A/N: Hello and welcome to the big one-two installment! Adulting can put the biggest damper on fanfic life, but your patience is so appreciated! As I'm sure you all know, I don't own any of this and it is based loosely on the events of the anime. This entry is set during the war arc. I am so thankful to all those who have offered sincere feedback and to those that have followed this story as I've bettered myself as a writer. Thank you from the bottom of my heart! This fic is my baby and I am proud of both the work I've put into it and the progress I've made!

Sasuke (Duel)

"I can't see..." a man's voice rumbled in the nearby space, both my ears tuning into the sound and my eyes shifting into a chakra reconnaissance mode of sorts to ascertain their specific placement in relation to myself. The chakra I'd located was a muted gray, a tone I'd never seen amongst the many other hues of energy. They appeared to be on the smaller side and a smirk tugged the corners of my lips upward.

You may not be able to see me...but I can see you...

I lunged toward the figure with precision, fist clenched and directed toward what would have been their face to deliver a devastating blow to their jaw. My deepest intention was to shatter the bone and dislodge any teeth I could. The rush of air whirling around their figure and the rotation of their signature, as well as the contact, told me that the hit has been a critical success and I grinned widely.

"Princess..?" He rumbled from his landing place after I heard him catch his breath.

At the throaty mention, I rushed them warily. I could hear stones clatter together and managed to jerk out of the way of a fist that darted forward in my sights. I made space between the two of us for the briefest of moments, studying the sooty signature that their bodily chakra displayed. When I knew where to strike, I dove for the most opportune spot.

My knuckles crunched into a stone barrier and I allowed a low groan of pain, retreating from my place once again to shake the pain from my fingers before eureka struck. I focused my chakra and began to weave the most familiar signs I knew.

If I can't hit you close up, I'll burn you from a distance.

I drew in the oxygen nearest to my mouth to quell it deep within for one pregnant pause, my torso expanding with the rush of air. When the amount of chakra I wove into the breath was sufficient, I blew a roaring flame from between my lips. The heat signature raced from me and toward the muddled chakra form I was opposing. With their attention on the fireballs careening their way, I pushed off from the sandy earth below to assault head-on. The crackle and feverish air was not enough of a warning and I felt my skin sizzle as fire licked through the cloth I wore. My dash transitioned into a roll in the dirt and a low groan at the stinging injuries.

Stone and fire user...gotta keep moving.

With the utmost flexibility and athleticism, I avoided most of the flames still rushing toward me and found myself locked into fisticuffs with my adversary. I calculated their height to be under five and a half feet by their strikes and blocks, but found that to be a downfall as a fist crunched my chin and sent me out of orientation. My limbs shot out for protection from the fall and I felt the top of my right foot squarely against their head, the bone of the temple not unfamiliar to me. That contact had been enough to right myself and I flitted back a few meters to reassess and catch my breath. My enemy stood relatively still and I rushed them again, determined to be relentless until the end.

A muted blue light sprung forth as though the heavens themselves called for it and I watched it weave into a humanoid figure, my jaw dropping at the mass of it and realization of what has spawned. Whomever I was facing had awakened the Mangekyo in both of their eyes or were in possession of an Uchiha's enhanced pair, and had to make use of their Susano'o. My assault was repelled and I resorted to using some of my more powerful ninjutsu, almost all of which were absorbed or repelled before I began to channel electricity through my arm. I'd make it between the skeleton's ribs.

"Chidori!"

With a grin of devilish pleasure, I felt the connect and heard the snap of bones that I could discern to be my opponent's ribcage. The pastel blue cage around them withered away until it was no longer present as their focus drained. They crumpled with a guttural groan as the static crackled between my fist and their torso. Their feet scrabbled against the ground and they removed themselves from the close contact hastily, but I followed the sound and continued striking.

I'm sure you can't keep taking these hits for long...

All the muscles in my body froze in a single instant, frustration blooming as I wracked my brain for a probable cause. An abrupt booming from Madara's voice answered my questions almost as soon as they surfaced.

"Congratulations, Sasuke," he praised, the sound reverberating through my skull, "it would appear that you were the right choice after all."

"NO!"

The scream that pierced my ears was no longer the gruff man I'd faced, but a voice that cradled me through most of my life. The tone was one that was etched into my ears roughly a decade prior, one of absolute horror.

No, it can't be...she's gone.

