Before we begin, I feel it is necessary to address some of the concerns mentioned in the story reviews.
To start with: tension. I realize that the last chapter was pretty heavy on the drama, a fact that a friend had pointed out to me just that morning. It led me to change the rating of the story from teen to mature. I did this not because of any physical content that will appear in the story, but merely for the fact that they pointed out that my writing style is very gruesome and dark at points. This means that there are lots of moments of twists and turns, mostly to reinforce the negative past I am trying to create for Naruto and Sasuke. It needs to be a past that will force them into lives of duty and service far before either of them is ready. They are ninja, and I feel that a dark past will help to create the emotions and personality necessary for an actual believable youth that is capable of the destruction in which they have/will receive training.
Next up: pairings. The only for sure pairing right now is Naruto and Temari. That pairing stands, and will be continued for the entirety of the fiction. No other pairings with Naruto will take place, as, until the marriage has been official for many years, any infidelity on the part of either could end up losing serious face for either nation or village. As for Sasuke, he will be paired eventually, though at this point, the girl that will be chosen will only be picked so as to, in the long run, cause a further division between Naruto and Sasuke. The relationship will not be reciprocal, possibly on both ends for various reasons, but the fact of the matter is, it is going to be established on a temporary basis.
These were the main two concerns I heard throughout the reviews, and I'm glad that last chapter got so many new ones. It was hard for me to write, as I kept arguing about whether or not to actually kill Kushina off so early on in the story. As for her death seeming weird, and out of place with the story, well, it felt off to me as well. Keep in mind, this is my first time with a major fic, so I'm kind of in the dark on how to do this...But I made the decision and will continue with the story regardless. As for her training not helping her, or her vitality being limited, keep in mind, she did have her demon ripped out of her. In the manga she only barely survived that, so even years later, she might not fully recover. It was even mentioned in Chapter Five that 7 years after the event, she still has not returned to active duty. Does that sound like someone who is fully well? It was a really difficult decision for me to kill Kushina off in such a weakened state, but I decided to do it in the interest of leaving some tension for when Naruto returns to the village as well as to point out the limits of the Uzumaki longevity. This also will be a recurring theme later on throughout the piece, so do not think this death will merely happen and then not be discussed again. This is a story changing moment, and as such, deserves to be trailed out for all it is worth.
I do not own Naruto or any affiliated characters in any way, shape, or form. Hope you enjoy!
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Third Arc: Diplomacy and Treachery
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Day 0 of the journey
Naruto awoke before the sun had stolen across the earth and changed into his traveling clothes. His mom had been very insistent that he takes as few chances as possible, and so his outfit was very basic. He had a simple black shirt with long sleeves to go with a similar set of pants. His hair was hidden under a bandana and he wore a traveler's cloak of brown to cover his outfit and hide his hair. His father had insisted on him taking several sets of kunai and shuriken which he had hidden all over his body. The seriousness of the outfit made Naruto uneasy, as well as the fact that the adults had not told him the reason he was being sent on a mission. Naruto knew why they were going, but it bothered him that they had not revealed the intent of the mission on purpose.
Quietly exiting his room, he moved towards the spiral staircase. From across the hall, Fugaku and Mikoto nodded silently to him. Their gear was already packed up as well, though they wore the outfits of standard Konoha ninja, flak jackets strapped over basic black t-shirts and pants. As they proceeded downstairs, Naruto noticed Kakashi standing in the kitchen. A light was on, and he seemed to be reading out of a black book. The color caught Naruto off-guard; usually Kakashi's books were some bright color, and he would be giggling while reading them. This time however, his face was somber, and his eyes sad. Naruto moved to say something, but Fugaku placed a hand on his shoulder and ushered him to the doorway. They left the house behind quickly, disappearing into the night.
Before long, they were at the gates of Konoha. There were four ANBU guards positioned at the village entrance, all surrounding a much shorter individual. Naruto looked up as he began to recognize the other boy his age standing beside him. It was Sasuke! Sasuke was dressed in the shirt that Sakura had given him, along with a set of long black pants and a pair of ninja sandals. Across his back was the sword Naruto had given him, the curve of the blade fitting underneath the Uchiha clan crest. Both boys were surprised at seeing each other, but looks from the older ninja silenced them. It was not until they were far away from the village, with the sun well on its way into the sky that the group stopped for rest and a meal.
