DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO, FAIRY TAIL, OR ANY ASSOCIATED CHARACTERS

We just hit the 100k words mark! Fastest I've ever done that. Another chapter here, though. What could possibly follow after that fight? I wonder... Guess you'll all have to wait and see. Anyways, read, review, and as always, enjoy!

Chapter 23

Sakura was enjoying another leisurely day in a string of routine ones. During her time between missions, she found herself working shifts at the hospital, treating small scrapes and burns, as well as the occasional illness. So, as she wrapped up the latest treatment of a young girl, she never in her life could even imagine what was about to burt through the front doors.

She walked towards the front desk to check who her next patient was. Just as she turned around, the double glass doors flew open and Master Jiraiya of all people, burst through, Natsu and Gajeel flanking him.

The Sannin's eyes came to rest on Sakura, and he lit up with recognition and urgency. He rushed towards her as quickly as he could. "Sakura! It's urgent! Take us to an operating room right now!"

Sakura sprung into action, practically sprinting for the nearest one, calling for additional aides as she led them on. "Which one of you is it?" she asked as they stepped into the room.

It was a well-lit cubic room, with a metal operating table in the center. Jiraiya made a beeline for the table, producing a small brown animal from his coat and placing it on the table.

"It's none of us," he replied, making a hand sign. A second later, a man lay prone on his back atop the table. His clothes were tattered in some places, and dried blood caked the right side of his face, as well as the area around his mouth and chin.

Jiraiya nodded. "It's him."

Sakura's breath caught in her throat. The unconscious man on the table was one she was both terrified of and hateful towards. The man who had left Sasuke alone in the village. The man who was trying to take Naruto. Itachi Uchiha.

She growled low in her throat, clenching her fist. "And why would I try to save him?!"

"Calm down! There's a very important reason, but it takes time to explain, so just hurry up and save him!" Jiraiya directed.

Sakura shook her head. "No, I won't! He hurt Sasuke! He wants Naruto!"

She reared her first back and prepared to finish the job that Jiraiya and the two dragon slayers had begun, but a pair of strong hands wrapped underneath her arms and dragged her backwards. "Easy, Pinky," the gruff voice said from behind her as she was dragged from the room.

"Send for Lady Tsunade, immediately!" one of the aides called as they examined Itachi, whose shallow breathing was barely discernible.

Sakura struggled all the way up to the point where she was completely out of the room. She shook herself out of Gajeel's grasp. "Let go of me!" she said as she shoved him and stalked away. Her anger took her all the way out of the hospital, and Jiraiya prayed that she wouldn't take it out on the town.

Gajeel and Natsu took this moment for a breather. They dropped to one of the benches in the hallway, their breathing fast and shallow. Jiraiya sunk down next to them as well, each of them keeled over with exhaustion.

They'd turned what had previously been a week long journey to the Land of Stone into a four day trip back to the village. Honestly, it was a miracle Itachi even survived the trip, with how weakened he was.

Tsunade stormed into the building several minutes later, Shizune hot on her heels. The pair quickly made their way to the operating room, barely giving Jiraiya and the dragon slayers a second glance.

"What's the situation?" Tsunade asked the nurses and doctors inside.

One of them shrugged apologetically. "I'm afraid we don't know, my lady. He has no physical injuries, but his strength is fading all the same. We can't get a proper diagnosis, and we aren't skilled enough to save him, which is why we called you, My Lady."

Tsunade nodded. "Very well."

Her hands began to glow green as they hovered over the injured Itachi. She used her medical ninjutsu to scan for problems within him, starting with the chest. His organs were in unbelievably bad shape, each one on the verge of failing, especially his lungs.

She ordered the doctors to set up a breathing mask to get some oxygen pumping through his lungs as quickly as possible. It was a long process, but eventually, Tsunade was able to diagnose Itachi with a terminal illness. No doubt the Uchiha had known of it, yet he'd still pushed himself to live longer. With the severity of it, it was a miracle he'd even lasted this long.

"Shizune," she said, turning to her assistant. "I'm going to need a few things."

Jiraiya sat patiently for several hours, just glad for the chance to rest his old bones. He himself began to wonder what was wrong with Itachi, a question that was shared by the two dragon slayers, it seems.

"So what the hell is wrong with that guy, anyways? We didn't even touch him," Gajeel said, brow furrowed.

