Woo! I got really annoyed with FFN over the course of yesterday. Motherfucking reviews weren't loading, again. This is becoming a reoccurring problem with this site bro.

A lot is happening in this chapter; I mean this from the bottom of my heart, go and watch Bee's Rappuden in Shippuden. This fanfiction was literally inspired by those filler episodes. If you haven't watched it, I highly recommend it, it was some of the better filler in the series. But yes, watch it. I took some ideas of the Akatsuki, how Jinchuriki work and how the Gedo Mazo works in that filler and put my own touches and tweaks to the Akatsuki for this fanfiction. Like I said in a previous Author's Note, the Akatsuki is not the same as the one in canon. The Jinchuriki will not be the same as in canon, at least not in the way you think. Everything is changing because of last chapter and now, it's time to let the changes go wild. After all, this is AU to the max.

Big battles. Big wars. Big everything. I've amped everything I've come to love about Naruto fanfiction over the last decade, and cranked it to eleven.

These Author's Notes are pretty important, so please, read them lmfao even if it's somewhat snarky at times.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto


Chapter 6: Oh, It's You.

You were so cool!

She stood up to them all and didn't even flinch!

God, she was the fucking best! I'm telling you!

Satsuki crossed her arms over her chest, staring at the pinkette blush in the hospital bed. Flowers were delivered to her bedside table overflowing with colors and aromas. Ino sat in a chair, holding the girl's hand and holding Satsuki's. The three of them were in the deepest of pits, but they were in it together and that's what counts. If it weren't for the Uchiha's insane power up, they were certain they would have died.

"I'm glad that the both of you were discharged so quickly." Sakura smiled. Satsuki caught the curl dip slightly. "Y-You do know that I can't be a shinobi anymore, right?"

Her words hit Satsuki and Naruto like a hammer. The two of them stared at the girl. Despite such harrowing news, she shrugged it off like it was nothing. Resilience should be rewarded, but it wasn't. And Satsuki hated every second of it.

"W-We'll find a way to heal you, Sakura-chan." Naruto said, even his own voice was uncertain.

The girl giggled. "I-I appreciated it, Naruto, but really… there's nothing you can do. The medic ninja have done everything they can and know… I'm crippled. There's no fixing that. I know it's your thing to stay hopeful and keep looking at the best option… right now, the best option is just… bad things happen all the time."

"But they shouldn't." Satsuki said. Flipping her hair from her face she walked to the bed, resting her knuckles on the metal railing. "I-If only I'd have woken up faster. If only…"

"Listen. Not you too." Sakura frowned. "It's bad enough you've been a girl this whole time, it's even worse knowing that you're beating yourself up about something that was out of your hands. Some freak literally bit you and nearly got away with it if it weren't for Naruto and Yagura. You two… have surpassed me in so many ways. You don't need to linger on me."

"Sakura-chan, that's not the point!" Naruto said, joining Satsuki. "T-That's not the point."

"I spent so long… hiding." Satsuki glowered. "I spent so long avoiding relationships because of what happened to my clan. The moment that I forge bonds, something happens and rips them away from me."

Before she could continue, a soft hand rested on her own. "Satsuki… listen. Even though I may not feel anything below my waist, that doesn't mean I'm dead, okay? I'm still here and honestly, I'm honored that you think of me so highly." Leaning into her pillow, she sighed, closing her eyes from the world. "I-I dreamt for so long that Uchiha Sasuke would come and sweep me off my feet… in a weird twist of fate… she has."

The Uchiha clenched the metal railing, bending it to her grip. Biting the comment itching to be made and fighting back against the tears building in her onyx eyes, she remained silent, listening to Sakura's solemn words. "I had thought about fighting beside Uchiha Sasuke, going into dangerous missions, side by side, riding into fame and becoming one of the strongest kunoichi in the world. I wanted so desperately to be by your side till the end of our lives. Now I realize it came true somewhat."

"I… in a way… I did get to live my dream, even if it was short lived." Sakura smiled, wiping a stray tear from her eyes. "And Naruto… I really couldn't stand you for the longest time. For most of our lives, you were just this… this annoying prick at my side that no matter how many times I hit you, yelled at you and belittled you… I never deserved you. I never deserved your kindness or love. I never deserved either of you. T-Thank you… for being my teammates and my friends. If I ever had to do it all over again… I would do anything for you two in a heartbeat."

Naruto sniffled, looking away. Satsuki hid her face by her hair. Suddenly, her hands bent and snapped the metal railing. Before anyone could speak, she dropped the bars and turned, walking away. Disappearing into the hallway, the door slammed hard, echoing throughout the room. No words were shared as the rest of the Konoha Nine stood in shock. Naruto gulped, tears streaming down his whiskered cheeks. He couldn't find the words either. Rubbing his arms over his eyes, he wept, falling to the floor.

"T-This wasn't supposed to happen." Naruto pleaded. "I-It wasn't… I'm…"

Before he could say anything, Sakura's hand ran through his golden hair, patting his head. "You know… now that I'm free to piece things together… that day you asked me out on a date and ran off… that's the day you learned about Satsuki, huh?"

Naruto raised a hand to the back of his head, awkwardly chuckling. "Y-Yeah. What about it?"

"If you didn't run, I was going to say yes." Sakura giggled. "But I'm guessing that ship has sailed, huh?"

"I mean…" he blushed, lowering his head to the bed. "So much has happened, is still happening… I don't think I have the time for any of that anymore."

Sakura smiled. "No, you don't. Without me there to set you two straight, where will you go without me?" She said with a whimsical tone.

"H-Hey!" Naruto laughed.

"Funny thing about all of this," Sakura giggled once more. A light lit up in Ino's sky blue eyes. "For a while, since before Wave, Ino and I thought you and Sasuke were gay."

"Huh?!" Naruto's eyes bulged from his head. "I-I m-mean… I-I…"

"Yeah, you can't blame us when you and Sasuke were eating face in class." Kiba smirked.

"A-And that was an accident okay!" Naruto shouted.

"Uh-huh, sure it was." Kiba's smirk never faltered. "It was just destiny. Because of course the guy you kiss was actually a girl the whole time."

"I-I mean…" he blushed, raising his hands in defense. "D-Don't try and put the focus on me, i-it should be on Sakura-chan!"

"No~ this is all on you now," Sakura laughed. "How was it? Did you feel a little something for Sasuke before you learned the truth?"

"C-Come on…"

Outside the hospital room, Satsuki moved through the halls and corridors, unable to think. Bursting through the hospital doors, she took a deep breath, staring at the cloudy sky. Sensations, emotions, all the things she had spent so long bottling up, were coming to the surface and she wasn't too sure what to do with it all. There were doubts rising in the back of her mind and there were requests that came to haunt her. A whisper that she had stamped down, a memory she wished to forget—all of it, screaming into her ears.

