A/N: I am overwhelmed by all your kind reviews! Thank you to all of you supporting my fic by reviewing and following/favoriting! And thank you Guest, for letting me know that the troll that has been writing those unpleasant comments is just written by a SNS hater, it's better than thinking they're just a complete homophobe, but it doesn't really matter either way, their comments are completely offensive so I will be deleting all of their reviews they post and this will be the last you'll hear about them because they do not deserve anymore attention on this Fanfiction, it only makes me all the more determined to continue writing it! Anyway, just another thank you to those supporting this fic! I hope you continue to enjoy it! Thanks for reading. :)


Chapter Five

Sasuke's Crossroads


Team Seven ran in silence until they reach the shore leading to where Itachi's body was being held. "This is where we start walking. Try to avoid any contact with Amegakure Shinobi at all costs," Kakashi spoke firmly before they formed a single line after the silver haired man.

Sakura glanced behind her at Naruto, who kept his gaze on his feet for almost this whole trip. She raised one brow before thinking, "somethings been wrong with him since this morning." The pink haired Shinobi looked in front of her again in time to catch Sasuke casting a speedy sidelong glance at the blonde before turning away. "Were those two arguing again this morning?" She wondered "come to think of it, Naruto hasn't said a word since we left the campsite."

"Hey, Naruto," she whispered, looking back at him.

"Huh?" The blonde snapped his head up "what's up Sakura?"

She noted his flat tone as he spoke before she interrogated, "what happened between you and Sasuke this morning?"

The blonde's blue eyes widened to the size of dinner plates and Sakura could've sworn he looked more perturbed than she's ever seen him. What could have happened that had Naruto Uzumaki so shaken up? She looked back to the raven haired boy who continued to walk after Kakashi, "it makes sense that it had something to do with Sasuke if he's this troubled."

"Uh, nothing! Why do you ask Sakura?!" The blonde choked from behind her. The pink haired girl turned to see him with an unusually large grin as he awkwardly chuckled.

"You just seem a bit different this morning, that's all" she reasoned.

"Huh? Well, you don't have to worry about me, I'm just fine!"

"If you say so," she responded, deciding not to press the subject.

Naruto returned his gaze to his feet as they walked through the shoreline. Chakra signatures came and went since their journey through the main sector of Amegakure but they all remained oblivious to their presence. The young blonde glanced up at the Uchiha symbol on Sasuke's back before whipping his head to the side. Memories of that morning flooded into his minds eye although to him, it felt like it happened years ago. "I should've asked Sakura to stand guard last night," Naruto sighed to himself.

Sasuke felt Naruto's gaze bore into his back like a hot iron. Furrowing his brows he contemplated shooting the young blonde a glare but the longer they strode through the shoreline, the harder it was to look at him as that mornings previous events started to materialise into reality. At the time, it felt too surreal to be true. He pursed his lips into a straight line as they tingled at the memory.


"Was I that easily replaceable to you, Naruto?"

It was a simple enough question but before he knew it, he was firmly within the blonde's grip. "Naruto… what are you—?" Suddenly, his mind went blank. The only thing he could make sense of was Naruto's lips against his. It was never his intention to kiss him or to let his jealousy get the best of him but that's exactly what it did and this wasn't what he was expecting. He didn't expect the blonde to react with the same fervour. His stomach contorted into stitches as Naruto pulled away.

"Sasuke… There is nothing replaceable about you, I—"

He didn't want to hear it. "Stop talking," he thought, his fist shook slightly yet he couldn't find the strength to pull the words from his mouth, realising a part of him wanted to know every little word or thought the blonde carried. All too quickly, a familiar voice snapped him back to the reality around him.

"Sakura," he thought, whipping his head down to see at the pink haired girl. Frustration bit at him but he was thankful for that interruption. Taking a deep breath, he summoned all his strength to catch Naruto's gaze before lifting himself off of the trunk.

"Naruto, there is no place in this Shinobi world for what you're feeling."

"Don't look at me like that," Sasuke thought as he watched Naruto's blue orbs soften. He averted his gaze to the bark under his feet, not sure whether he was talking to himself or Naruto by this point.

"Let go of it."

"I need to let go of it."

"It'll make you weak."

"It'll make me weak."


Sasuke's onyx orbs narrowed as he replayed their exchange of words over and over again in his mind. Bonds made people weak, where would he be if he gave into every person he's ever cared about? Naruto was the opposite and he knew it. He strove to accomplish his goals because of the bonds he shared with others and something about that almost made Sasuke's blood freeze. They could never understand one another completely.

The raven haired boy impulsively looked back at the blonde. He didn't even notice that Naruto was brewing up a fuss as Sai only just ripped a leech from his ankle.

"Argh!" Naruto exclaimed, grabbing at his shin "that really hurt you know!?"

