Ninja of the Void

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any characters associated with it.

"Talking"

Thoughts

Loop

Naruto began moving again although rather painfully as he felt the Kyubi's chakra coursing through him repairing his body. Although it felt a bit disgusting as his ribs began to realign back into place with his lungs closing up behind them. "Well it's easier to breathe now . . . ." Looking up to Itachi, the blond slowly got to his feet as the elder Uchiha grabbed his arm to support him up. "Seven years ago . . . ." taking a labored breath, "what are you talking about?"

Itachi looked to him for a moment as his concentration then went back to Orochimaru. "You told me to give this back to you" pulling out a piece of paper. "You told me I needed to be here at this exact time and place to save my brother". He then gave a slight grin as a thought passed his mind. "But looking at you now I guess you really are a time traveler".

Hearing all this Naruto could not even comprehend what the heck was going on is he was just utterly lost. But shaking his head, he tried his best to just go with it and figure out the rest later. However that only made his head hurt more.

Orochimaru could not believe who had showed up. Although surprised, it also presented an immense opportunity. The sharingan eyes were not meant to last on their own hence the other curse of the Uchiha family of needing to steal the eyes of fellow clansmen not only making the mangekyo permanent but stronger. Just thinking of the power he was going to achieve made him salivate. "Enough talk! I'll be claiming both of your bodies!" as Susanoo flared around him as he jumped up with his battle avatar aiming for the two.

Naruto and Itachi reacted as they both jumped out of the way quickly running as they went to opposite hillside. "That fool" said Itachi. "He's using that technique too recklessly. At this rate he's going to kill himself with how much chakra he's using".

"Then what are we going to do?"

Itachi watched silently as he contemplated his options. ". . . . I have a technique that I can forcibly exorcise Orochimaru from Sasuke's body".

"OK, what's the problem then!" as the pair had to jump out of the way again as they reconvened on the ground. "If you can save Sasuke then why aren't you doing it?"

"Because their souls are too mashed together from when I made contact. If I try to purge him now I can't guarantee my brother's safety as I might end up taking them both".

"Then what are we to do?" as once again the pair needed to move dodging another attack. "We're running out of time!"

". . . . I don't know".

"What do you mean you don't know? If I really told you seven years ago to be here to do this, I must've given you some clue".

"It's on the paper. You just need to figure it out now". Watching Orochimaru's Susanoo fling its fist at them, Itachi then summoned his battle avatar as he preceded to catch his attack and forcibly putting it in an arm bar. "Hurry, I will not be able to hold him for long".

"Got it" said Naruto as he went to a safe distance. Opening the small slip of paper, "it's blank! Wait wait, calm down. This is me we're talking about. If this is something I've written it has to be encoded in a way that only I can understand". Rifling through every trick he knew, "its chakra paper! I just need to give it some power and the message should appear". Investing some, words began to appear which only further baffled the young blond. "What the hell is this supposed to mean?" Reading it, 'the loop is almost complete. You just need to say the word'. "How am I supposed to know what this means?" it didn't help his thinking process much with explosions occurring in the background.

"He's learning quickly" as Itachi evaded Orchimaru's attack. In a way he did have to acknowledge that the snake sannin was a prodigy as he constantly proclaimed. Although new to the Uchiha abilities, he was steadily getting better which made it difficult for him to hold back. Furthermore his limits with his Susanoo were shorter by comparison to that of his brother due to many variables but mostly for the extended uses of his own eyes. This being fact, he needed to be tactful with how everything would proceed from there.

"What's wrong?" taunted Orochimaru. "Is this all the Uchiha prodigy is capable of?" as his Susanoo created a chakra like sword swinging down.

Allowing the attack to connect, Itachi exploded into a murder of crows appearing behind him as he just needed to buy time until Naruto could figure out what the message was.

"Ku ku ku, is that all you can muster now? Just some cheap parlor tricks? Don't insult me boy!" Orochimaru's Susanoo then attacked repeatedly swinging his blade as it carved up the ground as he went.

Itachi sidestepped and leapt over each attack as the chakra blade was only a paper thin margin away from cutting him. But then sidestepping another blade strike, the elder Uchiha partially materialized his Susanoo's fist as he grinded it against the opposing battle avatars stomach.

