Chapter Seven
Pain
Morning sun showered in over the leaves next to Konoha's training grounds with only the faint singing of birds and rustling leaves to indicate the worlds awakening. Sasuke shut his eyes tightly, he could feel the chill in the crisp air around him nipping at his throat as he sucked in a sharp breath, it carried the scent of wet leaves and chimney smoke. His dark orbs snapped open before he leapt into the air, pulling out several kunai's between each of his fingers and flinging them into different directions. He landed on the dewy earth, running past each target, slinging Shurikens and kanai's at all angles.
The raven haired boy stopped, panting slightly "seven seconds," he thought as he looked back at his path. Every star and kunai had hit the rounded targets, right in the middle and it only took him seven seconds. It had been three weeks since the blonde haired boy went to train at Mount Myōboku and Sasuke began training every day since, distracting himself or wasting time, he wasn't sure which it was anymore.
He retraced his steps through the bushy training ground, collecting every weapon. It was for those brief few seconds where he'd forget everything and focus on the one task at hand. He stole a quick glance at the trees towering over him where he could sense the chakra signatures of his assigned ANBU guards. Onyx orbs narrowed slightly, all he wanted to be was alone. A vision of his former teacher flashed in his minds eye, recalling Kakashi's words.
"You don't have to be alone anymore."
"Tch," Sasuke scoffed, furrowing his brows before seeing something in the corner of his eye. He whirled his head around to see a decaying leaf slowly being carried to the ground. Looking up, he squinted slightly, blocking the sun from obstructing his view but the leaves were beginning to be coloured bright greens, browns and oranges. It was early Autumn but it was too soon for the leaves to fall. He's never been a superstitious type of person but a slight chill ran through his spine and he had the sneaking suspicious it wasn't because of the cold sting in the air.
Narrowing his eyes, he pushed it aside and unsheathed Kusanagi, sending electrical shockwaves through its blade before running it through a training pole.
Tsunade rubbed the side of her head, massaging each temple. "I need a painkiller," she thought, trying to will away her growing headache.
"Lady Tsunade, are you alright?" Shizune asked prudently.
The older woman whirled her chair around to face her former apprentice. "Yeah Shizune, I'm fine. But this… this just doesn't make sense" she stressed before turning back to the scattered papers littered around her desk.
"Yeah," the darker haired woman agreed, looking down at the wooden desk. "The information we gathered from Itachi were just things we already knew. There was only a collection of memories from his massacre of the Uchiha clan that night and then a few details about the Akatsuki members but most of them are deceased already. After that, we just came to this… block."
"And this block," Tsunade furrowed her brows "do you know its origin? We know Sasori had that peculiar mind bending jutsu to control people as he pleased. But Inoichi already said a mind controlling jutsu and a mind sealing jutsu are two completely different things. And why would another member of the Akatsuki want to place a sealing jutsu on their comrade anyway? Surely not all of them have it."
Shizune nodded in agreeance. "Yes, it's very strange but this jutsu placed on Itachi seems almost unbreakable. Inoichi and Ibiki are still working on it but if we don't find out how to break it soon then maybe we'll never know any information Itachi's gathered from the Akatsuki."
"So the sealing jutsu has completely concealed almost every single detail about Itachi from us…" Shizune's dark orbs fell to the ground, feeling her former teachers mood plummet. Tsunade dug out a piece of paper that hid behind all the others. On it was a drawing Inoichi did of the sealing sign inside of Itachi's mind. It was three straight horizontal lines with another two underneath although the other two lines were broken in the middle. Three dots decorated the bottom line and the sign was encircled with indiscernible kanji symbols.
Her hazel orbs narrowed dangerously into thin slits before she curled her fingers into a tight fist and slammed it into her desk, splintering the woods surface. "Shizune!" she barked before the younger woman snapped her gaze up to her hazel orbs.
"Y-Yes Lady Tsunade?"
"Call Danzo immediately," she spat venomously.
Sasuke wandered to the Hokage headquarters, making heads turned as he walked through the village looking as though he just came out of a battlefield. From sun rise to midday, he trained without a moments break. A familiar feeling bit at his stomach as the young blonde returned to the forefront of his mind, he wondered just how strong he'd become in Mount Myōboku. Would he really be strong enough to defeat the leader of the Akatsuki? The one who killed one of the great legendary Sannin, Jiraya?
His dark orbs narrowed slightly, to this day he still hated the thought of Naruto catching up to him and that's when he decided it's back to the training fields after a breather and some lunch. There was no time to stop now, not even for a second because who knows how far Naruto will run ahead of him. Confusion welled up in his stomach again, the same confusion he's been pushing down for the past three weeks since his resolve had strengthened. "I used to hate him," he thought "I hated him so much but now…"
"Ah! Sasuke!" He turned to see a head of silver haired approach him, "long time no see, even when you're in the village you're still very evasive."
