Hi again! It's been quite crazy for me! For one, finally graduating from college. I'm still doing summer classes though, as well as looking for work. How this will affect my writing...I don't know. Still, it feels damn good.

Also, some of you have requested me to read your stories. Truthfully, I would like to, but I'm so busy with other things that I find it difficult just to stick with the fics I'm already reading. I'll try to get around to it, but I can't make any guarantees.

Now for reviewer appreciation!

tennisdesi91: Feels good to leave readers flabbergasted

H.I.M-Jon-White: When I can, but that may be a while. If you need inspiration, I'd recommend Koorikage and Shinobi Wars (Naruto), Dead or Alive 4: The Devil Factor (Dead or Alive X Devil May Cry) and SWAT Kats: Endgame. Those are fics I'm currently reading which I think are awesome!

Mrfipp: I guess Ino would become more pig-like, but I'm not going to explore that. She'd probably kill me...As for Sasuke, you'll see. His role in the story is still in development.

HawkofNavarre: Damn, we need Microsoft word to check sentences, not just words! But I'm glad my chapter had such high reread value for you!

animeforever1: Glad to live up to all your expectations.

nurse-nin2008: I don't think it's that good, but I appreciate it when someone else does!

The Graceless Jedi: It is one m. I goofed.

Pirogeth: Man, I hope you're feeling better, cause it sounds like you've had a really shitty month. Thanks for sticking with me, and I'm glad you think I've improved over time.

Kalle533: In hindsight, I do have to agree with you about Konohamaru being too strong. However, remember that ability does not necessarily determine rank, and Lei Gong was in even worse condition than the Sandaime Hokage. Hope that clears things up a bit.

Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto, except 1 DVD Boxset, 1 movie and 2 volumes.

Chouji ran as fast as he could, carrying two people with him. Strapped to his back was Shikamaru, and in his arms was Temari. Normally, he would have been leaping from the rooftops, but he knew she was like this for a while. He had to be extra careful and make sure she wouldn't loose anymore blood. Finally, he reached the make-shift-tent where everyone was checked out and healed. The hospital was overcrowded, and only the very young or old were admitted inside there. "Ino! I need you here right now!! Shikamaru's in trouble!!"

Ino came running in, lucky that so far everyone was out of danger and that she was able to conserve her chakra. "Shikamaru!!" Hang on, I'll-"

"It's the pills I gave him." Chouji said, turning around so Ino could pick him up and lay him down on the bed. "I told him not to, but deep down we both knew he would need them someday. Listen, get to work on Temari first; she's lost a lot of blood, and I need to find Shikaku before you can get to work on Shikamaru anyway. Besides, I don't want to know how he would react if we gave him priority over Temari."

Ino, despite the high stress situation, smiled slightly. She was happy that Shikamaru finally found someone for him, and she knew the feeling was mutual between him and the person of interest, even if neither of them knew it. "Right!" Ino laid Temari down on an adjacent bed, and Chouji went off to find the shadow nin's parents. Ino began to work on Temari immediately. She applied chakra to the kunoichi's wound, and soon, it closed up. She was in no immediate danger, but she needed a blood transfusion. For now, though, there were others with needs as great as her.

"Someone, help!!" It sounded like a couple of kids! Ino immediately ran towards the sound and saw Konohamaru and his friend carrying two people. One was their teammate, the other their sensei. She could see that Ebisu was bleeding profusely. Moegi, she wasn't sure what was wrong. She had to take a closer look at her, but Ebisu had priority.

Ino immediately found a couple of medics passing her way. "You two! Get to work on this man!!" The two medics carefully picked him up, and took him to another room. Konohamaru then gave Moegi to Ino, who inspected her quickly. "Heat Stroke." she muttered It was the worst case she had ever seen! It was as if someone shoved her into an oven and miraculously she did not suffer any burns. But she could still have significant brain damage…"Someone!! Get me some ice!! Lots of it!!"

Konohamaru sat outside, hugging his knees. He fought well against a shinobi who was once a mizukage, and defeated him (even if he did have a little help). And yet, he still felt like a failure. He couldn't protect either one of them, his sensei or his teammate. The chunin was brought out of his thoughts when he sensed someone…no, if his training was as good as Ebisu said, two people, coming near him. He looked up, and saw Kurenai walking towards him. She was carrying her son, who was sleeping, and judging by the looks of her eyes, she cried a lot as well.

"Konohamaru." She said.

Konohamaru turned away, feeling ashamed. He couldn't save her cousin; how could this conversation possibly go well? But he had a feeling she wouldn't leave him alone just because of the way he was acting. He decided to say something at least. He had to get something off his chest. "I'm sorry…about your cousin."

He expected her to turn away, scorn him, maybe even slap him. But instead she walked towards him and sat with him. "I'm more sorry about what happened to your teammate and sensei. I hope they make it." Konohamaru didn't flinch. "I know better than anyone what it's like to lose your precious people. My teammates before me were killed a long time ago. Asuma died before our baby here was born." Kurenai took the moment to kiss her child on the forehead. "And this time my cousin's gone. Konohamaru…I feel the pain every time, and you never do get used to it. It is so hard being a shinobi. We tell our kids about it repeatedly, we go over it at the academy…but nothing ever gets you prepared until you experience it for yourself."

"I thought I did." Konohamaru replied. "I thought when Grandpa and Uncle Asuma died, I knew what it meant being a shinobi. But it was different this time. I may have sent Moegi to her death. And Ebisu…I should have never put myself in a position where I needed to be saved."

Kurenai wrapped one arm around the teen. "It's going to be one of the most difficult things for you to do…and it may only get worse. I've seen some people suffer from so much death that they couldn't take it anymore. For others, it strengthens their resolve." An uncomfortable moment of silence hung between the two. "Konohamaru…remember that the village is the reason why we become shinobi. We protect it and the people within it with our lives. That is the choice we make. And you chose to save someone very dear to me." Konohamaru looked up, visibly crying. He took a glance at Asuma Jr., and stroked his hair. Even he had to admit…this child's life was more valuable than those of his comrades. Kurenai knew then there was nothing more she could say. "If you ever need to talk to me, come see me. And thank you so much." She kissed his forehead to show her gratitude.

As Kurenai got up to leave, the medics came out of the tent. Konohamaru looked up, dreading the news. "Your sensei wants to see you." For a minute, Konohamaru felt a twinge of hope. But it faded once he saw the somber looks on their faces.

Konohamaru walked slowly, afraid of what he might find. He finally reached Ebisu's bed, and realized how hopeless the situation was. He looked so weak, and wires delivering fluids were attached to his body everywhere…"Young Master?"

Konohamaru couldn't believe how much this hurt him. When he was younger, the thought of it made him laugh. He was a fool. The young Sarutobi didn't even sense Udon come in. "I'm here."

Ebisu weakly flailed his arm. "Forgive me, young master. I can't see." Konohamaru lightly touched his arm. "Is Moegi safe?"

"Yes." Udon said. "They said she will live, but they don't know the full extent of the damage she suffered."

Ebisu rasped "She'll make it."

Konohamaru was feeling a piece of himself breaking. He thought back to all the times he and his team spent with him. He used to think of him as annoying, he didn't see the point of his training, and he hated how Ebisu denied them the most dangerous missions…but now it was all starting to come together. All the training, nagging, and the missions he did allow…paid off, and gave him the strength to win. And now the man who helped give him that strength was dying.

"Please don't cry." Ebisu whispered. "I would have gladly given my life for either one of you, no matter how good or bad you were." He breathed hoarsely, and continued speaking. "Konohamaru, I didn't train you solely because you were the third's grandson. I trained you because in many ways, you reminded me of myself. I came from a noble family, and people only acknowledged me because of them. As a result, my teachers went easy on me...and I didn't become the ninja I always wanted to be. I know what it's like when no one acknowledges you for being you. And I wanted to help you become a great ninja."

Konohamaru couldn't believe it. He asked to train him because they were similar? Under normal circumstances, this bit of information would have been outrageous.

"I gave you the training regimen that worked for me, and you surpassed my expectations…and let me assure you, they were very high to begin with." Ebisu slightly turned his head, this time to address Udon. "Udon, I know the frustration you're going through. Being weaker than your two teammates. But you can always change that, and I know you will. Even if that doesn't come true, remember that you always were a vital member of the team."

