And here's Chapter 26. It took a while, I know, but I want this to be right and I want you to enjoy what I've written. Now, that said, enjoy. Readers, Reviewers, Thank You...Criminal by Eminem.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Steps echoed through the ruined building, even though the fighting going on outside was near deafening. To the two men circling each other, there was nothing else in the world at that moment. Uchiha Madara and Uchiha Itachi stared each other down, their Sharingan eyes spinning the whole while.
Neither one had made the first move yet, both knowing that the other was dangerous, too dangerous to rush toward. Madara knew that Itachi was quite possibly the best Sharingan user to come about since he had been in his prime. No one could surpass his skill or his dedication, not even his now deceased brother. Itachi knew Madara was cunning, canny, and devious. He knew of the man's ability to warp time and space. He knew that the man had forgotten more about the Sharingan than he probably would ever know.
But Itachi held a couple of wildcards, aces that he had wisely kept hidden until now. One was his shield, a mystic mirror that reflected any attack. He'd had to tell Madara of his sword, but he hadn't told the man the whole truth. Yes, the sword trapped the user in a blissful genjutsu for all eternity, but that was not all it did. The sword was not material and therefore, could be used in tangent with Susanoo.
It was risky to use and more than likely death inducing, but Itachi had nothing left to gain. Madara had everything to lose. Both knew the other had to die.
The footsteps stopped simultaneously and the two sprang for one another. A clang rang throughout the room, revealing both had drawn swords. Itachi threw his cloak off to the side, revealing the Uchiha fan on the back of his shirt, ripped in half by his own hand. It was a declaration to Madara that blood would not save him. The elder Uchiha sighed as he unsnapped his own cloak and let it drop to the floor, staring all the while at Itachi's back.
"So, you would even forsake your name? I'm disappointed in you, Itachi. I thought your goal was to reestablish the Uchiha name as an honorable one."
Itachi slowly turned so he could see the orange mask of Madara with one eye, the Sharingan within it slowly turning.
"That dream died along with my brother. My dreams rested on his shoulders and he simply could not take the responsibility. I'm glad that Uzumaki Naruto killed him before he could shame our family even more."
The younger man's eyes narrowed as Madara reached up to his mask and pushed it upward, revealing more and more of his face as he went. With one final shove, the elastic band holding it to his head slipped off and the porcelain cover clattered to the floor.
"I guess I won't be needing that anymore. I can see that I'll need both eyes to deal with you, child. No one else in our clan has ever come close to surpassing me. Yes, I'll have to deal with you accordingly."
The sharp sound of porcelain breaking rebounded off the walls as Madara crushed the mask underfoot, his carefully measured steps taking him closer to Itachi. The younger man sighed unhappily and tightened his grip on his sword as his Sharingan began to spin faster.
"That was always your problem, Madara. You always saw the clan. You always saw them as an ambition for yourself. A stepping stone. That's why the clan had to die. They saw themselves as you had. They couldn't see my way of looking at the people within the clan."
Madara cocked his head to the side, intrigued.
"And how did you see them?"
Itachi's mouth grew tighter and his muscles tensed.
"They were my family. That's why it hurt so much to kill them…and why you'll never know the pain I experienced when I did it. A clan is just a gathering of like-minded individuals. A family is made up of those who love one another."
Madara received no warning before Itachi rushed forward. Talking was done. This was the same as when he'd fought Hashirama…a clash of ideals.
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The sand and rocks sprayed everywhere as Naruto dodged another swing of Samehada. The giant blue skinned man wielding the massive zanbatou yanked it free of the trench it had created and grinned.
"Not so high and mighty now, are you? I might not be at one hundred percent, but I'm more than enough for you!"
Naruto skidded to a stop, his left hand slowing his slide with chakra, his right hand still clutching his staff. He'd never actually faced Kisame in battle, but he could see why the man was feared. The poison thorns he had used on the shark-like swordsman had been of the most lethal quality, plants that weren't even supposed to have an antidote. It was a testament to his tenacity that he was even standing and fighting.