"Hn," the raven haired boy disregarded Kakashi's joke, simply brushing him off but then an idea came to mind. "Kakashi," he said, grabbing the older Shinobi's attention who was now speeding up, walking in step with Sasuke.
"Sasuke," he teased, putting away the first book of Icha Icha.
The young Uchiha regarded the book for a moment, internally sighing before locking eye contact with the older man. "I want my training to start now."
Kakashi's dark orb widened a fraction at the sudden request. He couldn't help but feel it was slightly out of character. "He seemed so disinterested, what's with the sudden— Oh…" A small chuckle escaped his lips "his rival is training to get stronger with Lord Fukasaku so now he wants to get stronger with his Mangekyō Sharingan." The thought was amusing to the silver haired man, making him slightly nostalgic.
"What's so funny?" Sasuke questioned, his tone serious.
"Nothing," Kakashi answered, his dark orb curving into a smile. "Well, for obvious reasons you should know why I can't train you yet, you've only been here for what now? Almost five months? That's not long enough to convince anyone you're staying for good. What if I were to train you with some super powerful destructive Jutsu and you turn around and use it on the village? I can't say I'd like to be responsible for that."
Sasuke's dark orbs widened slightly before coming to a sudden stop, making Kakashi jerk back and stare at him quizzically. "I am staying Kakashi," Sasuke said, his tone firm. "I want to get stronger, when the Akatsuki comes I'm going to fight."
Kakashi's eyes widened, he went to speak but for the first time in a long while, he was lost for words. "Sasuke," he choked "you might not even be allowed to join in the fight when the Akatsuki comes. You're a former missing nin, even though the Hokages on your side, who can say you won't go off and help them destroy the village." The older shinobi felt a bit unsettled by his own words but he had to know if his former protege was being serious. "And since when were you this loyal to the village? The Shinobi who fight for Konoha are willing to lay down their lives."
Sasuke's dark orbs narrowed. Although he didn't show it, Kakashi's words stung. He didn't have an answer for his former teacher but he knew that fighting Pain didn't have as much to do with the village than it did the blonde. It was Naruto he was willing to lay his life down for and that realisation hit him hard. His orbs narrowed into thin slits, "I used to hate him… I tried to kill him countless times and sever this bond but he just kept trying to reach me and now…"
He wanted to walk side by side with Naruto, there was no reason to kill his best friend and he couldn't see any reason to sever their bond anymore either. But this logic made him feel so weak, making a part of him berate himself. After months of trying to pinpoint just when it began, he decided it just happened on its own. His fingers curled into a fist as his nails imprinted crescent moons across his palm. He wasn't about to let Pain take Naruto so easily, especially when it was Itachi's goal was to collect the nine tails. Anything Itachi wanted, Sasuke would never let happen again.
Anger began to bubble within the raven haired boy's chest. "Madara Uchiha," he thought, reminding himself of his priorities. Any chance he had to avenge his clan always came first. He turned on his heel to walk away, deciding that if his former teacher won't train him right now then he'd do it himself but a hand enclosed over his shoulder, forcing him to stop. He casted a sidelong glance at Kakashi, whose dark orb curved into a smile.
"I guess I can teach you a little about the Mangekyō Sharingan. But just theory and basics, no practicals until your six months is up. So be patient, okay? Wait here just a moment." Kakashi sighed as he disappeared, leaving the young Uchiha to stare after him. "I hope that's the truth Sasuke," the silver haired Shinobi thought, recalling what his former student said about staying. A vision of the orange masked man flashed behind his eyes, making his dark orb narrow. "I hope you're not planning on doing anything crazy."
The older Shinobi landed beside an ANBU guard atop of a building near Sasuke. "Kakashi Hatake," the ANBU spoke "what brings you here?"
"Well, I guess you could say I'm Sasuke's guardian appointed by the Hokage herself. I can relieve you of your duty for awhile if I choose to watch over him. So, what do you say? Feel like going on a break?"
Kakashi couldn't see the ANBU's expression but he was sure the masked man was tempted. "The other two ANBU guards will stay on duty and I will give you two hours but no more. When the Hokage isn't giving him direct orders than I am in charge of his surveillance."
"Understood," Kakashi said. With that, he jumped off of the building and landed beside Sasuke. "Where were you going? The training sites back that way," the silver haired man pointed in the direction his student came from but he didn't miss the slight disappointment that ran through Sasuke's onyx orbs before his stomach began to growl.
