Hi again!

This chapter is what happens when I get Naruto Ultimate Ninja Generations, Final Fantasy XIII-2 and Kingdom Hearts 3D Dream Drop Distance on my head at the same time.

The action scenes felt a bit rushed, but I told you I'm not that good at them.

Also, thanks to KizaruBoss1 for the concept of Sasuke's jutsu. I was the one who named it. And no, I won't change Sasuke's hair to blond.

I hope you like this!

Spoiler Warning: Kyuubi's real name!


Light

光 (Hikari)

Naruto didn't feel anything. His mind was completely numb, as if he was awakening from a long sleep. Except… he knew he wasn't awake, but he wasn't sleeping either.

Everything was black, so he didn't know whether he was with his eyes closed or opened, but it didn't matter. Actually, nothing mattered. He felt too numb to care about anything anymore. All his life he had felt too much, maybe now it was time to stop.

His heart was too tired because of all that emotion and it broke. His heart broke too many times. Right now, he just wanted to rest and let his broken heart heal.

"Who do want to keep you safe?"a voice asked in the darkness.

Immediately, Naruto thought of his parents. It was weird because he could remember their features very precisely; he could remember their voices, their touch, and how they talked, how they smelled…

"Tou-chan… Kaa-chan…" he said, though he couldn't feel his mouth moving at all. "I miss them. I wanted to be with them longer. I want them to make the pain go away."

"Who do you want to see again?"

Jiraiya. Ero-Sennin… He wanted him to be alive and watch over him forever. He wanted his master to see him become Hokage.

"Who is precious to you?"

His comrades. His friends. His mentors and teachers. All the people he met and became his friend. The people from his village. His team.

"What is your biggest regret?"

Not being able to stop Sasuke from leaving. Yes… that was his deepest scar on his heart. No matter how deep he buried that pain, it would always be there, hurting.

Naruto felt himself being pulled deeper into the darkness. He should be scared of it but, the truth was… he didn't feel hurt anymore. He felt so at ease and relaxed, remembering his happiest days. Was it so wrong to give in?

So Uzumaki Naruto let himself go and decided to plunge deep into happier memories.


Not for the first time, the great Nine-Tailed Fox tried to break free from his cage. He scratched and punched the bars with all the strength he had, he threw himself against them and even tried to use his Tailed Beast Ball. Nothing worked, it was useless.

Only Naruto could release him, but Naruto wasn't there anymore.

Kurama knew something very wrong happened the moment Sasuke pierced Naruto with that damn crystal sword. It wasn't the wound that bothered him, Naruto had survived far worse, it was what was invading Naruto's body. Those seemingly harmless crystals that covered his wound and got into his bloodstream.

Maybe his jinchūriki would have been able to fight them if he hadn't willingly offered all of his and Kurama's chakra to that Uchiha maniac. If hatred could blind someone so could love, and Naruto loved that cursed brat too much. Naruto wanted to save Sasuke and everyone else in the islands, even at the expense of his own life.

Naruto knew he would be in death-like sleep like the others, but something else happened instead because of the crystallized injury. It had nothing to do with that egomaniac spirit guy, Kurama knew that much. It was the crystal.

It seemed impossible but the crystal itself had taken Naruto's soul away from his body. No matter how much Kurama tried to stop it and wake the blond, he was unable to help behind his bars and had to watch powerlessly while Naruto's soul was stolen.

One would think that now that Naruto was gone, Kurama could take over his body completely… but he couldn't. First, he was still caged inside Naruto's subconscious and, again, only the blond was able to open his cage. Second of all, the Fox wouldn't steal Naruto's body.

Naruto had been the only human, aside from the old Sage of the Six Paths, that had wanted to build a relationship with Kurama. He didn't see him as a chakra monster or a weapon to be used. Naruto had wanted to be his friend, even after Kurama had tried to take over his body so many times, even after he had hurt his friends, destroyed his village, killed his parents and made his life miserable.

Naruto still wanted to be his friend.

"You aren't a monster fox anymore. You're one of my team-mates from Konoha… Kurama" Narutohad said during the war.

The Fox had been unwilling to let Naruto know his feelings, but he suspected that loudmouth jinchūriki of his already knew that he also thought of him as a friend no matter how much he denied it.

"Now my friend his gone" Kurama thought, filled with a sadness and worry that didn't suit him.

