Disclaimer: Refer to chapter 1.

AN: Chapter Title: A Looming Shadow

Sasuke Uchiha laid on the bed he had been brought to and sighed. His armor had been stripped away, his sword somehow taken from the death grip he held on it, and he turned his head to catch sight of the numerous monitors surrounding him.

'This is all unnecessary.' He looked towards the ceiling for a moment before his eyes left it, drifted down as his eyes closed. 'I should be able to view the finals still, see whatever unlucky bastard is my opponent for the next round, and get a chance to see what they can do.'

'But I'm stuck here instead.' He lifted an arm, felt his strength returned even if he wasn't a hundred percent, and looked to his hand. 'I can hold my sword, I can stand, and I can walk but I'm still stuck here. I can't even watch my opponents.' He made a fist. It was shaky but still a fist. 'I should be allowed to leave but they refuse to let me.'

His eyes left his hand, looked to where he knew a number of Naruto's Praetorians waited. His Sharingan had found them despite their rather adept use of the Transformation Technique.

"You shouldn't be awake." He didn't see who appeared next to him, forced any exclamation of surprise back down his throat. He turned his head with deliberate slowness, allowed his Sharingan to take in the familiar figure standing next to his bed.

"I shouldn't have won in the eyes of some but I did. I am, at times, full of surprises but you should know that already." Sasuke refused to be on his back, sat up in his bed.

At least he tried to. Two fingers were all it took to force him back down. His visitor knew he didn't like it, forced to be made to rest on his back like a child. He was powerless in such a state, at the mercy of whatever had motivated the cause of his current state to visit the Uchiha. It was not care for his well-being, the Jonin had never expressed that before. His reason was simple, the Uchiha was enlightened enough of future events to know why the Jonin was present.

The invasion that sought to destroy Konohagakure before the day was over with.

"Don't try to get up again. It's for your own health Sasuke." Kakashi ignored the glare from the Uchiha. His Sharingan took shape in his eyes, glared up at him to no effect. The Jonin didn't care about the hate in the eyes that looked at him. He only cared about the fear, the tiny silver of the powerful emotion, that resided in them. The Uchiha could hide it all he wanted to, the Jonin was more than capable of reading him and others like him with ease. It had meant life or death in some missions and he had survived them all with good reason. "Now, I have some questions for you and I expect an answer to each and every one of them." The fear grew when the pressure grew, when the corner of his single visible eye crinkled. "If you don't answer or decide to lie to me, you won't like what happens." The fear wasn't as well hidden now, it had grown too much to remain hidden within the shadow of hate. "Do you understand, Sasuke Uchiha?"

He didn't need an answer. He didn't expect one in truth. The Uchiha didn't give him one. He was fine with it.

"The first question is simple." Kakashi leaned forward, made it slightly harder for the Uchiha to fill his lungs with air. "How many men does Naruto's Legion have?"

Defiance. Defiance came from a new fear.

"And why would I tell you such information Silver Fang?" Naruto's personal nickname for him, the nickname all member of the Legion had adopted for him as well, was spat from his mouth like a swear, as if it made him sick to simply sound it. "Ca-"

He was frozen for a moment. Kakashi had used the time he spent on his answer, the unwanted answer, to unplug the devices monitoring his condition. Before he could continue, lightning made his body seize up. It was over and pain crossed his face, his body wanted to tremble but couldn't for whatever reason.

"I'll ask again: How many men does Naruto's Legion have?" He wanted to snarl at him, he could see the building anger in his expression. It was dwarfed with the pain he was currently feeling in the end. That and the fear he felt at the idea of more of the same pain.

"Caesar…he does not tell me all." A tongue ran across suddenly dry lips. Fear entered his eyes once more, hesitance followed. He froze again. His body was frozen by the pain he had feared less than he had feared what had birth his hesitance, the pain he should have feared more, and he closed his eyes. "His Cohorts are a thousand strong each. It is a lie. They are all larger." His eyes would not open. "The Third is the largest but…he keeps much of his force in reserve since he fought you."

"Numbers." The pain would return. He needed him to know it would return if he didn't give him what he wanted. "Now."

