The scene was picturesque. Two statues of two men, facing each other, as a waterfall was raging between them. It would have been an excellent place to meditate, relax, train, or anything else that Naruto could think of. However, the one thing that he really had no desire to do was the one thing that would soon fill this scene he was looking at.

"Go ahead and get in a good position. Make sure you are close enough so I can dispel you individually, but far enough away so that Sasuke doesn't bother going after you."

Wordlessly his three created clones moved off to carry out his orders. Naruto remained focused on his target in front of him. Standing atop the statue of Uchiha Madara was his former teammate, and the man he had once called a brother. Sasuke stood there, clearly focusing on something. A single hand was in a simple half ram hand seal, and he was releasing a steady stream of chakra. 'What are you doing over there Sasuke?'

'You could just go over there and find out. I think you should just strike him down now while he is distracted.' The Nine Tailed Fox chimed in.

'Nah, not my style. I want a straight fight with him. Besides, something like that wouldn't work on him.'

'Just a thought. Against the Sharingan you will want to take advantage of every opportunity you get, because you won't get many.'

'I'll think about it. Alright, you hang back and try to keep yourself from being influenced by him.'

'I will. Good luck kid.'

'Thanks.' With that Naruto steeled himself, and for the first time since he released the beast in the battle with Madara, Naruto sealed away the Nine Tailed Fox. His resolve had been tested the past year. His desires juggled between revenge and justice, hatred and love, regret and remorse. He confirmed within himself that this was justice in the purest sense, and revenge had no place in it. Naruto did not desire Sasuke's blood in any form. He would take no joy in fighting Sasuke, nor would he be happy if Sasuke died. He was doing this to protect his home and his loved ones who resided there. He would give Sasuke a brief moment to explain himself, and give him one last chance at a peaceful resolution. What happened beyond that point would be the result of Sasuke's decision. He would allow his friends fate to remain in his own hands.

Moving slowly toward his destination Naruto began to think about the practical side of this battle. 'What is the most deadly here. Susanoo? Tsunade said that she was able to crack a few ribs on Madara's Susanoo with a few of her punches. I should be able to do the same against Sasuke in Sage Mode. Tsukuyomi? I can just fight him with my eyes closed using Sage Mode's sensory skills to navigate if I need to. That leaves Amaterasu. What eye does that thing come out of again?'

Close enough to his destination Naruto leapt onto the head of Senju Hashirama's statue. Landing he saw that Sasuke hadn't moved, flinched, or even reacted to his arrival.

"Naruto," Sasuke said coolly. "I'll be with you in a moment."

"Sorry, I thought we were here to fight each other. If I had known you would have kept me waiting then I would have taken my time getting here just like Kakashi-sensei does," Naruto retorted with sarcasm dripping off his tongue.

As the silence settled in Naruto decided to use the moment to test a theory. He knew that Sasuke had spent a good deal of time with Orochimaru, and after his last fight with the snake Sannin he learned the hard way that the near immortal ninja had been extensively trained in Sage Jutsu. 'If I start drawing in natural energy Sasuke should feel the need to prepare for an incoming attack, but only if he has been trained in the Sage Arts. Or at least I hope he will react,'

Briefly he drew in nature's power and he could feel several things. The power of the waterfall as it flowed over the face of the cliff. He felt the subtle life in the flora that surrounded the area near the river and at the forest's edge. There were a number of small animals in the area including birds, fish, and various woodland critters. Then there was Sasuke. His chakra felt dark, cold, and menacing. It felt more malevolent than he could remember the Nine Tales chakra ever feeling. He never altered his stance, his chakra flow didn't change, and the only conclusion that Naruto could draw is that Sasuke didn't sense the threat that he currently possessed. So he let the borrowed strength leave him.

"Are you going to be much longer? I kind of have people to see, things to do, and places to be," Naruto said feigning annoyance. He truly was getting a little annoyed at being ignored like this, but he certainly wasn't going to push the issue too far. If Sasuke didn't want to fight then that was great.

"I'm just tying up a loose end," he made a few hand seals in rapid succession and then opened his eyes. His stance relaxed, Naruto noted that he wasn't nearly as rigid as he had been. 'Whatever technique he was using was clearly one that didn't require him to be physically present, but it requires total concentration and focus to use like that. So he won't likely be using that move here.' Sasuke's eyes were set on Naruto's, his Sharingan already activated.

"There are a few things I want to know," Naruto started.

"Fine. Since you are going to die here, I'll indulge your curiosity," he replied coldly.

There were a large number of things that Naruto didn't know about Sasuke anymore. After Sakura's death Naruto realized that he didn't have any real understanding of the man, not in the capacity that he felt he used to have. Yet, despite all of the uncertainty there were only three things that Naruto truly wanted answers to.

"Why did you kill Sakura?"

A smirk crept on his face, "She was holding you back. You would never fight me with intent to kill as long as she lived. You knew she loved me, and you loved her too much to fight me to the death. Even if she didn't love me at all, you never had the desire to fight without holding something back. I knew if I killed her it would push you over that edge. Now let me add some extra incentive for you to fight me to the fullest extent of your power."

"Why would you even want that?"

