The wind gusts were brisk at altitude.

The great eagle adjusted its pinion feathers, vaned its tail, and plummeted earthward.

Just a few dozen feet above the ground, the majestic birds pulled up, slowed itself with great thrusting strokes of its wings, and landed on a large branch not far above the leaf strewn copse.

The image shimmered, and then changed. A young ninja was left crouching on the branch, flexing his shoulder muscles and working a kink out of his neck. "Hey, bastard fox, leave a wet spot on your cage's floor?" Naruto chuckled. He had made an amazing discovery. Kyuubi was afraid of heights.

Naturally, that fact had lead to Naruto's flying up high, where the cold was numbing and the air almost too thin to breath. The rapid and reckless descent had not been accidental either.

YOUR BRAIN IS BETTER SUITED TO THE OTHER FORM, SHIT HEAD

Naruto smiled. 'Shit head?' He was certainly rubbing off on the cantankerous demon.

He took a moment to survey his surroundings. The patch of forest was one of the last stands of trees for many a mile. It would serve as a convenient place to rest, while he took stock of his chakra reserves. It would also be the last place he could potentially shake any pursuit that might have kept track of him this far.

Catching his breath, the young shinobi once again realized that he had been walking a very fine line so far. He wanted to make it difficult for anyone to keep an eye on his every move, but he did not want to arrive at the meeting place too soon. If Konoha or any of the other districts was going to send any forces, he didn't want them to arrive on the scene early enough to cause Hinata's death. The note had been quite explicit in that regard. On the other hand, if any squads were on their way, he would rather they arrive while he was still alive.

Naruto's stomach rumbled. He took a small piece of dried meat out of his provisions pouch, then bit off a sizeable chunk. The flight had been difficult, in many ways. Stamina was the least of his worries. It had taken great willpower to stay on course. On numerous occasions he had been strongly tempted to dive into a flock of geese, wing down upon a brace of partridge, of snatch a lone pigeon on the wing.

During his journey so far, he had also thought more about the enemy he faced. Akatsuki was a terrible. Not just to him and Hinata, but to everyone Had he bitten off more than he could chew? Probably. There was only one way to find out.

I LOOK FORWARD TO BITING OFF MORE THAN I CAN CHEW

Naruto snorted. Nine Tails was feeling his oats. Not able to take an active roll in the upcoming battle, the vengeful youma focused on his favorite target.

"Oh? I thought you weren't going to eat me?" Naruto sneezed and then wiped his nose.

DEFECATING ON YOU WOULD BE DOING YOU AN HONOR YOU DON'T DESERVE

"Uh huh. Let me see if I have this straight. Something is so bad that you can't even crap on it; but, you're more than happy to eat it? Wow. I won't even go there…."

A great mental grumbling vibrated Naruto down to his marrow. It was great to be loved! Done with his quick meal, Naruto dropped down to the ground. For a few moments, he swung his arms around in great circles, and then stretched his back. He was good to go.

The view from on high had provided him a good idea of the best course to follow. He would move at a brisk walk, conserving as much energy as he could. As powerful as his fox-related powers might be, he had never tried them out in the heat of battle. There was no telling how effective they might be against seasoned and skilled opponents. There was a lot of guesswork involved.

It would be catastrophic to use up whatever Kyuubi chakra and abilities were available to him early in the fight. He thought back to The Dream. Before things had gone bad, the mental movie had been exhilarating. Exhilarating, and terribly exaggerated. He couldn't afford to be swayed by his own press releases

As he moved through the mist-shrouded woodlands, Naruto tried to put his thoughts in order. His first goal would be to locate Hinata if he could. They may be little chance of that, if she was well hidden. That was assuming that the bastards would even keep their word. For all he knew, she could be dead, or hundreds of miles in the opposite direction.

