AN: Before we begin, I'm going to outline some vocab so you don't have to scroll to the end when you see every word you don't get.

Kanji is one of the Japanese alphabets. It's the more complex letters you see that look like pictures. It comes from Chinese.

Fuuinjutsu is the art of sealing, like ninjutsu, taijutsu, etc.

Sumi-e ink is a type of ink that is formed with an ink stick and a suzuri, a block onto which you grind the ink stick with a small amount of water from a suiteki. This forms ink. Sumi-e ink is difficult to make, and forming the ink itself takes 10 years or more, and comes from burning the roots of certain trees for their resin before kneading it, adding scent and allowing it to age. Sumi-e ink is used often in gorgeous Japanese and Chinese paintings, and the name literally means, "monochromatic".

Also, I mentioned dango. Dango is the stuff Anko really likes. It's made of rice flour and sweet sauces, though the flavours, how it's made and served varies depending on the time of year. It's generally a treat.

I'm sorry I didn't update the day after. I've been hounded with work, and it's stressed me. But I'm happy to present to you, the second chapter. I hope some of the future plot points aren't too obvious. Don't try to ruin it for yourself, either (I do it all the time by predicting the ending of games and stories...).

Thanks for reading! Enjoy!

Sasuke found himself navigating through repetitive scenery.

As in, it all felt the same. Every tree, well-trodden path and shrubbery looked the same- his only rough guidance being Juugo, who was quite adept at keeping his path despite the misleading scenery. He held the map, with Sasuke cutting through any trees or bushes that lay ahead in order to make a path.

"I think it's better if we go that way straight for a little while. I might have been off in the previous direction." Juugo pointed vaguely to the north east. Sasuke did not respond, simply cutting through tree trunks and bushes. This part of the forest was rife with plants, not simply a forest but more a rainforest. It was humid for the canopy capturing all moisture below, and it was filled with shrubbery and ivy. Sasuke imagined there to be plenty of animals around as well, but he couldn't say he was concerned.

"Na, Sasuke, don't you think we've left a bit of an obvious path? What with all the trees you've cut down and all."

"Shut up, Suigetsu! There's no-one for miles, so it's hardly like we're being followed." He heard Karin smack the boy, hard. It was a reminiscent scene, but Sasuke pushed the thought back. The Uchiha could hardly afford to be thinking about that. He'd said more than enough to Suigetsu, the night before.

"Ah, the birds have told me of a man-made structure just ahead. I... uh, think that's it."

Sasuke nodded.

As he reached it, he saw that it had been relatively untouched - he assumed it was because of the complex (relatively fresh looking?) seals that had been placed over the entire building. It was small, but decently sized enough for a mere weapons house. He opened the door, pleased to see the seal simply lifted off the door. Probably designed to respond to Uchiha blood only.

As the door shut, he heard Suigetsu struggling to open the door, and Karin scolding him for even trying ("dumbass!").

"Oi," Sasuke said. "I might be in here for a few hours. Keep watch."

"Y-Yes, Sasuke-kun!"

The room was filled with weapons. Some had rusted, others had not. Much of the stuff in here was perfectly usable and of a surprising quality. Simple tools that Sasuke lacked- he'd make sure he took them on his way out.

"The Uchiha weapons house, north of Konoha. In the basement..."

At the time, Sasuke had disregarded his words as the incoherent last gasps of a manic killer. Naturally, after he'd learned the true and horrific nature of Itachi's passing, Sasuke valued these words more than anything. He'd come here, but he couldn't say with any truthfulness that he knew what to look for.

He didn't have to look far; the moment he walked down the basement stairs, into complete darkness - with a puff of smoke, a scroll appeared on the floor and the lights flickered. Sasuke picked up the scroll, and feeling it's heavy weight, pulled up a weary-looking velvet stool and let the scroll roll out from the top. It was long. Sasuke blinked, before beginning to read.

"Sasuke, there are many things I could never tell you. As my beloved younger brother, I could not bring myself to kill you. I killed all, my potential lover... but not you, never you. I threatened Danzo myself, stating I would leak the truth of the entire matter if you were to be harmed.

