I decided to rework my past work. I deleted 2 chapters and many segments throughout the story. Overall, I deleted 50k+ words from my story. I think it was necessary, so I'm chilling.

Also...

Ok, not gonna lie, I sort of forgot to write in 2 scenes the last chapter. This chapter will start off with those two important scenes.

Anyway, enjoy the chapter, and let's get on with the story.

General narration

"Talking"

Flashbacks

'Thinking'

Narration

"Yami speaking"

"Bijuu talking"

'Bijuu thinking'

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, or Naruto Shippuden, nor the Naruto Manga. They are owned by Viz Media and Masashi Kishimoto. I only own "Narrator" and other OCs.

Narrator: Hello again. As this story progresses, you will see more of me, the Narrator. You can think of the events of this story as a Rollercoaster, or a wagon going up a steep mountain. Slowly, the cart makes a long, arduous journey to reach the mighty heights. Its trek slows and becomes a crawl when it reaches the top. The cart stands alone at the summit.

And slowly, inertia does its magic and pulls the cart down the steep slope, where it picks up speed, accelerating faster and faster and faster… until it reaches the bottom, where it inevitably crashes and burns.

In this story, Naruto's training trip with Jiraiya was the summit. Everything before was a slow, arduous climb. A relaxing, if stale journey. However, from this point onward, the cart will accelerate.

The way down. The descent… It's a journey as oppressive as a Tyrant. It's as deadly as a massacre. It's as bloody as an unending war. It's as bleak as a barren, lifeless wasteland.

This is the second part of the story.

It's the descent into the abyss.

...

The sound of a blade being sharpened against a whetstone ring out in an echo in the hollow corridors of an underground lair. The teenage boy working on his blade has chin-length raven-colored hair, with two side bangs framing his face. His ivory skin glows in the gloomy-feeling smithing room. His inky-black eyes glare back at whatever might be lurking in the shadows of the halls and his heart.

Sasuke glances quickly to his left to see his Master treating his own weapon as well. It's rare moments like this -where his Master is calm, quiet, and peacefully focusing on a mundane task- that makes Sasuke wonder just who exactly Orochimaru is underneath all that evil and greed. Despite spending every waking moment with this man for nearly three years, all he really knows about him is his name and ambition.

He could ask his teacher for his life story, but that seems unnecessary. He doesn't need to know why Orochimaru is willing to discard any person who is of use to his ambition. He doesn't need to know where it all began. Honestly, Sasuke only needs to know one thing to know who Orochimaru is.

A nauseating chuckle reverberates throughout the stone walls keeping him prisoner. "You look to be in deep thought, my dear Sasuke-kun. Would you care to enlighten me on what it could be about? I know of many things other than Jutsu."

With a quick once-over of his Master, Sasuke resists the urge to drive his blade through the man-woman?.. Thing's heart. Even Sasuke's will isn't ironclad, so he can be forgiven for scowling nastily at his Master. "Hn."

Still feeling the Snake Sannin's ghastly gaze still on him, Sasuke frowns but relents. "I suppose I was wondering about you, Orochimaru."

Orochimaru's thin eyebrows shoot up and hide behind his bangs. Soon, that shock fades and a sultry giggle is muffled by Orochimaru's hand, which covers his mouth. "Fufufufufu. I didn't know you cared, Sasuke-kun."

Sasuke can feel the bile tickling the back of his throat. He pushes it down and tries to focus on his one, burning question. "Why is it that you seek Immortality?"

Orochimaru falters. "This is quite unexpected, Sasuke-kun." However, by looking at his pupil's face, he can tell the young man is serious. Even so, he still has to ask. "Do you truly want to know?"

Sasuke's stoic countenance remains the same as it always does. "You are using me to try and reach that Holy Grail. I feel like I should at least know why you are so sure that I'm that missing piece."

Orochimaru holds Sasuke's stare. After a few seconds, a short sequence of empty chuckles escapes Orochimaru's lips. "I suppose that as your teacher, it is my job to not only make you more powerful but to also enlighten you."

Orochimaru digs up every vital memory and belief he has. He quickly ignores his memories from his childhood and even his memories as a loyal Konohagakure Shinobi. Sasuke wouldn't care to know his life story. All he wants to know is the beliefs he holds.

"The human body has vast quantities of untapped power. The human brain has an unrivaled capacity to learn, create, and teach.

But humans are oh so fragile. It's a pity to say, but as humans, we will all inevitably die. When we die, all our abilities, knowledge, goals; all our life's work will disappear. All that struggle would all be meaningless.

That's why I want to gain Immortality. I want to do everything. I want to know everything. How can one be satisfied when there are things they have yet to experience?" He asks rhetorically. "Your life would always be incomplete. With Eternity in my grasp, I can achieve every last one of my goals." Orochimaru pauses for a second, after seeing Sasuke's troubled eyes.

He's trying to see where he can take this to make Sasuke understand.

"In my long life, there are 2 absolute truths I've come to learn. Firstly, in the endless vastness of Eternity, the only constant is change. And with that, I've also come to realize that the more things change, the more things stay exactly the same. The World has a funny habit of repeating history. It truly doesn't matter what you do, or what you know. In the end, nothing will ever truly change.

The only thing that can break that curse is the Second Absolute Truth of the Universe. Power. Only the one with the most absolute, unquestionable power can be the one to force change. The world changes itself to match the vision that the highest being wills. To achieve that, one must be a God.

For a person to become a God, they must be Omnipresent; always there. They must be immortal. One must be Omnipotent; absolutely powerful. When one achieves those two things, naturally, they will reach the capacity to become Omniscient; all-knowing. One can obtain all of these prizes through the embrace of Eternity, or in this case, Immortality." Orochimaru ends his philosophical lecture to the young Uchiha.

Orochimaru turns his head and smiles at the thoroughly enthralled Uchiha. "Does that answer your question, Sasuke-kun?"

