"So do you think we will have to collect baachan and carry her back to the hotel?" Naruto asked.
"Probably," Shizune said miserably. "She always…"
Shizune never even knew what hit her. The strike to the back of the head came without any warning and dropped her right in the middle of the street unconscious.
"Shizune!" Naruto jumped back and instantly took a fighting stance as the civilians all around them scattered.
"Interesting," Itachi murmured looking at the stiff manner in which he was standing and at how close his arms were to his body. "Hebi style I thought there was only one person who knew it. Where did you learn that style?"
"My sensei taught it to me." Naruto already knew who this had to be. Ero-sennin had warned him about Akatsuki and told him that they wore black robes with red clouds on them. The leaf hitai-ite with the scratch gouged through it and the fact his opponent had the sharingan told Naruto specifically who this had to be. "You're Uchiha Itachi!" He launched himself with all the speed he could aiming to strike the point on his neck that would shut him down and leave him gasping for breath.
"I am," Itachi admitted in a cool disinterested voice. His hand flashed out and caught Naruto's by the wrist and easily held him. "And you are my target, Uzumaki Naruto, jinchuuriki of the nine tail demon fox." His knee came up slamming into Naruto's stomach.
"Gaak!"
Itachi then flipped him over by the wrist slamming him into the street.
"My partner and I have been assigned to capture you. Tracking you down has proven most difficult and been quite a bother." Itachi spoke calmly and then kicked him in the ribs hard enough to send him flying into the wall of a nearby house. "Please show me this effort was not wasted. Show me you have some small ability. Or are you truly as helpless as you appear? Perhaps you should get Tsunade to come and save you."
Naruto got to his feet and clutched his aching side. Damn, I think he broke some of my ribs. Well I'll heal quick enough. He began running through some hand signs. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" The street filled with smoke for a moment. When the smoke cleared a couple hundred angry shadow clones stood completely surrounding Itachi. "I don't need Tsunade, I'll deal with you traitor! I'll kill you for Sasuke!"
His clones let out a roar and charged at him.
Itachi did not appear worried. "An impressive jutsu," he said and tossed off his robe as he took out a sword. "Though not worth much if the clones are all of a weakling."
He cut a swath of destruction through the clones as they tried desperately to come to grips with him. The 'pops' of their destruction came in fast succession and as Naruto received their memories he could tell that they weren't even coming close to him. His sword was chopping through them with ease. Uh, maybe getting a little help wouldn't be a bad idea. He performed the jutsu once more making an additional hundred clones. Ninety nine went into the fight while one headed in the opposite direction.
Despite being surrounded and in the midst of battle his special eyes noticed it. Though the shadow clones missed it entirely in their desperate frenzy he gave just the slightest nod of satisfaction.
"Forget about hitting him!" Some of the new clones shouted. "Just try to grab him for a second!"
Like a human wave the kage bunshins surged forward, deliberately sacrificing themselves to try and get close. Though most vanished into a fogbank of smoke a few managed to get a hold of Itachi about his ankles and momentarily stop his movement.
"I've got you!" The original shouted in excitement as he charged in with his right hand extended. A rasengan in his palm he aimed for the center of Itachi's chest. "This is for Sasuke!"
"Another fine technique," Itachi sounded approving. "But you have already lost this fight."
The rasengan hit its target, but no blood flowed out. Instead only black ink poured from the hole bored into Itachi's chest. Startled Naruto watched as he ink took on the shape of ravens and began to fly about him. Itachi's whole body then blackened and flew apart as a flock of ravens flapping and cawing all around blinding him.
Aw crap! I'm caught in a genjutsu! As Jiraiya had taught him he slapped his hands together to force a chakra pulse through his system to try and disrupt its effects. "Kai!"
His efforts did nothing at all as he ravens continued to flap about with their maddening screeches.
"Kai! Kai! Kai!" Again and again he desperately sent pulses of chakra though his system trying to break free. Each effort had no effect at all.
"Let us end this." Itachi's impassive voice spoke in his ear.
Naruto felt the world around him dissolve as he descended into a world of pale light and shadows.
XXX
"Heh, heh I am so going to win this," Tsunade said happily as she slammed down her third empty sake bottle. She was only beginning to feel a pleasant warmth flow through her. The poor idiots she was up against stood no chance at all.
Then the door to the bar slammed open and was followed by a loud shout of "Baachan!"
"Damn it brat I'll teach you something tomorrow! Can't you see I'm busy?"
"I'm just a clone baachan, the real me is fighting Uchiha Itachi and Shizune is already knocked out!"
"What?" She looked at all the lovely bottles of sake. "I should have known this was just too good to be true. Quick, show me where."
She followed the shadow clone outside.
Without warning a storm of kunai fell. Tsunade managed to dodge but the shadow clone was hit and vanished. A blue skinned man in black robes with red clouds landed in the street in front of her wielding a ridiculously big sword.
