Chapter 35: Fate of the Uchiha Part II

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

"Hmm…."- Black Zetsu

Chapter 35:

Fate of the Uchiha Part II

Kazuki took a step back as he narrowed his eyes at the being in front of him, his sharingan glowing in the darkness.

"How did you get in here!? This is Uchiha clan property!"

The dark being laughed. "Uchiha clan property? If you're referring to that tablet behind you, then that doesn't belong to the Uchiha."

"I'm talking about all of this here!" Kazuki exclaimed. "No one is allowed in here other than Uchiha clan members!"

"Then consider me a part of the Uchiha," he stated as he took a step forward, making Kazuki take a step back. "The whole reason I'm here is to help the Uchiha. Or rather, help you."

"What are you talking about?"

The being stopped as he tilted his head to the side. "I can see your suffering, young Uchiha. You've come to realize a truth that many others like to reject: this world is hell. It has no meaning. Only suffering exists here. Isn't that what you were thinking just now?"

Kazuki controlled himself at hearing this, even as his mind was swirling with questions. "Just who are you?"

"I have no name," he answered without hesitation. "And I don't care for one right now. I'm only here to help you ease your suffering."

"And why is that?" Kazuki questioned with suspicion . "No one ever does something for free. There is always a catch. So what do you really want!?"

The dark being didn't reply as he walked forward once more. But this time, Kazuki didn't back up as the mysterious being walked towards him, or more specifically to the tablet that stood behind him.

"There are many mysteries in this world," he began as he ran a hand on the tablet, "mysteries that many people like to forget about. They like to think that they are better off forgotten. But sometimes it's one of these mysteries that can hold all the answers."

Kazuki didn't say anything as the being turned to look at him. "You want to see if there is anything beyond this suffering. Unfortunately, in this world, there isn't. People die, making those that are close to them suffer in the process as well. That's the whole meaning behind bonds. They are useless in the end. Why? Because they are not permanent. You yourself are experiencing this right now. Your father is about to die, making you suffer through the bond that you share with him. Just like your mother. And in time, all those other bonds that you now have will do the same."

Kazuki's hands clenched into fists. "And? If what you're saying is true, then what's the purpose of life? What's the meaning of all of this pain?"

"There is no meaning and no purpose," he stated. "That's why the world is like it is. That, and humans. They create these circumstances that make all of this hell come to be. Wouldn't you agree? That's why your father is the way that he is, after all. Because of war, another human creation. As long as humans stay as they are, nothing will exist. There will never be any purpose other than suffering and pain. That is what we know as reality."

"Why do you know so much?" Kazuki asked as he closed his eyes, his fists shaking at his side. "Why is it that you know so much about me?"

"Because I want to help you," he stated. "Like I said, that's the whole reason I'm here. To make you realize that there is a way for you to find happiness through all of this suffering."

"And why is that?" Kazuki asked again. "Like I said, you-"

"Because I want to realize that dream too," he answered, cutting the young Uchiha off. "To make the perfect world. That's why I'm here. To give you that answer so that we can both achieve this."

Kazuki was silent, his mind latching onto those two words: perfect world. "Perfect world…" he muttered, his face expressing his interest.

The dark being turned his back to the tablet, facing Kazuki. "Yes. There is already someone out there trying to achieve this too. A fellow Uchiha of yours."

Kazuki looked at him with a shocked look. "What?"

"I'm sure you've heard of him," he began. "After all, it's a name that carries both power and shame: Uchiha Madara."

Kazuki's eyes widened. "Uchiha…Madara?"

"Yes, that's correct. Although he's unaware of my existence yet."

"Then why are you showing yourself to me?"

He chuckled. "Because I believe that you're the one that can make this perfect world come true. To achieve what he cannot. That is why."

Kazuki closed his eyes for a moment, his fists unclenching. "How can this perfect world be created?"

"Does that mean that you're prepared to cut all ties to this reality? To all those bonds that you have created before this? To leave this place so that you can make this perfect world possible?"

