Author Note

Hi there and welcome to another chapter of Cursed Eyes.

The shippuuden arc is now among us in this story as I adapt the story to the events. Also, I'm still thinking about the event that will trigger Naruto's Mangenkyou Sharingan. Someone raised a valid question about the appearance of Naruto's Mangenkyou Sharingan, as well as the powers it will contain. The fact that he received Sasuke's eyes doesn't mean that Naruto's MS will be the same, nor will he have the same level of control that Sasuke had, regarding Ametarasu (even if Kishimoto called it Enton, I still believe is merely manipulating the black flames of Ametarasu). Now, without further a due, let us begin with the first shippuuden arc, Gaara's retrieval.

Chapter 17 – Problem in the Desert

Beta: Kyuubi123

All that Naruto could see once he opened his eyes was that he was standing in some sort of sewer. He didn't recollect how he came to be in said location. The sounds of water drops echoed all around him as he saw nothing but pipes on the walls going through different directions. As his legs took him, the chunnin realized exactly where he was and how exactly he appeared here. He was now inside his mindscape and this was nothing but a manifestation of his soon to be conversation with the creature that lived inside of him, ever since he was born. Throughout the last three years, these conversations often occurred as the creature itself requested in exchange of aiding Naruto in the future. Of course, Naruto never had an event that required the fox's assistance, but still the conversations occurred. Kyuubi often chatted about historical subjects and theories about whatever Naruto wished to work on, that was chakra related.

When Naruto walked inside the room that housed the fox, he heard the distinguished sound of a throat clearing from within the cage. The fox always initiated the conversation.

"It's a pleasure to make my jailor's acquaintance once more, Naruto. What is it that you wish to discuss now?" Naruto looked to the giant white goblets with a confused expression.

"I was under the impression that it was you who had summoned me for something as I was asleep."

"Yes, now I remember. I can see you managed to go far in your lava release training, though I would expect much better results, considering the amount of effort you direct to the subject." In truth, Naruto not only focused in the practical term of merging the elements, but also on the theory behind it. There was no material or scroll available about the subject directly, forcing him to study everything about both fire and earth elements, in hopes of better understanding the principle behind what merging these elements would be like. The first successful attempts came only after two years through nothing but trial and error, followed by a few visits to the hospital, because Naruto's chakra coils were too strained from overuse. Everyone considered that the only reason Naruto was still able to mold chakra was because Kyuubi would constantly repair the damage. Still, as far as Naruto was concerned, he now was able to use lava release, a feat that Kyuubi itself said was impossible.

"I really take solace in the notion that I now am able to use lava release techniques. I also take solace in the fact that you said it was impossible to do so." The blond chunnin was already on his way to creating a second technique. His theory is that since he can create mud from the ground, he could also use fire elemental composition and transform the mud into lava. If he manages it, he could send a river of lava below ground and catch the enemy from behind. His musings were cut short, however, when he heard a deeply amused laughter coming from the fifty foot fox behind the bars. Naruto was beginning to believe that the creature was having fits of laughter now.

"How amusing young mortal for you to assume that training alone was enough to use kekkei genkai related ability."

Kyuubi was still laughing, much to Naruto's frustration and annoyance at the fox's words.

"What are you saying, damn fox? You know how much I worked for this to become reality." Naruto was furious that someone dared to diminish the amount of effort he placed upon his training.

"Your amount of training was no doubt impressive, but the most any normal human could amount to was mastery over your affinities. If through training, a kekkei genkai could be created; there wouldn't be any special breed in history nor even unique abilities. I already told you this and I will repeat it again and again, from pure enjoyment at seeing your disgruntled face right now. Only those with the kekkei genkai can ever hope to merge elements." Naruto's arms and entire body were trembling at this point. His teeth were grinding. He worked until his body couldn't take it anymore; his chakra coils were almost on the verge of being ruined for life, forcing him to an early retirement.

There is simply no way what the Kyuubi said was true.

"Then please enlighten me, then. How was I able to manifest it if I do not possess the kekkei genkai?" Kyuubi released a sound of irritation at the question.

