Naruto could tell the village was a little on edge with its six new occupants. He watched as Tia walked down the street like she owned the place, and the twins surveyed the area from a bench like they were mapping every corner. He had gone to the room the group had been staying in to find Lori, but Airi informed him she had stepped out again and probably wouldn't be back for several hours. He frowned. She had been expertly avoiding him for days. He wandered over to Hokage summit and was surprised to find the bomb maker of the group, Al if he remembered right, looking at the large monument.

Naruto cautiously approached the dubbed bomb maker of the thieves. He was about to ask him if he'd seen Lori when Al faced him and asked him a question instead. "Are you ok?" Naruto balked. He wasn't sure how to answer the collared thief who just asked him about his well being. "I'm not the one who's under house arrest until they pay all the countries they stole from back, and fix the damages." He finally said. Al laughed. "True, but you are the one who was out for the count on account of your girlfriend's poison kunai." Naruto turned red. "She would've died if I hadn't of saved her, and besides she's not my girlfriend!" He declared indignantly. Al smirked. "Yeah, but I bet you'd like her to be." Naruto frowned and leaned over the railing. Al was right, but he had accepted that Sakura's heart belonged to Sasuke long ago. "Careful," teased Al. "Lean too far over that thing and you just might fall off." Naruto smiled. He felt comfortable around the boy for some odd reason. (1) "I did once a couple of years ago. Iruka sensei really let me have it." Al chuckled. "I could see that." Naruto leaned over the railing in comfortable silence with the thief for what seemed like a long time.

He examined Al out of the corner of his eye. At first glance, he definitely wasn't what you would picture a thief to look like. He looked quite serene and harmless staring at the Hokage's faces. "So what's your story," he inquired curiously. "Since you thieves seem to know all about mine?" Al smiled. "You sure you want to hear? Lori's better at telling stories, and mine's not pretty." Naruto scoffed. "Whose is?" Al smiled and looked at the monument as if he was seeing a time long past.

"Riyu, Ryu, and I all lived in a small village called Hikari in the Earth Kingdom. Two villages on both sides of Hikari were at war at the time, and our village was attacked by raiders. They were convinced we were enemies of their side because our doctors treated soldiers from both villages. Even though we were neutral territory, they burned the whole thing right down to the ground. Both our parents and my sister, Winry, died (2) along with many other people. Everyone who was left was assigned to an area outside of the villages to avoid overpopulation. They called us refugees. The Kage decided to employ some of the orphans in weapons manufacturing to prepare for any future wars. I, obviously, was apprenticed by a bomb maker. Riyu and Ryu worked with the blacksmiths making Shuriken and other weapons. They were taken by Gato's men a few weeks later. Their files were gone and they just disappeared. It was like someone had wiped them clean out of existence. They came back with Airi and Lori about two and a half years ago. They said they had decided to travel since none of the nations technically owned them anymore. They asked me if I wanted to join them. I've been traveling with them ever since."

Naruto mulled the story over noticing how similar his situation had been to Sasukes. "Aside from the raiders it doesn't seem too bad." He said. "Sounds like it has a happy ending." Al smiled sadly pulled from his reverie. "I suppose so," He said. "But there was a good while where all I could think about was dropping a bomb on both those villages and ending the civil war for good. I was understandably angry after all. Not only had I lost my family, but my best friends were just ripped away and forgotten like pieces of trash." Naruto stared at the water in the canyon below them. "How did you get past the anger?" he asked hesitantly. Al stared at the water below. "Anger and pain are powerful things. They eat away at your heart like an infection, and before you know it you'll do anything…believe anything just to make the ache go away. If I had decided to drop a bomb on both of those villages one day I can guarantee you no one would've questioned me. I had every intention of doing so until I went to the villages and saw the toll the war had taken on them as well. What I realized in that moment watching their people struggle and waste away was that my family was dead, and no amount of killing or suffering was going to change that. The only thing death would accomplish was more pain. So I let it go."

Naruto stared at the ground clenching his fists. "If that's all there is, then why do people still try to fill that void with revenge and death?" he asked angrily. Al sighed looking up from the water below. "People deal with pain differently. Some believe dealing out what they were given will make it go away, and others believe they themselves should be punished for their own weakness. Take this from someone who was in the dark for a while. The person you're talking about has already realized they can't fill it. Now if you'll excuse me I need to drag Airi out of her room for some sightseeing." Al said walking off. "Oh by the way," he said stopping. "Lori's at the training grounds." He resumed walking and gave Naruto a backwards wave.

