Once again, it's been too long. I know, too many things spinning at once. Things are looking up; I'm earning more money, and improving some other skills. So, I'd say life has been pretty good.

So, yeah. This chapter culminates the end of this arc. And I've still a ways to go, though I am pretty amazed I've gotten this far. There will be some payoff I'm sure many of you will be looking forward to, and some bittersweet moments. So, enjoy!

Oh, and remember my rants? I thought I would be done with them at this point, but NOPE. I've got a whole lot of other things to talk about, so stay tuned after this chapter.


"You were here all along!?" Kabuto screamed.

"I was always within reach." The bald Sasuke replied. "Your transgression against Sakura, and by extension, Naruto, ultimately brought me here."

Kabuto sweated…and chuckled. "Well, isn't this interesting!?" he said. "Your revenge was robbed from you years ago! And yet, here I am! Merged with your brother's very body!" Kabuto spread his arms. "Tell me, how does it feel?"

"If you're counting on me to attack you in a blind rage, you can forget it." Sasuke replied. "Whatever sick experiment made you what you are now, you are not my brother." Sasuke spun his staff, and planted it in the ground. "I will admit in taking personal pleasure in ending your life though."

"Just one more question, then." Kabuto said. "You only fought your brother once. And he defeated you handedly. Tell me; with all of Itachi's skills and my own…do you really think you have a chance?" he sneered, hoping he could intimidate the last Uchiha.

Sasuke spun his staff again, pointing it at Kabuto. "What I think is irrelevant. What matters is what will be." Kabuto growled, and the two charged each other, preparing for a battle to the death.


Naruto groaned, and opened his eyes. "Naruto?" a familiar voice asked. "Naruto!"

Finally, the two figures came into focus, recognizing his teacher and student. "Ugh…Ero-senin?" Naruto groaned.

"Thank goodness you're alright!" Iori shouted.

Naruto tried to stand, but a sharp pain assaulted him. "AGGHH!" It only got worse; it felt like his entire body was on fire.

"Never mind!" Iori gasped. Naruto was covered in burns; it seemed he had no skin left.

"He'll be fine…with time." Jiraiya said. "Once Kyuubi settles down, he will heal his host. He'll be back to normal then."

"Sakura…" Naruto panted. "Sakura…I need to get to Sakura…"

"Don't worry." Jiraiya said, touching his forehead. "Sakura is getting help." Looking to Iori, he said "I imagine you want to help; but you're no match for Kabuto, especially in your current state. Watch over him."

Iori nodded as she cradled Naruto. "Just promise you won't let anything happen to the babies."

"I don't think I need to make that promise." Jiraiya said as he stood. "I think Satima can handle him."

"How!?" Iori shouted. "He's strong, but there's no way he can take on an S-class criminal!"

"You'll understand, eventually." Jiraiya answered. "But I'll be watching him, just to make sure Kabuto is stopped one way or another." Jiraiya took off, sprinting in the opposite direction. He then thought back to what "Satima" said…


Sasuke looked at Jiraiya, and the sage felt the world around him shift and slow down. "Genjutsu." He muttered. "Tsukuyomi, I presume?"

"No. Tsukuyomi is a Magenkyo technique. This will pass time just long enough for me to pass on a message." Sasuke answered

"What message is that?"

Sasuke breathed. "Unfortunately, Kabuto succeeded in getting Kyuubi out, most of it at least."

"To the people it makes little difference." Jiraiya said. "No matter how many tails it had, to them it was the same monster from two decades ago."

"Exactly." Sasuke said. "Once Naruto is healed, he will be put on trial. Everyone will want his head after this."

"Tsunade will never let that happen!" Jiraiya shouted.

"I don't doubt that." Sasuke answered. "And once that happens, Naruto will lose perhaps the only political ally he has. And then nothing will stop them from taking his life."

Jiraiya was on the verge of a panic attack. "And you're telling me this because-?"

"YOU will be his only chance. I doubt you can sweep this under the rug entirely, but with your knowledge and reputation, I'm sure you can find a way to at least make sure Naruto will live one day to see his children." Sasuke's body began to flicker. "That's all the time we have. I must make sure Sakura is safe…


Jiraiya growled at the thought. "Damn it all…"


Kabuto threw his shuriken at Sasuke, who expertly deflected them with his staff. "Interesting." Kabuto said as he rushed him, revealing a kunai in his left hand. Sasuke blocked that as well. "What's wrong, Sasuke-kun!? Too righteous to use a sword again!?" Kabuto shouted as he got in his face.

"Let's just say one day I used a stick." He replied, before parrying it and using the opening to kick Kabuto in the stomach. "It came in handy."

As Kabuto keeled over, he sneered. "Interesting." Kabuto then tossed a smoke bomb, causing Sasuke to turn away.

"This smoke…it's toxic!" From his years of training with Orochimaru, he was protected from death, but toxins could still potentially debilitate him long enough for Kabuto to land a killing blow. Sasuke blew the smoke away with a windmill technique and backed away.

"Perhaps I'll let you live long enough to tell me about it!" Sasuke instinctively blocked behind him as Kabuto struck. The Uchiha turned back to face him, striking with his own staff, but the medic dodged each one with ease. Sasuke then planted the tip into the ground and did a spinning kick off of it, but Kabuto blocked again. "These sharingan eyes of yours…they're amazing!" Sasuke's brow twitched. "I can see what's coming just an instant before it happens!" Kabuto pushed Sasuke's foot away and tried to back knuckle his opponent.

Sasuke bent back, but found a trickle of blood escape his lip. "He got me!" Sasuke was sent flying away by a side kick and tumbled several feet away from Kabuto.

"Combined with my medical training and reflexes, I'm faster than I have ever been!" Kabuto boasted. Sasuke got back up and charged again. "Your years of peace have left you weak, Sasuke-kun!" Kabuto yelled as he brought his hands together.

Sasuke's eyes widened as he made a familiar set of hand signs, ending in the sign of the tiger. "That jutsu-!"

"Katon! Goukakyu no Jutsu!" Kabuto belched a giant fireball, which Sasuke ducked and slid under. As he cleared the fire, he then jammed his staff up at Kabuto.

Upon contact, Kabuto split into dozens of crows. "What!?" Feeling the world begin to bend around him, Sasuke brought his hands together to break the genjutsu.

"Your brother put Naruto-kun in a similar genjutsu." Sasuke looked up to see Kabuto stand on the roof of one of the houses. "From what I've scanned of his memories, it affected him pretty hard." Sasuke blinked as Kabuto chuckled, tapping at his temple. "When I was fused with the body of your brother, I received all of his memories." Sasuke was now beginning to tremble as Kabuto then touched down on the ground. "Including the time he spent with you. The times you got hurt. The times he cradled you as an infant. The times he took you hunting. And…" Kabuto chuckled as he showed his spinning sharingan. "…the time he killed everyone but you." Sasuke clenched his staff as Kabuto approached.


Tsunade struggled against the net, resorting to using a rock to desperately file away at the cables. She suddenly saw a shadow loom over her, but calmed down when she realized it was her teammate. "Hold absolutely still." Jiraiya said as he pulled out a vial, popping the cork. "I don't want to burn you." Jiraiya then poured the substance across the net, careful not to burn Tsunade.

As she smelled the cables burn, she once again pushed against it, and this time, she was rewarded with the snapping of the net. "Thanks." She breathed as Jiraiya pulled her close. "Is Sakura-?"

"I sent my toads to look after her." Jiraiya said. "She and the babies are fine; no one's going to be able to get to them easily."

Tsunade nodded. "And Kabuto?"

Jiraiya peeked across the cover of the debris covering them. "He's being held back…by you-know-who. Whether he can win…that remains to be seen." He eyed Tsunade in a way that was almost an angry glare.

"You figured it out, huh?" she said, not bothering to hide it.

"To be honest, I suspected it for a while." Jiraiya said. "You would never risk putting a complete stranger near them, not with what they've been going through. I couldn't think of anyone else he could be; he only just told me before he went off to fight Kabuto."

The medic sighed. "I'm sorry, I-"

Jiraiya shushed her lips. "It's alright." He said. "I'm mad, I admit that. But I trust you had your reasons."

Tsunade nodded. "Well, we better get back in there, and-"

"No." Jiraiya said, holding her back. "We'll keep an eye on them, but right now Sasuke is the best person to beat Kabuto. With the Magenkyo, we may only get in his way. And when he recovers…Naruto is going to need us."

Tsunade looked back up at the mountain, and frowned at the chunk that was blown off. "Understood." She choked.

"If it starts really look bad, we'll jump in." Jiraiya assured her. Looking towards the unconscious chunin next to him, he gathered him up and said "I'm sure you and Miyamoto were pivotal to their survival." Tsunade breathed, steeling herself to stay put…


Kabuto began to throw random strikes at Sasuke, who quickly found himself on the defensive. "This must be embarrassing." Kabuto teased him as threw a jab. "You came here to protect your friends…." The fused nin then knocked him into a building with a snap kick. "And yet, it seems you're the one who needs help!" he said as he grabbed him by the throat. Activating his chakra scalpel, he aimed for his heart. "I'll send your team after you, so don't worry; you won't be lonely for long!" Kabuto thrust forward…and Sasuke's body crumpled, becoming a pile of snakes. "What the-!?" Kabuto jumped back, forgetting he was immune to snake's venom.

"You really are full of yourself, aren't you?" Kabuto turned to his right, and Sasuke's staff dug into his face. Kabuto rolled around, his head reeling from the blow. "Gaining Itachi's abilities has given you a boost, I can't deny that." Sasuke said as he walked around him. "But you're using it as a toy to supplement the abilities you already have. You haven't found the harmony to truly make it yours."

Kabuto growled as he pushed himself up. "Easy for you to say…" Kabuto faced him straight. "But I haven't shown you everything yet!" Kabuto made the hand signs, and shot another fireball. However, Sasuke easily countered with his own, and the two fireballs cancelled each other out. Through the smoke, Kabuto suddenly felt wires that ensnare him. "What-!?"

"Katon! Ryukaa no Jutsu!" Fire travelled down the wires, and hit Kabuto dead on, resulting in a violent explosion. Sasuke stared at the rising column of smoke. "I made those wires a long time ago; not even the sharingan can detect them easily. I was planning to use them on my brother, but you are more than a good enough substitute."

Sasuke then saw the steam was getting thicker, and he realized something wasn't right. "Suiton." He heard Kabuto say. "Kiri Hai no Jutsu" Kabuto stepped into his view, burned, but still standing and still dangerous. It seemed this technique halved the damage of his previous attack! "You may have known many of my moves before Sakura paralyzed me. And you may have had a good idea on how your brother fought." Suddenly, Kabuto vanished, and Sasuke felt his presence right behind him. "But you haven't been keeping tabs on me since I've gotten this knew body."