Fugaku and Mikoto made hand signs to the four ANBU guards who quickly fled into the woods. After ten to fifteen minutes, they returned and nodded as one. The masks were quickly shed to reveal the faces of Tsume Inuzuka and the adult version of the Ino-Shika-Cho formation. Sasuke was the first to turn and speak to the adults. "Why are Naruto and I leaving the village? What aren't you telling us?" Fugaku frowned at his son's outburst, but his mother smirked lightly at him.
"Look, brat, the Hokage has asked that you be added to an escort mission. While you're with us, you and Naruto here are to go through some ninja training, even though you haven't attended the academy yet." Tsume's growl at this got the attention of Sasuke. "So if I was you, I'd shut your mouth and be grateful." With that, her hands blurred in a series of symbol and a large dog appeared by her side. It was black and had a white underbelly. It sniffed the air once and turned to look at Sasuke.
"Hmm…this kid seems annoying. Can I eat him, Tsume?" Sasuke and Naruto both jumped at this, though the older ninja just smirked. "On second thought, he seems to be rather young. Maybe I'll just wait till he ripens a little." Tsume chuckled and scratched behind the wolf's head.
"Kuromaru, we have an escort mission involving these two. As such, I can't have you eating them just yet. However, we're about to make breakfast, so if you want to be really helpful you can hunt up some game." Kuromaru leaned into the head scratching before shaking his head and running off into the woods.
There was a long moment of silence as the other shinobi began to unpack and set camp up. Naruto and Sasuke were largely left out of the proceedings, the adults long since familiar with working with one another. Naruto was brewing though; he had been ignored all morning, and here his friend was on a mission that could possibly be dangerous and no one had told them anything really.
"Alright, damn it! Will someone please tell me what's going on here?" Naruto was, to say the least, pissed. Fugaku turned and cast an eye over the two boys.
"I was told that you two had managed to sneak into the meeting that the Hokage and I were having. I did not know that we would need to inform you again of the mission parameters. Now, if you wouldn't mind, could you set up your pup-tents?" Naruto and Sasuke both stared blankly at the other ninja. Naruto blinked once, his look to Sasuke confirming that his friend had also received some form of talking to about sneaking into the meeting.
"What I'm asking about is why we have to leave quietly from our own damn village!" Again, Naruto was met by a look from Fugaku, though this one was a bit more concerned than annoyed.
"There are some things about the village, and reasons for actions within it, that you will be told when you get older. That is part of being a ninja. Now, set up your tents." Brown hair turned away from the two children, but the eyes of both boys burned into the back of the man's skull.
Naruto grumbled and Sasuke began to fish around in his own bag to get out his tent. Before long, the small camp had been set up, and there was a decent portion of food cooking over a small fire. After they began to eat, Fugaku turned to the boys once more.
"Tsume already told you that the two of you would be receiving some training while we were traveling so I might as well explain that to you. The first three are really basic techniques, ones you in fact need to master to graduate from the academy. You'll be learning the clone technique, the substitution technique, and the transformation technique." Fugaku paused to take a drink of tea. "The other two jutsu are slightly more advanced, but will also come in handy. You'll learn the earth tunneling technique, which will let you move easily underground, as well as the body flicker technique. We are teaching you all of these because, as is true anytime a ninja steps outside a village, your lives are at risk." This last portion caught both Sasuke and Naruto off guard. They both swallowed heavily, their looks returning to their plates. "None of the jutsu we teach you will really be classified as offensive jutsu. Everything we teach you is to help you escape combat should we ever get drawn into a conflict that might necessitate more firepower than your guards can bring to bear. I know that may sound cowardly, but that's the way it has to be right now." Sasuke blinked at this, a look of worry contorting his face.
"But, there are six jonin here! We couldn't possibly face an enemy that could take out six jonin!" Tsume's barking laugh made the boy turn to her in anger. "There's no way an enemy ninja could take out this many Konoha warriors!" The woman's laugh cut off quickly, and her slitted eyes turned to focus on the raven.
"Any enemy can kill any warrior given the right terrain and enough time to plan. The sooner you two brats get it through your head that no one, no matter how strong, can win every fight, the easier our training will be...so, all those wonderful delusions you have about decent people winning every battle? Cut them out of your pretty little heads right now. Or that head will be rolling on the ground." Sasuke looked about to call out again, but stopped on catching a disproving glare from his father.
