Chapter 19: Secrets in the Mist Part III

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

"Hmm...."- Flashback

Chapter 19:

Secrets in the Mist Part III

Sasuke had known that things wouldn't be so simple for him. After all, he was attempting to try and stop what was perhaps one of the biggest conspiracies in the history of the Shinobi world. Not only that, but he was also trying to reason with one of the five Kage who would no doubt have no reason to try and listen to him. But never in his wildest dreams had the Uchiha ever pictured this scenario. As it turned out, the man that he had been talking to so far wasn't the Sandaime Mizukage. Hell, he wasn't even a man! It was none other than one of the many White Zetsu clones that Sasuke had come across during the Fourth Shinobi War. Needless to say, Sasuke was still trying to wrap his head around the idea as he gazed at all the emerging clones, all sharing the same idiotic grin.

One thing that Sasuke was certain of was the fact that Tobi was not alive yet. The man had yet to be born. So, that only left one other person that could possibly be behind this little trickery. But thinking of the man, Sasuke also realized that it presented another problem: just how was he still alive? If Uchiha Madara was really the one behind this, then how did he have the means to pull this off? The young Uchiha knew that the man had escaped his battle with the Shodai alive, but to think that he was still alive during this time period. Sasuke had never really bothered to question just how Tobi and Madara had met in the first place. It was just one of those things that hadn't really interested the Uchiha at the time. But now it seemed that if he knew that fact, then he might have been able to figure this little mystery out already.

"So, what do we do with him?" one of the clones asked, never once dropping the grin from his face.

"We kill him of course," another said in response. "Madara wouldn't be happy with us if we let this guy escape."

Sasuke hmph'ed as he brought out his sword once again. These guys were as much of idiots as the ones of the future. They really couldn't keep a sealed lip no matter what. At the very least, they had just confirmed his suspicions. But that also gave him a chance, one which hadn't been possible before when he had first set out to this village. If he could somehow find out just where Madara was hiding and then kill him, then that would definitely be one less eyesore that he and Naruto would have to put up with in the future. Not only that, but it also prevented Tobi from ever falling into the man's hands.

"I don't know," one of the other clones said as they continued to converse with one another. "This guy looks really strong. Did you see that change in chakra form from before? I don't think I had seen it before today! Not with the lightning element anyway."

"We don't have a choice," was the answer from another one. Raising his hand, he pointed a finger at Sasuke in a dramatic fashion. "Now, let's charge!"

Sasuke couldn't help the sigh that escaped his lips as the White Zetsu clones did just that: they charged at him, each one of them screaming at the top of their lungs in what was supposed to be some sort of battle cry. Bringing his sword forward, Sasuke readied himself, already knowing that he would have to let one of the clones alive so that he could extract some information out of him.

Expecting some sort of victory, the White Zetsu clones cried out as they were cut down one by one, Sasuke's blade engulfing in lightning once more. Just like with the Anbus from before, the clones dropped to the ground like they were nothing. And that was exactly what Sasuke saw them as. The Anbus from before had been more of a challenge than these guys.

After a few moments, Sasuke had managed to bring down all of the White Zetsu clones save for one who immediately dashed for the door, forgetting the fact that he could travel underground. Seeing all of this brethren being killed right in front of his eyes had shaken that information out of him it seemed. But Sasuke didn't give him that chance.

The White Zetsu clone cried out as he was immediately grabbed roughly and brought up into the air by a violet skeleton hand. Struggling, the clone cried out again as he was brought to eye level with Sasuke's hawk mask.

"You," the clone begin with narrowed eyes as he continued to struggle, "you're an Uchiha!?"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow behind his mask. But he supposed he shouldn't be too surprised. Madara was their leader, after all. Another part of him also realized that perhaps he had been too careless in using the Susanoo. But most of him didn't care in the slightest. He wanted the information he was looking for immediately. His focus had now changed. Instead of trying to learn of what Danzo was planning with Kiri, he was now after Madara. Sasuke also realized that in finding Madara, he might just get the information that he was originally after as well. It would be killing two birds with one stone.

"That doesn't matter," Sasuke replied smoothly. "If you don't want to die like the others, tell me where Madara is right now."

"Heh, like I'm going to tell you anything," the clone said with a smirk. "No matter what you do, you're going to be dead soon anyway. You never should have come here, Uchiha. It won't be long before-"

Having grown tired of the clone's monologue, Sasuke focused his sharingan on the clone, immediately silencing him as he fell under Sasuke's genjutsu. But instead of an interrogation, Sasuke dived deeper into the clone's psychic. He was going to see the clone's memories for himself. After all, from what he had learned during the war, all clones were linked with one another.

That little detail was going to be useful to him right now.

Flashback: Start

Uchiha Madara, simply wearing a black robe, stood before a group of five White Zetsu clones. He looked a bit older than what he had been in his Edo Tensei form. Sasuke realized that this must be just a few years after his supposed "death." Behind him stood none other than the Gedo Mazo, looking as ghostly as it ever did.

