A/N: Hmm. Here we are, with another chapter. In this one, we have a fight! A real Naruto fight. Not a spar. Hehe. It isn't a huge, all-out jutsu battle, but it gives you a little peek at what he's now capable of. Warnings: a sheepish Sasuke, some violence, mild language, and OOC as always. Thanks for reviewing, guys. You all make me happy! Oh, yeah. Someone asked me if there would be any pairings. Um, duh? Just to clarify for people who seem to read in their sleep: Sasuke and Sakura, duh. Ino and Chouji. That's it so far, though there are implications for others. Not as blatantly stated as Sasuke telling Sakura that he loves her and her yelling at him, but you should be able to spot it. Ok. That's it for hints.

Legal Stuffiness: Oh, come on guys. If I owned Naruto, would I write fanfictions about it. Ok, so I probably would, but I dont' own it, honest!

Time: 4.5 years after Sasuke's departure

Place: Konoha, Uchiha compound

Mission: Training, prep for a dinner for 15, ANBU patrols

Chapter 7: Uninvited Guest

It was Thursday, and the ANBU had still not found anything in their search of the Uchiha compound. Now, Sasuke sat on the back porch of the house, taking a break from his training. He still had company coming over later. As it was, he had a full house, so to speak. His two teammates, Moegi and Konohamaru, had been sleeping over since Tuesday, and refused to leave, even though both he and Hinata had suggested it. For her part, Hinata and her sister Hanabi were also staying in the Uchiha main house, along with Shino's little cousin, Sonora. There were also occasionally various ANBU roaming the halls and gardens.

For the first time in nearly ten years, there was something approaching a family environment in the Uchiha compound. Konohamaru and Moegi fought like they were siblings, and Sasuke and Hinata had ended up turning referee more than once. Sonora remained silent most times, unless spoken to directly, resembling her elder cousin. Occasionally, if Kotetsu was allowed a break, he came to speak with Konohamaru. The street had people in it, albeit only a few, and Sasuke's smile had turned sad, remembering things he'd long since tried to forget.

Hanabi was, at the moment, sparring with Moegi. The younger genin was gaining some of the confidence that Kurenai had spoken of, for which he was grateful. Konohamaru's spar with Sonora was different. The Aburame was being careful of the boy's injured arm, and he knew it. Though he attempted to provoke her, nothing worked. He still hadn't figured out the key to fighting with someone who wasn't as hotheaded as himself or his teammate. Hinata sat next to Sasuke, watching the others spar. She asked, "Do you think they're getting better?"

He nodded. "Moegi hasn't gotten knocked out yet, I'd say that's a good thing. Yesterday, she got knocked out three times. Your sister is scary, Hinata-chan." A small smile formed on her face. Then, he said, "That is, she's very powerful. I don't think that I would want to fight her." Hinata's smile widened, and her eyebrow rose in a sarcastic expression.

"But you'll fight me, Sasuke-kun?" That's right, Sasuke. Dig the hole deeper…

He laughed a little. "Apology?"

"Accepted." She looked around, seemingly trying to find something. Sasuke knew what she was looking for.

"He's probably checking some of the last few houses in the southern part of the compound. He'll be back later. It'll be getting dark soon, and the teams will have to switch out." The Hokage had assigned Neji and Naruto's teams to cover the compound during daylight hours, and then two separate teams for night. Sasuke had offered lodging to all of them, but only the daytime teams had accepted. So, at any given time, there were from six to twelve ANBU within the confines of the compound, along with the heir of the Hyuuga and her sister, and Sonora, Sasuke, Moegi, and Konohamaru. He had a full house, indeed.

Later, he'd have even more people coming over. Sakura, Chouji, Shikamaru, and apparently Ino, would all be joining the rest of them for dinner. In all, there would be fifteen people at dinner. A sudden panic went through him. He had never cooked for so many. "Hinata-chan, I need your help." Her expression was confused. "You know that there'll be a lot of people here tonight, yes?" She nodded. "Can you help me? I haven't gone to get any food, and I've never cooked that much before. Ever."

