I do not own Naruto, nor do I make any money off of this.

"talking"

'thinking'

Chapter 54: The Bonds They Share

Naruto faced Hisoka and Kyu and the two tried to teach him about their merger and separation. A frown was on Naruto's face when his twentieth attempt failed. "I must be doing it wrong," Naruto said.

"I think it is because your seal isn't as broken as Hisoka's was when he performed the jutsu," Kyu said.

"Then let's break it more," Naruto said. He formed a sign, ready to call upon Kurama's chakra. Two hands grabbed his own and Naruto's eyes met Hisoka's. Naruto was pulled into Hisoka's room.

"I can't let you do that," Hisoka said. "Yes I got Kyu out of the merger, but there were consequences." He rubbed at his left arm. "I can't heal like I use to. Sure simple cuts heal at a faster rate for me than for normal people and I don't ever get sick, but more deadly wounds won't heal. Tell me, did your Sasuke punch a hole through your chest using the chidori during your fight?" Naruto nodded. Hisoka pulled his cloak and shirt back to show a part of his chest just above his heart. There wasn't even a mark there. He touched the same spot on Naruto's chest. "Did yours heal the same as mine?" Naruto nodded. "Something like that can only be healed while the Kyuubi is inside you." Hisoka pointed to his neck. "Had the two of us been one, I would never have lost my voice. I would have lost my vocal cords, but new ones would have been formed by the Kyuubi's chakra, just as new, scarless skin can be made."

"In other words," Kyu said, standing in the doorway. "Don't try to force the merger."

Naruto looked down. "I want to give Kurama a body of his own."

Kyu smiled, stepping towards Naruto. He bent down slightly. "And he appreciates your feelings."

"Speak for yourself," Kurama's voice came out of Naruto's mouth.

Kyu crossed his arms. "A bit overbearing, aren't you?"

"You think because we are the same beings that you know how I feel?"

"Of course I do," Kyu said. "If I had been in your position, I'd feel the same way."

"You know nothing. Our two worlds took two different paths. You may be act like a slave to your host, but I'm not going to bow like a little…"

Kyu glared. "Watch your words. I'm a slave to no one. I help the Kit of my own choosing." He smirked. "And I have something you won't ever have. I have…"

"Enough!" Hisoka yelled. The room fell silent as the temperature dropped. Hisoka's eye were a cold blue. Naruto's knees nearly gave out but Kurama's power kept him standing. Kyu had flinched and his ears had popped out. Hisoka sighed. "Honestly, seeing two Kyus argue with each other is amusing but we are getting off topic. Also," he turned to Kyu who took a step back. "That particular subject is none of his business. You need to talk to Itachi first."

"But you practically spilled the beans already," Kyu said. Hisoka just gave him a look that caused Kyu to silently walk out of the room, closing the door behind him.

"Honestly, Kyu's just an overgrown kid," He turned his attention back to Naruto. "Oh! Sorry." He closed his eyes and reopened them.

Naruto felt like a weight had been lifted off of him as he regained his normal stance. "What was that?"

"I have a contract with foxes and it allows me to control them," Hisoka said. "Sometimes when I get mad, my control slips and Kyu feels it. I'm guessing you felt it too because of Kurama. I'll try to be more careful around you. Usually I have that power sealed. I must have forgotten to reseal it after our last mission." He rolled up the sleeve of his left arm revealing a small tattoo of the word Kitsune. He bit he right thumb and spread the blood over it. The tattoo and the blood vanished. "There. It won't happen again."

"You can summon foxes?" Naruto asked. Hisoka nodded. "What about the toads?"

"I can still summon them," Hisoka said. "The contract with the toads is one I'll never get rid of. It connects me with Ero-Sennin and Dad." A look of sadness took over Naruto's features. "Is that different too? Do you not know that the Fourth Hokage, that Minato Namikaze is your father?"

"It's not that," Naruto said. "I know who my father is. He told me himself. It's just that…"

"You met him?" Hisoka's eyes were wide.

"Y-yeah," Naruto said. "When I fought Pein, I lost control and nearly went full Kyuubi and he appear to stop the ninth tail from forming."

"Another difference," Hisoka said. "I've never gone past six tails before merging with Kyu."

"Then is Nagato still alive?" Naruto asked.

