Thanks for all the reviews and favs
You know, I had assumed that the Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan would hold all the power of the Mangekyou Sharingan and didn't even think about it being split between the left and right eye. So I added an explanation later in this chapter. I may have been assuming too much, but they haven't discussed it yet in the manga so I guess I'll just stick with that. Thanks for pointing it out, xD
Disclaimer: Naruto is owned by Kishimoto
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Chapter 69 – Naruto's Predicament
The last place Naruto expected to wake up after being kidnapped and rendered unconscious by Akatsuki was a small room, comfortably decorated with a red futon, a small table with comfortable red cushions, a bookcase full of books and manga magazines. Finishing off the room was a sink, a microwave for cooking ramen, a cabinet full of food and snacks, and a small refrigerator loaded with fruit juice. Beyond the room was a curtained archway that led to a cramped bathroom with toilet, sink, and shower.
The only door was very solid, and locked so well it didn't even rattle when he tried to shake it. The walls were wood paneling and even sported some posters from an old classic anime. The floor was covered with mats and comfortable to walk on.
The ceiling and lack of windows, however, is what gave the place away. Naruto was locked up inside a room located in a cave. Small stalactites dropped down from the ceiling, none more than a foot long.
Sitting cross legged on a cushion at the table, Naruto slowly shoveled noodles into his mouth as he stared at the stacks of magna he had pulled out of the bookshelf. He had no idea how long he had been there or what time of the day it. Nor had anyone come to see him since he had woken up in his new surroundings.
The gregarious and fun-loving boy was growing increasingly morose and lazy; spending most of his time laying on the futon feeling sorry for himself or trying to get lost in the storylines of the mangas. He knew what was going on. Itachi had described various methods used to control prisoners and isolation was one of the most popular. He was determined not to break, though.
Depression aside, he knew his friends would save him, and he often fantasized about them showing up five seconds after he beat up all of Akatsuki, or of them breaking down the door only to find him luxuriating with a manga in one hand and a cocktail in the other (he didn't stop to think about where the beverage came from) and asking them to join him and relax a bit before leaving.
There was a lot of time to indulge in these flights of fancy. Too much time. And he was so preoccupied with his thoughts that when the door opened he jumped about a foot, startled.
"Some ninja you are." It was a man with large stitches all over his face and arms and his brilliant green eyes and deadly aura of chakra were enough to make Naruto slide backwards until his back hit the wall.
"My name is Kakuzu. I've been assigned to make sure you stay alive until we're ready to extract the Kyuubi."
Naruto gulped, his heart was racing and his body shaking so hard he could barely move, "When will that be?"
"You could be here for years, kid. Get used to it." His grumpy demeanor and stern face spoke volumes for the power that lay just beneath the surface of the powerful ninja.
Kakuzu shut the door behind him and strode over to the small, make-shift kitchen area. "You need to drink more fruit juice. It's fortified with vitamins. Ramen is pretty bad as a food staple, you know."
Kakuzu moved toward the bathroom and pulled the solid red curtain back. Peering in he wrinkled his nose and turned to look at the boy, "You're going to have to clean up after yourself. No one is going to do it for you."
Naruto gazed wide-eyed at the Akatsuki. The tall man wasn't wearing his cloak, but the more he looked at him, the easier it was to remember. He was one of the people who had kidnapped him.
"Everyone was telling me how noisy you are. You seem rather quiet." The man turned around and exited the room without saying anything else.
Sighing loudly, Naruto mentally punched himself for his cowardice. Sliding back to the table he felt something warm slide down his face. Reaching up he absent-mindedly pushed it away, only to pull his hand away in shock.
His cheeks were soaked with tears. Had Kakuzu seen him crying? His fear was quickly replaced by anger, frustration, and above all, shame.
His thoughts turned to his god father who, in his imagination, shook his head and walked away, muttering about how pointless any further training would be.
Next he visualized Itachi, "No brother of mine would be a coward."
Sasuke turned his back, "Why did I ever let you hang out with me. You're cowardice is the real reason I left."
"No it's not!" Naruto stood up and clenched his fists. "No one is leaving me because I am not a coward!" Yelling at the top of his lungs he faced the door and released his frustration, "I am not a coward!"
"That's the spirit, boy." the voice belonged to a man Naruto would never forget a long as he lived. He had been the only one to introduce himself during the kidnapping and had spoken rather fanatically about Jashin and sacrifices. Hidan.
