Chapter 17: Secrets of the Kurama

Konoha Hokage Tower:

Hiruzen slumped into his chair, feeling the full weight of his failures. "So let me get this straight." He said to the three children standing in front of him. "While a group of missing-nin attacked the village. A second group attacked you and your friends, killing one of your watchers, wounded and knocked out one of my Jōnin. Then proceeded to kidnap Yakumo, the heiress, to the Kurama clan."

The three children nodded. "Yes, Hokage-Sama." Hinata said with a shaky voice. It was even admirable that she did not stutter.

"At the same time, one of the attackers. A tall thin-looking man would have killed all of you if it were not for Yakumo placing him and all of you under a genjutsu."

Again, the children nodded.

Hiruzen took a breath to brace himself for the next part of the report. "Then, once you all woke up, you realized Yakumo had been taken. Correct?" He got more nods. "It was then that Sasuke Uchiha, Naruto Uzumaki, Kiba Inuzuka, and Shikamaru Nara decided to go after the kidnappers to rescue the girl. While you, Ino Yamanaka, Choji Akimichi, and Hinata Hyūga, while carrying an unconscious Kurenai Yuhi, returned to the village."

"Yes, Hokage-Sama." Hinata said, stepping up. "We wanted to warn you about what was happening."

"I see." Hiruzen said, closing his eyes. He tried to process everything he had heard. He opened his eyes and looked at the children. And found his heart growing heavier. If he had just been a bit more vigilant, had his shinobi tighten security a little more. Then maybe. He shook his head, now was not the time to dwell on the past. "You three are dismissed." He said.

The children looked on at him in surprise. "But Hokage-Sama?" Ino said, stepping to Hiruzen's desk. "Aren't you going to do something about this? Our friends are in danger, and if we don't do something, we might never see them again."

Hiruzen raised his hand up to stop the girl's protest. "Not to worry, Ino-San." He said in a soothing voice. "I will do everything in my power to rescue your friends. And bring these men to justice." He met every word of it. These men, these so call shinobi, had attacked his village. Killed dozens of its citizens and wounded hundreds more. Killed one of his shinobi and wound several others. Then they kidnapped one of the village's children and, if not for some clever thinking, would have killed several promising youths.

While the children in the room saw the face of a kindly grandfather. Under that mask, a storm was raging. If he ever got his hands on these men, he would teach them why the elemental nation feared him as the God of Shinobi.

The Yamanaka heiress looked like she was ready to protest more. When her father placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Listen to the Hokage, Ino. Your friends will be safe. Come on I'll take you home."

Ino opened her mouth to say something. Then stooped and nodded.

Inochi nodded at his daughter and looked at the Hokage. "Hokage-Sama. "He said with a bow. "If you allow me, I'll be taking these three home. I'm sure it's been a long day."

Hiruzen nodded at the man. "Return as soon as they are safely home. I may need your expertise soon."

Inoichi nodded and led the children out of the room. Before the door closed, Hinata turned to face the Hokage. "Please save them." She said before walking out.

When the door closed, Hiruzen's mask fell. "So, what do you think?" He asked the assembled group of Jōnin and ANBU.

"I say we got some brave academy students." A Jōnin said with a smile.

"Troublesome would be a better word." Shikaku commented.

A faint smile tugged at Hiruzen's lips. They were right on both accounts. "Minato, you would be so proud of how your son has turned out." He thought before another thought came in. "You would be too, Kushina. But you would want to skin your boy alive for the heart attack." The boy was true to his lineage both as a Namikaze and an Uzumaki. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Itachi had a smile on his lips that felt like a mixture between pride and concern.

Hiruzen shook his thoughts off and got back to the matter. "That is not what I meant." He said. "What I meant was, what do you think of the attack in the village being a distraction from their true objective?"

Shikaku nodded. "It was a clever if a bit blunt strategy." He said. "With the mess, the first group caused, we never noticed them making their move in the forest. Because of that, they were able to secure their objective."

"That objective being Kurama Yakumo." Hiruzen said.

"Hokage-Sama, forgive if I sound callous." A Jōnin said. "But why would they go after a girl from a clan that, while prominent in our village, has fallen into obscurity? In that forest clearing, they had children from more well-known clans and heirs, no less. Hell, they had a main branch Hyūga and an Uchiha. So why go after her when they had better options?"

"You forget what the Kurama were known for." Itachi said, stepping up. "Members of the Kurama were once widely feared for their talent with genjutsu. They were able to cast illusions so powerful that their victims were known to harm themselves."

"Harm themselves?" The Jōnin questions. "Like took their weapons and hurt themselves?"

"More than that." Itachi explained. "It's been recorded that people caught under their genjutsu would spontaneously form injuries on their bodies. Bruises, cuts, and gashes would suddenly open up without any attack or weapon having been seen touching them. In some cases, bones would break without warning."

The Jōnin now had a frightened expression on his face, as did several others in the room. "That can't be. It's impossible."

Itachi nodded. "And yet it seems to be. There is some speculation that their genjutsus are even strong enough to affect the Sharingan."

"You can't be serious. How can any genjutsu affect the Sharingan?"

"As I said, it is only speculation." Itachi said. "But it is a theory many of my clansmen are not inclined to test."

"What Itachi is getting at," Shikaku said. "Is that these men or whoever hired them knew who the girl is and what her clan is capable of."

Another Jōnin in the room spoke, a kunoichi. "You don't think they plan to use her for her abilities. Maybe even create a new Kurama clan?"

"It's the only reason I can think of." Shikaku said. "If we don't find the kidnappers soon. We may very well face an army of such people in a few generations."

"Unfortunately, that will be easier said than done." Itachi said. "We don't know where the missing-nin have gone or if they are still in the village. It is possible they have already fled the village with their prize."

Shikaku shook his head. "I doubt it. If I had to guess, their plan is to lay low for a while. While we franticly look for signs of more attacks on the village."

"He's right." A Jōnin said. "If those kids hadn't told us what happened. We still would be preparing for more attacks. We would have never thought anyone would try to escape the village."

Shikaku lazily nodded. "In a few days, they have slipped by, and we would have been none the wiser. Now that we do know, we can begin to search the village for them. The trouble is we may have a limited time to find them. Once they realize that their deception has failed, they may accelerate their plans."

Hiruzen listened closely as his shinobi discussed what they could do. Some suggested that they have every shinobi search the village, while others cautioned for a more subtle approach. The Hokage smiled as he took notice of something the others hadn't.

"Everyone," Hiruzen said, getting the room's attention. "I believe I may have a solution to our problem." He made a gesture to the ceiling.

Confused, most of the assembled shinobi looked up where he was pointing. For a moment, none of them saw anything. When the pair of eyes started to move, was when they took notice.