No doubt, the Nine would have hirelings situated at various points throughout the vicinity of Mount Monado, ready to move in and interdict him before he had any opportunity to reconnoiter and act. That's how he would do it. If he could somehow find Hinata, he would move in as swiftly as he could. If she was conscious and able to flee, he would force her to move as quickly as possible, guarding her and providing an opening for her escape. If she was unconscious or incapacitated, things would be more difficult.

FOOL. YOU ARE THINKING AS IF RESCUE IS POSSIBLE. IF IT IS, THEN YOU ARE MERELY A PAWN IN SOMETHING BIGGER.

Naruto stopped. Kyuubi had actually made a good pointWhat if he and the demon were not the top priority? Could Akatsuki be counting on a mass mobilization of Konoha's ninjas? Was this all a trap for them, with he and Nine tails being the bonus prize?Shit! Another thing to worry about. Great.

"That is Konoha's concern, stupid fox. They are not children. Tsunade and the others are capable of taking their own risks and making their own decisions. Don't try to play on my conscience. Now is not the time to leave me confused and poorly committed." Naruto spat. "Besides, this is more like shogi than chess. I may be a pawn now; but, if I reach the right situation, I will be promoted to a stronger piece."

This was not a game, but he had to play it like it was. If he was too serious, or overly cautious, he could well lose whatever chance he had. This was a win or lose situation. There is virtually no such thing as a draw in shogi. It's such an aggressive game that the players keep attacking each other until one eventually annihilates the other. The analogy seemed fitting.

There is obviously a lot of deep strategy in such a complex game as shogi. A chess player taking up shogi might have a natural tendency to go around grabbing enemy pawns and pieces, thinking that by accumulating material he is building up a winning advantage. Similarly, it might seem heroic to storm in, defeat as many Akatsuki members as possible, and then walk up and free Hinata. It wouldn't work that way He was certain of that much.

What is important in shogi is king safety. Shogi can be thought of as a racing game, not unlike backgammon or Parcheesi. The crucial point to remember is that, given enough time, the attacking force, however small, will almost always overwhelm the defending force, however large. Naruto smiled. It was unrealistic to think of one lone shinobi as an attacking force, but it sounded good. Nevertheless, Shogi is an attacking game. The side with the attack will almost always win. In chess, a normal strategy is to grab a pawn, even though it gives the opponent the attack. The player would set up a solid defensive position, beat back the opponent's attack, trade down pieces, and eventually queen a pawn and win the game.

Naruto blushed. The though of a pawn being queened had him coughing. He closed his eyes hard, trying to chase away a vision of Hinata and her more mature figure. With some effort, he brought his thoughts back to his analogy.

The normal strategy used in chess will not work at all at shogi. In all but the rarest of games, both sides have an attack, and both attacks will succeed in checkmating the enemy king, if given enough time. What the shogi player tries to do is to break through with his attack on the enemy king before the enemy breaks through with his attack on the player's king. Both attacks would succeed eventually. The winner of the game is simply the one who brings his attack through first. Could he manage to do that? Doubtful. He would do his best, regardless. It was his Ninja Way.

Naruto took a drink from his water sack. He rubbed his head, staring up at the sun through an opening in the heavy tree cover. What is the relative value of the pieces in chess and in shogi? In chess, there is a well known formula. The pawn is worth one, the knight and bishop are worth three, the rook is worth five and the queen is worth nine. Every chess player in the world, from the highest down to the lowest patzer, applies this formula in determining who is ahead in material. Naturally, chess players expect to find a similar rule in shogi. However, in shogi, there is no such rule. Material advantage does not mean much, if indeed anything at all, except during the initial stages of the game. A silver general might be the most valuable piece on the board if it is threatening checkmate on the next move, or it might be less than worthless and an absolute liability if stranded out of action on the wrong side of the board where it can be picked off at will and made part of the enemy army.

Indeed. Naruto's worth would be based on his ability to threaten checkmate. But, just what was check mate in the coming confrontation? Akatsuki knew the answer to that question. Naruto was not so fortunate.