I was proficient in all manner of things. Ninjutsu, taijutsu, genjutsu... even fuuinjutsu. I spent my childhood reading the history of the village. The shinobi war I witnessed made me a pacifist... war disgusted me. I despised it. I only wanted peace, and yet, the Uchiha themselves were ready to begin a war. With Danzo's interception or not... something had to be done.

I hated war. As I write these words, the hatred of all manner of conflict fills me. How ironic, I, an ultimate instrument of war, despise it altogether.

Yet, I have many regrets. I wish that I had told you the truth, for perhaps they would have listened had we faced the problems together. In spurning you to kill your closest one, in spurning you to seek revenge... you abandoned your village. In an agonising attempt to hide my anguish, I carved out a path for you. The wrong path.

It is too late now, and I had hoped that the matter would die with me, that the truth of the tarnished Uchiha would die with me. However, I've come to see that Uchiha Madara, the conductor behind this, will tell you the truth after my passing. I am ill, so incredibly ill- I can only hope I will live until my final confrontation with you.

If I am under the impression Madara will tell you the truth, I will have directed you here.

I am in the process of constructing the most important, most huge and complex seal I have ever attempted. It is so massive, so intricate that it has taken years of practice and planning to create it. I imagine, as you read this, that it is not complete. The patterns are so massive, so colossal... and I am not going to live to finish this.

I know of a seals master, in the mountains of Lightning Country. He is old and blind, but I know him well, for he taught me. Take this seal to him, and it may take him time, but I have planned the outlines on the seal. Give him time, and he will complete it.

Sasuke, I can't tell you what that seal does. I am not entirely sure that it will work. This man will know not to tell you either. I am afraid this is how it must be.
I can trust no one else to finish my final request. This is my final wish for you, Sasuke. If you hate Konoha, aim to destroy and ruin Konoha... I will respect that decision. No matter what, Sasuke, as my foolish younger brother... I love you.

I cannot change what I have done. I wish for nothing more than that. This seal is the only opportunity I have to repent for misjudging your strength... for leading you down the wrong path. I regret it more than I have ever regretted anything, Sasuke.

It is your choice, Sasuke. Even if I don't repent for what I have done... even if I can never lead you down the path I wish you had followed, I'm sure that Naruto boy will have something to do with your decisions. He certainly has a knack for managing the impossible.

Uchiha Itachi of Konohagakure"

And how that final line filled him with nausea, his brother who had been nothing short of slated stating himself a man of that village. It left Sasuke with a bad taste in his mouth.

As Itachi had himself said, in front of him appeared a large scroll. The Uchiha picked it up, and it was as weighty and large as Itachi had promised. He unrolled it, and Sasuke felt dizzy as it rolled out onto the dusty basement floor. Every space was occupied with tiny, detailed kanji with an impeccable calligraphy. The colossal scroll was near full of it- until the end. Here, Sasuke saw where there were mere blueprints for lines, for patterns and sealing symbols. This is the work Itachi did not live to finish. There were detailed notes, and even when Sasuke could read them, the meaning itself was as unclear as could be.

For a moment, Sasuke felt uncertain. He was flush with pride that his dear older brother had entrusted him with the duty of carrying on his life's work, of taking care of and executing his most intricate piece. As though he were a younger sibling again, gazing up at an approving older brother.

Yet, Sasuke could not deny the urge he had to discard this piece of work. It may well have been a seal designed to assist Konoha, though he could not deny that Itachi had not wrote of it as though this were the case – and he certainly was not accusing Itachi of lying.

For a moment, the ebony-haired boy deliberated, elegant fingers tracing the magnificent calligraphy that graced nearly the entire scroll, the fantastic patterns and scriptures that had all the grace and beauty of one thousand suns in a supernova of ink.

Sasuke did not waste a moment more, rolling up the large scroll and the smaller one. The smaller one he placed into his pocket, the other being strapped to his back. He made a brief decision that even if he were not to go through with it, there was no harm in seeing if there was some truth to Itachi's tale, by visiting the man in the mountains of Lightning Country.