"To test my own limits. You were the only one to ever pose a real challenge to me, so you are the only standard I can measure myself by. If you fight me without intent to kill, you will die. I will kill you, and it will not be a true measure of my real power. Now you will fight me with no reservations, and once I am satisfied with the test of my strength I will end your miserable life. Once you are dead I will march into the Leaf, and I will burn it to the ground. Your friends, the Hokage, and even that Hyuuga girl you have become fond of, they will all die by my hand. I will make it slow, it will be painful, and they will all know that it was because you didn't have the strength to stop me. They will know that you abandoned them to suffer and die, because you didn't have the strength to kill me. They will know this because it is what I will tell them in the moments before they reach the end," Sasuke replied with a sickening coolness to his voice. To kill so heartlessly, it was almost like facing down Gaara before he had made a change.

'Well, I don't have a problem killing you if you force me Sasuke. I guess this means that you won't go peacefully then. One down,' Naruto thought as he readied his next question. "How do you plan on destroying the Leaf? There is no way that you are strong enough to pull that off by yourself,"

"In a certain sense I am. I have found the collection of Sharingan that Madara took from the members of my clan the night Itachi slaughtered them. I also, acquired, several people to help me in using the Impure World Resurrection Jutsu. I will revive the members of my clan who died that night, and with their strength at my command we will burn the Leaf until only ashes remain. I will bring about the coup d'état that Itachi paid his life to prevent. I will end the peace that was bought with my brother's blood, a peace the Leaf did not deserve and took for granted. After I have my vengeance I will rebuild this world in my own image."

'He is mad with grief and the pain of having killed his brother who only ever loved and protected him. Normally I would try to dissuade him from this path. I should say something about how Itachi would not have wanted this, but that would only make him furious. I can't reason with him, he wouldn't let me. Last question.'

"What did Sakura tell you before she died?"

Naruto heard it start out quietly. Sasuke's laughter became more audible every moment he paused to breathe. Soon he was laughing maniacally, and his voice echoed slightly off the surface of the water and the face of the cliff. Naruto's fists were clinched hard. His nails dug into his skin and blood began to drip down. His teeth were clasped shut, seething with anger but doing his best to keep it from being visible. His natural urge to rush over to his foe's laughing form and turn it into a mangled corpse was quickly overtaking him, and it was taking his entire strength of will to keep him from doing so. This was not an attempt at provocation, Sasuke was genuinely finding the moment humorous. To Naruto, Sasuke's reaction was like spitting on Sakura's grave. It was the ultimate insult to her memory.

Finally quieting down, Sasuke answered "She said that she wanted me to always remember that she loved me, and she hoped I would remember the reason why before the end."

"Fine," Naruto quietly growled. 'I am sorry it has to come to this. Sakura, I hope you will forgive me. The Sasuke we both knew died a long time ago.'

"This is it Naruto. It's time you joined Sakura in the next life," Sasuke said closing his eyes and placing his hand on the hilt of his blade. It was a brazen display of his typical calm assurance in his own skill and abilities, many would mistake it for arrogance, but Naruto knew better. Sasuke did not doubt Naruto's abilities, and had probably hit him with a multi-layered genjutsu as a first line of defense.

In an instant Naruto launched himself from the top of Hashirama's statue toward Sasuke at a blinding speed. Sasuke always was the faster of the pair, but speed was something that Naruto had spent the last four months working on in conjunction with the weapon on his back. Reaching his hand over his head and grabbing the hilt of his teacher's sword. Perhaps a second had passed since he made his move, and he was now upon his opponent. Drawing the tantō he brought the keen edge to bear on the right side of Sasuke's face. As the blade passed through the eye Sasuke's body broke down and reformed itself into several crows who all took flight.

"You are far too impatient Naruto. I would like to savor your death, but you go straight for the killing blow," Sasuke's voice came from behind him.

"I'm through playing games with you Sasuke," a restrained rage was in his voice, and his heart.

"That's big talk for such a little man. Wouldn't you rather tell me how I should return to the village and rejoin Team Seven just like the old days?"

'I would, but it wouldn't do any good. Instead I have to break the genjutsu you placed on me and find where you are really hiding.' From his new perch upon the great stone head of Uchiha Madara, Naruto began to quiet his mind. He prepared himself to enter Sage Mode, knowing that he could not waste any time in a long drawn out conversation with Sasuke. 'What Sasuke was doing earlier looked just like what Orochimaru was doing when he resurrected the Pervy Sage. If he is using that jutsu on the village already I need to hurry back as fast as possible.'

"What's the matter Naruto? Do you not have any speeches for me about how I should stop? Will you not try to explain how you know what I am feeling? Are there no words that you will use to dissuade me?"

The buildup of nature's energies and balancing them with his own chakra was a task that Naruto could confidently do in nearly every situation. He could feel the power of Sasuke's genjutsu crumble underneath the weight of the Sage chakra as it altered the flow of his own strength. He did not look and return an answer to Sasuke's phantom that was presently positioned on the statue opposite him. Soon he could sense Sasuke's true presence standing on the edge of the wood that surrounded the peak of the waterfall, and he knew that he would have to make his move and catch Sasuke completely by surprise. 'If I can't kill him in one shot then I will have to at least disable the Sharingan.'