"This is precisely the key question to our conundrum. How could you, indeed? The answer to your question in fact lies right in front of you." It took a few seconds, but Naruto's expression was evident as he stared at the fox. "Indeed, it was I who decided to bestow upon you the missing key in your DNA necessary for the ability to present itself. As I said before, through training, you could only reach maximum mastery over your elements, but nothing more. The reason I was able to present this gift was precisely because you trained the elements of fire and earth extensively. Without it, I wouldn't be able to do it." Naruto was now relaxed somewhat at the notion that his training allowed for all this to happen. When he used it for the first time, no one believed it to be possible and Tsunade immediately performed a blood test to see for herself if it was true. The test came out positive, but she always had doubts, considering that none of Naruto's parents had it. Now that he learned the truth and solved the mystery, Naruto felt compelled to ask the fox another key question.

"Why did you help me?" The fox let out a questioning sound to Naruto's question.

"I was under the impression that aiding you was precisely a part of our previous arrangement. In exchange for our conversations, I would aid you. This deal of ours operates under the underlying assumption that should you lose your life, my own would inexorably follow. I am merely securing my life as well as my newly added hobbies. For as much as I now understand of this world and its inhabitants, there are always new subjects to understand and learn, take you for example. The amount of effort you place over your training has nothing to do with personal gain, but merely to be of better use in protecting your peers and serving your leader. Even if a person declares himself as altruistic, his actions end up being the decisive point. You may take solace in the fact that your behavior set you above the majority of the human race."

Now Naruto was stunned as he listened to the fox praising him for his actions. He was about to say something in response, but the fox beat him to it.

"That is not to say that I will ever stop making your life miserable or even aid you more than I did thus far, because it's also a fact that your pathetic effort amuses me to no end. So, please tell me your next project. I could use another fit of laughter." Naruto narrowed his eyes at the fox, but simply let it go. Now that he had the power of lava release, even if it was given to him, he would show to the fox that he was capable. He explained his second project to the fox, in extensive details, earning no comments from the fox while he explained what he had in mind.

===Outside world===

When Naruto woke up, he just settled for staring at the ceiling for a while. The conversation with the fox was still clear in his mind.

Naruto had overcome the initial shock of knowing that his yoton ability wasn't due to his extreme training routine, but rather a gift from the fox. With time, Naruto became proud of his acquired abilities as anyone would, considering the amount of effort he placed in his training. However, Naruto was above all a shinobi and as such, he would be remiss in not taking advantage of the situation, just like he did with the sharingan when the Uchiha genocide occurred. Aside from that, Naruto was surprised that Kyuubi wasn't amused when Naruto explained the second project. Normally, the creature would laugh at his attempts to overcome something that appeared impossible. Yoton Kanseitaiga (Magma Release: Lava River Trap Technique), Kyuubi's suggestion, would be performed below ground and then envelop the unsuspecting enemy. According to the fifty foot fur ball, the principle behind it was plausible enough, at least more than the first technique that Naruto used.

Looking at the clock in his room, Naruto smiled as he had plenty of time to practice the technique and even perfect it through the use of his clones.

Quickly going through the basic routine, Naruto left his apartment in twenty minutes. The sky was still dark outside, but the sun would be coming out any minute now, he reasoned. Even if Konoha had an extensive military force, there were only a precious few that enjoyed waking at the brink of dawn for training. Two of these people happen to live in the same building. Naruto saw Maito Gai and briefly extended a greeting, before jumping towards the closest roof. Naruto knew enough not to remain, unless he wanted to hear how youthful he was for training at such early hours. Once he arrived at his favored training ground, he went through basic stretches and chakra control exercises to get his body used to the strain. For the technique to work, he would have to consider the first steps of earth manipulation and start from there onward. He would have to manipulate it underground and control the exact location that the lava river will erupt; behind the enemy.

Summoning close to fifty bunshins, Naruto went to work.

===Tsunade's office===

Three hours later after Naruto woke up; the entire village was already up and about.

Tsunade, of all people, was awake as well, going over some reports with Shizune and Sakura by her side. The three medic-nins were going over some medical charts from a chunnin team that arrived yesterday from Grass Country, almost on the verge of death. It was only due to Tsunade's mastery in how to extract poisons that she managed to stabilize them. Afterward, both Shizune and Sakura took turns in monitoring their status. Sakura was about to report on her findings, when a chunnin barged inside with a scroll in his hand.

"Tsunade-sama, problem in Sunagakure, they are requesting assistance right away." The chunnin handed the scroll to the Hokage. Tsunade read it and immediately narrowed her eyes.