"Genjutsu!" Sasuke realized. Kabuto tried to shank him with a kunai, but Sasuke wrapped his arm around and elbowed him. Though stunned, Kabuto countered with a kick to the back of Sasuke's knee. He once again tried to cut him down with his scalpel, but Sasuke raised his staff and blocked. Sasuke rose up and attacked with it, Kabuto blocking with a bare hand and his kunai. They stood there trading blows for a moment, forming a small dust devil around them. Finally, Kabuto broke it up with a black egg to Sasuke's eyes. The Uchiha stumbled, squinting his eyes, but got down on one knee and swiped Kabuto off his feet. He blindly tried to elbow Kabuto, but the medic blocked and chopped Sasuke across the neck, knocking him on his back.

Kabuto then punched him in the stomach, but when he tried again, Sasuke regained his sight and kicked him across the head. Grabbing hold of his arm, Sasuke quickly put him into an arm bar. "You-!" Kabuto screamed as Sasuke snapped his arm. "AGGH!" Sasuke got up and whacked him across the floor with his staff like he was playing golf.

Quickly, Kabuto reached for a smoke bomb with his good arm and slammed it on the ground, covering his escape. Sasuke growled, seeing the only place he could have escaped to: an alley where some of the buildings were wrecked by the Kyuubi's blast. Sasuke recognized the street; it was the entrance to the former neighborhood of the Uchiha clan. Growling, he ran in after him.


"Think we should follow him?" Tsunade asked.

"Probably a good idea." Jiraiya agreed. "Looks like he could use the help." Quietly, the two sanin trailed after him.


Sasuke ran through the abandoned neighborhood of the Uchiha, feeling his breath beginning to hyperventilate. It seemed even in the years since he left, no one ever moved in. Dark memories he didn't even think about for years. He passed the telephone pole that he once saw Itachi perch over. The emptiness reminded him of that night…Sasuke paused to think clearly. Kabuto had an opportunity to ambush him. Yet he didn't. That's when he realized where he went. "How dare he…" Sasuke made a beeline for the end of the block. He finally came upon the house he grew up in. Taking a deep breath, he entered through the front gate.

Unlike that time years ago, he did not run. He walked as he entered through the front door. He thrust his staff forward, cutting a wire and kunai came flying from everywhere. Luckily, by choosing not to step forward, Sasuke remained untouched. He proceeded forward through the kitchen, having become dilapidated in the years of its neglect. Grabbing one of the rusty pans, he tossed it forward in the hall, triggering an explosive tag. Walking through the smoke, Sasuke finally made his way to the family dojo.

Kabuto stood there, not even looking at him. He was looking down at the floor. Looking at the spot, he briefly saw the images of his dead parents. Panicking for a moment, he saw Itachi in his ANBU gear right in front of him. Blinking his eyes, he once again saw Kabuto, and breathed a sigh of relief. The features he stole from Itachi were beyond unsettling. "This is where it all happened, huh?" Kabuto said, pacing around him. "As I said, I acquired all your brothers' memories as well his abilities when I fused with his corpse." He said. "And I know he left a message." He said, whispering into his ear. Despite the dangerous proximity, Sasuke did not react. "Would you like to know what he said?"

"Naruto more or less filled me in…years ago." Sasuke replied, not attacking just yet. "Even so, I wouldn't trust you of all people to fill in the gaps."

Kabuto sighed. "A shame." Kabuto attacked with a kunai, which Sasuke blocked. "The pain's gone now." He sneered.

Kabuto attacked again, but Sasuke blocked each strike before punting him in the stomach. "You're still a bit sluggish though. You haven't worked the poison out of your system completely yet."

Sasuke attacked with his staff, Kabuto now on the defensive. Finally, Sasuke managed to pin him against the wall, pressing his staff against the rogue's neck. "Nggh!" Despite his situation, Kabuto began to chuckle. "Would you like to know what your brother would do in his spare time?" Sasuke's eyes widened for a moment. "He would go off into a corner and cry, cursing his slavery." Kabuto spat. "He hoped you would kill him, to set him free. After all, he damned himself for you…you owed him that much." Sasuke loosened his grip on Kabuto just slightly. That was all he needed, as Kabuto pushed back and Sasuke lost his balance. Kabuto followed with a wheel kick to his stomach, and managed to stab in him in the shoulder.

"ARGH!" Sasuke cried. Kabuto elbowed him across the head, sending him flying through the rice-paper doors. As Sasuke tumbled across the grass, Kabuto shot more fire at him. Sasuke quickly got up and ran, and prepared to counter. "Well, I developed this technique to kill Itachi…" Sasuke made his signs, and charged the Chidori. "But you will do just as nicely." Sasuke dragged it across the ground, and aimed for his heart.

Kabuto's eyes widened in horror…and he caught Sasuke's wrist. The electricity singed his cloak where Sasuke was aiming, but his skin was left untouched. "Itachi had a similar experience with you years ago." Kabuto panted. "I had almost forgotten about that cute little jutsu of yours." Though Kabuto pushed back, he couldn't hope to break the arm of an adult Sasuke like Itachi did when he was a kid.

"It seems you had forgotten about how I improved this technique." Sasuke shot back. The electricity suddenly extended into a blade, piercing Kabuto's shoulder.

"AH!" Kabuto fell over as he gripped his shoulder. Sasuke raised his staff to clobber him, but then Kabuto looked at him with the Magenkyo. "Tsukuyomi!"

Sasuke suddenly felt his world twist, and Sasuke hunched over in excruciating pain as his eyes seemed to be forced out of their sockets. "AHHH!"

Kabuto panted as he saw Sasuke stumble and clutching his eyes. "You should have come better prepared for that. After all, we spent years preparing you for these eyes." Kabuto felt his vision begin to fade rapidly. "Shit! It's never been this bad before-!" He reached into his sleeve for his dropper, but felt nothing. "What-!?"

"Looking for your medicine?" Sasuke asked him, holding the vial in his hand. "Too bad." Sasuke then crushed it.

"Impossible!" Kabuto screamed. "I could have sworn I hit you with Tsukuyomi!"

"You did." Sasuke panted. "It was hell. But Itachi already hit me with that before. Tsukiyomi is nearly impossible to counter once it hits the victim; so instead, I've trained to resist it as much as possible. It may not be the perfect strategy, but it's good enough to help me stay conscious!"

"Y-you bastard…" Kabuto stumbled as he tried to get his bearings. His sight was fading rapidly…

"I take it not even your medicine could completely counter the drawbacks of the Magenkyo." Sasuke deduced as he hit Kabuto across the face, spouting blood from his mouth. "It seems every time you used your medicine, the effects would come back with a vengeance. You should have anticipated that before going off on your revenge."

As Kabuto pushed himself up, Tsunade and Jiraiya jumped in behind him. "Well done." She said to Sasuke. Cracking her knuckles, she commanded her agent "Now stand aside. I wish to finish him off myself."

Kabuto then began to give off a mad laugh. "You think you've won!?" he screamed. "You may have put me back to square one…" His magenkyo activated again. "…but I can still send you all down to hell before I get there!" The black flames of Amaterasu erupted from his person, and soon everyone was enveloped in them.

"Hold on!" Jiraiya yelled as he tackled Tsunade before the closest flames could reach her. Quickly, he made his hand signs. "Kuchiyose no Jutsu! Gamaguchi Shibari!"

A fleshy wall surrounded the two, and the black flames disappeared from their sights. "Well…" Tsunade huffed. "This is downright disgusting, but it's better than being burned alive." She said, shaking the slime off her hands.

"Thanks." Suddenly, they felt themselves perspire; it was getting warm! "These walls are very flame resistant." Jiraiya assured her. "However, against these flames, this is only a temporary fix." Jiraiya then pulled out a scroll. "I used these to contain Amaterasu before."

The roof began to bubble. "Can you do it when you're right in the middle of it?"

Jiraiya gulped and sweated some more. "Let's hope so." A sliver of black flame escaped. "'Cause if I can't, we better hope your secret friend can help us!"


Sasuke jumped back from the black flames, knowing full well what these flames could do to a person from his tutelage under Orochimaru. "Goukakyu no Jutsu!" Sasuke fired a fireball at the flames, hoping to push back fire with fire. Though the Amaterasu flames flickered a bit, they still converged on Sasuke as if nothing affected them. Sasuke's normally cool façade began to drop as his head began to sweat. Not from the heat, but from the fear. "Is this it…?" Sasuke thought as he saw the black flames speed up towards him…


Suddenly, it cooled down. It was…soothing. Sasuke then felt a gentle hand stroke his cheek. Sasuke opened his eyes to see a woman with long black hair and a white yukata stand before him. "Who are you?" Sasuke asked. "Am I dead?"

"No." she answered. "Not yet."

Somehow, the answer came to Sasuke. "You're Mitsukai."

"Yes." She answered. "I am happy to meet you…grandson."

"How are you here?"

"I have always been inside of you, as I have in all of my descendants, even in death. They all carry my blood."

Sasuke, figuring he wasn't going anywhere anytime soon, decided to ask some more questions. "I heard about you." Sasuke said. "How you helped the Shodai defeat Madara."

Mitsukai sighed as she brushed her hair. "There is more to the story than that." Sasuke witnessed her walk around him in the void, and images of the past began to come to life. "I was a girl of fifteen when the village was founded. My father and Harishima worked together to give it form. It seemed all would go well…until Harishima was elected Hokage by the other clans and citizens; Madara only had the support of his own clan. Jealousy slowly began to consume him, and on top of that, Harishima began to behave in a matter he did not see fitting for a ninja. He refused several high-profile assassination, espionage and protection contracts, favoring the lower-class and seeking justice rather than profit. Eventually, my father had it and rallied the clan against him. A civil war began between the Uchihas and the rest of the village. At some point, I managed to corner and fight Harishima, intent on killing him to honor my father. But he had countered all my attacks, and in the end, I nearly fell off a cliff to my death. However, Harishima reached out, and saved me. I cursed him, despite being at his mercy, yet he did nothing to reprimand me. Eventually, I asked him why he saved me. He told me everyone deserves to be saved…even from themselves."

Mitsukai teared up a little as they watched the memory before them. "The war went on, taking a toll on both sides. Overtime, Harishima's mercy opened my eyes, and I was slowly able to garner support within the clan for peace between us all. But my father was too far gone by then. He and the Hokage agreed to engage in one last duel…"

"Which Senju won." Sasuke said.

"Well, when it finally became one on one, yes." Mitsukai interrupted. "Though Madara agreed to a duel, he lied. Almost immediately, Harishima was ambushed by several S-class criminals that Madara had managed to bribe. Harishima fought bravely and honorably, but soon he was down to half strength while Madara remained in good condition. However, my father did not count on me watching the whole thing from afar…"

"And that was when you intervened." Sasuke deduced.