Tsunade recognized neither the man nor his outfit. "Who might you be?" She cracked her knuckles. It had been a long time since she'd had to fight a ninja, but she didn't doubt she was still up to it.
"I am Hoshigaki Kisame," he replied with a toothy grin as he held the sword out with both hands. "It's a real honor to meet one of the famed Sannin. If you wouldn't mind just staying here for a bit while my partner takes care of our mission I'd appreciate it."
"Just what sort of interest do you have with Naruto?" She demanded.
Kisame chuckled. "Now that would be telling."
"The brat may be annoying but I won't let you hurt him!" Her right fist began to glow inside a field of chakra.
"Well that's just too bad then!" He brought his sword down to shave off a patch of her skin and muscle.
Tsunade caught the blade with her open hand. Her palm was sliced open and barbs shot out piercing her flesh. She grunted in pain but held on.
"What the hell?!" Kisame tried to wrench Samehada free but could not get it out of the woman's grip.
"Typical male," she muttered in annoyance. "Just because you carry around a big sword you expect a girl to be impressed." She pulled it clean out of his hands and tossed it aside. Her hand was badly mangled but she would fix it later. She could still make a fist and at was enough for the moment.
"No way!" Kisame cried. "No one can wield Samehada but me!"
"What the hell do I care about using a stupid sword? This is the only weapon I've ever needed!" She smashed her fist into his jaw sending teeth flying out and launching him into and through a building.
XXX
Naruto now found himself on a rocky cliff underneath a full moon.
"This is Tsukuyomi," Itachi's emotionless voice said "Here I control time, space, and even matter."
Naruto looked up to see the man standing right in front of him. He immediately tried attack him only to see his fist go right through him.
"As I said," Itachi repeated patiently. "Here I am absolute master and control every aspect of existence. There is no point in trying to attack me; your physical body is not here. You will also find it impossible to mold chakra or use jutsus."
Just to see he tried to create a rasengan only to find Itachi was telling the truth. He looked at the man and had to admit he was helpless. "Okay, so what now?"
"I have brought you here for two reasons," Itachi said. "Is it true that you were Sasuke's friend?"
"Yes it is," Naruto answered defiantly. "He and I were friends and I know what you did to him! He wanted to kill you to avenge his clan and I'd like to do it for him!"
Itachi calmly nodded. "Good," he said. "I am glad he hated me and was driven to become stronger."
Naruto glared at him. "What kind of brother are you? He was your little brother and you tortured him! Don't you feel any shame at all?"
"What I feel about him and about my own actions is something you will never understand. Were I even to begin to explain them you would likely never believe me so I see no point in even bothering with useless explanation." Itachi said. "Please tell me about him."
"What?"
"Sasuke, please tell me what it was like for him. Did he have any other friends? Was there a girl he cared for? Was he happy at all?"
"Why would you care about any of that?!" Naruto shouted. "You destroyed him! Why pretend to care now?"
"Whether you believe it or not I have always cared," Itachi spoke with what might have been sorrow. "One of the reasons I brought you here was so that I could learn what it was like for him. We have time; I want to know everything you can remember about him."
"What's the other reason?"
"I wish you to deliver a message for me."
XXX
"Itachi!" Kisame arrived at his side and spoke through a mouthful of broken teeth. He was just standing there staring at an unmoving Naruto. "I'm sorry but Tsunade is on to us."
The next instant that was made even clearer as she arrived and the areas was drenched in killer intent. "Get away from the boy!" She screamed murderously.
Itachi looked up and Naruto collapsed without a sound.
"It seems our mission is a failure," he said. "We shall have to flee."
Kisame didn't argue as they both leapt away. Seeing Shizune and Naruto lying in the street she made no effort to chase after them.
XXX
When Naruto woke up a few hours later he was in a hospital bed with Tsunade and Shizune sitting on either side of him.
"Geez brat! Don't worry me like that!" Tsunade gave him an affectionate hug. "I was actually a little concerned. The effects of whatever Itachi did to you were pretty severe."
"We're both just glad that you're all right Naruto." Shizune said with relief.
"Go ahead and get dressed brat," Tsunade said. "Even if I have to carry you we're leaving this town right now. I have no idea what those two wanted you for but if the likes of Uchiha Itachi are after you its best we disappear for awhile."
Naruto sat up in bed. "I have to get back to Kononha."
"Konoha? That's probably the last place you want to go right now if people are looking for you." Tsunade said. "Besides, I don't have any interest in ever going back there."
"If you don't want to come with me that's fine," he said. "I'll go back on my own."
Tsunade looked at him in surprise. "What about that chakra technique you wanted me to teach you?"
"This is more important," he said. "I have to deliver a message to the Hokage."