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"Present"

"Flashback"

Hikari: Light

Yami: Dark

Chapter 28: Two Steps Back: Breakpoint

The world spun at a dizzying rate. If the boy were completely cognizant, his stomach would be doing backflips from the sensation. Instead, in his current state, his view from the floor of the cave captivated him. It felt like he could feel the actual rotation of the Earth as it rocketed through space. It made him feel so small, so inconsequential. His place in the universe meant nothing against the vast endlessness of the sky and stars.

Their battle had ravaged the Akatsuki hideout, so much so that the ceiling had long since fallen. Pieces of debris were scattered about the battlefield. They ranged in size from pebbles to boulders.

Naruto could barely focus, but he still managed to make somewhat coherent thoughts.

'The sky… is so beautiful.' His eyes lingered for what felt like ages.

It had gotten somewhat later in the day. It wasn't dark yet, but the sun had peaked a little while ago. The sunset couldn't be more than a couple hours away. If only he had been able to admire this sight of the smoky, orange-hued sky. It would truly have been something to behold.

The Uzumaki was not one to admire artwork, but the heavens spun in such a way that it reminded him of some abstract art that Jiraiya had tried to show him once. Naruto hadn't understood it then, it had seemed like a waste of time. There were far too many things that demanded his attention, to the point where art seemed unimportant in the grand scheme of it all. But, now…

It was wonderous.

A small piece of his conscious mind returned to him at that moment. 'Wait… what am I doing here?' He managed to ask himself in hopes that the voice in the back of his head would return and help guide him. 'What was I doing before?" The blond couldn't remember for the life of him.

To his dismay, it was silent.

'Did I imagine it? Was I dreaming?'

Again, nothing.

After what seemed like a long silence, reality around him had begun to change. The azure sky was sucked into itself to form something new. Well, not quite… All that was left was, well, nothing.

A vast, familiar whiteness that resonated deep within him.

His sense adjusted slowly, and the sensation of rotation ceased. Thank goodness; the blond had started to feel sick from the feeling of movement.

He went to sit up but found his limbs far too heavy to move. Naruto was exhausted, so tired, in fact, that he felt he could spend the rest of existence in that one spot. His eyelids had begun to grow heavy, and he fought with himself to keep them open.

Then, suddenly, a strange sensation started to overtake him.

He started to giggle to himself.

The blond didn't know where it came from, why he felt this way, or what was so funny, but he chose not to fight it. The laughter started out slow, but gradually increased in intensity until it bloomed into a full-blown cackle. This went on for several seconds. His lungs burned for oxygen, but the hysteric howls continuously flowed from his mouth with no end in sight.

Coherent thoughts became harder to come by. The only thing there was laughter. It drowned out the Uzumaki's consciousness, pounded against his eardrums, and thumped in his chest.

Just as he felt himself slip into the sea of madness that threatened to consume him, a voice caught his attention.

"Did… he break?" An innocent, childlike voice asked.

More importantly, that was the person he had heard before.

That seemed to trigger something within him. His eyes snapped open and, with what little neck movements that were possible, his eyes darted around in an attempt to find the source of the sound.

"Are you surprised?" Someone else said. Their voice sounded just like the one prior, but it was much harsher. Angry, even. "He's been a wreck for a long time. Honestly, I'm surprised it took him this long!"

"I suppose you're right." The more pleasantly voiced stranger relented. "I just wish it hadn't come to this.

"Well, don't we all? Too bad that isn't how life works."

Slowly, but surely, the invisible weights that must have been levied on top of his body started to ease up on him. Naruto let out a groan and, with a push, propped himself into a seated position.

"Where the hell am I?" The Genin mumbled out. He shut his eyes; his body still not used to the movement. The dull pain in the back of his head had spread along the sides and started to thump loudly. "What's going on?"

"Hmph, do you really not remember my home? How rude!" The innocently voiced boy chided.

Naruto's eyes opened, and he was greeted with a familiar sight.

It was the child version of himself he had spoken to back when he had still been at Mount Myoboku. Just like before, the child was wearing a white t-shirt, along with knee-length cargo shorts. "It's you." He acknowledged; a frown tugged at the corner of his lips. "But… why?"

"How could you forget?!"

The angrier voice caught the real Naruto's attention. He turned his attention slightly to the side and blinked confusedly. Another version of himself stood a few feet away from his white-clad counterpart. They looked exactly the same, both aged at around five-years-old. The only way you could discern them from one another based solely on appearances were their clothes.

They wore the exact same clothing, just opposite colors. The new kid Naruto wore a black t-shirt and black shorts, their differences and similarities reminded the boy of Yang and Yin.

"I'm sorry, what?" The teen asked, as he still processed the new iteration of himself. "What did ya say?"

The darkly dressed Jinchuriki's lips twisted into a contemptuous sneer. "That redheaded jerk turned our friends into puppets, and you can't remember?! Are you serious?!"