"Come on. We're leaving for Lightning Country."

Suigetsu spluttered, turning to see Sasuke's retreating back."What? But- Lightning Country-"

Karin pinched his arm. His protests stopped with a huff, and they began to walk a few paces behind.

Ayame sipped her tea quietly, looking quietly out of the window onto the new wooden buildings across the road. It tasted bitter, the aroma and taste sharp, simultaneously- at once. She reached out for dango, fingers searching for the wooden skewer, only to find her hands fondling mere air. The girl frowned, a tired, unusual expression contorting her features. It was early morning. Maybe 7.

"Ayame-chan!"

A keen voice, smiling though she'd not yet turned her head to see. Ayame felt warm at the voice; a comforting, warm voice that penetrated through her dire mood. She looked up at the boy- near man -and felt happy to see Naruto, though his face had slimmed out and he was no longer a chubby fox child with a bad habit of eating a heinous amount of ramen. "Good afternoon, Naruto-kun."

Naruto had a quieter smile than she'd expected to see, but his eyes were pleasant and bright. As they always were. "I'll buy you some more dango. On me."

"Oh, you don't need to-" He'd left, and Ayame found herself sighing, a content smile on her face. He walked to the counter, before the old woman at the till grinned happily, chatting to him animatedly. Ayame caught brief mentions of "the hero of Konoha" and knew that he'd not had to pay anyway. Perhaps he'd known.

Naruto arrived back, a tray full of dango. He was blushing and smiling sheepishly, putting the dango down and sitting before rubbing the back of his head. "Ah, she said some stuff about what I did for the village. So, it's on the house. I just couldn't convince her..." He laughed. Ayame thought he looked sad for a moment, but the thought fell through as he picked off a whole stick of dango at record speed. She laughed.

She winked at him, taking a stick of dango. "She's right, you know, Naruto-kun." She swallowed one whole. "You've grown into a fine young man! All the villagers owe you for what you've done. So do I."

"Na, Ayame-chan! Don't be so silly. It wasn't just me. If it hadn't been for what Ero-sennin had done..." Naruto fell quiet, chewing on the end of the dango skewer. "I wouldn't mind not being the hero if he was here instead." If he was here with me, to say well done. To call me a brat.

Ayame looked down, fingers tracing the rim of the cup of green tea. "I'm sure he wouldn't want you to think that." She felt as though she was treading on eggshells. It wasn't as though he would ever lash out at her, but Ayame knew well that everyone reacted differently to death- and, of course, Naruto hadn't ever known the trauma of losing his parents.

The blond said nothing for a few minutes, and the air around Ayame was not oppressive but melancholy; a sadness she shared with him, having seen the two sat at Ichiraku Ramen talking loudly and thoughtfully about Uchiha Sasuke and Itachi one particular time. She felt the blow as Naruto did, seeing that he was almost a father figure to Naruto. One the young shinobi had belatedly made fun of and laughed at, but had looked up to. They'd travelled the world together; Ayame had not expected anything less than this consuming sadness. She placed a soft hand on Naruto's calloused ones that were pulled together and fumbling in sorrowful thought. Ayame looked at Naruto with not pity but a kind reassurance.

"Jiraiya-sama died for Konoha." Ayame put two fingers beneath Naruto's chin. "You protected it with your life, exceeding his legacy. As a teacher, I'm sure he dreamt of the day you'd precede him, becoming a great ninja and hero. You've done just that, so don't sully his memory with this sadness and regret." She stood up, smiling and wiping down her work clothes. "Otou-san wants me to go pick up some new equipment. I took a bit of a... self-authorised break, so, I'll see you, Naruto-kun." Ayame smiled, cleanly swiping another stick off the tray as she left.

Naruto found himself eating a whole tray of dango alone, deep in thought.

"I have 2 years. Daisuke-san said it will reduce... so, what? A year? 6 months?"