"Are you really certain of this, Madara?" the White Zetsu in front of the others said. Despite the question, he didn't look at all troubled with whatever it was that Madara had just told them.

"That's right," Madara answered, looking as stoic as ever. Bringing one of his hands in front of him, he added, "I've had more than enough time to recuperate. The statue gave me more than enough power to do that much. Although I won't be able to rely on it forever. A pity. Even if I'm able to postpone my death, it won't be ultimate."

"Well, it's only a shell," one of the clones said with a chuckle. "If you had the bijuu, then you could attain that ultimate power, you know."

Madara looked at him with a neutral gaze. "I know that already. Unfortunately, in my current state, I can't pull this off by myself. I don't have the power I once did, even if I did gained the rinnegan. This is where you all come in. It's only because of me that you're even awake again."

"You don't have to remind us," White Zetsu said. "Besides, we don't have much else to do. We don't mind being your eyes and ears. But we're curious. Why Kiri?"

"Because of its location," Madara answered without hesitation, closing his eyes and crossing his arms as he did. "It's remote, and not that much information is leaked. I can still become the Mizukage. That's not an illusion for the moment. I won't be able to maintain myself forever, though." Looking back towards the Gedo Mazo, the powerful Uchiha sighed. "I guess that's my prize for using its power to heal all my wounds. It won't be long before I become dependent on this thing 24/7. Even before then, I'll still need for you to take my place in times when I have to come back here in order to.....recharge, for a lack of a better word."

Turning back to look at the clones, Madara continued, "While Mizukage, I'll use the influence I have to put certain things in motion. I'll also use it to keep tabs on what's happening around the world."

"You can use us for that," White Zetsu said with a small frown. If there was one thing that he didn't like was someone underestimating his abilities as a spy. He was the best in that regard.

"I'll rather not chance it," Madara retorted with a shake of his head. "As far as the world is concerned, Uchiha Madara is dead. I'll rather keep it that way until it's too late. I'll also need to look for someone to take my place one day."

The clones followed behind Madara as the Uchiha began to walk out of the cave. Four of the clones began to merge into the ground, no doubt in order to take their places around the cave just like the other clones that were already in their positions.

The only remaining White Zetsu continued to follow behind Madara. "I didn't expect someone with as much pride as you to leave your dream in the hands of someone else."

"I have no choice," was the Uchiha's answer as he stopped by the entrance of the cave. "I no longer have the strength to make my dream a reality on my own. Hashirama saw to that. But at the end of the day, I'll be the victorious one. Because he was only concern with the present, I was able to attain an even greater power that will assure my victory. The future of the whole world is riding on this. Even I am prepared to let one pawn believe that he is a king. At least, for a while. But I'll still be the one that becomes the true king. That is the power of Uchiha Madara. Nothing more than that."

White Zetsu chuckled. "Then we're ready anytime you are."

Madara didn't reply as he closed the entrance to the cave with one of his more powerful barriers that he knew how to create. While it wasn't near the level that Mito possessed, Madara knew that it was enough of a precaution for small fries. And to the Uchiha, that was pretty much just about everyone.

Turning once more towards the underground tunnel that led out into the surface, Madara continued on his way just as White Zetsu sunk into the ground just like the others before.

A small smirk appeared on the Uchiha's face, itching for what was to come. But he also realized that he wouldn't be in a real fight for quite some time. For now, it was just about usurping the power from the Nidaime Mizukage. But considering the man's personality, it wouldn't be long before he died. And then he would rise up to the position of the Sandaime Mizukage through the shadows. It was one of the greatest weaknesses of those in power: they were easily manipulated.

With that in mind, the powerful Uchiha Madara walked towards the surface once again, his head filled with all the plans that he intended to complete.

Flashback: End

Sasuke t'ched as he returned back to reality, taking in a small breath. He wasn't as efficient as Itachi was when it came to these things. But it was more than enough for him to learn of some valuable things, namely that Madara was still up to his old tricks even during this time period. Great, just great. First, it had been Danzo. And now it was Madara. Who was next?

Turning his attention back to the captive clone, Sasuke asked, "Where is Madara right now?"

"He's here in Kiri," the clone answered in a monotone voice, completely different from his usual tone. "He's in the underground tunnels that run under the village that are used by the Anbu. He just came back from his usual trip to the Gedo Mazo."

Sasuke closed his eyes behind his mask, the Susanoo hand squashing the White Zetsu clone it held since there was no more use for him. Sasuke had been able to learn two valuable things: just where Madara's base was and that his fellow Uchiha was in the village right now.

Sheathing his sword again, Sasuke began to walk out of the room, intent on following this lead. There was no doubt in his mind that White Zetsu had already told Madara that he was in the village and that he had found out about this whole set up. Some part of Sasuke did have to give the man credit, though. Pulling off such a charade for such a long time was no small feat. But it was a charade that Sasuke now intended to end today.