Naruto (Safe)

I no longer wondered why the twins held such adoration for their elder brother as I watched his graceful bounds from one tree limb to the next. Itachi could cover as much ground as I could with Sage mode, if not the littlest bit further. Even after the life he'd been bestowed, the fallen Uchiha moved with calculated steps and a knowing gaze that had me wanting to mirror him. His dedication to his siblings and the village rivaled only my own. The words that he soon relayed to me placated my racing and uncertain heart.

"I'm thankful to say that my sister is alive," Itachi announced, not even turning his head to face me as we crossed dozens of meters in a single leap. "I have a good idea of where she's being kept, but I'm going to need Sasuke's help getting her out, more than likely."

Every branch to pass over seemed that much closer at the confirmation that my partner was alive, but I carried apprehension at the mention of captivity and sought to hear what could be done to aid her escape.

"What can I do?" I hedged eagerly, picking up the pace to close our gap just slightly and to clearly decipher whatever orders he may have had for me.

"Go to the battlefield and help where you can," he instructed, again not meeting my gaze as he pressed onward. "I will do what I can to aid your effort and return my sister to you, and all those who would keep her safe."

We ventured together for what felt like many miles over the course of minutes, the distance itself not having any effect on my heightened senses and physical form. The nearly-electric energy flowing through me and the drive to secure Akuri, knowing now that she was alive, kept me going with a voracious appetite. Traveling with the eldest Uchiha that I knew, however, brought a small handful of questions to the surface.

Did you know I've been with your sister this whole time? I lived with your sister and saw her naked. I know what your sister sounds like when she's angry, when she's happy, when she's scared and when she's pleased. I was there to hold her through our loss together, I hurt her myself and I helped mend many wounds...Did you know that your comrade took away a future I could have had? That we could have had?

"You have a certain look on your face when you have something on your mind, apparently," Itachi stated, as though he'd known me for as long as his siblings had. "Speak plainly."

"I can't let go of what could have been, and I want to know how you've handled it," I shot at him, "there's no way you didn't know what happened to us, to Akuri."

"A niece or nephew of mine could have been born unto the leaf village," came his flat and somber tone, "a light that was extinguished before anyone else could see it. There was nothing that could be done that didn't have to be done now...I was there, at the hospital. I saw her there alone."

I felt a low-burning rage begin to boil up from below, the unsettled grief gnawing at my head, my heart, my sanity. The love between a parent and a child was one that I'd chased for a long while, but I'd come to realize it as an ethereal love over the course of experiences in my life. The future that came with Itasuke burned straight to my core with loss, one I'd yearned but never knew.

"And I was there when Sasuke made him pay. He paid with his absolute life."

A death I'd begged for had never felt so sour before, but I held my tongue and continued to hear him out. The rage coiling in my lower stomach cooled off and relaxed like it were a python from Hell taking a reprieve from readying it's strike. Itachi's next statement quelled the fire deep within.

"That's not the matter on hand, however. All I need you to know is that your son is loved beyond this life, and I know where to look for my sister. She will be safe, no matter the cost anymore."

My mind flashed back to his mention of his mistake - he'd truly thought that he'd burned her to death with his Amaterasu before Sasuke avenged the entirety of their family. I was overjoyed to discover that this was not the case and that there was a good chance my mate would be returned to me.

"And once she's made safe, I'm going to leave it up to you to keep her that way," Itachi directed, "but the only way for that to happen is for this war to be won. I think she may be able to help you do this, if she sees things my way."

"Your way?" I questioned, raising a brow.

"If she leaves the path of vengeance behind and doesn't follow along with Sasuke's ideals. You are the key to that portion, and I have the utmost faith in you."

X Sasuke X

As Kabuto revealed his plot to Itachi and I, my eyes continued to stray toward a large lilac-colored pod which resembled a flower that hadn't yet bloomed. It had rooted itself at the back of the small cavern next to the unconscious form of Anko, who laid behind Kabuto's crimson-cloaked form. His glasses glinted as he seemed to take notice of my wandering gaze and he paused in his speech to tilt his head toward the massive bud, drawing a breath to address it.

"Madara asked that I keep watch over this one," he began, the white snake stemming from him hissing and turning it's yellow gaze to the legume as though it aided in the task of guarding whatever it held. "Your practice opponent, just after you had Itachi's eyes transplanted, is being stored and I'm running a few short tests on her. It would appear that Itachi's eyes are more powerful than your father's, but I could work on that too."

