The Many Minds of Namikaze Naruto

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any other shows, books, movies (Etc. Etc.) that you may or may not associate with this fan fiction. If I did, I wouldn't be here writing fan fictions, now would I?

Kyuubi's thought-speech

Thoughts

(Author/Narrator Commentary)

Introductions of new summons will continue to be less elaborate as the story goes on, partially for story purposes (to keep the story moving) and partially because as it gets more commonplace repeated introductions will become boring quickly.

A/N:

DDragon21: He will eventually be able to. He hasn't yet. He's getting closer, his precision is much better than it has been in the past.

If you mean the summons learning of multi-dimensions, it's a topic that will come up eventually. If you mean his allies…we'll see.

There will definitely be summon-related conflicts eventually

AvidReader: Thanks for the support. No flames about it yet as of the time I wrote this, but we'll see.

Doraemax: Thanks for the input. I actually did consider that idea, but I have an alternative approach for story reasons. We WILL eventually see at least some of what's been happening with the summons.

Orochimaru is going to be stronger than ever…and it's entirely my fault.

Don't be stupid kit. Someone that troublesome would have found a way to recover anyway…and, it could be far worse. The Sanbi can't have given three tails or more to him, so the two tails is the best he can do…even the Gaara boy can outdo that. Even SAKURA can outdo that.

Except that it's two tails on top of everything else…

Naruto paled with a sudden thought.

Do all the Bijuu have the same granted abilities?

No. Each has their own power…though the regeneration and increased physical ability are a common factor. Shukaku grants control of sand. I shapeshift and grant advanced senses.

And The Sanbi?

Water and Mist, plus an extreme physical durability.

Naruto relayed that information to Tsunade.

"That's not good news…" The elderly Kunoichi laced her fingers together. "But we'll deal with it. He's powerful, but with Jiraiya around, we have an edge. I don't want you worrying about this any more than you have to. I only told you for any insight you or…Kataki might have on the matter."

She sighed.

"I'm not planning on rushing out to pick a fight with Orochimaru on my own, but I can't say it won't worry me. I'll sleep easier when he's dead for good." He grumbled out the last bit. "If we can ever be sure."

Tsunade's sigh was more obvious this time. "There's more I need to discuss with you." She paused and glanced around to be sure the room was still secure. "Jiraiya's network has word that Akatsuki may be making their move soon. We don't know which targets will be first or even who will come after them, but you need to be on guard."

Naruto nodded.

"That's all for now. I'll let you know if they are spotted nearby."

Shit Shit Shit Naruto swore internally.

Orochimaru had made another move.

No one had seen it coming, no one had expected it. How could they?

That damn bastard isn't even a SHINOBI anymore and he is still causing trouble…damnit damnit damnit.

Orochimaru had sent a team into the village, and taken away the twice-damned Uchiha scion.

The worst part was, it made too much sense, that the honestly could have predicted it. The man who wanted to master all Ninjutsu, and who jumped between bodies as a matter of routine…of COURSE he wanted the Sharingan. That would end very badly. Very very badly.

Jiraiya was out on a spy run. Kakashi and Sakura were away from the village as well, and Kataki had tagged along. He could call her back easily enough, but there wasn't time for Sakura and Kakashi to get back…and their mission wasn't so casual he'd leave them without her help unless his own situation was dire.

Tsunade hadn't had any Jounin available, and only himself among the Chuunin. Their forces were STILL recovering from the invasion.

So he was forced to assemble a team from what was left. Tsunade instructed him he had only the resources he could get on his way out. It was urgent the sound team not gain any more ground over them.

That was why he currently had two dozen shadow clones combing each of the main streets of Konoha on the way to the gate. He wouldn't even know who they'd all found right away…

Naruto looked at the assembled team as they left the village gate. Three genin…Hinata had been first, then Rock Lee, and just before reaching the gate, he'd come across Shino. He didn't want to risk any of them on this mission, but he didn't really have much choice under the circumstances. "We form a line, Hinata, you're our lookout, take up the rear and keep an eye out for an ambush."

