Chapter 49

--

Naruto leaned back in his hospital bed, staring at the raindrops that fell from the sky. They didn't seem calm or wet, just cold and dark. Sad like his heart. Nothing in his world could ease the pain in his heart, not even the pain in his arm could take his mind from it. He had lost one of his most important people.

The man who had acknowledged him before all others. The man who had placed him into the academy. The very same man that inspired him to become Hokage. "He's dead." he mumbled to himself out loud. The word vibrated through his heart with an icy chill.

--

A seven year old Naruto was walking up the Hokage monument. "Hokage-sama why do you always spend so much time with me?" The young Naruto asked, questioning why such an important man would waste his time on someone as unimportant as him.

The Hokage looked down at smiled from his hat. "Because we are family."

Naruto tilted his head. "Hm? We are?"

The Hokage nodded. "Not by blood, but we are because of the village. This whole village is my family Naruto."

Naruto eyes looked around when they were on top of the Hokages' heads. "Wow... Really?"

The Hokage nodded his head. "Hai, I have sworn to protect this village, and in exchange they have become family to me."

Naruto smiled a little. "So you spend time with me because we are family?"

The Hokage nodded, pressing lightly on Naruto's back. "Let's continue walking."

Naruto waited for a moment as he looked over the village. "I'm going to be Hokage, you better believe it gramps. I will one day and then I can protect my family." He said while shoving his fist into the air.

The Hokage chuckled. "Oh, is that so? Well then we will have to get you started in the academy and make you a shinobi won't we?"

Naruto grinned. "Believe it." he said, catching up with the Hokage.

--

Naruto shut his eyes, springing loose the tears he held back. "I'm going to be Hokage…" he sniffed. "that's what I told you that day Hokage-sama. The day I refused to call you by any other name than gramps."

Naruto grabbed his outfit. "I'm...sorry I couldn't protect you too gramps."

--

Today was the day of the Hokage's funeral. Beside her sat her black funeral dress, but she could not bring herself to wear it. She didn't want to acknowledge the first person to help her out of her pain had fallen. Again she blamed herself, just as she blamed herself for her father's death.

"I could have done something...I could..."

"You couldn't have done anything and you know it."

"I could have."

"What? It's as Kenji-sensei told us, 'Great people die, but never fade. Remember those great people through the memories and changes they gave us."

Sakura nodded her head. "Hai...I will remember him." She told herself, picking up her black outfit. "I will repay the memories he gave me by honoring them."

Sakura put on her black outfit before glancing at the sky. "It's going to rain...how fitting."

She frowned at her two friends both who were waiting on her. "It's going to rain."

"The sky wants to cry as well." Naruto said in a bitter and cold voice as he tried to use his mask, but he could not even mold a smile.

The three stared in silence as a breeze blew over them. Sasuke silently began walking, leaving Naruto and Sakura to stare at each other. Naruto took the first steps and began running with Sakura until they reached him; as if a haunting premonition of things to come.

--

"Oi brat, you've been silent way too long." Jiraiya said, glancing at Naruto who was just staring out his window.

"What do you want?" Naruto said rather coldly as he turned his back to Jiraiya.

"Well, I need to go and find Tsunade." Jiraiya said, trying to get something out of Naruto who had been silent for the past week.

"Why? Why are you telling me this?" Naruto said.

Jiraiya grinned. "Because I want you to come with me. As for why we are looking for her…umm, I don't know…maybe because she's been selected as the new Hokage."

Naruto clenched his fist. "So you want me to come with you to tell her to come and die."

Jiraiya walked over to Naruto, smacking him across the face. "Sarutobi-sensei would be ashamed of what you just said. Naruto, you're not the only one in pain over his death. What about Sakura, Sasuke, Kakashi? Me? For god sake it was my own teammate killing my sensei, but you don't see me moping around now do you?"

Naruto shook his head. "Hai, sorry Ero-sennin."

Jiraiya patted Naruto's shoulders "Good, now help me. You should find this an honor."

Naruto smiled slightly. "The old bag better be grateful the sixth Hokage is helping her."

Jiraiya chuckled. "What makes you think you're going to be sixth."

Naruto grinned. "Because neither of us will let Obaa-chan die so she's going to be in office until I kick her out."

Jiraiya nodded. "Hai,"

Naruto looked around. "When do we leave?"

Jiraiya moved to the window "This afternoon brat."

--

Kakashi glanced up from his book. "Hey there, you two." He said turning to Kurenai and Asuma. "My, you two get along well."

Kurenai just blushed "Baka, I'm only here because Anko asked me to buy some dumplings for her."

Asuma shrugged. "And what are you doing here?"

Kakashi made a small gesture towards the Akatsuki cloaks "Well, I came to buy an offering, and I'm meeting Sasuke here."

Asuma glanced at the cloaks. "Oh? It's unusual for you to wait for someone. Is it because of the offering for Obito?"

"Obito?" Kurenai asked

"Something like that." Was Kakashi's response as Sasuke closed in.

"Kakashi-sensei, it's unusual for you to be early." Sasuke said with a narrowing eye at the empty seats

"I do it from time to time." He said.