Kazuki opened his eyes, his sharingan eyes looking straight at him without any hesitation. "Yes. If only suffering can come out of this world, then I reject it. I don't care for it. If what you say is true, then I only want to achieve this perfect world."

The dark being smiled. "Good. In this world, all those that you have lost and will lose will be there. It'll be the perfect world for everyone! That's what the Infinite Tsukuyomi is all about."

"The Infinite Tsukuyomi?" Kazuki repeated, the name rolling off his tongue naturally. "What is that?"

"I've told you that this world holds many secrets," he continued. "One of those is the Infinite Tsukuyomi. Long ago, before chakra came into existence, this world was consumed in endless war. Even though humans didn't possess chakra, they still retained their basic instincts: to take and kill one another. It is something that will never change as even now that desire still exists."

Kazuki didn't respond, opting to letting the being in front of him finish his story.

"It was through this endless fighting that the Holy Tree existed. Despite all the deaths and sins around it, the Tree remained impartial. It was the only true neutral being in the world. But one day, a princess decided that she needed the Tree in order to bring the peace that she craved. You see, the Tree bore a fruit every millennium that was said to posses incredible powers. Eating this fruit, the princess was able to attain the power she so desperately wanted: chakra. She became the first human ever to posses chakra. And because of it, she was able to attain peace at long last."

"But it didn't last," Kazuki guessed.

The dark being nodded. "That's correct. Her two sons inherited those very same powers from her. I'm sure you've at least heard of one of them. The one known as the Rikudo Sennin."

Now, Kazuki wasn't into academics as much as Fugaku. That was just a fact. But he was also part of the Uchiha clan. There were certain things that even he was to know of. One of those things was about the tablet behind him. It was one, if not the most, important secret in the Uchiha clan. No outsider was to ever see it. Another thing was about the legend of the Rikudo Sennin, the supposed god who brought shinobi into existence. And here he was, listening to a story that explained how the Rikudo Sennin came to be. It was shocking to say the least.

"The Rikudo Sennin was the one who began to teach others about chakra through what he called Ninshu. He wanted for humans to connect and understand one another through chakra. However, his efforts failed. Before long, humans began to weaponized chakra into what the world knows of it today."

"This is interesting and all," Kazuki interrupted, "but what exactly does this have to do with creating this perfect world?"

"It ties with the Rikudo Sennin," he explained. "I just want to explain to you how peace cannot be attained in this world. Humans have seen to that themselves. Wouldn't you agree?"

Kazuki didn't reply, which made the dark being take this as a yes.

"What the Rikudo Sennin wasn't aware of, though, was that the Holy Tree wasn't going to stand by having its fruit stolen. So it came to life. Or rather, it took on a different form. The Juubi."

"The Juubi is nothing but a myth," Kazuki countered.

He shook his head. "And I am telling you that it is not. It did exist, long ago. But it was defeated by none other than the man known as the Rikudo Sennin. He sealed it away, dividing its power into nine parts. Today, they are the nine bijuu that the shinobi so desperately fight over and use as military weapons through the ones known as jinchuriki. Through the jinchuriki, they are able to mold that incredible power into their will."

Now that was something that Kazuki had not known about before. But still. What did all of this have to do with the Infinite Tsukuyomi?

"You see, it is only through gathering all these nine parts, the bijuu, that one can recreate the Juubi once more. And it is only through the Juubi where the perfect world can be found by activating the Infinite Tsukuyomi."

Now Kazuki began to understand. "The Infinite Tsukuyomi…. just what is it?" he asked again.

"A long time ago when the Rikudo Sennin defeated the Juubi, he sealed it away into what we know today as the moon. But he only sealed the body. Its power still remains today here on Earth through the bijuu. It is by gathering them that we can once again recreate the Juubi, thereby being able to activate the most powerful genjutsu: the Infinite Tsukuyomi. By casting your eyes on the moon, you'll be able to trap everyone inside this genjutsu where anything you want can be achieved. Your perfect world. There, all suffering will disappear. Chakra can disappear. You'll be able to make a world where none of that exists. Only perfection, happiness, and bliss. None of what you see today in this world will be there. The perfect dream world!"