The girl nodded without hesitation. Shy, but at least she was collected enough when it mattered. "Shino, you're next, and I want your insects doing far scouting and tracking ahead of us."

Another nod, and a small cloud of said bugs quickly spread out into the forest. "I'm next, I'm our range, medical, and no offense meant, hardest hitter. Lee, you're in front of me, and your job is to take down anyone who makes it past my attacks."

Another thought occurred to Naruto, and he did a couple quick handseals. "Actually, here." Eight shadow clones formed and six of them shifted into perfect copies of his teammates. "Hinata, take the left, shino right, and rock lee center."

The group formed three rows with the real copies mixed in essentially at random, and began to move.

"We're close" Shino reported. "There are three of them...plus…a barrel. There is a trace of Sasuke's scent."

"A barrel?" Naruto considered.

Strange…

"Distance?"

"500 yards. They have stopped moving."

"Stop!" The timid Hyuuga girl shouted, and they immediately complied, looking her direction. She pointed to a spot on a tree ahead, where her Byakugan had spotted a paper tag, barely sticking out from behind the leaves.

Naruto looked around. "I see at least three. Are there others?"

Hinata nodded. "Five. There, There, There, and There" She pointed out the remaining four. "And a wire trap beyond them linked to more explosive tags."

Naruto nodded and gave some quiet instructions, dismissing his clones. "Hinata leads, avoid the traps, when you can see them, find us a clear path and point us in…Total silence until we've engaged."

The team moved forward quickly and quietly, until they could see the edge of the enemy's camp. Naruto used hand signals to relay "Stop. Wait for my mark." And looked over the targets.

It was the shinobi who'd formed the barrier during the invasion…minus one of them, the one he'd stabbed to break the barrier.

Dead, or just not here? I didn't bother finding out afterward…

One had extra sets of arms, and another had a second head hanging out the back of his neck.

Naruto wondered if those were bloodlines, or some sick experiment of the snake sannin.

The third target was female, with long red hair coming out from under her headgear, but was, compared to her teammates, fairly normal looking.

There was also a seal-marked barrel in the camp, which Hinata confirmed silently contained Sasuke.

Naruto turned to his team to sign a command…he would draw the group's attention, taking down one by surprise if he could, While Lee was to extract the target while the others cover a retreat.

But he didn't have time to give those orders as a kunai with explosive tags was suddenly hurled at the trees beside them.

They dove away from the incoming blast, avoiding the worst of it, but the surprise was over.

By the time they were back on their feet, the guy with the extra head was holding the barrel and the one with the arms was standing between them and the others. "You guys go on ahead, I'll catch up after I deal with these."

The girl nodded and the other two vanished into the trees.

"How'd you notice us." Naruto questioned as he tried to analyze the situation.

The many-armed shinobi wagged his fingers, where there was a glint of strings going off the the bushes and leaves around them.

"Web…" Naruto laughed. "SPIDER web? You have eight limbs and use a web? Could that possibly be any more clichéd and obvious?"

"Naruto-kun." Lee spoke up. "We do not have time for banter. It would be truly shameful to fail our mission because we wasted time."

Naruto frowned. He was right.

"Go Ahead. I'll take this fight myself." Shino interjected.

"Shino-kun…" Hinata saidwith a hint of concern.

"Ninpo, Kumo Souka!" The spider-nin exclaimed as he seemingly exhaled a huge spiderweb toward the group. "You don't have time to ignore me!" He laughed. "You really think you can beat me alone?"

Naruto wordlessly created a group of clones which slashed the webbing out of the air in front of the group.

"If you're sure you can handle him, Shino."

"I will meet you afterward, Naruto" Shino answered

With a nod, The two were left standing alone in the forest, though Hinata did spare a moment for a final worried look at her teammate. "Good luck Shino-kun"

"Hinata, could you tell anything about the other two? What we might be up against?" Naruto questioned as they moved through the treetops. They at least didn't have to worry about most traps this time, being only seconds behind their quarry.

