I do not own Naruto Shippuden. Still waiting for suggestions about pairings for those mentioned a few chapters ago. Will not update after this chapter without a suggestion for Shion, Temujin, Hanabi, Yamato, and Koyuki.

Sibling Rivalry

Naruto opened his eyes and smiled seeing Hinata laying in his arms. He remembered what had happened the night before instantly and his smile widened. He ran a hand through her hair lightly. He could see day light streaming through the opening to the tunnel and knew they needed to leave soon but at the moment he didn't really care if anyone got mad at them or even if someone found them.

"We need to leave don't we?" Hinata asked looking up at him.

"Probably," Naruto said. "I'm sure they'll survive if we stayed for a little longer, though."

"I would love to," Hinata said. "But I seem to recall a zombie apocalypse that we're late for."

"True," Naruto said.

He sighed then stood and got dressed while Hinata did the same then they both left and Naruto had two clones take his bed home. They went to their apartments to clean up and put on fresh clothes then met back up at the Main Gate.

"How many are left?" Hinata asked.

"Well," Naruto said thinking. "There's Michiru and Hikaru and...actually I think that's all."

Hinata nodded and they began to leave. They would have to take a very long boat ride to get there so Naruto was unsure about leaving but didn't want to leave them to die either.

"Leave clones," Hinata said suspecting what he was worried about. "They can protect the village while we're away."

"True," Naruto said. "I just pray that this time my old enemies really haven't returned."

They reached a port city inside of an hour and began looking for a ship. Unfortunately, all of them were destroyed.

"You know," Naruto said. "For a Zombie Apocalypse, there aren't very many zombies around today."

"No kidding," Hinata said. "I'm kind of happy about that. Maybe they're dying off."

"Or preparing," Naruto said. "Kushina said they had a master. How much do you want to bet it's Orochimaru? Maybe one of his experiments went so wrong that it made a zombie."

"How did they get Kushina?" Hinata asked. "Jiraiya said she had been dead for years, she'd be little more than bleached bones."

"I'm thinking about that," Naruto said.

"Naruto!" Itachi said as he landed beside them.

"Hello Itachi," Naruto said. "Has Sasuke found you?"

"Not yet," Itachi said.

"Sorry to ruin your record," Sasuke said landing a ways away from them.

"Do we really need to do this now?" Itachi asked. "There's a Zombie Apocalypse going on."

"Your point?" Sasuke asked.

"You should be helping us not focused on Itachi's death," Naruto said.

"I'll focus on killing the zombies after I kill Itachi," Sasuke said. "I've already dealt with Orochimaru, now I will deal with my brother."

"First, allow me to clarify the Apocalypse to Naruto and you then the reason behind my actions," Itachi said.

"Fine," Sasuke said.

"The First zombie, Kushina Uzumaki, was created by an Akatsuki member wearing a spiral mask and calling himself Tobi," Itachi said.

"Uzumaki?" Naruto asked. "You mean...she was my..."

"Tobi, however," Itachi said continued, "could not create the zombie without assistance. The body was nothing more than bones. In order to create the zombie, he needed an ally that existed outside of time. There are three different stories that fit this theme. One is a power source that can be used to do anything but was long ago sealed. The second, was the Ten-tails but he no longer exists as himself. The last, is a creature made and powered by hate, anger, and evil. That, is his ally. However, in order for his ally to do what needed to be done, the creature needed to move through time. Tobi aided him and that weakened him so he went into hiding behind the persona he still hides behind. He acts as a bumbling fool. He cannot be touched if he doesn't want to, however, which makes him a large threat. Once he regains his strength, he will begin to act and will be very capable of killing you if you aren't careful."

"What is the creature?" Naruto asked.

"You've fought him before," Itachi said. "He's a tailed beast without tails. He's living chakra but doesn't use chakra. He's a leach both literally and in the way he fights."

"The Zero-tails," Naruto said. "The Zero-tails is helping Tobi?"

"Was," Itachi said. "He spent all of his strength taking Tobi to the past then sending him back."

"He can return though," Naruto said. "As long as someone is angry or evil enough."

"I know," Itachi said. "But so far no one is that evil."

"What about Tobi?" Naruto asked.

"No," Itachi said. "He may be evil but he cannot revive the Zero-tails, for whatever reason."

Naruto nodded then glanced at Sasuke.

"Now explain why you killed the Uchiha," Naruto said.

"Simple," Itachi said. "For the Hidden Leaf and for Sasuke."

"What?" Sasuke asked.