"Shut up!" Sakura lectured the young blonde "you're making such a ruckus, we'll be caught if you keep carrying on like that."

"She's right, Naruto" Kakashi agreed.

"What?!" The blonde exclaimed, "did you not see the size of that thing!? They're all over the place here! At least Sai—" Naruto met Sasuke's gaze and fell silent, feeling somewhat guilty before he continued. "At least Sai helped me out," his voice softened, making Sasuke raise a slim brow. The raven haired boy tore his gaze from Naruto's before almost bumping into the older man in front of him.

"Why'd you stop?" he asked, noting his defensive stance.

"We've almost reached the cave but it looks like we're not alone," the silver haired man theorised.

"Two other chakra signatures, East from here," Sakura answered.

"Where the cave is, isn't it Kakashi?" the pale boy interjected.

"That's right, it seems that we've been caught out," the older shinobi set his bag down on the mangroves before spinning on his heel, feeling a chakra signature behind him. An unfamiliar tall form with unkempt brown hair and chocolate eyes faced them, Kakashi noted the scar that ran along his cheek and the deep line that was engraved through the Rain symbol on his forehead protector. Before Kakashi could react, the Amegakure Shinobi leapt back at a safe distance between himself and the silver haired Shinobi.

"Who's this guy?" Naruto's voice was stern and his brows furrowed as all five forms scrutinised the brown haired man.

Quickly pulling out three Shurikens from his leg holster, the Shinobi propelled them at the pink haired girl before anyone could react.

"Sakura!?" Kakashi called, making a move to block it with a shuriken of his own but Naruto blocked the offending weapons path, effectively deflecting the Shuriken stars with a kunai, making them drop into the water one by one.

"Are you okay, Sakura?" Naruto asked, shooting the pink haired girl a sidelong glance.

Sakura was slightly flustered but nodded confidently "I'm fine."

"He wanted to take out or medical ninja first," Kakashi's dark orb narrowed in thought "he has to have intel on us. There's no time to waste."

Kakashi appeared behind the brown haired man as he pulled out a kunai from his leg holster before slicing through thin air, the ninja skilfully ducked downwards to dodge the silver haired mans attack before snapping himself up and swinging his fist towards Kakashi's jaw but the older Shinboi narrowly dodged the attack, leaping out of his reach.

"Kakashi sensei!" Naruto called, taking a step forward. "Who is this guy?" Naruto repeated, more agitated.

"He's not in a usual team of three," Sakura noted, furrowing her brows. "Could he be a rogue?" she wondered.

Kakashi held a defensive stance as he faced the unknown Shinobi, "are you with the Akatsuki?" he asked huskily.

The Amegakure ninja narrowed his eyes at Kakashi before forming a hand sign, "water clone jutsu" he said before three clones rose up from the water, jumping at Kakashi. The older shinobi lunged out of the way before lifting his forehead protector up to reveal the rare Sharingan.

"I'm going to back up Kakashi sensei," Sai said "don't forget there is a second shinobi but it's harder to make out the chakra signature amidst the water," with that, the pale boy raced toward the three clones that Kakashi was skilfully dodging as they propelled numerous Shurikens at him.

"Two of us have to keep watch for the other one," Sakura said "Sasuke has the Sharingan, he should stay incase an Akatsuki member shows up, while I go—"

She felt a warm hand grasp her shoulder before she turned back to see Naruto. "I'll go," he announced before he ran after Sai.

"Naruto…" she watched after him before turning to see Sasuke, watching the blonde run to the front lines before her green orbs widened slightly. The raven haired boy's features were lined with unidentifiable emotion but it was more emotion than she's ever seen him look at her with. "What happened between them this morning?" she pondered for a second as she searched for the second chakra signature before seeing a flash of raven hair speed past her, toward the real Amegakure shinobi. "Sasuke!?" she called.

Sai and Naruto appeared behind Kakashi as the three of them skilfully dodged every weapon and jutsu thrown at them. A small chittering noise gradually began to get louder and louder until a ball of blue light began forming in Kakashi's hand, "Chidori!" he called before thrusting it into one of the water clones, making it suddenly disperse into a splash of water.

As the clone disappeared, he caught sight of Sasuke narrowly closing in on the Amegakure Shinobi. Kakashi's dark orb widened as he saw the raven haired boy unsheathe his blade. "Sasuke!?"

Sakura watched from afar before sensing a familiar chakra signature race into the battleground atop the water. She sharply drew her breath in and her green orbs widened as she caught a glimpse of the Amegakure Shinobi's partner. "Sasuke!" she called, as she ran after the young Uchiha, unable to match his speed.

The raven haired boy's onyx orbs narrowed into thin slits as he closed in on the brown haired Shinobi, who swiftly turned to face him. Sasuke raised his sword before swinging it down to slice through what felt like air but he definitely hit something. The young Uchiha's onyx orbs widened as his gaze trailed up to an orange mask looming over him. Sasuke leapt back to a safe distance before glancing at his clean blade and back toward a taller masked man, blocking the path to the Amegakure Shinobi.