Hinata was concentrating ahead to avoid losing sight of the target. "There's…one thing, N-naruto-kun." She explained. "The other boy…is actually two people. They are…their chakra is interwoven but I could still tell. It's like conjoined twins."

Naruto nodded. "Lee, If they split up again, I want you and Hinata to continue on with my clones. Me and Hinata will take whoever stays behind, but you have the best chance to catch the other before they reach their target."

Lee nodded silently, then... "Good luck, Naruto-kun. Hinata-chan"

"Look out!" Hinata warned, and Naruto was instantly on the alert as the conjoined twins leaps out of the trees ahead of them and tried to punch Naruto.

He easily caught the blow on his palm, but when two more blows appears from out of nowhere, he was knocked back in midleap. "Naruto Kun!" Hinata rebounded off a tree toward him, but he was already righting himself before hitting the ground.

Hinata, Himself, and the twins stood facing off, even as the clones and rock lee continued after only a brief glance.

The last member of the sound team didn't get far before Naruto and Lee caught up with her.

But the circumstances behind that were less fortunate, as a haunting flute echoed through the trees around them.

Naruto's clones froze. He could see out of the corner of his eye from one clone that Lee was in the same situation.

The world around them twisted as Genjutsu took hold of their minds and pinned them in place with illusionary ropes.

Naruto could see the girl step out from behind a tree, the barrel sitting behind her.

She was holding a flute to her lips, and her skin was covered in a pattern of black marks as the melody continued. Then, pausing her playing briefly, she put a hand to the ground and three large demonic looking beings came into existence around her

Kataki…

Shino stood calmly in the middle of a mass of webs as his opponent gloated.

Shino's insects had been caught in the spider's web, so to speak, and the boy himself was entangled enough that he couldn't move.

His opponent laughed as he prepared a kunai. "You should have known better. Now you're going to be squashed…like a bug."

He lashed out throwing the kunai, but with a sudden burst of movement, Shino tore free of the web and dodged. "What?" the enemy growled. "How? My webbing is too strong to tear through so easily."

"You thought catching my insects was victory…but your webbing is strengthened by chakra. And my insects feed on chakra. You are going to lose."

Blinking in surprise, the foe laughed as he skin shifted colors and his face grew horns and a demonic appearance.

Naruto lashed out at the twin shinobi with his blade, but was blocked by a Kunai.

"You're that brat that stabbed Jirobou, aren't you?" The main head questioned as he shoved back against naruto's sword with his blade."

Naruto didn't answer.

"No use messing around with you then, better finish this quickly." He grinned as a pattern of black crisscrossed his skin before giving way to a reddish tint instead, and demonic horns and appearance as he threw himself forward to strike at Naruto.

Not expecting such a change in speed, Naruto was caught off guard and couldn't even begin to dodge.

He was knocked down, but he did have time to lash out again with his sword, almost striking his opponent's chest.

Hinata gasped. "Naruto-kun! He's…"

"I'm what?" Naruto heard a voice from behind him, instinctively throwing himself sideways to get away from both potential attacks: from the front and behind.

This did nothing as the malformed red head snaked around to look at him from its connection point on his own shoulder.

"Looking for me?"

The fox turned girl didn't answer immediately, but then…

I knew I couldn't leave you alone without you getting into trouble, kit.

He felt chakra flooding his system as Kataki's mind began to replace the clone mind.

You can't…Lee doesn't know.

Then I won't change. But this needs to happen.

He would have nodded, but it wouldn't have achieved anything anyway.

The demons leapt toward them as a piercing note filled the air, and suddenly one clone was moving, powered by Kataki, the shared minds combined working to overpower the Genjutsu. It was still armed with the sword each clone had a copy of, drawing it from its sheath.

The first slash cleaved one of the beings in two at the waist, and another note echoed as the other two swung at him.

That was when he saw Lee moving…barely, jerkily, but moving.

A clone moved and that cleared it up. The genjutus was fading while she played the song that controlled the demons.

He ducked a blow and leapt straight up. "Shissou, Hishoumori" He intoned, and thrust the sword toward the girl suddenly.