"Tobi met with me before I did it," Itachi said. "He introduced himself as Madara Uchiha. Then he told me that he was going to destroy the village. But he also wanted to destroy the Uchiha especially. I made a deal with him. I would personally kill the Uchiha for him so that he could remain unknown and in return he would spare the village. At the same time, he would allow me to let my brother, the most important thing in the world to me, live. I needed to make you stronger. So I told you about the Mangekyo Sharingan. But there is a limit to even that. The more it is used, the more the user's eyes deteriorate. Eventually the user becomes completely blind. This was the case with Madara Uchiha, the real one. However, he was power hungry and could not stand to be blind. In order to save himself, he stole his brother's Mangekyo Sharingan and transplanted them into his own. His sight was restored and he gained a power long past that of anything before seen. That power, was the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan. That, is the only thing that can allow you to fight Tobi. Sasuke, you need to have your Mangekyo Sharingan awakened, then you must take mine. I am dying. You, are healthy and needed. Go with Naruto and end the Zombie Apocalypse then you may do as you wish. But for now, the world needs you."

"How do we end it?" Naruto asked.

"By killing the one who started it," Itachi said. "All of them."

"There were more than Tobi and the Zero-tails?" Naruto asked.

"Unfortunately yes," Itachi said. "It was not Tobi's knowledge or jutsu that created the first zombie, only his skill. The jutsu and knowledge both came from Danzo and the other elders of the Hidden Leaf Village who also ordered me to kill the Uchiha for fear of an uprising."

"Round and round we go," Naruto said.

"How many need to die?" Sasuke asked.

"Danzo, the Zero-tails, Tobi, Homura Mitokado, Koharu Utatane, and the true Madara Uchiha," Itachi said.

"Madara Uchiha died," Naruto said.

"He was also revived as a zombie, the ultimate zombie," Itachi said. "Tobi may command the other zombies, but Madara Uchiha commands Tobi."

"I see," Naruto said. "What are they hunting Jinchuriki for?"

"A weapon, able to be powered only by the Tailed Beasts preferably through their Jinchuriki but not necessarily," Itachi said. "The weapon is completely unstoppable. If it is finished, the world will be under Madara's control. So far, it is only the Shinobi nations and surrounding area with the zombies on the edges traveling inward."

"I see," Naruto said. "And what about the rest of the world?"

"I have never seen it but it is so far unaware of any of this," Itachi said.

"How do you know?" Sasuke asked.

"They have not yet attempted to purge the nations," Itachi said.

"Tell me something," Naruto said. "Is there anyone in the Akatsuki that could be turned against Madara?"

"Perhaps," Itachi said. "But it would depend on what Madara intends to do with the extras in the Akatsuki."

"Who is the leader?" Naruto asked.

"Madara through Tobi," Itachi said. "And Tobi through Pein."

"Pein?" Naruto asked.

"The official leader of the organization," Itachi said. "He has the Rinnegan."

"We found a corpse in a river with the Rinnegan," Naruto said. "It turned. Then Master Jiraiya said that the corpse was only a puppet of the real one."

"True," Itachi said. "I have heard of six different shinobi with Rinnegan all claiming to be Pein. I suspect they are all puppets."

"Does he need to be killed to stop the creation of the weapon?" Naruto asked.

"Not necessarily," Itachi said. "By the time he died, Tobi would likely simply take complete control of the Akatsuki so that he could make things progress easier."

"Where can I find Pein?" Naruto asked.

"He and his body guard, another member of the Akatsuki, can be found in Amegakure," Itachi said. "However, they should be heading to the Hidden Leaf Village soon after you."

"I see," Naruto said. "In that case, I should probably get ready to meet him. First we need to get across the water to try to rescue Michiru and Hikaru."

"I know," Itachi said. "You have Shikotsumyaku right? You can form a ship with that stronger and lighter than any wooden one."

"I can?" Naruto asked. "Guess it's more useful than I thought."

"I know you paid money for those swords but you would be better off with ones made out of your bone," Itachi said.

"I know," Naruto said. "And if I ever break my swords, I'll upgrade."

"Suit yourself," Itachi said. "So, Sasuke, are you going to kill me or can you forgive me long enough to end the apocalypse?"

"I can never forgive the death of my entire clan," Sasuke said. "Luckily for you, it's not you I should be mad at. I forgive you."

"Good," Itachi said then suddenly bent over and began to cough up blood. "It's too early. I was supposed to have another month or more."

"Is there anything we can do?" Naruto asked.

"No," Kurama said. "He is dying of an incurable disease. Speaking of, you never remembered to drink the panacea did you?"

