Sasuke felt as helpless as he had the night Itachi had walked away from him. All the jutsus he'd learned, all the time he'd spent training, and it was ending up absolutely useless in the face of the barrier Naruto had erected between them. Naruto…

He still couldn't believe Kaze was the kid Itachi had taken, that Kaze was the one and only Naruto Uzumaki he'd been searching for information for this entire time. Not only that—Naruto was the son of one of Konoha's greatest heroes, yet he loathed Konoha and most of the ninjas in it. Plus, there was something going on with that fox inside of him, the Nine-Tails, and that word jinchuuriki that kept getting thrown around. Sasuke needed not only power, but knowledge. He wanted to believe that Naruto was good, that Itachi was manipulating him, but he needed to know more about what exactly Naruto was.

First, though, he needed to find a way through the barrier. Sakura tried punching it with all of her might to no avail, and Sai tried all different types of ink monsters and the katana he always carried. Sasuke tried five different jutsus including his Fire Ball jutsu, but the barrier didn't so much as ripple.

"What's going on?" a voice snapped from behind him, and Sasuke turned to find himself face-to-face with boobs. He stumbled a few steps back, flicking his eyes up to glare at Tsunade, who was staring in shock and awe at the Chain barrier.

"Naruto and Jiraiya are fighting. Naruto thinks Jiraiya killed his friend, and he won't listen to reason. Jiraiya is convinced Naruto needs to be killed because he's dangerous to the village."

Sakura went on to explain a little more about the situation while Sasuke studied the barrier. His thoughts flashed briefly back to the black shadow behind Naruto, and the odd feeling that someone was using his mouth. For a second, knowledge he didn't even know he'd had filled his mind and he'd gotten a glimpse of power beyond anything he could've imagined, but it had disappeared just as quickly as it had come. If he could use it again…

There was a cry of shock from the other side of the barrier, and as Sasuke watched, Naruto was caught in a genjutsu. Jiraiya was walking grimly towards him with an odd-looking sword, and Sasuke knew this was going to be the end if he didn't do something. He pressed one hand against the barrier, closing his eyes and doing everything he could to try and bring back that knowledge. He was concentrating so hard that he didn't even notice when Sakura stopped talking and let out a strangled gasp.

"Foolish little brother, closing your eyes against reality won't make it any better."

Every muscle in Sasuke's body went taut, and something deep inside of him shivered in revulsion at the deep, melodic voice that laced every nightmare he had. His first instinct was to run, and his second instinct to fight with everything he had wasn't any better. He knew just as he'd known the first time he'd seen Kaze—Naruto—that the person speaking was so far above him his fingertips couldn't touch that person's feet. Still, rage swelled like a melody in his veins, and loathing became a physical taste. His Sharingan activated, Sasuke opened his eyes and used one foot to turn himself towards the figure standing just in his peripheral.

Itachi Uchiha, the man who had slaughtered his clan. His adoring older brother. His reason for training and isolating himself. The reason he knew what love was and had an idea of how to show it. A man made of perhaps more contradictions than Naruto's lightness and darkness, and who was regarding him with eyes the same shade as their parents' blood on that night.

"You—" Sasuke breathed, his voice dripping with hatred as everything faded from his vision except for his older brother. That's right, he was an avenger. Bonds were just—

"Our battle will be fought, little brother, but not today," Itachi said indifferently, his gaze sliding over Sasuke's Sharingan with seeming disinterest. "I believe, as of now, we have a common goal. Will you give in to that hatred of yours and get yourself and your friend killed, or will you help me save the jinchuuriki of the Nine-Tailed Fox?"

Sasuke drew in a sharp breath, the decision feeling like it was physically tearing him in two. He couldn't beat Itachi, but he still wanted to try. Yet if he gave into that desire, Naruto would die, Sasuke wouldn't get any answers, and… and something else. He didn't know what that something was, but there was a voice whispering in his ear now, telling him that he had to save Naruto no matter what the cost. To dismantle a barrier…

"Next time we meet, I'll kill you," Sasuke swore, his throat dry with horror at the chance he was letting slip. But Naruto knew something about Itachi that Sasuke needed to know. He turned his back on his brother and reached out to set one hand against the Chains. Forgotten knowledge rose unbidden to his mind, and when he opened his eyes he felt like he was looking through them from far away. As if someone else had taken control of his body.

