Warriors of the Leaf

by Genichiro

Naruto and Sasuke are raised by Itachi to become two of the strongest ninja in Konoha. How will their training help them in overcoming the challenges thrown their way? Rated M for language and violence.

25. Fallen

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto; if I did, I'd have gone into early retirement with all the money I'd be making

A/N: Sorry for the delay in releases; a personal matter has kept me occupied. Enjoy the chapter, and don't forget to review

Chapter 25: Fallen

"So, that brat was able to take care of Pein after all, huh? Not too bad, I suppose. If only he knew just how well he was playing into my hand. With the eight bijuu we have now, I can easily accomplish my goals. I can get the kyuubi whenever I want to. Now, to get rid of these two," Madara thought to himself, as he was watching the end of Naruto's fight with Pein.

"So, the brat was able to pull it off. Not bad for someone who had to have one of his summons bail him out the first time we met him," spoke Kisame.

"Are you two ready?" asked Madara.

"Yeah," replied Kisame.

"Hai," replied Zetsu.

"Focus on the jinchuuriki. Konan should be more than willing to help us out. Let's avenge him, shall we?" asked Madara.

Zetsu, Kisame, and Madara charged out from where they were hiding, towards where Naruto, Sasuke, Neji, and Hinata were.

"Let's head back to the village; I'm sure the ANBU will be wishing to speak to you," spoke Naruto, while looking at Konan.

"Naruto! Three Akatsuki are approaching! They came out of no where!!" shouted Neji.

"They must have been hiding behind some kind of barrier that our eyes can't see past!" shouted Hinata.

"Damn it! Send the signal!" shouted Naruto.

"I don't think so!" shouted Madara, as he kicked away Neji before he could fire the signal flare he had. Konan attempted to strike Naruto from behind, but was stopped by Hinata. Sasuke drew his katana, and charged towards Zetsu.

"Kisame, he was your target! Take care of him!" shouted Madara, as Neji got up and got into his juuken stance.

"Well brat, looks like we get to play again. Are you going to have a summon bail you out this time?" asked Kisame.

"Shit... I'm exhausted from using so many powerful jutsu in combination with hiraishin. This could be a problem," Naruto thought to himself.

"Do what you can, Kit. It's four on four, so we have a chance," replied Kyubi.

"Indeed," replied Naruto.

Both Naruto and Kisame drew their weapons, and prepared for their duel. Hinata had knocked Konan away when she attempted to strike Naruto, and was charging at her one on one. Konan formed a pair of kami yari (paper spear).

"You were quick to stab Naruto in the back after he decided to let you live," spoke Hinata.

"I still have a mission. I attempted to take advantage of an opportunity opened up before me. Nothing you wouldn't do if the situation were reversed," replied Konan.

Hinata went silent, taking a second to dwell on what Konan was saying, before dodging Konan's attack.

"You would strike, would you not?" asked Konan.

"Maybe, but I wouldn't be so underhanded about it!" shouted Hinata, as she tried to knock Konan back. Hinata ended up going through her paper form. Konan took advantage of the opening, and stuck Hinata in the shoulder with one of her weapons. Hinata turned around, and pulled out the spear, staring at Konan.

"I wouldn't do that again, if I were you," spoke Konan.

"I could tell you the same," replied Hinata.

Konan was puzzled as to what Hinata meant as Hinata charged at Konan again. Konan prepared to allow Hinata through her, but found herself unable to alter all of her body. Konan was knocked back from a direct hit.

"What did you do!?" shouted Konan.

"Juuken; it's not a regular taijutsu. It attacks the chakra circulatory system of your body. Even if you pull yourself apart, a glancing blow can cause injury. You'll find that I can be just as tough as Naruto-kun," spoke Hinata, as she came at Konan again. This time, Konan backed away, using her kami yari to avoid being hit directly. Konan attempted to hide kami shuriken in her spear as she threw it at Hinata. The Hyuga was able to avoid the attack, and ended up near Konan.

"Kibaku Shi Renda! (Exploding Paper Barrage)" shouted Konan, as her form exploded into various paper projectiles. Hinata was able to project her vital organs from injury, but she was scratched up badly from the attack. Konan appeared behind Hinata, and attempted to pierce her heart with a kami yari. Hinata saw Konan, and spun around, dodging the attack, and knocking Konan back. Konan was surprised momentarily, but quickly recovered, remembering the Byakugan's ability to see in all directions. Konan picked herself up, only to see Hinata in her face. Konan tried to form an opening for Hinata to go through, but was unable to do so in time, being hit again by Hinata. Each time Konan took a hit, she found it becoming increasingly difficult to manipulate her paper form.

"You're starting to bother me!" shouted Konan, as she formed several kami yari, and backed away, throwing them towards Hinata. The Hyuga observed that none of the projectiles would be able to hit her. All of the spears ended up planting themselves into the ground.

"Ninpou: Kaika Shi Ouda! (Ninja Art: Flowering Paper Strike)" shouted Konan.

The spears in the ground opened up into flowers. Within a few moments, the flowers began to spin wildly. Hinata knew what was coming next, and took a stance in preparation to deal with Konan's jutsu.

"Shugohakke Hyaku Nijuuhachi Shou! (Protection of the Eight Trigrams One Hundred Twenty-Eight Palms)" shouted Hinata.

The spinning paper flowers began firing projectiles at high speed towards Hinata. The Hyuga started moving her hands at speeds barely perceptible to the naked eye. Blades of chakra cut apart the weapons thrown at Hinata. Konan attempted to hit Hinata with a kami yari, but it was cut apart before it could get to Hinata.

"Damn you!!" shouted Konan out of frustration.

Once the flowers had disappeared, Hinata went on the offensive, and ran towards Konan. Konan knew she had to keep her distance from Hinata in order to defeat her. Konan adjusted herself for long range fighting. Konan attempted to throw Hinata off with kami yari. Though Konan was unable to hit Hinata, she was able to keep Hinata away from her.

"It seems we are at a stalemate. I can't seem to hit you, while you can't do anything to me unless I am close by," spoke Konan.

"Perhaps, if you fought me before, that would be the case. But I've found a way around one of the limitations of juuken," replied Hinata, as she took a stance unusual to the style the Hyuga used.

"What is this? You can't hit me from that distance," spoke Konan.

"I wouldn't be so sure. Hakke Rokujuuyon Jin! (Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Blades)" shouted Hinata. Hinata started moving her hands around at high speed. Blades of chakra emerged from her palms, and struck Konan. Once Hinata's hands ceased moving, Konan was stunned. She looked over her body, and found that she wasn't bleeding. There weren't any cuts on her body. Konan thought what she saw was an illusion, until she felt pain rattling throughout her body. Konan hit the ground, while coughing up blood.

"What did you do to me?" asked Konan.

"I've sealed off your tenketsu; you'll be unable to use chakra for a while. I believe this will also make it impossible for you to use you origami jutsu," replied Hinata.

"Damn it..." muttered Konan, as she fell over.

Nearby, Sasuke found himself face to face with the cannibalistic Zetsu.

"I remember you from before; you were the one who was there after Orochimaru forced me to fight Naruto," spoke Sasuke.

"Ah, so you do remember me. You know, we were actually concerned about what could have happened to you. It could have been bad for us if Orochimaru got his hands on the Sharingan," replied Zetsu.

"I'm touched..." muttered Sasuke.

"Don't misunderstand; we couldn't have cared less about what happened to you. Our only concern was those eyes of yours," spoke Zetsu.

"Well, you need not worry. I took care of the snake for you. Consider that the one and only favor I did for your organization," replied Sasuke.

"Oh? I would say you're about to do us one more, in the form of handing your friend over to us. So, shall we?" asked Zetsu.

"Why not? Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu!" shouted Sasuke. A large fireball made its way for Zetsu. The plant-nin ducked into the ground to avoid being hit. Sasuke took a quick look around the area to see where Zetsu went. It didn't take Sasuke too long to realize what had happened to Zetsu. Sasuke took his katana, and spiked it into the ground.

"Raikiri Nagashi!" shouted Sasuke, as lightning chakra surged through the ground. The ground before Sasuke cracked apart. Zetsu emerged quickly, to see Sasuke making another round of hand seals.

"Katon: Housenka no Jutsu!" shouted Sasuke, launching multiple fireballs in the direction of Zetsu. Zetsu flipped in the air, and prepared his counter.

"Doton: Gankai no Jutsu! (Earth Release: Earth Armor Technique)" shouted Zetsu. The torn up ground below Zetsu jumped up and covered the plant-nin's body, deflecting Sasuke's attack. After Sasuke's attack finished, Zetsu landed in front of Sasuke, and started to charge towards him.

"Doton: Gankai Shidan no Jutsu! (Earth Release: Earth Armor Projectile Technique)" shouted Zetsu. The armor covering Zetsu split apart, and launched itself at Sasuke. The speed of the rocks combined with Zetsu's made it difficult for Sasuke to avoid being hit by some of the rocks, knocking him off balance. Zetsu used the opening to deliver a hard blow to Sasuke, knocking him into a boulder. Zetsu smiled as he formed another set of hand seals.

"Doton: Gan Funbo no Jutsu!" shouted Zetsu, as the boulder Sasuke slammed into opened up and swallowed him.

"Not too bad, Uchiha, but not good enough. This was entirely too easy," spoke Zetsu. He brought his hands into another set of seals, while focusing himself on the boulder holding Sasuke.

"Doatsusai Kyuu! (Earth Crushing Sphere)" shouted Zetsu. The boulder began collapsing into itself. Zetsu grinned, waiting for the Uchiha's blood to spray out. His expression changed to one of frustration as the boulder began to expand outward.

"Raikiri Shougekiha!" shouted Sasuke, as the boulder exploded, lightning erupting out of it and Sasuke's body. Sasuke's Sharingan was blazing at this point, and focused on Zetsu. Sasuke pointed his katana at Zetsu, staring down the frustrated plant-nin.

"I see my typical tactics won't work on someone like you. I haven't been challenged in battle like this since I was forced into joining Akatsuki by Madara-san," spoke Zetsu.

"Well, if you already have experience with fighting Uchiha, then you should know the outcome of this battle won't be to your benefit," replied Sasuke, as he charged towards Zetsu again.

"We'll see," spoke Zetsu, as he pulled up a rock, and used a jutsu to form it into a sword. Sasuke brought his sword to bear against Zetsu, who was quick to block Sasuke's attacks. Sasuke could only smile.