"So this must be the technique the mission report specified. Kusanagi couldn't cut him, he's fast." he scrutinised, thinking back to the detailed report on this particular Akatsuki member, named Tobi as shown in the Akatsuki Book Kabuto turned over to Naruto.

"Sasuke Uchiha," the masked man spoke.

The raven haired boy fell silent as his dark orbs dangerously narrowed into thin slits before Kakashi appeared at his side. "Sakura stay back," he called as the pink haired girl came to a sudden halt, a few feet back from the three forms. "There's still the Amegakure Shinobi" the silver haired man motioned toward the unknown Shinobi behind Tobi as Sakura nodded.

"It's not unusual that the medical ninja would be targeted first, without a medical nin, survival rate plummets radically. I need to be careful" she reminded herself, fixing her gaze on the brown haired man.

Kakashi turned his attention back to the masked man, "Tobi."


Tsunade frantically approved mission reports one by one as she skimmed through them. "Lady Tsunade, you have a lot of paper work to complete but uh, you don't have to exhaust yourse—"

"Shizune!" The older woman barked as she threw the last stack of paper onto an even larger pile next to her desk. "Take these to the filing cabinets immediately."

"Y-Yes of course," Shizune stuttered before setting Tonton down and heaving the weighty stack of files to the door, struggling to find the door handle.

Eventually the door clicked shut and Tsunade exhaled a deep breath, leaning back into her chair. She flexed her fingers in and out before lifting herself up and walking over to the window, looking over Konoha. A vision of a white haired man came to the forefront of her mind before her brows furrowed and her fists clenched so hard, her knuckles turned white. "Jiraya…" Grief still had a tight grip of her and it refused to loosen its grasp since the day her old friend left to find Pain.

She unclenched her fists, her nails left crescent moon imprints on her palm. The only thing she felt she could do was work harder and get closer to finding Pain. It was the least she could do for him after sacrificing everything for Konoha.

A cloud of smoke suddenly erupted from the centre of her office, she snapped her head up as she turned on her heel. "What is this?" she wondered. The smoke began to clear as she made out a two unusual looking forms sitting opposite to her desk. "Lord Fukasaku," she spoke, regaining her composure once she recognised the small green toad sitting atop of a larger toads head.

"Tsunade girl," he greeted "sorry for the unexpected visitation but this couldn't wait."

"Not at all," the older woman began, somewhat comforted being in the presence of someone who was also close to her old friend. "What have you come to discuss with me?"

"It's about Naruto boy" the old Toad began, "Pain is a strong and formidable opponent, perhaps the strongest this village has faced in awhile. Naruto boy is not strong enough to defeat him as he is now. If you are willing to give me your consent, I can teach him Senjutsu at Mount Myoboku… where Jiraya boy had also trained with me."

Tsunade's eyes widened slightly, "Lord Fukasaku," she began "Pain is a formidable opponent but do you think Naruto would be strong enough to undergo Sage training?"

"I believe he has inherited Jiraya boy's will, he could even surpass him in power."

Tsunade's hazel globes softened slightly as she mulled over the old Toads proposal. "Jiraya…" she thought, all of a sudden feeling a wave of determination envelop her, "just like you put every ounce of your trust in Naruto, so will I."

"Alright," she declared "I'll leave Naruto in your hands Lord Fukasaku. I will notify you as soon as he returns from his current mission."

The old Sage smiled at the older woman "very well Tsunade girl. I'll be waiting." With that, he went up in a puff of smoke and swiftly disappeared, leaving the older woman to her thoughts.

Without almost a minute to herself, the door clicked open to reveal a stack of paper being carefully heaved to the large desk. "Shizune!" Tsunade barked, "put those down next to my desk and bring me a new bottle of Sake. I think it's time for an afternoon break."

Shizune dumped the papers beside the older woman's desk before shooting her a quizzical look. "Well? What're you waiting for? Get going!" Tsunade demanded before sitting down into her chair and pulling out a small Sake set. "I need a drink before I explain this to Shizune," the older woman sighed to herself.

The dark haired woman allowed a smile to play on her lips. "It seems like Lady Tsunade is back to her old self," she suspected, willingly retrieving a bottle of sake for her just this once.


Naruto jerked backward, narrowly dodging a kick to the side from the water clone. Leaping forward, he engaged in Taijutsu, delivering several kicks and punches to the clone but they were blocked each time. The Amegakure shinobi backed himself up into something solid as his arms became locked in a secure grip behind him. He turned his head to find a clone of Naruto holding him back before he averted his gaze ahead of him, seeing the original blonde deliver a breath taking punch to the gut, immediately making the water clone disperse.