His hands moved on their own to make signs he'd never even seen, and when one of them slammed into the barrier, the entire thing began to dissolve as if it had never been there in the first place. Jiraiya was so focused on killing Naruto that he didn't even notice, the sword poised above Naruto's chest, hovering there and shaking as if Jiraiya was hesitating one final time before he plunged it in.

The sword moved, Itachi moved, and Sasuke's mouth opened all the same time. He'd meant to scream out Naruto's name, but what came out was—

"ASHURA!"

Naruto's head turned as if in slow motion, and in that second his eyes weren't his, just as Sasuke was sure the eyes meeting Naruto's were someone else's. Naruto's mouth formed a word that wasn't Naruto's and Sasuke was suddenly seeing flashes of a life far, far in the past. He struggled against the tide of incoming memories that threatened to wash him away, and that strange voice he'd spoken in surfaced in his mind to whisper to him.

Calm down, Sasuke Uchiha. Let me remind my brother of who he is, or you'll be forced to watch Naruto Uzumaki die.

Itachi wasn't going to make it in time to stop the sword and Jiraiya was done with hesitation, but the one who moved was neither of them. Naruto closed his eyes, drew in the tiniest breath, and then there was light. It was a blinding flash for just a second, but when it cleared Naruto was crouched behind Jiraiya, freed from the toads' genjutsu. When he rose to his feet and looked over his shoulder at Jiraiya, his appearance had changed yet again.

Now his eyes were golden instead of red, and his pupils seemed to have turned sideways. The red looked like it had leaked out of his irises to surround his eyes, and all traces of monster were gone from him. His expression was older, wiser, and more mature than his years as he regarded Jiraiya with an almost humorous expression.

"How?" Jiraiya whispered, his sword dropping beside him as he stared at Naruto in horrified awe. "Unlocking Sage Mode at your age… it's…"

"A one-time thing. If Indra's vessel hadn't been nearby…"

Those kind, amused eyes turned to Sasuke and the smile that flashed across Naruto's face was someone else's, although it was just as bright as Naruto's could be.

"The kid's sleeping. But Indra, he's trying to manipulate our vessels again. You have to—"

Naruto's face abruptly went slack, and he started to fall. This time Itachi was quick enough, and he snatched the small jinchuuriki in both arms, cradling Sasuke's friend to him gently. It was a gesture Sasuke couldn't imagine the murderer of an entire clan doing, and he was beyond disturbed by it.

We've pushed our luck here, so we'll probably need to rest for a few years. Before I go, though, listen to me, Sasuke Uchiha. Naruto is being manipulated by someone who has been causing hatred since the beginning of time. You must not trust the manipulator, no matter which form he takes. He is a master who will have more agents than you can possibly imagine, so you must keep your friends very, very close. If you stay alive until I wake up again, then—

The voice cut off as abruptly as Naruto's, and Sasuke was left with a feeling of almost emptiness. His vision began to grow spotty again, and as it wavered his eyes searched desperately for Naruto. He was in Itachi's arms, completely limp as if dead, his face twisted in a grimace of pain. Sasuke took a step towards them, stretching out one hand. He had to stop Itachi from leaving, had to take Naruto back so no one could manipulate them. Another step. Itachi turned to regard Sasuke with his Mangekyou Sharingan. Another step, and he was so close to saving Naruto.

He was so close to saving his parents. He tried one more and fell to his knees. He could feel Sai and Sakura holding his shoulders, and from his peripheral he could see Tsunade running towards him.

"Na…ru…to…" he whispered. He'd seen into the blonde's soul—he knew they both shared a suffering no one else could understand. They hadn't spent very long together, but those few precious days they had been together had managed to mean more than relationships he'd had for years. He couldn't let Itachi take another person away. He couldn't…


Zetsu's lip curled in disgust as he watched the scene before him from a safe place. So, Ashura and Indra were still meddling in affairs they should've let go of when they'd died. They hadn't been able to let it go, the fools, and they'd been reincarnated more times than Zetsu could count. After a while, they had figured out that Zetsu was the one manipulating them, but it wasn't like there'd been anything they could do about it. They were echoes of chakra, not really whole souls, so using even as much power as they just had would knock them out for years.