The pounding of feet behind Kisame alerted him to backup from Amegakure troops and he grimaced. He didn't want to fight more of those fanatical idiots. The leader of the squad led his men right up behind the glaring Hoshigaki, his eyes locked onto Naruto.
"Kisame-sama! We're here to help you with the invaders! Allow us to…"
Kisame silenced the man without looking; swinging Samehada backwards and knocking the man's head clean off his shoulders. The others stared in horror as his body slumped to the ground and his killer snarled.
"He's mine! Stay the hell out of this or I'll kill you all!"
Naruto decided it was better to be safe than sorry and struck the ground with his staff. The Ame ninja never had a chance before giant roots crushed them flat. Kisame merely cut through them and rushed towards the kneeling Naruto. The blond rose swiftly and blocked Samehada with his staff, causing Kisame's bloodshot, beady eyes to widen.
"What is that thing made of? Nothing has ever stood up to Samehada!"
Naruto slid to the side and let Samehada continue on its way, his staff trailing behind him as he swung for Kisame's ribs. Naruto saw a kick coming out of the corner of his eyes and peeled off to the side, running up a wall, flipped away. Kisame glared at the Ame nin and roared.
"I said he's mine!"
Naruto made no move to stop Kisame as he slaughtered the squad of Ame ninja quickly. The shark-like man turned to Naruto, his eyes ablaze.
"What's the matter? Not gonna yell at me about how their lives shouldn't have been wasted?"
Naruto frowned as he hopped off the wall, his coat flapping as he fell. Once he was on solid ground again, he began to glow a slight green again.
"Not really. You're just making my job easier. I've become a lot more used to the idea of taking life in my later years. Keep it up, Kisame. Your end is here."
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This day would mark another milestone in Kankurou's life. This was the second time he had ever invaded another country and it was also the second time he had ever faced a member of Akatsuki. The last time he had faced a member of the organization, he had been alone and he had been foolhardy. This time, he had enough backup and he had the experience, but his opponent was like nothing he had ever faced.
He heard Temari wordlessly scream in frustration as she slammed her fan down in the spot where Zetsu had been previously. Sanzoku sniffed the air for the man's scent and slammed his frizzed tail down. It was maddening fighting the man. They needed a Doton user to uproot the earth or at least someone with knowledge of what he could do.
Zetsu grinned as he emerged high above them, his body halfway in the ruins of a building.
"We have not had this much fun in such a long time. Yes, but Mother always told us not to play with our food. Bah, Mother isn't here anymore, remember?"
Kankurou's salamander puppet rushed forward and up the wall, trying to catch the nin before he could escape again. The plant like man merely disappeared and reappeared again, back on ground level this time. The salamander leapt off the building, landing beside Kankurou again, who frowned and moved closer to Temari, who was grinding her teeth.
"Ugh, he is so infuriating! We can't seem to hit him, no matter what."
Temari nodded her head grimly, her eyes searching for any sign of the eccentric man, as her hands gripped her fan tightly.
"We need someone like Gaara here. He could crush the sand and drive him out. Or Jiraiya-sama. His Doton jutsu are especially powerful."
Sanzoku growled and edged toward them, leaving them all standing in a line facing Zetsu.
What we need is a way to keep him out of the ground. If he stays above ground, I can tear him to pieces. I can smell him, but I can't react fast enough to catch him. Temari!
The blonde cut her eyes over and hissed.
"What? Can't you see I'm trying to watch him?"
Summon Kamatari next time you see Zetsu. He's really quick! Between the two of us, I think we can get him.
Kankurou leaned over.
"What about me?"
Temari smirked and hefted her fan.
"Use your puppets like you should have been doing from the start."
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Paper whipped by the Raikage's cheek, leaving a shallow cut, as his fist sailed into a metal pipe, blowing right through it. Behind him, his top three ninja fought frantically to keep the other pieces of paper at bay. The large man spat on the ground and looked up to where half of Konan's body was hovering above them on a ledge, her stoic face staring down at them.
The giant bent low and leapt upward toward the blue haired woman, but the paper converged on him. The Raikage ducked his head and channeled electricity through his body, trying to fry the pieces of parchment, to no avail. Konan directed her small leaflets to slam the Raikage back to the ground. Only a few were burnt in the process. The paper returned to her body, reforming the lower half, while the Raikage stood up.