Orochimaru recoiled from the force of the punch as his battle avatar absorbed most of the kinetic force. Even behind his Susanoo's protective skin, he had to say he was impressed with the offensive power of his opponent. "Tsk, so you do have some fight in you after all".

Itachi remained silent as he awaited the snake sannin's next move. "Hurry up Naruto".

"The loop is almost finished, the loop is almost finished, the loop is almost finished . . . . What the heck is the word supposed to be?" Naruto was wracking his brain as none of this was making sense. The more he thought about it, the more confused he got. I mean what word was supposed to save his friend. "Please?" he thought sarcastically. There were already so many words as it is and how was he supposed to figure out which was the right one let alone how it was supposed to save his retarded friend. Thinking even harder about it, he rubbed his head in agitation as he wanted to hit himself in frustration. "Sasuke, if I survive this I'm so going to kick your ass for causing all this trouble! Why in all the times you have to be such a jerk!"

But in exclaiming that thought to himself, his eyes snapped open as if reaching an epiphany. "It can't be . . . . Could it?" Slowly piecing everything together from the very beginning seven years ago, events started to connect in ways he couldn't believe. Placing all the possible scenarios together, he realized something incredible was occurring as he gave a strained chuckle. In the last seven years, a plan no one was aware of was being made. A plan designed for this very moment. Everything was built up for this exact moment in time. So slipping the paper in his pocket, he went to Itachi as he just recently jumped clear of Orchimaru. "I know what the word is. Once I say it, you're going to have to hurry as this might be our only chance to save him".

"Are you sure?"

"Yes!" Naruto answered confidently. "I know this will save him".

"Alright, but first we need him to get clear of his Susanoo".

"Not a problem, but I can use a good throwing arm".

"What are you planning?" Itachi asked.

Using actions to answer, Naruto activated his sage mode while generating another clone as they begun creating a rasengan. Adding more juice to it, the chakra bullet grew to an enormous proportion. "Going for a good old fashion fast ball special".

Understanding the idea, Itachi summoned out his Susanoo once more as the clone jumped his hand. Reeling back as Itachi mimicked the movements getting into a good throwing stance, his Susanoo launched the young blond as the rasengan technique flew through the air at blinding speed.

Seeing the giant ball of chakra, Orochimaru was uncertain if would be able to withstand such a hit. But before he could even postulate the idea of moving, several hundreds of Naruto clones appeared right above him to make certain he wouldn't go anywhere. Unable to do nothing more, the attack collided with immense force which not only destroyed all the clones but tore up the terrain as Susanoo's chakra form rippled before shattering into shards.

Not giving him time to recover, Naruto hiraishin in grabbing Orochimaru by the shirt as he pulled his arm back ready to uppercut him. "Sasuke! You're such a god damn . . . ." punching him as hard as he could sending him flying up as he stressed the last word he had to say. "Jerk!"

Itachi maintaining eye contact with his brother watched out for any sign that differentiated his soul from the snakes. Upon Naruto's actions, he felt a sudden spike. Although it didn't quite tell him who is was, the echo of his soul did. To say the least, he was amused to what he heard scream back to him through his chakra. "Naruto you moron!" Acting instantly, his Susanoo summoned out the sword of Totsuka stabbing Sasuke making sure he grabbed the other chakra source. Pulling back, Orochimaru's presence began flowing out into a gourd as it was then that the snake sannin was sealed forever. Withdrawing his weapon and letting go of his technique, Sasuke fell to the ground unconscious as he laid there until Naruto flipped him face up.

"Hey jerk!" as the blond slapped him in the face a few times to get him to regain consciousness. "It's time to wake up now!"

Itachi soon was next to them as he kneeled to check his condition.

Slowly Sasuke's eyes began to flicker open as he groaned out in pain. ". . . . What happened . . . ." as he rubbed his forehead with the migraine he felt.

Staring at him for a bit, Naruto chuckled as he soon sat back onto the ground. "I'll tell you what happened; you owe me seven years worth of ramen".