"No Sasuke, not this time," Naruto replied acting as if he were still under the influence of Sasuke's illusion. "This time there will be no more words between us. From here on out, until this fight is finished," and with a speed that out-paced what he previously demonstrated, the distance between them was covered, "there will be blood." The blade in Naruto's hand shone silver as he wrapped it in his wind nature chakra, and brought it to bear on his foe from behind. Clearly Sasuke's Sharingan was not able to predict Naruto's sudden attack, because there was genuine shock on Sasuke's face when he turned around to see the golden eyes of his former teammate staring into his own. Yet, in spite of the surprise, Sasuke's reflexes were still sharp enough to react in time as he instinctively forced his body to back away from the attack.

It was as if the world stood still the blade, and the chakra that coated it passed within millimeters of Sasuke's left eyebrow. Even when the pin wheel pattern morphed and changed into a set of overlapping ovals Naruto remained determined to either end this fight here, or gain a decisive upper hand. He could see the first drops of blood show in the left eye and he knew that black flames would soon follow. Sasuke had erred in his judgement believing that the real attack was the blade or the cutting nature of wind that honed its keen edge. Naruto now knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that his foe was no Sage.

Every Sage that utilized their great power would be surrounded by an aura of nature's energy. Only those who have had training in the Sage Arts could even sense this aura, and only those who have trained with the toads of Mt. Myōboku could manipulate that aura. Naruto learned that a chakra conductive weapon such as his teachers would be surrounded in that same aura when his chakra flowed through it. He then learned how to mold that aura much like he would mold his wind chakra. This attack was something even the visual prowess of the Sharingan could not see, and soon this aura was just as dangerous and just as sharp as the blade Sasuke had convinced himself that he had dodged.

Within the second it had taken to launch the attack damage was done. Naruto landed after his second strike, and Sasuke's screams of pain let him know that it hit home. He looked up to see his one-time friend on his knees hunched over upon the surface of the water. Blood coated his hand and was mixing with the river. It still felt a bit wrong to Naruto, he preferred to act openly and always felt guilty about sneak attacks like that. Getting a leg up during a fight was one thing, but using cloak and dagger style moves to start off a fight just left a bad taste in his mouth. The smile that crept to Sasuke's face, however, helped him overcome his guilt quickly. It almost looked as if Sasuke relished the pain.

Meeting Naruto's gaze, one hand clasped over his left eye as a steady stream of blood escaped through his fingers, Sasuke stood. "You ruined my eye."

Knowing that Sasuke's eyes were the coveted gift of the Uchiha blood, and having learned that his brother's eyes had been implanted into Sasuke, Naruto figured that his opponent would go berserk. If that be the case, then a defensive game may be a better choice. Holding off emotionally compromised attacks until a mistake was made was far easier than matching a lunatic on a rampage blow for blow. Naruto stood and took a loose defensive stance waiting to see what the next move would be.

"I wonder," Sasuke continued. His voice was shaky as were his legs, "did you know that my left eye was where Amaterasu was generated, or were you just guessing?"

Naruto held to his claim from earlier. He had nothing left to say to that man and would not dignify his goading with a response.

"It is no matter," his resolve to fight was astounding as he stood just as calmly as he had before the fight began, "As much as I would have enjoyed listening to you scream in agony as the flames of Amaterasu burned you alive for seven days, I can kill you in several ways that will be just as satisfying."

'Are you even human anymore?' Naruto thought to himself. Half of him honestly wondered, and the other half already knew the answer to that.

The sound of birds chirping filled Naruto's ears as he saw lightning form in the hand Sasuke had pressed against his face. A guttural scream overpowered the sound of the birds as Sasuke writhed in pain.

'He is cauterizing the wound with electrical burns from a Chidori. To top it off he still has the focus to stay on the water's surface. I may have done myself a great disservice by crippling you. Now I can't fight you at your full strength, and I won't get another chance to do that.'

"Now," he said removing his hand from his burned and scarred face. He drew his sword and held it in a one handed reverse grip while the other hand was coated in the dangerous lightning, "where were we?"

In the blink of an eye Sasuke was upon him. There was the clash of metal as blades crossed. The lightning enhanced edge danced along every opening that Naruto revealed. It created a gash here, a severed tendon there, and pierced skin spilling plasma into the water beneath their feet. Sasuke was displaying his superior speed, skills, and experience as a swordsman. Each strike flowed into the next with Sasuke wasting no movement or effort. The raven haired mad man was setting the pace in this elegant dance with death. Naruto knew he was disadvantaged in kenjutsu, but his Sage Art: Invisible Sword technique was just enough to keep Sasuke from pressing his advantage and taking a full blown offensive due to the simple fact that he had to worry about a sword he could neither see nor sense. Naruto blocked Sasuke's sword and wheeled his body around using the momentum to make a powerful strike at Sasuke's neck. His blade was blocked near the nonexistent guard of Sasuke's sword, and used his free hand to bring his Chidori across Naruto's chest.