"I engaged Madara directly, chipping away at his strength while Harashima handled the others. It was a difficult battle for me, both physical and emotional, to hear my father curse my name and accuse me of betrayal. Eventually, I found the strength within to stand up to him in order to redeem not only myself, but the entire clan. And in doing so, I awakened a new power of the Sharingan. It would have ended Madara right there…."

They were both silent for a moment. "…but in the end, he was still your father." Sasuke deduced, sympathetic to her.

"I didn't have it in me to deliver the finishing blow against him." Mitsukai said, a tear shedding from her eye. "However, Madara had torn away all familial ties and feelings, and stabbed me when he was at my mercy. Harashima had defeated his men, and by then he and Madara were on equal grounds physically, Harishima eventually emerging the victor." Sasuke nodded.

"And it was your aid to Harashima that spared our clan from persecution, my father eventually becoming the leader when he came of age." Mitsukai nodded. Sasuke sighed. "Well, thanks for the history lesson. Though, I suppose there is a point to this vision that relates to the real world, am I right?"

Mitsukai nodded. "As I had said, I had unlocked a new power of the Sharingan. The Magenkyo Sharingan is formed when an Uchiha kills his dearest friend; the Magenkyo is born from that guilt. However, there is another, the Gyokari Sharingan, which is born from the need to redeem oneself. And as my grandchild, this power is in you." The two stared for a moment. "However, if you activate it, there will be a price to pay. Do you accept?"

"I accept." Sasuke said without hesitation. "I will endure anything in order to save the only family I have left."


"It's over." Kabuto chuckled as he felt the heat of the black flames of Amaterasu, destroying everything in their path. Shame he couldn't clearly see the destruction of his power. "I'll find a good surgeon to correct these eyes after I'm done here…" he muttered as brought his fingers near them. He could barely make out his fingers right in front of him. Feeling that no one was coming around, he sighed. "I better get going." He then felt a sudden chill, literally. "It shouldn't be this cold here yet…" Then, he felt the flames begin to die down. "Impossible! What's happening!?"

Finally, the black flames were gone, replaced with ice. Sasuke rose from his kneeled position, and opened his eyes. Kabuto couldn't see it from the distance, but Sasuke's eyes became like sharp flower petals, and the iris turned blue instead of the usual red of his clan. The Gyokari was activated. Sasuke raised his staff, and charged Kabuto, who retreated.


Jiraiya and Tsunade watched as the black flames that managed to break through freeze into ice. For a moment, the two living sanin just looked at it, stunned. "What's going on?" Tsunade asked.

"I don't know." Jiraiya said as he felt the flesh wall, feeling the cool touch from the outside. "But it seems somehow, the danger is gone." Cautiously, Jiraiya dispelled the barrier, and saw the ice crystals surrounding them, Kabuto and Sasuke gone. "What could have done this?" the sage wondered.


Kabuto ran to the top of the Hokage Mountain, Sasuke in hot pursuit. "What in the world was that!?" Kabuto turned to see Sasuke jump and raise his staff. Kabuto had nothing sufficient to block it with that momentum, taking it straight to the face. "Ugh!" Kabuto could feel a perfect cut down along his face, as if he had taken a blow from a blunt sword. Quickly, he threw his last smoke bomb down, the substance coated with pepper. Not even Sasuke was able to resist the stinging in his new eyes, and was now even more incapacitated than Kabuto. The fused-nin quickly engaged him in close quarters combat, elbowing him across the head and kneeing his stomach.

"What is all of this for, huh!?" Kabuto yelled as he continued to beat him. "Too afraid to say 'sorry' to their faces!?" Kabuto punched him across the face. "Hoping they'll accept you back!?" He then dropped kicked the Uchiha on the chin, and sent Sasuke flying backwards. His body slid across the rock and stopped at the edge, miraculously not falling to his doom. Sensing the Uchiha was seemingly defeated, Kabuto felt around for a rock. Finding one that felt rather sharp, he picked it up and carefully inched towards him. "It's time to face reality, Sasuke-kun. There is no erasing what you did, what I HELPED you do all those years ago. You made your choices, now you have to live with them." Kabuto sneered. "But not much longer, I promise."

"I don't disagree with what you said." Sasuke moaned, spitting blood to the side. "I know I can never go back in time and pretend my sins never happened." Suddenly, Sasuke vanished in a poof of smoke; Kabuto couldn't see it and smashed the rock against rock, jumping back from the shock. "However, as long as the family I left behind can live in peace and happiness, I can bear the weight of being unforgiven!" Suddenly, he was staring Kabuto right in the face with his blue eyes; even with Kabuto's impaired eyes, he could clearly see Sasuke's crystal blue eyes pierce his soul. "Something I doubt you're strong enough to endure!"


Kabuto suddenly found himself in a dark realm,. "What's going on?" Kabuto asked.

"Welcome, Yakushi Kabuto." A voice said.

Kabuto looked up, his vision apparently fine for the moment, and found a large demon covered in shadows, staring at him with yellow eyes. "W-who are you!?" Kabuto yelled. He backed away, but the flat ground somehow tripped him and caused him to fall over on his backside.

"Your kind knows me as Lord Enma." The giant answered.

"A-am I dead?"

The demon suddenly sported a toothy smile. "No. Not yet" he answered, twiddling his fingers. "But your soul is separated from your body…so I can do what I want with you for the time being."

Kabuto gulped. "W-what are you going to do?"

"You are familiar with the Tsukuyomi, right?" Enma asked. Kabuto nervously nodded. "You were caught by the Izuna, sending you to hell without dying. The limits of the Tsukuyomi is that it relies on human imagination." He suddenly leaned down so he was facing Kabuto directly. "Human imagination is…mundane. Let me show you torture beyond your wildest imagination…"


Kabuto came back to the real world, screaming. Sasuke stood above him as he found the evil man shrinking and cowering before him. He never thought he would live to see the day when he would see Kabuto tremble and make in his pants. "This is quite something." Sasuke muttered as he observed, slightly amused but still boiling over with fury. It was clear Kabuto lost all will to fight or even antagonize anyone else.

"P-please, let me go!" Kabuto stuttered as he pathetically tried to shoo Sasuke away. "I never touched Sakura, not for real, I swear! I'm sorry I put her through that in the Tsukuyomi!" Sasuke responded with a swift kick to his gut, causing him to roll away. "I'll live my life as a good person! I'll even paralyze myself again in penance for what I did! I swear it!" Sasuke responded again with a sharp smack with his staff across the face, giving the mad medi-nin another large cut across it. "Please…" Kabuto whimpered, tears streaming down his eyes. "I'll do anything! Just don't take me back to see HIM!"

Sasuke leaned down to meet him at eye level as Kabuto cowered and looking away from him. "Okay. I believe you." Sasuke suddenly sighed.

Kabuto cautiously opened his eyes and looked back. "R-really?"

"Yes." Sasuke then stood as his Gyokari activated again. "But it's not going to save you."

Kabuto suddenly felt the immediate temperature around him drop. Looking down at his arms, he found ice crystalize on his arms. "NO!" Kabuto screamed. He tried to run, but ice began to weigh him down, and already his body was feeling like pins and needles. "I'M SORRY! I'M REALLY, REALLY…"

"I don't care." Sasuke said as the ice enveloped his body. Finally, Kabuto was encased inside. "I'm not one for prayer, Kabuto…but in your eternity, I hope you truly come to regret what you've done. Maybe then, you'll finally find some semblance of peace."

Suddenly, Sasuke felt his vision drop. Clutching his eyes, he winced. "This must be what Mitsukai was talking about." Opening his eyes again, he could still see, but everything was much blurrier. " I can live with it." Sasuke thought. He looked back down into the village. Though he couldn't make out exact details, he could see movement rapidly approaching him. It seemed that the other ninja had finally got their shit together and come after him. "Naruto, Sakura…whatever happens, please be safe." Sasuke then retreated.


The ninja finally reached the edge as they looked for the combatants. They saw several ice crystals taking the shape of flame…and finally found Kabuto frozen among them as well. "Where's the other!?"

"He couldn't have gotten far." One said. "I'll pick up his trail…"

"You will do no such thing." Tsunade and Jiraiya approached them. "He helped us bring down a fugitive and wanted criminal…and helped me settle a score." She eyed the ice Kabuto was in. "Take him to the dungeons, and be ready when he melts. Make sure you remove his eyes once he thaws." Normally Tsunade would never do such a thing, even after the things he had done, but the Magenkyo was too dangerous.

"Yes, Hokage-sama." The ninja did as they were told, picking it up as if it was a big sofa and carried it down the hill.

"It's over…" Tsunade sighed in relief.

"No…" Jiraiya breathed as he looked at the destruction that had befallen the village. "…our problems are just beginning." What worried him the most, was Naruto…


Elsewhere, Susanoo cut down the trees in his exoskeleton. Kakashi quickly rolled away, covering his escape. "This is getting boring!" Susanoo shouted. Pounding his "chest", he said "You've thrown every element at me, you even used that weird ball jutsu! And you haven't made any headway!" Finally he managed to grab hold of him, and flung him across to the other side of the forest. Kakashi panted heavily as he slumped against the tree, his uniform in tatters and sporting numerous cuts. Yet, he didn't seem perturbed by Susanoo's statement. Despite his mask, Susanoo could tell he was smiling underneath. Susanoo scowled at him. "What's so funny!?"

"I certainly was trying to crack that shell of yours." Kakashi admitted. "But I was also learning through trial and error what worked against you. And it seems that element…is lightning."

Susanoo slowly began to laugh. "Idiot! You just tried that Raikiri of yours! It didn't work!"

"Who said anything about just Raikiri?" Kakashi asked. "I've got something else in mind."

Susanoo shrugged. "Well, as fun as this was, you've outworn your welcome. Truth be told, I could care less whether Taka and that freak have succeeded. The only reason I tagged along…was to finish what we started on Tigre island nearly a year ago."

"Then come and finish it." Kakashi beckoned him. "Your move."

Susanoo growled, and charged. Kakashi sprung into a retreat, taking to the trees. Susanoo knocked each one down as he charged in a blind rage. "There is no escape!" he yelled. He suddenly used his energy to form a chakra shuriken, and launched it at his prey. It didn't hit Kakashi directly, but it severed the branch he just landed on, causing him to fall. "It's over!" Susanoo raised his chakra sword as he moved forward…and immediately felt pressure. "What the-?"

Susanoo then noticed the wires around the forest. On instinct, he struggled to break free, but in doing so, he triggered another trap, launching bolos at his chakra legs and arms. "You cheating bastard!" Susanoo jumped to escape, but being off balance, he suddenly fell over on his back.

"In addition to trying out different ninjutsu on your armor, I also began planting traps here while you were distracted." Kakashi explained. "You were so focused on killing me, you didn't even notice."

"It doesn't matter!" Susanoo yelled as he struggled against his bonds. "I'll be out of these soon enough!"

