Tsunade walked into the hospital room that Juugo had been checked into. He smiled at her as she walked in. "Hi there, Hokage-sama." He said.
"Hey there, Juugo. How's my favorite little patient?"
"I'm doing considerably better." He said.
Tsunade could say that she was actually very impressed with the boy. That tortured mind he once had was recovering at an amazing rate, and it proved to be brilliant.
Tsunade checked over all of his vitals, and he seemed to be fine.
"So what's the diagnosis, doc?" Juugo asked, a smile on his face.
"You seem completely normal." She said, returning the smile.
"Even my cell division speed?" he asked.
"Yes, why?" she asked.
"Aw, crap." He said, "I have to go through puberty again?"
"Again?" Tsunade asked.
"Yeah, it turns out I'm like eighteen years old, but those stupid seekers of Darkness messed with my growing cycle, so I grow younger whenever I use too much power, but I'd grow back to my original age afterwards in a short period of time. So honestly, this is just weird for me."
Tsunade sat down next to him. "So normal is weird?"
"Yeah, but that's the story of my life." Juugo said mumbling.
"Hey, stop that." Tsunade said, "Be happy, you've just been granted something that most people would kill for."
"What?"
"A second chance at life."
Juugo blinked. "I-I guess you're right." He said. "Hey, Hokage-sama, can you get me into the ninja academy before the Genin exam?"
Tsunade smiled, "I think I can arrange that."
Juugo smiled, looking up at her.
Suddenly, his whole world disappeared into darkness. He saw Pain, the man of seven bodies. "The summoning will bring forth a being of great strength and untold power, with it, we will be able to control the world. Starting with Konoha."
The memory seemed to ring in his mind like a warning bell.
Then the world returned.
"What's wrong, Juugo?" Tsunade asked.
"I need Nii-san and his team here, now."
Team seven was walking down the streets of Konoha, happy and smiling. They were walking like a close group of friends, their arms around each other's shoulders, and their steps in perfect synch. Naruto broke from the group as they passed Ichiraku's and grabbed a quick bowl before returning to the group. Suddenly they heard a voice that they knew way too well.
"So you go on one training mission and then you disappear off the face of the earth."
Everyone in the group turned to see a silver-haired Jouunin with a mask over his face.
"Cyclopes!" Naruto yelled, running up and tackling the man.
"Hey Naruto." Kakashi said, trying to get up, only to be met by Haku, Hinata and Sasuke tackling him also.
"Kakashi-sensei!" They yelled together, burying the Jounin under a mass of black robes, with Haku sitting triumphantly on top.
"Yeah, yeah." Kakashi said, "It's great to see you guys again, but I'd love it if you could get off and let me breathe."
"Sure Cyclopes." Naruto said, as he began to lift the others off the ground.
"Wow, Naruto." Haku said, "How much can you bench?"
"I have no idea, I don't work out that much."
Suddenly an ANBU appeared. "Team seven, The Hokage needs you in her office ASAP."
"Yes, sir." Naruto said, letting everyone get down before grabbing Hinata's hand and pulling her to the tower. "Beat you there, Sasuke!"
"Not on your life, Naruto!" Sasuke yelled, before teleporting to the Hokage's office.
Only to find Naruto and Hinata 'asleep' on the floor.
Naruto yawned, "Oh, there you are."
Hinata stirred. "Finally, you took forever."
"Shut up." Sasuke said.
Suddenly, Kakashi and Haku appeared in a puff of smoke. Haku coughed before saying, "Seriously, stop the teleport thing until I learn the Shunshin." He coughed twice more.
"Anyways…" Tsunade said, trying to keep more weirdness from happening, "You're little brother, Sasuke, says he remembers something that is definitely not good news."
"What are you talking about, Hokage-sama?" Sasuke asked in curiosity.
"Well, according to Juugo, he said he remembered a man named Pain talking about a summoning of a deadly creature that could bring the whole world to its knees."
"What do you think it could be, Baa-chan?" Naruto asked, his smile big, and his eyes closed as he waited a super-powered flick to the head.