YOU HUMANS SAY IGNORANCE IS BLISS. IT IS NOT. IT IS A CREATURE CLOAKED IN DARKNESS, ALL TEETH AND CLAWS

"I know.'

The young warrior's thoughts grew darker as he walked. He almost missed the subtle signs that he was no longer alone. There was someone nearby. Who? Friend or foe? At this time, a friend would be more problematic than an enemy, if the Nine thought he was going against the demands put forth in their note. He hoped that it wasn't the Frog hermit chasing him down!

The discovery gave him three basic choices. One, he continue as he was, letting the unknown follower act as his long range shadow. Two, he could try and outrun the other, putting as much distance as possible between the two, making unexpected changes in direction as he moved. Three, he could start his shogi match early. He could rush the other individual, taking him or her down if it proved to be an enemy. If it was one of the Nine, it would be to his benefit to lessen the odds sooner rather than later.

"Let's do this, fox. Don't play things cute now. Both our lives are at stake!" Naruto moved as quickly as his Taijutsu skills would allow. Passing into a small clearing, he slid to a halt, kicking up a small cloud of leaves that had dropped off of the snake-like vines climbing far overhead.

Listening carefully, Naruto could hear nothing. The small wildlife had gone silent. There was someone else nearby. But where? A kunei flashed down from above, landing a few feet in front of Naruto. He jumped back, ready to flee if he had been caught at too great a disadvantage.

"Once a dumbass…… always a dumbass……"

That voice! Naruto knew that voice all too well. Sasuke! What was going on? Sauke couldn't be part of Akatsuki, not as long as his brother was a member. Had Orochimaru devised some plan that needed Kyuubi? Or, had that bastard decided that the organization he had left could never be allowed to have the Nine Tail's power?

"So traitor,did your owner send you out to stop me?" Naruto fought to maintain his temper. He had spent so much time resenting Sasuke's defection and his own failure to stop his former teammate.

"Ku ku ku ku…." Sasuke stepped into view, high above Naruto, standing straight and tall on a crooked branch. He was dressed in an ornate robe, the majestic fabric flowing down to his ankles. His hair was longer, and his face seemed tighter, more sharply angled.

"You even sound like that creepy son of a bitch. 'Ku ku ku ku.' What is that, some kind of retarded bird or something?" Naruto spat. He took out a kunai and spun it around his finger. "Does old Snake Tongue have you tight on his leash? Are you his special boy?Wink wink. Nudge nudge."

Sasuke scowled. His eyes narrowed. Then he smiled. "Do you hate me that much, moron? I thought the whole reason you tried to stop me before was because you were my friend."The dark-haired boy shrugged.

Naruto stood trembling, the conflict of opposing emotions playing out across his face. He clenched his teeth, beginning to breathe deep breaths.

"Ahhhh.That is a difficult memory, is it not? I chose another destiny other than the one that you and others sought for me. I brushed aside the Leaf, as it had nothing that I needed to fulfill my needs as an avenger." Sasuke jumped down to the ground, standing ten yards away from the other Naruto. He brushed his hands together, and then looked away from Naruto. "And, if I remember correctly, I defeated you." He knew that would put the other ninja on edge.

Naruto's hands curled into claws. He shut his eyes hard, trying not to remember scenes from that climactic battle. His throat tightened, making it difficult to swallow. "Tr-Tr-Traitor…."

"Ku ku ku ku ku." Sasuke smiled an unctuous smile. "Perhaps I am a traitor to those who cannot think their own thoughts. What did I owe Konoha? The village did not stop my parents and clan from being butchered. Everyone wanted something from me, the genius and prodigy." Sasuke's eyes hardened considerably. "You think you offered me friendship? You were merely an obstacle in my way, a distraction. Besides, if you're hear now, aren't you a traitor too?"

Naruto shook his head. He brushed some bark off of his own utilitarian outfit. "Maybe I am a traitor. But, I'm not running away from the people who cared about me. I'm doing what I can to help someone I care about." Naruto took the note out of his pocket and threw it at Sasuke's feet. Sasuke left the paper where it lay.

