Naruto stared up at the ceiling, arms crossed behind his head as he lay on the bed. Ever since his experience at the Waterfall of Truth he hadn't left his room, save for meals or to relieve himself. Even then though, he was quiet, quickly going about his business so that he could return to the solitude of his room to continue torturing himself. From the shadows cast across the ceiling, he could tell that it was noon of the next day; still, his mind replayed the encounter as if it had occurred mere moments ago. He grit his teeth, screwing his eyes shut as he rolled to his side, slamming his fist down onto the bed. No matter how much he agonized over it, he couldn't think of a way to combat the darkness inside of him.

"And I can't ask the others for help," He thought to himself, "This is my battle, and mine alone…" At that thought, he felt more despair fall over him; the words his clone had spoken seemed to ring even more true at this moment. So caught up in his suffering was he that he missed the soft knock on his door; it was only until it became louder, more insistent that he responded.

"It's open," He called out, sitting up. The door opened slightly; Sakura's head poked into the room, smiling in what appeared to be relief to see him looking at her. She opened the door fully, letting herself into the room as she closed the door behind her.

"You seem…well," She said, hands flopping uselessly by her sides. "Or rather, as well as one can be after confronting themselves."

He let out a short, gruff laugh, swinging his legs over the bed so that he was sitting up. "Yeah well, the wounds aren't exactly physical." He muttered; she sat beside him, hand lightly touching against the back of his.

"Mental wounds can result in physical ones," She said, shrugging. "But, you're still living and breathing, so that means they haven't overtaken you yet."

He nodded, feeling a small sense of comfort in her presence there. He thought that he should have to take this challenge on all alone, without any of their help; but, with Sakura by his side, a small part of him chided him for thinking that way.

"Those so called 'comrades' of yours will turn their backs on you as soon as you cease being useful."

Naruto jerked his hand away from hers as if he had been burned by the touch. Sakura frowned at his behavior, brows furrowing together in concern. He looked over at her, sighing at her expression; despite knowing he owed her an explanation, he found the words couldn't come. He looked back down at the floor, head hanging as he concentrated on his hands, the fingers repeatedly flexing and relaxing. He heard her sigh, but he still kept his eyes trained on his hands, refusing to meet her gaze.

"Naruto," She began; he interrupted her, the words finally coming to him.

"Will you abandon me," He asked suddenly. He continued, not seeing the puzzled expression displayed on her face. "I mean, we're best friends, so logically you shouldn't, but…this is different than before. If…If I can't convince the dragons…will you abandon me?"

"Is that what's been bothering you?"

"Not just you…but Sasuke and Kakashi as well. I mean, you guys understand what's going on a lot better than I do, and you might think I'm not needed for the quest. And then there's the people I'll have to lead, people who probably see me as nothing but a miscreant; how am I going to unite them?"

Sakura sighed, running her fingers through her hair. "Well, for starters, you're an idiot for thinking that I'll ever abandon you." Naruto pouted, glaring at her slightly for that comment; she ignored him, continuing. "I mean, we've been best friends since childhood, and if you think just because I have a duty to stop Kaguya I would abandon you, then you clearly haven't gotten the message that dwarves value loyalty to their comrades more than anything else. After all, what's father's favorite saying?"

Naruto grinned, remembering how he would lecture it to them all the time. "'Those who don't follow the rules are trash, but those who abandon their comrades are worse than trash!'"

She nodded. "Right! Now then, as for Sasuke, you two have formed a close bond with each other. He may not speak much, but when he does it is usually as a comrade and not just as a guardian. For an elf to consider you a friend, you will have their utmost loyalty to you until they take their very last breath."

"And what of Kakashi?"

"He's the one who started this journey," Sakura pointed out, "So, if he wants to give up on it so easily, then he's someone you shouldn't associate yourself with anyway. After all, a good king must surround himself with strong advisors, and must not give up on an ideal unless there is no other alternative to help his people."

Naruto frowned at the mention of other people, turning his gaze back down toward the ground. Sakura noticed his change in demeanor, leaning forward to look at him questioningly. He saw her gaze out of the corner of his eyes, sighing as he decided to speak another fear. "What if…no one will follow me? What if, because of my past, no one will respect me?"

Sakura leaned back, turning her gaze towards the ceiling. "You remember the stories my father would tell us? About his youth?"