Kazuki took all of this in, his mind processing all the information that he had just learned. "So my parents….."

"They too will be there," he stated with conviction. "Your mother, your father, and your siblings. Together. They will not have to die unlike in this world."

Kazuki closed his eyes, already dreaming of that perfect reality. All this time, there was a part of his heart that had died when his mother had. And now, another part of it had been on the verge of doing the same with his father and the news about his current condition. But now…..it didn't matter. This world didn't matter. If what he had just learned was true, then he could simply recreate the world back into perfection where both his mother and father were alive.

Opening them, he looked at the being in front of them. "How do I begin? Because right now, I don't have the power to do this."

He pointed at Kazuki's sharingan activated eyes. "Your sharingan…..it's incomplete. It is merely in its beginning stage. The only to have achieved its perfect form since the Rikudo Sennin is Uchiha Madara."

Kazuki raised an eyebrow. "The Rikudo Sennin had a sharingan?"

He pointed at the tablet behind Kazuki. "This tablet, left behind by the Rikudo Sennin himself, explains how one can attain each level of the sharingan. But yours is barely in its first stage and not even in its complete form at that. At the very end of the sharingan's evolution lies the Rinnegan, the strongest dojutsu of the three. You are nowhere near that, however. But it is possible for you to attain the next level tonight before you leave this place."

Kazuki took a step forward towards him in eagerness. "How?"

The dark being sent him a grin as he said, "The way for you to attain the Mangekyo Sharingan, the next level of the sharingan, is for you to feel loss and regret at having killed someone dear to you…..I'm sure you know who I mean."

Kazuki turned away from him at hearing this, his previous eagerness from before going down as he now felt conflicted.

"You said you were prepared to leave all of this behind, did you not?" he said. "Sacrifices are necessary for the perfect world to be brought about. But don't worry. Once you succeed, he will exist in that perfect world. Am I right?"

Kazuki's eyes widened at hearing this, realizing that he had nearly forgotten about that specific detail. But he was right. It didn't matter. Once the Infinite Tsukuyomi was achieved, he'd be able to see him again. And this time, in the perfect world rather than in this imperfect one.

With that in mind, he turned to look at him. "I understand."

"Good. But there is something else that we must do before we leave here."

"And that is?"

The dark being took several steps away from Kazuki, turning his back towards the young Uchiha. Then, he stopped as he faced Kazuki again. "One bijuu is already present here in this village. The Kyuubi. Its host is extremely weak right now. It won't be long before the higher-ups here create a new jinchuriki in order to keep the beast under their control."

"And you want me to capture this host?"

Nodding, he explained, "The Mangekyo Sharingan has the power to bring the bijuu under its control. So anyone who possess it will be able to take control of any of the bijuu just like Uchiha Madara was able to do so in the past."

Kazuki shook his head. "I don't think I'll be able to do something like that just yet."

"True. Your chakra wouldn't be able to handle it. But that's why I'm here. I'll be the one to assist you here tonight."

Kazuki merely looked on with curiosity as the being began to walk towards him. The young Uchiha didn't move as he began to deform back into some sort of black substance that he couldn't really describe. Nor did the Uchiha fight back as he, in his new form, began to attach himself to the left side of his body.

The boy simply glanced to his left through his right sharingan. "What is this?"

"I'll be able to share my power with you like this," he explained. "Now, we should get a move on. I'll give you more information after we have done our tasks here tonight."

Kazuki didn't respond as he began to make his way out of the underground shrine and back onto the Uchiha compound. The boy steeled his heart for what he was going to do tonight.

His first destination: the Konoha hospital.

"Now then, what should I begin with?"

Sasuke scowled as he looked at Nori's amused face. "I don't care. Just say what you have to say."