Naruto shifted his seating on the step, putting his head onto his jaw. "I've thought for the past day. I have to meet Sakura-chan and Shikamaru for a mission in an hour... I don't know whether to tell anyone. Would it make a difference?" Naruto paused, weaving his hands together and resting his forehead on them, eyes facing the ground. "How will I bring Sasuke back in 6 months? I won't ever be Hokage, will I?" He laughed, the happy sound dripping with sarcastic irony. "Na, Otou-san. You took my only dream for yourself."

There was a long, heavy silence, until Naruto sat up, stretching. He stood up and traced his father's name on the memorial stone.

"I considered going to the Hokage mountain to speak to you. But you're more than a Hokage... coming here reminds me of the sacrifice you made for everyone. You were a legend, but so much more than that, too. What would you have done now? I feel... I feel like I should just carry on being how I am. Saying I'll beat this disease. Everything else in my life... I could beat back with training and 'my ninja way'. But..." Naruto sighed deeply, staring intently at the slow-moving clouds. "There is basically no chance I'll manage it. I can't escape this... dying without fulfilling my dreams. No amount of training will save me."

"For a while I wanted someone or something to blame. Apparently, it all came from that arm injury I got from my original rasenshuriken. Cellular damage... and the Kyuubi's chakra has done nothing but aggravate it. At first, I blamed you. Maybe if you hadn't sealed the Kyuubi in me, I would be fine. I blamed everyone else. Myself. Sasuke. In the end... there is nowhere to put the blame, and... it's not easy for me to accept that there's nowhere for all this anger to go."

Naruto stood straight. "I have to go now. It's late, and I have to meet with Shikamaru and Sakura-chan. I have no options. If I won't live to bring world peace... I'll have to bring Sasuke home. If I make him see Konoha for what it is, and to see the plans of the Akatsuki... perhaps he will stay. Perhaps Sasuke will be the pioneer of..." -he sighed, looking into a patch of bright blue is a cloudy sky- "...world peace."

The orange ninja nodded to a man unseen but listening, before leaving for the gates of Konoha.

Walking around Konoha was something Naruto thought he would never get used to now. The pathways he'd known well were gone, the new ones haphazard between building materials and an onslaught of ninja and then empty stretches of untouched land. It was a strange sensation, and something that he could not quite adjust to – and he was sure he never -

"Naruto!"

Ah, yeah.

Sakura waved, and Naruto quickened his pace to a light jog. "Ah, sorry I'm a bit late. Lost track of time." Naruto looked at Shikamaru sheepishly. "Uh, I wasn't listening much at the briefing. So... what are we doing exactly?"

"We're walking to Lightning Country," Shikamaru said. "On foot. The whole way."

Naruto's face dropped. "I thought we were, like, you know... getting a lift? Or at least running through the trees? Why are we walking, again?"

He felt a flat, firm hand come in abusive contact with the back of his head. Sakura scowled. "Because, moron, we're going to be disguised as civilians. Kurenai-san went to the effort of teaching me some minor genjutsu that will be virtually undetectable. It requires natural chakra control to do this, though-"

"-whaaaat!? Sakura-chan, you know I suck at-"

"-which is why I'm doing yours in place for you, idiot. Honestly, Naruto, you have no patience." Sakura huffed, folding her arms before continuing. "Anyway, I have to admit that two men and a girl is a pretty normal shinobi set up. If we don't have a good excuse for being in this arrangement, we'll get figured out instantly."

Shikamaru tapped his foot irately. He brought his lazy, sarcastic eyes to Naruto's. "So, on this trip, you'll be a dying mute, Sakura's your lover, and I'm your doctor."

The blond felt his heart drop to his stomach. Did Obaa-chan tell him about my illness?

Shikamaru continued. "The genjutsu will include creating wasted away vocal chords, and your illness." His eyes went straight through Naruto's own, like senbon and just as sharp. He felt cornered, but he knew that was the Nara's way of telling Naruto that he knew. Though, how the Uzumaki felt about that was uncertain. "For any inquiring people. We thought your natural closeness with Sakura might make the romance a bit easier. It'd be more logical if Sakura was the doctor and I was your lover, but-"

"-eh!? Shikamaru-"

"-we thought you might be a bit reluctant," Shikamaru said. "Troublesome."