"Nagato?" Hisoka asked. "Oh! You mean Pein. Yes, he is the leader of the Akatsuki."

"And Madara?" Naruto asked.

"Madara?" Hisoka looked confused. "Madara is dead. He died fighting the First."

"Wow!" Naruto's eyes lit up. "I have to tell Sasuke!"

"I guess there is more that we need to talk about," Hisoka agreed. Naruto felt sick for a second before he realized he was back in the real world. Hisoka stood up, Naruto behind him. Kyu wasn't there anymore. The two returned to the cave to find Sasuke staring at Aki and Dai who were rolling on the ground kicking and punching each other. Sasuke looked up at Hisoka and Naruto's entrance. Hisoka didn't even bat an eye as he walked around the two and pass Sasuke. Sasuke and Naruto looked at each other before following Hisoka.

Both stopped short behind Hisoka when the man froze. Peeking over his shoulders, Sasuke and Naruto's jaws dropped. In front of them, Kyu was sitting in a chair with Itachi in his lap and they were kissing. 'Guess the fox's out of the bag now,' Hisoka thought.

Kyu stopped kissing Itachi when he heard Hisoka's thought. He grinned at the surprise on the others' faces. "Well, this is one way to let the brat know." Itachi smacked Kyu across the head. "Ow! What the hell was that for?"

"Idiot," Itachi said, getting out of Kyu's lap. He fixed his cloak. "Sasuke it's…"

"You bottom?" Sasuke asked.

'Really?' Naruto and Hisoka thought. 'That's what he's surprised about?'

Itachi looked absolutely mortified. Kyu just grinned. "Guess it's not your first time seeing a gay couple. Though I have to say, that I expected Naruto to be a bit more surprised."

All eyes were suddenly on Naruto. He blushed, pointing to his nose. "I can smell your mixed scents. It's the reason why I know that Aki and Dai are together."

"And you're not surprised about them? Kyu asked, looking at Sasuke.

"No," Sasuke said. "They were playing some sort of game before they started kissing. Then Aki said something which cause a fight to break out. Between punches and kicks, they were groping each other and making out."

"Does it bother you?" Itachi asked. "Knowing that I'm gay?"

Sasuke shrugged. "Not really. I mean so what if you are gay in this world? I'm gay in another." He paused, blinking. "That didn't come out right."

"I understand," Itachi said. "You've been to more than one different version of our worlds."

"Tell me," Kyu said. "Who is your partner in the world you speak of?"

"His name is Menma," Sasuke said. Kyu frowned. He had been expecting to hear Naruto's name, He glanced at Hisoka, knowing the other must have been feeling down.

"Menma?" Itachi said raising an eyebrow.

"He was the me of his world," Naruto said proudly. "You were alive in that one, but as the leader of Akatsuki." He put up his hands to stop Itachi and Kyu from getting mad. "Though, the Akatsuki of their world were good guys. I wonder how Menma is doing. Hopefully Charasuke stopped being such a flirt."

Itachi ignored Naruto as the blood continued to talk about Menma and Charasuke. His eyes were on Sasuke who wasn't listening to Naruto either. He hadn't noticed Itachi's eyes on him since he seemed to be deep in thought. Itachi glanced at Kyu whose eye met his. A flash of recognition went through Kyu's eyes and he nodded. They needed to talk.

"...Seriously, it was kind of scary," Naruto finished.

"As far as I know, Hinata is still her normal, timid self," Kyu said. Naruto nodded. He opened his mouth to say more, but Rina had walked in telling them it was time to eat. Behind her, Kaya was dragging Dai and Aki by their collars, neither saying a single word. Neither spoke through the entire meal, both not wanting to admit that Kaya had hurt their manly pride.

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"What do you think?" Kyu asked. Him and Itachi were outside, hiding from the others. Kyu had even gone as far as to set up a barrier.

"From what Naruto has told us," Itachi began. "The two of them are linked. Of our parallel worlds, they were together in two of them. If circumstances were different, Hisoka would be with Sasuke. I know they love each other."

"Didn't you hear about the world in which Sasuke killed Naruto?" Kyu asked.

"But he brought him back," Itachi said. "There is something that bounds them together."

"You're saying that those two belong together?" Kyu asked.

Itachi nodded. "It is like they are destined to be one."

