his old one. Naruto was surprised by that information that he simply felt satisfied with the knowledge. Through all the surprises and shock he had just encountered, Naruto wasn't able to ask about the present events – like how Obito did came up ending in Iwa if he was from Konoha?

Of course, there would be next time. And Naruto would want that next time to ask questions to his Obito-ojisan. He needed to know something about his uncle, because now he did know that the two of them shared a deeper connection – home. Naruto was inwardly glad that Obito was from Konoha. That meant that he still had his connection from his old home. It made him felt warm.

He continued to observe how Kakashi held Obito's left hand and flung him with sheer force away towards the strange eagle-like mask. Obito quickly flashed some hand seals, signifying the use of one of Uchiha Clan's signature jutsu. "Fire Release: Grand Fireball Technique!" The black-haired man cast a jutsu in mid-air, his giant orb of flame being formed and prepared to be launched. After the orb of fire started its pace in attack to its target, Obito quickly followed his attack with another jutsu, "Wind Release: Godly Wind from the Mountain!" A strong gust of wind came streaming towards behind the ball of fire. Once the winds reached the fireball, it intensified the power of the flame, making it bigger and hotter on its approach.

The eagle-like mask fortified its position, placing its four feet in a wider stance. It was then accompanied by another mask beside it, both of their mouths opening into impossible extent. The eagle-like mask released wind its mouth while its companion released a huge jet of water. The two elements provided by the two masks released reinforced one another in a blast of stream of water and wind combination, a hurricane of horrendous force coming to counter the larger fireball.

The two attacks met in the air, trying to outrank each one's level of power. After some seconds, nothing of the two attacks won against each one and ended up in a huge explosion of steam, smoke and gust that blasted outward towards the people inside the hall. Obito suddenly dropped crouching into the floor, slamming his right hand to the ground. Suddenly, a rock spike from the floor pierced the body of the mask that used water in its attack, immobilizing it in its place. Obito suddenly put a strong gaze towards Kakuzu. "Now, Kakashi!" His voice resonated throughout the place.

As soon as Obito called Kakashi's name, a spear of lightning sprouted from nowhere, its deadly path going towards the location of the mask that was impaled with the rock spike. Unable to escape easily from the spike, the mask received the full might of the lightning spear, its mask unfortunate to have been hit by the attack. With the power of the lightning focused, the mask was destroyed into pieces. It suddenly stopped in its plan to extricate, the body flailing weak into the ground. After some seconds, the threaded body dissolved.

The bull-like mask stopped its attack to Kakashi after it realized that the remnants of its attack that missed the silver-haired ninja hit another mask. It was too late to stop when the mask that threw water attacks already dissolved in its impaled position.

Kakashi smirked behind his mask as he returned to Obito's side to prepare for another attack. He jumped hastily towards the Uchiha. Upon reaching the other one's spot, he suddenly felt a headache and his body weakened in the sudden mix of fatigue and pain. His knees abruptly trembled and ended unable to support his whole body. He faltered and fell, with Obito catching him before Kakashi's head had hit the floor. "Kakashi!" Obito quickly called out the other one's name. "What's happening to you?"

"He's overworked, Kakumo-ojisan." Naruto suddenly spoke, which startled Obito. He'd seen that the blond ninja had gone near their direction upon seeing Kakashi wavered. Naruto looked at Kakashi's frail form, his own emotions towards the silver-haired ninja indiscernible. "He has been on the field for a long time now; I doubt that he had some time for him to rest." Naruto still looked impassively. "I think he was out at the same length as mine."

"Kakashi, you just grew older and then you went weaker," Obito commented, shaking Kakashi's head using the hand he used to support it. "We can't defeat him if you're acting weak!" The Uchiha yelled over Kakashi's ear. He quickly looked over Naruto. "Naruto, are you fine to fight now?" Obito asked, the tone of seriousness completely masking the usual goofiness in his voice.

"Yes, ojisan. I'm fine and we can––" Naruto was cut-off from speaking when Kakashi's hand reached over his own.

"No, Naruto, you still are not fine." Kakashi was able to speak in a straight and complete sentence even though he was now having difficulty breathing. He motioned Obito that he wanted to stand again, which the former complied with. Holding his chest in a sudden trance of pain, Kakashi looked straightly at the visage of Kakuzu who was watching the whole scene with the hint of total rage and anger in his eyes. "I can't l-let you destroy more… lives."