"The Third is seven thousand strong and it grows. The others lie between two and five thousand. I do not know which is which." His eyes opened. Kakashi saw the fear in his eyes, saw the growing terror. It was close to the border that held only madness beyond. He was getting closer to the edge of his sanity from the sheer fear he felt. "I know nothing else of such things."

He was being honest. His body froze.

"Why didn't you just tell me that at first Sasuke?" The pain was greater and lesser than before. It lasted longer but wasn't as intense. It would be a waste for him to lose his consciousness before he was finished with him, would make all of this a waste. His body returned to his control, his eyes were closed from the lingering pain, and he almost felt regret. Almost. He continued on. "Next question." He couldn't feel guilt with what he was doing, what was necessary. "How does the seal work?"

"What seal?" Sasuke truly did growl those words. Kakashi sighed.

His body froze again. His eyes were wide through, he allowed him that much. He wanted to scream from the looks of it, from the tears pooling in his eyes. He wanted to scream but it was as if his body wasn't his own, he was nothing but a puppet that was given a mind. He wanted to scream but he couldn't. His body was far from his to control.

"Don't play dumb." The pain was gone just as suddenly as it had arrived. The boy's chest heaved as he took in air, his body had broken out into a cold sweat, and his eyes were gaining a wild light to them. He was afraid to struggle. "The seal Naruto gave you, gave his centurions, gave Sakura. How does it work?"

"What seal?" Kakashi could give him credit. He refused to speak on it despite what he knew was coming. It was admirable, showed his loyalty. If this was a different situation, Kakashi would applaud him for such a trait. It wasn't a different situation. His loyalty was a hindrance to his mission.

His body wasn't his again. He couldn't move his eyes this time as they looked without seeing, covered in a veil of pain, he was rendered an agonized statue. Nothing but his mind was his, the rest of his body was no better than stone. He couldn't breathe, couldn't scream, couldn't blink, couldn't move, and could do nothing to stop the pain. It lasted long to the boy, too long.

It stopped.

"How does the seal work?" He repeated his question for the last time.

The Uchiha looked at him. He looked back at the Uchiha. The Uchiha sneered.

"Go ahead." He turned his head away. "I have nothing left to say." He braced himself for agony.

His fingers were removed.

"I guess you don't." The clone dispelled without another word.

"What did you learn Hatake?" Kakashi Hatake stood away from the stadium on top of a rooftop near the gates, his eyes traveling across the still forests he glimpsed past the walls. Danzo Shimura had emerged into the light just this once, a four man ANBU squad shadowing him for his own protection.

"Nothing that I didn't already know." Kakashi didn't let his unease show. He was too experienced to let what he had learned about so recently unnerve him. He was a professional, former ANBU Black Ops Captain, one of the strongest Jonin in the village, and a Shinobi renowned for his skills among even his enemies. "He has a large force in reserve. The exact number isn't known but I'm sure it's something large."

"You know more." Danzo spoke a fact. He did not press the Jonin. "Your dislike of the Uzumaki should not cloud your judgment like Sarutobi's care for what the boy once was has his. Hate can blind just as much as love, I thought you would know that. What information did the boy give you about the seal?"

"He's either more loyal to Naruto than I thought or he's too afraid of what he'll do to him to consider betraying any information on the seal." Kakashi didn't sigh. He focused on the still treetops, let the wind caress his face. "The Genjutsu they've set up is pretty impressive. They fooled our sensors and the barrier despite the Aburame who headed off this morning."

"The Aburame you speak of never arrived to the rendezvous point. I gave orders for them to be put to sleep." Danzo did not hide what he had done from Kakashi. The Jonin wasn't surprised and wasn't angered at what he had just heard so freely admitted by the man known by the title the Darkness of Shinobi. "The barrier team will be a necessary sacrifice for the village."

"They're already dead then." Kakashi just resolved to head to the memorial once this was all over with. He would ask for forgiveness from more comrades he had failed to save, ask more to forgive trash like him. He just needed to add more names to the always growing list that he could never forget. That he hoped to never forget no matter how long it grew, no matter how many names were added today. "You must know more about Orochimaru's contributions to this invasion, right Danzo-san? What should I expect?"

