I

Chapter 390:

Blushing, Sakura changes the topic by asking, "I- I don't get why you

two aren't together. Don't you love her?"

"I do," he easily answers, taking her aback.

"Oh," she hums, feeling a bit rattled by his candor. "You never told me

that before… I mean, I sort of figured, but I never heard you say it out

loud."

"You've been busy, Sakura," he reasons. "I didn't want to distract you

from all the progress you're making."

Clearing her throat, she's almost scared to ask, "are you going to ask

her… to be your girlfriend?"

With an exhale, he answers, "no."

Suddenly feeling great empathy for Ino, Sakura quickly asks, "what?

Why?" Turning from the views of Konoha, he looks at her, and Sakura's

mind quickly travels to the most obvious and scandalous answer. "It's

not… it's not because of me… is it?"

"Whaa, no," he laughs, slightly too hard for Sakura's liking. "You and

me are totally cool now."

That stung more than she's willing to admit and mumbles under her

breath, "you didn't have to deny it so quickly." Ignoring the confusing

flare of slighted emotions, the pink-haired kunoichi pushes on to say, "if

that's what your clone wants to talk to Ino about, I think maybe you

should tell her in person, you know, after we come back."

"That's not what I want to talk to her about," Naruto admits but doesn't

elaborate, confusing and slightly annoying her. Sakura used to be able

to tell what her blond teammate was thinking. Now he feels different;

the same blond idiot from a distance, but upon closer inspection, less

idiocy and more maturity. So distracted by her thoughts of Naruto and

Ino, Sakura is surprised when Naruto yells, "you're late!"

Turning, she spots one of the legendary sannin landing lightly on his

wood sandals before them. Chuckling, the large white-haired man

calls, "my bad, my bad. My world's been turned upside down and I

couldn't navigate the village properly."

"Liar," Naruto quickly calls.

"Lying, am I," the large legendary ninja comically voices. Scratching his

chin a moment, he then tilts his head to ask Naruto, "well, then, you

certainly won't have a problem telling me why I had to keep an eye on

Asuma all night long?"

Sakura's alarmed to hear of Asuma, and then more so when Naruto

casually answers, "yeah, fine. But can we at least run while we talk? I

have a good idea where she might be."

Nodding, the three begin to sprint. Out of the tall gates and on the wide

forest trail, Naruto mentions a gambling town with castles, to which

Jiraiya leads them eastbound. They're sprinting a solid twenty minutes

before the chakra they're molding to their legs cycles enough that they

can continue running without getting exhausted.

Worried about Ino's sensei, Sakura asks Jiraiya, "is Asuma-sensei

alright?"

"I don't know, Sakura-chan," Jiraiya nearly mockingly answers. He then

whips his head to her blond teammate and replies, "why don't we ask

Naruto. Is Asuma-kun okay, Naruto? Huh? Is he? Is he?"

Sakura is very confused and potentially angry at Naruto as her blond

teammate deflates at the question. Though she's certain he's stopped

pranking the village, she's ready to smack him if he unintentionally hurt

Asuma.

When Naruto asks, "what did he say," Sakura's sure he pranked the

cool sensei.

Jiraiya simply teasingly retorts, "what's it matter?"

"Oh, whatever," Naruto bellows, as if fed up. "Yes, I have a girlfriend,

but-"

"HEEEEEEIIII- KOATH," Jiraiya's loud squeal is cut short when a bug

flies in his wide-open mouth, tripping and rolling on the dirt floor over

and over with the push of his strong momentum. Sitting up, the large

man tries to forcibly cough out the bug as she and Naruto watching in

sympathy. Jiraiya points a strong finger at Naruto and manages to

demand, "ex- KUOHH. Ex- plainn, UGHH."

It then dawns on Sakura that Naruto admitted to having a girlfriend, but

only twenty minutes ago, he said Ino wasn't his girlfriend. Sakura's

heart started puttering, her stomach felt lighter, and her knees

weakened at the thought he might be referencing her. She grows

confused when she recalls Naruto already admitted he didn't feel the

same for her only minutes ago.

She grows further confused when Naruto answers, "you're going to

need to let me finish. Yes, I have a girlfriend but we only became

official last night."

'He's not talking about me,' Sakura realizes, and again, hates the

feelings of inadequacy creeping into her heart. She then realizes he's

not talking about Ino either and after they begin sprinting again, Jiraiya

asks, "Kurenai-chan?"

Rolling his sky-blue eyes as if he's over it but also blushing, Naruto

answers, "yeah, Kurenai," and Jiraiya squeals loudly, reverberating his

voice throughout the tall trees of the forest surrounding Konoha and

flushing out dozens of birds.

Though certain his high-pitched squeal could be heard a mile away,

Sakura could only concentrate on her confusion. She isn't sure how the

beautiful sensei is involved with Naruto's girlfriend and asks her

teammate, "Kurenai, what?"

Ignoring his red-faced and squealing Godfather prancing beside them

like a ballerina basking in the sunshine, Naruto turns to her. With a

straight face, gentle eyes, and a soft smile, he fractures her sound

mind to pieces by confessing, "Kurenai's my girlfriend."

Sakura's gut seizes and she loses chakra in her legs, tripping and

rolling not unlike Jiraiya had earlier. After she rolls to a stop, they both

check on her but she can only stare at Naruto wide-eyed shock before

voicing, "tha- that's not funny, Naruto! What're you thinking? Joking like

that!"

"I'm not joking," Naruto voices as honestly as she's ever heard him and

Sakura's wide eyes turn to the madly blushing and giggling Jiraiya as

he writes in a little notebook. Naruto is seemingly upset by this and

calls out, "alright, alright. Look, I get you guys are curious, but let's not

forget we're on a mission." Turning to Jiraiya, Naruto points as he

asserts, "this is for your sensei—my Ji-chan—so I'm going to quickly

explain some things, and then we're going to run until we find Baachan!

Got it?"

Chapter 391:

Jiraiya body-flickers right in front of Naruto with his notebook out ready

to listen and take notes. Sakura was still on the floor reeling in

turbulent mind, body, and chakra from the craziest most impossible

news she's ever heard, like feeling the waves of the ocean after

already leaving the water. Her gut feels just as kicked in as when she

learned he was the son of the Yondaime. From learning about his

insane training regiment to beating Momochi Zabuza, Sasuke, Sabaku

no Gaara, and being the son of a Hokage, she couldn't help mentally

yelling, 'how can one person be so surprising!?'

"I met Kurenai a couple of weeks after graduating the Academy,"

Naruto begins to quickly explain. "She wanted help with training stuff,

and in return, she taught me a bunch of stuff like strategy, training,

chakra nature. I didn't know about Asuma-nii and their history until

yesterday, which is also when Kurenai and I decided to officially

become a couple. There! Now can we please continue the mission?"

Recalling her and Ino's attempts at getting Asuma and Kurenai

together—for months—Sakura blurts out, "how could you not know?!

Didn't you see them?!"

Jiraiya responds, "don't you 'there,' me, like you explained anything!

What about all the juicy stuff?"

"It's so obvious that Asuma-sensei and Kurenai-sensei love each

other," Sakura adds impatiently.

Jiraiya begins to rapid-fire question-after-question. "Who made the first

move? Was it love at first sight? How is she okay with this? How are

you okay with this? Have you… How far have you two gone-"

"Enough," Naruto practically yells. Though she's heard him raise his

voice when he boasts, he rarely raises his voice in irritation. He

continues to sober her up by voicing, "Ji-chan needs our help! How is

my romantic life more important than his health?"

