The Wanderers
Chapter 4 – Revelations
A/N: I'd like to thank LeexSaku Rocks for pointing out that Lee's weights weighed just over a ton. I've gone back and done a slight edit to fix that mistake.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. If I did, there would be a second level to the Byakugan.
"Otouto."
The previous hour's event were nowhere to be seen in Sasuke's mind, as the image of his elder brother filled his eyes. Seeing those Sharingan staring at him he felt all the pain, all the hatred that he had held onto bubble to surface. He roared out in anger, fuelled his chakra through his arm and dove towards his brother, screaming "DIE!"
The Chidori surprised Itachi, but it was more shocking when a hand reached out and grasped Sasuke's wrist, cancelling the lightning technique and pulling back towards the group.
"Let me go! Damnit Kakashi! He has to die!" Sasuke thrashed in his sensei's grip, requiring both Gai and Lee to step in and restrain him.
Itachi looked over at the non-Uchiha Sharingan user, "Hatake Kakashi. You prevented my brother's revenge. I am curious as to why."
"LET ME GO!"
Kakashi ignored his pupil and looked at the elder Uchiha with his Sharingan. "Uchiha Itachi. If this was any other time, I would have let Sasuke attack you. Though we both know he is nowhere never your level yet."
"Yet you stopped him."
Kakashi considered their recent discoveries. "There were documents inside this hideout that speak a truth different to what we were told."
To the rest of the group Itachi's expression remained unchanged, but to the Sharingan and Byakugan users it was as if his face was screaming sadness. He looked over the ragtag group of Konoha ninja with their weapons raised before resting his eyes on his little brother, who was more confused now then he was when their clan had been killed. Feeling his brother's glare, Sasuke stopped thrashing, his mind drifting back to the scrolls from inside the hideout. He gathered his composure before asking one simple question.
"Why are you here, Itachi?"
Itachi continued to stare at his immobilized brother, his Sharingan not able to read his brother's thought, but Itachi knew him with enough.
"I came to speak to Sasuke. Alone."
Kakashi, Naruto and Lee all raising their weapons in defence of their comrade, as Gai kept the little Uchiha heir back. "That's not going to happen. Not while we are here."
Itachi closed his eyes. "You will not have a choice." His eyes slowly opened to reveal a pinwheel shape. Sasuke's eyes widened as he recognised what his brother was going to do.
"Tsukuyomi."
Sasuke watched as his brother's Sharingan spun before the world changed around them. The sky darkened to a dark red hue, with dark grey clouds sparsely populating the sky. Sasuke stared up at the sky; a strange black moon was in place of where the sun had been.
"Otouto."
"Itachi. Why did you bring me here? Where are we?"
Itachi waved his hand around from under his sleeve, the sky wavering as if he were running his hand through it.
"This is the world of Tsukuyomi. Here I control space. Time. Everything."
Sasuke balled his fists, "So you can drive me slowly insane? I see through your lies."
Itachi's expression darkened as he shifted the Tsukuyomi. In place of the previous field was the Uchiha hideout, but instead of their group standing in defence, there was a large group of Uchiha clansmen, none of whom Sasuke recognised.
"What is this?"
"To understand our clan, to understand me, you must understand our history. Watch."
***MEGA-Flashback***
"This alliance is a mistaken, how can you not see that?" yelled a spiky haired man, his Sharingan glaring at the crowd.
"You may be the clan-head, but you do not control us, Madara" said a man in the crowd. The one Sasuke saw called Madara swore, his strange looking Sharingan blaring in anger.
"The hell I don't! I was named head of the clan, I am the strongest Uchiha!" He went to draw his fan before being confronted by dozens of Sharingan stares. As powerful as Madara was, he couldn't defeat all the highest placed members of his clan in battle.
"Madara, the clan has spoken. We are sick of the fighting, so are the Senju. For our children to have a future, we must reach terms."
"Bah, I spit on your terms. The Senju are weak. I refuse to sit at the same table as them."
"Then you will sit alone. Madara, the clan has spoken."
"Itachi, why are you showing me this?" Sasuke had no idea who these people were, he hadn't been told much of the clan's history.
You'll know when you become part of the clan, his father had said. Considering the revelations of the previous hour, he would have questioned everything his father would have told him.
"This is where our clan's pride began to tear it apart."
"Because of this Madara person?"
Itachi watched as the disgraced head of the Uchiha clan walked out of the hideout, his weapons straddled on his back, his Mangekyou Sharingan holding back barely contained anger.
No. Despite his faults, Madara was not the cause. He believed in the superiority of the Uchiha clan, he would have never allowed the clan to progress as it did.
"Uchiha Madara was a factor, but this was only the calm before the storm. Watch."
"This is an outrage! We won't stand for this!"
Hashirama Senju sighed, feeling the weight of years of conflict with the Uchiha clan heavily on his plated shoulders. They had finally reached terms when the disgraced Uchiha head Madara challenged him to open combat. It had taken over a day, but he had emerged victorious, though if it wasn't for his wife Mito Uzumaki's sealing jutsu the Kyuubi would have killed him. He had looked at the broken body of Uchiha Madara with renewed respect, the Uchiha's blade barely deflected by his wood jutsu from piercing his heart.
And everything fell apart after that.
"We gave the people the vote. They voted for our lord Hashirama. What is there to dispute?"
The new Uchiha clan head slammed his hand on the table, "We came to found this village as equals! But now a Senju rules and the Uchiha remain in the shadows. We are half a mind to take our leave and join another village."
The arguments continued for several minutes before Hashirama, the recently elected First Hokage placed his hands up to command silence.
"Divided we are powerless. War breeds nothing but pain and suffering. The Uchiha are just as important to the village of Konoha as the Senju. The Uchiha command respect amongst the people. Without you, our village would not survive."
The Uchiha clan head was surprised at the respect the Senju leader held for his clan. They had been fighting for a decade, yet the charismatic leader seemed to hold them almost in awe.
"What do you propose then?"
Hashirama placed a scroll on the meeting table, sliding it over to the Uchiha side with a slow grace.
"We would like the Uchiha to be the protectors of Konoha. The guardians, the arms of our forces."
The clan head opened up the scroll and showed it to his delegation.
"A police force? Is this an insult? You want us to act like your lapdogs while you give the commands?"
"You would be independent of the Hokage. You will govern yourself and not have to answer to a Senju. We will be equals in all interpretations of the word."
"I don't understand. How is this relevant?" asked Sasuke, staring at the face of the First Hokage.
"Sasuke. From this moment the Uchiha felt ostracized from Konoha. They hated. They plotted."
Sasuke felt his anger rising as his brother continued to spit on the clan name.
"What do you know of clan pride? The Senju treated us like weaklings. From what you've shown me, we were right to rebel."
