Shadow covered the Land of Wind. A lone figure sprinted across the dunes of the desert, careful to keep up his speed. He was wearing little in the frigid temperatures, the constant movement and the channeling of his chakra the only thing keeping him warm. The man was careful to use his chakra to stop the trail of wind from flowing behind him. He couldn't afford to be spotted. The man kept running, only slowing when he came to a large fortress. He was far from it, certainly too far for him to do anything productive. At least, if he was a normal shinobi.

The man went completely still, frowning. He was likely at the edge of their sensory shinobi's abilities. He couldn't get closer without them noticing his approach. The man bit his lip, going through a string of handseals before he placed his hand on the ground. A brief puff of smoke later revealed a small monkey. The creature seemed surprised to see its surroundings.

"Asuma! Why are you summoning me?"

"I need your help Genki."

"But sir, you summoned little old me! How can I help you? I'm not strong enough to help in combat."

Asuma smiled, sitting down in front of Genki.

"I don't need your help in combat Genki. I need your help with something that you're absolutely perfect for."

The little monkey blinked, confused. Asuma held out his hand, a bottle with a purple liquid in it. Genki gently took the bottle, looking back up at the Sarutobi.

"I'm confused."

"Genki you don't have much more chakra than your average animal, if I'm to be blunt."

"Yes, which is precisely why I am confused as to how I can be of assistance to you. I just raise the children."

"Ah, but it is precisely because of your low chakra capacity that you're useful for stealth," Asuma stated. "The Suna sensors won't think anything of your passing nearby. You can sneak into their base and poison their water supply."

"While that may be possible sir, I highly doubt monkey's are common in these lands."

"Of course not. That's why you'll have to stay hidden and we're doing this at night. Otherwise you'd be spotted and this would be a waste."

"So what's your plan sir?"

"You're going to sneak into their base and poison their water supply. It won't be enough to kill all of their shinobi unfortunately, and certainly not their Jinchuriki, but we need to weaken them somehow."

"Are you sure you want to risk this though sir? They won't ever fall for such a tactic again."

"I know they won't," Asuma stated plainly. "But I need just a few more dead soldiers of theirs. Just enough for me to be able to focus on helping Konohamaru defeat their Jinchuriki."

"Ah, I see sir! This isn't about killing their forces, but rather to thin the herd enough for you to be able to assist Konohamaru defeat their Jinchuriki! Even the Suna Jinchuriki shouldn't be able to defeat the last two members of the Sarutobi Clan by himself!"

Asuma smiled.

"Now you're getting it. Now, I need you to stay there until you've confirmed a significant number of their forces have died from the poison. When you disappear I'll notice that the drain on my chakra is gone. When that happens, I'll know it's the signal to move out."

"Yes sir!"

Genki sprinted off in the distance, while Asuma stood and watched. A small grin formed on his face.

'Soon, father...soon we'll get revenge.'

The Huntsman walked into the tent, a frown on his face as he saw the Raikage stand in front of him. Flanked by the powerful Kage were two shinobi, two shinobi he didn't know. Neither of the Jinchuriki were here. Was he being undestimated by this much?

"You called."

"I have," A stated, placing a scroll on the table. "I have an offer."

"The Uzumaki's head," the Huntsman stated. "I'm well aware. But as I'm sure you're aware I haven't bothered to hunt him yet, despite the amount of money he's worth. He is a powerful man, and getting by his arsenal is something I haven't completely figured out yet."

"That's why we called for you," A said. "You're meticulous in hunting your targets, but you haven't moved on Uzumaki despite him having the second highest bounty in the world right now. Which means you need help in taking him down. Don't you want your money?"

"And you're offering that help?"

"This scroll," A stated, pointing at the scroll he pushed over to the Huntsman. "It contains not only everything we know of Naruto Uzumaki's abilities in detail, but also a technique from Kumo that we believe will assist in taking him down. Think of it as an advance payment."

"I have no interest in jutsu," the Huntsman stated. "I have been alive far longer than you. I know plenty of jutsu. I want money. Jutsu can fail you. Money cannot."

"His bounty offer is plenty-"

"His bounty is perhaps the most challenging bounty to claim. In contrast I could take yours. What is it again? 750,000,000? That's awful high. And your abilities are much easier to counter."

The two shinobi at the sides of A braced, but the Raikage stared at the Huntsman, an annoyed look on his face.

