"Blah": Talking

'Blah': Demon speaking/Inner Sakura

'Blah': Naruto's thoughts/other people's thoughts

'Blah': Harry talking to Naruto

Hello, friends, writers, reviewers, fanboys and fangirls! We have another chapter and I believe this one is the best I've written yet :D I'm not sure if you'll agree but I took a few liberties with this chapter, including a very possible character death. But that's all I have to weigh in on the matter; you'll have to read the rest and find out what happens XD XD XD I'm so excited to hear what you guys have to say about it, so please, everyone who reads this new chapter: Please let me know what you think! :)

But a little warning: I decided to not to censor the swear words this time around for some comedic or dramatic effect. The line Kisame shouts is too perfect to censor this time around.

Anyway! There's no time to lose! Enjoy the chapter and let me know what you think in that box at the bottom of the page! :D

Reviews are welcome and wanted!

Disclaimer: Naruto is the Property of Masashi Kishimoto

Harry Potter is property of JK Rowling

Chapter 10: The Lion and the Weasel

Naruto ventured through the woods all night. Doubtful that he would be safe, he traveled through the woods and fields until sunrise. When dawn broke over the horizon, his feet were wet, his clothes were dirtied, and his cheeks were flustered and covered in sweat. He carried his rucksack and threw the invisibility cloak over his shoulder while he tried to use the Glacius Charm to cool himself off. While he forced himself to keep walking, Naruto failed to conceal his contempt for the Sannin. It was really his anger at Jiraiya that truly fueled his motivation to move forward, as he was so close to the rendezvous.

"That damn Ero-Sennin," he fumed through his breath, "He couldn't have waited a little bit longer… or pick me up when he left… and not force me to hike across half the country… and fight off Oto-nin… when I see him, I swear I'll-"

'Hold that thought, Naruto… Look at that sign over there.'

The blonde rookie looked to the right and saw a gigantic billboard at the top of the hill. Naruto ran over to it, exhausted as he was until he reached the top and discovered a dirt road. He read the sign blazed in hot, bold letters, PLEASURE AVENUE featuring an aged but engaging illustration of contented, drunkenly happy faces of villagers and tourists in front of a pictured town filled with lights, buildings, food, and entertainment. Naruto reached back for the map and directions and reached the end of his list. Naruto looked on ahead past the sign and quickly realized the illustration on the billboard didn't do much justice to the town itself: Pleasure Avenue was far more exotic and vivacious as a town was acclaimed for its tourist appeal.

The blonde-haired rookie dropped everything as he stared at the massive towering hotels, bustling streets, festive decorations, endless vendors, dancers, stunt artists, fire-breathers, and various entertainers that lit up the city like a million lanterns. He could hear the sounds of the town far ahead in the distance; the sounds of haughty laughter, vendors selling rare and exotic goods, horse and cattle-drawn carriages bustling along to further supply the town with more food and clinking bottles full of alcohol. It was a town rich with exotic delights and widespread tourist appeal.

Naruto couldn't believe it, "There it is… We made it… Nii-san! WE MADE IT! YES! WE FINALLY DID IT!"

He collected his rucksack and didn't waste another minute as Naruto dashed towards the town. Naruto had reached the end of Jiraiya's hidden trail as he stomped down the dirt road and left a trail of dust in his wake. Harry was thrilled and relieved as well while he followed his little brother with the same excitement and enthusiasm. Naruto rushed down several streets, taking in the sights but also locating the tall, white-haired Sannin as soon as possible.

Naruto thought to his trusted companion, 'Right then, all we have to do now is find Ero-Sennin!'

'Shouldn't be too hard,' replied Harry.

The blonde-haired rookie looked around the current street he was on, lined with various saloons, 'How do you suppose we'll find him?'

'Follow the screams,' answered the bemused wizard, 'Or the stench of testosterone…'

Naruto didn't understand what he meant at first until he wandered the streets outside the bars and saloons, when he heard a woman shriek. Down the road, two doors down, an attractive woman in tight clothes chased out tall and wide patron with white hair. The young woman was flustered and furious as she threw emptied wooden bottles of sake at the familiar old man's marked face.

"Wait a minute, babe," he shouted as he smiled awkwardly and waved his arms in defense, "I didn't mean to touch you there! I had no idea that was off-limits, I swear!"

"YOU'RE A PIG," she screamed as she threw one more bottle at him but missed, "Get lost, old man!"

Jiraiya whined as if he were a child and begged, "Awww, c'mon, sweetheart! I'm not that old! And I'll behave this time! C'mon! Gimme one more chance! Godammit!"

Naruto and Harry both stared at the Sannin with identical blank, miserable faces as the tall man stomped his foot down in frustration. If this was the man that was going to protect them from Orochimaru and Danzo Shimura, then the two wizards had some significant doubts on their odds of survival.

'Go ahead and say it,' he thought, 'We're doomed…'

'We're doomed.'

The tall, white-haired man sensed someone looking at him and turned around to see Naruto, much to his surprise. Jiraiya's face beamed immediately when he saw the blonde rookie and approached him in record speed while he chuckled and dusted some of the dirt from his shoulders.

"Well, look who it is," he laughed.

Despite Jiraiya's unflattering emergence from the bar, Naruto could have hugged him. Though he still remained slightly cantankerous from the near-fatal inconvenience the Sannin caused him with the hidden trail.

"WHOA! It's the kid! You made it! The trail worked, then?!" the old man laughed as he dusted off the dried dirt from the rookie's shoulders, "You look a little worse for wear, kiddo! You had a rough time out there or something?"

"You have no idea," the blonde rookie smiled.

Jiraiya seemed very impressed by Naruto's resourcefulness and ruffled his hair in a congratulatory gesture. The blonde-haired rookie welcomed the touch, but then Jiraiya pulled his hand back in disgust as his gigantic hand was coated in sweat and grime, "Ewww… You could use a shower! C'mon, let's head back to the hotel where we're staying! We'll grab some dinner and have a talk about our arrangements, training, and whatnot! Let's move it, kid!"

Naruto sighed in relief as he shook off Jiraiya's disgust with his state of his hair. It didn't matter much to him, as he felt a lot safer now while he walked close beside the Sannin. He didn't reach out for his hand nor gripped a handful of his clothes to feel more secure. Though a small part of Naruto was tempted to do so for some reason.