Itachi glared at his foolish little brother, hoping he wasn't wasting his time.
"Then let me show you why our clan died."
The scene shifted to an underground basement, where several elders of Konoha sat with brooding expressions. The Third Hokage of Konoha puffed smoke from his pipe, processing the information that the young ninja in front of them had just given them. Itachi had tried to keep his composure, but the information had been mind-shattering.
"So the Uchiha clan plans to overthrow the Hokage?" asked one of the elders, one that Itachi recognised as the head of a secret Anbu faction that even the Hokage didn't know about.
"Is the information viable?" asked another.
Itachi continued to stare at the ground, "I was present at the clan meeting. The plans are being drafted as we speak. I must ask for mercy for my clan. They do not understand what it is they do."
"Don't be naïve. The Uchiha have been a thorn in our side ever since the village was founded."
"Is there no way to talk them out rebelling?" asked the Third, not wishing for more bloodshed.
The one-eyed elder snorted, "Peace? There is a time for peace, and a time for war. The Uchiha have declared war on us. We have the right to respond in kind."
"Please, my elders I implore you. Allow me to talk to the clan elders. Perhaps a concession can be reached?"
"I hope so, for your sake Itachi. If peace cannot be reached, I cannot guarantee your safety."
Itachi stood up, placing his Weasel mask back on before turning his back on the elders.
"It is not my safety that concerns me."
The world shifted again, this time to a place that Sasuke knew well. The sky was filled with the smell of blood; the bodies of the Uchiha clansmen littered the roads. Sasuke couldn't contain his rage as he saw what Itachi was showing him.
"Why? You claim to want to help me, why do you show me this?"
Itachi said nothing, simply pointing to a figure at the edge of the street. Sasuke looked over to see what Itachi wanted him to see, noticing two figures huddled on the road. One was a young woman, her hair a beautiful blonde colour, though cruelly stained by blood. Holding her closely was a young Itachi, tears streaming down his face as he kept apologising.
"This does not need to be like this, Itachi. You still have a place in the clan."
The young Itachi stared up at the speaker, who stood at the edge of the road with a bloodied blade. He glared at him with a three-tomoed Sharingan, before his loss overcame him. Before the clan head, his Sharingan changed to a black pinwheel within a red background.
"You…all these clan members…how can you call yourself a clan head?"
His father wiped his blade on his jacket, before sheathing it and staring at his eldest son.
"They were not with us. They would have fought against us. The Uchiha had no need for members such as these."
Itachi slowly put the woman down before standing up and drawing the katana from his back.
"To that end, you kill half the clan. You kill your brothers. You killed Kanako! Why? She had nothing to do with this. She wasn't even an Uchiha yet!"
Fugaku Uchiha activated his own Sharingan, ensuring that his eldest son could tell how serious he was.
"I did not allow your betrothal when you announced it, yet you continued to sully the Uchiha name. You will fight with us tonight, Itachi. If you still wish for the safety of your brother, you will do as I command."
Young Itachi felt his world shatter as all he could see was his father, and the threat against the last person he cared about.
"No."
Fugaku shrugged, he knew this would likely happen. Despite his son's status as the clan's resident genius, he lacked the experience that he held.
"Then you shall perish, as will your weak brother, and the Uchiha shall retake their rightful place."
The clan head went to place his hands into a seal but couldn't feel any chakra through his hands.
"No."
Stretching across from Itachi was an unfamiliar blazing red arm gripping Fugaku by the throat. He could feel his flesh burning as Itachi let the hatred flow through his body. Itachi walked slowly towards the choking clan head, his chakra arm keeping him held just above the ground. He stopped when he was face to face with the man that was once his father.
"If that is the clan's pride, then tonight the Uchiha clan will die. Perish in the knowledge that the Uchiha's downfall is because of their pursuit in power. You killed Kanako Senju, and threatened to kill your own blood Sasuke. You killed the clan."
With that statement he broke the man's neck, watching as the bloodied members of the traitorous clan began to surround him.
***End MEGA-Flashback***
Itachi cut off the memory at that point, unwilling to show his little brother how he had unemotionally killed every last member of the clan.
"I…I…how can I believe this? This is just an illusion, it has to be! You hated the clan! You killed them for your own selfish reasons."
"I did not. If I truly hated the clan, I would have killed you as well."
"You needed me! You said I was the one who was meant to kill you. To atone."
Itachi sighed; he had never wanted to have this conversation.
"I wanted you to believe that the Uchiha clan was something to be proud of. I…I didn't know what else to do. The elders would have killed you unless I made it obvious that you weren't a part of the rebellion."
"So you made me hate you? It was my entire existence to kill you! What kind…WHAT KIND OF BROTHER DOES THAT?"
Sasuke couldn't hold it in anymore, he reached out and slammed his fist into his brother's face, feeling a satisfying crunch as the bones broke in his brother's cheek. He knew it hadn't really happened, in Tsukuyomi his brother controlled everything, but it was satisfying nonetheless. Behind him his brother appeared in the cloak covered in crows, the one Sasuke attacked dissipating into nothingness. Sasuke spun around, readying another punch before he took a closer look at his brother. Itachi was on his knees, blood pouring from his face, his nose shattered into several pieces.
"W…why…" He fell to his knees, grabbing his head as he struggled to process everything.
Through his broken face, Itachi could tell that his brother had had enough.
In Tsukuyomi they had experienced over a day's worth of memories. In the real world it had been precisely 1.43 seconds, according to Shikamaru, not that he would admit to counting. Sasuke merely closed his eyes as he reaccustomed himself to the knowledge he now had about his clan. Itachi dropped to his knees as a wave of fatigue hit him. He had used more chakra then he should have, combined Tsukuyomi with the memory-recall had taken a significant toll on him. The others had no idea what happened, but they were hesitant to attack the fallen Akatsuki member.
"Sasuke? Are you okay?" asked Naruto, his sword raised in his friend's defence.
The young Uchiha shook his head, having suffered no ill effects from the Tsukuyomi he was significantly better off then his brother, who was sweating and clutching his eyes in pain.
"We…let me go Gai, I am fine."
The bowl-cut Jounin was reluctant, but even he wasn't too dense to see the change in Sasuke's body language.
Kakashi stood over Itachi with a kunai, "What did he do, Sasuke?"
Sasuke slowly walked over to his teacher and his brother, "He showed me the truth. He…he's of no threat to us."
Kakashi tore his Sharingan away from Itachi as he stared at Sasuke, trying to see whether he was under a genjutsu.
His chakra levels are normal. He's not perspiring and his pulse is normal. He's telling the truth.
Kakashi stood back and pocketed his kunai, inspiring the others to put away their weapons too, though they still kept on guard. Naruto kept Hirameki out, but only as a precaution.
For Sasuke to change his attitude that fast…something don't feel right.
