A/N: Back for more of my Naruto and Sakura AU, which I am enjoying writing.
The war raged on fiercely. Recent communication suggesting that the masked man was a fake Madara and that the real Madara was the latest reanimated Shinobi made it more complicated for headquarters to strategize about the war at large. Multiple companies had joined together in the few hours Sakura was busy dealing with Sasuke, except for the ones that Gara and Kakashi commanded. Naruto and Sakura had dropped Sasuke off with Sai who was monitoring captured prisoners and then made their way towards the largest chakra that he found familiar.
"How long have we been running for?" Sakura asked him.
"Quite a while, but I can feel chakra, chakra that I couldn't possibly forget." He was anxious.
Two people were about to cross paths with Naruto and Sakura. One was being supported by his comrade, he spoke with quiet anticipation. "Something feels familiar…nostalgic." Nagato said seriously.
Narauo was concerned by the chakra he sensed. "It's moving too slow to be one person," He whispered.
"Intel says that it's two really powerful people." Sakura also looked worried.
"Both Madara's?" He frowned.
"I don't know but it will be bad no matter who is heading towards, that's a lot of chakra." Sakura she said bluntly.
"The rain stopped, maybe a good omen," Naruto said hopefully.
"I wouldn't count on that." Sakura cautioned him.
It was odd being reanimated, existing as something between life and death, he had already located Kabuto's chakra due to being controlled through reanimation but he couldn't do anything to stop the jutsu right now and with people close by, he knew that he would be forced to fight.
Naruto and Sakura ran hastily toward the uncertain chakra, Naruto stopping abruptly when they came into view. "No way…it's them."
"Who are they?" Sakura asked blankly.
"Nagato, the creator of the Sixth Paths of Pain, and Sasuke's brother Itachi Uchiha." He explained casually turning to Sakura.
Sakura was wide eyed. "Pain…Itachi. You were reanimated too!"
"We are useful to the enemy." Nagato said somberly.
"Naruto, there are things I must ask you but I'm certain that the one who cast the reanimation jutsu will force us to fight." Itachi said evenly.
"Yes, once my agency is gone you will have no choice but to defend yourself." Nagato warned quickly.
Hiding in his lair Kabuto was thrilled with the prospect of catching the nine tails that he decided not to waste anymore time trying to capture its Jinchiriki.
In an instant, Itachi was making hand signs that Sakura recognized. "Fire Release Fireball Jutsu!" He said against his will.
"Water Release Wild Water Wave!" Sakura said hastily.
The two opposing elements met and collided extinguishing in a thin veil of steam. "I'm no match for Nagato, but I just handled Sasuke, I can handle Itachi…go." She was quite nervous however, she knew that Itachi was a child prodigy, whose intelligence and battle IQ rivaled Lord Fourth Minato.
"You fought Sasuke, why?" Itachi asked while attacking Sakura who just barely dodged every punch and kick.
"He wants to destroy the Hidden Leaf village and was going to use the war as a distraction, I stopped him myself, but only temporarily." Sakura said bluntly.
"Why did he turn his back on the village?" He asked urgently.
"He found out the truth about your top-secret mission and the Uchiha clan massacre. Why did you manipulate a child—your little brother—so harshly?"
"It was always inevitable that the Uchiha clan was going to attack and try overthrowing the leaf village. I couldn't kill my little brother but if I dragged him into anything I would have been going against not only the Elders of the leaf and my parents wishes to protect Sasuke!" He explained, his voice bitter while he continued fighting Sakura
"Well, he's alive, but I'm not sure how much you actually protected him in the end. Ever since your death Sasuke snapped, he doesn't care about anything except revenge anymore." Sakura found her voice was full of pity, as she continued dodging Itach's Taijutsu.
"Sasuke has always been ruled by his emotions. If he knows the truth about me then I'm sure Madara exploited the hate that I cultivated. I anticipated their meeting but it seems Madara was one step ahead of me after my death at Sasuke's hands." Itachi said sadly.
"Yeah, he told Naruto, Kakashi Sensei, and Captain Yamato...Naruto told me." She said.
"Good anything less would mean the entire legacy of my clan would be forever tarnished within the village. Everyone believes the Uchiha to be tragic victims slaughtered by me for selfish reasons and it must stay that way." Itachi was blunt.
"I've kept my mouth shut." She assured.