"You've told me something important without even realizing it," spoke Sasuke, as he took another swing at Zetsu.

"And what would that be?" asked Zetsu, as he moved his sword to block Sasuke's attack, and pulled back to respond with one of his own.

"That you are aware of my clan consisting of those who specialize in katon jutsu," replied Sasuke, as he avoided Zetsu's blade, and swung his blade near to Zetsu's head. Zetsu's plant head was scratched, but not cut off, due to his moving to avoid being hit.

"This is common knowledge. Why bother bringing it up?" asked Zetsu, as he stepped back, and brought his sword to bear on Sasuke. Sasuke was quick to move his blade back, knocking Zetsu's into the ground.

"Even though the evidence to the contrary is before you, you continue to use jutsu on the assumption that I'll only use katon jutsu, ignoring the fact that I've been using raiton jutsu!" shouted Sasuke, as he charged is katana with lightning chakra, and slammed it through Zetsu's sword, cutting off the arm holding it. Blood streamed out of the open ended limb, forcing Zetsu to fall back.

"Damn it all! I got careless. Everytime I've seen Madara-san in action, he always used some form of katon jutsu, never anything else," spoke Zetsu, while holding his arm.

"It seems that this is the end for you," spoke Sasuke, as he ran in towards Zetsu, preparing a finishing blow.

"I wouldn't be so fast to declare your victory. After encountering us before, you should know that each of us keeps an ace in the hole! Tenchi Fukushuu! (Nature's Revenge)" shouted Zetsu.

Zetsu's plant trap closed up. When it opened again, instead of Zetsu's head, there appeared a large mouth, full of jagged teeth, leading into Zetsu's body. Sasuke was unable to stop his momentum, and Zetsu ran toward's Sasuke, swallowing up part of Sasuke's body. The shock of being swallowed up caused Sasuke to drop his katana. Zetsu stood straight up, leaving Sasuke kicking his feet in mid air. Sasuke's arms were already swallowed up by the plant-nin.

"I love it when they kick and scream!" shouted Zetsu's dark side.

"I would rather they just go down and be done with it," replied Zetsu's white side.

Sasuke continued to struggle. With his arms trapped, he was unable to make any hand seals, therefore removing his ability to use jutsu. Within moments, Zetsu had swallowed up Sasuke. Zetsu closed his trap, and opened it up to reveal his head.

"Uchihas are rather tasty. I'll have to keep that in mind if we ever get a chance to fight Itachi," spoke Zetsu.

"How tasty was it?" asked a voice.

"Huh? Am I hearing things?" asked Zetsu.

"No, I would say that your hearing is working just fine," replied the voice. A person came out of the shadows of the nearby trees, revealing Sasuke.

"Wait, if you're hear, then who did I eat!?" shouted Zetsu.

Sasuke smiled, as he was thinking about something he discussed with Sasori before leaving the village.

"You have any advice for facing the members of your former organization?" asked Sasuke.

"I already told you everything I know when I first arrived here," replied Sasori.

"I know you told us what you know of their abilities. You've interacted with all of them at some point, right?"

"Hai, that is true. What are you getting at?"

"You must have noticed something about their personalities. There could lie some kind of weakness in that, right?"

"I see. You're right, of course. I never interacted much with the leader. All I know of him is that he claims to have never lost a fight. When that frog brought one of his bodies back, that was the first time I had even seen him. I know less about his partner, who rarely mentions a word during our meetings. Kisame seems to enjoy killing too much for his own good. Zetsu has a split personality. While he can be calm and level headed, which he is most of the time, he also, at times, can become a brutal sadist taking pleasure in pain of others. Drawing out that side of him may be of some benefit to you, should you ever have to fight him."

"Arigatou. I'll try my best to apply what you've told me, should I encounter one of them."

"I learned something about you from Sasori, about your tendency to revel too much in pain. I figured if I backed you into a corner, you would do something to that end. Knowing that you're a cannibal, I figured you would try to ingest me in some way," spoke Sasuke.

"So what? We're just back where we started!" shouted Zetsu.

"Not quite. That was no ordinary bunshin you swallowed up... it was a kibaku bunshin," replied Sasuke.

"What!?" shouted Zetsu, as he desperately tried to throw up the bunshin he swallowed.

"Too late," spoke Sasuke, as he used konoha shunshin to get away from Zetsu.

Zetsu went into panic mode, as he tried to force out the kibaku bunshin. He found it was resisting Zetsu's attempts to purge himself of it. Zetsu could feel the clone prepare for its explosion, forcing his body to expand.

"Ahh!!" shouted Zetsu, as his body exploded. Charred body parts leaking blood were all that remained of Zetsu once the smoke had cleared.

"I don't think I've had the pleasure of fighting a Hyuga directly before," spoke Madara, as he grappled with Neji.

"This would be the first time I've met a Uchiha in the field of battle," replied Neji.

"Well, we're both learning, now, aren't we?" asked Madara, as he dodged a strike from Neji, and moved to land a hit of his own.

"That's not to say I've never fought against a Uchiha before. I've had spars with Uchiha Sasuke before, once with Uchiha Itachi," replied Neji, as he knocked down Madara's arm, and prepared to deliver a blow to Madara's chest.

"Oh, fiesty, aren't we?" asked Madara, as he transported his midsection, forcing Neji to pass through him. Madara moved to plunge a kunai into Neji's back, only to have his hand knocked away again.

"Ah yes, it's like you have eyes in the back of your head, isn't it?" asked Madara, as he attempted to strike Neji again, only to have his strike blocked again.

"You shouldn't act so ignorant. I find it hard to believe you've never at least heard of the Byakugan and it's abilities in your long life," replied Neji, as he spun around to strike at Madara. The masked-nin swung his body out of the way, and sent his fist toward's Neji's head.

"Aw, you caught me. You're right, though I've never fought a Hyuga directly before, I am well acquainted with the abilities those eyes grant you," spoke Madara, as Neji ducked his attack, a delivered a solid blow to his midsection, knocking him back. Madara stood up, looking into Neji's eyes.

"I've heard rumors that my clan descended from yours at some point. Believe me when I say that those rumors are just that. If there were some link to your clan, I'd have found it by now. Your clan's arrogance is rather amusing," spoke Madara.

"I can say that our clan has changed for the better in recent years," replied Neji.

"Oh? Care to dismiss that bothersome claim?" asked Madara.

"You can make your case to the ANBU, Raiton: Raimou!" shouted Neji, as a net made of lightning chakra shot out from Neji's hands. The net cast itself on Madara, shocking him as it entrapped him.

"Well, this is different. I had no idea your clan used ninjutsu. I heard you were taijutsu specialists," spoke Madara.

"Taijutsu, even our juuken, has it's limits. Its my understanding of these limits that encouraged me to widen my range of attacks," replied Neji, as he collapsed the net around Madara.

"Well, I'll tell you this; you're going to have to widen your range of attacks a little farther than that," spoke Madara, and he disappeared from the confines of the net. Neji found himself unable to track Madara's location. Neji sensed something coming towards him, and moved enough to avoid taking a critical hit. A kunai went flying past Neji, cutting his shoulder in the process.

"Ah, so you do make aims to protect your one weak point. Interesting," spoke Madara, as he reappeared behind Neji.

"You even know of the weakness of the Byakugan? Impressive. Your the second person I've faced who was aware of this knowledge," replied Neji, as he turned to face Madara.

"Oh? And what happened to the first one?" asked Madara.

"I defeated him, and he's now a fellow jonin of Konoha," replied Neji.

"Don't expect the same of me. Katon: Kari no Jutsu!" shouted Madara, launching a burst of flame toward Neji.

"Raiton: Raikyuu no Jutsu!" shouted Neji. A ball of lightning chakra emerged from Neji's palm, and met Madara's fire. The two jutsu canceled each other out.

"You're the fun one to play with, aren't you?" asked Madara, as he dashed towards Neji again. Madara attempted to knock Neji back, but ended up missing, and getting hit directly in the gut, knocking him back slightly. Neji charged towards Madara, preparing to deliver a finishing blow. Madara attempted to transport his body again, but found it was not possible, due to the damage juken did to that part of his body. Madara was knocked back, and ended up coughing from the hit, though he was not in as bad a shape Neji was hoping for.

"I seems I have no choice but to use my trump card. Katon: Kasan Funka no Jutsu!" shouted Madara. Madara's legs glowed brightly. They lit up through Neji's Byakugan. The Hyuga could see the chakra flowing through the ground, and to a point below him.

"Shit!" shouted Neji, as he moved to avoid being hit by the attack. His body didn't move away fast enough, resulting in his being hit by the attack. Madara could hear Neji screaming, as molten rock made contact with his body.

"It seems it's over now..." muttered Madara.

"Not quite!" shouted Neji, as he appeared before Madara and took a unique stance that appeared to be a variation of one of his juuken stances.

"This is where it ends for you. Hakke Rokujuuyon Raishou! (Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Thunder Palms)" shouted Neji, as he began his attack.

"Ni Raishou!"

"Yon Raishou!"

Madara began to cough violently from the hits.

"Hachi Raishou!"

"Juuroku Raishou!"

Madara was trembling from the strikes as they were disrupting his chakra system.

"Sanjuuni Raishou!"

"Rokujuuyon Raishou!"

Madara fell back, lightning rippling along his body from the strikes.

"It's over," spoke Neji.

"Not bad, kid, not bad. Combining raiton and juuken like that... never heard of it until now. Your clan would do well to learn from you," replied Madara. "I'm lucky I can control my chakra so well. If not, I would be on the verge of death right now. Still, it's difficult to function."

An explosion appeared in the distance. The pair realized that's where Sasuke was fighting Zetsu. Neji could see Sasuke walking away from the blast. Madara used his Sharingan to observe the same.

"It seems they were kind enough to dispose of one of them for me. Yes, this indeed would be the best time to back down," Madara thought to himself.

"Alright, kid, I'll give you this battle, but the war has just begun. I'll tell you what, after I take down the kyuubi brat, you're next on the list. Later," spoke Madara, as he disappeared.

"Damn it! How can he still function? He should be lucky to be alive!" shouted Neji.

"Uchiha Madara is the only known user of the eternal Mangekyou Sharingan, gained through the taking of the eyes of one's sibling. That's how he's lived for this long. Even if it is damaged, as Naruto's description of him would suggest, it still seems to give him some kind of strange ability to avoid being killed from fatal attacks," spoke Sasuke.

"It would seem so," replied Neji.