She leapt aside mid-thrust even as he appeared in front of where she had been, but he backhanded toward her with the blade, swatting at the flute. A new tune began even as she backpedaled away from the attack, and he felt the Genjutsu trying to find hold in his mind again, to no avail.

Lee's movement and the clone's stopped, though he couldn't see that, and then the girls skin shifted colors as the black pattern was replaced and horns grew from her head.

Shino barely dodged a golden arrow as his opponent launched it toward him.

A sticky web nearly caught him, one his opponent had placed that his bugs hadn't yet consumed the chakra from, but he swung away from it using a branch…and narrowly avoided the next arrow.

His insects already crawled on his opponent's skin, but the shell he secreted contained enough chakra that they could not get through it quickly and he seemed to possess enough to keep them at bay for the moment.

The third arrow struck his shoulder and pinned him painfully to a tree.

Naruto swore, audibly this time, as he realized what had happened. He didn't know the full extent of why it was bad for him, of what the enemy could DO while hiding within himself, but he knew it had to be bad. This absolutely reeked of an ultimate technique, the trump card that was used to finish off the strongest opponents.

He felt a spike of pain in his gut. "You're done for." The head explained as Hinata looked on in horror. "This is my special assassination technique…Your chakra coils are so closely connected to your organs. With this, I can use them to deconstruct your cells, even the individual proteins in your body. You can't win."

Naruto scowled and felt liquid welling up inside his lungs. Internal bleeding?

"Hinata…" He coughed, then grinned. "You can do this. Take him down. Don't worry about me."

"N-Naruto-kun…I can't…"

The pace of the tune shifted drastically , and Naruto/Kataki faltered, the Genjutsu still playing at the edges of his mind. He leapt toward the enemy anyway, his sword coming down.

Only to be intercepted by someone else.

He simultaneously felt a rush of knowledge enter his minds as each other clone was dismissed by a sudden stabbing pain, and realized his sword had been blocked by a bone jutting out of the arm of a white haired boy.

"Kimmimaro…" The girl hesitated in her playing. "What are you doing here? Your body…"

"Sheer will. My will to serve Orochimaru is allowing my body to move." The boy answered. "I will take the vessel. You remain here and finish this trash."

With that, he moved quickly away before Naruto could follow, picking up the barrel.

It took Tayuya a moment to realize that Lee had been released while she was distracted and taken up chasing the white haired sound nin. Naruto could see white needles stuck in his back, but they didn't seem to be slowing him down.

"Shit…" She brought her flute up to her lips again and was about to play when Hishoumori cleaved it in two.

"No you don't" Naruto scowled. "I've had about enough of your crappy music." He grinned, revealing his fox-like canines as two tails and his fox-like ears grew out.

Shino coughed, blood spray coming out from his mouth and covering the inside of his coat.

He was in bad shape, and didn't have another plan as the enemy lined up another golden arrow and released it on a direct path for Shino's head.

It never made it as a veritable hurricane ripped through the trees, ripping at webbing, small trees, and branches and arcing the arrow itself wildly despite the control it's owner had over it's path

Hinata's hesitation almost cost her, as the other twin came at her with his body even more misshapen than before, now half made of some kind of chitinous growth.

She reacted fast enough though, to dodge the strike as a pair of shadow clones appeared beside Naruto and rushed the other twin. "Do it Hinata. We'll hold this one off, you have to take care of the one in me."

The girl hesitated, but ultimately…if she had to hurt Naruto to save his life, it would be worth it.

Still torn at what she was about to do, her Byakugan active, she jabbed a hand out at Naruto's shoulder, closing one of the foreign chakra points.

With Lee and the newcomer gone, and the threat of the Genjutsu taken care of, Naruto surrendered control of the clone body completely to Kataki, and the appearance shifted as claws replaced the sword as its primary weapon.

She lashed out at the sound shinobi, who leaned back out of the way and lashed out with a kick. The summons stood useless as the pair traded attacks. The sound nin was good. Whatever that transformation was, it had granted her impressive speed and strength.

