Chapter 14- The Night

(Please, bear with me. There's going to be a lot of jumping around in this chapter, since there are six areas I need to focus on at once. My usual time/place transition will appear throughout this chapter, the – mark and then the next time/place)

Naruto Uzumaki walked the streets of his village alone. The grasshopper chirping and the shuffling of his shoes against the path were the only noise in the air as he went. The cool night air blew his hair back and his coat open slightly. For an endless moment he walked, until reaching another path that ran between white walls.

On both of those white walls was painted the Uchiha Fan.

-

Kosshi Kaguya stood atop a cliff at the edge of the Hidden Rain Village. He did not wear his cloak, and bones in his chest and arms poked through his skin, sliding around and morphing. He tested the capabilities of his jutsu in silence as he recovered. So it appears I cannot recreate my skull, nor create a clone out of bones… But the sheer extent of my ability…to be able to indefinitely extend my reach…

Kosshi held his hand out, looking at one of his fingers, bent out of place. And the sheer power that Stonewall has… I had him attack me to test it, and he was actually capable of breaking my finger with a punch… If I were a normal man, the bones in my hand would have been reduced to dust…Kosshi looked over his shoulder.

Stonewall sat upon a great rock, wiping sweat from his brow. He stared up at the night sky in silence. Kosshi looked back to his hand and spoke out loud, "You combine your already strong taijutsu with the ability to accurate focus your chakra into your fist, don't you?"

Stonewall gave no other response than a nod. Kosshi flexed his hand, the broken finger mending itself within seconds. The wild haired man turned around completely to face Stonewall, "Let us continue our training for a little while longer then, shall we?"

-

"Roku, why did you think to partner with me? Why not Kuro, or someone else?" Takachi asked as he took off his shirt, soaked.

Roku dusted the ash off his cloak and responded simply, "Out of all the shinobi I have witnessed in battle, you appeared to be the strongest. And now, at this point, you are probably stronger than me." Roku sat down on a rock and added, "You are also the most organized.

The two were in a forest on the edge of the Hidden Rain Village. Takachi tilted his head, "But I had trouble doing Lightning Style Jutsu when I was first taught how to perform jutsu, and I had the Sharingan… I don't know if I'll be able to really copy your Water Style."

Roku responded quietly, "That's because you were young, and probably could only use the first stage of the Sharingan, so copying and performing an elemental jutsu outside of your elemental affinity would be naturally difficult. Try to use the Water Torrent jutsu."

Takachi nodded and rose to his feet. He activated his Sharingan, which was in it's third stage now. The hand signs he saw Roku perform to use the Water Torrent jutsu flashed before his eyes in his memory and he performed them move for move. Soon, dew from the grass started accumulating and beads of water broke free from under the ground, until a dense, spiraling torrent of water levitated in the air. Takachi made the final hand motion, directing the torrent towards a tree. It collided full force, drilling into it slightly. Takachi closed his eye, laughing a little

"Wind Style Jutsu is vulnerable to Fire Style Jutsu, and Lightning Style Jutsu is …" Roku began.

Takachi cut him off, "I won't need any advantages like that to defeat Naruto, nor will I for Sasuke."

"What about the Sixth Hokage?"

"Already dead," Takachi answered with a smile. Takachi opened his eyes. The Mangekyou pattern took place of his regular Sharingan, as a sinister laugh formed in Takachi's throat.

-

"Strike me with the Gentle Fist."

Kuro's eyes shot open, "You want me to do what?" The two stood on the cliff near the Rain Village, not too far from Stonewall and Kosshi

Tsunami repeated angrily, "Strike me with your jutsu, boy!"

Kuro tilted his head, "But what will you gain from having chakra points blocked?"

Tsunami groaned, angrily pulling Sharkskin from his back and slamming the wrapped blade into the ground. "Boy, I've heard of the things the Gentle fist can do! Don't be stupid with me! As well as blocking chakra points, it can open them and increase the flow of chakra. I want you to open a few points on me even more then they already are!"

Kuro's eyebrows lowered, getting irritated with the infamous Rogue, who simply stood with his arms spread, waiting. The Hyuga man stepped up to Tsunami and delivered four strikes, one to each arm and two into his chest. Tsunami coughed, but felt the increase in chakra.

The Waterfall shinobi shoved the Leaf shinobi back. Kuro fell back, staring wild-eyed up at Tsunami, who had slid his thumb along the edge of the one of the Lightning Rods. Dropping it, he started to perform hand signs until finally slamming his hand onto the ground. Kuro gaped in horror as, from the smoke, a huge, scaly creature emerged.

On it's back stood Tsunami, who broke out in his high-pitched, maniacal laugh, "Yes, this is magnificent. I still have a lot of chakra, even after this summon"

-

"I'm going to help you build the statue."

Momoro rubbed his eyes as Izune spoke. The two had done no real training. Instead, they had spent their time talking alongside a river. Momoro responded, "What can you contribute? What do you know about crafting and construction?"

"Everything you know, silly. Psychic!" she answered, much to Momoro's displeasure.

"Why must you constantly read my mind? I like to keep things in there personal…"

"You have such interesting thoughts though!" Izune continued, running her fingers through her hair. "Also, I bet you don't know too much about sealing, do you?"