Sakura instantly realizes why they're looking for Tsunade-sama, and

sadly repeats, "the Hokage is…"

He confirms her suspicion, saying, "that's why we're searching for

Baachan," before turning to them both. "Look, I promise you can ask

me all the questions you want when we rest up, but can we please

focus on the mission now?"

Jiraiya walks up to Naruto and stares down at him with intensely

focused eyes for several silent moments. After imagining all sorts of

piercing criticism for such an illicit affair, Jiraiya lands his large and

heavy hand on Naruto's shoulder before seriously telling him, "I'm

dedicating Icha Icha Palace to you."

Naruto rolls his eyes before he starts running again, and for the next

seven silent hours, Sakura felt like she was in a horrible mind trap. Her

inadequacy as a person, her sisterhood with Ino, her relationship with

Naruto, and suddenly learning that he's possibly in a romantic

relationship with a strong, gorgeous, and respectable woman like

Jōnin-sensei Yūhi Kurenai… it was the biggest mind-fuck she couldn't

stop focusing on. Her heart was so heavy it felt like she was slowing

the team down.

Sakura had too many questions, and at the core of it all, was her false

sense of reality. Recalling her past behavior, if she truly saw Sasuke, if

she truly saw herself, or Naruto, she knows for certain her entire life

would be completely different. She feels she wouldn't be struggling with

her obsessive love for Sasuke if she truly saw reality for what it was

and not only accepted it, but embraced it. At the thought that Naruto

could be dating someone as amazing and respectable as Kurenai-

sensei, Sakura never felt so motivated to stop being that blind girl she

was.

KURENAI

Kurenai and Anko walk up to Kakashi, who's leaning against the wall of

a mildly busy teashop, reading his little orange ero-literature. Kurenai is

fairly certain this has to do with Asuma as Anko had already told her

Kakashi was with Asuma last night. Additionally, the two are friends, so

it makes sense that Kakashi knows some things, though not the whole

story. The way their senior Jōnin captain put away his little book as

they approached him made Kurenai thankful she invited Anko.

Turning to Anko, Kakashi closes his eye genially before voicing, "I'd

wondered where you went last night, Anko."

"Yeah," Anko casually hum as she looks at the teashop's menu on the

wall. "Just forgot something I had to do."

Aware of what this was all about, Kurenai asks, "what'd you want to

talk about, Kakashi?"

"Just thought I'd give you the opportunity to tell me your side of things,"

he voices, confirming to both kunoichi that he's fishing for confirmation

rather than knowing outright.

Unbothered, Kurenai asks, "could you be more specific?"

"You, Asuma, and Naruto," Kakashi replies, gauging their reaction.

"Kakashi," a young voice calls out and they all turn to the sight of

Sasuke walking up to them. Oddly, at the same time, the three Jōnin

sense a shift in the air; the little hairs on their skin vibrating at the

slightest disturbance in the air pressure due to chakra interference. To

Kurenai, it felt as if a sort of gentle veil was all around them, concealing

a sinister chakra… a lot of chakra. "I just met Naruto's clone," Sasuke

continues before asking, "is it true?"

"Mah, why don't we go talk about that," Kakashi answers his student as

they all sense the large body of chakra body-flicker away. With his

single eye, Anko and Kurenai understand his command and shunshin

after the two men while Kakashi first leads the young Uchiha away.

Anko and Kurenai are surprised by how far they have to sprint to catch

up to the two men walking on a sidewalk beside a wide river. Landing

ahead of the pair dressed in black, full-body traveling cloaks with red

clouds designed on them and a high collar, cutting them off. Both men

wore wide straw sun-hats and white neck-covers, but the tall one had a

large, thick sword wrapped in white cloth at his back, while the other

appears to have black hair. The well trained Jōnin immediately begin to

cross-reference these markers with any known enemy combatants

they can recall, but it isn't until the ebony-haired suspect raises the

edge of his straw hat, showing them his eyes, that they have any

sense of who they're dealing with.

Both Anko and Kurenai are startled to see blood-red Sharingan eyes

staring back at them.

Chapter 392: Shark Attack

KABUTO

"We must find her," Kabuto hears his master say.

In the deep dark tunnels of their underground base, a detached Kabuto

follows his leader toward the surface as he asks, "are you certain she'd

be able to counteract your poison in time?"

Kabuto knows the questions he needs to ask, the faces he needs to

make, the interest he needs to show, but with every passing day he

feels less and less, and the trend worries him, for Orochimaru doesn't

allow anyone in his service to lessen in any way. Staring at

Orochimaru's back, Kabuto can't help but think how thin the man is, yet

he follows his leader up the final step of their base under the heavy

vegetation of the dense forest.

As Kabuto activates the entrance's traps, Orochimaru slowly asserts,

"never allow waiting to become a habit, Kabuto," making his hands

pause. "Moreover," Orochimaru adds. "There's some satisfaction to be

had in killing one of Sensei's precious students before his end. The

wind of change is the only true tyrant of this world and I will outlive it."

"And Sasuke," Kabuto asks.

"I think it's about time we send those four to the leaf," the snake leader

responds, to which Kabuto listlessly nods. "Sasuke should be ready."

KURENAI

Suddenly feeling the sun's heat beat on her more angrily, Kurenai

voices what's on Anko's mind as well, "Uchiha Itachi."

Ignoring any irrelevant information, Kurenai won't focus on why Itachi

has returned, and instead, both Anko and Kurenai are recalling his

abilities and combat prowess; graduated everything early, became a

Chūnin without a team, became Anbu captain at thirteen, and of

course, murdered nearly every member of the formidable Uchiha clan

in a single night. He's one of the most capable shinobi Konoha has

ever produced, and in a situation like this, Anko and Kurenai have to be

perfect if they want to arrest the dangerous Sharingan user without

dying.

The sharp-eyed Itachi tosses his straw-hat to the side and unclasps his

high collar, revealing his strikingly composed, yet menacing,

countenance, calmly staring at them as the larger man also removes

his circular straw-hat. From the pale blue-skinned man's hitai-ate and

the sketch in their bingo book, both Kurenai and Anko can guess who

the tall man is; a notorious missing-nin from Hidden Mist on every

nation's wanted list, only adding to their predicament. Kurenai will

count delaying these formidable shinobi until reinforcements arrive as a

success.

"I should introduce myself," the taller, drab-skinned man starts. His

sharp teeth bare down into a grin as he speaks, "Hoshigaki Kisame. I

hope we get along."

"You've got a lot of nerve coming back here," Kurenai tells Itachi, subtly

informing Anko that delaying them via conversation is their best tactic.

"Yūhi Kurenai, Mitarashi Anko," Itachi peacefully begins. "I have no

intention of killing you. Nevertheless, if you do not step aside, you will

die."

"That's rich coming from you," Anko retorts. "Were the women and

children you slaughtered in their homes and beds 'in your way' too?"

Kisame lazily points out, "they're trying to stall," before effortlessly

smashing the tip of his wrapped long-sword several inches into the

concrete sidewalk, creating a small plum of dust. "Itachi, this ain't a

reunion. Let's kill em and go."

"So be it," Itachi easily agrees.

Before the pair of missing-nin react, Anko summons snakes to release

from her overcoat as Kurenai swirls away from view like evaporating

mist. Feeling her genjutsu ensnare Itachi and Kisame, Kurenai

materializes out of a tree to stab them with kunai in her hand, ready to

stab Itachi in the neck, but from that second to the very next, she sees

his red eyes before finding herself in her own snare and bound by her

tree. Kurenai bites her lower lip hard enough to draw blood, breaking

out of the reverse genjutsu just in time to avoid Itachi's kunai from

slashing her neck open

Swiping at Anko's multitude of poisonous snakes, Kisame appears

bored. After Kurenai is kicked far out into the river, Anko uses smoke

bombs to distract Kisame, but he swipes at her head with his large

sword, and in ducking the strong stroke of his blade, Anko summons

several dozens of snakes to attack Kisame so she can get to her

comrade.