"Yeah, he blocked or dodged everything we threw at him except for that last thing you did."

Jiraiya shook his head. "My only guess is that the effects of the sharingan wore him out, much like Kakashi. But then again, I don't remember the sharingan ever causing someone to cough up blood."

Just as Jiraiya finished explaining, the door in front of them slid open to reveal an exhausted Tsunade. She strode forward and placed her hands on her hips in front of Jiraiya, an angry scowl on her face. "I told you to capture him, not bring him within an inch of his life."

"So he lived then?" the Toad Sage asked, sitting back against the wall and crossing his arms.

Tsunade nodded with a small smirk, revealing that she was joking before. "He did. I've never seen someone with their organs in such a condition, though. His illness should have killed him long ago. Luckily, I rid his system of the disease, and he will make a full recovery."

"Will you hand him over to Torture and Interrogation?"

"Not yet. I will post guards in his room until he wakes, however. Though it may take several days," Tsunade said. "But for now, I need some damn alcohol."

Jiraiya chuckled. "You're really something else, Tsunade! Most people would want sleep, but not you!"

Tsunade laughed a bit herself. "Good job, you three. Get some rest yourselves. Oh, and the two of you, send Laxus to my office," she said to Natsu and Gajeel, who nodded.

Tsunade walked back the way she had come in, and equally exhausted Shizune on her heels. Jiraiya and the two dragon slayers left sometime later, headed for their beds.

Standing in the usual circle with the rest of the Akatsuki members, Kisame was always unnerved by the hologram that stood before him. It wasn't the voice, as creepy as it was, but rather the eyes. The pattern of swirls, combined with the purple color made it seem as if they could hypnotize you if you looked into them.

Nevertheless, Kisame finished delivering his report to their leader, who turned away in thought. "I see. So Itachi stayed behind to cover your retreat, did he? And Jiraiya of the Sannin was there? This is...unexpected," Pain said.

He glanced to Konan on his left. "This development was not something I had foreseen. If Itachi had died, then our plans would remain unaffected. But since they managed to capture him, our plan may be revealed prematurely."

"I agree," Konan said shortly.

"What are you planning?" Hidan's hologram asked.

Pain was silent for a few moments before his eyes rose. "Itachi must be retrieved at all costs. Our plans for the Tailed Beasts cannot be revealed this early."

"A stealth mission, eh? I'm quite good at those," Deidara boasted proudly.

Kakuzu turned to look at the former Stone shinobi with his cold eyes. "And who was it who got his arm ripped off because he alerted an entire village that he was there?"

"Hey! That wasn't my fault, alright? That Kazekage was seriously strong!"

"What about those Leaf ninja? You lost your other one to them!" Hidan laughed.

Kisame chuckled. "He may be useless, but at least he isn't Tobi."

The butt of the joke was the furthest one from Kisame in the circle. The one-eyed, masked shinobi stuttered. "Wh-what? I didn't do anything, Mister Kisame!"

"Silence, all of you!" Pain said in his booming voice. "Our next course of action will require a great deal of patience, as well as planning. All of you remain in hiding until I contact you further."

One by one, the Akatsuki members faded away. Pain and Konan opened their eyes, facing one another like always. Pain silently rose and headed out onto the balcony, where the rain pattered against the concrete and steel building. He sat on the ledge and hung a leg off the side as Konan walked up behind him.

"What are your plans?" she asked.

"So Jiraiya-sensei has decided to interfere with our plans. My plans will not be undone so easily. We will obtain all of the Tailed Beasts, and nothing can stand in our way. After all, I am a god."

The first thing he felt was relief. Itachi's body ached all over from the exertion he'd put himself through, but he couldn't explain the relief he felt. First, his brain registered the fact that he wasn't dead, then he recognized the absence of the usual pain in his chest when he usually woke up.

Most mornings consisted of violent coughing fits that took place before the day even started, assuming he slept in the first place, that is. But when Itachi awoke this time, he felt nothing. Lazily fluttering his eyes open, he saw nothing. He began to worry that he was completely blind until he felt the bandages that were wrapped around his face. Whether they served a purpose other than blindfolding him, he had no idea.

When he attempted to raise his arms to remove said bandages, he found that they were tied to something, presumably the sides of the bed. Sighing lightly, he slowly sat up, his back and legs beginning to protest.

His hearing registered the rustle of someone reacting to Itachi's movements. "Who's there?" The Uchiha asked.