"I don't think so!" Kakashi yelled. He put his hands together in a seal. "Kage Bushin no Jutsu!" Four more Kakashis appeared, and charged.

"What is he-?" Susanoo wondered.

Two of them ran side by side, and linked their hands through a chain of lightning. "Raiton! Raiden no Jutsu!" The two dragged the lightning chain across Susanoo's exoskeleton, the current visible across the chakra.

"What is this!?" Finally, the chain reached the neck; though it couldn't quite break the shell, the current was increasing in frequency. Susanoo's real body was starting to tingle.

"I found out your exoskeleton is quite conductible." One of the Kakashis said. "Most one-shot attacks, however, isn't enough to pierce it. But, with proper ionization…." The other two threw lightning in the shape of a wild dog, aiming for its core. "Raiton! Raiju Tsuiga no Jutsu!" Now the exoskeleton was shining brightly, and Susanoo could feel his grip slipping.

"WHAT'S HAPPENING…!"

"…I can destabilize it!" The last Kakashi, presumably the real one, leaped into the air with his normal Raikiri. He landed in the center, right above Susanoo's real body. His feet were covered in stone, protecting him from being electrocuted directly. His hand managed to get into the very middle of the chakra, threatening to break through any second.

"IT'S NOT POSSIBLE!" Susanoo shouted.

"I bet it's very disconcerting!" Kakashi yelled. "Until now, you could always count on this shell to keep you safe!" Kakashi pushed his hand down even further, and now Susanoo could feel the shocks. "I'll give you one chance." Kakashi said. "For the memory of my friend. Promise you will never harm me or anyone else again. Do that, and I'll spare you."

"I'M NOT YOUR PATHETIC FRIEND!"

Kakashi's eyes narrowed. "So be it." The other two clones from behind jumped on his back, pushing him through. The Raikiri finally rammed through, and made contact with Susanoo's body.

"AGGGHHH!" The exoskeleton finally exploded, dispelling the clones and sending the real Kakashi flying.

Kakashi grabbed hold of a tree, and struggled to get himself back up. Taking out his last kunai, he hid behind the tree, gripping the weapon tightly. However, after a good minute, Susanoo didn't come. Cautiously, Kakashi peaked out of the tree. Nothing. He carefully proceeded forward to where they fought. And there, he found Susanoo, bloodied and exposed. It seemed his Raikiri had managed to cave in his chest cavity. His breathing was shallow, and his eyes were unfocused. Still, he managed to raise his head and look at Kakashi. He seemed to say something, but he couldn't vocalize. Still, Kakashi got the message.

"It's a shame." Kakashi sighed, walking towards him. As he sat down by his head, he said "You could have been a force for good." Cradling his head, he continued "I suppose, because of how you were created, the only futures you could see were ones where you were a weapon." Looking at his fading eyes, he said "Promise me, in the next life, never give up. You always make your own choices." Susanoo faintly smiled. Kakashi breathed deep, and plunged the kunai into the clone's heart.


"Naruto…Naruto!?"

Naruto blinked rapidly as his vision came into focus. Slowly, the faces of Jiraiya and two of his students came into focus. "E-Ero-senin?" Naruto moaned.

He tried to rise, but a hand gently forced him down. "Easy." Tsunade said. "Yuji and I are still healing you."

Naruto still felt like a wreck, but he could feel her soothing chakra erase the burning pain as the two medics worked their magic. "Please…tell me Sakura's okay." He moaned.

"She is." Jiraiya smiled. "And so are your children."

"Children?" Naruto asked; it seemed the trauma made him temporarily forget. "You mean-?"

"Congratulations, sensei!" Iori squealed excitedly. "You're a daddy now!"

Naruto leaned back and slowly smiled. "Thank goodness." He breathed. "So…"

"A boy and a girl. Both healthy." Yuji answered. "And I'm still a bit traumatized from the ordeal." He chuckled. "That and another…." He thought as he tried not to think of the Tsukiyomi he recovered from.

As the last of his burn marks receded, he asked "Can I see them?"

Tsunade suddenly frowned. It took her a moment to muster the answer. "…it will have to wait."

"WAIT!?" Naruto suddenly shouted. He tried to rise up, but felt his arms restrained to the rails.

"I'm sorry, Naruto." Tsunade said. "They were about to kill you! This was the only compromise I could reach in the situation!"

"Compromise!?" Naruto shouted.

"The Kyuubi took over again!" Jiraiya interrupted. "You blew the Hokage Monument. No one died by your hand, but with all the chaos that has happened, everyone panicked." Jiraiya explained sadly.

Naruto's eyes widened, and he looked away. "So…what now?"

Tsunade sighed. "I don't know." She answered honestly. "It…it's causing problems for all of us." Tapping his wrist, she said "We're going to discuss this matter with the council. Until then, you are to remain in this room." Naruto looked around. It was a sterile, marble tile room. "We'll take care of you here." She assured him.

Naruto sighed. "Could….could you send for Sakura?"

"She's still recovering from the labor." Iori said. "Besides, with the way the village is feeling about you right now…if Sakura is seen with you too soon, we were worried it could endanger her safety." Naruto nodded sadly.

"We'll come to you with the news shortly." Tsunade assured him. "In the meantime, get some rest." Naruto lay back, a single tear dropping from his eye.

"I'll stay with him." Iori assured them.

"Me too." Yuji answered.

The two elders nodded, as they exited the door.


Somewhere in the lower levels of Konoha, beneath what was left of the Hokage tower, Tsunade traveled down a dark hall, flanked by two ANBU ninja. Finally, they reached a door, which her guards opened. The room lit up as someone shot forth a stream of fire at a block of ice. Under normal circumstances, even a jutsu of that level would easily melt ice back to water within minutes. Yet the mass of ice remained, not having changed in mass one bit. Inside the mass was Kabuto. "No luck?" she asked.

"None." Ibiki answered. "We've tried every method we know of to thaw him out, and we haven't been able to even get a drop out of it." Ibiki blew himself with a fan. "Given the heat and humidity down here, the ice should have begun melting long ago before we even started."

"Have you tried chipping him out?" Tsunade asked.

"We have." One answered as he picked up an axe. "Observe." He brought the axe down on the ice, and instead of the ice, it was the axe blade that shattered!

"This is like no ice we've seen before." Ibiki said.

"It seems to be the polar opposite of the Amaterasu…" Tsunade thought.

One of the sensor ninja placed his hand on the ice. "Even stranger…I sense he is still alive. Most organisms would have frozen to death in something this cold. In fact, he should have suffocated almost as soon as we got to him. Yet I can still sense his chakra at high levels; he's not even on the verge of death."

Tsunade blinked. "How?"

"I don't know…" he answered. "…I'd have consulted you, but it seems you are as clueless as we are."

Ibiki leaned forward as he looked at Kabuto's face, contorted in horror. "Not only is he alive…I think he is aware of everything that is happening around him."

"Are you sure?" Tsunade asked, not sure how much more of this she could take.

"Have a look for yourself, m'lady."

Tsunade looked into Kabuto's eyes, and nearly jumped back in shock. His eyes were moving rapidly, flickering between his normal eyes and the Magenkyo. However, nothing else moved. "Fascinating." Tsunade breathed.

"Your orders?" Ibiki asked.

Tsunade clenched her fist. The ice would neither melt, nor break. On top of that, it seemed to be keeping Kabuto alive, and he had no way of escaping. "Find the worst cell we have available, and throw him in it. It seems we won't need to feed him; make sure no one sees him, and bury him."

The ninja immediately got a platform on wheels, and worked to place him on it. "I know what he did to your pupil" Ibiki said. "I'm surprised that you have mercy for him."

"You think this is mercy?" Tsunade replied venomously. "He is still alive inside that ice, and completely aware of what's happening. Yet helpless. I can't imagine the ice is making him comfortable. Plus, spending what seems to be forever in darkness…I would want my own worst enemies to put me through that. I do believe it is a sufficient punishment for him, and it is proper revenge for my pupil's honor. Looking away, Tsunade thought "It may be the last thing I do as Hokage."


Later, Tsunade was seated at a round table table with both the shinobi and civilian council. Jiraiya also stood by her side. "I understand this is a hard time for you, Hokage-sama." One of them said.

"If I had to take time off for having a hard time, I wouldn't deserve this job." She replied.

"I think it's time we seriously discuss the status of the jinchuriki…" one said.

"He has a name!" Tsunade snapped.

"And he has a classification too." Another replied. "Whether intentionally or by accident, he unleashed the beast within and nearly killed us all!"

"No one died by his hand!" Tsunade yelled.

"But that was why Kabuto attacked, was it not? He purposely did everything he did to provoke him. Even if killing us was not his goal, he certainly came close. We can't risk such an event happening again."

"Now that this happened, it is simply too dangerous to keep him around!"

"He is a citizen of Konoha, and one of our best ninjas!" one countered.

"We left the jinchuriki alone simply because it was the Yodaime's wish!" another shouted. "His honor is not worth our lives!"

"It also wasn't prudent to kill him just yet." Danzo finally spoke. "If we had killed Uzumaki when he was an infant, the Kyuubi would simply resurrect overtime. We weren't ready to deal with that possibility then..."

"HOW DARE YOU-" Tsunade yelled.

"I didn't say kill we should him." Danzo assured her. "Not yet."

"Still, another Kyuubi attack seems inevitable now." Another said. "At least if we kill the jinchuriki, we are guaranteed a few years peace. And at least the Kyuubi can eventually move on to another location."

Tsunade nearly got up and leaped from her chair, but Jiraiya held her down. "I understand you are close to the young man." Another councilman said. "But your duty as Hokage supersedes that."

"You must give the order to eliminate him." A woman said.

Soon, the council erupted into chaos as they practically screamed at her to eliminate him. Tsunade finally stood. "ENOUGH!" she yelled, smashing the table. For a moment, everyone simply sat still in silence. "Uzumaki Naruto is not a danger to the village!" Tsunade yelled. "Our enemies manipulated him…."

"We have already established his transformation may not have been intentional!" Another shouted. "But not only is he placing us in mortal danger, but economical as well! Our immigrations department is overrun with applications filing to get out of our village! At this rate, we won't have many more working ninja within two years! Word will also get out of what happened here; And when that happens, someone, somewhere, will exploit this weakness again!"

"I'm afraid he's right, Tsunade-sama." Another said. "At this rate, killing him may be our best option. We can make it painless…"

Tsunade was about to explode and lose all control, but Jiraiya held out his arm and stepped in front of her. "There is another option!" he yelled.

"What is that?"

"I know of a place where the boy can train. In Senjutsu!" The crowd suddenly froze.

Danzo quietly gripped his cane. "No!" "Senjutsu? You mean Sage Arts?" he asked to save-face.

"Indeed."

"We were told such things were a myth." Another said.

"No, it's real." Jiraiya assured them. "So few humans have achieved it, only the Toads I have a contract with know about it."