"Monsters of course." Danzo turned, his cane struck the ground. "I will be departing to the stadium now Hatake-san. I wish you good luck."

"I don't need luck." Kakashi focused on the illusion before him, before them all. The treetops were beautiful even if they were fakes. "What do you plan to do about Naruto?"

"You are his sensei. You are a loyal Shinobi of Konohagakure. You will be the one to speak with him." The ANBU did not depart with Danzo. He was deceptively fast for an old man. Kakashi blinked and he had vanished from sight. The ANBU remained. Eyes hidden by masks looked to where he stood and he silently departed.

Any Root ANBU were capable Shinobi. Not as capable as him but they were also devoted. They would die for the village, die for Danzo. He was almost impressed by them. They didn't have to spend hours at the Memorial Stone, see the names that were there because of failure after failure.

They didn't have to fear more names being added because they continued to fail.

'Naruto.' His thoughts centered on his 'student' as he moved away from his position. Almost immediately he was joined by an ANBU. Her purple hair was unmistakable. She saw no need to disguise it, saw no need to hide who she was from her future victims. She craved vengeance. She wanted blood today and she would have it.

"Kakashi."

"Yugao."

She matched his pace. It was the standard ANBU pace. He, or they if she stayed, would reach the stadium in a few minutes.

"Danzo-sama spoke with you." She had been assigned to watch him. He had known ever since he returned from Waves with Team 7. She was good but he was simply better. Some would call him one of the best Shinobi in the world. Others would call him one of the best Shinobi to ever live. He never felt like he was either. A Shinobi as great as he's been made out to be wouldn't have failed so much. He wouldn't have to visit the memorial so often. He wouldn't be so alone. He wo-He would be focused on Yugao and not sidetracked by his thought. "-e tell you?"

"Hmm? I was thinking about life so didn't quite catch that Yugao." He could focus now. He needed to focus with Yugao. Anything he said would be reported. He needed to watch what he said, what he did. His face couldn't even be carefully blank. It would be suspicious. Suspicious behavior would be reported. He would be under watch longer.

"I asked what did he tell you?" Yugao repeated her question with no trace of annoyance. She was used to his behavior. Even when he had been in ANBU, had been close to Danzo Shimura, he had acted close enough to the present him.

"He told me to talk to my student, the one with the army hidden somewhere. Since we're going to be invaded soon enough, he wants me to get him to help save the village. And I guess inflate his ego even more than it already is." He could be candid at least with Yugao. She knew about Naruto, knew how dangerous he must really be. She had to know. Someone had to know how dangerous he was.

Jiraiya obviously didn't if Danzo came to him. Hiruzen didn't if Danzo came to him. No one did if Danzo came to him.

"I'm surprised he was so honest." Yugao kept pace with him still. She stayed at his side. She wasn't his subordinate anymore and didn't need to fall in behind him. They weren't part of a squad. He didn't need to take point as Captain. "You and him must be some of the people who know the most about what's going to happen soon."

"I can guess well enough." Kakashi stopped suddenly. He was close enough to the stadium to find Naruto later. His eyes, his senses, searched for a familiar face and didn't find it. Gai was somewhere else. He must have been somewhere in the stadium, his Chakra signature was coming from inside at least. "I don't know exactly how it'll start but it'll be two fold. The stadium is the perfect place to begin a shock and awe type of attack. It'll draw our unprepared forces away from the walls and allow the true attack to begin nearly unopposed. Our forces will be spread thin, trapped between two fronts. The Hokage will probably be removed from the battlefield somehow, locked in combat with the Kazekage most likely. It'll take a while to restore order, organize our forces, evacuate the civilians, and for our stronger Shinobi to return from patrol."

"ANBU are stationed across the village to prevent this." Yugao had stopped with him. She had been prepared to continue forward but must have read him better than he thought. She had been prepared to continue but had been ready to stop. Her eyes were sharper than he gave her credit for. ANBU was her calling. "Critical security zones are under guard in addition to Shinobi planted in the crowd to direct civilians to safety if the stadium is where the attack will begin. Hokage-sama also has guards. The ANBU Commander himself is somewhere nearby to provide immediate assistance to Hokage-sama should the need arise. The Hokage Guard Platoon has also been directed to remain close by in case of an attack."