"Shizune, get me Genma's team, Hatake Kakashi and Hyuuga Kasumi here immediately. Akatsuki managed to infiltrate Sunagakure and captured Gaara." Tsunade's students both flinched at the news, before Shizune vanished from her office to call for Genma and Kakashi. Genma arrived shortly after Shizune's calling. Throughout the years, Genma had perfected the theory of the Hiraishin taught by the Yondaime Hokage and managed to replicate it. He couldn't quite use it repeatedly like the Yondaime and also not for long distances. Genma's version was like a faster shunshin. He then activated the seal that called his teammates. Two minutes later, Naruto, Izumo and Kotetsu appeared at the same time. Kakashi and Kasumi appeared last. Kasumi's annoyed look directed at Kakashi showed that the woman had to force her lover into showing up early. Tsunade appeared amused at the scene, but didn't comment on it.

"Glad all of you came on such short notice…I had just received a scroll from Sunagakure requesting for assistance. Apparently, Akatsuki infiltrated the village last night and captured Gaara. According to the Kazekage, Suna lost too many of their strongest shinobi in the invasion three years ago and do not possess the available man power to take on S-ranked shinobi. Kakashi will be the leader of this mission and Genma, the second in command. You all must go to Sunagakure and obtain as much information as possible, before searching for Gaara. Time is of the essence here." Everyone nodded, before Kakashi took a step forward and turned to his temporary subordinates.

"Meet me in half an hour at the gates, pack light." Only Kasumi vanished, since Genma's team was already packed and ready to move. Their missions were always like these anyway.

"Another thing, Kakashi…" The Jounin turned to see the Hokage. "Sabaku no Temari had just left the village towards Suna, so there is a possibility you'll meet up with her. She will most likely wish to tag along." Kakashi nodded before he and Genma's team vanished from the room in a shunshin towards the gates to wait for Kasumi. Once alone, Tsunade kept her hands holding her chin as she pondered on the current events. Three years had passed since Akatsuki's last appearance. Throughout the entire time, no one saw anyone wearing black robes with red clouds. They simply vanished. Now, Tsunade feared that whatever the organization planned throughout the three year would come to fruition. Was Suna their only target right now? She couldn't know and that was the worst, not knowing what they would do next. Jiraiya would have to come with answers soon, since Konoha was pretty much shooting blind as far as Akatsuki was concerned.

===Team Kakashi===

As soon as Kasumi reached the gates, the shinobi task force travelled immediately towards Sunagakure. There wouldn't be any time to waste, which meant that everyone would have to travel almost continuously. Genma and his team were prepared for situations like this, but Kakashi and Kasumi were not. Kakashi was used to it when he was a part of Anbu, but that was far too long ago for comfort. Kakashi, being the leader, assigned Naruto upfront because of his Sharingan and Kasumi in the back because of her Byakugan. The rest would travel in the middle, with Izumo and Kotetsu covering Naruto while Kakashi and Genma provided cover for Kasumi. Because of the strain in her chakra, Kasumi had to disable her eyes from time to time, unless she wanted to fall behind the group. The amount of rest they got this day was only when they met Temari on the way, and Kakashi had stopped for ten minutes to explain what happened.

Temari would be by Naruto's side, since she knew her way into the desert, being a Suna-nin and all.

While traveling, she turned to Naruto and saw him focused on the task in hand with his sharingan activated.

The Suna Jounin didn't know much about the blond, only seeing him in the chunnin finals and his entry in the bingo book as an A-ranked shinobi. She remembered hearing about his team's accomplishments in their first response type missions from her own peers at Sunagakure. Apparently, Naruto's team managed to rescue a team from Suna a year ago, that was suffering an attack from missing-nin close to Fire Country's side of the border. Shikamaru happened to speak highly of Naruto on occasions. He didn't appear very talkative, though, and Temari chose not to comment on anything.

"You are worried about him?" She heard his voice and wondered how he knew.

"How…?"

"With the sharingan, I can detect fluctuations in your chakra indicating distress behavior. Gaara is your brother, isn't he?" Temari nodded, not even bothered to hide how worried she was right now. Truth be told, Gaara wasn't any better than he was three years ago, as far as his personality was concerned. The only one who knew how to keep him calm was Baki-sensei, who was nominated as the Yondaime Kazekage. He nominated Gaara as the Kazekage's right hand, performing solo missions for him. Gaara just wouldn't be fit to operate within a unit, so it was the only likely conclusion. Still, the Ichibi Jinchuuriki was her little brother and she cared for him. Probably, she was the only person who did besides Baki-sensei. Even Kankuro, their brother, couldn't stand Gaara any longer.

