DISCLAIMER!: I DON'T OWN NARUTO! Thought you'd know by now...

(A/N): 9 chapters left until the END OF PART 1. Enjoy these times guys. Enjoy it.

TO THE STORY!

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Chapter 111: Tying Up Loose Ends

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The twins looked at their older brother in awe. "Really!?" they asked at the same time, eyes filled with stars. And then they looked to the now confused Izumi. "Hey Unca, who's she?" Akari pointed to the little girl, who was a year older than the twins. Izumi gave a quiet 'eep' and clung to Naruto, trying to hide somehow. Naruto smiled and stood up and shifted Izumi's weight in his arms.

"Everyone, I would like you to meet the newest member of the family. This little tyke is Izumi. And I hope we can all be one big happy family."

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In the vast valleys of Tsuchi no Kuni, two figures were watching over a wandering man. The man was giant, easily 6' 4''. He wore red tiled armor with a large rice farmers hat made of the same materiel. But the strangest thing about the man was that he carried a large furnace on his back, nearly the same size as them man himself.

The two who were watching him stood on top of a large stone spire, hiding behind some of its mass. They both wore grey cloaks and white masks. One of the two, the taller one, wielded a massive broadsword, covered in bandages. While the smaller of the two sported a tanto on his left shoulder. They had been watching the wandering man for weeks, keeping tabs on him, and most importantly, keeping him safe.

"It's kinda strange, don't ya think?" the taller of the two said. The shorter one turned to him and tilted his head. "How so?" he asked in a deep monotone voice. The taller one shrugged and looked back to their charge. "Well, he knows we've been watching him for the past month, and yet he doesn't seem to care. I mean, this guy has quite the track record for him to NOT know we're here. I guess the guy really doesn't like humanity like the rumors say." the tall man mused.

The shorter one shook his head and returned to sitting in silence. They stayed that way until their charge made it far enough to move locations again.

But before they settled in their new hiding spot, something happened. Their charge stopped his movements and took a defensive stance. And not two seconds later, the area he was in exploded into fire.

"Shit! Itachi, come on, it's game time!" the tall man said as he brandished his broad sword. Itachi nodded a followed. "Right behind you Kisame!" he said as the two made their way to defend the armored man.

The man in red armor jumped out of the inferno with hardly a scratch on him, showing his skill and immunity to flame. "So you two finally want to make your move?" he grumbled as Itachi and Kisame land next to him, prepared for a fight. "Actually Han-san, we were ordered to defend you by a third party who has your best interest at heart." Itachi said to the Iwa Shinobi.

Han snorted and shook his head. "I figured that. I was talking to the other two shit heads that have been following me for the past hour." he said as he glared at the two figures coming out of the flame. The first to clear the flame was a tall man with a muscular frame. He had long brown hair with two bangs that lined his face. He also had tanned skin with red lips as well as grey eyes. The second man had wore a long black cloak with a hood that covered most of his head, save his right eye, showing the crimson of the Sharingan and a few locks of long black hair.

Itachi stiffened when he saw the man. He reached up and removed his mask and looked at him. "It's been a while, brother. Have you gotten any stronger since I last saw you?" Itachi asked him. Sasuke sneered at his older brother. "I wouldn't be here if I wasn't." he said with venom in his voice. He turned his head to his partner and scowled. "Raiga, you handle Kisame. Itachi is mine." he said in a low growl while unsheathing his katana.

Raiga shrugged and pulled out two strange looking blades. They were short swords with two sickle like bladed on either sides. "Fine, I always wanted to know which was better anyway, the Samehada, or the Kiba?" he said with a smirk before dashing towards Kisame. He didn't make it far though, as a large cloud of steam covered the area, blocking his view of his target. "What the fuck!?" he said in confusion as he looked around, trying to find his way out.

"Did you forget I was here as well!?" a deep rumbling voice called out as Raiga took a heavy blow to his stomach, sending him skidding across the ground in pain. Raiga rolled to his feet and jumped back and out of the steam right as another fist connected with where he was, crushing the stone under the heavy strike.

Raiga cursed and tried to channel lightning into his swords, but was interrupted when he was forced to duck and then jump away from a slashing combo from Kisame.

The blue skinned man turned to Itachi and smirked. "We'll handle this reject swordsman. Why don't you go play with your brother for a little while?" he said before turning back towards Raiga and charged him with Han by his side.

Itachi nodded before drawing his tanto. "So little brother, why don't we see how far you have come?" he asked before disappearing in a blur of speed. Sasuke readied his blade and blocked the attack Itachi sent at him from behind without looking. "You'll have to do better than that you bastard!" he roared as he sent a back kick towards Itachi's face. The older Uchiha ducked underneath the kick and swiped at Sasuke's base leg, knocking him off his feet.

Sasuke landed on his back but rolled backwards in time to dodge Itachi's thrust with his tanto. Sasuke returned to his feet and dashed forward, bringing his sword up and channeling lighting chakra through it. He brought the lightning enhanced blade down on his brother and easily cut through his tanto. His blade continued to cut into Itachi's shoulder, but right as the blade made contact, the older Uchiha burst into a murder of crows, blocking Sasuke's view.

Through the confusion the birds brought, Itachi smashed his fist into the side of Sasuke's head, sending him sliding across the ground. The younger Uchiha recovered quickly and jumped into the air. "Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu!" he called before sending a massive ball of flame towards the elder Uchiha. Itachi dodged the flame with a well time shunshin and reappeared in a flock of crows. He ran through a set of hand signs while in mid air behind his younger brother. "Katon: Hosenka no Jutsu!" he called sending a volley of smaller blasts of flame towards his brother's back. Sasuke spun around just in time for the first explosion to rock his location.

Itachi sighed as he watched the flames cover his brother in a massive inferno. "I'm sorry little brother...but it seems you still aren't strong enou-" he started to say until the flames began to disappear. More inportantly, they looked like they were being DRAWN IN to were Sasuke was standing. Itachi's eyes widened as he watched his brother absorb the attack. He stood there with only some light burns that singed off his hood and parted of his sleeves.

And now with Sasuke's hood removed, Itachi could easily see the source of Sasuke's now power in the boys left eye.

"The Rinnegan..." he breathed in disbelief. How could he have gotten it?

Sasuke began to chuckle. That chuckle grew louder and louder until it became a full on laugh. Sasuke had a crazed look in his eyes as he looked at his brother. "Well, I guess your wondering how I got this little bit of power, aren't you Bro?" he cackled before removing his cloak. He wore black ninja pants and black sandals, but nothing covered his chest. And on his chest was something horrifying.

It was a face. A grey face covered his chest right over his heart. "Madara oh so graciously saved me with this after you stabbed me those few months ago. You see, I unlocked the Rinnegan after receiving cells from the Shodiame Hokage. Senju Hashirama. It also seems, that if you combine Uchiha cells with Senju, you seem to gain the Rinnegan. Now, it isn't perfect yet. I still need to train in using it before I could take on that fucking Uzumaki and his eyes. But you? I think I have enough knowledge to gut you however I want!" he cackled before lunging towards his brother.

Itachi scowled as he engaged his brother. After a brief encounter, Sasuke jumped back and raised a hand. "Shinra Tensei!" he called and launched Itachi back. The older Uchiha recovered however, and landed on his feet ready to continue. "You really aren't as strong as Seinaru-san. And you also to seem to be forgetting something..." he said before standing straight.

Sasuke growled at his brother. "And what's that?" he hissed. Itachi smirked at his brother before a orange fire like glow covered his body. "The power that the Sharingan holds. Susano'o!"

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(A/N): To be continued...

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