Before anyone could notice her presence, she channeled her chakra, pouring energy into the seal at the back of her neck. Unlike before, her chakra hummed, splitting between the new seal and her old one. Pouring more chakra, it did more of the same, only this time, the new seal sputtered and silenced itself after being fed. Pushing her chakra, kneading the energy into a single strain, her appearance changed, revealing Uchiha Sasuke in its wake.

Hands in her pockets, head held low, she walked away. Sakura was crippled. Ino was scarred. Naruto was broken. Everything fell apart and now, some freak infiltrated with an army and the resources of both Kirigakure and Konohagakure were working together to root out every agent loyal to that very same freak. The worst part of it all, they were after her. Nothing in the world would ever make her feel better after really understanding that fact. It was her fault.

Letting her feet guide her in whatever direction, she ignored condolences from the civilians and nearby shinobi as she headed to nowhere in particular. From the massacre to the bloodshed she had caused, her mind reeled in every direction. Killing had become too easy, ending lives was just as simple as blinking, as simple as taking a breath. No one batted an eye, no one said anything but what was expected. It sickened her. All of the fighting, all of the death, especially when in the end, it was utterly for nothing. Sakura's dreams were over.

She wiped the tear from her eye, turning a corner and heading to the training grounds. Sakura didn't deserve that. She didn't deserve anything those bastards did to her and Satsuki felt responsible for all of it. If only she wasn't so afraid, so terrified of showing herself, she could have awoken earlier and faced those jerks sooner. She could have saved Sakura from that savagery.

Yet, there was nothing she could do. It was already done. The pinkette, despite her smiles and the hope in her emerald eyes, she had already checked out. She was mentally done. Satsuki could see it, no matter how hard the girl tried to hide her pain, there was only so much she could do. They were stuck, she was stuck. As her grass crunched against her sandals, she dropped the seal, releasing her true face to the world. Taking a brisk walk to the center of the field, she waited.

Birds were in the air, squirrels munched and dashed across meadowed fields. To the right, another team was practicing behind a hedge of brush and foliage. To the left, there was an eerie silence from an empty training ground. All around her, the world was alive, filling with faces she hadn't seen, and lives she had inadvertently protected. Hands clenched tightly, she sighed.

Falling to the grass, she reached into her pouch and pulled out a scroll. Undoing the latch, she opened it, sharingan alive and active, scanning over every stroke of calligraphy. Seals had to be learned if she was going to get any understanding of what the snake did to her, rather, what he couldn't do. In her rush, there were seals for hiding weapons, something she had a basic understanding of; there were seals for blowing things up, something she and Naruto had been practicing; most importantly, there were seals for storing and manipulating chakra. Pausing for a second to really understand what it was, her sharingan shut off.

How fast did Naruto really read this scroll? She wondered. The guy put a seal on him and somehow, he broke free in less than ten minutes? Sure, those ten minutes felt like ten days, but still… just who are you, Naruto? Some of this shit doesn't even make sense. Half the things that are written aren't even about the infrastructure of fuinjutsu, rather it's about the hypotheticals and things that could be possible. Huh, there's even mention of weighted seals to help with speed conditioning. I-Is that even possible?

So, there are storage seals, not just for weapons and material, but for chakra, that act can act as a secondary chakra pool. However, it will need a constant kneading and a consistent source if it's going to be of any real use. That's bullshit. I'm pretty sure if you really wanted to explore, you could find a way to change the calligraphy to allow the chakra to grow and build itself. Obviously, there will have to be a limit, because even with a near infinite space in another dimension, the chakra will get out of hand.

Hm. Seals can be used to hold things back, from as small as a brace of Senbon needles, to as large as a Bijuu. Even ninjutsu could be held within a seal. How? I can't even fathom how that will work. Summoning techniques… right. Kakashi used those dogs he summons to apprehend Zabuza on the bridge in Wave. I wonder if there are any other animals that we could summon. I know there's the stupid snakes, the toads of Jiraiya-sama and the slugs of Tsunade-sama, but what else can be summoned?

I wonder. Satsuki hummed. Suddenly, sensing a presence nearby, she shut the scroll and drew a kunai. Her appearance beginning to shift, she turned in an instant only to be greeted by a lazy wave from her sensei. "Kakashi."

"Yo, Satsuki." The man simply eye smiled. "What are you doing here instead of resting?"

"Naruto and I were discharged from the hospital…" she frowned. "Did… do you know of Sakura's condition?"

Kakashi took a deep breath. "Unfortunately… yes. There's nothing we can do."

Satsuki scowled, turning away. "Of course. Of course… when I finally decide to befriend her, when I finally see what kind of person, she is… how strong she can be…"

"Satsuki," Kakashi walked over to her. He made a lazy wave. "Follow me."

"Do you see this rock?"

"Yes, I remember what you said to Naruto. It has the names of every dead shinobi."

Kakashi hummed. "Yes. It does. On here are the names of two of my teammates. Nohara Rin and… Uchiha Obito."

Satsuki blinked. A cold shiver ran over her body. Glancing at the silver-haired jōnin, she frowned. "Is… is that how you got your sharingan?"

"Yes." Kakashi said. "The irony of this team, you all remind me of my team. I see myself in you, Sakura in Rin and Naruto in Obito. Things happened, terrible things. War is never pretty, nor glorious, no matter what the history books and the heroic stories tell. It… it extracts a heavy toll and it's something that everyone must pay. Some of us pay the highest price with our lives. This village, these homes and the people who live in them… they are the reason we fight and die. Not because of banners or borders, in the end, we're fighting for the people beside us, for the people around us."

"And that is something that Sakura understood." Kakashi said. "Even though her body is broken, even though she can no longer be a kunoichi, she knew the risks that came with the profession. She knew that her life could be forfeit the moment the kunai are drawn. She put herself in that position because she wanted to protect what was precious to her. Naruto understands that, she understood that and now… you do too. Don't you?"

"I didn't protect anything." Satsuki frowned. "I never could."

Kakashi's hand rested on her shoulder. "You did the very best you could, Satsuki. You did everything in your power to protect Sakura and Ino. If you didn't step in when you did, Sakura really would have died. It's because of you that she's even breathing right now. Crippled or not, you protected her. That's something you should be proud of. After all, I couldn't protect my own teammates… so it seems you've one upped your sensei in that regard."

"S-Sensei."

Kakashi's one eye widened. "Yes?"

"Are… are you okay?"