Naruto's shadow clone disappeared simultaneously but the blonde stole a quick glance in Sasuke's direction, spotting the raven haired boy and his former teacher standing opposite the masked Akatsuki member. His blue orbs widened, "Sasuke!?" He called as he sped towards the two forms.

"Tobi," Kakashi's said, leaving a sour taste in his mouth as his dark orb narrowed.

"Kakashi," Tobi greeted, remaining glued to his spot in front of the Amegakure Shinobi. "Pain isn't here at the moment but this is Amegakure. There are plenty of Shinobi here who are loyal to Pain."

The silver haired Shinobi noted the serious tone in the masked man's tone. He wasn't the same goofy personality that they had encountered previously, it made him wonder if this was even the same man at all but he had an inkling that Tobi was deceiving them and they were playing into it, hook, line and sinker.

Naruto stumbled up to Kakashi's side as he glared daggers at the masked man. "Kakashi sensei!" he exclaimed "why is he here? Shouldn't he be guarding Itachi?"

"That's what I thought," Kakashi mumbled to the young blonde.

"Ah, so it's Itachi that brings you to Amegakure is it?" Tobi interjected. "I knew one way or another, Sasuke and I would eventually meet. I no longer have any use for Itachi, you're free to take him." The raven haired boy narrowed his onyx orbs as the masked man continued. "I think it's time you and I had a talk about the man Itachi truly was."

Kakashi listened intently but wasn't sure he liked where the conversation was going, "what does he mean he doesn't have any use for Itachi?"

Naruto took a step forward hastily, "You shut up!" the blonde growled "you don't know anything about Sasuke or what Itachi did to him."

"I think you'll find that I know better than anyone," Tobi retorted.

"I already know what type of man Itachi was!" Sasuke snarled before a blue light balled up in the young Uchiha's palm. "Don't talk about things you don't know anything about."

The raven haired boy's onyx orbs were instantly coloured red revealing the Sharingan, as he ran at the masked man, wielding a chittering Chidori in his hand. Anger overwhelmed the young Uchiha as he willed his legs to move faster. He closed the gap between himself and the masked man in seconds before he pushed his Chidori through Tobi's stomach but his attack went right through him.

Sasuke's blood red orbs were narrowed into thin slits as he averted his gaze to Tobi's mask but all too suddenly, his throat tightened. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. "Is that… No, it's impossible" the raven haired boy thought as his red globes locked eye contact with one Sharingan orb gleaming at him from behind the orange mask.

"Augh!" Sasuke leapt back as he fell to one knee, clutching at his left eye. There was an unfamiliar burning within it, it was nothing hes ever felt before. He kept his head down as an image of the masked mans Sharingan seared into his minds eye. "It's impossible," he repeated, all of a sudden feeling unnerved.

"Kakashi sensei, what happened!?" Naruto questioned, seeing Sasuke leap back from the mask man. "What did he do to Sasuke!?"

"I don't know," the older Shinobi truthfully answered "but it can't be good" he ended before running to the raven haired boy as the blonde followed.

Tobi approached the young Uchiha before leaning down so that he was at eye level with Sasuke. "Like you, I am a survivor of the Uchiha clan."

Sasuke's head snapped up as he looked to the masked man wide eyed. Tobi continued, "I am one of the few people left who knows the truth about Itachi." He leaned in closely, ensuring nobody but Sasuke could hear the last exchange of words. "I am Madara Uchiha."

Sasuke's red orbs widened to the size of dinner plates as Tobi stood up. "Madara Uchiha," he seethed to himself. A feeling he hadn't felt since he defeated Itachi bubbled within his chest and his eyes dangerously narrowed into thin slits. It was this feeling that made him accomplish his goals. It was this feeling that made him strong. It was this hate that will make him succeed. A loud battle cry escaped from Sasuke's throat, preparing himself to attack until a pang of pain shot through his left eye.

His breathing stilled before a pained groan escaped his throat and all of a sudden, he couldn't focus. The ache in his left eye was now excruciating and he couldn't help but cringe. For a moment, he wasn't sure if he imagined the water that fell from his eye. His hand fell from his left orb to reveal red smudges over his palm, "blood?!" Sasuke thought before looking back to the masked man.

Tobi watched as Sasuke scrambled to his feet, refusing to give into his pain. Their gazes met once again but the masked man's red orb widened as he noticed the young Uchiha's Sharingan transform into the Mangekyō Sharingan. "It can't be!?" was all he could muster before a black flame erupted from his shoulder and began to spread all throughout his Akatsuki cloak.

Kakashi and Naruto skid to a sudden stop behind Sasuke as they watched the flames that began consuming the masked form in wonderment. "Sasuke… what is this?" Naruto mumbled.