"So you're guarding me?" Naruto spoke loudly, not knowing how well his voice carried through the solid wood door, or the stone walls supporting it.
"Yeah. Something like that."
"How many day have I been here?"
"Two months."
"I don't believe you." It was absurd that much time had passed. Hidan was surely lying.
"I don't care if you believe me."
Naruto returned to the table and stared at the magazines on the table. He had been reading one a day, and putting them away when the stacks got to big. And now there were four stacks of five to six mangas each.
While he had completely lost track of time, he was fairly certain it was nighttime when he slept and morning when he awoke. Even so... he wasn't positive.
His "froggy" coin purse was lying on the counter and for the hundredth time he wished he could summon a frog. Unfortunately every attempt since he had arrived had ended in failure.
At the first hint of frustration, Naruto balled his fists once again and renewed his minutes-long vow to not be a coward.
"This time.." The next word were practically a growl, "I will succeed."
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Scooting away from the table Naruto took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Building his chakra up he could feel his strong resolve boosting his confidence. He could also feel something else. Something dark and foreboding.
It was, of course, the +kyuubi trying to escape from its prison and enter Naruto's conscious mind. Sensing its massive form, dark red and oozing with untold quantities of malevolent chakra, the boy pulled power from it and added it to his own chakra stores.
Forming the summoning seals, he slammed his hand on the ground. Smoke filled the immediate are and Naruto coughed as he waved it away, hoping beyond hope that there was a frog there.
"It's about time." The frog stated firmly in a high pitched voice.
"I did it! I thought I had lost my summoning abilities or something."
"I felt you calling me for weeks but it was never strong enough to pull me to you." The frog looked around the small room wide-eyed.
"Yeah." Naruto laughed and scratched the back of his then straightened up in shock, "Weeks? So how long have I been here?"
"No clocks or calendars. They are thorough. Naruto, it's been eleven weeks, and three days."
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The village was being rebuilt. Again. Only this time the destruction was on a limited scale, with the public buildings taking the brunt of the attack, there were still about three thousand citizens living in temporary shelters.
Two months had passed and Itachi found himself very busy. Madara had completely cut off contact with him and a trip to Water country by Kakashi, Sai and Sakura had turned up nothing more than the knowledge that Mist village was in complete lockdown.
The team hadn't even been able to get within five mile of the ninja village. When they tried, an advanced security system that utilized Genjutsu, water jutsus and earth jutsus lead them frustratingly in circles and then forced them in the direction of a nearby civilian town.
Returning embarrassed, demoralized and very pissed off they reported to the Hokage, who could do nothing more than thank them for at least trying.
Itachi sat on a bench in the garden next to Sheeta. The June weather had turned warm and sunny, and even Naruto's Koi seemed happy with the late spring weather. Either that or it was his new companions that Tsunade had purchased as a "welcome back" gift for her grandson, who, after all those weeks, was still missing.
A rapping sound diverted his attention and he saw Fugaku with a hammer fixing the training dummy at the other end of the yard. Naruto had been the only to use it lately - after all if anyone else in the family tried it would have been left in splinters instead of suffering a broken arm.
"It's like our lives are all on hold because Naruto is gone." Sheeta finally observed, "He was our last link to Sasuke. It was like..." she was silent for a couple minutes, "It was like Naruto and Sasuke are the same person. And if you have one, then you have the other."
"I'm not sure that makes sense. But I understand what you mean." Itachi replied quietly.
"The heart doesn't have to make sense in order to understand us." Sheeta mile.
"Which soap opera is that from?" Itachi asked sarcastically. He wasn't in the mood for a bunch of canned sentimentalities.
Sheeta's smile grew broader, "No soap opera. It came from me."
That was such a surprise that Itachi couldn't hide the mixture of relief and gratitude that washed over his face.
"We'll get them both back. I promise."
"I know you will."
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As he continued to watch his father, Itachi was reminded of the events immediately after the fighting had ended. The fallen bodies of the enemy had been collected and disposed of, the survivors were in jail cells under twenty-four hour watch in case they tried to kill themselves.
And Tsunade had called a meeting in of several top Shinobi in one of the meeting rooms.
