Author's Note: Welcome back.

If you're interested in reading something new, check out "Naruto – Sun and Moon" by Salty Leclerc. It's a really good Naruto-centric fic that doesn't get the attention it deserves. You can search it up yourself or find it in the favorite stories list on my profile. If you end up checking it out, let him know I sent you by leaving a review!

Anyway, enjoy the chapter. Leave a review if you're feeling kind.

Chapter 61: Master and Student

Everything was so hazy and deafened– like being woken up suddenly from a very deep sleep. It takes a little time to regain your bearings in moments like this as one's senses play catch up with the real world. Lips move, but the words register in your mind a full five seconds later. Your eyes bounce around your periphery as they scramble to focus on a fixed point.

Sasuke felt groggy and sick, which was only amplified by a mounting feeling that he was about to void the contents of his stomach. Just a moment ago his bones had been rattled by the sheer force of Kirin's shockwave. His weak and tired body hadn't allowed him to gain enough distance from the blast area and he was feeling the aftereffects. The rock pillar he had been standing on was blown away in the ensuing chaos.

'Even though I held back… the attack was much stronger than I expected,' Sasuke finally managed to string together a coherent thought. His forehead was knitted in concern and discomfort. 'Is Suigetsu alright?'

A Jutsu that couldn't be blocked, dodged, or evaded… this was the first time it was used outside of training.

It certainly worked as intended.

The irony of it all was that Kirin was the trump card Sasuke had developed in his time spent training with Orochimaru for the sole purpose of killing his brother. And yet, he had just used it to defend Itachi's dream. By fighting the Akatsuki to protect Naruto and by extension the Hidden Leaf, Sasuke was also safeguarding the very thing Itachi butchered their clan for.

That realization would have pissed him off had he not been concerned about Suigetu's well-being.

Sasuke shook his head to clear his disorientation and pushed himself up to one knee. He attempted to steady himself up on both feet but the world spun around him far too much to allow it. That was when he felt two hands roughly grab his shoulders and spin him around. Everything happened so fast, but his senses didn't need to be one hundred percent recalibrated to recognize who it was.

Kisame's face was mere inches away from his own, and he appeared utterly enraged.

"Sasuke Uchiha," Kisame spoke calmly, and yet his body language betrayed him. The pupils in his bloodshot eyes shook violently as if they were about to pop out of their sockets. He lifted Sasuke up only to backhand him back down to the ground. Sasuke landed harshly on his back and gasped from the wind being forced out of his lungs. Kisame had slammed his foot into his gut and was pressing down with great force. Kisame's lips twitched slightly upward when he heard a satisfying crack in the boy's chest plate. "Of the countless people I've killed, your death will hold a special place in my heart."

"H-How are you even standing after that?!" Sasuke barely managed to get out. The pressure on his chest made it difficult to breathe and his onyx eyes were wide open. "T-That Jutsu should have finished you."

"That was quite the Jutsu— never seen anything like it in fact… you just made one fatal mistake. You held back to not kill Suigetsu. I'm the last person you want to hold back against, kid," Kisame responded with some satisfaction in his raspy and weary voice. He had some of the highest stamina and durability within the Akatsuki, and even he would have assuredly been killed by that Jutsu at full strength. "I hope that decision was worth your life. The Shinobi world has no place for weak-minded ninja like you who can't sacrifice for the sake of their convictions… just ask your brother," Kisame continued to press down with his heel, determined to squeeze the life out of the boy.

Sasuke didn't have enough strength left to push Kisame's heel off his sternum. There was nothing he could do to stop his chest from getting caved in. Neither of them had enough chakra to utilize another Jutsu. Something needed to change, or he was in for a slow and excruciating death.

"Take a look at your friend over there," Kisame managed a small bark of laughter. Sasuke grimaced through the pain and turned to look. His eyes widened. "So much for saving him, haha! All that effort and risk, and for what? Both of you will die here, and then I'm going to head to the Leaf and capture the Nine-Tails brat."

"S-Suigetsu…" To Sasuke's horror, Kirin had reduced his friend to a pile of jelly. Suigetsu appeared to be somewhat in between his solid and liquid states and was completely still.

"I honestly can't tell if he's dead or not, but I can easily finish him off after I kill you if needed," Kisame's playfully sinister side had made almost a complete return. He dropped to his knees and used them to pin Sasuke's arms to the ground as wrapped his hands around his throat and squeezed. "I need to save what little chakra I have left in case Kakuzu fails and I need it to deal with the Copy Ninja, but no matter. It will give me time to savor the moment."

Sasuke flailed desperately off his back but it did little to deter his foe. No sword, no weapons, no chakra, no strength left; he could feel himself start to fade. His brain had been completely cut off from blood and oxygen, and the effects only made his situation more dire. If he didn't do something...

In an act of desperation, Sasuke activated his left Sharingan, which quickly shifted to the Mangekyo pattern. Blood trailed down to his cheek as pain erupted throughout his entire body.

'Amaterasu!'

Kisame's eyes went wide in shock. They were at point-blank range and Sasuke's grip on his legs ensured that dodging the attack was out of the question. He simply closed his eyes and waited for the black flames to consume him.

…

…

…

However, that time never came. Kisame opened his eyes and Sasuke's onyx eyes were staring back at him. He couldn't even manage to maintain Sharingan in a single eye.