Sasuke is spellbound. Is that it? The truth? 'Is power the answer? How… interesting.'

During their walk to the village, Naruto and Jiraiya are once again arguing about the one thing they could never agree on while on their travels.

"I already told you! I can't give up on Sasuke, dattebayo!" Yells out a furious blond youth.

Jiraiya gazes stoically at the irate blond. "Your traitorous teammate is just like my old teammate, Orochimaru. Naruto, you will see, even if he were to enact his vengeance on his brother, he would never return to the village. Instead, he would continue to walk down the dark path he had forged for himself. That is how your teammate is, Naruto." Remarks a confident Jiraiya.

Naruto growls angrily. "Stop talking as if you know Sasuke, you perverted old man! Sasuke is my best friend! I know him better than anyone else! You've never even had a conversation with Sasuke! How would you know what is right, dattebayo?!"

Jiraiya gives up. This is the one thing he could never convince Naruto to forget. That's not to say he'll stop trying. "Heed my words, dear apprentice of mine! The day will come, when sooner rather than later, your teammate would have burned every existing bridge he has and blocked every new path for him to take. He would voluntarily have made himself irredeemable. It would then be in your hands to cut him down, because if you don't…" Jiraiya chuckles sinisterly. "He would become an unrivaled threat. A never-before-seen danger to the world. He will become a threat comparable to Uchiha Madara himself." Claims Jiraiya with complete assurance. The claim was almost prophetic. And the way he said it… it was like an ultimatum.

Naruto can feel the goosebumps rising on his skin. Jiraiya's words were chilling. They were glacial shards that stabbed at his heart and psyche. It's like Jiraiya expects something out of him. Something equally as frosty. With a cold, heavy sigh, Naruto decides to make a new promise. A promise that would alter the history of the Shinobi World.

"I will try to do everything in my power to save Sasuke. I will exhaust every last resource until I know without a doubt that it's impossible, dattebayo. And if it turns out to be impossible…" Naruto grimaces. He swallows down the now-bitter saliva in his rapidly drying mouth. "Sasuke is my responsibility, so I will do everything in my power to kill him if I have to. T-That's the promise of a lifetime, Jiraiya-sensei." It took everything he had to make that kind of promise.

A small smile settles on Jiraiya's face. 'Naruto… you're finally growing up.'

Narrator: That right there. That moment when Naruto made that promise to Jiraiya, a divergence happened. The course of the entire world was altered by the utterance of a single promise.

In the original timeline, Naruto was a young man who gave his all to save his friend from the darkness. However, with a new promise made, a seed of doubt is planted in Naruto's heart.

In one of the Holy Books of the Outers, there is a passage that states "The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit." The religion pertaining to this book worships a God who is said to have created the World by simply speaking things into existence. The Heavens. The Earth. The Elements.

The notion of speaking things into existence is derived from the power of this Outer God.

When Naruto made this promise, he applied this same power to his words.

What was once an outlandish idea has now been given life. The impossible situation where he's forced to kill his best friend suddenly no longer seems so improbable. There is a world where Uzumaki Naruto willingly kills Uchiha Sasuke. He spoke the action into existence.

The abject refusal to think rationally is now a war within Naruto's mind. Sentimentality, or performing his duty?

What was once a man living his life controlled by his heart is now a young man torn between his mind and his heart.

And that is a battle that will be resolved once it's too late.

Naruto and Jiraiya finally step foot inside Konohagakure no Sato. A nostalgic smile blooms on Naruto's face. He breaths in the delicious smells of the bustling town center. His black sandals leave indentations on the dirt roads.

After finally arriving in the more residential part of the village, Naruto runs up a lamppost and scouts out the village from up high. "Man, this takes me back. The village hasn't changed a bit! Except for Tsunade Baa-chan's face on the mountain, dattebayo! And the… many more Genin running around… and the Takoyaki shop no longer being there…"

Ok, so maybe things have changed since he's last been home.

"Everyone! Uzumaki Naruto is back!" He yells out in glee.

When Naruto glances to the right, he spots a familiar head of spiky silver hair. "Kakashi-sensei?" He squints to get a better look. "Wow, sensei, you haven't changed at all!"

"Yo!" Kakashi waves an apathetic hand.

Naruto jumps off the pole and onto the roof Kakashi is on.

"You've sure gotten tall, Naruto." Observes Kakashi lamely.

Naruto grins. "Oh, right." He digs inside his pouch, searching for something. "I got you a gift."

Kakashi's single exposed eye widens, swelling up to take up the entirety of the only visible part of his face. "NANIIII! You got me... Th-this is..." Kakashi lifts a trembling hand to the book.

"Yep! It's the first new title in the Icha Icha series in three years. I think it's boring, but you like lame stuff like this, don't you, sensei?" States Naruto.

Kakashi opens the book. A Holy light shines from the pages, and he could swear he heard the songs of angels.

…

"Sakura!" Yells out the commanding voice of the Godaime Hokage.

Sakura looks back. "Hai, shishou."

Tsunade smirks. SHe will never get tired of hearing the term 'Shishou.' But alas, her coy smirk is about more than being shown such reverence. "Someone very dear to you has returned to the village."

Sakura gasps. "You don't mean-"

Tsunade grins. "-That brat Naruto is back."

…

Naruto leaps off of the roof and onto the street. He runs ahead of Kakashi and Jiraiya, who follow him from a distance. "By a show of hands, who wants Ichiraku Ramen?" He asks while waving his hands in the air.

Jiraiya scoots in close to Kakashi. "As promised Kakashi, he's all yours."

The masked Jonin briefly glanced up from his book, waiting for the Toad Sage to continue.

Jiraiya's eyes narrow into dangerous slits. "I suspect the Akatsuki will make their next move soon, so I'm going back to gathering intelligence."

Kakashi closes his visible eye. "As you command, Jiraiya-sama."

"Naruto? Is that you, Naruto?" Asks a familiar feminine voice.