"Even if Gaara isn't the most social person around, yes he is still my brother and I care for his well-being. I still wonder how strong Akatsuki is to have captured him?

Ever since he was released from Konoha, he was immersed in the middle of the desert training." Naruto nodded, wondering about his current opposition. He only knew Itachi as one of the members and wondered if the living Uchiha member was involved in Gaara's capture. Naruto had one important goal in his mind driving his training; he wanted to save as many people as possible. However, the ever-growing shadow of Uchiha Itachi had always been there. Every enemy Naruto faced in the past was compared to Itachi. So far, none had unnerved him such as that man. He figured that all S-ranked shinobi had that menacing aura that promised you nothing but sure death.

"I wonder about them as well as I came to know one of their members, Uchiha Itachi." Temari flinched at the name, now worrying even more about Gaara if Itachi was one of Akatsuki's members. "One thing I do know was that Itachi wasn't involved in Gaara's kidnapping, otherwise we would have known that by now. We weren't told about their identity, so we need to be prepared for anything." Temari nodded, before closing the conversation as the team had crossed the border towards the desert. From here onward, Temari would have to be the one guiding the party from Konoha, since they didn't have the luxury of time right now.

===In Sunagakure===

Inside the Kazekage's office, Baki was testing his patience while going over the reports after the sudden Akatsuki invasion. It all happened so fast that it still shocked the seasoned kage. Yesterday night was usual in Sunagakure. The sky was devoid of clouds and the moon was illuminating the entire desert scenario. The population was roaming without a care in the world throughout the many passageways, completely unaware that the white bird that hovered over the village was actually an Akatsuki member and S-ranked missing-nin of Iwagakure, by the name of Deidara. When the explosions occurred, Baki and a group of Jounin travelled towards the area only to bear witness to Gaara, the Ichibi Jinchuuriki, being captured by Deidara's white bird. Traces of the bijuu's chakra were all over the place, which worried Baki even more.

Because of the devastation, Baki's forces were entirely focused in securing the village and treating the wounded.

He didn't have the manpower to send after Akatsuki. For this kind of mission, Baki would need to send his strongest Jounin against perhaps the most feared organization in the world, formed of S-ranked shinobi. The Kazekage was trapped into a corner in this manner and was forced to rely on Suna's allies in Konoha for the job of retrieving Gaara from the Akatsuki. As a hardened veteran of the Third Great Ninja War, Baki had seen and done a lot. After the failed attempt to invade Konohagakure, the man believed that Konoha wouldn't think twice before overthrowing Suna, wiping them out for good for what they did, even if Orochimaru was behind the whole thing. Surely, it came as a surprise when the Godaime Hokage preferred a new formed alliance instead. Even if compensation was demanded, both financial and jutsu wise, Baki realized that the deal was more beneficial to Suna in the long run than even the results of a successful invasion to Konoha would have been. Having the strongest elemental nations as an ally was an advantage in its own.

The characteristic sound of someone kicking the door open shifted his focus away from the report as Temari barged inside, followed by the envoy from Konoha.

"Baki-sensei, what happened to Gaara?" The Kazekage ignored the question for the moment, as he looked at the team sent by Tsunade to take care of things. Hatake Kakashi and Uzumaki Naruto were both notoriously known throughout the elemental nations. Tsunade, no doubt, was serious about Suna's request if she sent the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki to assist. Baki then turned to Temari and sighed, while looking at her with a narrowed expression.

"Akatsuki happened, Temari. One of their members came in from the sky and engaged in a fight with Gaara. Gaara even used the Ichibi's power but it wasn't enough apparently."

Kakashi, being the leader of the squad, stepped next to Temari.

"We'll begin the search for them right away, but first we need to know who the attacker was and which direction he left Suna." The Kazekage nodded in respect and told Kakashi everything, starting from the explosion until the time when Baki appeared only to see the bird flying away from the village, heading towards River Country's direction. Kakashi nodded and considered his next steps. Kasumi could use her eyes, but the Byakugan was limited in distance. He came up with the answer right away. "Kazekaga-sama, do you perhaps have anything that has Gaara's scent? With it, I can use my summons to track him down. Baki nodded and handed a piece of red fabric.

