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 57: Going Sideways

Sasuke hadn't taken his eyes off Namiko for a moment, watching the steady glow of her chakra and the chakra of their children. The kyuubi's chakra suddenly dimmed and he noticed Namiko's breathing change right as Naruto stretched his arms up victoriously. "Yeah!"

Yamato immediately questioned him, "What happened? How'd it go?"

"Oh ya know, a lot of this, a lot of that," replied Naruto.

Killer Bee gave a confident smirk as he bumped fists with Naruto. "Yo! I can see it, I get it! And I totally understand. Your face is calm, completely bland. Good for you, especially when you used it in that situation."

Yamato's eyes darted between Killer Bee and Naruto. "Would you two please explain?"

"Does that mean you have control of the kyuubi?" asked Hinata timidly.

Naruto smiled at her. "Yup! I stored the kyuubi's chakra in a place different from mine, so I'm not using it all the time."

Namiko turned her head, looking over her shoulder at Sasuke with a bright smile. "I feel like I finally don't have the kyuubi's voice whispering and grumbling in my mind anymore."

Sasuke's gaze softened at the sight of Namiko's smile, a true look of peace washing over her features. He stepped closer, his Sharingan still active as he scanned her chakra one more time, ensuring there was no lingering turbulence. Satisfied, he let his eyes return to their onyx hue. "You okay?" he asked as he reached out his hand.

"Never better," she replied as she accepted his hand and slowly stood with a soft groan. "Especially since we got to see our mom for a while. She walked us through the sealing and we were able to talk to her for a while." She let out a happy sigh as she leaned against Sasuke's shoulder, lowering her voice, "I'll tell you more later."

Sasuke rested his hand on the small of Namiko's back, steadying her as she leaned into him. He breathed slowly and deeply, a subtle sign of his internal relief that this situation was over. "Good," he murmured, his voice low but carrying a depth that only Namiko could recognize.

Naruto grinned widely, scratching the back of his head. "Kaa-chan really came through for us, didn't she, Namiko?" His eyes sparkled, a mix of joy and lingering emotion from the encounter. "She's even more amazing than I imagined. I think you take a lot after her."

"Really? I'm not sure I see it other than her looks." Namiko chuckled softly. "Though you definitely got her big personality and verbal tics."

Naruto crossed his arms, mock pouting. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. You've got her stubbornness, imouto."

"I'll take that as a compliment," replied Namiko with a wink.

"So, how does locking the kyuubi's chakra work?" asked Yamato, his eyes darting between the siblings, obviously anxious to know more.

"We were able to separate the kyuubi's will from its chakra, so no more risk of gaining 'tails' and becoming unpredictable," explained Namiko.

"So, all I have to do is tap into the chakra that I've stored away in there and," Naruto paused as he activated the kyuubi's chakra, a flame-like visible chakra surrounding his body, "it looks like this."

Yamato was openly impressed as the totems near them began to grow branches and full leaves. "Wow, it's so full of life energy…it's even affecting my Wood Style."

Sasuke's eyes widened slightly in surprise before glancing down at Namiko, concern slightly tinting his voice, "You can do that too?"

Namiko tilted her head thoughtfully. "I haven't tried yet, but I could access the chakra easily if I wanted to. However, I don't know what it could do to the babies."

"I wouldn't suggest it," said Hinata, actively scanning Naruto and Namiko with her Byakugan, "It's a lot of power. It would have to be done incrementally and Namiko still doesn't have great control over her own chakra right now, so I don't think handling a more volatile chakra would be a good idea."

Just as Hinata was about to deactivate her Byakugan, Naruto narrowed his eyes toward Killer Bee. "You really think you can hide from me now?"

"Are you sensing another chakra here?" asked Yamato.

"Yeah, he senses another presence, that I didn't was careless of me, I must do penance," rapped Killer Bee.

Namiko activated her chakra sensing and shrugged. "I don't sense anyone but us. What's going on, nii-chan?"