--

Kakashi, Kurenai and Asuma glared at Itachi and Kisame as they barely escaped the exploding water clone created by Itachi

Itachi remained emotionless as he shut his eyes. "I will show you why the clan of Uchiha was feared and reputed to be unmatched. The Sharingan...the bloodline limit's true power." "Mangekyou." He said opening his eyes slowly

"Shit this is back." "You two don't look into his eyes"

Kakashi closed his good eye. "Don't open your eyes, if you do you're dead."

Itachi smirked. "It's true, if you have the sharingan you can resist the Mangekyou Sharingan. But you do not have the bloodline."

Kakashi's world begun to spin as black and red consumed him.

--

"How long can a person like you, who does not possess the bloodline limit, deal with this?" Itachi asked. Kakashi was strapped on a T cross as he pierced Kakashi with his sword.

As Kakashi died in that world he awoke to two Itachi. "In this world of Tsukuyomi, I control space and time...and even mass of objects. Starting now I will stab you with this sword for 72 hours." He said, stabbing Kakashi and killing him again.

When Kakashi awoke he saw himself on the cross as the clones stabbed him. "In this world of Tsukuyomi I control space and time...even mass of objects." He said as the clones stabbed the real Kakashi.

"Calm down, this is just genjutsu." Kakashi told himself only to feel himself get stabbed again.

"You don't understand. Just because this is an illusion doesn't mean the pain is fake. How long will your mind be able to handle it?"

--

Kakashi stood around thousands of Itachi clones panting. "71 hours 59 minutes and 59 seconds left." Itachi said emotionlessly.

"Only...one second from all of that?" He whispered to himself as the clones began stabbing him over and over, each impalement felt real to Kakashi as he screamed out in pain

--

Kakashi fell from the world panting. "Ugh," and he fell over

"What's wrong? One second you were talking and then the next you stopped and fell over." Asuma said while holding his knives up.

"One second? That's all. But he could have killed me, why didn't he?" Kakashi thought.

"Oh, I'm surprised his mind didn't collapse." Kisame said with a smirk, appearing beside Itachi. "You know using those eyes too much is bad."

Itachi just remained quiet.

"Is Sasuke what you're looking for?" Kakashi asked.

"No," Itachi said as wind clipped his hair. "We are after the Yondaime's legacy."

--

Jiraiya stood at the Hotel next to Kakashi and Kenji. "Kakashi, I am going to take care of Naruto." He said with a serious voice. "I believe the third's decision to make you watch over Naruto was wise. But you may not be able to handle some of the things at the level you're at."

Kakashi turned to him. "What are you talking about?"

Jiraiya sighed. "After Orochimaru left this village, I monitored him. It was clear that he was going to come back to this village one day." Jiraiya turned his head away. "Anyway, I kept an eye on him..."

Kakashi leaned back against the wall. "But?"

Kenji spoke. "He joined a certain organization."

"Organization, any information about them" Kakashi asked.

Jiraiya sighed. "I do not know all the details, but it's called Akatsuki, and consists of nine shinobi. They have not done anything big until recently. They have just been gathering information." He said as he looked to Kenji

Kenji spoke next. "But the problem is the members. Most of them are S-rank criminals in the bingo book...Itachi is one of the members."

Kakashi closed his eyes. "It is hard to believe they are doing volunteer work."

Kenji nodded. "You should know where we are going with this now."

Kakashi nodded. "Hai."

"But Orochimaru has recently left that organization, and right about that time...the organization separated into teams of two and began traveling all over the place, collecting techniques and other things."

Kakashi sighed. "Do you have any hard evidence that one of the things they're looking for is the nine-tails?"

Kenji nodded. "No, but it's a possibility."

"That thing is one of the mystical monsters that possesses ultimate chakra." Jiraiya said.

Kenji nodded. "Very soon he will have to start watching his back and preparing to take them on."

Jiraiya nods. "You watch over Sasuke for now. You will have to teach him how to use the Sharingan as well...I will raise Naruto well."

--

Kakashi rested on the water. "You're after the Nine-tails in Naruto."

Itachi and Kisame flinched slightly." You're in Akatsuki?" Kakashi said.

Itachi frowned slightly. "Kisame, we are taking Kakashi. Let's have the other two disappear."

Kisame nodded as he charged at Kurenai and Asuma.

"Konoha Strong Whirlwind!" Shouted out a loud voice as Kisame went flying back.

Gai grinned picking up the unconscious Kakashi.

--

(AN: I know their are a few Itachi fans out their wanting to to know the Gai, Itachi fight but I've decided to pass it up and focus on progressing a little bit, After all their's still alot of chapter left before this Arc ends... I should know... I just finished writting it.

The shadow had casted over Konoha,

Next chapter: Cat Toys and Hatred...

Itachi: "You are weak. Why are you weak?" ... "Because you lack hatred, you are not even worth killing foolish little brother. If you wish to kill me you must hate me, detest me and survive in an unsightly way. Run and cling to life."

That's all for this chapter, Sorry it came late I'll update the next in a moment my computers video drives now want to go haywire but lucky me I know how to fix the problem.)