Just like that, Naruto felt the thunderous crash of his recent memories nearly consume him. He remembered his quest for the Kazekage, the struggle against the Hidan and Kakuzu impersonators, Gaara's retrieval, and the fight with the one called Sasori. Oh, and lastly…

His dear friends had been turned into lifeless tools just to inflict more pain on him.

The teen's eyes went glassy, and a faint twitch tugged at his facial features. That was right, he had been content to stay here for eternity if that meant he didn't have to feel pain anymore. He couldn't face the puppets of the friends he had failed to save.

"You have to go back." Yang Naruto said. "You know that, right?"

"Why?" The current Naruto asked. "Can't I just stay here with the two of you?" It seemed easier here.

"Our friends." Those simple words widened the real one's eyes a great deal. "If you don't get up and fight, all of our comrades are going to die. Are you okay with that? Can you live with that?" The nice blond asked carefully. "We'll die, too."

"No, they can handle it." He lied to himself. "I don't need to be there."

"Would you stop being so depressing?" Yin Naruto grumbled out. "Isn't this what we've prepared for all of these years? Did you think all of this would be easy?! If that was the case, we wouldn't have had to work ourselves into the ground!"

"I…" The teen trailed off, unsure of what to say.

"You need to get your ass up and stop them!" The black-clad Naruto started to get upset. "We're not going to fail everyone when they've all put their faith in us. That's already happened once before we can't allow it to happen ever again!"

"But, I don't even like fighting anymore!" The words flew out of his mouth before he realized that he said them. Naruto's hands waved around frantically as he spoke as if that would help convey the internal struggle that swirled within him. "I haven't liked it for a very long time. The only reason I trained to get stronger, the only thing that has kept me from giving up was to protect everyone close to me!" The teen felt tears well up behind his eyes, but he refused to show weakness like that. "It's been so hard… I just want it all to stop."

"You think we don't know that?" His Yin half responded with a harsh tone. "All three of us have been through hell, and it won't get easier." The truth caused the seated blond to look away, but his dark half didn't stop there. "Still, nothing has changed. There are still loved ones and family that we need to be there for. So if you lay down and give up, it would be the same as killing them yourself!"

"F-Family." The current one stuttered out.

"That's right, do you think Jiraiya-sensei would just sit back and let you be taken away by the Akatsuki?" Yin Naruto scoffed. "There's no chance. That idiot would gladly risk his life to save us… could you bear the thought of him dying to protect our worthless life? He's… pretty much our dad. We have to stay alive, so Jiraiya can continue to live. "

Some fire returned to the eyes of the original. He winced and picked himself up off the ground, but the pain wasn't too bad. Though he did feel tired and sluggish.

"Y-You're right." He stammered out. "I can… no, we can do this."

Yin allowed himself a small grin but shook his head in disapproval. "Not with how you were acting out there, you can't. If we let you go back out there, you'll only die. Honestly, did you think we wouldn't notice?"

Naruto frowned and looked away. It was strange, he felt like the kid in this situation when it should be the other way around. "I don't know what you're talking about." He said that as if he had been caught with a snack before dinner by his parents.

"Yami, I don't think we should-"

"Not now, Hikari. He needs to hear this." His dark half interrupted, and turned his attention back on the original whose gaze had remained downtrodden. "We watched your fight with Hidan. You know, the monster who killed my friends!"

The current Naruto winced at that, but a flash of realization crossed his bright blue eyes. He looked at his younger copy and crouched down to eye level, his elbows rested on his knees. "You must be the one Hikari mentioned the last time I was here. I get it now, you're the me that was there that day, weren't you? He referred to the incident in Wave. "After that, you came in here to get away."

"That's right!" Yami shot back. "And I felt sick to my stomach watching you hold back against the people that did that to us." That statement caused the older blond to recoil a bit. "Not only did you put Sakura and Kakashi-sensei in unnecessary danger, but you even felt bad about hurting Hidan with your Rasengan!"

"B-But, they weren't the real ones!" The teen stammered in an attempt to defend himself from the accusations. "I killed an innocent person that was disguised as Hidan!" Even after a significant amount of time had passed, those words were still difficult to say. It made him feel sick.

"Bullshit!" The dark Jinchuriki dismissed his excuses. "We didn't know that until after the fight was over. And besides, you let him stab us when you could have easily dodged it."

"I took the blow so I could make sure I hit him with my attack." His eyes didn't match the words that came from his mouth, and it was obvious. "It was to make sure I didn't miss with the Wind Rasengan.

"Yeah, right. Like I would buy a weak excuse like that." Yami scoffed. "If you really wanna die, next time, don't be a coward and decide you want to avoid the attack at the last second. Take the hit head-on, and die a weakling."

The teen unconsciously took a step back from his accuser, his eyes wide with a myriad of emotions behind them.

"That clone of the Akatsuki wasn't that strong, we should have beaten him much easier than we did." Dark Naruto gave his older counterpart a hard look. "I mean, look at the fight we're in right now. Sasori is much stronger than Hidan was and, yet, we're doing better against him! Instead of going all out against these bastards, you're matching their strengths!"