Sasuke reversed the slashing motion of his hand treating it as a dagger, trying to catch Naruto again, but Naruto jumped back to try and gain distance between them. Sasuke had other intentions. The lightning in his palm extended cutting into Naruto's side. It would have cleaved him in two if he had not used his Sensei's sword to block it. As the distance between them grew the Chidori Spear grew in length. Naruto was struggling to keep the blade from digging into him further since the feeling in his sword arm was falling prey to the numbing effects Sasuke's electrical chakra produced. Just as he felt he could no longer maintain a constant flow of wind nature chakra in his sword, the distance between himself and Sasuke became too great for the attack to follow. For nearly five meters Naruto fought against the powers of gravity and his foe's seamless transfer from his signature attack to a mid-ranged variant. He was no longer worried about not fighting against Sasuke's full strength; he was more than a handful with a handicap.

Naruto fell down the length of the waterfall and plunged into the water below. He tried to swim toward the surface but found that much of his right side was completely numb and useless. He could see the blood slowly leaking from his side from where Saskue cut into him. 'His mastery of the Chidori is amazing, but lightning is weak against wind so when the time comes I will have to use the Rasenshuriken against him,' Naruto decided upon sheathing his Sensei's sword. Naruto would not be trying to engage in sword play again. It was something foreign to him, and to try and utilize a skill set he had not fully developed against someone who had clearly mastered it would be tantamount to a death sentence. Slowly he rose to the surface of the river, and climbed upon it. As he began to come to his feet, Sasuke landed on the water's surface at the base of the water fall with a degree of grace that would sicken a lesser man.

"It seems your Sage Jutsu has run out. That was your only hope of winning Naruto," Sasuke said as if warning the blonde ninja.

In pure defiance of those perceptions on his own limitations Naruto formed a cross hand seal. Sasuke, obviously taking this to be a sign of Naruto's typical attempt to overwhelm his opponent with a small army of clones, answered by charging directly toward the original while he was still alone. At the last possible moment Naruto grabbed hold of Sasuke's wrist and prevented the sword from striking true. He opened his eyes and saw surprise again fill Sasuke's countenance. He couldn't help but smile with the satisfaction of knowing that twice Sasuke misjudged the limitations of his power, and twice Naruto would make him pay for it.

His grip tightened on Sasuke's wrist until it snapped causing him to drop his favored weapon. In a moment Naruto was delivering an unrelenting assault on Sasuke. To his credit Sasuke was doing a marvelous job of dodging most of Naruto's attacks in such a way that utilizing the Sage's aura in the fist fight was a failure. Sasuke seemed to have learned that Naruto's attacks are not as straight forward as they had been some ten years ago, and adjusted his strategy accordingly. Even the ones that he couldn't dodge were blocked with a partial manifestation of Susanoo. The various ribs and bones that appeared to protect the user were fractured, cracked, and broken. The constant use and dispersal of the mythical chakra warrior had benefits on its own. In disuse Susanoo would heal from whatever wounds it took, but Naruto never gave Sasuke much time to fully utilize this benefit. The constant strain that using his most powerful skill placed on Sasuke meant one thing; this pace would only be maintained for so long as they danced upon the surface of the water.

Then an opening appeared and Naruto took it, making a high kick right under Sasuke's jaw. Sasuke was sent soaring straight up into the air, but Naruto would not leave it there. He jumped performing a front flip as he reached the height Sasuke was forcibly sent to. Front flip turned to ax kick as Sasuke was painfully redirected back toward the water and crashed through the surface. Had it been solid earth beneath them Sasuke would have died on impact, and likely would have left a sizeable crater judging from the splash that was made. Naruto allowed gravity to take him back down to rest on the face of the river.

Reaching the surface again as the water from the impact began to fall back down as rain would. 'Sasuke has been down there for a while now. I'm pretty sure I didn't kill him so what could he be planning?' The pieces to that puzzle began to fall into place as Naruto noted a drastic increase in the temperature of the water. Soon he saw a light, growing in size, form under his feet. Naturally, the idea that it was no longer safe to remain in that particular spot formed in Naruto's mind. He jumped away from what turned out to be a large pillar of fire that took the shape of what appeared to be a dragon's head. Steam filled the air and a thick haze formed around the surface of the water. Standing on the banks of the river born of the waterfall Naruto waited for a sign of Sasuke's presence.

Naruto could sense him, and when the steam finally cleared he could see Sasuke standing again on the statue of his ancestor. The sky grew dark and ominous, and soon the low rumble of thunder sounded over them both. Rain poured down, and Naruto couldn't help but feel a pang of nostalgia as he remembered the last time they fought here in this place. The last time Sasuke left him for dead. This time, one of them would die, or perhaps both of them as Naruto predicted so long ago. 'Yes this time we will both die here Sasuke, just as it should be.'

'No. No, I can't die here, I won't die here. I made a promise to Sakura. I will keep that promise, and I can't do it if I'm dead.'

"I must admit Naruto, your mastery over the Sage Mode far surpasses both Kabuto and Orochimaru. Collectively, all they managed to achieve was a method to collect Sage chakra while still moving, and it involved several genetic modifications. You managed to solve that problem with a simple shadow clone didn't you?"

Naruto just nodded in affirmation. Even though Sasuke had not been trained in becoming one, clearly he had been trained in how to combat a Sage.

"To be honest, you far surpassed my expectations, and have once again proven yourself to be a worthy rival. Sadly, that is all you will ever be. Just a rival, and never my equal. I'm afraid this fight must end. If I use too much more of my chakra playing with you I will have to delay my destruction of the Leaf."