Naruto looks to his left. "Sakura?"

"When did you get back Naruto?"

"Just now, dattebayo!" He bellows out. He jumps around and then sprints toward his friend. "Long time no see, Sakura."

Sakura lets out a small gasp. "You've gotten taller than me, haven't you?"

Naruto uses a hand to compare his height to hers. "Huh? I guess so." He can't hide the surprise in his voice. He was always the smallest in the class, and now he's taller than someone his age for once!

'He's taller now. And he seems more grown up since I last saw him. More well-built too.' Suddenly aware of her thoughts, a blush forms on Sakura's face.

"S-so" Curse her stuttering! "Do I seem a bit more like a woman, now?" She asks expectantly. Her tone is uncharacteristically shy.

Naruto smiles. "Are you kidding? You haven't changed a bit, dattebayo!" He honestly explains with a thumbs up, "Well, you do seem taller than I last saw you." He adds.

Sakura huffs and looks away.

"Naruto nii-chan!"

Naruto looks for the person calling out to him. "Konohamaru?" His eyes widen seeing the headband strapped to the boy's forehead.

Knohamaru blows up in a puff of smoke. "Oiroke no Jutsu!" A tall, buxom brunette stands where Konohamaru once did.

Jiraiya chokes on his spit and giggles perversely with a building blush.

Sakura looks at the monstrosity with indignation.

And just as quickly, the woman disappears, and Konohamaru returns. "How about that? Pretty nice hip, waist, and bust, right?"

Naruto chuckles goodnaturedly. "Konohamaru, I'm not a kid anymore. And you too shouldn't be using a jutsu like that, dattebayo."

'That's right. It's not only your appearance that's matured. I kind of miss the old Naruto, but you've turned out quite admirable, haven't you, Naruto?' Thinks Sakura, feeling a sense of pride in her teammate. 'Knowing you, you've probably come back with a whole new arsenal of incredible jutsu.'

Naruto walks up to Konohamaru, seeing his downtrodden expression. "Hey, cheer up. I had you practicing that jutsu before I left. How far along are you?"

Konohamaru looks up. "I finished step two last week."

Naruto grins. "When I have time, I'll teach you the third step, and then you'll have a powerful new jutsu in your repertoire."

Konohamaru lightens up and grins brightly. "Thank you, Naruto nii-chan!" He gives Naruto a crushing embrace. Afterward, he runs off with his team back to the Hokage Tower.

Sakura smiles purely. 'Yeah. You really have changed.'

Tsunade groans "Alright. Enough with the emotional reunion." She casts a sharp expectant glance to her left. "Kakashi."

With a heavy sigh, Kakashi snaps his book shut. "Well, it sure has been a while, you two."

His two students get in a standard military-ready position. They know when to keep their mouths shut.

"From here on out, you two are going to be part of my team again. Not as sensei and students, but as equals. As fellow Konoha shinobi." Kakashi looked so bored saying that, one would reasonably assume he seemed offended at the notion. For those who know Kakashi, they know it's simply the way he is.

For their part, Naruto and Sakura don't seem nervous. In fact, they both seem excited.

"Sakura!" Yells out Tsunade in a glacial tone. "Show me that I didn't waste my time training you."

Sakura hides her frown. "Hai." She will prove that she was a better choice than Hinata. She refuses to be shown up. She gets in an attack-ready stance.

Kakashi puts a cautionary hand up. "You must be tired, Naruto. Let's meet at Training Ground Three later. Ja Ne!" Kakashi disappears in a puff of smoke. The tiniest hint of a perverted giggle is heard as he disappears in the distance.

Everyone deadpans. 'He's gone off to read that perverted book, huh?' They all thought at once.

Naruto, Sakura, Shikamaru, and Temari walk around the village in pairs. Naruto splits off, and he approaches Shikamaru with a snide, teasing grin. "So, are you two on a date?" He asks, eyeing the proximity between Temari and the lazy genius.

Shikamaru looks away indifferently. "It's not like that."

Temari scoffs. "Heh! Cut the jokes! Why would I be on a date with this guy? It's almost time for the Chunin Exams. I've just been going back between Konoha and Suna for meetings concerning the Exams."

"Yeah, that's right. And I'm her escort. It's a drag, so don't ask how it happened. I've been put in charge of organizing the Chunin Exams."

"The Chunin Exams…" Naruto's lips form a melancholy smile. "That sure takes me back."

Shikamaru gasps in realization. "So what are you gonna do about the Chunin Exams? You're the only one in our class who hasn't become a Chunin."

Naruto can feel a metaphorical arrow with the words "Eternal Genin" strike his heart. "WHAT?!" He looks bewilderedly at his teammate. "Th-then that means you're also a Chunin, Sakura?"

"That's right." Sakura sticks her tongue out and holds up a victory sign.

Shikamaru rubs his nape. "And just for the record, Kankuro, the annoyance next to me, and Neji have gone a step further and made Jonin."

"Huh?!" Was his intelligent response.

Naruto then freezes. When thinking about prowess, only one person comes to mind. "Well, what about Gaara? What's he?"

Everyone looks away uncomfortably. They avoid eye contact with Naruto. "I see… So Gaara became the Kazekage, huh?" He squeezes his hands into tight fists. "That's… awesome." he grinds out. Eventually, a true smile appears on his face. "I won't be outdone. I'll become Hokage, no matter what, dattebayo! Just you wait, Gaara."

Nearing sunset, Naruto and Sakura stand in front of Kakashi in Training Ground Three.

Kakashi pulls out two chiming bells from his pocket. "Well, let's see how much you've grown." Kakashi straps the bells to his waist. "The rules are the same as when we first met. I don't care how you do it, just try to take a bell away from me. If you don't-"

"-Come at me with the intent to kill-" Interrupts Naruto.

"-We won't be able to get the bells. Right" Ends Sakura with a knowing smirk.