Most quickly realized what this meant, with a few looking confused and eyeing the eyeballs with suspicion. The eyeballs came to a stop above Hiruzen's desk. "I believe Naruto may have already found where the kidnappers are. He'll be showing us where they are."

One of the Jōnin had a frown on his face. "So, do we just follow these eyeballs or something?"

Hiruzen's smile grew. "Even better, young Naruto has developed a new technique with his kekkei genkai. One that will be demonstrated now."

Hiruzen made a quick hand sign to the eyes. The eyes seemingly nodded and floated higher up, then looked down at the desk. The rest of the room looked on, wondering what their Hokage meant.

They answer when the eyes shoot out beams of light that connect together at the center of the desk. Those beams then expanded, creating a cone of light. That cone of light then started to coalesce into a series of images.

When the lights stopped, everyone in the room was staring in surprise. Hiruzen's smile remained, staring at the assembled Jōnin and ANBU. The old Hokage could already see the gears in Shikaku's mind going into overdrive, thinking up all the implications of what he was seeing.

The Nara clan head walked up to the Hokage's desk. "Hokage-Sama?" He asked. Waving his hand across the desk. "Is this what I think it is?"

Hiruzen nodded. "Indeed. I was just as surprised as you were when Naruto-kun showed me his new technique a month ago." He explained. "I believe you can see where it can be useful."

"More than useful." Shikaku said, removing his hand from the image of the Konoha being projected on the Hokage's desk. "This could be game-changing."

Shikaku continued to stare at the projection, and Hiruzen knew that the young Uzumaki had another supporter in creating his new clan. "Is this a live image of the village?" Shikaku asked. "Or this based on Uzumaki's memory?"

"I believe at the moment it's more on his memory." A remarkably good memory, Hiruzen noted. "But he can transmit live images. Even project events as they happen."

Shikaku was rubbing his chin. "The possibilities that this presents in the field of intelligence gathering, and even strategic planning. It's almost overwhelming."

Hiruzen nodded, having thought the same. "Unfortunately, since they're only eyes, Naruto can't transmit any sound. Only images."

Shikaku hummed. "The images alone are useful. Plus, the sound problem can be mitigated if Naruto learns how to lip read."

Hiruzen agreed and had already asked Hiashi to teach Naruto how to. It wasn't a perfect solution, but it would help. "We'll discuss the possibilities this technique presents to us later. Right now, we have some children to rescue."

Hiruzen made a hand sign for Naruto to continue his demonstration. The Image "zoomed" in on a section of the village. Slowly as to give everyone in the room the chance to figure out where they were looking at. It stopped at what appeared to be a warehouse.

Shikaku's eyes narrowed. Hiruzen already knew that the Nara was replaying the images in his head. As were Itachi and a few others in the room. "If I'm not mistaken. I believe this is an abandoned warehouse somewhere on the west side of the village."

"You're right Shikaku-San." Itachi said. "It's close to the red-light district. Not a bad hiding place." The young man noted. "We don't have many patrols there, and the warehouse is located in a secluded part of the village."

"That'll have to change." Shikaku said.

On that, Hiruzen could agree. He was already thinking of expanding on the number of patrols in the village. It probably would not hurt to talk to Fugaku about expanding his police department too. "We'll talk about that later. For now, we must focus on the situation at hand."

Hiruzen signed to Naruto. Asking him if he knew how many enemy shinobi they were dealing with. The image shifted, showing the inside of the warehouse. Several figures were shown. Hiruzen counted around six.

Counting in the attackers in the village. That made for around nine enemy shinobi. Nine enemy shinobi that had somehow managed to make it into Konoha undetected. How could they let something like that happen? Where there that many holes in their security? Had they grown that lax in their time of peace?

The figures were focused on allowing the room a good look at their faces. "Does anyone recognize them?" Hiruzen asked.

"One moment Hokage-Sama." One of his Shinobi said, pulling out a bingo book. After a few moments of flipping through pages, the shinobi stopped. "Here we are." He said, placing the book on Hiruzen's desk.

It showed the picture of one of the men in the image. "Ohara Daichi," Shikaku read off. "According to this, he's a former Jōnin from Iwa. He led a coup against the Tsuchikage but was driven off with most of his followers killed or captured."

Hiruzen closed his eyes, thinking about the information for a moment. It sounded familiar to him. "I remember Jiraiya mentioning an incident in Iwa about three years ago. Could that be it?"

"Most likely, the date given here lines up." Shikaku said. "He's labeled as an A-rank missing with a kill on sight order. He's got a twenty-million-yen bounty on his head. His known followers are also listed with their ranks and bounties. They all have kill on sight orders."

Hiruzen motioned to one of his shinobi. "Have the examiners identify the bodies and see if any of them show in the bingo books." The shinobi nodded and left the room. "How many names are on that list?"

"Quite a few Hokage-Sama." Shikaku said. "But I doubt he brought everyone under him into the village. Maybe he'll have a team waiting at a rendezvous point outside of Konoha somewhere. I think it is safe to assume that the five others are all he has with him."

Hiruzen agreed with the Nara man. He looked over at Itachi. "I want you to go through this book and identify all the men we saw. I want to know who we are dealing with before I send out a rescue team."

Itachi nodded. "Yes, Hokage-Sama. If I may be allowed to make a request?" Hiruzen nodded. "I would like to lead the rescue team myself."

"Any reason why?" Hiruzen already suspected why.

"The Kurama girl is close to my brother." Itachi said. "I am not surprised he chose to go after the kidnappers rather than return to the village. I'm also worried for him."

"You're afraid he and the others might have been caught?" Shikaku said.

Itachi nodded. "I believe in my brother's skills, and his friends do not lack for ability either. However, they are still academy students, and these missing-nin are fully trained shinobi with years of experience."

"It would seem that your fears are well-founded." Hiruzen said when the image shifted again. It was showing a storage room. Crates were stacked around the room, and in the middle of the room was Yakumo. She was sitting up against one of the crates with her head held to her knees.

It came as a relief to see that the girl was mostly unharmed. However, she was not the only one in the room. Five others sat around in the room, four boys and a dog.

Hiruzen looked up at Itachi. "There's no more time to delay. Once other missing-Nin are identified, take a team to the warehouse. Your primary objective is rescuing the children being held hostage by the enemy. If possible, your secondary object will capture the enemy nin for interrogation. Consider this an A-Rank mission."

Itachi nodded. "Yes, Hokage-Sama." He said. "I accept this mission, and I will succeed."

Hiruzen nodded. "Good. Inu will command a secondary team to act as your backup should you need it." He explained. "All available Shinobi will be deployed to prevent any escape by the missing-nin. Is that understood?"