Nori t'sked. "Now, now, Indra-kun. You should at least be nice to those that are willing to help you."

"You already said that you have your own goals," Sasuke countered. "So don't pull that crap on me."

"Point taken," Nori said with a sigh. "But you did want to know more about this Nagato boy. Although I have to admit that even I am amused by this prospect."

Not hearing a reply from Sasuke, he continued. "You see: you've been stressing over one variable here: Uzu. And it is one variable that you should have been concerned about. Truly. But once Lady Fate speaks, then all of that is thrown out the window. Why? Because you can't fight fate and expect to win. You can only hope to cheat it, if you know how to do so. Unfortunately, under normal circumstances, fate always gets her way. Just like with this."

Nori then drew an imaginary circle in Sasuke's mind. In the real world, nothing would appear. But since this wasn't reality, a glowing circle did appear in front of Nori who began to explain. "You think that time is explained in a straight line. But it is not. Everything that happens in one place affects the rest. The situation you're seeing right now is one of them. In your original time, Nagato wasn't born in Uzu. He was born in Ame. Why? Because Uzu was destroyed, his mother being one of the few lucky ones that managed to flee with her life. She went as far as she could before she met a man whom she felt in love with. That man was Nagato's father. There, she settled with a new life and family before she and her husband were killed by Konoha shinobi in the Second Shinobi War."

"But Naruto and I….." Sasuke said in confusion.

Nori chuckled. "Yes. You and Asura-kun managed to end the war quicker than the first time. Following the events that happened after the ambush, Uzu should have been destroyed soon after. Which then would have allowed Nagato's mother to flee and escape to Ame where she would then meet her future husband."

"But then what happened?" Sasuke asked. "Uzu is still standing. Since that's the case, then Nagato should not be alive right now!"

Nori smiled. "And that is why I said that, once Lady Fate speaks, there is nothing that can be done. It's all about the effect that yours and Asura-kun's actions had on the timeline. You changed history. For every cause, there is always an effect."

"And that means what?" Sasuke asked.

"It means that, the moment that you two interfered with the ambush, it was the same moment that a ripple spread through the timeline where certain events were changed."

"What…..?" Sasuke said with a shocked look.

Nori grinned. "That's correct, Indra-kun. When you two stopped the ambush, Nagato's mother was no longer in Uzu like she originally was. Why? Because the timeline rewrote itself. Like I told you, every part of time has an effect on one another, just like with this circle."

Sasuke held his head, not quite believed what he was hearing.

It was here that Hamura stepped up, having already decided that it was better if he at least explained some of this and not Nori.

"As much as I hate to say this, he's right." Nori grinned some more at that. "Nagato's mother's actions were rewritten."

"Into what?"

Hamura sighed before he answered, "Just so you know, she was a shinobi. But after Uzu's destruction, she gave that up and became nothing more than a civilian. By the time of her death, she had forgotten all of her training. This time, though, instead of meeting Nagato's father after Uzu's destruction, she met him before."

"But how!?" Sasuke asked, losing some of his temper. "How did she meet him and leave Uzu!?"

"Uzu isn't perfect," Nori said, speaking up. "No matter how much they try to be, they're still human in the end. So of course they're going to make mistake. Such a mistake was what happened with Nagato's mother."

Sasuke scowled at this, not exactly liking how he referred to Nagato's birth as a mistake, even if the boy was supposed to be responsible for a lot of the shinobi world's future problem. But he only became what he did because of the shinobi world itself. So the world was to blame to begin with. No, not the world. This ninja system in place.

Shrugging, Nori said, "To Uzu, it would most certainly be a mistake. Why? Because she broke one of their most important rules. But that just goes to show you just how irrational human emotions are and by default humans themselves."

"How did it happen?" Sasuke ignored, deciding to ignore the other stuff that Nori was spewing.

"She met him during one of her missions," Hamura explained. "Even during the war, Uzu still took missions from different clients. They still needed to bring in money for the village, after all. But they were highly selective as well. The Uzumaki clan cares mostly for their family than anything else."

