Neokenshin: Here we are. Part 2 of the 2007 Holiday special.

Naruto: Yeah, how cool is it that we get an Illumina Power upgrade for Christmas! And it was from you too!

Hinata: That was very unique how you had yourself and Dragon Man 180 appear in the story. And as the heads of R&D.

Kasumi: Well yeah! How else are they going to make an appearance! I mean Dragon-kun was the inspiration for Kenshin-kun after all! If it wasn't for him I never would have existed, and this story wouldn't be as popular as it is now! Last time I checked we have over 100 people that have this story on their favorites list!

Neokenshin: Not only that, but it even inspired another author to do a crossover as well. Cre.A.Tor00x is doing a crossover special in his story The Kitsune Mercinaries. I must say this, it's an awesome story, and I read the first chapter of his cross...it's hilarious! (note to all readers, go check it out! You'll love to see what my bunch gets into next!) Not only that, but another author, Kafaru, has even asked to do a special cross with one of her stories as well.

Kasumi: Wow, who would have thought that this story could do so much.

Neokenshin: As long as people enjoy reading it, I'll continue to write! I do it for them.

Naruto: Well enough of that! Everyone knows you don't own Naruto, and Akemi-chan is used with permission from Dragon Man 180. Now let's kick this chapter into high gear!


Christmas Special 2007: Holiday Wars 2: Christmas Chaos part 2

When we last left Team Illumina, they had received a visit from Asuka, an elven girl from Houtei, the Hidden Village of Gifts. She had come to visit on her vacation, only to find out that that an attack had happened on Houtei. Hitomi and Sakuya, two elves that Kasumi, Haku, and Hinata met the previous year, returned to Konoha to ask for their help in rescuing Mrs. Claus from Shadow Sasuke. This time the full Illumina Team, now turned into elves thanks to Sakuya's Portable E.L.F.I.N Device has made their way to Houtei to begin the rescue, and hopefully save Christmas once again.

Hours later…

"Any luck trying to find Mrs. Claus?" Sasuke asked. He noticed that everyone else had taken some time to rest, but Kasumi had stayed in the control room to continue searching for Yukina.

"Nothing. I've even hooked up my computer and tried using the Byakugan Scanner that I got last year, and so far I've got nothing." Kasumi said, rubbing her head. "I don't know why it should be so hard! I mean I've been searching for your chakra signature and it should have picked up something!"

"Kasumi-chan, you know how he is. With his demonic power, he can easily change his signature to mine or something completely different." Sasuke said. "Look why don't you go get some rest. If he attacks tomorrow and you're sleepy, you'll be no good out there."

"Sorry Sasuke, but this is something I can't sleep on." Kasumi said, turning back to the monitors.

"Alright. But here, have some candy. Sakuya had some left over and gave me some." Sasuke said, holding out a small piece of candy.

"Thanks Sasuke-chan." Kasumi replied, quickly munching down the piece. "Hey this is pretty good? What's in…" Within seconds, her head hit the keyboard and she was fast asleep. Santa soon walked in to see the two Kitsune.

"The candy worked. She's out cold." Sasuke replied.

"Of course. It's a special candy Yukina created to keep the elves from overworking themselves. Everyone needs rest and she knew that no sleep is never a good thing." Santa replied.

"I'll have to see if I can get some extra from her before we leave. I know it would work on lots of people back in Konoha." Sasuke said. "You know, I want to apologize for what happened. I mean it is somewhat my fault that Yukina-sama was captured."

"Sasuke, not once have I thought that this would be your fault." Santa said. "You said it yourself, not even you know about Shadow Sasuke's full abilities."

"I know, but sometimes I think back to the fight I had with Naruto at the Valley of the End. If Kasumi-chan never jumped in the way then what would have happened? Would Naruto have been able to destroy Shadow Sasuke at the cost of my own life?" Sasuke asked. "If I didn't survive this day, would we even be in this situation?"

"Now Sasuke, think about what you just said." Santa asked. "If you were to die in that fight, what do you think Kasumi would have done?"

"Couldn't she have brought me back with the jutsu she used on Naruto?" Sasuke asked.

"Do you really believe that Sasuke?" Santa asked.

"Actually I don't. Knowing Kasumi, she'd be so heartbroken that she'd take her own life just to be with me in the next life." Sasuke said, running his fingers through her hair.

"Now you see why you shouldn't feel like that?" Santa said. "Sasuke, you're worth more than you know to so many people. Especially to Naruto and Kasumi. You're one of the most important people in the entire world to them."

"How can I argue something like that, especially when it comes from the guy that can literally tell me more about myself than I could." Sasuke said, picking Kasumi up bridal style. "Well, I guess I should get this one to bed. I know she's probably going to be a little upset because I tricked her like that."

"Tell her it was my idea." Santa said.

"I'll keep that in mind." Said Sasuke as he left the control room.


The next morning…

"Kasumi-chan! Kasumi-chan! Wake up!" Sakuya cried as she banged on the door to the room that the girls were staying in. After a minute a sleepy Kasumi opened up to see what was wrong.

"Sakuya, what is it?" Kasumi asked as she rubbed her eyes.

"We found her! We found Mrs. Claus!" Sakuya said.

"What! But how! I searched all night for her!" Kasumi said, suddenly waking up.

"She's right outside the village…but there's a major problem!" Sakuya replied.