"I-I…" The Genin bit his bottom lip. "Even if I go all out against Sasori, there's no guarantee I can beat him! He's strong, much stronger than I had expec-"

"Maybe if you weren't showing mercy, you would have a better chance!" He cut the taller blond off with his harsh words.

The original's mouth closed. That seemed to have struck a chord within him.

"These are the Akatsuki!" Yami's rage had grown each time he spoke of. "Just a single one of them put Kakashi-sensei in the hospital for weeks. They snatched up Gaara, the Kazekage, from the heart of the Hidden Sand without anyone knowing what had happened. But… you're still showing them mercy? What is wrong with you?!"

"The Third Kazekage… the village deserves to have a proper funeral for him." The teen sounded like a broken record at this point. "I couldn't destroy the body of their leader like that."

"Are you so insistent on that because you couldn't do the same thing for Inari and Tsunami?" The black-clad blond didn't wait for any answer and continued. "Is that worth risking the lives of us and our loved ones who are still alive?"

…

"Well?!"

"…I don't know…"

"Yami." The lighter side of Naruto cut in. "Showing mercy is a part of who we are. Killing people is not a part of our Ninja Way. We need to give our enemies every chance possible to prove that they are worthy of life. Think about what Gaara was like before we met him; or Neji. Hell, even Zabuza. Did they not deserve the chance we gave them? If we didn't give others the same chances, we gave those three, then what kind of person are we? There were even those poor farmers in the woods that we helped out when no one else would give them a chance! We have the chance to help change people's lives, and all we need to do is show a little kindness and mercy!"

"There's a thing as too much mercy!" Naruto's Yin half shot back. "A religious freak whose main hobbies include mass slaughter and destruction, and a monster who's made countless puppets out of people… how many chances to they need before you'll realize that they won't change? The Akatsuki are different than those three, and you know it!"

"If it had been up to me, I would have spared Jaaku's life. Instead, I had to watch helplessly as the two of you killed him in cold blood. I don't have the ability to pick and choose who gets to prove their goodness." Yang answered sadly, a slight droop to his facial features. "You know that, and as long as I am a part of Naruto, he'll continue to feel my influence. If it's anyone's fault, it's mine. I'm sorry."

"Well, maybe if you could make that distinction, we wouldn't have this shitshow on our hands…" Yami shoved his hands deep into his pockets and scoffed loudly, but didn't say anymore.

There was a long silence between the blond trio. The three were at an impasse; none of the blonds knew where they could go from here. Though they did know one thing.

If the current Naruto went back to face Sasori as he was, he'd most certainly die. Good thing, the passage of time in this space didn't translate to the outside world. They had some time to come to a conclusion.

Teen Naruto's eyes were glued to the ground below his feet. Everything his dark half said was right. 'I am pathetic.' He echoed the word he heard in his battle with Sasori, as frantically ran his hands through his blond locks. 'I've worked so hard for this. I thought I resolved myself to do what had to be done. And yet here I am, faltering during the moment of truth.'

His thoughts drifted back to when he was still at Mount Myoboku, an exchange with Hikari at their first encounter together.

"No, silly. I'm a part of you. That piece of you that you're feeling right now, the one that wants to hope, that's me!" With a smile on his face, he put a fist out in front of him. "So, what do you say?" He asked, waiting for a reciprocal fist bump. "Do you want to hope?"

Taking a step back, he sadly shook his head. "Sorry… I can't."

Instead of being sad like he had expected, his Jiraiya-minded side nodded while still maintaining his smile. "I understand. You can get rid of me permanently if you want."

"Get rid of you?" Naruto blinked, shaking his head rapidly. "Why would I do that? You're a part of me."

"If you don't accept me, there isn't really any purpose for me to exist." He received a look of confusion, urging him to continue. "Even if you don't accept me, as long as I exist within you, you won't be able to write the book that you want. You won't be able to be the person you want to be. I'll always be in the back of your mind, urging you into a direction you don't want to go in."

"You are a part of me." He reiterated. "If I erase you, I won't be the same person anymore." Naruto said, sticking a thumb sharply into his chest. "There may be one day when I'm forced to change into someone different, but this is not one of those days."

"So, what will you do?" His light-hearted side asked.

"I'm going to face the world for all that it is. And then, after seeing it with my eyes wide open, I'll make my decision."

His eyes fell on his pure, light half, and he let out a long sigh. 'Well, I guess I did try and do that, didn't I?' He couldn't stop the fond, nostalgic emotions that flowed within him. The only problem was, they were accompanied by painful ones, too. 'I faced the world for what it was… and it just reaffirmed the thoughts I feared were true.' Naruto walked towards Hikari and placed a hand softly on the child's head.

Yang Naruto, startled by the unexpected gesture, looked up with his big, bright blue eyes. Before the small boy could say something, the teen gave him a somber smile.