The Amaterasu had failed… he just didn't have the reserves of strength, and the botched attempt plummeted his remaining chakra to zero. Sasuke's eyeballs rolled back into his head with eyelids that felt as if they weighed one hundred pounds.

As much as their fight made him detest Sasuke, Kisame could not deny the kid's guts. Even with nothing left in the tank to give he still managed to give one last scare. Kisame smirked. In the end, there was mutual respect between these two warriors.

It was almost sad that it had to end this way.

The absence of chakra from his body, and blood and oxygen from his brain was finally too much, Sasuke had quietly slipped into unconsciousness. While still somewhat aware of his surroundings, control of his faculties was now lost. Everything was numb to the point where it felt like he was floating in absent space detached from himself. It was all dark and still. In perhaps one of the last coherent thoughts his mind could muster, it was Itachi that took center stage as the last remnants of consciousness faded into obscurity.

'Seems… I'm joining you earlier than I anticipated. You and I are going to have many long talks, brother… I still need to try and understand you…

…

…

…

"I can rescue you from this grim fate you've found yourself in."

Sasuke's eyes opened; now standing in a very dimly lit hallway. The very end of the hall in the direction he was facing was lit up by a bright, white light. He couldn't quite place why, but something compelled him to continue walking toward the light. There was a mysterious comfort associated with it. Before another step could be taken, that voice echoed all around him once again.

"This isn't the end of your story, there is still much for you to accomplish. They don't know what we're capable of… let's show them," Sasuke turned around. The other end of the hall was a stark contrast– it was pitch black and gave off an ominous energy that made his skin crawl. That's the direction the voice was coming from. "Hand your body and soul over to me, your strength, your essence, all of it… and with it, I will eradicate your enemies."

Sasuke's expression was blank; the price attached to those words was very clear. During a time in his life when anger and revenge had a stranglehold on every waking thought, he had been foolish enough to accept those terms. Now– well, what choice was left? It was a lose-lose proposition. The allure of death had never been more tantalizing than it was at that moment.

…

…

…

Kisame finally released his grip from Sasuke's throat after the lengthy absence of a pulse. He had been squeezing so hard and for so long that his hands still shook from the effort. His body felt heavy from exhaustion.

"It's been quite some time since I've been pushed that hard in a fight," He mumbled to himself tiredly. A fight of this magnitude would have normally gotten him excited and euphoric, but all it left was an empty feeling of regret. His eyes drifted down to Sasuke's still form and lingered on his face. It reminded him of Itachi, which elicited a reluctant frown that quickly curved into a scowl. "Damn brat…"

Sasuke's eyes suddenly snapped open and peered into his soul. Startled– Kisame went to back away from the threat only to be unable to move. There was a massive surge of energy from underneath him, and then everything went black.

"Kakashi-Sensei, w-what's happening?!"

"I'm… not sure, but the water dome from before is gone," He turned his attention back to Kakuzu. "Is this the doing of one of your partners? What just happened over there?"

"Neither Kisame nor Hidan should be capable of such things," Kakuzu responded slowly, head turned in the same direction Kakashi felt the impact come from. "I sense something wicked in the air… what is going on?"

Silence fell over the trio.

Sakura shivered in discomfort. The wicked sensing something they believed to be wicked was not something she wanted to hear. Whatever it was, there was certainly a chill all around them.

Now all three of them were staring off in the direction of where Sasuke's fight had taken place.

That's when they saw it. A mountainous creature appeared out of thin air.

"What on earth is that thing?" Kakashi's heart dropped into his gut when his brain started to communicate what his eyes were seeing. "No, it can't be…"

It was a massive, eight-headed white snake.

"Oh no–"

Sakura wasn't sure what to think. Sasuke was a snake summoner, but this seemed beyond the scope of even the most powerful boss summons she had been around. The three-way deadlock summons of the Sannin paled in comparison to this behemoth. The looks of shock and trepidation on both Kakashi's and Kakuzu's faces only confirmed her suspicions.

Whatever was going on, it wasn't good for any of them.

"S-Sensei, is that?"

"I'd recognize that chakra from anywhere," Kakuzu's voice was laced with venom. The body language was clear– even with his back turned to them, it was evident this battle was no longer a concern. "It's that damn snake, Orochimaru!"

"Orochimaru!" Sakura blurted out in shock. That possibility hadn't even remotely crossed her mind. "That's not possible; Orochimaru is dead!"

"You don't know Orochimaru, brat," Kakuzu warned before taking off in the direction of the beast.

"W-Where is he going?!" Sakura looked to Kakashi for answers. "What is going on?!"

"Our fight with him seems to be over for now," Kakashi simply stated the obvious. He turned to look at her. "We need to go there, now. I'll explain on the way." It was rare that Kakashi spoke in such a serious tone; Sakura didn't dare argue with the man and they quickly took off.

"Is it true what Kakuzu said," Sakura asked hesitantly between jumps through the trees. "Is Orochimaru really back?"

"Seems that way," Kakashi said as if it was the most normal thing in the world. "I honestly can't say I'm too surprised."

"But how, and why here of all places? I heard from both Sasuke and Naruto that Orochimaru was killed by Sasuke and Sasori at the Tenchi Bridge."

"Orochimaru has always been fixated on the idea of immortality. You've seen it before; Sasori, Hidan, and Kakuzu– there will always be those who try to circumvent their fate. Orochimaru appearing here only tells me one thing…"

"And… what's that?" Sakura asked.