"And yet, it seems you haven't achieved this status. Am I wrong?" Danzo asked skeptically.

"No." Jiraiya admitted.

"Excuse me, but assuming this IS plausible, how is this supposed to guarantee our safety?"

"Naruto's rage was the trigger for his transformation. Not just at what Kabuto did to his lover, but his perceived helplessness as well. If he masters it, the senjutsu will act as a viable replacement for his Kyuubi chakra."

"And just how long will this take?"

Jiraiya breathed deeply. "I don't know." He answered honestly. "I myself have tried, but I lost patience. It will take a few years at least…"

"Interesting. But not a guarantee of anything." Danzo interrupted.

"No, it's not." Jiraiya reluctantly agreed. "But despite all he's been through prior, Naruto has served and protected his village faithfully, and raised three chunin of his own." Jiraiya said. "I do believe that alone is reason to give him a second chance."

As Danzo tried to think of a counter without raising suspicions, Hisashi finally spoke up. "If he succeeds, such great power could be a real asset to our village." He said. "And Jiraiya is also not wrong. His relationship with the man aside, he has proven to be a rather insightful individual. I have no doubt on his word of this senjutsu and the benefits it could bring us."

"True." Another agreed. "And if nothing else, the time it could take to master could guarantee our safety for at least a few years." Jiraiya and Tsunade wanted to say something, but kept their mouths shut. They had enough experience in politics to know you took your allies where you could get them, even if their motivations were rather deplorable.

"Friends, friends!" Danzo broke up the debate. "While your intentions are noble, time is of the essence! We must decide, now!"

"I agree." Hiashi said. "Which is why I vote for Uzumaki to train with the toads to master Senjutsu." He said with confidence.

Eventually the others voted. It was a dangerously narrow margin, but by one vote, both councils voted to have Naruto train. Jiraiya breathed. "I suppose it's settled then."

"The matter of Uzumaki." Danzo said, gripping his cane to hide his rage. "But, after this debate, I fear another matter must be decided on." Eyeing the Hokage, he said "Isn't that right? Tsunade?"

Tsunade remained silent; she saw this coming, one way or another. "Senju Tsunade…you have served your village faithfully and honorably for years. Unfortunately, your attachment to the jinchuriki has shifted your priorities. You have put one individual…a potentially volatile individual…above the rest of your village." Danzo paused as they waited for it. "I do believe, it is time for new blood to be inaugurated."

"With all due respect, Danzo…" Hiashi interrupted. "…I do believe you are at the end of your years. Even if you are in excellent health for your age, you don't have much time left. I do not believe it is in the best interest of the village to vote in a Hokage who will only be able to serve them for a decade at most, probably less."

"I am well aware of that, Hiashi-sama." Danzo answered, clearly annoyed at the subtle jab at his age. "Which is why I am nominating a root agent of mine: Ophiocord."

"Excuse me, but I don't see how your root agent is qualified to lead a village." Tsunade interrupted.

"He has completed many undercover missions in different occupations, including many government positions. He has mastered ninjutsu on par with the Copy Ninja and the Sandaime." Danzo answered confidently.

At this point, Jiraiya interrupted. "I think the Copy nin would be a more viable candidate…"

"Both he and you have this bias in favor Uzumaki." Danzo said. "I believe we cannot afford to have a Hokage who will let their personal relationships get in the way of their duties."

"I don't think a man with NO attachments is qualified either!" Jiraiya angrily replied.

"Tsunade-sama, Jiraiya-sama…" a councilman raised his hand. "…we have reviewed the man's history. He is a remarkable individual; his years of isolation may have in fact enhanced him."

"You can't be serious!" Tsunade shouted. "I can't stop you from removing me from office if you chose to do so, but please! Think about what you're doing! There are several ninja in the village…you among them!...who are qualified for this position!"

"He has the equivalent of several masters' education in several disciplines, mastered many forms of ninjutsu, and has seen the inner workings and politics of other nations." Danzo reiterated. "There is no one more suited for this position in these troubling times." Danzo addressed the councilmen. "I understand this is a sudden proposal, but I do believe it is an issue that needs to be addressed. You have Ophiocord's files; study them, and vote wisely."

With that, the council disbanded, Jiraiya and Tsunade left behind as they were still in shock. "Of all the people who would be my successor…"

"It won't happen." Jiraiya tried to assure her. "Worst case scenario, you are removed from office, but they pick a qualified successor. Hopefully Hiashi…"

Tsunade held her hands into her face. "Whatever. It's not important. What's important is that you saved Naruto's life."

"What else could I do?" Jiraiya smiled back.

Tsunade stood, and leaned into his chest. "After all this time…they still don't trust him…"

"I wish I had an easy answer for that." Jiraiya answered. "But fear is truly a terrifying force of nature. It twists people to be something they're not."

Tsunade feared to ask her next question. "How long will he be away? Really?"

"I honestly don't know." Jiraiya answered. "I haven't heard of anyone in my lifetime mastering the Senjutsu."

"So my last act will be to exile Naruto instead of killing him…!" Tsunade cried.

"There's no other way!" Jiraiya shouted as he gripped her shoulders. "I'll go with him; make sure he has a piece of the village he's leaving behind."

Tsunade slowly leaned into him as she embraced him. "I'll miss you."

"We have some time; we better get Naruto ready. And Sakura too."


A few days had passed since the decision was made. Jiraiya was the one who decided to break the news to Naruto. While he was relieved he wouldn't receive a harsher sentence, Naruto was still heartbroken that he was essentially banished, even if they had left a condition where he could come back. "Is there nothing else we can do?" Naruto asked, struggling to keep his tears in.

"Tsunade and I did everything we could." Jiraiya replied solemnly. "I…I know it's not enough. But if you succeed, you'll be welcomed back in."

"On paper, at least." Naruto sighed.

Jiraiya slightly nodded. "Naruto…the people…they're scared. Now's not the best time for you to be here."

Naruto rubbed his face. "I did everything I could, you know? To prove them wrong. All of them…"

"It's man's folly." Jiraiya said. "Once we make up our minds to fear and loathe something…it's hard to switch." Jiraiya patted his shoulder. "But there are still good people within this village. You have friends who know you were not responsible for what the monster inside you did. And every one of those friends here will support you and make sure to make everyone else to see you for who you are once you get back."

"IF I can come back." Naruto growled.

"Don't you dare say that!" Jiraiya said, clenching his hand. "Ever since you were a child, you have fought incredible odds. You graduated the academy despite being held back several times. You mastered a jutsu meant for the best of the best as a child and made it your own. You have overcome every major opponent who has come your way. You redeemed your friend, and he in turn came back when you needed him the most. You've defied odds before, and damn it, you're not bucking that trend now! We'll get through this, somehow! I'll make sure you do!"

Naruto looked away from him, and back to his hands. "When do I have to leave?"

"Tomorrow." Jiraiya said. "I'm sorry; we couldn't put it off any longer. We can't endanger you or your family." Naruto nodded. "But, before that happens, we can take you to meet your children…and say goodbye."


It was late at night; Jiraiya told Naruto it was to avoid attention drawn to Sakura and the kids. As they approached the cabin, Naruto winced at the damage it suffered from that day. Entire walls were broken down, now covered by plastic wraps. "You had nothing to do with this." Jiraiya assured him. "It was Kabuto, and him alone. You understand?"

Naruto nodded, not sure if he really believed him. As they made their way inside, Naruto saw Sakura and Tsunade sitting across from each other in the kitchen (also under heavy repair). Though she was expecting him, Sakura still looked at him in surprise as he entered. "Naruto!" Sakura got up and tackled him in a hug. Sakura began to cry as he hugged her back. "Thank goodness you're okay…" she choked.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Naruto replied, stroking her hair. As they gave each other some breathing room, Naruto looked her right in the eye. "Sakura…did Ba-chan tell you?" Sakura silently nodded, clearly not all pleased. "I'm sorry. It's the only way…"

"I know." Sakura sniffled. "How long do you think it will be?"

"I honestly don't know, Sakura-chan…I'm sorry."

Sakura hung her head even lower, if that was even possible. "When do you leave?"

"Sunrise. I tried to tell Ero-senin to hold off…but he's worried about what will happen to us if we delay it any longer."

Before any more could be said, they suddenly heard two long cries. Looking at the new kitchen table, Naruto saw what happened to be a baby monitor on the kitchen table. "Please…" Sakura choked. "I…I need you to see them."

Naruto nodded. Sakura led him to the upstairs into the spare room for the babies, which was miraculously intact from the ruckus from that day; in the crib were two babies. As Sakura turned on the light, Naruto could make out their features. One had a small patch of blond hair on its head, the other with pink. "Sh, sh, Mommy's here…" Sakura cooed the blonde as she held it in her arms.

Naruto came closer to look at both of them. Though he was never one to repress his emotions, after what happened with his loss of control, he thought he was done shedding tears for a while. Seeing his children, and knowing he may not see them for a long time, brought fourth new tears. "…They're so beautiful…" he choked. Seeing that the pink-haired one was still crying, Naruto went over and carefully cradled the infant. "Boy and girl?" he asked as he bounced his. Sakura nodded, managing to give him a faint smile as she tried to soothe the blonde to sleep. The pinkette began to cry louder, and Naruto tried his shot at soothing a baby infant. "Sh, sh…don't worry, baby girl. Daddy's here…"

He didn't notice Sakura give him a funny look. "Uh, Naruto…"

"I'll be back for you, sweetie. I'll get you some pretty dresses…"

"Naruto…"

"…maybe even a pony! I'll make you the prettiest girl the world has ever…"

"THAT'S YOUR SON, YOU BAKA!" Sakura hissed as she clocked him across the head.

"Ow." Naruto winced. Looking at the infant, Naruto processed what he saw and what Sakura told him. "…sorry." He said sheepishly. "I've a feeling this one's going to have issues growing up…"

Having settled their blonde daughter, Sakura took the boy from his arms. "He's really sensitive." She whispered.

"What are their names?"

Sakura smiled, as she gave him a better look at their son. "This…is Shinachiku." Naruto smiled a little as he rubbed his forehead.

"Shinachiku, huh?" he asked.

"Well, I figured it fit; being named for ramen ingredients and everything."

"I approve." Naruto smiled. Moving over to the crib, he looked at the sleeping girl. "And her?"

"Hanami." Sakura answered. "I guess I was thinking more of me when I named her…"

"It's fine." Naruto answered. "It's a fitting name for her." He smiled, rubbing her cheek. What more could be said?

He looked at Sakura…and tears began to flow down his face. "What's wrong?" Sakura asked, worrying.

"I'm not going to be able to see them again." Naruto hiccupped, "I promised you we'd be together, and now-"

"We will be!" Sakura hushed him, though she began to cry too. "It will just take a little bit of time, that's all! You'll finish your training, and we'll be a family!"

