A/N: The day has finally arrived. The transfer of bodies will now take place. It's going to be a rollercoaster ride to the finish of this story, starting now. No warnings this time, so enjoy.

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Sasuke and Raylin trained together for the next six months, under the watchful supervision of Orochimaru and Kabuto. Their supervisors treated them with kid gloves because they feared them. Sasuke grew in leaps and bounds, learning some wind element and enhancing his fire element, causing him to be able to thrust his evolved chidori out of his hands, directing it, and blasting things to pieces. Nobody was surprised at the pace with which Raylin grew. Every day she knew something new. Every day she invented a new way to do things. Every day, she taught Sasuke something he could use. Every day she loved him more.

For six months, they worked daily. Sasuke moved into her quarters and they shared their living space amicably. They lived together like they were married, and Raylin being a gifted medical ninja, decided that since they were too young to have children that they wouldn't – yet. She "took care of things" as she told him. They spent hours experimenting on each other, finding out what they liked, and what they liked a lot. They talked at length about how they were going to leave. They talked about how soon Orochimaru would be requiring Sasuke's body. They went over the plan again and again in their heads. Raylin continued to practice the mind transfer jutsu on Sasuke. She got better and better at it, so much so in fact that she could hit him while he was moving and drop him in his tracks. Kabuto would be easy, because he wouldn't expect it. They decided that they would go ahead with the body transfer – or at least let Orochimaru and Kabuto believe that they were. Their teachers had no idea what was in store for them.

The day finally came. All the preparations had been made. They all assembled in the medical area for the transformation. Sasuke stood in front of Orochimaru facing him. Kabuto stood behind Sasuke to perform the seals to do the transfer, and Raylin stood slightly behind and to Orochimaru's left side to assist when the time came.

Orochimaru told Sasuke, "I won't be in total control of you. I will give you control whenever you want it, so you can be with Raylin and spend time with her, be in bed with her. I just need control when I'm completing my 'missions' shall we call it?"

"I understand. First we will defeat Itachi together."

"That is first on the agenda. You, me and Raylin. We'll get the revenge you want."

"Good. I'm ready for it, and this. Kabuto, when you're ready."

"Yes Kabuto. Begin the seals." The hand seals took almost two minutes to complete, plenty of time for Raylin to get Kabuto. He began the seals. Orochimaru smiled at Sasuke, the plan he'd waited so long to achieve was finally coming true. He felt giddy. He felt young again, and soon he would be.

An instant later, he found himself lifted off the floor slightly and encased in rock that had come up from the floor. His arms were stretched out to his sides and clamped in the rock like he was being crucified. His head was pushed upward, clamped on the sides so it couldn't move. There was a hole in the center of the rock near his abdomen, large enough to put your hands into. Kabuto didn't even see it happen; he blinked in question at Orochimaru, and barely saw Raylin make the box with her hands to perform the mind transfer jutsu. She hit him dead in the face with the jutsu and bounced into his body, as her own slumped to the floor. Orochimaru struggled, trying to free himself from the rock. He produced a sword from his mouth, but with no way to move his head, it was useless. He couldn't summon snakes as his arms were immobilized. Kabuto/Raylin said to Sasuke, "Ready?"

"Ready."

"Let's do this." She began the seals to call the death god. Slowly and eerily it appeared behind Kabuto's body. Sasuke took a small knife and slashed the skin of his stomach. As soon as he did this, the death god reached its hand out, through Kabuto, through Sasuke, and into the hole in the rock, grabbing Orochimaru's soul. Orochimaru screamed, he begged, he cursed, he threatened. He couldn't defend himself and he couldn't stop the process. The death god pulled Orochimaru's soul from him pulling it into the cut that Sasuke had made in himself. Sasuke struggled to stay still as the pain of the soul entering his body was excruciating. He had to get it all in if they were to be successful. The death god pulled, and finally all of Orochimaru's soul was in Sasuke. Sasuke yelled, "DONE!"

Kabuto/Raylin yelled, "SEAL!" and she jumped from Kabuto's mind in time for the death god to begin to take Kabuto.

Kabuto fell to his hands and knees. He looked up to see Raylin stirring from the floor. Sasuke was helping her get up. Orochimaru was still trapped in rock, but was very much dead. Kabuto growled, "What have you done! You killed him! You've killed me! I can't heal from this. This thing is pulling the life out of me. You used the 4th's technique didn't you? We both underestimated you Raylin. You truly are a genius." He slumped to the floor. The death god ate Kabuto's soul and just as eerily as it appeared, it dissipated. Neither Sasuke nor Raylin looked particularly happy about what had happened, but it was necessary if they were to be successful.