Sasuke was going to clash with Uchiha Madara and kill him.

Jiraiya knew that the situation was dire. Even he could tell that he had just stumbled upon something that could turn the war in favor of either side. Looking at the three Kiri Shinobi he held captive, Jiraiya sighed. This whole thing was also a mess. He should have known that following the Uchiha brat was only going to lead him into more trouble. Meh, it wasn't like he didn't enjoy trouble either.

"T-that's all I've got," the shaking Kiri shinobi who had broken down said, fighting back another wave of tears. "You'll let me go now right?"

His two former friends were looking at him in outrage. This was the chance that everyone in Kiri had been waiting for. And now he had to just babble it on to whoever the hell the man before them was. Worse still, the two realized that the white haired man could also very well be from Konoha. It wasn't a certainty, but it wasn't impossible either. After all, they had never gotten just where the man came from.

Sighing again, Jiraiya shook his head. "Unfortunately, I can't let any of you go. I'm not stupid enough to do that. I can't let you go and report all of this to your superiors. As of now, you three are prisoners of war."

The Kiri shinobi couldn't hold back the tears anymore. "B-but!"

"Just shut up already," one of the others said with a scowl. "If you were really a shinobi, you should have known that this was going to happen, no matter what you told him. Or didn't. It's why we told you to keep your mouth shut. Well, not like it matters anymore."

"You can't stop this, though," the third one said while shaking his head. "You knowing this changes nothing. You can't stop the Uzumakis from leaving their village. It's too late for that. Our attack will proceed even without us. And we will have our victory in this war."

Jiraiya frowned. "Is this so called victory of yours really worth all the deaths that are going to occur as a result?"

The Kiri shinobi looked at him with a confused expression. "What kind of question that? We're shinobi. Our duty is to die for our villages. Nothing more. I would have thought that if 'fodders' like us understood that, then you would as well."

Jiraiya shook his head. "That way of thinking isn't right. But whatever. I wouldn't expect any of you to understand my way of thought."

But Jiraiya also realized that in saying that, trying to get humans to understand one another was nothing more than a dream. And thinking such a thought did bring great pain to the man. Shaking his head, Jiraiya knew that right now wasn't the time to be thinking about such things. He had other things that he needed to do, one of which was getting in touch with Sasuke.

Turning away from the three Kiri shinobi, Jiraiya walked away from them as he said, "Don't worry. I'm not going to kill you. But you'll be spending some time here until I'm able to get you into a proper prison."

The Kiri shinobi who had talked to him last t'ched, not caring either way. He was going to be trapped no matter what, so what did it matter?

Jiraiya's hands turned into fists at his sides as he emerged from the toad that he had summoned. Looking around, the white haired jonin found himself within the forest that he had fought, if one could even call it a fight, the three Kiri shinobi before capturing them. He glanced back at the toad who instantly got the message and began to hop away.

With another sigh, Jiraiya began to make his way back to the village with the intention of finding Sasuke as quickly as possible. But if he couldn't, then he would instead focus on getting a message to Uzu as soon as possible. But even with his toads, it would take some time. And by the time the message got there, it could be that the fleet would have already departed. And who knew? Maybe it had already left the village. In which case, he needed to find Sasuke and see what the brat intended to do about this. Jiraiya wanted to see just what kind of action the boy would be willing to take. But considering the boy's personality, Jiraiya wouldn't be surprised if the young Uchiha took off to battle as soon as he heard of what was going to happen. Not that Jiraiya could fault that way of thinking as he felt the same way.

At any rate, finding Sasuke was his first priority for the moment. Seeing the village in the distance, Jiraiya increased his speed.

Every second counted now.

Sasuke knew that he was getting close. He didn't know why. It was just a feeling, one that he could only describe as every fiber of his being screaming at him that he was getting closer and closer to something, or rather someone, extremely dangerous. Looking around, Sasuke inspected the narrow tunnel that he found himself walking in. It hadn't been difficult to discover. Not only was it extremely damp, it was also dark. It went well with the state of the village Sasuke mused to himself. Considering what he had learned from that clone and what he had encountered, Madara had complete control of this village to use it in whatever means he wanted. Now, Sasuke was more sure than ever that he could make a big step to his and Naruto's goal today.

The young Uchiha's musing came to a halt as he stepped into a wider space of the underground tunnel system. Walking through the dripping doorway, Sasuke came face to face with the one he had been looking for for the past hour or so: Uchiha Madara. Just like in the White Zetsu clone's memory, the man still wore black robes. The one major difference, however, was the fact that his fellow Uchiha looked even older than the clone's memories. His face was already covered in wrinkles with his hair already having lost most of its shine. Even with the Gedo Mazo keeping him mobile, he couldn't stop the hand of time it seemed. Next to the Uchiha also stood White Zetsu who watched him come in with a grin with his eye narrowed as well.

"Well, it was about time you showed up," White Zetsu said. "And here I was already thinking about sending you a guide to help you on your way."