As they embraced, they began to softly cry together. "You've done so much for me." Naruto huffed. "I can't ask you to wait for me-"

"Don't you dare say that!" Sakura hissed, as she pulled away from him. "We got into this together, and I'm not abandoning you now! Not when you're going to need me the most!"

Naruto said nothing, and nodded. "You…you're sure?"

"More than anything." Sakura repeated.

Naruto leaned in, and kissed her. It was a melancholy kiss, not one they wanted to share upon the birth of their children. But it was all they could have right now. As soon as the infants were settled, they went to bed, embracing one another.


The sun was just rising above the horizon as dawn approached. Jiraiya led the way out of the village as Naruto followed after him. "Reminds me of way back then." The sage sighed whimsically.

"Yeah." Naruto sighed. "It does." His tone was not so happy, though for very good reason.

Jiraiya looked back and gently clasped Naruto's shoulder. "Naruto." He said. "Back then, after I taught you all I could at the time, we came back. You came back FOR HER. And you'll do so again." Naruto slightly nodded. "Let's go; it's going to be a long trip. Let's not make it any longer than necessary." Finally, the guards opened the gates, and the two shinobi left to begin a new journey together.


As the days passed, Konoha was able to rapidly rebuild in peace. Nothing could have surprised the citizens more than the announcement of a new Hokage. While Tsunade's reputation was compromised by her association with Naruto, she still had lots of support from the citizens, and many were sad to see her step down.

Despite the dread she was feeling, she hung behind the crowd that gathered at the Hokage mansion, anticipating the announcement of the new Hokage. "Didn't expect to see you here, Hokage-sama."

Tsunade turned to see Shikamaru and his family approach her. "I'm not the Hokage anymore, Nara." Tsunade sighed as she turned her attention back to the mansion.

"To us, you will always be Hokage." Temari replied.

"There's only one other deserving of that title living today. And it's those same men up there that forced him out." Shikamaru added. Though he always looked annoyed at something at even the best of times, as he stared ahead, he looked genuinely angry. "You think HE had something to do with this?" he asked bluntly.

Tsunade flared her nostrils. "To be honest…nothing would surprise me more." Sighing, she continued. "But I don't have solid evidence. There would have been nothing I could have done, and it would have only made things worse for all parties tied to me. The deal Jiraiya cut for Naruto alone was a miracle."

Shikamaru nodded as he stepped towards Tsunade. "And do they know about…him?" he whispered.

Tsunade sighed. Of course Shikamaru would figure it out. "No. I made sure no one else but his teammates knew. Though legally I overstepped my boundaries, he was necessary to what needed to be done"

"Not even I would risk that." Shikamaru hissed.

"I know he hurt you all." Tsunade replied. "I won't defend his past actions. But I saw he still had something to offer the world. So, I took a chance, and had insurance in place in case it ever blew up in my face. Luckily for both of us, that hasn't been the case." Turning to Shikamaru, she said "We can talk about this some other time. In private, if you wish to badger me about it."

Shikamaru sighed. "Troublesome." As he rubbed his head, he said "Though I would have never agreed to such a decision, your time as Hokage impressed even me. I believe you made the right decision in the end, given the circumstances." Crossing his arms, he said "And as much as I hate to admit it…your gamble worked out. But if he returns, Sasuke will have to still pay for his crimes."

"Seems I get good luck when I bet on anything other than money." Tsunade sadly smirked. Finally, Danzo stepped onto the balcony. "It's starting." She informed them.

"My people." He said into the microphone. "As you know, we have recently suffered an unprecedented attack on our village. Thanks to our brave ninja, we have survived. Thanks to our industrious citizens, we our well on our way to recovery." Pausing, he continued. "But things cannot continue the way they were. Once again, the world has changed. It is a dangerous world, the threats ever evolving. And we must change with that. We must become stronger. We must harden our hearts." The crowd was mostly quiet, with a few applauses. Danzo sneered. "It's quite alright. I wasn't in this for the popularity." Besides, people complained all the time over trivial things. But when you put yourself in charge and never wavered, they would fall in line.

"Long ago, during my prime, I dreamed of being that leader for you. Regrettably, that opportunity has passed by. But, this isn't about me. It's about you. And what YOU need. I have found the right candidate. He is strong. And brave. And most importantly, wise. Under his leadership, we will never fear anything again. My people…I give you… Maryu Ophiocord!" A young man walked out into the balcony. His skin was pale, and his hair black with blonde highlights. To those of the Konoha 11 close enough to see such details, he reminded them of Sai.

"My friends and countrymen! Thank you again for coming!" Ophiocord greeted them. Taking a pause, he continued. "As Danzo said, it's not about him, or me. It's about all of you. You have worked hard to ensure our prosperity. Unfortunately, recent events have shown we have not done the best we could on our end to ensure your protection." Bringing his hands together he said "Personally, I never imagined myself in a leadership position, growing up in Root. I was content to follow. So, in a way, I understand most of you better than most of our past leaders." Waving his arm, he said "And I have seen and understood the world through my missions, better than most politicians have experienced in their lifetimes. I know what it's like out there! How…dangerous, it can be. And I know how to live and adapt in such a world."

Addressing the crowd, he then said, "But I can't do it without you!" The crowd gave him their full attention now. "We need each other! I will share my knowledge with you! We will put forth the best shinobi on the continent! We will show the outside world that we are the most dependable of the Five Shinobi Villages! To make this happen, I will provide us with the best steel! The best innovations, and push the limits of what ninjutsu is capable of! Together, we will ensure the future of our children!" The crowd finally roared in applause, though some very significant individuals only gave him a cold stare down from the crowd.

Finally, Danzo handed him the Hokage hat. "I am Maryu Ophiocord…and now, I am also the Rokudaime Hokage!" He announced as he donned the hat.

Tsunade looked on from behind the crowd. "So…what now?" Shikamaru asked.

"To go against them directly is treason." Tsunade answered. "We better start making preparations." She looked on ahead as Maryu waved to the crowd. "So, the ball is finally in your court, Danzo." Tsunade thought. "What's your real plan?"


Sakura woke with a start, her baby monitor blaring with loud cries. Sakura briefly glanced at her clock; it was 3 in the morning. "I just went BACK to sleep an hour ago." Hearing the cries getting stronger, Sakura made haste to the babies' room. The twins were crying up a storm, though it was likely only one was having a real problem and the other just got disturbed by his/her crying. Flicking the light switch on, she muttered "Coming, coming…"

Quickly she got to work figuring out who needed what. When Shinachiku made a grab for her breast, Sakura lowered her shirt and allowed him to feed. While that seemed to do the trick for him, Hanami was still crying a storm, and she couldn't handle both. As soon as she did everything she could for the boy, she went to work on Hanami. She didn't seem to be hungry, nor did she needed to be changed. Sakura settled for trying to hush her…and then the baby threw up on her shirt. Sakura moaned, but at least she stopped crying after a couple more burps. She got another break for about two hours before they acted up again. Shinachiku had to be changed, as did Hanami. However, as she was getting to work on getting Shinachiku a new diaper, he had to go number one right on her face. Twenty minutes later, Hanami had to be fed again.

This never-ending cycle continued well into the morning, and finally the twins finally decided to go to sleep for real. Just when it seemed she would catch a break, Sakura was just too shell-shocked to fall asleep. She reached over to the other side of the bed…only to find it vacant. "Oh yeah. He's gone." Sakura let what Naruto told her sink in. The reality of the situation finally set in, as Sakura struggled to stop herself from crying. Suddenly, she heard a knock on the door. Thankfully, it seemed knocking never bothered the twins in any way. She looked at the clock, seeing it was past 10 in the morning, so she couldn't complain about the time. Sakura was tempted to let whoever it was just walk off, but the knocking persisted, and she sure as hell couldn't ignore it! "Fine, fine…" she grumbled as she hastily fastened a bathrobe over her person.

She opened the door quickly, and just when she believed she was too fatigued to be surprised with anything anymore, it was her own mother at the door! "M-mom!?" Sakura stuttered.

Her mother was dressed as conservative as usual, and yet there was something…different about her. "Sakura…" she began

Sakura suddenly began pushing the door against her; she could have put a lot more effort into it, but if nothing else, after what her new house went through, she wasn't about to damage the only home she and her children had. "If this has anything to with dad, or the family name, you can tell him to shove it up his- "

"I'm not here for your father!" he mother interrupted as she desperately tried to push back. Surprised, Sakura relaxed and opened the door all the way to look her mother in the eye. Taking a deep breath, the older woman said, "I just…I just want to talk."


Sakura prepared tea for both of them; while her cooking skills were atrocious, she could at least make drinkable tea. They sat across the kitchen table from each other, neither saying a word at first. Sakura decided to break the ice after their first sip. "So…how…how have you been?" Sakura forced the question out.

Her mother sighed as she put her cup down. "It's been…challenging." She said. "It was hard to adjust; I've spent my whole life preparing to be a wife, and because of what happened, I found out I was not very employable." She said, giving a sad smile. "I recently found some work as a maid. It feels weird getting paid to do what I have been doing my whole life, but at least I'm getting by now."

Sakura nodded. "I'm glad." She said softly. "I suppose you haven't spoken to father..."

Her mother sighed. "Truth is…we haven't spoken to each other in quite some time." After a brief pause, she said "In fact, it was just last year I filed for divorce. I still haven't heard so much as a peep from him."

Sakura blinked in surprise. After all their talk of tradition and honor…it shocked her that either one of them, especially her submissive mother, would split from the other without their consent. Then again, they barely spoke to one another when they were married; why would they reach out to one another now? "I'm sorry…" Sakura said.

"What for?" the older woman asked.

"When…after the fight …" Sakura began to explain.

"Sakura…it wasn't your fault." Mrs. Haruno raised her hand. "Your father was never a happy man. He cared so much about his honor and his reputation that he prioritized it over even his own happiness. It can do things to a man. In the case of your father, he let it build up so much that anything that went wrong would have set him off eventually."

"No kidding." Sakura sighed. Even after all this time, Sakura still didn't feel right about fighting her father. She always wondered if she could have done something differently. "I still owe you an apology nonetheless. I ruined your marriage. Ever since I was born…"

"Sakura, our marriage was troubled before you were even conceived." Mrs. Haruno interrupted. "We both had other people we loved once, but our families wished otherwise. In the end, we chose our families' honor over our feelings, and we both paid for it somewhere down the line. If anything, YOU should have been the bridge between us. But when he didn't get exactly what he wanted…" Nothing more was said. "In the end, WE were responsible for our broken family. Not you. And for that I am forever sorry for making you think that, and taking his side."

A single tear dropped from Sakura's eye. "It means a lot to me that you would say that." Sakura took a moment to compose herself. "I…I don't think you'd approve of the things I've done…"

"Perhaps a while ago, that would be true." Her mother reluctantly agreed. "But I'm no longer the same person I was before. I may be disappointed with some of your choices; but in the end, you are still my daughter. And now, I want to help you. Any way I can."