Udon sniffled, and nodded.

"I don't think…I'm going to…before Moegi wakes up. Tell her…it was an honor. She helped me keep the team together…and she will grow up to be an amazing kunoichi." His breathing was becoming more hitched and irregular. "You will make your grandfather proud." He finally collapsed, and the EKG made a high-pitched scream. Ebisu had died.

Konohamaru turned away and gripped the nearest table for support. And he cried. Udon hugged him and cried with him as well.

Shikamaru woke up, and felt his head throbbing. It was like he had a terrible hang-over "Oh, what happened?"

"It was close, son. It looks like these swordsmen forced you at wits end. I thought Chouji made it clear NOT to use those pills."

Shikamaru's vision blurred, and finally, it focused on two familiar figures. "Mom? Dad?"

His parents stood directly above him. His dad seemed to be worried but relieved. His mom, as usual looked mad. Meaning she was worried out of her mind. "Shikamaru! How could you do something so stupid!! I can't believe you really were serious about using those pills!! If something happened to you…" Yoshino couldn't finish the last part. Her eyes began to tear, and she grabbed onto Shikaku, crying into his chest.

Shikaku whispered reassurances to his wife, and patted her back. "Your mother can't get over how you've grown up." Shikaku said to Shikamaru. Though his voice was calm, like Shikamaru would expect from his father, the look in his eyes showed he was just as worried.

Shikamaru, though his body still felt like crap, managed to get out of the bed, pull out the most confining of the wires, and hugged both of his parents. "Sorry to worry you two." The Nara family shared this embrace for a full five minutes, until…

"Shikamaru!" The family turned around to see Ino and Chouji walk up to them. Ino in particular seemed to have circles under her eyes. "You're awake and the first thing you do is start my work all over again!!" The kunoichi looked unusually cranky, and forced Shikamaru down on the bed, inserting all the wires back in, much to her teammate's distaste. "You were always the most troublesome of us all." she muttered before going the other way to leave.

"She's just tired, Shikamaru." Chouji whispered. "You've been out for almost a full day. We've had some losses, and pretty much everyone is in bad condition."

Shikamaru nodded in understanding. How could things possibly turn out well with what those swordsmen did? Then, something else occurred to him…"Temari!"

Shikamaru shot up, but Chouji held him down. "Relax. She's okay. She lost a lot of blood, but we got Kakashi-sensei to donate some. She should wake up anytime now."

Shikamaru relaxed, and lay back down on the bed. "I finally realized something."

Chouji just smirked at this thought, knowing exactly what he was talking about. His feelings for the sand kunoichi were that obvious.

Sakura found herself in a field, filled with cherry blossoms. "Odd…it's not the time of year the Sakura blossoms bloom."

"Why?"

Sakura turned around, and saw Naruto facing the other way, his back turned to her. His fists were clenched too. Sakura stepped forward, and put her hands on his shoulders. He must've been grieving over the fact that it was Sasuke who led the invasion. "Naruto…" Sakura began to embrace him in a hug…but Naruto walked out of it.

What was wrong? The Naruto she knew wouldn't have pushed her away…especially when considering they were a couple now. "Naruto…please…tell me what's wrong!"

Naruto's fists clenched even tighter. He finally turned to face her…and Sakura could not believe what she saw. Naruto had tears on his face, like she expected him. However, his eyes were enraged. And they were directed at her. "Why didn't you tell me!?"

The field immediately turned into a wasteland, and Naruto faded away. Sakura gripped and rubbed her arms; she never felt so cold before…

Sakura's eyes fluttered open, and she bolted up and gasped "Naruto!"

A set of strong hands gently eased her back into the bed; Tsunade! "Take it easy. You've had quite a battle."

This relaxed Sakura for a second…then she remembered the battle. Frantically, she searched for a weapon. "Orochimaru!..."

"He's dead. You killed him." Tsunade eased the Sakura back into bed. "But you've depleted your chakra once you began healing me."

Sakura finally breathed, and lay down. "Orochimaru's dead…" When the thought began circulating through her mind, she realized how impossible it sounded. There was no way she could have killed a Sanin, especially Orochimaru! But she remembered everything about the battle... "But you weakened him."

Tsunade chuckled slightly, and nodded no. "I was poisoned from the start. Orochimaru's demise…that was all you." She expected her apprentice to beam with joy. Well, at first at least. She saw Sakura turn her face away from her.

"There should have been another way."

Tsunade sighed and leaned next to Sakura. "There always should be." she whispered in response. Many would've considered Sakura's compassion and love of life to be childish and a hindrance for a shinobi. But Tsunade knew herself that such compassion was essential for medical ninja like themselves. She herself hated it every time she was forced to kill someone. Though she did not let the death of those she killed weigh her down, she always resolved to try harder to spare her enemies lives…at least, until her depression. She then patted the young woman's shoulder. "Don't kill yourself over it…Orochimaru was over the deep end already. He was shown mercy before…if you showed him mercy then, he would have most certainly killed you."

Sakura muttered "I know. But I just wish I was given another option."

Tsunade smiled, and told her to get some rest. "You know, if only the little girl you used to be could see this now. You've grown so much Sakura. Not even in my wildest dreams could I imagine you defeating Orochimaru. I'm so proud of you."

Sakura blushed slightly in response. "I got lucky, that's all."

"Whatever you say." the old woman responded. Tsunade decided that was enough talk. There were other patients, and besides... she needed some time alone. "By the way." She said. "Naruto stopped by to see you."

This got Sakura's attention. She bolted up yet again and yelled "Naruto! How-"

"He's fine." Tsunade humphed as she eased Sakura back into the bed a third time. "Just like Naruto." Tsunade then explained the situation. "He was beaten up pretty bad, and he actually stepped on a piece of glass on his way to see us…but you know him. But something seems to be bothering him."

Sakura replied "What about Sasuke?" Tsunade stared at her with a look that screamed "Are you kidding me!?" "No, NOT like that!" she shouted. "I know he was the one that led the attack, because Naruto killed Itachi before he did. But Naruto hasn't given up on him this whole time…but I know. He's finally given into his hate, and he's irredeemable. And I know that Naruto would never accept that. Besides…" Sakura sat up and turned to her master, wanting to face her. "What I really wanted to know whether Sasuke was dead or alive. For our own safety."

Tsunade nodded, and mentally slapped herself. Not even her younger self fawned over Sasuke that much! "According to Naruto, he ran away. But he says he doubts Sasuke will come back anytime soon." Tsunade got up to leave, and muttered "Not that it really matters one way or another."

Tsunade sat down and sighed. It was too much for even a kage to deal with. She felt responsible for it all too; she let her guard down and allowed Orochimaru to poison her. Even though Orochimaru would be a challenge for her even in her prime, she could've still defeated him and found a way to help the others before too much damage was done.

"Are you hanging in there?"

Tsunade spun around and saw Jiraya leaning against the wall. "Oh, it's you." she sounded particularly annoyed.

But then again, Jiraya didn't expect her to be in a good mood. "I just wanted to check in and see how you were doing…also, the ANBU have finally found Shizune." Jiraya grimaced at what he just said. "What's left of her." Tsunade just shuffled some papers, as if she didn't hear him. Jiraya knew the loss of Shizune and the village's destruction was making her turn back to the state she was in when he and Naruto left to find her. He walked over and placed a hand on her shoulder, trying to comfort her. Jiraya simply couldn't let things go as they were. Tsunade shot up immediately as if to attack him…but once she looked at him, she calmed down, and eased herself back into her chair.

"I'm sorry." she said. "I know…you're trying to help."

"I feel as though I haven't done enough." That unusual genjutsu was still getting to him, but a part of him felt that even if he hadn't experienced it, he still should have gotten to the tower sooner.

Tsunade looked at him again, and gave him a weary smile. "You were battling a mist swordsman. I'd say you done more than your part." The truth was, next to Sakura and Naruto, there was no one she trusted m ore.

Jiraya just shrugged, his way of calmly disagreeing with her. "Anyway…is there anything else I can do to help?"

Tsunade stopped what she was doing, and rubbed her chin. "There is." Her voice sounded affirmative and confident.