Sasuke didn't reply, not in the least interested in what the being had to say. No, his eyes were sorely focused on Madara at the moment who also had his eyes locked on Sasuke's form. From behind the hawk mask Sasuke's sharingan spun widely, an act which was not missed by Madara's keen eyes despite the man's already old age.

"So, you're the one that has brought such a headache before me today," Madara commented, not looking at the least worried that someone had discovered that he was still alive.

It was something that irked Sasuke to no end. "You do realize the position you're in right now, right?" Sasuke said as he brought his sword forward from its sheathed position. "I can pretty much tell the world of what you're up to, Uchiha Madara."

"Hmph, I do wonder about that," Madara replied with a small smile. "But it's been such a long time since I've seen one of my own with so much potential."

There was no doubt in Sasuke's mind that the man was talking about the fact that he could use Susanoo and in turn possessed the mangekyo sharingan. "I'm not one of your own," Sasuke retorted. "We're nothing alike."

Madara chuckled at hearing that. "Really now? The fact that you possess such eyes are proof enough that you and I are more alike than anyone else, boy. You're no doubt searching for something, just like I am. You've seen the darkness of this world, walked through it, and have tried to understand it."

Sasuke didn't offer a response, since he had nothing to say as rebuttal for such a thing. After all, as much as he hated to admit it, some part of him acknowledged the fact that the older Uchiha did have a point there.

Seeing this, Madara continued, "Given this, I consider this meeting of ours a blessing, boy. While I'm ashamed at not having known about you before today, it no longer matters. You're exactly the one that I've been searching for all these years."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes from behind his mask. "I have no interest in aligning myself with you."

Madara chuckled for a second time. "Why would you turn down my offer before you even know what I'm proposing to you?"

"Because I've already seen what that is through one of your.....pawns."

"Ah, that," Madara said in a dismissive tone. "I'm already aware of what information you gained from White Zetsu. Unfortunately, it's not going to do you any good. After all, you don't even know what I plan to accomplish."

Sasuke wanted to tell the older Uchiha to fuck off with every fiber of his being since he already knew just what the Uchiha was planning on doing. However, Sasuke's rational part still held, telling him that he didn't want for Madara to start thinking that he was more than simply some gifted Uchiha who had stumbled upon his plans.

Seeing Sasuke's silence as approval to go ahead, Madara did just that. "While I may not know just what you hope to accomplish by stopping Konoha's little plot, I'm capable enough to guess just what's going on in that head of yours."

"Why don't you give it your best try?"

Madara hmph'ed. "It's not the hardest thing in the world to uncover, boy. After all, you and I share the same mentality. As I said, we can both see just how...rotten this world really is. Its significance is nothing more than to foster even more and more hatred among humans. Well, it's not like it's any different from how things were in the beginning."

Sasuke lowered his sword, his mind interested in what the man was saying despite the fact that he wanted nothing more than to kill the older Uchiha right now. "What do you mean by that?"

"Chakra hasn't always been present in this world," Madara stated. "Even before chakra came to be, humans still killed one another. It's almost as if that's a basic instinct that just can't be escaped. The only difference now is that they possess flashier ways in which they can kill one another. They desire nothing more than power, not concerning themselves in the slightest of just what they need to do to get it. This world is dying. It's an undeniable fact. The current war should be all the proof you need to tell you that I'm right."

"I find it funny that you're not including yourself in any of this," Sasuke said with a scowl. "Especially since you plan to partake in dirty schemes yourself."

Madara chuckled. "Yes, that's also an undeniable fact. No matter how much I would like to think otherwise, I'm not any better. I've done the exact same things. I've gained power through the downfall of others, my own family and friends. But it's because of all of this that I'm able to understand all of this better. I see my past as trials I had to overcome to be prepared to face the truth, to discover the true salvation of the world. Or maybe I could just be lying to myself again. Not that it matters anyway. Once my goal is accomplished, such things like the past will become irrelevant."

Sasuke didn't bother to try and interrupt Madara, instead of opting to hearing the man out. No matter how he felt about what Madara was trying to do, Sasuke knew he couldn't deny the fact that some part of him agreed with what he was saying. He had, no he still, felt the same way Madara did. He saw that the current shinobi system was corrupt and only fostered hatred. The difference between them, though, was how they sought to bring about the change that they desired. Madara wanted to create a dreamworld, while Sasuke had wanted to take all of that hatred in by himself and become the one that could handle it all while maintaining the peace and order of the rest of the world.

It was what Madara said next as well. "My goal is to create the perfect world, one where such things will be nothing more than a distant memory. A dream world! After all, it is only through a dream that perfection can be reached. Reality is much too faulty for such a thing to occur. However, that is as much as I'm willing to divulge to you. I wasn't even planning on telling you this much. I guess I got caught up in the fact that I keep sensing that you and I are too much similar. It's why I know that you'll be able to understand what I'm trying to accomplish here."