Naruto balked for a moment and chuckled wondering how he knew he was looking for Lori. After walking what seemed like hours, he finally saw the training grounds he had become so familiar with over the years. He was surprised to see Lori sitting cross legged in front of the memorial on the training field. Puzzled he walked up and stopped a few feet away from her. He tensed when she let out a sigh. He wasn't sure what to say so he just said the first thing that came to his mind. "Just exactly what were you thinking trying to open the gate by yourself stupid?"

Now he had gone over a dozen different scenarios in his head, but not one of them had included her suddenly pulling a kunai on him and tackling him to the ground and punching him across the face. "WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT FOR?" he yelled at the girl throwing her off of him. Lori flipped over landing on her feet. "THAT," she spat out. "Was for ruining my plans." Naruto gaped at her. "YEAH WELL YOUR PLANS WERE STUPID!" he yelled at her. "YOU WERE GONNA DOOM THE UNIVERSE!" Lori balked at him in surprise. "YEAH WELL I DIDN'T KNOW THAT AT THE TIME!" she yelled indignantly. "YOU'RE A GUARDIAN SHOULDN'T YOU KNOW THAT KIND OF THING?!" Naruto yelled back throwing his hands up in the air. "I WAS MISINFORMED!" She yelled crossing her arms. "OH YOU MISSED SOMETHING ALRIGHT!" Naruto shot back getting in face. "I WASN'T THE ONE WHO LET VICTORIA RIP HIS MEMORIES OUT OF HIS SKULL!" she yelled poking him in the chest. "WELL I WASN'T THE ONE WHO DECIDED TO STEAL EVERYTHING INSTEAD OF JUST BEING UP FRONT ABOUT IT!" Naruto yelled right back. Lori bawled her hands into fists. "I WASN'T THE ONE WHO TOOK FOREVER TO OPEN THE **** THING!" Naruto rolled his eyes. "YOU JUST WANT SOMEONE TO BLAME!" Uncharacteristic rage seethed in the raven girl's eyes. "THAT'S IT!"

Without warning she tackled him to the ground. They rolled around kicking, punching, and smacking the living daylights out of each other. After a few minutes of this they finally separated looking like they had both literally just gotten out of a cat fight. "What's… the matter Uzumaki? Thought… you wanted… to fight me after… we got out of the academy." Lori panted. (2) Naruto just bent over catching his breath. He had just been painfully reminded of why this girl had been the one helping him learn how to throw kunai when they were kids. "I…don't know what… should humiliate me more… the fact that you… can still kick my butt in a fight… or the fact that I actually… remember us asking Itachi to explain where babies came from when your mom wouldn't tell you." He told her. Lori stared at him a minute then laughed just letting herself fall over to the ground. "God I'm an idiot." She said after they had both caught their breath. Naruto laughed falling back into the old routine easily. "An Uchiha just admitted to being an idiot. I think you just made history." Lori numbly threw a clump of grass at him.

Naruto frowned sitting on the ground in front of her head. "You didn't go to your house?" he questioned her. She looked up at him. "You know," she said. "I tried to go inside the compound when I was here two years ago. It was before I went to find you." Naruto smiled remembering her approaching him after the second test in the Chunin exams. He was surprised he hadn't suffocated her. That was the week before he had met Jiraiya-sensei. Lori sighed closing her eyes "I kept trying, but somehow I couldn't make myself open the door then either." She opened her eyes again looking irritated. "I thought I was ready to face it this time, but seeing it all torn apart like that…" she looked at the memorial a frown replacing the grimace.

Naruto stared at her a minute not understanding the expression on her face. "Why did you leave after Danzo and Victoria stole my memories?" He finally asked. The moment Ali had returned his memories he had recalled what happened. He remembered Danzo's men beating them and chaining them to a wall. He remembered Lori struggling to help him as Danzo drew him forward and Victoria put her hand to his forehead. He remembered the burning and ripping sensation like a thousand lightning bolts piercing his skin as she had ripped away every last one of his and the Kyubbi's memories of her and the gem.

