Kisame couldn't believe it when he felt his consciousness returning to him. This couldn't be happening. He had to be dead—there was no way!

"Try not to move, Kisame. You really did a number on your body during that last fight." Kisame recognized Madara's tone, but an unfamiliar mask greeted him when his vision finally focused.

That's right… he changed it. One of his eyes was different, too, but that likely involved a longer story.

They were back at the latest hideout, the one closest to Konoha with all the odd arches and boxes surrounding it. Kisame recognized the room they were in, too—it was that odd autopsy room where Madara dissected corpses and occasionally performed surgeries. Apparently, he was storing Kisame here, too, at least for the time being.

"S-Samehada…" he managed, groping uselessly for his blade, which was nowhere to be found in the general vicinity.

"I swiped it from the eight tails shortly after you passed out," Madara said, oddly gently, and, at this, Kisame ceased his movement. Sure enough, when Kisame glanced off to the side where Madara motioned, he recognized the massive weapon leaned up against the wall.

Something pricked his shoulder, and he felt oddly drowsy.

"I gave you something for the pain. Rest, Kisame. I can't afford to lose you, too."

Without much ability to do otherwise, Kisame complied.


"Well, you ran into a spot of trouble, but Kisame's alive and you got a nice set of eyes."

Tobi wouldn't say that he was necessarily annoyed with Kabuto's remark after the explanation of all that just occurred, but the man's reply certainly hadn't been what he was hoping for.

"Nagato's eyes were mine to begin with," Tobi corrected. "As for Kisame, he's going to be out of commission for a while. Likely the rest of the battle. I realize you possess training as a healing nin, but we have bigger priorities at hand."

"Bigger than restoring Kisame's strength and assets to our goal?" Kabuto questioned, sounding surprised.

"You would be surprised what I have up my sleeve, Kabuto," Tobi said calmly and motioned for Kabuto to follow him. "Thanks to Kisame's efforts," Tobi spoke as they walked, "we discovered the location of both remaining jinchuriki. Our current focus is to capture the nine-tails, as you well know."

"What about it?"

"I also discovered from Kisame that the allied shinobi forces are about 80,000 in number and how they're organized. Needless to say, the three of us, Zetsu included, are a tad outnumbered."

"But my—"

"Disregarding your jutsu, Kabuto. For the time being, we're not using that until we absolutely need to. I thought we agreed?"

"Well," Kabuto began, his expression dark, "that's contingent upon where you're leading me."

"Tobi, are we really gonna trust him?" Black Zetsu questioned as he followed the duo through the passageway.

"Yes, Zetsu." It's not like they had much choice anyway, with Kisame out of the picture.

"So this is it…" Kabuto stared in awe as Tobi opened the wooden door leading to the room with the familiar demonic statue used in so many biju extractions. The massive object was a chore to transport, but that wasn't the only thing he intended to show him.

"This—" Kabuto stopped short upon noticing yet another detail.

"It still lives," Tobi finished. The first hokage's soul was trapped in the statue, supplying its power.

"Well, it's not quite that dramatic. This is something I grew from the living tissue I stole from him during our battle," Tobi continued, once again projecting his teacher. Thankfully, Kabuto didn't bother to correct him. "It has no mind of his own. Anyway, what I really want to show you is further down."

Kabuto silently followed Tobi down the long hallway, which, in this particular base, was filled with water. When the duo reached their destination, Kabuto gasped.

Tobi grinned at the man's surprise. Even he still had a few tricks.

In a canyon below them stood hundreds—no, thousands—of White Zetsu clones. Their bodies intertwined between branches growing from the statue with Hashirama's soul sealed inside, all prepared to follow Tobi's every beck and call.

"One hundred thousand," Tobi informed. "All White Zetsus. Should be enough to take on 80,000 killable shinobi, don't you think?"

"This plus our trump card," Kabuto breathed. "The shinobi allies don't stand a chance."

"No," Tobi agreed, "they don't."


"The chakra of the white snake that slithered here belongs to Kabuto," Hyuuga Takuma stated, byakugan activated as he examined the area. In the least, they weren't in a barren wasteland filled with bones and rotting corpses this time.

"I had the bugs nearby investigate for me," a new teammate of theirs, an Aburame named Muta, who Anko had obtained in favor of one of the other regular jounins, spoke up. An insect rested on his index finger. "They're reporting a huge number of living beings below the surface."

Below the surface? Anko mentally repeated, trying to make sense of it all.

Tokuma followed the Aburame's instructions and looked down, and what he saw, judging by the man's expression, was horrifying.

"T-they're moving out!" he stuttered. "A lot of them!"

Anko didn't need to know exactly what it was to know it was dangerous.

"You three head back to base immediately!" Anko commanded. "I'll stay behind and search the hideout!"

Each of them protested in some way or another, but it didn't last. They knew she was right, and, either way, she was their squadron leader, and they had to do what she said.

Be prepared, Kabuto! Anko thought, grimacing. This fight has only just begun!