"Good." Jiraya thought to himself.

"I would like you to get your spy network to take a break from gathering information on Akatsuki and survey all other possible threats to Konoha. We're vulnerable now, and we need to be prepared for anything."

"Akatsuki is still a major threat. But I can get half of them working on what you requested."

"Very well. But before you do that, I need you to see if you can do me a quick favor: I've been trying to clean up the tower the best I could, but there's something I can't find; something I want no one else finding out about."

"Oh?"

"Orochimaru fell right from the roof and made all the floors a mess. Documents, classifieds…personal items…" Tsunade's cheeks flushed when she said that, and Jiraya quirked his eyebrows in response. "Crap, I shouldn't have said something like that!"

The toad sage tried his best to hold in his laughter. However, it kept sputtering out, and soon he was on the floor laughing and pounding his fist. "HAHAHA!! Oh man!! What is it you've got!? Baby pictures? Dirty books? Or…" Jiraya leaned against the wall like he was posing for a girl's pornographic magazine. "…perhaps you've been peaking on me in the springs and made some little mementoes of the moment?"

Tsunade's response to this was smashing a bookshelf over the sanin's head. "NO, YOU IDIOT!!" Tsunade counted to ten, while Jiraya tried crawling away before he would make her mad again. "I need you to find Minato's picture!"

Jiraya stopped and looked at her. Minato's picture was missing!? The Sandaime gave specific orders to keep them classified until he or another Hokage judged that Naruto was ready to know. That meant, of course, that no one of his generation would ever learn it either. But if someone did find it, it wouldn't be hard for others to figure out there was a connection between the two. Naruto couldn't find out yet! "Sure!"Jiraya got up and began his search immediately.

"There! That should do it!" Naruto hammered the last of the boards into a gaping hole in his apartment. The entire complex was a mess. No one's home from the attack was left unscarred. Luckily for Naruto, he had little belongings, his pictures were still intact, and the electricity had just come back on. It was still damn cold though, and he had to throw out his bed and replace it with a futon. But Konoha was attacked before; before they knew it, it would be back in its prime again. Or so he told himself. Naruto tossed his toolbox to the floor and took a seat on a pillow, standing in place of a chair. He then pulled out a scroll, and stared at the item within: The photograph of the Yodaime Hokage. Confused emotions began to swirl within the jinchuriki all over again. He always wondered what the man who sealed the Kyuubi within him looked like. He always questioned why he chose him to be its container. However, once he found out what the yellow flash looked like, he felt distraught beyond belief. How could the similarities be possible? The most likely explanation he could come up with was that he was his son. But the frame and history books read "Namikaze Minato". Wouldn't he have inherited his father's surname? There were just too many questions. But if the Yodaime had been his father…a feeling of rage swept within Naruto. Before it could peak, the blonde heard a knock on his door. Quickly, he put the photo back in the scroll and went to the door. When Naruto opened it, he was a bit surprised. "Iori?"

Iori stood there, scratching her head and trying her best to cover up some apparent embarrassment. "Um…hi, sensei. I hope I'm not bothering you or anything."

"Of course not. Why?" Naruto then looked closer and saw that Iori was carrying a hammer in her right hand, and once she let her left hand down, he noticed her fingers were covered in band-aids.

"Well…those things made a mess of my apartment, and I'm not good with repair and things. Is it okay if…you help me out?"

Naruto could only smile in response. "I'd be glad to help, Iori." He couldn't refuse anyone in need. Naruto even asked the landlord earlier if anyone needed help repairing their apartments. But the landlord simply slammed the door on him, as usual. It seemed not even when they were in clear need of help would they even consider his aid, which hurt the young jonin even more. Not only did Iori's request make him feel happy…it would help take his mind off the photograph he found. "Show me what you need."

Sasuke ran and ran. He was out of breath, but still he pushed his body to full capacity. He must have been running for days; he didn't recall stopping for anything, ever. He wanted Konoha to be destroyed; 

that much was certain. He wanted it to become impossible for Naruto to achieve his dream in a way that was worse than death. To do that, he accepted the fact that he would have to kill its government and those who would run for a spot on the council when the old members were gone. He even accepted the fact that he would have to destroy the ninjas who would protect them as well. But not the civilians nor ninja that were protecting those who couldn't fight! Sure, they would've been thrown into poverty and despair. But they would survive; people, even those who were neither ninja nor samurai could prove to be extremely resilient when the occasion called for it. He told himself he was not Orochimaru, that he would not take pleasure in harming innocent people…"I'm a fool."

Finally Sasuke collapsed near a stream. He just lay there, breathing heavily. All verbal thoughts from his mind were now gone. Instinctively, he crawled towards the water's edge and threw his head into the water, drinking greedily. No matter how much he took in, the thirst only seemed to get worse. Finally, he came up to breathe. When he looked down, he almost jumped back in horror. It was his reflection, and yet it was not. Instead of the face of a young man was the face of a monster. His Curse Mark 2 Form.

"What?" it said. Sasuke nearly choked again. The pseudo-reflection seemed to roll its eyes. "Oh, please! Let's not go through the whole 'Who are you?' routine! You know damn well who I am." The creature pointed at Sasuke.

"No." the Uchiha responded. "I'm not a monster."

"Hmph. Beyond predictable. But there's really no difference between man and monster. Both betray, both hate, and both…murder."

Sasuke's life seemed to flash before him. The time he left Konoha and went straight to the Sound Four. To the time he destroyed a small group of mercenaries to test his progress. The times he tried new techniques on the prisoners Orochimaru had provided him. Torturing that kind man into making Konoha's best leave their village… everything that led up to his attack on Konoha. "I really had done all that…" He didn't even notice the reflection stepping out of the water.

"You once said that you would not become like Itachi. That you would find your own path to power. And you know what? You didn't. But you did become like a certain shinobi. One of our family."

Sasuke just stared at him blankly. Then he felt himself travel back through time again. It was in the Uchiha temple. Or below it anyway. He was eight years old again, reading the scroll detailing the dark history of the Uchiha clan:

Though we of the Uchiha clan today are thought of as heroes, this has not always been true. It is not pride that drives us, but repentance. The founder of our clan, Uchiha Madara, unleashed an unspeakable evil onto the world, nearly destroying the village we held dear. The Shodai Hokage, Hashirama Senju, challenged him, and lost. Because of that, our clan was hunted down by the entire Fire Country. Madara's betrayal did not end there, however. In killing the Shodai Hokage, his dearest friend, Madara discovered the Magenkyo Sharingan; a Sharingan with almost unstoppable power. He began to slowly wipe out Konoha's forces, and no ninja nor lord could stop him. Then, one of our own arose to stop him. She was the youngest daughter of Madara, Uchiha Mitsukai. She admitted to helping him create the evil biju that plagued the land. For that, she was shunned by even the Uchiha clan. Despite her isolation, she volunteered to fight Madara, wishing to repent for what she had done. Mitsukai, refusing to allow any more needless deaths, fought Madara alone. Though she died in battle, a damaged Sharingan and severed arm indicated she had won the battle. The Nidaime Hokage, despite his immeasurable loss, had declared the Uchiha to be pardoned. Mitsukai was given a hero's funeral, and left behind an infant child. It was decided from that day forward that this child's lineage would be heir to the entire clan. Shortly afterwards, we became Konoha's official police force, and have vowed since then to protect those our founding father had betrayed to honor her memory. We shall never forget Madara's treachery, nor Mitsukai's brave sacrifice.

Sasuke was brought out of the memory of reading that scroll. He didn't even feel his other self wrap his arms around him. "Brings back memories, huh? You concluded that Itachi learned of the Magenkyo from that scroll, and that he wanted to carry out Madara's will to destroy Konoha. You told yourself it wasn't just revenge; it was to prevent that same tragedy of long ago from occurring again. And on that same day, you learned you were a direct descendant of Mitsukai. Because of that, you believed you were destined to battle Itachi." Suddenly, a village burning appeared beneath Sasuke's feet, almost as if he was hovering over it. "Yet the one to carry out Madara's will…" Sasuke seemed to have spun around, and faced a mirror with his true reflection. He seemed to have trouble registering that this reflection was him either. His eyes were bloodshot with fear, his skin was pale…overall, he looked pathetic. "Quite a looker here." The other Sasuke said, caressing the washed-out Uchiha's chin. "Too bad Orochimaru's dead. You could've been like me forever."