Naruto watched his opponent raise his hand toward the sky as lightning flashed across the storm clouds. 'Just what are you planning Sasuke? What are you trying to do?'

Suddenly lightning struck near Sasuke, but he never flinched. All he did was hold his palm up toward the heavens. This had Naruto confused in a most complete way. He had seen no hand seals, there was little chakra being emitted, and no real sign of threat. Still, instinct told Naruto that this was not a good situation and he needed to prepare counter measures. Again lightning struck dangerously close to Sasuke, and again he was unphased.

The cloud to cloud lightning really began to put on a show. Bolts flashed across the sky, and it was truly an impressive show of the force of nature. Then Naruto could sense it, there was chakra, Sasuke's chakra, infused with real lightning. He was molding it, reshaping, and likely will soon be directing it toward Naruto himself. Hastily he made two shadow clones. 'If real lightning was involved in this attack, and if Sasuke is accurate with it, then there is no dodging this. Maybe I could with the nine tails chakra, but if I undo the seal and use his power like usual Sasuke will control Kurama and I'd have to fight them both.'

"It is futile Naruto. This is the end," and as he spoke those words the lightning appeared in the shape of a great beast. A great Kirin forged of lightning was soon staring Naruto down and it was an image that would never leave him. To see the visage of the mythical beast constructed of lightning, it was a sight of purity and power. It was ironic to Naruto. Every myth, legend, and story that he had ever heard involving a Kirin portrayed them as divine creatures with a benevolent nature. Often they would use their power to strike down the wicked and appear as a boon to the virtuous. Now, the image of one was being used by a deranged and evil man. If he had not quickly refocused to the task of creating a Rasenshuriken, then he would have doubted whether he actually was in the right by stopping Sasuke. He would have been the victim of psychological warfare in its most potent form, at least for those who know the mythology. The beast was poised and ready to strike, and the entire wrath of the storm that formed above them would soon be unleashed upon Naruto.

"Now die in the flash and the thunderclap," and without any more warning Sasuke's hand was brought down and the lightning construct moved toward the gathered storm. With clouds covering where the point of attack would be, Naruto quickly aimed a fully formed Rasenshuriken of unusual size at the point where he could sense a trace amount of Sasuke's chakra up in the sky. With no time to spare or hesitate he threw his attack and hoped it would serve its purpose. With less than a second of flight time for the devastating wind based attack it met a massive surge of electrical energy. The rotating blades of wind did not meet resistance, nor did it slow down. It divided the bolt of lightning in half and redirected its path. Each half striking in the forest on either side of the chasm the waterfall created, and each resulted in a massive explosion on impact.

If Sasuke was angered, he did not show it. Instead he moved to strike. He was obviously wearing down. In all honesty, Naruto was as well. He used the last of his Sage chakra on his massive Rasenshuriken, and was now in a state of near exhaustion. Ever since the fight began it went at full throttle with neither opponent toying around much. Both had been trying to make things quick and clean. Naruto, for the sake of his friend's memory, wanted to end this fight without making Sasuke suffer. Sasuke wanted it end so he would have energy remaining to crush the Village Hidden in the Leaves beneath his heel that very day. Sasuke drew nearer with a Chidori primed and ready to go. Naruto formed the infamous Rasengan in his palm and met the incoming attack over the surface of the water. The resulting impact created a massive shockwave that forced the combatants to fly violently back toward the direction that they had come from.

Naruto was not wasting time just flopping around like a ragdoll though. He contemplated releasing his last shadow clone and entering Sage Mode again, but decided that he would only need to if Sasuke summoned a full blown Susanoo. He made a handful of shadow clones and set his plan into motion. Naruto drew out a Fūma Shuriken and launched an attack he was certain Sasuke would misjudge even with the perception of the Sharingan. As soon as he was on the ground and had managed to lose the added momentum he jumped in the air and let the bladed Shuriken fly.

It stayed on course, heading toward its target and was prepared to strike true. Though bloodied, exhausted, and nearly caught off guard by the sudden attack, Sasuke dodged it with ease relative to his situation. He also saw the second shuriken which had been hidden in the shadow of the first, and dodged that. Suddenly the second Fūma Shuriken transformed into Naruto who immediately launched a kunai at his opponent. Sasuke didn't flinch or turn around to see the attack. Likely because he knew what was coming. In response the spectral warrior Susanoo appeared to cover Sasuke like a cloak. "Do you think I am as low as Zabuza was? Did you really think I would fall for the same attack that I had taken part in?"

Just before the kunai made contact with Sasuke's ultimate defense, Naruto's answer came in the form of action. The knife transformed, again into Naruto, who quick drew his Sensei's blade and coated it with as much wind natured chakra as he could channel into it. There was no time for Sasuke to react. He plunged the blade through the chakra construct that protected his target. The added range the sword gained by being wreathed in sharpened air was more than enough to pierce both the armor and the man within. Having struck at Susanoo's weakest point it served as the knife in the back both figuratively and literally, and Naruto hated every passing moment. He did not have the extensive knowledge of human anatomy, but judging from where he struck he likely cut into the heart somewhere.

"Sasuke, I didn't think you would fall for that just like Zabuza did. I used something you were familiar with so I could take advantage of your confidence that you felt believing you knew what would happen," Naruto said clarifying what his opponent had likely figured out on his own.

