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

"talking"

'thinking'

Chapter 94: Welcome to a Spectrum of Emotions

"Father?" Ameri asked as she answered her phone. "Is something wrong?"

"I wanted to let you know that something strange has entered the Netherworld," Henri said. "We aren't sure what it is, but it would be best if you kept a lookout for it."

"Do you have any information?" Ameri asked.

"Just that there was a strange green light seen," Henri said. "Lord Sulivan is aware of the situation and he plans on informing the teachers at Babyls. He wanted me to tell you so that the Student Council had a head start on preparation."

"Understood," Ameri said. "I shall awaken the others and form a plan just in case whatever it was is hostile and chose to come to Babyls. As the President of the Student Council, it is my job to make sure the school and its students remain safe."

"Stay safe yourself, Ameri," Henri said. "I'll contact you if we receive any more information." They gave their goodbyes before hanging up.

Ameri scrolled through her phone, pausing on Iruma's name. She wondered if she should also inform him of the situation. She hesitated for a few seconds before shaking her head and putting her phone away. Ameri quickly called for the other Student Council members and let them know what her father had told her. They formed a plan to lockdown the school if any of them found anything suspicious.

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Unbeknownst to the demons in the Netherworld, the green light was just Naruto, Sasuke, and Kurama arriving in the Netherworld. Kurama smirked as he took in the forms of Naruto and Sasuke. "Seems this is one of those worlds where we have to adapt to it." At this Sasuke looked over to Naruto who had orange fox ears and an orange tail. He then looked at himself, admiring his bat-like wings. His tail waved, causing him to frown. He didn't really like the thought of having a tail. The two turned back towards Kurama to see that just like Naruto, he had fox ears and a tail, only they were red instead of orange. "Hm… I don't know how I feel about only having one tail. I guess the number of tails doesn't represent how much power you have here."

Naruto pouted. "I wish I had wings." He touched one of Sasuke's wings, only for the raven to make a strange noise. Both of them blushed, but it urged Naruto to do it again.

"Quit it, Dobe!" Sasuke yelled, struggling to keep himself from making that noise again. He folded his wings slightly before they disappeared into his back. "So they react just like the wings I had with the Curse Mark." Naruto made a face at the mention of the Curse Mark, but Sasuke continued, not noticing it. "I couldn't fly for long with those wings though." He made his wings come back out before he stepped back and let them spread out more. He then jumped, flapping them. Sasuke smirked as he began to hover above the others. He flew up even higher before flying around. Choosing to go up even higher, Sasuke froze. His eyes widened as he took in his surroundings. The Netherworld was huge with floating pieces of land. He could see the many houses that were on some of those pieces of land. A blaring noise caught his ears. It was like a warning sound. Sasuke landed on the ground, only to see both Naruto and Kurama covering their ears. This meant that they had heard the alarm as well.

"Kami-sama, that's loud!" Kurama complained, rubbing his ears. Naruto whimpered in agreement.

"It sounded pretty far away though," Sasuke said.

"Someone must have seen the light," Kurama said. "If they think it's something bad enough to set off an alarm, they probably think we are enemies or something. We should probably get out of here."

"Or we could stay and show them that we aren't dangerous," Naruto offered. Sasuke and Kurama gave him a look. "Right. Let's move." The three of them ran together, only to come to the edge of the land they were on. Naruto looked at the others. "What should we do?" Sasuke simply flew into the air. "Hey! Not all of us can fly!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes before he swooped down and lifted Naruto up. "That's why I'll carry you."

"W-wait," Naruto said. "Why don't we think about this a little more?"

Sasuke smirked. "What? Is the great Naruto afraid of flying?"

"N-no," Naruto said. "I've flown on one of Sai's ink birds before." 'Only to fall because that bastard dropped me.'

Sasuke frowned. "Then shut up and let's go."

"Hey!" Kurama yelled. "What about me?"