Sasuke pulled away, and gripped his broken sword. "No!! I'm not like you!!"

The demonic Sasuke just sighed in a bored manner. "I really don't feel like arguing about this."

Sasuke lunged forward, attempting to slash his alter ego's throat. But the hand wings came and blocked it. With one flap, Sasuke's weapon was sent sailing away. The demon Sasuke punched his counterpart square in the face, sending him flying across the void. The real Sasuke rose up, and tried his best to block the cursed form's blows. Sasuke felt the power of his other self flow within him. But he never knew what it was like to be on the receiving end of that power. His arms were already bruised…it would only be a matter of time before the were broken. He cart wheeled away, and decided to bring his ninjutsu into the fight. "Katon!! Goukakyuu no Jutsu!!"

"Katon!! Goukakyuu no Jutsu!!" An orange flame and a blue flame collided, struggling for power. Eventually, the orange one was overcome, and Sasuke was seemingly burned to a crisp. Seemingly. The Dark Sasuke turned around to see his other self throw a windmill shuriken at him. He just sneered, and threw an identical shuriken with serrated edges. It forced the other weapon out of the way, and grazed Sasuke's shoulder.

"Hidden Snake Hands!!" Sasuke shot several snakes from his sleeve and wrapped the Dark Sasuke in a tight embrace.

"Chidori Nasagi!" Electricity surrounded him, and the real Sasuke screamed in pain. "You can't beat me! After all, I'm you!!" Dark Sasuke ran up and squeezed his human self around the neck. "Or rather…you will be me!!"

Sasuke then felt strange. He held up his hand, and saw it turning green! Sasuke fought desperately to stop the transformation, but only managed to slow it down. "Nooo!!" Without making a single sign, Sasuke's Chidori formed. The real Uchiha thrust it straight through his opponent's chest, ending the surreal fight. Or so it seemed.

"Hehe. Did you think it would be that easy?" Dark Sasuke suddenly faded, then reappeared. Only this time, there was two of him. Sasuke gawked in response.

"Gouryuuka no Jutsu!!" Sasuke fired several dragon heads and each Dark Sasuke. And each one duplicated.

"You know it's impossible to destroy a part of your soul." one of them said. Sasuke summoned shuriken out of his tattoos, and in desperation, launched them at his assailants (if he could call them that). But with each hit, they only duplicated. Soon, Sasuke was surrounded by thousands of his darker self. "Don't try to fight us, Sasuke-kun."

"You can't beat us…"

"…because you ARE us." Millions of snakes seemingly struck the real Sasuke and strangled him. Then, Sasuke heard himself scream again: He was turning into one of them…

Danzo looked outside in awe of the destruction. "Hn. I knew I was right in ordering Sai to kill Uchiha."

"Or, you could've stopped this yourself by telling the Godaime Hokage the truth, the truth that one of her apprentices was really Orochimaru in disguise." Danzo spun around and faced Kizu, the Akatsuki leader. "A little birdie told me." A crow landed on the mysterious man's shoulder, which he gave a treat.

Danzo, though visibly startled, did his best to maintain his composure. "Tsunade will eventually be this village's downfall. It was a necessary sacrifice…both as an example of her policies, and to one day insure that I will become Hokage. And once I do, Konoha will…"

"Yes, yes, of course." Kizu leaned against one of the cracked walls, indicating he had no interest in the man's political goals. "Either way, this shall be good for us. You see, I have a plan that shall draw your hated jinchuriki away from this village. The best part of all…if it goes as planned, he will come peacefully."

For a minute, Danzo was about to yell "Preposterous!" But then, something in his mind clicked. "Haruno. You're planning to use her against him."

"You always had to give away the best parts!" Kizu nearly shouted in frustration. He then regained his composure. "There's more to it then that though. We need to ensure that this will work. We need an army."

Danzo realized Kizu was staring right at him. "I can't possibly get Konoha's forces to-"

"Who said anything about Konoha? You've had other ninjas doing your dirty deeds. Like Iwa" Danzo backed away, sweating. "Yes, I know it was you who started the Third Shinobi War in an attempt to discredit Sarutobi. And I would bet what little money I have that you were hoping it would kill him as well. You were the mysterious client that paid Iwagakure to attack Konoha. And because of this village's struggle with Iwa, Kiri took the opportunity to attack as well. Soon, Suna and Kumo joined the fray. And before you say 'How?...' I have my ways."

Danzo finally breathed. "I see. You need a battle. One which will draw away any possibility of help. And one that will justify sending in Haruno. I think I can arrange that."

"And my men are making the preparations." Kizu licked his lips in anticipation.

Hidan was happier than ever to have a body. Even if it belonged to a heathen. But still, after living in that dark pit for years…normal prisons were better than that! They allowed at least some light and movement. He even began loosing faith in his own religion! But like all good faiths, his God delivered him salvation…and gave him some compensation. He didn't like to admit it, but Kakuzu's abilities were pretty kick-ass. Hidan reached down to pick up a rock, and tossed it across the wasteland. The wasteland of Earth country. "I'm fucking bored!! I can see why Iwa nins are so land greedy!!" Deidra, above in a clay bird, rolled his eyes and pretended he didn't hear that. "I guess this is what they get for not following the will of Jashin!!"

Now, that statement Deidra refused to take. "Hidan!?" he called from above. "Just HOW MANY MORONS WOULD FOLLOW YOUR FAITH!?" Hidan looked up and spun his kusarigama, gritting his teeth. "Don't give me any of that!!" Deidra yelled. He was too high up anyway to worry. Deidra then focused his camera on the landscape ahead of him, and found what he was looking for. "Ah, there it is. It's been a long time since I've been home." Deidra smiled at the memories. They were not memories of happiness…at least, not by most standards. "Tobi!!"

Tobi stirred from his sleep and took a fighting position. "What!? We're under attack!?" Tobi quickly jumped from one position to another, scanning the horizon for danger and flinging his arms all over.

And as usual, it annoyed Deidra to no end. The former Iwa nin walked up to him, and landed a solid punch across his head. "No, you idiot!! We're home!!"

Tobi looked around again, surveying his surroundings in a much more relaxed manner. "No we're not."

"Yes we are."

"No we're not."

"We're at MY HOME!! WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES IT MAKE!!" Deidra breathed deep, and counted to ten…he wondered why he never complained about Tobi, or anyone for that matter, being his partner. He always got the worst of the bunch to deal with. "I'm going to go at this alone, Tobi. The Tsuchikage and I have quite a history together."

Tobi just stared at him blankly for one good minute. "That's bad, right?"

For perhaps the first time in history, Deidra smirked at something Tobi said. "In my case, yes. But I think I've just the thing for him to hear me out." Deidra tapped the suitcase behind him with his foot. Deidra got the clay bird to land, and let Tobi off. "Keep our partner entertained." Deidra took off once more, leaving perhaps Akatsuki's strangest members behind.

Meanwhile, Tobi was sweating underneath his mask. Entertain Hidan? How was he supposed to do that!? He tried to get Deidra to laugh, and he got hurt each time. Hidan would probably kill him! But Deidra told him to do it!! Desperately, he tried to think of a plan…and it came to him. "Um, knock knock."

The Tsuchikage downed another cup of sake. Several used bottles littered the entire floor. For someone who was supposed to be a kage, he looked terribly out of shape. But no one questioned him. The few that did were tortured, even put to death. The same went for those who criticized his job. But it wasn't the job he wanted in the first place; it was the power. And with that power, he surrounded himself with riches, at the cost of the welfare of his own people. It was starting to affect even him. But he hated the administrative work required to solve the problem. And the power…it was just too good to give up. The Tsuchikage wiped his hands through his long brown hair, and poured another bottle. "Good thing I had that bothersome assistant executed." So long as he was the one living good, he could care less about his people.

"Tsuchikage-sama!!"

The Tsuchikage angrily smacked his cup on his desk. "Fool! I told you I do not wish to be bothered about matters of the state!!"

"But sir, it's Deidra!!"