Sasuke's human shaped shield faded from existence, and Naruto knew this fight had ended. He withdrew the sword and quickly cleaning off the blood, likely his own, before sheathing it again. Sasuke stood atop the water, his arms were moving, and Naruto knew his opponent was using a jutsu. Suddenly, one hand slammed into the water and on either side of the river banks hundreds of coffins sprang forth from the ground. Into the face of the wood was carved the Uchiha clan's crest, and Naruto felt a sense of dread fall on him as he realized that Sasuke's desperately wished to see the Leaf Village fall. Each member of the clan stepped out of the coffin that belonged to them and awaited the orders of the one who summoned them. More hand seals were being woven in a slower succession than the previous group, and when he had finished the members of the undead clan faded away from the world of the living. Sasuke fell face first into the water, but Naruto grabbed him and carried him to the river's edge.

"Heh," it was a weak laugh, little more than an inflection in the air that escaped his lips. Sasuke was already close to death. He must have struck an artery of the heart, Sasuke doesn't have long. "It was a good plan Naruto. Just like it was back then,"

"Thanks, I guess. I didn't want this though. I never wanted this."

There was no response, but Naruto had not really wanted one. He only wanted Sasuke to know that he did not desire this outcome. There was one thing that did bug him though, "Sasuke, just now, what was all of that?"

"So that the souls of my clan whom I held bound could be at peace after I die,"

"I see," Naruto said. He had no idea what to say now. There were so many things on his mind, and so many things he would have told Sasuke had their relationship not degraded into what it was now. So Naruto figured if nothing else, he would be here by Sasuke's side so the man he once called a brother would not have to die alone. Silence crept over them while the precious seconds of Sasuke's last moments were passing by. He would let the silence remain, but hoped Sasuke would say something so they may, perhaps both gain a sense of closure before the end has come and gone.

"I regret nothing. I did what I had to," Sasuke said breaking the haunting quiet.

"I know Sasuke,"

"Perhaps, if I knew the truth about Itachi before I was committed to this path," Sasuke started. His dark eyes met Naruto's, but it was as if Sasuke was staring through him and off into the distance somewhere, "maybe then things could have been different,"

"At least," Sasuke continued before Naruto could find words to say, "it was you that defeated me. You gave me an avenger's death, and for that I am grateful."

"Sasuke," Naruto started. He wasn't sure why he was going to ask, but he felt the need to, "were you really going to destroy the village if you beat me here?"

"Down to the last man, woman, and child," coughing, and shallow breathing were becoming more and more apparent. "There is a cancer in the village that needs to be removed Naruto. I was going to tear it out the only way I knew how."

"What is this cancer that you see?"

"Hatred," Sasuke's voice was becoming hoarse, "the hatred that lies within the heart of humanity is far too dangerous. As long as we shinobi live there will be no peace, hatred will rule this world just as it rules me."

"I want to change that too Sasuke, just like I wanted to change you," Naruto quietly admitted.

"It is far too late for me. I still hate everything you stand for. As for the hatred of others, who knows, maybe you can find a way," Sasuke said with a small smile.

Silence settled over them again. Naruto didn't know what to say. Before him, lay a man dying. This man he had called a rival, a team mate, a friend, a brother, a prodigal son, and an enemy. Here and now, this man who would have destroyed everything Naruto lived to protect was giving the closest thing he would ever hear to a full vote of confidence. Sasuke was stating, in his own subdued way, that he fully believed Naruto could solve the issue of hatred in the shinobi world. The waterworks began as Naruto couldn't hold back this overflow of conflicting emotions and simply let the tears fall down his face.

"Do something for me, Naruto," Sasuke started. His voice was failing and death was upon him, the only real reason that he still lived was simply by his overwhelming will to live. "Naruto, when you become Hokage do not let another face the same fate as Itachi. Do not allow the tragedy of my clan to be replayed."

"Of course Sasuke,"

"Also, destroy my eye. No traces of the Sharingan should remain. Kakashi alone has earned the right to use his,"

"Alright, I will"

"Oh, and tell Kakashi that his skills in stealth have gotten rusty in his old age,"

"You noticed him too huh?"

"Yeah,"

Again there was silence, but Sasuke was clinging to life a bit longer. "Naruto,"

"Yeah, Sasuke,"

"I think I understand what Sakura meant that day a year ago,"

Naruto smiled. At least here at the end of things, after a battle of ideals and swords, his last moment with Sasuke would be a solemn goodbye to an old friend rather than the heartless vanquishing of a dangerous foe. Naruto also, had now figured out what Sakura meant when Sasuke had repeated her words. It confirmed the reasons for why he had always fought to save his lost comrade in the first place. Naruto knew why Sakura loved Sasuke, and what Sasuke just said a moment ago showed the belief still held truth. Sakura saw the good in Sasuke. She saw that his desires were noble, and even though his methods were cruel, he really did want something better for the world than what he saw. The man had simply lost his way amongst the grief of his brother's death.

"Naruto, thank you, for everything,"

"Thank you Sasuke,"

With those words Sasuke let go and passed on into what lies beyond this life. Naruto lay down on his back, giving in to the total exhaustion that he was feeling. This was it. There was nothing left anymore of his team. They had each fallen in battle. Sakura died chasing after love. Sasuke died following his own hatred. While Naruto died, killing his heart to do his duty. In a certain sense it was the same as being dead.