Hinata grinned. It was a little odd to see her with a…mischievous grin. After a short pause, she gathered a bit of chakra in her hands, and clapped them above her head, causing the sound to amplify. All four genin ceased their spar, hearing Hinata's usual signal for taking a break. The all came over, inquisitive looks on their faces. "Ok, you four. We have a little mission for you. Sasuke-kun and I will be making dinner for everyone tonight. But we don't have supplies. So we'll make a list, and split it between the four of you. There's a time limit, though. You'll only have two hours." They didn't seem very enthusiastic.

Sasuke decided to add a small bonus. "Winner spars with whoever they want. The winner being the person who gets back with their items first, with nothing damaged." Moegi's eyes lit up, Konohamaru gained an evil glint in his eye, and Sonora simply stood there, one eyebrow raised. Hanabi nodded calmly. This was not the kind of mission she had done since she was first a genin, but it didn't really matter. Sasuke knew that the girl was willing to help. Ten minutes later, the four of them were streaking toward the market with separate lists. Sasuke had a new appreciation for Hinata's teaching skills. She was certainly better at dealing with children than he was.

"Shino, have you found anything?" Kotetsu's voice crackled over the radio, Naruto and Shino listening.

"No. What about you two?"

Naruto sighed. "Not here. I think that's the last one." They met in the street. "I guess all that's left is patrol the inner area until the night shift arrives." Shino nodded, and Kotetsu grunted. The man never did like patrol duty. He'd just have to get used to it.

"Taicho?"

"Yes, Shino?"

"Do you really think that we can trust the Uchiha?"

Had his mask not been covering his face, the other man would have seen his expression darken. "Sasuke is like a brother to me, Shino. I think I know him well enough to know that he's able to be trusted. I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't say anything more about it.

"Hai, taicho." Naruto's eyes rolled as he looked at the other man. His smiling jackal mask stared back. From behind the mask, Naruto could now actually see the color of Shino's eyes. An odd combination of dark blue and splashes of green, they were almost iridescent, which reminded Naruto of the insects that the Aburame used. He had only been part of his team for a couple of days, but Naruto really wished that he'd just cut it out with the formality. It was slightly annoying.

"I hope you're not like this at dinner, Shino." Kotetsu's voice was sarcastic behind his mask. "Hinata-chan and Sasuke-kun are busy cooking up a storm right now, and I'm sure that you wouldn't want to offend our host." Naruto nodded, agreeing for once with the cocky shinobi. Shino was silent, as expected.

"Heh. Let's start the patrol, and keep radio contact. I'm not losing another team member on a simple babysitting job." There was a slight growl hidden in his voice as he took off to the north of the compound. It had really begun to get to him that Hanmaru had died under his command. He knew that it wasn't his fault, but that didn't stop the irrational guilt from building up in the back of his mind. As he moved through the streets of the northern sector of the compound, scanning for movement of any type, his hand strayed to the familiar oblong bulge beneath his shirt.

"Tsunade-baba…" Memories of the first few weeks of knowing the present Hokage flashed through his mind. The expression on her face when he said he would one day be Hokage, and the utter disbelief in her eyes as he nearly jumped across the table at her when she insulted the former Hokages. The fact that she entrusted a precious family heirloom to him on a simple bet. Now, one of his subordinates had been killed, in broad daylight, less than a hundred meters from him. His hand gripped the crystal through his vest and shirt, beginning to shake slightly.

How could this have happened? He knew that it had been Orochimaru himself. That even if he or Kotetsu had seen him, there was no way that he could have been stopped. But that gnawing guilt had dug in its heels, and wasn't leaving, no matter how hard he pushed, pulled, or tried to pry it out. They trusted him. The Hokage, Sasuke, and others...how long would it be before he let them all down? Then, he saw something. Touching a finger to the pressure switch of the collar radio, he said, "Kotetsu, Shino, report."

"Nothing, senpai."

"Here either, taicho."

"Well, boys, I might have something here. Check back with you in two minutes. If not, come and find me. I'm headed toward Neji. Out." Keeping his breathing even, he followed the flash of color that he saw fleeing around the corner of the next building. Black. It had been black and red. Mind racing, he came around the corner of the building to look into the alleyway. The black and red blur disappeared again, this time taking a left down the next street. He jumped up onto the roof of the nearest house, and ran along the roofline, attempting to get a drop on the person who was obviously trying to evade him.

Again touching his collar radio to slightly change frequencies, he said, "Neji. Neji, you there?"

"Hai. What is it, Naruto?" The other man's voice was the same level quiet that it usually was, but there was something there that told Naruto that he had sensed the urgency when he called for him.