"You wouldn't have come here without killing my men if you had intention of taking my bounty. Enough with the empty threats, my patience is thin."

"Oh but these aren't empty threats," the Huntsman stated, leaking killing intent. "I'll kill you instead."

A snarled, matching the killing intent with his own.

"You want more money for the deal then huh? You're a shrewd businessman."

Silence.

"I'll add another 50,000,000 to the bounty. That enough for you?"

The killing intent leaking from the Huntsman ceased.

"Pleasure doing business with you."

A grunted.

The man took the scroll A offered, turning to leave the tent.

"This is still my advance payment. I'll be in touch."

The man left.

Samui glanced to the Raikage.

"Sir did we just get swindled?"

"Bah," A stated, anger rolling off him in waves. "Yes but I don't care as long as Uzumaki is dead. I'll just kill the Huntsman when he reports the death so I don't have to pay him, and then as a plus I'll get his bounty too."

"A great idea sir."

"Wasn't part of the plan. I was originally gonna let him live."

"Then why change it?"

A said it as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"He annoyed me. Besides, do you know how much money I just offered him!"

A bo staff barely deflected the blade that threatened to cut off his head. Naruto grunted, pushing back and smashing his foot into Sasuke's chest, causing him to roll backwards to get some distance from the blonde. Sasuke whirled to his feet, his eyes filled with anger. He stabed his blade into the ground and began to weave handsigns, only for Naruto to sprint forwards and disrupt the young Uchiha. Sasuke scrambled backwards, forced away from his blade. The blonde smirked.

"Haven't mastered one-handed hand signs have you?"

"Shut up."

The roaring of the crowd spectating the fight above was deafening. For Naruto all he heard were the cries of adulation. He was beating a child of one of the most royal clans in the village. The Senju, what little remained of them, and the Hyuga would love him. The Uchiha on the other hand would hate his guts.

For Sasuke all he heard were cries of indignation. Here he was, brother of Itachi Uchiha and son of Fugaku Uchiha being defeated by some kid. A kid raised by the Sandaime Hokage, but a kid nonetheless. A kid he had never once bested. It was unacceptable.

Naruto knew the two different realities they lived in. How could he not? It was clear as day from the frustration on Sasuke's face.

"Worried about letting down dear old dad? Don't worry, your mere existence does that enough."

"Shut up!"

Sasuke drew two kunai, launching them forwards. Naruto deflected the weapons, only for a blast of fire to greet him. He grunted, leaping above the attack. Sasuke smirked, launching two fuma shuriken at Naruto that the blonde easily deflected. Sasuke smirked, pulling with his arms as the shuriken spun into the air, forcing them around. Naruto's eyes widened as he heard the shuriken come towards his back due to the wire attached to them. He grunted, quickly substituting with a log before the shuriken smashed into it and tore it to pieces.

The blonde glared up at Sasuke who was grinning, grabbing his blade once more. Sasuke sprinted forwards, fire wreathing his blade. Naruto met him with his bo staff, wind swirling around it. The two weapons collided, causing an explosion that sent both boys skidding backwards as the elemental natures rejected one another. Naruto grunted, feeling the burns on his hands.

Fire definitely beat wind. He still didn't have a counter to that.

Sasuke smirked, rushing forwards again. Naruto however was desperate to get some distance, forming a one-handed sign to form three clones that rushed Sasuke in his stead. The Uchiha grunted, struggling under the numbers as they lashed out at him but held them off nonetheless. Naruto frowned, wind swirling around his bo staff until it howled. He just needed one singular opening.

As Sasuke cut down his clones he found one.

He launched the staff, the wind around the blade screeching as he did so. Sasuke's eyes widened as his red eyes saw the weapon near him, terrified of the lethal amount of wind chakra Naruto had shrouded the staff with. Sure, it was a wild, haphazard attack that was not chakra effective. In fact, the weapon was losing much of the wind chakra around it as it neared him. But what it would lose in power did not matter when even the smallest amount of wind chakra that sharp would spear right through him. The Uchiha thrusted forwards with his blade, the two attacks clashing in a desperate struggle for dominance. Sasuke grit his teeth against the wild bursts of wind chakra that leapt from the unchanneled staff, cuts forming along his skin. Still, he won.