Everyone in the room said. "Yes, Hokage-Sama."

Hiruzen let a breath. He could feel his back aching and the throbbing in his head. He really was getting too old for this job. He looked out the window and sent out a silent prayer. "Please, Kami, if you are listening. I have seen enough tragedy in my life. Please do not let this day end in it."

Abandoned warehouse, storage room

Yakumo was crying, even though her sobs had long since fallen silent. That much Sasuke was certain of.

Her knees were tucked together with her head buried on top. Her shoulders constantly shook. Sasuke hated it. A girl like Yakumo shouldn't have to cry. He figured with the life she had, Yakumo had cried enough in her life. It was something he wanted to change. Plus, she didn't look as pretty when she was crying.

However, Sasuke had one problem. He didn't know how to stop her from crying. He wouldn't admit it, but Sasuke wasn't very good at the whole feelings thing. While he had his moments, he was more withdrawn than most people. He preferred to keep his feelings to himself.

He wasn't like Naruto, who could open up to anyone seconds after meeting them. Nor did he have the ability to make others open up to him. He remembered his brother describing him as being an introvert. That was honestly the best way to describe him.

He looked away from Yakumo and looked at Naruto. He silently willed the blond-haired dope to help him with this. Naruto looked at him and shook his head.

"You need to do this."

"But I can't. You know I'm no good at this."

"True. But she is YOUR friend. You need to be the one to do it. She would do the same for you."

Sasuke sighed. "Fine. But if I somehow make things worse, I'm blaming you." Naruto gave him one of his trademarked fox smiles. Sasuke shook his head.

It was funny and weird how he, Naruto, and Hinata could have these types of conversations without having to speak a word. He supposed it was a sign of their close bond. Though sometimes it could be a bit frustrating, given how much of a trickster Naruto was.

He looked over at Yakumo and briefly wondered if he could do it with her one day. "Here goes nothing." Sasuke whispers.

He reached out to the girl. With a moment of hesitation, he touched her shoulder. With a start, Yakumo looked up at Sasuke. A heavy set of tears were streaming down from her eyes. They really did take away from how pretty she was.

Sasuke opens his mouth to speak, suddenly aware of how dry his throat felt. "I-It's going to be alright, Yakumo-Chan." He said, unaware of the honorific he slipped in. "We're going to be okay. We'll get out of this," To which he silently adds, "Somehow."

"But if it weren't for me," Yakumo began. "You wouldn't be here."

Sasuke almost felt like he had been stabbed. How could Yakumo be blaming herself like this? It was the kidnapper's fault that they were here, not hers. "It's not your fault." Sasuke began.

"But it is." Yakumo cut him off. "If you had never met me if I never been in the forest clearing. None of you would be here with me."

Sasuke swallowed. He tried to imagine a world where he had never met Yakumo. He imagines going to the same forest clearing and finding no one there. He found that he couldn't imagine such a world. In the forest clearing, he kept seeing that same girl painting on the hill.

"If I never, if we never met you." Sasuke said, tightening his grip on Yakumo's shoulder. "You would be here alone. No one would have known that you were kidnapped. He hated that thought. Knowing that in another time, Yakumo would be in this warehouse all alone. "No one would have come to rescue you."

"Maybe that would have been for the best." Yakumo said.

If Sasuke felt like he had been stabbed a moment ago. This was the feeling of someone twisting the blade in his heart. "Wh-what?"

Yakumo smiled. But it was not a happy one. It was the sad kind of smile that belonged on no one's face, let alone Yakumo's. "Maybe it's best that I'd be alone. Maybe it's a good thing that I'm being taken away."

"But why?" Sasuke said. "What makes you think that you deserve to be taken away?" Why was it so hard for Yakumo to look at the good in her life?

"Because I'm a monster." She admitted. Sasuke's eyes widened, and from the corners of his eyes, he saw the others look at her astonished. "I'm a witch that causes nothing but suffering to everyone around me. Maybe it's for the best that I be taken away. That way no one else will get hurt."

Sasuke was surprised. But not at what Yakumo said, not entirely. What surprised him was what he felt at that very moment. Anger. Pure anger flashed across his being like a lightning bolt striking the ground.

Sasuke shot up, almost pulling Yakumo to her feet. "Wh-what?"

"Bullshit!" Sasuke screamed. "How can you believe crap like that? You a monster? A witch?" What made her think like this? Who made her think like that?

His mind briefly went to Yakumo's uncle. Even though his anger intensified, somehow, he knew that the man was not responsible. At least not the complete one at fault. He suspected the man did have a hand in it. Maybe unwittingly, maybe not. Either way, if Sasuke ever saw the man again, he would have some words with him.

He felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked over, seeing Naruto. "Sasuke, calm down."

"Calm down!" Sasuke repeated his friend's words. "Calm down! Yakumo just called herself a monster, and you expect me to calm down?" Naruto backed away from Sasuke, surprised by the anger that Sasuke was displaying.

"I just didn't want you to scare Yakumo." Naruto said.

Sasuke glanced at Yakumo. Seeing the frightened expression on her face, some of his anger was quelled. Taking a breath, Sasuke knelt in front of the girl and placed both of his hands on her shoulders.

"Look here Yakumo." Sasuke said firmly. "You are not a monster or witch. You are the kindest, sweetest, most beautiful girl I have ever met. Anyone who tells otherwise is wrong."

"But I am a monster." Yakumo protested. "I cause nothing but misery for everyone around me. If people knew what I really was, they would never want to be friends with me. You wouldn't want to be friends with me."

Sasuke frowned. "You're wrong Yakumo." He said just above a whisper. "I do want to be your friend. I am your friend." He corrected himself at the end. "All of us in here we care about." He gestured to the others in the room.

Naruto, Shikamaru, and Kiba all nodded in agreement. Akamaru barked happily before he walked up to the Kurama girl and placed his head on her lap.

"He's right." Naruto said. "You are the nicest and sweetest girl I know. Though I'm not so sure about the most beautiful. I'm pretty sure that would be Hinata."

He got thumped on the head by Shikamaru. "You're not helping."

Sasuke made a point to ignore them. "You're not a monster, Yakumo." He said. "Even if you were, I would still want to be your friend."

"But you don't know anything about me." Yakumo said. "If you knew the secret my clan has. If you knew the price that our abilities came with."

"Then tell us." Sasuke said, stopping the Kurama girl in her argument. "We want to know. We're all here for you." The others were gathering around them.

Yakumo opened her mouth and then closed it. "You sure you really want to know?" Yakumo asked. "To know what it will mean to be friends with me?"

Sasuke nodded, as did the others. "We do."