"Don't tell me, Shadow Sasuke's with her right now." Kasumi said with a sigh.

"Well yeah, but that's not the problem! He's got a huge squad of ninja with him!" Sakuya replied.

"I'll get the girls up. Wake the boys up and have them meet us in the control room." Kasumi said.

"Ok, but hurry!" Sakuya cried as she ran off to wake up the boys.

20 Minutes later…

"Ok is there anything else this freak is planning on doing to ruin my holiday?" Naruto said. Being woken up so suddenly left him feeling very cranky, so he wasn't too happy knowing it was Shadow Sasuke's fault. "It's bad enough I have "You're a mean one, Mr. Grinch" running through my head because of this!"

"Don't worry Naruto, you'll get to give him a good present later." Haku replied. "So what's he doing out there?"

"He's given us an ultimatum. He said that if Santa doesn't surrender immediately, he'll kill Mrs. Claus right now, and then destroy the village." Hitomi said.

"How can he get in? Isn't the defense shield up?" Ino asked.

"As long as he has my mom, he can pass right through." Asuka said.

"Well that's just wonderful…wait did you say your mom?" Sasuke asked.

"I'll tell you about that later! But please! You have to save her!" Asuka cried.

"So Orochimaru not only wants to ruin Christmas, but he's also trying to destroy a family as well?" Naruto said. "That's it! He's gonna pay for this!"

"You're right Naruto…and you get to be our secret weapon to do it!" Kasumi said.

"Kasumi, what do you mean by that?" Tenten asked.

"Hinata, Haku, and Sasuke should know what I'm talking about." Kasumi said.

"The reason why Naruto is our secret weapon is because Shadow Sasuke still thinks he's dead." Hinata said. "After he killed Naruto, he took off and left for Oto."

"So he didn't see you perform that jutsu to bring Naruto back!" Neji said.

"Got that right. So if we can get Mrs. Claus away from Shadow Sasuke, Naruto can sweep in and get her to safety while we keep the main force distracted." Kasumi said.

"Well what are we waiting for? Let's get out there and stop that freak!" Naruto said.

"Hold on, we need to be careful Naruto. This is a delicate operation now. Not only do we have a hostage situation, but we're also outnumbered. We can't risk the safety of the village as well." Neji said.

"Would disguising one of us as Santa work?" Ino asked.

"No not against the Mangekyo Sharingan. With his demonic energy he can probably see through any type of disguise jutsu now." Sasuke said, knowing about his evil counterpart's abilities.

"Then you're just going to have to hit him head on." Dr. Sonomiya said, entering the control room.

"With these you should be able to easily get the upper hand." Dr. Sakurano added, carrying in a metal briefcase. He opened it up to reveal ten brand new transformers.

"What in the world did you do to our transformers!" Naruto said with surprise.

"You like them? It was just a little something I worked up." Dr. Sakurano said. "Say hello to your Illumina Transformers, version 2; the Star Prism Transformers."

"Ok now I definitely think I like this!" Naruto said, taking the new transformer and placing it on his left wrist. "Hey where's the one for the other wrist?"

"There isn't one. Your Star Prism transformers now activate by pressing the gemstone in the center and saying the new activation code 'Illumina Star Power'. You won't get any new costume upgrades, but your attacks will definitely be more powerful, now that you can tap into the full potential of your gems." Dr. Sakurano said. "Also you'll notice that you now have two energy meters on your transformers, three for the kitsune. When you transform it will give you a real time readout of your chakra and Illumina energy levels. We also increased the range and power of your communicators as well." (A/N The new transformers are similar to the Galaxy Morphers from Power Rangers: Lost Galaxy)

"Wait, you said we could now use the full potential of our gems. I thought we could already do that in Bankai form?" Haku asked.

"Actually you were only using 90 percent of your fully released power. Since we were able to release the final limiter on your power, Kasumi can now use her Bankai form's most powerful ability, Illumina Fusion." Dr. Sonomiya said.

"Illumina Fusion? But I thought having all of the elements was my full power?" Kasumi asked.

"No Kasumi, your Light Powers have one special ability. It's very visible in Tenten's Element Fusion power." Dr. Sakurano said.

"He's right! Kasumi you know how I don't have any type of elemental weapon with your power? It's because Light is the element that allows me to fuse other elements!" Tenten said.

"She's correct. You see the Light and Shadow Gems are unique. As you know the Shadow Gem strengthens the abilities of its user, while the Light Gem allows all of the other elements to come together. With your new Illumina Fusion ability, you can now combine all of the other elements together in order to use the team's ultimate attack…the Illumina Force Wave." Dr. Sakurano said. "However without the true holder of the Shadow Gem, you cannot use this ability just yet."

"That's why you made the tenth transformer! You mean we're that close to finding the true holder of the Shadow Gem?" Kasumi asked.

"You are. But that person will be revealed in time. For now you need to power up and get out there!" Dr. Sakurano said.

"Well guys…let's take these early Christmas presents and put them to good use!" Haku said.

"Time for the real fun to begin!" Sasuke said.

"Hold on? If we have new activation codes, does that mean we're no longer the Super Illumina Knights?" Naruto asked.

"I would say so. But you have all become something better now." Dr. Sonomiya said.

"Actually Naruto, why don't you call yourselves the Illumina Star Knights." Santa said.

"I like it. How about you nee-chan?" Naruto asked.