"Kabuto," Madara suddenly tensed as the two of them walked away from the lowest room. Black Zetsu was long gone on a different mission. "We have a problem."

"What is it, Madara?"

"Is seems we're being followed. A little leaf has strayed far from its village. A little leaf that I believe you should recognize."

"Eh?" Kabuto formed a hand sign and closed his eyes to concentrate. Then he said, "Anko."

"Shall you or I dispose of her? The last thing we need right now is her exposing our location to the Leaf, or rather, the Allied Nations. Even with the White Zetsu army, the element of surprise is certainly our greatest advantage."

"I will take care of it," Kabuto offered. "It's on my way. I have a secure place in mind to begin my technique. Not even you should know this location, Madara." He teased the man once again with what he knew.

"Just do so quickly. For all we know, she could've gotten word to her village already."


"Tsunade-sama!" The hokage turned from her work to see a most unexpected person.

"Iruka?" she breathed. "What the hell are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to—"

"Naruto escaped from the island! B and the others are pursuing him, but he found out!"

"Where is he now?"

Iruka shrugged, and Tsunade only looked more frustrated.

"The raikage is not going to like this." The hokage's forehead crinkled with worry; her hands gripped each other across the surface of her desk.

Akira wasn't surprised to hear Naruto had found out. She knew they wouldn't be able to keep world war a secret forever. Not to mention, based on what Killer B sounded like, he probably wasn't the best of liars.

"Where are the others?" Tsunade finally said, changing the subject. "Any word from them?"

"No ma'am." Iruka shook his head. "I don't know where Naruto is headed, but I think the most we can do now is believe in him."

The hokage sighed, but she didn't disagree.


Finally, Sasuke thought, wincing as his eyes readjusted to the light. It felt good to have the bandages off his eyes. He could see again, that much was nice. Madara had commissioned a White Zetsu to serve as his guard, and, try as he may, Sasuke hadn't been able to get past the thing to search for Naruto until it allowed him.

The White Zetsu had brought him up to speed regarding a few things in the meantime. About the kage's alliance after his attack on them, and how the five nations were working together to fight them. Somehow, Sasuke wasn't worried. He'd destroy them. Somehow he'd manage to destroy them. But first…

Naruto... Unable to help himself, Sasuke thought back to his former teammate's words to him.

"I'm the only one who's gonna fight Sasuke!" he had said, followed by "because you're my friend!'

They weren't friends. The boy was delusional.

Frankly, Sasuke couldn't wait to see him dead. He wouldn't get to kill him immediately, as White Zetsu had stressed that Madara was only allowing him to fight the nine-tails if he captured the boy alive. That way, they could extract his biju. But first…

Sasuke activated the sharignan for the first time in his transplanted eyes.

He had to find him.


Kabuto smiled to himself as he slithered into the cave far from the eyes of enemies or allies. This place was protected by a seal. Even the best genjutsu masters like Tobi, in theory, shouldn't be able to get in here unless he wanted them to.

He'd discovered this place a long time ago, back when he'd first become a spy in Konoha. It had been a helpful place to store supplies and information, especially considering the seal he protected it with. It wasn't quite an Akatsuki hideout, but, in the least, "Madara" didn't likely know where this was.

Kabuto had just been about to get to work, too, forming the opening seal and pouring chakra into his long-awaited Edo-Tensei no jutsu, when a most unexpected voice interrupted him.

"Well, well, well. When I'd felt your chakra, I almost couldn't believe it." Crimson orbs glinted at him through the darkness, but it wasn't Madara. "Kabuto Yakushi."

The snake-like creature turned around.

"Or at least what's left of him."

Uchiha Sasuke. Speaking of genjutsu masters…

"How did you find me?"

"I thought it odd, in my quest for the nine-tails, that I sensed Orochimaru's chakra." Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "Turns out it was just a cheap imitation."

Kabuto chuckled, although it sounded much more high-pitched than Sasuke remembered.

"You really have grown, Sasuke-kun," the creature remarked. "But our differences aside, we are allies now. You should have no reason to attack me."

"Yeah, Zetsu told me," he said nonchalantly, but, rather than leaving, the boy drew his blade. "That's exactly why I'm here."

"Oh?"

"I don't trust you, Kabuto. I don't care if Madara has 'allied' with you or whatever."

Madara? So this boy still didn't know, did he?

"You're a liability, no matter what you say," Sasuke continued. "And I'm here to take you out."

Before Kabuto could slither a retort, a new presence entered—or rather stumbled—into the area, bursting through the cave wall. The presence surprised Kabuto even more than Sasuke's had.

"Ack!" The energy felt different, but there was no doubt about it.

"The nine-tails jinchuriki," Kabuto greeted. "What luck."

No doubt, the boy was shocked at his new appearance. Now that Kabuto thought about it, Naruto hadn't been present during Orochimaru's demise like Sasuke. He hadn't witnessed Kabuto's choice to splice the snake sannin's DNA into his.