Sasuke smirked a little at that. That sounded like Naruto all right. But the idiot's definition of family was all of his friends. Not that Sasuke could blame him. He had been left alone too. So of course, friends were the only ones that could become a family since their real ones were no longer there.

"She turned her back on her own clan and duty," Nori continued with a shake of his head. "All because she fell in love with a man. She never returned to her squad after their mission was completed. So as far as Uzu is concerned, she's missing and possibly dead. But she didn't care. It's idiotic really."

Sasuke h'mphed. "Love isn't something that you can exactly put into words."

"Oh?" Nori said, raising an eyebrow. "I find you saying that funny, Indra-kun. After all, you've never been in love before."

"Love isn't only extended to that one person you want to spend the rest of your life with, you know," Sasuke retorted. "There are different kinds of love, just like the one I have for my family. Yes, love does make you do stupid things sometimes. But in the end, it's all for those that you cherish. While the action itself can be debatable, the feeling cannot."

Nori hummed at this. "In any case, that very same feeling is what gave birth to Nagato who will also one day be your opponent. Wonderful, isn't it?"

"I think you're forgetting two details here," Sasuke said. "Naruto and I. Do you really think that we're going to sit by and let this happen?"

Nori shook his head with a sigh. "You don't get it, do you? Everything that happened once will happen again. Nothing can stop that. Not even you two."

"I disagree."

Nori chuckled. "It doesn't matter if you agree with it or not. It will still happen. Or did you forget? Even though Uzu still stands, this phenomenon still happened. What do you call that?"

Sasuke shrugged. "Haven't you ever heard the phrase 'love conquers all'?"

Next to him, Hamura had a look filled with amusement. He would have never guessed that Sasuke would say something like that of all things.

As for Nori, he looked at Sasuke with an amused look as well. "Oh? I didn't think that you would change so much, Indra-kun."

"And like I told you, I'm Sasuke. Not Indra," Sasuke retorted with a shake of his head. "I will remake everything that the Uchiha stands for. As for your fate crap, if that really were the case, then Uzu should already be destroyed. But it's not. Just like how we stopped the war before it was supposed to end."

Nori chuckled. "Is that so? Then I guess I should tell you how your very own uncle is being dragged into that destiny of hatred that is the Uchiha."

Sasuke's eyes widened. "What?"

Nori instantly looked at Hamura who was about to protest. "Don't interfere, Hamura. I'm sure you already know that you can't touch me. I'm alive. You're not."

"That doesn't mean that I'll allow you to have your way here," Hamura stated as he raised one his hands towards Nori.

But before he could do anything, Sasuke's Susanoo hand grabbed a hold of him, squeezing him tightly in the "air."

Hamura looked at Sasuke who was already covered in his Susanoo ribcage. "What are you doing?"

Sasuke glanced at him, his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan eyes looking at him intently. "I'm not going to fall in by your rules. I don't care who you are. I'll follow things my own way."

Nori looked at this with amusement dancing in his own eyes.

"But he's just toying with you for his own amusement!" Hamura stated.

"I know that," Sasuke replied as he looked at Nori again. "But right now, he's got answers that you're unwilling to give me. However, I'm not going to dance to his tune either."

"Oh, but I have no ulterior motive in this," Nori said with an innocent look. "Other than to remind you that what you're trying to achieve is pointless."

"What did you do with Kazuki?" Sasuke asked in a calm tone, completely ignoring what Nori had just said. Hamura merely sighed. Sometimes he wondered just what his brother was thinking.

Nori shook his head, a grin on of his face. "But I'm not talking about me. I'm talking about the enemies that you do not even know of yet."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "What are you talking about?"

"I'll let you see for yourself," Nori replied. "But you should know that you better hurry. Otherwise, he'll kill his own father in order to attain the Mangekyo Sharingan. I'm sure you can figure out just what he'll use it for next after that."