Yakumo remained silent for a moment. On her face, Sasuke could see a battle being raged. She seemed to debate whether she would tell them the secrets of the Kurama clan.

Yakumo came to a decision. "Alright, I'll tell you."

Konoha rooftops, en route to the abandoned warehouse

Itachi jumped from one rooftop to another. He was going as fast as he could without giving off too much of his charka. Aside from the leader, they had identified two more of the kidnappers.

But the other three were a mystery. If one of them was a sensor type, they had to keep their chakra suppressed. Jumping to another rooftop, Itachi looked over his shoulder.

Behind him were six other shinobi of the leaf. Two of them wore ANBU uniforms, and the other four had Jōnin vests on. His eyes landed on one individual in particular.

Izumi, his girlfriend and the woman he hoped to marry one day. She had volunteered to join the rescue mission. However, there had been something off about it.

Flashback

Itachi and the others were moving past the doors to the Hokage tower when they encountered two familiar figures, Izumi and Shizune.

"Itachi, what's going on?" Izumi asked. What's with the rush?" Itachi quickly explained the situation to his girlfriend. "What? Sasuke's been taken?"

"More like he wants after the kidnappers himself." Itachi explained. "Then he got caught."

Izumi shook her head. "That doesn't matter. We have to hurry and rescue him."

"We?" Itachi questioned.

"I'm coming with you." Izumi said firmly. "Something tells me that you will need all the help you can get."

That was when Shizune grabbed Izumi by her arm. She whispers something to the woman. Itachi wasn't sure what she was saying. But it sounded something like. "You sure?" and "With your condition?"

Izumi looked annoyed. "Yes, I'm sure." She said, pulling her arm away. "Besides, they need all the help they can get."

Itachi raised an eyebrow. Was there something that Izumi wasn't telling him? "Is something the matter?" He asked.

Izumi shook her head. "Nothing right now." She dismissed. At the skeptical look from Itachi, she clarified. "I'll tell you later."

Itachi wanted to press her on the subject. But he shook his head. There was little time to waste. He would ask her later. Right now, they had a mission.

Flashback end

Try as he might, Itachi couldn't shake the moment from his mind. Nor could he shake the feeling that he was making a mistake by bringing her along on the mission. That he should have left her behind.

But try as he might, Itachi could not come up with an adequate reason to leave her. Not without knowing what the two women were talking about.

Izumi pulled up alongside him. "Something on your mind?" She asked him.

Itachi shook his head. His thoughts were showing again to her. "Nothing," He said. "What were you and Shizune talking about earlier?" He asked. "Shizune seemed to be against you joining the mission."

"I told you before. It's nothing you need to worry about." Izumi said. "At the very least, it's nothing that will impede my ability to carry out this mission."

Itachi had a tight frown on his lips. Something inside him was telling him it was not nothing as Izumi would have him believe. Something that, if he knew, would have impacted his decision to let her join the mission. "You sure?" He pressed.

Izumi looked at him for a moment as she seemed to think over her options. "I'm sure." She said. "I can tell you later, after we rescue your brother and the others." A smile crept onto her lips. "Besides, I think you'll be very happy with what I have to tell you."

Again, Itachi wanted to press Izumi on the subject. But there was no time. Up ahead, he could see the abandoned warehouse where the missing-nin were holding up. Where his little brother and his friends were being held.

"Alright, people," Itachi began a quick briefing. "Our mission is simple. We are to infiltrate the abandoned warehouse where the missing-nin are hiding out in. Our objective is twofold. First, we are to subdue the missing-nin and bring them in for interrogation. Try to disable the enemy. But if it comes down to you or them, always choose them. Understood?"

"Hai!"

Itachi nodded. "Secondly, we are to rescue the hostages they have taken. Five in total, Kiba Inuzuka, Yakumo Kurama, Shikamaru Nara, Naruto Uzumaki, and not least of all, my brother Sasuke Uchiha. Since this is also a rescue operation, we will have to be careful to make sure the children will not be caught in the crossfire. Is that understood?"

"Hai!" Everyone said.

"Hai!" Izumi said.

"Finally, there is a secondary team led by Inu." Itachi explained. "He will act as our backup should the need come. The rest of our Shinobi forces have been deployed to prevent the enemy from escaping."

They were nearing the abandoned warehouse. A few more rooftops, and they would engage the enemy.

Itachi sent out a small prayer to the heavens. "Sasuke, just hang in there a little bit longer. Please be careful."

Abandoned warehouse, storage room

"Alright, I'll tell you." Yakumo said.

"You can't do that!" The shadow shouted in her mind.

"I need to." Yakumo said to the shadow. "I have to know."

"What is there to know?" The shadow questions. "Once they find what kind of monster you are, they'll turn on you. No one can ever love a monster. If you tell them, you will lose any chance you had at a happy life in this miserable world."

"They won't turn on me." Yakumo said. "They will accept me. They said so themselves."

She could hear the shadow growling in her mind. "How can you be so certain? What if everything you've seen up until now has been an act? They're waiting for their chance to turn on you."

"I guess there's only one way to find out." Yakumo said firmly.

"You're making a mistake." The shadow growls. "One you will dearly regret."

"Maybe," Yakumo admitted. "But it is something I have to do." She was tired of the secrets. Of hiding who she really was. She had to know one way or another if Sasuke and the others would accept her.

"But!"

"Be quiet!" Yakumo shouts at the shadow. "I have a story to tell."

The shadow remained quiet, but Yakumo could still feel its presence in the back of her mind. She looked at her friends, seeing they were waiting for her to begin. "You all know of my clan's specialty, correct?"

The boys nodded. "Your clan is widely known and feared for their talent with genjutsu." Shikamaru said.

Yakumo nodded. "We are." She confirmed. "Our genjutsus are so powerful that they can alter a person's perception of reality. In many cases, our victims are known to harm themselves."

Naruto had a frown on his face. "When you say harm themselves. What do you mean?" He asked. "Like, do they actually hit themselves or cut themselves?"

Yakumo shook her. "No, not like that. Though that has happened before." She explained. "No, it's a bit more literal than that. I think a more accurate way would be to say that injuries just appear on their bodies."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Just appear?"

Yakumo nodded. "Something like that. For example, if the victim gets cut in the genjutsu, say on the right arm. A physical cut will appear on their right arm in the real world. As though they had been cut by an actual blade."

She started to see the mental gears work in the boy's heads. After a moment, Kiba whistled. "That's actually pretty cool and scary at the same time. Remind me never to piss you off."

Yakumo smiled. "Thanks." She said.

Shikamaru was looking at her more critically. "I remember my dad telling me something about your clan's abilities. He mentions that people have been known to die in your genjutsus." The others looked at him, then back to her. "Is that true?"