"Oh," Kakashi realised "remember the very first task I had team seven do?"
"You mean snatching those bells from you?" Sasuke questioned, wondering where he was going with this.
"Yeah, that one. How about we kick it up a notch and say if you can't activate your Mangekyō Sharingan using your own will then you won't get lunch."
Sasuke's dark orbs widened slightly, remembering the young blonde tied to a pole as Sakura and himself had the privilege of eating lunch that day but it somehow ended up with the two awkwardly feeding Naruto food. It was that day, Sasuke accepted Naruto as his comrade.
"Fine," Sasuke agreed through a smirk. With that, the two forms raced to the training grounds.
Tsunade's door clicked open to reveal an older dark haired man. "Danzo," she hissed, springing up from her chair.
"You asked for me, Princess Tsunade?"
She appeared in front of him in an instant before grappling the front of his shirt firmly. "What is this!?" she spat, waving a piece of paper in front of him with her spare hand.
Danzo's eyes narrowed, "if I knew what you meant by 'this' then maybe I can tell you."
Tsunade glared daggers at the older man before taking a deep breath and pulling back, letting go of his shirt. "I'm talking about this," she pushed the drawing of the sealing sign into the older man, forcing him to grab at it.
His gaze fell to the sketch of the sealing symbol, she watched him closely for any sign of recognition. "I'm sorry but I don't know what this is. What am I looking at?"
"You don't even recognise it?!" she barked "it's the same structure you use for your cursed seal on the members from the foundation. I can't tell you how to run your unit but I've never agreed with this, and now there's a very similar sealing jutsu placed on Itachi. You're the only person I know who can use this particular sealing jutsu so I'll ask you again," she hissed "what is the meaning of this?"
Danzo fell silent as his gaze hardened at the blonde woman. "Yes, it is similar to the ones I use but I'm afraid this is not my sealing technique Princess Tsunade."
Her blood was boiling, she could've sworn her face was beginning to turn red. Her fists trembled slightly before her brows furrowed. She wasn't buying it for a second but there was a single flaw which didn't make sense for Danzo to be the one placing a sealing jutsu on Itachi's mind and memories. Why? Why would a village elder have the need to do that to a former Konoha shinobi?
She took a deep breath, remembering this logic before calming herself down. "Don't think I can't recognise a sealing jutsu like that when I see it. But if this wasn't done by you, how do you release it?" she spat. "There is not another jutsu like it, it's customised to be only used by you."
"There are many Shinobi in this world," he began "I am surely not the first to have created such a technique. If you're saying I am responsible for placing this seal on Itachi Uchiha's mind then you're mistaken. And as for how to undo it, I can't undo a seal that I haven't created. The only way out of it that I know, is the death of the Shinobi who placed it on the other."
Tsunade narrowed her hazel orbs dangerously, it was risky to blame such a thing on a village elder. She contemplating telling the other elders about it but she had a suspicion that it wasn't only Danzo's doing. An angry breath of air escaped for her nose as she returned back to her desk and looked out of her window, over the village. She couldn't say it was definitely Danzo but every fibre in her being agreed that it was.
"If that's the case," she began "then we will find out who did this and why. If they're an enemy of Konoha then I'll have them executed but not without unlocking the seal to Itachi's secrets." She spun on her heel as she glared at Danzo. She was slightly surprised at the flash of anger that crossed his features while he returned her glare.
"Very well Princess Tsunade. Is that all?"
"Yes, you're dismissed."
Danzo clicked the door shut as he made his way down the hall. His jaw tightened and he gritted his teeth before clenching his fists. He stopped outside of the last door at the end of the hall before knocking, a little harder than usual. Before waiting for a response, he welcomed himself inside as the other two village elders turned to face him.
"Danzo," Homura spoke "what's wrong? You seem a bit on edge" the older man scrutinised.
"The interrogation unit has found the seal I placed in Itachi's mind after he massacred the Uchiha clan. Princess Tsunade has recognised it to be my own but I had informed her that many other Shinobi develop their personalised sealing Jutsu's. I believe that if she found the truth out about Itachi, she'd immediately disagree and try to retaliate."
The village elders immediately tensed and Koharu gasped slightly. "She is still too young to understand how Itachi's sacrifice benefitted the village," The older woman agreed.
"Even if she was to know of it, it's already done. There is nothing she could do. This happened during a time where the third Hokage had agreed. Whether he was reluctant or not, he approved it and now it's of no concern to her. Whether she finds out or not, it won't bring back the Uchiha clan," Homura said, his tone was hard.