Sakura's eyes widened in surprise…then, the baby monitor went off. Sakura groaned. "I'll be with you in a minute…"

Her mother raised her hand. "You should relax. Here; let me help you. If they need to be fed, I'll come get you, but otherwise, you get some rest."

As Mrs. Haruno made her way up the stairs, she immediately got to work with the babies. Despite her telling her not to, Sakura watched through the doorway. It seemed nothing was really wrong; just one of those things where the babies felt out of sorts and needed to be cradled. Her mother worked some kind of magic that helped the twins calm down in minutes, and before she knew it, they were sound asleep again. "That…that was amazing." Sakura muttered.

"Not really." Mrs. Haruno chuckled lightly. "You were a rather terrible baby yourself. I just applied what I learned from my experience raising you."

Sakura just face-faulted right there. "Well, thanks." She said. "I, I don't wish to trouble you further…"

"Sakura." She said, placing her hand on her shoulder. "It's no trouble. If anything, it is long overdue." Sakura looked up to look her mother in the eye. "I may have fed you and looked after your needs. But as you grew into a woman, I did not meet your new needs. Out of what I thought was duty, I wasn't the mother you needed. Out of love, please let me be the mother you need me to be now." Sakura was rendered speechless, her tears now in freefall. She then collapsed into her mother's arms, crying out (somehow her babies slept through this). Her mother returned the hug as she shushed her. "You go get some rest now, alright dear? I think we have a lot of catching up to do afterwards…"

For the first time in days, Sakura actually managed to sleep well.


Midoriiro stirred away at the pot she was cooking. Sighing, she thought of Sasuke. She understood the nature of his mission; protecting a pregnant woman would take a long time; depending on the nature of the mission, he may even find himself staying long afterwards. "If what Sasuke told me is correct, she should be due any day now…" She suddenly heard some of the furniture inside being knocked over. On instinct, she picked up her sword and pointed it, only to see Sasuke crash through into the hut, falling on his front. "Sasuke-chan!?"

"Hey…" he huffed as he pushed himself up.

Quickly Midoriiro abandoned the rice and helped him stand. "You're back!" Midoriiro shouted in disbelief. "Are you hurt?"

"No, no, I'm fine. Just a bit exhausted. Had to throw the ANBU off…" Sasuke explained.

"Here, let's set you down." Midoriiro helped him to a wooden table and chair they carved for themselves. "What about your friend? Is she…?"

"She made it." Sasuke huffed as he rubbed his eyes. "I had to leave almost immediately after the babies were born."

"Babies!?" Midoriiro winced. "Can't imagine what it's like to give birth to a dozen…"

Sasuke blinked in brief confusion. "Just twins." He corrected her. "I don't think humans are built for litters." Sasuke muttered, then cleared his throat. "Anyway, the man who tormented her returned. Before he could kill any of them, I ended him right then and there."

"You knew him?" Midoriiro asked.

"I did." Sasuke answered. "His name was Kabuto. He was Orochimaru's medical assistant during my time training with them. We were never friends though, we were barely even allies during our time together."

"And no remorse?" Midoriiro asked.

"I don't know how I know, but he's not dead." Sasuke clarified. "But he's probably wishing I did kill him."

Midoriiro nodded sadly. "At least you're not taking glee in it…"

"Is that rice burning?" Sasuke suddenly asked, sniffing the air.

"Eep!" Quickly, Midoriiro rushed over and tried to salvage her meal.

"I see your cooking skills remain the same." Sasuke muttered in distaste.

A vein popped in Midoriiro's forehead as she served him a bowl of burnt rice. "Your welcome, jackass!" Sasuke sighed, not touching his food just yet. "By the way, you look terrible bald." She jabbed back at him again, though after a couple of weeks on the run his hair was growing back.

"You were the one who shaved it all off for me in the first place." Sasuke shot back.

"Only because you asked."

"Well, if you're willing to wait for about a year, I think it will come back to the way it was."

Midoriiro sighed. "Either way, it's good to have you back."

"Hn." Sasuke nodded.

"So, just how did you stop Kabuto?" she asked out of curiosity.

"It's…complicated." Sasuke answered. "And there's something you should know. For the way I was able to defeat Kabuto…there was a price to pay."

"A price!?" Midoriiro choked on her meal. "Why on earth would you do something like that!?" she shouted.

"Kabuto had the upper hand; he left me with no choice."

"And just what was this price!?"

Sasuke sighed. "My eyesight…"

"You're blind!?"

"No, not yet." Sasuke said, feeling his face. "But it seems we'll have to look into getting glasses for me. I can still see, but now I'm near-sighted, even with my normal sharingan activated."

Midoriiro's eyes watered as she cupped his cheek. "So…what now?"

"We keep moving, like we always have." Sasuke answered. "But we have to be more careful than ever. No doubt Konoha has learned I was there again. And this time, I'm not so certain Tsunade can protect us anymore."

"Well, whatever happens, I'm going with you." Midoriiro said as she got close to him and circled her hands behind the nape of his neck. "Together, always."

"You don't have to." Sasuke replied nonchalantly. Then, a small smile graced his face. "But, if you really want it, your company is appreciated. Always." Quickly, they met for a brief kiss…


Aaannndddd…that's all I got for now.

As usual, some notes on this chapter before delving into the rants that I had just promised. First off, the Gyokari sharingan. Given the dark nature of the Magenkyo, I thought it would be cool to create another sharingan to act as its opposite. While the former required you to kill your best friend, the later required the need for redemption. In a way, both have the same trigger (guilt, at least that's what I assumed for the Magenkyo in the manga) but they have different needs in order to activate.

And since I'm sure this will be brought up, yes, Mitsukai and Sasuke's dialogue followed by the power-up is very similar to what happened between Naruto, Sasuke and the Sage of Six Paths. That scene gets negative criticism, but I will defend it, citing there were also external forces behind their power-ups (chakra from the other jubi, Uzumaki cells in Sasuke) and the Sage at the time just seemed to be something that was going on in their heads.

Here, the best I can give for the explanation is that Sasuke was about to die, had a near-death experience where he met his paternal great grandmother, and he had the genetic potential to awaken this new sharingan. Again, all I can say is that there were both physical and spiritual forces at work in that moment, and it's up to you how you want to interpret the later.

Now, Naruto's children are born, and many of you may recognize the names I've chosen for them: Shinachiku and Hanami. For those of you that haven't paid much attention to NaruSaku Fanon, Shinachiku is a collaborative fan character who is the son of Naruto and Sakura, usually their first born in place of Boruto. Hanami is their daughter, often portrayed as Shinachiku's younger sister and the place holder for Himiwari. While interpretations of these two vary among fans, there is a generally agreed upon design and age for these two amongst the NS community. I've made some rather significant changes here. First off, instead of being older and younger siblings, here I've made them twins. Second, I changed their color scheme. Again, what's agreed upon in fanon is that Shinachiku takes after his father's hair color but has his mother's green eyes, and vice versa for Hanami. Here, Shinachiku has pink hair AND his father's eyes (I didn't include that in the scene, but that's true here), and vice versa for Hanami. I know a lot of people have issues with a boy having pink hair, but hey, Fairy Tail made it work. Besides, I think it helps Shinachiku stand out from his father more than his usual interpretation and Boruto as well.

Speaking of which, there was a sketch, on Deviant Art I think? It showed Naruto holding a baby with pink hair, looking confused as Sakura said "It's a boy!" See if you can find it.

And since this is going to get compared, no, this WASN'T inspired by the Naruto Gaiden. Yes, Naruto is going to have to be away from his children for a while, but I promise you it won't nearly be as long as the crap Sasuke pulled with Sakura and Sarada in canon. Also, I need to emphasize I planned this plot a long time ago in advance; I figured at the time Kishimoto wouldn't dare put Sakura through this, so I figured why not go crazy with it? Man, how times change…

But they will have a happy ending, they just need to get over a few humps. That I promise you.

Now, I need to rant about Boruto a bit. Most of this is based on what I've heard from other people; you may feel free to correct me if I'm wrong on anything. That being said, I'm really not liking what I'm hearing.

Before I get into that, apparently the last dozen or so episodes of Shippuden took place around the time of the Last, the purpose apparently to help develop Naruto and Hinata's relationship. If there were any notable villains during this arc, I haven't heard of any of them. I didn't hear a thing about any fights. It feels like this series changed into a slice of life anime at the very end, AGAIN to develop the endgame. It only tells me that the Last did not do it's job in Japan, and SP really had nothing else to talk about. The last episode was their wedding, which I guess is kinda ehh…I'd always imagined the ending of the series would have been about Naruto becoming Hokage, and looked how that turned out. I mean, it's fine if a wedding factors into it, but it shouldn't have been the main event.

And you had Orochimaru come over to congratulate Naruto!? No no no….just no! Orochimaru did horrendous things that he has so far proved unrepentant for. This is just STUPID!

When the New Era project was announced, even before knowing the endgame I was uncertain about this. I just feel like Naruto as a whole didn't set itself up well for a new generation. I figured Naruto's generation would be the one to ultimately fix the problems of their predecessors; how interesting could you make the next one? Now, when the ending came out the way it did, it became clear that it was chosen just so their children could have something to do.

Regardless of pairings, I figured it would be pretty by the numbers. Not bad, maybe not that great but not bad. I figured the Gaiden and Boruto the Movie would be a nostalgia trip that as it's own thing could at least be entertaining. That seems to be the case for the Boruto movie, Gaiden…not so much.

When Kishimoto said Boruto was his last work on the Naruto franchise (more specifically, that 'he would write no more'), I was thinking "Well…that ended quick." And that seemed to be the case, though I was perplexed SP kept stalling the ending. A part of me was hopeful they would adapt a new ending, but since they already released two canon movies, the logical part of me wasn't buying it, so naturally I concluded the episodes were mere cash grabs. A year and a half later, the Boruto manga was officially announced, citing Kishimoto as the editor. This already had me concerned; other than the general direction the story had been going lately, it was a pretty bad sign the original creator was barely involved. Not a good thing for a sequel coming out so soon. That was already a red flag that there was no real passion behind this project.

When it finally came out, I already had low expectations, and somehow it dug itself a deeper hole. The artwork was ATROCIOUS. Proporitions were inconsistent, and it just looked unfinished. And the fist arc…was a recap of the movie. Not a big deal for a weekly manga….except this was now a monthly manga. It took forever to get past that one arc.

The only distinct part was far into the future, with Boruto and Kawaki. It still looked like an average fan-comic, and it was more of an attention grabber. Konoha destroyed, again. Naruto and Sasuke…dead? What's with Boruto's tatoo and Byakugan? Later in the anime, this was repeated in the anime. To their credit, the design for Boruto was a huge improvement. But it was made even more confusing when Boruto activated some new eye, despite the manga clearly showing the Byakugan and strongly suggesting that it was a transplant.