"Orochimaru's sources within Akatsuki know the reason you are acting so predictably stupid. If you want to sacrifice your life, why not do it for someone who means something?" Sasuke smiled.

Naruto forced down his anger. He nodded his head. "You mean like Sakura?" He looked into the other ninja's eyes. Sasuke blinked, opened his mouth, and then stopped. "By the way, she's training with Tsunade now, and doing pretty well, as I understand it." Naruto sounded as if he were passing along gossip to an old friend. "But what do you care? You're an avenger and nothing more. Gotta become Itachi so you can destroy Itachi, right? But, won't that still leave an Itachi? Hmmm. It's all too clever for me."

"Idiot." Sasuke sneered. What was Naruto's mockery worth, really? "I suppose I should collapse in shame, hearing that from a clown of a ninja, someone training with a perverted hermit?"

"Right. I'm the idiot." Naruto ran his hand through his hair, and then struck a more confident pose. "I'm training under Jiraiya for only one reason. The position I really wanted was already taken. Ku ku ku."Naruto spat. "I really wanted to train under some soulless and murdering scum, who openly admitted that he was going to steal my body and toss my life in the trash. I envy you. That kind of position is so hard to find these days! Shit head!"

A squirrel ran down a nearby tree, its tail flicking with great agitation. As feeble as its small brain was, it could sense the danger in the air. Chittering, it headed for the nearest safe hole.

"I'm not as stupid as you wish to believe, dumbass." Sasuke tossed his hair. He looked at Naruto with a mild degree of contempt.

"Uh huh. I just love that condescending Uchiha look. It was worth running into you, just to see that again." Naruto put one hand behind his head and smled. "No, you're not stupid. The three years is nearly up, and you're still wearing your master's collar.

Sasuke put his hand to the forehead protector he wore at his neck. It bore the symbol for the Sound. "Why do you think I'm here today?" Sasuke walked over and retrieved his kunei. Naruto scratched his head. "Don't think too hard. We wouldn't want you to become exhausted before the big battle, would we?" Sasuke deliberately turned his back on Naruto.

"Why, then?" Naruto cursed under his breath. He sounded so damn eager, just like he did in the early days of Team Seven.

"You can't guess? Well, I can't say that I'm truly surprised…." The one time Leaf ninja turned. His eyes were extremely intense. "There is only one reason I let you know I was here."

Naruto bristled at that remark. He slowed his breathing, unclenched his jaw, and waved one hand. "You're an Uchiha. That means it has to be something stuck up. Something dramatic. I suppose you were going to warn me." The truth crawled up and bit Naruto on the nose. He knew why Sasuke must be there.

"Yes," one of the two remaining Uchiha said, nodding his head. "Perhaps ramen is brain food after all."

Naruto frowned Nobody should belittle ramen.

DEFECATE ON HIM.

'You know. I like you better when you're quiet.'

The faint sense of amusement that Naruto sensed signaled that he had made a mistake by saying that. No matter. There were more important matters at hand.

The two young ninjas stood staring at one another for a while, neither of them speaking. Both of them had flashbacks to their earlier days. Naruto was filled with an old sense of jealousy and resentment. Sasuke was touched by a sense of annoyance and patent disregard.

"I spared your life once before, loser."Sasuke smiled, a hard glint coming to his eyes, just after a touch of softness faded away. "I do not intend to make that mistake again. Itachi is mine. If you get in my way, I will kill you. Barring that, I will kill the girl."

Naruto growled. There was a good chance that Sasuke was just bluffing. But, afternearly three years apart, what did he really know about the other shinobi any more? He had once clung to the notion that the raven-haired boy was not really a traitor, but was actually operating as party of some plan. Tsunade's plan. Sasuke's own plan. Anybody's! He had desperately wanted to believe that Sasuke was merely going to grow in strength so that he could avenge the Third by killing Orochimaru. He had clung to the belief that his friend could be redeemed and reclaimed.

