Sasuke blinked, his being utterly calm.

His calmness surprised Itachi. His brother stared at him, reading him carefully.

"I mean you no harm, Itachi. This will not make sense, but you have to trust me. I've come from the future."

Itachi continued to stare at him threateningly, yet actually waiting for him to explain himself further and allowing him to. Had he been any other Uchiha, Sasuke would have been killed straight away. But Itachi wasn't like the other Uchiha.

Sasuke looked to his brother, somewhat pleadingly, even as the pressure of the sword pressed against his neck increased slightly and a single red tear ran down his skin. "I know what you're about to do. Who you are about to talk to. What they fear. What you fear. How you feel backed into a corner with no way out. But I know where this road leads...And it is too great to bear, Itachi."

Itachi's eyebrows rose as recognition dawned on him. "Sasuke?"

He nodded, and would have smiled had not the matter been too great in its consequences. Too dire. It had to change. Now. "Itachi. You need to listen to me. You're about to meet with Danzo and—"

The Genjustu faded and Itachi shook his head, lowering his weapon.

"So you know everything."

"And more, yes. Itachi and the outcome is too great—"

"Tell me...Little brother, is the village safe?"

His teeth gritted, his eyes closing briefly. He already knew exactly what Itachi was trying to do.

"...Yes."

"Has war torn the world apart?"

"...No."

"Then my mission was a success. Thank you for confirming it." He started to turn away. Sasuke started, rushing to stop him.

"No! I can't allow you to kill our—"

Itachi was fast, spinning around, a flash of metal whirling, and Sasuke's lone arm was yanked in the opposite direction, and he was crashing backward, into a beam. Grimacing as it felt like his arm was ripping from its socket.

"Ngh!"

"I understand your strife, Sasuke, but you can't possibly understand the full story. You are but a child. Even now, you are reacting to what you know and that is the memories of a still innocent child. A child who couldn't see the true darkness and the necessity of my mission."

Itachi spoke calmly, even as he quickly tied off the wire binding Sasuke's hand to the beam, making his intentions and resolution vividly clear.

"Itachi! You can't do this! It's—"

Itachi shook his head and smiled. "Tell me about your family."

Sasuke blinked for a moment, caught in surprise.

"I could sense it off of you. The you before me is obviously a man, a decade or even two older than me, and there's that something that resonates in you. I could sense it right away. A change."

Sasuke looked down, his fingers curling. "They're more than I deserve."

Itachi smiled softly.

"They? You're a father. Tell me about your child."

"Her name is Sarada."

Itachi nodded and turned his head so he was looking out into the distance, through the grey-tinted shoji screen door panels. You could make out the trees outside through them, waving in the wind, gently like a hand waving goodbye. "She must have your eyes. No doubt a beautiful girl. Intelligent, strong. A fine child. I approve."

Sasuke looked at him in shock.

Sensing it, Itachi turned back smiling. "I know her because I know you. You're unsure of yourself as a father. But if you just be yourself, she will grow, free from the curse of our clan."

"Itachi..."

"Sasuke, you know what must be done."

He jerked, his arm straining against the wire, his mouth agape. "Itachi, you can't still—"

"I hope the best for my niece. May her future be unbridled by the curse of the Uchiha. And it will be. She will be our revival. One I will walk this path for."

"Itachi, please don't!" The wire only tightened against his struggle. "You don't understand! I came back, I had to, to stop you from doing this. You can't agree to his terms. No good comes out of it, Itachi!"

"Sasuke," he spoke, almost chidingly. "You know I must do it. You yourself, this version, has seen the outcome and have even reaped its rewards, albeit in pain. It will hurt, must have hurt a lot, that is why you have come here, but, time is a road that must be crossed on our own. It is not something to tamper with. I can sense you have gotten strong, Sasuke, you have faced great trials, but you are not a god. No good will come from tampering with time."

Sheathing his blade, Itachi turned his back on him. "It was good to see you in this form. I know that on this path, I no doubt will not live long enough to meet you as you are now. So you have given me a blessing. And I'm proud to be an uncle. Farewell, brother, do well to take care of your family."

Sasuke cursed, trying to pull his hand free from the wire. "Itachi!"

Seconds from leaving, he had already slid the door open.

"No! I won't let you do this again!"

Sasuke focused his Amaterasu to the wire and whipped his hand free the moment the flames burned through the thin but powerful metal.

This younger Itachi had not expected the one-handed Sasuke to be able to escape from it. Had not expected him to catch up and seize him, his eyes bleeding as they spun into a desperate Mangekyo.

"Forgive me, Brother, but I can't allow you to walk this path again!"