The boy's appearance, which certainly explained how he'd managed to make his way into the cave, was bright yellow and brimming with the Kyuubi's chakra. The yellow energy resembled the previous times when Naruto had gone berserk, but this one was smaller. More controlled.

"Who the hell are you?!" Naruto said at first. "I sensed a negative presence in here. What the hell is going on?"

"Don't tell me you don't recognize me, Naruto-kun." Kabuto pulled back his hood to reveal his face. He needed the cloak gone to properly execute his next jutsu anyway, so Kabuto proceeded to strip the entire thing off, leaving him shirtless and all his features fully exposed. But, even when his face was revealed, Naruto didn't recognize him immediately until his eyes rested on a familiar pair of glasses.

"Kabuto?" he breathed.

The silver-haired man chuckled. "The same."

"Still an idiot, as always," Sasuke remarked, looking askance. Naruto's gaze fell on the Uchiha next.

"Sasuke?" Apparently, he'd been so focused on Kabuto that he hadn't noticed his former teammate. Although, in his defense, they both arrived around the same time. "You're here, too?"

"Although I would love to fight you, it appears we have bigger problems on our hands, Naruto," Sasuke said, emphasizing the boy's name. "All this sorry-excuse for a sage can do right now is imitate others and threaten us with dangerous jutsu. I intend to put a stop to that."

"So… you wanna team up?" Naruto translated, albeit very slowly.

"As of now, I still wish to kill you, but frankly I wish to kill him more," Sasuke stated. His eyes fixed on Kabuto and his horned head, both of which were visible with his hood removed. "So yes, I'm suggesting that we fight him together. Then, I will happily fight you afterwards."

Kabuto couldn't help but feel amused at the boy's ignorance

"You sound so sure that you're going to win," Kabuto observed. His hands formed the tiger seal. "Just wait until you see what I can do. I assure you, I am not the same Kabuto that you remember!"

Sasuke raised his lightning blade, sharingan activated, and Naruto, surrounded in his bright yellow chakra, settled into a stance, ready to strike.

This would be an interesting fight. Luckily, his opponents had yet to notice the other detail of Anko's unconscious body resting in the corner. Maybe he should point it out, when the time was right. In the least, it would serve as a successful distraction for Naruto, even if it would make no difference to Sasuke.

Oh, Tobi, Kabuto thought, albeit a bit less positively this time, why didn't you just hand over the Uchiha boy to start?


It was terrifying, Akira had to admit, meeting the other four kages and the leader of the Iron Village when she accompanied Tsunade and Shikaku to the next meeting. She'd received a few askance looks, considering her condition, but Tsunade had told her in advance to ignore it and that she could still be an asset to them while simultaneously being protected from harm.

Tsunade trusted her. That, at least, was huge comfort.

Shizune had left them to help with organizing the different medical squadrons. She'd even taken Tonton. Akira had wanted to go, too, but Tsunade forbade it, saying tto hat she needed Akira here to look at chakras and also keep her company in this "predominantly male-dominated world."

In the least, she'd gotten to meet Shikamaru's father, Shikaku. Even without Itachi's memories, she could tell where the lazy chuunin had gotten his genius.

Aside from that, she could honestly say she'd met all five kages now. There weren't any formal introductions or anything, but she was here, at the meeting, and could see each of them quite clearly.

The raiakge was aggressive, like Tsunade, and did not take the news well that Naruto had escaped from the island. The tsuchikage, although elderly, had some good ideas, and made a point to remind everyone the importance of finding Naruto for the sake of the younger generation. He was definitely the type to give elderly wisdom.

And the mizukage—she was beautiful, just like Tsunade, and seemed quite intelligent. She was a little more reserved than the slug princess, but not by much, and still preferred to insert her opinion on things. She showed much less outward displeasure at Naruto's actions, and, rather than expressing her anger, merely offered suggestions as to what to do.

Then there was Gaara—despite his young age, he was wise. Itachi's memories hadn't been familiar with the boy save for when Akatsuki had kidnapped him, and even then, Itachi didn't know much save for what the boy's biju had been. But, despite his age, he was both wise and strong. A rare combination.

Never in a million years had Akira thought she'd be able to sit in on something as amazing as this. The war certainly wasn't so amazing, but the strategies were, and the people behind it were, as well.

I still can't believe this is actually happening.


Kabuto cackled as blood dripped from the side of Sasuke's mouth after his last attack.

Flames from Sasuke's Amaterasu surrounded the area, but none of them seemed to hit Kabuto in quite the way they needed to. Sasuke was forced to extinguish them almost immediately as a safety measure. Even the Kyuubi wasn't immune to those.

He was missing something. Sasuke didn't know what yet, but he'd find out.

Naruto was taking his fair hit from the situation as well, having been knocked back by a snake summons jutsu and thrown in a cave wall. The activated beast mode was certainly helping him, but with how powerful Kabuto had become and with how much Naruto was still learning to control it, it was no wonder that they were both still struggling.