"I agree," Danzo began, relaxing slightly "but if Sasuke Uchiha were to hear of this news, I believe he'd be more trouble than he's worth."
The two village elders fell silent for a moment, mulling over Danzo's words. "If that's the case then he will simply be executed. Then the Uchiha bloodline will be completely eradicated. Itachi should've taken care of him back then, sparing the boy from such grief," Homura decided.
Koharu only nodded in agreeance. "Yes, well then," Danzo began "it won't matter either way. Sorry for the interruption, I just found it to be of great importance."
The two village elders nodded before Danzo exited the room, leaving them to themselves. He made his way down the hallway to an office of his own before sitting down, allowing himself to relax. "Princess Tsunade is unfit to be Hokage. This village needs someone who can make the necessary sacrifices to protect it." He sighed, leaning back into his chair, "if the seal is broken and Sasuke knows the truth, he is bound to act out against the village. When he does, she will have no choice but to execute the boy."
Pain and Konan stood at the border of Konoha with the five other Pains behind him. "We've finally arrived," the orange haired form spoke as they shot one of the fourth Pain through the barrier around the village, making it easier to penetrate. "Starting here, the world shall know Pain." With that, they immediately made a beeline straight to the village centre.
They easily evaded detection as they wasted no time to attack. Bombs began raining down on the village, causing explosions and smoke to rise from the fallen buildings before summoning centipedes rose from the smoke, scuttling all through the village. Pain swiftly searched every Shinobi's mind he could come into contact with, "where is the Jinchuuriki," he'd constantly ask but no one had an answer, it was always the same.
"Where is Naruto Uzumaki?"
"Where is the Kyuubi?"
Tsunade heard the distant sound of bombs and explosions before she hastily stood from her chair and looked straight out her window over Konoha. She furrowed her brows, "The Akatsuki… So they've finally come." Her chest tightened slightly as she saw smoke rising from the ground and buildings collapse, this was her home, being destroyed in front of her very eyes.
"Lady Tsunade?!" Shizune rushed to the older woman's side, her dark orbs widened at the sight of the village.
"Sound the state of emergency alarm," Tsunade called, her voice firm before turning to lock eye contact with her former apprentice. "And recall Naruto."
"How were you able to awaken the Mangekyōu Sharingan back at Amegakure but you can't now?" Kakashi asked curiously before Sasuke whipped his head to his teacher.
"I don't know," he spat, frustration bubbled inside of his chest. This was by far the hardest training he's had in awhile.
"I guess Naruto will get ahead of you then," Kakashi teased, "it might take you awhile to catch up but—"
"No," Sasuke seethed, before tightly shutting his eyes. "He won't," his orbs fluttered open to reveal a strange red star looking symbol inside of his iris.
"Well done," the older Shinobi praised "it looks like anger triggers it for the time being."
"Hn," Sasuke shot a small glare at his teacher, slightly annoyed that he intentionally went out of his way to probe him about Naruto.
"That's not all bad," kakashi comforted "at least you get lunch now and you're one step closer to activating it at your will." The older man threw a bento box at the raven haired boy who swiftly caught it with one hand. He looked down to see a familiar lunch with rice and vegetables.
"Things don't change with you," Sasuke said, sitting down on a log on the edge of the training grounds with Kakashi.
"I still buy them at the same place I did then so blame the store for not having more options," he chuckled.
Sasuke opened the container and clicked apart his chopsticks before a tremor shook the earth beneath him, making his lunch fall to the ground. Kakashi immediately stood up, looking at the smoke that was coming from the heart of Konoha. He narrowed his eyes dangerously, "this can't be anyone else but the Akatsuki," he said before turning to Sasuke. "Trainings over."
Two ANBU guards appeared next to the two forms before a third landed next to Sasuke. "Kakashi, you're needed on the front lines, that's a direct order from the Hokage. She needs all abled Shinobi to fight, Pain has infiltrated the village."
"Right," Kakashi nodded before turning to Sasuke "don't make any rash decisions. If you're serious about a life here in Konoha then put your pride aside and do what you're told." With that, the older Shinobi disappeared, rushing to defend the village.
"Sasuke," the ANBU guard spoke "we're sorry but it's standard procedure to have you confined at times like this, you're still classified as a criminal." He went to grab the raven haired boy by the arm before another tremor ran through the ground and immediately, an orange haired man appeared amongst them, making the four forms jump to a safer distance over the training ground.
Sasuke scrutinised the orange haired man, his hair was tied back into a pony tail and two magnets pierced through his nose with another two spikier piercings on his cheeks. Sasuke's dark orbs narrowed before the three ANBU members ran at him, throwing all sorts of ninjutsu attacks at the fifth Pain although he simply held his hands in front of him, absorbing every attack.