"Thank you." His smile slowly dipped down into a frown. "You were there when I needed you. All of that positivity saved my life more times than I could count. You kept that smile on my face when I was all alone when the villagers acted like I didn't exist, even after Sasuke left the village, and I felt lost. Without it, who knows? I could have ended up like what Gaara was like when we first met."

Tears prickled at the corners of Hikari's eyes. "What are you-" He trailed off, as the situation became clear to him. Their frowns matched.

"You said that as long as you were part of me, I'd never be able to become the person that I wanted to be." The teen started to explain the unfinished question. "Well, I'm taking that advice you gave me back then. I need to be able to make a difference in this world, ya know?"

"A-Are you sure?"

Yami watched the whole scene unfold before him, his expression was unreadable.

Their current iteration nodded. "For things to get better, change is necessary. We've tried it this way long enough, and it hasn't made much of a difference. We conflict with each other too much, you know that."

The white-clad blond smile a genuine smile that spoke volumes. It was like the boy expected it to play out this way for a long time. "I see… I guess there really is much of a choice, is there?"

"You've done more than enough." The teen responded with a shake of the head. "You deserve some rest, so please... it's time that you go to sleep. I'll take it from here, you don't have to worry about us anymore."

"Okay, I understand." Yang seemed to accept this answer. His lips curved up into a satisfied smile as he gave Yami a knowing look. Slowly, he began to fade out of existence, his final words barely a whisper.

"Take your time, neither of you should be rushing to join me. And, above all…"

Live.

Just like that, Hikari was gone. The fact that he disappeared was clue enough, but it was more than that. Naruto could feel that he was absent within him. It was like a part of him had been forcibly ripped from his body, and the wound still fresh.

Though it wasn't as bad as it sounded. A new piece that was truly him had already started to grow in its place, and it felt good. Like Naruto Uzumaki was now whole.

The teen found that his mind felt clearer, thoughts sharper, and resolve unbendable. Hell, even that persistent headache that plagued him for nearly a year was gone. It was almost like Hikari had caused it, and he'd been the one to rattle around inside the boy's mind whenever their ideals diverged from one another.

It was a guide he no longer needed.

'I can do this.' He felt more like himself than he could ever remember being. 'I have to do this.' That was what he lacked before, the will to act on his convictions. Well, not anymore. 'I WILL do this.' The Jinchuriki grinned at his mental victory.

The two that remained locked eyes. To the current Naruto's surprise, his Yami counterpart appeared sad. 'I guess it shouldn't be that big of a surprise; they spent all of their time together.' He allowed himself a small smile. 'Even polar opposites can get along. Isn't that right… Sasuke?'

"I could only stare on in horror when Hidan and Kakuzu taunted me just after killing my friends." The little one opened with. "Even though I couldn't have done anything to avenge them if I wanted to, not trying to fight for my life will always be my biggest regret. What are you going to do now, so you can die without regrets?" The child asked his older version.

The teen turned around to leave but paused. Naruto turned around to face his younger self and gave him a steely look of determination. "I'm going to do what has to be done, no matter how hard it is to do. The will to act on what I believe in… with that, I'll never regret anything ever again."

Yami's change in expression said enough. He approved of those words.

"Good luck, then." Yin said as he watched his older personal fade away, back to the real world.

The three of them had been through everything together. Sure, the methods that each of them believed in vastly differed, but their end goals aligned. All they wanted was to keep themselves and their friends safe from harm.

Was that such a hard thing to do? Well, as it turns out, it was. At least, it was in this world.

Though… the blond that just left was different from his predecessors. That look in his eye… it was completely different from just a few minutes prior. 'Maybe, just maybe, things will be different this time.' Yami chuckled to himself and looked to his side to share his thoughts with Hikari.

Only… no one was next to him.

"Oh, right." The realization struck him harder than he'd like to admit. "I'm all alone now, aren't I?"

Sasori watched with a wary expression as Naruto picked himself up off of the ground. That surprised him a bit; he didn't think the kid would have what it took to stand again and fight. The Jinchuriki hadn't said a word, but the Puppet Master could already tell his opponent was different somehow. The way he looked at him was colder, similar to the stare of a seasoned shinobi. It would have unnerved him, had he felt meaningless emotions like that.

"So, you still have more fight left in you?" He asked wickedly. "How very interesting!"

Instead of a quip in retaliation, the boy disappeared from sight.

"What?!" The redhead thought frantically. He spun around and caught a flash of blond hair that sped towards him. The speed of his Puppet Master Jutsu was impressive, Tsunami and Inari were already between him and his opponent.

Naruto made a simple hand sign.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

He summoned ten clones. They split into two groups, five to engage each puppet. The original paid them no mind and pressed forward.

Sasori had no choice, with a growl of annoyance, he detached his chakra threads. He had only managed to dispel a few clones with his puppets before the real blond closed in. If those pawns hadn't beaten him mentally, they would be even more useless in a real battle. Compared to the Kazekage, which the Genin had already subdued, the Wave civilians were mere toys.