"Yes, it's true." She confirmed with a nod of her head. "Though it's not like we can cause a person's head to spontaneously separate it's from their body. Or cause their hearts to explode. But if they do die in one of genjutsu's, they die in the real world."

"That's," Sasuke began, uncertain what to say to that. Yakumo couldn't blame him. What else were you supposed to say after learning your friend could kill just making a person think they died? "That's impressive." He said in a clear voice. But Yakumo could hear the hesitation in his voice.

"He's afraid of you now." The shadow whispers in her head. "He now knows you're little more than a witch who relishes in human suffering. You sure you want to make things worse by telling them about me?"

Yakumo ignored the shadow's taunting. "It's because of this that the Kurama clan became so feared through the elemental nations. We were a clan to be respected and not to be reckoned with. Though in recent generations, the Kurama clan has lost some of its prestige.

"That's because fewer of your clansmen have retained the same talent for genjutsu that your ancestors had. Correct?" Shikamaru summarized.

"Correct." Yakumo said. "Because of that, our clan has been on the decline. In some ways, it looked as though our clan would be lost to obscurity. That is until I was born. Not only did I retain my clan's talent, but they were more potent than any other recorded in our clan's history."

Naruto looked confused. "Shouldn't that be a good thing?" He asked. "If your clan has been on the decline and suddenly someone like you comes along. Shouldn't that have made your clan happy?" Yakumo slowly nodded. "So why does your clan fear you so much? Why keep you locked up when you could be their one chance to make their clan great again?"

Yakumo bit her lip. A moment of hesitation taking over. "That's because it ties to the secret of the Kurama clan." She said. "Yes, my clan is blessed. Our talent for genjutsu has made us feared and respected throughout the elemental nations. But it did not come without a price. In the same that the Kurama clan is blessed, it is also cursed?"

"Cursed?" Sasuke mutters. "How?"

Yakumo wrapped her arms around her body. The moment of truth was fast approaching, and she wasn't sure if she should be thrilled or terrified. "Our abilities are powerful." She began. "Too powerful, in fact. We alone can't control our genjutsus."

"You can't control your own powers?" Sasuke questions. "Then how do you use your powers if you can't control them?"

Yakumo smiled. "Simple, we manifest a second personality."

"A second personality?" Shikamaru asks.

Yakumo nodded. "It is this second personality that we call the Ido, which controls our powers. Through them, we can create some of the most powerful genjutsus in the world."

Shikamaru hummed. "So does this Ido have full control over the genjutsu, or do you some sway over what it does."

"The later," Yakumo confirmed. "The Ido is meant to be an engine for Kurama to control their abilities. At a young, we're supposed to learn how to control our Ido." She could almost feel the shadow's malicious smile.

"No one can control me. Especially not you, little girl."

"But they don't always succeed. Do they?" Naruto asked.

"No, they don't." Yakumo confirmed with a nod of her head. "We don't."

Sasuke cleared his throat. "Wh-what happens then?" He asked.

"Is that fear I detect in his voice?" The shadow said. "You haven't even managed to tell them about me, and they are already scared of you. Are you sure you want to tell them the rest of this story?"

It was getting harder for Yakumo to ignore the thing. "In most circumstances, when a member of my clan losses control of their Ido." She hesitated for a moment. "They usually go insane, sometimes even losing complete control of their powers. The stronger their abilities, the worse it gets for them."

"Is that why your clan tries to isolate you so much?" Sasuke asked. "Because they're afraid that you'll lose your mind?" There really was no hiding the fear in his voice.

"He should be afraid." The shadow mocked. "Wait until they hear the rest of your sad little tale. Then they'll be terrified. Though, to be frank, I find it to be more funny than scary. A witch that can't control her own monster." Said monster chuckled to itself.

Yakumo shook her head. "There's a bit more to that." She explained. She could feel her heartbeat getting faster and louder. "While we think of it as a second personality, the Ido isn't a separate and distant entity. It can't act on a will of its own. In truth, it's really another facet of our personalities. When a Kurama loses control and goes insane, the Ido usually vanishes as their mind falls apart."

Shikamaru was the one to pick up on what she was implying. "But yours is different."

Yakumo shallowed. "When I was born. My abilities were stronger than any other in recent generations. Stronger than any other in the history of our clan. At first, no one thought anything of it." She had a vague recollection of that time. How happy every in her clan seemed to be. "To them, it seemed like Kami had answered their prayers."

"Answered their prayers?" Kiba asked.

"The Kurama clan has been on the decline for some time." Shikamaru explained for her. "From what my dad has told me. The abilities of the Kurama clan have weakened in the last few generations. Because of that, they have been unable to produce capable shinobi."

"But that Yakumo was born." Sasuke said.

Yakumo continued her story. "To them, I was a blessing in a time of need. The clan was on the decline. At the time, I was the best chance the Kurama had to return to their former glory."

"But something happened." Naruto said/stated. "You're Ido. It's different from the rest of your clan."

"Like my powers, my Ido was more powerful than others recorded in the clan's history." Yakumo said. She paused for a moment. She knew her following words would change everything for her. Would Sasuke and the others accept her? Or would they turn against her?

"You've already told them this much." The Shadow said in a cruel tone. "Why not tell them the rest now? You wouldn't want them to get a false impression of you."

"So powerful that it actually," Yakumo paused again.

"That it did what?" Sasuke asked, leaning in. He and the others in the room were hanging on to every word.

Yakumo took a breath and braced herself for what comes next. "That it grew to be a separate and distant entity in my mind. Because of that, I can't control it like the rest of my clansmen can with theirs. Whenever I try to use my powers, it tries to take control and turns my genjutsus into living nightmares." She saw the looks of growing horror on Sasuke's face. "More than a few of my clansmen have been caught in my genjutsus when I lost control. They become trapped in their worst nightmares." She remembered those times. How the joy and love slowly turned into fear. How the smiles and praise steadily turned to whispers of fear. How some began to call her a curse on the Kurama clan. "This entity is cruel and takes pleasure in the suffering of others. Every day I try to control it, and every night it torments me in my dreams." The flames, they were always there, and she could never block out the screams. "My parents and, for a while, my uncle were the only ones to support me."

Sasuke's expression had become unreadable, while the others looked like they had seen something unsettling. "Your parents?" Naruto asked.

Yakumo smiled as the memories of her parents flashed across her mind. "They were the only ones that didn't look at me in fear. And supported me no matter how bad my Ido got." She remembers how her mother held her on days when the shadow was particularly bad. A tight frown formed on Yakumo's lips as an image of her mother showed saying something to her. But her words never materialized past her lips. "When they died, only my uncle was left to support me."

"But he tried to isolate you from everyone." Kiba pointed out. "How is that trying to support you?"