But this had gone from a summon and Genjutsu battle, which she was clearly used to, to an almost pure taijutsu fight, which she clearly wasn't, and which was Kataki's forte.

A clawed hand barely grazed Tayuya's chest, leaving a thin line of blood, but nothing serious. Kataki grinned and suddenly leapt forward, ramming the momentarily baffled sound nin like a living projectile.

Lee ducked and dodged frantically amid a sea of bone spikes. He was fast, but the intensity of his opponent's assault was too much. He could counterattack, rarely, but it did no good as the bone simply blocked anything he did harmlessly.

He idly noticed the barrel sitting alone at the edge of the fighting, but knew he didn't have the time to escape with it even if he were to abandon the fight, something he didn't wish to do.

"What?! What are you doing!?" the twin possessing part of Naruto questioned as Hinata struck a second time. "You can't do that!"

Her hands blurred as they struck again and again and finally a hand emerging from Naruto's body caught her own, but a second strike from her other hand caused it to go limp.

The other one was fighting two clones that were keeping him at a distance with their blades, knowing his ability would, at the least, eliminate a clone, and at most, allow some fiendish control over it.

Hinata struck again and a body flew backwards out of Naruto's body as if dodging the strike. It still landed, paralyzing one of Naruto's arms, but he grinned. "Good job, Hinata-chan." He coughed up blood. "He ruptured something…but I should be ok now." He drew his blade with his good arm and turned toward the fallen shinobi.

"N-Naruto. There's someone else here." Hinata whispered, her eyes flicking over past the enemy Nin's form, where Naruto saw a sudden movement as something engulfed the Ninja.

Naruto had enough time to recognize it as a barrel-chested puppet before a series of bladed parts stabbed through it and a scream echoes around the forest.

The other twin turned in horror at the sound "Ukon!"

Wind buffeted the trees, knocking the spider-nin from his perch as a girl with a giant fan landed on the ground beside Shino. "Guess I should have moved a little quicker…I'll just have to finish this myself."

"Tch…You? Bah…" The Kidomaru sprung back to his feet and readied another arrow, but it didn't make it to its target as Temari unleashed another massive blast of wind from her fan, this one aimed directly at the sound shinobi.

The arrow tumbled through the air on the winds, sticking itself into the wood of a tree as the winds sliced the forest apart. Kidomaru barely had time to duck behind a tree before he was cut to ribbons.

A black clad figure came into view, fingers extended to control the puppets, and in the moment of distraction, Naruto lopped off Sakon's head with his sword.

Naruto moved in front of Hinata, but faltered as another twinge of pain ran through him. "You…what are you doing here…Kankuro."

"Heh…we were sent to assist the Leaf in eliminating a dangerous threat from a common enemy." He scowled. "Orochimaru tricked us. Like hell we'd ever want him to get stronger."

Lee panted heavily as he was thrown to the ground by blocking a strike from a bone spike.

That was when a virtual tsunami of sand crashed over the clearing and enveloped the bone-user.

"Sand?..."

Lee looked as Gaara descended on a sand platform, placing himself between the dueling pair.

"Gaara…what are you doing here?"

"I owe the leaf a great debt. I am here to repay that."

The sand began contracting around its target

Kataki growled as the sound nin dodged another attack, but it was ultimately pointless. Kataki was able to maintain two tails far longer than the cursed seal would last, as the form was burning chakra like crazy.

When the girl was finally worn down, Kataki finished her with claws to the throat.

She grinned, double-checking the girl was dead, and then let the clone dismiss as she returned to Kakashi and Sakura.

Naruto grimaced. Several of his organs weren't functioning. To anyone else, it would be fatal if untreated. To him it was just a setback.

He made a seal, unable to focus enough to form the clones without it, and four clones appeared. "Did anyone else come?" He questioned Kankuro.

"Temari and Gaara. They split off on the way."

The clones silently moved off in the direction they'd come from, toward where they'd left Shino. "Let go forward."

"Naruto-kun. You're…"

"Fine. I'll be fine. But Lee was in trouble, most of my clones got dismissed and another enemy showed up. He'll need backup. My clones will find Shino if he hasn't already come after us."