"Seems you're taking this more seriously?" The Puppeteer taunted while he backstepped to maintain the distance between them. "Did seeing old friends again upset you?"

No response, just a ghastly stare. Not what Sasori wanted, at all.

'Should I use Performance of One-hundred Puppets? No… his explosive clones would just destroy them.'

"Tch, so be it." Sasori ripped off his Akatsuki robe and revealed his true body. That seemed to get a reaction out of the Jinchuriki. He smiled eerily.

The teen skidded to a stop, a look of disgust on his face from what he saw. "So… that's why you look like you're my age. You really are a freak, aren't you?" Naruto broke his silence.

"Since you're using those pesky clones, I guess I'll have to change my strategy. I haven't had to solve a problem like this since I joined the Akatsuki. I wonder how long it's been…"

On Sasori's arms and torso, they deep lines that ran across his 'flesh.' It was the same as Inari and Tsunami, which probably signified the individual pieces that composed their puppet bodies. The Akatsuki's stomach was also carved out, and a large, poison-dipped, spool of metal cable with a stinger tip was in its place. On the right side of his chest, there appeared to be a space for some sort of hidden compartment. Next to that, a cylindrical piece of flesh that pulsed and twitched caught Naruto's attention, but he didn't linger on it for long.

The redheaded puppet's eyes were even more lifeless than before. "Since I've had to use myself in battle." The cable unraveled itself slightly from his gut, and he nonchalantly stepped onto it as it elevated him off of the ground. Two sets of four windmill-like blades sprung out from his lower back, the same thick, purple substance dripped off of them.

"So…. Shall we begin?" Sasori asked as a deranged expression took over his features.

Naruto, backed by his clones that still remained, lowered into a readied stance. If he was impressed by his opponent's theatrics, he didn't show it. "Let's get this over with."

Whit a cruel smirk, Sasori pointed his palms outward. What looked like small barrels poke their way out from the centers.

Naruto's instincts screamed at him to move, so he jumped backward and allowed his clones to form a protective line in front of him. Just as he did that, intense streams of fire erupted from the Puppeteer's palms.

Three of the seven doppelgangers jumped into the air, while those that remained on the ground went through the same set of seals.

"Earth Style: Mud Wall!"

The collaborative thick wall of Earth rose up and collided with the searing flames. The wall held entirely for a few seconds, but thin tendrils of fire poked around the sides.

"Definitely singed my eyebrows off." One of the clones grumbled.

The second wave of clones, already in the air, each threw a handful of wind-enhanced shuriken.

"Wind Style: Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

"Little pests!" The redhead taunted.

It didn't matter. With a simple swipe of an arm, Sasori consumed their horde of shuriken in his firestorm. The moment it made contact with the wind, the blaze intensified, and melted the shuriken along with the group of blond copies.

It was only for a moment, but Sasori took his eyes off the Naruto's on the ground. They had flanked him and were closing in fast with wind-enhanced kunai in hand.

'Surrounded, huh?" The blades on the Puppet Master's back began to rotate rapidly. To complement this, he spun in a circle. The razor-sharp blades clashed, followed by four loud 'poofs.'

Wind enhancement was a sharp tool, but the rotation of the Akatsuki's attack gave him a slight advantage. Though, it was at the cost of one of his favorite weapons. Out of his eight blades, six were broken entirely; the other two were massively chipped and dull. He scowled and retracted the useless steel back int his body.

'All of this effort… for a little brat!'

A glimpse in his upward peripheral alerted him to the last blond. Naruto fell from the sky at high speed, a fist cocked back to deliver the knockout blow. "I got ya!"

'Heh.' In a flash, Sasori kicked up the cable he stood on, and it lashed out at the Jinchuriki. 'Too easy!' He thought to himself as the stinger satisfyingly ripped through the Jinchuriki's gut. The blond's eyes went wide, and he desperately gripped at the puncture site.

'I…' The Genin breathed out, barely a whisper. "I…" It was clear he was in a great deal of pain.

This boy had made him feel more rage and emotion than he had in the past twenty years. Hell, he might have been more challenging to defeat than the Third Kazekage. The former Sand Shinobi wanted to bluster about his victory, to mock the arrogant child's risky attack. And he would have if he had not caught something in the corner of his eye.

Atop the wall of mud that the clones made earlier, was Naruto Uzumaki. He sat casually, one foot hung loosely over the edge, the other on top of the wall with his knee bent and pointed upward. Upon being noticed, he smiled and waved at his enemy with an air of smug satisfaction.

"…win." The pierced clone finished.

Sasori's eyes widened.

The original watched with some satisfaction as his suicide clone erupted in the face of his enemy.

Naruto slid off his perch and walked over to where the blast had occurred. 'That should have done it.' He thought confidently. "I've used way too much chakra in this fight. Any more, and I won't be able to help the others against Itachi and that masked guy.'