"It's not chakra…it feels hazy, but it's something else. Something sinister. And it's coming from your blade!" exclaimed Naruto as he pointed at Killer Bee's sword, Samehada.

Hinata scanned the blade. "I see it! You did well blending your body and chakra into the blade, but you've been found, there's no sense in hiding."

The sword began to move of its own accord, spikes bursting through the bandages surrounding it and a familiar head popping out of the tip of the sword. Namiko gasped as Sasuke pulled her behind him, his Sharingan instantly active and he easily recognized his brother's former partner. "Kisame?"

"It appears you can sense hate and other negative emotions. That doesn't fit any known sensory type, so it must be the power of a jinchuriki who has achieved control over the kyuubi," said Kisame from within the sword.

"Hey! You're the Akatsuki shark guy!" shouted Killer Bee. "But how? I thought we chopped your head off way back. How did you evade me and my brother's tag team attack?"

"Oh, it was quite simple! I merely switched places while we battled inside the bubble of water," explained Kisame. "You killed my clone."

"But clones simply disappear when you hit 'em hard enough, and the corpse still remained post-mortem, no question," said Killer Bee, "If someone else had transformed into you, my buddy Cee would have sensed it for sure."

Kisame smiled menacingly. "It was a very special kind of clone, a parasitic clone that can be remotely operated by the caster. Well, we'll leave it at that for now. But being in this situation? Three jinchuriki, a Wood Style user, a Hyuuga, and Itachi's baby brother? That's tough, even for me." He backed up, pressing a notch in the wall with one of the spikes surrounding him.

"No way! How'd you figure out the way to open the door to this room?" asked Killer Bee as the heavy door once again opened.

"Now that's a silly question. After all, I did come here as a spy, you know." Kisame with Samehada quickly maneuvered away, almost floating toward the exit.

Naruto flashed forward so fast that even Sasuke had trouble following his movements with his Sharingan. Naruto slammed into Kisame, causing rubble to spray from the temple wall. "First at bat, quite a smash, that was just like the Yellow Flash," rapped Killer Bee.

Kisame coughed up blood as he slipped out from under Naruto's fist and out the temple door. Naruto tried to go after him, but he couldn't move his leg. "Oh come on! I hit the wall too hard and now I'm stuck here!"

Yamato turned to Killer Bee. "Please go after Kisame while I help Naruto."

"Leave the chase to me, and I'll catch him in a jiffy," he said as he followed Kisame.

Sasuke looked at Namiko. "Stay with Yamato and Hinata. I'm going after him too."

She shook her head, gripping his wrist tightly. "Sasuke, don't. You know as well as I do, he's not someone to be taken lightly. You should remember what he was like the first time we met him."

"Back then I was just a kid with an immature Sharingan, but he doesn't know that I have the Mangekyo now." No sooner did he finish his words, did the pattern of his eyes begin to change. "And who said I was going to take him lightly?" Before she could argue, he was following Kisame and Killer Bee.

Namiko narrowed her eyes at the empty doorframe before sighing as she looked up at Naruto disapprovingly. "Really, nii-chan? You're not otou-san, or me for that matter; you're not used to that much speed yet."

Naruto glared right back at his sister. "Shut up…and get me down from here…please?"

"Leaf Rock Crushing Square!"

Killer Bee emerged from the waterfall just in time to see Kisame be kicked into the mountainside of the waterfall by Gai. "What do you mean that wasn't my true self?" asked Gai.

"Go on and take a good look. That's clearly not you! The moment you open your eyes, you leave the Waterfall of Truth," explained Aoba.

Gai peered through the dust and debris. "Huh…wait, isn't that…a puffer fish?"

"I see that you're still dumber than a beast…" taunted Kisame but let out a pained groan as Samehada separated from him. "Damn you…"

Kisame was in an emaciated and weakened state, which Motoi and Aoba took note of immediately. "He's that shark man who was paired up with Itachi in the Akatsuki, but he looks quite debilitated," said Aoba.