"So…she can only do so much with her paper body…that's useful. In this wet environment, it has to be a handicap."
Samui stepped up next to him and spoke.
"Raikage-sama, we know nothing of her true abilities. What if this isn't even her? What if it's a paper clone?"
The Raikage grinned evilly and lightning crackled in his hands.
"Then we burn it to ashes and seek out the real one. Either way, this wench dies here. Ready your swords. Don't hold back."
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Tsunade had watched in awe as Jiraiya bit his wrists and began to paint his face swiftly with the blood. Before anyone could move, two small toads appeared on his shoulders, arguing back and forth around Jiraiya's head.
Damn it, Pa! I had supper all laid out! He could have waited thirty seconds for me to put it away!
Ma, Jiraiya-chan doesn't call us unless he's in trouble…and it looks like it's Pein again.
The old female toad narrowed her eyes and glared out at God-Realm Pein, whose fist was clenching and unclenching. Jiraiya never took his eyes off of his former student as he began to walk forward to join the frontline again.
"I'm sorry for getting you two into this again. I really, truly am."
Ma smacked Jiraiya in the head and turned her attention back to Pein.
It's nothing, Jiraiya-chan. I'm just angry that supper is going to get cold.
Tsunade and the others were stunned. The blonde Hokage had heard from Jiraiya that his form was powerful, but he'd also jokingly said that it was grotesque and that women would hate it. Her eyes roamed over his large bulbous nose to his sunken eyes, from his sharpened teeth to his newly appeared goatee. It was decidedly Jiraiya and at the same time it was a totally new entity. She could practically feel the power oozing off of him.
"Sensei…This will be the last time you ever use that form. You escaped God's judgment last time. You shall not do so twice."
Jiraiya grinned and stepped forward, ready to lead the charge.
"Your so-called 'judgment' has cost a lot of innocent people a lot of things, Nagato. My arm, the lives of all the jinchuuriki, the sanity of the people of Ame…you are not what this world needs."
The Toad Sennin kicked his geta off, sending them flying at Pein's head. They were easily knocked aside and the white haired man bent low. Tsunade finally found enough of her voice to say what was on everyone's minds.
"Jiraiya…what did you do to yourself?"
Gaara, Kakashi, and the others nodded and Jiraiya snorted.
"We don't have time for that, Hime. I'll tell you all about it if we survive."
The tall, ponytailed Summon Pein was launched into the air by Demon Realm and Jiraiya pointed upward.
"Tsunade! Sakura! Take care of the Summons Pein!"
The two women set off, just as Summons Realm brought a giant centipede and a multi-headed dog onto the scene. The rest of the group gathered around Jiraiya, letting him take command. The old pervert and the Ni Dai Sennin all smirked and rushed forward, gunning for God Realm.
"Take whichever one you can! Be on the lookout for trickery!"
The Peins' Rinnegan eyes all narrowed and they spoke in unison.
"Let our justice be done."
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The Hachibi cackled as it destroyed another building and called out to Tsubasa.
That makes forty for me! How many have you crushed, Tsubasa?
The Raccoon King swiped his tail, taking out another water tower.
That makes forty-two structures for me. Oh ho! What's this?
The two behemoths turned to find a large centipede and a dog rampaging through the city. Tsubasa grinned and began to waddle in that direction at a clipped pace.
First one to kill a Summons wins?
How about whoever kills the most? I'm curious as to how many he really has.
Agreed. Destroying buildings was getting old anyway.
Tsubasa's tail whacked the dog in the head, making it cry out in pain, and the Hachibi wrapped its tentacles around the centipede, both unmindful of the fight between Tsunade, Sakura, and Summon Realm below.
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Naruto and Kisame both noticed the summons of Pein and Kisame grinned.
"Looks like your friends don't have much longer. Pein seems to be pulling out all the stops. It's just a matter of time before they're stomped flat."
Naruto's grimace turned back to a grin when he noticed Tsubasa waddle onto the scene and engage the dog, the Hachibi tackling the centipede. The blond pushed the sharklike man backwards with a sudden thrust and sent a volley of vines to grab him. Kisame, though he was stumbling slightly, hacked away at the vines, none of them ever touching him.