"Sounds good." Kasumi said. Everyone else nodded in agreement. "So who wants to do the honors, then?"

"Hey can I do it?" Sakuya asked, bouncing around like a hyperactive kid.

"Sure why not." Kasumi replied. "Go for it Sakuya-chan!"

"Alright! Illumina Star Knights…TRANSFORM!" Sakuya said.

"You heard her guys!" Kasumi replied.

"ILLUMINA STAR POWER!" said the nine knights. In a burst of energy, they assumed their knight forms, and noticed the increase of power.

"Whoa! I can already feel it!" Naruto said.

"Yeah, this new burst of power is amazing!" Sasuke said.

"Just wait until you enter Bankai. Then you're gonna be amazed." Dr. Sakurano said.

"Ok guys, we know what's at stake here. Naruto you stay back and hidden until you can make your move. Other than that, if they aren't wearing a red kimono and look as pretty Tsunade-sama, Mikoto-sama, and Oka-san, then take 'em out!" Kasumi said.

"With pleasure!" Sasuke replied.


As the group made their move to intercept Shadow Sasuke, Santa decided to ask a few questions to his two fellow researchers.

"I take it you left out some small bits of information on purpose, am I correct?" Santa asked.

"But of course." Dr. Sakurano said. "If I had told them everything and Kyuubi-chan found out, then she wouldn't make any more of that delicious Triad Teriyaki. Too bad I couldn't tell them about the new outfits they'll get later."

"Thinking with your stomach again, Ken?" Dr. Sonomiya asked.

"I wouldn't say a word Ryu. You know just how good that dish is." Dr. Sakurano said.

"You're right, I do." Dr. Sonomiya said. "So do we have an update on her status?"

"Well right now, she's undercover in Orochimaru's base. Kyuubi-chan was correct in thinking that Orochimaru would give a fake Shadow Gem to Shadow Sasuke. Luckily our spy has the real gem in her possession. Once she gets hold of her new transformer, then the full team will be complete." Dr. Sakurano said.

"And you're sure that her identity is safe?" Santa asked.

"Positive. We checked her background and she's one of the best that ever came out of Konoha." Dr. Sakurano said.

"You know every single one of them is going to get one of the biggest shocks ever when they finally meet her." Dr. Sonomiya said.

"You mean like the time when Sasuke met his mother at the Chuunin Finals?" Santa said.

"Got that right, big guy." Dr. Sakurano replied.

"You also didn't explain to them that the Shadow Bankai's true nature is to supercharge any one of the eight base elements as well." Santa said.

"We had no choice but to wait. That power won't be unlocked until our friend gets the Shadow Star Prism Transformer. After they defeat Shadow Sasuke, they'll soon know the whole truth behind the Illumina Gems. I just hope Kyuubi-chan can get them ready for the real danger. They really are the only ones who can save this world."

"Guess bringing Kasumi back home was well worth it. It's a shame her birth parents died before she could ever meet them. I'm sure Minato and Kushina would have been proud of their daughter." Santa said.

"Well she is the last remaining survivor of the Illumina Legacy. In time, she'll be able to unlock the ultimate power of Illumina and stop the oncoming darkness. It's a good thing she got adopted into the Kitsune clan, and the Uzumaki clan as well, otherwise she would have never been able to get this far in the mission." Dr. Sakurano told his two associates.

"For now keep in touch with Kyuubi-chan, and we'll see how things go." Santa said.


Outside the village…

"So looks like they have no plans to give in to Orochimaru-sama's demands." Shadow Sasuke said. "I guess they didn't care about your pathetic life anyway."

"You're wrong! I know my husband and he would never risk the hope of millions. He knows I would rather die than have the hope of millions of people destroyed by people like you." Yukina replied.

"It still won't matter. Soon Orochimaru-sama will have the ultimate bloodline, all 10 Illumina Gems, and then he will truly be the greatest shinobi ever." Shadow Sasuke replied.

"Oh he'll have that…over my dead body!" Sasuke screamed, as he and the others arrived on the scene.

"Well well…if it isn't my twin brother, so to speak." Shadow Sasuke replied.

"I'm no brother to you, and you are definitely no Uchiha!" Sasuke said.

"Let her go, Shadow Sasuke!" Kasumi said.

"Ah my dear Kasumi, looking as beautiful as ever." Shadow Sasuke replied.

"Whatever. Like a compliment from you means anything." Kasumi said with a smirk. "Now hand over Mrs. Claus so we can formally kick your butt back to Orochimaru!"

"I'm afraid I can't do that. You see Orochimaru-sama's plans are too valuable to be interrupted. Therefore he needs the Soul Revealer to bring his dream to fruition." Shadow Sasuke said. "Besides, it's not like you have a chance of winning anyway. Without your precious Naruto, you're team is nothing."

"Don't you dare speak his name!" Hinata screamed. "Naruto is 100, no 1000 times the shinobi you would ever be!"

"He was? Well too bad he never got to show it. Killing him was so wonderful. I still remember that day. It was a wonderful sight…his blood dripping from my hand." Shadow Sasuke said. "It was the most succulent blood I have ever tasted."

"Ok Kasumi, that's it! I'm killing him RIGHT NOW!" Hinata screamed.

"No…he's mine!" Sasuke said, stepping forward.