"He was never dead, not really. The Curse Mark he gave to Sasuke must contain a piece of himself within it. He's just been waiting, biding his time for an opportunity like this," Kakashi's tone turned grave as his pace quickened. "All he would need is to wait to strike when Sasuke is inevitably taken to the brink in a fight, no longer able to adequately defend himself."

"So he could take his body," Sakura concluded calmly. "That's what this has always been about, right? Orochimaru wants the full power of the Sharingan at his disposal."

"Yeah," Kakashi confirmed. "I don't need to tell you that we can't let that happen, and based on Kakuzu's reaction, I think the Akatsuki feel the same way. I just hope we aren't too late."

Sakura nodded. The concern on Kakuzu's face was a dead giveaway. Orochimaru was no longer an ally of the Akatsuki.

"You seem to be taking this rather well," Kakashi glanced over at her. "Everything okay?"

"I could say the same thing about you, Sensei," Sakura responded quickly. "You always gotta be Mr. Cool, but I think I'm starting to understand why."

"Oh?" He said with a raised eyebrow.

"Our best chance to succeed is if we maintain a clear and level head. No matter how I'm feeling, that isn't going to do me any good right now so I'll worry about it later. We owe that to our comrades in their times of need."

"Heh, couldn't have said it better myself…"

"Thwack!"

"Ah, dammit! Just a little more… It's right there I can feel it!"

"You're so close, Jiraiya-boy! Fukasaku stuck the end of his baton into the dirt and leaned against it. Sweat dripped down his brow, but the twinge of amusement in his smile was hard to miss. "It is only a matter of time before you have it down. Focus and determination are necessary qualities for a Perfect Sage."

"Easier said than done," Jiraiya nursed the rather large bump on the back of his head and uncrossed his legs. The stinging pain definitely made it more difficult to stay focused. "You know– it always bothered me how much you seemed to enjoy hitting me with that damn stick."

"I have no idea what you're talking about, lad," Fukasaku weakly suppressed a chuckle. "No one wants you to succeed more than I do."

"Both things can be true, Boss…"

Jiraiya, despite his recent failure, was in good spirits. To say their training has been a success so far would be a sizable understatement. As expected, Naruto hit the ground running with their Sage training. Naruto's early introduction to meditation by Fukasaku, along with the incorporation of Shadow Clones into the regiment, has accelerated things to an astonishing degree. The usage of clones worked so well, in fact, that Jiraiya had adopted the method in his own sessions. And the results were…

To put it simply, spectacular.

Even though he could not abuse the technique to quite the degree Naruto could, the strides Jiraiya made with it far exceeded expectations. These last couple of weeks had been much more fruitful than months of similar training in his youth. Back then, he was forced to awkwardly fit his time at Mt. Myoboku in between missions as a Leaf Shinobi. This made it difficult to retain what he learned, and the hassle of juggling it with a large workload eventually became too much. Jiraiya had remained an imperfect Sage for decades, and the more time that passed, the farther back it drifted in his mind until it was nothing but an afterthought during a time of war and geopolitical tensions.

That was no longer the case… there were no more excuses to be had. Naruto needed to become a Perfect Sage for his own well-being and, by extension, Jiraiya needed to as well. After all, how could he let that brat surpass him without a fight?

"Say– now that I think about it, where is Naruto-boy?" Fukasaku took a swig of water from a canteen strapped to his hip. "I've been smacking ya and your clones all morning that I hadn't noticed he wasn't around. Any idea where he's off to?"

"Yeah, he headed out into the forest pretty early this morning," Jiraiya paused to take a sip of his own water before continuing. "Mentioned something about wanting to meditate to 'be more in tune with nature,' whatever that means."

"Is that right?"

"Heh, you sound impressed."

"The boy has a natural curiosity and a keen understanding of the intangible aspects of training. Most Shinobi I've seen have difficulty understanding the things you can't see and must instead feel, and yet he seems to thrive when it comes to that. It's going to be a close race, but he'll likely achieve perfect sagehood before you do," Fukasaku admitted with a teasing smile. "It will be any day now."

"I know; the kid is special, there's no doubt about that. I just hope he's not out there trying to practice without you around."

"True, true. The lad has the rare distinction of being both a genius and a fool at the same time. He actually reminds me of someone else I know in that regard."

"Ya see? This is why I prefer your wife's company more than yours."

Fukasaku let out a ribbit of laughter. "Trust me, Jiraiya-boy, you do not want Ma in charge of swinging this here baton."

Jiraiya thought about it for a minute, then gulped. "Heh-heh, maybe you're right…"

They would have fallen into a comfortable silence, but there had been something on Fukasaku's mind for quite some time.

"What's next once your training is completed?" Fukasaku hated to spoil the mood with reality, but he had to. "I take it you'll need our help in a battle against the Rinnegan, so I want to make sure we're prepared for that."

"That's what I was hoping for, yeah. You too would be a massive help to make sure we have Sage Mode active for the entire fight," Jiraiya's sigh betrayed the decades of conflict and pain he'd been subjected to. "After our training is done I'd like to head back to the village for a couple days to… regroup before Naruto and I make our way to the Hidden Rain. Once we've successfully infiltrated we'll do some reconnaissance and decide if we want to make a move. That's when we'd look to summon the two of you."