~ Konoha (forest) ~

Walking back to the village, Itachi carried his brother as Naruto walked beside him as both boys were quite exhausted from the intense battle.

Finally recovering all the chakra that he needed, there was something Naruto had to do to complete the cycle.

"Are you sure about this? It's highly recommended that you get some rest before doing anything else".

"Don't worry about me" said Naruto seeming chipper. "I'll be back before breakfast". Seeing Sasuke rousing from his rest, "I'm sure there are some things you need to discuss with him" to which Itachi nodded too. Bringing his watch up, a orb of light surrounded him as he was then gone in a flash.

~ Konoha ~ (seven years ago)

There were a couple of things he needed to do while in the past as well as a couple of places he needed to be.

The first was Ichiraku ramen. There he needed to pay Teuchi for seven years worth of ramen with the inclusion of any possible expenses to who this would be going too. Of course he used a henge as he didn't want anyone to be alerted to his presence. Although it saddened him greatly with how Gama-chan was empty now seeing as he had to sink all his savings into this.

Next stop was his old apartment where he needed to give a message to his younger self about the ramen and calling Sasuke a jerk for the next seven years. Walking by his old neighbors, he was tempted in knocking on their door just to see how they were, but decided against it as he shouldn't be doing more than he was supposed to. "I wonder whatever happened to them?" as the old pair disappeared after the invasion incident.

Then skipping a few months ahead right after the Uchiha massacre, he needed to speak quickly and tell Itachi everything he needed to know for the time being as this would complete the loop.

"I don't understand" said Itachi. "How do you know all these things? What does this have to do with my brother?"

"Just . . . . Understand for now" said Naruto patiently. "That in the future, your brother is going to need your help as he's going to get way in over his head. In that time" taking a soft breath, "I'm going to need your help in saving his soul".

"How am I supposed to do that?" as the young Itachi was still lost in what was being said to him.

"You will know in time. But in seven years I'm going to need you to give this back to me" handing over the chakra paper. "You'll know when the time has come".

Itachi looked hesitant of whether he should believe this fantastical story or not. However it concerned his brother's wellbeing, and that was something he did not wish to gamble on. Although what was asked of him would not be out of his way, he wanted some assurance that things would play out as the young blond had said as there were too many radicals too this entire thing. "What proof can you provide that things will happen as you say?"

Naruto thought carefully about this of how he wanted to word it without giving up too much about the future. Thinking about the most notable events in his present, ". . . . Seven years from now a snake of sound and wind will fall upon the leaf. Four shadows and a fox will appear to stop them. Although victorious, a poisoned youth will bring new life to sin. It is at that time you will be needed".

The older Uchiha narrowed his eyes to this before closing them. "Very well, we will see" as he body flickered away.

The blond jinchuriki gave a sigh of relief as his mission was completed. Just as he was about to return, his watch began to glow as one of the secondary hands started pointing him to direction as if telling him to go there. Curious, he followed the arrow back into the village to find something extremely odd. "A crack in the wall?" Although it didn't seem like something to care about his watch was reacting crazily to it. "But why?" he wondered. Seeing that he wasn't in any great hurry as let's face it he had a time machine, he had the time to see what it was. So using a few Uzumaki diagnostic seals, it quickly spat out information that this wasn't just a crack in the wall, but a crack within space time. "But why is something like this here of all places?" Then feeling his watch buzz in his hand, he lifted it as it reacted to the crack sealing it up leaving no trace behind. ". . . . That was weird". So shrugging it off, Naruto returned back to his time.

~ Konoha ~ (present time days later)

Naruto was at Ichiraku having a beef bowl in silence as there were a couple of things on his mind.

"Mind if I join you Naruto-kun?"

The blond gave a soft smile to his pale friend. "Anytime Hinata-chan".

"Miso please" said Hinata to Teuchi. "So what are you thinking about?"

"Not really sure. Just so much has happened in such a short time. But more so" taking his watch out, "it's been going crazy ever since I got back. I think it's telling me to go somewhere".

Teuchi soon returned with a bowl of Miso handing it to the Hyuga heiress. "What do you think it's trying to tell you?"