"I need volunteers to go to Ki and ascertain the situation. I didn't want to order anyone due to the nature of what we may find there. Jiraiya has already volunteered, so two more are needed."
Itachi raised his hand, more out of habit than any actual desire to go on the mission. However, before he could open his mouth Fugaku stood up and bellowed,
"Under no circumstances is Itachi to go anywhere near Ki."
Again, Itachi opened his mouth, this time to argue, but Tsunade interrupted him this time. "You are correct, Fugaku. In fact, now that I think about it, perhaps the young folk should stay away from this."
"I'll go." Fugaku nodded and sat back down on his cushion.
Three other Shinobi, all middle-aged raised their hands as well. "Might as well send all five of us." One woman, a white-haired grandmother in her fifties who was now a top instructor for Anbu spoke up confidently.
A man in his late forties laughed, "All together we might equal one of these young ones."
"Oh come on!" I'm hardly dead yet" Jiraiya laughed. "But I see no reason why five can't go."
"Well," Tsunade nodded, "You are the team leader for this mission Jiraiya, so it's your call. And I don't think I need to tell you what may be in store for you when you get there."
The meeting ended soon after that, but Itachi had been called out by Tsunade to remain behind.
"Fugaku has changed a lot over the years. I... asked you to this meeting so I could see how much he has changed."
Itachi was at a loss over what she was talking about and remained silent.
"Before... he would have considered it your duty to volunteer as the Uchiha prodigy for such a high profile mission. I wanted to see what he would do if I turned you down. But he beat me to the punch. It seems he's finally accepted what you are."
This left Itachi even more confused and he couldn't even begin to think of a response. Instead he just shook his slightly, to show his confusion.
Tsunade gave him a bittersweet smile, "I spent a lot of time reviewing your profile, including your mental and physical health. You're a mess, kid. If you were anyone else I would remove you from active duty." She sighed over the look of shock that crossed the teen's face.
"But... Itachi we need you for what's to come. So keep it together for a while longer and I promise you that I will give you an honorable discharge and let you retire."
Itachi looked straight into her blue eyes and frowned, "Retire? I'm not even twenty yet."
"Thank god for that. At least that gives you more time away from this life. Take over the police department, or open a bakery. Do whatever you want."
Itachi had walked away from that meeting confused, shell-shocked and above all surprised. Fugaku had changed. His outburst was something he would never have done a mere two or thee years ago.
But retiring from being a ninja was not in his plans. He had spent his entire life training and planning for the day he would be a top ninja of Konoha. However he couldn't deny that he no longer enjoyed it. It was a weight on his mind, his conscious, and his health.
And for the first time in his life Itachi considered what it would be like to take the position of Police Chief that the clan was holding open for him. And somehow, it no longer seemed stifling or boring or even unimportant.
His family had been very pleased to learn of his change of heart. And Fugaku wasn't disappointed in the least and before he left the next morning on his mission Fugaku handed him his old police badge.
"It's yours now. I know they'll give you a brand new shiny one when you start in a year or two or three, but..."
"Thank-you father." Itachi smiled warmly as he watched Fugaku walk away.
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The group that returned a week later was slightly larger than five. The five Shinobi lead a group of seventeen children into the village. None older than eight-years-old, and the youngest just a few months.
"In the last few days of Ki… their parents ordered them to hide. Everyone else is dead or run off." Fugaku explained to his family that evening after returning from the briefing with Tsunade. "Just what was going on there… it was beyond imagining. We brought back several documents and a few hard drives from their computers. From the limited perusal we gave them while on the return trip it looks like Danzou had made some alliances with some rather shady organizations. When Danzou died they fought amongst themselves, resulting in a huge loss of life. One group rose to power, but it was… it was a strange cult that believed in victory, and if victory could not be achieved then one should commit ritual suicide. It was fanaticism at the highest level."
"And the children?" Mikoto asked, "What will happen to them?"
Fugaku sighed, "They have been dropped off at the orphanage. They were all severely traumatized by the incident." He turned to look at Itachi and opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but closed it again just as quickly. The teen was staring at the corner of the room, just over his father's shoulder with a far-away look in his eye.
"Danzou would never have wanted this." Itachi finally said, so faintly that his family barely heard him. "It is a shame that this will be held over his head, and the names of those responsible forgotten."