Naruto smiled wistfully, memories of days spent sitting around his throne as he told fantastic tales coming to mind. "Like how he singlehandedly took down a boar that fed the mountain for months?"

She snorted, remembering how later on elder members of the clan muttered that the boar had actually run into a tree while chasing her father. "More or less. He was headache to the clan as well, getting into trouble and embellishing his stories a little too much to be in good taste. Many people worried that when he ascended the throne, he would bring shame to the Haruno name; and early on in his reign, some considered he had."

"But, that night, when the orcs attacked and no one knew what to do, he gathered his weapons and mounted up. When he was asked what he was doing, he turned to the crowd that had gathered…and said 'These orcs have threatened our comrades, and no doubt will come threaten our mountain. I would rather die driving them away then let them get another kilometer closer to my family!' And in that moment, with those powerful words hanging in the air, it was like the clan forgot his past mistakes and saw only the good in him; saw how he embodied loyalty to his friends and family, and the courage it takes to face enemies. When he left he was not alone like he expected, but had at least a hundred men following behind him." She finished, smiling as she looked at Naruto. "At least, that's what he says; you know how he likes to increase numbers here and there."

Naruto nodded, only vaguely paying attention to her final tidbit. In his mind, B's words about connecting with people rang through his mind. "Words, huh," He thought, smiling slightly to himself. Sakura noticed his smile, causing her own smile to appear; she stood up, stretching slightly.

"Well, if you're feeling better, you should come watch Sasuke's training with me." She said, looking at him. He cocked his head to the side, confusion slightly on his face.

"What training?"

"To control the magic," She replied, "Ever since we got back yesterday, he's been prowling around to have Kakashi teach him. He practically pounced on him this morning, and Kakashi seemed to know it was going to happen. It was almost like watching a mother placate a grumpy child," Sakura noted offhandedly, chuckling slightly at the memory. "Anyway, what do you say?"

Naruto shrugs, standing up from the bed. "Well, maybe some fresh air will do me some good. Besides, I can laugh at Sasuke when he inevitably fails."

"That's the spirit!" She said, grasping his hand and pulling him out of the room. He smiled as he went along with her, reflecting silently on their conversation yet feeling in better spirits already.

"Maybe…I don't have to do it all alone."

"What are you two doing here," Sasuke asked, arms crossed over his chest as he stared at them. Sakura mimicked his pose, raising an eyebrow at him in challenge.

"Can't two friends come out to support their other friend in his endeavors?"

"No," came his short response as he turned his back on them. Sakura's brows became drawn together as she stomped her foot on the ground, hands balled into her fists at her sides.

"If you're going to refuse me, at least do it to my face!"

"And here I thought you two were getting along better after last night," Kakashi muttered; Sakura's face turned pink, while Sasuke's ear twitched slightly at words.

"Y-You…"

"Eavesdropping mage."

"Did I miss something," Naruto asked, scratching the back of his head. "What, did they kiss or something?"

No sooner than the words left his mouth did Naruto find himself caught in a headlock by Sakura. He gasped as he felt her arm tighten around his throat, successfully cutting off oxygen. He looked up at her from the corner of his eye; her face was a brighter shade of pink with a deceptively sweet smile on her face.

"Would you care to say that again?"

"N-No…n-not at all," He gasped out. Satisfied with his answer, she released him; Naruto held his throat, coughing. He looked up, seeing that Sasuke was glaring at him while Kakashi was merely watching it amusedly.

"Well, now that that's been settled, shall we begin Sasuke?"

Sasuke nodded, taking his position in front of Kakashi, arms at his sides. He closed his eyes, inhaling deeply as he searched for the spark of power that laid dormant inside. His mind replayed the times he had summoned magic; the adrenaline that coursed through his veins, the fierce desire to protect that had overcome him. Slowly he felt it awaken, the heat lazily crawling through his veins, warming him to his very core. "Ram en'naur," He exhaled the words out; a ring of fire spread out from around him.

Kakashi smiled slightly, feeling the heat gently caress his body. "Very good," He said, raising his staff. "Now, let's see how you fare in combat." He pressed the end of his staff into the ground, the crescent moon glowing; a large fireball suddenly shot from the end of it towards Sasuke. As it drew nearer, Sasuke's eyes flew open, hands coming up as if to catch the fireball.