Kakashi puts away his book. "I get the feeling that I will-" He lifts up his headband, exposing his Sharingan. "-need to get a bit serious this time."

Tsunade, Shizune, and Jiraiya look on at the fight from the treetops.

Naruto starts off the fight by throwing a flurry of Shuriken. Kakashi ducks under them and throws his own flurry of shuriken.

Naruto jumps over the projectiles. While he's in mid-air, Kakashi throws another barrage of shuriken, one Naruto can't dodge.

Naruto crosses his dominant fingers together. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu." His summoned clone pulls him away from the swarm of shuriken.

Despite impressing everyone with his ingenuity, mentally, Naruto is slapping himself. 'Dammit! I made a mistake already. I left myself vulnerable in mid-air. I had to use a clone to get out. I can't afford to waste chakra so flippantly in a real battle.'

Seeing Naruto's slow descent to the Earth, Kakashi sprints to his student's position for an attack.

'And not only do I leave myself vulnerable in mid-air, but I also leave myself open for an attack when I reach the ground. I'll remember for next time that I need to either duck or sidestep a barrage of weapons the same way Kakashi sensei does. I should only jump when it is absolutely necessary.' Naruto finishes his own quickfire mental evaluation.

Seeing Kakashi near, Naruto knows he doesn't have any room for a counterattack. 'Dammit!' His clone receives a mental cue. "Henge!"

Naruto's clone transforms into a Fuma Shuriken. He tries to throw it, but he's too slow. Kakashi grabs his wrist and pins his arm so the blade of the shuriken points at the back of Naruto's head.

'You really have grown Naruto.' Kakashi feels a kunai rest against his jugular vein. He glances behind him and spots a chuckling Naruto clone. 'And your timing with clones is really impressive.'

Kakashi eye smiles. "You really are still so impatient. I didn't even say 'start' yet." Kakashi disappears in a puff of smoke.

Sakura looks to her right and sees nothing. She looks to her left, and still nothing. She glares above, trying to ignore the Sun's harsh rays. She glances behind her, making sure she's all clear. 'No sign of him anywhere, so…'

"BELOW!" She rears her arm back and slams her fist into the ground. The Earth below rises and collapses, creating peaks and valleys, as if tectonic plates were colliding. The Earth rumbles and shakes, exploding outwardly and splintering off at random points.

Naruto gapes at Sakura's strength. Kakashi stares wide-eyed at the damage. 'What incredible power. Looks like Godaime-sama has been teaching Sakura more than Iryo Ninjutsu.'

Sakura smirks at Kakashi's expression. "Peek-a-boo! I found you, Kaka-sensei."

Naruto stares forward blankly. 'I need to make sure I don't act stupidly in front of Sakura. I'll be killed.'

Kakashi jumps up from his hiding spot. "You've had your fun. It's my turn to make a move."

…

After a few hours, the battle had turned into a stalemate. Naruto and Sakura are hiding and concealing their presence from their opponent, while Kakashi tries to scout them out with his Sharingan.

He spots Naruto on top of a tall tree. They make eye contact.

He looks to his flank and spots Sakura peeking from behind a branch. 'The basics for a Shinobi are to conceal your presence and remain hidden. I managed to find both Naruto and Sakura but considering they both made eye contact with me, it seems as if they both wanted to be found. They get found out in exchange for knowing my location. Things really are different this time.'

Kakashi leaps out of the bush when he hears three kunai aiming to pierce him from the side. He plants his feet on the bark of a tree and pushes outward. He meets Naruto in the middle for a clash of kunai.

The blond regroups with his teammate.

Kakashi narrows his eyes. "Let me show you something. Shinobi Battle Tactic Number 1. Taijutsu."

Naruto charges in for a short one-two exchange with Kakashi. He jumps away and leaves an opening for Sakura.

Sakura grazes Kakashi's ear as he dodges a punch. He grimaces at the ringing sound inside his skull. He weaves in and out of Sakura's flying fists. Her hits may be powerful, but she is slow. "Your strength means nothing if you can't hit me."

When he kicks Sakura away, he hears the summoning of clouds of smoke. When it clears, he sees a massive horde of clones swarming toward him. "Shit!"

…

Meanwhile, the real Naruto runs off and carries Sakura behind some cover. He's becoming quickly agitated at Sakura's constant complaints to let her down. "Shhhh! Be quiet. I have a plan."

Sakura quiets down and quirks a brow. "What kind of plan?"

Naruto smiles giddily. He leans into Sakura and whispers in her ear.

…

Once all the clones dispel, Naruto and Sakura go to where they last saw Kakashi. They return to see the clearing completely empty.

Suddenly, they hear a groan. Approaching them is the bloody, disheveled form of Sasuke. "N-Naruto, Sakura. Please help me!" He grinds through pained breaths. "I escaped from Orochimaru. Please help me!" He pleads.

Naruto scowls. Sakura closes her eyes. They both cast a Ram seal. "Kai!" They yell in unison.

Naruto summons a Shadow Clone. The clone helps him cast a Rasengan. He charges at the tree he knows Kakashi is hiding behind. "Rasengan!"

Kakashi escapes before the Jutsu explodes.

He stands before his students and frowns. "Tch!"

Sakura smirks and cracks her index finger with her thumb. She rears back her arm and slams another fist into the dirt. A dust cloud forms, obscuring visibility for a few precious moments.

When the dust settles, Kakashi is surrounded by 50 Naruto clones. He can spot Sakura running around in the distance. 'So, the clones are a distraction for whatever it is Sakura is trying to do. Maybe she's setting up a trap, or she's going around to attack me from behind. I need to be wary of her. With her current strength, one hit could be all it takes.'

Despite his best efforts, Kakashi is quickly overwhelmed by Naruto's clones. 'There may be less than last time, but they are all so skilled and clever this time. This only reinforces my theory of there being a plan in motion. The clones I fought before were likely only spawned to buy time for my precious students to make a strategy.'