"How did he even get here?" asked Motoi.

"He's an Akatsuki spy! If he gets away with intel on us, shameful, oh my!" Killer Bee said as Samehada swam to Killer Bee's side and chattered in his ear. "Yeah, I see, I see; he forced you, didn't he?"

"Man, that thing is creepy," muttered Aoba to Motoi.

The sentient sword bit down on Killer Bee's arm, and he chuckled in amusement. "Hey now! Your affection is a bit rough, but what can I say, I'm popular, life's tough."

While everyone was distracted by the sight in front of them, Kisame slipped into the water, diving deep underneath and gripping Samehada's handle, allowing him to drain Killer Bee's chakra under the protection of the water.

Sasuke burst through the waterfall, quickly taking in the bizarre scene in front of him. "You idiot! Kisame is draining your chakra through the sword!" he yelled as Killer Bee sank to the ground and Samehada let go of his arm.

Kisame emerged from the water and Aoba acted on impulse, attacking using two kunai attached to chakra wires. "I'll gather intel from him! Hidden Jutsu: Stone Needles!" Kisame used the opportunity to drain his chakra and Aoba collapsed as well.

"Konoha Hurricane!" Gai charged at Kisame with a well-aimed kick but was swatted away as if he were a fly.

Kisame made a handful of signs. "Water Style, Shark Bomb Jutsu!" A shark made of water rose from the pond and easily knocked away Gai and Aoba again before scooping up Kisame and attempting to fly away inside the jutsu.

However, Sasuke was quick to react as blood began trickling from his Mangekyo Sharingan. "Amaterasu!" he growled, his voice sharp with focus.

Black flames erupted on the water shark, licking hungrily at its surface and forcing it to disperse mid-air. The water hissed into steam as the intense heat consumed it, leaving Kisame exposed and tumbling back toward the ground.

Kisame redirected and landed on the water's surface with a grunt, coughing as his body struggled to rise. "Damn you," Kisame spat, his eyes narrowing at Sasuke. "I see you have Itachi's power, though it seems you're still getting used to it or you would've killed me."

"No, I chose to spare you. You have intel on the Akatsuki and you're more valuable alive," explained Sasuke.

Kisame slammed his fist onto the water's surface. "Summoning Jutsu!" Calling forth a large flesh and blood shark, he then pulled out a scroll from his mouth and gave it to the shark.

But before it could swallow the scroll, the black flames of Amaterasu gripped the shark's back as it began to consume the creature, causing it to drop the scroll.

"You're not passing anything on to Madara or the Akatsuki." Sasuke smirked as Kisame locked eyes with him. "You think just because you knew my brother, you know me. That couldn't be further from the truth. Enjoy being stuck in hell…" He put Kisame under a heavy genjutsu, leaving his body useless as the flames of Amaterasu consumed the shark summons.

The rest of the group burst through the waterfall, making note of the state of things. Killer Bee and Aoba trying to sit up after their chakra was drained and Gai helping Motoi to his feet while Sasuke stood at the edge of the pond dragging Kisame to land.

"What the hell happened?" asked Naruto, clearly bewildered, pointing to a shark being consumed by the flames of Amaterasu.

Gai walked up behind Sasuke, slapping him firmly on his shoulder before picking up the fallen scroll. "Sasuke here was just showing off the Power of Youth!"

Yamato used Wood Style to form specialized stocks to hold Kisame for Aoba to extract intel from him. "You took care of him on your own?" He asked in surprise, obviously impressed. "Kisame has quite the reputation."

Sasuke shrugged, walking toward Namiko. "He underestimated me. I used Amaterasu and stuck him in a genjutsu. He shouldn't wake up for a long time."

Yamato, Gai, and Aoba worked on securing Kisame's unconscious body with the wooden stocks, while Killer Bee regained enough energy to stand, clutching Samehada as it wriggled in his grasp.