Sasuke reached down and offered a hand to his brother, who looked up at his young brother before smiling slowly and using it to get up slowly.
"I haven't forgiven you, Itachi. But I know what it's like to need a second chance."
Itachi gave him a nod in acceptance, though Sasuke knew it was more of an apology. The Uchiha were not known for expressing their emotions.
"You haven't explained why you came here Itachi. I doubt it was to confront Sasuke after all these years" asked Kakashi.
"I never intended for Sasuke to discover the truth. My intent was to have him kill me and believe the Uchiha clan was a proud loyal member of Konoha. But with Konoha destroyed and the truth revealed, the deception had no purpose."
"How can we know he is telling the truth? He's a criminal" said Naruto.
Itachi stared at Kakashi with dark eyes, having deactivated his Sharingan as a display of trust.
"Jiraiya-sama. I was his contact in the Akatsuki. If you can find him, he can verify my allegiance."
"Who is this Jiraiya?" asked Naruto, still unsure how he felt about his friend's brother.
"One of the Sannin. He was the Third's student."
Gai laughed as he thought about the old hermit, "That crazy pervert? I suppose if anyone could survive, it would have been him. But where could we find him?"
"My last contact with him was at the crater of Konoha, two days ago."
"We can't go back home, that's over a week's travel. How did you get here so fast?"
The elder Uchiha stared at the yellow-haired boy's question, "You have no sense of danger, do you Naruto-kun."
The Genin grinned as he sheathed Hirameki and strapped it to his back. "If you were going to kill us, you wouldn't have announced yourself."
Itachi suppressed a smile as Kakashi nodded at Naruto's observation. "That may be so Naruto, but we still can't trust him. We need to find Jiraiya in any case, if he is alive."
"So we make for Konoha?"
Kakashi shook his head, "No. Even if we moved at full pace, it would take us days to get there. Jiraiya wouldn't stay in the same place for too long, especially not at the moment. The only one who can get there is Naruto."
"What? Why me…oh. Right."
Itachi looked at Kakashi with interest, "Naruto-kun would not get there in time. It would take him too long."
The group smiled as Naruto pulled out a seal-covered kunai and handed it to Hinata.
"Hinata-chan, please hold onto this. I'll need it to get back."
She smiled warmly and took it, "Hai, Naruto-kun. Please be safe." "I will, don't worry."
"How will you get there, Naruto-kun? I know of no technique that you posses which could transport you there."
Naruto stepped up and showed Itachi the tattoo on his upper chest.
"Do you know who my father is?"
"Minato Namizake, only an idiot wouldn't…oh. Fair enough, that will be sufficient."
Naruto laughed and starting leaking chakra into his seal.
"Naruto wait!"
He stared at his sensei, and then smacked himself in the head.
"Sorry, I forgot. What does this Jiraiya guy look like?"
Gai pulled out a notebook, flipped several pages and started dictating.
"Jiraiya, the Toad Hermit. 191.2cm. 87.5kg on a good day. Long white spiky hair with long red lines running down from his eyes. Blood type…"
"Gai-sensei! I think I get it. Old guy, white hair."
Sasuke stepped forward, "How will you get there? You didn't know Hiraishin when we left."
With a grin, Naruto explained how he figured his father would have set up seals all over the village, so he would aim for them, and hope for the best.
"Hope for the best? Well, you wouldn't be Naruto if you weren't doing something stupid like that" said Sasuke, standing next to his brother.
Naruto went to perform his jutsu until he was tackled into a hug by Hinata, his kunai still clutched in her hand.
"Hina…"
"That's too dangerous, Naruto-kun. I won't let you go."
He went to argue his point, but remembered the last several times he had tried such a manoeuvre.
"Hinata-chan, I'll be fine."
He patted her hair softly before peeling her off him.
"I won't die from something like this."
He gave her a wink before vanishing in a yellow flash.
The group waited for just over a minute before there were several yellow flashes indicating Naruto's return. The Jounin's eyed widened when they saw who he had brought back with him. Four clones were carrying the broken body of the white-haired hermit, though they dissipated instantly after flashing, causing Jiraiya's form to drop to the ground unceremoniously. After the clones disappeared, there was another flash and the original Naruto appeared with a young woman in his arms. The short black-haired woman thanked Naruto and continued her task of healing Jiraiya, as Naruto dropped to his knees, turned his head and began throwing up.
"Naruto-kun!"
Hinata ran to her crush, helping him hold his head up. Kakashi walked around Jiraiya's body and looked over at the onyx-eyed woman who was frantically trying to prevent a strange seal on his body from killing him.
"Excuse me, but you are…"
The woman stopped her medical jutsu and sighed, wiping residual blood onto her blueish-black kimono.
"I…I'm Shizune."
"Tsunade's apprentice?"
"You know her, Gai?" asked Kakashi.
"Only from the reports. Once during one of my team's youthful missions we ran into a creditor chasing after the Sannin. They had detailed descriptions of their party."
Shizune sighed as she thought of her master. She put her fingers on Jiraiya's neck, feeling a faint pulse but it was weakening.
"What happened to Jiraiya? Why is he like this? Where is Tsunade?"
The group couldn't ask Naruto what the situation had been for him to bring them both back; he was still coughing up his guts as Hinata tried to hold his blonde bangs back. Shizune sat back, her chakra levels dangerously low, though she had given Jiraiya a few more hours then he should have had.
"We came to the ruins to check the rumours. What we found…was nothing we could have imagined."
***Flashback***
They finally reached the remains of Konoha, the reality of the rumours hitting them hard. Tsunade dropped to her knees, the memories of Nawaki and Dan now amplified by the destruction of her old home. Shizune was stunned, but she hadn't known much of Konoha before leaving with Tsunade, being only eight when she left. She spent several minutes trying to talk to Tsunade, thankful that at least there was no sake around; though this was one of the few occasions she felt that she could use a drink herself.
"Tsunade! Thank goodness you survived."
Both of the medial ninja looked up as a tall man with spiky white hair landed in front of them.
"Jiraiya-sama! What are you doing here?" asked Shizune, slowing helping her master up.
Jiraiya tried to smile, to cheer up his teammate, but couldn't hold it.
"I've been here for a few days. You have good timing, we are about to have company."
The three Konoha ninja watched as two figures appeared on the horizon, slowly walking towards their position near the middle of the crater. Both Sannin's eyes widened as they recognised one of the approaching figures, while Shizune tried to remember from her master's descriptions.
"I guess I shouldn't be surprised that the two of you survived. Disappointed, but not surprised."
Jiraiya balled a fist, while Tsunade simply looked at the pale speaker and his glasses-wearing assistant.
"Orochimaru."
Jiraiya let his anger be shown as he thought about his former teammate. Shizune felt a sting of fear as the hermit uttered the slit-eyed ninja's name.