"This piece of fabric was found near the place when Gaara fought against the Akatsuki. It should help."

Kakashi nodded, before going through hand seals to summon Pakkun, which didn't waste time and immediately memorized the scent.

The dog was already working its magic when Kakashi turned to the Kazekage once more.

"We have knowledge that Akatsuki usually work in pairs. Do you happen to know if other members were spotted nearby?" Baki, though, shook his head.

"We are aware of this Intel as well, but no one saw anything. I have reason to believe, though, that whoever the second member was, he was a Suna missing-nin." Kakashi maintained his attention on Baki, waiting for clarification. "My theory is based on two aspects, with one being how easy it was for Deidara to sneak inside the village without alerting attention. Even if he came from the sky, there are always shinobi in random rooftops overseeing security. Deidara had prior knowledge about our security details. The second aspect is that we have sensor seals spread close to the village entrance. Whoever the person was and, knowing about our security details, would know the exact distance to avoid detection and support Deidara should the need arise." Kakashi nodded at the plausibility behind Baki's hunch. He even contributed to the hunch by limiting the missing-nin search to Jounin and above.

Security protocol was sensitive information.

"We'll run through the bingo book and have a look. Only a Jounin would be privy to such information, so we can easily narrow it down. I would suggest a change of security plans, afterward." Baki nodded, since it was more than proven that said secret wasn't a secret any longer. Kakashi, then, turned to his squad, acknowledging that Pakkun was ready to leave. "Okay team, here is how we'll proceed. Pakkun and Kasumi will take the lead. Kasumi, as soon as you see them with your byakugan, let me know. The rest will follow. They are at least one day ahead of us, so we must hurry. Let's go."

Konoha quickly left the room, following Pakkun leaving Temari and Baki alone.

===Somewhere in River Country===

Crossing the desert was considered a current endeavor for a Suna shinobi.

Because of the village's location, the only way to travel was by facing thousand miles of nothing but sand and the dry weather. The risk intensified, of course, as sandstorms were common. Sasori, despite being protected by his puppet, cursed the endless amount of sand as he and his even more annoying than the desert partner Deidara crossed the border of River Country, towards Akatsuki's hideout. The S-ranked puppet complained the entire way back. There was one thing he despised more than anything in the entire world and his annoying partner unknowingly so, reached the feat.

Sasori despised having to wait.

Being a master of the subtle arts of the shinobi, Sasori's actions were focused on wasting as little time as possible in doing what needed to be done. As such, he worked his poison arsenal to such a level that just a scratch would kill the enemy in less than ten seconds. Said fate was shared by two chunnin who happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. Two precisely aimed senbon to their necks and their lives were forfeit before either of them realized that it wasn't just a bug bite. Quickly sealing their bodies for future puppet material, Sasori was done with nothing left to do as he waited for his partner. Deidara's need for the theatrics ended with him prolonging the battle more than he should.

"The base is up ahead, let us hurry." Deidara was on top of the clay bird and smirked at his rather grumpy partner.

"I see you're still bitter about my art, Sasori-danna. You just have to appreciate the beautiful and exquisite art of the bang, yeah."

A grunt in annoyance was Sasori's only remark.

"You insist on calling those fireworks of yours art? True art endures the ages, beauty everlasting." Deidara smirked at that. He rather enjoyed his partner in crime as Sasori had his own views. The mad bomber would kill himself before being partners with a stuck up asshole like Itachi or even the bloodthirsty maniac Kisame. He enjoyed even more knowing that Sasori didn't care about him at all.

Within minutes, both were standing on top of a river facing a presumably normal looking mountain. Deidara worked quickly in performing a single hand seal using the hand with a ring on it. After sending some chakra to the ring, the jewel sent an image to the rock in front of them. All of a sudden, the rock opened on its own, revealling a beautifully looking cave inside. Deidara and Sasori entered the cave and by the end of the water path, there was a figure there waiting for them. The person's image was rather blurred, but the outfit was identical. When the individual turned to greet them, Deidara and Sasori took notice of the spiky looking hair and two purple eyes containing a ripple-like pattern which spreads over the eyeballs. It was overall quite menacing.

"You're late." The voice was strong and sounded as if it was being transmitted through a speaker. Sasori merely grunted in acknowledgment of their leader's statement.

