Gravity

Standard Disclaimer still applies.

Don't Worry! There is still the epilogue! The true ending of this story I decided to include in the epilogue because the ending of the chapter almost made me cry… so I couldn't continue writing for fear it would ruin it. Don't make fun of my ending either…. I'm watching you!

random reader – lol! Oh yes, they will indeed be chronically late for everything.
Flaming Beauty – …I think I'm going to take away the caffeine now…
AznAnimeChick – Don't worry! There's an epilogue! I wouldn't be that cruel
Ox King – I really try… My knowledge of Naruto is pretty much animeverse only with a bit of tidbits inbetween… so there was bound to be a lot of differences for people who read the manga before the anime….
Tsumetai Taiyoukai – the battle might disappoint you, it did for me… for some reason, I just can't get it all out… its painful!
III-Kit-sama-III – Okay! (Takes cookie)

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Naruto's head snapped down and he stared straight ahead to a pale skinned long red haired figure standing not 20 meters from them, a sickly grin plastered onto his face and a stony cold black gaze boring into them.

"Isn't that right, Orochimaru-kun?" almost immediately Sasuke and Sakura tensed, shifting eyes between their opponent and Naruto in concealed confusion. They weren't left with much option for interrogation as Sakura was suddenly plunging backwards as Sasuke was kicked flat in the jaw, spinning away onto the ground.

Being in the middle, Naruto had ducked and twisted out from under Akira's attack, heading to Sasuke's direction. He glanced over at Sasuke nursing his jaw, and within that moment, a battle plan was laid out. Naruto dashed as fast as his feet could carry him to the left, Sasuke to the right. Akira watched them warily.

"I know your secret…" Naruto suddenly said from behind him, Akira whirled and planted a back kick into Naruto's stomach only to be evaded at the last second as the blond gaki shifted to the side and flipped backwards, away from the red haired man. Akira would have given chase, but heat to the right alerted him to a large fireball coming to his direction. He laughed, letting the thing fly past him, completely unfazed.

He didn't anticipate the mountain crumpling fist of Tsunade's apprentice lodging itself into his cheek and sending him spiralling backwards, however. But he laughed all the same.

"Seems you've gotten a tick better, Naruto-kun, Sasuke-kun, Sakura-chan…." The man spoke, rubbing his jaw tenderly while Naruto narrowed his eyes from his crouched position.

"Ie… you let her hit you."

"Ie, it was an honest strike, really!" their enemy insisted with this sickening smile accompanied by the over sweet voice. Sakura launched forward, striking with the infamous heel drop, the smoke cleared and Akira was nowhere to be seen. Unexplainably Sasuke ducked and swerved bringing his leg up and around backwards, only to have the head of Akira lean backwards, letting the counterattack slide past him.

Nartuo, who was still crouched down, started running through seals quickly while he was occupied.

"Hyouton, Hyouchuu no jutsu" he whispered, in an instantly ice pillars were jutting from the ground as Naruto froze their arena, Sasuke and Sakura played the pillars with knowing looks, while Akira was forced to dodge each pillar, moving away from his intended targets and into the air.

"Tch.. Katon, Kasen no jutsu!" Akira whipped out his arm, causing a string of molten fire to lash out, crashing through the pillars he couldn't dodge. The fire whip continued on, making a beeline for Naruto who had gritted his teeth. Dislodge the ice jutsu, or take a hit?

"Suiton, Suiryuudan no Jutsu" Naruto smirked, adding more chakra to his attack and launching ice pillars from the ground to higher than trees while Akira was falling…

"Naruto!" The blond froze before he registered the pain, followed by skidding on the ground and rolling continuously before smashing into two trees and stopping. He didn't even see the man move, much less get out of the air. He whipped the blood from the corner of his mouth and growled like a fox. Bunshin. Tch, damnit.

The moment he got up, Sakura slammed into him, blood dripping from a nasty gash on her forehead. He traveled back further another 3 trees before he managed to slam a kunai down with one hand and slow his momentum.