Again, Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Turn into your fox form and let the Dobe carry you." Kurama had an 'oh yeah' expression on his face and Sasuke couldn't help but add: "Idiot." Kurama bristled at the name calling, but still did as Sasuke suggested. Naruto made sure to hold onto both Kurama and Sasuke as the raven flew over to the next land. He looked around for a few seconds before flying to the next one.

"What was wrong with that place?" Naruto asked.

"We should get as far away from the spot we arrived at," Sasuke said. "Besides, I can see what looks like a market up ahead. We can hide among the people there." Naruto nodded. Sasuke landed about five minutes later. He hid his wings, not wanting anyone to touch them. He put Naruto down who hid how happy he was to be back on solid ground. Jumping from Naruto's arms, Kurama took on his more human-like form. They stepped out onto the street, ready to run if necessary. But no one seemed bothered about their presence. They continued on, each amazed at the many shops. Various people, or rather demons, were talking or going what looked like magic. Naruto wondered if they'd be able to do magic while they were here as well. Kurama's stomach rumbled first, followed by Naruto's. The two looked at Sasuke who nodded. The three of them went to the nearest restaurant. The portions were big, much to Sasuke's relief. Money was tight and having to feed two people who ate enough to feed ten each was becoming a burden on their wallet. Sasuke let Naruto and Kurama eat the half of his food he didn't, wondering where they put it all.

A waiter came over with the bill and a smile on his face. "It is good to see demons able to eat our food wholeheartedly. The only one I've ever seen eat as much was Lord Sulivan's grandson Iruma."

"Your food was really good," Naruto said.

"Thank you," the waiter said. "I'll let my brother know. He's the chef here." He accepted their money before leaving them to finish their drinks.

"We need to get some money," Sasuke said. "Hokage Naruto gave us some money, but if you two continue eating like this, it won't last long."

Naruto looked down, his ears flattening against his head. "Sorry."

"I know you can't help it," Sasuke said. "You need the food to keep up your strength."

"It is partially my fault," Kurama said. "It takes a lot to be able to handle my chakra, even for an Uzumaki."

Sasuke frowned. "What do you mean?"

"The Uzumaki Clan is known not only for fuinjutsu," Kurama said. "But their strong life-forces and incredible chakra. An Uzumaki is born with more chakra than any other clan. That's why they make good Jinchurikis. Well, that and the fact that they will survive for a bit even after having their tailed beast removed."

"Eh?" Naruto asked.

Kurama nodded. "If the Akatsuki were to break the seal to get me, you'd probably survive long enough to see the beginning of whatever their plan is. When Kushina's seal was broken, she lived for quite awhile afterwards. If she hadn't been so weakened after both the birth and the extraction, Minato probably could have resealed me inside her instead of you. But that masked bastard didn't give him the chance, and I killed them." He looked sad at that.

"It isn't your fault Kurama," Naruto said. "We talked about this. You were controlled by Madara's Sharingan. He's the one to blame for the attack, not you."

"I know," Kurama said. "If it wasn't for that man, a lot more people would be alive." He glanced at Sasuke. "Bet the Uchihas wouldn't have been pushed into attempting a coup."

"Kurama," Naruto scolded.

"No," Kurama shook his head. "It is about time he realized what really happened." He stood up and grabbed Sasuke by the arm. He dragged Sasuke out of the restaurant. Naruto bowed in apology to the other guests before running after Kurama. He found them in an alley. "That Masked Bastard is responsible for what happened on the day the Kit was born as well as the consequences the Uchiha Clan was forced to take when they were blamed for it. Because of the Sharingan's ability to control the Biju, the Uchiha Clan was blamed for my attack. The Third along with the council pushed the Clan away in an attempt to quell the hatred of those who blamed them, but the Uchihas only saw that as being abandoned. The coup was brought about due to a mix of blame, hatred, and misunderstanding."

"Kurama!" Naruto tried to break Kurama's grip on Sasuke's collar.

Kurama used his tail to push Naruto back. "He has the right to know this."

"I already know!" Sasuke grunted. He used Kurama's surprise to push the bigger man back. "It was pretty obvious when Naruto brought up Madara's involvement in the attack, that he was to blame for everything."