Naruto suddenly slammed the heel of his hand into his forehead. Kurama was right. In all the excitement of having the ability to control his bones, Naruto had completely forgotten to drink the panacea. Then an even more disturbing realization occurred to him.

"Does Hinata have the disease?" Naruto asked panicked.

"No," Kurama said. "Luckily for you, the disease can only be transmitted through the blood. You're damn lucky it's not an STD too or one of you would die."

Naruto sighed quietly then became aware that the others were all staring at him waiting for an explanation of why he had done a facepalm.

"I never drank the panacea," Naruto whispered to Hinata who instantly covered her mouth wide-eyed. "Fortunately you can't be infected unless you touch my blood."

"Is it still at the hospital?" Hinata whispered back and Naruto nodded.

Hinata turned and ran back toward the Leaf Village but stopped when hundreds of zombies charged out of the trees. Naruto instantly drew his swords but he couldn't reach her because none other than Sasori appeared out of the ground in his true form with his tail already as a sword.

"You!?" Naruto said doing a back flip over the blade and landing beside Sasuke and Itachi.

"I'm the only unkillable zombie," Sasori said. "Think about it, zombies die from being beheaded but my fatal spot was never my head."

"And I was always immortal," Hidan said stepping out of the trees. "Took a while for Kakuzu to put me back together too."

"Kakuzu's back again too?" Naruto asked.

"You tell me," Kakuzu said appearing behind Naruto.

Naruto spun swinging his sword but Kakuzu caught it in his hand after hardening it.

"I'm going to tear you apart," Naruto said.

He stabbed his swords into the ground then sent ten clones to help Hinata who was trying to hold her own against hundreds of civilian zombies. Then he pulled his swords back out and charged at Kakuzu swinging in a blur while charging his sword with his chakra.

"You want Sasori or Hidan?" Itachi asked holding back the urge to cough up blood again.

"I'll handle Hidan," Sasuke said. "Don't get poisoned."

"Don't get cut," Itachi said. "If you do don't let him get in his symbol."

Hidan had already drawn the symbol on the ground and had his scythe in one hand and his retractable spear in the other. Sasori had his sword in his right hand and was balanced on the chord from his stomach with a metal tube extended from his left palm with a white triangle sticking out of it about an inch.

"Be careful of his projectiles," Naruto said. "They explode."

Itachi nodded and then sprinted at Sasori drawing a ninjato from his robe. Sasuke drew his chokuto and charged at Hidan and Naruto continued swinging at Kakuzu who was easily avoiding Naruto's swords and blocking them despite the chakra running through them.

"I bet I can finish Hidan before you finish Sasori," Sasuke said.

"Not a chance," Itachi said grinning.

"Secret Red Move, Performance of a Hundred Puppets," Sasori said pulling a scroll out of his back and opening the compartment in the right side of his chest.

Hundreds of chakra strings shot into the scroll then a hundred puppets all wearing red cloaks shot out of the scroll into the air then drew weapons.

"Maybe there is a chance that you'll finish Hidan first," Itachi said.

"No Mangekyo Sharingan," Sasuke said.

"Deal," Itachi said.

Naruto leapt over Kakuzu and swung at the top of his head but he caught it then twisted and the blade snapped. Then Kakuzu swung the blade down and into Naruto's stomach. It hit a rib and stopped before it could hit anything vital. Kakuzu let go and punched Naruto's other sword blade smashing that one too and Naruto threw the hilts at him before pulling the blade out. He drove it into the ground and Kurama healed Naruto's wound. Then Naruto pulled out his chakra blades and grinned.

"Those pig stickers won't hurt me you idiot," Kakuzu said.

"Kakuzu those are the same as the blades that Leaf Village shinobi took my head off with," Hidan said. "Be careful."

Kakuzu rolled his eyes just as Naruto dashed forward streaming his Chakra through the blade. He swung at Kakuzu's neck and Kakuzu hardened his arm and held it in the way but the chakra blade cut through it like it was made out of paper. Kakuzu leapt back screaming in a mixture of pain and surprise then the masks shot off of his back and formed into one huge mass of chords and masks. Kakuzu picked up his hand and chords sewed it back on then he flexed it to make sure it still worked. After a moment, he grinned and began forming hand seals. All of the masks then opened their mouths and Naruto gulped and threw a kunai into one of the masks at random destroying the Water Style mask.

"Lightning Style, False Darkness, Fire Style, Searing Migraine, and Wind Style, Pressure Damage!" Kakuzu said firing all three jutsus from the masks.