The ANBU guards leapt back before they began running at him from every angle, throwing punches and kicks in his way although he effectively blocked them all. He grabbed one ANBU member by the leg before swinging him into another ANBU, making them both propel backward into a tree, knocking them unconscious. Sasuke observed, noting every movement he made. The last ANBU leapt back to Sasuke in a defensive stance.
"Is Naruto Uzumaki in the village?" The orange haired man asked. Sasuke's dark orbs narrowed, a vision of Naruto and his grin flashed behind his eyes.
The masked ANBU member swiftly ran at the fifth Pain, forming several hand signs before calling "water style, water wall." He tightly clasped his hands together, making wind swirl around the training ground before small droplets of water began to twirl into the air. Before it could take form, the fifth Pain held his hands out, palms facing forward and the ANBU's guard vanished into thin air.
The orange haired man appeared in front of the ANBU guard before hoisting him up by the neck, "I will take your silence as a no," he said before he was swept clean off his feet by the raven haired boy, forcing his grip on the ANBU guard to loosen.
The masked guard looked up to see Sasuke standing over the fifth Pain, readying himself to plunge his sword into the orange haired man but the Pain clasped his hands over the blade. The young Uchiha's onyx orbs widened before a red star appeared in only one of his iris's, making the fifth Pain's eyes widen slightly in interest.
Sasuke leapt backwards, jerking Kusanagi out of the Pain's grip but the orange haired man followed. "Where is the Jinchuuriki?" he said but the raven haired boy only glared at the fifth Pain before swiftly delivering a kick to his stomach. The fifth Pain leapt backward, narrowly dodging Sasuke's attack. He stumbled slightly as he tried to regain his composure before the raven haired boy propelled several kunai's and Shurikens at the orange haired man.
"He's strong but slow," Sasuke observed before appearing behind the orange haired man as he was deflecting each weapon. A thousand lightening bolts coursed through Kusanagi as Sasuke pulled his blade back and plunged it into the Pain's back and through his heart, making the orange haired man fall to his knees before falling forward.
Sasuke regarded the fallen Pain for a moment before sheathing Kusanagi and spinning on his heel, toward the village.
"Wait," The ANBU guard appeared in front of Sasuke, blocking his path. "You may have just stopped one of those Pain's but it doesn't change the fact that it's just protocol, you need to be confined for this fight."
"I'm going to where Pain is," Sasuke said nonchalantly, "If you try to stop me, I'll resist."
The ANBU member regarded Sasuke briefly before looking over to the Pain lying on the training grounds. He hesitantly stepped aside, letting the raven haired boy walk past him before Sasuke leapt forward, disappearing further into the village. The ANBU guard removed his mask for a brief moment, revealing his dark almond shaped eyes and brown hair. Yamato stared after the young Uchiha before setting out for the main centre of the village.
"Kakashi, forgive me. But I've watched him train for hours on end, day after day. Sasuke is a lot more able than you think," he decided before placing his mask back on, perfectly concealing his identity.
"Get this to Naruto, quickly" Tsunade barked as a small messenger toad sat on her desk.
"You got it," the toad replied before Tsunade stormed out of her office, leaving to summon Katsuyu.
The young toad clapped his hands together, getting ready to return to Mount Myōboku but a sharp pain stung his back before falling forward lifelessly.
"The Jinchuuriki must not return to the village," Danzo towered over the fallen toad as he sheathed his blade, leaving the Hokages office.
Sakura's palms began to ache, her chakra control was beginning to waver slightly as she worked on patient after patient as well as barking out orders to the medical unit. "This is bad," she began to panic "these Shinobi can't go back out there in their condition."
Beads of sweat began rolling down her forehead as she furrowed her brows. She scanned over her current patient before detecting a life threatening abrasion over his chest. Sakura's green orbs widened, "he's already lost so much blood, I don't know if…" she hastily shook her head before a wave of determination washed over her. She gently hovered her hands over the wound, her palms began to burn with the sudden surge of chakra she sent to them.
She felt her patients heart beat slow down before delicately pressing harder into the wound, attempting to make the bleeding subside but to no avail. "Please, just hold on," she begged before drawing a sharp breath inwards. "There's no pulse," she thought, her hands scrambled up to his chest, feeling for a heart beat. After waiting a few seconds her hands fell to her side as she bit the inside of her lip. "Damn it," she thought, cursing herself.