"Hindsight is a powerful thing, son." Fugaku replied quietly, "You have learned something at the age of sixteen that took me nearly forty-five years to figure out." He stood up and left the room, his shoulders drooping rather tiredly and his feet dragging as he walked down the hall.
"I'm glad you didn't have to see that Itachi." Mikoto's words were heart-felt, but her eyes were clouded, "You've already seen too much. If only there had been a way to prevent it..."
"It could happen again." Itachi interrupted. "The Shinobi world is twisted like that." It was his turn to get up and leave, and even though he hadn't seen the dead of Ki, in his mind, he knew exactly what they looked like.
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"You're going to be seventeen in a couple days." Sheeta's soft voice brought Itachi back to reality and he searched her face carefully. Slightly flushed from the sunshine, with dark eyes that sparkled and soft red lips that formed a perfect smile she was everything to him.
"And you'll be seventeen in a few weeks. Right after Sasuke turns twelve."
"And shortly before the baby comes. There are a lot of birthdays coming up."
"Humph." Itachi had never thought it odd that their birthdays were clustered together, It was just one of those things that happened in life sometimes.
Sheeta tried to continue the conversation despite Itachi's pensive mood, "Toshiro should be returning soon."
"Yes, later this afternoon." Itachi sighed as he watched Fugaku gather up his tools and head back into the house, having finished repairing the practice dummy.
Toshiro and seven other Uchihas had been among the team that had volunteered to clean out Ki after Jiraiya's team had returned. There was no doubt a lot of sensitive information that no one in Fire country wanted to see fall into the wrong hands. It needed to be reviewed, and then either destroyed or packaged and shipped off to Konoha.
The corpses needed to be disposed of as well, as the Hokage had decided to keep a couple teems in the area to monitor the now-abandoned village. It was obvious that once the corpses decomposed, thieves - or worse - would move in.
"Let's hope one of the eyes he's bringing back is still in good condition." Sheeta echoed the word that everyone had been saying since the news that Toshiro had found Danzou's stash of Uchiha and Hyuuga eyes.
Once again Itachi muttered a non-committal "yes". He had been having second thoughts about transplanting Shisui's eye ever since he had killed those Ki Shinobi. It had been too easy with no cost on his end.
Would having two eyes make it even easier? It didn't seem possible. Yet, Itachi reflected, the power that had once been split between two eyes with the regular Mangekyou Sharingan had been available to him in just one Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan.
Was that why Madara refrained from using it? Was that much power too much for even him to bear without conscious? When Itachi had been unable to carry out his mission to wipe out the Uchiha clan Madara could have very easily done it all himself. Why did he refrain?
"Itachi," Sheetas voice broke through his fogged thoughts and he turned to look at her.
"Are you uncomfortable, would you like to go back inside?"
"Yes. I'm getting sleepy. Help me up?" she smiled coyly at her husband as he rose to his feet and pulled up on her forearms to help her off the bench. She was now quite large, and on her small frame it appeared very out of place.
Entering the house he walked with her to the guest room, which had been fixed up for her and Itachi to stay in as it was now difficult for her to navigate the stairs.
She dropped down onto the bed and lay down as Itachi propped her swollen feet on a pillow. "If the baby comes soon it won't be soon enough." She muttered sleepily.
"We shouldn't have killed him," Itachi said morosely.
"Danzou?" Sheeta muttered as her eyes closed.
"Yeah. We should have found a way to work with him. There must have been a better solution."
"You know, oddly enough, I overheard Fugaku saying the same thing to Mikoto after he got back. I was sure I was hearing thing, but now that I hear it from you..."
"I promise, Sheeta, this will never happen again."
Sheeta gave a big sigh and looked straight at Itachi who returned her gaze with a sullen expression, "It will Itachi. As long as people exist things like what happened with Ki will happen over and over."
Itachi's shoulders drooped and he turned to look outside at the garden, "I know... but that doesn't mean I can sit back and let it happen."
The even breathing coming from the teen now lying asleep on the bed was somehow calming, even in his present mood, and he decided to lie down for a while as well. However, shortly after closing his eyes he was awakened by a sudden gasp and moan.
Sitting straight up he looked at Sheeta whose face was twisted with pain.
"Itachi... get Mikoto... I think..."
Itachi didn't hear the rest of the sentence as he was already halfway down the hall by the time she finished. "She still has a few more weeks. It's probably just cramps or something." He muttered to himself. However, as his heart raced and his mind cluttered up with thoughts of his impending fatherhood he realized something that seemed rather transcending.