Kakashi tilts his head to the left to avoid a powerful straight. He rotates in mid-air to simultaneously dodge a flying kick and a leg sweep. He stomps on the clone below and stabs the one above.

When another clone aims a left hook, Kakashi ducks and grabs the offending arm. He twists the arm around awkwardly. With a sickening crunch, the clone's humerus sticks out of its arm in an obscene fashion. It dispels, finally free of its suffering.

He isn't offered a break. Soon after, an orange-clad shin smashes into his cranium. His ears start ringing again, and his vision blurs slightly.

Left with no choice, Kakashi pulls out a kunai and decides to stop being merciful with Naruto. Most of the Narutos he sees are clones, so the chances of him slicing up the real one are slim.

With little effort, over half the clones are made quick work of.

Kakashi immediately jumps back and holds his arms in an 'X' formation with his kunais. He spots Sakura behind him, scowling at the missed opportunity. She leaps off back into the forest.

With his back to them, Naruto kicks Kakashi in the ribs, sending him crashing toward a tree.

When Kakashi collides with the tree, he and the tree explode in a wild display of woodchips.

Naruto frowns. 'Kawarimi no Jutsu, huh?'

Kakashi is heard grunting as a powerful kick sends him back into the fray. 'Shit! I didn't expect Naruto to anticipate where my substitution would end up.'

A clone punts Kakashi on his stomach, sending him into the air. At the same time, Kakashi stabs it in the leg, dispelling it.

Another clone kicks Kakashi on the chin, sending him higher into the air. "U-"

Kakashi flips in mid-air and kicks the clone on the chin, ending its' short existence. 8 Narutos left.

Another clone comes to kick Kakashi on the ribs, launching the Jonin higher into the air. "-ZU-"

Kakashi backhands the clone. That leaves 7 remaining.

Another clone comes and heel kicks Kakashi on the other side of his ribs. "-MA-"

Kakashi grabs the leg and hyperextends it until the knee implodes. The clone dispels in absolute agony. 6 Narutos left.

A final clone comes below, leaping to kick Kakashi straight on the spine, bringing him to his peak. "-KI-"

Kakashi would've dispelled that last clone, if not for the fact that all the Narutos are leaping in all at once. What's worse is that he can see Sakura sprinting toward him now. 'Shit!'

He uses all the strength in his core to force himself to move mid-air. He throws his kunai at the clone below, dispelling it. He continues the momentum by heel kicking the nearest Naruto on the chin. 4 left.

Kakashi can see that he won't have the time needed to destroy all the clones and dodge whatever Sakura is planning. He needs to cut his losses. 'Sakura packs so much hurt in one strike. Naruto doesn't have something as dangerous as that. I'll try to tank whatever Naruto has in store for me, and prevent Sakura from striking me.'

Kakashi pulls out another kunai. He beams it at Sakura. She instinctively leaps to the side to avoid the strike. Her window of opportunity is now closed.

Kakashi sighs in relief.

Now, with 4 Narutos to deal with, Kakashi dodges a punch from the first. He blocks a hook to the face by a second. A third Naruto swings an ax kick toward the exposed side of his face. Kakashi forms an 'X' formation, managing to block the kick and punches. That just leaves his body exposed for the final Naruto. 'It's better than a stray punch to the face.'

The final Naruto rears his arm back and yells in exertion. A vicious punch strikes Kakashi directly in the gut. The wind is knocked out of his chest, and a silent scream grates at his vocal cords. Kakashi is sent careening through the air, where he crashes into trees, uprooting them out of the ground. He tumbles and bounces off the dirt surface until finally, he stops.

Kakashi forces himself off the ground. He clutches his torso and coughs up blood. 'H-how..? Since when does Naruto have such raw power?'

The 4 Narutos land on the ground. Naruto dispels his clones, leaving him and one more clone, who smirks victoriously at him. The second Naruto is consumed in smoke. When the chakra smoke clears, where the second Naruto once stood is Sakura.

"W-what? Sakura? A transformation?" Kakashi glances back into the forest, where he last saw Sakura. He sees Sakura jumping from one branch to another until finally, she fades into nothingness. "S-so she was an illusion?" He asks in bewilderment.

Sakura holds up a victory sign. "Shinobi Battle Tactic Number 2. Genjutsu. Was that a good example, sensei?" She asked in a faux innocent tone.

Kakashi slams a ball to the ground. When it ignites, the entire clearing is consumed in irritating smoke.

"Dammit! A smoke bomb, dattebayo!"

"We were careless."

All that effort was for nothing, Kakashi is now somewhere far away recovering from that hit.

…

Far away in the treetops, Tsunade, Shizune, and Jiraiya all share comments on the fight.

"Wow! That was incredible!" Exclaimed Shizune with a clap.

"Well done Sakura. You've developed well." Tsunade stated her piece with a proud smile.

Jiraiya rubs below his nose. "Knowing Naruto, that ridiculous plan was likely all him. Well done, my student."

…

Kakashi sits with his back resting on a tree's trunk. He has his shirt up and he winces at every twitch of a muscle. He examines the bruised black and blue fist-sized blotch on his gut.

With his limited knowledge of Iryo Ninjutsu, the best he can do is wrap himself in bandages and rest.

'To think Sakura would be so bold as to cast Genjutsu on a Sharingan user. Granted, I'm not an Uchiha, and my Sharingan is tailored to Ninjutsu, but I didn't think I'd be so weak in the art. I need to be mindful of that or else it could cost me in a real fight. But, what was the Jutsu activation?'

…

After an hour of recovering, Kakashi decides to end the battle once and for all.

He lands in front of his students. "Shinobi Battle Tactic Number 3. Ninjutsu." Kakashi forms the 6 seals required for his jutsu 3 times. In other words, he cast 18 seals in under a second. "Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu!"

A large, speedy ball of fire charges toward them. Naruto and Sakura are forced to split up.

When Naruto lands on his side of the clearing, he looks around, feeling nervous. There isn't a soul in sight.