As incompetent as he and Harry feared Jiraiya could be based on his lecherous behavior, it felt good to have an ally again. Even the smell of booze and fried chicken saturated in his clothes didn't seem so bad to him, and the Sannin reeked. Naruto shrugged it off; confident he'd be able to drown out the smell with something from the hotel, as soon as they got there.

Back in Konoha, Asuma, Kurenai, and Gai were situated around Kakashi's bedroom, as the three of them watched over their friend. The silver-haired man had been bedridden ever since his battle with Itachi and hadn't regained consciousness since. The three friends feared they would have to take him to the hospital if he didn't wake up soon.

Kurenai assumed, because it was genjutsu, Kakashi would have recovered fine without the hospital and save him the bill. After all, he didn't sustain any other serious injuries apart from a few bruises on his back. But now it seemed the damage that genjutsu caused was a lot more serious and he needed medical attention soon.

But as she and the other two men sat around, the three of them didn't know what to do next in light of Itachi's return and his newly discovered goal to find Naruto and the Kyuubi. No one knew where to start, let alone break the ice as the three friends stood around or sat on a chair in awkward silence.

Gai decided to break it as he tried to evaluate what they already knew and work from there, "Those two were a lot of trouble… But it looks like neither one of them knew where Naruto was… Which means neither of them was responsible for his disappearance."

"This is bad, if he's still missing and then these missing-nin come to town," the kunoichi worried, "How much time will it take for them to find him?"

Asuma shook his head, "I have no idea. But if Itachi Uchiha is the one after him, it won't take him much time to track him down. ANBU captain at age thirteen and all that other prodigy crap…"

"What are we supposed to do, then?" she asked.

No one answered as Gai heard footsteps and Asuma heard someone barging into the apartment, uninvited, "Wait a minute."

The shinobi in Kakashi's bedroom turned their heads at the bedroom door and revealed Sasuke, of all people. He walked in and failed to notice the jounin around the bedroom until after he saw his teacher asleep under the thick sheets.

"Kakashi," he beckoned, "You can't cancel on my training-"

Sasuke stopped and then registered the other adults in the room while Kakashi was still in bed. The older shinobi frowned at how rude Sasuke was to come in uninvited but then blinked when the teen demanded answers out of them, unsure how to answer him.

"Why is Kakashi asleep? What are all these other shinobi in here with him?! What the hell is going on here?!"

Asuma looked towards the window and reached for another smoke while Kurenai crossed her arms and trusted Gai with the small talk, confident he wouldn't dare mention the return of Itachi Uchiha. If the Sasuke knew what happened, he would go ballistic.

Gai lied to him in a calm voice, "Well, the other night, we had a water-drinking contest after work and I snuck some sake into Kakashi's glasses. Turns out, he couldn't hold his water and he went out like a bulb. Asuma said he was about to write on his face with some-"

But before the other adults could convince the rookie to leave, Aoba Yamashiro arrived when he noticed the door to the apartment was open. Aoba burst into the bedroom behind Sasuke, unaware of his presence until it was too late.

"I have news," he announced first in a rushed recollection of the facts, "We found Naruto! He's safe! He called Iruka's house the other night and he's with Jiraiya-sama right now! I heard the two of them were headed to Pleasure Avenue!"

Gai blinked, as did Kurenai and Asuma, but the bearded shinobi was the first to speak up, "He's in Pleasure Avenue?!"

"Yes! But is it true that Itachi has returned?!" Aoba burst out as the other shinobi flinched and bore their teeth, "And is it true that he's after Naruto too? What does he want from him? Does that mean he's in danger?! Should we warn Jiraiya-sama somehow?!"

Gai scowled at the oblivious Tokubetsu while Asuma bit his cigarette in half and Kurenai furrowed her brow in irritation. Aoba then realized that the last Uchiha was in the room as well and covered his mouth too late. The damage had been done when the adults saw Sasuke's face become filled with a mixture of rage and madness. He made a sudden move towards the door, but the Tokubetsu went on the offensive and dashed for the unstable rookie. But the Uchiha used his chakra to increase his speed and blurred toward the door. Aoba moved fast to atone for his mistake and blocked the door to thwart Sasuke's escape.

"STOP," he commanded, "DON'T MOVE!"

But the Uchiha roared, "OUT OF THE WAY!"

And focused a concentrated amount of his chakra into his fist and created a subtle electric current before he thrust his fist into Aoba's stomach, causing him to double over and fall to the floor on his face. Sasuke disappeared out of the apartment before Asuma saw him speeding through downtown like a dark blur. He clenched his teeth while Gai darted out from the window to chase down Sasuke.

Back in Pleasure Avenue, Naruto and his new master arrived at one of the best hotels in town. Upon entering the five-star hotel, the blonde-haired teen was frozen in awe as he looked around the lobby to look at all the rich carpets, curtains, wooden tables, cushioned furniture, the replicas of priceless artwork on the walls, and expensive vases, filled with exotic flowers, seated on polished wooden tables. Naruto had never spent a night at a hotel before as he rushed around to sit in the various chairs scattered around one of the coffee tables. The blonde-haired rookie seemed to disturb the more dignified guests with his childish behavior but also with his smell. One woman in a simple kimono, reading a newspaper covered her nose and mouth as she flinched from teen when he sat in the chair beside her and smiled at her.

Jiraiya noticed his new pupil disturbing the other guests and boomed, "Naruto! Cut it out! Now come over here!"

The blonde teen pouted as he stood up from one of the squashiest sofas and hurried over to the Sannin. One man dressed in a rich suit scoffed with revulsion as he noticed how dirtied Naruto was and sauntered off to complain to the staff about him.

"So what are we going to do about training and finding this medical-nin?" the blonde-haired rookie asked as he followed Jiraiya to the elevators.

The tall white-haired man answered before he was distracted, "It's not too complicated. All we have to do is… WHOA! Hubahubahuba!"

Confused, Naruto looked around and saw the Sannin look back at the receptionists' desk. There, he saw a beautiful woman, dressed in a scandalous dinner dress that failed to conceal the size of her overly generous bosoms. Jiraiya blushed and drooled at her like a cartoon character as she took notice of his outlandish antics. The lecherous shinobi then stood up straight and tried to look suave and flirtatious, though the behavior and the speed of Jiraiya's movements made Naruto think of the old cartoons he used to watch when he was a little kid. But when Naruto looked back at the lady, blood rushed to his cheeks as well. She was blessed with the most attractive curves and her skin was flawless and pale. But the blonde rookie didn't think Jiraiya had a shot at her, due to the obvious age difference; she had to be less than half his age… But then she winked at him, and smiled at him with a cute blush of her own.