-wait, was it Daisuke? Nara... Daisuke? Did he tell him? Naruto shook his head, pressure building up in his temples. Probably...

"Anyway, the most important thing is the mission itself, Naruto." Sakura's tone was as scolding as always. "Shishou would not send you, of all people, out unless it was important. So take this seriously!"

Shikamaru lit up a cigarette, and Naruto wrinkled his nose at the smell. He'd always hated the smell of tobacco.

"The aim is to retrieve a lost scroll from Lightning Country. It contains a few Konoha specific kinjutsu, which wasn't a problem since the recipient gave his word he'd keep it to himself- Hokage-sama seemed to trust that." Shikamaru tapped his foot and blew out a soft plume of smoke. "But apparently, at the time, he was decrepit with age. She reckons he may have died, and that, of course, the scroll is unattended to. We're on good footing with Kumogakure at the moment, and stealing something from their neighbours is less than ideal, so we need to be careful. Our odds are better if we behave as civilians and take it during the night, leaving a day or so later so as not to arouse suspicion."

Sakura turned to Naruto, smiling. "I'll begin the henge for us now, then. Shikamaru, are you okay doing your own?"

"Aa."

Sakura made a couple handseals, before closing her eyes and focusing chakra. Naruto watched her hair turn to a slightly dark, mousy brown, eyes a light blue and figure voluptuous yet entirely unsexual, maternal even. Naruto looked at his hands; he had become slightly lighter skinned and his hair was a deep, greyish black, pulled back into a plait. He could not see his eyes. Shikamaru was older, donning many small bags as a doctor would. A trench coat filled with pockets, bulging. Thick rimmed glasses, loose brown hair and light eyes of indistinguishable colour.

Naruto felt his cheeks for the scars of the fox. There were none; only the gaunt, sick cheeks of a dying man. He nodded to Shikamaru. "Let's go, then-" he stopped. His voice was exhaustingly rough, and sounded croaky and pathetic. Sakura nodded at him, smirking slightly.

"No talking from now on, Naruto. In about an hour, you'll be completely muted. Kurenai-san taught me it, so if you need my attention, just tap me. If it's terribly important, write it down in this notebook." The rosette handed him a small lined notebook with a pen attached to the spine.

"I almost forgot." Shikamaru handed him a necklace, with a ring hung on it. He predicted Naruto's assumption before he even heard it.

"You're proposing to me?!" Naruto's voice was no more than a croak.

The Nara let out a deep breath. "No. Put it around your neck. The insides of the ring are covered with chakra seals." Shikamaru nodded at Naruto, and the blond quickly put it on. "It will temporarily tighten your seal and hide the Kyuubi's chakra. Our chakra can be passed off, but yours isn't just something we can talk away. So, that's necessary. Let's go."

Naruto nodded, and Shikamaru began walking first, his slow steady walk leading the trek to Lightning Country.

"3 weeks."

Sasuke had expected as much. "It will be complete?"

Nod.

"Tell me what it is." Sasuke paused. "I have valuables. Money, power. I just need to know what this is. Before I activate it."

The blind man had long grey braids aside his face, his odd eyes weary and glassy as he spoke to Sasuke. He felt beyond uncomfortable. Despite his superior eyes, this man, though unseeing and harmless, had a cold gaze that shook him to his core. Sasuke'd known before he'd asked this man would have no interest in anything he could give. It was disconcerting and unnerving.

The fuuinjutsu master shook his head, hands splayed across the scroll as his fingertips traced minute, careful etchings of kanji and seals. "I knew Itachi well. Many of these techniques are my own." His eyes were so alarmingly blank, completely seeing. For a moment, Sasuke did not believe he was blind. "His every word was as methodically considered as his life. If Itachi did not inform you, then neither shall I."

