Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto (either manga or anime!); the wonderful Masashi Kishimoto-sensei owns all rights. However, the plot and Namiko Uzumaki are mine!

Chapter 26: Reunion

Naruto was getting impatient. He, Sakura, and Yamato had just successfully infiltrated Orochimaru's base. Sai had betrayed them and Naruto couldn't care less if they found the traitor or not. "Why do we have to find Sai? Can't we just look for Namiko and Sasuke?" grumbled Naruto under his breath. Sai could deal with the consequences on his own.

The three shinobi crept down the dark hallway until Yamato stopped in front of a door. "He's in here," he said as he used wood style to make a key for the door. He opened the door cautiously, revealing Sai inside the room. "There you are."

The three shinobi entered Sai's room. Sai gave a fake smile. "I'd expect nothing less from the Hokage's ANBU to not be fooled by that fake corpse Kabuto set up."

Yamato's tone became deadly serious, "Start talking. What's going on here?"

"Yeah! Spill it, jerk! Why would you betray your own teammates?" yelled Naruto as he gripped Sai by the front of his shirt.

Sai seemed unbothered by Naruto. "If I were you, I'd take care not to make too much commotion. Things could turn quite ugly."

Naruto growled. "That's it! I'm going to kick your—"

"Naruto." Sakura cut him off, trying to keep him calm. She stepped closer and handed a book to Sai. "This is yours, isn't it?"

Sai slowly took the book, genuinely grateful. "Thank you."

"You're under orders from Danzo, aren't you? We know Danzo and Orochimaru teamed up and they're planning to do something big. You were chosen as the go-between." Sakura narrowed her eyes at him. "Spit it out. What are they planning?"

Yamato was the one who answered. "Orochimaru is easy to read. He wants to destroy Konoha again, doesn't he?"

Silence filled the air for a moment before Sai started to answer, smile still in place. "No. You're—"

"Look, just wipe that phony grin off your face!" snapped Naruto. "I can already tell that every word you're saying is a bunch of lies!"

"Well, now that you've figured me out, it seems my mission is officially a failure. Even if we fought, I couldn't take on all of you. I know that, and you know that too, so there's no point in hiding anything." Sai's smile finally faded into a neutral expression. "You are correct. The plan was to get rid of Konoha as we know it. My true assignment was to form an alliance with Orochimaru and orchestrate a conspiracy with him so that together we could destroy the village. "

Yamato raised a kunai toward Sai. "Keep talking, I want all the details."

"The other half of my mission was to gather intel on Orochimaru. In short, report his activities back to Danzo-sama," said Sai, his smile slipping back into place.

Sakura raised an eyebrow curiously. "So, let me get this straight, you planned on entering a conspiracy with Orochimaru while playing him at the same time? That's a suicide mission…"

"If Konoha did fall, we fully expected Orochimaru would try to betray us. But this way, we make sure we always have the advantage over him," explained Sai.

Sakura frowned. "So Danzo wants Konoha for himself and you were sent in alone to set all this into motion?"

"I was specifically chosen for this mission because of my abilities. The intelligence I write down in ink can transform into little creatures that can defend themselves while traveling back to Konoha."

"If Konoha falls, a lot of people will die! Do you have any idea of what the consequences would be?" she shouted, panic written across her face.

"I'm just following orders."

Sakura's heart dropped as she remembered the heavy losses Konoha faced when Orochimaru attacked during the Chuunin Exams. "Sai, how could you?"

"Oh," interjected Sai, "Sai is just a name I was given for this mission. I'm nobody. I'm only a tool for Danzo-sama. I don't even exist. No matter what you say, nothing matters."

"Then why carry around the picture book? It's supposed to be you and your brother, right?" asked Naruto, his irritation still on the surface. "If you don't exist or have feelings, then why bother keeping it? No shinobi can fully cut off their emotions completely."

Sai stared at the book in his hand. "How does possessing this book mean I have an existence?"

"It means you're a brother. You're someone that loved someone like family." Naruto took a breath. "Like I'm a brother…and all I want is my sister and Sasuke back, just like you wanted your book back. It's the last physical piece of your relationship with your brother. Even though it's not through blood, he was your family, your brother. Like Sasuke is to me."