"We should see how Naruto and Hinata are doing," spoke Sasuke.

"Right," replied Neji, as the two ran off to see how their comrades were doing.

"Not bad, brat! Not bad at all! Seems you still have some fight let in you after all!" shouted Kisame, as he blocked an attack from Naruto.

"Glad I could find a way to amuse you," replied Naruto, as he plowed his zanbatou into the Samehada. Naruto knew he was in trouble. While he was able to keep up with Kisame for the moment, he knew it would not be long before he wore out. Kisame took a swing at Naruto, tearing at part of his outfit, though Naruto was able to avoid his body being hit.

"What happened to that speed we saw a moment ago?" asked Kisame, as he took another swing at Naruto.

"You want to see how I took down your leader that bad, do you?" replied Naruto, as he blocked Kisame's attack. Naruto pulled his zanbatou back, and took another swing at Kisame.

"I wouldn't mind. I would think the one who took down our leader would be a little more of a challenge than this!" shouted Kisame, as he swung his bandaged sword again, this time hitting Naruto's arm, forcing the young blond back.

"Damn, that thing doesn't tickle..." muttered Naruto, as he felt the pain running up his arm. "What is it with that sword of his... I would rather it cut than this."

"If it was meant to be pleasant, then it wouldn't be my weapon of choice," replied Kisame, with a big grin on his face. The shark-nin charged at Naruto once more, who was forced to quickly pull up his zanbatou. The fight was starting to move in favor of Kisame. Naruto knew in the back of his mind that regardless of how well the others did, if he lost, it wouldn't matter.

"You sure are bothersome," spoke Naruto, as he pulled back his zanbatou, and prepared to take another swing at Naruto.

"You think this is bad? I'm just getting started. Hell, I haven't even used any jutsu yet," spoke Kisame, as he swung the Samehada as hard as he could, knocking away Naruto's zanbatou. Kisame pulled his sword back, and took a swing at Naruto directly, tearing away the flesh on the right side of Naruto's body. Naruto was sent into the ground. He gripped his side, his hands being stained by his blood.

"This is sad. I'm not even trying, and look at you, you're already on the ground. I wish I could kill you; I would be doing you a favor at this point," spoke Kisame.

"I wouldn't count me out yet... Kenjutsu: Hishou Ken! (Sword Art: Flying Sword)" shouted Naruto. Kisame came running at Naruto, not noticing Naruto's zanbatou had lifted itself from the ground, and was flying towards him. Kisame pulled back the Samehada in preparation to strike Naruto, right before Naruto's zanbatou hit him. However, at the last second, Kisame turned around, and knocked Naruto's zanbatou away.

"Interesting little trick, but it will take more than that to defeat me!" shouted Kisame. The shark-nin hadn't realized Naruto had been using the attack to give him time to prepare his next justu.

"Fuuton: Bure-do no Kuuki no Jutsu!" shouted Naruto, as several blades of wind chakra came flying towards Kisame. The shark-nin was only able to block his vital areas from being hit by the attack as he was knocked back. The Samehada absorbed the blades that hit it. Kisame quickly picked himself up, and started laughing at Naruto.

"Well brat, you really do have some fight left in you," spoke Kisame, as Naruto summoned his zanbatou back into his hands.

"Like you said, the one who took down your leader should be able to pose some kind of challenge, right?" asked Naruto.

"Ah, indeed. Well, now that I've finished my little warm up, I should get try to get serious. Suiton: Bakusui Shouha!" shouted Kisame, as a small lake emerged from Kisame.

"The same old tired thing, eh?" asked Naruto, as he jumped up on a nearby boulder.

"Old tired thing? Only the greatest users of suiton jutsu are able to perform their jutsu without a natural running body of water nearby. If I remember correctly, your Nidaime Hokage was one of the few from your village able to do this," replied Kisame.

"My apologies," replied Naruto, as he began forming hand seals.

"Fuuton: Gouryuukan no Jutsu!" shouted Naruto, as a large tornado formed in front of Naruto.

"You know, it's rare for me to use this one for offense, but for you, I'll make an exception," spoke Naruto, as the tornado made its way for Kisame.

"Is that so? Suiton: Suiryuudan no Jutsu!" shouted Kisame, as a large dragon formed out of the water.

"We'll see what's better. The dragon of the air, or the dragon of the sea! (Ryuu, 竜 or 龍, means dragon) " shouted Naruto, as the two jutsu met. Naruto's tornado absorbed the dragon, and continued moving towards Kisame; however, before it hit Kisame, it exploded from being torn apart by Kisame's attack. Upon seeing the shark-nin again, Naruto could only smile.

"Hyouton: Shin Renda no Jutsu! (Ice Release: Needle Barrage Technique)" shouted Naruto. Several senbon formed of ice emerged from the water, and stuck into Kisame's form, making him look like a porcupine. Kisame looked down at his body, then back up at Naruto. A small grin formed on Kisame's face as his body exploded into water.

"Mizu bunshin!?" shouted Naruto. Seconds later, Kisame emerged from the water, and knocked Naruto in. Kisame drew his Samehada, and rapidly swam at Naruto, roughing him up, and tearing away at his flesh. The water around Naruto turned red, as each hit of the Samehada tore away parts of Naruto's body. Kisame backed away, and prepared his next jutsu.

"Suiton: Goshokuzame!" shouted Kisame. Naruto attempted to make his way back to the surface when a water entity in the form of a shark attacked him. It was followed by another, and another, until Naruto found himself surrounded by five sharks.

"This is getting tiring. I'm tired of playing around with this freak!" thought Naruto.

"Fuuton: Gouryuukan no Jutsu!" shouted Naruto, as a tornado formed around him. The powerful rotation of the jutsu destroyed the five sharks. Naruto made his way back to the surface, only to see Kisame had already prepared his next jutsu.

"Suiton: Daibakufu no Jutsu!" shouted Kisame, as a column as water slammed itself into Naruto, knocking him into the boulder he had been standing on before with enough force to crack it. The force caused Naruto to drop his zanbatou into the water. When the jutsu was finished Naruto, tried to pull himself up, only to see Kisame in front of him.

"Well, brat, looks like this is over," spoke Kisame.

The shark-nin pulled up the Samehada, and placed it near Naruto. He began absorbing what was left of Naruto's chakra through the sword as a thick mist began to roll in.

"Uh... he's draining me... is that why my vision is getting fuzzy..." Naruto thought to himself.

"Kit... I'm not sure... but something's off about this mist..." replied Kyubi.

"What's with this mist? This isn't my doing..." muttered Kisame.

Kisame continued draining Naruto, until he felt a kick to his face, knocking him away from the young blond.

"What the Hell!?" shouted Kisame, as he picked himself up.

"Well, fish-face, seems you haven't changed much," spoke a voice from the mist.

"What the... Zabuza!!" shouted Kisame.

"Oh, still recognize me, do you?" replied Zabuza.

"Zabuza..." muttered Naruto, as he tried to pick himself up. He was slightly disoriented from his lack of chakra, but was able to stand.

"Geez, kid, you telling me that after handling me three years ago this freak is giving you trouble?" asked Zabuza.

"I had to take down their leader on my own before. If I had known he was going to be here, I'd be treating you to fresh sushi right now," replied Naruto.

"Please, five more seconds, and I'd be sending a blond, gift wrapped, off to our base," spoke Kisame.

"Are you really that bad off?" asked Zabuza.

"I would have been fine for another few minutes. I'm sure I would have been able to come up with something before he drained me completely," replied Naruto.

"I'll accept that. You've done what you need to. Leave fish-head to me," spoke Zabuza.

"No problem," replied Naruto.

"I'm not about to let you stand in the way of capturing my target!" shouted Kisame, as he charged towards Zabuza, slamming the Samehada into Zabuza's Kubikiri Houchou.

"Is that so?" asked Zabuza, as he pulled his sword back, and swung it towards Kisame's head.

"That's right, you, who were the weakest of us," replied Kisame, as he moved the Samehada to block the Kubikiri Houchou.

"That may have been true back then, but I've gotten a lot stronger since then," spoke Zabuza, as he spun around, and swung his sword towards Kisame's mid-section. Kisame jumped back, only having his cloak cut by the strike. Kisame pulled back the Samehada and took another swing at Zabuza. Zabuza ducked down, avoiding getting hit in the face with the demonic sword, but the flesh on his right shoulder was torn away.

"That bastard weapon of yours still leaves a nice mark behind," spoke Zabuza, as he pulled back the Kubikiri Houchou, and took another swing at Kisame. This time around, Kisame's arm was cut. The shark-nin's movement prevented him from losing his arm.

"So you've gotten faster with that thing. I'll give you that much," spoke Kisame.

"My speed isn't all that I've worked on over the years since we last encountered one another. Kenjutsu: Suijin! (Sword Art: Water Blade)" shouted Zabuza, as the Kubikiri Houchou absorbed some the water.

"What, you plan on drinking some of that later, or something?" asked Kisame.

"No, I plan on shoving it down your throat," replied Zabuza.

The two former Kiri-nin ran at each other, swinging their swords at one another. At first, it appeared that the two had locked their blades together. Kisame grew a small smirk on his face, thinking Zabuza's jutsu was all show. His smirk disappeared when a small cut appeared on his face.

"What that Hell... muttered Kisame.

The two pulled back their weapons, and took another swing at one another. The two slammed swords again. This time, Kisame had a small cut on his leg. At this point, Kisame backed away from Zabuza.

"What is going on!? I blocked both of those strikes!" shouted Kisame.

"Are you so sure?" asked Zabuza, as he ran at Kisame, taking another swing at the shark-nin with the Kubikiri Houchou. Kisame attempted to block, but was surprised to see what looked like an illusion of Zabuza's sword extending past the weapon's normal reach. The Samehada absorbed the part of the watery blade that hit it, but Kisame was left with a cut going across his chest.

"I take it you noticed that time?" asked Zabuza.

"What did you do!?" shouted Kisame.

"While working on my kenjutsu, I happened to come across a man named Sarutobi Asuma. He challenged me to a friendly spar. This guy was armed only with trench blades. I thought he was a little out of his league, but I figured he had an idea of what he was going. The spar ended with him besting me. I was surprised several times by his weapons. I thought I had gotten around them, but it turns out he was able to extend the length of them by channeling his chakra through the weapons. His weapons were made of a special metal that conducted chakra, similar to the sword Uzumaki Naruto wielded when I first met him. I had the Kubikiri Houchou reforged with this metal, allowing the creation of my new jutsu," explained Zabuza.