This made the Tsuchikage stop cold, causing him to drop his cup. Deidra!? As in his former teammate!? Their sensei had initially chosen Deidra as the new Tsuchikage. In response, Mutsugorou, now the current Tsuchikage, poisoned him and framed Deidra for the attack. If he was here…trouble was too mild a word to describe what awaited him. After what seemed to be an eternity, the so-called kage rose up and screamed "Alert the troops immediately!! Get the archers ready, and order all the ground troops to be ready to kill!!"

"But sir, you don't understand, he's-"

Before the guard could complete his sentence, his head exploded. As the headless body fell to the floor, it revealed Deidra, standing right at the doorway, carrying only a briefcase and that same evil smirk. "It's been a long time, Mutsugorou-chan." The Tsuchikage, or Mutsugorou, a name he refused to use anymore, screamed and crawled backwards into the wall. He was never a match for his former comrade, and that certainly hadn't changed now! Deidra could not help but roll his eyes at the pathetic sight. "This is exactly why I became a missing-nin: Our village is lead by incompetents!!" Mudskipper, in the meantime, was jittering nonsensically, too scared to form one word, or even call for help.

Deidra just grinned and walked forward. "Relax. I'm not going to kill you. Well, depending on how you answer anyway." Mutsugorou was showing no signs of calming down whatsoever. It looked like Deidra would have to find a way other than his usual tactics. The missing-nin searched around…and saw a very delicious bottle of sake on the desk. "Ah, the hakubai brand. Very expensive, and for good reason." Deidra took a sip, and tilted his head back in ecstasy. Oh, how he wanted to have more! But business was at hand, and for professional reasons, as well as for his own safety, now was not a good time to get drunk. Deidra walked back to Mutsugorou, and offered him a cup. Like a frightened animal, the man eyed him suspiciously, and the cup.

After what was too long by Deidra's standards, with a trembling hand he took the cup, and gulped it down. "Wh-What do you want?"

Deidra sat back, confident that he had won the man over. "Well, let's cut to the chase. I've a proposal for you." Mutsugorou said nothing, but leaned forward, showing he was interested. Deidra continued, pouring another cup for himself. "You remember back when we fought Konoha, don't you?" Mudskipper nodded vigorously. "Yes, the cursed Yellow Flash humiliated us. But we haven't the man-power to get our revenge."

"Well, from what my boss has told me, it has been attacked again. Much worse than the sand-sound invasion. Right now, the jonin are taking as many missions as possible to stimulate the village's economy and neutralize any surprise threats. At the same time, it seems that many chunin have been dispatched as well. Wouldn't you say that now would be a perfect opportunity to attack?"

Mutsugorou narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Your…boss…wants us to attack Konoha while it is weak and in chaos."

"Correct. It is actually the wish of our client. You might be familiar with him. Someone who goes by the alias of the Jissei Kage."

Mutsugorou's eyes widened. The Jissei Kage, as preposterous a name it was, was a valuable ally. He provided many funds for Earth Country during the 3rd Shinobi War, and gave information on Konoha that was almost impossible to obtain by other means. His true identity, however, was a mystery."And what do I get out of this?" This was Deidra he was talking to after all.

Deidra sighed, and walked back to the briefcase he left on the floor. "A real kage you are. You drink to your heart's content until you're nothing but a fat pig, surround yourself with riches to the point that everyone but you lives in poverty…and you don't give a damn about the honor of this village." Deidra didn't either, but he believed that a kage should. Deidra kicked the briefcase towards Mutsugorou, and gestured him to open it.

Cautiously, Mutsugorou opened it, and his eyes widened in surprise. Bars of Gold! Combined, it must have been even more money than even he had. He immediately lunged for them…and jumped back, screaming in fright. A clay spider, crawling with terrifying speed, went up his chest and began to pry open his mouth. The "Tsuchikage" slapped the floor furiously, hoping his nemesis would spare him.

"You think I would just show money like that to a pig like you?" Deidra collected the bars, ignoring the crying man, and shut the case closed. The clay spider immediately disintegrated, and the Tsuchikage let out a cry of relief. "Invade Konoha. And all that will be yours. So long as you do what my master commands. If you try to double-cross us, I have been ordered by my master to kill you." Deidra leaned towards the fat man, now paralyzed with fear. Almost like a lover, Deidra placed his hand on his cheek and delicately stroked it. The Tsuchikage nearly screamed again when what felt like a tongue slid across his face. "And it will be one of the greatest pleasures for me to kill you. Keep that in mind." Deidra twisted and walked out of the office with the briefcase in hand.

The Tsuchikage just stood there in shock. Finally, he managed to speak to himself. "I better change my pants."

Temari moaned as she woke up. Her vision was out of focus. "Damn." As she got her bearings straight, she realized this wasn't her room. "Damn, Shikamaru must have…" Suddenly, her memory was flooded with the images of the battle she and Shikamaru shared, and she realized why she lost consciousness. She shot up in horror screaming his name. "Shikamaru! Shikamaru!!" Temari stumbled out of the bed, falling down and taking an IV with her. Determined not to let anything stop her, she yanked it out and continued to crawl forward. Just then, someone ran inside and picked her up. She didn't notice that this stranger was being gentle with her. Instead, Temari lashed out at this stranger. Now way he would keep her from Shikamaru!! "Let me go, you jackass!!" She hit him furiously, but the blows were poor form 

even for academy students. Truth be told, they were the exact same techniques a three-year old throwing a tantrum would use.

"Alright, alright!!"

Temari was immediately dropped onto the bed which she woke up in. Upon recognizing that voice, she immediately calmed down, and her vision finally focused. "Sh-Shikamaru?"

Shikamaru was right there, standing beside her. But instead of looking relieved, he appeared annoyed. Temari grabbed the sheets in concern. She thought he would be worried about her! But then again…perhaps it was the fact that she lost, and Shikamaru was ashamed of her.

Temari looked away, and felt something wet on her hand. She looked down, and saw it was a tiny droplet of water. She brought that same hand to her face…and realized she was crying. "No! I can't cry! I won't!" But no matter what she commanded herself, the tears wouldn't stop.

Shikamaru noticed it too, and leaned in. "Okay, just why are you crying?"

Temari sniffled before answering. "I get it. You don't like weak women."

"Huh?"

"You're right. I couldn't stop him. And because of that…I'm too troublesome to be around."

"What!?"

"It's okay Shikamaru. I know you have more important things to do than worry about me."

Suddenly, Shikamaru spun her around to face him. "You idiot, I was only annoyed because you started hitting me like a child!"

Temari's eyes widened in surprise. She figured Shikamaru to be the practical type, not the romantic type. Not that this moment disproved that…though she hoped it would.

Shikamaru's expression then softened, and he took a seat with her on the bed. "Temari, during our battle, there's something I realized. Something I have to tell you." Temari didn't say a word, but adjusted herself so that she could listen as clearly as possible. "We haven't seen each other that much over the years. But I've gotten to know you so well during those short periods. When we fought during the chunin exams, I thought you were one of the smartest people I've ever met."

"Next to you, anyway." Temari replied, a bit annoyed and suspicious that he was just sucking up to her.

"Temari, please. Let me finish. I was also amazed at how strong you were. At first, I thought you were just another one of those talented but stuck up kunoichis. But when you became the ambassador for Suna, I realized I was wrong. Even though you always act cold and sarcastic all of the time, you're also very kind. You always put your comrades first, whether they're from your home village or here. You 

always try to come up with the best possible solutions for everyone. And…" Shikamaru stopped. His face turned red as a cherry, and he fumbled with his words.

Temari huffed and crossed her arms, showing she was not amused. "Shikamaru…" she said, annoyance clear in her voice. "If this is a confession, you're not doing a very good job."

In response, Shikamaru blurted out "And I think you're beautiful!!" The shadow nin's blush didn't go away; he didn't intend to say it that loud and it only embarrassed him further. He didn't even notice that Temari's eyes widened in shock and a blush crept across her face as well. Shikamaru finally worked up the courage to continue. "Lately, I've found that I can't think straight whenever you're not around. And after all this time, I've finally figured it out." There was a long pause between the two, who did nothing more than look into each other's eyes. Finally, Shikamaru placed his hand over Temari's. "I love you."