"Koron en'naur," He shouted; his own ball of fire shot forth, colliding with Kakashi's. The flames engulfed each other, dissipating into a thick smoke that made it hard to see in the clearing. Sasuke's brows furrowed as he looked for Kakashi, unable to find him despite being able to see through the smoke. He cursed as the smoke slowly began to clear, knowing that it was only a matter of time before Kakashi would strike.

"Temper," Came Kakashi's chiding voice from behind. Sasuke's eyes widened as he turned around just in time to be hit in the chest with a stream of water. He flew backwards, landing flat on his back a few feet away from Naruto and Sakura. He groaned, sitting up slowly; Kakashi casually walked out of the smoke, waving his hand as a wind came through to blow the rest of it away. He observed as Sasuke rose to his feet carefully, noting that despite his direct surprise attack he wasn't showing symptoms of falling under the shadows' control.

"Which is good," He thought to himself, eye trained on Sasuke. "But unfortunately, for him to at least understand how to control it, I need it to come out."

He raised his staff above his head as he stirred it in the air; slowly, a large stream of water began to form above him, the flow following the movements of his staff. Sasuke put his hands in front of his body, focusing the fire in his veins to move towards his hands. "Naur tinchor ostring," He uttered; the flames burst to life, molding themselves into the shape of a shield before instantly cooling into a hardened substance. He charged towards Kakashi as soon as the last of the heat died away, shield raised in front of his body so as to block the incoming water attack. Kakashi merely smirked at his attempt, bringing his staff down to point at Sasuke; the water shot forward, slamming into the center of the shield. The shield instantly shattered under the pressure, the flames that it transformed into extinguished before having a chance to fall onto the ground. Again, Sasuke was sent flying backwards as the jet him in square in the chest, the wind knocked out of him as he fell flat on his back. As he blinked to clear the spots from his vision, he felt the end of Kakashi's staff dig into his chest.

"A good attempt," He said, "A cold fire shield has a better chance of withstanding water magic, simply because it turns solid rather than stay fire. However," he began, pressing the end harder into Sasuke's chest, earning him a groan of discomfort from the elf, "No matter how clever your counter spells, if your opponent is stronger, you will lose."

"Then how am I to beat you," Sasuke spat, glaring at him. Kakashi put a finger to his chin, looking up thoughtfully at the sky.

"Since when did this become about beating me," He responded; Sasuke blinked, prompting him to continue. "We are merely training to control it right now. And, from those three spells you performed, you happen to have good control. At least, over those three specific spells."

"Is this a joke to you?"

"Am I laughing," Kakashi questioned back, removing the end of his staff from his chest; warily, Sasuke rose to his feet. He expected some form of attack, yet Kakashi merely watched him as if he was observing him, awaiting the first move to come from him. Suddenly, a ball of fire flickered to life in Kakashi's hand; he held it up, bringing it close to his face as if he were examining it for any imperfections. Just as soon as it had appeared, it vanished into thin air, leaving behind nothing more than a trail of smoke to indicate that it had existed. Sasuke couldn't help the tilt of his head to the side as he watched Kakashi, confused as to why he would waste energy to create something only for it to disappear.

"Christ," Naruto shouted, snapping Sasuke out of his thoughts. He jerked his head over to where Sakura and Naruto had seated themselves to watch. His eyes widened slightly as he saw Naruto sprawled on the ground, the tips of his hair singed as the fireball returned to Kakashi's hand; Sakura had pushed herself away from Naruto, watching him as if he might spontaneously combust.

"What the hell are you doing," Sasuke demanded, glaring at Kakashi. Kakashi merely raised an eyebrow, spinning the fireball in his hand as he regarded it.

"Decided to make it more interesting," Was his reply. "After all, enemies aren't going to be nice and focus solely on you." He said, the fireball doubling in size. Instantly, it vanished again; Kakashi smiled as he looked at Sasuke. "Now, let's guess where it will land, hmm?"

Immediately Sasuke turned his attention back towards Naruto and Sakura; Sakura knelt besides Naruto, checking to make sure he wasn't injured. She looked up, face the epitome of fury as her glare became fixated on Kakashi. As she began to scold Kakashi for being so reckless, the fireball slowly began to materialize above her and Naruto. Sasuke cursed under his breath, running towards them as Kakashi watched. Sakura paused in mid-sentence as she watched Sasuke come towards them, eyebrows drawn together in confusion; unbeknownst to her, the fireball had begun to fall towards them.