"Just give up!" Kabuto taunted. "It's useless!"

Sasuke's eyes narrowed and he gripped his blade just a bit tighter, pouring chakra into it for what felt like the thousandth time that day to summon lightning to its surface.

"You will, die, Kabuto," Sasuke stated, his tone deadpan. Blood ran down both their features. "My eyes have seen this, and what my eyes see always become a reality."

"What are we gonna do, Sasuke?" Naruto said in a low voice. Nothing they'd done so far had seemed to work against Kabuto. Even their combined strength did little to phase him.

"If you can distract him," Sasuke said, his expression stoic, "I believe I have an idea."

Naruto nodded, and, after executing the hand sign for another kage bunshin, the boy charged.

"Rasengan!"

It didn't hit. Kabuto's navel snake struck Naruto at just the right moment to send him flying, and then something else happened. A face emerged from the Kabuto's chest, and the next thing Sasuke knew, the floor spiked. If he hadn't jumped, the Uchiha would have been impaled.

He'd seen this jutsu before. Almost as if…

"Kimimaro…" Sasuke recognized. The features were deformed, but that was definitely him. It shouldn't have taken him this long to recognize, but it did. Those spikes had been bones.

"What?" Naruto sounded confused.

"Kabuto has the DNA from Orochimaru's Sound Five inserted into him," Sasuke clarified, his tone still oddly deadpan. "That's how he's been able to use their techniques. That was Kimimaro, the bone user from the Kaguya clan. That was his technique you used just now."

Kabuto grinned manically. His clawed fingers weaved into another hand sign. "Right again, Sasuke."

"Just what are you planning?" If he had Kimimaro's DNA, there had to be others. Just what was this jutsu he was planning?

They fought. As much as Sasuke resented Naruto at present, they made a good team. Regardless, Sasuke inability to figure out exactly what he was missing about Kabuto's jutsu only served to further exacerbate the situation. None of his genjutsus were seeming to hit, even with Naruto's help. He resorted to using one of Susanoo's arrows, but somehow that missed.

He dodged it? Sasuke thought in disbelief. Kabuto noted his expression.

"My perceptual ability has been upgraded," he explained. "I have the forces of nature to help me!"

"Is he using some kind of nature chakra?" Naruto questioned. He didn't have long to ponder the idea, though. Kabuto threw another snake attack at both of them. Stalactites and stalagmites alike we sent flying from the shock wave, forcing Naruto to dodge them as well as any other attack Kabuto tried to pull.

Sasuke had Susanoo to protect him from any major attacks, or at the least the slower ones. Kidomaru came out next from Kabuto's freakish-looking torso, and with it came a spider web attack. Sasuke managed to avoid it, but Naruto was caught.

One burst of yellow energy later, the Kyuubi was free, only to be hit with another web projectile, only this one, he dodged. To test something, Sasuke threw a lightning attack at Kabuto using his blade, only to have it deflected, but Kidomaru wasn't the face he saw this time.

It was Tayuya. Susanoo may protect him from any physical attack, but genjutsu was a completely different story. Only a few notes from the deceased Sound girl's flute sounded, and before Sasuke could blink, he was in a completely different place.

This isn't good… Sasuke grimaced. As much as he didn't like to admit it, Kabuto was winning.

"It seems you have the same ability as Juugo, too," Sasuke remarked, despite the illusion. "Were you attacked by Orochimaru's curse seal?"

Kabuto chuckled, and, although Sasuke couldn't physically see him, he could hear him.

"No, that's just a pretension trick," he replied. "Only that kind of ability can be gained by self-training at the Ryuchidou."

Sasuke pondered for a moment. He'd heard that name from Orochimaru quite some time ago.

"I finally found it!" Kabuto declared. "The legendary place equally famous as Mizubokuzan and Shikkotsurin!" The frog village and the slug village, where Naruto and Sakura had respectively trained. Kabuto's next words only confirmed what Sasuke already knew. "Not only Orochimaru-sama, but I dreamed to go there, too!"

So he managed to do something that Orchimaru didn't, eh?

"Under the sage's guidance," Kabuto continued, "I trained myself and gained that ability! It wasn't from the curse seal at all! I finally surpassed Orochimaru!"

Sasuke said nothing.

"The most Orochimaru-sama managed to do was discover that the Ryuchidou was the source of Juugo's power. He had no interest in why he went berserk. Rather, he just focused on what made him that way. Even he couldn't become a true sage like me! Not just a snake, a true dragon!"

As Kabuto speech finished, the negative effects from Tayuya's genjutsu kicked in and Sasuke's ears filled with the most unpleasant high pitched ringing he'd ever heard. It was so intense that his vision went black. He couldn't move, either—all his senses were completely cut off.

Naruto couldn't be much better. They were sitting ducks. Kabuto could use whatever jutsu he wanted to kill them now. Sasuke couldn't even activate Susanoo like this.

Another bright flash occurred, but this one wasn't from Kabuto.