Sasuke was silent for a few moments, trying to get his thoughts together into words. After several more seconds, he finally said, "Yeah, I do understand. It's not like I don't feel the same way you do." A smile began to form itself on Madara's face. However, it quickly fell as Sasuke continued, "But that doesn't mean that I can get on board with your plans. No matter what you say they are. Like you, I have my own way of doing things. And now, they're nowhere near yours. Just like you, I only thought of going about it on my own, selfishly. But you know what? It was actually an idiot who opened my eyes. If one ever wants to make a true change, then he can't do it alone. He has to have others backing him up. It's they only way to achieve true strength, true power. Not like how you're doing things."

Madara didn't offer any reply to Sasuke's answer. White Zetsu glanced at the aging Uchiha he stood next to. "I told you he wasn't adequate. Whoever this guy is, he has his own agenda. It's why he even came to Kiri in the first place. Not only that, but it's more than likely going to go against our plans."

Sasuke t'ched, realizing that for once White Zetsu was actually offering a useful analysis. Well, whatever. There was nothing more to say.

It was something that Madara could sense as well as he sighed. "It seems like we've reached an impasse then. I can tell that you're not going to change your mind about this." As far as Madara could tell, there was nothing he could use against the boy to make him see things from his perspective. He could already tell that the younger Uchiha had already been through his fair share of suffering. After all, the fact that the boy even possessed the mangekyo was more than enough data than Madara needed to deduce that detail.

"Not really," Sasuke said as he raised up his sword. "It's come down to this, just like it was meant to be from the beginning. You didn't actually believe that I would come down here for a mere chat, did you?"

"Hmm and here I thought you were smarter," Madara commented. "If you already know who I am, then you should know-"

"It doesn't matter who you are," Sasuke interrupted with a small shake of his head. "Like you, I have a goal. And I will crush any obstacle that stands in my way of that goal. Right now, you're the biggest obstacle to that. Besides, it's not like you're at your peak. And even if you were, it wouldn't matter. I'm not afraid to stand up against you, Madara. I'm not one to be trifled with either."

Madara raised an eyebrow as the air around Sasuke shifted.

"It would be better if we kill him now," White Zetsu said. "It'll be too much of a hindrance down the line if we don't."

"I suppose you're correct," Madara said, actually more interested in seeing the young Uchiha's power than anything else. It had been such a long time since he had fought against a worthy opponent. But to Madara, the only worthy opponent had been Hashirama himself. Surely that was setting the bar too high. Not only that, but he was no longer in the condition for any actual physical confrontation. As much as he hated to think about it, he needed to do a tactical retreat.

"Zetsu."

Sasuke scowled as all around him White Zetsu clones began to sprout out from the ground, walls, and ceiling before lunging for him. Noticing how Madara began to turn from the scene, Sasuke knew that he couldn't afford to be stalled here. If he wanted to kill Uchiha Madara, he needed to go all out.

Madara came to a stop as from behind him the whole tunnel began to shake. Turning around, he came to a sight that he hadn't seen in a while: the Susanoo. Its mere first form was enough to make the whole tunnel unstable since the form was simply too huge to be contained by the small size of the room. All around the Susanoo were also the bodies of the clones that had been crushed by said Susanoo.

"Are you sure about this?" Madara asked as he even more debris began to fall, his eyes never once leaving Sasuke's from his position within the Susanoo. "A battle between us would be...destructive."

"You forget where we are," Sasuke said while glancing around. "I already know where we're under: the forest that surrounds the village. That's why these tunnels were built here. They're much better hidden here than under the village itself. Well, the ones that we're in anyway. It was why it took me quite some time to find you. I had only been looking in the ones that run under the actual village itself. Besides, it doesn't really matter to me whether or not we're seen."

Madara didn't reply. Instead, he merely glanced at White Zetsu who nodded before sinking into the ground, going off to do whatever it was that Madara had just ordered him to do.

But Sasuke didn't dwell on this. As far as he was concerned, White Zetsu was unimportant at this point. The only one he needed to worry about was Madara who, even though was severely weakened and nowhere near the level he was during his prime, was still dangerous. After all, the man did possess the rinnegan. That enough gave him a big leeway. Or so Sasuke would say. But the younger Uchiha knew that he wasn't the same person he had been during the war. He could already feel stronger than from when he first came here, which was enough to let him know that he had more than a chance to crush Madara here today.

For his part, Madara crossed his arms in front of him before activating his own mangekyo, his own Susanoo bursting into life around him a moment later. It was at this point that even more debris began to fall around them more rapidly than before. Both knew that the ceiling wouldn't last long once they started fighting but simply put this thought into the back of their minds.

Sasuke watched Madara closely for a few more moments before striking first, his Susanoo charging forward. Seeing this, Madara hmph'ed before his Susanoo brought its own firsts forwards, clashing with Sasuke's. The clash was enough to send a giant shockwave all throughout the tunnel.

Neither broke their gaze from one another as the ceiling finally collapsed on them.