"Interesting, I'll give you that, but it will take more than that to defeat me," spoke Kisame, as he began forming a set of hand seals. Zabuza followed suit.

"Suiton: Suiryuudan no Jutsu!" shouted Kisame and Zabuza. Two watery dragons emerged from the water, and charged at each other, tangling within one another. The two forms spiraled up into the sky, and exploding into a shower as the two forms attempted to plow through each other. Kisame and Zabuza ran at each other, holding up their large swords, and slammed into another another. The two exploded into water. The real pair emerged from the water, and took a similar swing at one another, causing the water around them to erupt into a small torrent.

"Still using mizu bunshin, huh?" asked Zabuza, as he pulled back the Kubikiri Houchou, and swung it towards Kisame's midsection.

"Nothing you didn't do," replied Kisame, as he pulled back the Samehada, and swung it into Zabuza's attack. The two pulled their weapons away from each other. The remaining bandages covering the Samehada fell off. It was then that Zabuza noticed something strange about the Samehada. There appeared to be a small burn mark on the weapon, as if it had been hit by a powerful, concentrated jutsu. A small smile appeared on Zabuza's face behind his mask. The two former Kiri-nin backed away from each other. Kisame prepared another one of his jutsu.

"Suiton: Suikoudan no Jutsu!" shouted Kisame. Several water sharks came rushing towards Zabuza. The masked-nin responded by pulling the Kubikiri Houchou back.

"Kenjutsu: Onha! (Sword Art: Sonic Wave)" shouted Zabuza, as he swung his sword, sending out a powerful burst which blew away Kisame's jutsu, and knocked the shark-nin off balance. Zabuza came running in from behind the attack, and swung his sword at Kisame. Kisame pulled back the Samehada, and blocked Zabuza's strike, while attempting to regain his balance.

"You have learned some new tricks, haven't you?" asked Kisame, as he blocked Zabuza's attack, and jumped back a little.

"If you liked that one, you'll enjoy the next one," replied Zabuza, as slammed the Kubikiri Houchou into the Samehada. When Zabuza pulled back his sword, it tugged Kisame's for a moment.

"That was strange... must have got caught up in the scales..." thought Kisame.

Zabuza could only smile as he charged chakra into his sword.

"There's one last thing I learned while I was in Konoha, care to see?" asked Zabuza, as he pulled back his sword.

"Oh? What else did those losers teach you?" replied Kisame, as he pulled up the Samehada to block.

"I learned of my secondary chakra nature, wind, and of its strength!" shouted Zabuza, as he swung the Kubikiri Houchou with all the strength he had. The force he used, along with the aid of wind chakra, caused Zabuza to cleave through the Samehada. The chakra stored in the demonic weapon caused a small explosion, knocking back Kisame and Zabuza.

"Impossible!!" shouted Kisame.

Zabuza stood up, and pointed his sword at Kisame.

"It's over," spoke Zabuza.

"How can this be?" asked Kisame.

"I don't know what happened to you before this fight, but your sword was damaged somehow. There was a weak point in your sword that I was able to take advantage of," replied Zabuza.

Kisame thought over what Zabuza had told him. It was then he remembered what had taken place when the Akatsuki took in Kirabi, and how his raiton jutsu could have destroyed the Samehada. He stood up, thinking of ways out of his situation. He found he could think of nothing, his spirit broken along with his weapon.

"I surrender..." muttered Kisame.

"So, you have use of wind natured chakra, too, huh?" asked Naruto, as he walked over to Zabuza. The water in the area disappeared, as Kisame gave up on his fight. As soon as Naruto was beside Zabuza, the remaining water had disappeared.

"Yeah, another thing I picked up from Asuma were exercises on how to discover your secondary chakra natures. He was thrilled when I told him mine was wind," replied Zabuza.

"I see. Looks like he showed you quite a few things," spoke Naruto.

"Naruto!!" shouted Sasuke and Neji, as they ran towards the area where fighting had been taking place before. Naruto took a defensive stance, not willing to take anything to chance.

"Easy, guys, hold on a moment," spoke Naruto.

"Naruto, Itachi's going to burn down the house," replied Sasuke.

"I see," spoke Naruto, as he relaxed his stance.

"A pass phrase, eh? Smart," spoke Zabuza.

"More like an inside joke, but it serves the same purpose," replied Naruto.

"He really could burn down the house with his cooking... as in lack of ability in cooking. How did things go here?" asked Sasuke.

"Zabuza saved my ass by taking down Kisame. My chakra is a little low, but I'll be fine. What happened to you guys?" asked Naruto.

"I defeated the one in the mask; he used some kind of space-time jutsu to escape," replied Neji.

"I killed the plant guy," replied Sasuke.

"What about Hinata?" asked Naruto.

"I'm fine, Naruto-kun," replied Hinata, as she walked up, holding Konan over her shoulder.

"Looks like you did quite the number on her," spoke Naruto.

"She did quite the number on me," replied Hinata. Naruto noticed how roughed up Hinata was from her fight with Konan. Naruto nodded in reply.

"Well, barring any more surprises, I think we should head back to Konoha," spoke Sasuke.

"Right, I have seals for Pein's bodies," replied Naruto. The group sealed up the bodies, and headed for Konoha. Most of the people injured in Pein's attack had already received treatment. The rest were in the hospital, recovering. The group made their way for the Hokage's tower, where a group of ANBU escorted them to the Hokage's office. Tsunade was picking up her office. She had been busy treating the critically injured from Pein's attack, and had only arrived a few minutes before.

"Zabuza, I didn't realize you were already back from your mission," spoke Tsunade.

"It didn't take too long for me to confirm the information received from Ibiki's interrogation. Seems his prisoners were rather cooperative," replied Zabuza.

"I see," replied Tsunade.

"If it weren't for him, I'd be knocked out, on my way to my death," spoke Naruto.

"Pein give you more trouble than you expected?" asked Tsunade.

"We ran into some old friends, Uchiha Madara, Hoshigaki Kisame, and Zetsu," replied Sasuke.

"That explains why he is here. I take it this one is Pein's partner?" asked Tsunade.

"Hai," replied Hinata.

"What of the other two?" asked Tsunade.

"I fought with Madara, forcing him to retreat. Sasuke killed Zetsu in battle," spoke Neji.

"I see. That leaves Madara and Pein as the only remaining active members of Akatsuki," replied Tsunade.

"What are you talking about? We saw the brat kill our leader," spoke Kisame.

"I see... he never told you about his ability, did he?" asked Tsunade.

"What do you mean!?" shouted Kisame.

"Pein controlled those bodies from a secret chamber within his tower in Amegakure," spoke Konan.

"Are you serious!? Does Madara-san know about this?" asked Kisame.

"No, he does not. We never trusted him with that information," replied Konan.

"So, Madara thinks he's the only one left, correct?" asked Naruto.

"Hai," replied Konan.

"All things considered, I don't blame them for not trusting him," spoke Kyubi.

"You're right on that one," replied Naruto.

"What do we do next?" asked Neji.

"We send a force to Amegakure to corner and capture Pein. It will take a month to build up a force of enough strength, but it can be done," replied Tsunade.

"Will they give us that month?" asked Sasuke.

"Naruto is critical to your plans, right? And with the loss of Zetsu, your group no longer has a spy. With only two people, your organization hardly has the ability to act as it once did," spoke Tsunade. Konan nodded.

"Not to mention Madara thinks he's alone. He couldn't act against the entire village on his own. He would need time to gather a force of his own," spoke Neji.

"Correct. I sent Zabuza out to Ame to monitor their movements upon hearing of Jiraiya's information. Nothing has changed in response to all that has been happening," replied Tsunade.

"We always kept a relatively low profile within the village. Between the two of us, I'm the only one recognized throughout the village. Pein kept himself out of the public eye," spoke Konan.

"What will Pein do next?" asked Naruto.

"Attempt to acquire more bodies. They're delivered daily, but few are able to be used by Pein," replied Konan.

"We should keep a strong presence within the village all the same, in case he is able to resume his attack upon the village," spoke Neji.

"I agree. I doubt I'll be able to get him to fall for the same trap twice," spoke Naruto.

"Very well. I plan to keep you close to the village for the time being, Naruto. You're our best chance against Pein, should he return. The same goes for the rest of you. I'm keeping you and your teams close by," replied Tsunade.

"Hai, Hokage-sama," replied the Konoha-nin.

"ANBU, take these prisoners below," spoke Tsunade.

"Hai, Hokage-sama," replied the ANBU members present.

"One more thing. We've sealed the bodies of Pein within these scrolls. They are to be kept under heavy surveillance. We made a promise not to dissect these bodies for the time being," spoke Naruto, as he handed the scrolls to one of the ANBU present.

"Do as he says," spoke Tsunade.

"Hai," replied the ANBU.

"If that is all, you are dismissed," spoke Tsunade.

Meanwhile, in Ame, Madara had returned from his battle with the Konoha-nin.

"Not too bad. I had no idea the Hyuga could be so versatile. I'll have to keep that in mind when I return to crush Konoha. I suppose I should thank them, though. They've taken care of all the other members. They've served their purpose. They would have only served to be a burden at this point. I suppose I could say I'm surprised about the brat taking down Pein. I was looking forward to taking him down myself, not that I really wanted to have to put up with that kind of hassle. Such a fool, thinking I was handing over the organization for him to do as he pleased. Bringing peace to the world through pain? What a fool. Peace would bring ruin to the ninja world. What we need is a return to the old ways, before the villages. Clans vying for power in the field of battle. No politics, just metal against metal. With the bijuu, I'll be able to take down the hidden villages of all five great shinobi nations. The lesser villages will collapse along with them. Out of ashes of the villages shall rise a new era of war. One where leaders will be acknowledged through their strength... just as it should be," spoke Madara to himself.

The masked-nin walked over to a nearby window, and looked out to the village. With Pein gone, the sun was shining in the village typically obscured by rain.

"This village... I'll use this place as a test. I wonder if I should tell them their mighty leader, the one they would call a god, is dead? Nah, it's no fun fighting those of broken spirits. I'll let them figure that much out on their own," spoke Madara.

Unknown to Madara, a small creature had found him upon his return. The creature had blended into its environment, and was much to small to be noticed by anyone not looking for it. In another room, a man appeared to be in deep thought.