Suddenly, a hand grabs his ankle from below. "Doton: Shinjuu Zanshu no Jutsu!" Naruto is pulled into the Earth, deep, deeper, deepest… until only his head remains above ground.

Kakashi jumps out of his respective hole. When he looks back at his work, he sees Naruto explode into a puff of smoke. "A Shadow Clone?"

Kakashi hears footsteps behind him, where he sees Naruto and Sakura sprinting at him. He jumps back into a small flowing creak behind him. He casts his required 40 hand seals in only 3 seconds. "Suiton: Suiryuudan no Jutsu!"

A legion of streams of water coalesces to make a singular massive dragon made of water. The dragon roars and rushes toward Naruto and Sakura. The Jutsu lands and swallows them up. The 2 students are washed up and drug across the forest floor.

Naruto and Sakura use their ability to walk on water to drag themselves out of the Jutsu's grasp, and leap into the forest and away from danger. They retreat, hoping to find another way in.

Meanwhile, Kakashi pants and prepares to get as much rest as he can in these few precious minutes.

…

Naruto and Sakura run away from the sight of their latest clash with the Copy Ninja. Sakura feels hopeless at finding no openings, and Naruto feels frustrated at not being able to find the right opportunity to implement his latest tactic.

"What do we do, Naruto? He's too strong." Observes Sakura in a panic.

Naruto scowls. "I have an idea, but I can't find a way to act out my plan. It makes no damn sense! Why is he so fucking strong, dattebayo!?"

Naruto bites the inside of his cheek and forces himself to calm down. "Okay. We're a team. I'll tell you my plan, and hopefully, you can find a way to flesh it out better."

Sakura nods. She listens intently to what Naruto has to say.

She's easily able to see the flaw in Naruto's thinking. "The way I see it, your plan is way too half-baked to end the fight. However, your plan is perfect to set up a closing sequence."

Naruto quirks a brow, feeling intrigued. "What do you suggest?"

Sakura smirks. "Don't fix what isn't broken. Kakashi sensei's Sharingan is powerful, but it seems to be centered heavily on Ninjutsu. We can use that. His weakness is Genjutsu."

Naruto frowns. "The idea of someone being brazen enough to use Genjutsu on a Sharingan user is absurd. That's the only reason it worked the first time, dattebayo." Stated a skeptical Naruto.

Sakura's smirk widens into a toothy grin. "I have a few tricks up my sleeve. Trust me. Use your idea, and I'll set up our closing sequence."

Naruto nods. "Right."

Kakashi pulls out two kunai, wielding them in a reverse grip in both hands. His eyes dart around the forest, looking for a glimpse of orange or red. Maybe even some pink.

He's forced to tilt his head to the left when a kunai comes dangerously close to slicing his Carotid Artery.

Kakashi leaps back when the kunai transforms into Naruto. A Naruto wielding his own kunai. He meets the clone in a clash of blades.

While he's distracted, another pair of Narutos come from behind and sprint toward him, creating a Rasengan in hand. "Rasengan!"

Kakashi grabs the wrist of the clone trading bladed swings at him and flips him over. He leaps back and watches as Naruto destroys his own clone with a Rasengan. 'Still using the same tired tricks, eh, Naruto?'

Kakashi ducks under a deadly heel kick from Sakura. He knows that if he had been one-second slower, his head would have been halfway to Kumo by now.

Kakashi sweeps Sakura's leg. As she falls, multiple orange-clad arms shoot from out of the ground. He knows where he's at. 'This is where I cast the Headhunter Jutsu on Naruto earlier.'

Kakashi leaps far to the right. When he lands, he realizes that he's once more in the middle of an elaborate plan. In front of him is a pair of Narutos creating a Rasengan and charging at him.

Behind him, he can hear two pairs of footsteps charging at him. Accompanying them is a familiar whirring sound.

To his right, he sees another pair of his favorite blond sprinting at him full speed, wielding that dangerous spinning blue ball.

To his left, he can see a feral-looking orange-clad duo creating a rotating ball of doom.

Left with no choice, Kakashi jumps high into the air. When he looks down, he can see the clones all dispel before they can even get close to him. So this was all part of a plan. This was to get me in mid-air, where I'm not able to dodge.'

Kakashi sees another pair of Narutos leaping off of a tree to intercept him in mid-air. They combine their hands to try and form the Uzumaki's signature Jutsu.

Before they can get started, Kakashi throws a kunai at the Naruto clone, killing it faster than one can blink. 'You did well, Naruto. You almost got me. If I was a lesser Shinobi, that plan would've defeated me. Your downfall is that you require clones to cast your jutsu.'

Except… Kakashi can feel the hairs on his body stand on end when he sees Naruto smirk triumphantly at him. Shivers crawl up his spine when he sees that smirk turn feral and sadistic.

Naruto holds out his arm, and inside the palm of his hand, a swirling blue ball of condensed rotating chakra is formed. It hums and whirls in all its deadly glory. "RASENGAN!" That whole time, Naruto was able to do a one-handed Rasengan.

'I've been had.' Kakashi yells out in agony when the entirety of the Jutsu hits him directly on the spot Sakura punched him at. His flak jacket, shirt, mesh shirt, and undershirt are all ground into nothing, leaving his bare skin exposed to the harsh, burning sensation of a full-powered Rasengan.

The Jutsu becomes unstable and explodes. Kakashi is launched back deep into the forest where he bounces off the dirt, and rolls over in a bruised heap.

Naruto chuckles. "Shinobi Battle Tactic Number Three. Ninjutsu. Complete." Mocks Naruto.

When Kakashi agonizingly crawls back up on all fours, he looks up and sees Sakura crack her index finger with her thumb once more. She rears her arm back and rams it forward to him.

Kakashi barely escapes. In his place is a completely destroyed log turned into splinters.

Suddenly, Kakashi sees the world melt around him. 'What is going on?'