Kurenai is stabilizing herself on the river when she hears behind her,

"that's what's expected from you, Kurenai." She barely turns to the

Uchiha casually standing behind her as he continues. "But-" Only to be

interrupted by a familiar voice.

"But this is as far as it goes," Kakashi voices from behind Itachi.

Anko's snakes did nothing to Kisame as he voices, "Suiton: Suikōdan

no Jutsu," and from the wide river beside them, a fast swirling spear of

water in the shape of a shark whirls out like a rapid tornado. With Itachi

behind Kurenai, she can't stop Kisame's attack on her best friend,

however, she trusts Kakashi's capabilities completely. Mirroring the

thin, tree-cutting tornado of water, a second Kakashi's Water Shark

Bomb collides head-first into the Kisame's, violently shattering apart

with the strength of a fifty-foot wave hitting rocks.

Kisame smiles as a clone of Kakashi walks beside Anko and identifies,

"copy Ninja Hatake Kakashi. I heard you and Zabuza had it out a few

months back; even lost his sword." Kakashi simply hums, bringing a

smirk to Kisame's bluish face before confessing, "now here's someone

who might actually make this worth it."

Regardless of the kunai the real Kakashi has near Itachi's neck, the

Uchiha prodigy orders, "stop, Kisame." The large bluish-skinned man

hums curiously to which Itachi explains, "your method of combat isn't

efficient here. If you go at it with that man, it won't end without cost.

And if we spend too much time here, more shinobi will arrive."

Though still under threat, Kurenai is curious to hear Kakashi ask, "what

are you after, Itachi?" The clone of Kakashi beside Anko dispels as the

real Jōnin asks, "or should I say who."

In a dozen nanoseconds, Kurenai felt an elevation of chakra with

combined alertness, Itachi slipping out four shuriken between the

fingers of his right hand, and Kakashi leaping back as four drills made

of river-water try to skewer the elite Jōnin. Before the second ends,

Kakashi erects a barrier made of water, spraying out a blinding mist of

water as liquid spears clash against a liquid shield.

Kurenai might find Kakashi's ability to teach lacking, but as a combat

specialist, his talent is far beyond herself or Anko. She isn't even

surprised when Itachi compliments his analytical skill as, "great," only

for a clone of Itachi to stab Kakashi in the back. Kurenai couldn't even

register concern before Kakashi phases into the water clone he is, then

splashes to the river they're standing on. The kunai, however, flows

toward Kurenai just underneath the water's surface.

Voicing, "nice," Kurenai takes the sharp weapon from Kakashi and is

close enough to Itachi to inflict a decent amount of damage, however,

mid lunge, Kakashi bursts through the river surface, his shoulder hitting

her gut as he wraps an arm around her to leap away. She barely

understood when he yelled, "wait, Kurenai!" just before the Itachi

nearest them explodes powerfully, rapidly heating and expanding the

air around them to a blunt, concussive shockwave that rocks their skull

and soft organs.

"Kurenai! Kakashi!" Anko yells before jumping into the wave of heated

water and misty air.

With the force of the blast all but evaporated, water rains down on

Anko, Kurenai, and a heavily breathing Kakashi. Kurenai could detect

the scent of burned clothing coming from her Jōnin captain's back, and

despite her ringing headache, she knows he took the worst of the force

for her. With the rain and mist gone, Itachi is visible again, but his stoic

presence seems far more imposing.

"Stay on your toes," Kakashi orders them. "This guy made ANBU Black

Ops chief at thirteen."

"He's tough," Anko hastily returns. "We know."

"No," Kakashi returns. "You don't. We've barely seen what he can do."

"For a person not born an Uchiha," Itachi voices, eying Kakashi's

guarded figure. "You utilize the Sharingan well. But without the body to

match, you lack the physical requirements, and that isn't something

you can copy, Kakashi." The way Itachi closes his eyes as he asks, "do

you know why the Uchiha clan is so feared?" It felt ominous to Kurenai

as the calm shinobi adds, "I'll show you what the Sharingan is capable

of when it's wielded by a true heir of the bloodline."

Chapter 393:

Tensing, Kakashi uncharacteristically yells, "close your eyes!" Though

the kunoichi couldn't help but wonder about their defensive capability

against strong shinobi like Itachi and Kisame without their sight, Anko

and Kurenai were both certain this was best for their survival and

followed his command. "Listen up, whatever happens, don't look into

his eyes. If you meet his gaze, you're finished."

"Your abilities always impress," Itachi voices. "They might even be

enough to resist the Mangekyo Sharingan. But your eye can't defend

against my Tsukuyomi."

Kurenai hears a faint grunt from Kakashi and a second later, he

suddenly drops to one knee and breathing raggedly. Unable to see

anything but darkness, Kurenai senses Kakashi's struggle to keep

above the river's surface and wonders about his distorted chakra flow.

"Kakashi," Anko calls with closed eyes. "Talk to us. Are you alright?"

"Only someone with a blood-limit as strong as the Sharingan can

possibly defeat me," Itachi's voice pierces through their ears.

"Mnn," Kisame hums, humorously enjoying the horribly overcome

Konoha shinobi. "After receiving that, it's impressive he's still

conscious."

Gasping loudly, Kakashi laboriously remarks, "you… you're… after…

Naruto… and… there are… more of you… searching… for Jinchūriki…

A group called… Akatsuki."

Without shock or awe, Itachi immediately orders, "Kisame, I'll take

Kakashi. You erase the other two."

Kurenai can hear the small splash of water under Kisame's feet as the

large force sprints forward without hesitation. Her ears and chakra can

sense the taller man moving on them, but the mode of attack is hazy

and they had less than a second to confidently respond. Lowering her

stance as she hears the strain of his sword being wound back, Kurenai

suddenly hears, "Konoha Daisenpū!"

Kisame is kicked back with the strong leg in all of Konoha before Might

Guy land on the rushing river, splashing with swirling water reaching

his height.

Kisame is happily taken by the speed the man caught him in and the

force of the kick as he asks, "and who do we have here?"

With his bobbed cut and tight green onesie, he strikes a pose and

proudly answers back, "the Leaf village's fiercest beast of battle, Might

Guy!"

"…How'd I get kicked by the village idiot?"

"Don't underestimate him," Itachi warns.

"You two, open your eyes," Guy orders the kunoichi.

"But-"

Anko is interrupted when Guy explains, "I know it'll be difficult, but

predict his movements by focusing on his feet. As long as you don't

look directly into his eyes, you'll be fine."

Kurenai truly wonders if she can open her eyes when Kakashi falls

forward and begins sinking into the river. To her immense shock, Guy

turns his back on the enemy to lift the sinking Kakashi out of the water.

Hearing Kisame voice to his Uchiha partner, "we can't leave without

Kakashi," Guy passes the unconscious Kakashi to Anko and orders her

to get him to safety.

"I know," Itachi replies, ordering, "kill him quick," before Kisame

immediately rushes Guy, lowering Samehada to slice upward. As Guy

and Kisame meet head-on in a booming sound of fist meeting fist,

Itachi is rushing toward them. Unable to look past his ankles, Kurenai's

ears pick up a metallic edge cutting through the air and only barely

manages to track and deflect the kunai to her heart. A flash of blinding

white followed by stars haze her vision when she's suddenly kicked in

the face. Absent thought, Kurenai feels her training deep in her bones

and her muscles take over and move with that purpose.

