55 Ch. 54

--Mikoto POV--

When the first rays of light hit my face I was already up and ready to go. Everyone else had the same idea as we packed everything. Jiraiya had brought out spare flak jackets, kunai, throwing stars for both me and Shisui. Kakashi even pulled out the sword the White Fang used and handed it to Shisui to use. After we geared up we sat out to follow Sasuke's trail again.

After six hours of following the trail, it showed signs that we had finally caught up to him. As we got closer everyone started to be on guard. It normally would have taken another couple of hours to catch up to him, so something had to be wrong. My gut was clenching and I was thinking worst-case scenarios. I was brought out of my thoughts when Jiraiya placed a hand on my shoulder.

Jiraiya: "I'm going to head there first and make sure everything is ok."

All I did was nod my head to him and felt grateful that one of the Legendary Sanin is willing to risk himself. Before I could thank him he disappeared with a speed that I don't think I could track with my Sharingan. With reassurance flooding my mind I continued one in the direction where Sasuke was.

--Sasuke POV--

I'm getting tired, I didn't expect to encounter my brother so soon. Not to mention the shark dude who I have to keep an eye on in case he goes for a cheap shot. Our fight has been going on for a couple of hours and I can tell he's just playing with me. Every time I try to disengage from the fight, the shark man blocks my path of retreat. Now here I stood panting as I stared at my brother

Sasuke: "Why haven't you finished me yet?"

I stared at Itachi with hate-filled eyes and he just stared back, not answering my question.

Sasuke: "You killed everyone and left me alive! For what?! Just because you can? You killed our mother! You Killed Izumi who loved you! So quit playing around and kill the last person you loved!"

Itachi just stared back at me and I returned the stare. During our staredown I saw his eyes change, instead of the tomoes, it was a pinwheel design. Once it started spinning I had been transported into a world filled with swords stuck in the ground. I tried to move around but realized I had been bound to wood with my arms outstretched.

Itachi: "One day outside feels like 10 years in here."

I tried to spit at him but my body didn't seem to work. He just smirked at me and grabbed one of the swords. Itachi then slowly brought it up, making me watch as he drove it into me. I screamed like there was no tomorrow. This continued on for I don't know how long, I lost track after more Itachi's showed up to stab me. After one of the recent stabs, I felt a change in my eyes. I stared down at the Itachi that stabbed me and he replied with a slight nod of his head.

Before I knew it the genjutsu fell and I dropped to the ground on my hands and knees heaving for air. When my mind started to get back on track I heard the sounds of combat. Looking up I saw Jiraiya taking on the shark dude, I stared at the two fighting in shock. Then I looked around for his usual tag-a-long Naruto but he was nowhere in sight. I shakingly got up to my feet and got into a fighting stance.

As usual, Itachi was just standing there staring at me, but this time his eyes were bleeding. That made me think that he can't use that genjutsu again and took this opportunity to fight. Running in I pulled out a kunai and went to slice his throat. He deftly brought out a kunai and blocked it, we stood there trying our strength pushing the kunai into each other.

???: "DYNAMIC ENTRY!"

All of a sudden a green missile came flying from the side knocking Itachi back. But unfortunately, he regained his composure and got a serious look on his face.

Guy: "Have no fear Sasuke! I'm here to bring you back!"

Sasuke: "I don't want to go back! I need to get stronger to take revenge for my clan! Orochimaru offered to make me stronger during the Chuuni exams and I'm going to take it!"

Suddenly my back stiffened and sweat started pouring out of me. Looking over at Guy he seemed fine, but Itachi was having the same reaction as me. I looked around to see what made me so terrified when suddenly I heard a female's voice.

???: "What. Are. You. Two. Doing?"

This voice was terrifying, it was filled with anger and disappointment. I looked over at Itachi and his eyes were wide as saucers and he was trembling. What could make Itachi tremble like that? A higher up in the Akatsuki? When Itachi turned to look where the voice was coming from I turned my head with him.

Watching the forest I could feel what felt like footsteps of doom. The woman was walking slowly and with a purpose.