Birds drop dead from the skies. Squirrels keel over and die. Leaves turn yellow, orange, red, and brown until they finally fall off the trees and dissipate into dust. The trees, grass, and plants wilt, wither, and rot.

The sky darkens, and the fabric of reality peels back and becomes limp, like overcooked noodles.

He can see his body become frail and wilted, like melting wax. He had a string attached to his head. A small flame makes its way up the string, inching ever closer to his head. 'I see. So the activation was you cracking your index finger. What an elaborate Genjutsu. You have come so far, Sakura.'

Willing his limp arms and hands into the proper formation, Kakashi pulses his chakra. "Kai!"

Suddenly, the world is restored back to normal. Kakashi is forced to jump back as another one of Sakura's wild fists nearly swat his head off of his neck.

He leaps away from a group of clones trying to jump him.

"Dammit, you guys don't give up, do you?" Ground out an annoyed Kakashi.

…

In the Real World, Naruto and Sakura watch from a distance the unbelievable image of Kakashi jumping around, and running in circles. He dodges invisible attacks and launches jutsu at nothing. It's surreal.

"Wow. You are amazing, Sakura." Those are Naruto's honest thoughts.

Sakura smiles proudly. "It worked out better than I thought it would."

Naruto leaps into the trees and stealthily makes his way to Kakashi. If he's not careful with his stealth and presence concealment, he might be found out.

…

Kakashi dodges another wild Rasengan. He blocks a punch from a Naruto clone and kicks it away into another stupid clone.

He pulls out a kunai and indiscriminately kills every Naruto in his line of sight,

He jumps away from a high ax kick from Sakura. He flips in mid-air and casts a Fireball at a horde of clones jumping from the trees.

He flips over a Naruto wielding a Rasengan that was barely an inch away from his face. He's doing a great job, but… something is off.

'No matter what I do, they just keep coming. I destroy one clone and another five take its place. Sakura and Naruto, despite their best efforts, haven't landed a single hit since Naruto landed that Rasengan on me earlier.' That's what's suspicious on a combat level, but that's not all.

'And ever since I was put in that Genjutsu and broke out of it, not Naruto nor Sakura have uttered even a single word. Hell, not even Naruto's clones have said a thing. They are a talkative bunch, so it's completely out of character.' It makes no sense.

…Wait a minute.

Naruto and Sakura haven't said a single word ever since he broke out of the Genjutsu.

Could it be?!

"A double-layered Genjutsu!" Kakashi puts his hands together in a Ram Seal. "Kai!"

The surroundings and environment don't change, but the Naruto clones fizzle out into nothingness. Even Sakura disappears into the ether.

Even then, Kakashi can still feel a presence behind him.

Naruto's hand is barely an inch away from the bells.

'This is the real one!'

Kakashi loads as much chakra as he can to his feet and jumps away. He felt a tug on his waistline as he left. Looking at his hip, he can still see the bells attached to him. His waistline feels lighter now. So what could it be?

"Oi, Kaka-sensei~!"

Oh no.

Kakashi hesitantly turns around. Suddenly all the color drains from his face. He nearly falls into the cruel embrace of despair.

In Naruto's clutches is… is… "NOOOOO! ICHA ICHA-CHAAANNNN!"

Naruto giggles madly. "Sensei, I'm willing to give you back Icha Icha if you give us the bells in exchange. That's right, we're holding your book at ransom."

Kakashi gulps heavily. "A-and what if I d-don't listen to your demands?"

Sakura grins evilly. Kakashi could've sworn he saw two devilish horns growing on top of her head. "Or we might have to return her to you… a little warm." Sakura lights a match and holds it up to the book.

Suddenly, Kakashi breathes out and relaxes. "You know, it might be a limited edition, but I could always get a replacement book."

Kakashi doesn't mean that at all. He'd lose his will to live if Icha Icha-chan was destroyed, but his team doesn't know that. He only needs them to believe that their efforts were worthless. A ransom only holds as much meaning as the value the victim holds to the target. At least, the perceived value.

Naruto giggles softly. Then he chuckles. His chuckles turn into soft, chime-like laughter, and finally into full-blown hysterical cackles. "Did you know I was Jiraiya-sensei's Editor for this book? It might be boring, but I know everything that happens in the book. And I mean everything, dattebayo!"

Kakashi could feel his soul temporarily leave his body.

"At the end of Icha Icha Tactics, the main character is actually-"

"-WAIT!" Pleads Kakashi desperately. "Fine. You win. You can have these." Kakashi detaches the bells from his waistline and tosses one at Naruto and Sakura.

With a heavy, defeated sigh, Kakashi concedes. "You guys got me. I lost this fight."

Naruto and Sakura grin excitedly. Naruto lackadaisically tosses the book back at Kakashi, who clutches the smut like it's his precious child.

...

In the trees, the spectators all clap at the impressive display.

"I have to admit Tsunade-hime, I had my doubts about your choice of a student. She really shocked me, and in a good way. Well done." Confesses Jiraiya.

Tsunade puffs her chest out pridefully. "Hmph. I expected nothing but the best from Sakura. She went above and beyond. I'm proud of her, but it pains me to say that I had no part in her training and proficiency when it comes to Genjutsu."

Shizune has stars in her eyes. "And Sakura didn't even have the opportunity to demonstrate her talent as a Medic, either. She might be a once-in-a-lifetime asset to Konoha. And don't even get me started on Naruto's ingenious use of Shadow Clones, and his remarkable prowess in tactical thinking."

Jiraiya smirks. "I vowed that I would make a true shinobi out of Naruto, and I did just that. He thinks and fights in the way of Shinobi. Using stealth, tactics, strategy, and deception to gain an edge. He had Kakashi on the ropes for the entire fight. And that's not even mentioning that he didn't use not one Elemental Jutsu in the fight."

Tsunade's eyes widen. "Elemental Jutsu? Naruto can do that?"