The man read a language with his hands that Sasuke could not dream of truly understanding. Each kanji, though familiar, was painted carefully but fluently, in an order that dictated a divine intervention, a command through mere words to the world around. And this man could read it through mere etchings, through the slight difference in texture. The Uchiha could not dream of what lifestyle could possibly teach a man such perception, such precision and talent. Or perhaps, more likely, he loved the words, he loved fuuinjutsu and it was second nature to him as breathing was to a man, or walking on water to a shinobi. This man could read the etchings, the slavish calligraphy of Itachi's first and final work, the masterpiece that was unnamed and purposeless to Sasuke but the world to his brother.

And what a masquerade this masterpiece had been. Not Sasuke, nor his family, nor anyone he suspected, had caught wind nor sight of this massive task. A life long masterpiece that he could not complete; that he had lain upon Sasuke's shoulders instead, in hopes that he would take up his mantle and complete his final wishes.

The Uchiha felt an almost unknown feeling of apprehension. Worry. Terror, terror – no, just a monstrous feeling of helplessness. I have no idea what this is. Sasuke's fists clenched. I have no inkling what this will do. It took years for Nii-san to come close to finishing this.

Do I really want to finish this?

The braided man looked up, as though sensing Sasuke's discomfort and tension in the air. He sat back.

"I could never have created anything of this magnitude." The fuuinjutsu master withdrew a calligraphy brush from a small, cramped pot full of them. The brush itself was small. "Your brother was a one of a kind."

He reached into a small draw to bring out a tray containing a suzuri and a sumi ink stick. Sasuke watched intently as he picked up the sumi ink stick as he laid down the suzuri in front of him. With a few droplets of water, he poised his hand, holding the ink stick in a peculiar but tight and firm manner. Waiting. For what, Sasuke was unsure, but then in but a moment he struck, his wrist twisting and grinding. The movement revolved around his wrist, as droplets of ink formed. Quicker, then slower, then in a circular motion but then back and forth. The noise both gentle and grating, the act both tedious and of the highest calibre of skill. Artful, yet mediocre. Sasuke could not, for the life of him, interpret the mans method. It was as though it was conducted by another being, a perfectly organised dance that tugged at time itself. Sasuke felt as though he was a voyeur, criminally entranced by the intimate exchange between lovers.

The man abruptly brought his head up, his eyes a bright, sharp and familiar blue. Sasuke refused to avert his eyes in shame.

"Sumi-e ink. 'Mono-chromatic'," the fuuinjutsu master said, eyes staring straight into Sasuke's. "Would you agree, Sasuke?"

Though the Uchiha heard the question clearly, he knew that indeed, it was simply something for him to think about - though he wasn't sure how – and not something he should attempt to answer. He uncrossed his legs and stood up, bowing slightly – something he would have not have dreamt of if it were not this man. A man that commanded respect, even from him. "Thank you," Sasuke said curtly, before quietly leaving. He heard the grinding of the ink stick once again, and he shut the door, briefly remembering Naruto's bright blue eyes.

Dear Ero-sennin,

We're on a mission to go get some scroll back. It's the sacred scroll of sealing, and as it turns out, Obaa-chan managed to gamble it away. I'm not sure I trust her to rule the village. But that's the scroll that allowed me to become a ninja. I ended up on Team 7, and now I've saved the village. I feel like I'm a kid again...

We're heading to Lightning Country. I'm disguised as a "dying mute". I think Shikamaru was trying to hint that he knows. Great.

The closer we get to Lightning Country, the more sightings of Sasuke I hear about. It's making me itch to go out looking for him when we get there. This is an important mission, but what if I see him? There's no way I'm gonna let him go. Then again, my chakra is sealed, and I can't even speak. He'd see through the disguise genjutsu, though.

I really do look sick, as this weird man I'm disguised as. My cheeks are all thin, my eyes bulging and my bones stick out. I feel sick too. I hope I won't look like this when I get really sick. That'd be really crap...

I feel like this mission is a total waste of time, but I don't even know what to do yet. Where to go, what to do. I need to find Sasuke. I need to bring him home. I don't think I can pass up this opportunity if it does come – not for any stupid ass scroll.

Wish me luck, Ero-sennin. Hope you're relaxing in the women's bathhouse of Heaven.

Naruto

Thanks for reading! I'll update soon. Please review with some constructive feedback so I can make the next chapter even better!