Namiko wrapped her hand around his wrist, lowering her voice so that only he could hear, "Are you okay? You didn't overuse the Mangekyo, right?" She eyed the blood streaking down his cheeks warily.

"No, I'm fine, I promise." Sasuke reached up to wipe the blood from his cheeks, brushing off her concern with a small smirk. "This is nothing."

Namiko huffed softly, crossing her arms over her stomach and giving a disapproving look. "Says the one bleeding from his eyes."

Before Sasuke could argue, Naruto came over, limping slightly from her hurt ankle. "Man, Sasuke, you really didn't hold back, huh? Amaterasu and a genjutsu? Overkill much?"

Sasuke shot him a flat look. "He's an Akatsuki member. We can't afford to be lenient."

Naruto rubbed the back of his neck, grinning sheepishly. "Yeah, okay, fair point. But next time, I'm taking the lead. It's my turn to show off."

"Focus on not getting stuck in walls first, nii-chan," Namiko teased lightly, earning a loud groan from Naruto and a small giggle from Hinata.

Killer Bee, having recovered enough to stand, approached with Samehada hovering nearby. "That sword's got a wild streak, but it's on my team. We'll make sure ol' Shark Boy doesn't have another scheme."

Everyone gathered near Aoba as he laid his hand on the unconscious Kisame's head stuck in the stocks. "If this goes well, we'll have the Akatsuki's plans and other information. I'm not as adept as Inoichi, but I'm going in for intel."

Aoba was silent for several minutes while he searched for something useful. Suddenly, Kisame let out a growl as blood spurted out of his mouth, his eyes firmly shut. Aoba leaned back, panicked. "He willed himself awake by biting off his own tongue!"

"Sasuke! Put him back under genjutsu!" yelled Yamato.

Sasuke snapped back, "I can't do anything with his eyes closed! He was Itachi's partner in the Akatsuki; Itachi probably showed him how to break and avoid our genjutsu."

The thick wood of the stocks began to crack as Kisame struggled against them. Within a matter of seconds, he broke free, flinging Aoba back and causing everyone to step back due to his flaring chakra. Sasuke instantly scooped up Namiko and set her down a good distance away, standing in front of her protectively.

"He shouldn't have been able to break free! My Wood Style was suppressing his chakra...how can he have that much left?" said Yamato in shock.

"We need to recapture him alive! It's our last chance! We need his intel!" shouted Aoba as he got back up.

"I'll get him!" Gai charged at Kisame, but the Akatsuki member had other plans. Kisame inhaled and blew out water, creating a thick-walled bubble of water that Gai was unable to pierce, and a moment later sharks appeared inside the bubble with him.

"That's the Water Prison Jutsu!" shouted Naruto.

"No need to panic, look at the situation he's in," explained Yamato as he began creating wood from his palms. "He can't do anything. I'll take care of him!"

However, in a spit second, the sharks inside began biting and ripping Kisame into pieces until he was no more. The bubble burst and the sharks fell to the ground covered in blood before disappearing altogether.

Hinata gasped. "Did he just…?"

Naruto had a solemn look on his face. "He killed himself instead of giving up intel on his comrades. I guess even some of the Akatsuki are loyal to their own."

"An admirable foe," said Gai, laying his hand on Naruto's shoulder. "A shinobi's life is measured by the manner of his death. Hoshigaki Kisame, I will remember you the rest of my life…"

Gai cleared his throat as he produced the scroll the shark dropped earlier. "In any event, we've averted our intel from being leaked to the Akatsuki."

"We should confirm the contents of the scroll. If we find out what they were interested in, perhaps we can counter them," suggested Motoi.

"Yes, you're right," agreed Gai as he began to open the scroll. "What—?" A massive amount of water poured out of the scroll and over everyone around Gai, forming water prisons around each of them but Namiko and Sasuke were the only ones far enough away from the booby trap to be unaffected.

