Phoenix

Chapter 13

Confrontation

2 more years had passed, and the Namikaze twins were chunin now. Currently, along with their team, they were hunting a pair of Akatsuki members. The team consisted of Tsuni Namikaze, Karuni Namikaze, and Shikamaru Nara. They had a Jounin leader in the form of Kakashi. They ran through the trees, intending to put an end to the lives of the two Akatsuki members they were following. They did not know their identities, seeing as they were in their cloaks and hats, but they were prepared for anything. They had read up on all the information they knew about the Akatsuki, mainly their intense and perfect teamwork, overwhelming power, and sheer evil. What they did not know however, is that this confrontation would mean so much more.

With the Akatsuki Pair.

Two lone figures wearing black cloaks with red clouds were walking down a lonesome dirt road, aware of the the team following them. "Naruto-kun, you do know that your sisters are following us yes?" Questioned Itachi. The figure beside him nodded calmly, turning to look at him. Naruto had joined the Akatsuki shortly after meeting Zetsu. He had figured he would destroy the group from the inside. Itachi had confronted him when Naruto intercepted a mission originally meant for Itachi and Kisame. After killing the shark, Naruto went after Itachi with cold, uncaring eyes. They clashed, Itachi slowly being overwhelmed by Naruto's skills with his sword and fire combos. Eventually, Itachi asked Naruto why he was betraying the Akatsuki, and, feeling Itachi deserved an explanation, Naruto told him his plan. This shocked Itachi, before he said he had a similar goal, fearing that the group would destroy the peace that the Nations had created. The two came to build a friendship, and after creating a fake story on how Kisame was killed, Naruto was given a partner in the form of Itachi.

"Yes, I am aware. It seems that this confrontation is suddenly much more important than before, eh Itachi?" Countered Naruto in a joking manner, before they both turned around and suddenly stopped. Itachi spoke, already knowing Naruto's voice would no doubt cause too much commotion too quickly. "Come out Konoha Shinobi, we know you are there." He spoke with no emotion, already knowing that both of them alone could handle the group, and that's without their perfect teamwork. Four ninjas that Naruto knew well dropped from the trees, clearly prepped for a fight to the death. "Akatsuki! We know of your plans to capture all of the Biju! We are here to stop you from completing your goal!" Shouted Tsuni confidently. "And yet you bring the two Kyuubi Jinchuriki's to our door step." Stated Itachi, prompting a chuckle from Naruto.

Shikamaru chuckled a little, before saying. "Heh, guess we never thought of that." He stated, before forming handseals quickly. Without saying anything, the shadows of the entire Konoha team rushed forward, attempting to capture the shadow of the two Akatsuki members to trap them. They stood their without moving, allowing themselves to get captured. What happened next shocked the Konoha team.

Brilliant white flames spewed out of every opening of the currently mysterious Akatsuki member, destroying the shadows of everyone around, therefore counter-acting Shikamaru's jutsu. "Young Nara, you of all people must know that in order to form a proper plan, you must have knowledge on your enemy yes?" Questioned Naruto, removing his hat. What was revealed shocked the Konoha team. Half of Naruto's face was made out of white flames, sporadically shaking everywhere. It was cut oddly, like a scythe on his face. It left his whisker-marks in tact, but an arc from the left side of his face stretched across his eye and continued down his nose. The eye that was covered was made from blue flames, flickering with amusement. The hand that he raised to remove the hat was also made from the mysterious flames.

"NARUTO!" Shouted his two sisters, rushing forward only to be stopped by Kakashi. "Don't run to your enemies, no matter your connections with them." The jounin stated, looking at Naruto as he said it. "You should listen to our Father's favorite student, he speaks words of wisdom." Naruto stated calmly, before rushing them, contradicting Kakashi's statement anyway. The twins reacted, rushing him while Shikamaru and Kakashi took on Itachi.

"Kakashi-san, it is good to see you again." Stated Itachi, blocking a strike from Kakashi before flipping the man in the air. "Pleasure's all mine!" Shouted Kakashi, rushing forward with a Raikiri in his hand. He struck Itachi, only for the Uchiha to explode in a shower of ravens. "I believe you are mistaken Kakashi." Countered Itachi as he stabbed the man with a Kunai, staring as the man fell to the ground in pain. He turned around, rushing Shikamaru. Said chunin jumped back, catching Itachi in his trap. Said Uchiha was now caught by the shadow.

"Shadow-Body Tear!" Shouted Shikamaru, throwing his arms away from each other. It was a jutsu he had created, splitting the victim's shadow, therefore splitting his victim as well. However, one key thing that he even read in the information about Itachi Uchiha was, Never Look Into His Eyes. Shikamaru neglected to remember this information, forgetting as he reveled in his would-be victory, he looked directly into Itachi's eyes, wishing for the Akatsuki to remember the eyes of his killer into his death. But, Itachi capitalized on Shikamaru's little slip up, and captured him in Tsukyomi. (Spelling?) A second later, Shikamaru flopped onto his back, twitching with a look of pure agony on his face.

Itachi turned around just in time to dodge a lunge kick from Kakashi. Noticing the lack of a kunai in his back, and how it was no longer bleeding, Itachi made an assumption and voiced it. "I see that Tsunade's plan went through." Itachi stated, staring at Kakashi. "No, I've just been learning some medical jutsu on the side." Kakashi corrected, before readying a Raikiri. This was stopped when a flaming Tsuni flew into Kakashi, knocking them both into the trees. "I see you didn't hold back on the flames." Noted Itachi, turning to look at an uninjured Naruto. "They both have the 9-tails, it'll heal them just fine." Replied Naruto, before he held his hand out and blocked a kicked from a signed Karuni.