"So, those were his true intentions from the beginning. To bring about war, rather than peace. I was right not to trust him. The only good thing I have going for me is that he needs the ring to summon the statue. I need to inform Konan of his intentions," the man thought to himself.

In Konoha, Konan was resting in an ANBU interrogation cell. She was kept separate from Kisame, as a precaution, should the two decide to team up in an escape attempt. There was a high level barrier making it impossible for Konan to use her paper form to escape.

"I should try and make the best of this... Nagato will soon contact me..." muttered Konan to herself.

"Konan," spoke a voice in Konan's mind.

"Nagato?" asked Konan.

"Hai, it is me. It seems I was right all along. Madara plans to use the bijuu to bring forth a new era of war. He used Konoha to wipe out all the other members, allowing him to act free without anyone holding him back. I don't like the idea, but it seems we'll have to work with Konoha on this one. Madara can't do anything without my ring. We have to make sure it is well guarded," spoke Nagato.

"Very well, I'll get their attention," spoke Konan.

Konan looked out of her cell, looking for one of the guards. The one assigned to give her dinner came up.

"You! A serious situation has come up. I must be allowed to speak with your Hokage," spoke Konan.

"To what end?" asked the ANBU guard.

"Madara plans to attack this village. Most likely in the near future," replied Konan.

"How do you know this?" asked the guard.

"This stud here, in my lower lip. It allows me to contact Pein," replied Konan.

"Very well. I will bring Hokage-sama here," spoke the guard.

Konan waited for several minutes before a group of ANBU brought the Hokage to Konan's cell.

"You say that Uchiha Madara is planning an attack on my village?" asked Tsunade.

"Hai; he wants Pein's ring. It acts as the controller for the statue used in sealing the bijuu. The bijuu are an important part of his plans. He will come here looking for it," replied Konan.

"You should have told this to me sooner," spoke Tsunade.

"We did not know of his intentions until now. Pein is spying on him as we speak. He's using this to communicate with me. He is willing to work with your village to stop him," replied Konan.

"Why is this?" asked Tsunade.

"Madara's goals are opposite to those of Pein and myself," replied Konan.

"What goals?" asked Tsunade.

"Our ultimate goal is peace. An end to the world that brought forth the circumstances of our first meeting years ago. We believe our ends justify our means. Madara wishes to bring a never ending war. This is something we cannot allow," explained Konan.

"Akatsuki working for peace..." muttered one of the ANBU.

"I don't trust you... but if Madara does indeed wish to bring war, and needs this ring to do it, then we will do what we can to prevent this," replied Tsunade, "We'll escort her to where we are keeping Pein's bodies."

The ANBU released the barrier, and took Konan to a chamber far below the lower level of the Hokage's tower. There were six chambers holding what remained of Pein's bodies. Konan asked which container held Pein's Deva Path. The ANBU present opened up the chamber, and pulled off Pein's ring. Konan had a look of horror upon her face.

"What's wrong?" asked Tsunade.

"玉 (Tama, jewel)..." muttered Konan.

"What is it?" asked Tsunade.

"This is the ring given to Madara... it should say 零 (rei, zero)..." muttered Konan.

"Konan, heal that body; I need to see what's going on. I give my word I will not act against Konoha," spoke Nagato.

"Pein wishes to have this body restored so he is able to participate in this conversation," spoke Konan.

"I told you before, I don't trust you," replied Tsunade.

"I don't care if you trust me, or not! Everything we've ever stood for is in danger!! We need to act now!!" shouted Konan. Konan's outburst prompted the ANBU present to restrain Konan, out of concern for the safety of Tsunade.

"Fine, I will revive this body only. If he does anything besides talk, I'll cave in his skull," replied Tsunade. Konan nodded in response. The ANBU released Konan, and surrounded Pein's Deva Path. Tsunade began to heal the extensive injuries dealt to it by Naruto. After a half hour, the eyes of Pein's Deva Path opened. Pein slowly sat up, looking around at those present. Pein looked down at his finger, then at the ring in Tsunade's hand.

"This isn't good. If he has my ring... there's nothing to stop him," spoke Pein.

"What could he do with the bijuu?" asked Tsunade.

"So far, we only have eight of the nine. Uzumaki Naruto was the last jinchuuriki," replied Pein. "I do not know if he needs all nine for his plan. Regardless, he will likely attempt to capture him."

"Where are you now? The real you?" asked Tsunade.

"In Amegakure. Madara is here with me. To my knowledge, he is unaware of my presence. I will attempt to make my way for Konoha as soon as I am able. The one advantage I have now is that he believes me to be dead," replied Pein.

"Do you want your other bodies revived?" asked Konan.

"I will not do that," spoke Tsunade.

"It's okay. Konan, you of all people should know my original body is as powerful as these six combined. This body, Deva Path, is all that is necessary for the time being," replied Pein. "Who is left?"

"Kisame. Zetsu was killed in battle," answered Konan.

"I see. Allow me to speak with him. I may be able to convince him to participate," spoke Pein.

"There's two more who may be willing to work with you," spoke Tsunade. The door to the chamber opened up, revealing Sasori and Deidara.

"So this is what you look like, hm?" asked Deidara.

"You sound disappointed," spoke Pein.

"I thought you would be... more buff," replied Deidara.

"Baka..." muttered Sasori.

"We should talk to Kisame," spoke Pein.

The ANBU and Tsunade escorted Pein and Konan to Kisame's chamber. Kisame appeared to be in a trance-like daze.

"Kisame!" shouted Pein.

"Eh? Who is that?" asked Kisame.

"Your former leader," replied Pein.

Kisame turned around, and saw Pein before him. He appeared to be surprised at first. Upon remembering what he had learned about Pein, his look of shock disappeared, and expression left his face again.

"It seems Madara turned against us. He's planning to destroy the world as we know it, plunging it into eternal war," spoke Pein.

"Fine by me; I would do well in a world full of violence," replied Kisame.

"You really think he'll spare you? We're all on his short list of people to kill," spoke Pein.

"What do you care? You control those bodies by remote. You've never had to put yourself into any danger before. If he kills your bodies, so what, you'll still live," replied Kisame.

"You think I started like this!!" shouted Pein.

"Bah, I looked up to you at first, thinking you would be my greatest opponent one day. You're a fake, a coward! I have nothing to say to you," replied Kisame, as he turned around.

"Show some respect!!" shouted Konan.

"Easy, to some degree, he is allowed that. Kisame, I didn't always fight like this. I grew up in the broken lands of Ame no Kuni. Konan, Yahiko, the one this body originally belonged to, and I were forced to wander through the streets of our village, looking for scraps. It all changed one day when we met Jiraiya-sensei. He taught us how the fend for ourselves. He helped us discover our strengths. It is with those strengths we became what we are today. The paths allow me to maintain the power I've gained. I can, and will, fight. And I will face the danger head on, if need be. It's your choice, if you want to believe me or not. It doesn't bother me one way or the other," explained Pein.

"Beh... fine, I'll help. Beats being stuck in this cell. I owe Madara a black eye after betraying us," replied Kisame.

"Very well. You five will be part of the strike force I'm sending out to Amegakure to stop Madara. I will gather up our strongest shinobi to join you," spoke Tsunade.

"Understood," replied Pein.

The ANBU released Kisame, and the five remaining members of Akatsuki prepared for their strike against Madara.

In Amegakure, Madara was nearing the completion of his preparations for his attack on Konoha.

"He he... that fool, Pein. I doubt he even realized this was missing," spoke Madara, as he placed Pein's ring onto his right thumb.

"This was mine to begin with, anyway. And now it's mine again. Too bad Pein was killed before I could tell him of my plans. It would have loved to see the look on his face. In the three seconds it took for me to get this, he didn't seem to notice anything," spoke Madara.

In Nagato's hidden room, Nagato could only slam his fist in anger. He cursed at himself for having nearly given away his presence, while he continued to observe Madara.

At daybreak of the new day, Tsunade had her strike team assembled. It consisted of the former Akatsuki members, Zabuza, Sasuke, Naruto, Haku, Itachi, Neji, and Kimimaro.

"Madara will likely approach along the shortest route possible. He has no reason to deceive us. More than likely, he won't expect this attack," spoke Pein.

"I agree. He probably won't be prepared to deal with resistance until he is closer to the village. Your advantage is in numbers. Capture him if you can, kill him if necessary," spoke Tsunade.

"Hai!" shouted the members of the group.

"Head out!" shouted Tsunade.

The group disappeared in a flash. Tsunade spent a few minutes watching from the gate. She made sure to have Pein outnumbered, should he turn on the group, but she was still concerned. This was the person responsible for killing Jiraiya; she wasn't about to blindly trust him. Tsunade chanted a small prayer before returning to her tower.

"Naruto, are you alright?" asked Sasuke.

"Yeah, I'm alright," replied Naruto.

"You were pretty trashed after I was done with you," spoke Kisame.

"I have a fast recovery rate. The only reason you really beat me in the first place was because your leader had worn me down," replied Naruto.

"Yeah, that was our plan, to take advantage of that," spoke Kisame.

"So, you were watching the entire thing with Madara and Zetsu?" asked Pein.

"Yeah. We couldn't move. We had to hide behind this barrier Madara had made. It allowed us to hide from the Byakugan," replied Kisame.

"I see. Even I couldn't see this barrier," spoke Pein.

"You have the ability to see chakra manifestations?" asked Sasuke.

"Correct. Of the three doujutsu, the Rinnegan is reputed as the rarest and most powerful," replied Pein.

"I see," replied Sasuke.

"The degree of insight given to Pein is greater than that of users of either of the other doujutsu," spoke Konan.

"You think highly of him, don't you?" asked Naruto.

"He took care of us over the years. He was always the leader of our group," replied Konan.

"Pein... I don't trust you at all. You killed Jiraiya-sensei," spoke Naruto.

"I don't expect your forgiveness, Uzumaki. I did what I had to at the time, as your enemy. And now, I will do what I need to as your ally," replied Pein.

"Fine," spoke Naruto.

"Neji, do you see anything yet?" asked Haku.

"Not yet. I'll let you know as soon as I see him," replied Neji.

"It would be unwise to go by the Byakugan alone. If he's using the same barrier as he did before, we may have trouble seeing him," spoke Pein.

"I doubt he would do that," replied Naruto.

"What gives you that impression?" asked Pein.

"He wants to find me. I'm sure he's prepared for the chance of me being put on a team in pursuit of him," replied Naruto.

"Makes sense. He does seem bent on capturing you," spoke Konan.