Lori took a long time to respond carefully thinking over her answer. "Tallah paid the price to hide your memories with your counterpart in the West Gate." She finally said. "The only way to get them back would've been to have her open the gate from our world to the bridge and Airi to open the West Gate from there. Because of the Sage's deal with Truth the price would've been too high to pay, even for all three of us, to open the gate without the Gem of Aatos. Danzo put a bounty on my head after that so I left. I followed a lead on Reika Mura, the great-granddaughter of a past Keeper of the Gate of Light. I thought she might have information on opening the portal without the gem. Tallah and I persuaded Tia to help me when the Sishin attacked us for unintentional involvement in an uprising. She betrayed them in exchange for our protection and led me to Reika. Reika told me that if I didn't send Victoria back to her world her presence would cause this world to collapse on itself creating chaos in the other three worlds and what would be left of this world."

Naruto's stared indignantly. "So what?" he said his voice rising in anger with each word. "You just decided to look for the gem fragments and open the portal by yourself without me? You didn't even have the courteousy to tell you teammates the price would be your death." Lori paled slightly at Naruto's revelation. "Yeah that's right." He said. "I remember that part of the deal too." Naruto said angrily. Lori stared at him in surprise. He didn't care. "You could've asked the nations for the gem shards. You could've told Sakura who you were. You could've told your teammates why you needed the gems. And you sure as hell could've helped Tallah get my memories back! I mean honestly, did you want to die!?" Lori's face shut down into a blank stare under his rage and she simply looked away. Naruto gazed at her his anger becoming confusion then horror as he realized exactly what had been going through the girls head. "You wanted to die." He stated.

Something flashed in Lori's eyes. It was gone to quickly for him to tell what it was. Maybe fear. Finally she spoke. "It's all my fault." She said. Naruto was stunned. That wasn't the answer he had been expecting. "What do you mean it's all your fault?" he asked. "It was an accident." She said. "The guards had been whipping Yore and I all day." Naruto's eyes widened recognizing the former Guardian of the Gate of Light's name. "They had finally stopped, and I was just so angry. I didn't think about what I was doing. I grabbed the guard's sword, but Yore didn't want them to kill me and I couldn't stop…" she trailed off not able to continue. For the first time in days Naruto felt like he understood. "You killed her didn't you?" Lori nodded numbly. "That's why Victoria wants to kill me. She wants to take my place as punishment for ending her life early. She has a right too." "Do your teammates know?" he asked. "Tia and Al don't." Naruto was silent reeling from the information he had just been given.

Before he could ask anything else one of the twins seemed to materialize out of the shadows. Lori stood up quickly the horror evident on her face. "Riyu!" she exclaimed. "How long were you there?" Riyu didn't answer the girl. He just glared. "The Hokage wants you in her office. She plans to send you both out tomorrow and wants to talk with you beforehand." Lori nodded, and Riyu disappeared. "Boyfriend?" Naruto questioned. "…Not right now Naruto." She said not waiting before heading off. Naruto sighed.

When they got to Tsunade's office Lori saw everyone was already there. Airi was sitting on the floor tracing shapes into the floorboard, Ryu was making conversation with the Nara heir, Riyu was leaning against a wall by Sakura who was watching Tia sharpen her fans warily, Naruto stumbled in after her making Lori smile a little, and Al was in a corner trying to put the gem together. The other nations had given them the ones they were lacking under Gaara's persuasion. The one from the Sand Village that Naruto had taken was the only one missing. "You don't have to do that Al." She told her friend. "The pieces will meld back together as soon as the Hokage gives us the last one." Al glanced at her. "Doesn't mean I can't already have them in some kind of order." He replied smiling. Tsunade walked in as they were speaking about the gem in question. "Yes there is certainly no harm in that." She stated smiling humorously at the boy's attempt. Lori smirked. It never mattered what nation they were in. Everyone always loved Al. Tsunade handed him the last piece of the gem and everyone watched slightly wide-eyed as the pieces glowed and snapped together in a rush like metal to a magnet. Al smirked. "Told you it wouldn't hurt." He said smugly.