"Very well." Shadow Sasuke replied, throwing Yukina back into a smaller group of ninja. "I must warn you though. I'm even more powerful than before." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small gemstone, easily shocking the entire team.

"Oh no…he does have it!" Ino cried as she and the rest of the team saw the small purple gemstone.

"Yes! Get ready to meet your doom!" Shadow Sasuke said, flicking his wrists to reveal two transformers. He placed the gemstone in the right one, causing it to start to glow brightly." Now I believe it goes something like this? SHADOW ILLUMINA ACTIVATION!" He combined his two transformers, releasing a wave of black energy.

"Oh crap! I don't like this at all!" Haku said.

"Don't let him break you! We've handled worse problems before! He's nothing!" Neji said.

"Neji, I hate to say it, but you might not be right this time!" Chouji said nervously.

"Ahh perfect. Much more comfortable now." Shadow Sasuke said, as the energy died down. He was now in the same outfit as Sasuke, except his was completely black with silver trim. On his back was a symbol of a black looking eye engulfed in the shadows. His hitai-ate now bore the Sound village emblem, as did the symbol on his upper robe. "Well Sasuke, ready to die?"

"Not likely! Besides, I have more power than you can ever imagine!" Sasuke said.

"That might be true, and I will say you are quite strong when you enter Bankai form. Though today will give us a good demonstration of real power…namely the Shadow Bankai!" Shadow Sasuke said.

"He can use the Bankai as well! Great! We're screwed!" Chouji said.

"Shut up Chouji!" Ino screamed. "But I almost hate to say it…I agree with you!"

"Don't worry guys. He may have all my techniques, and the Shadow Bankai, but I have some new tricks as well." Sasuke replied.

"Then let this battle begin. All ninja attack!" Shadow Sasuke commanded.

"You heard him guys! Take em out!" Sasuke ordered.


As the battle started, Naruto stayed within the shadows, ready to make his move. He easily saw Yukina held by three Sound nin, and knew he had to be extra careful so she would be uninjured.

"Kitsune Rei Wakedori!" Naruto whispered, causing Natsumi to be summoned from him.

"Naruto, did you have to wait so long to bring me back out?" Natsumi asked while she stretched out her muscles.

"Sorry Natsu-chan. After we merged, I kinda forgot. Don't worry, I doubt we'll need to merge again." Naruto replied.

"I hope you're right. Since Shadow Sasuke now has the Shadow Gem, and control of the Shadow Bankai, we're up for a serious fight." Natsumi said.

"You're right. But I know Sasuke is on that task. Right now we need to get Mrs. Claus away from those ninja and into safety." Naruto said.

"And how do you propose we do that?" Natsumi asked.

"Easy. You do what you were originally created to do." Naruto replied.

"Hey that's not nice!" Natsumi said with a frown on her face.

"I didn't mean it like that. Remember when I first created the Sexy no Jutsu? It was originally a prank type jutsu, until I found out that it was really a high level disguise and infiltration jutsu." Naruto said. "Not only that but don't you remember all the stuff the girls told us about kunoichi when I was stuck as you for three days?"

"Of course I do! So how should I go about this?" Natsumi asked.

"First use a disguise to change your clothes. Something similar to Mrs. Claus' kimono will work." Naruto said. "Then run out there like you've been running from something, and collapse on the ground. Knowing those idiots, they'll wonder what a pretty girl like you is doing out here, and will probably try to get an early Christmas present out of you."

"Uh Naruto, I'm not that kind of girl you know." Natsumi said. "You might have had to deal with all that time around Ero-sennin and Kakashi-sensei, but I didn't."

"Hey you're part of me as well. Do you really think I'd go that far? Plus I know Hinata-chan is the only one our hearts belong to anyway." Naruto said, crossing his arms. "Besides, all you're doing is getting their attention so they'll lose focus on their current task. I'll rush and get Mrs. Claus to a safe spot and get ready to attack them from behind."

"Wow Naruto, hanging around Hinata, Haku, and Kasumi has really paid off in your planning skills." Natsumi commented.

"Actually it wasn't the girls. I've been spending time with Shikamaru and learning some new things." Naruto said. "So are you ready?"

"Sure thing." Natsumi said, quickly changing her outfit.

"Then let's do this." Naruto said.


"What a time to get stuck on mission detail," said one of the jounin guards.

"I know what you mean man. Here it is close to Christmas and Orochimaru-sama has us stuck way out here." Replied a second jounin.

"Quit your bickering. I hate it as much as any of you guys, but we have a job to do." Replied a third guard. "Besides, once we finish up here and get back, I hear one of the guys found a limited edition set of Icha Icha Paradise books."

"Oh ho ho! Now we're talking!" said the first guard, noticing Natsumi fall to the ground. "And what do we have here? Who's that cutie over there?"

"I don't know, but I'm thinking we're going to get us an early present this year." Said the second guard.

"Holy cow! Naruto was right! These guys are pervs!" Natsumi thought to herself.

"You know I say we open up this other gift too once we get done with that one." Said the third guard as he looked at Yukina. She simply looked back at him with a disgusted look.

"Hey look at this, isn't she one of those Kitsune!" said the first guard, noticing Natsumi's ears and tails.

"Oh boy now we get to see if the phrase 'shags like a fox' is true!" said the second guard.

"You idiot! It's 'shags like a minx' not 'shags like a fox'!" said the third guard. "But I agree…I want to see if that phrase really is true."