"This masked one is quite the pest," spoke Kimimaro.

"His cheerful personality was a bit much to deal with," replied Kisame, "Not that I didn't enjoy it in moderation."

"If he weren't Madara, I would have never allowed someone like that to join, regardless of how strong they were," spoke Pein.

"Not the happiest person in the world, are you?" asked Kisame.

"I'll be happy the day this world finds peace," replied Pein.

"Peace? All that talk of monopolizing war, and you want peace?" asked Kisame.

"If you grew up as we did, you would understand why we wish for peace by any means necessary," replied Konan.

"You wanted peace all along? I doubt you let Osamu know about that one," spoke Itachi.

"He was with Madara a lot when he first joined. He was probably in on what he was doing," replied Kisame.

"I suppose... a return to a world of war would suit one planning the overthrow of a village," spoke Itachi.

"I never really did like him that much; he seemed too far lost into revenge. I like violence and all, but he was toasted," replied Kisame.

"I don't doubt it," spoke Itachi.

"Pein, do you know if Madara has left Amegakure yet?" asked Neji.

"He's not in my tower. I'm not sure if that means he left, or not. It's possible he's heading for one of our bases located where the borders of Ame no Kuni, Kusa no Kuni, and Hi no Kuni meet," replied Pein.

"Should we head towards there?" asked Sasuke.

"No, it's more likely he's heading straight for Konoha. It is the most likely place he would go if he were to capture Naruto," replied Pein.

"I see," spoke Sasuke.

"After this is over, will you try to capture me again?" asked Naruto.

"I'm not going to lie to you; if I am able to recover my ring, and control of the sealing statue, I would attempt it. I need your bijuu in order to fulfill my plans," replied Pein.

"Comforting..." muttered Naruto.

"Don't take it personally; you would be sacrificing yourself for world peace," spoke Konan.

"What kind of peace would you achieve with that kind of power?" asked Itachi.

"The one made possible by mutually assured destruction; I had planned on creating a kinjutsu able to wipe out an entire hidden village," replied Pein.

"Why are you telling us this?" asked Itachi.

"On the chance you may support our plans," replied Pein.

"We should worry about this later. Right now, we need to focus on getting Madara," spoke Neji.

"Agreed," spoke everyone in unison.

The group continued on their way towards Ame no Kuni. Throughout their march through Hi no Kuni, they found no sign of Madara. The group had considered the possibility Madara slipped past them. Pein remained confident that Madara would attempt to capture Naruto, even if it meant having to face twelve shinobi at once. As they approached the border of Hi no Kuni, sunset had arrived, and the group decided to set up camp for the night.

"He has the ability to travel over long distances, right? Wouldn't he do that to get into the village?" asked Naruto.

"He could, but I doubt it. If he did it that way, he would miss you," replied Pein.

"I don't suppose he mentioned anything else about why he would want to capture me before attacking Konoha? He seems more than able to be able to do so with control of eight of the bijuu," spoke Naruto.

"I don't know that for sure," replied Pein.

"I think I have an idea, Kit. Part of it has to do with the small grudge he has against me," spoke Kyubi.

"You think so, huh? I guess that could play into it. If he knows about Pein's kinjutsu, he may need you to be able to complete it," replied Naruto.

"You have a point, Kit," spoke Kyubi.

"You seem lost in thought," spoke Pein.

"I was talking to Kyubi. She believes there is a chance Madara in interested in capturing me because of some grudge he bears towards her," replied Naruto.

"The kyuubi is a girl?" asked Pein.

"Do you find it so unbelievable?" asked Konan.

"I know all about strong kunoichi. Just didn't expect the strongest of the demons to be a girl," replied Pein.

"Yeah, she gets that a lot. Trust me, she's as powerful as you would imagine her to be," spoke Naruto.

"I suppose so. You were able to defeat me. You handed me my one and only loss," replied Pein.

"You should know he didn't use Kyubi to defeat you," spoke Sasuke.

"What do you mean?" asked Pein.

"His father's jutsu was the key to his victory over you," replied Sasuke.

"He's right; Hiraishin was tou-san's jutsu," spoke Naruto.

"It was an impressive jutsu. Madara is the only other person I know who uses advanced space-time jutsu," replied Pein.

"I'm glad to have been able to amuse you," spoke Naruto.

"I don't suppose sensei ever told you about me, did he?" asked Pein.

"He never mentioned you, or anyone like you," replied Naruto, in a tone bordering on anger.

"I realize your still upset, but you should know that these eyes give me the ability to learn any jutsu upon seeing it once. I know it requires the use of seals; the ones you etched onto those kunai. I was unable to understand the mechanics of the seal itself, but I understand the basic premise of the jutsu," explained Pein.

"Knowing that much, it took me about three years to figure this jutsu out. Have fun," replied Naruto.

"Naruto, I understand why you are angry with him, but you should know what happens to those who fill their hearts with hate," spoke Sasuke.

Naruto went silent, pondering what Sasuke had just told him.

"Once you fall into the darkness, it's hard to get out again. I understand more than anyone what happens when one falls into the darkness," spoke Sasuke.

"What do you mean?" asked Pein.

"I'm sure you're familiar with Orochimaru, and some of his abilities," answered Sasuke.

"I was aware of his attempt to capture you to get his hands on the Sharingan. He attempted to do the same to Osamu before we kicked him out of Akatsuki," replied Pein.

"I was possessed by part of his soul. His curse seal began corrupting my body. The influence was so powerful that I had almost killed my girlfriend. It almost drove me to kill Naruto. I would have, if it weren't for the efforts of Naruto, and the other members of the team sent to retrieve me. He was able to reach out to me within the darkness, and I was able to break free. In the end, I was able to purge my body of Orochimaru's influence. I was later able to use the ability I gained to corner and kill Orochimaru. Naruto, if you fill yourself with hate, and motivate yourself with revenge, that is what you will become," explained Sasuke.

"You're right, of course..." muttered Naruto.

"I didn't enjoy it. I didn't do it because I wanted to. He infiltrated my village, and attempted to reveal my identity to you. I did so for the preservation of my ideals. If you were in my situation, how would you have acted?" asked Pein.

Naruto thought over what Pein had told him for a few moments, playing out the situation in his mind. He thought of what he would have done had he been Hokage, and someone was about to expose one of his secrets in order to take down him and the village.

"You're right... I would have been forced to kill him as well..." muttered Naruto.

"It wasn't easy for me. I don't like unnecessary sacrifices; I make sure every life I take has meaning. As a jonin of your village, you should understand that you will one day find yourself in a situation where you will have to make a tough decision," explained Pein.

"I understand," replied Naruto.

"You understanding is sufficient; as I said before, I do not expect you to forgive me," spoke Pein.

"Uzumaki, may I speak to you alone?" asked Konan.

"Why?" replied Naruto.

"There is something I need to discuss with you," spoke Konan.

"Alright. Neji, keep an eye on us with your Byakugan," spoke Naruto.

Neji nodded his response. Konan led Naruto out of the hearing range of the other members of the group.

"What is it you wanted to talk to me about?" asked Naruto.

"He's deeply bothered about every life he's ever had to take. Ever since he was a child, he took it hard when he was forced to kill. On the outside, it may seem as though he is the hardened leader of our group, but on the inside, he's suffering. That is why he wished to find a means for world peace. You have to understand, he's not doing this because he enjoys it. He's most upset about the fact that our goal requires a sacrifice, regardless of how we go about it. He has no desire to bring you to your death, and would avoid it if it were possible," explained Konan.

"He attacked our village just to get to me," replied Naruto.

"I understand, but he had no choice. He needed to get to you. He knew he put himself in a tough position when he was forced to kill sensei. If he didn't strike then, your village would have had the chance to put you in a position where we would have been unable to get a hold of you," spoke Konan.

"Why are you telling this to me?" asked Naruto.

"To help you to understand how much attaining your bijuu means to us. I want you to understand why we are putting ourselves on the line like this," replied Konan.

"You're hoping to convince me to give up Kyubi willingly, right? Save your breath; there's nothing you could say that would make me want to part ways with her. She's done a lot for me in my life. She's always been there to guide me in the right direction. She was one of the first to save me from the darkness I was spiraling into, due to the events of my childhood. I'm sure you must have some idea of how jinchuuriki from other places were treated," explained Naruto.

"Many were isolated; some of their villages seemed glad to see them gone. They lived miserable lives," replied Konan.

"That's how my life started. I don't remember much... I suppose the intensity of the memories is something my mind attempts to spare me from, but I was beat regularly to within an inch of my life. The most brutal of these beatings led to my first meeting with Kyubi. My ability to heal rapidly, given to me by her, is what allowed me to survive through that," spoke Naruto.

"So, you lived that life at some point," replied Konan.

"That's right. I wouldn't be surprised if at least one of the jinchuuriki you met openly surrendered themselves to you. If I continued to live like that, there is a good chance I would have done just that," spoke Naruto.

"What changed it?" asked Konan.

"That man, Uchiha Itachi, Itachi nii-san, he was the one to pull me away from that life. He raised me from the time I was five to the time I was twelve, along with Sasuke. He trained us to become the shinobi we are today," replied Naruto.

"Interesting... it would seem that you've lived an interesting life. I would hate to be responsible for ending it," spoke Konan.

"You do what you have to. I'm not about to stop anyone from working towards their dreams. I only act to protect what I stand for," replied Naruto.

"I see... Arigatou, Uzumaki," spoke Konan.

The two returned to the camp site. Itachi was attempting to prepare a meal, putting to work what he had been learning from his mother. The black smoke rising told everyone the ANBU member still had much to learn. Haku attempted to save what was left of their fresh food. Everyone's meal was mildly burnt, but it was still edible. Throughout the night, two kept watch, one being a former Akatsuki member, the other being a Konoha-nin. One kept an eye on the other, while both were on the look out for Madara. The group cleared up their camp at sunrise, and continued along their path towards Amegakure.

"We should run into him at any time," spoke Itachi.

"I'm aware; I've yet to see any signs of him," replied Neji.

"You think Madara really will try to fight all of us just to get Naruto?" asked Zabuza.

"I wouldn't push it past him. He doesn't seem to care about numbers," replied Kimimaro.

"That's one thing he made clear to us when we first met him," spoke Haku.

"That mission was entirely his idea. He found it greatly amusing, gladly recounting to the rest of us the expressions he was able to generate. He also mentioned something about the best ramen he ever had," replied Pein.