Tsunade walked over to her desk and sat down in her chair. "Lori, since this is your mission, why don't you enlighten me and the rest of your team on its ramifications?" Lori blinked at the Hokage in confusion. Tsunade stared Lori straight in the face. It unnerved her greatly. "Quite honestly Tsunade-sama we can open the portal anywhere, but since we don't want any civilians getting caught in the crossfire the idea is to keep moving until we cross paths with Victoria." "Wait a second though." Naruto said interrupting her. "Didn't you seal her in that jutsu? If we're just aiming to bump into her why don't we just go back to the Land of Iron?" Surprisingly Tia answered Naruto's question for them. "Well blondie," she said earning a glare from Naruto. "Even though Lori and Airi can both use alkaymay infused chakra attacks their stupid equivalent exchange law is still in place. Now because of the Sage's deal with Truth, alkaymayk attacks take way more chakra in this universe than they actually should. It may not have looked like it, but story-nut there used about a third of her chakra activating that technique. In reality the attack was actually a low level one so it doesn't last long at all." Everyone in the room blinked at the ex-assassin. Lori was the first to recover. "Ok first of all," she said to Tia. "The word is alchemic not alkaymayk."

"I'm just impressed she actually listened when you and Airi were telling her about that." Ryu piped up.

Tia glared at him. "Don't make me use you for target practice."

"Ok, ok back to the point." Tsunade interjected.

Lori gave her attention back to the Hokage. "Anyway," she said. "My jutsu will have already worn off so she's probably already on her way back here. Once we find her, Airi will stall her while Naruto and I open the gate. Then all we have to do is get all three of us inside, destroy the mark on her arm, and then we're home free." Tsunade considered her words thoughtfully. "Alright." She said finally. "That's all I needed you people for. Now everyone except Lori get out of my office!" Lori balked in surprise while everyone else just sweat dropped and left the room.

Tsunade kept the girl's gaze the whole time they were leaving, and kept it up even after they were gone. Lori fidgeted under the woman's stare not liking how she seemed to read her soul. After a while Tsunade sighed. "This is essentially an assassination mission correct?" Lori nodded curiously. "You never associated with Victoria before her counterpart died. Is this also correct?" Tsunade asked. Lori nodded not sure where the Hokage was going with this. Tallah didn't really have a clue either. Tsunade nodded. "If those answers are both true then why were you determined to sacrifice yourself as a price?" Lori balked at the blunt question. "Please," said Tsunade. "I met a guardian who was a close personal friend of my grandfather's. I know enough about that gem to put the other Kage's to shame. The only other way you would've ever had a prayer of opening that gate without Naruto would've been to sacrifice yourself as a price. And don't tell me it's because you have to send her back. If it was that simple you would have captured her already." Lori felt her chest tighten not wanting to reveal the secret, but knowing she wouldn't be leaving here until she did. Tallah sighed inside her head. "We've got nothing to lose at this point Little Bit. Might as well get it out." Lori let out a breath knowing her partner was right. It was time to end the secrets. "The Law of Equivalent Exchange states that to get something you have to provide something else of equal value. Taking Yore's life is what threw the threads into chaos in the first place so another life must put them back into balance. I have to kill Victoria to balance the threads again. It's my punishment, and her price."

She could see them all. Every last one of Yore's memories flowed through her. It didn't matter that they weren't hers. She was the girl's counterpart and had been exposed to them all the moment she entered this realm. Just as her other counterpart's had seeped into her mind as each one crumbled lost in an expanse of time. She had four lives coursing through her. All the happy times, the sadness, and anger put to an abrupt and unfair end. The death of three good people weighed in her mind all as punishment for the Keeper of the Gate of Darkness' mistake. There was no regret anymore. No regret for Saya's actions that led her here, no care for the death of Mia's pleasure, no remorse for almost bleeding Ali dry, and no mercy left for the raven-haired girl who had caused it all. She was done with sanity. Done with rationalizing. In a blind heat of fury Victoria broke the cage she had been confined in falling to the surface of the water below. Her eyes were full of fire that could burn the soul. She ran full speed knowing exactly where she was going. If the world wanted to get rid of her, she'd make sure she'd leave it in ashes.

(1) I had originally planned to have a parallel Fullmetal Alchemist fic called It All Falls Apart that would explore Victoria's betrayal from their Bridge Builder Ali's perspective. I scrapped the idea because I honestly don't have the time to make another big fic like this in college, but I still wanted to emphasize the connection between Al and Naruto because Ed was intended to be Naruto's parallel.

(2) For those of you who aren't familiar with Full Metal Alchemist, Winry is one of the female protagonists in that series.