With a look of concern, Hinata nodded and the three, plus two clones, headed the direction the fleeing group had gone.

Temari swiped a streak of blood across her fan and swung, using a summoning technique.

The weasel with a scythe that appeared, and the winds produced, left the forest in front of her a disaster, not one tree standing for quite some distance.

A trunk lay across the half-crushed, now reverted to normal body of Kidomaru.

The sand coffin compressed with a sudden finality.

"Is he…?" Lee began.

Gaara didn't respond…he continued to focus on the sand, a look of concern on his face as the sand packed itself tighter around the man.

A spear of bone shot from the sand and narrowly missed the pair.

As the sand began to drop from the momentary loss of concentration, Kimimaro was revealed, his skin pulped and bloody, an eerie bone shell protecting his internals from crushing.

"Shino!" Temari heard a familiar voice call out, as two Naruto clones leapt from log to log across the clearing her wind had created.

They landed beside the tree where he was pinned. "Are you ok?"

"I will…live, Naruto." The bug-user answered. "But I need medical aide."

Naruto nodded, one of them beginning to carefully extract the arrow, now fragile from losing chakra flow, by slicing off the tip and pulling it back out.

"Thank you." His other clone addressed Temari. "I assume you did this?" He motioned to the devastated forest. And the fallen sound nin.

She nodded. "We were sent to aide your team." She still seemed a little nervous around the blonde boy sine the chuunin exams. "On another note…" She hesitated. "I wanted to thank YOU. Since you…well I don't know what it was, whatever you did in the exams…Gaara has…he's been so different. He's not..he can sleep soundly again, and his rages have been improving."

The clone working on Shino shifted shapes as just it's one hand became that of Holly Short and sparks of magic danced across Shino's wound. Naruto's skill wasn't enough to totally heal the wound properly, but he at least was able to jump start the process enough to slow the bleeding. And fix the slight nick to his lung.

"I know what it's like to be shunned like he was. I couldn't stand by and watch someone else suffering for something that wasn't his fault like that." The other clone explained.

The wind mistress started to step toward him, hesitated, her eyes flickering toward Shino, then stopped. "You still deserve thanks. Not just for Gaara. For me and Kankuro as well. He…he SMILES now. He talks to us. He still gets angry, but when he does…it's different. There's not the sand threat in him now. So thank you."

Shifting back to normal, the other Naruto clone helped Shino stand and draped his arm around him for support to help him back to Konoha.

"We're going to bring Shino back to the village. I'd ask you to head toward the sound and back up the rest of my squad, if you can."

Naruto and Shino turned to head back toward the village.

The fighting with Kimimaro was fast paced and intense, but neither side was taking any further injury. Gaara floated above the battle on a sand platform, sand blocking strikes even as Kimimaro shifted round avoiding both taijutsu and sand attacks in a sea of bone pillars. Those few that did "hit" hit on strong blocks protected by dense bone.

Hinata was the first to see the fight, her Byakugan scanning for the targets. She briefly explained what she saw as the five approached, but the last comment she made made Naruto swear internally. "Naruto-kun…I don't see Sasuke. The barrel is open, and he's not there."

Naruto scowled.

No…no way will I let this mission be for nothing.

Not for nothing either way kit, you've eliminated three dangerous enemy shinobi.

Not good enough. Orochimaru can't be allowed to get any stronger than he already is.

Then finish this quickly and keep going after him.

Naruto didn't respond directly. "Both of you, stay back, I don't think this fight can be won with puppets or the Jyuken."

Kankuro looked offended, but, like Temari, was somewhat scared of anyone who could beat down Gaara. If he said the fight was out of their league, he'd believe it.

Of course, there was also the brief flash of a red ring around his iris.

Naruto let kyuubi's chakra flood his system, knowing it would reveal his approach from the sheer feeling, but it would greatly increase the power of his strike and also accelerate his regeneration so he would stop being hindered by his wounds. Three tails formed behind him as he again released Hishoumori and the three identical copies of him thrust their blades forward, leaping forward to stab at the target without ever touching a point in space in between.

