I do not own Naruto (i am not that smart).
"Talking" will be done with the normal font.
'Thoughts' will be done by Italic.
Chapter 13-The Truth and What Happens Now.
"..." Kazumu was on the cold, hard ground holding Itachi's lifeless body. "..." His tears had stopped and he wasn't moving at all. Sasuke had gotten up and started walking over to Kazumu, his footsteps echoing through the whole area. Out of nowhere it started raining down hard, washing away all of Itachi's blood covering the ground.
"He's finally dead..." Sasuke was now standing over Kazumu. He was in shock and could barely stand.
"..." Kazumu's eyes were closed and he didn't say a word.
"This has been my goal all this time, yet don't know what to do now." Kazumu laid Itachi's body down on the ground and stood up. His eyes still closed. "What do I-"
"One..." Kazumu silently uttered this one word. "One more word and you'll regret ever living!" He opened his eyes to show his Sharingan active, it then morphed in shape looking completely different from before. In his right eye he had six parts arcing from the centre in a curved fashion and his left eye had ten part arcing in a similar way but four of these parts were thicker. Sasuke backed off seeing this new Sharingan. "I know why he did this... And I know it needed to be done... But I can't accept this!"
"What..? What are you talking about!?" Sasuke knew Kazumu was hiding something.
"I think I can answer that." Out of nowhere someone made his presence known. Kazumu identified him as the same Akatsuki member that was tagging along with Deidara. The man with the orange mask named Tobi, but this time the tone of his voice was completely reversed making him sound dark rather than stupid. Also Kazumu could see the man had the Sharingan clearly though his mask.
'What? Oh no! He must know the truth about Itachi! I have to stop him from telling Sasuke.' Kazumu rushed towards Tobi and punched but it didn't connect. It went right through him and Kazumu fell to the ground.
"Stay silent." Tobi picked him up by the throat, kicking Kazumu towards a chunk of rock and then used chains coming from his sleeves to bind him to it. "I need to have a talk with Sasuke." Tobi whispered into his ear and left him there, walking over to Sasuke. "We need to talk about a few things Sasuke. Things about your brother." Sasuke glanced to his side, looking down at Itachi's body. "Yes, that's right. I know a lot more about him than he thought I did. And a lot more than you."
"SHUT UP!" Kazumu yelled, struggling to break free of the chains that were binding him. "He didn't do this so you could ruin everything!" Kazumu's Sharingan in his right eye morphed and had three parts arcing from the middle instead of six and suddenly black flames erupted from nowhere encasing Tobi in them. He screamed in pain for a moment before completely vanishing.
"What did you do!?" Sasuke yelled at Kazumu.
"I didn't do anything." Kazumu felt blood dripping from his face, coming from his right eye. "But that was definitely the Amaterasu."
"Indeed it was." They both turned to see Tobi was back once again. "Itachi must have placed a jutsu within your eye. Even after he dies he still has plans like this. Just to keep me away from Sasuke."
"Why would he do that..?" Sasuke questioned, trembling from fatigue.
"Well he placed that Amaterasu into the boy so if he ever saw me and you together it would activate, aimed at me of course."
"What are you talking about..?"
"He transferred some of his visual prowess to him, just for you Sasuke."
"What are you trying to say to me? Why would Itachi do something like that?"
"Don't you get it?" Sasuke froze.
"Don't say another word!" The chains covering Kazumu moved and covered his throat. Squeezing it so he couldn't talk.
"He did it...to protect you." Sasuke fell back hearing this and landed on the ground. He was shaking uncontrollably.
"Protect...? To protect me? You can't be telling the truth."
"Oh but I am. You think you know who Itachi Uchiha is but you have no idea."
"If you keep lying to me like this I'll kill you too..."
"You really believe you could? In the state you're in? I highly doubt you could do anything to me." Sasuke flinched knowing this was true. "That's right, just make this easy on yourself and listen to me. I'm telling you the truth, for I too am a survivor of the Uchiha clan." He removed half of his mask to properly reveal the Sharingan in his right eye. "I, Madara Uchiha know everything about Itachi, but I'm almost certain he didn't know this."
"Shut up! None of this matters! Just leave me alone!"
"No. You're going to listen because you need to hear this story. About Itachi, who risked his life to save everything in this world, the Hidden Leaf, but most of all you, his little brother." Sasuke was breathing heavily, he looked stressed and agitated listening to Madara. "Do you know why he tried to protect you from me? Because he didn't want us to meet, or to talk. Listen to my story and you'll know exactly why that is. Besides me the only ones who knew the secret were the Leaf's Danzo, The Third Hokage and the two advisors Homura and Koharu." He looked over to Kazumu. "Although it seems that he told the boy about this. Maybe he was supposed to be the one to make sure this secret were never to surface, not that he was successful anyway."