The staff flew into the air with a jolt, the force also forcing his blade from his hand. Sasuke's hands were thrown into the air, grunting. Naruto grinned. It had left him open. He dashed into the Uchiha's guard, smashing a kick into his stomach. Sasuke coughed up blood, flying backwards into a clone of Naruto that formed and put him into a chokehold. Naruto smirked.

"Yield."

The Uchiha glared at him, desperately clawing at the clone's hands to free himself, only to fail each time. Soon an idea came to his mind, the young boy reaching into his kunai pouch to draw a weapon and stab it into the clone's kidney. It disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving Sasuke to take in oxygen once more. Naruto grunted, preparing to charge only for a punch to smash into his jaw. He stumbled to the side, shock on his face as he saw another Sasuke standing next to him. The clone grinned, launching another punch that keeled Naruto over.

"I win loser."

The clone of the Uchiha drove a kunai into Naruto, only for the blonde to grin.

"Boom."

Naruto exploded, sending shockwaves across the arena. The crowd and Sasuke were both stunned, never having noticed the substitution with the explosive clone. The Uchiha was flung backwards into a wall, but his eyes stayed open the entire time, desperate to see the blonde anywhere. It wasn't until the smoke cleared that he found him. Naruto, standing across from him with a grin on his face, bo staff in hand.

"Better, but you must be really bad at using those eyes of yours if you didn't notice me switch with my clone."

Sasuke roared, glaring at the blonde.

"I told you to shut up already!"

Sasuke charged him, hands moving at blistering speeds. Naruto calmly swatted down the attacks, slowly but surely forming big red bruises on Sasuke's hands with his bo staff. His guard was completely impenetrable. The young Uchiha roared, lashing a kick that smashed into the staff. The force propelled Naruto upwards into the air, his eyes widening in shock. Sasuke weaved through handsigns before he leapt at the blonde, lightning crackling in his hands.

"Die!"

Naruto watched Sasuke approach. The crackling electricity in his hands was something new. He hadn't used that in their training. He must have learned it over the month break before the individual matches. Naruto discarded his staff, letting chakra swirl around his hand until a bright blue orb formed.

Sasuke wasn't the only person who learned something new.

The two jutsu collided in a storm of energy, throwing the two combatants back. The crowd cheered in excitement, watching with anticipation to see who stood up from the clash. When the smoke cleared it revealed Naruto and Sasuke both standing and glaring at each other. Naruto grinned and Sasuke frowned before he fell to the ground.

"The winner...is Naruto Uzumaki!"

XxX

Sasuke frowned as he opened his eyes. That defeat was back on his mind. The last time he and Naruto had fought before the war had broken out. The last battle they had had until just a few weeks ago, when he had been demolished by the blonde. The closest he had ever come to defeating him. And it was such a pathetic showing. Sasuke clenched his fists, getting out of his bed and walking into the hallway. Resentment burned around him like an aura. It was so oppressive the servants didn't bother addressing him, instead keeping a wide berth from the man. He was in one of his funks.

Mikoto looked at her son as he stormed by, a soft frown on her face. She cleared her throat. Sasuke glanced upwards, realizing what he had done. He turned and bowed to her.

"Forgive me mother."

The woman looked at him, a frown on her face.

"Sasuke you should at least mind where you're going. You're scaring the servants."

"It was not my intention."

"But ignoring your mother was?"

He was silent. Mikoto sighed as Sasuke rose, the resentment on his face barely held back. If she was a stranger maybe he could pass as simply being focused and calm, but his own mother? It was completely impossible.

"The loss is still bothering you is it?"

Sasuke nodded.

"And you're going to go train...at the crack of dawn?"

Sasuke nodded.

Mikoto sighed.

"Sasuke you can't just train your life away. You need to do other things. I mean you haven't even a girlfriend!"

"We are in a war mother. I do not have time for such things."

"Please. Your father and I may have been bethrothed as children but we made time for each other growing up. And we grew up in a war. You can make the time to meet a girl. You're going to be in your thirties soon Sasuke. By your age I was married already, when are my little grand babies going to show up?"

"What about Itachi?"

"Ah he's already married. It's only a matter of time until he and Izumi start giving me some grand babies. But what about you?"

Sasuke was silent.

"I'm worried about you."

Sasuke's eyes snapped up to meet his mothers.