Karuni fell on the ground, looking up at Naruto with desperate eyes. "We'll return you to home so that we can be a real family!" She shouted defiantly, red chakra swirling around her. Nartuo's eyes widened, stepping towards his sister as she got up. "And you plan to use the 9-tails to do that? Don't you understand it's destructive power by now! DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND THAT IT WAS THE REASON I LEFT!" Yelled Naruto, rushing forward and pulling his sword out of the seal on his left shoulder. Karuni, too mixed up in her own emotions to listen to Naruto's words, continued drawing power from the Kyuubi.

Naruto reached Karuni just as a second tail formed, and using his teachings of seals from Kodachi, slammed a dry seal that was on his hand onto Karuni's chest. Using a miniscule amount of heat, he melted the seal and using wind, he pushed all of the ink onto Karuni. The seal dried, and activated, forcefully blocking the foul chakra. Karuni slumped back onto the ground from the loss of power. Naruto held his sword to her throat in an intimidating way. "You are worse than Itachi's younger brother, always throwing yourself into situations you do not understand. For your own safety Karuni, I suggest you back down and leave." Naruto demanded coldly, his sword slowly being enveloped in a white flame that inched it's way to Karuni's throat, promising pain should it reach her. Forced into a corner, Karuni withdrew with miner injuries, but a large wound to her pride and confidence.

However, Tsuni, being the fiery redhead she was, rushed the two cloaked figures and decided to fight, even though all of her teammates were out of the fight. She was already in the four-tail state, and anyone could easily see that she was no longer herself. Naruto lit his sword ablaze, pushing Itachi behind him as he readied his sword. "My, my Naruto-kun, you are confident today." Mused Itachi, trusting whatever his friend was going to do. White flames surrounded the two, and, knowing he was safe, Itachi just slowly turned in circles, admiring the beauty of the flames.

When Tsuni was close enough, Naruto rushed her, the white flames following him. He smirked as the Kyuubified-Tsuni ran from the flames, the 9-tails half inside of her taking control and running from the flames he knew well. The flames had the uncanny ability to purify Yokai, turning it into pure energy that was released unto the world. He should have known the moment his other half shied away from the fight instead of pushing his tenant. However, the 9-tails vessel was not fast enough, and eventually, she dropped to the ground as the chakra around her purified, and slowly drained into a seal Naruto had on his wrist. "Thanks for the reserve energy nee-san, and now, piss off." Growled Naruto, his flame eye pulsating with black and red flames to add to his intimidation effect.

"Are you sure you should be discouraging them Chosen?" Questioned Kodachi, worried for the mental state of his Chosen. "I do feel bad about putting down their confidence, down their pride. It pains me to hurt them, even if I am holding back. But the meddle in things they need not, and do not understand. Starting a relationship with them now would ruin things, and Konoha would push for information of the Akatsuki, and their destruction far to early for me to prepare for the other Pheonixes. Sacrifices must be made Kodachi, that was your first lesson..." Replied Naruto through their mental link, before staring up at the three Konoha shinobi that ran to retrieve Tsuni. Naruto could see the calculative eye of Shikamaru's, and he no doubt noticed how Naruto held back slightly more when fighting his sisters. He narrowed his eyes, flames lighting ablaze the battlefield around them. "Do not meddle in my affairs any longer Sisters, for if you do, I will turn Konoha to ash." Growled Naruto, disappearing into the flames with Itachi...

Elsewhere.

A tan-skinned man grinned madly as he was placed in a tight cell that offered absolutely no mobility, his everything bound by sealed chains, restricting further his movement and chakra usage. He had hair down to his shoulder blades, and was wearing a black prison jump-suit that was further sealed. A prison reserved for SS-rank missing-nin had to be careful. But, the man grinned anyway. The prison would disappear off of his earth soon anyway. As the guards grunted at him, closing his cell, he merely laughed. "Enjoy your last 5 minutes, 37 seconds, and 43, 42, 42, milliseconds. HAHAHA!" The man laughed, and the guards just chuckled, amused at how he thought they would die. But true to his word, exactly 6 minutes later, the man was walking away with a glowing sword in hand, a prison burning and tearing apart behind him. Following him, was an army of S-SS rank missing-nin that were now his loyal soldiers.

His eyes were glowing purple, the same goes for his sword, but both stopped when he placed it onto his back. He turned around, staring at the victorious missing-nin behind him. "My soldiers! My brethren! My Society! Today is the beginning of our triumph! Spear-headed by this prison's fall! For far too long has the world's shinobi leached off of our brilliance! Stealing jutsu, forcing us to reveal our secrets! But that ends now! Missing-nin are the shinobi of the future! Go my men! Pillage, kill, steal! We will make a shinobi village capable of creating an empire! We will rule the Elemental Nations by force!" Preached the tan man, those surrounding him shouting in agreement, before they ran off, jumped through the trees, flew through the air, disappeared into the ground, slipped into the shadows, and anything else they had created themselves. And what did the man do? He faded away into trillions of little atoms, flashing white as they were carried off by the wind...

Minato's Office.

A small man calmly walked into the Yondaime's office. Said Kage was surprised slightly by the unknown man, who suddenly activated every seal in the room, raising his alarm. "Minato Namikaze, there was a certain incident that every kage of every village, every daimyo of every country, every political power of the military side of the great Elemental Nations needs to know. And the information begins with a prison hidden in the shadows. Where guards are stronger than kage, the warden stronger than entire villages combined, where the inmates are even stronger. And one man took the prison down by force in less than a minute..." Started the man, opening a briefcase that would change the fate of the Elemental Nations for good...