He was smiling, and he was very happy.
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"Hidan, you idiot!" Kakuzu skidded to a stop directly in front of his partner who was leaning back in his chair and reading a manga.
"Hey Kakuzu, what's got you so worked up?"
"Didn't you feel that chakra surge a minute ago? Why are you here instead of in there checking on the Jinchuuriki?" Kakuzu was very angry and his green eyes flashed brilliantly, as if emitting light instead of refracting it.
"He's still in there. What's the problem? There was a secondary chakra source for a few seconds but it disappeared pretty quick."
Kakuzu kicked at the back legs of the propped up chair as he made his way to unlock the door. Both Hidan and the chair fell sideways onto the ground. Cursing the older man with several rather colorful and choicely picked out phrases he followed him into the small room.
"See, he's here." Hidan pointed at the blond boy who was sitting on the futon with arms around his legs and reading a manga he had spread out in front of him on the quilt.
"Humph." Kakuzu was now officially in a bad mood. "What were you doing in here?"
Naruto smiled and scratched the back of his head nervously, "Practicing jutsus."
Hidan laughed, "His signature move is the clone jutsu, Kakuzu. Is that what you felt? We can't seal his chakra because it would weaken him too much and we can't kill him. Really, there's no point in getting all worked up over it. He's just playing."
"No matter how many times I say it; it never sinks in, does it? Hidan you are a first class idiot." Kakuzu swung around on his heal and disappeared with a transportation jutsu.
Hidan turned to Naruto, grinning, "I love making him mad."
After Hidan exited, slamming the door for good measure, Naruto burst out laughing. "Those guys are the strangest people I've ever met. Hidan wouldn't care one bit if I escaped and Kakuzu is just weird."
Reaching under the futon the boy pulled out a scroll that the frog he had summoned had given him. Unrolling it he gazed closely at the words and diagrams that were revealed. It was a beginners guide to Senjutsu, the same techniques that made Jiraiya a Sage.
Lying down on his stomach he began to study the document carefully. He was verygrateful for the study techniques Itachi had taught him and within no time at all he was lost in the words of sage who had written it.
Naruto's growling stomach finally got the best of him and when he pulled out the small watch the frog had given him (after all, a frog's wrist wasn't very big) he realized he had been studying for over three hours.
For Naruto that was unprecedented. He could spend that much time reading mangas or watching TV but he couldn't ever remember spending that much time studying.
But the scroll was very interesting. It as full of techniques, the philosophy behind them and case studies of those who have used them. Of course the case studies were the interesting bit. Some were even documenting Jiraiya.
"The frog said I have one week to read it. I wonder what happens at the end of that week. Maybe I get a new book?" It was possible, he supposed, but while he was enjoying reading the scroll he was also feeling frustrated because he wanted o try out some of the jutsu. Yet if he did Kakuzu would become suspicious.
And there were probably other Akatsuki around as well. After all Sasori had yet to make an appearance even though he had assisted with the kidnapping.
"I wonder where Kisame and Deidara are?" He had come to regard the mad bomber as a friend and was fervently hoping that he wasn't involved in any of this. Perhaps he didn't even know about the kidnapping.
"But he's gotta know by now." Naruto's spirits began to wane again and he yawned widely as he poured water into a ramen cup. Whatever was going on, Naruto decided, it was going to have to wait because right now he was far too sleepy to think about it.
"In the morning," Naruto muttered, "I'll bug Hidan. Maybe he knows where the others are?"
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Next week:
Itachi gets a surprise and Naruto bugs Hidan. And Toshiro arrives in Konoha with a stash of eyes.
I hope I didn't Hidan too OOC. I see him as being generally a happy person and fairly carefree, yet with definite anger issues. Kind of bi-polar in a sense.
Also, I didn't have Akatsuki seal away Naruto's chakra, but I don't actually think you can seal a Jinchuuriki's chakra. If you did, wouldn't the demon escape? Well, maybe not the demon itself – it is sealed after all – but I figured it would allow some of the chakra to escape in order to fortify the host. This would make the Jinchuuriki powerful again, meaning the chakra seal is useless. Anyway, that's my logic. No chakra seal has ever been used on Naruto in the manga so I'm obviously guessing.
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