"I see. Bigger and badder than before, huh? You're finally ready to face your brother, and what do you do with that dearly-bought strength? You threaten a captive girl who never did you a moment's harm." Naruto blew the snot out of one nostril, and then the other. "It's hard to believe I once envied you. What a joke. Go ahead, say 'ku ku ku ku ku.' You know you want to."

KU KU KU KU

The demon's wise ass laughter came before the Sound ninja had a chance to reply.

Sasuke looked unmoved. "I know something even funnier, idiot. You still hope to save me somehow. Now that's amusin." Sasuke clenched one hand saying that. He put the other hand over the curse seal, grimacing in pain. An uneasy silence hung like a smothering fog over the forest area.

"Sasuke….." Naruto's voice was very flat. "I will tell you now. One time. Do not follow too close to me. If you do, I will kill you. If you had bothered to read the note, you would know why." Naruto sighed, and then tightened his shoulders. "If Akatsuki were to think you were my ally, and that I had broken one of their non-negotiable demands, they would kill Hinata."

"So?" Sasuke's shrugged.

"I already consider myself dead. The only reason I'm here is to save her." Naruto tugged at one ear a moment, acting nonchalant. "If she were dead, I would put everything I had into killing you, if you were the cause of that death." A faint outline of red-orange chakra flickered around him.

"And I am supposed to be concerned because…." Sasuke shook his head, a bemused look on his face.

"Because I have gotten a great deal stronger. Probably stronger than you.It may be that I am even powerful enough to stop Akatsuki's plans. I wouldn't be here if there was no chance." That was a lie, and Sasuke probably knew it. Then again, maybe he had his doubts too.

"Still a braggart. I guess I should not have expected that to change. You will always be the one chasing my shadow." Despite his pose, Sasuke sounded uncertain. Orochimaru's people had kept tabs on Naruto.

"You're right, Sasuke. Perhaps I am a desperate braggart. Who knows what someone like that might do? Maybe I should using the jutsu that the Third and Fourth used, taking Itachi down with me."

"It's stupid to care about someone that much…." Sasuke's voice sounded vulnerable for just a moment. "But, that is so like you." He waved his hand, as if dismissing Naruto.

"Yes, it is like me." Naruto laughed. "I remember seeing you prone, panting on a tree bough, totally spent, unable to save your precious friends. You were going to sacrifice yourself for Sakura. You were worried about me, too. But, you were helpless, no better than a babe in a crib."

Sasuke scowled. "That…" Whatever he was going to say was cut off.

"But, who saved the day? Me. That Naruto. Bet you couldn't believe it was me saving your ass and Sakura's."

SHUKAKU IS A PUSSY. NOTHING TO GET A SWELLED HEAD OVER.

Naruto's eyes bulged. He fought to keep his equilibrium.

"I didn't come here to worry about pointless memories. If that's all you have to be proud of…" Sasuke was interrupted again.

"Shit. I see that Orochimaru has you keeping you in good physical shape. But I guess he's been dumbing you down so that your body isn't so shocked when he takes over." Naruto chuckled. "You don't want to see my point, do you? Gaara was a sick and lonely bastard at the time, but he managed to see it. It made a big difference in his life." Naruto actually smiled, remembering a time he had run across the Sand shinobi a year or so ago. "Sasuke-kuuuuun." Naruto imitated Sakura's voice. "What made me strong?"

"This is pointless. You are nothing more than…" Sasuke's eyes narrowed when his was halted one more time.

"It was love that won. It was my feelings for my friends. That's what did it." Naruto stuck out his lower lip. "What is truly stupid, is hating someone so much. You've screwed up your own life almost as much as your brother has."

"Idiot!" Sasuke looked annoyed.

"Yes," Naruto nodded his head. "We can agree on that."

Sasuke started to walk away. "At least you're not as big of a dumbass as you once were." He shook his head. "You didn't ask for my help."

