"Talking"

'Thinking'

"Demon Talking"

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Chapter 28: Resolution

The first thing Naruto did was whistle because this was damn impressive. It was practically like an artificial mindscape. He knew that the Sharingan was capable some pretty high-level genjutsu, but this was amazing.

'Kurama, can you hear me?' The brunet waited a few moments, but there was no response. That could mean one of two things: only his consciousness was transported to another dimension or time flowed differently in the genjutsu. Considering this was Itachi, he wouldn't be surprised if it was both. This was a good sign that this world was cut off from their world completely and that no one would be listening in to their conversation. After all, the hardest bond to separate was a soul bond, and he would have sensed other souls already if they were here.

"So Taichou, what did you want to talk with me about?"

The jinchuuriki swiveled around to come face-to-face with the Uchiha. An angry frown marred Naruto's face as he marched up and poked a finger to other's sternum. "I'm extremely pissed at you."

Itachi's face continued to be neutral as Naruto continued into a rant.

"How could you leave without telling any of us?! And then the first time I see you in five years, you are sneaking around the village with Hoshigaki Kisame of all people! You ditched us for a shark! I can't believe you. Was it all set up to send me out of the village before you KILLED YOUR ENTIRE FAMILY? THE SADDEST THING TO ME IS THAT SASUKE IS TRYING TO KILL YOU NOW. I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU WOULD TURN YOUR OWN BROTHER AGAINST YOU."

Face red and panting hard, Naruto tried his best to calm down. His next words came out softer: "I can't believe you would turn Konoha against you."

The first sound from Itachi was definitely not what he was expecting: a chortle.

"What's so damn funny?" Naruto asked as he glared into black orbs.

"It's just that I've never been admonished to quite this extent before by someone years younger than myself. It's refreshing."

If looks could kill, the brunet was sure that his current one would have killed already. Five years, a vengeful brother, and a village full of animosity were no laughing matters.

"Gecko was killed a few weeks ago." That statement caused the raven to pause.

"He will be missed…" Naruto knew that although Itachi and Anko weren't as close to Gecko as he was, they still were a team, and the news was still alarming. Silence spread out between the two for a little while longer.

"I heard you've built quite a reputation Taichou, and not a pretty one at that."

He was sure something along the lines of guilt passed over his face. Itachi was the one person he couldn't lie to. "I was angry alright, angry that you left without saying a word. I started talking to Kurama more, and he taught me a lot of things. Then, I started doing more work. I bet the advisors would be happy if they found out. The Hokage didn't like me overworking myself, so he set me up to look after Sasuke until he was a responsible enough genin. Let me tell you, spending five years in the Academy was so boring, but I promised…"

"Promised?" the raven questioned.

"You might find it silly, but in my mind, I promised you that I would look after Sasuke. Who knew that you would turn him into a revenge-seeking lunatic? Anyways, that's what happened, and I still haven't forgiven a certain someone for it."

"I see… I don't believe that hundreds if not thousands of kills can be easily categorized as 'overworking yourself.' That's just insanity."

"Says the person who killed his whole clan in a night…" Naruto pouted.

"And considering that you are conversing with me like this, I see that I am not the one who is not forgiven. This leaves… the Hokage who you no longer address as Jiji?"

Violet eyes flashed in surprise. "Sharp as ever Itachi."

"I had hoped you wouldn't be that idiotic," the Uchiha brazenly said. "Did you even look into it? Surely with your abilities, you would have seen that Sarutobi-sama is not to blame."

"Just because he didn't directly issue the order, doesn't mean he isn't guilty. He let it happen! There were so many opportunities to mend the divide between your clan and Konoha, and he never took any of them until that other geezer took it into his own hands. Knowing you, you thought you were doing the best thing for 'the greater good.'"

"And I would have you know that he despised every part of the order," Itachi deadpanned. That didn't make any sense to Naruto. If he had despised the decision, he would have stopped it. "By the look on your face, the one person you refused to investigate further was Sarutobi-sama himself. You should forgive him, not for him but for you."

Naruto's tone changed to that of mocking as he said, "Like you have forgiven yourself for killing your clan?"

The Uchiha flinched. "That is something I am working on Taichou. However, I believe that it would be to your benefit to forgive the Hokage. Also, do the work you desire. Carnage is not you."

Pondering for a while – probably longer than necessary – Naruto knew what he needed to do next. "Alright Itachi, only because you are saying to do so." A hand found its way to the top of his head and ruffled his hair. "Oi!"

"I saw Sasuke battle the Suna jinchuuriki. That was the actually the reason I returned although Kisame thinks that we came to collect the Kyuubi. To be honest, my brother has a long way to becoming strong. Perhaps I wronged him by leading him on a quest of revenge."

"Sasuke's arrogant, but Dog's trying to set him a bit straighter. That battle was definitely the strongest I've seen him, yet he still didn't fare well against Gaara. If I hadn't stepped in, he would be dead."