Kakashi looked thunderstruck as he watched the black flames grow bigger, "is this the…Amaterasu!?" He looked to his former protégé who was watching Tobi struggle against the fire. Something in the pits of Kakashi's stomach turned as he recognised the Mangekyō Sharingan that was now in Sasuke's possession.

That was certainly something new to the older Shinobi but it wasn't what upturned his stomach. There was something else in Sasuke's red orbs. Something he saw in the same eyes three years ago and it didn't sit well with Kakashi. He couldn't help but be reminded of the way those dark globes would thirst for revenge whenever Itachi was brought into the picture. The older Shinobi was becoming more convinced by the second that Tobi wasn't who he let on to be.

The Amegakure Shinobi that accompanied Tobi watched wide eyed as the masked man burst into flames. Quickly dispersing his last clone fighting Sai, he began distancing himself. Sakura moved to stop him but Kakashi held up an arm, blocking her path. "Those flames will burn anything in their path, stay back."

The Amegakure Shinobi disappeared before Tobi ripped off of his Akatsuki cloak and threw it into the water, allowing the flames to sit atop of the river between himself and the five forms. "That was unexpected," the masked man thought as he inspected himself. The only parts of his cloak that remained were ashes that stained his clothing.

Sasuke's orbs darkened back to their natural shade of onyx as they widened angrily. "Dammit," he thought in frustration. "What was that?"

Tobi brushed off ash from his clothes as he spoke, "it seems Itachi implanted the Amaterasu in you before he died. Leave it to him to set a postmortem trap. I can't believe how well he plans ahead."

Sakura and Naruto stole a glance at the raven haired boy who seemed to be getting more riled up by the second Tobi remained standing. "What're you talking about?" he spat.

"In order to keep me away from you, Itachi placed a Jutsu in you. He really must've wanted to stop me from telling you the truth. Even at the very end, he transferred his ocular powers to you."

A deep growl resounded from Sasuke's throat, "what are you saying!? There's no point in defending Itachi, nothing will stop me from avenging my clan and destroying you."

Kakashi placed a firm hand on Sasuke's shoulder. "Calm down, Sasuke" he voiced as he took a step forward. "Whats your point?" He addressed the masked man.

"Itachi Uchiha was trying to protect you, Sasuke" Tobi continued, earning a gasp from Sakura as Naruto and Kakashi were simply too taken aback, it was hard to believe what they were hearing. "But that's a story for another time."

The five forms fell silent in disturbance for a moment. "Protect?" Sasuke spat "Protect!? Are you joking!? He murdered my mother, my father, my clan! That's not protection, that's torture! Him and anyone else associated with the slaughter of my clan will be eradicated." His dark orbs narrowed at the masked figure in absolute detestation.

"So, he's decided not to reveal my identity to his comrades? Interesting," the masked man contemplated before turning around to leave. "I'm sure we'll be meeting again soon Sasuke. Whether you come to me or I to you, we'll be seeing each other again."

From behind the flames that separated Team Seven from him, he heard heavy footfalls splash through the water. He knew immediately who would be resilient enough to challenge him. "Hey!" he heard a voice huskily call out to him. He paused before casting a sidelong glance over his shoulder to see the blonde haired boy standing only an arms length from the dying down Amaterasu.

"Ah, the nine tails Jinchuuriki," Tobi greeted, disinterested. "Pain set out to Konoha quite awhile ago. Unless you want your village to perish, you should return home. Pain will be there any day now."

Tobi's words struck a nerve in Naruto but he bit his tongue. "Don't speak to Sasuke as if you know him. You don't know anything about him." Sasuke turned to the blonde as his dark orbs widened slightly. "You don't know the pain he's been through because of Itachi. You have no right to say these things!" the blonde barked, clenching his fists. "I'll never let him go again. You have my word, I won't let you take him."

Tobi's orbs narrowed from behind his mask at the young blonde with contempt. It was because of that boy he knew he'd have trouble retrieving Sasuke willingly from the village but there was no doubt in Tobi's mind that the raven haired boy would always allow his animosity towards the Uchiha's fate to overcome any obstacle. After all, it was Sasuke's way of succeeding, it was his ninja way. The masked man simply whipped his head forward and continued to leave, deciding to discontinue the conversation. His interest was now in Sasuke since leaving the Jinchuuriki to Pain.

Team Seven watched Tobi disappear. "Sasuke," Kakashi began "what did Tobi say to you?"

Everyones attention was focused on the raven haired boy as he turned to his former teacher. "He claims there is more to why Itachi slaughtered my clan." The young Uchiha turned to walk towards the shoreline, picking up his bag from the mangroves. "But I don't care to know what he has to say."

"Alright," Kakashi said, suspicious that Sasuke knew more than he let on but he decided not to press the subject. He followed the raven haired boy and picked up his bag, "then let's get going. We've got to keep moving, Tobi could already be on his way back to the cave if he has any intention of keeping Itachi," The older Shinobi continued to walk along the mangroves and Sai followed after Sasuke.