Yamato still held the kunai pointed at Sai. "Sorry, Sai, but we had a peek inside that book. Only the drawing in the middle was unfinished. I know you're from the Foundation and that's why you're like this. You received special training from Danzo to kill all emotions. Evil practices…tell me, did you kill your brother?"

Sai looked almost sad. "No, this book was to be a gift for him, but just before I completed it, he got sick and died. You're right, he wasn't related by blood. He was the closest thing to family I ever had."

"Alright, Sai, we're going to go back out and I'm going to leave you with my clone to stand watch," explained Yamato as he used wood style to wrap around and limit Sai's arms from moving.

The four shinobi left the base and placed Sai outside the rock formation. Yamato quickly made a wood clone to guard Sai. "Sorry, but we can't take you with us."

Naruto cracked his knuckles. "Can we go now? We need to rescue Namiko and Sasuke!"

Sai spoke softly, "What if they don't want to be rescued? I got to meet Sasuke—"

Naruto quickly interrupted him. "Did you see Namiko?!"

Sai shook his head. "No, but Orochimaru said I was a 'gift' to Sasuke and Namiko, so she has to be alive." He lowered his eyes to the ground. "Orochimaru is at Sasuke's side though, cross him and he'll tear you to pieces and use your body for his experiments."

Sai glanced back at Naruto. "While you think of Sasuke as a brother, he said he only had one…one to kill. If he doesn't feel the same way about you, then why care so much? You're risking your life to stand against Orochimaru, all for someone who may not want to be saved."

"When I first met Sasuke, I totally hated him, but at the same time, I also really enjoyed being around him. Neither of us had parents, but that didn't bring us any closer. I was always at the bottom of the class, and Sasuke was always on top. But when I look back, I gotta admit, it was always fun being around him. He was the first person other than my sister to accept me for who I am." Naruto smiled brightly. "I'm doing this because Sasuke is my best friend, and that's a bond that can never be broken."

Sai's eyes widened. "Bond?"

Sasuke entered the dark bedroom and saw Namiko curled up on her side, facing the door. She opened her eyes sleepily. "Sasuke? Is Orochimaru back?"

"Hn." He nodded as he crossed the room and sat on top of the blanket on his bed. "He and Kabuto just returned and they brought someone from Konoha with them. Someone named Sai who said he knew Naruto."

She sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "I don't know anyone by that name, so I doubt Naruto would know them either since I've been in Konoha more often than him. Maybe it was a ruse?"

"Maybe, but don't worry about it now." He scanned her chakra quickly with his Sharingan before turning it off and lying on his back. "The kyuubi's chakra seems to have calmed. How's your head?"

Namiko mimicked his position. "Better. Just really tired now. You gave me a challenge for sure," she said with a small laugh.

"Namiko," Sasuke's voice deepened as it took on a serious tone, "make sure you stick close to me. We're outnumbered now."

"Don't worry, you couldn't get rid of me if you tried."

Sasuke could hear the smile in her voice and smirked, knowing she couldn't see his expression. "Go back to sleep. I'm going to rest too." With that, he turned over to face the wall, silence settling between them as they both drifted to sleep.

Just before Naruto, Sakura, and Yamato had left Sai, Kabuto had attacked them. Sai proved his loyalty to Team Kakashi though by helping capture Kabuto after he freed Sai. Yamato left his clone with Kabuto instead and Team Kakashi ventured back into the base to complete their mission and bring Namiko and Sasuke home.

Yamato and Sakura had paired off, leaving Naruto and Sai to search together. But when Orochimaru found them, Naruto sent Sai off to continue to search for Namiko and Sasuke while he held off Orochimaru. He quickly used his signature move. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Fifty or so copies of himself filled the hallway, but Orochimaru was ready for it. "Striking Shadow Snake!" Several large snakes extended from his sleeves and swiftly eliminated all of Naruto's clones before wrapping around his body and holding him still.

Orochimaru threw Naruto back and he slid across the floor before collapsing and gasping for breath. An insidious smile spread across Orochimaru's face. "Aww, what happened to all that power you had? The power of the kyuubi. Surely there must be more to it than this. Your sister has shown me only a tiny fraction of the power trapped within her and she was more of a challenge than you are right now."