"Now that is just wrong!" Natsumi whispered. "Naruto hurry up so I can bash these perverts!"

"Then what are we waiting for!" said the third guard. As he said that, Natsumi saw Naruto make his move and saw him get Yukina to safety.

Behind a few trees…

"Are you ok Yukina-sama?" Naruto asked, as he untied her ropes.

"Yes. Thank you Naruto." Yukina replied.

"Wait, how do you know my name?" Naruto questioned.

"I'm married to Santa Claus. How could I not know?" Yukina said. "Plus have you ever wondered about those holiday cookies you eat every year?"

"Yeah, they're the best ever! I always wondered where Oka-san got the recipe." Naruto asked.

"Well Akane-chan is a very good friend of mine. We've known each other for well over 3000 years. I gave her the recipe about a millennia ago." Yukina replied with a smile.

"WHAT!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Well she is the most powerful of the Nine Sacred Beasts, and I'm married to a guy that delivers presents to over millions of people in one night." Yukina said.

"That actually makes sense." Naruto said.

"Now you better get back out there and help Natsumi." Yukina said. "I'll be ok here."

"Alright. We'll be back soon." Naruto said, rushing out to help Natsumi.

Back with Natsumi…

"Naruto hurry up and get your six-tailed fox butt here!" Natsumi said, starting to feel creeped out over the three Sound nin.

"Hey didn't anyone ever tell you not to open your presents until Christmas day?" Naruto said.

"Who said that?" said the first jounin, turning to notice Naruto standing behind him. He soon began to shake in fear over seeing the fox boy.

"It…it's not possible! You're supposed to be dead!" said the second jounin.

"Yeah, Shadow Sasuke killed you! There's no way!" said the third jounin.

"Then I guess he didn't do a good job now did he!" Naruto said, charging up a Rasengan.

"Looks like we'll have to finish the job for him!" replied the first jounin; before he was fell to the ground from Natsumi's strike to his neck.

"Not really boys. You won't be doing a thing." Natsumi said, pulling herself up from the ground. She began forming her own Rasengan, causing the guards to tremble even more. "Now how about we give you two choices. The first is to get your pervert friend over there and leave now."

"Or the second is for me and my beautiful comrade here to utterly kick your butts." Naruto said, as his Rasengan began to glow orange. "And THEN you get out of here!"

"I think we'll take the first choice!" cried the second jounin as he picked up his unconscious ally. "If you're still alive, there's no telling how strong you are!"

"Then leave…NOW!" Naruto screamed. He soon saw the three jounin high tail it into the snowfields.

"That took care of that problem." Natsumi said.

"Thank you. It's good to know there are wonderful people like you to help." Yukina replied as she emerged from the trees.

"Don't mention it Yukina-sama. Rescuing you meant all kinds of people will be able to have a good Christmas." Naruto said.

"That's fine and all, but if you don't stop Shadow Sasuke, then no one will have a good Christmas." Yukina said.

"She's right. Come on Naruto, we gotta help everyone else." Natsumi said. "Yukina-sama, will you be ok?"

"Yes, I'll be fine. I can make it back to the workshop with no problem. Now go and help your friends." Yukina replied.

"We'll meet back up soon, ok." Naruto said, giving her thumbs up.

"That's fine Naruto." Yukina said. "Before you go, you need to know one thing."

"What's that?" Natsumi asked.

"Remember, since you are now all elves, you can transfer your energy to your friends in order to help them out. Use that to your advantage against Shadow Sasuke." Yukina said.

"Will do, Yukina-sama." Naruto said.


Back with the main group…

"This is just great. We take care of all the jounin ninja, but now we have to deal with a super powered demon version of Sasuke Uchiha!!" Ino said, trying to catch her breath. They all managed to take out the mass of ninja, but Shadow Sasuke was proving to be a handful. And that was without using the Shadow Bankai.

"I knew the Shadow Gem was powerful, but for it to increase his power this much?" Tenten said. "This is just unbelievable."

"Then we need to stop that power with some new power of our own!" Chouji said. "Hey Tenten, you and Neji ready to try our new Triple Attack?"

"I thought you'd never ask!" Tenten replied. Ever since she unlocked her new Gravity powers, she found out that she could now combine her attacks with the others. One of her favorite techniques was the one she learned with Neji and Chouji.

"Then let us do this!" Neji answered.

"BANKAI!" Neji, Chouji, and Tenten screamed, unleashing their newfound power.

"Sasuke, Kasumi, move out of the way!" Chouji said.

"Heh, so they're gonna use that move. Not bad." Sasuke said, jumping away from Shadow Sasuke's strike.

"I knew Ten-chan would have more fun when she learned some team attacks." Kasumi added. "Hey Ten-chan, let him have it!"

"Fools! Do you really think you can beat me with a move like that?" Shadow Sasuke said. "I'll kill you before you get the chance!" He began to dash at Sasuke, only to be frozen in place. "What is…release me!"

"I don't think so, pretty boy." Tenten said with a smile. "With my Gravity Hold, you're going nowhere!"

"And it also means that you're a sitting duck for our attack." Chouji said, gathering energy into his fist.

"Now you will pay for the damage you have caused here." Neji said as his fist began to spark with lightning.

"So with this, we bid you farewell Shadow Sasuke." Tenten said, as she raised her fist into the air.

"Oh man, this is going to be so cool!" Haku said.