It was Naruto. Somehow he'd managed to use the Kyuubi to break out of the illusion, releasing Sasuke, as well. That same yellow energy surrounded him, but details of his outfit had changed.

One of Kabuto's deadly snake attacks headed straight for each of them just as Naruto broke from the illusion. Sasuke had yet to completely recover, rendering him helpless, but Naruto was fast enough to deflect both attacks, effectively saving them.

But, when Naruto deflected the attack and sent it flying back, Kabuto turned to water, much like Suigetsu.

"What the hell?" Naruto blinked in confusion. It was the perfect opportunity for Kabuto to attempt another hit, but this time Sasuke was there to block.

"He can turn his body to water much like one of my former associates," Sasuke revealed, struggling briefly against the attack. He gripped the sword with two hands, using the seal on his wrists to send an electrical surge through the metal.

The surge worked, and Kabuto, although not injured, drew back, allowing them both to regroup.

"If he has Juugo and Suigetsu's abilities, it's safe to assume he has accelerated healing abilities, too, just like Karin," Sasuke added. Naruto, although he didn't know these people, understood well enough to nod in acknowledgement.

Kabuto slithered about on the ground, slowly reforming from his former liquid state. "Right again, Sasuke." He formed a hand sign for another jutsu, and, with him being in hermit mode, they both knew it was going to be powerful. Kabuto filled his lungs and spat a water jutsu at them. "Senpou Hakugeki no jutsu!"

The water took the form of a dragon, reminding him of a smaller version of Zabuza's water dragon jutsu. Although Sasuke wasn't hit, Naruto was.

Still exhausted from breaking them out of the illusion, Naruto's reflexes failed and he was smashed into the cave wall. Sasuke attempted to halt the attack using the fully formed hand of his Susanoo, but Kabuto threw a separate attack at him with Kidomaru, forcing Sasuke to block that instead. Although Sasuke had no grievous injuries, the force of the hit threw him to opposite side of the cave.

When the dust cleared, thanks to Kidomaru's web jutsu, Sasuke was pinned and the yellow glow surrounding Naruto had disappeared. Judging by his motionless form, the nine-tails jinchuriki was unconscious.

This is isn't good. Sasuke needed to think of something and fast. Considering Kabuto's alliance with Madara, would he risk killing Naruto? His question was soon answered as the dragon sage picked up the boy by the throat, using one of his clawed hands.

"If you die," Kabuto began, "Madara will be forced to use only my jutsu! He will be fully reliant on me, and I will have full control!"

But, just as his other hand drew back to slit the boy's throat, the strangest thing happened. Another burst of energy pulsated through the room, but this one wasn't yellow and Sasuke didn't see chakra: it was crows.

Sasuke would know that cawing anywhere, but, even so, he couldn't believe his eyes. Kabuto wasn't gripping Naruto's throat, anymore. In fact, he had been thrown across the room. Although he retained consciousness, he looked just as shocked as Sasuke.

A second set of red eyes greeted Kabuto's horrified face as a familiar black and red Akatsuki cloak blew in an unseen wind. The person they saw wasn't Naruto anymore.

It was Itachi.

The elder Uchiha used his right hand, oddly free of his usual Akatsuki ring, to brush back the bangs from his face.

"H-how…." Kabuto stuttered, his eyes wide. "The Edo Tensei… I didn't activate it yet…"

"Heh." It wasn't quite a laugh, but Itachi definitely sounded amused. "I have been watching all this time behind the Kyuubi's eyes, and let me tell you." His lips twisted in a smile. "You mind is a crowded place, Naruto-kun."

"Nii-san…" Sasuke breathed. Crimson eyes stared into one another, but, as they did, Sasuke felt his mind become suddenly drowsy.

Itachi was casting a genjutsu on him. A genjutsu that caused him to sleep.


Hyuuga Tokuma's eyes widened in disbelief at what his byakugan had just witnessed.

It had been scary enough witnessing the White Zetsu army beneath the ground. In the least, what was left of their team minus Captain Mitarashi, had managed to get word back to Konoha and ultimately the hokage. After that, Tokuma had decided to double back, bringing just Muta this time, and he was certainly glad they had.

"What do you see?" Muta inquired. "My communication bugs are picking up a lot of commotion from that area."

"They have Captain Mitarashi," Tokuma stated, and Muta's expression fell. "She's alive!"

"And?" Muta knew there was more.

"The place is protect by a seal, but I can see who's in there," Tokuma continued. "I've located Uchiha Sasuke, as well! He seems to be fighting Kabuto!"

"And?"

"I swear I saw the Kyuubi jinchuriki's chakra just now," Tokuma insisted, his eyes straining. "But…" he trailed off.

"But what?"

"This can't be! That chakra! It's Uchiha Itachi! I don't see Naruto anymore."


Tsunade impatiently tapped a finger on her forearm as she stood in the hallway outside the kage's meeting room, waiting for one of the helpers to come back with her meal. The kages' meeting had taken a break for everyone to discuss things more in depth with their people and receive updates. Tsunade was no exception, but she was also utilizing this time to eat something.