"He went to Ichiraku's?" asked Naruto.

"It would seem so. I can't think of any other ramen bar in the village that would be worth talking about," replied Sasuke.

"Hai, when it comes to Ichiraku's, there's nothing better," spoke Itachi.

"This place is that good?" asked Kisame.

"It's my favorite place to eat!" shouted Naruto, Sasuke, and Itachi in unison.

"No arguing with that..." muttered Kisame.

"I wouldn't advise it; those three are hardcore when it comes to ramen," spoke Haku.

"Their ramen is pretty good, hm," spoke Deidara.

"Going there gives me a good excuse to use my human body more often," replied Sasori.

"Well, if you two like it, I guess it's worth trying," spoke Kisame.

"I'm with him; if Sasori likes it, that's saying something; he is pretty picky," spoke Konan.

"Maybe..." muttered Pein.

"I see him up ahead. He's standing alone in a clearing. There are no signs of any traps. He's standing there in wait, as if he expected us to come looking for him," spoke Neji.

"He would just stand there like that, wouldn't he?" asked Sasuke.

"It makes things easier for us," replied Naruto.

Madara stood in the clearing, waiting for the pursuing team to stop in their tracks. He figured Konoha would likely respond, knowing what they know of Akatsuki. He was waiting to see if Naruto would be part of the group sent after him. He figured Konoha may do something like that in a poor attempt at stopping him. Madara looked up as the team of twelve emerged from the forest before him.

"Madara, this his gone far enough!" shouted Pein.

"Oh? Pein? You're still alive? I thought the brat killed you?" asked Madara.

"Tsunade-sama can bring someone back from the brink of death without much trouble," replied Naruto.

"Is that it, huh? How bothersome... here I was, thinking you took care of Pein for me, but no, he's still alive. Rather persistent, isn't he?" asked Madara.

"You really have betrayed us, haven't you?" asked Kisame.

"Geez, and they couldn't kill you, either? I don't suppose Zetsu is still around, is he? I caught site of the explosion that got him. Don't tell me you managed to piece him back together," spoke Madara.

"He's gone," replied Kisame.

"Well, at least they managed to kill one of you," spoke Madara.

"Madara, there's no way you could defeat all twelve of us here. I would advise you to surrender peacefully," spoke Pein.

"Do you really think I would come out here like this if I didn't think I could find some way around the numbers?" asked Madara.

"You plan on running?" asked Pein.

"Running? No, not this time. I plan on taking what I want this time around," replied Madara.

"What makes you think you'll be able to do that?" asked Pein.

"Have you looked at your thumb lately?" asked Madara.

"I already know about you taking my ring," replied Pein.

"Want to see how I did it?" asked Madara.

"Not particularly," replied Pein, as he took a battle stance. The rest of the group followed suit.

"Oh, all ready to pound me into the ground, are you? Well, I'll tell you what, I'll make this demonstration quick," replied Madara, "Now you see me."

Madara disappeared in a flash. In a fraction of a second, he had appeared behind Naruto.

"Now you don't," spoke Madara, as he grabbed a hold of Naruto, and disappeared, taking the young blond with him.

"Damn it!!" shouted Pein.

"Naruto!!" shouted Sasuke.

"Neji!!" shouted Itachi.

"He's no where near here. Either he's out of my range, or hiding behind some kind of barrier!" replied Neji.

"Spread out, and find them!!" shouted Itachi.

Naruto and Madara emerged in a rock dominated landscape. Naruto wasted no time in knocking Madara away.

"Fuuton: Bure-do no Kuuki no Jutsu!" shouted Naruto, directing his attack towards Madara. The masked-nin stood his ground, adjusting his body for the attack to go straight through him.

"Cute, but that's all," replied Madara.

"Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu!" shouted Naruto.

"Oh, now fire? How fun!!" shouted Madara, momentarily using Tobi's voice.

Madara allowed the attack to blow through him. As the fireball passed, Madara was confronted with several bunshin of Naruto.

"Oh? Numbers, huh?" asked Madara.

"Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu!" shouted half of the bunshin.

"Fuuton: Gouryuukan no Jutsu!" shouted the other bunshin.

A large, spiraling tornado of flame roared it's way towards Madara. The masked-nin could only smile behind his mask.

"You don't learn very quickly, do you?" asked Madara.

"I don't suppose so," replied Naruto, who was using his bunshin and their jutsu as a distraction to get behind Madara. Naruto landed a hard kick on Madara, sending him into the fiery storm ahead of him. Madara was thrown about by the attack, the flames burning parts of his body. As the jutsu ended, Madara was thrown towards the group of Naruto bunshin. The small army of clones began to attack Madara in rapid succession. Madara fought them back, quickly realizing Naruto was using ketsu bunshin. Madara was able to fight them off without being beat up too badly. The real Naruto came running in after the last bunshin was killed, and pounded Madara into the ground. The masked-nin slid against the ground as he was driven away from Naruto. The blond took out his zanbatou, and took his battle stance. After Madara's body slowed to a halt, Madara stood up, and brushed himself off.

"Not bad... that got the blood flowing. Now, if your done with that, it's time I show you what I brought you out here for... Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" shouted Madara. The Akatsuki's bijuu sealing statue appeared before Naruto. Madara stood at its center, as it continued to rise out of the ground. Naruto could only stand in awe at the sight of demonic statue, and the aura it possessed.

"This... this is what you use for sealing the bijuu!?" shouted Naruto.

"Very perceptive. But what's the point in having something to take power, if you no way of using it? Watch carefully, because this is a one time show," replied Madara.

"I won't allow you the chance! Fuuton: Bure-do no Kuuki no Jutsu!!" shouted Naruto.

"Too late! Kaiinjutsu: Mahoushutsu! (Unsealing Technique: Demonic Release)" shouted Madara.

The sealing statue's mouth opened up, and poured out the chakra of the bijuu stored within. The force of the chakra lifted Madara into the air, as the chakra was forced into his body. A barrier formed around the statue, blocking Naruto's jutsu, as Madara continued to absorb the chakra of the eight bijuu. Within moments, the chakra had disappeared, and Madara fell to the ground. He was slow the to get up at first, appearing to be slightly disoriented. As his senses returned to him, he began to laughing.

"Finally, my power had returned," spoke Madara, as he turned to face Naruto. The young blond rushed towards Madara, hoping to catch him off guard, and delivered a crushing blow to Madara's face. The force of the hit cracked Madara's mask, and forced him to tilt his head back. As Madara moved his head forward again, his mask chipped apart, falling to the ground in pieces. The face behind the mask was not the one seen before. The young Madara appeared, his Mangekyou Sharingan active in both of his eyes.

"Did you feel that? It felt like something hit me in the face," spoke Madara.

Naruto pulled back his zanbatou, and prepared to separate Madara's head from the rest of his body. Before Naruto could strike, he found himself knocked back. As Naruto picked himself up, he noticed that Madara appeared as if he didn't move. There was a small aura of chakra in front of him. The aura took a solid form, one that shocked Kyubi.

"It can't be..." muttered Kyubi.

"What is it?" asked Naruto.

"That's... that's... Kame Kawazaki..." stuttered Kyubi.

"Who?" asked Naruto.

"That's the taken name of the sanbi," replied Kyubi.

"I'm sure Kyubi must recognize him by now. Allow me to explain. I not only have the power of all eight bijuu, but I also control all of them," spoke Madara.

Naruto backed up upon hearing this. Madara began to crack a smile.

"Oh, don't worry, she's safe from me. I can't control a bijuu already bound to a human. I'll just have to beat you first. Let's have some fun. I'd be curious to see if you could beat the sanbi. Let's see what happens, shall we?" asked Madara, as Kawazaki charged towards Naruto. Kawazaki pulled out the Kagetatsu, and took a swing at Naruto. Naruto attempted to block the strike, but was unable to do so, receiving a cut across his midsection. Naruto's hitai-ate prevented him from being cut too deeply.

"Kit, his sword uses an optical illusion to hide the true location of the blade. You need to see past it in order to stand a chance against him in a kenjutsu duel," spoke Kyubi.

"Thanks for the tip. You think the Sharingan will be able to see past it?" asked Naruto.

"It's worth trying," replied Kyubi.

Naruto activated his Sharingan, and observed Kawazaki's actions through it. He moved to strike at Kawazaki, swinging his mighty sword towards Kawazaki. Kawazaki blocked the attack with the Kagetatsu, and pulled the sword back to take a swing at Naruto. The young blond observed the position of the sword as Kawazaki swung the mighty weapon towards Naruto's mid section. Naruto was able to keep track of where the sword was, and was able to block the attack. Naruto started to take command of the duel, and became more aggressive with his attacks. Naruto began cutting into Kawazaki's armor, knocking him back with each swing of his zanbatou. Kawazaki found himself unable to get past Naruto's defense.

"Oh, not bad. It didn't take as long as I thought it would take you to figure out how that katana of his works. I guess Kyubi is giving you some tips, isn't she?" asked Madara.

"Keep in mind that you're next!" shouted Naruto, as he knocked Kawazaki on his back, and charged towards Madara. The Uchiha clan member pulled out a kunai, and parried Naruto's attack, stepping back as the blond lunged towards him.

"Hold still!" shouted Naruto, as he kept trying to hit Madara with his zanbatou.

"Why would I do that? I like being in one piece. Oh, and do keep in mind that Kawazaki-san is still in this fight," spoke Madara, as he focused his sight on Kawazaki, who had managed to get behind Naruto. The blond was barely about to avoid being cut in half by the Kagetatsu. Naruto bit his thumb, and slammed his hand into the ground.

"Ketsu Bunshin no Jutsu!" shouted Naruto, as a ketsu bunshin emerged to take on Kawazaki, while Naruto focused on Madara.

"Oh, how cute. You really think that will work?" asked Madara.

"Might help a little," replied Naruto, as he swung his zanbatou towards Madara, who blocked the strike with his kunai.

"Well, I wouldn't expect much to come out of it," replied Madara, as he jumped back, and ducked down.

"Suiton: Suihou no Jutsu!" shouted Kawazaki, as he shot out a pressurized stream of water towards Naruto and his bunshin. The bunshin was destroyed instantly. Naruto didn't have time to dodge, and the attack ended up flying through his mid section.

"Too bad," spoke Madara, as he saw the look of shock on Naruto's face. The shock on Naruto's face disappeared, as he turned into a small puddle of blood.

"Ketsu Bunshin!?" shouted Madara.