Naruto struggled to get to his feet. "Where is she?" he bellowed, still unsteady on his feet. He tried to move toward Orochimaru, but two familiar forms stood in front of him, Sakura and Yamato.

Yamato stared down the snake sannin in front of them. "It's you again, Orochimaru."

"Hmm…" Orochimaru's smile appeared contemplative. "Remember, Naruto, this makes twice I've let you live. A debt I hope you'll someday repay by eliminating at least one more Akatsuki member for me…and now, if you'll excuse me, I have some unfinished business with Sai," he said before disappearing without a trace.

Yamato suddenly turned to Naruto. "Where is Sai?"

"Crap!" Naruto's breaths were starting to even out. "I sent him to look for Namiko and Sasuke! We've got to find them before Orochimaru does!"

Namiko was jerked awake when she heard the bedroom door creak open. There was an unfamiliar chakra signature outside the door. 'This must be that Sai person that Sasuke was talking about. His chakra doesn't appear to be malicious, just kind of…neutral. I can tell Sasuke is awake; he has got to be fully aware of this as well.'

She cracked her eyes ever so slightly, just enough to get a blurry overview of the room. The door was cracked just enough to give the room a soft glow and she noticed something slithering across the floor: snakes. She normally would be fighting off the urge to run from them, but their chakra matched that of the person outside and there was something about them that didn't look realistic. 'Snakes made from chakra?'

The snakes slithered past her and over to Sasuke's bedside, hissing just loudly enough to be heard in the dead-silent room. They crawled up the bed and started to slither over Sasuke's 'sleeping' form. Namiko had to force herself to stay quiet and not react; she had to trust Sasuke's judgment and skill.

"Who's there?" Sasuke spoke finally, his voice cold and impersonal. He didn't turn around or sit up, just lay facing the wall.

"It seems my cover is blown," said Sai. "However, I still have the upper hand."

"What do you want?" asked Sasuke, still not moving.

"Well, Danzo ordered me to eliminate you," Sai said casually.

Namiko visibly tensed as emotions flooded her. 'He was sent by Konoha to assassinate Sasuke? Konoha wouldn't really do this, would they? Surely Tsunade hasn't changed her mind. How can Sasuke be so calm about this?' She knew Danzo was one of the Counsel members who advised Tsunade but was confused as to why they would order his death. Tsunade has promised her and Naruto that she wouldn't put him in the bingo books.

Sai continued, "But I'm refusing to follow those orders and I've come to take you back to Konoha." Namiko let out an audible breath of relief as she sat up, listening closely to Sai as he continued, "You share something with him, a bond of friendship that Naruto is desperately holding onto. And I'm here to protect it."

"A bond?" said Sasuke slowly. "That's your excuse for waking me up?"

Sai made a hand sign and the snakes pulled back before launching forward, wrapping around Sasuke. Namiko's eyes widened before turning to look at Sai standing in the doorway.

"I'm not allowing you to run away," said Sai as he fully pushed open the door.

Sasuke clenched his fist before barking out, "Namiko! Back away from me!"

She didn't know what he was planning but she didn't need to be told twice. She grabbed her backpack and backed into the corner of the room, turning around to shield herself from whatever he was about to do. She heard the familiar sound of birds chirping just before Sasuke's Chidori violently exploded, blowing apart the room and creating a massive crater.

Light flooded the area and she realized Sasuke had quite literally blown the roof off of the base as she noticed the sky above her. Sasuke grabbed Namiko around the waist and jumped above the ground, landing at the edge of the crater. He let go of her before turning, his dark eyes scanning her for injuries. "You okay?"

She nodded dumbly before scanning her surroundings. She was finally out in real daylight, the sun shining and blue skies above her. Then she felt something familiar and let out a small gasp. "…Naruto's here somewhere." With the roof of the base open and no longer underground, she could finally sense chakra all around. "Sakura and another shinobi too," she said quietly.

No sooner did Namiko finish speaking that Sakura burst from one of the hallways, gripping the front of Sai's shirt tightly. "Alright, enough, Sai! No more games, what are you really up to?"

"Sakura!" cried Namiko happily.

Sakura let go of Sai's shirt as she turned her attention to Namiko…and Sasuke. She froze in place. He looked totally different from what he did three years ago. Colder. "…Sasuke-kun…" she whispered.