Sharks soon joined each trapped shinobi inside the bubbles. One grabbed the scroll from Gai's hands and created its own bubble, trying to head for the sea.

Sasuke wasn't taking chances. His Mangekyo Sharingan swirled to life and Amaterasu instantly turned the water to steam, and the shark dropped the scroll before bursting into black flames.

"Sasuke, should you really be using Amaterasu again?" Namiko's eyes were wide in concern. "Why don't you just use Great Fireball or another Fire Style Jutsu?"

"Because I can't control my Fire Style as intricately as Amaterasu, and I could burn them." He turned to their friends who were struggling to break the Water Prison Jutsu. "Just trust me on this."

Namiko didn't say another word, but watched nervously as he used Amaterasu to carefully steam away the large bubbles of water and leaving everyone unscathed.

As he got to the last bubble which had Naruto inside, he hesitated, blinking several times. He took several large steps forward to get closer to Naruto. He squeezed his eyes shut before opening them wide, trying to focus his vision. He knew he couldn't wait much longer or Naruto could drown and he launched Amaterasu again.

The water surrounding Naruto began to steam as it was consumed by the flames, but right as the bubble collapsed allowing Naruto freedom, the black flames leapt onto his jacket, causing Naruto to rip it off in a hurry.

"Sasuke," Naruto shouted as he walked toward Sasuke and Namiko, "Not that I'm not thankful for being freed but did you have to set my jacket on fire in the process?"

Sasuke groaned, covering his eyes with his hands. "I wasn't trying to—"

Namiko came up from behind and grabbed his hands, turning him to look at her. "Sasuke, look me in the eyes." As he finally moved his hands, a gasp escaped her lips. His dark eyes, normally filled with so much depth and emotion to Namiko, were clouded over and unable to focus.

"You're—you're blind!" Namiko exclaimed, her voice trembling as she cupped his face, forcing him to try and focus on her despite the panic rising in her chest.

"I'm not blind," Sasuke muttered, swatting her hands away gently. He turned his head, blinking hard, trying to will his vision to return. "Everything is just very blurry. It's temporary. It'll pass."

"No, you don't know that! This is not something you brush off!" Namiko snapped, her fear giving way to frustration. "You've been pushing the Mangekyo Sharingan too far—this isn't just a headache or eye strain, Sasuke! This is serious!"

Naruto stepped forward, his jacket half-charred in his hands, his usual grin replaced by a serious expression. "Sasuke, you need to stop using it for a while. You can't just brute force your way through everything, especially not when it's taking this kind of toll on you."

"I don't need your advice, idiot," Sasuke snapped, though the words lacked their usual venom. He was clearly trying to ignore the pain in his head and the blurring of his vision, but it wasn't convincing anyone.

Namiko stepped in front of Sasuke, blocking his path as he tried to turn away. "You're not doing this alone. Not anymore. I know you want to keep me and our comrades safe but pushing past your limits and injuring yourself is not the way."

Her voice cracked slightly, and Sasuke froze, his shoulders tensing. "Namiko…" he started, but she cut him off.

"You've already lost so much—your clan, your brother, your childhood. I won't let you lose another part of yourself. We need to go back to Konoha. You need Itachi's eyes."
He exhaled frustratedly. "Fine…let's go home."

A/N: Well, Sasuke has officially burnt out his Mangekyo Sharingan. It had to come sooner or later!
Thank you all for being patient with me this week. I know this was a very short chapter, but we've got some juicy stuff coming up and I can't wait. I'm hoping to post next weekend but I just started to get sick today and it's Christmas time so my days have been super busy. Please watch my Twitter or BlueSky accounts for updates! _Eriisu_ (Twitter) and .social (BlueSky)
Also, I've officially passed 15k hits on AO3 and 31k hits on FFN! Thank you all SO MUCH!
Love,
Eriisu
PS: Comments are my tip jar!