Momoro gradually shook his head, to which Izune answered with, "I can help you with that process of it. And it'll be quicker for the three of us to work on it, rather than just two. Maybe then, we can plan how we're going to get out of this mess."

Momoro frowned, "But Kosshi is Stonewall's partner now. Which means Kosshi will probably witness the production of the statue, and that won't give us much opportunity to speak in private."

Izune still wore a smile, "I guess we're stuck then? It won't be so bad. I promise you you'll make it out of this alive."

Momoro bit his lip, "How do you know? You can see that far ahead into the future?"

Izune nodded slightly, "When I focus on a person, their future is revealed to me. I have to focus for hours to see what they'll be in years."

Momoro blushed again, "So you've been focused on me for several hours?"

Izune nodded, tilting her head, her smile slipping away slightly, becoming shy, "Ever since we met, actually."

-

Raikudo agilely wove between Kiga and two of Akayuri's other puppets. They stood atop a building, practicing with one another. Akayuri's fourth puppet sat in a corner, unused.

Akayuri laughed a little as she moved her fingers and arms all about, trying to catch Raikudo, "How did you get to be so fast?"

In a blur, Raikudo appeared infront of Akayuri, causing her to jump back. With a small smile, he lifted his arms and quietly asked, "Hold out your hands?"

She cautiously did so, and Raikudo unstrapped his gauntlets, taking them off and holding them above her hands, "I use weights. I used to wear ones like these on my legs as well, but I left them behind in the village. These weights in my gauntlets are more to add force to my attacks. Ready?"

Akayuri nodded, and Raikudo placed the gauntlets in her hands. Akayuri squeaked as she struggled to keep upright as she held the gauntlets…

And they slid out of her right hand as her left fell off, being pulled out of it's puppet joint. Raikudo tried to jump and yelped as the gauntlets fell on his foot. Akayuri quickly bent over to retrieve her arm, but could not move it out from under the heavy gauntlet. She felt tears starting to well up in her eyes as Raikudo kneeled down, picking his gauntlets up off her arm. She tried to snatch it away, but Raikudo had it first.

"I'm so sorry… I didn't… Oh…" Raikudo sighed in relief as he pulled Akayuri's glove off the disembodied hand, seeing it was only a puppet part.

Akayuri snatched it away as Raikudo's grip eased, biting at her lip, "I'm not all like that… I'm still human… I…"

Raikudo gripped her shoulder, and for the second time since they met, Akayuri looked up into his eyes, expecting disgust. She found concern instead.

"I understand… You're still a woman, braver than most… You don't have to worry about any of that… Can I hear about what happened to you though?"

Akayuri nodded as she rolled down her long stockings. She watched Raikudo's face as she did, still waiting for the disgust to appear, but his hand reached forward instead and ran along her right leg, feeling at the point where her flesh leg ended and the puppet part began. Nothing but concern appeared on his face.

Gradually, she built up her courage and began her story.

-

"We don't meet like this very often, Lord Hokage."

"Really, Sasuke. It's Naruto. You don't have to give me that 'Lord' crap everyone else does."

They sat together in the revived home of the Uchiha clan, Sasuke Uchiha, the re-founder of the clan, and Naruto Uzumaki, the Hokage. At each corner of the room and on the table between them sat a candle, the only light inside.

"Is Sakura still awake?" Naruto asked.

"No. She went to bed after Miroku, Yumi, and Sayaka had all gone." Sasuke responded, sipping a bit of his tea. He wore an outfit similar to the one he wore 25 years earlier as he fought against the original Akatsuki, a loose white top and black pants. The Uchiha fan was on the back of the top though.

"Ah. How are your children, anyway?"

"Sayaka celebrated her 6th birthday a few weeks ago. We can't wait to get her into ninja academy. Yumi, our 12-year-old daughter, is the top of her class, and should become a genin soon. And Miroku, our 15-year-old son has recently joined ANBU. Though I'm sure you've come to address the child that isn't actually mine?" Sasuke finished.

"Indeed I have… I'm afraid Takachi knows the truth now. And the rumors appear to be true as well. There's a new Akatsuki forming," Naruto said, fidgeting with his headband.

"Damn… So you're saying Takachi joined?"

Naruto nodded. Sasuke clenched his fist, "He'll be nothing like Itachi, that much I'm sure of… Itachi actually tried to protect me… and all the boy really knows is that his real father is dead, thanks to me… He's going to come after me."

Naruto cursed silently, "I hadn't thought of it that way… I came, primarily, to tell you that if the Akatsuki manages to kill me, you are to succeed me as the Hokage… but it appears that you might die as well…"

"So whose the next person on the list after me?" Sasuke asked.

"The strongest Jounin in the village are Obito Hatake, Asuma Sarutobi Jr., Kiyomi Aburame, and Brock Lee. Three of them will be selected to be in the Anti-Akatsuki task force. The remaining one should be the one to succeed you, incase we both die."

"Let's take tonight to think on it, and meet again tomorrow morning," Sasuke finished, rising up. "I'm starting to feel tired… Good night, Naruto."

"Good night, Sasuke…"

Next Chapter: Selection