"I see– that sounds like a fine plan," Fukasaku nodded sagely, though a sly smile and hearty chuckle elicited a curious look from Jiraiya.

"What is it? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"So, you're gonna 'regroup' in the Leaf for a couple days, eh? By that do you mean you plan on spending some 'quality time' with Tsunade-girl?"

"W-What? No!" Jiraiya sputtered. His master did not at all appear convinced. "H-How do you know about that?!"

"Lad," Fukasaku got a few good laughs from that reaction. "I've known ya a long time. I can tell when things have changed– in a good way," He clarified. "Despite the dangers that lie ahead, you seem… content. I wasn't entirely convinced the reason was Tsunade, but your reaction confirmed it!"

"What can I say? My poker face sucks, haha!"

Jiraiya's smile was wide, but his body language didn't match. His limbs stiffened slightly as he anxiously rubbed at his neck. Fukasaku's words had stuck with him. Tsunade and him are 'together,' his relationship with Naruto is maybe as strong as it has ever been, and he feels genuinely happy. They were about to march into hostile territory to try and cut the head off the dragon that was the most dangerous and powerful criminal syndicate the world had ever seen… and he was happy? With the countless mistakes he had made in his life, was that something he deserved to feel with all this pressure put on himself?

In between his thoughts spiraling out of control at the prospect of what this sudden good fortune meant in the grand scheme of things, a new emotion bubbled its way to the surface.

Fear.

"Well, would ya look who it is," Fukasaku's voice snapped Jiraiya out of his thoughts. "Where have ya been? We've been training without ya."

Jiraiya turned his head to see Naruto walking toward them with a complex expression etched across his face.

"Let me show you," Naruto swooped in and sat down into a meditative stance right next to Jiraiya who eyed him curiously. He took in a deep breath and closed his eyes.

Fukasaku immediately sensed what was happening and readied his favorite weapon. "No clones?" His question received no reply. A cool breeze blew through and while it rustled through Naruto's hair, his body remained completely still. Fukasaku eyed him cautiously for any signs of toadification– fingers wrapped tightly around the base of the baton as he twitched with anticipation and excitement. He really did love smacking his students on the dome.

Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on how you look at it, Fukasaku would never again get the opportunity to smack the boy. His eyes widened at what he was both sensing and seeing. The Nature Energy swirled around his student in a beautiful and elegant dance before it was carefully absorbed.

"This is–"

Jiraiya caught on to what was happening through Fukasaku's reaction and the shift in the air was hard to ignore. Neither dared move to break his concentration, though they couldn't help but watch on in awe.

Orange pigmentation started to form around Naruto's eyes as they suddenly snapped open. Pools of cool blue were gone– replaced with pale yellow eyes and black, toad-like pupils.

"Unbelievable," Fukasaku looked him up and down for the sign of even a single blemish on his skin. There were none. "No toad features to be seen… you've done it, lad. Perfect sagehood."

"Naruto," Jiraiya breathed out. "You did it! H-How? What exactly happened in the forest?"

"Didn't I tell ya this morning?" Naruto shot up to his feet with a beaming smile on his face. "That was the key… I needed to become one with nature."

"See? I told ya," Fukasaku nodded with his arms crossed proudly at his chest. "Now… you!" He then pointed his staff at his older student.

"Uhh… what?" The staff was so close to his nose that it inadvertently crossed Jiraiya's eyes.

'Thwack!'

"O-Ow!" Jiraiya nursed the brand-new bump on the top of his head. "What the hell was that for, Boss?! The last one just finished healing!"

"Get your ass in that forest this instant and become one with nature!" Fukasaku gestured in that direction with his trusty staff.

"B-But–"

"Don't you 'but' me, Jiraiya-boy. You'd be wise to take a page out of Naruto-boy's book and listen to your master once in a while."

Naruto watched on silently in utter amusement.

"Naruto just perfected Sage Mode!" Jiraiya pointed at him for added effect. "Can't I congratulate my Godson and tell him how proud I am first!"

"No!"

'Thwack!'

"Ow!"

"There will be time for that later," Fukasaku's demeanor was a mix of playful amusement, and strict seriousness; altogether, it made things very confusing for Jiraiya to understand what exactly was happening. "Now that Naruto-boy has mastered Sage Mode, the two of us will begin training in Frog Kata immediately. You need to work even harder now to catch up."

Jiraiya looked to Naruto for help, but he could only offer a powerless shrug. He sighed deeply, stood up, and looked at them one last time before he slowly walked into the forest with his head down.

"We can talk later!" Naruto yelled after him.

"Do ya think I was too hard on him?" Fukasaku asked honestly.

"Nah," Naruto waved off his master's concern. "Jiraiya's got a thick skin and knows you only meant well. If anything, I think it'll motivate him even more to take that next step."

"Yeah, there aren't many out there with a bigger chip on their shoulder than Jiraiya-boy. The two of you share that quality." They smiled at one another before Naruto's stomach rumbled loud enough to cause both of them to break out into laughter.

"Hungry, huh? Shall we take a break and see what Ma is cookin' up for lunch?"

"Didn't you just tell Sensei that we needed to start training 'Frog Katas' now?" Naruto asked with a raised eyebrow.

"On an empty stomach? What am I– evil?" Fukasaku dismissed his concern with a hand wave. "Besides, you deserve a break for all that you've accomplished."