"What else is there now? What do I do?" Naruto said to nobody in particular. He knew the answer, but for whatever reason he simply hoped someone would say it out loud. As if the heavens heard his desire, he sensed Kakashi approaching, with Ino falling in behind him.

"Well," the all too familiar voice of his Sensei casually spoke to him "you could always come back home,"

"Yeah, I guess I could," Naruto answered.

"You know, there are several people who have been missing you,"

"I guess I should at least say hey to Granny Tsunade,"

Ino came busting through the tree line in frenzy. Naruto had actually heard her coming before Kakashi arrived. As her haggard form took a spot near the pair, she hunched over and desperately tried to catch her breath.

"You know," Ino started gasping for air with each pause, "for a guy… who just…got off med leave…you are…really…pushing yourself…Kakashi…Sensei,"

"You know," Kakashi coolly began his retort, "for a ninja you are pretty out of shape,"

Naruto chuckled a little. 'Ino must not have taken too much field duty since Sakura,' he still couldn't bring himself to finish that line of thought. Rather he ignored it, and hoped one day he would be able to move on.

"I'll have you know that I happen to be," Ino seemed to be recouping quite well since her breaks for air were growing shorter in frequency, "one of the best medical ninja in the village, so I spend more time in the hospital treating people than on the training grounds running laps."

"Well, it's a good thing Naruto isn't injured too badly. If he was, he probably would have died by now," Kakashi continued to tease the rundown blonde girl.

"Oh, I almost forgot," Ino's sudden realization as to why she was here hit her like a ton of bricks. She immediately switched into doctor mode and began doing a field diagnostic and treatment over Naruto's various injuries.

The moment went by silently so Ino could concentrate on her work, but it was quite surreal for Naruto. Here was a woman treating him for his various injuries after a battle, but it wasn't Sakura. It wasn't the same, even the healing chakra that was applied to his wounds was noticeably different. It lacked the same soothing quality that Sakura's had and even felt a little rough by comparison. 'Why did it come to this?'

The line of thought was something Naruto knew he would have to wrestle with when the battle with Sasuke had ended. He never imagined that the question would have become so real so quickly. It was a wholly consuming struggle to find an answer that would allow him to cope with the reality that of all of the people who have been the closest to his heart, his two best friends are now dead. 'The only things I ever wanted were people to acknowledge me, for someone to care I existed, and I wanted to protect those people with my very life. So why are the people who matter most to me the ones who suffer the most?'

The man he looked to as a father. His teacher, mentor, and friend, Jiraiya, died trying to protect Naruto from an organization that would have claimed his life. Neji, a man who Naruto looked up to and had an immense amount of respect for both his genius as a ninja and his ability to overcome the adversity that the fates threw on him, sacrificed his life to save Naruto. Sakura, the girl he idolized in his youth. A young woman who he loved completely, even if only in a platonic way, died because she followed Naruto trying to save a friend. Now there was Sasuke, someone who Naruto was ever in contention with, and their conflict, their struggle culminated in Sasuke's death. 'Who will be next? Who else will die because of me?'

He looked around first at Kakashi, and then at Ino. He thought of his other comrades at home in the village. 'Who will be the first? What if I actually become Hokage? What if I give them a mission, and they die? How much innocent blood will be on my hands? How many of my friends will I send to their graves because I make a poor choice? Hell, I just promised Sasuke that when I become Hokage I wouldn't let anyone else go down the same road he did, but I couldn't even keep him from doing that. Why do I always make promises I can never keep?'

"Naruto," Ino spoke quietly. Naruto was a little jolted from being pulled so suddenly from his line of thought. Even though her treatments were not as gentle as he remembered Sakura's to be, her eyes were just as soft and just as caring.

"Yeah Ino?" Naruto responded with curiosity.

"Thank you," she started and Naruto thought he caught a glimpse of a tear rolling down his cheek, "thank you for everything. You have sacrificed so much for the village, and I don't think I ever told you how much I appreciate everything you've done for us,"

"Don't sweat it, it's my job" Naruto replied only half meaning it while trying his best to put a grin on his face.

"Still, you don't have to carry all of this weight alone. I have an idea as to how you might feel right now. When I lost my sensei, my father, and Sakura a part of me died inside. You lose all sense of direction, forget about things that used to be important to you, and find yourself in this cycle of apathy, hopelessness, anger, and doubt. The only thing you really want to do is hide away from the world so you don't ever have to be close to someone, because if you keep everyone at arm's length you aren't so broken when you lose them."

Tears were streaming down her cheeks, and Naruto could feel his own eyes welling up. Kakashi, naturally had his back turned but was likely being affected by Ino's words as well. It was the truth; Naruto was honestly considering not returning home. It wasn't as if he had anyone to go home to, and the role of Hokage was certainly not the dream job he had constructed in his mind when he was still a starry eyed boy. Yet Ino's words didn't completely add up. There was a piece missing, and whether by accident or design she was holding it back from him.

"How Ino?" Naruto started bracing himself for whatever the answer may be, "How were you able to just move on? How did you find the strength to keep moving forward?"