"The Ichibi Jinchuuriki was much stronger than we anticipated, yeah. But that didn't save him from my art." The astral projection nodded, before showing his back to his subordinates.

The leader went through a long series of hand seals, before slamming his hand on the ground.

Kuchiyose Gedo Mazo (Summoning Technique: Demonic Statue of the Outer Path)

The entire cave started shaking as something rose from the ground. The statue was a giant, humanoid entity with most of its body looking decayed. The body was limited to only its upper torso and its arms. The statue's hands were joined together with its ten fingers turning towards the top of the cave. The statue's eyes were blind folded. The astral projection turned to Deidara and Sasori, before performing the same one handed seal that Deidara performed earlier.

"Assemble…" The order was clear, reaching out to all members of the fearful organization. Within seconds, six more astral projections appeared, before Deidara and Sasori joined them in their respective fingers. The other images showed two familiar faces in both Hoshigaki Kisame and Uchiha Itachi. Itachi was similar to the leader as only his hair frame and sharingan eyes were visible.

"Well…well, you don't look too good Deidara…was the little Ichibi too much for you?" The mad bomber snarled at the jab and was about to retort when the leader interrupted.

"There is no time for this. Now, since Orochimaru is no longer with us, the entire procedure will take longer than expected, probably up to three days." That thought alone made everyone wince, but none said a word. While they were all S-ranked, only Kisame was known for his enormous chakra capacity. It was for this precise reason that the procedure would rely on him to supply the majority of chakra. "Let us proceed." The leader announced, before going through hand seals sequence.

Fuuinjutsu Genryuu Kyuu Fuujin (Sealing Technique: Complete Nine Mystical Dragon Seal)

The technique actually involved all nine sources of charka in perfect synchronicity, so everyone was performing it. The statue's mouth suddenly started to glow purple, before nine spectral dragons came out of it, heading towards the unconscious Gaara. After the impact, Gaara was enveloped in some sort of sphere made from the same energy, without knowing that little by little, the Ichibi was being released from his very body.

===With Konoha's team===

Two and half days after leaving Sunagakure, the team from Konoha was a few miles short of crossing the border with River Country.

Pakkun managed to get Gaara's scent and pointed out the right direction. The trail went cold, though, when the rivers started showing. Pakkun's sense of smell was interrupted by the water flow, forcing everyone to focus on Kasumi's byakugan. Her eyes couldn't see much further than a mile but, luckily for everyone, she was able to sense demonic chakra being used close by. In no time, the team was standing on a cliff while Kasumi pointed the cave in which Gaara was being held. Neither of them, however, noticed that some of the vegetation nearby wasn't moving like the rest.

===Inside the cave===

The procedure was still taking its course when one of the astral projections spoke. It was a strange creature, appearing to be a gigantic venus fly trap, wearing black robes with red clouds.

"We have company. It appears Konoha possesses some fine trackers to arrive here so soon." When the fly trap opened, two halves of what appeared to be human could be seen; one white and another black. The white half was the one who spoke first. The leader acknowledged the threat and turned to Itachi and Kisame to take care of the visitors. They needed more time for the procedure to end.

"Itachi and Kisame, you two will go and keep them occupied. Zetsu, what can you tell about them?" Kisame smirked at the incoming fight while Itachi remained impassive.

"Hatake Kakashi and the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki are among them. The rest are all Jounin and part of the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki's first response team." Itachi's sharingan blazed briefly at the mention of Naruto, but no one appeared to notice it. Unknown to everyone, Itachi kept watching over Naruto's training, even if indirectly. He had knowledge of what Naruto could do, but this would be the first time he would engage Naruto in full combat. This was Naruto's first trial.

===Konoha's Team===

Kasumi was leading the team from Konoha, until the woman gasped in shock at the image up ahead.

She soon stopped onto the closest tree branch, forcing her team to do so as well.

"Kakashi, there are two Akatsuki agents up ahead, blocking our path. Uchiha Itachi is one of them, but I don't recognize the other one." Kakashi looked to Naruto briefly and noticed a fierce resolve in the blond chunnin's eyes. Kasumi reported what she found out about the other one. "He is taller than Itachi. His chakra capacity rivals Naruto-kun and carries what appears to be sentient sword on his back. The sword has a chakra capacity of its own."