Jiraiya knew that something big had just happened and that it more than likely had to do with Sasuke. The white haired man frowned as all around him the residents of the shinobi village scrambled towards the civilian evacuation sites that they were being guided to by many Kiri shinobi.

Jiraiya had been in the process of trying to figure out just where Sasuke was when everything descended into chaos. The jonin could only wonder just what Sasuke had gotten himself into. But he also knew that the young Uchiha was more than capable of handling himself. Realizing that he wasn't going to be able to find Sasuke with all of this mess going on, Jiraiya took off in the direction opposite of where all the crowds of screaming civilians were heading to. Jiraiya knew that he couldn't afford to be spotted, so he took his time in heading to the outskirts of the village. What Jiraiya intended on doing now was send one of his toads to Uzu with a message of the information that he now had via one of the rivers that emptied out into the sea. It was an advantage that he could use right now.

After some time, Jiraiya was finally able to be far away enough from any watching eyes of the Kiri shinobi. It was at this point that Jiraiya picked up his speed before heading off to the complete opposite direction of the forest where he had been before. It only took the perverted jonin a few minutes before he was able to reach the river that he was looking for. Preparing to summon one of his messenger toads, Jiraiya stopped midway as he suddenly felt someone standing behind him. Turning around, he came face to face with a young boy with messy hazel grayish hair and pink pupiless eyes with a stitched scar running down his left eye and all the way down his cheek. The boy was also wearing a simple dark olive colored kimono. The boy looked around to be either six or seven years old.

Jiraiya chuckled while scratching the back of his head, trying to play the situation off. "What are you doing out here, my boy? Shouldn't you be heading off to one of the shelters with your parents?"

The boy was silent for a few moments, making Jiraiya uneasy. "You're not from around here," the boy finally said in a soft voice.

"That's right," Jiraiya said with a small nod. "I'm here on vacation. I haven't been to Kiri in such a long time that I-"

"You're a shinobi," the boy interrupted with the same soft voice. "And a trespasser. You're probably the reason why the alarm was sounded off."

Jiraiya sighed, knowing that he had stumbled upon something troublesome here. At any rate, it was pointless trying to act like an idiot with this child when it was already cleared to him that the boy was no doubt a shinobi himself already. It reminded Jiraiya a lot of how he and his team had started off, being chosen by Sarutobi as a special team that he could train himself much earlier than other children their age. It seemed as if Kiri had its own sets of prodigies too, because Jiraiya could already tell that the boy was bright. And if he had enough guts to confront him on his own, then he either had the skills to back that up or maybe he had too much pride like that trio that he had captured earlier. Given all that, one might think that Jiraiya would see it beneficial to kill the boy right now. However, that was the last thing that Jiraiya wanted. From his point of view, the boy was nothing more than a victim of the harsh times that they were living in who had been forced to grow up much faster than he would otherwise have if the Shinobi world wasn't the messed up place that it currently was.

Not to mention, the boy was good if he had been able to follow him all the way out here without being spotted. Then again, it did go well with the boy's personality. Or so Jiraiya could see so far.

"Well then," Jiraiya began, "if you know all that, then what happens next?"

"I capture you now," the boy stated before dashing towards him. Seeing this, Jiraiya instantly jumped back into the river that stood behind him. The boy stopped just short from reaching the running water just as Jiraiya landed in the middle of it. Frowning for a moment, the boy then brought his hands together, making Jiraiya realize that the boy could already use jutsu as well.

"Suiton: Suigadan!"

Jiraiya's eyes widened as the water around him began to form into multiple water drills which instantly shot towards him. Seeing his technique strike his opponent, the boy jumped into the water himself, confident that he had been able to deal a heavy blow to the man. However, the boy's eyes widened as Jiraiya's form burst into smoke a second after the water style technique had hit him.

'A shadow clone,' the boy realized. He then jumped back as Jiraiya came flying up from the water underneath him with a fist ready, having intended to knock the boy unconscious.

The perverted jonin sighed as he stood back up on the water just as the boy landed back on solid ground. This boy was definitely a lot more skilled than the Kiri shinobi that he had captured before all right. Not like Jiraiya didn't stand a chance. The man already knew that the boy lacked the experience to beat him. However, he also realized that he would have to put more effort into bringing the boy down, effort which he knew he couldn't spend as he could already sense more shinobi heading towards their location in the distance. Heh, so the brat wasn't as much of an idiot as the three from before. He had contacted his fellow shinobi just in case he couldn't bring him down himself. Smart. But Jiraiya already knew what that meant for him.

"Well, it's been real, brat," Jiraiya commented with a small smirk. "I wouldn't mind going off against you again if we ever see each other one day. Unfortunately, this is my cue to leave."

The boy didn't even blink as Jiraiya erupted into a puff of smoke yet again. Glancing down the river, the boy could already tell that the man had escaped using the river's fast currents which would take him all the way out into the sea.