"That remains to be seen."

"How do you deal with it?"

"I don't know." He said. "There are times where I relapse. Sometimes there's blood on my hands that just won't wash away. I can still see her face. I can still see his face. It's hard. Harder than anything I've ever done. But it must be done. You cannot linger on what ifs and maybes. You're doing yourself and those you worry about, no favors. Lingering on the past… it breaks you down more than you can imagine."

Hate me, little sister.

His voice echoing in the back of her mind. She closed her eyes, tilting her head down. Hands scrunching tight, fingers digging into her palm, she was shaking.

Hate me, little sister.

"Kakashi…" she murmured softly. "Can you please train me in ninjutsu and fuinjutsu?"

"Sealing?"

"Yes." She said. "The seals me and Naruto wear… they're there for a reason. What if something were to happen, what if we wanted to change the integrity of the seals; what if we wanted to remove them? We need to learn. Please. I already failed Sakura; I'm not failing Naruto. Not him. I can't live with myself if I did. The Forest of Death taught me a lot of things… these last few months training together… our dreams…"

"I can't,"

Satsuki's face drained of color.

"I don't know fuinjutsu that well."

"First Hokage-sama, now you…" Satsuki sighed with frustration. "W-What am I going to do? How are we going to get stronger if we…?"

"I do know someone who can help. However, he is out in the field doing an important mission for the Hokage." Kakashi said, rustling her hair. The girl scowled, looking away. "Just be patient, Satsuki. Your time will come a lot sooner than you think, okay? We're all here to help. What happened in the Forest of Death, while contained, has sent ripples throughout the Elemental Nations. Orochimaru wasn't just some shinobi, he was one of the Sannin and on top of that, one of the most wanted men in the world. Instead of sulking, you should be celebrating. You've just become a millionaire."

"I don't care about the money." Satsuki said. "I want to grow stronger and protect my friends. How I do it, doesn't matter. As long as they're safe and as long as they can achieve their dreams, that's… that's all that matters to me. I will break every bone in my body, I will drain the very chakra from my coils… anything to make sure Sakura's sacrifice isn't in vain. I have to."

"What about Itachi?"

"I…" Satsuki glared, looking away once again. "W-What I feel about him doesn't matter. My friends matter. T-They're the only ones… w-who do…"

"Satsuki…" Kakashi sighed. "If you want to talk about it, I'm always here."

"Did you know my brother?"

"I recall his ANBU days." Kakashi hummed. "After all, we were teammates at one point. He was many things, Satsuki. Private, stoic, incredibly strong, Most of all, he was loyal. I don't believe for a second that he did what he did on a whim. There was a reason and I'm afraid, I don't have the need or the right to know the truth. That, one day, will fall on you."

Satsuki didn't like the answer. Her glare softened, onyx eyes staring at the stone carved with names. Following each character and etched calligraphy, she imagined the people who once carried those names. The deeds they must have accomplished, the lives they saved. It was enlightening, not just mentally, but emotionally too. As if a weight had been lifted off of her back, a simple push, a reminder, that she wasn't alone in her struggle. Shinobi lose comrades all the time and if everyone acted as she was, there would be no more shinobi. They were to endure and endure she shall.

"If you can't teach me seals, can you at least teach me summoning?" She gave him a glance.

"Summoning?" Kakashi raised a brow. "I… why? Where is this coming from?"

"This scroll that Hokage-sama gave to me and Naruto. While it didn't have any practical information on summoning techniques, it did give a brief overview of what summoning seals can do." Satsuki said. "Orochimaru summoned snakes, Jiraiya-sama summoned toads and Lady Tsunade summoned slugs. I'm certain there are other animals one could sign a contract with."

"Well, I summon dogs." Kakashi hummed. "While not the biggest, there are certainly larger canine contracts if you want the heavy hitters. However, I don't think you have the chakra for that."

"Don't underestimate me, Kakashi." Satsuki frowned. "Believe me, I think I can handle anything you throw at me. If Naruto were given a contract, I know he'd be able to summon anything he wanted with how much chakra he has. It won't be easy, but I know he would be able to accomplish anything once he sets his mind to it."

"Are you sure you want this, Satsuki?"

"I'm absolutely sure."

"Alright!" Kakashi smiled. "Before we get to summoning techniques, I want to make sure you can handle ninjutsu. We saw the remnants of your first bout with Orochimaru and I have to say, I think you've been holding out in training. I want to see your ninjutsu repertoire and I want to know what I can do to increase or refine it. Here, channel your chakra into this piece of paper."

Taking the sheet, she gave him a raised brow. He didn't say a word and simply gave her a goading nod. Without warning, she kneaded her chakra, only for the paper to crumple and catch on fire. Dropping it, the little inferno crumpled and tightened, writhing in the flames that only seemed to grow larger. Kakashi hummed, but his tone was different. He was surprised.

"So, it would seem that you have incredibly strong affinities for Fire and Lightning." Kakashi said. "Good luck for you, lightning is my affinity."

"Kakashi-sensei," Satsuki said, once more garnering a confused look from Kakashi. "I have a feeling that Naruto has a wind affinity. When he attacked Orochimaru, he… I don't know how to describe it, but it was like he was pulling wind toward himself and surrounding his body with it. Almost like a shield and a weapon at the same time, the snakes that attacked him were blown back and couldn't get anywhere close to piercing it. Whenever he punched, his fists were covered in compressed wind."

Kakashi's one eye blinked. Intrigued he nodded his head. "I know a few. After we're done here, I'll let them know."

"Alright." Satsuki nodded. "Where do we begin."

"First things first, you have to learn how to manifest your lightning chakra." Kakashi raised a finger. "Kneading chakra is easy, converting it into your nature affinity is something else. For all intents and purposes, you aren't limited to whatever your affinity is. An affinity is nothing more than what element your spirit and your body is most attuned to."

"Right. Sakura said that chakra is the manifestation of your physical strength and your spiritual strength."

"And she was correct. However, elemental chakra is different. As said before, you have an incredibly strong affinity for both Lightning and Fire. As expected for Uchiha, your fire is the easiest to knead. For lightning however, it's different. When creating Fire chakra, you collide your chakra together until it ignites with heat. Because it's so natural to you, you can create powerful fire techniques without even thinking about it."

"Y-Yeah, something like that." Satsuki said. "I don't know, it's just… like second nature for me."