When it didn't come, he opened his eyes.
Xehanort was all the stood before him. "Do not try and stop me." He said.
Suddenly, Naruto's vision exploded with pain as he fell to the floor. "Naruto, at first it was cute, but stop it!" Tsunade yelled.
Naruto only stared at the ceiling, as the sense of foreboding darkness crept up on him.
"Naruto?" Tsuade asked, after he didn't get up.
"Naruto, are you alright?" Hinata asked.
Naruto jumped on his feet. "We have to go now!" he yelled.
"What, why?" Tsunade asked.
"They're summoning Xehanort."
Deep in the underground room, the ten Akatsuki members surround a deep pit. Above them, a great glass ball gave off a light red glow.
The dark man stood at the front, donning his stupid orange mask. "Are we ready to begin?"
Everyone nodded.
"Then it is time," The dark man said, "Release the Hearts." He said to Pain.
The glass globe above them began to release some of its red light into the Heart-shaped pit. Itachi could make out each individual heart from the falling light.
The Dark man then knelt near a giant seal on the floor, and began channeling Chakra through it.
The others did the same on smaller versions of the seal.
The deepest recesses of the pit began to glow a dark blue.
The Dark man smiled under his mask, he was so close.
The power of true darkness was almost his.
Naruto burst into Juugo's room, "Juugo!" he cried.
"What?" the boy asked.
"Where is the Akatsuki hideout?"
"I told Hokage-sama that it was in Rain country."
"Thanks!" Naruto yelled as he left. Naruto ran passed Tsunade as she ran down the hall, trying to catch up to Naruto. "Why didn't you tell me it was in rain country?" Naruto said as he passed her.
Tsunade performed a perfect 180 turn and followed the robbed boy, "Because you left my office before I could say anything." She said.
"Baa-chan, with all due respect, the world is about to be destroyed, we don't have time for anyone to sit around."
"Naruto, how do you know they're summoning Xehanort?" Hinata said, as she met the on-the-move blond.
"He showed himself to me, told me not to stop him." Naruto replied.
"Okay," Sasuke said, turning around to walk in the same direction as the blond, "So Akatsuki is going to destroy the world by summoning the ultimate evil?"
"Exatcly."
"Alright," Haku said, also turning in the hallway as the four of them passed "So where are we going?"
"The roof."
"Why?" Kakashi asked, following the routine.
"We need to get to rain faster than humanly possible, and the only way to do that is to get something inhuman to do the job."
The whole pit was filled with the swirling dark-blue liquid.
The Dark man watched with ecstasy. He turned to Pain, his hands still on the seal, "Release the Biju chakra!"
One of Pain's idle bodies nodded, turning to a large statue with nine eyes. A rainbow colored chakra was suddenly released from its mouth, and it dived into the pit.
"Now everyone, put as much chakra into your seals as you can." The Dark man ordered.
They obeyed.
Slowly, the Dark-blue liquid began turning a dark shade of red.
Naruto pulled off one of his gloves and threw it away, before biting down on his thumb. "Kuchiyose no jutsu!" he yelled, slamming his palm onto a quickly drawn summoning circle. Suddenly, with a great eagle call, Songen appeared, his white head appearing majestically through the smoke.
"Ahh, Naruto." The boss Eagle said, "It has been a while."
"Songen-san, I need you to get us to Rain country, and we'll need you to get us into a very large tower."
"So I'm guessing subtlety is not the goal here?"
"Forget all you know about subtlety, this is solely about speed and strength."
Songen nodded, "Very well then, get on."
As soon as Team seven was secure on the eagle's back, Songen jumped into the air, and in a second, he was gone, leaving only Tsunade on the roof, praying that Naruto and his team would come back alive.
The liquid in the pit seemed to get darker and darker, until it was only one red shade above being black.
The ten members channeling chakra into their seals were on the verge of exhaustion.
Deidara's arms wavered.
Sasori looked faint.
Zeztsu looked a little dizzy.