The boy turned away from the river just as reinforcements arrived. Not that it mattered. They were too late anyway. The only thing he could do now was follow protocol and assist in evacuating the civilians into the shelters as their Mizukage dealt with whatever problem had come to their home.

The ground began to shake just as a giant crater appeared right in the middle of the forest that surrounded Kiri. Underneath stood what had once been part of the underground system of tunnels that ran both under the village and around it. And out of the crater came out both Sasuke and Madara, their Susanoo still activated. The two Susanoo continued to trade blows with one another, sending even more shock waves all around the forest which sent some trees flying into the distance. After a few more rounds of this, both Uchihas jumped back to get some distance between one another.

On one side, Madara stood while panting slightly, silently cursing the fact that his stamina had really gone down while some other part of him was really enjoying himself. He couldn't deny the fact that he really missed the thrill that combat brought to him. It made his blood boil for more. But his rational side still prevailed over his wild one, letting him know that he couldn't get too carried away here. Odds were that the younger Uchiha would beat him simply because he had more stamina. But at the same time, Madara knew that he was only in this situation because he hadn't been able to stop himself from fighting his fellow Uchiha once he had seen the Susanoo.

On the other side, Sasuke smirked behind his mask as he took notice of this. "Seems like age has really gotten to you. It doesn't look like you'll be able to keep up with me for much longer."

Before Madara could retort, Sasuke's Susanoo began to change, going into its stage two form, complete with armor and its bow. Madara looked at this with appraisal.

"I was right, after all. You really are great!"

Sasuke paused at the sudden wild look that befell Madara's face as his own Susanoo began to change, growing two more arms. Seeing this, Sasuke t'ched as his Susanoo readied its arrow attack. His Susanoo launched it just as Madara's sent two pure energy waves from the swords that it managed to materialize. Sasuke brought his hands in front of him as their two attacks impacted, a big flash blinding the area a second before another shock wave ran throughout the forest.

'This is getting me nowhere,' Sasuke thought. 'Despite his weakened state, he's still a challenge.' Despite what he had said earlier, Sasuke had wanted to end this fast before any Kiri shinobi could stumble upon them. That would only put him at a disadvantage if they did come to interfere. He had seen the Susanoo as the fastest way of going about it since he was sure that he would have been able to get the older Uchiha under submission. His Amaterasu wouldn't do the trick since Madara could simply absorb it since he possessed the rinnegan. But realizing now that he would have to go about this even more seriously, Sasuke began to mold more chakra as his Susanoo prepared itself to launch another arrow.

Madara shot an appraising look to their surroundings which were mostly destroyed by this point. A few more heavy attacks and this part of the forest would forever be scarred. He had to hand it to White Zetsu too. While he would get on his nerves more often than not, he was extremely useful under these circumstances. If it weren't for the clones keeping the shinobi under control and evacuating the civilians under the pretense that some individuals had tried to attack their village, they would have no doubt been interrupted by now.

Those thoughts left him as he sensed his opponent gathering up chakra. He was finally able to clearly see what the attack was as the smoke began to clear. The Uchiha raised an eyebrow as he saw the next arrow coated in.....flames? Black flames to be exact. Madara smirked at seeing this, his Susanoo around him vanishing just as Sasuke's Susanoo fired its next attack.

"Enton: Susanoo Kagutsuchi!"

Madara's eyes changed, morphing into its final stage: the rinnegan.

"Shinra Tensei!"

Sasuke scowled as he saw one of his more powerful techniques actually be stopped by Madara simply raising one of his hands. Instead of colliding with Madara, the arrow was instead wiped out. Sasuke cursed the fact that he hadn't had the time to get more acquainted with his own eye. Then again, there was no better time than the present.

Madara sighed as he lowered his hand. He could already feel himself under the strain that this fight was putting his body in. He would have to hook himself up to the Gedo Mazo again despite the fact that he had just returned from doing just that. The intervals of time in which he had to repeat the process just kept getting shorter and shorter. It wouldn't be long until he was completely immobilize. Turning his attention back to his fellow Uchiha before him, Madara smiled.

"I must thank you for this. Things had been pretty boring around here before you showed up. I'm still quite curious as to just who you are and whether or not you belong to Konoha."

"That doesn't really matter right now," Sasuke retorted, preparing to attack Madara again.

"Unfortunately, this is where our little spar comes to an end," Madara said.

"Do you really think that I'll let you go?"

Madara snorted at the question. "Of course not. I may be old, but I'm not senile." Smiling again, he continued, "I just have a feeling that you'll be more interested in what I'm going to tell you than you are with killing me."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow behind his mask, not sure just what Madara was going to say. "And just what may that be?"

"Two days from today, the Uzu fleet will be touching down in the Land of Lightning," Madara began. "This is part of their campaign to strike a major blow to Kumo to end the war in that front."

Sasuke's eyes widened at the information. Or rather, at the implications. "Are you-!"

"That's right," Madara said with a small smirk. "I've already ordered Kiri's own fleet to intercept them. Combined with the assault from Kumo on land, the Uzumakis are going to be caught in quite the trap."