Him…Tsunade-sama always spoke of him as one to be feared.
"What are you doing here? Come to gloat?" asked Jiraiya.
Orochimaru put his hands up almost playfully, "Come now, Jiraiya. I've simply come to confirm the destruction of Konoha. We need not shed any unnecessary blood, since I've already achieved my goal."
"Did you do this?" demanded Tsunade through grinding teeth.
She was in a foul mood and was not willing to put up with Orochimaru's careless attitude. He shrugged his shoulders and placed his hands on the purple rope around his waist.
"What if I was? Would you hate me? Loath me? Kill me?"
He licked his lips as he said the last words, his assistant Kabuto grinning as the Sound headband flashed on his head.
"What the hell did you do?" demanded Jiraiya, trying to work out how he might have pulled the attack off.
Orochimaru grinned in his usual arrogant way, waving a hand across the devastation.
"This…beauty…you would spoil it with battle?"
Seeing that the other Sannin wouldn't let up, Orochimaru shrugged and spoke a few words to his assistant.
The three Sannin faced off against each other while Kabuto moved against Tsunade's apprentice. Jiraiya felt his white hair float in the dusty wind, while Tsunade's pigtails stayed pinned at her neck. Their pale teammate still held a smug smile, though internally he knew he was at a disadvantage. A lull hung in the air before he pushed his hands together, sending dozens of snakes towards his former teammates. Befitting their names, the Sannin avoided the attack easily, Jiraiya using needles from his hair to impale them while Tsunade simply reached out and crushed them with her hands. Orochimaru ran through a set of seals before slamming his hands into the ground. A large plume of smoke appeared beneath him, causing him to vanish before their eyes. Jiraiya thought about it and nodded to Tsunade, who gathered her chakra and drove a fist into the ground beneath her, sending a large shockwave into the ground as it cracked and fell apart.
"Still naïve, Tsunade."
The two Sannin looked around for the voice before staring upwards, noticing their old friend high up in the air, but they were temporarily blinded by the sun. Tsunade tried to shield her eyes, but had to dodge out of the way as Orochimaru struck the spot she occupied with a sword protruding out of his mouth. Tsunade rolled away as Jiraiya charged up and slammed his foot into Orochimaru's back. His body waved for a moment before melting into mud, Jiraiya falling to the ground before shaking his head.
Damnit, he was always hard to catch.
Tsunade yelled something at him, but he didn't hear her as he felt a shiver down his spine, causing him to spin around already speeding through seals. Orochimaru stood away from them, his hands clasped together. Tsunade charged towards him, not willing to let Orochimaru get off his technique. The pale Sannin knew that she wouldn't make it though, as he felt the kinjutsu (Forbidden Jutsu) activate. Jiraiya's eyes widened as he saw what Orochimaru was attempting to do.
"Kuchiyose, Edo Tensei!"
Jiraiya swore as the first coffin rose, not willing to guess who Orochimaru was trying to bring back. He removed the scroll from his back, threw it onto the ground and slammed a palm into the middle of the seal formula. The coffin that was rising in front of Orochimaru froze for a second before slowly collapsing back into the ground.
That was way too close he thought, recovering slowly from the large amount of chakra it took to stop the resurrection jutsu.
He had prepared the scroll years ago, saddened that he was forced to use it. Tsunade reached Orochimaru with a raised fist; he was still trying to figure out how Jiraiya stopped his kinjutsu so he could only barely duck under her punch. She still grazed his face slightly, which caused him to spiral away into the ground. She had a grim face as she clenched her fists, she was furious and he was a good way of venting her anger. Orochimaru picked himself up from the ground, pulled away the drooping skin from the side of his face that Tsunade struck, revealing a more feminine face.
"What…what the hell?" said Tsunade, now unsure who she was fighting.
Jiraiya rolled up his scroll and put it back onto his back.
"You completed that technique?"
The female Orochimaru licked her lips with a serpent-like tongue, "Correct. I have become what all ninja strive to be."
She opened her mouth wide; a purple snake slithered out from her throat, which in turn opened its mouth to reveal the sword from before. Orochimaru let the sword come out completely before catching it, licking his lips as the snake descended back into his throat.
Tsunade looked at her in disgust, always spitting up things, even when we were kids.
Jiraiya had different thoughts as he looked at Orochimaru's youthful face. He walked slowly towards the pale woman, stopping a few feet away. Orochimaru simply stared at him with his sword held in defence. He knew Jiraiya paled in comparison to his taijutsu, but years of fighting at his side had kept him weary of the tall hermit.
Jiraiya put up his hands and let his face fall into a familiar look, "What's it like being a woman? I've always wanted to know. Do you feel a spark when you…"
He was cut off as Tsunade roared behind him and drove her fist into his head, slamming his perverted body into the ground.
"YOU DAMN PERVERT! IS THAT ALL YOU CAN THINK ABOUT?"
Even Orochimaru was taken back by Tsunade's action, though he had seen it many times in the past. She drove a heel into Jiraiya's back before staring at the youthful woman.
"Put your other face on."
Orochimaru gave a high-pitched giggle, "Why should I? It removes Jiraiya from the fight."
Tsunade cut off her chakra flow, but stomped hard onto the toad hermit's back.
"You know Jiraiya. You know what he'll try to do, if you stay with that face."
Orochimaru considering it, remembered his youth with the white-haired Sannin and placed a hand back on his face, putting his old visage back on.
"You make a fair point."
Shizune vs. Kabuto
Kabuto kept an arrogant smile as he blocked the young woman's path towards the battlefield. He put up his hands in mock defence, "Come now, let's not interrupt them. Master Orochimaru has so been looking forward to this."
Shizune balled her fists, "Did you do this? Are the Sound responsible for this…horror?"
Kabuto could only laugh, pushing his glasses from the bridge of his nose.
"Are we? Such a curious question. At this time, you should be asking: does it matter?"
Shizune knew he was stalling for time. The balance of power was on their side, but it was a close affair. If she were to assist, then their victory would be more likely, but she had to get past Kabuto first. She had left Tonton at the previous village they had stayed at, convincing Tsunade that taking the pig to a possible warzone wouldn't be a good idea. Seeing that Kabuto wasn't going to make the first move, she pulled up her left sleeve. From a mechanism of her own design, she fired several pin-thin needles dripping with poison straight at his chest. Kabuto kept his arrogant smile as he pulled out a curved kunai and deflected them all. Shizune pulled her sleeve back as she analysed his reaction.
He has to be close to Jounin-strength. I have to be cautious.
"Is that all? Disappointing." He put his hands together and disappeared into a puff of smoke.
Damnit, was that a Kage Bunshin? Where is he…
She gasped as she felt hands grab her ankles, dragging her to her knees as Kabuto appeared from behind her. She rolled away, but found she couldn't stand on her feet.