The smoke cleared, and some damage had been done. Sasori's left hand and right leg were both blown off. He was knelt up against a piece of the cave wall that still stood, his handless arm placed protectively over his chest. His pants were singed and in tatters. The Genin glanced off to the side and saw the man's limbs were still intact. How durable were these puppet bodies, anyway?

"My suicide clones are unable to use Jutsu. You should have noticed something was off when I just went for a regular punch."

The Jinchuriki stopped a few paces short and looked down at the Puppet Master with a blank expression. His lack of emotion seemed to snap something inside of Sasori, and his usual façade of disinterest was replaced by a seething rage.

"What do you look so smug about?!" He went to stand up, only to realize it wasn't a good idea. That only seemed to anger him further. "Aren't you furious about what I did to your pathetic friends? Huh? If you are, then kill me!" A crazed smile overtook him. "No… let me guess, you're still not going to kill me, are you?" The boy didn't say anything, which elicited a chuckle from the redhead. " You probably don't have the heart to do it. What do you want me to do; should I beg for forgiveness, or maybe say sorry to the Sand Village for murdering their leader?"

Still no response. The Akatsuki criminal was only met with the same blank stare.

Sasori grit his teeth. "Say something!"

Naruto took that as an invitation to move closer. He took a few steps, then knelt down to get on eye level with the crippled puppet. "Sorry, but you're fresh out of chances." He said coldly. "If you had asked me earlier today, I don't know if I would have been able to kill you, as idiotic as it sounds." His stare was resolute, unbendable. "But I'm not the same guy from before." He withdrew a kunai for his pouch.

"If you think killing me will bring your friends back, then-"

He was cut off before he could finish.

"Make no mistake." The blond challenged. "That isn't the reason I'm going to kill you." He felt calmer than ever. As if the only thing that mattered to him at that moment was his objective. It was liberating, the sensation of flowing unhindered in the direction he wanted to go. There was no voice in the back of his mind trying to pry him off of the path that he sought. "This isn't about revenge or anger. I don't want to make a decision like that based on petty emotions. It's because it's the right thing to do. You've hurt and killed countless amounts of people, and you don't seem to care. This isn't about you or me; it's about doing what is best for the world. And, sorry to say, that starts with you not being a part of it."

And, he wasn't about to allow the Puppeteer to get another word in edgewise.

He lunged at Sasori's chest with his kunai. At the same time, the Puppeteer unclenched his hand, and a dark-colored ball he had concealed rolled out and dropped to the ground. They were enveloped in a thick, purple cloud just as Naruto drilled through the psychopath's heart.

'On no… not like this.' Yami thought as he watched from inside.

Naruto's first instinct was to emit Wind Chakra from his body and disperse the smoke. He did just that, and he was able to get a good look at Sasori up close. The flesh in his chest was stabbed through its center; thick, reddish-purple fluid dribbled out around the edges of the puncture point. But that wasn't the first thing he had noticed.

The man's smile was what alerted him to his grave error.

It was too late.

Small, yes, but he had inhaled a hint of the purple smog into his body. The effects were immediate, his body started to go numb. It started with his legs as they wobbled. He turned and fell against the rock right beside his enemy. Naruto's breathing started to go erratic, but he attempted to control that as best he could. A dull pain in his chest became more pronounced with each second that passed.

"You're a real bastard, you know that?" The blond said. "Couldn't accept death, so you had to try and drag me along for the ride. Like you haven't caused enough pain and suffering already."

"Heh." The man in question barely had the strength to turn and look at him. "For someone who's going to follow me soon after, you sure don't seem very worried. Could it be that you've accepted your death, too?"

"I'm not going to die." He said it with such finality. "I barely took in any poison. It won't be able to kill me if the Nine-Tails has anything to say about it."

That caused the redhead to cough out in laughter. The outburst caused some more blood to gush out of his wound. He looked down at it; it wasn't extremely deep, but it was definitely fatal. By his own estimations, he had a few minutes left. Even if he could apply Medial Ninjutsu, Naruto had more than enough fight left in to subdue and stop him.

Still, it wasn't all for nothing.

"You're a fool." He finally managed to say after his fits of pained laughter. "All I need is a drop of poison for it to be fatal. You took in plenty, and being a Jinchuriki won't save you, either. The only thing that can stop it is my antidote. And that poison, in particular, is especially intricate, I'm the only one who can crack it. Face it, kid, you're done. You have three days, at best."

"One of my teammates is a world-class Medical Ninja." The blond reasoned, still exceedingly confident he is in no real danger. "She can make me an antidote. Maybe I'll join you some other time, but not today."

"After everything you've been through… you're still optimistic that life will treat you fairly?" Naruto's eyes widened at that. Sasori's pauses between words became more noticeable; his time was coming to a close. "There's no guarantee… your friend will even make it out of this alive. Itachi is even more dangerous… than I am." He chuckled again. "Even… even if they somehow managed to find you… I doubt you'd survive the trip back to the village."