For Temari, time stopped. She didn't want to admit it, but she felt the same way, ever since he defeated her in the chunin exams. Officially, she won, but that was only because Shikamaru forfeited the match. Every real ninja knew that if that were a real battle, she would have been dead. She was never into pretty boys or buff guys much…they all tried to court her back in Suna, and ever since an incident that involved her loosing her temper, they all stopped altogether. But when she fought Shikamaru, she realized how different he was. A boy had managed to impress her for the first time in her life, and it had nothing to do with proving his strength or charm. He used his cunning for battle, like a real ninja was supposed to. She wanted to get to know him better, and became more and more fascinated by his character, though he could be annoying at times. Temari snapped out of the past and looked at him. His face showed that he clearly needed an answer, but he was not scared enough to turn away. "Hm, he's also grown into quite a man." Temari thought. Slowly, she leaned her body towards him. This did not go unnoticed by Shikamaru, and he began to do the same. Soon, their lips met…

Konohamaru twiddled his thumbs outside the tent. It had been days since the attack, and Moegi still hadn't woken up. He couldn't bear to look at her anymore. It was still too much for him. There was a good chance that Moegi may never wake up again. Even if she did, she would still have severe brain damage.

"Konohamaru."

The young chunin turned around to see Udon standing at the tent entrance. "Udon. How's Moegi?"

Udon lowered his head, unable to look Konohamaru in the eyes. "It's serious."

Konohamaru ran like there was no tomorrow inside the tent. He would've very much liked to have simply shoved aside the nurses and patients to get to his destination faster, but some part of him managed to restrain him. "Moegi! Moegi!!" Konohamaru practically ripped the flap open, and saw Moegi lying in bed, with Sakura by her side.

She wasn't working on Moegi, and her face was sad. Sakura slowly raised her head to face him. "I'm so sorry Konohamaru…" Konohamaru didn't respond. He just stared at Moegi as his heart sunk. He didn't even notice Sakura passing him.

Almost like a zombie, he walked towards her, tears falling down his face. "Moegi…I'm sorry. I'm so sorry! I was worried about you, and I didn't want you to fight that swordsman! I knew no matter how much I pleaded, you would stay! So I tried to get you and hate me!" Konohamaru collapsed on his knees, crying next to her. Absently, he rubbed her hand. "For the first time in my life, I wasn't sure we would make it, so I tried to get you away. But instead, I put you in harm's way! I don't blame you if you hate me even more. A part of me…wants you to hate me like that, because I deserve it." Konohamaru rose up, and looked at Moegi's face. She never looked so peaceful before, and for a dead girl, she looked rather vibrant and pretty. "Moegi…you were the most important person in my life. You helped me through a lot of things, and when grandpa and Uncle Asuma were killed, you were the first to comfort me. You always cheered me on. And…and we had so much fun together that could never be replaced." Konohamaru was too nervous to say the last part he really wanted to say. He wasn't even sure if he really felt that way. But, he had to leave her some memento to express how he felt about her. "Goodbye, Moegi." Konohamaru's face scrunched up with an incredible sadness. He struggled to get the last part out. "I'll miss you." He moved closer to Moegi's forehead. He kneeled next to her, and moved to place a kiss on her forehead…and a pair of lips met his. Konohamaru's eyes widened to see Moegi kissing him back. "AHHHHHHH!!"

Konohamaru crawled back in horror, while Moegi just laughed. "You were right, Sakura-san!"

Sakura came back in, this time with a cheerful smile. "I'm sorry, Konohamaru! We just couldn't resist!!"

Konohamaru did nothing but gape at them for two straight minutes. Finally he figured it out. "AAAAUUUGGGHHHH! You two tricked me!? At a time like this!?" he yelled, moving an accusing finger between the two kunoichi.

Sakura's smile softened slightly, showing she understood his anger. "Sorry, Konohamaru. But Moegi was so certain that you hated her, and I told her to do this to see how you really feel." Konohamaru's face went blank, except for the red blush that crept across his face. "I should also let you know that Moegi will make a full recovery, but she should still take it easy. Now if you'll excuse me, I have other patients to tend to." Sakura disappeared, leaving an embarrassed Konohamaru and Moegi alone.

"Konohamaru…I understand why you did what you did…" Konohamaru, feeling relieved at hearing her say that, walked towards her and tried to embrace her in a hug. But at the last second, Moegi crossed her arms and turned away from him. "That doesn't mean I'm not mad about what you said to me."

Konohamaru realized the truth of the matter just then. Even though he lied when he said those things, his intentions alone told her she was worthless. "I'm sorry, Moegi. You're not weak at all; you ARE strong. But when I heard about who we were up against…I didn't want to risk losing you." Konohamaru then grabbed Moegi's hand, who yelped in surprise. "From now on, I'll trust in you. I promise." Moegi blushed slightly, and smiled, clasping Konohamaru's hand tightly. From now on, they would trust in each other fully…much like a certain blonde and pink couple…

Sasuke continued to struggle. He managed to keep the transformation at bay, but both his body and his mind were exhausted. He couldn't keep it up.

"It's only a matter of time, Sasuke-kun." His dark doppelgangers taunted as they gained another inch on his body.

Sasuke twisted and screamed, denying their accusations. But then he remembered everything that happened in the past. His betrayal, his training…and where it ultimately led him. His thoughts then turned to Naruto. At the Valley of the End, Naruto equaled his power, and could have killed him. 3 years later, Sasuke believed he was able to trump Naruto easily. But the blonde wasn't at full strength. And days ago, they fought again, with Naruto the victor. Even with the Curse Mark, Naruto took control of the fight, and Sasuke would have died if he stayed that way for too long anyway. That's when the truth hit him: Naruto became stronger than he did, stronger than he could ever hope to be. Naruto never suffered the losses he did, did not receive the training he did, nor used bonds of hate to make himself stronger. And yet he still came out on top. Not too long ago, Sasuke would have laughed at the concept, claiming only hate led to true strength. But now, he wasn't so sure. "All these years…I was wrong."

"What?" one of the Dark Sasukes asked.

"I used to think only hatred would give me strength." Soon, his face started transforming.

"So, what is right?" His face was split in half, one like a normal human being, the other a demon.

"I..I don't know." Soon, only the area around his right eye was pure; he was practically purely corrupted now. "But somehow, I will find the answer!! I will find out what true justice is, what truly makes people strong! I will find my answer for living!! And I will repent…" Electricity began to crackle around him, reversing his transformation. "…for everything I have done!!" A sudden surge of energy erupted from him, destroying all of his dark counterparts. Sasuke felt relieved, but something wasn't quite right. He also felt weightless, and cold…

"Huuaghh!!" Sasuke coughed up water, struggling to breathe. He was lying on his back, and soaking wet. He couldn't be sure, but it felt like he was lying on nothing but rock. "I must've fallen into the river. It was all a dream." He wheezed. Now that his body stopped moving, he couldn't find the energy to continue. "I guess this is it. I guess the only atonement I will ever know will be that of my own death." Sasuke relaxed slightly, accepting whatever would happen to him next. "Itachi…will I see you…in hell?"

For some reason, Sasuke hoped that if he was going where he thought he was, his brother wouldn't be there. Sasuke would've laughed if he had the energy. For years, he dedicated himself to one day killing that man. And yet he could not find it in him to wish his brother would receive the same divine punishment as himself. Sasuke's vision started to fade. Before he blacked out, he saw an odd figure standing above him…

Yuji stood above the Hokage monuments. They were all scratched and battered, but sculptors were hard at work repairing the damage. However, what grabbed Yuji's attention was the village. He still couldn't believe that something like this could have happened. His home was an utter mess. And all he did was get a few people who couldn't fight into a safe place. But he wanted to do more…

"I can't believe it either." Yuji turned around to see Shiguri behind him, staring at the landscape. Neither one of them moved for a good minute, until Shiguri finally sat down, hugging his knees to his chest. "When I was out there," Shiguri started, "I wanted to prove to everyone I was a true shinobi. I wanted to show I was strong, without mercy…I really found it hard to believe sensei's words about protecting others. I'm sure he killed some people."

"To protect others."