"That's so she wouldn't hurt others." Shikamaru said. "They've kept her locked up at the Kurama clan compound so that the only ones at risk is the clan. Image what would happen if she lost control in the middle of the village."

"He's a smart one." The shadow commented.

Yakumo nodded. "My uncle wanted to keep the village safe and to keep me safe." She said.

"Keep you safe?" Kiba questions. "What's that supposed to mean?"

To the surprise of everyone, Naruto answered. "Because if this were to get out. People would begin to fear her." Everyone looked at the blindfolded boy, who uncharacteristically had a serious and solum expression on his face. "They'll thank she's some kind of witch or demon."

Yakumo winced; the boy had summed up her feelings perfectly. "But they wouldn't do that." Sasuke argued back. "They'd"

Naruto cut him off. "Trust me Sasuke. People are not the most rational beings. Even if they are presented with all the facts, they'll go with their feelings." Yakumo didn't know why, but there was something in his voice that suggested that he knew what it was like.

Shikamaru looked back at her. "There's something else, isn't there?" Yakumo should have known he would pick up on that. "This Ido it wants more than just to control over your genjutsus."

Yakumo swallowed. There really was no avoiding it now. She had just stepped through a door and shut it behind her. "Yes." She said. "Its ultimate goal is to fully take over my mind and become the dominant personality. After that, I don't know what will happen."

"Oh, know what will happen."

Silence hung over the room. She looked between each of the boys gauging their reactions. For the most part, they were a mixture of fear, worry, and confusion. Sasuke's expression, though, was unreadable. A shadow having been cast over his face.

Wrapping her arms around herself, Yakumo lowered her head and waited. She waited for the words of hate. For Sasuke and his friends to reticle her for thinking they would accept her. For them to call her "witch" and "demon."

"What else did you think would happen?" The Shadow said. "It is time you accepted reality. No one will ever love you."

What she did not expect was for a pair of arms to wrap themselves around her. Yakumo looked up and saw that Sasuke was holding her tightly. "Wh-what?" She said quietly.

"I'm sorry." Sasuke said.

Yakumo blinked, unsure she had heard Sasuke correctly. "What?"

"I am so sorry, Yakumo." Sasuke continued on. "If I had known what you were going through. If I'd known about that thing."

Why was Sasuke apologizing to her? Why was he holding her right now? Shouldn't he be repulsed by her now he knew the truth? Why wasn't he calling her names and telling her that he would never be friends with her? Why were the others not joining him?

She glanced at the other boys in the room. They all had gathered around her. Smiling at her and giving her expressions she and never seen before. For a moment, she thought they were pitying her, but something told her they weren't. It was something else.

Yakumo was confused. Why weren't they treating her like a monster? "You had to go through all of that alone. You're so strong, Yakumo." Sasuke said. "But now you don't have to fight it alone anymore. You have us now."

Something tugged at Yakumo's heart. She didn't know, but a fresh stream of tears was leaking from her eyes. "Why? Why are you doing this?" She asked. "Shouldn't you be afraid of me?"

"Why would I be afraid of you?" Sasuke asked.

"Because." Yakumo paused, confused by why Sasuke wasn't revolted by her. "Because I'm a witch, a monster that only lives to torment others."

Sasuke pulled away from the embrace, and for a moment, Yakumo thought she had gotten through to him. Her heart ached when she saw the anger in his eyes. "What has that thing been telling you." His arms were still wrapped around her. He was spitting out obscenities at her. "What has that thing been telling you to make you think like that? Called you monster, a witch?"

"But it's true. Isn't it?" Yakumo asked.

"Yes, it's all true. You're a witch. A monster." If she had been paying attention, she would have noticed the quiver in the shadow's voice.

If Sasuke looked angry before, now he was furious. "It's a lie." He said in a low growl. "That thing has done nothing but fill your head with lies. You a monster? A witch only lives to harm others? Give me a break. You're the furthest thing from that."

"But?" Yakumo's protest was cut short when she felt a finger on her lips.

Sasuke's anger was gone, replaced by a gentle smile. "You Yakumo Kurama are not a monster. You are not a witch. And most certainly do not exist to torment others." He said, taking his hand from her mouth and placing his hands firmly on her shoulders. "You, Yakumo Kurama, are the kindest, most intelligent, and most beautiful girl I have ever met. The girl I met in the forest clearing is not that kind of person, and she would never do the things you say she would." He pulled her back into a tight embrace. "I don't care what this Ido thing says about you. They're all lies. And I will keep telling you this until one day you believe it."

Yakumo's arms reached up behind Sasuke's back as she struggled to process what he was saying. She wasn't a monster. She wasn't a witch. How could that be true? What was making him say that? "But why?" She asked.

She didn't see it, but Sasuke was smiling. "Because I'm your friend, and I want to help you. I don't care if you can control this Ido or not. I'll help you fight until you can. If it takes control of you, I'll find a way to bring you back. If I get caught up in one of your genjutsus, I'll know I will be safe because you will be there to hold it back. You don't have to fight it alone, you have me now, and I'll help you."

"Y-you will?" Yakumo asked.

"Don't listen to him."

"I will." Sasuke said.

"Lies. All lies. He's lying."

"And we'll be there for you too." Naruto said. "Sasuke isn't the only one that'll help fight this, Ido."

Kiba punched his hand. "Yea. If that creep does take you over, we'll beat it until it goes away." He said with a smile showing his fangs."

"Won't that involve beating Yakumo?" Shikamaru pointed out. "I don't think Sasuke will like that."

"Wh-what. No!" The Inuzuka boy sputtered. "I mean, yes. I mean, no. Y-yes." He groaned. "You know what I mean."

Naruto shook his head. "As I said, we'll help you no matter what." He said. "Besides," He added in a low whisper. "You are not the only one with inner demons."

Yakumo had little time to ponder on what he meant by that. "We're here for you." Sasuke said. "All of us, me, them." He gestures to the other boys. "And others as well when you tell them. We'll all help. So, please." He pulled her back into an embrace. "Let us help you. You don't have to fight on your own anymore."

Yakumo couldn't speak, too choked up on her low sobs. It had been so long since anyone had said those words. So long since anyone was willing to help her. Not since her parents had been killed.

She tightened her grip on the boy, almost like he was a lifeline. "I. I." She started to say but could not find the words to convey what she felt. "Thank you."

She didn't know how long they remained like that. But eventually, the two pulled apart. Yakumo was sure she had soaked Sasuke's shirt. Tears were still coming down from her eyes, but in a slow trickle, instead of a stream. "Thank you, Sasuke." She said, whipping the tears away. "You don't know what it means to me to hear you say that."