Limberly rolling back with the momentum of the kick, Kurenai ignores

the sting of pain to recover her footing and keep some distance

between herself and her enemy. Periodically calling, 'Kai,' in her mind

to disrupt her chakra flow and cancel any genjutsu that may be on her.

Only then does she notice that the person who kicked her was Anko,

not Itachi, and whilst holding Kakashi around his waist with her left

arm, her sister has yet to repel the genjutsu on her. Kurenai isn't even

sure when he put them under genjutsu as she begins defending herself

from Anko's iron snakes and fire-coated shuriken.

While dodging each serpent strike and deflecting repeated shuriken,

Kurenai manages to sneak in close to cancel the illusion only to notice

Anko's normally pupil-less brown eyes have the Sharingan in them. In

that speck of time, Kurenai knew shutting her eyes and biting her lip to

disrupt her chakra flow would leave her open for what could be a

critical strike, but she also knew—instinctively—that it was her only

hope of survival. Canceling the chakra completely to her feet before

the rest of her body, Kurenai feels the sharpened edge of metal brutally

bite into her left trapezius muscle as her body sinks into the river's

water. The cold water immediately amplifies the heat of the

hemorrhaging wound biting from the left shoulder up her neck and jaw.

Reallocating the sensory receptors of the gnawing pain, Kurenai swims

up to the surface in time to witness Itachi stab Anko in the back.

Kurenai felt the air kick out of her lungs and time slow to a standstill as

dark blood escapes out the back of Anko's brown coat. Unable to even

speak, Kurenai kicks high to desperately run out of the running water,

praying to Kami the wound wasn't fatal or crippling. Running toward her

falling friend, Kurenai's hands flips through a series of seals before she

disappears in swirling flower petals.

Itachi seems to counter her genjutsu and throw Anko's body into the

tornado of petals before a blur of hand seals and a call of, "Katon:

Gōkakyū no Jutsu."

Kurenai catches Anko as a ten-foot-tall ball of flames rockets toward

them and her mind instinctively knows the options despite a fraction of

a second of thought. 'Earth-style barrier on water won't work. My water

style won't stop or deflect that degree of torrent fire. Death is certain if I

don't leave Anko,' yet Kurenai only clutches her friend tighter, trying to

use her chakra as best she can to dive deep enough in the water to

avoid. In a second filled with nothing but fire, the river water boils,

steams, and evaporates, and in the painful heat, whereupon her eyes

feel like sand, her vision filled with flaming red, like a man burning.

Only, the white-hot death she was expecting didn't come.

The great cataract of steel-melting fire is spread in all directions, like

the tail of a peacock, with Naruto cloaked in a densely red chakra at

the center, stopping the flame with a large red hand. For nearly ten full

seconds, the intense heat suffocates the air around them so Kurenai

couldn't even breathe until finally, Itachi halts his flame power. The

atmosphere around them seemed darker than the day, steam and heat

emanating from the cooling river water, and three red chakra tails were

curling and flowing lethargically from Naruto's lower back.

Without even turning to her, a calmly irate Naruto sternly informs

Kurenai, "I've been looking for you all day."

Chapter 394:

NARUTO CLONE I

After Boss Naruto created a team of clones to inform Kurenai, Ino,

Sakura, Karin, Kakashi, Iruka, and Haku that he'll be out of the village

for a couple of days, Clone Naruto has been searching for his mark:

Kurenai. Except for his clone brother who's supposed to talk to Sakura

and Ino, all the other clones have already disappeared. He was

debating leaving a note for her at her house when he hears the loud

clap of a distant shock wave coming from Kaizen river. Curious enough

to check it out, Clone Naruto lands on the top of a tree near the

streaming body of water and is surprised to see Rock Lee's sensei

fiercely fighting a big guy swinging a long sword.

The bluish man only stood out to Naruto because he wore a black

traveling cloak with red clouds on them, reminding him of, "Akatsuki,"

he gasps. Whipping his head left and right, he wondered if he had

enough time to get into sage mode when he noticed the very familiar

ebony hair of a woman a dozen yards farther down the river being

stabbed near her neck. His clone heart stopped. Kurenai getting

stabbed stopped the earth as far as he's concerned. She disappeared

under the water, blood mixing with the flowing river, and for the briefest

of moments, Naruto believed with his whole being she was dead. As if

stricken, the panic in him was a blaring alarm Kurama couldn't ignore.

In the dark and dank seal, Kurama's growly voice orders him to, 'take

it.' Though his tone is as rough and rude as ever, he waits on a frozen

Naruto, still staring. 'She's going to die if you don't get down there,'

Kurama groans. 'Take my chakra… save our mate.'

Nodding, Naruto didn't need to specify how many tails. He wanted it all

but he couldn't wait. Feeling the tremendous power coursing from his

core through his chakra network and coat his muscles and tendons

with boundless energy, Naruto shunshin to the thick mast of the tree

before kicking against the wood hard enough to compress the

molecules and leave fire tracks burning.

In the split second it takes him to land in front of the torrent of a grand

fireball, he had four tails and a large red chakra hands forbidding death

from taking Kurenai. Eventually, the fire ceases, leaving steam,

ominous darkness, and an irate Naruto glaring into Sharingan eyes as

he verbalizes, "I've been looking for you all day."

Across from Naruto, Itachi's red eyes stare calmly into Naruto's red

eyes, and Naruto's surprised by how clear his mind is. He can feel

more power than he's ever felt before, but the anger and hatred are

diminished a great deal. It was as if Kurama and Naruto both wanted

the same thing; to never let Kurenai die.

Smelling the blood hemorrhaging from Kurenai's wound, Naruto asks

without looking, "…you alright?"

"I'll live," Kurenai huffs, checking Anko's pulse and is relieved to feel a

pulse.

Focusing on the Uchiha in front of him, Naruto asserts, "you're

Sasuke's brother, Itachi."

"I am," Itachi slowly answers. "And you're Uzumaki Naruto." Tilting his

head, as if sensing an incoming force, Itachi lifts Kakashi out of the

water and comfortably sets him on his shoulder. "For Kakashi's sake,

I'm going to need you to come with us, Naruto." Leaping out of the

river, Itachi calls for his partner as he lands on the railing of the

pathway then takes off, sprinting away at full speed. At the same time,

Naruto quickly creates a clone to take care of Kurenai and Anko before

he chases after Itachi.

The village is whirling by as the shinobi swiftly cut the wind running on

the street, then branch to branch and finally over rooftop. Naruto can't

help but be impressed by Itachi's speed from building to building whilst

carrying Kakashi on his shoulder, but as they leap to rooftops, four-

tailed Naruto gradually narrows the gap. He's three body-lengths away

and ready to kick off faster when his body vibrates in blaring warning

and he instinctively dodges Kisame's powerful sword swipe.

In the process of avoiding the massive sword, he suddenly feels most

of his and Kurama's chakra disappear from within him, forcing him to

lose most of his red chakra shroud and bestial appearance. Though he

still had a shroud, he lost all four of his tails and is shocked by the

sudden loss in strength as Kisame moves beside Itachi. They both then

truly speed away.

Naruto keeps his pace up as best he can while drawing more of

Kurama's chakra to boost his speed. As Naruto tries to catch up, other

Chūnin or Jōnin join the chase and quickly fail at stopping them. More

and more Konoha shinobi try to apprehend them but with Kisame's

chakra-sucking Samehada and Itachi's awareness-warping Sharingan,

it's nearly impossible. As the bodies of his fellow ninjas drop off with

wounds or disorientation, Naruto feels a greater urge to stop them

before they kill anyone.