Meanwhile Nagato summoned the same animals he used to attack the leaf village. "Keep your guard up Naruto, I don't want to kill you but it's clear that the The caster of this jutsu has other plans. I can't do anything more than try to announce myself! I hope the two of you are strong enough to defeat us!"
Given the severity of the situation, Naruto and Sakura both decided they needed to use their newly acquired power but needed a spare moment to activate them.
"Earth Release Giant Mud Wall!" Sakura shouted.
Large stone walls erupted from the ground in a long horizontal shield, giving both Naruto and Sakura time to tap into their newfound power, just in time as the barriers were smashed to bits seconds later.
"That's the same mark used by the wife of the first Hokage and the Fifth Hokage as well, and Naruto you can freely use the power of the nine tails now. I'm impressed with the development both of you have shown. It tells me that our village is well protected." He said praisingly. "Be careful of my Sharingan, it seems that it's been activated by Kabuto—Amaterasu!"
"Naruto, be careful, those flames are still quite painful even if they won't cause any permanent damage if he uses it on you!" Sakura warned calmly.
"Yeah, it was close." Naruto said anxiously jumping away. "Distract them so I can do my thing, ya know." He turned and smiled reassuringly at her.
Sakura knew what he was going to do even without any specifics so she created clones so Naruto had time to ready any one of his signature ninjutsu.
"Wood Clones, you have Hashirama cells. I knew both of your parents they're not from any ninja clan. How is it even possible that you were able to survive the mutation." Itachi said astonished.
Sakura was full of conviction. "The same way you killed your entire clan and painted yourself as the bad guy just to protect the leaf and your little brother. Protecting what you hold most dear. I'm doing the exact same thing."
"I really wish I could stop myself from attacking you but you don't seem to have much trouble avoiding my Taijutsu." He was impressed. "Stay on guard—" He was abruptly forced to manifest his Sussasno. "My Sussano has a blade that seals that which is struck by it, you must avoid it at all costs!" He said urgently.
"Are you sure that you can't stop yourself!" Sakura asked frantically.
"That depends on Naruto!" Itachi said seriously.
"Does he seriously think that Naruto can talk us out of this situation?" Sakura thought anxiously.
Whatever Itachi thought, Naruto was preoccupied at another end of this current battlefield, still trying to deal with all of Nagato's summons at the same time.
"He's become mindless which means he could be forced to use any of the powers he gave each of the pain bodies," Naruto muttered quietly.
Back with Itachi Sakura narrowly avoided being sealed multiple times. "Ugh, there's no way I can get close enough to crack his Sussano and I don't want to stop to perform any hand signs because it could be the last thing I do." She was frustrated.
Multiple explosions made Sakura rush to Naruto's side, but she quickly realized that he had successfully hurt all of the summons except the large bird. Itachi was now riding that bird likely to give Nagato backup as his body was crippled from draining his physical energy just before his death…
"How could Itachi move with his Sussano?" Sakura asked in astonishment.
"I have no idea but I've had enough running." He was annoyed, "There's no way Mini Rasenshuriken's will hit that summoning bird, so I'll just use two regular sized ones!"
"Don't stand still Itachi is coming after us with a Sussano that has a sealing blade." Sakura warned hastily.
"What?" He asked blankly.
"JUMP!" She yelled hastily.
It was just in time, they jumped to the side leaving a crater in the ground from the lengthy blade missing its target.
"Thanks any ideas?" Naruto asked desperately.
"No and we only have a few seconds before he's going to launch the sealing blade again!" Sakura said breathlessly. "Itachi said something strange though, that he could only stop himself with your help? Touching the soul releases a reanimation. Maybe give it a try!" Sakura said uncertainly.
"If I can get to him I'll give it a try but there's a lot going on right now." Naruto said hastily.
It was infuriating being stuck under the thumb of Kabuto Yakashi, unable to act of his own free will. Still, he wasn't aware of what he had left to Naruto, yet it was obvious Naruto wasn't either which would make things considerably more difficult. Suddenly a tailed beast bomb hit the summoning bird and exploded in the sky.
"Was that you, Naruto?" Sakura asked.
"No, that's gotta be octopops! I can't launch tailed beast bombs yet, the nine tails still refuses to work together…" Naruto finished irritably.
Sure enough they watched as a giant octopus engaged Itachi in a slow free-fall to the ground. The Sussano clearly protected Itachi from the massive blast, leaving him free to fight the eight tails Jinchiriki who could transform in and out of his full tailed beast mode at will.