Sasuke t'ched as he released his Susanoo, Hamura landing back softly.

"You and Hagoromo do have an annoying habit of being useless," Sasuke commented without turning around to face Hamura who didn't say anything in return.

"Oh, don't be too hard on him, Indra-kun," Nori said with a small smile. "They're only doing what they think is right. Just like with what I'm about to do right now."

Before either Sasuke or Hamura could blink, Nori was suddenly in front of the Uchiha, his arm extended as he pierced Sasuke in the stomach. A moment later, his arm began to glow as he sent his chakra straight into the Uchiha.

Hamura was about to step in until Nori retracted his hand, Sasuke falling to his knees as he coughed. "W-what the hell did you just do?"

Nori chuckled as he took several steps back, eyeing Hamura through his peripherals. "Oh, nothing. I just left you with a gift of my own. Although the entire reason that you're even here is because of me. I guess I'll consider this free of charge. I hope you enjoy it, Indra-kun."

With that, he faced away from the two as he began to disappear. "Now then, I do suggest that you go to your poor uncle in a hurry. Before it's too late, that is. Hahaha!" And like that, he was gone in the next second.

Sasuke coughed some more as he made to stand. "Was he telling the truth?"

Hamura faced away from Sasuke, his eyes closed. "You'll have to see for yourself."

"Then what did he just do to me?"

"I do not know yet. But that shouldn't exactly matter to you right now, should it?"

Sasuke t'ched as Hamura disappeared as well. He didn't know what to think of those two, but right now confirming what he had just learned took priority over anything else.

He could curse the Otsutsuki later.

Kazuki looked at the sleeping face of his father for a few moments, telling himself once more that this was for the best. The good part about being inside the village was that he didn't have to sneak around. He had only walked over to the hospital, asked the receptionist in the lobby in which room his father was staying in before killing her since she had said that he couldn't see him, and then made his way over to the room. Kazuki knew that it wouldn't be long before one of the nurses on duty found the body and called over the Anbu. He had to be quick here. But…..

"What's the matter? Weren't you prepared?"

Before Kazuki could respond, Kenshin's eyes fluttered open as he finally awoke after having slept all day. Glancing to his right, he saw someone standing over his bed. Focusing his eyes, he was able to recognize that it was his son Kazuki, even if it was too dark to make out his entire form.

"Kazuki," he said, feeling his throat and lips parched. "What are you doing here? Where am I?"

"You're in the hospital, dad," Kazuki answered, clenching the kunai in his hand. "You passed out earlier today."

"Oh, did I now," Kenshin said with a chuckle. "It looks like your old man really is getting old."

"It's because you always overdo yourself," Kazuki said with a small bitter smile. "You could die in a few days, you know."

Kenshin closed his eyes, a small smile on his face. "If that's what is meant to be, then it's meant to be." He could already feel that his body was extremely weak right now.

"How can you say that?" Kazuki asked with an angry look. "What about Fugaku and me? You're just going to leave us alone like that?"

Kenshin opened his eyes to see tears streaming down his son's right cheek. "It may be selfish of me, I know. But I already know that you two can take care of your own. I'm proud of you both, Kazuki. I'm proud to be called your father. But death isn't something that one can control. It can claim us at anytime. That is something that we must all endure in our life. But I have faith that you'll be strong. After all, you also have Sasuke with you. Isn't he like your brother too?"

Kazuki titled his head to the side, his sharingan activating. "It's not the same. First mom left us. And now you too. And why? Because of the damn war where nothing was solved!"

Kenshin closed his eyes again, feeling even more strength leaving him. It looked like he couldn't be awake for too long of a time. "Being a shinobi means that you have to be able to endure the pain, Kazuki. In a battle, your comrades can die at anytime. But that doesn't mean that you can give up. It just means that you have to keep living for their sake. I saw many of my comrades die, but I never tried to make their sacrifices be for nothing. I always fought to my hardest, giving everything that I have. But sometimes even that is not enough. And when that happens, you have to come to terms with the fact that it is time for your departure. However, even then, you have to keep struggling to the bitter end. Always remember that, my son. Never give up living for your comrades no matter what."