"I don't know…what if Sensei is hungry? Shouldn't we wait until he's done with his training so we can all eat together?"

"Ya know, Ma liked that ramen you made the other day so much that she took a trip to the Leaf this morning to rustle up the stuff to make it again. She's probably finishing up with it right now."

"Oh, hell yeah," Naruto got to his feet so fast a breeze blew through Fukasaku's beard. "Let's go, I'm starving!"

Kisame had flown a bit too close to the sun his entire life. It was the way his brain was wired. Life was like a big game, and he knew the only way to end up on top in the end was to rig it in your favor. In a world that almost required you to cheat, steal, kill, and lie to survive, Kisame chose to do what any reasonable person in his situation would. He cheated, stole, killed, and lied. That reality had slowly manifested into a deep-rooted hatred for himself and the Shinobi World. And yet, he sauntered through this world of lies ready to do anything to make it to the other side.

The way he lived inevitably led to the formation of some nasty habits– one of them being the urge to play with his food far longer than humanely necessary. The thrill of the hunt was taken to the extreme, and Kisame adopted a sadistic approach toward his enemies. It both satisfied the monster he became and allowed him to seize control back from this chaotic and unforgiving world that seemed to only take from those born into it. Little did he know that this mindset only perpetuated the cycle he would come to loathe. If this brazen and cruel approach to his existence were to eventually be his undoing, no one who knew him even a little would be terribly surprised.

Kakuzu arrived on the scene and was greeted by a grizzly sight. There was blood splattered everywhere, along with what he recognized as chunks of flesh spread out around where the reptile appeared. The emergence of the white snake released unbelievable amounts of energy– far too much for someone to be so close to it. As resilient and tenacious as he was, Kisame's tired and weakened body never stood a chance. His story had ended the same way he lived.

Too close to the sun, and he was finally burned for it.

"Orochimaru!" Kakuzu's typically stoic nature was replaced by anger and rage, though it tempered somewhat when he saw Sasuke's limp body poking out slightly behind the massive creature. He hadn't arrived too late. "Show yourself!"

"My, my," The jaws of the snake's center head unhinged as two arms quickly protruded from it. A saliva-covered Orochimaru slowly emerged until everything above his torso was visible. He had on his standard attire. "Kakuzu, I'm a bit surprised to see you here. Does this mean you defeated Kakashi and the girl?"

"Don't speak to me as if you're still one of us," Kakuzu's elongated arms swayed back and forth in front of him. Even though he was in his long-range form, he'd appeared ready to close the distance quickly. "You traitorous filth– I had hoped I would be the one to get my hands on you once you re-emerged."

"I'm giving you one chance to walk away, Kakuzu," Orochimaru warned as the seven other heads of the serpent thrashed around angrily. "Don't be a fool, or you'll face the same fate Kisame did."

To Orochimaru's noticeable dismay, the mouth of the fire mask opened.

"Fire Style: Searing Migraine!" The roaring flames consumed the beast before it could react. If Sasuke were killed in the crossfire Orochimaru's ambitions would be crushed, which meant there was no reason to hold back. The flames intensified as Kakuzu pumped even more chakra into the attack. The forest and wildlife in its wake were ravaged by the inferno the Jutsu produced.

Kakuzu cut off the flow and leaped back just as the Snake emerged from the ash and smoke seemingly unharmed.

"Such a pathetic Jutsu," Orochimaru, now perched on top of the center snake head, Snake Sword in hand, said tauntingly. "Did you really think something as weak as that could hurt the likes of me!?"

"Not exactly," Kakuzu didn't bother to move from his spot and instead watched calmly as the serpent quickly closed the distance between them. "I just needed to draw your attention."

Orochimaru's eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"CHA!"

"What?!" Orochimaru looked up just in time to see a familiar pink-haired kunoichi descend on him rapidly. He quickly raised his blade to intercept. "Hm, you're much too slow."

Sakura couldn't react in mid-air and watched helplessly as the legendary blade pierced through her chest. Orochimaru's cackle caught in his throat when he caught sight of the symbol on the girl's forehead.

'What?! Impossible, that's–' A fist colliding with his cheek cut his thought short.

"Take this, you damn bastard!" Sakura put forth every ounce of effort possible to deliver a devastating punch. She felt the bones in his skull fracture and splinter from the sheer force of her attack. Orochimaru left his weapon behind and was sent flying back into the incinerated forest. Sakura landed gracefully, then quickly removed the blade from her chest and tossed it to the side. Now that the forehead mark that she had previously kept hidden was activated, the normally fatal wound closed up with little to no worry. "Alright, not done yet."

She looked down to where she knew Sasuke to be to see Kakashi pick the teen up fireman's carry and retreat in the opposite direction. With its master now gone, the beast started to thrash around angrily in retaliation. Sakura stumbled slightly but ultimately maintained her balance, summoned up more chakra in her fist, and slammed it into the top of its head.

The seven other heads roared in a mix of anger and pain as the eighth one collapsed harshly onto the ground. Sakura rode the bumpy wave down but retreated as well when the others lunged at her.

Her regroup with Kakashi was interrupted by a very unwelcome guest.

"Back up," Kakashi put himself protectively between Sasuke's still limp body and that of Kakuzu. "You're not touching him as long as I'm still breathing."