"Where's Shizune when you need her?" Tsunade sighed. "She was always so quick with this sort of thing, unless I asked for sake."

Akira said nothing, not really knowing how to comment. She could have offered to use her byakugan and see what the holdup was, but she didn't get the chance. Someone came bursting into the room, but it wasn't the helper.

"Tsunade-sama!"

Both of them turned, although Tsunade looked more annoyed than anything.

It was Hyuuga Tokuma and an Aburame Akira didn't recognize.

"What could it possibly be now?" the hokage muttered. The last thing she wanted right now was bad news.

"It's urgent!" Tokuma insisted. The Aburame behind him nodded. "We've located Kabuto! Sasuke seems to be with him, but unlike Madara, he seems to be in conflict with him!"

"And? Why haven't we done anything about it yet?"

"There's more!" The Hyuuga continued, and Tsunade quirked her eyebrow. "The Kyuubi—"

"Have they captured him?" Tsunade cut off, and Takuma merely shook his head.

"It does not seem so, Tsunade-sama," the man replied. "But his chakra has disappeared!"

"What do you mean 'his chakra has disappeared'?"

"I saw it with my own eyes," Tokuma began, his tone ominous. "I would never have believed it otherwise."

"Believed what?"

"It was him. Naruto's chakra was replaced, or—or something! It was Uchiha Itachi! He's alive!"

If Akira had been holding something, she would have dropped it. Thankfully, the man was too focused on Tsunade to notice her lavender eyes widen.

It can't be… Her mind rejected the notion. Itachi's chakra? There had to be some mistake. His memories weren't telling her anything. Could he have perhaps blocked something during the memory transfer?

"Keep your voice down!" Tsunade hissed, and briefly glanced around to ensure no one had overheard. "Have you sent out another team to investigate?"

"We came straight to you," Muta spoke up. "The cave where we saw them is protected by a genjutsu seal, and neither of us are proficient in disabling that sort of thing."

"I'll send a team with Hatake Kakashi, although Kami knows we will need him back quickly," Tsunade said. Her eyes narrowed. "You'd better not be lying!"

"I swear it, Tsunade-sama! He saw it and my bugs confirmed it!"

Akira's mind was in a jumble. It couldn't be Itachi. She'd buried him! She remembered doing it with her own two hands. The blood, the tears—there was just no way.

"Tokuma," Akira began, drawing the man's attention to her. The Hyuuga girl's voice shook. "Where did you saw this cave was?"

"It's in the Mountains' Graveyard," he answered. "The wasteland between Taki and Oto with all the animal corpses."

I have to see for myself. This man wasn't lying. His chakras hadn't been disrupted at all. He fully believed what he was saying, and so did the Aburame. Akira's hands balled into fists.

There was only one way to find out for sure.

Tsunade opened her mouth to respond to Tokuma, but stopped short when the next thing she noticed was Akira taking off.

It wasn't easy, travelling quickly while also being six months pregnant, but, with the sort of determination Akira had at the moment, she managed.

"Akira!" the hokage called her name, but Akira hadn't heard a thing. She passed by a group of samurai who had been talking together, but they didn't realize Tsunade wanted them to stop her until it was too late.

"Damn it!" Tsunade swore, and all Tokuma and Muta could do was glance at each other in confusion.


With her byakugan, it didn't take Akira long to find the cave, even with Tokuma's vague directions. Hiding her chakra had been the hard part. Tsunade sent a few samurai out after her, but she knew how to avoid them.

Tokuma hadn't been kidding about the seal, either.

Honestly, the thing reminded her of the seal on the Akatsuki members' doors, just with genjutsu instead of chakra shocks. Either, the chakra veins extended in a way that also required a certain person's chakra to unlock it. Undoubtedly, that person's chakra had to be Kabuto's or maybe even Orochimaur's, but she needed to figure a way around that.

And she did. It took a good ten minutes to figure out as opposed to her usual five, but she did it, and the genjutsu seal was unlocked.

With her byakugan fully focused on unlocking the seal, she hadn't been able to keep track of the fight, but she could still sense presences. Itachi's memories recognized one as Kabuto, and the other was unquestionably Uchiha Sasuke. But the third…

Akira walked into the cave, stepping carefully in case other traps were set. The place was trashed, to say in the least. There had definitely been a fight here.

The first person she noticed was Uchiha Sasuke, unconscious and pinned to the wall with what looked like spider webs. Then there was Kabuto, who didn't even look like the Kabuto Itachi remembered. He looked more Orochimaru, her mind told her. He was caught in a genjutsu, but Akira didn't know what kind.

In the corner, Akira sensed Anko. Her presence was weak, but she would live. A white snake, possibly a skin, bearing traces of Kabuto's chakra lay beside her, but why, Akira had no idea. But, despite the woman's needs, Akira's attention diverted. She couldn't believe her eyes, even when she saw him.