"Yes. For lightning, it's a similar process, but instead of creating flame, you're creating friction. Sparks are not just flame, they can be used to create lightning, course it through your chakra coils and out your hands or even your mouth. You are increasing the movement to speeds unthinkable, so that when the chakra touches itself or even the tenketsu, they spark with a distinct and sudden charge. That is lightning ninjutsu. Those of Kumogakure are so strong, they could create entire shrouds of pure lightning chakra. There are others that bring down storms. There was this one clan that had a lightning affinity that was so powerful and had such a degree of control, that they turned their own bodies into lightning. The outcomes are endless, however, none of these things can be accomplished if you don't know how to create said chakra in the first place."

Satsuki blinked. Everything he just said sounded incredible. With a nod, she fell into the stance the man requested. Channeling her chakra as he directed and prepared herself. This was a new beginning. This was her new chance to become who she was destined to be.

Naruto and Sakura were going to be safe. Ino, Shikamaru, Choji, were going to be protected. Kiba, Hinata and even Shino, would never have to worry about their lives. She was not going to mess this up. She couldn't afford to.


Naruto panted, pressing his head to the grass below.

Sweat building up and down his brow, he whispered curses under his breath. Despite the pain ringing in his bones and the agony tightening his muscles to stone, he forced himself to get back up. Wiping the ash on his shoulder and the coughing the smoke from his lungs, he readied himself again. Chakra roaring to life, he remembered what Asuma had said. Channeling wind chakra was dangerous and incredibly difficult to master. For some, to even conceive.

Wind chakra was sharp, abrasive and so fine, it could cut through a person's hair and they wouldn't even realize it. It was everywhere around them, and that's what made it dangerous. Hands on his knees, he maintained the horse stance, just as Satsuki trained him to do. Chakra running up and down his chakra coils, he maintained his focus, visualizing the blades and the spiraling vortex that should be his chakra reserves.

Before he could progress any further, he shot back, wind expelled from tenketsu all over his body. Rolling in the dirt and grass, he panted, spitting up blood and bile. Again! He shook his head, pushing off the grass. Muscles lacerated, tendons split, whatever the fox was doing inside, it wasn't doing it fast enough. It didn't matter. If he could breathe, if he could still feel his legs and arms, he could still train. What happened in the Forest of Death hurt Satsuki, it crippled Sakura and through most of it, he was knocked unconscious, mostly because of the stupid fox in his stomach.

Naruto growled, coughing up blood once more. He could not risk falling behind. He could not risk being incapacitated in the middle of a fight again. No matter what they faced in the future, no matter what decided to get in his way, he refused to be the one who needs to be protected. Hands gripped blades of grass, snapping them from their roots. He stood up, ignoring the horrified expression of Ino. Wiping the sweat and blood from his face, he fell back into a horse stance. Chakra roaring to life, this time, he changed the speed just ever so slightly and made immediate calculations on the spot, fine tuning until he found the right combination.

Compression. Pressure. Focus.

He exploded into a shower of smoke and slicing winds. Asuma, being a jōnin simply sidestepped and smirked as the blades cut through the sky. However, that smirk dropped somewhat when he watched branches in trees nearly fifty feet away, cut free from their stalks. Blinking for a moment, the man hummed, taking a precautionary step back.

"Holy shit." Shikamaru gasped.

"I-It's just like in the Forest of Death." Ino said. "H-How powerful is he?"

"He was one of the few who actually landed a punch on Orochimaru." Shikamaru said, rising from his seat. "T-This is… I've never seen nature manipulation this potent. Even Satsuki was struggling to make fire this pure."

"I've never seen power like this either." Asuma said, lighting another cigarette. "Okay, everyone, let's step back."

Coughing, sweating and his face sinking in ever so slightly, Naruto cried out. Shouting to the sky. Hands wrapped around bundles of grass. Clenching his teeth, he dragged his forehead across the dirt. Legs numb, arms losing feeling, he couldn't stop yet. Everyone kept telling him that it took time. He didn't see it that way. Sakura was crippled because he couldn't keep up. Satsuki was assaulted and nearly poisoned with an evil man's chakra because he couldn't stay standing.

A Hokage would stand and fight no matter what they faced. Naruto remembered well. The First Hokage fought for a whole day, the Second stood against the greatest company that Kumo ever produced; the Third was a master of every ninjutsu in the village and the Fourth could lay waste to a thousand shinobi in the blink of an eye. Ripping grass from the earth, he had no excuse. No matter the pain, no matter the weight that kept pressing against his back, no matter the demon in his gut; he couldn't stop.

He groaned, the pain of his thighs and calves burning like an inferno. He fell back into a horse stance. Chakra radiating off of his body, he took a deep breath. Compression; Pressure; Focus. The three tenants he was taught. He had to be weightless, he had to be with the wind itself. Despite the pressure, he had to allow flight. Despite the compression, he had to be free. Despite the focus, he had to be aloof. Back and forth he went, forcing his chakra within his stomach.

Once more, his body exploded with pain. Falling back, he panted weakly, face sunken in and blood seeping from his nostrils. He took heaving breaths. He couldn't feel any part of his body. Before Asuma could rush to him, his face filled with color, his chakra reserves spiked and while unbelievably sore, he could feel his arms and legs again. He raised a hand, stopping the jōnin.

"I-I'm fine, Asuma-sensei." Naruto choked, spitting blood from his mouth. "I will master creating wind chakra whether you stop me or not!"

"You idiot!" Ino shouted back. "You're going to kill yourself if you don't take a break! What would Satsuki say?"

"She'd probably call me a loser and make me do it again." Naruto smirked. "Watch me and don't forget who I am! I am nothing if not persistent!"

A flash of a memory. In his near-blind rage in the Forest of Death, he shivered at the sensations retuning back to him. The ball of wind he'd encased himself in, the power that responded so welcomingly. Like the blood that flowed in his veins, weightless, unthinking, he had to recreate that. Falling back into a stance he ignored Ino's disapproval and her worry. Letting it all fall on deaf ears; he maintained his position. He was going to show them all, everyone and anyone who watched, he was no going to fail this time.

He forced his chakra, reminding himself the steps to increase the chances of creating wind chakra. Bringing himself to focus, he visualized the chakra, forcing it to meld and mold, kneading it in different directions. Spinning, the energy began to levitate. A weightlessness to its feeling. As if his stomach was floating, he forced it, remembering the feeling. Each sensation memorized and delighted. It was addicting, almost like the taste of ramen, or the steaming of broth. He brought it around, extending it toward his chakra coils.

Like a breath of fresh air, it rushed through tenketsu, through his muscles and bones. There it was. That was what he was supposed to do. Pulsing his chakra through his body, his clothes rippled with wind forcing between and around his body. He snapped his eyes shut, staring within his mind, watching the coils burst with life with vivid clarity.

Remember why you're doing this. He told himself. A laceration cut across his skin. Remember why you have to get strong!