Naruto was surprised and somewhat irritated as the woman waltzed over to the Sannin, and the white-haired man beamed with excitement, as he remained confident and flirtatious. Harry was also surprised as he never imagined any woman that young or attractive would ever find a middle-aged man like Jiraiya even remotely attractive.

Jiraiya's face softened into a confident, seductive smolder while he introduced himself in a low, warm voice, "Hello, hello! The name's Jiraiya! Legendary Sannin, published author, shinobi, hermit, rich and famous! Fierce, ferocious, and a whole lot of fun!"

"Heh! What a flirt," she laughed in a cute, high-pitched voice that made Naruto think of bubblegum and wine, "The name is Emi… It's a pleasure to meet a man of such," she rested her hand upon the man's chest and felt soft fat and hard muscles hidden beneath his thick, warm clothes while she muttered in a soft moan, "Mass."

"Oooh," he mused as his face turned crimson and the man glanced down at the woman's breasts for a moment before the two of them both laughed and exchanged flirtatious looks with each other for a solid minute, much to Naruto's complete and utter confusion.

The woman blushed and smiled at the man before she asked him, "Would you like to get a drink with me?"

"How about dinner, first?" the older man suggested as the woman giggled and nodded, whilst the blonde-haired teen stood there and watched with shock and aversion, "Let's make it a date!"

Naruto stared at the two of them and said, "You're kidding me…"

"I know this spectacular place downtown where we can become," the old man suggested next as his blush toned down but his excitement never wavered, "better acquainted."

But then the blonde teen complained, "Oh, come on! I JUST GOT HERE, ERO-SENNIN! What about the mission?! The training?! What about the Sandaime?!"

Jiraiya hissed at the teen to be quiet as he handed over the card to their room and left him enough cash for room service.

"We have enough time for one date, Naruto. Here's the card to the room. Don't touch the stuff on the desk, that's all mine," the white-haired man then rushed over to Emi in a heartbeat while laughed raucously, while she clambered onto him and rubbed his chest, "I'll be back later! Have a fun night, Naruto! I know I will! HAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Naruto watched as the older man left him behind. Jiraiya didn't think twice about his new student as he took Emi out to dinner or whatever else he intended that would no doubt lead to unmentionable acts of perversion. The blonde shinobi clenched the card in his hand and frowned at his new master with his older brother beside him.

"Idiot," he commented.

And Harry replied, 'You said it.'

Naruto took the elevator to the nineteenth floor and found the room in no time flat. He shuffled down the hall before he shoved the card in the slot and entered. When he stepped inside, Naruto was surprised to see it was a excellent room; there were two beds, both of them folded and clean, a flat television set, loaded mini-bar, a luxurious bathroom with a spacious tub and high-tech shower system, fresh towels, with a little bit of artwork on the walls to decorate the room. On the desk in the far corner of the room, he spotted Jiraiya's rucksack, like he said. But Naruto couldn't care less after the Sannin ditched him for a random date and planned to take advantage of the room's luxuries.

The blonde-haired wizard tossed his rucksack down on the closest bed and claimed it as his own. He did as Jiraiya suggested earlier and decided to take a long shower. Naruto didn't know how long he was in there for as he washed out his hair over a dozen times and tried out all the different scents and shampoos the bathroom had to offer. Naruto bathed in the tub and almost fell asleep a few times while he relaxed and blasted the hot water nozzle. By the time he was done, he emerged from the bathroom, dressed in one of those expensive white bathrobes with a towel wrapped around his head. He looked out the window and noticed it was nighttime while a wave of shampoo bubbles flowed out of the bathroom, like a malfunctioning washing machine.

Naruto dried off and found himself some of the clothes Iruka lent him. As he rummaged through his rucksack, Naruto found his headband and decided it was safe for him to wear it again. Sporting some jeans, a light t-shirt, and a light blue jacket to match his headband, Naruto fell back on the mattress, arms spread out at his sides as he sighed in relaxation.

Too tired and lazy to reach the television remote, he grew bored and decided to reach for his wand and waved it around. Sparks flew out the end of his wand like golden dust as he sighed again, this time in boredom after about ten minutes of doing nothing.

'What do I do now?'

'You could organize your rucksack a little bit. Bit of mess in there.'

'Unless I have a good reason to do that I don't see the point in-'

Naruto reached for his beaded rucksack until he heard a loud bang from the bottom before a series of ferocious growls and snaps followed. He looked down inside as he heard the sound of parchment being ripped to shreds and saw the one monstrous book in his possession tear apart the other books of his collection.

The blonde teen said in a flat voice, "Again with that damn book…"

After he restrained and debilitated the Monster Book of Monsters again, Naruto did as his companion suggested and started to organize his beaded rucksack to make it more efficient for him to use during his adventure. If he were to run into more of Orochimaru or Danzo's subordinates, he would have to be prepared to throw one of his homemade-bombs or use his other tools if he had to make another desperate escape. He first removed all of the items he had stashed inside his rucksack and scattered them throughout the entire hotel room. Once his beaded rucksack was emptied, the room was filled to the brim until there was no room left to walk to the bathroom. It was like the Room of Hidden Things with books towered over the bed while cauldrons and various items were stacked into a complex maze of various magical instruments.

In order to clean out the room, he started with the largest and heaviest items he owned and loaded them into the bottom of the rucksack. Naruto stuffed in his footlocker, then his cauldrons, followed by his shinobi tools, camping equipment, and enchanted his potted plants so that the dirt wouldn't fall out before stuffing them in next. He then stacked in his books, various tools, and weapons into the special compartments. Naruto then loaded his homemade bombs into the small containers on the sides, so that he could reach back and throw one of them if he were ever attacked on the road.

Once he was finished, Naruto held his enchanted rucksack and smiled with success as he let it fall onto his bed with an uncharacteristic thud.

"I'd like to see the Sharingan do that!" he smirked as he sat down beside his rucksack.

The room was clean and the blonde teen waved his wand to clean whatever was left until the room was spotless again.