Still, it was annoying. Zetsu wouldn't have let Naruto die, but a good thrashing that ended with maybe Itachi's death could've pushed Naruto all the way. As it was, he was almost completely in the darkness. Zetsu had seen maybe one or two souls come back from the abyss Naruto was balancing on. But Naruto's soul was incredibly resilient—having the echoes of Ashura's pesky Will of Fire could do that to a person.

Zetsu snickered a little as he sat back, thinking of that silly little 'Will of Fire' nonsense. Yes, Ashura had come up with it to oppose the Curse of Hatred and it had actually worked for years and years. The entire ninja world had adopted it to keep the Curse of Hatred at bay, and they'd done a fairly good job of it. However, the one who truly carried that ideal for this generation was Naruto Uzumaki, and Zetsu had managed to warp Ashura's precious dream in Naruto.

Instead of burning the Curse of Hatred away, Naruto's Will of Fire was destined to absorb the Curse of Hatred. It wasn't a big change—Naruto could still save people from themselves, and this time it was easier than ever for him to do it—but every time he did, his own soul got a little darker. In a sense, he took people's hatred upon himself, so that every person's soul he saved was more hatred within his own soul.

Zetsu had already seen some of the changes it brought about lately, in Obito, whose hatred was dissipating in a disappointing manner, and in Sasuke, whose Curse of Hatred seemed to have faded almost completely. Those two certainly could've put on an impressive show and Zetsu was sad to lose their hatred, but he had a feeling that Naruto's would be worth the loss. Yes, this darkness could be just the thing to swallow the entire world.

It would only take a few more pushes for that to happen, and Zetsu had some plans already in place. A reality-warping wrath, a husk devoid of emotion, and some puppets who could dance just as good on strings as off. All he needed now was time, and of that there was plenty.

Kaguya would be so proud.


Tsunade caught Sasuke Uchiha as he fell, pressing her hands against his back as his two teammates supported him. She couldn't feel any wounds or any place where his chakra was disturbed, but when she moved one hand up to his forehead she could sense a great mental disturbance. It was like he'd been possessed for a moment by some great presence, one that wasn't malicious but was so full of knowledge that Sasuke's mind had shut itself down to protect him. She used a little chakra to ease his troubled thoughts into peaceful ones, and his face grew slightly more relaxed.

"Is he going to be okay?" the pink-haired kunoichi asked worriedly, her hand tightening on his shoulder as she shot Tsunade an exhausted but brave look. Tsunade sighed, looking out over the battlefield at Jiraiya, who was watching Itachi Uchiha's lonely retreat.

"Physically, yes. Mentally? I don't know—seeing his brother and finding out that his friend is Naruto Uzumaki must be a huge shock."

"Kaze is Naruto?" the other teammate asked, his eyes narrowing as he cast his gaze towards Itachi as well. Tsunade nodded a confirmation, and both ninjas grew silent and thoughtful. They seemed like clever shinobi, the two of them, and if there was anything Sasuke needed now it was two clever, loyal teammates.

"So I see you've been found, Tsunade," Jiraiya said grimly as he came to join the four other ninjas. He looked bone-tired and worn out, and Tsunade could tell that the fight had taken more out of him than just chakra. He'd been completely prepared to kill his godson, and the knowledge that he had it in him to do that must've hurt. It was unusual to see Jiraiya so glum, but then, these were unusual circumstances.

"I have," Tsunade confirmed as she stood, allowing Sasuke's teammates to support him. "Just what's going on here, Jiraiya?"

"It's Konoha business," Jiraiya muttered with a roll of his eyes, waving a hand as if meaning that it didn't concern her. So, glum as he was, Jiraiya was still up to his old games. Tsunade stifled a sigh as she crossed her arms, looking off to where Itachi had disappeared with the Nine-Tails jinchuuriki. From what little time she'd spent with him, he'd seemed happy and go-lucky, crude but not unlike Nawaki. His dream was different, yet ultimately similar, and she couldn't deny the truths he'd unceremoniously dumped into her lap. Despite claiming otherwise to herself, she still cared.