The blades found their target, who expected to need to dodge later than he actually did. They did not peirce nearly as deep as he would like, the shell of bone still protecting from the sand and Lee's blows.

Each blade stuck only an inch or two into the bony armor before sticking.

The boy last out immediately, spikes of bone seeking to impale the three. They got one clone and narrowly missed Naruto himself, who leapt back with his other clone and they each rebounded off a separate bone spike before thrusting forward, a sphere of orange energy leading. He didn't bother calling the name of the attack as they each thrust it forward, but that didn't matter…though he shredded the pillar of bone, his enemy had moved, phasing into the pillar and out another one.

"Naruto-kun!" He heard an energetic voice exclaim as it struck at the white-haired nin. "I knew you would be victorious!"

Naruto nodded in answer, glancing up at the floating sand shinobi as well. The boy only acknowledged him with a stoic nod at first, but then…he actually smiled.

That was all the time he could afford to spend at the moment on reunions. "Both of you, get back. I can take care of him but only if you're both clear."

Lee pushed off a pillar and flipped through the air to land near Hinata and Kankuro. Gaara merely floated away.

Naruto shifted his form as he prepared to use what was probably, when it worked, his most deadly technique. Jinora would never have approved. Jinora would likely have stopped teaching him outright if she'd known he was going to create this, but…against such an armored opponent, it was perfect.

He had managed to master changing his surface appearance even when using his collection of forms…so currently he looked like Naruto, but inside he was a slightly scaled up Jinora.

His clone attacked again and again to keep the shinobi bone-user occupied, while he began to move his hands in a complicated series of motions, manipulating the air around the duel and infusing it with a bit of his own chakra…which made it easier to manipulate even with airbending. He formed a sphere of dense air around the area, getting denser and denser as the fighting continued, and the air inside the sphere was getting thinner. With a final motion, he pulled the last of the air from the space, creating a vacuum around his clone and Kimimaro.

Several things happened at once...

His clone burst, the equivalent of a scuba diver ascending too fast causing an air embolism that killed the fragile construct. The same happened to Kimimaro, but in his case, this wasn't instant death.

No, for him the biggest threat was from the complete lack of oxygen in his already weak lungs. His body was already barely keeping his blood oxygenated, so when his lungs stopped functioning even as well as they had, it took very little time for his to lose focus, then consciousness. His body tried desperately for air, but it was no use. Naruto collapsed the bubble smaller when he was sure his opponent was unconscious, making it easier to maintain, and he died soon after.

Kankuro looked somewhere between impressed and terrified. Hinata was wide eyed, and Lee was quiet and unusually somber.

Just to be sure, Naruto stabbed the kaguya boy with his sword. It took some significant force to get through the bone shell, but without the threat of retaliation, he was able to get it done.

"Sasuke must have left on his own, or someone else slipped in and escorted him away during the fighting." He motioned to the barrel, the top open and empty. "Shino is alive, and on his way back to the village to recover, all our previous opponents are dead, Sasuke is our only remaining target. We need to reach him before he reaches Orochimaru. I think I can track him with a technique I know, so just give me a moment."

He sat down to meditate, sending his spirit out to find the Uchiha.

After about a minute, he stood up. "He's got about five minutes head start on us, I think. Let's move."

He noted that Temari had caught up while he was meditating, and then the now team of six moved off toward their quarry.

By the time they were caught up to where Sasuke had been when Naruto last tracked him, he had a sinking feeling. They were definitely over the border by now, chances were good that Sasuke had already arrived at his destination or at least, would before they caught up.

"If we are too late, If he reaches Orochimaru, then you need to run." Naruto instructed Hinata and Lee. "Don't waste time, just leave. Orochimaru is on a whole different level."

"What about you, Naruto-kun." Lee questioned. "We will not leave our comrade alone to face such an enemy!"

Hinata nodded in agreement.