"Come on," the Dark ma pleaded, "We're almost there."
Finally, the Heart-shaped pit turned black.
A dark chuckle echoed in the room as white, gloved hand grabbed onto the edge of the pit. "Finally," a voice echoed from the pit, "I am complete once again."
Songen's wings beat the air, throwing the eagle into the air at 300 miles per hour. The five ninjas on his back were barely hanging on.
They were just about to cross into rain, and an hour had just passed.
"Naruto!" Kakashi yelled, "If this keeps up for too much longer we're not going to make it to Ame! Tell him to speed up so we can save chakra!"
"Don't worry!" Naruto yelled back, "I'll ask him to speed up!"
"Isn't that what I just said?!" Kakashi yelled.
"What!?"
Kakashi shook his head. "NEVERMIND!" He yelled.
"Alright!" Naruto yelled back, before carefully making his way up to Songen's head. "Songen!" Naruto cried, "Pick up the speed, we're running a little low on chakra!"
"Alright, you may want to hang on tighter though."
Suddenly, Songen's wings began to glow blue as chakra began to flow into them. They began to flap faster. "Hang on everyone!" The eagle said, before yelling into the sky, "Speed of Sound Jutsu!"
Suddenly, with a clap of thunder, Songen became a blur, and they were gone.
Xehanort dressed in his white lab coat looked at the pathetic mortals in front of him. "So which one of you do I owe the pleasure of thanking for my…resurection…I believe is a good word."
"That would be me." The Dark man said, "My name is Uchiha Madara and I'm the leader of this group."
Xehanort walked up to him and smiled. "Thank you." He said, putting his arm on Madara's shoulder. "But there is a small problem."
"What?" Madara asked.
Suddenly, in a move like lightning, Xehanort's two hands were on Madara's throat. "There can only be one leader, and you are just not fast enough." Then, with a sickening crack! Xehanort cracked Madara's spine and dropped the body to the floor. He turned to the nine other gathered ninja, "Tell me, who is the leader?"
Everyone answered, "You are."
"Good," Xehanort smiled, "I'm glad some of you here have a good judge as to who should be in leadership. Now, who was second in command?"
Pain cautiously raised his hand. "I was."
Xehanort looked at him, and Pain could feel his gaze ripping at him. "Tell me how you organization worked."
"We were an organization dedicated to bring you back from that side of Darkness, so he," pointing to Madara, "Could gain your strength and power."
Xehanort smiled maliciously, "So I'm guessing that you aren't going to fulfill that."
Pain nodded. "Also, each member, with the exception of Zetsu, the plan guy over there, has a partner to complement the other's strength."
"And what are the teams?"
"Myself and Konan." He said, as a blue-haired woman stepped next to him, "Itachi and Kisame," The two of them nodded, "Hidan and Kakuzu," A white-haired man with a triple bladed scythe and a man with bright green eyes and a mask over his face also nodded, "And Sasori and Deidara." They also nodded.
"What about them?" Xehanort asked, motioning to the five other figures, each had black piercings and orange hair.
"There are other bodies I use."
Xehanort nodded, "I see, yes, they feel like you, yet they are soulless."
"And they are without a heart." Pain said.
"So you control the Heartless?"
Pain nodded.
Xehanort smiled evilly. "Good, I will be using your power then in the next few days."
Suddenly, the building rocked, and a deep boom echoed in it.
"What was that?" Xehanort asked.
Pain looked up, he had forgotten to check his rain sensing jutsu, and now that he did, he found something very surprising. "It's a giant eagle."
Songen's giant talons reached for the roof of the tower again, gouging a gigantic rip into the tiles.
"Hurry!" The eagle yelled, "I can smell some men coming up."
"Thanks Songen!" Naruto yelled, jumping off the eagle's back and into the giant tower.
"See ya, Songen!" Hinata called as she led the others down into the roof.
"Take care all of you." Songen said, before disappearing in a puff of smoke.