Shiguri said nothing, but the look on his face indicated that he agreed with that statement. "I wanted to be chunin so bad that I wanted to outshine that other guy. But more than that…" Shiguri paused. He struggled to find the words, and Yuji was beginning to lose his patience with him when Shiguri said "I wanted to make my grandfather proud of me."

Now this Yuji found hard to believe. Shiguri talked trash about his grandfather all the time, and said repeatedly that he couldn't care less about what he thought of him. "Bullshit. You tell me all the time that you hate your grandfather."

Shiguri, in a softer tone than usual, replied "I say that all the time. But…it's never what I really feel. He's the only family I've got."

Yuji took a moment to think about it. Yuji met Shiguri's grandfather before, and he was far from the list of the top ten nicest men. He also berated or demanded things of Shiguri that no ninja he knew made a big deal out of. But that didn't change the fact that when all was said and done, Danzo was always the one who cared for him in the end.

"I knew that I took things too far. But when someone you love does not acknowledge you, it hurts so much, and I wanted to do whatever it took to make him proud of me. For that, I'm sorry."

Yuji took a moment to consider everything. Shiguri, despite his rough personality, was really a nice guy.

His first day at the ninja academy, Yuji screwed up on just about everything. When class was over, he looked for a place he could hide, so that he could cry in peace. However, some bullies found him, and took advantage of their target. Yuji was caught in a full nelson and took a few punches to the face.

However, someone his age stepped in and drove them away with taijutsu that was far above average for their age. The dark haired boy turned around and yelled "Hey, you're enrolled in the class aren't you!? Why didn't you fight back!?"

Yuji was at a loss to explain the situation. He scratched his head, and sheepishly replied "Well…I'm just not very good…at anything really."

The dark-haired boy looked at him incredulously, and stormed off. Later, Yuji noticed that everyone avoided this boy, whom he learned was named Shiguri. He decided to get to know him to find out why, and when he did, it seemed really petty in his opinion. Though Shiguri was often crude, he seemed to enjoy Yuji's company. And they didn't know when, but they pretty much accepted the fact that they became friends.

Yuji, realizing that Shiguri was still the lonely boy he met back at the academy, realized it was time to let what happened during the exams go. He would make sure his friend wouldn't make the same mistake again, and gave him a pat on the back to show that everything was alright.

The next day, the rain came. It fit the atmosphere perfectly. Every citizen was dressed in black, and gathered around the cemetery. Sasuke's attack on Konoha had left its mark, and made it a day even more infamous than the Sand Sound War. Tsunade ran the funeral, honoring the many chunin and others who were killed. Relatives spoke sadly and honorably about their loved ones, even those who were not ninja. Finally, it was Shizune's turn.

In the crowd, Sakura tried to fight back her tears. As usual, she failed miserably; she was never good at keeping her emotions in check. Shortly after she recovered, Tsunade told her the truth about Shizune. It was too much for Sakura to take that day, and she simply went home to mourn alone. The other eulogies were like a fog to her; the only thing she could think about was her deceased sempai. She remembered how Shizune helped her when she first got started with her training. Shizune explained the few things that Sakura couldn't get at first. When Sakura had a bad training day (and there were a lot of those days), Shizune would always come to comfort her and cheer her up. Before she knew it, Shizune became the sister she never had. Suddenly, her thoughts turned to Sasuke. While it was Orochimaru who killed Shizune, that didn't change the fact that Sasuke was the one who led the attack. Thinking of him began to make her stomach turn, and she had to try her hardest to not yell in anger. Before, thinking of Sasuke made her sad. As time went by, she realized he wasn't coming back, and those feelings turned into pity for a lost boy. Now, it was hatred. "Are you here, Sasuke, watching this? You attacked Konoha out of revenge, right? Let me tell you, I've avenged the death of my sempai. But there is no pleasure to be had. The fact remains that she's gone, she's never coming back, and I will always miss her. I'm ashamed that we were ever Team 7 together with you." No one could hear her, but whispering it out loud felt better than just thinking it. A little, anyway.

Finally, Tsunade got up to speak. "Shizune, as many of you probably guessed, was one of the most important people in my life. I took her in like she was family, and for a long time she was my only companion. She was also one of the most brilliant and strongest people I have ever trained. She was never afraid to call me out when she felt I was wrong about something, and as you can imagine, during my time as Hokage, she was tremendous help to me." There was nothing but a moment of silence. "Shizune, you were like a daughter to me, and your passing is just as unbearable. But I know that you would not wish for me to drown in sorrow. I will continue to protect everyone here with my will of fire as long as I live. Farewell, Shizune."

The funerals were finally over, and flowers were placed on the graves. Tsunade stared aimlessly, and then felt something light on her shoulder. Tsunade looked to her left, and smiled slightly at Jiraya, who held an umbrella over their heads. It didn't get rid of the pain she felt, but she felt stronger, knowing that someone would help her through it all.

"So, it is agreed then." Danzo said.

Tsunade nodded, though very slightly. She never imagined that there would be a day when she and the most militant man in Konoha saw eye-to-eye. Granted, her heart told her not to do this. But the risk was too great. Naruto would not be the slightest bit happy when he hears this. But even he would understand eventually. "I hereby declare Uchiha Sasuke an S-Class Criminal, and therefore, upon sight shall be executed." With that, the meeting was adjourned.

Tsunade slowly made her way back to her office, rubbing her temples. It would be a long time before she could get settle into a new routine. At first, she had it pretty good as Hokage. She had succeeded in protecting the village, until now. It was alive, but it was in shambles. To make it as strong as ever, she would have to obtain as many high-paying missions as possible. That would mean that the ninjas would have less time with their families who needed them, but it was necessary. Tsunade cleared her mind as she finally approached her door, preparing herself for more mind-numbing work. Although she did have a bad reputation as a procrastinator, she could get work done on her own when she needed to. And she would. "Let's get to it." She opened the door, and was surprised at what she saw: both Sakura and Jiraya organizing things and clearing up the office for her.

Sakura doing those things didn't surprise her that much, but Jiraya? "I was planning to surprise you, but then Jiraya-sama popped in and asked if there was anything he could do for me. He's been a lot of help, Tsunade-shishou. Did you scare him into doing this?" Sakura teased.

"I wish." That was unusual. As far as information and protection went, Jiraya was pretty reliable. Asking him to do menial tasks would be like asking him to give up writing adult fiction; impossible. Tsunade's eyebrow quirked as she said "Yes, your behavior as been unusually chivalrous. Care to explain?"

Jiraya seemed to sweat, and realized too late he was getting suspicious looks from both kunoichis. "I, I…I just thought I could be more helpful is all!" No good.

It just roused Tsunade's suspicions even more. "If you've been installing hidden cameras in here…you must really be desperate."

Jiraya clenched his fist and yelled "You've got to be kidding me! There's no way I'd peak on you in here!! Besides, if I wanted to see you undressed, I know of a bunch of other places around here to catch you in your birthday suit!!"

The sanin realized his mistake too late and before he could take that statement back, he was immediately knocked both out cold and into the ceiling from a well-placed kick by his teammate. "Sakura, remind me to make a call to fix that hole later on."

"Yes, Shishou." Sakura finished cleaning her part of the room, and walked over to her mentor. "Shishou, is there anything else I can do for you?"

"No Sakura, you've been more than enough help. That will be all." Tsunade finally took her seat, only to see that Sakura stood there, looking at her with great concern.

"Shishou…will you be alright?" Tsunade just stared at her, stunned. "Shishou, Shizune told me all about your travels. You were still grieving over Dan and your little brother because of the Hokage necklace. About how your team fell apart when Orochimaru betrayed you. She said you were so hurt, and angry at the world. All you really did was gamble and drink…and that you just lost interest in the village. Shizune-sempai told me that as much as it hurt her, she stayed with you because she hoped she could get you to remember everything else that was important to you." At this point, Sakura was crying. "Shishou, you're like a mother to me. I don't know what it was really like back then for you, and I understand you only behaved like that because you were in pain…but I don't want to see you like that!" The young woman sniffled and swallowed before going on. "This village needs you. So please, if you need to let anything out, if you need a favor of me, please ask me! I want to be here for you."