Itachi collapsed limply to the ground, eyelids closing as he fell into a deep, deep, genjutsu, the likes he had not faced yet. He would be free from the darkness in a few hours. So Sasuke didn't have long to figure out what to do next.

The tenseness in the air made it clear, something had to be done because chaos was on the verge of breaking out. Speaking to the others to try to clear it before it was too late wasn't an option. Itachi had been willing to believe him but he knew the others wouldn't. They would kill him, seeing him as a threat to their plans or as a spy.

So, what to do...Itachi's path just wasn't an option. It may have been his choice, of his own free will, but in the end, Sasuke's will was more important.

He knew exactly who to take care of now. Who was at the root of the Uchiha's hell.

Yes, Sasuke would take his place and meet Dano himself.

Then he would kill him.

_-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx-_

Plucking Jiraiya from the battlefield had only taken him a few seconds. Naruto had made a clone and sent it to distract Pain, and it certainly would, especially at the level he was now. And while it distracted him, he focused on running as fast and far as he could, leading Jiraiya behind him by the hand.

The man attempted to drag his feet, to stop and ask questions as any logical person would so Naruto tried to answer quickly, pushing him still.

"You're in danger," he called, not even turning his head yet. "We have to get out of here—You're in danger. I will take care of him later, trust me! I'm a comrade!"

One they had come to a stop, on the outskirts of the city, Jiraiya yanked his hand from Naruto's and brandished a kunai, demanding answers. "What's the idea?!"

Taking a deep breath, Naruto turned around so they were facing each other. "Jiraiya, I know this is going to sound completely crazy but..."

Jiraiya stared at him incredulously. Shocked at first, then a puzzled expression crossed his features. "You," he murmured, eyes narrowed in confusion.

"Yes..." It was taking everything Naruto had to contain himself. But he was afraid of scaring Jiraiya if he just outright glomped him like every fiber of his body was screaming at him to do. It had been so long since he had seen him in the flesh! And here he was now. Just as he had always remembered him!

Jiraiya's eyes widened as he studied the now-adult Naruto's face. "You...Are you a Namikaze?"

Naruto wanted to laugh. "No, Jiraiya-Sensei. Look at me. My face, my chakra. You know who I am. And I know this is completely crazy but..." He laughed. "It's me."

"Naruto?"

Naruto nodded happily. "Yes! I, uh, came back from the future. It's crazy, like really insane and possible, but none of that matters, what matters is that I'm here and you're here and there's so much I want to tell you!"

Jiraiya still stared at him like he was crazy but Naruto could tell that Jiraiya, something in him, did believe him. Still. Rolling his eyes, he pulled his shirt up, exposing the seal on his stomach. "Who else do you know has this or the chakra to back it? And how else would I know that Tsunade sent you to investigate the Rain or that you suspect he's really one of the three orphans you once took care of? How would I know about the scar on your chest? And that I myself am the one that gave it to you? Seriously, Sensei, I know it's hard to believe, I look a lot different from when I was just a teenager, but look at me. Really look."

"Naruto! Wow, you're so big!"

Finally!

"Yes! Thank you!"

Now they could talk, and holy crap, was he giddy, he could hardly contain himself and he blubbered on, not even taking the time to breathe. "There'ssomuchIwanttotellyou!I'mHokageandhavethebestwifeeverandkids,Iwantyoutomeetthemsobad!"

"Woah, kid! Slow down!"

Gasping for breath, Naruto laughed. He felt like he was fifteen again. And it was exuberating! "So much is going to happen in the future, so much! I mean I got to meet my dad, and I understand now why he did what he did, and I'm grateful. Me and Kurama—that's the Kyuubi's name, we've partnered up and it's amazing, and thrilling and powerful and I can't even explain it but together we helped with the war, stopping the guy in the mask and Kaguya—"

Jiraiya stared at him and Naruto laughed again. "It's a looooooong story, trust me, but what's important is that I did it. With the help of everyone else, we stopped the Fourth War and now the Kage are united. Peace happened. You were right, sensei. We did it!"

His teacher's grin spread and his eyes began to water.

Naruto nearly began crying himself. "The world...We did it. It was thrusting itself towards destruction, and we came together and we still have a bump or two along the way, but we fight together now. The Kage, even me and Sasuke, and Orochimaru, even he's on the straight and narrow. The Sannin can be together again. Isn't that good?"

"Sounds too good to be true. And did I catch that you did become Hokage?"

He nodded. "Yes, after Kakashi."

"Kakashi?"

"Well, his was a short term, more out of obligation to Obito—heck, we don't got time to talk about the past! I wanna tell you about my family. You've not met them yet but I just know you're going to love them!"

"So you have a family now! Congratulations!"

It was amazing how Jiraiya was taking this so easily, but then again, stranger things had happened and there was no denying Naruto's presence and how even as an adult, Jiraiya knew it.