She remained still for a few moments before drawing up a blanket over the Shinobi. Losing a patient hit her just as hard as it did the first time, it had never gotten easier. Her palms now felt as if they were on fire but she pushed it to the back of her mind. Standing up, she raced over to the next stretcher. Her hands winced as they lit up green but her concentration broke when a familiar voice came from behind her.
"Sakura."
The pink haired girl whirled around, immediately finding herself staring into deep onyx orbs. "Sasuke?" she breathed, unable to sense his guards chakra signatures. "What's going on?"
"Where is Naruto?" he asked, wasting no time.
"Naruto?" she blinked, her mind was racing, she didn't have time to think about anything else but her patients. "Lady Tsunade sent a summoning toad to recall him just awhile ago," her palms glowed green again as she worked on the injured Shinobi. "Sasuke," she began "what're you doing?"
The raven haired boy regarded her for a moment, examining her hands that ran over her patient. He noted that her palms were wearing slowly from the amount of concentrated chakra running through them, she had always been good at chakra control although there was a limit. But he couldn't deny that she was good at what she did. With that, he spun on his heel without giving any explanation.
Sakura looked over her shoulder to see him speeding away, towards the village centre to where Pain stayed. Her brows furrowed, "what is he thinking of doing," she wondered briefly before looking back to her patient. "Naruto," she thought "where are you?" she asked herself now that it was raised to her attention. It shouldn't have taken this long, right?
Sasuke ran through Konoha, slashing down every summoning animal he came across, searching every part of the village to find Pain or the masked man. "Madara," he thought.
The young Uchiha inspected his surroundings, noticing all the destroyed buildings, grime and fallen Shinobi around him. He hadn't seen chaos like this since Orochimaru and Sunagakure attacked the village at the Chuunin exams three years ago but even then, it didn't compare to this. A strong chakra signature was speedily making its way up behind him.
The raven haired boy briskly spun on his heel before leaping backwards, gracefully landing a safe distance from a taller orange spiky haired man. Sasuke's dark orbs narrowed, sensing a stronger chakra signature from the man in front of him than the other one he fought just before. "I'm guessing you're the real Pain," Sasuke said as one of his dark orbs deepened into a blood red Sharingan and the other took form of a star.
The orange haired man stared for a moment before speaking, "you have awoken the Mangekyō Sharingan. That's a high feat for the last remaining Uchiha."
Sasuke's orbs narrowed before he ran at Pain, a chittering began to resound from his palm as sparks of lightening flashed around his arm. The orange haired man raised his arm before a shockwave of chakra flew through the air, forcing Sasuke back with strapping force. The raven haired boy was sent flying backwards although he managed to regain his balance before landing on his feet on higher ground.
"You don't have the strength to defeat me. Where is Naruto Uzumaki?" Pain interrogated.
Sasuke disregarded his question as he jumped to level ground to face the orange haired man. "Where is Madara Uchiha?"
Pain's orbs narrowed slightly at Sasuke's difficult attitude. "It is because of Madara Uchiha that I haven't eliminated you already."
"What's that supposed to mean?" the raven haired boy spat, his fists clenching.
"I haven't come just to ask you about the Jinchuuriki. There is something you need to know about your brother before you go and defend this village," Pain began, earning a scowl from Sasuke.
"Like I've told Madara, there is nothing more I need to know about Itachi, I know exactly who he is" the young Uchiha hissed before he was devoured within a puff of smoke.
Pain squinted slightly as the smoke had cleared to reveal the young Uchiha hauling back a large Fuma Shuriken before sprinting towards the orange haired man and propelling it toward him. Pain nonchalantly held up his hands, palms facing the Shuriken before it was being pushed backwards, towards the raven haired boy.
The fifth Pains ability to absorb chakra came to Sasuke's mind before he confirmed this Pain had the ability to bend gravity. Smirking slightly, the young Uchiha side stepped the Shuriken before tugging on a wire he pulled from his pocket, making it fly past him and back to the orange haired man. Pain propelled it back again, slightly confused as to why he'd try something that didn't work already.
Sasuke continued to fling the Shuriken back to Pain, doing this over and over, until he was close enough. Sparks of light began to manifest in his palm before a chittering ball of lightening began aggressively forming in his hand. Pain narrowed his eyes at the young Uchiha before propelling the Shuriken back once again.
"So his plan is to just keep my hands occupied is it?" Pain mused before side stepping the Shuriken, allowing it to wedge itself into the spot he was standing in just moments ago, he swiftly grabbed at the wire and pulled it towards him, forcing Sasuke to let go. The orange haired man ran forward, closing the distance between them.
Pain's knuckles went flying toward Sasuke's jaw but the raven haired boy ducked and swiftly pushed his Chidori into Pain's stomach but the orange haired man grabbed his wrist before it could hit. Sasuke snatched his fist back but Pain thrusted his knee into the young Uchiha's chin, taking advantage of his proximity.