It was Sasuke's fault. It was always Sasuke's fault. He was the one who kept causing Naruto pain over and over, yet that stupid blond still loved him. And that love just grew stronger and stronger ever since Naruto had picked up his regressed "best friend" and looked after him instead of killing him on the spot like a reasonable person.

Naruto was never reasonable when it came to Sasuke.

Kurama knew the adoption was a bad idea from the start. He knew Sasuke would betray Naruto sooner or later. It was on his blood, his damn Uchiha blood, changing Sasuke's surname wasn't going to change who he really was: a selfish, cruel, arrogant, cold, power hungry bastard who didn't deserve half the tears Naruto had cried for him.

Still, Naruto's blood was inside him now, along with his chakra. Though Kurama hated to admit it, Sasuke was, for all intents and purposes, Naruto's child. He was the only one who could save him.

And, right now, he was losing against the spirit. Kurama could sense his chakra growing weaker.

"Typical!" the Fox groaned. "When we need you, you're completely useless."

There had to be something Kurama could do. He had felt a small connection with the babies his female jinchūriki carried in their wombs, but he never bothered to exploit it because he was more concerned about breaking the seal during their labor. He knew his chakra had also been used during the babies' gestation, which explained Naruto's whisker marks on his cheeks.

He had never tried to "communicate" with a child of his jinchūriki, let alone an adopted one. But Sasuke was Naruto's kid and an Uchiha, anything was possible.

Kurama knew he couldn't use much of his chakra or Naruto's body would definitely die, he also knew he only had one chance do this since the adult-brat was barely conscious. He couldn't miss.


Riku screamed in pain as the seal around his body paralyzed all of his muscles. Then, several red ropes of chakra banded his wrists, legs and neck, painfully immobilizing him.

"What the hell is this?" the silver haired man asked, trying to free himself in vain. "Let go of me!"

"Not a chance, you stupid boy" Nobunaga answered with displeasure, his crystallized body moving in Riku's direction and stopping right at the edge of the barrier. "You could have had your revenge. I gave you the power to do it, but instead you decide to run into your Daddy's arms like a pathetic child."

Despite his pain and worry, Riku managed to remain calm and actually grimed at the malevolent ghost. "Too bad, Nobunaga. You forgot one thing… I really am a child. You shouldn't rely on my decisions. I don't want to be your vessel anymore, sorry."

The spirit smirked. "Oh! That's not your decision, Riku. It never was."

The purple seals on the floor started glowing and slowly moving towards Riku, going up his skin.

"What are you doing?" Riku asked, his blue eyes wide as the seals moved.

"I'm making you my vessel, of course. Once all the seals are in their right position, your body will be ready to receive my soul. I've waited too long for this… I won't let you or anyone stand in my way!"

"Don't count on it!"

A sword stabbed the crystallized ghost right through the chest. Nobunaga looked at it, his eyes wide with surprise.

"What?" the ghost asked. Behind him, injured and bleeding, Shigeru stood proudly, his eyes staring at the ghost with fury.

"You should have known, Nobunaga" Shigeru said. "Never underestimate a Sanada. I won't let you take my son away from me. Leave my family alone!"

With those words, the samurai removed his sword from Nobunaga's chest and swiftly decapitated the crystal creature, which fell to the ground and shattered into million pieces.

"Tou-san! You did it" Riku said, although, when Shigeru looked at him, he instinctively looked away in shame. "Tou-san… I'm…"

"Don't apologize yet" Shigeru said, moving towards the shinning barrier. "You and I are going to have a very long talk after all this chaos his over. There are a lot of things I want to say… But now I'm going to get you out of that thing."

"I… I hurt you" Riku said, looking at his father's wounds. "Are you okay?"

"I'm stronger than I look. Besides, I can't allow myself to die" the Sanada leader said, while looking at the complex barrier. "What would Hatori say if I couldn't save his little brother? Both he and your mother would never forgive me."

Riku lifted his face at looked at his father through his fringe, his mouth twitching into a tempting smile.

"Now let's focus on dispelling this barrier, alright?" Shigeru went on.

All of a sudden, Nobunaga's headless appeared and kicked Shigeru on the back, sending him flying across the floor.

"Tou-san!" Riku yelled, trying to free himself from the red ropes in vain.

Shigeru tried to stand but his arms were unable to lift him. He looked at the crystal body which, to his utter horror, was reforming itself. Finally, Nobunaga's head reappeared and he gazed at both father and son with a grin.