"It's Hoshigaki Kisame, former member of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist." Kasumi looked at Naruto. "When I travelled with Jiraiya to search for Tsunade, Itachi and Kisame approached me. Akatsuki work in pairs and the description matches." Everyone nodded, while Kakashi pondered on the course of action to take from here. They needed to retrieve Gaara from within the cave. He sighed in resignation since the odds suddenly turned against them. They needed to pass through both Itachi and Kisame first. That alone expanded the mission to S-ranked. He had to try with the resources at his disposal, though.

"Kasumi, can you see what's going on inside the cave?" She nodded.

"Gaara is in the middle of the cave and it's being enveloped in some sort of energy. From the looks of it, it's draining his energy or something. I can't really describe it."

"It appears that this is the procedure meant to take the bijuu away from the jinchuuriki. We will need to hurry here. We need to take care of these two quickly, before moving forward. As it stands, simply dividing in two groups of three won't be enough. I believe Kisame is the biggest threat here, so everyone except Naruto will focus on him." Everyone gasped at the order, as it left Naruto alone against Uchiha Itachi. Before Kasumi could protest (or kill Kakashi for the suggestion), Kakashi explained his reasons. "Itachi is indeed a feared opponent, but his expertise revolves around the sharingan mostly. Naruto can hold him off until we get rid of Kisame." The only one who didn't protest was Naruto, who simply nodded at the team captain. Perhaps it was the sharingan in him, but the chunnin always wanted to face tougher opponents.

"I'm ready." Kakashi nodded.

"Could you do the honor of splitting them up, Naruto? He was already going through the hand seals, while everyone was already moving.

Doton Doryuu Dango (Earth Release: Mausoleum Earth Dumpling Technique)

Naruto placed both hands on the ground and managed to lift a considerably sized boulder, before throwing it in Itachi and Kisame's direction. Standing in the middle of a clearing, both Itachi and Kisame were patiently waiting for the opposition when suddenly Naruto's earth boulder appeared in front of them, knocking a few trees. Kisame smirked and looked at Itachi, who was staring at the impending doom represented by the earth bulldozer.

"What an inspiring way of greeting, wouldn't you say Itachi?" Itachi's eyes were closed, before revealing the sharingan.

"A classic attempt of splitting us up; we shall indulge them." Kisame smirked even more, before both went to separate directions. There were six of them and two Akatsuki. The math indicated that each Akatsuki member would be facing three enemies. That at least was Kisame's prediction. When he turned to face his three opponents, the shark shinobi was surprised to see five enemies, instead of three.

===With Naruto===

Just as Itachi landed in another clearing, he had to block a barrage of shuriken that were too precisely aimed for comfort. Only one with a dojutsu would be able to throw a projectile with this level of accuracy. When Itachi landed on the ground, though, he saw that his three opponents were actually reduced to one as Uzumaki Naruto appeared. Naruto was fixed in a kenjutsu stance, holding the sword handle, without taking it off for the moment.

"I see that you're alone, Naruto-kun. Certainly Kakashi-sempai's trust in your abilities is overrated." Itachi could see that Naruto wasn't prone to mind games at least he did not appear as such.

"The mission takes precedence. We need to rescue Gaara and you're in the way. It is merely needed of me to hold you down while the rest deals with Kisame. Although, looking at you more closely, there is something different. The sharingan allows me perfect memory as far as chakra is concerned and I don't recall feeling such small chakra capacity from you, Itachi. Are you a clone or something?" Itachi looked at Naruto intently, while suppressing a smile. The man was impressed that Naruto took so little time to figure it out. Kisame would suffer the same fate, since there was a byakugan user as well, facing him.

"Very impressive…indeed this body doesn't possess my full capacity. But then again, my mission isn't to capture you, but merely to delay. However, looking at you now, I feel compelled to test your strength, Naruto-kun. Now prepare yourself." Itachi's sharingan flared instantly, casting a disorientation genjutsu on Naruto, who broke the illusion in less than two seconds. Itachi was right next to him, with a kunai aimed at Naruto's stomach. The projectile was however blocked by Naruto's sword. "Most impressive indeed, although I was expecting your reaction time to be faster." Naruto said nothing in response, focusing on the battle. Itachi's legs were suddenly held by two hands that came from the ground, before one of Naruto's clones came from behind him with the rasengan.

Itachi's body was replaced by crows, representing another genjutsu to which Naruto quickly broke free, before seeing Itachi a few meters away.