The cloak was easy enough to imitate; she'd had one herself at one point. But those eyes, that hair, and that face…

"Itachi." If he sensed her, he didn't react. His back was turned to her, but she could still recognize him. This wasn't Naruto, anymore.

It couldn't be a clone, or even an impure world resurrection. Was it a genjutsu? Would a genjutsu even remember her?

He turned around, and beyond the shadow of a doubt, it was Itachi.

His eyes scanned her body. At first, he didn't seem to recognize her. His gaze turned to Sasuke, who remained stuck to the wall, and, for a moment, Akira feared he may choose to attend to the boy instead of noticing of her.

It was an agonizing several seconds, waiting to see what he would do. One of his eyes lit up with the familiar three-sided pinwheel of Amaterasu, and the cobwebs holding Sasuke burst into black flames, releasing the boy. The flames extinguished in time not to burn the Uchiha as he fell to the floor.

Akira waited, still unsure if Itachi would turn to care for Sasuke. But then, he spoke.

"Akira?"

He remembered.

Although highly unwise for her to do considering the uncertainty of the situation, Akira ran forward and captured whatever the hell this creature was in an embrace, as close as her pregnant belly would allow.

She couldn't believe it—it even smelled like him.

But then came the hurt, and the second she let go of him, she cocked her hand back for a punch, and, although it was light—certainly lighter than what she'd thrown at Akatsuki—she sent him flying back a few feet. Tears stung the Hyuuga girl's vision.

"Start talking!" she demanded. Her voice choked.

Itachi, or whoever the hell he was, rubbed the side of his face, but didn't take his eyes off of her. She wasn't exactly in her ninja outfit, but he knew it was her by now.

Somehow, he didn't look surprised.

"I've been watching, through Naruto's eyes," he stated simply. Tears fell freely down the Hyuuga girl's face. "And," he took a step forward, "I am so, so sorry, Akira."

His steps were tentative. Clearly, he remembered what kind of temper she had, too.

"All this time," she choked. "All this time you were watching?"

"I gave Naruto some of my power just before I fought Sasuke," Itachi explained. Even after her initial embrace, they weren't touching right now. "It manifested in the form of my consciousness, or at least a piece of it, to be used if ever a situation like this occurred. I had hoped that he would not require it, but with Kabuto coming into the picture, I'm glad I did."

"So… Kabuto?" Akira stole a glance back at the man. "What… what exactly happened to him?"

"I used a new eye technique that even Sasuke does not possess," Itachi answered. "Izanami. It is an endless loop in which the only escape is to admit one's mistakes. I managed to use it shortly after Kabuto was trying to recover from the surprise of seeing me."

"So… you're… Naruto?" she managed.

He smiled that sideways smile she would have killed to see just ten minutes ago.

"In a sense."

"Why? Why didn't you include this possibility when you transferred your knowledge to me?!"

"Because I didn't know if it would actually occur. I didn't want to give you false hope that you may see me again and cause you to do something reckless—"

"What, like this?" Akira motioned downwards to herself. Tears continued to stream down her face. Every muscle in her body clenched, mostly out of rage. "What the hell did you think I was going to do? Just go back to the Whirlpool Village and live my life?"

"I had hoped," Itachi admitted. Akira averted her gaze when she felt her nose beginning to clog up, too. "But, just like Sasuke, I did not account for your own free will and trust in your own strength."

At this, she took the final step forward and hugged him for a second time, this time, without punching him afterwards. He hugged her back, and she felt one of his hands find its way onto her stomach. Face buried in his chest, Akira shook her head. She was getting his—or Naruto's, she couldn't really tell—shirt wet. But, whoever's this was, she wouldn't trade it for anything.

"I still can't believe it's really you," she managed, and placed one of her hands over his, the one on her bulging belly. Both of them went silent; Akira was the one to break it.

"I should have told you sooner." It was even better that he knew what she meant. His thumb caressed her belly.

Itachi shook his head. "I didn't exactly give you much chance." And that, she couldn't argue with.

She moved her hand away from his and resumed hugging him with both arms. Akira clung to him desperately.

"How long… do you have?" She probably didn't want to know, but Akira asked anyway.

"Not long," he replied, and, at the ambiguous answer, Akira buried her face deeper into his chest.

"I miss you so much!" she sobbed, and just like he'd done after Tsukuyomi, at Akatsuki, and any other time she'd broken down, he simply held her tighter and rested his chin atop her head. Itachi's chakra was grower weaker, slowly but surely. She could sense it. If there was anything she wanted to say, she had to say it quickly.

She could have said anything. Told him about the five nations uniting, about her tutelage under Tsunade, or even how Naruto had sworn to save his brother no matter what happened. But she didn't say any of those things. Instead, she stated what was on the forefront of her mind this entire time.

"It's twins," she blurted, although he probably already knew from watching through Naruto's eyes. Then she mustered the courage to look him in the eye again. They were black, like an onyx. "I'm having a girl and a boy."

