Lionheart Presents

Resisting Destiny

A Proposal

The smoke was thick as Sakura and Sai advanced through the debris from Naruto's attack. Ahead of them, Kakashi gazed downward into a massive crater at least fifteen feet deep and thirty feet in diameter.

As they arrived on the scene, Sakura could make out two forms shadowed by the rising dust. A groan from below alerted them to the survival of at least one. "Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!"

Blowing softly, Kakashi blew the dust away, revealing the two men inside. The scene made the Jounin look away in pain. Kneeling beside his fallen friend, Naruto grasped the Uchiha anxiously, willing him to awake. "C'mon, Sasuke…wake up. Oh god…Sasuke…no. Please," he whispered, tears falling down his eyes, "wake up."

Leaping down below, Sakura, with her hands already glowing, proceeded to use her medical Ninjutsu. Shaking as much as Naruto was, she desperately pushed forth more chakra, calling it from every ounce of her body. The Uchiha's body was massively damaged; his shirt was literally reduced to ashes. Cuts and scrapes lined Sasuke's torso and legs. These outer problems, however, were nothing compared to the damage on the inside. Everyone knew the damage to Sasuke's organs was irreparable. The RasenShuriken attacked at the cellular level, shredding organs and veins to bits and pieces. There was no doubt Sasuke was dead or very close to it.

Urging more chakra into Sasuke's body, Sakura was awarded with a small cough.

"Sasuke!" This time Kakashi was the one to speak, as he leapt down below.

"Sasuke," repeated Naruto, who looked hopeful, as Sasuke's eyes blinked open. Coughing up blood, the Uchiha tried to laugh.

"He…hehe. Looks like I've been had. Crazy…that attack is crazy…hehehe. But this will be the last time I underestimate you, haha." He had clearly gone nearly insane, a wild look in his eyes.

"Sasuke," cried Naruto, almost shouting, "I'm so sorry. I…I…"

Relaxing, Sasuke, grinned, "Quit your crying…you big baby. I'm…using the last of my chakra just to keep my eyes open."

Sasuke smiled slightly, something very unlike him, and it was this that unsettled Team Seven. "I wanted to give you all something. Consider it my gift to you all…to repent for my sins." He raised a hand to stop Sakura, who had opened her mouth, undoubtedly to protest. "No, Sakura, don't speak. Not until I'm done here."

Silent, team seven watched as Sasuke formed a hand sign. A red and black light engulfed his fingers. Raising it towards Kakashi, he tapped the surprised Jounin on the forehead. There was a brief flash, before Kakashi staggered backwards with a groan and fell down unconscious. If Sasuke had not been injured Sakura would have helped her Sensei. In fact, she was close to it, until she heard a gargling sound behind her, before Sasuke coughed up more blood.

Whirling around, she proceeded to use more medical techniques, but again, Sasuke stopped her. "Tell Kakashi when he wakes up…that I changed his DNA to match that of an Uchiha's. That Madara is evil, but don't underestimate his knowledge. He was the one who showed me how, even though it only works if the person has had the Sharingan for over ten years," he explained before Naruto could ask. "He'll be able to use the Sharingan without tiring as quickly, and, in time, may even develop a second one."

He shifted to Naruto, "Hey, I got a little something for you…"

Naruto gulped. "T-there's no need, Sasuke, I…"

But Sasuke ignored him. Instead, this time, he pointed to his own eyes. "My eyes Sakura…give them…to Naruto. And hurry…my chakra is running out and…I can feel my heart…what's left of it… fading. Do it now."

And before Sakura could protest, the Uchiha raised his hands to his face and ripped out his eyes. The Kunoichi screamed, before falling back in horror. In front of her, Sasuke extended his Sharingan eyes to Naruto.

For a moment, Sakura and Naruto stared at the blood running freely from Sasuke's eye. Not to mention the blood from wounds on his body and from his mouth. "DO IT SAKURA!" It was impressive that Sasuke could even shout in his state.