"You're the one who shouldn't underestimate me, Sanada" the crystal ghost said. "I've told you before, didn't I? I studied the crystal's powers. I know how to use them to my advantage. No matter how many times you try to destroy me, I'll just remake myself. No one can stop me" he looked at Riku again. "This crystal body his nice, but I can't wait to be able to feel again with a real body. I can control the crystal just fine even if I become human" around Nobunaga, several crystals appeared, reshaping into kunai. "It was a pleasure knowing you, Sanada Shigeru. However… it's time to say farewell."

"WAIT! STOP!" Riku cried out in desperation. "Don't hurt him! Please! You can have my body, there's no need to kill him. You got what you wanted, so just leave him alone."

The ghost stared at Riku for a few seconds before smirking at his distressed face. "Very well… I won't hurt him, Riku. You will" Riku gaped and his blue eyes grew even wider. "It will be a lot more fun to kill him using your body. Oh! Don't make that face. You won't even notice, because you won't be here at all."

Riku winced in pain as the seals moved even closer. His heart was beating in his ears and his eyes were burning. It was the end; there was nothing he could do.

There was nothing anyone could do.


Sasuke had tried to activate the Sharingan while Shigeru was looking for a way to release Riku from the barrier. The raven thought he saw the crystals merging together, but he wasn't sure. He wanted to use his Sharingan to improve his vision but he felt too lightheaded and tired. Because of his hesitation, because he relied too much on his eyes, he didn't warn Shigeru on time and the samurai was kicked by the damn ghost.

His body hurt all over and he had used too much of his chakra during his fight with Riku. He had no idea the Sharingan consumed so much chakra. He shouldn't have used for so long.

He should have known better. Naruto had warned him before.


"Your dōjutsu is called Sharingan. It evolves the more you use it, gaining new skills," Naruto said. "However, there are risks. The Sharingan spends chakra. Since you just began your ninja training, you don't have enough chakra to keep it active for a long time. "

"That's why I got dizzy?"

Naruto nodded, his face uncharacteristically serious.

"It's dangerous to exhaust your chakra reserves. You can even die," the blond said seriously. "You activated the Sharingan for the first time during Akane's fight and you stayed with it active until you fainted."

"Was it because of this that I got sick?" the boy asked, remembering how his body had ached all over, his fever and fatigue had felt horrible not so long ago.

"Chakra exhaustion" said Naruto. "It's very dangerous and you scared the hell out of me. The Sharingan is a powerful tool and can really help you as a shinobi, but it also has its risks. You're still very young and your chakra reserves are low. Also... it can be stolen. "

"Stolen?" Sasuke asked astonished. "How can it be stolen? It's inside my eyes and..." as he understood what his father was saying, Sasuke turned pale with horror. "They can steal my eyes?"

Naruto nodded solemnly.

"No way!" the raven replied, not wanting to believe in something that nasty. "That's disgusting! People don't go around ripping eyes out!"

"Unfortunately, they do," Naruto continued, there was no way to tone down that information. "The Sharingan is very rare and is very powerful as a weapon. Some ninja wouldn't hesitate one second to take off your eyes, to have it. Through a surgical operation, a person can transplant a dōjutsu to their eyes and get their powers."

Sasuke gulped.

"So what do I do? You don't want me to use the Sharingan? "

"It's not that. You can use it, I just want you to promise me you'll be careful," the blond said, staring at Sasuke with a stern look as the raven realized that his father couldn't be talking more seriously. "It's dangerous to let people know you have a Sharingan, so I want you to promise me you won't use it for nothing or brag about it."

"I won't brag" the child replied. "And I'm not stupid."

"I never thought you were" Naruto replied smoothly. "The Sharingan is powerful, so I want you to use it with caution. You can make yourself very strong with those eyes, but you don't need to rely on them to be a good shinobi. Never forget that. "


Sasuke felt his head dizzy and his vision blurred, both because he hit his head against the ceiling and because he knew he had overused his Sharingan. He had been overconfident and careless with his kekkei genkai.


"I'll be careful with my eyes" the raven said. "I promise."

Naruto smiled and stroked his hair.

"I know" the blond said. "I trust you."


"Tou-chan… I'm sorry. I broke my promise." Sasuke thought sorrowfully, his vision going from hazy to darkness as he lost consciousness.

The raven man didn't notice, no one did, but when he had carried a wounded Naruto, some of the blond's blood drooped to the raven's shirt and then to the skin on his back. The small amount of blood was absorbed by the skin and, just like seven years ago, the mark of a Red Phoenix reappeared on Sasuke's back.