Itachi's jaw clenched and his brows knit into a furrow as he stared at the monster that Kabuto had become before fixing his hardened eyes on the floral shell. It was then that many snakes began to slither forth from the cloak that shrouded the former-lackey and I felt the air grow tense. It would only be a matter of time before we had to spring into action.

"You pitted them against each other, and turned our sister into your science project." He nearly growled at the bespectacled man, before lowering his voice to address me, "as much as we'd both like to kill him, we can't. He is the key to ending the Reanimation Jutsu, and how we get Akuri out of that shell."

My hands furled into fists at my sides and every muscle I had went taut like a bow string as a million thoughts raced by, each one seeming to fuel the hatred I'd been fostering for the Leaf and for the mutated enigma of a shinobi before me. Kabuto began the encounter, and we both made use of our Susano'o to combat him. My concentration had been broken at the sight of Itachi's form being torn in half, my knee-jerk reaction being to fire off the ammunition my armored guardian would dispense. Memories of the boar hunt I'd tagged along on flashed through my mind as a celestial violet arrow pinned one of the snakes to a jagged rock. It was as though I continued to press on while auto-pilot was engaged and I was soon behind a wall of raging black flames with Itachi.

Akuri had begged us both all morning to let her join, promising that she felt well and could keep up with the two of us. She'd even boasted to beat us if we raced. I'd wanted so badly for her to stay behind with our mother, as I'd desired this solo time with Itachi for what felt like many moons, and was thankful when Itachi poked her forehead apologetically. In the end of the hunt, Itachi had been the one to take the boar down and suggested I indulge myself in further training. Upon our return home, we spotted our father and sister standing on the end of the dock and Itachi placed a hand on my shoulder to halt any further steps and allow us to observe. Her dainty hands began to weave signs that I'd seen too many times and her small body reared back before a grand ball of fire lit up the entire pond. We could only stare with wonder at this capability from our typically sickly sibling. I felt rooted in place as I watched him lift her high in the air and shower her with praise, a tumultuous combination of pride and envy toiling deep within.

"You could likely take down that boar now, Sasuke," Itachi's comment held warmth, as though he were sharing the same memory in the same moment.

The brief lull in our encounter was ended as the rocky flooring split and began to rise like a drawbridge as Kabuto violently tried to disrupt Amaterasu's defensive capabilities, his earth-based jutsu proving to be critically successful. We darted behind some of the rough stone columns strewn about the deepest recess of the grotto for cover once the ebony flames were vanquished, peeking around to catch a glimpse at our adversary's shifting form and to read the other's expression. As the snake-like appendage raced toward the two of us with the hopes of a successful assault, our visual prowess' greatest move returned to the field and two arms darted to pin the assailant.

"Is it over?" I asked after Kabuto's form dropped to the ground and Itachi spared a few wisdom-filled words.

My question was answered as the serpent-like man darted forward abruptly to sever Itachi's reanimated body again. The sight shook me as hard as it had the first time, but I found that my reaction time had improved as I hurled my sword and swung one celestial arm down to deflect Kabuto's encroaching form as Itachi began to regenerate, following it with a fire ball to remain on the offensive as well. It was countered by a water dragon and I felt myself lifted by the rushing river that came with it, grunting as my back collided with an unforgiving stony wall.

Once I'd caught my breath and regained my footing, I raced toward Itachi and awaited any command he had.

X Akuri X

"You're safe, 'Kuri, you can open your eyes."

My soul felt wrapped in the warmth provided by the voice as it pierced the darkness and I peeled my eyes open slowly, meeting a pair of glowing Sharingan and realizing my eldest brother held me close. Sasuke's arms abruptly curled around us and my heart leapt into my throat, salty tears burning my eyes and blurring my vision before I burrowed into the front of Itachi's cloak. They were safe and there was still an immeasurable amount of love between the three of us, I was finally free.

"We don't have much time," Itachi murmured after a moment, gently tipping my head up from his chest and brushing the hair from my face. Our eyes locked and I caught sight of his ebony corneas. The alabaster iris of his blinded left eye jarred me, and he seemed to ignore my surprise, brows furrowing as we stared. Soon, he offered a half smile and swept a lock of hair behind my ear, reminding me of all the times he'd done so in my youth. We disengaged and he assured that I could stand before fully letting go, stepping back and leaving me closer to my twin. He walked over to a stock-still Kabuto. "Sasuke can fill you in on the Izanagi later, if you like. I'm going to end the Edo Tensei, but there are things I need to tell you both. Things I don't want to have to say ever again."