"At least the Sussano is gone." Sakura said unable to hide her relief.
"Nagato will reanimate within a few seconds. We have to get to him and seal him before that happens." Naruto said hastily.
"I can try to hold him at bay but we need a member of the sealing corps here, I don't have enough experience with regular sealing jutsu to do it myself." Sakura said anxiously.
"Octopops needs help with Itachi, just do whatever you can to keep Nagato restrained until headquarters can send someone over to us." Naruto said bluntly.
Not being able to move anywhere that wasn't marked certainly made this situation difficult but Sakura was fairly certain that headquarters had sent the eight tails Jinchiriki to help them and was likely sending someone to help seal these reanimations too.
"Just go, it won't matter if either of you are captured anyway, and it looks like he needs help." She said urgently.
Naruto rushed off to get between octopops and Itachi. He couldn't defend himself against Amaterasu but thankfully it didn't cause any perilous damage, just forced him to return to his human form and retreat to recover.
"I don't want to hurt you but you're dead so it doesn't really matter right?" It was only a split second but they made direct eye contact. Then it happened, Naruto suddenly felt awful, he was fighting the urge to throw up and couldn't stop himself. It had to be a genjutsu. It wasn't vommit but a large crow, leaving Naruto thoroughly confused and out of breath. But then the crow locked eyes with Itachi and in an instant he felt his link to Kabuto sever completely.
Kabuto was afraid for the first time. "What the hell just happened!"
Wondering the same thing, Naruto took his chances trying to talk to Itachi. "Ugh, why did a crow just come out of my mouth, is that a Genjutsu?" He asked blankly.
"That was a genjutsu but it was cast on me, and it broke Kabuto's control over me." When Naruto looked about to ask for an explanation Itachi halted him. "I will explain once we seal Nagato. Now let's go help your friends!" Itachi said urgently.
"Yeah." Naruto agreed but he was still extremely confused.
Kabuto however wasn't confused. "Of course, the only genjutsu that could possibly have broken my hold on Itachi, it's his eye!"
Now free of Kabuto's control Itachi, was protecting both himself and Naruto inside his Susanno. Unfortunately, Sakura couldn't hold Nagato back for long enough and his power being far greater than hers he used almighty push to repel the wood-release ninjutsu she had used to keep the Gold and Silver brothers at bay, which also sent Sakura flying back like a bullet until she crashed. Killer B was recovered however and transformed into his eight tails cloak to fight Nagato.
"Sakura! Damnit, we didn't get there in time!" Naruto said angrily.
"Relax Naruto, if she defeated Sasuke by herself then I'm certain it will take much more than that before Sakura is seriously hurt." Itachi said calmly.
"I'm still going to make sure she is alright!" He threw down a Kunai and disappeared before returning an instant later with Sakura who denied that she was hurt.
"The technique with which Minato single-handedly ended the third great ninja war, you keep managing to surprise me with your skill, Naruto," Itachi said.
"You knew my dad?" He asked.
"Later, it seems that Nagato is as powerful as I always feared when he was acting as pain…" Itachi said watching the closest thing to the Sage of Six Paths battle the eight tails easily.
"Oh no I forgot that I remembered he can absorb chakra and ninjutsu!" Naruto panicked and rushed off to help his fellow Jinchiriki.
"Does he always rush in to help before taking stock of situations?" Itachi asked, turning to Sakura.
"That's Naruto…He's been that way from the moment he became a ninja." She frowned. "That doesn't look good!"
"It seems their chakra is being drained and their souls are in danger of being ripped from their bodies." He said.
"Well…We can't use ninjutsu he'll just absorb or repel it. Any ideas?" She asked.
"Normally jutsu cannot disturb one's soul, there are rare exceptions, like Reaper Death Seal or the reanimation jutsu you have been dealing with during this war. That means that only a massive amount of spiritual energy will be sufficient." He explained.
"I don't have anything like that." She said anxiously.
"My Sussano should be able to separate them from the grasp of his jutsu. You be the distraction while I rescue them." He instructed bluntly, she nodded.
Sakura made several wood clones, using them all as bait to keep Nagato's attention away from Itachi who rushed to approach Nagato from the rear, manifesting the Sussano which he used to free the others.