"Look, it's not all that bad. Everyday people's lives are in danger for a variety of reasons." Shikaku Nara sighed, leaning back and looking at the sky. "There is no escaping the fact that a Shinobi life is extraordinarily dangerous, but the point is that every life comes to an end. You two are pretty young to try to understand this, but we're actually helping to make sure you live longer by training you now." Both boys raised their heads and looked questioningly at the Nara. "Living to fight another day may not be the most honorable way to live, but we are Shinobi. Shinobi are born to kill, lie, and steal. Honor is only for those powerful enough to become untouchable. Even then, that honor is usually quickly stained. The only sure way to make sure you are a ninja of honor is to live as long as you can and pass on as much knowledge as you can, in the hopes that the next guy can live a little better life. That is the way of Konoha; to help out the next generation." Both boys had small smiles now, and the look in their eyes reflected an undying flame. Inoichi and Chouza both smirked over at their teammate. For being so lazy, the guy often knew the right thing to say.
"Thank you. I'll be ready to start after we finish breakfast." Sasuke's blunt gratitude was unexpected, bringing a smile to the older warriors. Naruto did not look up from his plate, his food disappearing quickly into his mouth. In a flash, the plate was cleaned, and Naruto was standing at the wash basin.
"Come on, Sasuke! Hurry up! We have training to get to!" Naruto's alacrity was suddenly explained as the boy seemed ready to burst with excitement. Fugaku and Mikoto chuckled at the kids, glad that they had at least gotten willing students.
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Day 0 of the Journey
A group of six crossed the harsh deserts of Suna. Five of them wore traveling cloaks and face masks, necessary to hide themselves from the desert winds. Three were merely children, though their ages varied widely. The oldest at eleven walked in the middle of the group, a newly purchased fan strapped over her back. She carried little else, but the fan was large and had a metallic frame. Though the thing was wrapped in white cloth, it was still blisteringly hot even through the bindings. The heat of the metal though could not match the blaze of anger that the young girl contained.
'The Kazekage decided to have me marry!' She could no longer bring herself to use the word father. Those words were reserved for those who cared about a family. 'I can't believe the man! I'm already being asked to stay back three full years at the academy so Gaara and I will work together, and then the bastard goes and asks me to marry!' Her face was set in a scowl as she diligently placed one foot in front of the other, her eyes locked onto the horizon.
The companions that were near her age walked on her flanks. The older one wore an entire outfit in black, befitting his recent decision to become a puppet master. On his back, on top of his traveling cloak, was a similar wrapped package to his sister. It held the body of the boy's first puppet invention, Crow. His face was impassive, the emotions in his head impossible to read. The only though that ran through his head was a single word: 'Water...' Choosing to wear the black traditional outfit of the puppet apprentice of Suna on the entire journey was, perhaps, a little hardheaded of Kankuro. But, he was determined to show, that like his sister, he had something worthwhile to which he would devote his life. This suffering was nothing compared to what she was having to endure, so her younger brother bore it happily.
The other did not wear any protection from the desert, though he did carry a large gourd that might have held a substantial amount of water. His clothing was simple and of muted colors. A plain pair of black pants and a short black t-shirt made the majority of the clothing, with a brown sash running from his left shoulder down to his waist to hold the gourd in place. His skin was strikingly pale for one who hailed from Suna, and went well with his shockingly red hair and teal eyes. Around the boys eyes were dark circles, signs of his lack of sleep. The top of his forehead featured a recent addition; the single kanji character for love.
He, like his brother, held a largely unexpressive face. Inwardly though, his mind was also in turmoil. 'Temari is being made to marry. She will, like me, never know the true love of another. On top of that, it is to the son of a kage.' Gaara, who did not show large amounts of affection, did care deeply for his siblings. Recent events had also made him much less trusting of anyone associated with a ninja leader. 'Perhaps, she will turn to see the world as I do...perhaps she will only care for battle and blood, and will kill her husband. Then at least she could return to our family...' The concept of having another that hurt like him troubled the boy, and the howling of the wind forced his mind back to the wasteland he crossed.
The three other shinobi traveling with them did not much care for the mission, as it meant they had to be close to the demon. One of them however, Baki, did note that the children seemed to be on the same wave length an unusual amount of the time. It was this that made him view them as a possibly competent combat unit. 'I guess the Kazekage does know how to do a few things right. Still, I'm not exactly happy to be traveling with the man's demon child.' Few words were shared between the traveling group, and they did not stop to rest on the path out of the desert.