Naruto is joined by Guy-sensei and the exuberant man quickly

explains, "let them slow them down."

"But they're only going to get hurt," Naruto protests.

"They know that," Guy sternly returns. "But they are capable of slowing

them down without suffering serious injuries so other teams ahead can

set up traps."

Wondering what kind of traps could stop Itachi and Kisame, Naruto

admits, "traps aren't going to work against them."

As if accepting that as the likely reality, Guy answers, "we have to

believe in our teams, Naruto-kun."

With that, the pair focus on keeping pace while Konoha shinobi try to

slow Akatsuki down. Itachi and Kisame scale the wall of Konoha's

border before leaping over it and to the forest beyond. Naruto and Guy

follow them over the large barrier and into the wide woodlands. In the

two hours that Naruto and Guy give constant chase, Guy explains how

proficient Itachi's Sharingan is, which is why they've avoided nearly all

of the traps.

"Listen carefully," Guy voices as the last Konoha shinobi team breaks

off. "It won't be long now before we catch up. While it pains me to risk

your youthful future, under no circumstances must we allow them to

take Kakashi, but nor can I fend off enemies like this and recover

Kakashi. I will engage both Itachi and Kisame, and when you see an

opening, grab Kakashi and run." Leaping from tall forest branch to

branch, Naruto tries to protest when the eccentric Jōnin cuts him off.

"Don't look back and don't worry about me. As Konoha's Sublime

Beast, I was born for this!"

"Ne, Guy-sensei," Naruto calls as they close the distance with Akatsuki.

"I think we can take them on together-"

"That's noble of you to say," Guy asserts as he flexes his fingers and

prepares for the battle ahead. "Don't worry. I will make sure you can

escape with Kakashi; whatever it takes." Turning his head to look at

Naruto, Guy gently asks, "when next you see Lee-kun… if you can

meet with him every once in a while, I think that would be nice."

"Guy-sensei! I'm just a clone," Naruto declares. "You should be the one

to take Kakashi-sensei when you get a chance." Feeling less than a

couple of minutes from their targets, Naruto calls, "Kage Bunshin no

Jutsu," for a single clone to pop into existence and drop to the forest

floor.

"Conserve your chakra-"

"We're almost on them," Naruto interjects, wondering which plan the

clone he made will decide to do. Either way, he'll be ready for him.

Guy then warns Naruto, "at the most, we won't see any backup for

twenty to thirty minutes."

Naruto simply nods and the Konoha shinobi land in a small clearing

surrounded by tall redwoods and sequoias. The pair of Akatsuki are a

dozen yards away with Kakashi's unconscious form on the grassy floor

beside Itachi. Guy ignores the Sharingan eyes and Naruto relies on

Kurama to dispel any genjutsu placed on him.

"Finally," Kisame voices. "It's infuriating being forced to run from

weaklings. You ask too much of me Itachi."

Itachi hums to his partner as Guy demands, "if you're after Kakashi's

Sharingan, did you need to take him? Wouldn't it have been easier to

simply take the eye?"

Naruto hadn't thought of why they would be interested in Kakashi but

thinking of the prank they could pull on them, Naruto slaps his forehead

as he calls out, "ah! They're after me, not Kakashi-sensei. They knew

I'd follow if they took them."

Flickering his gaze on Naruto a moment, Guy then asks the enemy,

"could it be you were after Naruto-kun this entire time?"

"While we plan on interrogating Kakashi-senpai," Itachi begins to muse.

"You are correct. Naruto-kun is indeed our primary objective."

Not expecting Guy's tactical duplicity, he acts concerned as he yells to

the young blond, "Naruto, I'll hold them off while you run!"

Taking a step forward, the chakra covered Naruto calls out to Itachi, "I

know for a fact you're one of the toughest ninjas ever. It's why I've been

training like crazy for the past seven months… for this moment."

"Oohhh, a whole seven months," Kisame mocks with a chuckle.

Stoic as ever, Itachi asks, "and why's that?"

However, Kisame groans and gripes, "enough talk," taking steps

forward with his hungry sword comfortably on his shoulder. "Let's kill

the weird one and cut the brat's legs off. It'll be easier to carry him that

way."

Chapter 395:

With Kakashi's life at stake on the soft forest floor, silence descends on

the clearing for several tense moments before Naruto's hand reaches

behind him before punching his fist forward, sending a large red shroud

of chakra at Kisame. The bluish-skinned man expectedly made it

disappear with his chakra consuming sword, leaving behind the bundle

of exploding tags in the air, sizzling before exploding violently.

Itachi and Kisame are separated when they leap away with the

concussive shock wave and Naruto yells to Guy, "I've got Itachi,"

before leaping after the Uchiha.

While Kisame takes advantage of Guy's momentary distraction, Naruto

follows Itachi through the trees before spotting him in a clearing waiting

patiently for him. Thinking of Naru-nii's strategy, Naruto reminds

Kurama, 'remember to feed your chakra into mine to cancel out his

genjutsu.'

'He's tried four times already,' Kurama replies. 'I doubt he'll use

genjutsu to overtake you.'

"It appears you've gained some mastery over your Tailed Beast," Itachi

acknowledges.

With everything he knows of the future, Naruto replies, "we have to

talk."

"We will," the raven-haired shinobi voices as he confidently advances.

"Once I've captured you-"

"I know you killed your clan to stop them from rebelling," Naruto loudly

interjects, and Itachi's eyes narrow as he stops walking. He's as still as

a statue as Naruto continues calling out, "I know you didn't even hate

your family, but you went that far just to keep the peace. And if we don't

talk right now, I'm going to tell Sasuke everyth-"

Itachi blitz's Naruto, clearing the distance as he rockets six shuriken,

two directly at Naruto, two wider so the final two can ricochet off and hit

Naruto from the side. Naruto's red chakra tail swipes the shuriken to

the side as Itachi's speed brings him within inches of Naruto, rapid-

firing crisp punches to the stomach, solar plexus, and chest before a

wincing Naruto can even begin dodging and blocking the strike to his

neck and jaw.

When Naruto's single tail swipes at Itachi's feet, the proficient shinobi

back-flips away before calmly relaying, "you shouldn't speak so freely."

Looking around, Naruto comments, "it's just us-"

"That you can see," Itachi interjects. He pauses as if he wants to say

more, but instead informs, "if you truly wish to talk, defeating me is the

only way."

With no words left to be shared, Itachi and Naruto rush each other. It's

fairly evident to Naruto that Itachi is not only fast enough to keep up,

but skilled enough to predict his chakra's random attacks as well.

They're a blur of millisecond punches, kicks, slips, blocks, and counters

with Itachi serving more than he receives. And worse, it doesn't even

seem as if Itachi is struggling. No matter what Naruto did, Itachi could

evade or counter and his face isn't unlike Samui's, empty of intent.

It's like when he'd spar against Sasuke or Hinata. Their taijutsu style is

like they're playing chess and he's playing checkers. Like them, Itachi's

swift moves were so clean, practiced, and filled with feints. Naruto was

more of a brawler, but after Kurenai entered his life and beat into him to

think more, he slowly began to realize often he fell for traps; how much

there is to learn. He studied more with his eyes than he had before,

and like pranks, he knows there's a story hidden even when fists are

talking, and it's clear Itachi is a master.

Itachi is a master, but Naruto doesn't give up. He's struck in the face

with palms or kneed in the stomach but he only invigorates him to

reach for more—more strength, speed, insight—to beat the obstacle in

his way. Little by little, Naruto was understanding that image of Itachi,

learning a frame of his self, allowing him to see timing. Naruto was still

being pummeled, but at least he was starting to realize what was a

feint and what was a strike.