"Yeah, I've waited to see this move for a while! Tenten said it was one of her new favorite techs." Kasumi replied.

"I won't be defeated so easily!" Shadow Sasuke said, struggling to break free.

"Whatever." Tenten said. "Let him have it guys!"

"ILLUMINA TRIPLE TECHNIQUE: OMEGA CRUSHER!" Chouji, Tenten, and Neji screamed as they all slammed their fists into the ground. The resulting force of their slam sent a massive wave of destructive energy towards Shadow Sasuke. He continued to struggle from Tenten's hold, but couldn't free himself in time, and took the full force of their new triple technique, exploding in a burst of energy.

"Oh man that has to be one of the coolest techs ever!" Kasumi said. "Haku, Hinata, ready to try our new triple attack?"

"Kasumi, they already know what it is. It used to be your own jutsu." Haku said. "Besides, we used that on Orochimaru last year!"

"Yeah, but they haven't the new and improved version." Kasumi replied. "This time we get to do it Illumina Style!"

"I like what you're planning." Hinata said. "I'm with you."

"Ok girls, crank up the power!" Kasumi said. "BANKAI!"

"BANKAI!" screamed Haku and Hinata. With the new release of their power, there was one noticeable change that did occur.

"Hey Haku, you're not blue anymore." Hinata said, noticing Haku's skin color was the same.

"I guess unlocking the full power gave me absolute control over ice." Haku said.

"Not only that, but it made it easier for me to use all of the elements now." Kasumi said, forming an Ice sword in her hand. "Looks like I can now turn your Ice Armor into a weapon, thanks to combining my Light Katana with parts of Tenten's Gravity power. I guess that means I can now use her new Polarity Shield as well."

"Then it's time we let Shadow Sasuke know just what the true power of Water, Ice and Light is!" Hinata said, as the smoke cleared around Shadow Sasuke. "Hey Neji, mind if we take a shot at him?"

"Of course Hinata-sama." Neji replied. "Tenten, can you hold our friend for Hinata-sama?"

"But of course Neji." Tenten said, strengthening her Gravity Hold.

"You think that will stop me…" Shadow Sasuke said, trying to shake off the damage from the attack he just took.

"Hmm, well we hoped it would, but I think this just might." Tenten said. "Let em' have it girls!

"With pleasure!" Hinata, Kasumi, and Haku said together.

"This is payback for that Chidori in my shoulder!" Kasumi said as she dashed towards Shadow Sasuke.

"Make this double for killing Naruto!" Hinata screamed, as Haku jumped from her hands into the air. She then quickly summoned two streams of water, and encircled Kasumi Ice Katana and Haku's Sode no Shiraiyuki.

"Say hello to our new and improved version of Kasumi's custom jutsu!" Haku screamed.

"KITSUNE PRINCESS TRIPLE TECHNIQUE: NEO ARC IMPULSE!" Hinata, Haku, and Kasumi said in unison. In one quick motion, Haku delivered a heavy slash with Sode no Shiraiyuki from the air, while Kasumi hit Shadow Sasuke with a powerful cross slash. The force caused Shadow Sasuke to be thrown back to the ground with a hard slam. For a few minutes he didn't show any signs of being alive, but the team knew it wasn't that easy to stop him.

"Ok Shadow Sasuke, we know you aren't going down that easy!" Sasuke said.

"You're right. I just wanted to see what I was up against." Shadow Sasuke said, getting off the ground. He wiped the black blood from his mouth and smiled with an evil grin. "Looks like I can get serious." He pulled out a handful of senbon and charged them with a dark energy.

"What's he planning?" Ino asked.

"I'm going to see what eight human pincushions look like!" Shadow Sasuke screamed. "SHADOW NEEDLE!" He threw the senbon, causing them to multiply in a storm of needles.

"Everyone get down! Ino, NOW!" Chouji screamed.

"I'm with you Chouji!" Ino said as the needles came closer.

"EARTH PROTECTOR!" Ino and Chouji said together. Using their power, they quickly summoned a wall of earth and plant, shielding them from the needles. However just as the shield was forming, one senbon slipped through and grazed Kasumi's shoulder.

"Yaa!!" Kasumi cried, clutching her shoulder.

"Kasumi-chan, are you ok?" Sasuke asked, noticing his love clutch her arm in pain.

"Yeah, I'm fine. It's just a scratch." Kasumi replied. "But what are we going to do about that freak of nature?"

"I'm not sure, but Naruto better hurry up and get here!" Sasuke said.

"You're right about that, because Shadow Sasuke may get through our shield!" Chouji said, feeling the barrage of needles slam into the shield.

"We can't keep this up for long!" Ino added. "We're running out of energy and fast!"

"That's just fine with me!" Shadow Sasuke said, quickly rushing in and slamming a Chidori into the shield. The force alone was enough to cause Ino and Chouji to break the shield. "I've had enough of you! I'm going to kill you all and take my prize!"

"Not if I have anything to say about it!" Sasuke said. "Time you go head to head with me!"

"That's just how I want to start things." Shadow Sasuke said, crossing his arms.

"Oh no, he's going to use it!" Tenten reacted.

"BANKAI!" Shadow Sasuke screamed, exploding in a rage of power. The turbulence from the energy could be felt all over the village, and to the Illumina Team…it was a power they had never faced before. Now they were faced with an enemy of untold power. "This…is true power! He screamed as he now pulsed in a dark aura.