Sakura's face flashed in his mind. Ino, Shikamaru, Choji, came next. Hinata, Kiba and even Shino, came forth through his memories. Everything however, fell upon one girl. Satsuki. Her onyx eyes that once filled with annoyance and displeasure, now brimmed with life and emotion. Her long black hair, her beautiful face, it rang against him like the chakra tearing through his flesh. Remember! You're doing this for them! You're doing this so Satsuki won't be alone! You're doing this so no one else will get hurt like Sakura-chan was!

Asuma gasped, dropping his cigarette from his lips. Raising his hands, he stood between Naruto and his team, channeling his chakra to protect them. Unlike any wind user before, he could only watch as winds coursed toward Naruto, crashing around him and forming a bubble. Blades of air coursed about, closing the gaps and mending the holes in the sudden technique. Eyes widening, there wasn't even any hint of Kyuubi chakra.

Clothes rippled, grass and small shrubs were ripped from their roots, gathering around Naruto, orbiting like the winds themselves. As if he couldn't get any more surprising, the boy broke the hand sign, shooting his arms out. Wind rushed in, spiraling about until the compression built up in the palms of his hands. Rushing, screaming with deafening tones, Asuma flinched as a cut appeared on his cheek. Too surprised to move, he dropped his knuckle blades.

In both of Naruto's palms, pure wind chakra had combined into near transparent orbs. Gone was his shield of wind, now he had compressed them into weapons. Almost like a rasengan. Naruto wasn't finished yet. Eyes still shut, he channeled his chakra, feeling it rise within his stomach. Pulsing, focusing, compressing, he remembered that feeling. Hooked onto the floating sensations, he maintained it, combining his newly formed chakra. Pulling and pushing, everything responded as if he had just awakened something profound.

His mind reeling from possibilities, it struck him like a hammer, beating around him with the force of a million punches. Her face. Her rare smile. Her voice. He couldn't think of anything else. That emotion that fluttered in his stomach, to the tightening of his chest, it all came together, springing forth with life and light.

Unbeknownst to him, several orbs, almost ten in total had compressed and began to float behind him like a halo. They were almost as large as person's head, spinning in rapid, blinding speeds, generating more wind in his wake. It was clear to Asuma that he wasn't doing this to show off. The boy's shirt was suddenly shredded to ribbons, leaving him bare chested before his team. Cuts and gashes splitting across his flesh. Yet, the boy didn't seem to even flinch. Wind colliding together once again, several jōnin sensei and their teams had burst into the training ground.

Asuma panicked, raising his arms. "Don't come near!"

"I-Is it…?"

"No! This is different!" Asuma shouted. "Get my father! Naruto! Calm down! You're channeling too much chakra!"

The winds gathered together, forming a large dome around him, spreading in every direction. Asuma grabbed his team and jumped back as the winds began to expand at an exponential rate. Grass was torn apart and stones were broken down, cut and turned to dust within seconds.

Her arms. Her breath. Her dream.

"Naruto! Stop!" Asuma shouted. Taking a step toward the blond, his leg was immediately shredded by the potent winds. "Naruto!"

Sakura. I'm sorry I couldn't do more!

"Naruto!" Shikamaru bellowed, pulling his sensei back.

Satsuki. I can't fall behind you! I can't keep falling behind everyone!

"Someone, do something!" Choji panicked, his hitai-ate straps suddenly sheared from his head. Fabric and metal plate flying off into the winds.

I let you down. No matter what you say… I let the both of you down. Never again!

Asuma's eyes widened. "Ino—wait! Don't!"

"Shintenshin no jutsu!"

Everything stopped.

Naruto opened his eyes to find himself standing in a sewer. Eyes glancing about, there was a great cage with the kanji for seal. Trickling water bounced and splashed in repetitive motion; a metronome beat. He took a deep breath, staring at the cage. If he were a few months younger and hadn't met Satsuki, he knew he would have questioned what it was. Only an idiot wouldn't realize it. It was the cage for the Kyuubi, the seal that trapped it within his body.

"Huh." He murmured to no one in particular. "So, this is where the demon is held."

"So, my container comes to see me."

Giant crimson eyes stare at him from the shadows behind the bars. For some odd reason, the boy blinked at surprise, but he wasn't afraid. Far from it, he was actually curious. "Wow. You're even bigger than I imagined."

The eyes blinked in confusion. "Huh. That wasn't the response I was expecting."

"What were you expecting?"

"W-What—no, you are going to unlock this seal and let me eat you!"

"Why would I do that?" Naruto asked incredulously. "Besides, that seal looks incredibly complex. I don't think that I'm going to break it by simply tearing it off, y'know."

"Don't try and talk yourself out of this, boy."

"Whoa, calm down, fox." Naruto said, raising his hands. "You got a name or something? Calling you fox feels kinda demeaning. I mean, it's nothing I haven't heard before, but you? Come on, even the dogs my sensei can summon have names."

"W-What?" The fox once again questioned. If the tone of its voice was anything to go by, it was absolutely confused. "No. I am not going to tell you my name! You don't deserve to know!"

"That's fair." Naruto shrugged, looking around the sewer. "A friend of mine up until a few months ago, I had no idea she was actually a girl the whole time I've known her. I gotta say, learning the real name of someone is probably one of the greatest feelings for all parties involved."

"I don't want to feel good. I want to be free."

"I'll die though."

"T-That's kinda the point, boy." The Kyuubi almost choked in utter shock. "I literally do not care if you survive. I don't want to be in this cage any longer and I especially don't want to be trapped inside of you!"

"I didn't ask to be your jailer." Naruto responded with snark. "I don't know, maybe next time, don't attack my village?"

"Why you little…" the beast thrashed in its cage. Naruto however, remained still, staring at it with a bored look.

"Listen, I've spent a long time thinking about you since the day I learned you even existed inside me." Naruto hummed. "Thanks to the seals that I've been studying and with my friend's help, I think I can do something that'll help the both of us?"

"Do you not realize that I am a manifestation of evil and chakra?" the beast asked. "You are… taking all of this surprisingly well."

"What can I say? I've seen some really weird shit and done some shit." Naruto shrugged once again. With a nonchalant glance around the sewer, he turned back to the fox. "My friend is crippled because I was weak. A giant demon safely tucked away behind a seal is honestly the least of my concerns right now. Now are you done with the threats? I'm trying to be nice here."

"Nice?!" The beast's claws sprang between the bars, stopping inches from Naruto's face. "Nice?! I don't need your platitudes!"

"I don't know what that word means." Naruto blinked. "I'm trying to have a conversation, fox. Come on, work with me here."