Catching his elbow meant for his nose, the pause of surprise Itachi

noted allowed Naruto enough time to plant his chakra mark and grip

him before his chakra tail tries to swipe at his head from behind. Itachi

ducks his head forward before Naruto knees him in the face. Though

Itachi catches the knee with his hand, the impact travels through.

Naruto doesn't let up. He attacks ferociously, following a punch with a

series of punches and kicks like a spinning top. Blurringly fast, Itachi

can dodge three before he's hit with the fourth and sent flying.

It's the first clean hit Naruto landed and he's about to pour on the

offense when he barely hears a whooshing and dodges a large blunt

object from taking his head clean off. Though he dodged the large

sword, Naruto feels incredibly drained. As Kisame lands a couple

dozen yards ahead, near enough to Itachi, not only is his tail gone but

so is his chakra shroud. As Itachi slowly gets to his feet, Naruto's body

feels much heavier, he's exhausted, sweating, and aching.

After ciphering most of Naruto's chakra, Kisame smiles smugly while

setting his larger sword comfortably on his shoulder as he bemoans,

"that fucking weirdo took off with Kakashi, but we still got what we

came for." As Itachi calmly walks beside his partner, the taller man asks

a heaving Naruto, "how's it feel to be abandoned by your comrade?"

"Hehe," Naruto heaves, happy that at least Guy got Kakashi back. "I'm

never alone-" Naruto blinks into flat surprise to suddenly see himself

standing next to Itachi with a large Rasengan in hand.

It was so instantaneous, Itachi or Kisame don't notice until the clone

voices, "ain't that the truth," right before he slams an easily dispersible

Rasengan right into Itachi's side. The clone wasn't trying to kill him, but

Naru-nii warned him, 'you can't hold back against someone as strong

as Itachi,' and Naruto didn't; at least not until the Rasengan connected

a second after he appeared next to Itachi. When Naruto felt the

resistance from contact, he allowed the spinning sphere of chakra to

easily unravel, and like attaching a rocket to the Uchiha, Itachi flew

eighty feet like he was a propeller shot out of a canon, rotating from his

abdomen with his limbs flailing from the centrifugal force until he hit the

soft grass, rolling another twenty feet before finally sliding to a stop.

One clone drained of Kurama's chakra and the other losing the last bit

of Sage chakra, the Narutos were smiling through huffing exhaustion.

After the two seconds it takes for Kisame to realize a clone somehow

appeared beside them and blasted his partner a hundred feet away

passes, he's already swiping his monstrous sword across the clone's

chest, forcibly dispersing him from existence. Not only does Boss

Naruto receive the memories of the dispelled clone, struggling traveling

through the disorienting and suffocating tunnel of warped reality, but so

do the clones.

They're all fed memories of the clone entering sage mode and deciding

on attempting Hiraishin. Activating the Fūin-Ninjutsu, the entire

environment freezes before warping like a carnival mirror completely

around him. In the cylinder of stretched out forest scenery, he couldn't

move a muscle but for the chakra he expels from his hands and feet.

The memories tell of a nearly hour-long odyssey trying to push his way

through the surreal tunnel toward the marker at the end, nearly dying

several times when he'd get too close to the wall. Making it to the other

end nearly drained him of all his chakra, but when he did manage, the

second before the jutsu's end, when the forest expanded back to its

normal reality, he could see a frozen Itachi, Kisame, and himself in the

distance. He felt like he could do anything in that frozen time, and

formed a Rasengan with the last bit of his strength.

Crouched, heaving, and dead-tired in front of a tall and irate Kisame,

Clone Naruto receives a cache of quick memories from Boss Naruto

saying, 'try to bring Itachi where I am and I'll set up a room to talk,' and

it made him chuckle and cough.

While staring at the much larger and angry Kisame menacingly

approach him, all Clone Naruto can think is, 'hehe, stop asking for the

impossible.' It's also a message for the two clones still in Konoha to talk

to Hinata about tenketsu training as quickly as possible.

Feeling drained of much chakra while Kisame closes in, Naruto

couldn't think of how to nab Itachi and escape without Kisame

interfering. He was ready to pop in a cloud of smoke at any moment,

but instead stands straighter, drawing out his chakra blade and ready

to brawl it out.

"I don't know how you managed to pull one over on him," Kisame

growls. "But it won't work on me."

Kisame brings down the far-reaching and deadly Samehada to meet

Naruto's knuckle blade, and though he was expecting to dispel, an ear-

piercing, bitingly cold pressure jets overhead, striking Kisame square in

the chest. Smaller laser-straight jets of water spread out in all

directions depending upon the ricochet off his body as he's forcefully

shoved destructively through large chunks of hard earth. As Naruto is

blasted back from the shock wave alone, the amount of force in the

thin stream of highly pressured water pushes the missing-nin even

farther than Itachi.

With enough water to fill a small lake slowly seeping into the earth

around Naruto, he wonders about the Suton attack moments before a

navy-blue clad woman with long auburn hair lands into the ankle-deep

water right beside him.

Chapter 396:

"Naruto-dono," Mei's voice sweetly greets him. "It's been too long." As

he gets up off the ankle-deep flooded forest floor, she adds, "I hope

you've not been avoiding me."

Dead on his feet, Naruto half-chuckles, "as if," while breathing heavily,

then adding, "that's not going to… stop him."

"Of course not," Mei agrees, returning her attention on the distant

threat. "Hoshigaki Kisame is one of the strongest shinobi out of the

Mist, on my level or even stronger depending on how we fight.

Speaking of which," she adds before whirling through a series of hand-

seals then raising one hand above her head. It takes no more than

seven seconds for a thick mist to rise from the flooded forest floor and

expand a mile in every direction.

With everything a misty white and gray, even Mei's voice seems to

come from nowhere specific as she remarks, "I'd love to hear how you

ended up squaring off against another of the Seven Swordsman."

Barely seeing her silhouette he warily answers, "he works for a

group… called Akatsuki. They're trying to… capture me."

"I've heard of them," she relays. "A powerful group of unsavory S-Rank

missing-nin for hire. Why are they after you?"

Chuckling, he answers, "I'ma popular guy… I guess."

"I'd say so," Mei warmly hums.

Needing more energy if he's ever going to snatch Itachi, Naruto asks

Mei, "think you can… distract him… for three minutes?"

"For?"

"I gotta get… Itachi… to the Boss…"

"…Uchiha Itachi," she repeats mostly for herself before asking, "who's

this Boss of yours?"

"I'm just a clone," he confesses.

Swiveling her head so the silhouette of her hair whirls, she repeats, "a

clone? Fighting Kisame?" before lightly laughing. "You really are a

surprising ninja," she adds mirthfully before leaping away to battle her

countryman.

Naruto sits cross-legged in the thick mist and despite the vibrations he

feels in the ground, the far off cracking of tree bark, and slicing of the

air either by water or sword, Naruto remains focused on gather natural

energy. What made it take longer than usual was Kurama.

'You should just use my chakra,' the large orange fox growls from

behind the gate.

'You know I can't,' a seated Naruto voices on the other side of the gate

in the large room. 'Not with Kisame's sword sucking out a ton of your

chakra. He can take three tails in one swipe!'

'You need to fight smarter,' Kurama retorts, standing as he becomes

more irritated. 'Take more of my chakra.'

Standing himself, Naruto whirls around and asks his furry friend, 'why

can't you just combine your chakra with my sage chakra-'

'We don't need that frog grease,' Kurama interrupts, baring a long jaw

of teeth.

'They're toads and it's not toad grease,' Naruto defends. 'And it's

natural energy. I thought you like nature.'