"With your present condition, you still think you can match up against me?" Kakuzu asked, his voice full of wickedness and malevolence. "All of you may have destroyed two of my hearts, but in your present state, I doubt that you can do anything more against me." The tall man said, evil looming in his very own shadows. "Now that one of you is incapacitated and another one not faring any better––" he took a small glance towards Obito, who winced under the extreme gaze, "––all of your hearts will be mine."

"I don't think so."

As the voice reverberated throughout the location, a large cube suddenly appeared from nowhere, moving in impossible speeds towards the other two masks of Kakuzu. Because of the shock of the rapid emergence, the masks reacted too slowly, them being hit by the large cube. The one with the bull-like mask and the eagle-like dust were suddenly pulverized into dust, the masks crumbling into invisible piece of nothingness. The last trace of the two's existence were suddenly erased from the visible realm, earning the surprised gazes of everyone inside.

Comprehension of what happened started to sweep into different people's minds, which quickly brought the attention of Obito who was still positioning his hands near Kakashi for support. When he finally realized who the owner of the voice was and what just happened to the two hearts, Obito didn't give Kakashi a chance to whirl and see the person for himself. He muttered a very soft apology before he hastily but precisely hit Kakashi's tenketsu and nerve points for him to render the jounin unconscious. It was Naruto who caught Kakashi when he fell again. The blond haired ninja looked curious towards Obito.

"Kakumo-ojisan, why'd you do it?" Naruto asked, placing the jounin safely into the floor.

"Kakashi doesn't need to know." Obito-Kakumo quickly answered. "I'm glad that he was able to help, but he will not be needed for now." He ended his statement as he noticed the arrival of more Iwa ANBU into the place. He approached the doorway of the large hall. When he finally saw the visage of the person who talked, Obito told himself to act as a very respectful ninja.

A small old man walked with authority inside the hall, his features easily comprehended as a sign of growing age. His head was bald and the last remaining hair in it was tied into a ponytail. He raised his chin up, looking at the people inside the place, his nose being the most easily distinguished feature in his face. His thickened eyebrows though didn't show much hair growth regression. Upon making a small scrutiny of the hall, the old man started to pull into his triangular beard, features of deep thought written all over his countenance. He put his gaze quickly towards Obito, his eyes already twisting into some silent rage and angered curiosity.

Without being prompted of what, Obito knew what the man exactly meant. "Ano…" The Uchiha scratched the back of his head. "I needed to enlist the help of every people I can muster to help Naruto. It's unfortunate that it was the Copycat ninja who was the only available one."

"Once we return to Iwa, I shall have you into some intensive interrogation of this treacherous ploy of yours, Obito." The old man said. "You've always denied my rules and acted in your own thinking."

"I'm sorry." Obito was only able to say, as he bowed his head in deep repentance. "But I only did it for Naruto's sake."

"Your actions are always rash." The newcomer replied. "You just made one of the greatest mistakes in this war."

"It was a necessary move, Ōnoki-ojisama." Obito replied. "I can have asked the help of more Konoha ninjas if that is what it takes for me to help Naruto."

"You still are hard-headed after all these years," Ōnoki answered, glaring at Obito. "I will make sure you will learn everything again."

"Ōnoki-jiji," Naruto suddenly intervened into the conversation. "Please relieve of Kakumo-ojisan first. If not for what he did, then I may have not survived the enemy." He looked pleadingly at Ōnoki, his eyes bearing the most truthful form he could ever muster.

Ōnoki planted a dubious gaze towards Naruto. Upon seeing that Naruto's features were really true to his words, he sighed in defeat as he returned his stare towards Obito. "I will not reprimand you anymore for today, but expect another meeting of ours."

"Thanks, Ōnoki-jiji!" Obito replied with his childish tone and grin while flashing a 'thumbs-up' to his kage.

If not for Naruto, I should have strangled you because of your disrespect, Ōnokithought before shifting his look to the enemy just looking with pure surprise.

"Kakuzu, it's been ages that I've last seen you." Ōnoki started, making a small grin to the Akatsuki member. "If you just didn't follow your old leaders back in the past, then you should have at least been working with me in decency now."

- End of Chapter -

Thanks for reading. Some of my friends are actually bothering me already about my next story. They rather seem to be excited upon the character I will be using.

Thank you again, and may everyone have a nice day.

Hey! It's Valentine's Day when I posted this! Happy Single Awareness Day! XD