"I couldn't save Daddy… I can't save anyone" Sasuke thought, surrounded by darkness. "I'm such a loser! I let him down!"

"Geez! What a surprise!"

Sasuke opened his eyes. To his surprise, he was in some sort of sewer system. There was water all around him so he stood up. Everything was dead silent except for the drops of water from his hair and clothes.

"Where am I?" the raven asked, looking all around him. Had he died and this was the afterlife? Or was this another trick made by Nobunaga? He could have sworn he heard another voice. "Who's there?"

A deep, resonating voiced started laughing. The sound came from everywhere.

"Who are you? Show yourself?" Sasuke asked.

"Still keeping your bravado, I see" the voice sneered, while Sasuke turned around to try to find its source. "My, my, Sasuke. You haven't changed a bit."

The raven almost screamed as a huge amount of orange bubbles appeared on the water and he watched, with his mouth open in awe, as they moved to form a giant… fox?

"What…? What the hell are you?" Sasuke asked, though he couldn't mask the fear he felt for that thing. "How do you know my name?"

The fox's gaze was filled with hate. Its glowing red eyes and sharp teeth made it look like a demon. Sasuke could feel a powerful chakra coming from it. He never felt something like it and it scared him.

"I thought that some memory of me would still remain on your pathetic little mind" the Fox said. "Well… it doesn't matter. It would take a long time to explain it all to you and time is something Naruto doesn't have."

Sasuke blinked and his stance became rigid with confusion and worry. "What are you talking about? How do you know my father?"

"Hmph! Father?" the Fox laughed bitterly. "You still have the nerve to call him that, after all the horrible things you did to him?"

Sasuke's eyes grew even wider and the weight on his chest became heavier. "How do you know?"

"It doesn't matter how I know. The thing is that I saw everything that happened between you two" Kurama went on. "I saw the way you mistreated Naruto even though he gave you nothing but love. I heard your spiteful words, not just now but all throughout your whole life. I saw your cruelty and arrogance towards the person you call "father"."

Sasuke's eyes were the color of a bruise. The raven opened his mouth to refute, he wanted to tell that stupid fox to mind him own business, tell him that he didn't know anything about him or Naruto and what he said was completely wrong. However, no sound came out of his mouth.

"Naruto made a terrible mistake to take an ungrateful brat like you into his family. No real son would hurt his own father the way you did" the Fox continued, staring right into Sasuke's distressed eyes. "He could have had anyone. Naruto could have built his own family and be happy instead of trying to constantly fight for some of your tiny affection. He gave you all his heart and you continuously threw it away like trash. The only person you ever cared about was yourself!"

"No… It's not… I'm not…" Sasuke stammered, tears behind his eyes.

"You're not what? A horrible human being? A terrible son? Is that what you're saying?"

Sasuke lowered his face, his eyes covered by his black fringe.

"Naruto loves you like no one else in this world, but all you do to repay his love is breaking his heart over and over" Kurama roared, unmoved by the boy's genuine sorrow. "He made you his own child and, when you found out the truth, you yelled at him, called him a liar and ran away to find your "real" parents like he meant nothing. Then, as soon as he told you more things about your biological family, you pushed him aside because the fact that you resembled them was a lot more important than the person who loved and looked after you for years."

"No! I didn't feel that" Sasuke whimpered, tears running down his face. "I love Tou-chan more than anything in the world! You're wrong! "

"Am I? If you love your "father" as much as you say, then why did you give up and stopped trying to save him?"

Sasuke blinked.

"It's true that I don't know a lot about this" the Fox said. "But even a demon like me knows that when someone truly important to us is in danger, we never stop trying to save them. If it was you in a death state, Naruto would fight gods to bring you back. He would do anything and he would never stop until he died, which is someone as heartless and self-centered as you could never understand."

"Shut up" Sasuke whimpered, his fists closed tightly and his shoulders shaking. "I did… I did everything I could to save him! I tried, but I can't compare myself to my Dad! I'm just… not strong enough."

"Not strong enough, huh?" the Fox replied. "I guess you are right. Someone like you, weak and too focused on self-pity, could never be his true heir."

Sasuke stopped shaking. "Wha…?"

"You're nothing like Naruto. I don't expect you two to have a real father-son bond" Kurama went on with a sneer. "It doesn't matter that his chakra and his blood runs through your veins, you never listened to his words and dismissed what he taught you. I guess Naruto was fooling himself when he believed that you would be his child. All of his words fell on deaf ears, you never…"

"Enough!" Sasuke yelled, interrupting the giant Fox. "What do you know about me and my father? What gives you the right to say that I never listened to what he said? You don't know anything about me! Nothing at all!"