"Sakura? ……" Naruto wanted to curse in as many colourful languages as he could, but he couldn't spare the moment. He laid her down gently and ran through a string a hand seals. He accessed one of the few healing techniques he knew and started on her cut. Back in the clearing, he heard explosions.

"Stay safe Sasuke… I'll be right there…" Naruto murmured, standing up and taking a deep breath. He pulled out a scroll and swiped some of his blood across it. With a puff of smoke dozens of oddly shaped Kunai revealed themselves and Naruto started storing them on his person. He smirked.

Flahsback

"Well, actually Naruto, the technique is actually surprisingly simple; it's just the preparation before hand. You see, the seals made on each individual kunai and spare tag are made in your blood, so that only you can activate it. Than, it's just a matter of alignment… after that, it's relatively simple….. Just don't tell anyone I said that."

"You're giving me these?"

"Ah… technically speaking, you should be able to use them too, you are my blood." Arashi smiled and despite Naruto's age, he couldn't help but gleam like the child he was portraying.

"Great! When do we get started?"

"… Naruto…..!" Arashi sighed. Damn the kid was helpless.

End

"Heh…. Oni-kai!" Naruto exclaimed, packing in more chakra to the reverse demon henge technique and getting out of his childish body much faster than the usual 5 minutes. In seconds he was standing full height in all his glory. He breathed a sigh of relief; it was so much better being tall again…

"Heh……. Hold on, just a bit longer Sasuke." Naruto muttered, moving quickly and launching out his father's special kunai.

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Sasuke held his bleeding arm close to his body. With one arm incapacitated, he couldn't do ninjutsu. He grumbled, dodging pathetically to yet another knee to the stomach attack as Akira manhandled him.

"You WILL be mine…" Akira said pointedly… no.. Orochimaru, Sasuke remembered incredulously to the name Naruto had called him. Although, it did make a bit of sense.

"Heh… Orochimaru… you know something?" Akira paused.

"Naruto put me through a genjutsu once…. Actually it wasn't too long ago really. It's just; I never had a chance to try it out until now. Heheh…. Actually it's pretty cool..." Sasuke started to stand upright, letting his limp arm hang lifelessly to his side, blood dripping onto the ground. His eyes were shaded by his hair even as the wind blew through it, ruffling his clothing. Akira could only see the white of his eyes through the shadows.

"Mangekyo Sharingan!" he called out, causing Akira to take several steps back, his eyes gleaming with unhidden desire.

"Heh…" Sasuke felt exhilarated that it worked; he'd thank Naruto for it later. He grabbed his lifeless arm and manipulated it into a hand seal while Akira watched on with unbridled glee.

"Susanno." Glee turned to horror as Akira started darting too and fro, trying to escape. Sasuke only said the words however, he hadn't activated the technique, and it wasn't time yet anyways.

"Tsuuten Kyaku!" Akira brought his arms up to block, enforcing them with sickly black energy as Sakura's leg impacted downward on him, creating a massive creator amidst the ice pillars and water. Akira's arms didn't seem damaged, but he still staggered as Sakura flipped backwards, landing beside Sasuke.

"Hiraishin no jutsu!" Akira jumped away quickly, only to be hit hard in the back. He went slewing forward into the pink haired girl's mighty fist before jerking backwards as Naruto came around to the side with a brilliant flash of gold and with a vicious kick; he nailed Akira in the collar bone.

Before, every battle they had with Akira, they would get owned by him. They would rarely, if ever, come out without serious injuries, of half alive. However, this time was different, a few new techniques, a clear target and the want to kill made this battle all the more different. This time, it was Akira on the run.

"Tch…" Akira got up slowly, coughing as he did so. Naruto smirked as he spotted a tiny crack in the amulet the bastard wore around his neck. Red hair had obscured his features, but if Naruto could see them, he'd be terrified.

"Play time's over." In a flash of red, Naruto was hit savagely in the chin. However, blond was ready, and in a similar flash of gold, he was gone. Flashes of red and gold appeared around Sasuke and Sakura as they kept close together. It was pure speed against Hiraishin, it for the moment, it looked like Speed was winning… until gold turned red as well.