"It seems the sides are even now. It was only a matter of time before Tsubasa and the Hachibi decided to join in the fight, instead of just destroying things. Now then, before we were so rudely interrupted, allow me to show you a bit more of what I could have done to you that day."
Kisame wasn't about to give his foe an inch. He had had a long time to recover from that poison, but some of it was still in his veins…and the exertion from fighting was not helping him fend off the bile he could feel at the back of his throat. The blue-skinned man had never been sick a day in his life and that sensation of being weak and helpless…he never wanted to feel that again.
Samehada collided with that strange staff again and both men struggled against the other. Kisame reached out with his free hand and grabbed onto the blond's throat, trying to choke the life out of him, when the 'green' wielder exploded into smoke. The sudden loss of force against him made Hoshigake lurch forward. Regaining his footing quickly, his vision caught a puddle of water and the sight of Naruto bearing down on him with a Rasengan. The sharp-toothed man spun quickly and blocked the attack with Samehada, absorbing the chakra.
"Nice try, kid, but you should have known better."
Kisame screamed hoarsely when something suddenly bit into his legs and he looked down to see those familiar black thorns that had given him trouble before, another Naruto directing them with that damnable staff. The blond who had tried to use Rasengan on him disappeared and the former member of the Seven Swordsmen shouted to the heavens.
"Damn you and your clones! I hate you!"
Naruto didn't even bother to grin. It was time to finish this one off and rejoin the others. His aura glowed a brighter green and he slammed the staff into the ground once more. Giant trees erupted from the ground, uprooting buildings and piping systems, encircling the two men. A wave of the staff brought forth vines that wove themselves around the trees, pulling them closer together, until no light could be seen between the bark.
Kisame stood upright and gritted his teeth as he dragged Samehada across the deep scratches that Naruto's blade had made, in an effort to bleed out the poison. His beady eyes glanced all around at the arena Naruto had formed for them and a devious plan came to his mind.
"So…I take it this thing you've made is escape proof?"
Naruto nodded, a smirk on his face.
"Air tight?"
Another nod.
"Water tight?"
Naruto's smirk widened, but quickly disappeared when Kisame cackled loudly. The blue-skinned man couldn't believe his luck. His own smirk made Naruto uneasy.
"I guess they never shared the details of my fight with Maito Gai with you. This little area will be your watery grave."
Naruto watched as Kisame flipped through a few handsigns and water began to spew from his mouth, filling the area as if by magic, for no human body could possibly hold that much within them. He cursed in his mind. Of course, Kisame was an elite for a reason. He was the premier Suiton user alive at the moment. This was not beyond the scope of his power.
As the water rose, Naruto used his chakra to stay afloat, it would be much harder to use his green powers with this much water about…or would it? Kisame's evil chuckle echoed across the blue expanse as he began to sink below the surface.
"Welcome to my world, you little bastard. Let's see how you like being on the receiving end of things that bite."
Naruto readied himself for whatever may come, his mind already thinking furiously ahead.
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Madara had always known that Itachi was his equal. He had always known that the younger Uchiha would be a problem. The only thing that Itachi lacked was the Eternal Mangekyou and that wasn't proving to be much of a problem for him. The stoic young man was keeping up with him and then some. He'd have to try something drastic soon.
Itachi's eyes darted back and forth as he and Madara exchanged blows, neither one ever landing anything decisive. Despite keeping up with his ancestor, Itachi was worried. His vision was blurring and he knew that prolonging his use of the Sharingan was dangerous. He'd have to use his available assets to even have a hope of killing the ultimate Uchiha traitor.
Deciding that further wasting of time would be unwise, Itachi let his Mangekyou flare into existence, the colors of the world brightening. If all went well, this would be the last time a Sharingan was seen in this world. Madara was unfazed and stared across the expanse.
"I'll forgive you if you cease with this futility, Itachi. I know rebellion runs deep in the youth of the world."