Sasuke stumbled backwards but it didn't slow him down, he sped forward, throwing punches at Pain but the orange haired man held his forearms up in a defensive stance. "Whether you want to hear it or not, Itachi is not the man you thought he was" Pain said, his tone serious.
"Shut up!" Sasuke howled before swiping his leg into Pains, knocking his feet out from underneath him. The orange haired man lost his balance but he quickly regained his footing and leapt backwards. "Why do you and Madara keep saying this?!"
"Because it's the truth, Itachi knew true Pain."
"If that were true then why would he murder our entire clan!?" Sasuke shouted.
"Because the third Hokage and elders of your village ordered him to."
Sasuke's orbs widened. His breathing stilled and before he knew it, he felt his hands tremble. All of a sudden, his head felt light and nothing around him seemed to exist. He had never heard anything more… ridiculous.
"You're… lying. You're a liar!" Sasuke hissed at the orange haired man.
"Think what you'd like. But it's because of you, he did it. If it were not him then it would've been someone else and you would not have been spared."
"No, that's a lie. He tortured me for years, he tried to take my eyes!" Sasuke spat.
Pain continued, ignoring the raven haired boy. "There was a long standing power struggle between the village elders and the Uchiha clan. Your clan wanted to regain power for the Uchiha, they planned to overthrow the village in a search for that power. There was a spy embedded in the heart of the Uchiha, a spy that would report to the Hokage and the elders. That spy was your brother, Itachi."
Sasuke's heart beat was racing so fast, he was sure it could burst through his chest at any moment. "Itachi… a spy!? No, thats…"
"Itachi Uchiha knew true Pain," the orange haired man continued "he had to make the choice to pick between his clan, his family or Konoha. I'm sure you couldn't imagine how crushing that weight could be. But as you know, he chose the village."
"But… why?! Why would Itachi betray the Uchiha?!" Sasuke spat.
"Because what he saw during the Third Great Ninja War made him put peace and stability of the village first. Itachi was a man of good nature and therefore, the elders took advantage of that. They gave him the assignment to eradicate the entire Uchiha clan."
Sasuke's dark orbs widened but allowed Pain to continue.
"Itachi agonised over it. He was in terrible distress, it would've been heavy on his mind. But he knew that if the Uchiha's plan to rise to power were to go through, the village would crumble and other villages would take their chance to attack. The selfishness of the Uchiha clan would have led to the deaths of many innocent lives and so Itachi had made his decision. He decided to carry out his mission as a loyal Konoha Shinobi. He even agreed to join the Akatsuki to retrieve intel and report back to the village."
Sasuke instantly felt sick. His stomach contorted into stitches and his knees felt weak. "Then why… me? Why didn't Itachi kill me?"
"He knew he would become known as a rogue ninja that murdered his entire clan, to bear all the burden and disgrace. It was simply part of his mission. He killed his clansmen, his superiors, his mother, father and his lover, everyone who has ever been dear to him. But he couldn't bring himself to kill his little brother."
Sasuke's chest tightened at Pain's words. He could barely grasp reality at this point and his breathing became laboured but the orange haired man continued.
"Afterwards, he implored the third Hokage to protect you and threatened the village elders that if they hurt you, he would leak the truth about the Uchiha massacre. He believed you would one day find him and seek revenge, making you a hero in the village."
With those last few words, his legs gave out and he fell to his knees. He curled over himself, clutching at his chest, it hurt too much. "That's a lie…" He whispered "It's a lie, it can't be the truth. He tortured me my whole life, he tried to kill me over and over!"
"If Itachi truely wanted to kill you, you would have been dead. In the end, he was already dying from illness. He didn't anticipate you leaving the village and seeking out Orochimaru but he had planned your final battle out so he could free you of the curse mark, using your eyes as a distraction. Without you even knowing, he came back to Konoha to remind the village elders he was still alive and if they were to harm you, he wouldn't stand by."
"It's a lie…" Sasuke whispered, "it's a lie… it's a lie!" he shouted before slamming his fist into the ground.
"It's the truth. Itachi cared about y—"
"Stop it!" Sasuke shouted, shutting his eyes tightly. "It's a… it's all a big… lie."
"Why do you think the Amaterasu activated once you saw Madara's Sharingan?" Pain questioned "Itachi was protecting you till the end. He wanted to protect you from the truth."
Sasuke's dark orbs flashed open as he sucked in a sharp breath of air.