"You're a fool," Kakuzu responded aggressively. "If Orochimaru manages to steal that boy's body, then we won't be strong enough to stand against him in our weakened states. For that reason, the boy must die now."

Sakura joined her sensei's side and dropped down to one knee right over Sasuke. Her palms started to glow a pale green when placed on his chest. She, too, looked at their reluctant ally with emerald eyes filled with defiant range. "Make one move toward Sasuke, and you'll be a stain on the ground before you can even blink."

Kakuzu's eyes narrowed at the sight of Mito Uzumaki's seal on the girl's forehead. It brought back memories of shame from his encounter with the First Hokage many years ago. "Fine– have it your way," He grunted reluctantly. Even if he were confident in his chances against them, they would all need to work together to get rid of Orochimaru once and for all. "Let's just hope your foolishness is not our undoing."

They watched as the serpent head that Sakura killed disintegrated, leaving only seven remaining. Orochimaru was back on top of the beast– the look in his eyes was nothing short of crazy. "Sasuke's body will be mine! You're just pathetic ants to be crushed at my feet! My ambitions will not end here, not when I have everything I've ever wanted at my fingertips!" His tone was unhinged to the point where he was barely recognizable from the calm and collected master manipulator they had known. The trio had little time to give it much thought before he rushed them.

"You've always been pathetic, Orochimaru," Kakuzu stepped forward as more threads exploded from his arms which wrapped around each individual snake to immobilize them.

"What?!" Orochimaru spat in disbelief at his advances being so easily halted. His eyes widened when the tendrils snaked their way up and latched onto him as well. "No!"

Kakuzu detached the threads used in his attack from his body and borrowed them deep into the ground. The mouth of his water mask cracked open. "Copy Ninja, give me lightning," Kakashi wordlessly placed his hand on Kakuzu's back and funneled his chakra into him. "Water Style: Ripping Torrent."

A spiraling typhoon of electric-charged water slammed into the beast. The monster roared, screamed, and thrashed around in pain, but the threads held strong and kept it tethered as it was bombarded with the collaborative Jutsu.

Sakura watched with an analytical eye as Orochimaru, too, screamed in pain. It appeared genuine, which surprised her. To her knowledge, Orochimaru had numerous techniques at his disposal that he could use to evade this onslaught. The Orochimaru-style substitution that Lady Tsunade had told her about came to mind. If he was capable of such things, why not use them right now?

"Something about him is just off… he seems severely weakened," Sakura relayed her findings while maintaining the mystic palm technique on her friend. "Sasuke didn't 'kill' him, but it seems to have done some lasting damage."

"I was thinking the same thing," Kakashi admitted. "I couldn't help but notice that the Curse Mark on Sasuke's neck was gone; he must have emerged from it when Sasuke's chakra levels ran critically low. My guess is that while he's always desperately wanted Sasuke's body– right now he needs a body. The one he inhabited before had been destroyed, which means that he doesn't have a host to tether himself to the physical world."

"If that's true, then he doesn't have long to live if we can keep him at bay," Kakuzu chimed in. During this entire time, both Kakuzu and Kakashi had not relented in their combination assault. "Sasori did extensive research into the Immortality Jutsu Orochimaru utilizes. Without a host to contain his spirit, his strength will gradually deteriorate until there is nothing left. We just need to hold him off until then."

"Easier said than done," Kakashii winced. His breath had become noticeably more labored, as well. "I'm running low on chakra, and this attack won't be enough to take him down."

"You Leaf Ninja are so weak and fragile," Kakuzu did not hide the disdain in his voice. "If you fall now, we will–" He looked down when something rumbled beneath his feet. "What?!"

Orochimaru's head emerged from the ground, a sword extended from his mouth. Sakura could only watch in shock as Kakuzu and Kakashi were skewered by the blade. The 'body' perched atop the serpent crumbled away. He had managed to shed his skin and launch a counterattack.

Kakuzu and Kakashi's masks were coated crimson as they coughed up blood.

"Hehehe," Orochimaru cackled maliciously. "What this body lacks in stopping power, it more than makes up for in durability and resistance. You fools can't hope to kill me as you are. Your only chance of survival is to hand over Sasuke's body and pray that I am kind enough to spare your lives afterward."

"I-I can't move," Kakuzu grunted out. The blade was driven straight through his heart. As long as the other two of his hearts were still attached to his body and beating, he was not in danger of dying.

"M-Me too," Kakashi replied. Being shorter than Kakuzu, the normally fatal blow missed and pierced through the upper portion of his chest. "Must b-be a Paralysis Jutsu."

The serpent, no longer suppressed by Kakashi's Lightning Style, broke free from the threads that bound it. Sakura knelt there, stunned; there wasn't a Jutsu in her arsenal that could take out that monster in one shot. Even with the release of her seal, she'd have to take each head out one at a time. And if she were to leave Sasuke's side… Orochimaru could snatch him away forever.

What could she do in this situation? She didn't think, didn't ponder, didn't even question the impossibility of the situation. Sakura simply reacted– standing to her feet in a flash, lunging at her target. Orochimaru's head was just hovering there, vulnerable and asking to be severed from its neck.

Orochimaru saw this and retreated back toward the underground tunnel he made. Sakura continued her pursuit with murderous intent until she felt a hand tug on her shoulder. Orochimaru's predatory eyes widened.