"N-Naruto?"

He and the fox looked away from one another, spying the silhouette moving through the shadows. A platinum blonde walked into the atrium, confused and shivering with fear. Sky blue eyes met cerulean and, in that moment, she shot forward, feet splashing in ankle high water. Arms wrapped around the blond boy as she trembled in the embrace.

"I-I…" she shook her head in disbelief. "Y-You were tearing up the training fields, you did something and you started pulling wind toward… oh my god, what the fuck is that?!"

Releasing him, she fell back, stumbling over her feet, splashing about in the water. Shaking and shuddering, she tried to crawl away. However, before she could scream more, Naruto stood in front of her, holding a hand out. "Come on. I want to introduce you to someone I just met."

"H-Hold on, dipshit! I don't want to meet your fucking friends!"

"Ignore it." Naruto smirked. "Come on, just don't get to close. It's a little feisty."

"What did you just say?" the fox grumbled. "What the fuck, better yet, who the fuck are you?"

Ino shivered under its fiery crimson gaze. "Y-Yamanaka I-Ino."

"That explains the mind walk… okay, what the fuck do you want?" The beast growled. "We were in the middle of a conversation before you interrupted. Little rat."

Ino blinked. Glaring at the crimson eyes, she clenched her fists. "What did you just call me?!"

"A little rat." The Kyuubi visibly scowled. "Boy, get rid of your friend here so we can continue our discussion. She is reminding me of someone I don't really appreciate."

"Oh?" Naruto smirked. "A friend of yours?"

"Do… do you not understand—nevermind! Shut up." A fur covered hand rose in the darkness, running across a shadowed face.

Ino deadpanned. Leave it to Naruto to make a demon facepalm. "Wait. Where are we? Why is there a demon in a cage?"

"Oh, right!" Naruto blinked. "Remember the Kyuubi attack, thirteen years ago? Yeah, that's the Kyuubi. What Orochimaru said was true, I am the Jinchuriki of the Nine-tailed fox."

"I know I should be surprised but honestly, given the fact that we killed a wanted ninja worth several million Ryo and the fact that said ninja summoned snakes and puked up a literal sword… everything you said was the least surprising thing I've witnessed in the last week alone." Ino sighed, running a hand across her face.

"I am getting really tired of this nonchalant attitude you disrespectful rats continue to display! I am destruction incarnate; I would have annihilated your village if it weren't for your damn Fourth Hokage!"

"Good thing he was there!" Naruto smiled. "Or else none of us would be here!"

"I…" the beast roared, two hands running against its scalp with visible frustration. "You… no shit! how can someone be so braindead?!"

"It's Naruto, what'd you expect?"

"Don't get familiar with me, Yamanaka!"

"Yeah, yeah, what are you going to do?" the girl raised a brow. She blinked, watching the beast bang its head on the metal bars. Turning her attention to Naruto, there was a question that had to be asked. "D-Does Satsuki know?"

"Of course!" Naruto laughed awkwardly. "When I found out she was a girl, I was kinda forced to tell her the truth. Imagine that. The strongest and the weakest, having such incredible secrets."

"Yeah, who would've thought." Ino hummed. "So, what are you going to do about this?"

"I don't know." Naruto crossed his arms. "I think the fox is a Tsundere."

"H-Hey…" the fox suddenly said. Uncharacteristic terror in its voice, the fox rose to its hind legs, hands extended with fear. "Something is happening to me! Whatever you're doing, stop it!"

Naruto and Ino snapped to the fox. "I'm not doing anything!"

"M-My chakra! I-It's depleting!"

"Ino, get out of here, now!" Naruto said. "Get the Hokage!"

The girl's eyes were wide with confusion. The fox's great blaring crimson eyes were shrinking. Backing away, she stumbled over her feet, throwing up a hand seal. Taking a deep breath, she released the ninjutsu. As her body vanished, something strange an unexpected happened. Vision warping, images flashing and changing, she didn't see the sewer disappear, rather, new images stand in her way.

There was a giant statue in a dark cavern. Thirteen men stood in darkness, their black cloaks donning red clouds. As the images whipped and danced, there were more in the distance, pale-skinned men, clones. There had to be thousands of them, gathered in formations within the cave. As she looked around, she could see nine streams of blood red chakra flowing into the mouth of the giant statue. Thick streams, as if it were eating the energy.

Eyes narrowing, she caught sight of the different men. There was one hunched close to the ground, another with long blond hair and mouths in his hands. Another member had silver hair. Beside him, a tall man with a scarred Takigakure hitai-ate. On the far side, a man with orange hair and piercings strewn across his face. At the head of them all, however, was a man with an orange spiraling mask. None of them seemed to notice her as she was drawn closer to the statue, along with the Kyuubi's chakra.

If she had to guess, the chakra belonged to the other tailed beasts. Gulping, she ceased her chakra, only to blink awake. Snapping up from the grass, she grabbed the sleeve of the nearest person. "Asuma-sensei!"

"Ino, thank god, what the hell were you thinking?!"

"The Kyuubi is shrinking! I saw… I saw people siphoning tailed beast chakra!"

Asuma dropped his cigarette once more. "W-What?!"

"We need the Hokage now! Naruto needs help!"

In the center of the training field, Naruto was on his knees, eyes shut as if he were meditating. To everyone's surprise, blood red chakra shot up into the sky, however it wasn't the only pillar of blood red energy in the village. They watched as two more sprang up toward the clouds and rushed in the same direction—north. Asuma took slow breaths, glancing back and forth. Bells rang across the village, sirens and shinobi were on full alert.

The village reacted immediately. Even from the training field, they could see crowds trampling and stampeding toward the evacuation sites. Hordes of civilians and younger shinobi were panicking, jumping and running about like headless chicken. Sand shinobi and Mist Shinobi were running about the village, terrified and screaming for the hills. Mass panic rising and springing between the village streets and alleyways, with all of this demonic chakra, it wasn't helping the situation. Asuma took a slow breath. "Ino, Shikamaru, Choji! Get ready! We have to do something to quell the commotion!"

"Ino! Shikamaru!"

They turned to see a bandaged and bruised Satsuki speeding into the field. Onyx eyes widening by the second. "N-Naruto! What happened?!"

"I… that isn't important right now!" Ino shouted back. "We have to do something to calm the chaos in the village! Everyone's freaking out! The people are losing their minds!"

"Okay, Satsuki, you're with me. We're going to investigate the other sources of chakra." Kakashi said.

"Team, we're going to evacuate the hospital!" Asuma commanded. "Right now, the sick and injured are our priority. Kakashi, if you run into Kurenai and Gai, tell them that we need help at the hospital!"