"I'll be ok, if it comes to that. I don't have to beat him, I just have to buy time and then escape." He grinned. "Don't worry about me. I'll be fine." He looked at Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro. "I won't order you, but I'd give you the same advice."

Gaara was stoic. "Orochimaru killed my father, Naruto."

Naruto paused. "I'm sorry. I didn't make the connection…he tried to kill the closest thing I've ever had to family as well. I understand, but I don't think even you can stand up to him."

"The man was not family. Family would not try to have me assassinated. But he was the Kazekage, and for our village's sake, I cannot forgive that."

"Naruto-kun…" Hinata interrupted. "There's something strange up ahead."

Naruto motioned for the group to halt, and they did.

"What is it?"

"Genjutsu, a powerful one, permanently cast over a doorway. There are several traps around it and beyond it. I-I think we are here."

Naruto looked grim. "Can you see Sasuke?"

Hinata focused, her chakra flaring to her eyes as she stretched her limits to see further. She got a look of disgust, then horror on her face. "N-no. I can't find him. But…there are people down there. Lots of people. It's horrible, they…"

"It's ok Hinata. I understand."

She stopped, but suddenly stiffened. "Someone's coming this way." She paused again. "It…it looks like Sasuke's chakra…but…something is different."

Naruto had a sinking feeling. Why would Sasuke come to them? Was Orochimaru not here? Was this not his final destination?

"Alright, be on guard. Hinata, where is he?"

Hinata pointed to a spot on the ground where, Naruto noticed, he could already see a bit of black hair rising out of the ground.

But it wasn't Sasuke's spiked style. No, this was flat and straight, almost oily looking.

Naruto swore again, eyes widening. "Go. Go now!"

A dozen clones poofed into existence around him, and he ran, two clones coming with him as the covered Hinata and Lee's retreat.

Seeing the clones there to provide a distraction and Naruto retreating with them, Hinata and Lee didn't hesistate, and the group fled toward Konoha.

"Go back to the village." Gaara said monotonously.

"What?" Temari exclaimed. "We.."

"Will only get killed."

By now the grinning face of Orochimaru was fully visible. He seemed in no hurry as he slowly rose from the ground. He laughed a strange laugh. "You should listen to the boy."

Temari paled. "Gaara…"

"Go!" Gaara growled. "I cannot be distracted."

Pausing just long enough that Orochimaru emerged fully from the ground, She and Kankuro took off after the Konoha nin.

One of the Naruto clones growled. "Already? You already took him over? When you'd just managed to gain the power, even reduced, of a bijuu? Why?"

"Kukukukuku…you are a foolish boy. I would not have put it past you Konoha nin to kill my prize to spite me, had I waited, even if it cost you your lives. I do not need the power of a Bijuu to be strong, and I do not want another mind interfering with my plans, attempting to wrest control from me at the wrong moment. The Bijuu was just the means to an end. One I must thank you for inspiring, Naruto-kun." His face soured. "Though I cannot thank you for interfering with my previous plans. Kabuto was quite a useful tool, too. He would have betrayed me eventually though, so really you saved me the trouble of killing him later."

He chuckled again. "I know your real form is here, brat. You should have really left with your friends. Now I will have to capture you both…"

Capture…not kill. Naruto definitely caught that. Experimentation? Or did he want to use Naruto to create more powerful demon hosts? If that were the case he wouldn't need Gaara. What then?

"I expected you'd be upset about that." Naruto said. "No holding back then. I'll just have to use everything I've got and kill you outright."

The snake sannin laughed as Naruto made this confident statement. "Even both of you won't be able to kill me." He looked up. "Still, I will give you the honor of adding your techniques to my collection."

His eyes were red with three black tomoe.

Sorry for the wait, guys. This chapter kind of grew out of control. I kept saying I'd just write a little more, and release a big chapter. Then I hit 8000 words and was still in the middle of a fight and so I cut it off here and put the rest of it into the next chapter. Still a long chapter and the next one is shaping up to be another 5-6k words itself.

I'll try to get that one ready quickly, and I'll release it either next week or when I have the NEXT chapter after it written, whichever comes first.