"Uh, anyone have any idea what we're supposed to do here?" Chouji asked nervously.

"You die." Shadow Sasuke's voice was cold and dark as he suddenly disappeared. The team began to search for him, but they were quickly met with powerful strikes that leveled them to the ground.

"Ok…that was not what I had in mind." Neji said, struggling to his feet.

"He wants to play hardball…well I can do the same thing!" Sasuke said with sharp resolve.

"You…the one I spawned from…you will die first." Shadow Sasuke said, closing in on Sasuke.

"Not this time!" Natsumi and Naruto said together. "DUAL RASENGAN!"

"So, you're still alive." Shadow Sasuke said, jumping out of the way of the Rasengan attack. "That doesn't matter. I'll kill you once again."

"That's what you think. Besides, right now Sasuke is about to wipe the floor with you." Naruto said.

"He is weak. He could never defeat me." Shadow Sasuke replied.

"Well of course he couldn't beat you." Natsumi said.

"Hey!" Sasuke retorted.

"I didn't finish. I said he couldn't beat you…alone that is." Natsumi continued. "But you see there's one ability you have yet to see."

"And just what would that be?" Shadow Sasuke asked.

"I believe Kasumi, Hinata, and Haku have experienced it." Natsumi said. "And right now Sasuke's about to get a huge dose of it."

"Kasumi, what is she talking about?" Ino asked.

Suddenly remembering what Natsumi was talking about, "It's the special ability all elves have!" Kasumi said.

"But what is it!" Tenten questioned.

"It's the ability to transfer their energy to another in order to become stronger." Naruto said, as he began to glow in a bright aura. "Sasuke, time to charge you up!"

"Everyone, do what Naruto's doing! Focus all your energy into Sasuke!" Kasumi said. She too began to glow with the same aura as she started transferring her energy.

"Ok, if you say so." Ino said, following suit. Soon all the others did the same, and Sasuke could feel all his injuries instantly healed. He even felt his power increase exponentially.

"This power…this is what the true power of my friends feels like!" Sasuke said, feeling the new strength flow through him.

"So you got a new boost of energy. It still means nothing." Shadow Sasuke said.

"Then I'll make it mean something to you!" Sasuke said, staring down his clone.

"Sasuke…do it!" Naruto nodded.

"With pleasure, brother!" Sasuke said, releasing his final power limiter. "BANKAI!" In a burst of light, Sasuke's power went to phenomenal levels. He now stood before everyone pulsing in a radiant golden aura. "I've never felt this strong!"

"Right now you should feel like Rock Lee after he releases his chakra gates. Your power should be at the level of all eight gates opened. But don't worry, you won't die." Kasumi said with a smile. "Now finish that freak off so I can take you back home and kiss you under the mistletoe."

"Definitely!" Sasuke said, focusing all his power into his palm.

"So it's a battle of Chidori that you want. So be it." Shadow Sasuke said, focusing his dark energy. It created a black lightning that sparked from his hand. "I didn't get to use this on you last time, but now things are different! When I'm done there will be one Sasuke Uchiha!"

"You're right. Too bad that's going to be me!" Sasuke said, beginning his charge.

"DIE!" Shadow Sasuke replied, charging ahead.

"Come on Sasuke! Let him have it!" Kasumi thought.

The two Sasukes ran full speed with lightning arcing in their hands. The cry of the two Chidori sounded lie 10,000 birds chirping instead of 1,000. What everyone did notice was Sasuke shifting his hands into a different stance than his normal Chidori stance.

"You're too slow this time!" Sasuke said, as he put his two hands together and focused the lightning in both his hands.

"What is that?" Hinata asked.

"It's his new and improved Chidori." Naruto said. "He's been working on it for weeks and let me tell you, it's one hell of a move!"

"CHIDORI BAKUHA (One Thousand Birds Blast)!" Sasuke screamed as he slammed his palms into Shadow Sasuke. The two paused for a slight second, until Sasuke forced his energy into his clone, causing it to blast through him in one shot. "You see, the Chidori Bakuha isn't a piercing jab like the normal Chidori…instead it forces lightning energy through the opponent, attacking multiple parts of the body at once. It's quite similar to Neji's Hakke Hazangeki (Eight Trigrams Mountain Crusher).

"Impossible…my power…how could it fail." Shadow Sasuke said, collapsing to the ground.

"Because my friends are much stronger than you will ever be." Sasuke said, as the energy in his body died down.

"So you won the battle this time. Too bad you lost the war." Shadow Sasuke said, as he melted into the ground to make his retreat.

"What did he mean by that?" Sasuke thought, as Kasumi wrapped her arms around him.

"Sasuke, you did it!" Kasumi cheered. "You beat Shadow Sasuke."

"And not a moment too soon." Naruto said. "Good job bro."

"Couldn't have done it without you man." Sasuke said. "How was the rescue?"

"Don't worry, it was a success. Naruto and Natsumi performed wonderfully." Yukina said, approaching the group. "I'm just glad you're all safe."

"Then I would say it was a successful mission." Haku said. "Come on guys, we need to get the captive back to the contact."

"Good. Maybe I can get some more of that candy from last night." Sasuke said as they headed back to the workshop.

"You mean the candy that knocked me out?" Kasumi said.