"Did you..."
Kabuto's hands glowed a steady blue similar to when she used medical jutsu.
"I am Orochimaru-sama's right hand. Is it so astounding that I know medical jutsu? Or did you think you were somehow special because you were trained by a Sannin?"
Damnit, he cut the tendons in my ankles. I can't move without healing myself first.
He walked towards her, his hands glowing ominously as he prepared to slash her throat. She drew her chakra to her throat, "Ninpou Dokugiri" (Poison Mist)
Kabuto only had a second to leap backwards as the purple mist covered the area. Having immunity to her own poison, Shizune used the time to heal her ankles. She kept the mist up for several more seconds while she prepared her next attack. As the mist cleared she saw that Kabuto was gone again.
He's underground again, most likely. How arrogant is this child?
She pulled out a scalpel and cut a small part of her hand. She run through the seals and slammed her hand onto the ground.
"Kuchiyose no Jutsu."
She leapt up as her summon appeared where her hand had created the seal.
"Shizune-neechan! You look particularly ravishing this evening."
Her summon was a large tiger as tall as she was, flush white with black stripes and crystal blue eyes. In their travels they had discovered that Shizune didn't have an affinity to the slugs, as Tsunade did. It wasn't something Shizune was happy about, but she wasn't picky when it came to battles.
"Shizune-neechan, it is mighty hot here. Why don't you just take off your…"
"I'm not stripping for you, Byakko. I need your help."
"Of course! But in return, I would need to see your…"
Does everyone else have to deal with summons like this?
The tiger sniffed the air and grew serious, "Neechan, there appears to be a vile smelling snake six feet underneath your feet. Why you would let him see up your skirt and not me…"
Shizune jumped up as Kabuto appeared from underneath her, swiping at thin air. She landed on her tiger's back, who leapt at Kabuto with its jaws open to bit his head off. He moved slightly and swiped at the tiger with his chakra scalpel; jumping back convinced that he had just severed a group of nerves in the tiger's brain. Shizune was not concerned however, spitting several needles at him as he landed. He deflected the first group with his curved kunai, but had been unable to see the second group hidden in the first's shadow. Several needles struck him in the neck, causing him to cry out and drop to his knees.
"Shizune-neechan, this guy…has he hurt you?"
Shizune patted her furry companion with a free hand, the other holding her scalpel.
"A little bit, but I'm fine. I assume his strike his nothing to your armour?"
The snow tiger shook his head, "We tiger's are made are harder stuff then you pink-skinned. Mentioning skin…"
He's not going to let up.
She leant down and whispered lightly into the tiger's ear, "If you kill that guy with the glasses, I'll show you my back."
"Front and back."
"Back."
"Back and one leg."
"Back."
"Deal."
The tiger opened his mouth to reveal dozens of sharp teeth. In front of them several large metal spikes began to form, each pointing straight at the healing Kabuto. Shizune pushed her chakra into the tiger's fur, allowing him to send the spikes directly at Kabuto, who couldn't recover in time. The spikes impaled him in both his legs and through his chest, causing him to crash backwards into the ground, his glasses shattered.
"That did it!"
"No, neechan. I can still smell his blood pumping. This is odd."
A slow laugh echoed from Kabuto, who slowly reached up and wrenched the spikes out, one by one.
"You think that is enough to kill me? You and your little kitty don't bother me."
"Neechan, look at his stomach wounds."
Shizune looked at where Kabuto had pulled out the spikes, seeing the small plumes of smoke as his wounds closed themselves.
He has a regeneration jutsu. That's going to be a pain to bypass.
Not willing to give Kabuto a chance to counter-attack, she tapped Byakko's head.
"Byakko, we are going with that."
"That? Bit harsh, but I suppose that would get rid of his healing."
The tiger indicated for her to hold on tight, leaping high into the air before slamming his paws down onto Kabuto's arms, pinning him in place. Shizune drove needles into his neck, running her hands quickly through a set of seals before slamming her hands directly into his chest.
"Suiton, Senbon Suishi no Jutsu." (Water Element, Needle Drowning Jutsu)
Kabuto struggled and convulsed as his body filled with water, the needles preventing him from vomiting up the water. He flailed at Shizune, but his regeneration didn't save him from drowning from the inside. Once he stopped moving she got off him, satisfied that her opponent was dead. Byakko grinned before reaching down and biting Kabuto's head clean off, though he spat it out immediately.
"Urgh! That tasted awful. Do you need me for anything else?"
Shizune shook her head as she turned her attention to the epic battle at the centre of the crater.
"Not at this time, thank you Byakko. I'll summon you again if I need your help."
The tiger stared at her through its blue eyes, "What about…"
Shizune waved him off, "Not now. Reverse-summon me in a few days."
The snow tiger bowed before disappearing in a large puff of smoke.
Now how do I get out of doing that? I really don't want to give that pervert any more attention then necessary.
Orochimaru vs. Jiraiya and Tsunade
"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" cried the three Sannin, each launched into the air as their respective summons flashed into the battlefield.
A large hissing came from Manda, angry that he had been disturbed from his feasting once again by Orochimaru.
"You dare summon me again? What the hell is this? You need me to kill a frog and a slug? How pathetic are you?"
With a puff from his pipe, Gamabunta reached back and grasped the hilt of his dagger.
"I'm a toad you overgrown piece of grass."
He looked up at Jiraiya, "That time, eh? Feels like the old days already."
"Don't get too happy baka, we aren't here to drink and get nostalgic."
Jiraiya stared as he watched his former teammate regenerate the arm that Tsunade had shattered. She stood on top of Katsuyu, healing some of the larger wounds that Orochimaru's sword had caused. The three giant monsters stared at each other for nearly a minute, waiting for the other to make the first move. Eventually Tsunade's lack of patient got the better of her, leaping off her summon straight towards Orochimaru's perched position on Manda's head. The giant snake shifted slightly, striking out against Tsunade with the edge of his tail. She instinctively put her hands up to defend herself, but the blow never landed as Katsuyu appeared between the two of them, spewing acid over Manda's tail. The great snake roared out in pain and slithered backwards while Orochimaru leapt across the gap between the monsters and began attacking Tsunade with his blade. She ducked and weaved, not wishing for a repeat performance of the previous fight. Katsuyu kept the two fighters balanced while giving her chakra to Tsunade, who had been nearly empty after summoning her. Manda felt the urge to attack both Orochimaru and Tsunade, but was instead confronted by Gamabunta's dagger thrusting towards his face. He moved his head out of the way and bit down on Gamabunta's hand, causing the giant toad to drop his dagger as the fangs went straight through.