Sasuke's hands turned into fists at his side, his sharingan flaring with rage behind his hawk mask. "Why the hell are you following Danzo's agenda!?"

If Madara was surprised that Sasuke had figured out just who had given him the information, he didn't show it. "Ah, I do wonder about that," he commented with a knowing look. "You forget that we all have an agenda of our own, my Uchiha boy. You're no different. I don't know why Uzu is of any interest to you, but I'll one day figure that out. Information is another form of power, after all."

"This changes nothing!" Sasuke roared, his Susanoo changing into its third stage. "I'll just kill you now!" The Susanoo followed its wielder's example, roaring as loud as it could.

'It seems like I've stumbled upon a sensitive topic,' Madara thought, noticing how his information had the opposite effect on the boy. Oh well. Not like it mattered anyway. Madara turned his attention to the ground next to him just as White Zetsu surfaced up to his chest, his infamous grin present.

"Is it time?"

Madara nodded. "Yeah. I can't actually keep going anymore. A pity. But we can't keep the shinobi at bay forever. It's best if we end this now."

Madara turned to look at Sasuke once last time as White Zetsu placed his hand on his leg, pulling him into the ground with him via his jutsu.

Sasuke was about to attack them in order to prevent this just as even more clones came charging at him from all over the forest, no doubt acting as diversions in order to let Madara get away. It did the trick as Sasuke was forced to deal with them which gave White Zetsu the time he needed to bring Madara with him underground.

After having taken care of the clones with his Susanoo, Sasuke gritted his teeth in barely restrained anger at seeing how Madara had been able to escape from his grasp. Not only that, but the bastard had also admitted to him how he was indeed conspiring with Danzo for his own ends.

Sasuke released the biggest scream up to date up into the sky, releasing all the pent up anger within him as he did.

Jiraiya sighed in relief as Sasuke's form came into his vision. The man was currently sitting down by the bank of the river, the sea that lied between the Land of Water and the mainland behind him. After he had successfully retreated without being spotted from that boy, Jiraiya had felt the tremors shaking the whole area. He had immediately known that it was Sasuke. After that, he had sent another toad to scout out for him and tell him just where he currently was, deeming that safer than sending a shadow clone. He was in the process of instructing another one of his toads of the message that he wanted to give to Arashi. It would definitely be much faster than going there in person. This way, it would only take a day at most to reach the man.

But Jiraiya focused his attention from this to Sasuke as the Uchiha walked up to him. Even without seeing the boy's face, Jiraiya could tell that he was not in the best of moods right now.

"What happened?" Jiraiya asked, wanting to know what his companion had gone through since the last time that they had seen each other.

"Things didn't go as planned," Sasuke replied, removing his mask. There was a frown in his face. But instead of being angry, Jiraiya could instead detect that the boy was troubled.

"What happened with the Mizukage?"

Sasuke opened his mouth except no words came out. He was still trying to comprehend that what he had been through was real. Shaking his head a moment later, Sasuke instead said, "Forget about that. More importantly, I learned that Kiri is teaming up with Kumo in order to counterattack Uzu's offensive."

Jiraiya's eyes widened, surprised that Sasuke had actually learned of that. "Yeah, I know. I was just about to send a message to Arashi in order to tell them to turn back, but I don't think it'll get there in time."

Sasuke turned his attention to the sky, already noticing how the sun was on its path to descend down the sky. They had been all day in Kiri, trying to stop a plot that Sasuke now realized was much bigger than he could have ever estimated.

"Just how long will it take to reach him?"

"From here? A day at the least," Jiraiya answered, glancing at the sea that stood behind them. "It might be sooner if they already left Uzu. But there's no telling."

Sasuke frowned. Madara said two days. By the time that it did reach them, the Uzumaki fleet would already be close enough for the ambush to happen regardless. The only thing that would change would be the location. No, that wasn't going to happen. While Sasuke couldn't exactly stop the plan from happening, he could stop the outcome. Uzu needed to be victorious. Not only that, but Sasuke intended to send a message to the entire Elemental Nations.

Turning his attention to Jiraiya, he said, "All right. Send that message. You head to intercept them as well. But don't try to stop them."

"Oi, what's this about?" Jiraiya asked with a confused look. "Why shouldn't I-"

"Because this gives me the perfect opportunity to tell all the other nations to stay away from Uzu," Sasuke stated. "I'll sneak aboard Kiri's fleet and meet up with you there. Then, we'll destroy the fleet and trample over Kumo. With Uzu right on its doorsteps, Kumo will have no choice but to consider pulling out of this war. It'll be a step forward to ending this war once and for all."

Jiraiya could nod, knowing that the boy was certain of this. Not only that, but Jiraiya also trusted the Uchiha in pulling this off. They would hold off worrying about anything else until this matter was settled.

Sasuke turned his attention to the sea laid out before him, its sight no longer alluring him like it had done so the day before.

This world was truly filled with darkness.