"Your captor," a gruff voice replied. The direction indicated that he was in front of Itachi, and slightly to the right.

"I see," Itachi said, dropping his head. So he'd been captured after all. On top of that, they had cured him of his illness. "Am I in the Leaf village?"

"Yeah."

Itachi nodded again. It was expected. Jiraiya had probably traveled straight here with the other two that had been with him. The Leaf's superior medical ninja had no doubt tended to him. Who had cured his illness, though, was unknown. The only person he could think of with the medical knowledge to do so would be Lady Tsunade, but Itachi could see no reason why she would willingly cure him.

"Send for the boss," the gruff voice said, not speaking to Itachi. The footsteps of a second individual receded on his left, and were followed by the sound of a door sliding open and then shut.

Itachi could feel his captor's eyes on him. "You're pathetic if you let those two losers capture you," the voice said.

Itachi knew who he was talking about instantly. He shook his head slowly. "Actually, I think the opposite is the case. They were incredibly strong. Someone in my condition would have no chance of defeating them."

"Hmph," the voice responded.

A few minutes of silence lasted, and Itachi laid himself back down on the bed. His muscles were sore in almost every part of his body, yet he couldn't explain how good he felt. It was as if a burden had been lifted from his shoulders.

He was alerted by the sound of the door on his left opening again. The click of heels on the tile of the hospital floor grew louder as they approached. "Is he awake, Laxus?" asked a feminine voice, commanding in tone.

"Yeah," the first voice replied, which Itachi judged to be Laxus.

"Itachi Uchiha," the woman said. "You must be wondering why we tried to hard to capture you."

"I'm a rogue ninja from the Leaf village who has information on the Akatsuki," Itachi theorized, sitting up. "Who are you?"

"Tsunade," she replied. "Those reasons you gave were valid, but not the entire story. I know everything, Itachi. I found the Third Hokage's accounts detailing all of it. I know why you slaughtered your clan."

Itachi's blood ran cold. He had intended for the truth of that incident to die with both himself and the village elders. But as Tsunade revealed, the old man had kept an account of the events. Itachi sighed, his head dropping.

"So the truth has come out, has it? Then why bring me here?"

Heavy footsteps on his right from Laxus approached. A rough hand removed the bandages from his face, the cloth falling into Itachi's lap. Tsunade glared at Laxus, who shrugged it off. "If he tries anything, I'll just knock him out again."

Itachi's eyes took in his surroundings for the first time. What little he could make of them, at least. On his right, leaning against the wall, was a figure clad in dark colors, blonde hair atop his form. On his left, a woman with blonde hair and fair skin stood, wearing gray with a green overcoat.

"You are here to confirm the truth, which you have just done. In addition to that, you will also tell us everything you know about the Akatsuki," Tsunade said.

"Why would I do that?" Itachi asked in his smooth voice.

Tsunade scoffed. "Don't play with me, boy. I know you were planted in their organization as a spy, to direct their attention away from the Leaf village. Besides, Danzo is dead. Your brother is no longer in danger, provided he returns from his hiatus with Orochimaru."

"The Akatsuki are more powerful than you realize," Itachi warned. "You cannot protect Naruto forever, even with me gone from their ranks."

"Which is why you're going to tell us everything you know about them, as well as where they all hide," Tsunade said sternly. "We'll destroy them before they come for Naruto."

Itachi sighed. He supposed their was no point in pretending to be a member of the Akatsuki any longer. He turned his blurry vision up to Tsunade. "The leader of the Akatsuki is the most dangerous. He resides in the Hidden Rain village, and his name is Pain."

"The others?" Tsunade asked, arms crossed in front of her bosom.

Itachi shrugged. "He is the only one with a permanent residence. The others travel constantly."

Tsunade remained silent for a few moments, as if she were debating on whether to believe him or not. In the end, it seems she decided that he was telling the truth, because she turned and left in a hurry.

"I'll send you relief in a few hours," she called to Laxus as she closed the door.

Laxus, who had been silent throughout the exchange, sighed. From that simple action, Itachi could tell a lot about him. He was more of a loner, judging from his posture and position. He was also quite powerful. Itachi didn't need his sharingan to feel the strange energy that was within him, the same as Natsu and Gajeel.

"Those two I fought are your friends, aren't they?" Itachi asked.