Naruto was about to move toward the desk next to the flatscreen television and find the hotel card. He wanted to have some dinner or at least find a soda downstairs to hold him over. But then Naruto froze when he heard a loud knock on the door. The sound was almost aggressive, so he assumed a certain embittered Sannin was on the other side with a red hand-shaped mark on his face. He still took the white card from the table and walked towards the door.

The blonde wizard felt a small burn on his forehead, like a headache, but he overlooked it, as he was irritated that he had to share the room with an ill-tempered old man as opposed to a spent, wine-sodden shinobi.

"What's the matter, Ero-Sennin?" he asked, "Did the date not go well?"

The older sorcerer in the mindscape started to sense an unbelievable source of chakra that made his stomach sink. He focused in on it and sensed it coming from the other side of the door. Harry was about to alert Naruto and stop him from opening the door, but it was too late.

The blonde-haired wizard opened the door, startled when he saw two tall, cloaked figures tower over him; one of them was a man with scaled blue skin and teeth often associated with the few Kirigakure shinobi he encountered during the Tazuna bridge mission. He was wielding a massive sword encased in white bandages and there was another man with him that he recognized. The shorter of the duo was a handsome young man with the distinct physical characteristics associated with the Uchiha clan.

Naruto stared at them both, unable to form a sentence as he remembered the shorter man's face from the wanted posters once plastered all over Konoha, after he slaughtered his entire clan.

"Naruto Uzumaki," Itachi beckoned with an uncommonly soft voice, "It's been such a long time…"

The blonde teen remained still as he stared into the face of Sasuke's estranged, maniac older brother. He couldn't even speak as he stared into his Sharingan. Unlike his younger brother's set of special eyes, his were complete with three tomoe encircling his pupils. Naruto starred into his eyes and could have sworn he saw the tomoe swirl inside his irises. The blonde shinobi realized he was unable to so much as move his fingers while the Sharingan captivated him. Naruto was so terrified he couldn't even blink.

But the blonde teen was at least able to whisper in a trembling voice, "Itachi Uchiha…"

"Come step out of the room for a moment," the man held out his hand to the teen and asked him with a smooth voice that soothed him somewhat, like he meant no harm, "Now Naruto… Please, come with us."

The blonde rookie felt compelled to listen to Itachi and follow him out the door. Itachi's Sharingan was undoubtedly having an effect on him, but Naruto was able to retain his free will. He remained where he stood and didn't take a single step out the door. His training in Occlumency truly paid off as he did his best to close his mind off from access or influence.

"I… I don't think so," the teen answered him in a more cautious voice.

Itachi tried to reach out to the blonde rookie, again in a voice that sounded a lot friendlier than he demonstrated in Konoha, "We just want you to join us… I can understand how it must have felt when the people of our village mistreated you because of the Kyuubi no Kitsune... You should have been beloved and honored by our people. But the villagers treated you like dirt when they should have treated you like royalty… Even your own sensei treats my foolish little brother more like a pampered prince, even after all you've suffered for the sake of the village's contentment… Forget about him, forget about the village, and forget about my foolish, spoiled little brother and come with us…"

"Fat chance, Mr. Sunshine," the teen answered back as the man with the giant sword furrowed his brow, "Sure, I've been angry at sensei for a while, but there's a line that's been drawn and that's crossing it! I'm on an important mission! So do me a favor and clear off now and I won't tell Ero-Sennin you were here!"

The tall man with the scaled-skin snarled at the teen with such frustration as he brandished his sword, "That wasn't a request… it was a demand!"

"Kisame, calm down," his black-haired teammate reasoned.

The shark-like man seemed to calm down a bit and then he made a disturbing suggestion, "This little brat is supposed to be the Kyuubi's jinchuuriki? It's hard to believe… How about I shave off a few of his limbs so he doesn't wander off?"

While Itachi was distracted with his teammate, Naruto had a flashback to the night of the Uchiha massacre. He remembered when he despaired after he failed to intervene in the massacre of the Uchiha clan. He and Harry eventually discussed Itachi's reasons behind the murder of his people. Naruto remembered how he expressed a desire to venture into Itachi's mind in order to understand his reasons for killing the clan with Legilimency. Ever since then, Naruto had learned a little bit about the difficult magical art. Even though he had never practiced it once, he at least knew the incantation.

And in the one second Itachi was distracted, Naruto felt now was his best chance. The one chance he had to unlock and uncover the secret behind Itachi's actions, in the hope that it could somehow help Sasuke like he had hoped to do long ago. Naruto was filled with terror and excitement as one of his childhood ambitions was about to be fulfilled.

The blonde-haired teen reached into his trousers for his wand while he sensed Kisame released killer-intent, like how Orochimaru and Zabuza did before, to scare him into paralysis. Naruto used his mental shield to block it out and then raised his wand and aimed at Itachi's face when he looked back at him. Kisame was dumbfounded until he sensed an incredible amount of power spike from the target, while his teammate's eyes widened for half a second, unable to comprehend what the wooden stick aimed at his face was for or what was about to happen next.

Naruto then muttered the incantation, "Legilimens!"

Itachi froze where he stood in the hall and then his face soon filled with shock and terror. Itachi felt the same sensations Naruto felt in his first Occlumency lesson when he was a toddler; the world had turned dark all around him and he was soon lost in a world not too different from the one he created to torture Kakashi. The blonde-haired wizard felt like his arm was sucked forward as was the rest of him followed into Itachi's crimson irises. He then viewed fast flashes that revolved around Itachi's innermost thoughts, memories, and even his raw emotions.

Naruto saw memories of Konoha, the Uchiha estate, Sasuke, and all the friends Itachi made while he was still a shinobi of Konoha. The blonde teen could feel all that Itachi had felt when he viewed his memories. It all felt so blissful and warm, but it was soon almost too much to take in. Itachi and Naruto both felt a swarm of emotions fill them to their brim when the two of them saw and remembered their hometown; Itachi had felt like he had swam in a sea of contentment but then he was overwhelmed with fear, confusion, anger, remorse, rage, loss, and stress when he saw the face of his father, Fugaku, the Uchiha clan symbol illuminated from the glow of a fire nearby, and the hardened, contemptuous faces of his fellow clansmen. He soon saw Sasuke when he was a little kid, innocent and kind and then their mother arrived and doted her two sons.

As soon as Naruto had entered Itachi's mind, he was thrust back out into the real world and the battle for his life began.