With that, Kenshin returned to his peaceful slumber once more as he was no longer able to stay awake.

Kazuki turned his head to look at his sleeping father once more, clenching the kunai in his hand even harder. After this, he really couldn't return again. This was the moment that decided whether or not he would follow the path that he had said he would follow. He closed his eyes, gritting his teeth at not knowing what to do.

"It's not a difficult choice, Kazuki. Your father suffered, just like you are suffering right now. What is the meaning of that? You can always try to find excuses, but in the end, you realize that there is none. Death is death. And once they're gone, they leave nothing but suffering behind. You yourself are experiencing this right now. So why hesitate now? You'll be achieving eternal happiness to all those that have suffered, including your father. You will see him again along with all those that you hold dear in your heart, full of happiness and no suffering. That is the Infinite Tsukuyomi."

Kazuki's eyes snapped opened, his heart finally settling for an answer. His sharingan glowed in the darkness just as he raised up his hand that held the kunai.

This was the scene that Sasuke saw as he jumped through the window of the room, glass scattering everywhere as his own sharingan activated eyes widen in shock.

"Kazuki, don't!"

But he was too late. Kazuki brought the kunai down, stabbing his father straight through the heart. Uchiha Kenshin was dead a second later.

Sasuke couldn't believe what he was seeing as Kazuki turned his attention to him, a calm look on the boy's face.

"Ah, Sasuke. So you're here."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes as he looked at his uncle. "Do you have any idea what you just did?"

Kazuki closed his eyes, feeling a sense of calmness wash over him. Opening them again, he felt a new power already there.

Sasuke couldn't believe his eyes for a second time as Kazuki's new eyes became visible: the Mangekyo Sharingan. It looked like a spiraling star with six legs. There was also a small design inside the star that looked just like the one in Sasuke's Mangekyo. And just like Sasuke's Mangekyo, it was black and red instead of the standard red and black sharingan.

"Kazuki, you're-"

"It doesn't matter anymore," Kazuki cut in. "The bonds that I had….they're all worthless now. And that includes you, Sasuke."

Sasuke brought his hands forward in order to block a powerful punch from his fellow Uchiha. But even then, he was sent flying back through the window that he had just come through. In the split second, though, he was able to see that Kazuki had…something attached to himself as well. Sasuke didn't know how, but he could have sworn that it was smiling at him.

Kazuki looked on in surprise at seeing his punch having so much power.

"I did tell you that I would give you a hand, didn't I? And I wasn't talking about just supporting your chakra."

"How can you do this?" Kazuki asked.

"That doesn't matter right now. Trust me. This Sasuke isn't someone that you can beat, even if you now have the Mangekyo and me. It's best that we move on to our next target now before it's too late."

Although feeling a bit annoyed at what this thing had just told him, Kazuki decided to follow his advice.

Back outside on the ground, Sasuke t'ched as he recovered. That speed and power had caught him off guard. But he wouldn't make the same mistake twice. Looking back towards the window that led to his grandfather's room, Sasuke saw Kazuki jumping out of the room and taking off towards a nearby building. For a moment, he wondered where he could be possibly heading. But then remembering Nori's words, Sasuke understood in an instant.

He was about to jump off after him, but he hesitated for a moment after remembering that his grandfather was dead. Sasuke gritted his teeth in frustration as he stood there motionless for a few seconds, not knowing what to do. But realizing that if he didn't head out now that another person would die, Sasuke pushed the issue out of his mind for now.

He could grief at the loss of his grandfather after all of this was over.

Uzumaki Mito didn't know why, but she could feel that something wasn't right. That something was going to happen her soon. But what could that be?