Itachi's answer was to open his eyes wide and the black flames of Amaterasu licked and burned their way across the building's floor toward Madara. The older man watched the flames approach and his own Sharingan began to spin. Itachi ignored the flames that were being extinguished and instead sprinted forward through the flames, clearing a path as he went. His sword dipped down into the dark flame, coating his blade, and he slashed at Madara's chest.
Engrossed in his task of controlling the flames, Madara's reaction was a tad too late. Itachi's sword bit across his chest, the fire searing into his flesh, and the wielder of the Eternal Mangekyou screamed in agony. Letting his control of the rest of the flames go, he turned his attention to the ones licking at his now blackened skin. Itachi noticed the lack of control and regained the remaining flames.
With his chest no longer on fire, Madara ground his teeth in fury, and shouted.
"Enough!"
Itachi watched in disbelief as the flames all disappeared into nothingness and looked back up. So…he'd have to try harder. Well, that was all right. Every Sharingan was different in a way.
His just happened to be a very defensive one…
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Tsunade watched as the exuberant Tsubasa and Hachibi tackled the summons they had been after and blinked in surprise. She was sure that the Summons Pein was just as dumbfounded, but there was no time to waste.
"Sakura! Come on, we have to stop Pein!"
The girl with rose-colored hair gave a quick, concise nod and bolted after her sensei toward the blond, ponytailed Pein. Rinnegan eyes turned to the two women and two more beasts were summoned.
How rude! I wasn't finished playing with my partner yet!
Hey! Don't take the rhino! That's the one I wanted!
Fine, then hurry up! Now, doggy, sit!
The Cerberus look-alike dog cried out in pain and crumbled to the ground as Tsubasa slammed all its weight onto its spine, crushing it beneath his weight. Leaving the mutt to mend itself or die, he didn't really care which, the Raccoon King turned his attention to the giant panda that had appeared. With identical snarls, the two leviathans tied up again.
The Summons Pein scowled and prepared to summon more animals when a fist impacted with his face. The ponytailed man flew to the right, toward a giant pipe, when a gloved fist slammed into his skull and he was sent flying at high speeds to the ground. Tsunade and Sakura both channeled chakra to their feet and rushed after him. Letting even one Pein have a moment to recuperate was a huge mistake.
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Jiraiya barked directions to all the assembled ninja, sending them toward the Peins as he strode forward, his eyes locked onto the body of Yahiko. He struggled to keep his breathing under control; his rage and excitement battling each other for supremacy. Pein simply looked on as his other bodies were entangled in individual fights.
"You won't win here. Your strategy has been tried before and it has always failed."
The white-maned Toad Sannin stopped walking and chuckled.
"You're still the same scared little child that I remember. You might be revered as a god by your followers, but you're really a coward, Nagato."
Rinnegan eyes narrowed, the first true sign that Pein was annoyed by anything. Jiraiya smirked and cut a glance to his arm.
"I don't know what this body's ability is. That puts me at a disadvantage, but I know something about you that you'll deny to your dying day."
"And that is?"
Jiraiya's smirk widened into a broad grin, made even more sinister due to his new looks.
"You're a coward, Nagato. A true coward. You're not even really here."
The auburn eyebrows of the Yahiko body flew upward and Fukasaku squirmed a bit.
Jiraiya-chan, you're wasting time.
"I know. But he needs to know that once we're done with these puppets that we're coming for him. He won't be able to hide behind corpses anymore."
Pein didn't even bother to move as Jiraiya suddenly sprang forward, his fist drawn back.
"We shall see, sensei."
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Temari watched carefully as Zetsu rose from the ground once more, her bloodied thumb swiping across the parchment of the fan quickly, and with a cry and mighty swing, Kamatari hurtled toward the two-faced man at breakneck speeds, his scythes at the ready.
The weasel chirped as he flew, sending scythe after scythe at Zetsu's head. With a speed they hadn't thought he possessed, the man from Kusa disappeared into the ground again, and Kamatari came to a rest on the rubble of all the mortar and metal girders that he had destroyed. Clucking his tongue in annoyance, the vest wearing summon scampered across the moist ground to stand by his mistress.
I missed.
Temari shook her head and clasped her fan closed again.