{{Snatchers by James Hannigan}}

Itachi almost fainted as he stood aside, held his head in hand, alarming his partner Kisame. The shark-like man shook his teammate when he saw how horrified and exhausted he became out of nowhere. With Kisame distracted, Naruto turned to the hotel room and aimed his wand at his master's rucksack as well as his own. The blonde wizard summoned both rucksacks with a nonverbal Summoning Charm, catching his own first (as it was closer) and then let Jiraiya's supplies slide into the first one in a signal slick movement before he made a run for it.

"GOT IT!" he shouted.

Naruto flicked his wand and created a solid shield between him and the two men. Kisame's concern for his teammate vanished the second he saw the teen run towards the exit. He threw his partner aside and ran after Naruto alone. But soon, the shark-man was bounced back from a close-to-invisible barrier he failed to notice appear. The shark-man struck the invisible wall with his fist but almost threw him off his feet. He then drew his sword, struck down, and broke the barrier with brute force. Kisame then followed after Naruto and burst ahead of Itachi. The Uchiha followed soon after, still shaken from what the blonde rookie almost uncovered inside his head but now looked more determined than ever to catch him.

Naruto refused to look back and face his enemies. More so when he heard the taller man roar while he heard his loud feet booming behind him.

"GET BACK HERE, YOU BRAT!" he heard.

The blonde teen ran down the hall, towards the stairs. Kisame was in the lead ahead of Itachi as he ran closer and closer to him. The teen looked back for a second and aimed his wand at the criminal while he continued to run and screamed the first incantations that came to mind.

He cried out several times, "Expulso! Expulso!"

Several white blasts of concentrated magic zoomed down the hall, but almost all of them missed the target. But the curses that missed, struck the walls and the picture frames, blasting wood, dust, and broken glass into Kisame at least twice and cut his face here and there. Panicked, the blonde teenager continued to run and used more curses and hexes to slow them down.

He shouted out at least five times, "STUPEFY! STUPEFY! STUPEFY!"

Naruto had no luck, as each one of his curses was blocked with the massive sword Kisame carried. Harry watched and noticed in horror as the blade absorbed the energies from the hexes and then consumed them, like there was a creature hidden inside the bandages. Naruto soon bombarded the man with more curses to slow him down, which did work for a moment as Kisame slashed his blade back and forth to block the spells he couldn't dodge. He slammed his thick sword into the walls and broke in almost all of the doors while he ran. Debris was blasted around the corridor as vases were broken, walls were blown inwards, and there was dust everywhere. Itachi received the worst from his teammate when a cloud of dust blinded him. He shouted in irritation as he tried to follow Naruto's chakra signature, determined to find out what he tried to do to him with his memories. But while he followed his teammate after the blonde rookie, he couldn't utilize his Sharingan in the dust cloud.

While Kisame and Itachi were slowed down, Naruto dashed for the staircase at the end of the hall, determined to find Jiraiya and fast. But before he could reach the stairs, he was forced to use one curse he knew would hinder them long enough. But worried he could hurt someone else in the hotel if he did. With no other course of action to take, the teen aimed at the floor ten feet ahead of Kisame and did it out of desperation.

Naruto shouted, "Bombarda Maxima!"

A sudden flash blasted from the end of his wand and tore into the floor beneath the shark-man. Kisame was shocked when the entire floor beneath him was blasted out and his feet were soon on fire as he fell down into the floor bellow him. Unable to see ahead, Itachi fell in too and landed on top of Kisame as the two of them were buried underneath broken wood and more dust. Itachi felt some broken wood slice into his skin, but he was not wounded as bad as his teammate, whose feet were burnt from the curse. Naruto then used a lesser version of the same curse above the massive hole he created and caused more wood and dust to fall on his two enemies as he ran and reached the stairs.

Itachi and Kisame recovered from falling through the floor and ran towards the stairs on the eighteenth floor. Kisame blasted whatever wood and dust still covered him and kicked the door to the stairs clean off its hinges. He then turned towards the stairs that led to the floor above and saw Naruto halt in mid-run down the stairs. He froze when Kisame saw him, but then he made a daredevil move: the blonde teen hopped over the rail and dove down to the levels below. The shark-man was startled at the move and hovered over the rail to see Naruto as he dove down seventeen floors.

But before it was too late, the blonde teen shouted moments before it was too late, "ARESTO MOMENTUM!"

The blonde-haired teen slowed his descent into the floor one foot before he touched it and hovered for a short moment. He then landed his feet on the floor, unharmed from the immense dive he had taken. Once he landed and shocked Kisame speechless, he ran towards the closest exit he could find in the stairwell.

The shark-man curse out loud, "SON OF A BITCH!"

The blonde-haired teen blasted out the backdoor through the kitchen and ran as fast as he could before he was seen. He had to find Jiraiya as soon as he could to ensure he would be safe. The teen knew he would have to search wherever alcohol was served to find him, but in a town like Pleasure Avenue, his choices were not narrowed down. Naruto ran into the closest back alley and reached into his rucksack for the cloak and other enchanted items in case those shinobi came around the corner.

The teen focused chakra into his feet and zoomed down the narrows, making numerous twists and turns so that he would lose the shinobi from the hotel. He took one last left turn but then he skid to a halt when he saw Itachi and Kisame had found him and blocked the exit leading into the local festival as it started.

Naruto held one of his Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder crystals in his hand and clenched it until it burst. The narrows were soon flooded with smoke so dense that Itachi couldn't even see Kisame's chakra signature with his Sharingan. Both him and his teammate were alarmed when the smoke was released into the air and choked them. The two were forced to shield their faces while Naruto took the chance and threw the invisibility cloak over himself. While he was under the cloak, he took one of his Exploding Potion bottles and threw it in between the two criminals. There was an audible shatter from the bottle and then a blast with the force of a small bomb. Itachi was thrown into the trash behind him while Kisame was blasted into a brick wall that cracked behind him. Naruto then ran towards the exit and entered the festival, still invisible to the Muggle civilians that started to swarm toward the smoke and the blast followed soon after.

The blonde teen ran into the streets and searched the stores and bars for a tall man with white hair. While still under the cloak and unseen from all the civilians that surrounded him, he checked all the bars and small restaurants for Jiraiya or even his dark-haired date but neither one of them could be found.