Jiraiya's smirk stretches into a snobby grin. "Yep." He exclaims while popping the 'P'.

Tsunade, for her part, is bewildered. "If he had such an ace up his sleeve, then why wouldn't he use it?"

Jiraiya scoffs. "The same reason Sakura didn't use her Iryo Ninjutsu. He didn't need to."

Tsunade nods reluctantly. She has to concede that. "Well done, Jiraiya. With two new promising additions to the village ranks, Konoha has a bright future ahead."

Jiraiya frowns deeply. "I'd like to believe that, but with the threat of Akatsuki lurking about, I'm afraid that must be put on hold until they're dealt with."

"You're right. Meet me in my office tomorrow morning for a strategy meeting."

"By your leave." Jiraiya flickers away, off to get ready for a busy day tomorrow.

Narrator: At the same time Team Kakashi was training, a fierce battle is happening in the skies of Sunagakure. A blond member of the Akatsuki is fighting the Kazekage in a battle to the death. The citizens watch in muted horror the flagrant assault on their people and home. Every explosion sets off a cue of chills and nerves at the fate of their Leader.

After going through the start of the fight and the rising action, we now approach the climax.

'Hmmm. That sand that crushed my arm and protects him is different from the ordinary sand he lifted from the desert. He always carries a set amount of sand in his gourd into which he then pours an enormous amount of chakra, making a special kind of sand.' Deidara was able to figure out this much based on Gaara's fighting style.

'If that's the sand he uses for his lightning-fast attacks, as well as his absolute defense, then the portion missing from that hole is what crushed my arm.' He deduces. Deidara reaches into his clay pouch and pulls out a clay model of a bird crossed with a phantom. 'If that's the case, then my Ohaku can exploit it.'

Deidara smirks sinisterly. "I should destroy this village, hmmm? It's just as Sasori said. Perhaps I underestimated Gaara. I wasn't fully prepared, hmmm?"

The Sunagakure shinobi try to find ways to support their Kazekage from below.

Deidara looks at the efforts below and sneers. "Being interrupted from below is no fun, hmmm? Besides…" He stares Gaara in the eyes. He frowns, feeling irritated at seeing -what he perceives to be- Gaara's mocking apathy. "I'm sick of looking at your impassive face."

Deidara tosses the clay model into the air. It erupts in a puff of smoke. When it clears, the phantom's wings are unfurled, and its mouth is gaping. The biggest change, however, is that the model is now the size of the Kazekage Tower. The clay construct accelerates toward the village proper with an ominous whistle.

"Among all my dolls, Ohaku is my prize masterpiece, containing C3 chakra. Its explosive power is art itself!" Yells out Deidara in manic glee.

Deidara casts a ram seal. The doll shines a brilliant gold. The nighttime sky of Sunagakure becomes as bright as day as if the Sun suddenly chose to work overtime. The air vibrates from the density of the chakra.

Gaara frowns deeply and concentrates within.

The doll explodes in a ball of condensed chakra and fire. The actual blast zone consumes the entirety of the village center. The shockwaves are powerful, expansive, and far-reaching enough to knock down every building on the outskirts of the village.

…

At last, the dust settles. The fearful citizens below look around and see their beloved village is still standing.

"W-what?"

The citizens look around, feeling bewildered that they are fine. Simultaneously, everyone thinks to look up.

Floating above the village is a massive bed of sand. Entire dunes' worth of sand is covering and protecting the village.

"Th-that's… Kazekage-sama's sand!" Came the jubilant cheer of a random shinobi.

…

Deidara smiles coyly. "At last, you are within my range, hmmm?"

Gaara pants, finally feeling the toll of the battle. He spent so much chakra protecting his people that he didn't leave enough for himself.

His eyes widen when he sees a clay bird flying toward the opening in his sand.

Deidara grins. "Kai!"

The bird explodes in a display of vibrant crimsons and yellows. When that clears, Deidara sees the powerful done of sand protecting Gaara.

Deidara keeps his same coy smirk. "Swift and resilient, if somewhat predictable. However… that's just what I want."

From within his sand cocoon, Gaara pants in exhaustion. His eyes widen into abnormal proportions when he sees clay worms crawling around within his sand.

"Art…" Deidara grins hysterically from outside. "IS AN EXPLOSION!"

The worms explode from inside the sand cocoon. The sand crumbles and starts to drip off in streams, like a waterfall.

Somehow, the sand is still keeping Gaara afloat.

Using the absolute last of his strength, Gaara wills the sand hanging over the village outside the village walls. He knows that if the sand falls now, it'd crush everyone below. If it falls outside the walls, Sunagakure would live to see the morning sun.

When he finally blacks out, Deidara uses the tail of his flying clay bird to seize and capture the live Kazekage. He flies off with Gaara in tow.

In the village below, Baki runs to the encoding room of Sunagakure to create an encoded message to be sent to Konoha.

The Next Day

In the Morning, Tsunade summoned Team Kakashi to deliver to them grave news. "The Kazekage of Sunagakure no Sato has been taken by members of the Organization called Akatsuki."

Naruto grits his teeth. "Gaara…"

Tsunade holds a slip of paper out. "Team Kakashi, I hereby amend your mission. You will leave for Suna now!" She demands in a commanding tone. "Assess the situation and report back immediately! Afterward, you will follow Suna's orders and provide them with whatever assistance they require! Now go!"

Kakashi takes the S-Rank mission slip and the Team flicker out of the office.

That's the chapter. My main goal here was to change the Kakashi vs Naruto and Sakura fight to better reflect the progress both have made, and how those changes differ from canon.

I hope you enjoyed the way Naruto fights now. I also managed to hint at his potential wider arsenal. And Sakura's use of Genjutsu with her super-strength makes for a very fun combination of abilities to write.

Let me know your honest thoughts.

Thank you for reading. Review if you enjoyed it, or if you have requests or complaints. You can always P.M me too.

Have a good day. This is Zippy, out.