"You sound like the Hyuuga brat," Kyu said. "If two people were destined to be together despite the world they belong to, then…" He paused. "Should we tell them?"

"No," Itachi said. "They need to figure it out on their own."

"That may take awhile," Kyu said. Itachi nodded. Kyu sighed. "Whomever planned this journey of theirs was one smart cookie."

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"We've got a few missions," Kaya said. She held up three envelopes. "One of them involves an entire town." She handed them to Hisoka who opened and read each one. The mission Kaya had mentioned didn't seem too hard. The other easy one was an assassination request. Normally, Hisoka turned those down, but the target was a dangerous predator who preyed on women and children. It was one of the things Hisoka couldn't stand. The hardest one was to find something that had been stolen. The request didn't say what was stolen but had stated that more information would be given upon the Yugure's arrival. It could be a trap though.

"It sounds like it," Kyu said. He had taken the note and read it before passing it to Itachi. "Then again, what happens if it isn't a trap?"

"This mission would be better for a team of Genin," Itachi said. "Why would they ask us for something like this?"

"What is it?" Mitsuo asked. Itachi handed the note to him. Masaki pushed Mitsuo slightly so he could read it too. Once finished, they looked at each other grinning. "Let us do it!"

"Yeah!" Masaki said. "And even if it's a trap, you know we can get out of it!"

Everyone looked at Hisoka. He nodded. "Sweet!" Mitsuo cheered. "Let's go pack!" The twins ran off, a loud crash being heard in the distance.

"Honestly," Rina said. "Those two are such troublemakers!"

"Aki, Dai," Kyu said. "Hisoka wants you on the town mission."

"Sure," Aki grinned. Dai nodded. Both got up to get their things.

"What about the assassination?" Kaya asked. "We…"

"Assassination?" Naruto's eyes widened. He and Sasuke had been sitting in silence. "You kill people?"

"Only when necessary," Itachi said.

"But that's…" Naruto began.

"Dobe," Sasuke said. Naruto and Hisoka turned to the younger Uchiha. "This is the way of their world. Besides, you should know by now that as shinobi, we sometimes have to kill." Naruto closed his mouth. He didn't want to admit it but not only was Sasuke right, but he was foolish to think that killing wasn't necessary. Even he had killed before.

"The four of us will go," Kyu said, pointing at Hisoka, Itachi, Kaya and himself. "Rina will move things to hideout number five."

"Why so many of us?" Kaya asked.

"Because there are a bunch of other smaller requests in the area," Kyu answered. "Hisoka thinks it is better to just get it all done now." He stood up and walked over to a red box. Flipping through the contents, he picked out over a dozen notecards. He held them up. "These are the missions we turned down since our skill levels are higher than they require." He evenly distributed the cards to Itachi, Kaya, and himself. "Hisoka will take the assassination mission." Kaya and Rina silently walked out of the room to begin preparation for their tasks.

"Don't worry," Itachi said, facing Naruto. "He'll make sure the target is guilty of what they claim he's done. If he isn't, then Hisoka won't do anything." Naruto only nodded.

Hisoka suddenly sat up straighter. Kyu smiled. "Looks like we aren't the only ones leaving." Naruto and Sasuke looked down to see that their bracelets were green. They stood up, ready to get their things when a clone of Hisoka walked into the room, carrying their bags. Neither Naruto nor Sasuke had seen Hisoka make a clone. Both knew without a doubt that Hisoka was out of their league. One glance at Kyu told them he was the same. Hisoka hugged Naruto then Sasuke, who didn't shy away from the touch. Itachi and Sasuke squeezed each other hard enough that were they normal humans, they'd each break their backs. Kyu gave Naruto a hug. Neither Sasuke nor Kyu wanted to hug the other and instead, they glared at each other. Naruto and Sasuke stepped away from the others. Naruto smiled and waved as the light surrounded them. He then glanced at Sasuke, noticing the look of longing he had in his eyes. He stayed quiet, hoping Sasuke wouldn't voice his desire to stay behind. Sasuke didn't speak as he reluctantly came to a decision. This world didn't need two Sasukes. There was one thing however, that he couldn't keep to himself.

"Aniki," Sasuke said. The older Uchiha smiled at him. "I love you." The green light flash, swallowing the two up.

Itachi looked at the spot Naruto and Sasuke had stood, smile still on his face. "Love you too, Ototo."