He would have entered a restaurant that was advertised with red neon lights, but he was distracted when he heard some commotion behind him. He turned around and saw Kisame emerge from the narrows, spitting out black phlegm as his saliva was saturated with the black residue from the Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder. Several drunken civilians walked towards Kisame, unaware of how hostile he was, concerned if he was hurt. Those few civilians foolish enough to be too close to him were thrown aside which caused several others to flee as he roared at them, unable to contain a more monstrous side of him. Kisame was furious while he searched the street for the blonde-haired teen, unaware that the child was close, invisible under the cloak.

Naruto refused to breath, as he feared Kisame would hear him somehow. He started to walk towards the opposite direction until he felt his back bump into someone and his scar burned, like a hot needle was stabbed in his forehead.

"Clever, Naruto-kun," he heard behind him, "But not clever enough…"

The teen looked behind him and saw Itachi hover above him and stare down at him, even though he was invisible. Naruto felt him begin to use his Sharingan to render him unconscious until he raised his mental shield and tried to run. But Itachi reached out, clenched the invisibility cloak, and removed it from Naruto to make him visible once again. Naruto held his breath in shock but soon clenched the cloak back and tried to hide back under it. But Kisame saw his teammate and then he saw the teen. The furious shinobi dashed towards them as fast as he could without the aid of his chakra. Itachi had some trouble with the cloak as he tried to confiscate it from Naruto. The blonde-haired wizard tried his best to reclaim his precious cloak but soon aimed his wand at Itachi's emotionless face.

And he cried out, "STUPEFY!"

Itachi was forced to release the cloak as he leaned back, arched his head back, and the scarlet hex whizzed underneath his chin. He felt the warm magic raise his slick black hair into the air before it fell back down. The Uchiha looked down and advanced after the blonde-haired teen.

Naruto turned his head as Kisame was about to attack him from behind, and then he released another mini-bomb between the two men before he darted back into the narrows. The small bottle shattered and detonated between Itachi and Kisame for the second time. The shark-like man received the full blast of it as he was blown off his feet and he flew back several blocks until he crashed into a vendor that sold freshly deep-fried fish snacks. Itachi was able to avoid the blast when he used his chakra to enhance his movements and reappeared an entire football field's distance from the explosion. The civilians in the streets were more alarmed than ever when the explosion ringed in their ears and shook the earth. Others panicked when Kisame crashed into the vendor and white-hot oil splattered all over his torso and some of his face. Back in the narrows, Naruto flinched when he heard Kisame's roar of agony and rage but continued to run.

'How the hell was Itachi able to see through the cloak, Nii-san?! It's supposed to be perfect material!'

'His Sharingan is the answer. It must have the ability to pick up your chakra signature even under concealment. If you ask me, I bet the Sharingan has the power to see through invisibility cloaks, similar to how Mad-Eye's magical eye could see through cloaks and solid walls.'

'Well, that's PERFECT! The Uchiha clan and their Sharingan can suck MY ARSE!'

'It wouldn't be the first time you've said that…'

Naruto tossed the cloak back into his rucksack and hulled it over his shoulders. He ran down the narrows and was about to turn around the corner, but then his older brother held him back and forced him to retreat when he shouted, 'LOOK OUT!'

A solid chunk of the brick corner was blasted out from the force of a bomb or some unknown ninjutsu that would have killed Naruto in an instant. The blonde teen retreated from the corner and tried to use several nonverbal curses where he sensed his enemies attacking from. Naruto listened as Kisame used an intense technique and started blasting more and more bricks on the corner and revealed the interior of the building. Kisame's cloak was burnt to ruin. His sleeves were shredded off and torso was exposed, covered in hideous burns, as the smell of fried fish was rich in the air. Kisame seemed to have gills marks on his shoulders, mistaken for tattoos at first, while almost half his face was burnt raw from the hot oil.

Naruto was able to see him as he used the ninjutsu that broke the corner, chunk after chunk. Kisame focused his chakra and created whole bullets made from water, converted from his chakra and released from his mouth that launched wherever he aimed faster than an actual bullet. But soon, Itachi held back his teammate and shouted at him.

"DON'T DO THAT, KISAME," he heard the Uchiha shout, "The Akatsuki needs him alive! Those were our orders!"

Naruto twitched when he heard that name mentioned but soon backed further from the wall as he was about to retreat from the narrows. But then he froze when saw shadow clones of Itachi block all the other exits and corner him. The shadow clones started to close in on him in a slow walk to force him to surrender. Naruto wracked his brains as he tried to think how he could end this or even take one of the criminals down. He could have Apparated, but his choice of locations were scarce and he still needed to come back for Jiraiya, wherever he was.

If he Disapparated and wanted to return to Pleasure Avenue for Jiraiya, then Naruto would have to scare off Itachi and Kisame himself. But without the assistance of one of the Sannin that task seemed absolutely impossible. But Naruto still had a few tricks up his sleeve as he brainstormed a few quick, brilliant ideas.

After a few seconds, one idea came to mind and it could work but he would need a good look at where Kisame and the real Itachi were located.

'Nii-san? You know how sometimes I come up with really, really brilliant ideas on the fly, right?'

'You do have those moments.'

'Well, go ahead and add this one to the list!'

Naruto created a shadow clone that looked like it was about to attack the two criminals head-on, jumping out from around the corner. Itachi held back Kisame when the fish-man tried to kill the little blonde rascal for the burns on his face and torso. The shadow clone leapt out and stretched its arms out, waving about to get the attention of the two men in the dark cloaks.

"LOOK AT ME! I'M A TARGET!"

Infuriated at Naruto's cheekiness, Kisame threw his teammate aside before he unleashed another unknown water-based ninjutsu bullet that hit the clone and caused it to burst into white smoke. The shadow clone was able to get a good look at both the criminals before it's destruction and the information was sent back to the real Naruto. He smiled while his ghostly companion pat his shoulder to commend him on his wise use of the shadow clone. The blonde teen then listened in while Itachi tried to restrain the shark-man, another wide window of opportunity for him to attack.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" he heard Itachi shout.

Naruto bound out from around the corner, aimed his wand at Itachi, utilizing several charms and curses in quick succession, "Reducto! Locomotor Mortis! Incarcerous Maxima!"