Not wanting to see his friend die, Jiraiya finished a set of seals and placed his hands to his lips,
"Katon: Karyuu Endan!" (Fire Element: Fire Dragon Flame Missile)
The fire jutsu struck Manda in the face, who was too close to dodge, large section of his face burning away instantly. As the serpent roared in pain, Gamabunta fell back; his hand hanging uselessly as he saw that Manda had been blinded by Jiraiya's attack. Over on Katsuyu, Orochimaru had landed several blows on Tsunade which were bleeding heavily, but she in turn had struck several blows that had struck Kusanagi with a force great enough to pain his hands as he held the revered blade. Orochimaru watched as Manda was blinded by the fire attack, ducking under another punch from Tsunade before leaping off the giant slug and running towards Gamabunta. Katsuyu wanted to pursue him, but Tsunade commanded her to attack Manda, knowing that Jiraiya should be able to keep him at bay long enough for them to dispose of the purple snake.
Orochimaru slammed his hands on the ground near Gamabunta, "Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"
Several large white snakes exploded from underneath the ground, each biting Gamabunta at a different section, driving their venom into the toad. Jiraiya felt the ground shake as his summon lost his footing and fell to the ground in agony, trashing about to fight off the new threat. Seeing Orochimaru smile in victory, Jiraiya leapt off the toad's head, forming a jutsu with one hand in front of him. Orochimaru could have dodged it, but figuring it was not worth the effort, he slashed at the chakra attack with Kusanagi.
"Rasengan!"
The spinning ball struck the steel with a large thud, sending shockwaves around them as the two Sannin bounced off each other.
Manda was blind, half his face had melted off, and most of his skin was being burnt by slug acid. He had struck several blows on the giant slug, and even grazed Tsunade's leg as she struck at him, but both of his opponents being medics meant that the battle was quickly turning against him. He could smell the slug retreating backwards, but the overwhelming sense of smell was hiding the human's position. To his side, Tsunade was midair, spinning wildly towards Manda's midsection.
She can't do much damage to me there he figured as he finally picked up on her scent.
"Die!" she cried as she struck.
What Manda couldn't see was that in Tsunade's hands was Gamabunta's dagger, spinning rapidly so that when the blow struck it severed the snake in two. Manda spat out large amounts of blood before collapsing to the ground. Tsunade landed in a puddle of the serpent's blood, her chakra virtually spent besides the small slug on her shoulder transferring chakra from Katsuyu. She turned her gaze to Orochimaru then winced as her wounds began to pain her more then before.
Damnit, I have no choice. If I don't do this, I might actually die.
Tsunade put her hands together as the seal on her forehead began to unravel, preparing to regenerate her wounds. Jiraiya struggled to pick himself up from the ground; the retaliation from the Rasengan blow had forced him to land awkwardly. Gamabunta had already disappeared in a puff of smoke, his body making him useless for the rest of the battle, while Katsuyu had used up her remaining chakra and disappeared as well. Orochimaru watched Tsunade's wounds slowly burn away, understanding what it meant for their fight.
Small wounds like that won't kill her. It would be disappointing if the world's greatest medic died to a few sword wounds. Although…
Orochimaru winced as he saw the damage on Kusanagi had begun to crack the steel.
I underestimated that pervert. This fight is still in their favour. The odds need to be evened.
He began to run at Tsunade, who was still healing herself, relying on Jiraiya for her defence. Jiraiya stood between the two of them, though he couldn't feel much strength in his legs as Orochimaru darted towards him. He began to prepare a fire jutsu before his eyes caught a strange look in Orochimaru's eyes.
Where is that arrogant look…wait…
He barely caught it in time as the Orochimaru in front of him collapsed into mud, the sword landing softly on the ground before also disappearing. Jiraiya looked around quickly for the Sannin, but couldn't find him before Orochimaru struck. From underneath the ground two snakes struck at Tsunade's ankles, dragging her down slightly. Her Sozo Saisei (Creation Rebirth) already turned the venom into harmless proteins, but she hadn't recovered enough to throw off the serpents' grip.
"Tsunade" cried out Jiraiya.
He watched in horror as Orochimaru slowly emerged from the ground behind Tsunade, Kusanagi in hand. The snakes forced Tsunade to her knees, and Jiraiya could only watch helplessly as Orochimaru brought back his arm and neatly sliced her head off her body. Despite the satisfaction of killing the legendary medic, Orochimaru felt a twinge of sadness as her blonde head struck the ground.
We were different. But I understood your pain, Tsunade. Perhaps there is something there to be thought about later.
Jiraiya's world collapsed. More then when his student Minato had been died, when he'd heard that his three apprentices from the Rain had been killed, even more then when he'd been confronted with the fact that his home had been destroyed. He felt something he hadn't felt in years. Despair. But there was also another emotion. Fury. Jiraiya was an emotionally controlled fighter. He was an outrageous pervert all the time, but when it came to fighting his training from the Shinobi Wars gave him an emotionless mask. The second the blade fell across Tsunade's neck, the mask shattered. All he felt was a shaking fury, an uncontrollable urge to kill her murderer with his bare hands. He wiped at the blood on his side, pushing it against his palm and onto his face.
There will be time to grieve later. Orochimaru will die. Now.
"I was right in the middle of making dinner."
"You call that food? I've trained toads that have looked more appetising."
"Don't say that Pa, ya want to keep eating? You'll eat what I put on the table."
"Fine, fine. Jiraiya-boy, why have you called us out on this lovely evening?"
Jiraiya didn't respond, he merely glared at his pale opponent, who had stepped back from Tsunade's body, seemingly unwilling to defile it anymore then he already had. Orochimaru took a look at his tall former teammate, noticing several changes in his appearance, never mind the two toads sitting on his shoulders.
Jiraiya, you were always ugly. It is a testament to your tenacity that you've found a way to be even more of a loser.
Ma and Pa sat on Jiraiya's shoulders able to feel his emotions and experiences flow through them, instantly aware of everything that had happened so far. Not one easy to anger, even Pa felt the urge to destroy Orochimaru for what he had done.
"Jiraiya-boy, how will we do this?"
The tall hermit still couldn't answer, instead deciding that he had held back enough. In a small, still sane, part of his mind, he wondered how anger would affect Sage Mode, but didn't feel any adverse reactions as he slammed instantly into Orochimaru's chest with his fist, sending the snake Sannin spiralling away, his sword dropping to the ground beneath Jiraiya's feet. Jiraiya felt down with a bulging hand and picked up the ancient blade. Using an unholy amount of Sage Chakra, he crushed the blade into tiny pieces, feeling the residual blood from his blonde princess run down his hand.
Tsunade-hime…I…
Orochimaru pulled himself up from the ground, amazed at the power of Jiraiya's strike.