"Move," Sasuke called out to her. Again, he cursed as she turned around instead, her eyes widening as she saw the fireball quickly approaching them. Despite every muscle within her screaming at her to run, she found herself rooted to the spot, transfixed to continue to stare at the fire. Sasuke sped up, despite knowing that at the speed the fireball was falling he wouldn't make it in time.

"Let us help," The voices from within whispered. As if possessed, Sasuke's arm outstretched itself; the fireball halted its descent, the heat blasting against Sakura's body. He felt as if he was a spectator, watching as his body moved of its own accord and his mouth formed a spell he had used once before.

"Pelekta yassen runya," Sasuke said, arm moving to point towards Kakashi. The fireball followed his movements, hurtling towards Kakashi at a frightening speed. Kakashi's eye widened, staff hitting the ground; walls of earth instantly sprung up to protect him. The fireball slammed into them, dispersing as the walls crumbled immediately. Kakashi's mouth was set into a grim line as he observed Sasuke, noticing that the onyx of his was replaced by blood red.

"Got him," Kakashi thought, banging the staff onto the ground; the crescent moon shined brightly in response. Sasuke covered his eyes to keep himself from being blinded, not noticing that the light shown on his shoulder, revealing the mark that Kakashi had given at Danzou's castle. Kakashi raised his arm, hand balled into a fist; as he spread his fingers, runes began to crawl down Sasuke's body and onto the ground. As they touched the ground, they solidified into solid chains, bringing Sasuke down to his knees as he struggled to fight against them. Kakashi grit his teeth as he banged his staff again, causing the runes to rotate slightly on the ground. Sasuke ceased his struggles as they turned, staring ahead at Kakashi with blank eyes; Sakura and Naruto watched the ordeal from afar.

"What the hell are you doing to him," Naruto shouted, standing up. "I thought you were helping him to control his powers, not chaining him up like a wild animal!"

"This is to help him control it," Kakashi responded, keeping his eyes trained on Sasuke. "These runes are part of a sealing spell to keep novice mages under control. However, it blocks the channel that allows the raw power from manifesting into a deadly force. Not only that, but the seal is only effective as long as the caster is near the afflicted."

"Meaning that if you were to die, or to get separated from us, Sasuke could succumb." Sakura stated, having realized where the conversation was going.

Kakashi nodded grimly, still focused on Sasuke. "Yes, and the fact that keeping the seal on him doesn't allow him to unlock his true potential. Now that it's been manifested, I want him to cultivate his powers before he faces against more powerful mages."

Naruto frowned, looking over at Sasuke. "Yeah but, why'd you attack us?"

"When a mage comes into their true power, it is usually through a trigger. Whether it be to create someone's happiness or to have the strength to destroy all their enemies, the power is called upon to see that urge fulfilled. Saving his own life didn't appear to be what triggered him, so I had to resort to some…unusual methods," Kakashi said, offering an apologetic smile. "Sorry if I scared you."

"Tch, perhaps warn us next time," Sakura muttered, coming up beside Naruto. Her gaze softened slightly as she watched him continue to stare at Sasuke as he no doubt waged an internal war. She gently placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder, snapping him out of his thoughts as he turned to look at her.

"He'll be fine," She said, offering a hopeful smile. "He came back to us after Danzou, and he was far worse then."

Naruto nodded, smiling as well as he turned back to watch Sasuke. For now, all they could do was wait for him to return; whether he would be better for it or not, only time would tell.

"So that mage has forced you into our lair." The voices said; Sasuke stood his ground in the inky darkness, prepared to fight.

"Show yourself!" He called out, searching the area for the source of the voice. It merely chuckled, the sound reverberating throughout the area so that it sounded as if a hundred voices laughed at his expense.

"Foolish child, we have no form," It spoke, "We are the essence of darkness, the culmination of fear and hatred. Wherever strife exists, we shall flourish."