The Mass of chords expanded before any fired then it spit a fire ball out of the Fire Style mask at the same time as the other attacks launched. The Searing Migraine and Pressure Damage mixed and increased in power until Naruto was about ready to pass out from the heat despite it being over a hundred feet away still. The Lightning Style jutsu shot out of its mask in the form of sixteen bolts of lightning all shooting at Naruto and the surrounding area. Naruto pulled out sixteen Shuriken and threw them at Kakuzu and the Lightning Style jutsu instantly chased them back toward Kakuzu. The powered up Searing Migraine, however, continued to ward Naruto and the ocean behind him. Naruto leapt into the air and summoned Gamatatsu and landed on his back instantly.

"Hurry!" Naruto said as Gamatatsu understood what Naruto needed and prepared his jutsu. "Wind Style, Toad Water Pistol!"

The jutsu hit the Searing Migraine and canceled out a section of it forming a safe area to land. Naruto and Gamatatsu landed safely and instantly prepared another blast.

"Wind Style, Toad Water Pistol!" Naruto said firing the second and blowing all of the remaining masks as well as the mass of chords into tiny pieces and nearly getting Kakuzu along with it.

"Fine," Kakuzu said as the chords connected with him and he formed the same ranged for he had when he had died originally. "Bring it!"

Naruto smirked and summoned Gamakichi.

"You wanna try Gamakichi?" Naruto asked.

"Sure Naruto," Gamakichi said.

Naruto placed his hand on the back of both toads heads and smirked.

"Wind Style, Toad Water Pistol and Wind Style, Toad Fire Storm!" Naruto said grinning.

Gamatatsu shot his water blast and Gamakichi launched a column of flame twice the size of Gamatatsu's blast. Gamatatsu's blast hit and Kakuzu flew backward and smashed into a tree seconds before Gamakichi's jutsu hit. It exploded on contact and The only thing left of Kakuzu was a tiny piece of his robe that was too small to tell where it had come from. Naruto smiled and let Gamatatsu and Gamakichi return to Mount Myoboku then turned toward Sasuke and Itachi who were both also finished their fights.

While Naruto and Itachi fought, Sasuke was avoiding Hidan's spear while blocking his scythe. He had lured Hidan a long distance away from his symbol and toward his trap. The trap had originally been set for Itachi but he figured it would work just as well on Hidan. The trap was simple, a pit trap with wooden spikes on bottom and a thousand explosive tags below that ready to blow Hidan into a million pieces once Hidan was in the pit as well as burying the remains. Suddenly, Hidan switched his tactics and dropped to the ground spinning and swept Sasuke's feet out from under him and then stood and swung the scythe down at him, Sasuke copied Hidan's move and spun tripping Hidan causing his scythe to impale its owner's chest instead of Sasuke's. Then Sasuke stood and Hidan removed the scythe and smirked.

"Not bad kid," Hidan said.

"Thanks," Sasuke said. "Want to see a real move?"

"Sure," Hidan said spreading his arms. "Hit me with your best shot."

Sasuke grinned and began making hand seals. Then his grin increased.

"Fire Style, Dragon Flame Jutsu!" Sasuke said and shot three blasts at Hidan.

They were made out of fire and shaped like dragon heads and Hidan sighed in content as the heat grew. Then, just before connecting, the blasts curved upward into the air and as they heated the air, storm clouds began to gather.

"Huh?" Hidan asked. "You made a storm? I thought it was an attack."

Sasuke grinned and leapt up onto the nearest building he formed a Chidori and held it over his head. Lightning began flashing around the thunder head as a huge lightning dragon formed.

"This jutsu was originally meant for my brother," Sasuke said. "So you had better watch closely Itachi."

The dragon flew back into the thunder cloud and then Sasuke swung his arm down. The dragon turned into a bolt of lightning and flashed out of the sky and hit Hidan full in the face. Then it exploded in an enormous blue ball of energy and fire before fading. There was still a body, however, and Hidan began to stand instantly groaning.

"What!?" Sasuke said dropping to the ground. "Impossible!"

Just then his curse seal throbbed painfully and an enormous eight headed white snake began to grow out of his shoulder. It grew until it was easily a hundred feet tall. Sasuke collapsed once it was out and Hidan grinned. Itachi instantly activated his Mangekyo Sharingan and then a red and orange ghostly form appeared around him with a shield in its left hand and a sword formed in its right.

"So he's broken free," Itachi said. "Fine, I'll seal him away now."