I know all of Jiraiya's techniques, yet he surprised me. To crush Kusanagi…
Using his Sage chakra, Jiraiya powered towards the recovering Sannin, landing blow after blow into his chest. Orochimaru struggled to keep up with Jiraiya's speed and strange movements that seemed to strike him even if he dodged the blows.
Damnit, I can't…
He tried to flee but Jiraiya spread sticky oil on the ground, causing him to be immobilised for the second Jiraiya needed to hit him with one of his strongest techniques. He stood in front of Orochimaru and put his hand out to form a Rasengan. As the Rasengan formed he pumped Sage chakra into it and reshaped it, the circle reducing in size before slamming into Orochimaru's stomach.
"Shoukyoku Naiyou Rasengan!" (Anti-Matter Rasengan)
The technique shredded Orochimaru in half, his shattered body lying beneath Jiraiya's feet, who was panting heavily. Even with Ma and Pa on his shoulders, he couldn't make enough Sage chakra to last. A loud scream came from Orochimaru's mouth as the bottom of his top half shook before hundreds of snakes exploded out of him, straight into his bottom half. The snakes pulled the bottom half into the top half as Orochimaru glared at his ugly opponent, smiling as he relished the pain. Jiraiya stared back at Orochimaru through his horizontal eyes.
I can't win in a prolonged battle. With that body of his, he'll just outlast me.
Orochimaru struggled to pick himself up from the ground. The Rasengan had destroyed many of his internal organs, and while his snakes were regenerating him, he was not in a good position. Jiraiya ran through his jutsu set, trying to find one that would be able to kill the Snake Sannin. He remembered that in his research into Orochimaru's immortality jutsu that if any part of him survived, he could resurrect himself, meaning virtually all of Jiraiya's techniques including Senjutsu were meaningless.
He wouldn't take over me, it would be…too unsightly for him to consider.
He took a moment to look over at the grief-stricken form of Tsunade's apprentice, holding the princess' body while screaming out for her to not leave her behind.
But her…he would take over her. Damnit, how can I end this?
A flash of yellow appeared in his mind, his old student giving him the most desperate of plans. Jiraiya nodded to Ma and Pa, who conceded that it was the only way to defeat Orochimaru for good. He put his hands together and began forming the seals.
"Snake, Boar, Ram, Rabbit, Dog, Rat, Bird, Horse, Snake."
He clapped his hands together and looking over at Tsunade's body.
You'll be at peace, while we fight for eternity. Sounds fair.
"Fuuin Jutsu. Shiki Fuujin."
Jiraiya looked behind himself as the Death God formed behind him.
Minato, is this what you saw? This thing makes me look like a prince, even in this mode.
"What are you trying to do, Jiraiya? You cannot defeat me, I am immortal!"
Orochimaru tried to sound confident, but his body was broken. The constant fighting with his former-teammate had worn down his already failing body.
I need to transfer soon. Damnit, I need to retreat.
Jiraiya coughed out blood as the Death God's transparent hand slammed into his chest.
"Jiraiya-boy!" cried out Pa, feeling his student's chakra plummet. Neither he nor Ma could see the Death God, but they knew what Jiraiya was planning.
Opposite Jiraiya, Orochimaru pushing into his stomach, slowly vomiting up the White Snake that contained his true form.
I need to go now. This form is too weak to fight with.
Jiraiya felt the Sage Chakra from the toads on his shoulders flow through his legs, shooting forward faster then Orochimaru could see. Using his arms, Jiraiya slammed the White Snake into Orochimaru's throat. He inhaled some of the snake's poison, but he knew that didn't matter anymore. With Tsunade dead, this was his only was to atone. He pushed the ghostly hand through his chest, wincing as he could feel the Death God's influence running through him. The White Snake snarled and bit at Jiraiya's arms, but to no avail as the Death God's arm pushed into his stomach.
Ma, Pa, get off my shoulders right now!
The toads were apprehensive, but did as their student asked, fleeing backwards before the smaller snakes could attack them.
Orochimaru tried to move away, but found both his forms immobile, the White Snake slowly slipping back into his mouth. He looked up to Jiraiya, only to widen his eyes in fear as he saw the horrifying image of the Death God. Jiraiya grinned as he began to pull out Orochimaru's soul, thinking back to the days when they were teammates.
We couldn't see it, but you were a victim as much as any of us.
"You worthless loser! I will not die! I am immortal!"
"Orochimaru. I'm sorry I wasn't able to bring you back from your dark path. But now…at the end…"
He screamed out as Orochimaru's soul was ripped from its body and sealed into his stomach. He panted heavily as the strain hit him harder then the time Tsunade caught him peeping on her. Orochimaru's body began to turn to stone; a look of hatred mixed in with fear was stuck on his face as he began to crumble.
Hn, in that form you almost look human. Hold down the fort, old friend. If Minato is to be believed, I'll be with you shortly.
***End Flashback***
"How is he not dead? Doesn't that jutsu take the user's life?" asked Kakashi, his eyes wandering to the seal on Jiraiya's stomach.
Shizune wiped her head with the sleeve of her kimono, "Before he passed out, he told me that his Sage Chakra gave him some extra time before the Death God claimed his soul."
A few feet away Naruto had finally recovered, though he still had a vile taste in his mouth. Hinata stood behind him, rubbing his back as he picked himself from the ground.
"Naruto-kun, don't get up just yet."
"I…I have to, Hinata-chan."
She stared at him through her lavender eyes, and he felt his resistance crumble. He let her guide him back to the ground, "Okay, fine. I guess I can still hear them from here."
Hinata let out a breath of relief; she knew how dangerous the Hiraishin was to Naruto if he used it more then he was used to. Naruto thought about how easily Hinata could convince him to see her way.
It's not like with Sakura, where you agree with her so that she doesn't kill you. You agree with Hinata because she makes sense. Oh god, I'm gonna puke again.
Jiraiya's breathing had gotten slower, Shizune's healing jutsu unable to stave off the Death God's toll for much longer.
"Damnit, he hasn't got long."
"We need to wake him up."
The Jounin glared at Itachi, who put up a hand to defend his statement.
"Jiraiya was in charge of the Konoha spy network. If anyone knew what happened to Konoha, it would be him. He can also prove my allegiance."
"If he wakes up, he'll have only a few minutes before he dies. It's too much to risk."
Itachi stepped forward and looked over at Shizune's glowing blue hands, "Shizune-san, you are only prolonging the inevitable. Jiraiya-sama would want this."
"How the hell do you know that? I will not lose him!"
Kakashi placed a hand on her shoulder, trying to calm her down.
"Shizune. Itachi is right. I know you have lost your master, but Jiraiya knew what he was doing. We don't have a choice."
Shizune gave instructions to the other Jounin, her medical training overriding her grief over her master as she prepared for a major operation. Kakashi placed an un-gloved hand over the seal, using his small amount of seal knowledge to attempt to counter-act the Shiki Fuujin's effects.