As the three forms moved forward, Sakura watched as Naruto stood at the diminishing Amaterasu. "Naruto," she muttered delicately, approaching him. "What do you think Tobi meant by meeting Sasuke again?"

"I don't know," he voiced just above a whisper as he turned to face her, plastering a smile onto his face. "But don't worry about it Sakura, I will never allow anything to happen to Sasuke again. You have my word. We better go now, Kakashi sensei is right, we have to get to Itachi before anyone else," With that, he walked straight past her before falling in line behind Sai.

She trailed after the blonde as she stared at his back. "Naruto," she thought "your resolve is always so clear. I couldn't stop Sasuke no matter how hard I tried." She fought back the tears welling up in the corner of her green orbs as she rethought the blondes resolve. "Thank you, Naruto."


The five forms traveled down the shoreline in silence, more aware of their surroundings since their last encounter with Tobi. No one had said a word since then as they drew closer to the cave. The raven haired boy gently placed his palm over his left eye, remembering the painful sting that engrossed it during his encounter with the masked man. An hour had passed and it felt like there was never anything wrong with it. An image of black flames came to the forefront of his mind as he remembered activating the Mangekyō Sharingan.

"Why would Itachi entrust me with the Amaterasu," he contemplated for a moment before shaking off the thought of it. "No, he was lying. Anything he was saying is a lie. If he really is Madara Uchiha then I have no interest in what he has to say. I will avenge my clan." His brows furrowed as he clenched his fist. His blood began boiling at the thought of it, he had not completed his goal until everyone who took part in the eradication of his clan had been killed.

His onyx orbs narrowed, his mind whirling. How could he be so sure this was Madara Uchiha? Did this guy have a death wish? Either way, it didn't matter to the raven haired boy. He was sure Tobi had enough to do with Itachi and his clans fate to be a part of it.

"I'll never let him go again. You have my word, I won't let you take him."

Sasuke's head snapped up as Naruto's words resounded in his mind. The raven haired boy would do anything to avenge his clan but every time he tried to do it his way, there was a certain blonde always holding him back. Frustration started to bubble within his chest the longer he thought about his old friend. The last time they fought at the Valley of the End, they almost both died.

His desire to sever their bond was beginning to slowly diminish and Sasuke knew it. Since he came back to Konoha, their friendship hadn't been the same as before. If anything, it was almost more intimate than before. Pushing all thoughts aside, he decided now was the time to prioritise retrieving Itachi and eliminating Madara Uchiha.

Kakashi came to a halt as they came to the end of the shoreline. "Inside that cave will be where Itachi has been said to be. But our run in with Tobi earlier might've compromised his location, for all we know Itachi could've been relocated by now. But whatever the outcome, stay on your guard. Despite what he said about no longer needing him, I wouldn't trust a thing he says" He couldn't help but emphasise his last sentence, hoping they'd sink into Sasuke more than anyone else.

The older Shinobi stole a quick glance at the raven haired boy, searching for any hint of emotion. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't worried after their encounter with the masked man, the only time anyone could intimidate Sasuke that much was when it came to Itachi. Taking a deep breath, he sighed "let's go."


Kakashi rounded a corner to step onto damp sand, just outside of the entrance of the cave. The five forms followed vigilantly as they made their way inside of the opening. There had been no signs of life anywhere in the cave as they proceeded to walk down a singular path. It had seemed simple enough getting inside of the cave until they reached a stone platform where a man in a black cloak with red clouds lay atop of.

Kakashi came to a halt as everyone followed wearily, inspecting their surroundings. "Kakashi sensei, is that…" Sakura began but cut out as she watched the older Shinobi nod.

"Yeah, it seems that's Itachi Uchiha," he responded, somewhat suspicious of their easy made trip.

"Then what're we waiting for," Naruto continued as Sasuke eagerly followed after him. The three forms tailed behind the two boys attentively as they strode up to the platform where Itachi lied. Sasuke's brows furrowed as he saw his brother. He couldn't help but feel a bite of anger at his peaceful expression as his arms lay by his side. Even in death, there was no limits to how Itachi continued to mock him. How could he look so at peace after what he had done?

"Sai," Kakashi looked to the pale boy who swiftly pulled out a scroll.

"Right," he nodded as he continued to scribble something onto the piece of paper. "Ninja art, Super Beast Scroll."

A large inked bird flew from the scroll as Sai hopped onto its back. Sasuke watched as Kakashi lugged his older brothers body on the back of the bird, not being able to help himself sinking into a bitter state of melancholy.

"Be back in Konoha by tonight. This is a top priority in the Hokages office so be quick," ordered the older Shinobi.

"Yes Kakashi sensei. See you all when you get back." With that, the inked bird took off down the singular pathway before lifting off into the sky, navigating its way toward Konoha.