"So, Sasuke.. I see you actually obtained mangekyou…"

"Ah, it's the same version Kakashi-sensei has; I think….I can't use Amaterasu or Tsukuyomi, only Susanno…. Which will be good enough."

"Sou ka…." Sakura mumbled as her eyes darted out watching the battle as much as her limited vision would allow.

Suddenly the flashes of red stopped as Akira was launched into the air, a bloody beaten and bruised Naruto on the ground panting heavily.

"Sasuke! The amulet… aim for... the amulet!" he just barely got out. Sasuke went to grab his limp arm only to realize it wasn't so limb anymore. He looked over to Sakura, but only received a wink. The Uchiha smirked and formed the hand seal Kakashi used before.

"Susanno!" he roared, keeping his eyes pinned on the amulet that was floating in the air just above Akira's chest. Akira was in the pinnacle of his accent before there was a great shifting of reality, then a burst of energy that flattened team 7 to the ground.

When it was over, Sasuke and Sakura saw ashes falling to the ground, or rather….dirt, grit, compost…. A bone or two were also thrown into the mix. Sakura went back to their bags and got out her medical supplies, starting to heal herself them made her way to the unconscious Naruto and Sasuke.

She noticed Sasuke had an unusual smile on his face, one she had only seen before his clan died. She fought down the school yard crush buried deep in her chest and started tending to him.

"That was anti-climatic, don't you think?"

"No… not really." Sakura perked an eyebrow at him, looking to where he was looking.

"Are you being… philosophical?" Sasuke scowled.

"No! it's just that… well… actually… it feels right." When his arm was full bandaged, as well as various other spots on his body, He laid backwards as Sakura left to tend to Naruto on his other side.

"We caught him off guard…. It was a perfect ending." Sakura watched as Sasuke's eyes faded from their illusive red back to their deep obsidian before closing with that smile on his face.

"You're weird, you know that? Absolutely nutty." She snorted; busying herself once again with Naruto's many injuries.

"hnnn… saaakuuuraa…. I have a headache… don't make fun of me!" Sakura merely fell over, glaring at the Uchiha.

"I'm surprised you're not unconscious. Kakashi was after using that attack for the first time you know..."

"aaah? Hai Hai…" came the sleepy mumble as the Uchiha unconsciously curled up against Naruto, seeking the warmth. If she hadn't seen it several times, she'd think there was something going on between the two, but she herself did the same thing in her sleep. The pink haired girl yawned before lying down and snuggling up to the bandaged blond, secretly wishing she was so lazy as to get the blankets out from their bags.

"Ne… Sasuke?"

"Hn…."

"Ie… nevermind."

"Hn."

It would be sometime later when Naruto awoke, staring up at the clear starry sky with a smile. With a string of chakra he brought their bags over to them without moving. From there, he extracted three blankets and covered him and his family with them. Naruto couldn't recall seeing the sky so clear, framed by pillars of ice and tall evergreens with a small pond growing at the base of the little hill they were on, reflecting the crescent moon back at the sky.

"Minna…. I love you." The blond said, closing his eyes and drifting off once again.

"ditto….Naruto-kun…" gurgled a voice.

"hn…" came another sleepy mumble. The sky above them shed one tear in the shape of a shooting star and Naruto couldn't help but smile.

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In Infinite Grace we find ourselves soaring above the others to an unknown destination. But in the end, we must all bow to the Gravity in which the flow of life takes us. Once we have come back down to earth and our physical essence finally shatters, all that is left behind is the Grail of our memories, the immortality that the people who love us remember us as.

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Hyouchuuno jutsu– Literally means 'Ice Pillar' (also Tsurara ) (ninjutsu)

Kasenno jutsu– Literally means 'fire arrow' (ninjutsu)

'Susanno' is a possible name for the implosion technique Kakashi used in the manga (I never read up that far…though, my bad.) says so at the site I got it at.

The Epliogue will be a separate 'story' (though very, very short) so look for the next one: Grail