???: "What. Was. The. One. Thing. We. Asked. You. To. Do. IT-A-CHI?"

I looked over at the person being called out and was shocked. He was on his knees and I could see fear in his eyes. Before anyone could react crows started to form around his body and he was making an escape.

When I looked back to the forest where the voice was coming from I saw another murder of crows shooting out from it. They mixed with Itachi's crows and brought them to the ground and two bodies came tumbling out of them. One was obviously Itachi and the other was a young man around my age that had the flak jacket and headband of Konoha. But what really stood out was the fact he had a sword to Itachi's throat and he had sharingans with pinwheels.

???: "You never were able to defeat me Itachi. What makes you think you can now?"

I just stared at the sight of my brother being so easily defeated.

Itachi: "Impossible, this is some kind of genjutsu."

Itachi muttering that meant that this might actually be another Uchiha. The man looks familiar, but I try not to think about the past too much. When the man stood Itachi up and started to walk him closer to me I got a good look at his face and was shocked.

Sasuke: "Shisui?"

Shisui: "Man little Sasuke, you've grown up! I guess I can't use the 'you're too young' excuse to not train you anymore."

I could feel my eyes tearing up at that. It took all that I had not to run over and hug him. I finally wasn't alone, I had someone else that wasn't a betrayer. Before our conversation could continue the female voice from earlier yelled out.

???: "Jiraiya, quit playing with your food. Capture him, I want a word with these two."

The back sweats came back and Shisui just grimaced.

Shisui: "Yeah, you two sure fucked up."

I looked at him quizzically and looked back towards where Jiraiya and Shark face were fighting. I turned my head at the right time to see Jiraiya slice his kunai at the shark dudes joint. He stood there in shock and Jiraiya just shrugged it off nonchalantly and walked away as the man dropped to his knees and keeled over.

Looking back to the forest I finally was able to see a female shadow as she started to reach the clearing we were at. I also saw a male figure with his hands behind his head, and a hairdo I could recognize anywhere. Once the pair exited the forest and into the light where I could see them clearly, my eyes started to water.

My legs started to move on their own towards the woman. First I was stumbling and then jogging and finally flat out sprinting. Once I reached a distance where I could jump into I did, wrapping my arms around her and started to cry into her. She wrapped her arms around me and rubbed my back shushing me ever so softly.

???: "It's ok sweety, mommy is here."

Those last three words drove my emotions, even more, I felt another change in my eyes but I didn't care. I was grasping onto my mom for dear life, making sure she wouldn't go anywhere.

--Mikoto POV--

This was a right mess, I told Itachi to take care of his brother. What do I find them doing? Fighting to what seems the death, I swear I didn't raise this boy that way. While I was comforting Sasuke and shushing him I was staring daggers at Itachi who just looked at me with wide eyes and tears in his eyes.

Itachi: "H-h-how?"

Jiraiya: "Tsunade's husband perfect the impure world reincarnation, got rid of the compulsion and made it full-on reincarnation."

I nodded my head in Jiraiya's direction in thanks since I had my arms full with this little momma's boy.

Itachi: "Doesn't that require sacrifices? Isn't Tsunade against that?"

Jiraiya, Kakashi, and Guy just laughed at that. Itachi looked at them and then at me and finished with Shisui who just shrugged.

Jiraiya: "Danzo and the council had been exposed."

Jiraiya then pointed to me and Shisui.

Jiraiya: "They were a part of those three's punishment. This is why Tsunade had said that speech about crows to recall you."

Itachi: "What about the third elder? Did you use them to bring back Minato?"

Jiraiya: "Nope."

Jiraiya looked at me for the answer and that caused Itachi to as well. I gave him the knowing grin I usually did when he came back from seeing Izumi. When he saw my look he hung his head low and I could see tears falling to the ground and his shoulders rising and falling ever so often.

I slowly walked over to him with Sasuke still holding onto me for dear life. Once I reached Itachi I got down on my knees and wrapped my free arm around him and pulled him in. We stayed that way enjoying our reunion until my boys couldn't cry anymore.