Then, there was the issue of Sarada's new outfit. Initially, I thought Sarada was one of the better designs of the new generation. Wheras most of the other characters looked almost exactly like one parent, she seemed to be a perfect mixture of hers. Then, came THAT outfit. Now, I know none of the characters of Naruto ever dressed like a ninja should. But at least there was some sort of practicality for MOST of the clothes. Not only does Sarada's new dress lack practicality, it lacks decency! Trust me, I'm not against fanservice if used right. But there is no reason for it here! In addition to having no context, it is just plain creepy (even by Japanese standards). A skirt that looks like it will reveal the goods at a slight breeze? Stilletos? They even made it a point to shove her bare thigh on one of the volume covers! WHOSE IDEA WAS THIS!? Are you trying to make the new "Sakura" a sex-symbol? You're missing the point of what went wrong in the past. It wasn't that Sakura had the build of an average athletic girl; it was the fact that she couldn't get over Sasuke. THAT was the problem. Unless you have plans to make Sarada Highschool of the Dead proportions, you aren't going to win over the NH fanbase over some prepubescent knockers (I need a shower just for saying that)

Another problem I have with this new generation is that out of nowhere it seems every character from the last series had a kid. At the same time. INCLUDING KISAME. Uh, what? Just WHO did he sleep with!? I remember watching Street Sharks as a kid, taking note of the shark on roller blades being a ladies' man (shark?)…and even then I knew how utterly preposterous that was. The idea of replacing characters with their kids is one of the most creatively bankrupt things you can do in a series.

And while we're on that topic, I think someone needs to make a GIF of this. Make a GIF of Oprah addressing a crowd of Naruto characters, announcing "You get a kid! You get a kid!" On the third one, have her address Sasuke and make sure he gives off the most sour look you can think of.

It has also come to my attention that Boruto has an kekkei genkai called the Jogan or something like that, which was what we actually saw in the opening scene of the first episode (Retcon?) It's function? From what I hear…it's supposed to see spirits. Uh…okay. Not only does this come out of nowhere, but what is the point of this ability exactly? This isn't Yu Yu Hakusho or Bleach! Naruto barely ever had spirits/ghosts involved; the only one I can think of is Haguromo, and he somehow made himself visible to the main characters towards the end. And in a world of ninjas, how useful would this be really?

There's also the issue of Hinata herself. Apparently, in the new series, both Boruto and Naruto fear pissing her off, saying she's scary when she's mad. I've also noticed she cut her hair, and her chest size seems to have gotten smaller…wait a minute…

ARE YOU TRYING TO MAKE HER INTO SAKURA!?

So, apparently, you chose to hook Naruto and Hinata up, believing that he should get together with a "nice girl", and suddenly when they get married, you turn her into a Tsundere!? Hinata was NEVER a Tsundere! I thought that's why many fans wanted him to get with Hinata! Because they hated Tsunderes! If you chose to cater to those fans, fine! But don't try to pull a 180 to win us back! You screwed the pooch on that one!

And now, among the fans who are still interested in watching Boruto…there is ANOTHER paring war going on. Of course, we have BorutoXSarada; it seems that's what they're going for. They even copied a moment from the 10th opening of Shippuden (the one where Naruto runs up to Sakura's face). The only thing I would caution the staff on this is that if you're really aiming for this, keep in mind, if you go through with it, you will inadvertently admit NaruSaku was what SHOULD have been the endgame. Just like how Jiraiya and Tsunade should have gotten together, with the next generation supposedly overcoming those obstacles in their place.

However, it seems Sarada has competition from an anime exclusive character: Sumire. She's just kind of…there, it seems. And now we're having to put up with this same bullshit where some fans get so worked up over nothing and bash what seems to be the most likely endgame to kingdom come. Again. Growing up on anime, I never saw these kinds of arguments. Most anime were pretty straightforward about their pairings back then, and even if fans weren't all crazy about a couple, they didn't let it get to them beyond fanfiction. Man, how times change.

Anyway, I don't have any stake in this. Considering what happened last time, I can safely say I don't care. But at this point it feels like shipping in general has become a cancer across all fandoms. I saw it with Bleach. I'm seeing it with Shokugeki no Soma. WILL YOU ALL PLEASE JUST SHUT UP ABOUT IT ALREADY! Look, Kishimoto is the exception to how most authors go about pairings; most of them do what they want, regardless of what the fanbase wants. Kishimoto pretty much sold out to the most vocal fanbase. Just because a ship is the most popular among fans doesn't mean it's the right one for the story. Loving a ship doesn't make you a better person. Just because you called out the endgame doesn't make you the smartest person in the world. And I don't need to argue with you on who's going to get together with who: that's in the author's hands, WHERE IT BELONGS! Now it's okay to ship something for whatever reason, but the moment you get into a pissing match with people who disagree with you, I want to magically fling my hand across the screen and slap you.

What's more, the NH fanbase's behavior CONTINUES to puzzle me. Right after the ending, I get it. There was controversy over what happened, and two sides will naturally argue over it. But it's their behavior well after the fact that gets to me. Occasionally trolls will come to some NaruSaku group to complain about their complaints or other stuff to type in all caps how wrong they are, how NaruSaku will never become canon no matter what, etc…okay, and why does this matter NOW? It's done; if we "misread" the manga, that's quite frankly none of your business. Why are you so offended we have a different opinion from you? If it was obvious that NaruHIna and Sasusaku were the best choices, this discussion wouldn't be happening. Period. If you're happy with it, more power to you, but you're going to have to live with the fact that not everyone agrees. The fact that many neutrals and other shippers often times side with us on what was the most logical/likely, that should tell you something. It should have ended there, but you all had to take it a step further. You go out of your way to bash LadyGT and Chatte Georgina, two nice ladies who love NaruSaku, but when the ending came out, they just said they didn't like it and left it at that. Still, you attacked them, and in the case of the later defaced photos of her and her family. I don't care what your opinion is, that's crossing the line. And by crossing, I mean jumping over it completely. Does a manga, regardless of quality, justify this kind of hatred? And you know how I was talking about Shinachiku earlier? Some NH will take random fanart of a NaruSaku family, and either alter it to make it NH, or just vandalize it and show it off. Again, WHY!? YOU WON. Wouldn't it have been a better use of your time to instead make your own fanart of Boruto and his sister instead? I haven't heard anything of Avatar fans attacking Zutara fan art despite the ship's popularity. Why? CAUSE THEY KNOW THEY DON'T NEED TO. THEY WON.

And ever since Boruto came out, their behavior has not gotten any better. First, some were pissed that Naruto is dead (I doubt that's the case, but many took that prologue at face value), that they made a petition of their own to make Kishimoto retcon it. Huh. Guess we're not so different after all, huh? You're starting a new shipping war in the new Boruto series, probably just because since most of us have jumped ship you need someone to attack, cause that's the real pleasure you got out of this series. Some of you dropped it just because Hinata now has average-sized breasts (in light of this, I think Kishimoto should have made all of his female characters small-chested, minus Tsunade, if it meant sparing us from you). You still have to go to NaruSaku groups to figuratively scream at the top of your lungs how Boruto is better than Shinachiku, or how NaruSaku would ruin the series. Guess what? IT DOESN'T MATTER. NaruHina is canon, nothing we do will change that, and if we do go off to do our own thing, that's not your business. Lastly, it seems NH is blaming US for Boruto's less than stellar reception. Uh, what? You attack us for not being "true fans" when we didn't get what we want and now you want US to support the series? No, WE'RE not the reason Boruto is failing: you are. Yes, you may give a random Boruto episode clip over a million views on Youtube, but you know what SP is making off of those views? NOTHING. How many manga volumes have you bought vs those you're read online? Oh wait, you're probably not reading the manga, because even you know how bad the artwork is. How many DVDs will you buy? Or episodes will you buy off of Itunes? It's YOUR own fault Boruto is not a success because you are entitled to getting as much as you can for free, and the Japanese are no longer interested in Naruto as a whole (I hear volume 4 has sold only 130k, which by Naruto standards is unacceptable). Even if you managed to somewhat turn it around in the West, Japan will always be the main market, and they're speaking with their yen: they don't like it.

Ever since the ending, this was your chance to be the bigger man. You could have just left NaruSaku alone, confident and satisfied with your victory. You could have acknowledged the flaws in Kishimoto's storytelling, enjoying what you got but realize there was a better way of going about this, and show sympathy to the losing side. But no. Instead, you took this victory as permission to expose yourselves for the assholes you were. The NaruSaku community may not be perfect, but we're leagues above what you have become. There is a Naruto AMV with the song "Sore Winner". That is summing you up in a nutshell.

Now, in all fairness, just as we're not perfect, NH isn't made of complete a-holes either. I'm sure many of you are reasonable enough to enjoy what you got, leave us to our own thing and just say "that's too bad" and move on. There are also others who ship NH/SS, but acknowledge Kishimoto made huge missteps in making them canon. There are even quite a few who like the Shinachiku universes as their own thing. If this applies to you, I'm sorry I went off like that. None of this was directed at you. It's sad that Naruto has attracted what is generally considered to be a toxic fanbase. It really hurts when you enjoy something but you have to practically tip-toe to find which kind of fans to interact with, that becomes a problem.

There is one last thing. I recall WAY back, right after the dreaded 700, the articles were talking about how Kishimoto was planning his next work as a sci-fi manga…whatever that would mean. Three years later, I haven't heard a peep about it. What happened? Don't get me wrong, I don't plan on getting invested in it, but I would at least be curious. This is reminding me of two things I heard from podcasts made by NaruSaku fans. One said that if 700 was Kishimoto's intention, that it would be hard for him to earn trust back from readers. He went on to say "There's a reason why some mangaka never recovered, it's because their previous work really, really hurt their reputation." From the other one, it was mentioned how Kishimoto had been trying to get various one-shots off the ground, but none took off. Now, I could be wrong, but another mentioned that Kishimoto was trying to get back together with Yahigi to get his new manga going. All this tells me is that this story is already in trouble, he hasn't found anyone willing to "work" with him, SJ and other magazines are reluctant to publish his stories and Kishimoto has no business writing manga. It feels like Kishimoto realizes he can't write a good story without someone there to hold his hand along the way. So, until he hears back from an editor who is willing to plot his chart out for him, he's stuck with "supervising" Boruto. Judging by how slow it's been going, I'd say he's trying to end it ASAP and move on with the rest of his life.

Sorry for this rant. I probably wouldn't have posted this if Boruto was just boring. It had to go the extra mile and just be completely ridiculous.

Next chapter will be on Naruto's training? How long will it be? Well, as they say, a watched pot never boils.

Kiri Hai-Mist Shield

Gyokari-Crystal Light

Ophiocord-Snakeweed