"If you do that, I'm never going to see you again," I began thickly, but Sasuke's hand on my shoulder stopped me in my tracks. I reached up to grasp at his fingers and he willingly twined them together, delivering three quick squeezes. He remained close as I scrubbed my eyes of their tears and watched as the seals were formed by the mutated dragon form of Kabuto, his scaly hands slow and precise. I wouldn't help but whisper, "I'm going to miss you all over again."

"We both are," Sasuke finally said, releasing my hand to wrap an arm around my shoulder. "But you've already made up your mind and nothing we say or do will change it. I just want you to know that I felt that admiration for you again, fighting by your side. I know what you want me to do, but there's no way I could. Not after everything they've done."

I looked up at him inquisitively at his statement, but was met with an unspoken 'later' when his gaze shifted to me briefly. I accepted it warily and we turned back to Itachi, holding our breath as a white light emanated from him and small pieces of his reanimated form began to fly away while he moved toward us.

"You two have been told many versions of this tale by many others, but now you're going to hear the absolute truth from me. There's no need for me to lie to either of you any longer." Itachi staggered ever closer as he spoke, arms slowly raising as he entered our personal space and cupping our heads to lightly knock all three foreheads together. His eyes were like a humid spring day, dewy and fogged with loving emotion as he stared into what had to be my soul. It was when winter struck that I felt frozen by his stare, his genjutsu activating and pulling me in like a riptide.

Images raced through my mind like a film and the words of my brother's past echoed wildly as he shared his darkest sins. A million sentiments cascaded through my inner monologue as I endured the emotional trauma of Itachi's greatest challenge. The complete adoration I held for him was renewed a thousand times over and the love he held for his home humbled me then and there. I knew then where his priorities had lain all along - with the Hidden Leaf and with his siblings. With us.

"You don't ever have to forgive me, and no matter what you do from here out," Itachi's voice was warm like summertime as it cut through everything else, "I will love you always."

As soon as the words fell on my ears, the moment was gone and we were left in the darkness of the cavern. Long minutes passed between us as the feeling of loss burrowed down deep within and rooted, tendrils of grief exploring and finding hearts to twine around and squeeze. In the misty remembrance of our eldest brother, Sasuke was the one to break the silence.

"I'm so glad you're alive," he expressed before crushing me to him. Sasuke pulled back to level his gaze with mine in a way he'd done when we were small, as though he were trying to check in on me. His Mangekyo was a gorgeous pattern, now that I was close enough to truly see them. "But we aren't safe, not yet. Do you know about the Reanimation jutsu or any of the plans they had?"

"I knew that they planned on raising an army of sorts, but I never realized it would be made of the dead," I answered calmly, feeling more at ease with his nearness. "And if you're raising an army, you're likely going to war...are we at war, Sasuke?"

"We are," he confirmed, clasping my shoulder in his hand in a way that grounded me. "There's a war going on outside of this place, and we need to be there."

Dread crept from the core of my brain down the marrow of my spine as I recalled the memories Itachi had shared with us - bodies strewn across the land, men and women alike screaming for death and their makers. My heart began pounding so loudly that it rung in my ears as I began thinking about each person I'd left behind, each person that could have been lost in this strife.

"I need to be there. What if...what if Naruto.."

I didn't waste another second before blinking into my Sharingan and phasing away from my twin, searching for the energies of the fight and letting the feelings of home drive me there.

X Naruto X

The pillars of light springing up across the battle scape told me that Itachi had succeeded in his plan to end the Reanimation jutsu. I grinned as I caught my breath atop the shoulder of Gyuuki and send my silent thanks to the eldest Uchiha sibling. The allied shinobi took this moment as a reprieve from the ongoing combat and as a chance to grieve those we'd lost, some a second time. My spirits were lifted as I felt the brief wave of relief and vigor as the first battle was won, the tens of thousands remaining on the battlefield collectively cheering. My focus was drawn to some of the lights darting across various planes of the field, noting that some of the warriors they came across seemed overcome with emotion.

"Those are their spirits," eight-tails rumbled, "likely saying their final goodbyes. Look up, Naruto."

The fellow Jinchuuriki's souls floated smoothly from their disintegrating, captive bodies and into my line of sight. Their eyes were bright and alert, lips pulled into prideful smiles. I tilted my head in acknowledgement as they passed from this realm and into their next lives, thankful to have freed them at last. A glint from the near-west caught my attention and I was then reminded of my purpose in being here. The white-masked Madara had set his sights on me, and I was now ready to take him on. Without another moment of hesitation, I leapt from the tailed beast's meaty shoulder to address his single-eyed Sharingan stare, both Kakashi and Guy cornering our foe below.