"It's time to go before we have any more surprises," Kakashi continued, "we'll head back to Konoha and set up camp when dawn begins to set."

Kakashi and Sakura began pounding down the halls of the cave. Naruto made a move to follow but froze when he realised Sasuke was glued to his spot in front of the stone platform. "Sasuke?" he voiced, approaching the raven haired boy "what're you doing just standing there? We've got to go."

The young Uchiha looked from the rock to the blonde. A bitter taste itched the back of his throat after seeing his older brother and meeting Madara Uchiha in the same day. He couldn't deny he was somewhat angry at the masked mans sudden disappearance after their confrontation. He wanted more than anything to destroy him as soon as possible and to his dismay, without leaving the village. Again.

Suddenly, he felt warm slender fingers wrap over his clenched fist. "Sasuke…"

Naruto's voice sent a cold shiver down his spine, making his whole self tense. His icy orbs trailed down to the blondes warm hand over his. Something familiar about this scene made him impulsively stretch out his fingers and lace them through the young blondes. Naruto followed him wherever he went, even when he jumped into an abyss at full force, Naruto jumped in after him. He wasn't even sure if Naruto was pulling him up or if Sasuke was dragging him down anymore, it seemed more like they just came to a never ending game of tug of war.

If he had to leave the village again to pursue Madara then Sasuke would be willing to run to the ends of the earth to do so but it'd be more than likely he'd never be given this second chance again. He would truly be a missing nin marked as a rouge Shinobi, living out his life away from Konoha and away from Naruto. In Sasuke's mind, it raised the question of whether he should've ever even come back in the first place. The thought of that made his whole being feel hollow as if he were feel carved from the inside out. He couldn't deny there was something very real happening between them and it made his head spin with confusion. He couldn't figure it out nor could he sever it and if he couldn't do that then the only logical explanation was to leave it behind and burry it forever, it was only a hindrance to his true goals.

Just this once though, Sasuke tightly interlocked his fingers with the blondes and decided to allow Naruto pull him wherever he wanted. If there was any chance he could pursue Madara and live in Konoha, then he decided he wanted to take the choice he could've made three years ago and accept this bond into his life.

Naruto was wide eyed as his gaze trailed up from their hands to Sasuke's onyx globes that carried a distant look in them. He didn't expect this warm reaction, it made his stomach tighten but not in the way it usually did. His blue orbs softened as he searched the raven haired boy. "Sasuke, what're you thinking of doing," he wondered.

"Let's go," the raven haired boy ordered before running toward the cave opening, dragging Naruto along with him by the hand.

As they reached the exit, the raven haired boy unlinked his hand from Naruto's as their two comrades waited outside for them at the shoreline. "What took you so long!?" Sakura lectured while the two boys fell in line after her as they began walking along the shoreline, retracing their steps back to Konoha in silence.


Dusk began to fall over the canyons of Amegakure and team Kakashi had just reached the Konoha borderline. Although they were closer to home, it'd still take an hour or two to return to the village centre from the border. All four forms rolled out their sleeping bags in a secured area before Kakashi lit a fire, illuminating their surroundings. "Sai should be back in Konoha by now," the older Shinobi spoke through his cup of Miso Soup.

"The mission was a success then right, Kakashi sensei?" Sakura questioned.

"Right, it didn't quite go according to plan though," he hesitantly glanced at the raven haired boy who stared down at an untouched rice ball in his bento box.

"Yeah," Naruto agreed after woofing down a cup of ramen. "You're telling me," he muttered.

Sakura shot the blonde a quick glance, a little taken aback by his attitude. It was very unlike Naruto to be disheartened after a successful mission.

"Who does that Tobi guy think he is," Naruto continued.

Kakashi nodded, although he wouldn't say it aloud, he agreed. "He said he no longer needed Itachi's body. If that were the case, why did he decide to intercept our mission. If Pain was already going to collect Naruto himself then there was no need. With his ability, he could've easily engaged in battle with us if he wanted to but he decided to withdraw."

The three forms looked to the raven haired boy who didn't bother to meet their gazes. "What did he say to you Sasuke?" Kakashi interrogated, his voice hardened slightly.

"I've already told you," the young Uchiha bit out, looking up at the older Shinobi "he says he knows the truth about my brother. Itachi was a murderer who slaughtered my clan. There's nothing he can tell me I won't already know. I don't know what point he had to make." Sasuke looked back down to his rice ball in deep thought. "He wanted me to know exactly who he was." The thought of being confronted by Itachi's accomplice made his blood boil but he didn't want to tell his comrades who the man under the mask was. This was his business and he felt only he could eliminate Madara.

A moment of silence ensued over the four figures as the fire began to slowly die out. "Since Naruto did it last time, I can keep watch tonight," Sakura offered as she stood up.