"Essence or not, you still speak in a manner that indicates you have a personality," Sasuke responded, "Now either show me a form, or be banished by the light of my fire!" He shouted, hands becoming alight with fire. The voices hissed slightly at the sudden light, seeming to shrink away from him. Dark clouds suddenly came down, taking a funnel shape in front of Sasuke; he raised his hands, prepared to strike if the time came. Slowly the clouds began to disperse as a man stepped forward, his pointed ears poking through his long black tousled mane. With every movement he made the red plated armor he wore banged together; underneath, he wore a long purple shirt with purple pants, similar in appearance to Sasuke's garb. He smirked as his own black eyes met Sasuke's, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Does this form please you," He asked tauntingly; Sasuke glared at him, feeling his blood boil at the question.

"You chose Madara," He hissed, "I should destroy you on the spot for that!"

"We did not mean to offend," He replied, "We thought that it would be easier to relate to someone from both your clan, and who came into his powers similar to how you did."

"I do not crave to destroy villages and cities!"

"But you do crave to protect the ones you hold dear, especially after it was all ripped away," He spoke, snapping his fingers; instantly, images of Sakura, Naruto, and Kakashi were conjured. "You lost your family, and at the sight of almost losing the girl, you had a strong wish to protect them. Most importantly, you had the strong desire to avenge their mistreatment at the hands of Lord Danzou; similar to how Madara wanted to avenge Izuna's death."

Sasuke relaxed slightly, taken aback by the observation the shadows had. Had he really summoned magic because of his desire for revenge? As he thought, all he could remember was wishing to make those men pay for what they did to Sakura in the dungeon; while he knew there was some protective instinct in there, he began to think that revenge was truly what had stirred him on. Unnoticed by him, the shadows smirked as they continued their tale.

"Revenge and protection go hand in hand my boy, especially in cases such as yours. Why, even in Madara's case, he was able to save his men and Gyuki from total destruction. Of course, sometimes power goes to the heads of both men and elves. But you…" Madara spoke, circling around Sasuke, eyeing him up and down. "You have potential to be superior to all those before."

"If I control you," Sasuke stated, watching him warily. Madara raised an eyebrow, cocking his head to the side.

"Who told you that?"

"The Mage of All Elements, Kakashi Hatake."

Madara laughed. "That pathetic excuse for a mage? He says control will make you stronger? Did he conveniently forget to mention how, despite his control, he wasn't strong enough to save the Nohara clan, as well as one of our clansmen?"

For a moment, Sasuke's eyes widened, before returning to their glare at him. "What lies do you speak?"

"No lies; only truth," He shrugged. "In the past, the Nohara clan came under attack by some of Lady Kaguya's less competent forces. However, because the clan's village was currently celebrating the betrothal of Rin Nohara and Obito Uchiha, it was rather simple for them to sneak in. Kakashi had come to celebrate the future marriage of his two best friends, yet instead he came to merely watch them die while he sat by helpless to watch. Is that what you want?"

Suddenly an image appeared, displaying a bloodied battlefield where depictions of Kaguya's forces fought against Naruto, Sakura, and Kakashi. Sasuke watched in horrid fascination as one of the beasts cleanly ran its blade through Kakashi's neck, severing his head from his shoulders; it flew, landing a few feet away as the body collapsed. Naruto turned to look at Kakashi, eyes wide in horror, ignoring Sakura's cries to watch out. In an instant, a blade was run through his back, the point sticking through his stomach. Sakura screamed, charging through the fray, axe swinging wildly as she rushed to be by her friend's dying side. However, before she get there, a creature stood in her path, and before she could counter had run its sword through her chest. A choked gasp rose from her throat as blood began to pour from her mouth, green eyes slowly dimming as the life left them.

"Enough," Sasuke roared, swiping his hand through the image. He turned to glare at Madara, hands balled tightly into fists. "If controlling you won't give me the power I need, then what will damn it?"

"Cooperation," Madara said; he raised a finger, hushing Sasuke before he could speak. "More specifically, we must become more integral to your person. The sealing spell of the mage prevents us from helping you unleash your full potential in battle while he is around; however, there is a way around it."

"I'm listening."

"You must let us in; let me become an integral part of you, a piece of your personality. The mage's sealing spell won't detect it, and it will give you a direct link to the power that you desire."

"What happens when people notice I'm a different person?"

"It will not happen, dear child," Madara said. "The changes will be non-existent in your daily routine, and they will only help you in battle. You've nothing to fear," He assured him, holding out his hand. "Do we have a deal?"