"Each time it happened, each time I lost someone, somebody who loved me picked me up, looked me in the eye, and said 'It's not over yet, don't lose hope, we will make it through, together,'"

"You still have those people Naruto," Kakashi said breaking his silence, "You may not be able to see it right now, but you are surrounded by people who care deeply for you. I have been through exactly what you went though. I watched my best friend die. I was put in a situation where I had to kill the other. But when I made it to where you are right now, I kept everyone else out. I applied myself to my training, joined ANBU, and hoped that I would get a mission that would claim my life before I had to let anyone else get close to me. I missed out on a lot because of that, don't you go and do the same thing."

"He's right Naruto," Ino said softly, "there are so many people who are here for you. There is one person in particular who is dying to see you again,"

Naruto had an idea as to who she was talking about. He wasn't as dense as he had been in his youth, and while he was still a little shocked to hear that someone was waiting for him back home it was only a slight surprise to hear Ino confirm that she was speaking of Hinata. 'She broke up with me. She said it was for the best. Why is she still interested? Did the note I left make that big of a difference?'

As if Ino was reading his mind, which as far as he knew was completely possible, she responded to his furrowed brow saying "You know Hinata never stopped loving you. Breaking up with you was the hardest thing she ever had to do, and the only reason she did that was because she thought it would make you happy."

"Why would she ever think that?"

"Idiot," Ino said playfully, "she knew how much you cared about Sakura and learned that Sakura was developing some serious feelings for you. She put two and two together and figured she would step aside and let the man she loved be with the girl of his dreams."

'Alright, maybe I'm still just as dense as I was when I was a kid.'

"It took a long time to convince her that you never wanted things to end like that, but that little note you left really helped out," she smiled brazenly "which was quite the romantic touch if I do say so myself,"

Naruto sat, again in quiet contemplation as Ino finished up her work. To learn that Hinata still held feelings for him did change things. There was now a reason to go home. He would have someone to go home to, someone who he could live and die for, someone to build a future with. Friends were fantastic and wonderful additions to life, but none are ever as close as that special woman. The glimpses of memories he gleaned from his parents showed that the level of companionship they had transcended both friendship and romance. It was storybook stuff, and the kid that lived inside Naruto kept him searching for life's ideal. He realized, especially now that every relationship will have ups, downs, and one way or another, an ending. There was, however, always something that seemed so ideal about Hinata. Her character, her personality balanced out his faults and accentuated his strengths. He did the same for her. 'But is it the right thing to do? Would she suffer a fate like Sasuke or Sakura because of me?'

Sure, there was his dream of being Hokage one day, but his reasoning for wanting the job was to be acknowledged as a person and not a monster. So, as far as that aspect of the dream was concerned he accomplished his goal. Once that had happened the job became a means to an end. That end was to protect the village and allow his friends to build their future, to reach for their dreams. Yet, with no future of his own in the village, save the title, being Hokage seemed lackluster. If urged by the right people he may have taken it either way, but it would have been work with no heart.

"Well, that'll do it," Ino said breaking the silence, "you should be patched up enough to make the trip safely. We can't go at full speed, and you will need to visit the hospital when we get there to double check everything, but outside of that you are good as new," as she stood up she gathered her equipment and got ready to hit the road again.

Naruto sat there. 'Do I really want to go home? All of the dreams I had and all of the promises I made brought me to this point. How do I know that the dreams and promises I have yet to fulfill won't bring me to places worse than this one?'

"Well Naruto, are you ready to go?" Kakashi asked

"I don't really know," Naruto thought out loud. He wasn't all too sure that the Leaf Village was a place he should be, or even wanted to be, "after everything that has happened to Sasuke and Sakura I'm not sure I should go back. I don't want anyone else to suffer because of me,"

Sighing deeply Kakashi squatted down to be eye level with Naruto and placed a hand firmly on his shoulder. "Naruto, where are you going to go?"

"I," He had to think deeply since the question was fairly unexpected, "I don't know,"

"Then why not go home?" Kakashi asked simply.

"Home?" Naruto thought. He tried to remember something important. It was a faded memory, and he couldn't grasp it. It had gotten lost in the hustle and bustle of all that had happened in life. "What is home?"

"Do you know all of the people who are worrying about you right now? Can you name the people who have been thinking of you at least since you left to chase Sasuke?"

'Sure I can name them. Grandma Tsunade, Shizune, Shikamaru, Choji, Ino, Lee, Iruka, Konohamaru, Kakashi, and Hinata.' With confidence and curiosity Naruto nodded his head in affirmation of Kakashi's question.

"Well," garnishing that invisible smile on his face that could only be identified by a single closed eye and experience Kakashi explained "they say that wherever someone is still thinking of you, that place is your home,"

There it was, an epiphany. Jiraiya had told him that very thing once upon a time, and it felt just as true to Naruto now as it had when he first heard it. It became all too clear, Hokage or not, promises or not, dreams or not, no matter where he ran to he would never be home if he was apart from all of those people who held him dear. There would be no future for him if he could not find a place to call home, and clearly the people that he needed in order to have a true home were all waiting for him in the Village Hidden in the Leaves.

"So are you ready to go now?"

Naruto smiled broadly and answered "Yeah, let's go home,"