"I'm not sure, but I think I may have flushed someone out. He's heading your way. I'm in pursuit, taking high ground. Be in position to intercept." The man answered in the affirmative. Naruto just caught a glimpse of the dark blur heading southwest, and he increased his speed, trying to keep up. It wasn't long before he entered Neji's area of the compound, and into the half a kilometer around the Uchiha main house. Suddenly, the blur stopped.

Dropping to street level, Naruto cautiously approached what appeared to be a member of Akatsuki. He sidled along the edge of a two story structure, eyes locked on the red clouds on the long black coat. Still too far away from the man to see his face, he radioed Neji again. "Are you in position, Hyuuga?"

"Hai."

"Good. Can you see who it is?"

Silence was all Naruto heard for a moment, and he knew that Neji was activating the Byakagun to check on the man's identity. A small cough came over the radio. "I'll give you two guesses, Naruto." The man was usually so direct that for an instant, he was surprised at the small amount of indirect wit that had entered into his voice. It was only an instant, though. After he cleared the small hitch in his breath, he answered.

"It's Itachi, isn't it?" The question seemed more of a statement, but really, there was little question to it. It was the elder Uchiha brother, and they had to get rid of him. Then he thought of something that chilled him. "Neji, cut the Byakagun, now." The man complied without asking for a reason. They both knew about the Mangekyo Sharingan, and of the two of them, Neji would be more sensitive to it, what with the acuity of vision that the Byakagun gave him. It was silently understood between them that it would be better for him to stand by in reserve, in case Naruto couldn't handle the man.

All this time, he'd slowly been inching toward the Uchiha from behind, along the edge of the building, barely breathing, masking his chakra, and trying desperately to think of a plan. Then, Neji said something that really surprised him. "Uzumaki, be careful." It wasn't that the Hyuuga was uncaring toward Naruto, but it always surprised him when he showed concern for him, simply because he was so reserved.

"You know me, Neji." Naruto said quietly, smiling.

Through a slight amount of static, he heard Neji's slightly amused voice in his ear. "Yes, I do. Don't do anything foolish." Chuckling silently to himself, he drew his weapon, and walked out into the street.

"Uchiha Itachi."

As the man turned, the wind picked up, as if just for him, causing his coat to flutter around him, the sun glinting off of eyes that were as red as the clouds that were scattered over his the black fabric he wore. Now, that's an entrance. Naruto thought for a second that nature seemed to have a notion of making this man seem more formidable than he actually was, though it probably wasn't at all possible. He watched as the Akatsuki opened the top of his coat, resting one arm on a still fastened button at waist height.

Just like it was years earlier, Itachi's voice was a deep drawl, like a darker version of Sasuke's. "Uzumaki Naruto." The man smiled slightly, tilting his head slightly to one side. Naruto was not surprised that he knew it was him. After all, not that many people had hair like his…and the fact that the S-class criminals had been studying his movements from the shadows for some time surely helped. "I'm not here for you."

"Too bad, Uchiha. You got me. Now, the question is, what are you gonna do?" His bravado usually got him in trouble, he knew. He also knew that this would most likely be business as usual. The smile on Itachi's lips widened, just a little. That can't be a good sign. The last button opened on the other man's coat, and it fell away, revealing simple black clothing and a katana strapped to his back. Naruto usually preferred looking people in the eyes, but that could get him killed at this point.

So, he watched the other man's body, each muscle movement telling him what to expect. One hand rose to the hilt of his katana, and Naruto smiled. Planting the point of his own blade in the packed dirt of the street, he smiled slightly as he employed a fun little jutsu he'd invented just the year before. After forming six hand seals, he whispered, "Katon Ken no Jutsu…" and placed a hand on the hilt, the other grasping the blade just below the guard. His chakra flowed steadily into the palms of his hands.

Drawing the katana from the ground, it passed through the fingers that were holding the blade as if he were wiping it clean. As his hand moved to the tip of the blade, the steel glowed a dull red, then he drew it along the ground, and the blade was aflame. The other man actually seemed to be chuckling to himself. When he spoke, there was mild amusement in his tone. "Come, Uzumaki." Never were very talkative, were you?