"..how can this make sense...protect me? Itachi was my enemy! He slaughtered my entire clan!"
"Yes that night. It is true that he slaughtered your clan and fled the Hidden Leaf, but it was his mission to do so. He was ordered by the leaders of the Hidden Leaf Village. And that is only the beginning of the truth about Itachi."
"It was his mission...?"
"Yes, That night-" Suddenly something quickly approached them, dashed at Madara without him noticing and swung a punch at him that didn't connect in the slightest, but he was still his with incredible force and flew into the air, crashing into the ruins of the hideout Itachi and Sasuke fought in. Kazumu's chains were destroyed soon after, he and Sasuke were picked up by two others and taken away from the hideout at incredible speed.
"Are you ok Kazumu!?" Kazumu opened his eyes to see that he was being carried by Naruto and Sasuke was being carried by a shadow clone.
"Naruto? I wish you came earlier..."
"How is that any way to thank me?" Kazumu looked over to Sasuke. "What happened to the two of you. Did you fight each other?"
"No, nothing like that. I don't think now is the time to talk about it."
"Ok, I understand. I'll get you two somewhere safe and we will talk then." Kazumu nodded and Naruto picked up speed.
"...Kazumu?" Sasuke mumbled under his breath. "Is it true?" Kazumu didn't say anything back to him. He didn't want to say anything more about it. "I see..." None of them uttered a word as Naruto took them as far away from Madara as possible.
"Ok guys I see a town. We will find somewhere to rest up here." Naruto bolted towards it with his clone and while staying on the edge of town to avoid raising suspicion, found an abandoned house that looked like it was mostly still intact, until he opened the door just to have it fall off. "Umm, I didn't think it was this run down." He laughed nervously to himself.
"Idiot." Sasuke chimed in.
"You haven't changed I see." Naruto said as his clone placed him in one of the rooms and then dispelled itself. With the real Naruto placing Kazumu on an old couch in the living room.
"Thank you Naruto." Kazumu said, trying not to show the pain he was in.
"Hey hey it's fine!" He sat next to Kazumu. "But what happened to you and Sasuke?"
"Well, after I ran off I got in a fight with Deidar-" Kazumu sharply cut himself off after remembering something. "Naruto! The Akatsuki are back!"
"What!? Since when!?"
"A month ago according to Deidara and the worst part is that they have all but two of the tailed beasts!"
"All that in a month!? They weren't strong enough to accomplish that before so where has this come from?"
"Well while we were training in the last year, so were they..."
"That is some serious news. I'll have to tell the Hokage the second we get back to-"
"I'm not to sure about that right now. Did you forget Sasuke is with us?" Naruto's face went funny, only just now remembering this.
"Oh yeah I-" He was cut off once again to hear noise coming from the room Sasuke was in.
"Leave me alone! I can't leave yet!" They could hear Sasuke yelling from the other room when Naruto opened the door.
"You can't stay here with them Sasuke!" It was Karin, Suigetsu and the orange-haired guy from the fight in the desert, except he seemed extremely calm. Karin immediately went silent once she saw Naruto. "Oh hi! W-we weren't doing anything!"
"I can't leave yet." Sasuke interrupted her. "I need to talk with Kazumu..."
"Why!? We have to stop them from taking you back to the Leaf!" Karin yelled at him.
"I don't care. Until I hear the rest of the story from him I'm not leaving." They all remained quiet and Karin calmed down. "How much do you know Kazumu?"
"Everything." Kazumu hesitantly said. "I think it's my responsibility to tell you now. Only knowing that amount of the story may lead you down the wrong path."
"..." Sasuke gave a very sharp look to his group. "Get out." Karin and Suigetsu ran out of the room while Naruto and the orange-haired ninja left quietly. "...then tell me." Kazumu got off the couch slowly.
"You aren't well enough to be moving around." Naruto helped him walk.
"I just need to sit in the room with Sasuke. I'll be fine." He shook Naruto off as he got to the door and he closed it behind him, sitting opposite to Sasuke afterwards."What do you need to know?"
"Everything you do." Kazumu sighed.
"Ok then." He let out an even bigger sigh. "How do you remember Itachi before 'that night'?"
"Hmm. As a kind, gentle older brother I suppose." Sasuke sounded angry just saying this.
"Well that really is who he was. He took on the life he did to protect you."
"That's exactly what Madara said. But how can I believe that!? He tried to kill me, more than once..." Sasuke placed his hands over his face.
"No he didn't." Sasuke looked over to him as he said this. "If he was really trying to kill you, you would definitely be dead right now."
"How can you say that!? You make it sound like he-"
"That's exactly what I'm saying. He gave his life...for you Sasuke." Sasuke looked away from Kazumu again.
"Just tell me the story behind that night..."