Raylin examined Sasuke's stomach where the cut had been. Around it was a seal, with a spiral in the center. The cut healed almost immediately after being sealed. She asked Sasuke, "Does it hurt?"

"Not anymore it doesn't. Funny."

"Huh?"

"It looks like Naruto's."

"It is like Naruto's."

"I've got a monster inside me too."

"You're more like brothers now than ever."

"Yeah." He pulled his shirt down and hugged her. "Thank you. I don't know how to thank you enough."

"You can thank me after we trash your brother."

"Right. But where will we find him?"

"Didn't you tell me once that you were able to see Naruto's monster by looking into him with your sharingan?"

"Yeah. Do it, go to Orochimaru and see what he knows."

"I'll go now. He's going to be pissed."

"I know. Be careful." She activated her sharingan and looked at Sasuke, looked through him, looked into him. Then she was in watery hallway, where two large golden gates were. There was a seal on the gates, and behind the seal stood Orochimaru.

He began, "Raylin. You amaze me still. I never saw it coming. You kept your earth skill secret for last."

"I had to, it was the only way I could surprise you."

"You did indeed."

"I have a question."

"Yes?"

"Do you know the moving of Akatsuke? Itachi in particular?"

"Yes. I know where he is right now."

"Tell me."

"Why?"

"Because this is why we sealed you. It was the only way for us, all three of us to defeat him. Your power, your chakra, infused with Sasuke's, enhanced by mine. We will be an unstoppable force."

"As much as I'd like to destroy that bastard, I don't know if I will lend my chakra to Sasuke. He broke a promise."

"And you can say you weren't going to try and separate us? Please Orochimaru, I'm not stupid."

"No you're not. I was going to separate you. I was going to use Sasuke to make you do what I wanted you to do. I wanted you to destroy Konoha for me. You still could."

"We are going there, after we take out Itachi. I think we can talk then."

Orochimaru's eyes looked at her suspiciously, but he was in no position to bargain. "In that case, Itachi is not far from here. A day's walk west. He's not alone, so you'll either have to dispatch or incapacitate his partner. Good luck. I hope he goes down quickly, because I need Sasuke to live so I will continue to. Beware of his mongaque sharingan."

She said, "Oh, you mean this?" It appeared in her eyes as she stared at him. He stepped back in horror.

"How did you? Impossible! You can't learn that sharingan. It has to evolve! You had to kill your best friend!"

The mongaque faded as she said, "I did."

"But Sasuke's very much alive. As long as he lives, I do."

"I killed you. I'm sorry for that, but it had to be done, for the betterment of all of us." He was stunned to silence. "Just think, you may have considered yourself immortal – but I would have eventually found a way to kill you if you crossed me. At least this way, as long as Sasuke lives, you do too. I have a feeling that's going to be a very long time. Who knows, we may even figure out a way to let you out some time, if you cooperate." He looked at her with contempt. She came closer to the bars, "I really did consider you my best friend, my only friend for a very long time." She turned to go.

He shouted back after her, "Be careful with that mongaque, it makes the eyes deteriorate."

She turned, "You seem to forget, I'm a brilliant medical ninja. I'll invent something that will enhance or protect my eyes from it. But thank you for the warning. I'll be back to visit. Goodbye for now Orochimaru."

She was herself again standing in front of Sasuke. She said, "Itachi's a day west from here with his partner. We can leave tomorrow."

They looked at Orochimaru's body. The information it held. Raylin released him from his bonds and they brought him outside. She laid him carefully on the ground and looked at him sadly. She had to kill him, she had to save Sasuke. Before she let the crows come to devour him, she took his earrings and put them in her pocket. She wanted to have something to remember him by. Finally, the crows came and took him apart. She thought about dissecting him, but she decided that some things should just not be known. They did the same for Kabuto, Raylin putting his glasses in her pocket. They rested after that, replenishing chakra for the epic battle yet to come.

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A/N: It's awefully quiet out there. This is chapter 20 and I am thankful for the 3 reviews I've gotten. Somehow I thought there'd be more. Saving them for the end then? Alright. The countdown has begun. 10 chapters left, and a quick epilogue. That's it.

Next up: Battle Itachi: Sasuke shows his true strength with a little help from his friends.