In the blink of an eye, Naruto was upon him, and the clash of blades was heard in the street, sparks showering both men as they moved with equal speed. Neither man gained any ground on the other, for a long moment. Then, the Uchiha caught one of Naruto's feet with his own, knocking him off balance. The ANBU fell, and the Akatsuki sat on Naruto's hips, blade across his throat in the same instant that the smoldering blade came to his own neck.

Itachi used his other hand to move Naruto's mask aside. He pushed his face close to Naruto's in spite of the sizzle of and hiss of his own flesh burning when he did so. Forcing me to look you in the eye, huh? Bastard. "Uzumaki, I thought I told you that I'm not here for you. Listen and listen well. I am hunting vermin. You know of whom I speak."

"Orochimaru?" Naruto, now forced to look Itachi in the eye, searched the man's gaze for some hint of his intentions. He found none.

"Hai."

"So you expect me to let you go just because you're trying to kill the same guy I am?" He snorted. "For all I know, you're here to kill Sasuke."

"No, Uzumaki. That day has not yet come. When it does, he will come to me." Naruto felt the pressure on his arm being relieved as the Uchiha stood and removed his blade from his throat. "I do not propose that you allow me to leave without first knowing what the Leaf will gain."

"I'm not in any position to bargain with you, Itachi. Only the Hokage can do that." His eyes burned up at Itachi as he pulled himself to his feet.

A wry smile had planted itself firmly on the other man's lips. "Uzumaki, the Hokage would not bargain with me. She has no personal stake in this. You, on the other hand, have suffered at the hands of that coward, Orochimaru, as have your friends, and my brother." His eyes held something unreadable when he mentioned Sasuke. "I would not strike a bargain with anyone else." Not knowing what to think, Naruto replied in a tone that revealed not a little suspicion.

"What to you have in mind, Uchiha?"

"Give me information as to the coward's whereabouts, and I will rid the world of him. The Leaf will no longer have to worry about him." Naruto waited for the catch, but Itachi seemed to have spoken his piece.

"As simple as that? You're not asking for anything in return?"

"Ah, but that's where you're wrong. I ask only that you leave me to my work." The tone of Itachi's voice had turned to that of a shop-keeper haggling with a particularly stubborn customer over the price of goods. This was a dangerous proposition. On the one hand, he could continue to fight Itachi, probably get himself killed in the process, and then Itachi would do what he wanted. Or, he could simply let the man go, himself beating a tactical retreat.

"What do you get out of this, other than me not bothering you?" Why was he even considering such a deal? He could be executed for treason for this.

"I get to kill Orochimaru. He's a coward, and he betrayed me and my associates."

Naruto smiled. "No honor amongst thieves, is that it?" The other man smiled again. After a moment, Naruto said, "Let's suspend reality and say that I agree. Will you agree to leave Konoha alone?"

"This village has never been a goal of mine, or of any of my associates. I'm sure you've figured out that there is only one thing in this village that we truly desire." At the mention of the Kyuubi, the thing stirred inside his head. It wasn't too keen on what they had planned for it. For some time, Naruto had begun to realize that the beast was getting slowly used to him, and had no desire to swap him out for another body. Itachi smiled more widely, a mere show of teeth. "When the day comes for us take it, that is the day you'll die."

"You know," the ANBU said, "I don't think that I'm very happy with the deal you've presented. How's about we negotiate a little?" The Kyuubi in the back of his head made a sound that could have been a laugh as he drew on its chakra, causing the katana in his hand to blaze more brightly than before. Leveling it at Itachi, he said in a dangerous tone, "Come, Uchiha."

"As you wish." Once again, steel rang against steel, and they were showered in the brightness of sparks. After a moment or so, Neji appeared in the mouth of an alleyway, as did the rest of the day-shift ANBU in other alleys. Naruto's blade dripped flame, which went sputteringly out on the ground, and sizzled into the flesh of Itachi's left arm when one of his swipes came too close to the Uchiha.

The other man had speed, accuracy, and his Sharingan on his side, and he wasn't gaining any ground. Neither was Naruto. In fact, Naruto was beginning to get bored. Physically, they were decently matched. He had to wonder what would happen if he used any other jutsus. After a short but furious volley of attacks and parries, he backed off. He knew better than to try any more fire techniques. Even if the man did get burned, he simply didn't seem to mind. He released the Katon ken and then sheathed his blade, hearing it searing the wood inside the sheath.