"...after the attack of the Nine-tails the Uchiha clan was put under surveillance by the ANBU Black Ops and moved to the outside of the village, because suspicions arose suggesting that the Uchiha were planning to seize power in the village by staging a coup d'etat. They weren't at the time, but due to the mistrust that was shown from the village they did start planning to overthrow the village. It was about this time the village leaders planted a spy within the clan. That spy was your brother. And that was when Itachi began to suffer."
"There was going to be a coup d'etat...? And Itachi was a spy...?"
"Yes. And your father was at the centre of the coup. He was the one behind it. Making Itachi join the ANBU under his father's orders."
"What!?"
"Although not that he knew but Itachi was actually giving the village information on the Uchiha against his father's orders. It was one of the hardest things for him to do he told me."
"But if he was so against it why would he betray the Uchiha clan?"
"It's because he had the village in mind first. Because of his experience with was at the age of four. The leaders of the village knew this and used it. And that's when it happened. He was given his mission for he was the only one who could do it being a wielder of the Sharingan. He was ordered to kill his entire clan. But..."
"...what is it?"
"The Third Hokage didn't agree with this. He tried to resort to peaceful means. It was the work of Danzo Shimura that made the plan go ahead anyway, even though Itachi himself said he couldn't do it for one reason."
"And that would be?"
"He couldn't kill you. That's why Danzo gave him a choice. To kill his clan to spare your life. Or to die with his clan. And I guess you can tell by now what he chose to do." Sasuke was shaking, trying to bare with what he was hearing. "But that isn't the end of the story either. Before it all happened, the Uchiha began to suspect Itachi was a double agent, so they made his best friend spy on him. And that person was Shisui Uchiha."
"Shisui?"
"Yes. He was famous for his ability to use the transportation jutsu to extreme levels. Giving him the name Shisui the Teleporter. But that wasn't the only reason he was famous. He had a special Mangekyo Sharingan ability called the Kotoamatsukami and he planned to use this unique ability to stop everything from happening, for he was also against the coup alongside Itachi, but as he tried, Danzo stole his right eye away from him and entrusted his left one to Itachi and then..." Kazumu took a deep breath. "Itachi helped him commit suicide. Awakening his Mangekyo Sharingan."
"He did all..."
"He did all of this for the village and for you. Shisui wrote a suicide note, but the clan blamed him anyway, stating that Shisui committing suicide in this manner was unbelievable and believed that Itachi forged the note using his Sharingan."
"But during our battle...he used his Mangekyo Sharingan to such an extent! He must have been trying to kill me!"
"He had to press you to awaken your Mangekyo. That was the point in the battle. That and he had to make you be the avenger of your clan. A hero."
"He threw away his life for that!?"
"Yes. I understand it now. He needed to die for you Sasuke. And to restore the name of the Uchiha."
"But he couldn't have been like this..." Sasuke could barely see straight. "He was a member of the Akatsuki!"
"That was necessary to ensure that the Akatsuki wouldn't threaten the Leaf Village in any way. Because after all that he decided the Akatsuki was the biggest threat to the village. The village was always in his mind, just like you were. You need to understand that he wanted you to have a happy life after this was over."
"What are you saying?"
"He wanted you to return to the Hidden Leaf." Sasuke raised his head to show he was crying.
"How could I ever do that after what they put him through!?"
"But it wasn't the village that did it. It was an order given by Danzo! If he didn't push the situation in that direction it would not have happened that way. Also..."
"What now?"
"I would be very cautious of what you decide from here on out."
"Is that a threat?"
"It's a warning." Kazumu activated his Mangekyo Sharingan. "Look at my eyes." Sasuke did so and noticed the difference in his eyes.
"Explain..." Kazumu closed his left eye to show only his right.
"This would be my Mangekyo Sharingan but as you can see..." He changed eyes, showing his left eye instead. "This eye is different, do you have any idea why?"
"Get to the point."
"As you wish. Itachi received Shisui Uchiha's left eye from him and he implanted that eye into me." Sasuke backed away into the corner of the room. "That's right. As of now I have use of the Kotoamatsukami, but I wouldn't use it like that. However, Itachi most likely placed a trigger within it, making it activate, targeting you if you were to threaten the Hidden Leaf. Although he never told me of this, I'm almost one hundred percent certain he would have done so."
"This is...this is unacceptable! You're basically blackmailing me! So if I don't want to return to the Leaf that accursed Genjutsu will make me!" Sasuke yelled refusing to make eye contact with Kazumu.
"As I said, I'm just warning you. I'd never want the Kotoamatsukami to make you come back to the Leaf. I want you to come of your own free will. It's what Itachi was hoping for you as well." Sasuke wiped away his tears.
"Itachi wanted me to return to the Leaf?"