The snake heads began lunging at Itachi and he easily removed several and smashed the others away with his shield. After mere seconds, only one head was left and it opened its mouth as wide as it could.

"What is that thing?" Sasuke asked standing.

As if in answer, Orochimaru became visible in the snake's mouth and puked up his snake sword.

"Finally," Orochimaru said. "Now I'll take over that brat and-"

He was interrupted by Itachi's silhouette's sword impaling him through the chest and most of the rest of his body below that.

"Was that supposed to..." Orochimaru began but stopped when the sword began absorbing him. "It can't be! Is this the Totsuka Blade? Impossible!"

The blade finished sealing Orochimaru and his snake away and then Itachi slashed through Sasori's puppets sealing a large portion of them. Sasuke turned back to Hidan just in time to use his chokuto to block his spear. Then he kicked Hidan who stumbled back then grinned. Sasuke was breathing hard and barely had any chakra left.

"I win," Hidan said.

Just then he took a step forward and the ground below his foot collapsed as he fell into Sasuke's trap.

"Looks like you were wrong," Sasuke said just before the tags exploded and the rubble from the sides of the pit caved in and buried Hidan.

As Sasuke and Naruto fought their battles, Itachi avoided puppets left and right while slashing them with his ninjato and kicked others away. He picked up a fallen ninjato from a puppet and continued fighting until Orochimaru's snake began to free itself from Sasuke. Itachi instantly activated his susanoo and sealed Orochimaru away then turned back to the puppets and began sealing them away by slashing them.

After several minutes, there were very few left so he was having trouble hitting them so he finally just smashed them away with his shield then swung at Sasori. Sasori managed to get out of the way and shot several metal triangles at Itachi. They hit his susanoo and fell to the ground then exploded and the susanoo's ribs cracks and a single chunk fell away along with most of the susanoo's armor which had been shattered.

Sasori suddenly shot forward between the ribs and thrust his sword forward. Itachi dodged it but it managed to leave a papercut. Then Itachi made the susanoo drive its sword inward through its ribs and Sasori managed to dodge it but it went through his chord. It began to absorb it instantly so he ejected it just in time for Itachi to drive his ninjato through his core killing him temporarily. Then the susanoo disappeared.

Naruto walked over just as Itachi collapsed and blood began to pool from a cut Sasori had managed to make with his sword. It was barely a paper cut so Itachi probably hadn't noticed it but the poison from the blade along with the amount of chakra Itachi had used were about a minute or less from killing him.

"Itachi!" Sasuke said kneeling beside his brother.

"It's okay Sasuke," Itachi said. "Now you can take my Mangekyo Sharingan and help Naruto end the apocalypse."

"But..." Sasuke began but couldn't voice whatever it was he wanted to.

Just then, his Sharingan turned black and the design in the middle was three red intersecting ellipses.

"So you finally awakened your Mangekyo Sharingan," Itachi said. "Figures that all it took was my death."

"I'm sorry," Sasuke said. "I should have found a way to save you."

Naruto suddenly felt one of his clones disappear and realized that Hinata and his clones were still fighting the zombies but were making progress toward the Leaf Village.

"Gotta go," Naruto said. "Sasuke bring him to the village once you say your goodbyes."

With that, Naruto ran off into the woods after Hinata and his clones. As he traveled he entered Sage Mode and sped up arriving at Hinata's location just as the rest of his clones were killed. He landed behind Hinata and she dropped to the ground as he spun while covering his arms with bone spikes and killed ten zombies. Then he shot the bones out of his arms into the zombies and killed another eighteen. Then he pulled out his chakra blades as Hinata stood and drew her sword.

"Sorry I'm late," Naruto said. "Kakuzu didn't want to die."

"You could have used Sage Mode," Hinata said.

"Didn't feel like wasting Natural Energy," Naruto said.

Just then the zombies all surged forward and Sasuke landed beside them forming a triangle. Naruto glanced up and saw Itachi's body laying on a branch above them. Then he looked back down and slashed a zombie removing his head. He increased the amount of chakra in his blades until the chakra formed a blade as long as his katana had been. He flipped the blades around to normal grip and began removing heads. Sasuke and Hinata began to do the same thing and after five minutes, they had finished off all of the zombies. Naruto put his blades away then grew two curved bone chokuto out of his shoulder and put them in his previous swords' scabbards.

"Okay," Naruto said. "Now we need to head back. Sasuke, I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Sasuke said. "We need to move."

Naruto nodded and had a clone retrieve Itachi's body then they all began moving toward the Leaf Village again.

THE END

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