"Remember when I said that I had given you my blood when I adopted you?" the blond asked. Sasuke nodded slowly, looking up momentarily from the chakra. "Well... I gave you this as well."

Sasuke continued to stare at the blue force in front of him.

"This is... chakra?" the boy asked.

"Yeah" Naruto held out his hand with chakra to Sasuke. Carefully, the child stretched out his cupped hands and received the chakra, which flickered slightly between his and Naruto's fingers like a blue flame.

"It's warm..." the raven murmured.

"Yeah... and do you see how it is oscillating? This means that is resonating" Naruto said, staring at Sasuke through the bright chakra. "It doesn't hurt you... because you and I have similar chakra. The chakra that I gave you is mixed with the chakra that you had inherited from your parents, but mine is there too... within you. "

Sasuke felt the warm energy in the palm of their hands.

"The chakra is really inside me?"

"Yes. I still don't know what or how much you have inherited from me for sure... but it's there."

"So ... you and I are alike?"

"I am your second Tou-chan" Naruto said cheerfully. "For better or for worse, you also have a part of me inside you."


"I know that what I've done to Tou-chan is unforgivable" Sasuke said, staring at the demon Fox with tears still running down his face. "I know I don't deserve to be his son after all I did. He deserved a lot better than me, but I…"


"The Sharingan is part of your strength" Naruto continued, lifting Sasuke's chin with his thumb. "I have my powers and you have yours. I want you to follow your own path, with your own strength. So one day, you'll be able to surpass me."

Sasuke was taken aback by that statement "You want me to be more powerful than you?"

"Sure I do!" Naruto answered with his famous grin. "You're my heir. I want you be more powerful than I ever was."


Sasuke's fists were clenched tight and a stream of tears kept running down his cheeks, however, his eyes shone with determination. He wasn't going to back down on his words; he meant every single one of them.

"He told me before, but I didn't really understand it. However, I know it now" the raven said to the giant fox, his weepy eyes staring straight at it. "We're connected! Tou-chan and I are connected! Both by blood, by chakra and will. His will is inside me! I cherish everything he taught me and I want him to teach me even more. He took me out of the darkness every time I got lost in my own misery. He was always my light and now… it's my turn to shine for him. I'll bring him back! I'm gonna save him and our family!"

Kurama looked surprised for a moment, and then he smirked. "Big words brat, but words aren't enough to bring Naruto back" he answered, cynical. "You're a dark being, Sasuke. You always were. You talk so freely about light, when the darkness in your heart is as black as your eyes. You're evil, not a savior. How can someone like you save Naruto?"

Sasuke placed a hand on his chest. He knew what the Fox was saying was absolutely true. He was dark. There was a place in his heart, a place he tried to forget it even existed, that was filled with a terrible darkness. It was cold, evil and overflowing with hatred.

That was Sasuke's personal monster. Lurking inside his heart, waiting to take over his heart and soul and twist every happy memory and feeling he had into something horrible. Maybe there was no way to get rid of that. Maybe that was who he really was inside. But…


"Sasuke?"

"Hm?"

"Would you really go after me on a ship?"

"Of course I would."

"Wouldn't you be scared?" Naruto asked, opening the front door with one hand and holding the child with the other. "What if I was very far away? What if it was dangerous? "

"I'd still go after you" Sasuke replied, unwavering. "Even if it was dangerous, I would go after you and bring you home. No matter what happened, I'd definitely bring you back. "

Naruto opened his blue eyes in disbelief. "What if I were in danger or didn't want to come back?" the blond asked. "What would you do?"

Sasuke thought for several seconds before answering.

"I would save you. I'd dragged you home if I had to; even if I had to beat you."

Naruto raised a blond eyebrow.

"Are you saying that you would beat me up to bring me home?"

"I'd bring you back home even if I had to break both your arms and legs."


"I will save him, just like I promised" Sasuke replied. "It doesn't matter what happens to me, I'll save Tou-chan. I can do it, he believed in me" Sasuke's smiled, his expression unwavering. "I'm his son, after all. Daddy was a big hero and I can be one too! I won't let him down, so let me go back to the battle you stupid fox!"

Kurama was able to hide his dismay at Sasuke's words and attitude, but just barely. The brat really looked like Naruto; he could sense the blond's presence inside that boy. Perhaps the adoption hadn't been so pointless after all.