The wall behind the Akatsuki members was blasted and sent solid cement, brick, dust, and smoke into their faces. Itachi blinked for one vital second and then an unknown force hit him with the force of a train. He felt his legs snap together like magnets and then iron chains emerged from the dust and clasped around his torso until he fell flat on his back, unable to stand or bring his hands together to form handsigns. While Kisame was disoriented from the dust and smoke, he looked to his teammate before Naruto came out of nowhere and attacked. The shark-like man swished his sword down in a defensive position. But then he was astonished when Naruto drew his own sword from his rucksack and stabbed Kisame's right arm, right through the bone. Kisame roared and in another slick movement, Naruto removed his sword and sliced into Kisame's thick skin, severing several tendons in his left wrist.

When Itachi was distracted with his incarceration, he saw Naruto and Kisame both had their hands latched to the handle of Samehada. Kisame almost lost it when he assumed the teen meant to steal it from him, but all he tried to do was set off another one of his wild ideas. Harry was astonished and praised Naruto's ingenuity; Kisame could barely throw the blonde rookie from his sword after the teen stabbed him and sliced his wrist like a soft cheese.

The teen focused his chakra into his hands and continued to grip the handle of the massive sword. At the same time, he tried to root his feet to the floor and turn on the spot. But it was almost impossible, as Kisame was at least able to hold him in place.

Naruto stared into Kisame's face and saw all the horrid and horrific details of the wounds on his face; his eyes were tiny and now bloodshot with madness, while the burns on his scaled face were red like raw hamburger meat. All the while, the sword started to fluctuate from the moment he touched it, like the sword was alive and could sense his chakra. Naruto was scared out of his mind, fearful that the man would overwhelm him soon and kill him unless Itachi was able to break free from his confines.

In order to relieve the tension and stress, the teen decided to fool around as if he were a hero from one of his favorite comic books, "Nice sword! Does the shark-skin handle come standard or did someone take a good chunk of your butt to make it?"

"YOU THINK YOU'RE CUTE?!" Kisame shouted as he struggled remove his sword and smash the child.

Naruto grunted as he tried to turn his person with his gargantuan opponent, "To be fair, I can be adorable!"

Itachi used his Sharingan as a means to reverse the effects of the strange ninjutsu used on his legs and escape from the chains that he should have been able to remove without effort, but couldn't. As he tried to determine what had been used on him, he noticed something strange about Naruto and the power he started to radiate. He also saw the air around the teen lift dust in the air and then fall back down. Itachi also saw his entire chakra signature seem to start twisting as if he and Kisame were about to vanish into thin air.

Itachi's face turned white before he shouted, "KISAME! Back away from him! NOW!"

But the older criminal overlooked his wise teammate as the teen mustered as much raw strength he could to take both him and the criminal into the darkness. Kisame shouted and snarled like a wild animal while the teen tried to root his feet to the ground with his chakra.

"GET THE FUCK OFF MY SWORD!" he roared.

Naruto roared back at him with a smile, "NEVAH!"

"That's an order Kisame! BACK AWAY FROM HIM NOW!" the bound Itachi shouted.

The blonde teen smirked as he sensed the pain from Kisame's injuries took their toll on him at last, "Hold on real tight, shark-face! We're going for a ride!"

"KISAME!" the Uchiha roared.

And it was too late to save his teammate, as Itachi witnessed Naruto turn on the spot and drew Kisame into the darkness. The blue-skinned criminal felt like he was sucked into a space far too small for him to fit, as if he were squeezed through a rubber tube. Kisame roared the entire time as he felt like iron bars started crushing his lungs while his minuscule eyes sank into his skull, and his eardrums as well. The blonde wizard maintained a firm hand over the blade as he dragged the criminal through the twisting colors and shapes of the town he left behind and where he intended to land next.

Half a second later, the two shinobi arrived at a new location, slamming into a dirt road that curved around a lake. Kisame received a mouthful of dirt and grass while Naruto soon vanished to another location with a loud crack in his wake.

The former shinobi of Kirigakure spat out the dirt from his mouth and started to vomit. He had never felt such a rushed, uncomfortable sensation before in his life and lost consciousness. When he came to, Kisame looked around and discovered he was at a lake surrounded with mist, trees, and then about seventeen hunter-nin with the mark of his former home etched on the center of their masks and various headbands. The team must have been in the area in search of Zabuza Momochi's corpse when the team was confronted by another of the most notorious missing-nin from their village, on the boarders of the Land of Waves.

Kisame had a flat look on his face as he stared at the men around him, their swords drawn and he was forced into the battle for his life after he said, "You gotta be fuckin' kidding…"

Several seconds later, Naruto landed in the middle of the same field he crossed to reach the motel town, the one with the lake and the mountains in the east and the dense forest to the west. He stumbled, fell, and tried to breathe while he realized his current location. The blonde-haired wizard sat down on the ground and checked himself over, in case he Splinched. He seemed fine, so he crawled over to one of the rocks were he previously ate lunch.

As soon as he was able to calm down, he retreated into the mindscape and sat down on the couch beside Harry. The older wizard held him close and patted his shoulder, offering his praise for his resourcefulness in the face of such danger. Naruto didn't know what to tell Harry as neither one of them expected Itachi Uchiha of all people to show up and attack him.

Naruto expressed some hope that Kisame was dead. But even if he survived being so close to his homeland, he was hundreds of miles away from him now and would be even farther away as soon as he returned to Pleasure Avenue for Jiraiya. With that said, Naruto returned to the real world and woke up on the rocks.

He searched his trousers for his wand and muttered, "Lumos!"

A bright bulb lit at the end of his wand, filling the area around him with light and scaring away a few small critters nestled around the banks. Naruto soon located his rucksack and took it with him to the largest rock and searched its contents.

'How long before I can return to the town?'

'I have no idea. After what we've been through, I would have fled town and went camping with Ron and Hermione. But… but eventually we have to go back. It's a risk, but we need Jiraiya… We have to tell him about these guys that ambushed us. We can't just go along on this mission without him.'

'What was that you said earlier about telling Ero-Sennin about all our secrets and having a cup of tea and biscuits with him in the mindscape?'

'Funny,' the wizard commented dryly, 'All we have to do is tell him about these cloaked gentlemen and this 'Akatsuki' Itachi mentioned, nothing else. If we have to, we can make up whatever story we like about the exact details of the fight, assuming we're lucky enough to have scared Itachi away.'

'Got a bottle Felix Felicis on hand?'