"You haven't used your Mangenkyou thus far, so it means that you're restricted to a normal sharingan." Naruto said, before going through hand seals, before gathering air inside his lungs.

Katon Shiroi Hidan (Fire Release: White Fire Projectile Technique)

Itachi had to briefly cover his eyes when Naruto unleashed his technique. Even if he had managed to copy it, Itachi doubted it would be easy to recreate. The amount of chakra necessary for such technique was too much for comfort. The rogue Uchiha dodged the beam with effort, before running straight towards Naruto. The chunnin was still busy using the technique, allowing Itachi to get up close and use taijutsu. Naruto wasn't about to lose face here and extinguished the white flames immediately, just as Itachi made his move, positioning his body inside Naruto's guard for a secured strike. When Itachi's feet met Naruto's arm, he was surprised to see some sort of stone armor stopping his feet. Naruto smiled and even placed a quick genjutsu on Itachi. The real Uchiha noticed the technique and silently applauded Naruto for his skill in genjutsu as well. He wasn't aware that Naruto knew this one.

Itachi broke the illusion, before Naruto could pierce his stomach with the sword. He created a safe distance with the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki.

"I must say you've surprised me Naruto-kun so far. I do get the feeling you're holding back on me as well, which is even more interesting." Naruto nodded in appreciation.

"Coming from you that means a lot, seriously. I do have an injured shinobi to rescue, so I'll need to finish this sooner. Perhaps we can finish this fight another time."

Naruto quickly followed with a new series of hand seals, before placing both hands on the ground.

Yoton Kanseitaiga (Magma Release: Lava River Trap Technique)

Itachi's sharingan told him a ninjutsu was being formed, but so far nothing occurred that would trigger his danger alert. Itachi looked in alarm when a sudden wave of hot magma roared behind him, quickly enveloping him before Itachi had the time to do anything. It really wasn't necessary, though, as his job was done here. He quickly released his technique, before leaving the man's body to be burned alive by Naruto's technique. The scream that reached Naruto's ears had nothing to do with Itachi's voice. This was the scene that everyone saw upon arriving. Kisame was clearly playing with everyone, before he was trapped by Izumo's suiton technique and Genma's binding seal. Kakashi appeared behind the shark like shinobi and pierced his heart with his Raikiri. Kisame's shocked expression was replaced by a confident smirk, before a different man appeared where Kisame was.

Kakashi appeared by Naruto's side as the river of magma was doing its job of burning whoever he was.

Instead of a different corpse, all everyone could see was a burned body, threatening to become nothing but ash. Naruto's yoton ninjutsu was indeed a feared ability to face.

"Just like Kisame, Itachi was controlling another body as well. I've never heard of this ability." Naruto nodded, acknowledging the theory as he observed with the sharingan. He then looked at the rest of the team and saw that Kisame did quite a number on them if the bruises were any indication. Kakashi saw this and sighed in worry at their odds of rescuing Gaara with such low contingent. "Kisame's Samehada did quite a number on Izumo and Kotetsu. We cannot rely on them for whatever it is we'll be facing inside that cave. Kasumi said that there are two more members inside, probably the same that captured Gaara."

"We can't ask for backup from Konoha?" Kakashi thought about it and nodded.

"I'm afraid it's the best we can do for now, yes. Genma can communicate with Tsunade much faster than I can. Send word for backup. Izumo and Kotetsu, you two will remain here and regroup with the backup team." Everyone nodded at their orders, before Genma used the communication seal on his wrist to send the message to the Hokage. He then nodded to Kakashi. With two members down, the four Konoha shinobi rushed to the caves hoping beyond hope that they still had time to rescue the Ichibi Jinchuuriki.

Author Note

Okay, I'll stop right here for now.

Next chapter I'll be finishing the Gaara retrieval arc, with a couple of twists obviously. For those who are a little bit lost here, you'll do well to remember that the Suna-sound invasion was different. Instead of Naruto, it was Jiraiya who was able to defeat Gaara and his siblings. Because of this, the story was reshaped a little bit. Naruto and Gaara do not share anything together, aside from the fact that both are demon jailers. I also used this chapter to explain exactly how Naruto was able to use magma release ninjutsu, even though he didn't possess the bloodline. Please tell me everything. I wish to know your thoughts about the chapter.

See ya.