"Then why not join me in stopping Madara?" Naruto asked. "He should be your real target for revenge." Sasuke fell silent at that. "Sasuke?"

"Tch," Sasuke glared. "I told you several times. I'm not going back to Konoha."

"I'm not asking you to!" Naruto yelled. He clenched his fists. "I won't ask you to come back anymore. I… I know you won't." He looked away from Sasuke and Kurama. "We should move. We made a little bit of a scene back there and it wouldn't be good if they called for the authorities."

"Where do you want to go?" Kurama asked.

Naruto pulled out his map. "It may be best if we blend in. I noticed that no one our age was around here. And I think I know why." He pointed to a spot on the map. It was a school where over seven hundred names could be seen. "There are schools in this world and kids are there right now." Ho pointed to the other places that had to be schools as well. "We should blend in at one of these schools. Maybe we can even find someone that knows Yuko or Watanuki."

"There are three schools," Kurama said. "Which one do we go to?"

Naruto pointed to the one that was closest to them. "Babyls."

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Iruma finished having lunch with Asmodeus and Clara before they met up with a few members of their class. They made their way to Royal One. Once there, they heard Jazz and the others talking about the Walter Park incident. Iruma was brought into the conversation when Leid brought up the news broadcast. Sabnock bragged about his rival as Asmodeus tried to free Iruma from their classmates. He then joined them when they began to praise Iruma. It was Kalego walking into the room that stopped them. The students of the Abnormal Class quickly took their seats as Kalego said his usual "silence." He took roll call, pleased that everyone was there. Class began as usual until Kalego mentioned that all members of the Abnormal Class must reach Rank Four in order to remain in the Royal One classroom. Complaints filled the room, but Kalego turned them all down. Soon, everyone agreed to rise to Rank Four.

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"I think we should be safe here," Naruto said. The three of them managed to sneak into Babyls after using a Henge to change their clothes to match the school uniform. Using the map, they found an empty classroom that was far away from the others. "I'll set up a barrier, but we should be fine for the night." He yawned.

"I think we all need some sleep," Kurama said. Naruto and Sasuke nodded in agreement. Sasuke pulled out their sleeping bags while Naruto set up a barrier. It would only allow them through just in case one of them had to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night. Since it was a little cold, Sasuke found a bin and made a fire inside it. He was given the extra blanket since Naruto and Kurama had naturally warm bodies. After a quick meal, Sasuke laid down. He stared away from the other two, hoping to fall asleep quickly.

Naruto's eyes found Sasuke's back. Believing that the raven was really asleep, he turned around and snuggled into his blanket. Kurama on the other hand knew that Sasuke was still awake. He chose to take advantage of that. "Kit?" Kurama asked.

"Yeah?" Naruto responded sleepily.

"Did you mean it?" Naruto looked at him. "When you said you won't ask the Uchiha to come back to Konoha."

"Yes," Naruto said. He gave a sad smile. "I can't keep being selfish. Sasuke doesn't want to come back to Konoha. And if that will make him happy, I have to accept it."

"What about your promise to Haruno?" Kurama asked. "You made a vow to never go back on your word."

"I can't change things outside my power. It would be insane of me to think otherwise."

"That's not all, is it?" Naruto humed. "You made a promise to him as well. And I'm guessing that promise means more to you than Haruno's does. I mean, she did give up on the Uchiha. He knows that since she did try to kill him. Why you are trying to forget that, I don't think I'll ever understand."

"Kurama…"

"Why keep it a secret? You promised Itachi that you'd protect Sasuke, even if it cost your life." Sasuke's eyes widened at this. "You made it clear how much you care about Sasuke when you begged the Raikage to veto the execution order on him."

"I told you that I didn't want to talk about that."

"Why? Because it made you look like a fool? Or because you realized that almost everyone was against your choice? Haruno even lied to you and…"

"Kurama!" Naruto had tears in his eyes as his body shook.