"Hmph! You've got some nerve, brat. No one besides Naruto had the balls to defy me like that" the Kyuubi said, smirking. "Very well, you can go back to the battlefield, but before that, let me give you something."

Sasuke blinked and stepped back when the Fox raised a giant arm over his head. Suddenly, the raven felt his whole body warm and stinging. "What did you do to me?"

Kurama smiled again. "I tried to awaken a bit of Naruto's power within your blood. Not even I know what it will happen, but I had to try something. Now go! Don't you dare break your promise again, brat!"

The bubbles exploded and Sasuke closed his eyes due to a blinding light.


Back in the real world, only a few seconds had gone by. Sasuke reopened his eyes and saw Nobunaga still standing in front of Riku, taunting him as the seals moved up his body.

The raven felt something different about his body. Sasuke didn't know it but thanks to Kurama's chakra and the reappeared Red Phoenix's Seal on his back, Naruto's DNA broadened from Sasuke's blood and was incorporated into the rest of his body.

Sasuke felt his wounds healing faster, and his sore body restoring. He also felt something strange on his eyes, like an insignificant itch. It wasn't the same sensation he felt when he activated his Sharingan, so it wasn't that. However, that wasn't important at the moment.

"Get away from Riku" Sasuke said, slowly getting up.

Both Nobunaga and Riku stared at him with very different expressions on their faces.

"Hm? You can still move?" the ghost sneered. "I'll admit… I underestimated you, Konoha boy. But your fate won't change; you're just delaying the inevitable."

"Sasuke! Don't be an idiot! Run away!" Riku cried out at his classmate, if there was a way to save the life of one person before he merged with that ghastly guy he would take it. "You can't win against him. No matter how many times you attack, he'll regenerate. So just run while you still can!"

"Shut up! I won't run away" Sasuke said, finally standing up and lifting his eyes to face Nobunaga and Riku while he touched Naruto's forehead protector on his belt. "You better remember my name in the afterlife, Nobunaga. My name is Uzumaki Sasuke, son of Uzumaki Naruto from Konoha, and I'll be the death of you."

Riku gaped as he stared at his classmate. He could sense an enormous amount of chakra coming from him. A warm and white chakra filled with positive feelings. His body also seemed to be healing from his wounds very fast.

That was all very amazing, but what caught Riku's attention was the startling change in Sasuke's eyes.

"His eyes are blue now" the silver haired boy thought in awe. "They're deep blue… like ocean when it reflects the sky. How come his eyes keep changing color? First black, then red and now deep blue? Is this some kind of power he possesses?"

In the mean time, Nobunaga didn't look surprised at all. Sasuke was just another obstacle in his plans. "You'll be the death of me, huh? Powerful words from such a pathetic child. Okay… As you wish, Uzumaki-sama. I accept your challenge! Show me what you're made off!"

The ghost jumped towards Sasuke, turning his hands into sharp swords. However, Sasuke waited until the last moment and swung to the left. In a few seconds he was able to grab Kizuna again.

"Damn you!" Nobunaga said, creating several crystal kunai and throwing them in Sasuke's direction.

The blue eyed raven was able to deflect all the kunai with his chokutō, but Nobunaga didn't stop throwing them, hoping for them moment Sasuke let his guard down. He couldn't keep deflecting them forever.

The falling kunai practically destroyed the whole temple and a cloud of smoke surrounded them, created by the debris. Nobunaga was about to continue is attack when he noticed that all seals were in place in Riku's body.

"This is it… this is my moment" the deranged spirit said, running towards the immobilized young man.

At that moment, Sasuke jumped from the smoke and put himself in front of Riku. "I won't let you!"

"Sasuke! You dumbass! Get out!" Riku yelled.

"Too late" Nobunaga said, as he increased his speed and swiftly pierced the raven through his chest with his crystal sword.

Riku gaped in horror at the sight while the ghost smirked with delight. However, Sasuke's body never hit the floor. Instead, it burst into smoke.

"What?" Riku asked.

"Kage Bunshin?" Nobunaga said in disbelief.

The smoke cleared behind Nobunaga and Riku saw Sasuke jumping towards their enemy, his arms wide open with a huge amount of chakra on each hand.

Sasuke didn't know what he was doing; he decided to let his body fight. Unknowingly, the raven Uzumaki was focusing all of his chakra on both palms of his hands, where it became compacted by all its spinning, resulting in two huge amounts of energy. Then, Sasuke let his fire and wind affinity to combine with his right hand, while his lightning affinity merged with the chakra on his left palm.