Itachi smiled for the first time since their reunion began. "Thanks for saving my foolish little brother, but that can be the last time."

Nodding in agreement, the brunet explained, "I wasn't kidding when I told Anko that I'm leaving Konoha. There's a mission that I want to take. I don't like leaving loose ends."

"Are you suggesting that you're cleaning up? I thought you hated cleaning Taichou."

Naruto swatted at the raven's head playfully. "Oi, this is different." Then, in a more subdued voice, he said, "I'm sure that this place is taking up a lot of your chakra, so let's end the meeting here."

"Yes, it is a bit taxing considering I have been overusing my Sharingan lately." Surprise overtook Itachi's face as the brunet wrapped his arms around Itachi. He felt a foreign chakra enter his system and mark his mind's body. "Taichou, what is this?"

"A teleportation seal for when you want to return. I know that you probably want to continue your undercover mission, but when the time comes, come to this world and pulse chakra into the seal. Since my Hiraishin can transcend time and space, I will be able to come back here."

Something like joy glimmered in the Uchiha's eyes. "Thank you Taichou."

The world blanked out as they came back to their world. Naruto was shockingly impressed to see himself in the same position that he left. Scanning his pocket dimension, he could tell that Kurama had cooked the shark extra crispy and that Dog had gone unconscious.

He pinpointed the location of Itachi and Kisame, and the seals beneath their bodies began to glow. "Until next time, Itachi-nii." He waved goodbye as the two Akatsuki members were transported to a cozy field in the middle of the Land of Tea.

That was it. He had gotten to see Itachi, and perhaps this is what people felt like when they received closure. There were only two more things left on his list before he left now. Naruto wondered if Anko would say yes to his proposition for her to come along with him. He definitely wouldn't mind the company after all.

"Kit! You alright?" Kurama called out while walking in that way that Naruto dubbed his "fancy priest walk."

"Yeah, I'm just fine. Let's head back. I'll drop Dog off at the hospital on our way." He chuckled as he noticed the position Dog was in: he had slumped against the barrier in such a way that it seemed as if he were trying to kiss it. Releasing the barrier, he sealed Dog into a stasis scroll for easy transport.

"By the way, why did you let them go?"

Naruto smirked. "No one needs to know that. Besides, Itachi has an important mission to fulfill, and it wouldn't look good on his end if he had lost his partner in a casual excursion." Then, he summoned his mask from where it had dropped (seals are so convenient, he thought to himself), replaced it over his face, and shifted back into the earlier figure with brown hair and amber eyes. Now that he thought about it, he couldn't help but think of the irony that he met a Kiri nin while shifted into a man he had based off of a Kiri nin he once fought.

Kurama allowed himself to return to the jinchuuriki's body before they both left the pocket dimension and landed back on the river. Turning around, he waved at Anko, who had just finished yelling at Dog.

"Anko-chan!" He waved.

"Taichou! Everything's finished already?" she asked back, ignoring the confused faces of the two jounin still beside her.

"Yup! They got away though." Meeting up with her, he put a hand on her shoulder as a silent sign which she understood immediately. It was his way of telling his team that he had his reasons, and they always understood.

That moment was when Kurenai spoke up. "Anko, who's this?"

Anko perked up. "This is Ei-kun, my…" She pondered for a long moment. "…an old friend."

Naruto resisted the urge to face-fault. That was a pretty terrible cover up. The funny thing was, though, that she was actually really great coming up with lies on the spot during infiltration jobs. It was probably much harder to lie to her best friend than to a stranger in another town.

Before, Kurenai could question any further, Asuma asked, "Where's Kakashi?"

The brunet held up the scroll. "I'm dropping him off at the hospital now. Come on Anko. I wanted to get your answer too." For the last time, he addressed the jounin. "It was nice meeting you, Kurenai-san, Asuma-san."

Unknowing to Naruto, the two jounin would ponder for years on how he knew their names and why they couldn't find a shinobi in Konoha's records that matched his name and description.

As the ANBU and former ANBU walked together, they were ignored by the majority of citizens on the road. "So, did you think about my offer?"

The kunoichi nodded in response. "I think I'll have to pass Taichou. I know that your trip is highly pertinent to a certain someone." At this, she grabbed her shoulder with a grimace. "But I want to stay in Konoha. It's where I'm at my best."

"I understand." He laughed, and she looked at him in slight astonishment. "I knew you would say something like that. I know your loyalties lie here. Plus, you won't be able to scare the genin during the next Chuunin Exams if you went with me. I don't know how long I'll be gone for."

"I was happy that you invited me though. I would have loved to spend more time catching up after these five years." Anko paused at a crossroads. "Well, I have to do some shopping. See you later Taichou!" She sprinted down the other street and was gone.

Finishing the rest of the walk to the hospital alone, Naruto was glad to have seen his teammates again. There were some more things he understood, and it was like a small weight was lifted off of his shoulders.

After checking Dog into the hospital, there was only two things left to do.

Updated: 29/6/20