Naruto stood stunned. He had not even thought about that. Now that he did, he couldn't help himself. He began to laugh uproarishly, tears rolling down his face.

"H-Help… ha ha hah… ask you for h-help… ha ha hah…." He slapped his knee.

Sasuke kept walking. "It won't work…." He thought that Naruto was trying to finagle some kind of assistance. "You will die. The girl will probably die. But, as long as I have my moment in time with my brother, nothing else can possibly matter."

"R-Right…… ha ha hah… I really want your help." Naruto shook his head. "Your help didn't do much good the last time Itachi tried to get me. It was that old perverted hermit…the one that you look down on…who chased that pansy and his shark-tooted friend away. You ended up in the hospital. I went off, learned a new jutsu, and brought back the new Hokage. You were so jealous, that you left your sick bed to fight me."

Sasuke stopped. When he turned, his eyes were filled with murder.

WHAT A GOOD LOOK. YOU SHOULD TRY THAT. IT WORKS FOR ME

Naruto gave his full attention to Sasuke. "Oh, what's that look. That's only going to get you killed. Ha! Your buddy Kabuto said something like that to me, not long before I kicked his ass with my first Rasengan." Naruto put both hands behind his head. "Instead of being glad that Konoha was safe, you were only worried that I had become so much stronger." Naruto turned his back on Sasuke. "Who needs help from someone like that?"

A kunei flashed past Naruto, embedding itself deep into the bole of a tree once split by lightning. A shallow cut had been opened in his cheek, allowing blood to drip down on the moss and leaf litter at his feet.

Naruto grinned. Sasuke stood, shaking. Why were his emotions so much on edge? What was this feeling threatening to take over him?

"Sakura's gotten pretty, you know," Naruto laughed, sounding like he was talking to another customer at the noodle shop. "Her breasts are pretty big."He held his hands up in front of his chest. There was a flicker in Sasuke's eye. "But, sorry to say, her butt got pretty big too…." Naruto held his arms far apart. He shook his head, sighing. Sasuke's face hardened up completely. "Hmmm? So serious. I simply thought that you might like to know, that's all."

Sasuke opened his mouth, but shook his head. There really wasn't anything he needed to say. He had done what he needed to do. His past life was nothing more than a useless memory.

"So, why did that creepy bastard let you come all the way out here?" Naruto frowned. There was something in the back of his mind, but he couldn't put a finger on it. "I would have thought that he wanted to keep his next body safe."

"I killed my guards. I drugged Orochimaru's wine, much the way I hear that the Hokage spiked your brilliant master's drink. I left without leaving a note. Still, he knows where Akatsuki will be. He realizes that the sand in my hourglass is running out." Sasuke ran a hand through his hair. "No doubt he is on his way, chasing me down."

Naruto cursed. Another uninvited guest. More complications.

YOUR GOOD FORTUNE HUMBLES ME. THE ENEMY SHOULD FLEE WHILE THERE'S STILL TIME

Orochimaru's presence might actually turn out to be a good thing, if it distracted Akatsuki. Only time would tell. He would make one more point to Sasuke before resuming his journey. "Well then, I won't try and kill Itachi, unless he tries to stop me or kill Hinata." Naruto scratched the back of his head. "So, even a genius like you shouldn't have trouble seeing that it is in your benefit to make certain that Itachi does not get in my way, or try to hurt the girl." Naruto's eyes flashed. His fangs grew. He literally bit off his next words. "If Hinata dies by your brother's hand, or the hands of his pals, Itachi will be the first one I go after." He saluted Sasuke. "Don't make me do your job for you, OK. I'm doing you a big favor by letting you have your brother as it is." With that, he seemed to disappear.

Sasuke had no idea what had transpired. Even his advanced talents with the sharingan were unable to give him the slightest clue. He was too shocked to be infuriated by the other ninja's parting remark.

In actuality, Naruto had created a realm, and chose to sit tight for a while, until the other ninja moved on. It was hard being patient.

Things were about to get busy.