"Mother I-"

"Am solely focused on defeating one Naruto Uzumaki. A man you have never once been able to defeat. A man your brother likely cannot defeat. Nor your father. There are some walls we just cannot climb Sasuke. Fugaku could not climb Minato. It seems it may be like father like son."

Sasuke clenched his fists. "So you don't believe in me then," he spat.

"That's not what I meant-"

"Then what did you mean!"

Mikoto was silent for a brief moment. She then sighed.

"Power is what you want, do I have that correct? Power to defeat Naruto?"

"Yes."

Sasuke's cheek stung, his head snapped to the left by Mikoto's hand. It took a while for the shock to register on his face. Sasuke turned, ready to yell only for him to pause as he saw the hurt in Mikoto's eyes.

"That lie might work on your father and your brother but do not dare lie to me like I'm those two idiots!"

Sasuke frowned.

"Tell me the truth."

Sasuke bit his tongue, his fists clenching until they turned white and blood dripped from when he began to dig into his own skin. Mikoto stared at him, disappointment on her face.

"You really refuse to go to anyone for help don't you?"

Sasuke was silent.

"Fine," Mikoto stated. "You can go and wallow in your sadness and desperate attempts to gain strength then. But I will not be responsible for you coming back to me in a hearse do you hear me?"

Mikoto turned.

"Go."

There was silence for a moment. Then, the retreating footsteps of her son. Mikoto could only listen to him leave, tears streaming down her eyes.

"You idiot," she whispered. "You don't have to lie to me."

Neji smashed his hand into the wooden post one more time, watching as it exploded under the surge of chakra he sent through it. He flexed his hand as he relaxed, staring at it with a quizzical look on his face.

"Everything feel alright?"

Neji turned to face Sakura nodding.

"Thank you," he muttered, flexing the steel chakra metal that had been placed on him to replace his finger.

"Of course," Sakura stated. "The material should help with you being able to release chakra through it. It will likely take some getting used to, so I'd recommend practicing the Gentle Fist before going back into active combat. Your chakra control will likely need to be better to accurately disable tenketsu with them."

"I understand," Neji stated. "Thank you Sakura. I appreciate it."

"Of course. It's my job Neji."

Neji turned to leave the training ground, only for Sakura to call out.

"How...how was he?"

Neji was silent, a frown forming on his face.

"I know how you feel about him...but...he was still my teammate you know? I can't just...forget that."

Neji sighed, looking back at the replacement finger. A stark reminder of the man he despised.

"I suppose that's why you're a healer. You're too kind."

Neji turned.

"He's strong," Neji stated. "Extremely so. I don't think anyone in our generation can match him. Then again I suppose that's not really new."

He paused.

"I don't know what to tell you. He's much like he was the last time we saw him. Like he was frozen in time the entire time. Disillusioned with shinobi life. A traitor through and through. A failure."

"I see," Sakura said, a small smile on her face. "Did he look healthy? Like he was eating well?"

Neji glared at the woman. "Why are you so concerned about him? He's a traitor! He abandoned the village! His responsibilities to the civilians and his fellow shinobi! To Hinata's memory!"

Sakura seemed unperturbed that Neji snapped at her.

"Neji...in my field of work you see horrific injuries. People torn apart. You try your best to save them, but it's not possible. I'm not god. No medic nin is. Even Tsunade-sama herself wasn't. You've seen what loss did to her. I...I understand why Naruto is disllusioned. I don't agree with him abandoning his post. I understand the consequences of it. But..."

"But what?"

"But I sympathize with him in the pointlessness to this war. It's just leading to death Neji. No village is without its scars. Naruto for all of his faults is proof of that. He was an ass growing up sure, but he was always positive. For him to change into this...it doesn't just happen because he had a bad day."

"He had a responsibility," Neji insisted. "Every man, woman, and child, every Konoha shinobi that dies in this war is now on him. Do you know how many battles we have lost that we could have won if he had simply been there? The shape of the very war would be different!"

"I'm well aware of the potential changes if he was here Neji. I trained under him. I'm perfectly knowledgable of how strong he is."

"I don't think you are! The other Jinchuriki wouldn't even be on the battlefield right now!"

"That's not true and you know it Neji," Sakura stated. "The other villages would never stand by as Konoha used their Jinchuriki and they did not use their own. They were going to be unleashed eventually."