Naruto heard Namiko call out to Sakura and took off running down the hallway at full speed. He slid to a stop next to Sakura and Sai, shielding his eyes from the sun to see if the voice he heard was really his sister. "Namiko! And Sasuke!" he shouted, grinning from ear to ear. Yamato soon joined the rest of the team.

"Nii-chan!" Namiko squealed with glee and she moved to run toward them, but Sasuke quickly gripped her wrist. She looked at Sasuke in confusion. "Sasuke? Why…?"

He kept his voice smooth and quiet, only loud enough for her to hear, "We know Naruto and Sakura, but do you have any idea who the other two are?"

"No. Their chakra feels familiar, probably since they're Konoha shinobi and I've felt them in the village before, but I don't know them," she whispered back. She realized what he was getting at. Sai had been sent to kill him. While Sai failed, the jounin with Sakura and Naruto could've been ordered to do the same.

Yamato spoke up, "My name is Yamato and I'm filling in for Kakashi on this mission. We're here to escort you both back to Konoha."

Namiko's brow furrowed. 'Why isn't Kakashi-sensei here? Something serious has to be preventing him from being here. That worries me far more than this Sai person.'

Sasuke stared down at the team in the crater. "I can't come back until my mission is done. Until my brother is dead and my family avenged."

"Naruto thinks of you as a brother, or so he says. If you won't come willingly, maybe we should use a bit of force." Sai held up his sword in preparation for an attack.

Sasuke scoffed. "Was blowing up the base not enough proof to show that you're out of your league? That was just child's play to me, and that sword of yours won't do even as much damage as a butter knife."

"Naruto and Sakura have risked everything for you. They risked everything to keep their bonds with you alive. I don't understand why they would do it, but I think you do, don't you?" explained Sai.

Sasuke's dark eyes narrowed imperceptibly. "That's why I cut those bonds and left Konoha in the first place. Personal ties only cause confusion and precious memories make you weak."

Naruto's anger flared to the surface as he yelled. "If that's all true then why didn't you just kill me that day? Weren't you going to break our bond, Sasuke?!" Namiko hadn't seen her brother this upset since he had woken up after his and Sasuke's fight; he had been an angry, emotional mess for days afterward.

"It's not that I couldn't break our bond, Naruto," said Sasuke as he closed his eyes, "I was following in my brother's footsteps to gain power. The only thing you need to know is that day when I left you lying there, I only spared your life on a whim." He opened his eyes, staring directly at Naruto.

Namiko's eyes widened as she thought back to that day. 'No…he had the opportunity and chose to not kill him. He had plenty of opportunity. He defeated Naruto. Naruto was unconscious and at his mercy. Sasuke…stop trying to make others think you don't care. The last few days have shown me you do care.'

Sasuke flashed down to Naruto, wrapping his left arm across Naruto's collarbones and laying his hand on his shoulder. No one moved a muscle as Sasuke spoke to Naruto, "Come to think of it, wasn't it always your dream to become Hokage? All of the time you've spent chasing me after me would've been better spent in training. Wouldn't you agree, Naruto?"

"Sa-Sasuke…" Sakura watched in horror as Sasuke reached for his katana. This was not the same person who had been her teammate. This was not the same person to whom she confessed her love.

"Because this time my whim is telling me," he said, sliding his katana out of its sheath and raising it high into the air, "to finish what I started…"

Namiko held her breath. Sasuke wouldn't hurt her brother. He couldn't do that. This was all an act. It had to be an act, right? Sasuke wasn't moving his sword, just holding it threateningly above Naruto.

Namiko locked eyes with her brother and an unknown emotion flickered over his face. "If someone can't even save a friend, I don't think they deserve to become Hokage. Do you, Sasuke?"

Sasuke didn't answer Naruto. He moved the sword, aiming for Naruto's back. Namiko recognized that Sasuke was moving slower than he could. He was testing Team Kakashi to see if they'd try to stop him. She stayed planted up on the edge of the crater, watching the scene below.

Sai raced forward and captured Sasuke's wrist firmly. A vaguely amused look passed over Sasuke's face. "The block you selected was the correct one."

Sai looked confused by Sasuke's comment. Naruto took the opportunity to lean forward to try to escape Sasuke's grasp, but Sasuke activated his Sharingan and anticipated his moves, throwing Naruto off balance and flinging him and Sai backward. "Chidori Stream!" yelled Sasuke as lightning seemed to flow from every part of his body.