Sasuke rubbed the back of his neck. "Th-that's because we're friends." He said with a blush. "And friends help each other."

Yakumo felt her cheeks warm. Friends. She had heard that word a lot recently. But only now did it have any meaning to her. It felt more real now. "Yea, friends." She said.

"I'm happy for you all." Shikamaru lazily said. "and I'm sure we would all gladly help you. But there's one troublesome thing we're all forgetting here."

"What's that?" Kiba asked.

"We're still here," Shikamaru said, motioning to the storeroom. "I think it might be a good idea to figure out how to get out. Before we go dealing with Yakumo's inner demon."

Naruto places his hands on the back of his head. "I wouldn't worry about that." He said with a smile.

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

That was when the group of children heard the commotion outside.

Deep Within Yakumo's mind

The world around it was changing. It had been subtle at first, so the shadow had disregarded it. But now, the changes had become more pronounced.

Within the mental landscape that was Yakumo's mind, the shadow balled its hands into fists. That boy was ruining everything. At first, the shadow had thought nothing of the boy. Just another face and another means it could use to torment its other half.

Only now did it realize that had been a miscalculation. Its other was gaining strength, and the path to freedom was slowly being closed off. Oh, how it hated that boy.

A sinister smile spread across the shadow's face. It realized another mistake. It had indulged in its desire to have fun with the girl for too long. That the opportunity that it had been waiting for had almost slipped by it.

It was time that it took it.

"I wouldn't worry about that." A voice said.

"Why?" Another asked.

There the ears of Yakumo the Shadow hear a commotion from outside the storage room. Its smile grew. It knew the perfect time to strike. It just had to be patient for a little longer.

Outside the Warehouse

The first of the missing was dead. That much Itachi was certain as he went through another set of handsigns.

The Uchiha prodigy had decided that subtly was unnecessary for the mission. So, the group had blasted through the warehouse doors and charged at the missing-nin. Before they had the chance to register what was happening, one of them had been struck in the throat by a kunai.

An unceremonious way to die for a shinobi. But that was the kind of life they lived sometimes. Itachi finished his handsigns. "Katon: Fire Dragon's Breath." Itachi cupped his hands together in front of his mouth. Flames streamed out his mouth and funneled into and out of his hands, forming a dragon's head.

The Dragon then opened its mouth and breathed out a pillar of fire that shot towards that missing-nin. By this point, the missing-nin had recovered from the shock of being discovered and scattered from the attack.

The pillar exploded where the group had been. Itachi didn't dwell on the missed attack and shifted out of the way of a hail of kunai and shuriken. "They're real shinobi, alright." Itachi thought to himself.

He had already known that based on the plan they employed to kidnap the Kurama girl. This had only cemented that in his mind.

"The hell?" One of the missing-nin shouted. "How did they find us?"

The Konoha shinobi did not give their enemy time to ponder the question as they charged at the group. "It doesn't matter now." One said, the leader. He went through a set of handsigns. "Doton: Earth Whip." A whip made from rock ripped away from the ground and swung out at the Konoha forces.

The group of seven leaped above the whip and spread out to engage their chosen targets. Itachi landed close to the missing-nin leader and charged at the man. Getting close to his opponent, the young ANBU commander assumed his clan's signature taijutsu style.

The man who Itachi guessed was around the strength of mid-level Jōnin, possibly higher, quickly and masterfully parried all of Itachi's attacks. With his attack stalled, Itachi switched to a defensive as his opponent started to attack him with a flurry of jabs and kicks.

Thanks to his Sharingan, Itachi saw each attack well before it ever came. Evidently, the man knew what he was going up against and kept up his attack and at a rapid pace. Making it difficult for him to capitalize on any openings.

"You're not half bad." The man said. He went for a low sweeping kick.

Itachi avoids it and the uppercut that after it. "You are not a bad opponent either." Itachi commented, lashing out with a palm strike to the man's chest.

His opponent parried the attack. "Never thought I would be going up against an Uchiha." He said, parrying the attack. "And Itachi no less."

Itachi raised an eyebrow. "You've heard of me?"

"I don't think there's anyone in the elemental nations who hasn't heard of you?" The missing-nin leader said. He lowered himself and tried to go for Itachi's lower abdomen with a quick jab.

Itachi twisted around to avoid the attack. If he were anyone else, Itachi might have taken pride in that fact. But as it were, it was just an advantage his opponent had over him. "Is that so?" Itachi simply said.

"You even have an entry on the bingo books." The man said. Then he jumped back to avoid several kunai. It was hard to tell if they were thrown at him purposely or if it was a stray attack. Either way, Itachi pressed on the advantage. "Katon: Fire Bullet no jutsu." A spray of fiery bullets soared at the man. Who jumped further back to avoid being burned alive. "You have a flee on sight order." The man finished.

A slight lull in the fight hung over the two combatants as they decided on their next course of action. Both were still mindful of the fights around them and the progress of them. As far as Itachi could tell, Konoha was winning the battle, but their enemy was making them work for their victory.

Already one Konoha shinobi, a Jōnin, was down but still alive. That left both sides roughly even in numbers. From the corner of his eyes, Itachi saw that Izumi was fighting a muscular man. The pair of ANBU were double-teaming an opponent.

"If that is the case." Itachi began. "Why not try to escape now. Or better yet, how about you surrender now." If this fight could be ended without bloodshed. Then Itachi was willing to take it. Especially if it meant his brother wouldn't be put at risk. But he suspected that it wouldn't be that easy.

The man smirked at him. "Tempting," He said. "But I'm afraid I going to have to say no. Professional standards and all. You understand." Itachi nodded, showing he did. "Besides, even if I did try to escape. I suspect that I wouldn't get far. If you Konoha-nin knew we were here, then it would not surprise me if half of your forces were deployed to capture anyone trying to escape. No, I'm afraid this will be my last stand as a Shinobi."

There was anger in the man's voice but also resignation. He knew what the conclusion of this fight would be and had accepted it. Itachi had to give the man some respect for that. "You do realize I have orders to capture you alive if possible?" Itachi said, pulling out a sword.

"Of course." The man responded, pulling out a set of kunai. "I imagine you want to know who hired us and how we managed to get into the village. But I won't make it easy for you. I will die as a proud Shinobi and not as a screaming wreck in the depths of your T&I department."

With that, both men knew that talk had ended. Itachi took a stance waiting for the man to charge at him. He didn't have to wait long as the man threw one of his weapons.

Itachi deflected the incoming weapon, and in the same motion, his blade clashed with the man's second kunai. The battle had been joined.

In the commotion, no one noticed one of the combatants slipping past.

Storage room

The noise outside had not gone away and had grown louder.

Naruto was smiling from ear to ear. "I told you not to worry." He said.