Shizune placed her hands over Jiraiya's heart, "Raiton: Kokoro Myaku" (Lightning Element: Heart Pulse).
Jiraiya bolted up, "Tsunade I wasn't peeping, I swear!"
His voice slurred as he struggled to accustom himself to his surroundings. Shizune struggled to keep his body from deteriorating with medical jutsu, but she knew it was a forgone conclusion.
"Wha…where am…oh god Tsunade! My hime…"
Jiraiya kept ranting until Itachi stepped into his vision, still wearing his black and red cloud cloak. "Jiraiya-sama, we require your assistance."
The hermit's head swung around as he squinted to see Itachi better.
"Itachi? What are you doing here? I told you I don't know anything about your brother. For a traitorous criminal, you are strangely affectionate. Have you already completed your mission?"
The whole group surrounded the fallen Sannin, each surprised that Itachi's story had been confirmed. Sasuke stared at his brother with a feeling he hadn't felt in many years.
Itachi, did I ever really know you?
Itachi waved a hand in front of Jiraiya's waving head, noticing that he wasn't following it with his eyes.
"Jiraiya-sama, we need to know about the attack on Konoha."
"No…don't feed me those bugs…why is the sky covered in cats?"
Jiraiya began to thrash as Shizune called out for help to hold him down. Kakashi, Gai, Lee and Kiba kept him down as she pulled a large needle from her kimono and drove it into his neck. The last Sannin thrashed once then calmed down, lying back down before continuing to rant about Tsunade.
"He's got maybe a minute; I can't hold it off much longer."
Itachi swore under his breath before slowing putting his hands into a tiger seal.
"Shizune-san, please keep his eyes open."
He closed his eyes before concentrating his chakra and opening them slowly.
"Tsukuyomi."
His pinwheel flashed for a second before he cancelled the jutsu, causing him to wince in pain while clutching him left eye.
"Nii-san!" Sasuke ran to his fallen brother, the final shred of hatred falling away.
Jiraiya gave a laugh before his eyes rolled back into his head and he collapsed. Shizune's hands glowed bright before she cancelled the technique.
"He's gone."
All the Konoha shinobi bowed their heads. Despite just being told who he was, all the Genin recognised the sacrifice and held him in a high regard. They stood in silence until Itachi picked himself off the ground and wiped the blood from his eye.
"He died a noble death." "Did he give you any information before he passed?" asked Kakashi, having some knowledge of how Tsukuyomi worked from his study into the Sharingan.
Itachi offered a hand to Shizune, who took it with a tired sigh.
"We spoke for some time, though most of what he said was nonsense."
"Any information about the attack?"
"Not really. Jiraiya suspected Orochimaru, but that wasn't confirmed or denied."
"Well we know he's dead" said Shizune, still fatigued from the battle and the constant healing.
Gai looked around the group, noticing the tense nerves as the Genin felt the Jounin's discomfort.
"We should take some time, let this information set in."
Kakashi nodded, "Agreed. But we should bury Jiraiya. He deserves that much."
The others nodded while Shizune turned around and checked to make sure that Naruto was feeling better. He had stopped vomiting, but seemed to have a red complexion. She tried to figure out what could have caused that until she saw that the Hyuuga girl was still rubbing his back. She smiled sadly as she watched them, not wanting to disrupt their moment.
"You are…Naruto, right?"
The blonde looked up from the ground, quietly thanking the white-eyed girl before standing up to greet the medical Jounin.
"That's me. Something wrong, Shizune-sensei?"
She waved off his honorific, "Please, I'm no teacher."
"Okay, nee-chan."
She couldn't help but smile; everyone calls me that. Always the big sister.
"Naruto-kun, are you able to use Hiraishin again?"
Naruto thought about it, "Probably, why?"
Shizune dropped her head as she thought about what she was going to ask.
"I would like you to retrieve my master. She deserves to be buried next to one she cared about."
They spent two days resting, letting Shizune recover back to reasonable strength before continuing. She had resolved to accompany the group, though she struggled to keep her grief in check. Luckily the rest of the group was happy to help her through it, all of them going through their own personal grief. The group knew that should keep moving, but beyond that had no idea where they were going to go next.
"We are a large group; we can't travel on the main roads without drawing attention" argued Shikamaru, trying to convince the Jounin to use the back roads.
The Uchiha brothers stopped their own conversation and Itachi nodded at Sasuke before walking up to speak to the other Jounin. The others greeted him with subtle nods, still wary of the ex-criminal.
"Itachi, do you have any ideas on where we should go? My eternal rival here seems to think we should train ourselves before seeking out our foes."
"That's not what I said Gai. I just said it isn't reasonable to expect the teenagers to go into a combat situation."
Gai gave Kakashi a 'Nice Guy' pose with the accompanying sunset genjutsu.
"That's exactly what I said! Your cool attitude drives me to greater…"
Shizune sighed as Gai ranted on, instead focusing her attention on Itachi.
"Do you have any ideas? Any information we can use?"
"I did have a thought, Shizune-san. But it requires a lot of trust on the group's part."
"Trust? They were ready to kill you yesterday."
Itachi simply stared at his new companions, "It is not trust from you that I require. I have a plan, but I require Naruto-kun's help."
"What? Why him?" asked Shizune, well aware of Naruto's occupant.
"Does this have something to do with Akatsuki and the Kyuubi?" asked Kakashi.
Itachi was surprised at Kakashi's knowledge of his employers, but kept it to himself.
"It does. Do I have your consent?"
Kakashi was suspicious, but called Naruto over nevertheless.
"What is it Kakashi-sensei? I was just in the middle of a staring contest with Shino."
With a raised eyebrow Itachi looked over the Yellow Flash's son.
Does he realise what his life is like? Or is this a mask? Perhaps we misjudge this boy.
Itachi looked down at the growing blonde ninja before giving him a small smile.
"How would you like to be rid of the Kyuubi?"
Author's Notes
I'm not going to lie, I like Itachi. As a character, his story, all that. I've changed bits and pieces of the Uchiha massacre because I think that with all the different accounts, no-one really knows what happened. Considering how young Sasuke was, and the trauma involved, it isn't completely unexpected for some of his memories to be false (as the task of remembering an event alters the memory slightly). And I know that Itachi had the Mangekyou before the massacre, but with my change to its activation I felt that wouldn't make sense. Please do tell me what you think.
Please review and tell me what you think. What can be improved, what you liked, I'm a writer so I'm always open to criticism.
Naruto Story Spotlight: Colors of Life and Death by Songbird21. A great story, particularly in the relationship between Naruto and Sasuke. Definitely refreshing to see them have a friendship as opposed to a rivalry. Point of interest, there is some pretty gory stuff but it's a great story.