"Yes, and I love them so much. Two kids, and Hinata—"

"Hah! I knew it! Atta boy, you caught yourself a good one, just took you long enough!"

Naruto frowned. "You knew too?"

"Oh yeah, I did. Was wondering when you'd catch on..."

Naruto sighed. "Why am I the only one in the entire village who had to have it spelled out? Seriously."

Jiraiya threw back his head laughing. "Because you'll always be my brat. Even as an adult...It's good to see you kid, so big. I don't know how this is possible but..."

"Again, long story, crazy jutsu—"

Jiraiya suddenly grabbed hold of Naruto's shoulders, and with tears starting to run down his face, embraced him, crying, "I'm so proud of you!"

Naruto stood still for a second, his eyes wide, then overcome by the sheer happiness, at being able to talk to him after so long, after his terrible death, he hugged him back, starting to cry himself.

"Sensei...So much happened, and I just had to talk to you today, tell you ahead of time. So much...It was hell sometimes, but it's over now."

Sniffing, the old man spoke. "I can feel the difference in your chakra. The Kyuubi's. Your father would be so proud of you. You did it, I knew you could. So proud! And Kushina too, that's your mother."

Naruto nodded, wanting to laugh. I know that now, and I had missed you so much! I'm so glad you're not dead anymore!

He could not for the life of him voice this out loud, not wanting to put a damper on this moment by bringing up how he had died. So terrible! So lonely and cruel, buried by the ocean and not even laid to proper rest. Died alone...But no longer was that even relevant, and thank kami it never would be again.

All he could whisper was "Thank you sensei, for taking care of me. I would not be here today if it weren't for you and I can't wait for you to catch up to the future I come from now."

Letting go, Jiraiya nodded. "I can't wait either. Don't worry, I won't tell the current you anything, only watch from the side, knowing what I know now."

Naruto nodded.

He couldn't be happier. He felt reborn with relief. Finally. Things were right.

He closed his eyes, inhaling deeply. Yes. Everything was going to be perfect and already he could see the future. Pictures on his mantel, pictures with Jiraiya on his couch, his baby on his lap, smiling up at him. His little girl, being thrown up in the air, frozen in place with a big smile. Hinata, standing to the side, a little worried, but happy as she watched over him.

"Will you be their godparent, too? Or god grandparent really?"

"Kami, you're making me feel old! But yes, you don't even have to ask, Naruto! Oh man, you're a dad! I just can't get over this you now!"

Naruto laughed, rubbing his eyes. Oh, happiness. Pure, unfathomable happiness.

_-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx-_

Blood gushed. Unlike the him in the future, Danzo did not have the Sharingan in his arm to aid him. He did, though, have Shisui's, but that hardly mattered with the strength Sasuke had now and the desperate drive he had to take care of him. And he did, and Danzo's life drained from him quickly in the dead of night, hidden by cold stone walls.

Sasuke watched impassively as the man spasmed before death took him. "It's over."

It had been a long time since Sasuke had taken a life. But he did not regret doing so now.

With Danzo gone, the Uchiha would live. His mother would live. His father, and countless others. And surely, an agreement between the two sides, village, and clan, could be come to with a little bit of compromise from both sides. Just as it should have, right from the beginning.

He sighed with relief, the future griefs, all the burdens melting away like snow, clumped up and dissolving, running down in torrents.

Yes.

Footsteps, silent footfalls, fast approaching. They were coming fast. He turned to see Itachi staring at him. It figured that Itachi would come quickly behind him. Just not fast enough. But what did not make sense was the look of horror on his face as he came to a stop and saw the body.

It was a look that would forever be engraved in Sasuke, the sheer degree of fear in it.

"Itachi, what's wrong? I had to kill him," Sasuke began but the look in Itachi's eyes stopped him short.

"What. Have. You. Done."

"Excuse me?"

Now he said it louder, coming on to Sasuke so fast he thought he would strike him, and he practically did with his tone.

"What have you done?!"

It was mind-blowing to hear his usually impassive brother speak with such a tone.

"I've saved you and our family from a lot of pain. You have to believe me Itachi, it's better this way."

He had not expected gratitude from Itachi for destroying their plans, but he did expect a degree of understanding. But instead, he got an angry, somehow heartbroken declaration: "You've damned us all!"

Sasuke staggered back at the sheer disapproval and anger that was radiating off of him in leaps in bounds.

"Itachi, you don't understand! I've seen the future and—"

"What about this one, Sasuke, have you seen the consequences of Danzo's death?"

Sasuke stopped short, something in him freezing up, his skin pricked.

Itachi shook his head, whispering again, "The outcome of this...What have you done?"