Sasuke looked back at his friend. "Naruto? What did you do?" He asked him. "And what's going on out there?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Naruto answered back. "Konoha is here to rescue us. They're being led by your brother."

"Itachi?" Sasuke asked. "He's here? But how?"

Yakumo was curious about that herself. She knew Hinata and the others had gone off to warn the rest of the village, but there was no way they could have known where the missing-nin had been holding up in.

"I showed them where we are." Naruto answered.

"But how?" Kiba asked. "No offense, but I think it's kind of hard to keep track of your eyes."

"I developed a new trick." Naruto explained.

"A new trick?" Shikamaru questions with a raised eyebrow.

A pair of eyes floated down and stared at the floor. Half a second later, a project of the inside of the warehouse appeared in front of the group of kids. And the battle was currently being waged just outside the storage room.

Yakumo almost gasped at what she saw. Her mind tried to work out what she was seeing. It wasn't genjutsu, or at least not one she had ever encountered. The image almost looked solid, like she could reach and touch it.

Something the Kiba tried to do when his hand reached out to the projection. His hand passed through it, causing it to shimmer and distort like water would.

Sasuke was staring at the image in disbelief. Meanwhile, Shikamaru was showing no outward reaction, but Yakumo could see that his mind was at work.

Sasuke hovered his hand over the project. "Is that really my brother?" He pointed at the image of Itachi fighting one of the missing-nin. "Is this happening out there?"

"It is." Naruto said.

"You can create live images of events as they happen?" Shikamaru asked.

Naruto nodded. "No sound though."

"Still," Shikamaru trailed off. "The uses that this technique has. Can you also play back images you've seen before?" He asked.

"I think so?" Naruto said.

Yakumo spoke next. "So, you 'transmitted' our location to Konoha when you were caught?" She asked. "Just how far can you see with your eyes?" She knew that the warehouse was on the edge of the village and the Hokage Tower on the other side of the village.

"I had hoped we could tell Jiji ourselves," Naruto explained. "But, well, you know what happened. As for how far I can see, I can be standing in the middle of Konoha and still see everything in the village and about two kilometers past the village walls. After that, things start to get fuzzy, and I need to contrate to see clearly."

"That's incredible," Yakumo said. To be able to see that far. What she would give to have an ability like, instead of the curse.

Sasuke nodded his head. "I have to give it to you, dope. You did something smart."

Some of the eyes floating around Naruto rolled. "All of my plans are smart, duck-ass. Sometimes they just don't work."

Sasuke snorted and turned back to face attention. "See, I told you we would get out of this. And when we are, we'll help you with your problems."

Yakumo smiled. For once, there truly was no doubt in her mind. For so long, it had felt like she had been walking in a dark tunnel. Now, after so long, she finally could see the light at the end. She opened her mouth to reply.

"I would not be so certain about that." A cold voice said.

The next thing Yakumo knew, Naruto was launched at crates. With a loud crashing noise, the crates shattered.

The thin man with the short sword stood where Naruto had been. An angry frown tight on his face. "You little brat." He said. "It's because of you that we're in this mess." He unsheathed his blade and walked towards the recovering Naruto. "It's time I finish what I started."

"Bastard!" Kiba shouted and lept at the man.

"Kiba no." Shikamaru reached out to grab his friend.

Too later. The man kicked his leg out and sent Kiba flying and crashing into another group of crates.

Sasuke shot up from where he was kneeling. Before Yakumo could stop him, he charged at the shinobi. "Get away from my fri-aagghhh!"

With a kick to his gut, Sasuke was sent back. He crashed next to Yakumo, breaking the crates behind them. Yakumo screamed. "Sasuke!" She looked over the boy, relieved he was still alive and conscious. She turned to face the man with angry tears streaming down her cheeks. "Stop it. Stop it now."

"Or what?" The man snarled at her. "It's because of your little friends that our plan has fallen apart. And now, no chance we'll get out of this village." A twisted smile crossed his face. "So now there's no reason to keep any of you alive anymore." He pointed his blade at Yakumo. "I think I'll start with you, little girl. Or maybe. "He shifted his blade to point at Sasuke. "I'll kill off your little friends first. Make sure the last thing you'll ever hear are their screams for mercy."

Yakumo had fallen silent. Then she spoke. "Stop it, or else." She said in an icy tone.

The man's smile grew more twisted. "Or what?" He said in a mocking tone.

Yakumo did not answer the man. Instead, she reached into her Kimono and pulled out a paintbrush. She points the brush at the man.

The man looked amused. "What are you going to do with that?" He asked. "Paint me a picture? Sorry to break it to you, little girl, but I'm not an artsy type of person."

Yakumo ignored the man and started to paint out something in the air. When she finished, she said one simple word. "Burn."

The man's smile lasts for a second before a look of confusion spreads across his face. "What the. Where am I?" Then fear and horror quickly morphed across his face. He starts to scream. "No. Make it stop. Make it stop." He shouted frantically as he dropped his sword and used his hands to slap and wipe himself off. "Make it stop. Make it stop." His skin starts to turn red and blister.

The others in the room looked on in confusion at what they were seeing. "What's happening." Kiba asked.

"I don't know." Sasuke said. "But it almost looks like he's on fire. But. But there's no flame." He looked over at Yakumo. "Yakumo, are you doing this? Yakumo?"

Yakumo's whole body was shaking as tears were streaming down her eyes. "No. Please No." She said. "Not now."

"My turn."

Sasuke runs up to her. "Yakumo? What's wrong?" He asked, trying to hold the girl steady.

Yakumo looked at Sasuke. "Sasuke." She said, fighting to keep control. "Please run."

"What?"

"Uhh, guys?" Naruto said. "Is it bad that room is distorting, but the rest of the warehouse isn't?"

"Yakumo, what's going on." Sasuke asked in a frantic voice.

"It's the shadow." Yakumo said, feeling her control slipping away fast. "It's trying to take over."

Sasuke's eyes widen. "What?"

Yakumo got off one last warning. "Run!" Then the whole world exploded into fire and darkness.

The only sound that could be heard above it was the laughter of a shadow. "Now, let's have some fun!"

Kai! Okay I think I managed to escape that one. Uhh? Ignore the screaming in the background (I'll have to check on that here in a moment).

Anyway, Itachi has arrived to rescue his little brother, and his girlfriend. The Shadow has made its move and to be frank it doesn't seem to be happy that everyone is trying make Yakumo happy. What kind of nightmare world is it going to drag her and their others and how well they get out? Well, you're going to have to find out in the next chapter. This arc probably got about two or three chapters, so sit tight and what the show.

Until the end, be safe out there. Now if you excuse me, I got something to check on (This better not be what I think it is).