"It's nothing. Sanzoku can't catch him either."
Kamatari looked up at his much larger furry cohort and snorted.
Well, he has been getting fat, just lying around all the time.
Sanzoku growled and shook the moisture from his coat.
I'll deal with you and your snide comments later, cousin. Right now, I need your help in finding him. Don't aim for his head next time. Send your blades to his knees, make him leave the earth. If he's not touching a solid surface, he's exposed.
Temari spread her fan once more and Kamatari hopped onto the parchment with a squeak, his giant scythe tucked behind his back. His beady eyes narrowed as they waited for Zetsu to poke up again and he prepared to summon more of his deadly sickles. The blonde woman grimaced and spoke in a quiet voice.
"Kankurou, henge your puppets into us and then cloak us with a genjutsu. Keep everything as true to form as possible. Draw him out to the center of that clear spot."
Kankurou nodded his head and did as he was told, his puppets rushing to the middle and looking around as he hid the original bodies with a clever illusion. The four watched as the puppets began to bicker with one another, twirling to watch all sides. Zetsu leered at the puppets from a high vantage point across the clearing, deciding how to deal with them best. He was getting bored at this point…and hungry.
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Kakashi, Lee, and Gai had taken the mechanical Pein as far away as they could, trying to keep its vision obscured from the others. It didn't matter if the other Peins shared a field of vision with each other if they couldn't watch each other's backs to make it effective. Gai and Lee were giving a ball, dodging the attacks of the multi-faced man while Kakashi stood back, waiting for an opportune chance to strike.
As he stood there, he noticed that the area they were fighting in had already been ravaged by someone, as there were several bodies strewn about, and several tell-tale signs that Naruto had been there. Case in point, the various vines and flora that were not native to Ame. His trained eye then noticed that, while the rest of the area was mortar, concrete, and steel, there was a large structure that seemed out of place.
Edging over towards the object of his curiosity, he knocked on it and found it to be an expanse of trees, incredibly large trees, that were bound together and formed some sort of fort. Leaving the mystery of the trees for the moment, he turned his attention back to the melee below and watched carefully with his Sharingan for an opening, but in the back of his mind, he was worried.
If Naruto had been here recently, then where was he now? And who was he fighting?
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High above the city, in the upper most room of the tower that Itachi and Madara were battling in, a blue-haired woman pressed against the glass of a window, looking out over the fighting that was taking place. A heavy sigh escaped her lips as she turned away, her fingers trailing down the pane, making a slight squeak. Konan opened her eyes and looked across the room to the other occupant, who sat in a curved, eggshell shaped chair.
"My bunshin will not last long against the Raikage and his followers. Soon, they'll seek out the others and begin to help them."
"I know."
Her normally stoic visage flashed with anger for but a moment, before returning to passiveness.
"I don't know what is going on with your bodies, but I know that you have never faced a force like this before. Hanzou was getting on in years when you defeated him, however powerful he may have been."
"I know."
Konan knelt down on her knees before the figure and gazed into its eyes. Gray, ringed eyes stared back at her from between a mass of black hair, the traces of madness behind them easily visible. Her pierced lip trembled and she reached out a hand for the man's pale cheek.
"I'm scared, Nagato. What if we've been traveling the wrong path all along? What if Jiraiya-sensei was right last time? You've been calling yourself a god for so long. The gods will not look kindly on that if you die and have to face them."
Rinnegan eyes twitched back and forth, but he didn't register otherwise that he'd heard her. Konan stood up and went back to the window, looking out over the sprawl once more. A scratchy voice floated to her ears and she closed her eyes.
"I am Pein. I am God. Just as the old stories tell of life on earth being extinguished because of man's wickedness, so shall my wrath be felt. I will cleanse this world and begin a new one, under a new god."
Konan didn't answer. She'd heard it all before. That didn't make the sinking feeling in her stomach go away though.
Yeah, yeah. I'm still setting things up. I'm going back and doing a bit of research as well on past canon chapters to make things more...authentic. Next chapter will see resolutions to a few fights though. And check out the new poll on my bio page. I'd like to know what people's favorite NaruTema story is. Be honest. See ya next time.