Kurama simply yells back, 'I'm more than enough to handle anything!

You just need to rip this wretched seal off!'

'Calm down,' Naruto returns. 'Talk to the Boss about the seal, not me.

Besides, in this mist, I need the sensing boost.'

'Honestly, you annoy me to no end,' Kurama growls. Settling with his

back to the golden gate, he yells, 'Fine! Use that toad piss! See if I ever

help you again!'

Sighing, Naruto tells him, 'the Boss is going to have a serious talk with

you,' before sitting back down.

'Hmmph,' Kurama sounds

It takes a minute longer than he wanted but Naruto is finally able to

enter sage mode, and even in the dense vision-impairing mist, he can

sense precisely where Itachi, Kisame, and Mei are. He could tell she

wasn't engaging Kisame directly and something about the mist Mei

used felt different. Not only does it feel heavy, but it burns to keep his

eyes open and the sulfur smell is incredibly disorienting. Despite the

sensory handicap, a chakra-covered Kisame was barreling through

whole trees, shooting out large Suton attacks, dissecting all the

vegetation in his warpath, and slashing at anything with reckless

abandon in pursuit of an elusive Mei.

As silently as possible, Naruto sloshes through the flooded floor under

the cover of the thick fog. Their Suton attacks only add to the rising

water level as he covertly makes his way toward Itachi's unconscious

body, all the while worried an unconscious Itachi is face-first in the

water. As he can't see trees, shrubs, or branches a second before it

appears, it takes several minutes to reach the Uchiha, but when he

does, he's relieved the upper-half of his body landed on bushes,

catching his cloak and keeping his nose and mouth above the heavily

flooded floor.

Looking the body over, Naruto is worried about the blood hemorrhaging

from his stomach but can't do anything about it at the moment.

Lowering Itachi's hitai-ate over his eyes for precaution, Naruto ties his

hands up before lifting him on his shoulder and heading toward the

Boss's direction.

Walking over water through thick fog, Naruto is suddenly elevated

along with the water, as if all the water in the area is being pulled

toward Kisame's position. Patches of the fog are swallowed up by the

growing globule of water and the forest begins to return to a clearer

view. Naruto holds his breath when he's engulfed as he and Itachi are

taken into the immense globe of water. The slowly rising body of water

is full of grass, leaves, dirt, bugs, and branches as they move above

the treetops. Naruto can nearly see Kisame two stadiums away staring

Mei down.

Kisame turns to Naruto, smiling manically, and the blond realizes he's

not getting away without a fight. Floating in the water, he was ready to

use his Toad-kata to push out of the floating lake in the sky and back

down to the forest below them. He swims away with the hemorrhaging

Itachi on his shoulder, however, the water seems to move farther away

from Naruto the closer Kisame gets to him. Naruto wonders why the

floating lake is moving when both Kisame and Naruto sense a sudden

shift in the water.

Naruto and Kisame turn to Mei, with her Ox hand seal to her chest and

the number of bubbles growing exponentially around her. Whatever

she's doing Naruto can feel how much lighter it makes the water, and

like the water growing in radius of Kisame, Mei's bubbles grow radially

around her, eating up Kisame's Suton technique. Naruto is able to kick

away with his sage chakra as the water dissipates around him and he's

finally able to breathe.

In seconds, Mei creates a water clone and both of them expel different

color mist from their mouths. As Kisame runs toward Naruto, the fog

swallows miles of the forest in less than a minute, allowing Naruto to

evade Kisame's approach behind trees and mist. With his sage

senses, Naruto accurately navigates away from Kisame, and many

minutes later, the real Mei lands next to him as her clone continues to

hinder Kisame. Mei easily leads Naruto out of the dense fog and into

more forest.

Though it isn't the time, Naruto entertains the sight of a wet and

glistening Mei with her darker red hair clinging to her like her doused

darker blue dress longer than he should. When she smirks at him,

Naruto clears his throat and looks away. As they sprint toward the

Boss's direction, he senses Mei's clone use an attack that sends

Kisame sprinting in the opposite direction, prompting him to ask,

"what'd you do?"

"I mixed a very strong acid into the mist," she answers from beside

him, slowing down as his sage chakra finally runs out. "Not that it'd

stop someone like him for long, but beating him wasn't the goal was

it?"

Without sage chakra, Naruto needs more effort carrying Itachi,

however, feeling a warmer wetness on his shoulder, Naruto informs

Mei, "we need to stop somewhere soon so I can heal him with one of

my tags."

Turning to the blood streaming down Naruto's shoulder, Mei nods

before leading them to a nearby stream. As Naruto sets Itachi down,

Mei takes out a roll of gauze from her pouch as she suggests, "let's

patch him up quick or the blood'll lead Kisame straight to us."

Mei quickly cleans Itachi's large abdominal wound while Naruto

summons a clone, leaving him bone tired and ready to pop at any

moment. Waiting for his clone to summon some of Kurama's chakra to

heal Itachi takes longer than expected, leading a curious Mei to ask,

"what are we waiting for?"

Eying his clone in concern, an exhausted Naruto asks, "what's up?"

Shaking his head in growing frustration, the clone explains, "he doesn't

want to."

Exhaling in irritation, Naruto grumbles, "that bratty orange furball…

Alright. Let the boss… deal with him."

When the clone pops, Naruto falls lazily on the sand while Mei

bandages Itachi. She asks, "what's going on?"

Scoffing softly, he chuckles, "we're having some… major teamwork

problems." With a sigh, Naruto sits up and crosses his legs, preparing

to draw in natural energy once again. His blue eyes connecting with

her green ones, Naruto asks Mei, "can you take him… and head

west… for five hours? I promise, I'll catch up."

"If you don't, Kisame will," Mei warns, tying the gauze around Itachi's

stomach tightly. "And I'll be honest with you. Handsome or not, I don't

have any allegiance to an Uchiha."

"I'll catch up… no matter what," Naruto huffs before settling in and

gathering natural energy to mix in with his own spirit energy.

Lifting the tightly bound Itachi over her shoulder, Mei voices under her

breath, "I've heard that before," before leaping onto the nearest tree

branch heading west.

Chapter 397:

NARUTO CLONE II & III

Of the last two clones in Konoha, one was tasked with talking to Ino,

and the other was in the hospital waiting for any word of Kurenai or

Anko's condition. However, after a clone brother barely managed to

avoid destroying itself pushing through the surreal tunnel of stretched

out oily light and colors, and land a blunt-force Rasengan to Itachi's

stomach, Bossman Naruto messaged them to talk with Hinata right

away. They both knew that fast training was needed more than waiting

for Kurenai or Ino, so after leaving notes, they immediately rush to the

Hyūga compound. Being of one mind more often than not, they

manage to meet in the same place; the roof of old man Huang's Eye

clinic.

"So how should we do this," one clone voices as they both scout the

compound of a clan born with the best inherent surveillance system in

the village. "Unless you think they'll just let us talk with Hinata if we ask

nicely."

"We can't risk it," the other Naruto reasons. "A distraction probably

gives us a better chance."

Nodding, the other Naruto adds, "we should get in sage mode while we

can."

Sitting on the stone roof cross-legged, both Narutos take nearly three

minutes to enter sage mode before one summons Gama and hops on

the back of the large orange toad, and the other leaps to the street

below to begin infiltrating the compound in search of Hinata. With

Naruto stuck firmly on Gama's back, the elephant-sized amphibian

leaps high into the air, crossing the two-block gap between themselves

and the perimeter of the compound. Red coat flapping int the air,

Naruto and Gama land with a heavy thud, cracking a three-foot radius

on the earth below them and shocking nearly all of the Hyūga clan

members around them.