"Amaterasu!"

Sakura looked behind her. Sasuke sat there with labored breathing, but seemingly conscious and coherent.

"RAGHHHHHH!"

She turned once again to see the serpent consumed by a chasm of black flames. It flailed around helplessly smashing into rocks and trees to try and extinguish the inextinguishable Jutsu.

"Burn," Sasuke said with stoic contempt. He turned his attention to his old master, whose entire body had quickly risen from the ground. "You're next– ugh!" His eye started to twitch and he instinctively started to rub it with an open palm.

Sakura saw this and quickly got behind him to continue the Mystic Palm treatment on his back. They would need his abilities if they wanted to get rid of the snake once and for all.

"Sasuke…" Orochimaru was practically shaking with anticipation. Years of preparation had finally culminated in this perfect moment. Yes, his body was weakened considerably, but so was everyone else. There wasn't much time left before his feeble form would give out on him. This was the perfect moment, and there was no way he would waste it! "Your body will be mine!"

He lunged forward, but Sasuke had recovered just enough to counter. Their eyes met, and everything stopped. Orochimaru was still completely cognizant of their surroundings, but his body refused to listen to any commands. His eyes darted around desperately and humiliating memories of attempts to steal Itachi's body flooded back.

"I-Is this Genjutsu? I can't move!"

"You're no match for the Mangekyo Sharingan, Orochimaru," Sasuke spat. "It's over, your ambition ends now. I'll make sure of it this time."

"What magnificent eyes… the Uchiha truly are the ultimate Shinobi."

"Kakashi!" Sasuke called out. Do it, now!"

"Right," Kakashi has since recovered from his paralysis and wasted no time in gathering chakra into his eye. When his target was stationary, success was imminent.

"Kamui!"

"What, impossible!" Orochimaru felt himself being pulled into absolute oblivion. Eyes wide, he couldn't believe what they were seeing. "Kakashi, you too–"

His words were cut short when his body was fully consumed by Kakahsi's Jutsu. An eerie silence fell over them as if no one wanted to believe it was really over.

Kakashi fell to one knee and let out a fatigued groan.

"Sensei!" Sakura's worried shout was quickly dismissed by her teacher's dismissive wave.

"I-I'm alright, Sakura. Nothing some rest won't fix, haha." That was when a splitting pain reminded him of the wound in his chest. "Oh, and some Medical Ninjutsu if you don't mind." He finished sheepishly.

Sasuke waved off any more assistance from Sakura and stood up. The conscious three members of Team Kakashi now looked toward their enemy warily.

"Is this something you want to finish?" Kakuzu asked. "Do you lot think you can handle it?"

"It's three against one," Sakura countered. "You're at a massive disadvantage."

"Hm, is that right?"

"If you leave right now we won't follow you."

"Kakashi-Sensei?!" Sakura was shocked. They had the perfect opportunity to kill him right now. Her next words died in her throat when she saw the look in her teacher's eyes. "What are you–"

'Do not say another word.'

Kakashi exchanged a knowing look with the man. Kakuzu stood there for a moment to evaluate his situation, then chuckled mirthlessly before turning around to leave.

"Given the circumstances, I'll agree to these terms just this once. Just know that next time, Leaf brats, you won't be so lucky." These were Kakuzu's final words before he disappeared into a plume of smoke without a trace.

They waited a moment in silence to confirm that he had stayed true to his word and left. Once Kakashi's nose was satisfied that they were alone, he let out a relieved sigh.

"Why did we let him go?" Sakura was utterly lost. "There were three of us to his one, and he only had two hearts remaining! It would have been almost a sure thing!"

"Sakura…"

"And now he's going to kill to get back his stock of five hearts! We'll have to kill him five times all over again the next time!"

"Sakura…"

"And another thing, are we actually sure Orochimaru is dead this time?! I mean, how can we ever be sure with that asshole?! Am I the only one around here that's sane?! What is going on–"

"Sakura!"

The girl in question blinked.

'Thud!'

Sakura looked to her left. Sasuke had collapsed, once again unconscious. Her gaze shifted to where the snake had been. It had been reduced completely to ash, but the black flames were surprisingly gone. Her attention shifted once again to Kakashi, who was also barely conscious. She quickly rushed over to him, her palms already glowing a faint green.

"You knew he was going to do that, didn't you Sensei?" She asked quietly.

"It was a masterful bluff by Sasuke, but I knew him well enough to see right through it," Kakashi explained. "That last Amaterasu, and then suppressing the flames so they didn't spread toward us was all that he had left. I would have been useless if Kakuzu decided to attack. All of the chakra I used earlier, and Kamui on top of that? I'm pretty much at my limit. You would have been by yourself in that fight, and that's much less of a guarantee than I'm comfortable with. A stalemate was our best option."

They sat in silence for what seemed like minutes while her Jutsu slowly worked on mending his battered body.

"I'll never doubt you again, Kakashi-Sensei. I'm sorry."

"Yes you will," He replied with a weak laugh. "And that's okay, I wouldn't change a thing about any of my adorable students. You guys make me better."

They shared a good laugh at that and would enjoy this minute of respite before planning their next moves.

It was late.