Sakura jumped, but she nodded. "Alright, Sasuke. Turning to Naruto, she sighed. "Sorry, Honey…but…" And before Naruto could react, Sakura punched him in the stomach, knocking him out. Opening his closed eyelids, she pulled out his bright blue eyes. In its place she put in Sasuke's own eyes, using her medical Ninjutsu to seal it in place, connecting it to the brain. Smiling slightly, she closed Naruto's new eyes. As she turned around, her heart almost stopped. It certainly skipped a few beats.

Right beneath her eyes, her childhood crush lay unmoving. His empty sockets gazed upwards towards the heavens, while his mouth curled into a smile. Raising her hands to her mouth, Sakura let her tears freely flow, before dropping over his lifeless body.

On top of the crater, Sai watched sadly. His normally smiling face was pale and frustrated as he clenched his hands and teeth. Angry at Madara for causing the situation in the first place. Angry at himself for failing his goal to help Naruto and Sakura retrieve their teammate.

"Quite some drama going on down there, eh?"

Sai's eyes shot open. Behind him, he felt the tip of a kunai knife pressed against his back. The voice he knew well. It was the voice of Madara Uchiha.

"Y-you…"

"Yes," said Madara, "me." For a moment, Sai waited in fear, waiting for the inevitable death blow. His mind berated him for dropping his guard. Well, that is until suddenly and inexplicably, Madara chuckled and withdrew his kunai. Suspicious, Sai watched Madara sit down on the ground, crossing his legs and whistling.

"Don't worry, kid," said Madara, "I'm not here to fight you all. Rather…I have an interesting idea that you might like. Huh? What's with the face? Not thinking about killing me, are you? Go ahead and try, but… it's not like someone like 'you' can kill me, eh?"

And to Sai's horror, he felt a sudden killer intent that froze his body, as images of his dead body flashed through his mind. "Thought not," said Madara coldly. "Sit down. We may as well let…"

He was interrupted as a crack in the ground appeared underneath him, before a spike shot up from the ground, spearing him from bottom up. Sakura leapt up, her eyes blazing as she punched with all her might…and right through Madara.

"Too slow, girl," said Madara, who's transparent body took corporeal form again, as Sakura skidded along the ground to stop herself.

"MADARA," growled Sakura, "I'm gonna kill you!"

Madara sighed, "You people are so incapable of good conversation, aren't you? Sit down, silly girl." And to Sakura's dismay, her body rejected her own thoughts and slammed to the ground, paralyzed by Madara's quick Genjutsu.

"Relax," waved Madara, "I won't kill you all… yet. There'd be really no point to that, if you get my drift."

"What do you mean," asked Sai?

"All in good time," said Madara, with a hint of a smile. "In the meantime, we'll wait for the Nine Tails brat and the copy ninja to awake."

"Don't," started Sakura, struggling against her invisible bonds, "don't call Naruto that."

Madara eyed her closely for a second. "Hmph! Very well; if it means so much to you. He, at least has earned my respect. Naruto Uzumaki…we wait until he awakes then.

Ten Minutes Later

The struggle had been brief. Kakashi, the first one to awaken had struck at Madara desperately, only to find himself tied tightly to a tree that emerged from the ground. Naruto, even worse, seemed to have lost all sense, stumbling around drunk-like.

Madara explained it as a side effect of having the Sharingan transplanted his eyes. The last Uchiha dashed over, and poked Naruto in the forehead. The blonde's eyes focused, and his first words were, "MADARA! YOU…I'M GONNA KICK YOUR…"

He didn't get to finish as Madara appeared behind him and kicked him in the behind. "Ass, right," taunted the Uchiha. "No you don't," said Madara, as Sai came in with his sword. Waving his arm, and initiating a wind technique, he tossed Sai some yards away onto his head.