His hands glowed intensely, whirlwind of fire surrounding his right hand while sparks of electricity flew from his left. Sasuke didn't know yet, but he was using his own and unique Kekkei tōta.

"What the hell is that?" Nobunaga asked, amazed for the first time but quickly getting over it. There was no way he could be defeated with the crystals power. "It doesn't matter what you do. It's all pointless!"

At the same time the ghost turned to attack Sasuke, the young man brought his two hands together and wind, fire and lightning merged together into a new element: light.

"Take this! Uzume!" the raven cried out as a huge ray of pure light clashed against the crystal body of Nobunaga.

The ghost still tried to regenerate, but it was impossible. The light element reduced every single anion, proton and neutron of his body into nothingness. Nobunaga was gone… forever.

When his attack was over Sasuke fell to the ground, painting and sweating. Both his hands felt sore, burned by his attack, and still trembled. He still didn't believe he had done it. He couldn't even understand how he had created such an attack. All he was thinking at the time was his father's Rasengan and wanting to make it even more powerful. He wasn't sure he could do that attack again.

Riku felt the barrier burst and the seals disappeared from his body along with the ropes. Still amazed by what had just happened, he moved towards Sasuke who was now kneeling on the floor.

"You okay?" Riku asked.

Sasuke nodded. "Yeah… I think so" the raven lifted his face and looked at Riku. "He's gone. It's finally over…"

Riku's eyes widened. Sasuke's irises were black again! What the hell had just happened? What was that eye shifting power?

"Huuh…" a voice whimpered from the other side of the destroyed temple, awaking Riku from his thoughts.

"Tou-san!" the young man yelled, running towards his wounded father and helping him sit down. "Tou-san, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Riku. Just a few starches and bruises that will heal in time" the older samurai said, staring at his son and smiling. "I'm just glad that you didn't become… I mean… I'm so happy he didn't take you."

Riku actually blushed and had to look away. He was very happy that his father was safe and that he really cared about him, still, this was a completely new territory for both of them. There was still a lot to do before they were truly comfortable with each other.

"Sasuke… You were amazing" Shigeru said, as Sasuke walked slowly towards them. "Your powers saved Riku and me. You saved us all."

"I… I didn't do anything really" Sasuke said, embarrassed. "I just did what I had to do."

"You are a savior" Shigeru went on with a kind smile. "Your father will be so proud of you."

Sasuke couldn't help it and smiled, his cheeks flushed. He couldn't wait to tell Daddy what had happened! He would…

"Wait a minute!" Riku said, interrupting Sasuke's thoughts. "Nobunaga was destroyed and… his crystal was destroyed, so that mean we should have gone back to normal and turned into kids again. Then why are we still adults?"

Sasuke's blinked and stared at his body attentively, waiting for any change. There was none, he wasn't regressing back into a child. Neither was Riku.

"Why aren't we turning back to normal?" the raven asked, looking at Riku and Shigeru who also looked distressed and confused. "If we're not changing back, then…"

Shigeru leaned on Riku and stood up, despite his broken leg. "Let's go back to the Islands!"


It was difficult carrying Shigeru and walking on water with their small chakra reserves, but the three of them managed to reach the main Island.

As soon as they arrived, they were surrounded by the other adult-children who had broken free from Nobunaga's control and demanded to know what had happened to them and if they really had done all those things to their families.

Most of them were in panic, crying or frozen with fear and guilt, so Riku had to step up and tell them to calm down because panicking wasn't going to help them. Before he could say something to Sasuke, the raven had already jumped to the roofs, trying to get to his home as fast as possible.

"Please be okay, Tou-chan" Sasuke thought, his feeling of dread growing on his chest. "Please…"

When Sasuke got to their mansion, it was as silent as he had left it. Though he was exhausted, the raven opened the door and ran straight to Naruto's bedroom. "Tou-chan? Tou-chan, are you there? Answer me! Please, answ…"

Sasuke froze at Naruto's door. The blond ninja was still lying on his bed, unconscious. His breathing very faint and his skin pale like a corpse's.

"Daddy? Daddy, wake up" Sasuke pleaded, moving to Naruto's side and grabbing his cold hand. "You gotta wake up now! I defeated the bad guy who was doing this to you. You have to wake up… so please… open your eyes, Daddy. I… beg you!"