"Kit?"

"Please. Don't say anything else."

Kurama sighed. "Sorry. I just want you to be happy."

"I know. But I don't want to talk about Sakura's confession. I just…" He took a deep breath before continuing. "As long as Sasuke is happy, it doesn't matter what I want."

"You deserve to be happy too, Kit." Naruto smiled sadly, but didn't say anything. "Kit, you and the Uchiha are…" The sound of snoring reached Kurama's ears, causing him to sigh. "You always fall asleep at the important part." He shifted the blond so that he was in a more comfortable position. "Uchiha, I know you're awake. Don't forget that unlike the Kit, I have mastery over our Extreme Hearing." Sasuke let out a quiet curse as he sat up. Kurama also got up. "I think it is time that we have a real heart to heart." Sasuke nodded as he followed Kurama. Once they were sure they were alone, Kurama started to speak. "I know you heard everything since I'm able to hear your heartbeat. But there is more you should know. Where should I start?"

"Sakura confessed to Naruto?" Sasuke asked.

Kurama hid his surprise that Sasuke would ask first about the confession instead of Itachi's promise. "Yes. She followed Naruto, Kakashi, and Yamato. It was after he begged the Raikage to spare your life. She knew what her promise was doing to the Kit. She told him to forget it and to move on. Then she said she loved him."

"W-what did he say?" Sasuke asked.

"He turned her down, basically calling her a liar," Kurama said. "He knows that Haruno still has feelings for you, though they aren't as strong as the Kit believes they are. I've seen what he has and I know that she is growing closer to Lee. I believe that she will choose him in the end."

Sasuke left out a sigh of relief before he prepared himself for the next answer. "What about the promise with Itachi?"

"He told you about the crow thing," Kurama said. "Well, Itachi asked Naruto what he'd do if you attacked Konoha. I'm sure you remember his answer." Sasuke nodded. Naruto had made it clear that he would stop Sasuke without killing him. "Well, when he brought forth Itachi for your birthday, he had to test it out to make sure it worked. He used a clone. They talked for a bit about what had happened since Itachi's death." Sasuke's eyes widened. He hadn't even thought about that. It should have been obvious that Naruto didn't just perform the jutsu without knowing the cost. "He made a promise that he'd make sure you find the happiness you truly deserve. He even offered to bring Itachi back at the cost of his life. Since a piece of Itachi's soul is sealed within that crow he fed Naruto, if Naruto was able to extract the soul, he'd be able to put it inside someone else and give Itachi the power to control that body and make it his own. He'd perform the same jutsu the Fourth did to seal me." When Sasuke tilted his head to the side slightly, Kurama added: "the same jutsu the Third used to seal Orochimaru's hands."

"The Third died to do that," Sasuke said.

"Yes," Kurama said. "The price for using the Reaper Death Seal is the caster's life. And I know he can do it since he's seen my memory of Minato doing it several times."

"He can't." Sasuke grabbed Kurama's arm. "He can't do that!"

"Itachi turned him down. He made Naruto promise to not just throw his life away."

"If he did that, he'd be killing you too."

"Not anymore. We've met two Narutos that were able to separate from their Kuramas. This body may only be temporary right now, but if he really wanted to, he could break the seal and force us to 'merge' as those other Narutos called it."

Indeed Sasuke knew this. Both Hisoka of the Yugure and Hokage Naruto had shown this to be true. He felt his legs grow weak, but he managed to keep himself standing. "Why? Why would he go so far?"

"That's…" Kurama quickly shut his mouth before he shook his head. "You need to find that out on your own." He poked Sasuke's chest. "If you really don't want to return to Konoha, then leave. If you keep giving him hope, he'll do something extreme. He's the Number One Hyperactive, Knucklehead Ninja after all." Kurama turned on his heel and started heading back to Naruto. He paused. "Make up your mind soon, before it is too late." He continued walking away.

Sasuke let himself fall to the ground where he wrapped his arms around his legs. He looked up at the sky. 'Aniki, what should I do?'