"I guess we'll have to see." Naruto grunted out due to the pain. "I've survived much worse than this, believe me."

There was a brief silence between the two. The only sound that could be heard was the seeping wound of the Puppeteer, which occasionally spurting out blood. It was difficult to listen to the life slowly leave another person, but was Sasori considered human? He certainly toed the line between human and monster.

Surprisingly, it was the Sand Shinobi that broke the silence. "Looks… like I'll finally… be able to see my parents. I wonder… if they've been… waiting for me?"

The Uzumaki stared at the man for a moment, a complicated expression on his face. That was strange; he almost sounded happy to say those words. That wasn't an emotion he had expected the man to be able to feel.

"Sorry to say this, but you're headed off to hell once this is all over." He wasn't really sorry. "You won't get what you want in the afterlife, if someone like you can even go there."

Sasori's head went to turn his head to face the man who killed him, but his neck gave out. He didn't have the energy to hold his head up. Still, he glanced up so the two of them were making eye contact. "I… know that." It was evident by the delay between nearly every word that speaking was challenging for the redhead. "Do… you think… Shinobi… actually go to heaven? He wheezed out a laugh. "We're all… going down there."

Naruto rose an eyebrow at that. Huh, he was probably right. It was hard to argue otherwise.

"How did your parents die?" He hated that he even asked that question, but he said it anyway.

The man on death's door looked down at the ground. "White Fang… of the Leaf." He said through a great deal of effort.

"I'm sorry for your loss."

Sasori recoiled a bit at those words. It wasn't just him; Naruto hadn't expected himself to say something so genuine.

"Thank… you…" He looked troubled, as if he were unsure about why he had shared that, or even thanked the enemy that would be the cause of his death. A moment passed before he made his decision, and the look went away. "Can you… reach into my pocket?" The Puppeteer asked slowly as the color started to fade from his eyes.

The Genin frowned. "What, more poison? Thanks, but I think I've had my fill. It tastes good, by the way." Only he could manage to joke in a time like this.

"You really… are an interesting… person." The man in question shook his head in response. "Just… do it."

Naruto grimaced but obliged. He reached over and pulled out a folded up piece of paper. Honestly, it surprised him that something so delicate could have survived a battle as fierce and destructive as theirs. He opened it, which only left him further confused. It was just a bunch of abstract symbols, nothing noteworthy at first glance.

"What is this?" Was all he could say.

"It's the… coded antidote… to my poison. Take it to… the Cipher Core."

"But… why?" He was confused. "You know that I can't save you. And even if I could, I still wouldn't." This gesture was meaningless… and yet, the S-Class criminal did it anyway. "What's the point?"

"Heh… who knows?"

Another pause. Though, this time around, the air had significantly less tension.

"Thank you, Sasori." It felt odd, very odd, to say, but it was appropriate.

…

The master craftsman had no response to that.

"Is there… anyone in your village that you want to give a message to?"

It was a longshot, but…

There was another awkward pause, and Naruto watched with mild curiosity as the redhead's eyes flickered erratically. If it weren't for his lifeless puppet body, he would probably be able to tell what his foe thought or felt at that moment.

"Tell… Granny Chiyo… that I-I'm s-sorry." Sasori barely managed to breathe out.

"Granny Chiyo." He repeated as he stored that away in his brain for later. "You got it."

The Puppet Master was so weakened that he didn't have the strength to nod his head in thanks. Instead, he moved his eyes up and down. And based on Naruto's face, he understood the message. The Akatsuki criminal could feel his life slipping away from him, but he tried to cling to it. This was all the strength he had left. That was when the realization hit him.

He was afraid of death and wanted to take someone with him. Sasori didn't know what compelled him to change his mind and give the boy the antidote, but he was content with that decision. Dying alone didn't seem so scary anymore.

This entire time, he had tried to escape death by becoming everlasting. A puppet, that was what he was; or, what he tried to be. Chiyo's grandson was never able to achieve that dream fully. To control chakra, he needed a human element. The organ he carried around in his chest was one big weak spot, but it was necessary for his quest.

A quest with no end, ends abruptly and without resolution. Without a reward or light at the end of the tunnel; nothing but a fruitless journey.

Oh well… life wasn't exactly an enjoyable existence; happiness had forever eluded him. The last time there was even a semblance of that in his life was when his parents were still alive. Even that, though, was but a distant memory that seemed like a false reality now. True happiness, maybe, just maybe, that emotion was possible through the application of eternal beauty. No matter the cost, he was prepared to wait that long to find out. Yet, there was always a chance that, too, was impossible. That possibility frightened him nearly as much as death.

Perhaps, it was for the better this way; to hope that it's true and die, instead of living to the point where you realize that it's not.

'Yes… that must be the true beauty in life.'

Those were his final thoughts.

"Sasori?" The seepage of blood from his wound had ceased.

Nothing.

"Sasori? Are you still with me?" Naruto reached out and lightly shook his shoulder.