Naruto blinked, it was so dark in here. He could just barely see his hand in front of his face. A hand grabbed his, "Naruto?" Hinata whispered, "I've suddenly had a very bad feeling about this."
"As you should, chick." A voice said in the darkness. Suddenly, a lightning strike flashed behind them, lighting the room just enough to see two men in front of them.
A torch nearby suddenly and inexplicably lit, throwing the dancing shadows of the seven figures against the wall.
Naruto stood ahead of his team. "Nice trick with the torch over there." He said, motioning to the flaming stick, "but if that's the best you can do, then you'll have to get out of the way."
"Please." One of the men said, his white hair slicked back, and a large, triple-bladed, red scythe next to him. "That's nothing but a F***ing magic trick, what we can do will seriously blow you b*****ds to pieces.
"Really?" Naruto asked, "Well let's see how you do against three Keyblade Masters."
The two of them stiffened at the word before they both slipped into their fighting stances. "So you guys are the F***ing pain in the butt that the Leader talked about."
"You know it." Naruto said.
"Well you aren't taking another step." The other said, he wore a mask on the lower part of his face and he had bright green eyes.
"I don't think you have a say in the matter." Naruto said as his hand was suddenly bathed in light. "We're going to stop Xehanort one way or another," The light in his hand faded away to reveal a silver blade. It had a perfectly square, golden hand guard, with a Konoha leaf engraved at the top, where the blade and the guard met, it had a long handle, wrapped in white bandages. The point of the weapon looked exactly like a Konoha leaf, except that it had four kunai-like teeth coming out from the bottom. Its Keychain was long and made from bright metal chains that ended in a Konoha leaf. "So go ahed," Naruto said, slipping into Sora's fighting stance, "Make my day."
"Naruto," Sasuke said, as his eyes beheld the new Keyblade, "What is that?"
"Leaf's Key, my own Ultima Weapon."
Sasuke looked at the Keyblade, then at the two nins who stood in the way. "You're going to throttle them." Sasuke said.
"Yeah, but still watch my back, alright?"
"Making judgments a little quick aren't you?" The man with the green eyes said.
"Possibly." Naruto said, as if it were a afterthought, "But Darkness has yet to surprise me."
"Well be prepared to get the F***ing S__t surprised out of you." The white haired man said.
Suddenly, the white haired man charged. Swinging his scythe at Naruto, he tried to cut Naruto in order to spill blood. Leaf's Key met the scythe and blocked it at each turn. Suddenly, the other man yelled, "Hidan!"
The white haired man took a quick look behind him and saw a giant black creature with a red mask. Hidan suddenly retreated, and a gigantic fireball came at the blond. "Reflega!" Naruto yelled, as a transparent white barrier was suddenly thrown up. The fireball hit the barrier, and much to Hidan's partner's dismay, came back at the black creature and burnt it to a crisp."
The green eyed man looked at him, "I am impressed, young one, no one has managed to kill one of my hearts in a long time."
Hidan yelled at him, "We don't have the F***ing time for one of you F***ing nostalgia moments, Kakuzu. So just shut up and beat this b*****d's A$$!"
Kakuzu looked at his partner. "Fine, but I want this boy's heart when were done."
"Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu!" Sasuke's voice cried, spitting a giant fireball from his mouth, aimed directly for Kakuzu. The man barely jumped out of the way. "No luck," Sasuke said to the man, "You're my prey."
Naruto smiled, "I guess that means it's you and me, Hidan."
Hidan nodded, as his grip on his scythe tightened.
Naruto smiled as he moved his weapon into Wisdom stance.
They looked at each other with a fierce glare.
Then, they charged.
Sasuke moved Light in Exile in deft patterns to make an amazing dance.
Suddenly, one of the giant black creatures, spat a bolt of lightning.
Sasuke made some quick half seals, "Fuuton: Daitoppa!" He cried, blowing a great gust at the creature, negating the lightning and sending the black creature into the wall. Sasuke smirked, "What do you know; the snake's finally good for something."
End Chapter! Next, The Assault continues, and Sasuke and Itachi meet!