"Not sure. Oh yeah, I heard from Ino. Are you actually going to try to be granny's apprentice?"

"Yes" Hinata nodded. The night Tsunade saved them she, Ino, and Sakura were mesmerized by her power and talent at how she easily defeated such an immensely strong enemy. Of course each of them had their own reasons why they wanted to study under the legendary slug sannin. But for herself, it was not only about self-improvement but for Naruto's sake as well. Upon his return he was terribly injured and exhausted which worried her greatly. So seeking both power and the ability to protect her blond friend, who better then to learn under strongest kunoichi in history?

"May I sit for a while?"

The pair turned to see Gaara as they both gave a warm smile and a nod.

"Chicken please".

"Congratulations Gaara" as Naruto patted the red head on the back in a rather friendly manner. "Looks like you and your pals are free people now".

"Thank you" he said rather stoically. With the sands intervention, they were given amnesty as all their past crimes were forgiven as without them the damage to Konoha would have been far worse.

"So what are you going to do now?"

"Go home I guess" Gaara said between bites. "There is much rebuilding that needs to be done to my village seeing as my father is no longer around".

"May I have a beef bowl please" as a feminine looking boy took his seat.

"Ahh Haku! How are things going? I heard you caught a lot of sound ninjas".

"I wasn't that great" said Haku trying to seem modest. "It was a group effort after all".

Soon after more of their friends started to show each ordering a bowl as they talked about whatever was on their mind. To say the least, it was a rather warm and comfortable atmosphere as it brought a nice feeling after a terrible storm events. But of all of Naruto's friends, Sasuke and Sakura were the only ones who did not show up.

~ Konoha ~ (same day that night)

Spending most of his time in the hospital, Sasuke was under investigation for his role in the attack on Konoha. But thanks in part for both the lack of evidence and him being the last of his clan, he was shown great leniency as he only had to serve some house arrest that he did while being in the hospital. But finally with his probation over and recovering enough where he was able to move on his own, he packed enough for a long journey as he now walked towards the end of the village ready to leave.

"Sasuke-kun wait!" yelled Sakura "What are you doing? Are you planning on leaving? Even after telling me everything that's happened, do you really want to do this?"

". . . . Yes" Sasuke answered. ". . . . There is just . . . . So much I need to understand and I need time to think about it all . . . ." After his talk with his brother, it became all too clear to him that no one was truly innocent for what happened. Although Konoha was to blame, he also understood that his clan did share a great deal of the fault as well as they too allowed the situation to escalate to such volatile levels. However, "there is just so much to sort through . . . . But I can't do it here, not while surrounded by all this . . . . Guilt and vanity . . . . I need to travel for a bit to clear my mind and understand clearly . . . . My place in the world".

"Sasuke-kun . . . ."

The young Uchiha then smiled a bit as he looked back to the pink kunoichi showing a type of calm he hasn't felt for a long time. During his time in the hospital, his pink teammate made it a point to stick to him even after what people accused him of. In a way it was rather endearing as no matter what he said or did, her persistence to make sure he was OK did not go unnoticed or without appreciation. Recalling the last thing his pink teammate said to him, "Sakura . . . . If you're willing to wait . . . . I'll give you my answer then".

". . . ." Sakura held a fist over her heart as there was nothing more she could say.

"It's not nice to eavesdrop" Sasuke then said as soon a silver haired ninja walked out from the brush where he was hiding. "Do you plan on stopping me Kakashi-sensei?" as he looked to him dangerously.

The silver haired man simply chuckled to this before staring back at them. "On the contrary I predicted you were going to do this" as he kicked his bag out which caused the children to look to him in surprise. "If you're fine with it, I could use a vacation".

Understanding what he was implying, Sasuke cocked his head a bit to this. "I can take care of myself. Besides you'll end up becoming a rogue ninja if you do this".

"I know, but I figured if Asuma can do it so can I".

"Tsk, whatever. Come if you want".

Although that was Kakashi's answer his real motive was to watch over him to make sure he kept to the right path. Naruto and Sakura didn't need him anymore as they were already chunin. So that just left Sasuke that he needed to watch out for. With this conclusion the pair left on their own trip.