Still nothing.

Sasori of the Red Sand was dead.

This was not something that Naruto had foreseen. Their battle was supposed to be gritty, destructive, unapologetic, and end, leaving the last one standing with a sense of victory. Instead, he only felt conflicted and annoyed and angry at himself that he felt conflicted. Sasori was an evil, awful person that turned human life into his own plaything for his personal, selfish goals. How could someone like that have even an ounce of goodness within his soul? It shouldn't be possible.

Naruto clenched the piece of paper in his hand.

If that were true, why would he give his enemy the antidote? It didn't make any sense. Was there more to the Puppet Master's story? He had to find out. And there was only one person that he knew of who would have the answers he sought.

'Granny Chiyo, huh? I guess I'll just have to ask her about all of this.'

Naruto would never be able to forgive the criminal for what he did to his friends, but there was definitely more to him than what he allowed others to see. Sasori's actions in his final moments did not match who he was while alive. But why?

Only time would tell.

He thought back to their conversation. After the explosion, Sasori was defeated and helpless. Yet, he goaded Naruto into killing him.

'He probably wanted to die, but didn't think I was going to actually do it.' He thought to himself, as his eyelids began to grow heavy. 'Was this… what you wanted… Sasori?'

The Uzumaki drifted off into a soft slumber.

Naruto awoke with a start and surveyed the area around him. The fog from his nap cleared, and the teen suddenly became aware of where he was. He felt a weight that bore down on his shoulder. To his side, Sasori must have slowly slid down until he was leaned up against the blond. That had to have been what startled him.

With delicate care, Sasori was lowered down onto his back, his face pointed to the heavens. It appeared like he was staring up into the sky without a care in the world, much like a certain Nara the blond was friends with. The Puppet Master always looked so lifeless that, even in death, he looked the same as when he was alive. In a sense, did that make him look alive?

Naruto gazed up, as well. It wasn't dark, but it certainly was later in the day from when he initially passed out. If he had to guess, he had been out probably between thirty to sixty minutes. The dull aches and pains he had felt before slowly magnified, and now the effects of the poison were noticeable. He gripped at his chest. His face had started to go numb, as well.

How troublesome.

'I wonder how the others are doing? I hope everyone is alright.'

"So, you're actually still alive. I have to say I'm quite impressed. The risk was worth coming all this way, then."

Naruto's eyes widened, and he went to stand up. His body vehemently declined the invitation, as he slid back down the remainder of the cave wall he was leaned up against. Well, this was not good. No antidote, and a weak, nonresponsive body. The boy looked around for the voice, but he didn't see anything immediate. To see is to believe, but the Genin knew that voice from anywhere.

"Where are you?!" He called out to the person in hiding.

"I'm almost surprised that you actually managed to kill Sasori all by yourself." The calm, collected voice ignored him to continue their thoughts. "That's quite the accomplishment, if I do say so myself."

Naruto frowned. "Well, come out and congratulate me, then." He challenged. "It's rude to compliment someone and not show your face to them."

"Heh, you're slowly fading from his poison, and you want to fight?" The unseen man asked with a hint of humor. "How very like you. Very well."

Out from the shadows, he stepped. A ghastly figure in the eyes of Shinobi from the Hidden Leaf. An S-Ranked criminal deviant with blood-red eyes.

"As much as I'd like to humor you, there is no time for pleasantries. We must make this quick."

Naruto narrowed his own blue eyes in disgust. His guess had been correct. There was no mistaking that voice, he knew it all too well.

"Itachi Uchiha."

Author's Note: So many things to unpack here. From the conversation between the 3 Naruto's, to the teen blond's 'epiphany,' if you want to call it that, and finally the conclusion between Naruto and Sasori. Oh, and that little piece at the end of it all, to boot.

What did you think? Leave a review. Even if only a couple words! This is one of those chapters where I am just dying to see everyone's immediate reactions and thoughts. Please let me know!

Thanks again, and I'll see you all next time with Chapter 29: One Track Mind!

Don't forget to answer the poll! Thanks!

AgonizingSaiyan – The only thing special about Inari and Tsunami was that Naruto was close to them. That was all the reason the Akatsuki needed to turn them into puppets.

vyoom – Sasori was just toying with him to adhere to his sadistic side. Maybe not the brightest on his part, though.

ThelittleKing – Glad you liked it! This Dark Naruto is quite a bit different here than the one in canon, but I hope everyone is okay with the depiction of him that I chose. He needed to reflect off the Light Naruto that I already introduced in 'Heart to Heart.'

Passive Person – Thanks, the milestones were a massive deal for me!

When you say AU, what do you mean? The plot will stray far off from the canon storyline, but I'll try to stick as close to canon facts as possible. Does that answer it?

I have the upcoming 2 arcs planned out pretty well (they're on the smaller side), the next 2 arcs after those are roughly planned out, and everything else up to the end of the fic I have a rough idea about what I want to do. I also already have an ending in mind.