Tsunade was shocked at everything she said. It shouldn't have come as a surprise to her; Tsunade thought of Sakura as the daughter she never had. The two of them together often did act like they were family. But she would've never expected Sakura to call her that. Tsunade stood, and embraced her pupil. " Thank you so much, Sakura. It's nice to know someone cares."

"You do have someone else, Shishou, even if he is a bit quirky."

The two looked up at Jiraya's apparently headless body struggling in mid-air. The two couldn't help but to giggle; it was a welcome sight after such a depressing week. "Anyway, Sakura, you can trust me. I'll be 

fine, and besides, there's still work to be done." Tsunade grabbed the Toad Sage's legs and pulled him down.

Sakura was tempted to stay, but could tell the legendary pervert and her master were developing genuine feelings for each other. They probably wanted some alone time. As she walked out the door, she ran into something. It was hard, but not rock hard. "Naruto?"

Naruto, for some reason, looked different. Though she didn't exactly expect him to be his usual cheery self under these circumstances, he seemed unusually melancholy. In fact, he looked like a lost boy. "Sakura…how are you?" Something was definitely wrong. He didn't use the "chan" like he usually did at the end of her name, and his question just came out of the blue. "Could you excuse me?" he asked softly.

"He's acting like I'm not really here." Sakura thought, her heart beating from fear of the things that could have possibly happened. Perhaps it was Sasuke's sentence? Or did someone blame the blonde for Konoha's attack itself? She looked back at Tsunade, who now seemed focused, and somewhat afraid. She nodded slightly, indicating that she would handle it. "Please be alright." Sakura whispered as she placed a quick kiss on the jinchuriki's cheek.

Tsunade noticed this look to, and one thought came to mind. She hoped she was wrong, but that was unlikely. If Naruto had indeed discovered the one existing photograph of the Yodaime, it was best to come clean and get it over with. She waited until Sakura was well out of hearing range before deciding to answer Naruto. "Naruto, what's troubling you?"

Naruto didn't say a word; he simply walked towards her, slowly, unknowingly building up the rising tension in the room. He then pulled out a scroll, and summoned something. And that's when her fear was realized: On her desk was the missing photo of Namikaze Minato. "Explain." Naruto demanded, in a soft but furious tone.

Tsunade sighed. No point in lying now. Naruto may not have been the brightest bulb in the room, but he was not a fool. Before she could do that, Jiraya walked over and answered him. "I guess you figured it out, Naruto. That is the Yodaime Hokage, and yes, he is your father."

"I figured that much. But why? Why did he put a monster inside of me?"

Jiraya simply replied "You know damn well why. He did it to save the village."

"Or so you say."

"Naruto!!" Tsunade yelled.

"Garaa, Kenji…their fathers were the leaders of their village, and put monsters inside their children as experiments!! And when they realized it was a mistake, they discarded them, even tried to kill them!! So how am I, the son of a kage whose flesh and blood put a monster inside of me, any different!?"

Jiraya and Tsunade were taken aback by this. They knew about Garaa's father, and briefly heard something mentioned about Kenji's father, but they couldn't easily refute Naruto's experiences; all jinchuriki had monsters imprisoned in them as infants, against their wills. It was all done to make living weapons, and, at least recently, their own family made it happen. While Minato's intentions were good, even with the powers he gave his son, they couldn't deny that in doing so he condemned his own son to isolation. He did clearly state that he wanted his son to be remembered as a hero, but unfortunately, as with most human beings, the villagers chose to listen to their fears instead.

" After I learned about Kyuubi being inside of me, I always questioned why he chose me. I wasn't the only orphan; why couldn't have someone else put up with the pain of being an outcast? Now I question how could someone do that to his own son!?"

"Naruto, that's enough!!" Jiraya yelled.

"No, it's not! At first, I didn't blame the villagers' attitude towards me! I figured I was just some ordinary kid they could use as a scapegoat, and I chose to forgive them! But no!! They treated the baby they knew to be the Yodaime's son as a monster!!" Naruto laughed a little, but it was not a happy laugh. It was one of disbelief. Naruto looked outside a window, showing the torn-down village. "This whole village talks about how great the Yodaime was, and yet they can't pay respect to the one thing he left behind. This look suits their true colors much better." With those last words, Naruto stormed out. Jiraya reached out to say something, but before he could, the normally hyperactive ninja growled "Keep the damn picture."

Jiraya only stood there, hurt by the reaction. The sage's head drooped down towards the floor. "I should have taken him with me when I left."

"No." Tsunade replied. She was just as hurt by his outburst as Jiraya, but she couldn't let it get to her right now. "Both Minato and Kushina wished for Naruto to grow up here, no matter what that would mean. Besides, we both had our own demons to face." The medic-nin stood and looked at the picture of her friend's deceased student. "I guess you were right. It was too much for him." She put her hand on his shoulder, comforting him. "But it will pass. Naruto could never hate anyone, no matter what their sins. Besides, he thinks of you as his own grandfather." Jiraya nodded slightly, his eyes still fixed on the door Naruto ran through.

"If finding out about his father was this hard for him…" Jiraya thought, "How am I going to explain what happened to his mother?"

Naruto sat outside on a bench, ignoring the pouring rain. Hugging one knee to his chest, he was simply indifferent to the world around him. His confrontation with Tsunade and Jiraya didn't help answer his questions; in fact he only had more. Was there any other option that his father refused to consider before sealing the Kyuubi within his only son? Was there any ulterior motive he had, even with the knowledge that he would die? Did his…mother…have any say? Too many questions…and now, after his outburst, he feared he may never find the answers.

"Naruto!" Naruto turned his head to see Sakura running up to him with an umbrella over her. Immediately, she sat down next to him and placed it over the two of them. "What's wrong with you!? Don't you know you can catch a cold like this!?" Sakura waited for a response, but was scared when all she got was the same distant look he showed back at the tower. Whatever it was, it was bad, and apparently neither Jiraya nor Tsunade could solve it. Quickly, she embraced him with one arm. "Naruto, please tell me what's wrong! I don't know if I can help, but you've got to let it out!" At this point, Sakura was crying as well. "I can't stand to see you like this. This isn't you." she begged

Finally, Naruto muttered "I found out who my father was. Sakura…this whole time…he was the Yodaime Hokage. This whole time, and no one ever told me. No one…ever loved me."

Sakura's eyes widened. She didn't know how he found out, but that was not important. Naruto was hurt and angry, and the remaining two sanin couldn't do anything to make him feel better. Perhaps she could. And even if it wouldn't work, he deserved to know what she did. "Naruto…this isn't going to make you happy…but the truth is, I knew." Slowly, Naruto faced her, his eyes fully open in disbelief. "I looked at things I wasn't supposed to, and I found out who you really were before you came back from your training. I didn't tell you, not because of the law, but I believed that Tsunade-shishou and the others were trying to protect you. If doing so only wound up hurting you, I'm sorry. But…" She didn't get a chance to finish. Naruto stood abruptly and began walking towards town. "Naruto!!"

Naruto stopped, but she could tell it was not because she ordered him to. "The Sandaime. Ero-senin. Ba-chan. Kakashi and Iruka-sensei. They've all kept secrets from me." He turned around and faced her, directing his anger at her for the first time. "And now you." His statement made Sakura freeze. It felt like someone had stabbed her, and at the same time, it was a pain she couldn't describe. In the past, she was always so mean to Naruto. And yet, all he ever did in return was smile at her. She couldn't comprehend how this could make him snap, especially after all they've been through together. "I thought we were comrades. I hoped we could become something much more." With that, Naruto began to walk away again. "I guess I should've known better."

Sakura could only stare in shock of what Naruto just said. She didn't notice that in her shock, she dropped the umbrella and let herself get drenched in the rain. All she felt was the pain wrenching her heart. It was just like when Sasuke left…only it was so much worse. Soon, her tears dropped to complement the rain.

Thanks for reading again! A lot of people often have Naruto, upon discovering his heritage, feel happy about who he is. However, I think there is also some validity to him being angry as well, so I went more for that extreme. Things will stitch up for him in time though. Next, a new war begins, and Sakura...is getting married!?

Mitsukai-Angel

Mutsugorou-Mudskipper

Jissei Kage-True Kage

Hakubai-White Plum Blossom