"Already on it." Kakashi nodded. As the teams dispersed, he waited. On cue, a man with a tiger ANBU mask appeared. Raising his hands, wooden stalks rose from the earth, surrounding Naruto's crimson body. "Tenzo."

"I have this handled, Kakashi-senpai." The ANBU nodded. "Move on to the next source, the Sanbi Jinchuriki, Yagura. The Mizukage and her husband are heading there right now to contain the chakra. I'll join up when I finish here."

"Satsuki! Let's go!"

The girl would not move. Trapped in her own body, she watched the bubbling red chakra spike and writhe as if it was being ripped from Naruto's body. Her body wanted to move, but she couldn't do it. Despite how painful it must have been, he showed no discomfort. She couldn't believe that he was numb to the pain. He had to be suffering.

"Satsuki!" Kakashi yelled. The girl flinched, staring at her sensei. "He will be fine. I promise. Come on, we have a village to save!"


"What the hell is this place?" Naruto murmured quietly. Walking around the orange field and infinite shadows, he followed Yagura and a redhead boy with the kanji for love tattooed on his forehead.

"I don't… know…" the redhead said. He blinked, running his hands over his body. "I… I feel… different."

"I do as well." Yagura frowned. "It's as if the Sanbi's influence is waning."

"Y-You too?" Naruto asked.

"I was training with Haku-sama and Chojuro-san. Next thing I know, the Sanbi was screaming in my head about his chakra disappearing."

"T-That's what happened to me too!" Naruto paled.

"So, that's what… I don't think we've been introduced." The redhead's voice was subdued. As if stricken with disbelief. "My name is Gaara."

"Yagura."

"Naruto. Say, where are we heading?"

"I don't know, I was following the both of you."

"Oh?" Naruto asked. "Uh…"

The silence was sharp.

"There they are!" A woman's voice sounded, breaking the silence. Footsteps echoed around them. As if they were surrounded, the three boys fell into a formation.

Naruto raised his kunai, channeling wind around him. Yagura drew his polearm, coral already dripping with water, spread around his weapon. Gaara raised his hands, sand dripping from his gourd. Careful, the three of them pressed their backs together, watching the shadows and sensing the distant chakra signatures. From Naruto's vision, a tall blonde woman and a large dark-skinned man ran toward him. From Yagura's point of view, a skinny, lanky man with black hair and a small red-headed man headed his way. Before Gaara, a small girl with dark skin and mint green hair was joined by the tallest of them all, wearing red armor and a giant furnace on his back.

"W-Who the hell are you guys?" Naruto lowered his knives.

"Yo! I'm Bee, fool, y'fool!" The dark-skinned man raised his hands. "This fine lady is Nii Yugito, you better know!"

"Forget him." The woman sighed in defeat. "I'm assuming, Ichibi, Sanbi and Kyuubi."

"Y-Yeah?" Naruto raised a brow.

"As Bee-sama said, I am Nii Yugito. I am… was the Jinchuriki of the Niibi, the two-tailed cat. He was the Jinchuriki of the eight-tailed octopus."

"I am Utakata, the Jinchuriki of the Rokubi." The lanky man said.

The small red-headed man nodded. "Roshi, Jinchuriki of the Yonbi."

"I am Fu." The Mint-haired girl smiled at Gaara. "I'm the Jinchuriki of the Nanabi."

"Han." All heads turned to the giant. "Gobi."

"Okay, uh, Uzumaki Naruto, Jinchuriki of the Kyuubi."

"Yagura, Jinchuriki of the Sanbi."

"Gaara, Jinchuriki of the Ichibi."

"So, we're all here." Yugito hummed to herself. "Strangely enough, without our Bijuu."

"Where are we? You didn't answer my question."

"We are where Jinchuriki and the Bijuu can meet and talk freely and away from other people, you feel? Don't think about it too hard or you're gonna feel y'brain peel." Bee said in his rapping tone. Yugito stepped to Naruto.

"Just… ignore him." She raised a hand and pulsed chakra into his head. "That will make what he says less stupid."

"Uh, so, since we're all Jinchuriki, did all of your Bijuu act the same as ours did?"

"Yeah." Fu said first. "I was in my village, minding my own business and then Nanabi suddenly started screaming."

A round of agreements went between each and every one of them. However, before they could speak, Bee shot back up, his words no longer jumped rap lyrics. "Listen, there is something out there stealing the chakra of our Bijuu. Gyūki saw some of it before he went to sleep. There are some shady people out there with some super weapon that requires every ounce of tailed-beast chakra."

"Bee-sama and I have been theorizing that there was once a primordial beast that all nine Bijuu were once a part of." Yugito said. "There are ancient legends of the Sage of Six Paths and some of them coincide with how we even got our hands on the Bijuu in the first place. Someone, somewhere, has this weapon and they have stolen severe amounts of our Bijuu's chakra. We don't know who and we most certainly don't know when they're going to strike. Worse yet, we don't know when the Bijuu will wake up."

"Hold on, hold on, hold on." Naruto waved his arms with panic. "Y-You're saying there are people out there in search of the tailed beasts? T-That there's some kind of super weapon that they're charging up using their power?"

"That sums it up." Yagura said.

"Oh." The Uzumaki paled. "Why now?"

"No idea." Yugito frowned. "But the course is clear."

"We have to find each other." Bee said proudly. "I have had this reoccurring dream… I unite the nine of us and we stand against this weapon and the people using it and save the world from destruction. Now… it seems that everything is coming to fruition."

"Whatever is happening… we must find a way to stop these guys from progressing any further than they already have." Yugito raised a hand. "Matatabi is unconscious with half of her chakra already stolen. I'm guessing they will need to rip the beasts from our bodies if they want the rest."

"H-How do we meet up?" Fu asked worriedly. "I-I can't just leave my village."

"None of us can!" Naruto shouted.

"Three of us have already abandoned our villages." Roshi hummed. "Where do we meet?"

"There is an island off the coast of Kaminari no Kuni, where Bee-sama and I trained." Yugito answered. "It is safe there for Jinchuriki and it is where we will train the younger ones how to harness their tailed beasts and their powers, of course, while they're still docile."

"Docile is another word for tame." Yagura whispered in Naruto's ear.

"Thanks, I was about to ask." Naruto blushed. "So… what now?"

"Well, we tell our superiors." Yugito said. "Bee-sama is the younger brother of the Fourth Raikage. We'll be in contact soon, alright?"

Snapping his eyes open, he yawned, scratching his ear.