"Oh you mean my Snooze Drops?" Yukina said. "Those are easy to make. But why did you give one to Kasumi?"

"She was working too hard trying to find you last night. Santa said I should give it to her." Sasuke replied.

"That's what happens when elves overwork themselves." Yukina said.

"Yeah, and Kasumi is used to doing that!" Tenten said.

"I am not!" Kasumi replied with a pout.

"It's ok Kasumi-chan. We still love you." Sasuke said with a small kiss.


The group made it back to the workshop where they were greeted with cheers from all around. The biggest welcome came from Asuka, who was more than surprised to see Yukina.

"Mom! I'm so glad you're safe!" Asuka cried as she tightly embraced Yukina.

"I'm ok little one." Yukina replied. "I'm glad you're ok as well."

"I still don't know why you sent me on vacation! I should have been here to protect you!" Asuka said with tears.

"Now now, a mother knows best. Besides you needed time off. You've been training way too hard." Yukina said.

"She is right Asuka. I've noticed that as well." Santa said.

"And all this time you never told us!" Haku said.

"I never told you what?" Asuka asked.

"That you're parents are Santa and Mrs. Claus!" Naruto replied.

"Well…more like adopted parents." Asuka said. "Besides, you never asked."

"Oh brother!" Hinata said. She soon noticed Sasuke thinking about something. "Sasuke, is something bothering you?"

"It was what Shadow Sasuke said to me before he vanished. He said that we won this time, but we lost the war. I'm just wondering what he meant." Sasuke said.

"I know what he's talking about!" Yukina said with a grim look. "You have to get back to Konoha immediately!"

"Why? What's happening back home?" Naruto asked.

"It was the purpose of this plan! Orochimaru staged a two step attack!" Yukina said. "He's sending a huge army to attack Konoha as we speak!"

"WHAT!" said the Konoha nin.

"It's true. Shadow Sasuke told me everything while he kept me captive!" Yukina said. "You need to get back now!"

"Great! How are we going to get back in time!" Hinata asked.

"We'll take my sleigh. It's the fastest one in the fleet. I should have you back in Konoha within 5 hours." Santa said.

"This is just wonderful. All of the jounin are still out on missions!" Tenten said.

"Don't worry we'll make it back in time." Natsumi said. "I hope."

"Meet in the launch bay in 15 minutes." Santa said. "We have no time to waste!"

Within minutes the Illumina team was in the launch bay with their gear, ready for the trip home.

"Once again thank you for all your help." Asuka said.

"Look it's what we do. Sorry it had to ruin your vacation." Kasumi said.

"It's ok, I'll come back and visit later. Just get home and save Konoha so I can come visit." Asuka said.

"Trust me we'll do everything we can." Naruto replied.

"Here, everyone take one of these. They're special candies that will restore your strength. I know you all haven't had proper time to rest, so this will help you out." Yukina said, handing a small bag to Natsumi.

"Thank you Yukina-sama." Natsumi replied, accepting the gift.

"Don't forget this. You'll need it." Dr. Sonomiya said, handing Kasumi the Shadow Transformer.

"Thanks again for the upgrades! We'll put them to good use." Kasumi said.

"If you're all ready, it's time to move." Santa said, starting the ignition sequence.

"Good luck you guys!" Hitomi said.

"And don't worry about your elf forms! You can change back to normal by performing a release jutsu!" Sakuya added.

"We won't forget!" Haku said.

Within seconds the sleigh shot off into the sky, bound for Konoha. However things weren't looking too good back in the Hidden Leaf Village. Orochimaru had already begun his attack. With slim numbers to protect the village, it was sure that Konoha would fall. Luckily the team had unexpected reinforcements to help them.


And part 2 comes to an end. The team has new powers, but what about the untold secrets being kept from them? Who really is the true Shadow Knight, and how will the team handle Shadow Sasuke now since he's now even stronger with Illumina power? And just what is the Illumina Legacy, or the oncoming darkness approaching? And what about Konoha? With no Illumina team and most of the jounin on missions, who's left to protect the village? Only time will reveal these secrets.

Now in other news, I've decided that I will definitely add about two more chapters to Kasumi's dream and finish it off there. After that, I may wait a while before I start the sequel to New Life in order to let the manga get a lot farther...especially now since they're probably beginning the Sasuke vs Itachi fight! But while I'm waiting, I have a new idea for a story. What I'm planning is to do a Sky Girls/Naruto crossover. I haven't seen one single story for Sky Girls, and it would probably be a Hinata/Sakura/Tenten Story. Basically I'd do what I did with New Life...tell the story of Sky Girls with the Naruto Characters. Trust me, if you haven't seen Sky Girls...it's a really good Anime. Check it out.

And now to reveal another of the Shadow Knight's abilities. Last time I revealed his Chaos Control ability and now it's time to see what else the Shadow Knight has!

Lvl 1 Illumina Power-Shadow Bolt- The Shadow Knight fires a burst of dark energy to damage his opponents. This is essentially the same as Kasumi's Starburst Beam, but with Shadow energy instead of Light Energy.

The next update will probably be up in about two weeks, so keep reading! And don't forget to check out Cre.A.Tor00x's The Kitsune Mercinaries to see my bunch get into some crossover chaos again! And as always, please read and review!!! And to all those reviewers not registered on the site, please register! that way I can respond to your reviews! I love talking to my readers!

Neokenshin