Sasuke shook his father innumerous times. He yelled and he cried, but nothing worked. Naruto wouldn't wake up. None of the adults had woken up.

This wasn't over yet.


Kakashi climbed the stairs towards the cemetery with a laid-back expression on his face. Like usual, he had lost track of time when he was visiting the memorial stone. In his mind, he had carried a very long conversion, though one-sided, with Obito, Rin and Sensei. He had told them everything that he had done and shared with them his doubts, especially regarding what to do regarding Naruto and Sasuke.

He had no proof aside from his suspicions and a feeling in his gut that told him that his fallen student was still alive. He also didn't have any tangible proof that Naruto had ran off from Konoha and the shinobi world to hide Sasuke.

There were just too many questions on his mind. Even if his suspicions were true, why would Naruto betray the village and hide Sasuke? Why would the Hokage, Iruka and Shikamaru go along with that plan? Did Naruto really had a child or was that just a lie to throw them off?

How and why had Sasuke stopped his path of revenge and destruction?

Kakashi had to admit to himself that it would be a lot easier to believe Tsunade's words and leave Naruto be. However… he just couldn't let his doubt go. He had to know the truth about his students' fate, no matter how painful it was.

Like he expected, Shikamaru was at Asuma's grave with his lighter on, which was the only light in that darkness.

Kakashi knew the Nara genius knew he was there, his posture became slightly rigid but he didn't turn around to face him.

"Going for a night walk, Kakashi-sensei?" the young man asked, not a bit surprised.

"Just trying to clear my head" the white haired sensei answered. "I couldn't sleep… there's a lot on my mind lately. Things that I don't understand."

Shikamaru closed the lighter and put his hands on his pockets. "You mean Naruto, right? And Sasuke…"

Kakashi remained silent, while Shikamaru finally turned around to face him. For several moments, neither one spoke, they just stared deep into each other's eyes.

"Shikamaru… You know what I already suspect" Kakashi went on. "Iruka and Tsunade-sama know it too, that's why we've all been so evasive. You have the answers about what really happened that night, seven years ago. You know what happened to Naruto and Sasuke."

Shikamaru didn't answer for while, instead he opened Asuma's lighter again. "What happened that night is top secret information" the young man said, looking at the flame. "Aside from me, my teammates, Iruka-sensei, Shizune, Tsunade-sama and Gaara no one else is supposed to know."

"Huh? Gaara knows it too?" Kakashi asked. So two Kages knew what had happened, but not the rest of the shinobi world.

"Gaara was the first to know, actually. Naruto told the Hokage a few months later. The rest of us… well… we all find out accidently. So you see, Kakashi-sensei? I'm not allowed to share that information with anyone. It was an order from the Hokage. If I told you, I would be a traitor to the village."

Kakashi frowned. "I see…"

Shikamaru smiled and turned around, placing the lighter on the grave. "I heard you've been working non-stop for years. You should take a vacation already, you deserve it. I think you should do some travelling."

"Travelling?" Kakashi asked, genuinely curious. "And where do you suggest I should go?"

"Oh, I don't know… I think a few days on a beach would be very relaxing" Shikamaru grabbed the lighter, turned around and walked past Kakashi with a sly smile. "Do you know about the Unmei Islands?"

"I've heard about them. They said their samurai are very strong" Kakashi replied.

"Well… They have pretty nice beaches. You should consider checking them out if you decide to go on a vacation."

"Really? I'll think about it" Kakashi said, watching as Shikamaru walked away and disappeared from his sight.


If you're wondering, yes! Nobunaga is gone for good, but the threat still remains. I told you there was more to Naruto's coma, didn't I?

Sasuke's kekkei tōta is a mix of Fire, Wind and Lightning which formed light. I named it Uzume, who is a Shinto goddess of dawn, mirth and revelry, on the same level of Amaterasu and Izanagi.

BTW, would it be totally selfish on my behalf if I made you guys a contest?

Well, to those who are interested, I would like to propose if anyone would like to do a "Phoenix Rising" trailer. You can use any footage from the series and even from the Ultimate Ninja Generations cutscenes or the recent ova. Any song is good, as long as it's fitting.

One idea would be Naruto and Sasuke's fight in the beginning of chapter 3. You can make baby and/or child Sasuke appear, though I know that's difficult.

Those you are interested in participating please inform me and tell me where I can see the trailer. If no one wants to do this, I totally I understand.

That aside, I hope you liked this chapter. Please tell me your thoughts, I love to read them!

See ya later!