Bells were ringing, sirens were blown and people were still screaming. Looking up to the sky, two pillars of blood red chakra suddenly ceased, disappearing as if nothing had happened. Surrounding him, nine pillars of wood stood, cracked and beaten. Surprised, Naruto whipped around, curiously watching an ANBU ninja collapse to the dirt, panting behind his tiger mask.

"H-How?" the man asked.

"What are you talking about? What's going on?"


"You what?!"

Yagura flinched at Mei's tone. Standing beside each other, Naruto flinched as well. To his surprise, Gaara showed an inkling of fear on his normally stoic face.

"First, we find that the Kazekage is dead, now we learn that there is a group out there with a super weapon powered by the Bijuu themselves?!"

"Mizukage-dono," Hiruzen raised his hand. "I believe there is a solution to all of this. We just have to hear the rest of the story from everyone who saw. Ino-chan, would you like to add on to what was said?"

"I-I…" Holy shit, she's strong as hell! The girl gulped under the glare of the Mizukage. "Naruto was training with Asuma-sensei to create wind chakra. Things got out of hand and I used my mind transfer technique to calm him down. In the middle of explanations from Naruto, the Kyuubi got scared and started freaking out. When I tried to leave his mind, something was pulling me elsewhere."

"In a cave, somewhere, a lot of people were gathered. There were thirteen of them wearing black cloaks with red clouds stitched all over them. It looked like some kind of cult. They also had an army of clones or something. There had to be thousands of them." Ino continued. "Behind all of them, there was a giant statue with nine eyes, four on each side with one placed in the middle, the largest. Its mouth was open and there were nine streams of blood red chakra flowing into its mouth, like it was feeding on chakra."

"Red clouds?" Mei hummed.

"So, you've heard of them?"

"Yes." Zabuza said. "A friend of mine, Hoshigaki Kisame was one of my comrades during the rebellion in Mist. A good friend and a good loyal man. When there was rumor of the Fourth Mizukage being manipulated, he went to investigate and returned to us about this group called the Akatsuki."

"I see." Hiruzen took a long drag of his pipe. "So, it would seem, we both have been investigating the same organization. I have my own agent implanted within the organization. I sent word to him of the recent developments in the village and he is on his way back to report and prepare for the next mission."

"Who?" Naruto asked, raising a brow.

"Uchiha Itachi."


The instant the chakra had died down, everyone, while still panicking, had calmed down enough. Their preemptive attempt to evacuate was met with disdain from the people of the village, who were vehemently calling for Naruto to be executed, or worse, banished from the village. Sand, Mist and Leaf were arguing throughout the village, with people cursing at one another and making baseless threats. Satsuki stood beside Haku, Ino and the wheelchair bound Sakura, not one of them saying a word.

"It hasn't even been a day since you were discharged and you're already running around." Sakura sighed. "God, this is exhausting and I didn't even do anything."

"You have no idea, forehead." Ino frowned. "None of this is anyone's fault. Why can't they see that?"

"They're normal people." Sakura responded. "They… they just learned that two foreign nations and their shinobi are trapped in the village while the Hokage and Mizukage screen each and every single one of them. That kind of thing is going to cause a lot of turmoil."

"Damn you, Orochimaru." Satsuki growled. "He's dead and he's still causing problems for everyone."

"I didn't think things could get any worse." Haku whistled. "Now look at this place. It's about to become a mindless brawl if someone doesn't step in and do something again. My parents are with the Hokage, talking to Naruto and Yagura. Your sensei are already out in the streets trying to calm everyone down. Clearly nothing is working."

"If only there was something we can do." Satsuki frowned.

"Firs the postponing of the Chunin Exams, screening by the interrogation corps and now, Jinchuriki chakra streaking into the sky." Haku sighed. "One would think after all of my travels with dad would make me numb to surprising things. Clearly that isn't the case."

"What I would give to have no more surprises." Sakura chuckled awkwardly.

Satsuki narrowed her eyes at the crowd. A pair of men walked the streets, completely ignored by the enraged populous, throwing vegetables and rocks at shinobi. They wore conical hats and black cloaks. One even had a giant bandaged sword. Before Satsuki could move, Haku grabbed her arm. "Wait, I think I know who that is. W-We need to get to the Hokage and my mom now."

"A-Are you sure?" Satsuki gulped. "What if they're here to cause more problems? The village is on high alert but it's completely focused on the people. They won't know if-"

"Trust me."

"Fine." Satsuki sighed. "Ino, I trust you can look after Sakura?"

"I can look after myself you know!" Sakura yelled back at her.

"I will, Satsuki." Ino said, holding Satsuki's hand. "Make sure Naruto's okay."

The Uchiha nodded, turning on her heels. Haku at her side, the two girls rushed toward the Hokage Tower, taking to the rooftops and the streets not crowded by people. They burst through the door and trampled into the Hokage's office.

"Mom, dad!" Haku panted. "Kisame… he's in the village. It has to be him!"

"Are you sure?" Mei asked.

"Only members of the Seven bandage their blades."

"Huh. That was quick."

"I guess they were close by." Hiruzen hummed. "Satsuki. I want you to remain calm. I didn't expect you to be here, nor did I expect them to come to the village this soon. I had only sent the message out two hours ago."

"Wait… who?" Satsuki questioned.

Naruto looked away; eyes still wide from what he had been told. "S-Satsuki…"

"Naruto!" She blinked. She threw her arms around him, holding him close to her chest. "Are you okay?! Are you hurt?! What happened?!"

"Mah, mah, I'm fine, Satsuki." Naruto chuckled weakly. "I just… do you promise not to freak out?"

A knock was heard. All heads swiveled to the door. Hiruzen gave a grunt and the knob began to twist. Slowly, Satsuki stepped away, watching it curiously. As the door squeaked open, her eyes sprang from her head.

A blade was in her hands, blood dripping between the webs of her fingers. A face stared back at her, a child, warped and mangled, dead. A knife was in her hands, twisted in the back of an old woman. She stood upon the backs and the bodies of those she had slain. He had slain. Panic. Death. Blood. It was fresh, as if it happened just moments before. The stench of suffering, the cries and death throes of those resting on blood-soaked earth.

Onyx eyes, met onyx eyes.

"Little sister."

"Oh. It's you."

For all his stoicism, he blinked with surprise.

"W-What?"


Exciting.

I had to bring people together because certain events didn't happen that normally would. Why Itachi and Kisame were so quick, that's to be explained next chapter, ofc. As for characterization, if you haven't, you should check out NCHammer 23 on youtube, he does great Naruto lore videos and I actually learned a lot about characters I never really looked into. (Like Kisame, who by the way, is my third favorite of the Akatsuki).

Tell me what you thought!

Ja ne!

gottahavekyuubi