When he looked back at the other man, Itachi was watching him in an inquisitive way. "What are you doing, Uzumaki?"

Smiling, Naruto scratched behind his head. "You're boring, Itachi. It's more fun fighting your brother." Turning away from him, he hooked his thumbs into the waistband of his pants, and started walking away. If Itachi was half the proud bastard Sasuke used to be, he'd bristle enough at the insult that he'd most likely charge at him from behind. And that's when he'd get him.

Kiba stood next to Akamaru and Tenten in the alley. Why was Naruto walking away? He'd been doing pretty good against the guy. Tenten smiled next to him. "I didn't think he was that smart."

"What? He turned his back on the guy. I'd say that's pretty dumb." Kiba's eyebrows rose, and challenged the woman to tell him why she thought Naruto was smart.

"That's psychological torture." When the man didn't seem to understand, she nodded at Itachi. "Watch him closely, Kiba. He's shifting his weight from one foot to the other. His katana is starting to tremble. Naruto's making him mad on purpose. With Itachi, it could be more of a gamble than he should take, but I think it might be necessary."

"Then why don't we get over there and help?"

"Because, baka. He's here for a reason. Naruto's just trying to get information and then chase him off." Kiba nodded, understanding finally. He still wanted to sic Akamaru on the guy, but he didn't want to get his best friend hurt.

Naruto heard Itachi's footsteps, and heard them pick up speed. That was when he began gathering the Rasengan in his hand, which was positioned nonchalantly to seem as if he still had his hand benignly at the waist of his pants. He took deep breaths, concentrating on building up the speed of the spin in the tight ball of chakra in his hand. The footfalls began to close in. Ten meters. Five. Two.

Naruto spun around, hand raised. Itachi was barreling toward him, katana raised, in perfect position for receiving a full dose of Rasengan right in the middle of his chest. When he was only a meter away, Naruto extended his arm, ready to collide with the Uchiha. However, Itachi suddenly spun around in place, and Naruto simply ran past him, the jutsu still spinning in his hand. When he turned, he saw the missing-nin doubled over in what appeared to be pain.

"Wha—" Naruto looked around. There, in the nearest alleyway, was Sasuke. Sighing, and sheer panic rising in his stomach, Naruto watched as Sasuke pulled one of the cords on his right dart launcher. Three darts hit Sasuke's brother full in the chest. The younger Uchiha's face was a mask, devoid of emotion, but his eyes burned dark fire at his brother.

"Itachi." The elder looked up to see his brother. It was disturbing how much Sasuke resembled him. Naruto thougth it was like a photo-negative. Sasuke's white attire, Itachi's black, yet the similarities of their faces…It boggled the mind. Sasuke's voice shook. "Aniki, please leave. I will not ask you again." The elder stood there, plucking darts from his flesh and then looked over at the younger. His eyes held something that Naruto could not identify. Then, he simply was not there, vanishing much the way Kakashi did, in a small cloud of smoke.

Sasuke's breathing was ragged. He looked over at Naruto, the Rasengan now beginning to dissipate in his hand. Pulling down his right sleeve, he nodded to his friend. "You alright, Naruto?" The blonde ANBU's face was full of shock. Then, the street rang out with his loud voice.

"What the hell are you doing, Sasuke? You're supposed to be back at the house!" Naruto's mouth hung open a little, unable to fathom why he would have left the house, even with all the noise he could hear half a mile away.

"You're welcome, baka. I saved your ass, you know." He sighed at the confused expression on Naruto's face. He wouldn't understand until he explained it to him, but it didn't matter at the moment. "Ah, hell. It doesn't matter at the moment. The night shift just got here, so let's get back. Sakura and Hinata shoved me out of the kitchen, so I don't know what they're doing in there." He and Hinata had done most of the preparation work before Sakura had gotten there, but it had really been Sakura who did the shoving, making him go and spar with Konohamaru.

The rest of them followed behind him and Naruto. Sasuke turned a deaf ear to the protests his friend was giving him. He kept saying that he could have handled it himself. Yeah. You could have handled it just fine. He was about to chop your head off, idiot. Naruto had become frighteningly strong, but there were still some blind spots that he hadn't gotten rid of. When they got back to the house, the ANBU members went to clean themselves up, to be ready for dinner at eight.

And what a dinner it would be.