Neji shook his head with vigor. "No way. Naruto was the deterrant for other villages. He was the most powerful Jinchuriki. They all knew they'd lose their Jinchuriki if they chose the wrong battlefield and he was there. He had free reign precisely because no one could defeat him. That was why they didn't use them."

Sakura tried to speak up but Neji began again.

"And that's not all! Sandaime-sama would have been able to retire, and then we'd have his mind for more battles! Morale for the soldiers would be higher. We wouldn't have Gaara running around Suna like a psychopath, murdering everyone! The Mizukage would fear stepping onto the battlefield! Iwa would have surrendered!"

"He's not GOD Neji!"

The man stepped back as if he had been struck by the tone in the woman's voice.

"I understand you blame him. I understand everyone blames him. I don't blame them for doing so. Blood is on Naruto's hands, but he isn't GOD! This hero worship only got worse after he left. You all imagined he would be the cure to all of the villages ills. Well newsflash Neji, that isn't real life! Naruto is flawed just like the rest of us! He's fallible! A stray kunai could kill him if it hits him in the wrong spot for goodness sake! He is not the sole cause of Konoha's troubles. So stop blaming him and take some responsibility! What if you were stronger? What if any of us were? We're just as capable of changing this war as he is."

Neji stared at the woman as if she had just spoken blasphemy. "But he's..."

"Human!" Sakura snapped. "He's human just like the rest of us! And he's had to bear the responsibility of being Konoha's ultimate weapon since he was a child. And then he had to bear the responsibility of being the most powerful man in the village. And he burdened that responsibility without complaint for years. Do you even know how many people he's killed? I guarantee you he knows it down to the exact number. That much death...it eats at you. And then to lose his godfather, wife, and child? Forgive him if he couldn't hold up the entire world for once!"

Neji was silent, his eyes looking at Sakura resentfully. The girl looked at him, passion in her eyes. The two stayed like that for a moment, conflicting worlds raging against one another.

"I understand you hate him," Sakura stated, her eyes never wavering under Neji's piercng glare. "I get it. I'm angry at him to. But I also understand him. No person can truly be expected to remain whole after watching their world burn around him."

Neji scoffed, turning on his heel to walk away form the woman as if he couldn't stand to be around her any longer.

"I was."

Akatsuchi grunted as he peeled the armor off of the dead Konohagakure troops. He threw it onto the pile of armor that was being gathered, all of it consisting of chakra metal. It would be smelted down and used in Iwa's war effort. A shinobi approached him in the process of the task, the man a slightly larger than Akatsuchi. His red hair poured down his back like a river of lava.

"You know, you doing this work does not make sense Tsuchikage-sama."

"I am not above my men. You would do well to strip these men as well. It will only make our progress faster."

"Tch. I think I did my fair share when I destroyed this fort."

Akatsuchi looked around at the ruins of the former Konohagakure fort. One wouldn't know it was a Konoha fort if they weren't paying attention. The konoha insignia looked freshly drawn, covering up a former Kusa one. The architecture itself was distinctly different, flatter. Much more in line with Kusa's style than Konoha's large, upwards design. He supposed they hadn't had time to remodel since they had conquered Kusa and the war had begun.

"You may have destroyed it, but that doesn't mean the men view you an differently you know. It would be a lot easier if you worked with them. Got to know them. They wouldn't look at you like an outsider."

"I have no interest."

The Tsuchikage sighed. "You know Roshi, you make your life harder than it needs to be."

"What is life without its challenges?"

"Challenges in combat, Roshi. Not among comrades. You're misusing Onoki's phrasing."

The Jinchuriki did not respond, turning on his heel.

"I'll leave you to it then."

"Speaking of combat, we march on the Uchiha camp soon Roshi," Akatsuchi stated. "We're missing Kitsuchi and Suzumebachi because they're still recovering. It's up to us to combat Fugaku and Itachi. Are you sure you're ready for that?"

Roshi grinned, heat rolling off of him.

"I've been waiting to get payback on that little shit Itachi. Just let me at him," the man stated, glancing down at the scar tissue that covered his neck. He had nearly died. "I'll be sure to return the favor."

This is a really short chapter, but it's mostly needed as a breather to set up necessary plot threads. I could include the next chapter, but it feels clunky so I'm not. Hope y'all enjoy. Because this chapter was super small the next will likely be out sooner. That's a maybe though, because I'm going to go visit my girlfriend next week.