Laxus snorted at the question. He turned his head to look at Itachi, who could just barely make out the general outline of the man's features, including a rather jagged scar on his face.

"I don't have friends, now go back to sleep before I make you," Laxus threatened.

Itachi didn't have to be told twice. For once, he could rest peacefully.

Evidently, word had gotten around the village that Itachi Uchiha was in the hospital. A crowd of angry protestors had formed outside of the hospital, where a line of Chunin on duty held them back. That wasn't all. Every conversation in the town seemed to revolve around the presence of the Akatsuki member.

So naturally, it was only a matter of time until Naruto found out about it. In the two weeks since Jiraiya departed with Natsu and Gajeel, he had mastered the Rasenshuriken. The massive holes in the training ground were proof enough of that. Contrary to the name, though, it was not a throwable jutsu, and had damaged his arm to the point where Tsunade had forbid him to use it again.

Naturally, Naruto was bummed about that, but it wasn't the reason he was entering the Hokage's office with Sakura. Tsunade looked up from her desk and immediately held a hand up.

"I know what both of you are going to say, so I have an explanation already prepared."

Over the course of the next half hour, Tsunade told them the story of Itachi, using the Third Hokage's writings as proof. Needless to say, Naruto and Sakura's perceptions of the Uchiha rapidly changed.

They left the office still confused, however, and resolved to get answers from the source itself. They made their way into the hospital using Sakura, then to Itachi's room. Laxus was inside, the Uchiha lightly sleeping in the bed he was attached to.

"We want to talk with him," Sakura said.

Laxus eyed the pair up and down. "I'm under orders to not let anyone talk to him. But when have I ever listened to orders?"

The dragon slayer kicked the bed roughly, waking Itachi with the vibrations. "You got visitors."

Itachi sat up slowly, his blurry vision focusing on the pair of shinobi before him. "Naruto," he recognized instantly. "And...Sakura, is it?"

"We know, Itachi," Sakura said.

"I see."

"But we still have some questions," Naruto said.

Sakura nodded. "We know you killed your clan, and we know you spared Sasuke because you couldn't bring yourself to kill him."

"And?" Itachi asked.

"Does Sasuke really mean that much to you? You killed your parents, so why not him?" Sakura asked.

Itachi took a deep breath. "Sasuke knew nothing of the coup. And I needed someone to avenge the Uchiha clan by killing me. Sasuke would repair the clan's name by striking down the man that slaughtered it. Sasuke needed to hate me in order to kill me. Unfortunately, that outcome is no longer possible."

"If you loved him so much then why make him go through that?" Naruto asked.

"Sasuke needs the power to restore the clan. He needed to distance himself from attachments to the village in order to kill me. But now, I suspect if he finds out the truth, he will refuse to kill me, no matter how much he wants to," Itachi said, saddened. "I would think he would return to the village as well. Once word of my capture reaches him, he will undoubtedly leave Orocimaru in order to face me."

"I'm not gonna let that happen," Naruto growled, turning his back on the Uchiha. "You may be his brother, but he was more of a brother to me than you ever were to him."

Sakura shed a single tear, her feelings towards Sasuke only intensifying as she realized the full extent of the pain that Itachi had placed on him. Wordlessly, she turned and followed Naruto from the room, the door sliding closed once again.

Laxus and Itachi glanced at one another. "You have issues," the dragon slayer said.

The taste of sweetness filled Gray's mouth again as he placed a dumpling inside of it. He and Tenten had started something of a tradition. They would train once every few days, and then they would eat at tenten's favorite restaurant.

The girl was thoroughly enjoying the time she spent with the ice wizard. The more she learned about him, the more her crush grew. Not having any prior experience in dealing with boys had her afraid to admit her feelings to him, however.

So until she could work up the courage, she simply enjoyed the time they spent together. On the outside, Gray seemed like a strong fighter and a great friend, and those were true. But after learning of Gray's past, she realized just how broken of a soul he was. Perhaps broken wasn't the right word, for he was perfectly functional and happy, yet there was always an underlying sadness for the people that had sacrificed their lives for him.

"Did you hear about Itachi?" she asked.

Gray nodded. "Yeah, Natsu and Gajeel told me about him. The dude seems crazy. Who would kill their entire family?"

Tenten could only shake her head. "I don't know. Did you ever face anyone like him?"