"Yes. Trust me. I spent a while with him and even though he didn't mention your name that much, he would always talk about his little brother." Sasuke stood up with his eyes closed and opened them to reveal his Mangekyo Sharingan was activated. "I know the pain you must be feeling from hearing this is great. Especially if it awakened your Mangekyo, but you can't let it cloud you or control you. At least don't make your decision yet so you have time to think about it?" Sasuke de-activated his Sharingan and walked to the door. "Sasuke?" He opened it and walked out to everyone. Suigetsu and Karin were off to the side and Naruto and the orange-haired ninja were on the couch talking to each other.
"Is everything ok?" Naruto asked Sasuke with no reply being given.
"Naruto, not now." Kazumu had gotten up as well and gave Naruto a look, making sure he wouldn't venture further into it.
"I am..." Sasuke began talking as tears went down his face. "I'm disbanding the Hebi as of today, and I will be returning to the Leaf." Everyone in the room gasped hearing this, all but Kazumu and Naruto who both had massive smiles on their faces. "You all helped me so much in my mission. I thank you for that. What you do from here on out is entirely your decision. But with Itachi dead I can return to the Hidden Leaf."
'I can't believe it. Not only is he returning to the Leaf. He's acting like he never heard any of this. Just like Itachi wanted.' Kazumu could only smile as Sasuke had a little argument with Karin and Suigetsu. He didn't hear a single word being said because he was too busy thinking about how happy Itachi would be knowing this whole thing's outcome.
"Kazumu." Sasuke said interrupting his little daydream.
"Uhh, yes?" Sasuke walked over to him and whispered in his ear.
"If anyone else had told me this, I wouldn't be returning to the Leaf. It's because you understand how I feel and how Itachi felt that I'm choosing to do this." Kazumu stood there shocked that he made such a difference in his decision. "Thank you."
"I-it's fine..." Kazumu could barely speak.
"Well we need you two to be healed up before we can all go." Karin said this with shock coming from Sasuke.
"You three are coming as well?"
"Well when me and Jugo were talking he had already said that he would follow Sasuke no matter what he did." Naruto stepped in. "So I'm betting that the other two feel the same way?" Karin nodded while Suigetsu stood in the corner of the room looking pretty smug.
"Yeah. Something like that." He said and then looked away from everyone.
"Ignore the puddle over there. Come on already, we need to head off." Karin rolled up her sleeves to show a large amount of bite marks on her arms.
"What do you want us to do?" Kazumu stood there confused as Sasuke knew exactly what he was doing and bit Karin's arm. As he did she made a very sexual sounding moan. "Oh, um...ok then?" Kazumu did the same thing and bit her other arm with Karin making the exact same noise again.
"That's kinda weird..." Naruto said staring at the sight of two guys biting at a girl's arms.
"It's how her healing ability works. It drains the chakra from her to heal others. Because of her large amount of chakra she is able to do this. But only once a day." Jugo informed Naruto.
"Oh, I understand now. I think.." Naruto kept his thought to himself while the healing process had finished.
"Wow! I feel great!" Kazumu jumped up and down.
"Her healing ability really is amazing." Sasuke seemed fully healed as well.
"I'm glad...you two are...ok." Karin said as she began to fall when Jugo caught her before she hit the ground.
"I'll carry her for the trip." Jugo insisted and walked out of the house with Suigetsu close behind. Kazumu and Naruto were about to leave when Sasuke stopped them.
"Aren't you forgetting something Kazumu?" He thought hard for a second and understood what he meant.
"Itachi.." He had forgotten that Itachi's body was in the possession of Madara. "What are we going to do then?"
"We need to get him back. I won't allow Madara to have him."
"My thoughts exactly. Naruto could you-" He turned to face Naruto who was already on the ground readying his Sage Mode. "Bet me to it I see."
"What's he doing?" Sasuke asked, looking at Naruto funny.
"He's going into Sage Mode to track down Madara. He should be able to find him this way."
"Good. It looks like Naruto has gotten a lot stronger over the years."
"Yeah, he's gotten a hell of a lot stronger during the past year especially." Kazumu said as Naruto stood up with his Sage Mode active.
"I don't know what you two talked about in there, but I'm happy that things have turned out this way." Naruto closed his eyes and began to track Madara. "I can only sense two powerful chakra sources nearby so that has to be him."
"Then lets go and get Itachi back."
End of Chapter 13.
I need a break from writing because I seriously had to think about how I was going to go about doing this part of the story and this would have to be how I want it. On the subject of Sasuke I feel as if Itachi's story wasn't told to him by someone like 'Madara' he wouldn't have had the same reaction as he did. My philosophy for this is that Kazumu feels the same way towards Itachi as he does and he doesn't want to harm the Leaf. So Sasuke knowing this feels as though he shouldn't either.
Anyway thank you for reading and see you next chapter.