"They won't help against the Kazekage. They'll either die or Hiruzen will send them away to assist in the village. Panic will consume the civilians and make moving them a hassle. We'll also need to prioritize the recovery and evacuation of any and all Clan Heirs and Heiresses present at the stadium. Before any Clan commits their forces to the defense of the village, they'll commit themselves to protecting the children. Shikamaru Nara, Ino Yamanaka, Choji Akimichi, Shino Aburame, and Kiba Inuzuka will be the focus of any and all Nara, Yamanaka, Akimichi, Aburame, and Inuzuka Clan members present in the stadium. They'll be taken away before they could be taken as possible hostages by the attacking force located there. Hinata Hyuga will be escorted from the stadium under heavy guard by the Hyuga Clan and any ANBU Black Ops agents already assigned to her protection as the heiress to the Main Branch of the Hyuga Clan. Until all six of them are accounted for and safe, the six Clans will not devote their forces to whatever counterattack we develop while they do so. Once they are, I have no doubt the battle will turn in our favor."

"The Akimichi will be responsible for dealing with the main force due to their Hiden techniques revolving around large damage. The Aburame will be responsible for focusing on more powerful attackers and draining them of their Chakra. The Yamanaka will create a communication system that will enable our forces to be better directed. The Nara will be responsible for enemies deemed important enough to capture alive and interrogate later. The Hyuga, the Branch Family at least, will be spread out to reinforce our remaining forces. The Main Family members will most likely head to the frontline directed by Hiashi Hyuga. Once the stronger Clans join the battle, Konoha will most likely be able to initiate a full force counterattack."

"It'll fail. Orochimaru is also part of this invasion and will be waiting for it. He'll deploy shock troops, possesses a dangerous level of information usual confidential regarding our tactics, will no doubt be on the battlefield and taking part in the invasion himself, and he's one of the Sannin. We'll be lucky to reach the point where we can even begin to consider a counterattack with him present. The Hokage will be occupied, Konoha's stronger Shinobi will be responsible for dealing with Suna's Jinchuriki most likely, and our forces will already be severely depleted from the nature of a surprise attack."

"And none of this is even accounting for any of the Daimyo who will be present. Most with their own security force like the Fire Daimyo's Twelve Guardian Ninja and the usual Samurai. They can only further complicate matters and leave us even more unprepared for the attack."

"Are you saying Konoha stands no chance Kakashi?" Yugao didn't let anger color her tone. She was angry of course. He had dissected the strategy that had been developed in the short time frame between learning of the invasion and the present. She no doubt felt like he was a borderline traitor for telling her it would fail.

"I'm being realistic." Kakashi's eye drifted from the stadium to Yugao. "We know nothing of what we can reasonably expect to be half the invasion force in the form of any and all Otogakure Shinobi, Sunagakure is well known for Shinobi hailing from that village having great specialization and power, and I've learned some of the most revered Shinobi from said village are currently located in the stadium. Chiyo the Elder, a master of poison and master of the Puppet Technique, Rasa, the Kazekage, a user of Gold Dust, the Jinchuriki of the Ichibi, an unstable time bomb, and countless more." Kakashi looked past the mask and saw the fear she could no longer hide. "Konoha, for once, is facing the threat of annihilation."

"And you think Naruto Uzumaki can help our chances?" She asked the question he wished she didn't.

Kakashi turned his eye to the stadium. He felt the Chakra of Naruto, a burning beacon, and did not like what it meant.

The same had happened when they had departed from Nami no Kuni and his Third Cohort had begun transforming into a Legion by itself. The same was happening now, Kakashi didn't even need a Sharingan to sense the power Naruto held. It would be incredible, awe inspiring, if he didn't know exactly who it belonged to.

If he didn't know what he had tried to do to Sakura he would be able to stop hating the boy. But he knew. He knew too well…

"You will not leave Sakura-chan." The clone watched as Naruto appeared. Sasuke had made sure Sakura didn't leave and both the Uchiha and, unknown to anyone, the clone had been waiting for Naruto's appearance after his match. "I need to speak with you on an urgent matter." Blue eyes turned to the red and black eyes of his Legate. "Leave us for now Legate."