Taking in a deep breath, Naruto yells at the top of his enhanced lungs,

"I demand to speak Hyūga Hiashi!" Without giving the shock clansmen

time to react, Naruto and Gama leap high in the air before landing

inside their perimeter and repeating the same demand. The kids would

run up to him only to be taken away by their parents as the adults run

out to meet Naruto. Many of the Hyūga try to reason with him, and

when they're unable to, they only call for more support, drawing

attention away from the rear wall as all eyes focus on the chaos Naruto

is creating in the front.

Scaling the wall and sneaking around edifices, Naruto slowly

eliminates one chakra signature after another until he finally finds

Hinata's familiar chakra in the center of the main mansion. Naruto

moves around distracted clansmen and closer to Hinata. He's looking

between the vent or basement of the mansion when he hears a voice

from around the corner.

"Naruto," a soft voice says as Neji steps into view.

"Hey… Neji," Naruto tries to cheerfully say. Even if he's the only blond

in the compound, he tries to appear like he belongs as he clears his

throat and casually says, "it's good to see you… Uh, great fight with

Hinata! That was pretty epic to watch. You haven't seen her by any

chance?"

Just as casually, almost humored, Neji asks, "why do you need to see

Hinata so badly you'd cause a distraction and use your sage arts?"

Nervously rubbing his eyebrows in an attempt to cover the reddish-

orange pigmentation around his eyes, Naruto chuckles as he answers,

"uh, well… well, truthfully, I was hoping she could give me a bit of

training-"

"Chakra control," Neji interrupts, making Naruto raise his eyebrows.

"Emitting a flow of chakra through all your tenketsus. Secret training

that allows a Hyūga to perform our clan's secret technique, Hakkeshō

Kaiten."

Caught unawares, Naruto bemoans, "uuuhh… I didn't know it was

secret, and more to the point, I'm not trying to learn that technique. I

just need to be able to push chakra out of my tenketsus so I can move

around-"

"Swim," Neji interrupts again.

"Uh?"

Crossing his arms and leaning against the wall, Neji explains, "Hinata-

sama confided in me your request to help you with your chakra

control." Looking at Naruto he adds, "and as she's in no condition to

help you train… because of me, I will help you in her stead."

With wide gold eyes, Naruto asks, "really?"

Nodding, he quickly reminds the blond, "the first stage of chakra control

is climbing a tree without using your hands. The second is walking on

water without falling in. The third is underwater swimming without using

your limbs."

Leaning closer in keen interest, he asks, "are you serious?"

Nodding, Neji elaborates, "as difficult as it is, expelling chakra from our

feet or hands comes much more naturally to any ninja than expelling it

from the neck; we have evolution to thank for that. For shinobi starting

their training to expel chakra from all their tenketsus, it's best to think of

your knees and elbows like your hands and feet, and try to expel

chakra from there while underwater. Once you master knees and

elbows it becomes easier trying to expel chakra from the rest of the leg

or arm. Then comes the body, starting with the shoulders, then hips,

abdomen, and lastly, the head, as it's the hardest tenketsu to feel."

"Whoa," Naruto gasps before quickly asking, "can you show me? This

is really important. I'm talking life and death!"

Curious, Neji asks, "explain."

When Neji leads Naruto out of the compound, alerting his distraction

he got what he needed, he explains as they head to the nearest river.

Following them, the clone tries to figure out how many clones it'll take

to learn a level of chakra control well enough to use Hiraishin safely in

minutes. The task at hand is only made harder when both Narutos

realize Kurama is suddenly not cooperating. It left them with no other

option but to train under Neji's supervision with the chakra they had left

before disappearing.

NARUTO

Ignoring Sakura's periodic staring and Jiraiya's constant questions as

the three continue sprinting, Naruto is only concerned with the

progress of the fight when he suddenly learns from his clone that

Kurama is refusing to cooperate. With the world of grassy fields and

distant trees whirls by him, he recalls from his clone's memory

Kurama's exact words. 'You can die with your precious toads for all I

care!'

Coming to a sliding halt, dragging a dirt trail behind him, a fed-up

Naruto calls out, "that's it!"

Though understanding Kurama's chakra belongs to him, he also knows

this has more to do with selfish arrogance than anything else.

Additionally, now isn't the time to be so unreasonable. Having Itachi

talk to Sasuke is the only way his teammate might abandon his

revenge and change for the better.

Running off the side of the road several yards into a grassy field,

Naruto sits cross-legged on the floor as Jiraiya happily promotes, "oh

Kami please tell me we're resting," even when there's three to four

hours of sun left. He adds, "I have so many questions!"

A wide-eyed and blushing Sakura frantically agrees, "same." Standing

on Naruto's other side opposite Jiraiya, Sakura confesses, "honestly, I

can't go much longer without some answers. I mean, we're talking

about the same Kurenai-sensei, right?"

"Not now," Naruto voices as Jiraiya giggles in delight. As the blond

closes his eyes, he explains, "I've got an idiot to knock some sense

into."

In the large, dark, damp cavern, behind the giant golden gate, Kurama

is resting on his hind legs with his back to Naruto. Even when Naruto

calls him out, Kurama simply ignores him, grating at his nerves.

Feeling this is beyond a conversation using words, Naruto leaps to the

cage just beside the seal and rips off the seal over the spiral keyhole,

catching Kurama's attention.

'What are you doing,' Kurama asks as Naruto lifts his orange and black

jacket, showcasing his own seal. Calling on the Shishu Fūin key ignites

a black line traveling down his forearm, painting a sun in his palm and

lighting his fingertips aflame.

Slamming his flame-covered fingertips on the seal of his stomach, he

tells the large chakra beast, 'isn't it obvious? You're either going to trust

me or not,' he calls right before twisting his wrist and unlocking the

large creaky gate.

Kurama punches the gate open as he yells, 'I won't!'

Landing on his feet, the room suddenly turns white and boundless, but

he ignores that and recalls Naru-nii's instructions. 'It's like Tug of War.

Your chakra has to grab hold of his and pull. Remember, you're not

taking his chakra away, you're only removing it from his will. I think

that's when he realized I was still going to be his friend even if his

power wasn't connected to his anger. I think he realized we didn't have

to be enemies and we could be friends, cuz I'd never leave him.'

Eying the hill-sized beast before him with his nine tails swaying high

behind it, Naruto was determined to get through to Kurama, even if

they have to cross fists to do it. Immediately, Kurama builds a Beast

Bomb over his jaw before swallowing it and belching an energy blast

twice the size of Naruto's whole body.

Finally feeling Sage chakra enter his network and coat his muscles

with crackling energy, Naruto creates several clones to forcibly move

him out of the way and throw him high over Kurama. From out of his

palm, Naruto grows a giant sphere of energy, coming down on the

beast as he yells, 'Senpo Cho, Odama Rasengan!'

Kurama blocks the grinding attack with his tails before smacking him

back. Each of Kurama's tails try to impale him and only strike air as the

blond dodges them, though Kurama's hand crushes him. Still in Sage

mode, he didn't disappear as Kurama asks, 'do you really think you can

beat me?'

Struggling under the room-sized hand, Naruto responds, 'I wouldn't

have… removed the seal… if I didn't.' Naruto smiles before he pops

out of existence. Kurama couldn't react before another Sage Naruto

grabs a tail, and with enough strength to casually toss a hotel, he

swings the beast like a ball on a string, slamming him on his back. The

offense continues with an instant Rasenshuriken to Kurama's chest. As

the attack explodes into a spinning ball shredding at the highly durable

chakra beast, Naruto begins pulling at Kurama's chakra, separating his

immense power from his immense anger.