Sasuke looked at the offered hand, working to weigh his options carefully. Dare he go against the mage's words and become partners with the shadows? "It's a type of control," A part of him whispered, "Besides, do you want to see them all die?"

At that sentence, the images from before flashed through his mind, steeling his resolve. Sasuke grasped Madara's hand tightly, giving it a firm shake. "Aa," He replied, staring into Madara's eyes. Madara smirked, releasing his hand.

"Very good. Now run along Sasuke, your friends may be worried."

The runes on the ground began to spin again, allowing Sasuke to fall forward onto his hands. They crawled along his body to return to the mark on his shoulder as the light from Kakashi's staff faded. After it had finished, Naruto and Sakura rushed to his side, each looking concerned as Kakashi watched from afar. Sasuke waved away their hands as he stood shakily on his legs, panting slightly as his gaze met Kakashi's.

"Were you successful," Kakashi asked, eyebrow raised in question. Sasuke nodded, smirking slightly. Naruto clapped him on the shoulder, earning an annoyed look from Sasuke.

"So Sasuke, what was it like," He asked excitedly, "Did you have a big all-out brawl inside your mind?"

"Hmph, unlike you, elves are more civilized than to fight our problems. No, it was merely a discussion with a bit of fighting and threats; eventually, I cast it away to never bother us again."

"How'd you do that? Ooh, I bet it was some amazing magic spell that casts light throughout the entire area, right?"

The image of Naruto skewered on a sword flashed through his mind for a moment. He shook his head trying to rid it of the image, though Naruto thought he was shaking his head. "Nay, it was…of possibilities. Possibilities of what would happen to us."

"So you thought about us? Aww, that's so," Naruto paused mid-sentence, eyes lighting up as an idea emerged in his head. "Oh, that's what I should do!" He said, grinning like a madman as he turned to Kakashi. "Hey Kakashi, can I send a message to A? I have to go back to that waterfall today; I figured it out!"

Kakashi smiled tiredly, leaning against his staff slightly. "How about we send a message with Samui, Karui, or Omoi? I'm sure Lord A is rather busy at the moment."

Naruto pouted slightly. "Well, as long as it's tomorrow. Come elf," Naruto cheered, slinging his arm around Sasuke's shoulders as he began to walk back inside, ignoring Sasuke's glare. "We shall hold a feast for your success and for my ingenious plan! I'll even cook the food."

"I'm sure your cooking is abominable," Sasuke replied, earning a shout from Naruto. Sakura smiled slightly as she watched them enter, Kakashi walking up beside her. He looked over at her, raising an eyebrow at how she hung back.

"You do not wish to join the merrymaking?"

"It is hard to make merry when one feels troubled."

"And what possibly hangs over your head?"

"Dwarves have a saying: 'Wherever there are elves, there are lies.' It was a fun jest for us, and I've learned it is not true, but…" She paused, turning to look at Kakashi. "Doesn't something seem off?"

Kakashi smiled sadly at her question. "I will admit, something within his admissions seemed false. However, there is nothing to worry about; my sealing spell will work as long as I am alive and around him. And if it proves that the sealing has grown weaker during this time, I have stronger spells to keep it at bay."

Sakura nodded, feeling her unease put slightly at ease while Kakashi began to walk into the house. "Now come, let's make sure Naruto doesn't burn the house down while he's so jovial." He said jokingly; Sakura laughed, walking in after him.

"Lord Orochimaru will be waiting for you on the other side of the mountain, yeah." Deidara spoke as he fastened his pack to his bird. "Lord Danzou will be with him, so don't go and try to blow his head off, alright Itachi?"

"That would jeopardize the mission," Itachi spoke, checking his own pack for any imperfections. Deidara rolled his eyes as he climbed atop the bird, looking down at Itachi.

"Yeah well, sometimes he and Orochimaru can be a bunch of pricks. You should reach them within a day's time; once you've captured Son Goku, ride him back to Lady Kaguya immediately. Understood?"

"Of course," Itachi said, already heading towards the direction he needed to go. Deidara sighed, mumbling under his breath about ungrateful elves as the bird rose into the air, flying towards the village of Kumo.

A/N: I wanna say I was busy, but the truth is I just didn't really know how to set everything up. Well, that and since I'm off I have been sleeping like a cat. Like today I slept almost eleven hours I think. Not consecutive, but pretty darn close.