"That was close." Naruto was panting to catch his breath. Suddenly Naruto felt an all too familiar gravitational pull lifting him and much of the surrounding environment up into the sky. "Dammit, it's Planetary Devastation, he used this once before, it's impossible to escape once you're caught." He shouted in a panic.
Itachi was blunt. "Then how are you still alive?"
"I only got free of it last time because the nine tails went on a rampage." He looked nervous. "If we get caught in it we're dead!" He shouted in a panic.
"Don't panic Naruto, one must be calm to analyze. I'm guessing the sphere that Nagato threw is the core of this jutsu and has quite a strong gravitational pull. We need to destroy it using our strongest long-range jutsu, this tactic exploits the core's gravity."
"Okay but the explosion will be huge and we could get caught in it, you might be a reanimation but the rest of us could be very dead," Sakura said rationally.
"That sphere is a black hole, it will swallow any explosive energy. As long as you know how to land on your feet you'll be fine." Itachi said calmly.
Sakura wasn't taking any chances however, as the other three does destroy the core with their strongest ninjutsu she decided to make sure everyone landed safely on the ground.
She bit her thumb, "Summoning Jutsu!" Sakura had never created a summoning circle in midair, let alone in the midst of being pulled into such intense gravity.
Katsuyu was quite shocked by the situation. "Oh dear, this was terrifying the last time."
Sakura was extremely apologetic. "Sorry, Lady Katsuyu, the others will destroy it, unlike last time." She politely asked. "Can you make sure we have a soft landing?"
Katsuyu didn't seem to mind, "Yes, don't worry." She quickly reassured.
As the best attacks from Naruto, Itachi, and Killer B collided with the sphere the intense effects of gravity ended, causing everyone to rapidly fall to the earth. As Katsuyu could become non-corporeal she was able to reach the ground first and blanket the other's landing, and she healed leftover injuries.
"I don't know how many times I can say thank you Lady Katsuyu…" Sakura said with relief.
"That's not necessary, I would be quite upset if you did not summon me for help when you need me, especially during the war." Katsuyu calmly insisted, before vanishing.
Itachi managed to pierce Nagato with the blade of his Sussano and after some words of reflection he was sealed away. Killer B left, fearing that his brother was already on the frontlines now that it was apparent that there was a real Madara and a faker to deal with, leaving Naruto and Sakura feeling awkward as they were now alone with a technically dead Itachi Uchiha.
"I'm sure you are wondering about many things, but I must stop the reanimation jutsu, nobody else will be able to do it and you two will be needed against Madara." He was very analytical.
"Trying to keep secrets and do things by yourself, that's why you were used by Donzo to slaughter your whole clan." Sakura looked caught between sympathy and anger.
"You understand perception in a way that Sasuke never has," Itachi said with a subdued smile.
"I think you forgot that surviving isn't living, at least when it comes to your brother." She said bluntly.
"You may be right." Itachi looked like someone who had long since made peace with his decisions. "But my brother doesn't need me to be happy. Naruto, and you Sakura, are proof of that." He smiled in solace.
"Your brother is blinded by rage over you, his older brother, being used as a spy for them," Naruto said urgently.
"I'm sure Donzo likes to think he used me, but I made those choices to protect the village and my brother. My clan was always power-hungry. I've learned many things in my life but the most important thing I've ever learned was from Minato—your father Naruto…" Itachi said evenly.
"My dad, what was it?" He asked eagerly.
"Power in the hands of the power hungry only leads to destruction. Your father was the kind of man who could help or save anyone, just as easily as he could kill anyone. He was a very levelheaded ninja who always did what was necessary to maintain peace. Itachi sighed as though reopening great wounds. "Just like Shisui Uchiha, that crow's eye is his Mangekyō Sharingan, the ultimate Genjutsu Kotoamatsukami, or at least his left eye which he gave me before he killed himself without a trace because Donzo stole his right eye." He sounded bitter recalling this event. "My brief return to the village just before Naruto left with Jiraya for those few years was to make sure he knew I was watching him."
"Sasuke killed Donzo himself." Naruto and Sakura said at almost the same time.
"A good thing for the future of the leaf village if there is one." It was clear Itachi had nothing but disdain for Donzo.
"Why is Kotoamatsukami so special?" Sakura asked, wondering what Donzo could have wanted with it.