Namiko shielded her eyes. This was the same jutsu that Sasuke used with Orochimaru a few days ago. She had asked about it afterward and Sasuke had explained that it wasn't lethal, just hurt like hell. It made the muscles in the body contract painfully also causing the target temporary paralysis.

Sasuke shoved Naruto and Sai away from him and they lay on the ground, unable to move. His Chidori Stream surrounded his entire body, acting almost like an electrified forcefield.

As the jutsu faded, Sakura saw this as an opportunity to make an attack. She charged forward, concentrating chakra in her fist. Namiko had sparred against Sakura enough times to know she was serious and could cause massive damage if that hit Sasuke.

Sasuke saw her coming and raised his blade toward her, running Chidori through it. Yamato rushed forward in an attempt to protect their only medic, kunai in hand as he stood between Sasuke and Sakura. Sakura froze as Yamato's kunai appeared to go through Sasuke's sword.

Sasuke's blade pierced just below Yamato's shoulder as he pinned him to a boulder with the Chidori running through the blade and into Yamato. "The block you chose was the incorrect one. My Kusanagi blade is nothing like Orochimaru's. It is impossible to block."

A low growl came from Sasuke's left. Namiko felt a familiar heat rise in her body as she looked at her brother. "Naruto!" She finally leaped down and ran to him, crouching next to him. His nails were lengthening and the whisker marks on his cheeks were darker. 'Oh no…not now. Not now! Is the kyuubi trying to get out?' She locked eyes with Naruto before noticing his gaze flicker to Sasuke and he froze. She turned towards Sasuke and she was sucked in.

Water splashed around her feet as she took a step. Naruto and Sasuke were standing next to each other, both looking up at the kyuubi. The kyuubi was bubbling through the gate that was holding it back, much like it had with Namiko days prior.

"It's you again, you insolent whelp," sneered the kyuubi, obviously directing his comment at Sasuke.

Sasuke glared at the creature, but Naruto whipped his head around to stare at the Uchiha. "What do you mean 'again'?"

Namiko took another step forward. "He's seen the kyuubi inside me," she said quietly.

Naruto's eyes widened as Sasuke walked over to the kyuubi, glowering at it fiercely before grabbing its nose and flicking his wrist. The kyuubi snarled as it blew apart and back behind the gate. "Don't kill Naruto…if you do, you'll regret it."

"And I told you to stay behind that damn seal," snapped Sasuke. Suddenly, his eyes widened as the three of them were suddenly back inside the crater. Sasuke's genjutsu had broken due to Yamato using wood style to push Kusanagi out of his shoulder.

Sasuke leaped back to distance himself from Yamato. With the Chidori no longer running through a blade in his shoulder, Yamato acted quickly, placing his hands together. "Wood Style: Domed Wall Jutsu!" Large beams of wood shot up from the ground and formed a dome around Sasuke, but he quickly broke through the top and jumped back onto the edge of the crater, observing the five shinobi before him.

"Sasuke," yelled Naruto as Namiko wrapped a comforting arm around him, "don't you get it? Orochimaru is going to steal your body!"

"If it happens, it happens." Sasuke's face remained stoic. "You're still acting like a child, Naruto. I don't care what happens to me or the rest of the world, as long as I get my revenge, nothing else matters."

He locked eyes with Namiko, faltering in his speech slightly, but just enough for only her to notice. "To be honest, neither Orochimaru nor I are strong enough to defeat Itachi on our own. I'd do anything to gain the power necessary to defeat Itachi, even if it means surrendering my body to Orochimaru, I'd gladly do it over and over again."

Namiko's heart dropped. 'He can't. He told me he didn't want to if there was another way. There has to be another way!'

Yamato slowly forced himself to stand. "Enough talk. Naruto, Sakura…out of consideration for the two of you, I haven't taken drastic measures against Sasuke, but I'm afraid I can no longer hold back."

"Yamato-taichou…" Sakura looked at the jounin with pleading eyes.

"I'm done with Konoha." Sasuke made a hand sign that Namiko hadn't seen him use before and raised his hand as if to attack.