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Night of Day 1
A single man, dressed in the ANBU Black Ops standard gear, stood atop a water tower, overlooking his clan compound below. The dark hid his face from view, even as the blade held out in his hand dripped with the blood of his clansmen. 'I am glad that my family will be spared from this, though I do not know how much longer I can stand to kill my clansmen.' Itachi jumped down from the pole, his landing making no noise as he stole into the next household. This was a house of rebels, so Itachi used the line the Hokage had given him. That the planned rebellion had been discovered, and he was here to eradicate those involved. The husband made to yell out, and Itachi's kunai quickly found his throat.
He was not so fortunate with the wife, who managed to let out a strangled yell before her body fell to the ground. The kunai this time was imbedded between her eyes, buried up to the hilt. Itachi stooped to retrieve his weapon, when he heard the sounds of movement behind him. A young ninja, barely graduated from the academy, stood to face him with an outstretched samurai sword. The blade was too big for the boy, but two tomoe's of the Sharingan blazed in each of his eyes.
Itachi felt his heart rend itself once more. 'He looks just like Sasuke…' The kunai remained in Itachi's fist as he struck behind the back of the boys head. The youth dropped in an instant, and Itachi placed several seals over the boy that left him in a state of complete stasis. Leaving the house, Itachi proceeded to the next location. So far, he'd managed to find all of the rebels, and strike them down without raising an alarm. The seals of the Hokage had also managed to render the majority of the youth in a form of stasis. In his mind's darkest recesses, he found himself pleased at this accomplishment. An order to exterminate an elite clan of assassins was not given to any ninja. Fewer still of those that were given such a task would have spared the youth.
As he finished the last house, Itachi heard movement behind him and turned to face his own image. Facing him was an elaborate transformation, someone who looked as him, but whose Mangekyo Sharingan told of the difference. Whereas Itachi's was a simple pinwheel formation, the one facing him held a far more sinister shape. It was the recorded shape of Madara Uchiha. Three solid lines connected to a circle punctuated by three rings of black. The shape was unnatural, and made Itachi's blood run cold.
"I am impressed by your willingness to kill your clan members. It greatly expedited my process of eliminating the rest of the clan this evening. I must admit, I couldn't have accomplished all this without your help, Itachi-kun." The voice had started out sinister and sweet, but now changed to that of his friend Shisui. The face shifted and suddenly Itachi's deceased comrade faced him. "I must say, Shisui's eyes are quite impressive. If I did not already have the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, I would take his eyes for their powers. Surely one such as you would appreciate these eyes." The face of his friend was twisted in a terrible smile as his hands held out a simple jar. Suspended in a clear liquid were eyes that held the three tomoe's of the Sharingan. Itachi forced himself to not retch at the morbid sight.
"You've impressed me by your actions tonight. I could use someone such as you. When you killed your friend on the bridge there, your final words to him interested me. You apologized and said that you needed this power. So tell me, why would someone in need of a cursed power slaughter half of his clan?" The man's smile and calm demeanor unsettled Itachi, but his soul had already been carved enough by the night's visitations.
"If one has acquired a new power, one must know the limits it holds. I murdered my clan to test this power that I had acquired. I had to be sure that it was great enough to allow me to stand as an individual in this world." Madara at first did nothing. Then he began to laugh, a low dry chuckle that was filled with rancor.
"I like your answer. I know that you just gave up being apprenticed to the Fourth Hokage and all, but how would you like to be apprenticed to the man that should have been the First?" Madara's Sharingan had returned to normal, and it was spinning at a rapid rate.
Itachi's breath caught, but he showed no sign of apprehension. Reaching out his hand, Itachi took hold of the glass jar and brought it to his side. "I would be honored to train under the founder of my prestigious clan." Madara chuckled lightly once more, his hand coming out and clapping Itachi on the shoulder.
The devil smiled lightly at the Uchiha, "We have much to discuss then." In the dead of night, the once great Uchiha clan of Konoha had been reduced to two loyal adults and countless orphans. It would be a fortnight before any of Itachi's family learned of this fact.