Naruto landed with a groan, though he quickly popped back up. He didn't get into a fighting stance and instead glared at Madara, who seemed surprised.

"Huh? What's that face for," asked Madara?

"What do you want from us?"

Madara raised an eye, "What makes you think I need anything from you?"

Naruto grunted, before throwing a kunai to free Kakashi. Sakura, having finally dispelled the Genjutsu was also back on her feet. "I don't know," said Kakashi, sarcastically, "maybe it's the fact that you kept us alive, when you had us at your mercy. Besides, you already told Sakura and Sai here that you had some interesting to say to us. Care to elaborate?"

Madara shrugged, "Alright, you win. I do have…something interesting. Think of it like this. You do something for me, and I'll do something for you. Fair, no?"

"Depends," growled Sakura, "and besides, how can we trust you?"

Madara grunted, "You see, girl, unlike my Uchiha counterparts, I, at least, do not go against my word. Once I give it, I stick to it. And besides, to further get your trust, I'll do something for you 'first,' and then you do something for me."

Team Seven pondered this for a moment. Sai voiced their thoughts, "And how do you know we'd do something for you afterwards?"

Madara grinned, "Well, trust me. Once I've completed my share, you'll have little choice but to do yours. You'll see what I mean once we get to that time. So, will you listen to my proposal?"

"Fine," said Kakashi, "nothing else we can do," he muttered to himself.

Waving his hand, Madara changed the surrounding landscape into a luxurious room, full of drinks and seats. Sitting down on an oyster chair, he waved them to similar seats in front. When they were all seated, Madara began.

"Please don't interrupt me," said Madara, "since I hate to repeat myself. You can ask questions at the end. Now, before I get into the actual proposal, let me explain my thoughts behind it. The way I see it, all five of us are in the same boat. Home villages destroyed, ambitions gone, dreams shattered, allies lost."

"And who's fault is that," shouted Naruto, shooting up. He was quickly dragged down by Sakura, who glared at him.

"I was pretty sure I said not to interrupt," said Madara. Naruto pointedly looked away. "Anyway," continued Madara, "that is how I see our situation."

"What are you trying to say," asked Kakashi?

"My point? You guys…I imagine are saddened by the loss of your village and comrades. And by the way, now you know how I felt when I learned the Uchiha Clan was to be massacred. Why do you think I recruited Itachi…? I felt bad for the kid."

Taking a sip from a glass, Madara continued. "For me, my only option left is to kill you guys. Unfortunately, if I did that, then I would have nothing else to do. You guys…can't do anything until you kill me. Unfortunately, your skill levels are not quite there yet."

After a brief pause, Madara looked at Naruto, "Although Naruto, I admit you're closer than anyone has ever been since the Fourth Hokage. And with those Sharingan eyes and your recently learned Sage Mode, I wouldn't be surprised if you gave me a run for my money."

Madara thoughtfully tapped his chin, "Meh, you still lack experience. You'll need a few years before you can properly challenge me," he said cheerfully.

"If you're so unhappy," said Kakashi, "then why did you release the tailed beasts upon us in the first place? You must have known the destruction it would have caused.

Madara shrugged, "I was mad. You guys killed my men, and with no way to extract the last two beasts, so I went mad and decided to attack all you. Didn't think you guys had it in you, and I'm thoroughly impressed all seven of them were defeated. You have my congratulations. Anyway, now I'm bored again, and I still want all nine. So you all will help me get it, right?"

Silence greeted him. Then, Naruto broke it with a middle finger.

"You're kidding me," said Naruto. "You're unhappy with one…you need to have all nine. Okay, that I can deal with, but now you want us to help you recreate them? What the heck could you possibly have been planning? I can't speak for my team, but I sure as hell would die before I helped you."

As one, Sakura, Sai, and Kakashi gave Madara a piercing glare.

The Uchiha shrugged, "Hey, I was just saying that my personal dream was shattered. Didn't you have a dream once Naruto? Something about being Hokage. You know, if you help me, maybe I can help with that?"