A firm grip slapped over Sasuke's wrist. "I wouldn't use that jutsu, Sasuke-kun…" said Orochimaru warningly.

Sasuke glared at the snake sannin. "Let go. Now."

Kabuto stepped up, clicking his tongue disapprovingly. "What did I tell you about being more respectful to Orochimaru-sama?"

"Why should I stop?" asked Sasuke, turning his glare to Kabuto.

"You know the Akatsuki are on the move, and we want these nice people of Konoha to get rid of as many of them as possible for us," said Kabuto with an amused tone to his voice, almost as if he were talking to a child. "Because if the Akatsuki interfere, you won't be able to get your prized revenge."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "That's a pitiful excuse…"

"If leaving them alive is what possibly increases your chances of success, then isn't it worth it?" said Kabuto with a shrug.

When Sasuke still resisted, Orochimaru leaned forward, whispering in his ear, "Let me put it another way: if Konoha takes down more Akatsuki, then that's less worried you have to be about the safety of your little red-haired companion…"

Sasuke's body froze.

'Orochimaru knows. He knows we've been getting closer…but how much does he know?' Sasuke's Sharingan flickered down to Namiko, who was crouched next to her brother. She turned to look up at Sasuke and red locked with blue-violet. His eyes took in everything about her, committing her to memory.

The way her long bangs framed her face. The smattering of freckles across her nose and cheeks. The caring look she had given her brother moments before. The look of apprehension she was giving him now.

The way her lips parted as she mouthed the word: Don't.

He released the tension in his body and wrenched his hand out of Orochimaru's grasp. Orochimaru smirked, satisfied with his protégé's decision. "Bright boy. Let's go."

The three shinobi stood on the edge of the crater as flames moved up from their feet and body, signaling the use of Teleportation Jutsu. Soon they had disappeared.

Sasuke was gone once again.

Naruto hit his fist against the solid rock beneath him. "Not again," he whispered, tears stinging his eyes, "I failed to bring him home again." He let out a choked sob.

Namiko reached out her hand to comfort him, but she stopped partway. She couldn't bring herself to touch him. 'I wish I could fix this…it's my fault he ever left in the first place. I was there the day he left. I should have stopped him…'

"We need to be strong together," started Sakura, trying her best to hide her tears. "Crying…" She sniffled, failing to hide her sob. "Crying won't make Sasuke come back." Naruto's tears slowed but didn't fully stop.

'No, but I can make him come back. I can sense all three of them not far away, maybe ten kilometers?' Namiko laid a gentle hand on Naruto's arm, trying to get him to look at her. "Nii-chan? I'm going to fix things. Like I should have done the first time." Naruto looked at her quizzically and she hugged him tightly, "I love you, Naruto…"

Sky blue and blue-violet met as Namiko stood, then walked a few steps backward where she didn't run the risk of anyone touching her. All four sets of eyes were on her. "Please understand…"

Just as it dawned on Naruto what she was about to do, Namiko disappeared.

Suddenly, Naruto felt alone. Very alone. His best friend who had been like his brother was gone and now his sister. He was silent as he was in complete shock and his thoughts racing. 'What was she thinking? What did she mean when she said she was going to fix things like she should have done the first time?'

"We've still got almost half a year left before Orochimaru has to take a new body, and three makes for better odds than two," said Sai, cutting through the silence with a genuine smile on his face. "I'm happy to lend my strength. We'll get them both back, Naruto."

Sakura turned around to face the blond with a look of sympathy. "Yeah…Sai is right. I'm not sure what her reasons are, but you know Namiko wouldn't leave you unless it was for a good reason. You'll have to trust her."

Naruto nodded dumbly. "…thanks guys."

"Now then," said Yamato as he cleared his throat, "let's go home, report to the Hokage, and come up with a plan to bring them home safely."

Naruto grinned at his teammates. "Let's go!" He paused mid-celebration and groaned loudly. "Oh man…baa-chan is going to kill me!"

A/N: Oh my goodness, I want to hear your thoughts on this chapter! Were your predictions correct? Or did the ending come out of left field? This is only a turning point and things will get even more intense from here on out. Thank you all so much for reading and I'll see you next chapter! (I may be taking next weekend off due to Easter holiday and spending time with family, but we'll just have to see how quickly I can write over the next few days.)

-Eriisu