~ Konoha (hokages office) ~ (a few days later)

"You want to what?" Jiraiya asked seeming a bit annoyed.

"I need to travel for a bit" said Naruto again. "This watch has been going crazy non-stop ever since my jump a week ago. Whatever the reason, it has to be pretty important if it's been going off like this".

Jiraiya groaned. Naruto has been bothering him for a while now about investigating what his watch was trying to tell him. Although the antics of a child bothered him, he knew well to respect the warning of the watch. If Minato designed something in there, it definitely had to mean something. Luckily he had everything prepared for when Naruto would come to bother him again today. Hearing a knock on the door, "come in" as an anbu entered.

Removing his mask, the ninja stood in salute. "Yamato reporting for duty sir".

"Huh?"

"This is Yamato and he's going to be with you on your little venture".

"What? I don't need a babysitter! I'm a chunin already!"

"Well you're going to take him or you're not going at all. Chunin or not, you're still a snot nosed little brat who still needs someone to wipe his nose for him. So take it or leave it" Jiraiya smirked as he kicked his feet onto the desk while folding his hands behind his head.

Naruto huffed at this as he had no choice as he gave a disgruntled nod.

"Good" Jiraiya smiled rubbing his god son on the head. "You can leave as soon as you're ready".

"Alright" as Naruto was about to run out of the room.

"But before you go" said the toad sannin, "this doesn't have anything to do with Sasuke and Kakashi leaving right?"

"Nahh" as the blond waved his hand nonchalantly to this. "They'll be back when they're ready. I know it".

~ Konoha (west gate) ~

"So you're really going . . . . Aren't you?" said Hinata sadly as she saw her closest friend packed and ready to leave for an unspecified amount of time.

"Please don't make that face" said Naruto. "It'll just make leaving all that harder. The watch is trying to tell me something and I need to understand what it is. Although it would have been awesome if you could come along, but your dad would definitely say no".

Hinata gave a slow nod to this. "I can't help it" as she rubbed one of her eyes. "I . . . . Don't want to see you leave. And you don't even know when you're going to be back".

"I'm sorry Hinata-chan. But this has been bugging me without end. If I'm going to have a piece of mind, I need to come to terms with what the watch is pointing me too".

"Naruto-kun . . . ." as she looked down sadly.

Naruto gave a soft smile trying to cheer her up. "Here" as he placed his hands on her shoulders, "I'll give you a good luck charm".

"Ehh?"

Leaning in, Naruto gave a little innocent kiss on her cheek which caused Hinata's eyes to widen, her lips to part, and her face to turn several shades of red. "I'll be back as fast as I can" as Naruto gave one of his charismatic sunny smiles. "So don't be sad OK".

Hinata still stunned could only nod to this.

"We'll I better be off then" as Naruto put on his traveling backpack. "Bye Hinata-chan, I'll see you later then".

"OK" she half stuttered. "Please have a safe journey" waving to him.

Nodding, the two friends parted ways. Although saddened, they knew it was not going to be forever. Now they were going to begin the next chapter of their lives.

To be continued . . . .

~ Omake ~ (don't take this seriously, but if you want to . . . . OK)

Upon Naruto's jump to the past, the Uchiha brothers were in a heated debate as Sasuke was having trouble coming to grips with what Itachi was telling him.

"I don't care!" Sasuke yelled. "I hate Konoha! I'm going to destroy them all!"

With that answer, Itachi responded pimp slapping Sasuke across the cheek leaving a red mark. "Say you hate Konoha again! Say it! I dare you! I double dog dare you mother f**ker! Say you hate Konoha one more god damn time!"

Looking up defiantly to his older brother, "I hate Konoha".

Remaining silent as all they could hear was the wind of the forest night, the elder Uchiha's lips began to curve into a scowl. ". . . . Does Itachi Uchiha have to Tsukiyomi a b**ch?"

Author's notes: Thus concludes the first arc of this story. I hope everyone's enjoyed it as from here on out a lot of things are going to be different in an interesting way I hope.

So I thank everyone for taking the time in reading this fic and further extend my gratitude if you can review it as well.