Gray thought back, his mind settling on one person. "I guess there's one guy. He was the former master of our guild, but he went evil after he left. He was learning black magic in order to revive an old black wizard or something like that. If I'm being honest, I never understood the guy."

"You've been in a lot of fights," she observed with a laugh.

Gray nodded with a smile. "Yeah, guess I have. Fairy Tail always has trouble floating around it. Just comes with the territory, I guess."

"Was that your toughest fight?" Tenten asked inquisitively.

Gray grinned. "Easy. I fought my master's other student, Lyon. Our ice canceled each other's out, so we had to use our bare hands."

"At least it was against someone else," tenten said enviously. "My toughest fight was against myself."

Gray's eyes flashed in recognition. "Those traps the Akatsuki left, right?"

Tenten nodded. "Yeah. I almost died to myself."

Gray waved a hand. "Don't exaggerate. You seemed fine when you showed up afterwards. A little less attractive, but still fine."

Tenten's eyes widened as she blushed. Gray had just admitted she was cute, something she didn't expect. Then her eyes narrowed. "Hey, hold on! What do you mean 'a little less attractive'?" she demanded.

Gray chuckled at the question, but decided not to answer, shoving another dumpling in his mouth. Tenten scowled at him, but it was just a facade. In truth, she was overjoyed to know that the cool and collected ice wizard was at least somewhat attracted to her. Maybe she could work up some courage after all.

"You're sure?"

"Yes. I think he was telling the truth."

Jiraiya stood in Tsunade's office, his hands on his chin in thought as he debated what to do. "I guess there's no other thing to do, then. I'm going to the Hidden Rain village. I want to know why someone as powerful as Hanzo of the Salamander is allowing the leader of the Akatsuki to live right under his nose."

"It's too dangerous," Tsunade cautioned.

Jiraiya chuckled. "You're actually worried about me Tsunade? That's new!"

"Get serious you old fool," the Hokage chastised. "If I lost you, too, then…"

Jiraiya smiled. "Let's have a bet then. You wager everything on me not coming back. After all, you never win your bets."

Tsunade's head dropped. "Just be careful. If anything happens, use your toads to contact me. I'll come personally."

Jiraiya shook his head as he climbed up on the windowsill. "You're the Hokage, Tsunade. Your place is in the village. Leave the spy work to guys like me. See ya."

Laxus returned to his room when it was already dark outside. After he'd been relieved by Kakashi, he and Shizune had gone out to eat. It was a nice meal, that ended in an equally nice kiss, which Laxus strangely found himself smiling at the memory of.

The smile faded instantly as he opened the door to his apartment. Natsu and Gray sat on his couch, while Gajeel was chugging from a bottle of Sake in one of the chairs. They let out a simultaneous cheer when Laxus walked in.

"What the hell are you idiots doing in my house?" he demanded.

Natsu and Gray shrugged. "Lucy ain't here, so we figured we'd break into your place instead!"

Gajeel held up the bottle of sake. "And you had all the alcohol!"

A vein popped out of Laxus' forehead as he stared angrily at his guildmates. He pointed to Natsu and Gray. "You two, out! And you," he pointed to Gajeel, "give me that bottle."

Gajeel grumbled as he handed the sake over. He'd barely had enough to get him started. He made his way out the door, opting for a walk in the dark streets rather than a premature bedtime. He walked silently, allowing his mind to wander.

He couldn't help but wonder where Lily was right now. The black cat had been with them when they shattered the lacrima that sent them here, yet he'd been nowhere to be found when they arrived.

He also wondered what Levy was up to. No doubt she'd been spending entire night buried in books, looking for any way to bring them back. But at this point, with no new leads, Gajeel was starting to seriously doubt their chances of ever returning to their old lives.

These thought fueled him as he continued to walk. Somehow, he ended up near the village gate, emerging from a side street just as Jiraiya approached on the main one. Gajeel raised an eyebrow at the Toad Sage.

"Where you headed so late old man?"

Jiraiya smirked. "Just some business I have to see to."

"Sounds fun," Gajeel grinned.

Jiraiya shook his head, seriousness seeping into his features. "Oh, no. Not this time. I have to do this alone."

Gajeel gave a wry smile as he cracked his knuckles. "Ain't askin'."

Jiraiya sighed, his shoulders slumping as he cursed the stubbornness of dragon slayers. He strode out of the village gates, Gajeel walking smugly beside him.