"As the Fifth Hokage, I think I'm entitled to hear Konoha business," Tsunade sniffed airily just as Shizune came up behind her. She heard Shizune stifle a pleased chuckle, which she pointedly ignored as she glared down her nose at Jiraiya.

The heaviness in his shoulders evaporated some as he straightened, and now there was a determined light in his eyes. Well, good. Maybe he'd stick around a little longer and help Tsunade figure out how to fix the generation that had turned a good kid into a monster who wanted to raze his hometown to the ground. Tsunade licked a finger and reached up to wipe the blood from the cut on Jiraiya's face away, ignoring the part of her that still cringed away from blood and memories.

If she were to attempt to fix all that was happening, she couldn't afford to be squeamish. She was a Leaf shinobi, and she refused to let things like blood get to her. Thinking it made it feel more real, and confidence she hadn't had in years surged through her limbs as she straightened. She was the Fifth Hokage now, so she'd damn well act like it.

The Leaf, huh? Well, could be worse. Not much worse, but still… it could always be worse.


Sasori was the only one in the cave when Itachi returned with Naruto in his arms. He was casually working on fixing Hikami when he looked up to see the older Uchiha taking small, measured steps across the stone, his eyes fixed on a point no one else could see. Sasori knew immediately that something was wrong, and he stood from his crouch, his heart squeezing painfully in a way that it shouldn't. He was a puppet, after all.

"Is he…?" Sasori asked of Naruto, and when Itachi shook his head Sasori knew immediately that it was Kisame. He didn't ask the question though—he only wordlessly accepted the bundle of warmth from Itachi's arms as the other ninja collapsed to the floor, panting from the exertion of carrying Naruto all the way back from wherever they'd been.

Naruto's face was filled with more lines of grief than before, and he was making small noises of pain under his breath as his fists clenched and unclenched. Sasori settled down on the floor cross-legged, laying Naruto beside him as he took the remaining vial of sedative he'd prepared for Konan and fed it to his younger brother.

"What happened?" he asked, pinching Naruto's nose so the boy was forced to swallow. The sedative was quick-enough that Naruto started relaxing immediately, and Sasori took off his Akatsuki cloak, bundling it up so Naruto could use it as a pillow. Then he sat between the two silently grieving members of the Akatsuki and waited patiently. Itachi struggled to speak, looking at Naruto laying deathly still in the grip of a dreamless sleep, and then shook his head.

Strands of dark hair had come loose in his face, and a sheen of sweat made him look more grounded in reality than he ever had. It was so much easier to be a puppet, Sasori thought. It was so much easier to dance to the strings of fate rather than try to go against them.

"I don't know," Itachi finally said, dropping his head between his legs and exhaling loudly. "I don't understand what's going on anymore."

Sasori regarded his friend for a long time, then turned back to Naruto. They needed to contact Pain, find out where Zetsu was, call in the entire group to make a decision. It was the logical, unfeeling way they'd always done things. When Sasori looked back at Itachi, this time the young man was shuddering. There were no tears or sounds other than harsh, jagged breathing, but it looked like he was sobbing nonetheless.

If Sasori was a true puppet, he'd leave the cave right now to find Zetsu. For a brief second, his grandmother's face flashed before his eyes, and her words from the last time they'd spoken echoed in his mind.

I'm only happy you've found friends you're willing to talk to me for. As a child, you never had anyone besides your puppets.

He liked to pretend she didn't know a thing about him. He liked to pretend she was a tie he'd cut as simply as a chakra thread, and that the tie could remain severed for the rest of his life.

He got up and went to sit beside Itachi, tapping the younger shinobi on the shoulder. When Itachi looked up, haggard and heartbroken, Sasori handed him a chisel.

"We'll call Pain soon, but he can wait for now. Help me finish fixing Hikami."

They worked in silence until the puppet was done, and when they finally called Pain, Itachi had gotten himself under control so he could deliver his report with unfeeling, unerring accuracy. There was no gratitude, no words between them for either of them to express how much the activity had helped.

But Sasori felt like, somehow, one of the many strings he'd been dancing on had been cut.