"Fuuton: Rasengan!" shouted Naruto, as he prepared to send the orb into Madara's body. Before the jutsu could connect, Kawazaki appeared before Madara, and took the hit for him. Kawazaki's body was torn apart from the hit, and fell back, appearing to be lifeless.

"Well, not too bad... not too bad at all," spoke Madara.

"That's what I'm going to do to you!" shouted Naruto, as he pulled out his zanbatou.

"Oh? Knock me back after giving me a nice little flesh wound?" asked Madara, as Kawazaki stood up again. His body began to repair itself from the injuries sustained from what Naruto had just done to it. The armor on Kawazaki's body cracked, and fell off, showing the initial injuries, and its healing.

"Well, since he could only do that as a part of me, I suppose I should give you credit for his defeat. I was thinking I was going to have to make him assume his demon form before this happened. Oh well. I'll accept this as a proper result of my test," spoke Madara.

Kawazaki sheathed the Kagetatsu, and stood by Madara's side. Madara appeared to be in thought for a moment. A devilish grin crept across his face as he came up with a plan.

"Well, Uzumaki, I think I've played with you long enough. I've had the chance to witness your most powerful jutsu. I've just been given the chance to see one of them in person. I'm satisfied with this. I'm not sure how much of this was due to the aid of Kyubi, but that is of no consequence to me. It's time to end this," spoke Madara, as he formed his hands into a seal. Seven chakra forms emerged from his body, taking the form of beings resembling humans. Each of the beings in front of him appeared to have a number of tails, and characteristics relating to different animals. One was a man with a single tail. He appeared to be a little overweight, very much like a member of the Akimichi clan. His tail looked like a raccoons. Another was a woman with two tails. She had cat like eyes and ears, and violet fur covering her tails. The fourth was a man with four tails. He was only about four feet tall, and had small, black eyes. The fifth was the tallest of the group. He had a serpentine appearance, including slits for eyes. The sixth was a woman bearing close resemblance to Kyubi. She had six gray fur covered tails, wolfen ears, and crimson eyes, along with fangs and claw-like hands. The woman with seven tails had feathers for hair. This extended to her tails. The eighth was a man of a darker complexion, with ear rings, and a relatively muscular appearance. He had small ears, bearing resemblance to an ox, while his tails looked more like the limbs of an octopus.

"The bijuu... these are all the other bijuu, Kit. It's... it's hard to see them like this..." muttered Kyubi.

"I understand, but right now, we have to think of a way to deal with them all at once," replied Naruto.

"Just like old times, right Kyubi? I'm sure she's throwing a fit in that body of yours. As much as I would like to allow this little reunion to continue, I have other plans in store," spoke Madara, as he began forming a series of hand seals. The summoned bijuu did the same.

"Mapou: Matou!" shouted Madara and all his summoned bijuu. The chakra of the beasts flared and increased in size and form. Within moments, Naruto was face to face with Ichibi no Shukaku, Nibi no Neko, Sanbi no Kame, Yonbi no Mogura (Four-Tailed Mole), Gobi no Ryuu (Five-Tailed Dragon), Rokubi no Ookami (Six-Tailed Wolf), Nanabi no Taka (Seven-Tailed Hawk), and the Hachibi no Ushi.

"This is my final test for you, Uzumaki Naruto. Let's see how long you stand before the might of these eight bijuu at their full power!" shouted Madara.

"Any ideas?" asked Naruto.

"Only one... but, the most tails you can access at the moment is five, maybe. And if you do manage to tap into it, you'll more than likely lose control," replied Kyubi.

"I think that's the least of our problems at the moment. We have no choice. Even if I release you through my Mangekyou, you'd only be able to control two-thirds of the power I could give to you," replied Naruto.

"Alright, at least they're each only at two-thirds their strength outside of his body. You should be able to out power all but the hachibi," spoke Kyubi.

"It's all of them at once, though. Let's just hope I'll know to take out the weakest of them first," replied Naruto.

Naruto activated his Mangekyou Sharingan, and began tapping into Kyubi's chakra. The demon-fox cloak formed around Naruto. His tails started popping out quickly.

"Easy, take it slow. I wouldn't want you to explode. I can wait," replied Madara.

"I'll end that cocky attitude of yours first!!" shouted Naruto, in a more aggressive tone. He was already at three tails, with the fourth beginning to form. After the full formation of the fourth tail, Naruto concentrated on drawing out the fifth tail. A small bump in his chakra form began to appear. The bump started to grow into a tail. After a couple minutes, the tail was halfway to being completed. At that point, Naruto led out a loud roar, and fell to all fours. His control over his personality began to fade, and the savage buried within the depths of his mind began to take over. His skin began peeling away, allowing his blood to mix in with the chakra form. Upon completion of the formation of the fifth tail, Naruto had become a miniature version of Kyubi.

"Oh? You've become quite the little monster, haven't you?" asked Madara.

Naruto responded with a loud roar, causing Madara to take a couple steps back.

"I can see talking to you in that form is pointless. Fine, if you want to be all business, I'll no longer hold back," replied Madara, as the eight bijuu roared and charged at Naruto. Naruto jumped up into the air, and targeted Shukaku first, quickly ripping through its form. The entire creature exploded into a sand cloud. Within moments, the sand started to pool up, and encase Naruto, trapping him within Shukaku's body.

"If you aren't going to make this a challenge, then why bother?" asked Madara.

His answer came in form of Shukaku exploding. Naruto began firing orbs of chakra towards Madara and the other bijuu. One of the orbs was aimed directly at Madara. The wing of the gobi shielded Madara from being hit by the attack. The five tailed creature turned its head towards Naruto, and fired a concentrated stream of fire towards the Konoha-nin. Naruto spun around rapidly, wrapping the fire around his body, and allowing it to pass by him. Naruto dashed towards the gobi, and knocked it on its back, making a small crater kick up next to Madara. The Akatsuki founder merely wiped the dust of out his hair, and continued to observe the battle.

"Fiesty, eh?" Good, I want to be entertained. I'm curious to see just what the limits of your strength are," spoke Madara. He pointed his arm towards Naruto, and sent the active bijuu after him. Naruto leaped onto the head of the rokubi, and slammed the wolfen beast into the ground, while hopping onto the nanabi. The demon hawk roared as it tried to shake Naruto off. The sanbi had charged its chakra, and launched a concentrated jet towards Naruto. The possessed shinobi jumped off of the demon hawk, allowing her to be hit by the blast. Naruto landed on top of the head of the sanbi, drawing an expression of frustration from the creature. Naruto slammed it into the ground, and charged his chakra for his next strike. Naruto's tails began to glow with chakra. The tails paired off, leaving the fifth on its own. Two spheres of chakra began to form where the paired tails met. The two spheres began rotating at a higher and higher speed. Wind began kicking up around Naruto as the two spheres took up the forms to two swirling shuriken.

"What is this!? I've never seen you use a jutsu like that before!?" shouted Madara.

"Fuuton: Rasenshuriken!!" shouted a gruff, beastly voice from Naruto. The beastly form charged towards Madara. The yonbi attempted to block Naruto on his path to Madara. The armored demon mole received one of the rasenshuriken, and was knocked away as it was torn apart. The beast roared in pain as it rolled around on the ground. As Naruto was about to bring the second one to bear, the nibi showed up by Madara, and flared its fire chakra, causing Naruto's second rasenshuriken to backfire, knocking Naruto back. The nibi began firing orbs of fire at Naruto, each bouncing Naruto along the ground as they hit.

"Alright, my turn. Katon: Kasan Funka no Jutsu!" shouted Madara, as the nibi continued firing at Naruto. The beastly form of Naruto rolled to a stop within the crater formed when he had knocked the gobi down earlier. The ground there began to shake. Before Naruto could jump out of the way, intense fire erupted around his body, causing him to let out a loud roar of pain. When the fire cleared, it appeared that Naruto had been defeated. The nibi approached Naruto, only to be knocked away by a swipe of one of his tails. Naruto charged an orb of chakra, and took it in for preparation of his strongest attack.

"You're just full of surprises, aren't you?" asked Madara, as Naruto began to increase in size. Within moments, Naruto fired a concentrated burst of chakra towards Madara, who could only smile.

"It's time you learn there are some limits you cannot break past!" shouted Madara. The hachibi stood in the path of the blast, and swatted it away as one would swat a fly. The hachbi was soon joined by the nibi and gobi. The other bijuu were incapacitated by Naruto's previous attacks. The hachibi let out a roar, and slammed one its massive tails into Naruto. The eight limbed creature bounced Naruto into the air, and began bouncing him up in the air like a rag doll. When the creature was finished, it launched Naruto into the air. The gobi flew up into the air after Naruto, and spiked him into the ground, creating a large explosion as the boy's body slammed into the ground. The chakra surrounding Naruto had dispersed, revealing his torn up body. He was already injured from Kyubi's chakra taking over. He was also severely burnt from Madara's jutsu. Madara walked over towards Naruto's body, and looked him in the eye.

"Seems the lord of demons just isn't strong enough to deal with her disciples, eh?" asked Madara, as he stomped his foot on Naruto's chest.

"It's over," spoke Madara, and he kicked Naruto's head, knocking him to side, and causing him to pass out. Madara summoned the bijuu's statue again, and stood at his position as holder of controlling ring. The bijuu surrounded the statue, and connected themselves to the statue using chakra strings.

"Good, the statue is linked to them. Without their presence, Kyubi would destroy the statue. I'm not sure if you can hear me, Naruto, but know this; your friends will not be able to save you. Even if they do figure out where you are, I have eight of the strongest body guards one could possibly have. If anyone attempted to approach, they would be killed instantly. By myself, this ritual will take an entire week to complete. You will find yourself in immense pain during this time. Consider it pay back for the trouble your father put me through," explained Madara, as he began forming hand seals.

"Fuuinjutsu: Genryuu Kyuu Fuujin!" shouted Madara, as the statue opened up, allowing the nine apparitions within to emerge, and tether themselves to Naruto.

A/N: I would give you all a cliffhanger like that, wouldn't I? I was originally going to write past this, but felt it would be a good stopping point for the chapter. This fic is nearing it's conclusion; it'll only be another chapter or two, and an epilogue, which likely won't be the length of a full chapter. Thanks to all my reviewers. I would like to credit Broken Sexed Up Bloody Kitten for suggesting more Sasuke-Naruto scene. Her suggestion inspired parts of the last chapter and this one. That's all for now; please remember to review.