'I wish,We should hide out here for an hour or two-'

'No, I think we should longer than that… I… I don't want to risk it… I mean, it's a miracle, a damn miracle we weren't killed, or captured… or… Just wait a bit longer than that… I-I don't think Kisame is going to bother us, but Itachi… after what I did to him back there, I have significant doubts…'

Naruto went silent as he reflected on his experience. He heard Harry offer his surprise that he even attempted Legilimency but tuned him out as the older wizard chided him about how dangerous it was. While Naruto tuned him out (one of the few times he ever did so) he thought about what he had seen in Itachi's mind. He didn't know what to make of those memories as rushed and unclear as he remembered them. It seemed to him that Itachi had a strong bond with Sasuke, their mother, and had a deep love of the village. But those memories made it all the more confusing as to why someone like that would ever kill their own clansmen, let alone their own parents, and dedicate their lives to crime and this 'Akatsuki' he mentioned.

The blonde-haired rookie didn't want to think about it now, not after what he went through with Kisame and the narrows. Naruto slumped down on the rock, flicked his wand while he muttered, "Nox!" and his wand went out like a bulb and darkness consumed him.

It took a little while for his eyes to adjust to the darkness. But when his vision cleared, the stars and moonlight overhead filled the black skies while a beautiful silver shine from the moon reflected across the lake, filling the valley with ethereal light. The blonde-haired rookie felt his brother sit down beside him on the rock as he focused the sensation of his arm wrapping around him in a comforting gesture. Naruto leaned into the touch while he breathed and tried to clear his mind.

'We'll wait longer then,' he heard Harry reassure him, 'We'll wait until after midnight to go back.'

Naruto nodded and stared at the clear star-lit skies until then.

Elsewhere, in the forests outside the town, Itachi was perched at the top of a tall pine tree. He had broken free of the chains that bound him and his legs stopped sticking together about an hour after Naruto and Kisame vanished.

As soon as he was free, Itachi searched for his teammate for hours but still found no sign of him or Naruto. His shadow clones searched the town thoroughly but came up with nothing. The blonde rookie never returned to the hotel and Itachi sensed no presence of his unique chakra either. But as one of his clones searched the town from the shadows, he heard the panicked citizens that witnessed the battle and felt the explosions call for help from Konoha.

Itachi's clones soon burst into white smoke and felt he had no other choice but to retreat before Jiraiya found out what happened. The Uchiha was reluctant to leave, but Konoha reinforcements would be on his tail soon if he stuck around too long for Kisame.

With no other choice, Itachi vanished from the pine tree and fled the scene. But while he was alone and zoomed through the dense forests and crossed the rivers, mountains, and valleys, he couldn't stop thinking about what he had seen Naruto do; the energies he released from that wooden stick, the cloak that turned him completely invisible, the bombs he used, how he vanished into thin air and took Kisame with him. But most of all, how he was able to look into his mind with the utterance of a single word, it was like he was some kind of witch.

It was all so ridiculous to him. Itachi tried to rationalize it as Naruto's use of the demon chakra… But it wasn't chakra. It didn't feel like chakra and it didn't act like chakra at all. It was something different, something new. Or perhaps it was something old, something that hadn't been seen or used in ages. Itachi had no idea what to make of it, but he had to seek council with his superiors. He also had to inform them of Kisame's disappearance.

As Itachi cruised through the forests and tried to reevaluate the situation, he felt overtaxed and exhausted. So for the first time in what felt like ages, he deactivated his Sharingan.

Several hours after the skirmish, Naruto returned to Pleasure Avenue, appearing underneath a willow tree in the outskirts of town. Once there, he threw on the invisibility cloak, even if Itachi was able to see through it. He felt better while he wore it and snuck through the village undetected.

Naruto searched through the streets to discover that the festival had started to calm down and most of the residents had returned to their homes. He made his way through the community, careful to avoid bumping into random drunken citizens while he searched for his guardian. Naruto looked deeper into the bars and saloons until he came across one established across from a store that sold sweets and beer. He looked into the rooms hidden in the back where a cloud of smoke hovered and seeped out through the service windows. In the back room, he found the white-haired Sannin slumped over a table with an unconscious Emi seated beside him. Naruto slowly removed the cloak and poked at the master shinobi before he moved him so that he could see his face.

It appeared that the Sannin had been drugged when he noticed the drool leaking from the corners of his mouth and the complete lack of response when he slapped him to wake him up. The shadow clone moved to the black-haired woman and inspected her as well. The clone placed its hand over her forehead so that Harry could figure out what had happened to her.

'What's the matter with her?'

'She's been placed under a powerful genjutsu…'

'Itachi must have done this. He could have used Sharingan to place her under his command or something with some kind of hypnosis. No woman like this would have found Ero-Sennin that attractive.'

'You think so?'

'I know I wouldn't have if I were in her high-heels…'

'Clever. He must have used her to lure the Sannin from the hotel and leave the two of us out in the open. We were defenseless without him.'

'Well, I wouldn't say defenseless.'

'Heh!'

'Back to Ero-Sennin, I think we should get him back to the hotel room. Once we're there, we can figure out another plan.'

'You mean the one that you blew up in order to get away from Jaws?'

'Good point… Then we should find another hotel to spend the night. It's a shame we don't have Perkin's tent or something. That could have been useful.'

'I'll be honest, I do not miss that old thing in the slightest bit.'

Naruto commanded his shadow clone to find a hotel to check them into a new hotel, while the real Naruto held close to Jiraiya. With a few more shadow clones, he tried his best to lift the Sannin's gigantic body from the table. He struggled with hulling the Sannin from his seat and was practically crushed to death when he popped out and collapsed on top of his pupil. He must have weighed over five hundred pounds because all of the room trembled when he hit the floor and crushed his poor apprentice. Naruto managed to squeeze out from underneath Jiraiya's enormous body and start using his magic to levitate him out of the room before summoning more clones to hull him to the new hotel.

It took time, but Naruto and his shadow clones were able to check in at another hotel, no questions asked, and Itachi never showed up again.

As Naruto sat on his bed and watched Jiraiya snore, he couldn't help but comment sarcastically, "This was a fun night indeed..."

To Be Continued...

And there we have it! Please let me know what you guys thought of this chapter ^^ It would mean the world to me :D

It'll take a bit of time for me to finish the next chapter, but I'll work on as much as I can before summer is over for me!

Laters!