Naruto scowled. "Um, help you gain all nine beasts so you can rule the world? No thanks, but I'd rather stay Genin the rest of my life."

"I'm glad we stopped your ambitions," agreed Sakura, "you selfish jerk!"

Madara sighed, "Here we go with the verbal insults. Typical…"

"Hey," interrupted Kakashi, "you keep badgering about us "helping" you, but you haven't told us what's in it for us."

"Ah yes, my proposal," said Madara quickly, who seemed glad to have been bailed out of an argument. "…is this. With the abilities I've developed with my Sharingan, and with the chakra of the Nine-Tailed Fox, the five of us will return to the past, I will create the portal, but Naruto will have to use his chakra to sustain it. That is what I meant when I said you help me and I help you. Unfortunately, this Time Jutsu requires tremendous chakra reserves and very secret Black Ninjutsu, which I happen to have. How does that sound to you guys?"

There was silence at first. Naruto had a blank look. Sai was Sai as usual. Kakashi…you couldn't tell anything with his mask on, although his face seemed clouded with wonder. And Sakura's mouth was wide open, skeptical to the whole thing. And then…

"HAHAHAHA! Good joke Madara," said Naruto, laughing in a fake manner. "Not really," he amended, growing serious, "you're lying. There's no Time Jutsu! What jutsu do you really intend to pull on us?"

"I agree," said Sakura, "this sounds too fishy to be anything true. Sai, have you heard anything about this time travel jutsu?"

"Yes," answered Sai.

"Exact…" Sakura froze in mid-word, before her head shot towards Sai. "WHAT?! You actually know about it?"

Sai nodded again, "As he says, it falls under the category of a secret art called Black Ninjutsu. Danzo spoke of it once, and he says the knowledge of performing Black Ninjutsu has been lost since before the start of the Ninja Wars. This Time Jutsu was said to be the greatest of the Black Ninjutsu arts. It required insane quantities of chakra. I didn't think anybody in the world could use it."

"Impressive," said Madara, who seemed very surprised at Sai's knowledge. "It seems Leaf's Root Division is knowledgeable. Just what I'd expect from that scum Danzo. What he says is true," said Madara, turning to Naruto and Sakura. "Black Ninjutsu was a secret art used by black mages way back when. Black Ninjutsu is what created all bloodline techniques. Lucky nobles, who desired power, described the abilities they wished to possess and were granted with the ability. On a side note, the Rin'nengan of Peins was one of the last abilities of the black mages. We never saw the true power of it. Pein developed it enough to use it effectively, but its hidden powers remained locked up, much like the Mangekyo remains locked for many Uchiha."

"So," said Kakashi, "you found out about this Black Ninjutsu…through some records I imagine?"

Madara nodded, affirming this, "However, wherever I looked, it was impossible for me to actually find out how to do the Black Ninjutsu. It took me many, many years, but because of my Sharingan and my own prodigious knowledge and ability, I was able to recreate some of this Black Ninjutsu for myself. Hence, the reason I can seemingly turn to a ghostly form at will and then back. Aside from that, a scroll I discovered some time ago alerted me to the presence of this Time Jutsu. Clever as I am, I was able to…ugh…make a variation of it. Of course, the variation lasted for less than a second. Hardly enough time to actually adjust it to a certain time period. That's why I need you, Naruto. You have the chakra capacity to keep the portal long enough for me to arrange what time we drop in."

"I don't get it," said Naruto, "why didn't you just kill me and take the Nine-Tailed Fox from me, then?"

Madara sighed, "With brains like that, I'm surprised you're still around, Naruto." He paused again as he talked to himself. "My, how the world has a funny way of playing tricks with you. My mortal enemies are an idiot, a girl, a pervert, and an emo artist."

This drew some glares, but Madara turned his attention to Naruto, "Now, what happens if I kill you?"