"Really Sakura?" Naruto asked, a wide grin spreading on his face. "I mean I don't mind if you wanna—"

"Yes Naruto," Sakura sighed, "I'll do it tonight." A ghost of a smile played on her lips as she saw the blonde release a big yawn. "It's been awhile since he's had a proper sleep," she thought.


Sai landed outside of the Hokages headquarters as his inked bird dispersed into a cloud of smoke. In an instant, three ANBU guards appeared by his side and two of them hoisted the older Uchiha onto a stretcher bed. "Sai," one of them spoke "Lord Danzo would like you to report to him immediately." Without waiting for an answer, the three ANBU members disappeared with Itachi, presumably taking him to the interrogation and medical units to have the body examined.

The pale boy took a deep breath before walking inside of the Hokages headquarters to meet Danzo. He silently travelled down the dim hallways before coming to a stop outside of the older mans office. Knocking, he heard a muffled "come in," from behind the wooden door.

The door to Danzo's office clicked open to reveal the older man sitting behind his desk. "Sai, how did your mission to Amegakure treat you?" he asked.

Sai respectfully dipped his head forward to the older man as he spoke, "the mission was a success Lord Danzo. We obtained Itachi Uchiha and the rest of Team Kakashi should be arriving back in the village by tomorrow."

"I see. And how was Sasuke Uchiha's performance?"

Sai looked up to see Danzo. The pale boy hesitated, remembering the peculiar conversation Sasuke and Tobi shared and the rage the raven haired boy reacted with, awakening the Mangekyō Sharingan. There was so much to say yet he couldn't pull the words from his mouth. "His performance is dignified," was all he could muster, dancing around the truth "Sasuke is in control of his emotions and can refrain from putting the success of the mission at risk."

Danzo narrowed his eyes at the pale boy, a little suspicious of his brief conclusion. "What about the Jinchuuriki?"

"Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha demonstrate the ability to work well together in a team."

"Do you think we can trust Sasuke?"

Sai's dark orbs widened slightly. As a Shinobi from the foundation, it was very rare that they would be asked for a personal opinion seeing as their only job was to only carry out direct orders, leaving all emotions and personal thoughts behind. the pale boy was slightly suspicious but answered nonethless. "Yes. I believe we can trust Sasuke."

Danzo speculated the pale boy before nodding. "Well done Sai. I would like a copy of your mission report you write to Princess Tsunade once you hand it in. You're dismissed."

Sai dipped his head forward respectfully before heading toward the door and exiting the Hokages headquarters. He inhaled deeply, filling his lungs with oxygen as he wearily made his way home. He wouldn't say he exactly 'lied' to Danzo but he did think he could've said a little bit more about the mission.

"You're a member of team seven now too."

Kakashi's words pushed their way into Sai's mind, confusing him every time he heard them. He was duty bound to Danzo yet his loyalties lied with Team Seven. He was beginning to think what he told Danzo was good enough.


Tsunade had her head bent over paper work on her desk before looking at the clock. 7:04PM. "It was home time four minutes ago." She thought before a deep breath escaped her lungs. "Who am I kidding, being Hokage is a twenty four hour job," she sighed to herself as she leaned back into her chair.

It was only 20 minutes ago that an ANBU member had reported Sai returning with Itachi. Immediately, she sent two other ANBU members to retrieve the body and send him to the medical unit along with the interrogation team.

"Give him a thorough evaluation making sure there is no traps or hidden Jutsu's placed with him," she ordered as the ANBU member nodded before disappearing.

"Shizune!" She snapped as she rose from her seat "I'm going to examine Itachi's body along with the medical team, I want you to—"

"Lady Tsunade!" Shizune interrupted before earning a glare from the older woman, making her recoil slightly. "I can go in your place, there are still S-Rank mission reports that need to be approved by tomorrow."

Tsunade's brows furrowed as she looked to the stack of papers on her table. She'd be lying if she said this wasn't anticipating this moment but Shizune was right. As the Hokage, she had other duties to tend to. But three cups of Sake later and a headache, it was still hard to get through nonetheless.

"Sai is back," she thought "so if everything went according to plan then those other four should be back tomorrow. I'll have to ask Kakashi to go into as much detail in his mission report as possible."

Suddenly her door flung open, making Tsunade abruptly snap upright in her chair. "What—!?" She recognised the dark haired woman that stormed into her office. "Shizune, what's the meaning of this?"

"Lady Tsunade," the darker haired woman panted, out of breath from running from the medical uni to the Hokage's office.

"Well?" Tsunade questioned.

"It's about Itachi," Shizune began, earning the older womans complete attention. "We've done a complete medical examination on his body and he would be clear to investigate but there is one irregularity."

Tsunade raised one slim brow. "An irregularity?"

"Yes. It appears Itachi's eyes have been taken."