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Night of Day 1
More than Konoha blood was spilled that night. A letter of war had reached the Raikage, sent by messenger summons. It detailed the true results of his diplomat's mission, and made his blood run cold. 'We have angered the man who sealed away the Nine-Tailed Fox within his own son. He will destroy us.' In the dead of night, at the top of a tower wreathed in clouds, the Third Raikage wrote out his will and prepared orders for a ceremonial sacrifice. Giving a scroll to the only worker up late with the gnarled leader, the man sighed and reached into his drawer. He pulled out a bottle of sake and a small drinking cup, along with a white handled dagger with no sheath. It was cast in the forked pattern of a thunderbolt, and the blade was black with lined patterns of bright yellow. Ignoring the cup and taking a draw from the bottle, the Raikage proceeded to his cabinet. Within the cabinet were the ceremonial robes of his office, and a set of untouched white robes. It was the second set that were lowered, and brought out into the dark recesses of the office. The Raikage brought them with him to a bathroom near his office. It was reserved for those few times that he needed a truly cold shower. The man shed his clothes, hanging the virgin cloth reverently as he prepared a hot shower, complete with powerful soaps. As soon as the water heated, the man began scrubbing at his skin with soap, removing the utmost layer of flesh with his need to wash himself of the coming bloodshed. The water poured over the man, searing his flesh like brands of fire. After what had probably been an hour, the man stepped out of the shower and donned the untarnished cloth.
A priest was waiting for him in the office, along with the entirety of the council. The presence of the untouched cloth silenced the assembled group, and the will was read over in the quietest tone by the priest. Following each deadening pronouncement, there was the slightest nod of approval from the group's leader. The night passed away quickly, and soon a pink glow could be seen on the east horizon. As a ball of fire rose into the sky, the group proceeded to a public pronouncement square atop the ruling residence.
A messenger stood at attention, reading off the final words of the great leader. Light flooded the square, the light shining into the eyes of the assembled group. The elders of the village, along with the gathered members of the Yotsuki clan were revealed in the breaking dawn. In his unstained robes, an aged man sat peacefully on a raised wooden platform. A final meal of fried rice and water had already been placed and devoured. Those gathered had left warm beds in the night, both to hear the final will of the Kage, and to gather at this ritual. No others in the village were allowed at the ceremony, which began in earnest as three lightning strikes were delivered to a pylon of wood behind the platform. The pylon burst into flames, and began to settle into the shape of a funeral pyre. The man moved aside the food, reaching down to pick a small item from the floor. As he did, the wood crackled, anticipating the coming sacrifice. The forked dagger was clutched in the man's hand, which gave not even the slightest tremble as it was raised to the man's stomach. The robe of white was opened, revealing the scarred flesh of a historic warrior. Stabbing silently into the left side of the man's gut, he pulled his hand across to his right side. Trembles began to draw down the man's arm, as blood ran in rivulets down his torso. Still, the hand was steady as it forced the blade to puncture once more, a vertical draw forming a perfect cross. As the blood stained the floor, set up in a ceremonial style, the man smiled while his body chilled. Not a word was spoken in the entire square, and not a sound was released from the kneeling figure.
'A-san, while I know you and your brother are still young, the fact that the Eight Tails rests happily with Bee means that you will serve our village well. I only wish I could live to see your reign.' The light faded from his eyes, even as the first birds began to sing of the morning air. The death poem of the Raikage admitted to his guilt for the actions taken by his diplomat, and his remaining will listed the sacrifices of the village to forestall war. Hands drawn over his face, the man covered the first tears openly shed since his days of childhood.
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Day 2 of the Journey
The sounds of chirping birds made Naruto wearily blink open his eyes. Pulling himself out of his sleeping bag, the youth donned his clothes and walked out into the morning light. He stretched muscles that were still sore from his training the other day. 'Who would have thought that darn body flicker would be so damn tiring!' Naruto made his way over to the campfire and began to arrange a small breakfast of field rations and forest fruits. Kuromaru stirred at his approach, and nudged his leg once before returning to sleep. Moments later the sound of a tent unzipping could be heard.
Sasuke walked out his tent, looking far worse for wear than Naruto. Where his friend's spiky hair helped to hide signs of bed-head, Sasuke's straight hair was prone to sticking up in odd directions in the morning. Completely unaware of how he looked, Sasuke proceeded to mimic Naruto's morning ritual before coming to a quick stop. Was that…snickering he heard? 'Naruto's stuffing his face so it can't be him.' So caught up was Sasuke in his musings that he completely missed the thick tail placed just high enough to trip him.
If Sasuke had been feeling at the top of his game, he might have managed to notice the offending appendage. As it was, Sasuke only managed to realize his predicament in time to cry out as his breakfast promptly landed on his head. The snickers at this point turned into downright raucous laughter. The source was now quite obviously Kuromaru.
"I gotta say, you Uchiha are just too much fun to mess with. I'm going to have to ask Tsume to team up with you on the police patrols more often." Sasuke grumbled about having a certain dog fixed as he scraped his face clean and prepared a second plate. Naruto was, to his credit, at least stifling his laughter.