Naruto mouth opened. It closed. "Oh," he said, lamely, "well, why didn't you extract it from me like all the others then?"

Madara scowled slightly, "As embarrassing as it is, I don't have the ability myself to summon that statue, which would have extracted the nine tails from your body. And that's why right now; I need you to activate this jutsu for me."

Team Seven looked at each other. "So, supposing we go to the past," said Kakashi, "Then what? What would we do?"

Madara rolled his eyes, "God, you guys have no imagination, do you? Save your friends, train your younger selves since you will emerge in that time as you are now. Develop your new Sharingan abilities. See your friends. And then one day, Naruto and I will meet in mortal combat…as equals. One of us will die, and the one who dies will forever lose their dreams and ambitions."

"I see what you're saying," said Naruto. "Alright, that sounds fun. I'm in."

"Whoa," said Sakura, "don't jump the gun, idiot. I still have some questions. So, Madara, what about you? You seem to know what we would do, but what would you do?"

Madara sighed, "First, I would kill my past self. There can only be one Madara at a time. Then, I would proceed immediately in organizing Akatsuki."

"Whoa," said Sakura, "how would you kill yourself?"

Madara smiled, "I'll give you a clue. Only a Sharingan wielder can kill me. Even then, that person must be incredibly strong." Here, he winked at Naruto. "Anything else?"

"How far back are we going," asked Kakashi.

Madara shrugged, "Can't give you an exact date there. All we can do is approximate it. I'd say we go back sometime before the Uchiha Massacre. Though it could be well after that, or it could even be as far back as the Fourth Hokage days. Hopefully, not that far. He shuddered. "Now, enough with the questions! Do we have a deal?"

"Give us your world that you won't pull anything fast. Swear it…on the honor of your clan," demanded Kakashi.

Madara paused. "Alright then…I, as a member of the esteemed Uchiha Clan, swear to abide by the terms and conditions I just set. Is that good enough for you?"

"Fine," said Naruto.

"I'm game too," said Sai, placing a hand on Naruto's shoulder.

"Interesting," said Kakashi, "interesting that you would come up with an elaborate plan such as this. Very well. I'm interested in seeing how this will play out. I'm in."

"Okay," said Sakura reluctantly.

Madara nodded, "Good. And now…without further delay. Black Ninjutsu! Time Portal! Once it opens Naruto, you must keep it open until I can make the necessary adjustments to the time."

A black aura surrounded Madara's hands, before he thrust them out, sending a black blue blast into the ground. Team Seven had to hold their ground, as the ground began to shake violently. Slowly, from the pool of chakra that Madara blasted out, chakra began to rise up, taking a circular shape. Groaning, Madara pushed out more of the Black chakra into the ground, until the circle was nearly as tall as himself. "Now Naruto!"

Raising his palm, Naruto concentrated, letting the Nine Tailed Fox's chakra flow into the portal, which began to spiral. The flashing lights were almost nauseating and Naruto swore he was going to have a seizure. Nevertheless, he continued to send forth the red chakra. In the meantime, Madara had closed his eyes and was standing motionless. Occasionally he would change hand signs and mutter something incoherent.

After about five minutes, he opened his eyes. The portal, which had begun to spin violently along with Madara's words, suddenly stilled and became calm. "Alright…it's safe to enter now. Naruto, keep it up for a moment, while your team enters. I'll go in last to ensure that there's no funny business."

Without hesitation, Sai and Kakashi stepped into the circular figure of chakra, vanishing mysteriously. Sakura let out a squeal, but followed quickly.

Naruto stopped his flow of chakra, before jumping in. Before the portal quite vanished, Madara slipped in after him. As he left, the luxurious room vanished, revealing the empty desert. Only Sasuke's lifeless body as well as his now awakening allies remained to mark the event that had occurred this day. The day Madara Uchiha and Team Seven had struck a bargain to go back in time.