Itachi explained. "It allows you to control someone without them even realizing it…I put it in the crow's eye and gave the crow to you Naruto—someone with the same integrity as Shisui…if Sasuke ever became a threat you were forced to deal with then the crow would emerge and cast the genjutsu, Sasuke would protect the leaf. I never expected to be using it on myself but now I can stop the reanimation."
"You're brother, you have to talk to him, explain the truth, don't keep letting his head be filled with half-truths." Sakura said bluntly.
"The truth will not help Sasuke understand my decisions because he is not me. I knew that and I exploited it to keep him alive last wish and no matter what the leaf asked of me I couldn't kill my little brother." He looked at peace with his decisions. "We have wasted enough time chatting, let me stop the reanimation jutsu."
"No, you're talking to Sasuke now. Naruto bring him here, if he still insists on destroying the village he has to know the whole truth." She said sternly.
Naruto left without a word, leaving a great sense of awkwardness between Itachi and Sakura. "Transporting more than one's self with Flying Rajin is quite taxing on the user's chakra." He said bluntly.
"Naruto, will be fine. He has more than enough chakra to handle Flying Rajin." She said bluntly.
"You are upset and you disapprove of my treatment of Sasuke." He said smiling sadly.
She scoffed. "Of course, you turned your brother into an obsessed murderous, psychopath. I had to seal his yin spiritual energy just to make sure he didn't keep trying to destroy the leaf village while our best ninja are off fighting this war."
"I've never heard of such a sealing jutsu." He admitted humbled that there were things even he didn't know.
She sighed. "It was part of the records kept by the Fourth Hokage in the Hokage office—one of many sealing jutsu taught to him by Kushina…"
"Sealing jutsu is what the Usumaki clan was known and perhaps more accurately feared for. It's the reason that they were massacred and a precious few survivors scattered among the five great nations." He explained.
"Well, it seems like this one was rarely used it didn't have a name or anything." She said.
"Then it's possible that only Kushina knew some rarer jutsu practiced in her clan before and taught them to Minato. If they lived he might have named them, he had was notorious for having very eccentric names whenever he made his own jutsus or variations on existing ninjutsu." He smiled somberly.
There was a familiar noise and Naruto appeared with an unconscious Sasuke. At their puzzled looks he explained. "He refused to come with me so I knocked him out and brought him by force."
"But you can only move between markings." He said.
"That's covered." She said, "If you really want to stop the reanimation, do it with your brother! We need to go people are still fighting the war."
"I'm going to end this war myself, I'll make sure of it." He was running on adrenaline.
Itachi warned Naruto bluntly. "You're being short-sighted Naruto, if you forget about everyone else because you now have power, you'll become arrogant and egotistical and eventually, you'll become just like Madara."
"My father believed I'm prophesied to save the world and I guess I take that very seriously." He was antsy.
"That doesn't mean you have to be alone in saving the world. Your father Minato was able to fulfill his duty as Hokage because your mother Kushina and his allies were at his side. Being Hokage isn't about acknowledgment, only those already acknowledged will ever become Hokage. However important you think you are don't do everything by yourself. I tried to do everything myself too and I've failed." There was a quiet melancholy in his words. Suddenly Itachi burned the crow containing Shisui's eye. "Shisui's left eye won't reactivate for another ten years and so you wouldn't be able to use it against Sasuke, but the truth is that you possess something even more powerful than his eyes."
"Huh?"
Itachi couldn't keep the emotion out of his voice. "You have the same soul as Shishu, and that is what he truly wanted to pass on,
"Thanks both of you." Naruto said seriously, then he disappeared with Sakura to rejoin the war at large.
Sasuke stirred a few minutes later, Itachi spoke with his back turned. "It's about time you woke up little brother." It was said almost pityingly.
"Itachi, your dead I killed you." He stood up immediately on guard.
"You're half right, I was dead but I was brought back for the enemy in their war against the five great nations. But the truth is I let you kill me." He was very blunt.
"What do mean?" He demanded harshly.
"Follow me, little brother…we're going hunting, just like that bore when you were a kid, then once slain I will give you every truth I have kept for so many years." He began running off towards the woods.
Sasuke cursed his older brother but followed after him, determined to get the truth once and for all…
A/N: Much like the chapter with Kushina this chapter with Itachi and Nagato is similar yet changed to fit Sakura into things. I don't anticipate the Uchiha brother's fight against Kabuto changing at all so I will just pick up with the rest of the war in my next update.