"You could have warned me, you know?" Naruto's just shook his head, his laughter still lightly repressed.
"It was more fun to just watch you face plant on your own. Besides, it's a reminder to always be aware of your surroundings." Sasuke shot his friend a dirty look at this, and turned himself back to his plate. "Did you finish your training the other day?" Sasuke nodded his head, his mood improving as he got some food in his stomach.
"What about you? Did you finish that body flicker technique? The clone jutsu was pretty easy to figure out, but they kept making me practice it over and over…" Sasuke took a drink of his morning tea, awaiting his friend's reply.
"Yeah, but I kept having problems getting myself to travel the right distance. They kept saying that my chakra control was terrible." Sasuke smirked and nodded. His mom had been teaching him, and had said that he had great chakra control.
The two silently finished their meals and before long, the adults were up and active. Tsume appeared from behind the two and snagged her own plate before dropped beside them.
"You three are so noisy! I heard you all the way out at the perimeter while I was making my rounds." Kuromaru began to snicker again and Sasuke shot the hound a glare. The Inuzuka reached down and scratched behind the dog's ears before whacking him playfully on the head.
"I did hear a bit of commotion that sounded like someone tripping an Uchiha by the way. Kuromaru, I'd prefer it if you didn't rough up my charge." The dog whined a little, but was quickly whapping its tail back and forth as the woman once more scratched behind his ears.
"You kids better get packed up, because we make for Takigakure after today. We're going to be meeting your wife-to-be when we get there so you better be ready." Naruto and Sasuke both glanced curiously at the woman.
"We haven't finished our training yet though, we still have a bunch more techniques to cover." Naruto's face was similar to a kid being kept out of a candy shop, and it got a laugh from Tsume. It was eerily similar to that of Kuromaru's chuckle.
"We'll be training you brats on the road, so you better get used to being tired like yesterday." Tsume barely managed to restrain her laughter as she watched the two kids look at her in disbelief. "Takigakure is closer to Konoha than Sunagakure, so we can take our time and make sure you kids are really ready to be in the outside world. Just remember, you can't show off these skills at the academy, otherwise the other kids will think you two are a bunch of showoffs." The two boys still shared a look of wary disbelief, but there was a bit of a competitive smirk on their faces. 'Jeez, these two might end up being worse than Kakashi and Gai at this rate.' Before long, the others had joined them for breakfast, and the camp was quickly torn down. The clearing was made to look like no one had ever stayed the night. As they began to head out, Naruto and Sasuke both shared a smirk as they leapt into the trees.
"Well Naruto, looks like we finally get to meet your one true love, huh?" Sasuke jeered at his friend, pulling ahead of him for a brief moment.
"Shut up! All I hope is that she's not completely crazy like Shikamaru's mom." Shikaku face faulted a couple of feet back, and his teammates snickered at his friend's expense.
"If you two snacks have the energy to joke, you have the energy to move faster." Kuromaru nipped lightly at Sasuke as he breezed past the two kids. Sasuke narrowed his eyes and put on a burst of speed, determined to catch the cheeky mutt.
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I think I'm going to end the chapter here this time. I could keep going, but the transition makes more sense to split into separate days. I had to include the angst and drama in this chapter, and if you are wondering, that was a specific type of ceremonial death that is normally reserved for samurai. I figured that, as leaders of the hidden villages, the Kage's would be able to claim an equal level of ceremonial sacrifice. As for Itachi, he is now in league with Madara, and has no need to push Sasuke to save his clan as he decided to spare the youth of the Uchiha clan. The stasis seals were part of the list of jutsu that Minato taught him, so that the death toll need not climb nearly as high. Madara however, was likely not as merciful. This is just one instance of slight changes having large affects that have been introduced to the manga progression. Much of the Naruto universe will remain the same, but I'm making a few decided alterations. If you notice, Madara had Shisui's eyes, meaning Danzo will never get a chance to implant them into his arm (Which is downright freaky by the way!). Other slight changes, as I'm sure some have started to notice, is the fact that Naruto is not openly sharing his thoughts and feelings with anyone. He has learned to keep his feelings to himself, and will open up somewhat in the next chapter. There will be more progression, much of which will lead to the relationship between Naruto and Temari. Anyways, this is all until next time, so I'll see you all in a week. Yes, unfortunately, break comes to an end this Monday, so there will be an update only once a week from now on, I am sorry to say. As always, read and review!