He didn't say anything. Itachi only held her tighter. His chakra faded even more now, so much so that it had begun to affect his features. His face glowed blue with chakra, and slowly, she was losing sight of the man she loved.

She felt his lips on her forehead, and, trying not to think about the fact this was still technically Naruto's body, she pulled him down to her mouth and held him there. Nothing messy or even tongue-involved—just the feeling of his mouth over hers was enough. She would remember his parting words to her for the rest of her life.

"I leave Sasuke to Naruto," he said, and Akira knew there would be a second part. Their foreheads touched. More tears streamed down her cheeks as he continued to disappear. "And I leave Konoha to you." One of his hands rested on her stomach again. The other one tangled in her hair. "I love you, Akira." His lips brushed her forehead for a final time. "Goodbye."

With that, he was gone. All that remained was Naruto's unconscious form, arms slumped to his side, which, considering she'd only just been hugging "Itachi," she already supported.

Akira fell to her knees, but not from Naruto's weight. She eased the boy onto the ground, and, after wiping the moisture from her face, activated her byakugan to scan for injuries.

There were some fractures in his arms and a lot of cuts and bruises, but nothing appeared devastatingly wrong. She set to work on healing what she could, and, just as she did, a familiar chakra spring to life on her radar. To her relief, it wasn't hostile.

"Akira-san?"

Hatake Kakashi.


The copy ninja made his way into the cave along with Iruka, Naruto's favorite academy teacher, and Raidou, a jounin with spiked brown hair and a prominent scar over his nose that extended past his cheekbone. Thanks to Tsunade's briefing, Kakashi wasn't surprised to see the Hyuuga girl.

Her eyes were puffy and red, likely from crying, but she didn't let that stop her from acknowledging them.

"Sasuke's unconscious," she stated, motioning with her head to the boy who had fallen from what was no longer Kidomaru's spider web bindings. "Anko is in the corner there. She's alive!"

Raidou slowly made his way over to Kabuto, briefly performed an examination, then turned back to Kakashi.

"He's in a genjutsu. A powerful one." At Raidou's words, Kakashi raised an eyebrow at Akira, but she pretended not to notice.

"They were like that when I got here," she said nonchalantly.

"Were you the one to deactivate the genjutsu seal?" Kakashi questioned, stooping to one knee beside her, where she appeared to be healing an unconscious Naruto. Green chakra illuminated both her palms.

Akira shrugged, and Kakashi optimistically translated the gesture as an assurance that she would explain things to him and Tsunade later.

"Boss!" Kakashi turned when Iruka addressed him. The academy teacher knelt in the corner of the cave next to Mitarashi Anko. "She's conscious! She's calling for you!"

"Take care of Naruto!" Kakashi spoke hurriedly and then scurried over to the dolphin ninja.

Upon closer inspection, Anko muttered something, something no one could quite make out until Kakashi used his sharignan to read her lips.

"Destroy it…" she kept saying over and over. Kakashi's gaze fell to the side where an odd white reptile eerily similar to one of Orochimaru's summons also resided. When Kakashi motioned to the serpent, she stopped.

She had to mean that. The copy ninja lifted his hitiate to reveal his sharignan.

"Kamui!" The thing split in half and disappeared into separate dimensions. At this, Anko relaxed enough to slip back into unconsciousness.

"Akira!" Kakashi called. She listened enough to rotate her head. "After you're done with Naruto, we're going to need you over here." They should have brought a medic with them, but most of them were already occupied with separate duties. Unfortunately, Tsunade hadn't been able to spare one.

"Also," Kakashi remembered the hokage adding, "Akira may be there, too. Feel free to use her if you can manage to talk some sense in to her."

In the least, he'd found her.

Next, his gaze fell to Sasuke, who lay semi-peacefully sprawled on the cave floor.

He could kill the boy. He had every right to. But he remembered Naruto's words that he would be the one to fight Sasuke, and Kakashi had agreed. So instead, he merely bound the Uchiha and cast an additional genjutsu to ensure he would remain unconscious for the duration of their trip back to Konoha. Ibiki would have plenty of time to interrogate him later.

Iruka agreed to carry Sasuke; Raidou, meanwhile, opted to carry Naruto, which left Kakashi to carry Anko, which he did bridal style. For the sake of convenience, Raidou carefully situated Naruto onto his back and Iruka, much less carefully, slumped Sasuke over his shoulder.

It had certainly been fortuitous, bringing three people. Kabuto was trapped here, but Tsunade would send a specialized group to take care of him later.

It was hard to believe, but they'd actually won this battle. Kabuto had been defeated and Sasuke was captured. The war was far over, but, Kakashi had to admit, they made a huge step in the right direction.


Well, it's been a long haul getting through all of those manga chapters, but hopefully it's been worth it for this. Thank you all for reading! Story is almost finished. Main battle is yet to come. Five more chapters to go! Not all of them will be battles, promise~