From her view out the window, the village was as still and quiet as can be. Recent events have left people a bit… on edge, so the Leaf's nightlife has deteriorated somewhat. Bar and restaurant owners had complained to the leadership that business during peak times had plummeted over the last few months. Concerns of the Akatsuki infiltration and Root's rebellion were at the forefront of everyone's mind; word had swept through the ranks that, maybe, the village wasn't safe right now– especially with a lot of the heavy hitters currently out on missions. Who was there left to protect them in the case of what felt like another inevitable emergency? Shikaku Nara and the ANBU had repeatedly stressed that security was their top priority and that it was safe to live as they had in the past, but that did little to calm things down. It would take time, and her role as Hokage was to ensure things quickly returned to the status quo.

That was until she received word by Messenger Hawk today. A pit had formed in her stomach when she saw who the letter was from. Tsunade knew this day would finally come, and had dreaded it more than anything.

Mifune, the esteemed Samurai General of the Land of Iron, has summoned her and the other Kage there for a Five Kage Summit in two weeks' time. She could tell by his language that this was not a request, but a demand Mifune had passed on from three of the other Kage. With the help of Gaara and the Land of Wind, they were able to stall and push this meeting off for more time than she could have ever hoped for. The other leaders were still furious at Naruto and the waves his book had caused in their lands and forced the issue until they could no longer be ignored. Gaara had been upset as well with the book and his friend, though he still chose to help Tsunade in her time of need. His friendship with Naruto was far too strong to be thrown away over this, though they would eventually need to sit down and have a discussion.

While Ay and Mei were understandably enraged, her intel through the grapevine was that the Tsuchikage wanted Naruto's head delivered to her on a silver platter for the damage he caused. According to Mifune's letter, the Land of Earth had even gone as far as to threaten war if a Five Kage Summit wasn't forced within the next month. Mifune, as the neutral moderator of these discussions, could no longer allow the Lands of Fire and Wind to delay things any longer.

It was happening, and they had better be there if they wanted a chance to end things peacefully.

Tsunade's relationships with the other Kage were complicated. As women in positions of power, there was a natural level of respect between her and the Mizukage. The Raikage could be an aggressive hothead, but so could she and there was an unspoken understanding between them about it. The Tsuchikage, however, was what worried her. This ran deeper than temperament– it was deeply personal. So personal, in fact, Tsunade had been instructed by Shikaku and her team to prepare for the worst. Like the captain of a sinking ship, she needed to tell her panicked passengers that there was nothing to worry about. Meanwhile, they were sinking– and sinking fast. The villagers were already in a subdued state of panic. Emergency after emergency, security breach after security breach, disaster after disaster…

How could she possibly tell them that war could be on the horizon?

The plan had been to stall long enough to eliminate the Akatsuki threat. Maybe if the Leaf had something positive to show the rest of the world it would help to smooth things over on the path to an alliance.

It had been a couple days since she had received a status report from Team Kakashi. Their mission was mostly successful. The death of Kisame Hoshigake was confirmed– and while the one called Hidan's fate was uncertain, they were optimistic and would confirm when more information was known. The team was currently holed up recovering from their injuries in an old Sound Village hideout in the Land of Earth.

Kakuzu had gotten away, and Orochimaru had somehow emerged for hopefully the final time in a failed attempt to take Sasuke's body. Not ideal by any means, but certainly a win for the Leaf Village against the Akatsuki.

If Jiraiya and Naruto's mission into the Hidden Rain turned out to be a smashing success… there was hope for them yet.

Yes, things were finally looking up.

A chilly breeze suddenly ran through her hair. Her eyes shot up from the scattered papers on her desk– surprised. She hadn't left the door or windows open.

"It's been a long time, Lady Tsunade."

"You're… that boy," It was like seeing a ghost from a past she had long since tried to forget. And those eyes, they couldn't be… "Yahiko?"

Spiky orange hair, numerous facial piercings, and the ripple-patterned eyes Jiraiya had perfectly described to her known as the Rinnegan. And yet, they didn't belong to the boy that Jiraiya had insisted awakened them.

The man seemed to disregard the question and instead posed his own. "Don't you think the two of us have some important matters to discuss?"

Author's Note: This chapter is a personal favorite of mine. One conflict seemingly ends, and another begins. How did Pain get into the Leaf, and what is he planning to achieve by confronting Tsunade like this?

Naruto has finally mastered Sage Mode, and Jiraiya is trying to follow suit. Will it be enough to deal with the remnants of the Akatsuki?

Thanks again to all my readers/reviewers. Let me know your thoughts if you feel so inclined and don't forget to give "Naruto – Sun and Moon" by Salty Leclerc a chance. You won't regret it!

My discord invite is on my profile, PM me if you try it and it doesn't work.

Until next time with Chapter 57: "Project Matsuura!"

Adventreader221 - You'll get the answers you desire eventually...

Addllax - Very appreciative as always!

Ky111 - Happy you've enjoyed the action. Did you expect Team Kakashi's fight to go that way?

Lilthug - Kabuto was able to become extremely powerful using Sage Mode, so I think if it was in someone like Kakashi's hand he'd go to another level. Kisame is another one who would be a huge problem with Sage Mode. Not sure if they'd reach KCM SM Naruto though.

AliasTesin - Thanks for the kind words. Hearing that people love the character focus always brings a smile to my face.

HMDouglas - Wow 3 days, that's impressive. Thanks for giving it a chance even though you've soured on other fics with similar takes on Naruto! Hopefully I can keep you engaged until the end.