When they finished I patted their backs and kissed the top of each of their heads. Standing up and looking around I found that Jiraiya, Kakashi, and Guy were not idle and already had the missing-nin restrained. When I spotted Jiraiya looking at me I nodded my head in thanks for all that he has done. He nodded his head back and walked over to us.

Jiraiya: "Ok guys, we need to head back. We've made a lot of noise and have people waiting for us."

I nodded at that and turned to my boys and stared them down, daring one of them to disagree. Itachi may be stronger than me. But I brought him into this world, I sure as hell can take him out of it! With both of their hesitant nods, I smiled at them and reached both of my hands out to help them up.

--Zach POV--

This will be the 2nd night that Mikoto and them left to bring back Sasuke. Tsunade and I were not too worried about the group because Jiraiya was there. Izumi on the other hand was a nervous wreck. Luckily we had Karen and Nawaki here to distract her, and Naruto to just annoy the ever-loving shit out of both of them. It's like when he meets someone new he gets so excited and I feel like he tells his life story. But then again, that is what makes Naruto well, Naruto. We've had to keep pushing back the time chamber for everyone since Jiraiya was gone.

Right now me and Tsunade are laying in bed. I'm reading "Did I become the God-Emperor of Mankind in Star Wars?" and wanting to praise the God-Emperor for every chapter. Tsunade is messing around on the laptop, most likely surfing the medical forums. As I was getting to the good part where the God-Emperor showed up to retrieve Vulkan, Tsunade closed her laptop and just looked ahead, lost in thought. Noticing that something was on her mind I looked over to her in concern.

Zach: "What's wrong dear?"

She stayed quiet for a bit and I let her think it out.

Tsunade: "Honey, what do you really think about this world?"

That line of questioning surprised me. I didn't have to think about that answer at all.

Zach: "I love it. It gave me the chance to marry a woman who is way out of my league."

She chuckled at that and leaned over and gave me a quick kiss as a reward. Tsunade then went back to her thinking and staring straight ahead.

Tsunade: "Do you think it is a safe place to raise children?"

I almost said yes. But that was just me being biased since she's here and we know most of the major players. But when I started to think about it, I hated it. I hated that young children become child soldiers and it was perfectly ok. With Tsunade and my children, they would be expected to be ninja, and I didn't want that forced onto them. The whole world is and will always be primed for war with each other and extermination of villages was not unheard of either.

Zach: "It is not the best. But there are worse universes."

Deciding to stay fairly neutral, because it is after all her world. She nodded and started to bite her lip. Finally, it seemed she came to a resolution in her mind.

Tsunade: "I don't want to raise our children here."

I looked at her in shock. It took me a couple of seconds to compose my thoughts.

Zach: "Well, we can raise them in mine then."

Tsunade shook her head at that.

Tsunade: "If they start showing powers it would raise a lot more questions around us."

Zach: "Ok, we can go to the Harry Potter world with Hecate."

Tsunade glared at me with that option, I placed my hands up in surrender.

Zach: "We could go to Danmachi and hang out with Heph and Hestia."

More eye daggers were sent my way.

Tsunade: "I like the modernization of your world. What are the different places like that where powers would be possible?"

Zach: "We could see if Star Wars is made."

Tsunade: "Definitely not a safer place than here. Plus, I bet some Jedi would try to take our babies."

Zach: "Twilight?"

Tsunade: "Too much stupidity."

Zach: "Percy Jackson?"

Tsunade: "Do you want the Gods to be MORE involved with our lives?"

Zach: "True… What about Movie Marvel-verse?"

Tsunade's fight brightened at that idea.

Tsunade: "There are so many people with powers, we could stay under the radar. If someone does find out, we could play it off as us being mutants!"

Zach: "Well then we better start planning. We'll have to find your replacement and make sure everyone is strong enough without us. Plus we have to ask the Gods for yet another favor."

Tsunade just patted my arm then turned around and stuck her butt into my side. I took it as the queue it was time for bed. With a sigh, I placed my tablet on the nightstand and turned the light off. Then I rolled over and cuddled her from behind, falling into a deep sleep.