"Sorry to have kept you waiting, but you're fighting me."

"As well as the Green Beast," Guy barked, knuckles popping as he clenched his fists threateningly. My former sensei merely readied himself, tense as a bow string and a kunai knife in both capable hands.

"I don't really have time for the likes of you," this Madara groused with disinterest, beckoning the Gedo statue nearer.

I scoffed at this monstrosity, powering up to deliver any nasty blows I could alongside the two Jonin. Guy opened one of the gates to launch what looked to be a devastating kick, his strike coming down thunderously on the foot of the devilish aeon. The sickly color of it's skin was lit up to a ghastly gray as the Copy ninja thrust a lightning stream on the beast.

"Naruto, now!" Kakashi urged, my opportunity presented on a silver platter at his call.

As it lurched closer, I closed the gap with an augmented uppercut and felt myself smirk as it toppled backward. When the dust settled, I found myself across a short stretch of rock from Madara. The eye that was fixated on me looked menacingly angry, and my satisfaction rose further.

"You don't seem too pleased with that," I boasted smugly. At the cock of the white mask, I chuckled and continued. "I mean, I can't say for sure, since you're hiding behind that mask. Why not show us how you're feeling and take that insult of a mask off?"

Instead of an answer, Madara formed a single sign and an oversized gourd appeared in the cloud of smoke, alongside a bottle. Our leaf trio studied this with furrowed brows, confusion blatant on all faces.

"I wanted to wait until everything was just right before reviving this one," he interrupted our inquiry with his rambling, "it isn't even whole, but the power isn't lacking in any way."

The Gedo statue was on it's ghoulish feet on a dime, all of the eyes across it's face open wide as though they screamed along with it's mouth. The call it released was loud and deep, like an animal's shriek of pain that shook the soil and limestone. I squinted at the wind that whirled around and covered my ears at the frequency, but was relieved of the discomfort relatively quickly. What sounded like thunder replaced the cry, the clouds parted like oil and water in high speed to reveal a blue sky, and a beam of intense sunlight sprung forth to spear the eidolon's chest to pin it in place.

"This was not a part of the plan." I heard Madara utter, seconds before a brilliant white Susano'o sprinted from the opening in the clouds. She gracefully landed beside the felled Gedo statue summoning, a spear of sunshine solidifying in her right hand as she turned her sights on my enemy.

It had to be the biggest of the specters I'd ever seen, and the intricately woven armor didn't take away from the feminine shape of it's body. I marveled at the lady Susano'o before me on the field, wonder fading into a searching stare. The slit of it's helmet gave way to massive bi-colored orbs, one green and one blue. When I'd adjusted to the ethereal beauty of the great guardian, my eyes zeroed in on the form tucked safely inside the cage of it's ribs, and I fully froze as the realization set in. Her crimson eyes shifted from her prey to me and her unreadable gaze pierced me. I couldn't say her name, though it had been every alternate thought I had. I couldn't advance to her, though all I'd wanted for months was to have her too close to me. I could hardly breathe in that moment.

"How did you escape?" Madara's frustrations were thinly veiled in the inquiry as he addressed the war's newcomer.

"Your accomplice wasn't very mindful of who he brought back, and I thought you'd know better than anyone not to mess with someone's younger sibling."

Her voice cut like diamonds when she spoke to him, reminding me of her time in the ANBU, and faintly of her twin's own coldness. I shivered slightly at the sound, but remained focused on the pallid Susano'o's avatar.

"My brother died for this," she hissed, pulling her arm back to swing down with her extension's spear.

The Gedo statue's cry resumed in that moment, the rumbling so violent that the layers of sediment below began to crumble beneath my feet. As quickly as I could manage, I began to flit from fragment to fragment of earth to locate stable ground. In a flash of white, I found myself suspended, and far from the statue itself. I was inside the Susano'o, face to face with the woman I'd been chasing for months. We held each other's gaze for long moments before I had control over myself again, and I threw my arms around her. Both of our bodies shook with the weight of the emotions swirling in this reunion, and I savored this for as long as I could.

Akuri finally withdrew to look up at me, the intricate design of her Mangekyo felt particularly mesmerizing, and she broke the silence.

"I'm home."