"I abide by your will, Caesar." He vanished with the Body Flicker.

"Sakura-chan." The name poured from his mouth with adoration, he took hold of her hands and ignored the way she flinched. "I am ashamed to see you like this." Emerald eyes looked into blue. The clone watched, moved the metal plate that showed his allegiance to Konoha to reveal the Sharingan. "You have allowed your weakness to show, allowed a foe to triumph over you and for that I should abandon you but I shall not."

He pulled her closer, the clone prepared himself to intervene if it moved much further.

"I did not wish for others to see that pitiful weakness, I ordered my loyal Legion, your devoted Blossom Guards, to intervene but they could only do so much." He looked at her with eyes filled with love, ignored what the words he spoke did to her. He either ignored them or knew precisely what they did. "You allowed your weakness to show, allowed everyone to see you for what precisely you are." He smiled at her, released one hand to take hold of her chin when she looked away. He was not gently when he forced her to look at him. "You are not one fit for combat Sakura-chan, you are my fragile tree to be protected from sunlight too harsh, winds too strong, and a world far too cruel for you to thrive as you do now. I have provided such protection but it cannot battle against you, cannot fight you because it will hurt you no matter how greatly I restrict them."

"Naruto, I don't need you to protect me." His grip tightened. Green eyes were suddenly filled with fear. He still smiled but it was different.

"Do you not remember your struggles? Do you not remember that your Blossom Guard fell to the last to save you from the hungry blade of Zabuza Momoichi? Do you not know of the power I hold so easily in the hands that hold you now? Do you fail to understand the power I must hold to have my Legate behave like such a well-trained dog? My Legate has already shown you what I did to the mutt I faced, you saw what he himself did to the girl he faced. Do you fail to understand how worthless you are when compared to my might, the might of those we face, and the might of all who dare to call themselves my enemies?" Each word he spoke was greater than any blow. He struck her at her core, knew what would hurt the most.

He told her how weak she was. He struck the ever present fear in her heart that she would never become anything because she could never become strong enough to matter. He knew her worries, knew how those fears had taken hold of her heart the longer she saw what he could do.

"I hold power like no other before me, my Legate holds power few can match, but what do you hold Sakura-chan?" His smile never fell when he saw something break. He pressed for the answer he knew she would give, the only answer his words would bring forth. "What do you hold Sakura-chan?"

"Naruto, please…" She could not speak it. If she did, if she told him the answer, everything in her would shatter. "I-I-" Tears came from her eyes. His smile never fell. It grew at the sight of her tears, the sight of his growing triumph over another battlefield.

"What do you hold Sakura-chan?" He tightened his hold, drew her closer. She was close enough to see the madness in his eyes. "What do you hold Sakura-chan?" He repeated the question that needed to be answered, the answer that would make her his. "Answer me."

A thousand birds screeched.

"I'm holding lightning in my hand." The clone smiled as he dropped down, forced Naruto away lest he become acquainted with the Chidori. The second clone, one the clone had made, took her away. He vanished a moment later.

'Sakura…' The girl, his only student, watched the matches now. She was at what could be ground zero and he would be so close to her if he went to talk to Naruto. He needed to talk to Naruto regardless. He needed to know what the boy would do. He needed to know for the village more than himself. 'I'm…I really wish I had been a better sensei to you.'

"We'll have to see." There was no point wasting anymore time. He needed to do it now. The match was over with. Naruto's was next.

'I hope he's reasonable about all this.'

He had to be reasonable, he had to see the shadow of war that swept over Konoha. He had to know what it meant for them all.

Why did Kakashi feel as if the boy would be fine watching the village burn? Laugh as blood filled the streets, smoke filled the air, and death's hungry specter took hold of so many? Why did Kakashi feel that Naruto would want to see such a sight?

His feelings hadn't lied to him before, helped him escape countless dangers, but he wished they were wrong now.

He knew they weren't but he wished they were. The village shouldn't feel the sting of another of his failures, only he should be the one to pay.

AN: Nothing still.