"Why're you still alive? Why do you think he could kill his entire clan and everyone dear to him but not you? He cared for you more than anyone. If it had not been for his defeat at your hands, why would the village accept you back so easily? They see you as someone who defeated a true villain, eagerly welcoming you back with open arms. You meant more to Itachi than the village itself."
Sasuke's eyes were as wide as dinner plates as he tried to slow his breathing down but he couldn't stop himself from shaking. His mind acted on its own as he recalled memories from his childhood with Itachi. His brother was always kind, always loving and caring. A loud cry escaped from his throat before he defeatedly curled his fingers into a tight fist.
"Join the Akatsuki, Sasuke."
The raven haired boy snapped his head up at Pain, his dark orbs widened slightly.
"Although Itachi had betrayed the Akatsuki, I can respect the Pain he must've carried with him throughout the years, he knew the sorrow that war and conflict could bring and he became a victim in this world. My goal is to create a better world, one where there is no pain. If you come with us you can help us to overcome war in the Shinobi world and create peace. If you decide to join us, Madara Uchiha can tell you more about Itachi and the true man he was."
Sasuke shook his head slightly, he felt himself slowly descending back into a dark place he hasn't been since he pursed Itachi many years ago. "Is it possible that… But why would…" His dark orbs hardened before he stood up, clenching his fists so tightly his knuckles turned white. "This village… is the reason I've lost everything and now, Itachi." Pain watched the raven haired boy's featured slowly contort into a scowl.
"Everything… everything that happened in the past five months was for no reason. None of that matters if what you're saying is true," Sasuke began "now when I think back to that night Itachi annihilated our clan, I could see the pain on his face. I thought I imagined it but…"
"Orochimaru, the curse mark, everything just adds up," Sasuke thought, he tried to think of reasons as to why it isn't true but it just didn't make sense now that he knew the truth.
The raven haired boy's heart sped up but he willed his trembling to stop before his features hardened. "Are you going to destroy the village?" Sasuke questioned Pain.
"I will not stop until I obtain the Jinchuuriki and if you decide to stay and defend the village, I will also destroy you," the orange haired man said.
Sasuke drew in a sharp breath as his dark orbs widened slightly. "Naruto…" he thought before biting the inside of his lips. "The past five months, everything that happened… it can't go on. For awhile, I thought things could be different. But I'm an avenger, my home is in the darkness. This village made my brother suffer and my clan is now completely gone. I… I will destroy this village. I will avenge my clan."
The raven haired boy's gaze hardened as he looked into Pain's rinnegan. "Alright. Take me to Madara."
"I will tell you where to find Madara. But first, I need to find the Jinchuuriki. Those who have never experienced pain will never understand true peace. Get to higher ground." With that, Pain began to push himself off of the ground until he rose high into the sky. "Itachi and countless others suffered at the hands of war. And I will never forget the pain that Yahiko suffered." He held his arms open, "and now, this world shall know Pain." With that, a bright light erupted from the sky as a gravitational force was ripping Konoha apart, pushing every single thing out of its way, leaving only ruble and dust in its wake.
Naruto lied on an overgrown lily pad as he stared at the strange colours of Mount Myōboku's sky. He lifted his hand out, stretching his fingers as the rays of light shone through them. "I wonder how everyone back home is," he thought. "I wonder how Sasuke's doing…" he shook his head "what am I thinking? It's not like he needs me or anything, he can take care of himself but…" His blue orbs softened slightly, it was three weeks later yet a certain raven haired boy continued plagued his thoughts everyday until a more sombre topic crossed his mind.
"What's taking Pain so long?" His brows furrowed, all of a sudden feeling impatient. Sage training was difficult but he knew he was already starting to get the hang of it. "If only I could just maintain sage mode for a bit longer…"
He loosely clenched his fist, trapping the light within his palm before noticing a falling leaf landing next to him. He turned his head to see a decayed leaf next to him. "It's too early for the leaves to be falling, isn't it?" he wondered, feeling a little unsettled.
"What're you doing daydreaming up there?" He heard Fukasaku say from below the Lily pad. Naruto jerked up, looking down at the toad but before he could retort, a voice from below interrupted.
"Lord Fukasaku, bad news!" Naruto turned his attention to see a pink toad next to Fukasaku. "Kosuke's name disappeared from the register."
"This doesn't bode well. Has something happened to the village?" Fukasaku questioned.
"What!?" Naruto leapt from the Lily pad, listening intently.
"Naruto boy, I have a bad feeling."
"Is it the Akatsuki?"
"Lucky for us, Ma should be near Konoha and should be strong enough to summon the both of us. So go get ready," the toad instructed.
Naruto's brows furrowed in determination. "Yes sir."