The old Uzumaki opened her eyes as she struggled to get up. At this stage of her life, Mito had to rely on another person to take care of her entirely. It was annoying for her honestly. At least the "babysitter" that Hiruzen had hired for her was nice. But at the very least, Mito could still walk albeit slowly. She still managed to retain to that at least. She still had great difficulty getting up, though.

It was with all of this in mind that Mito knew that her time on this Earth was really short. Even so, she knew that she would at least enjoy her final months just like with the rest of her life.

Finally having the strength to get up from the bed, Mito walked one step at a time out of her room and into the living room. Her house wasn't that big, after all. But she didn't mind it. It was still comfortable for her, and she was happy with it.

It was only after a great amount of effort on her part that Mito finally made it to her living room. But just a few moments after she had managed this that one of the windows in her living room shattered as someone jumped his way into her house.

Even in her old age, Mito had the sense of awareness to know that her life was currently in danger. Not only that, but she could sense a dark chakra rolling off this person. But as her mysterious intruder stood up, Mito realized that it was just a boy. As she took notice of his eyes, though, Mito was shocked to the core to see a pair of Mangekyo eyes staring at her.

"Uzumaki Mito I take it?" Kaito said in a calm voice as he took a step forward towards the Uzumaki woman. "I never would have guessed that you had something like a bijuu in you."

Mito narrowed her eyes at hearing this. "Just how do you know this? Who are you?"

"Who I am doesn't matter," Kazuki replied as he stopped a few feet in front of her. "All that you need to know is that I need that thing inside you to make the perfect world that I desire."

Before Mito had the chance to reply, a second individual jumped through the shattered window that Kazuki had come through just a few moments earlier.

Kazuki t'ched as he turned around in order to face his brother. "Sasuke. And here I thought that I had managed to shake you off."

Sasuke h'mphed as he looked straight back at his uncle, his normal sharingan meeting Kazuki's Mangekyo ones. Behind Kazuki, Mito gasped for a moment at hearing the name Sasuke. She recognized the boy, after all."

"You're not as fast as you may think," Sasuke said. "Even if you're faster from before, I'm faster still."

Kazuki chuckled. "Is that so? Then how did I beat you here exactly?"

"Because you had a head start," Sasuke answered, remembering how he had hesitated in the beginning due to his grandfather's death. "But that no longer matters. I'm not letting you get your hands on the Kyuubi. Understand?"

Any sort of amusement left Kazuki's face at hearing this. "And just how do you know of the bijuu host exactly?"

It was something that Mito was curious about too as she looked at Sasuke in a new light.

Said Uchiha looked at the left half of Kazuki's face, silently wondering what that thing was before he answered. "That doesn't matter right now. All that matters is that you stop this right now."

Kazuki sighed as he shook his head. "You're the same as always, Sasuke. Always being the cool guy. But I've already made up my mind about this. You can't stop me with mere words alone."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "Just what happened? Why are you doing this?"

Kazuki shook his head again. "Even if I told you, I doubt you'd understand."

"I think it's better if we leave. Now."

Kazuki paused at hearing the voice inside his head. Recognizing it, he said, 'What?'

"This boy isn't someone you can beat. You've just barely attained your Mangekyo. He already posses the Rinnegan. As of right now, you don't stand a chance against him."

Kazuki narrowed his eyes at hearing this particular information. Focusing back on Sasuke, he asked, "Just who are you exactly, Sasuke?"

"I'm Uchiha Sasuke," Sasuke answered without any hesitation. "And the guy that's going to kick your ass right now."

Kazuki h'mphed. "Is that so? Well, apparently I'm being told that I don't stand a chance against you. But I can't resist the chance of passing this opportunity up. So I'm going to-"

The boy wasn't allowed to finish his sentence as his body jumped up to the ceiling of Mito's living room of its own accord. Seeing this, Sasuke readied himself for an attack. Mito on the other hand was wondering just what was happening in front of her.

'Oi, what's going on!?' Kazuki asked with a surprised look.

"I already told you that you can't win against him! You shouldn't give up your life here for something so foolish!"

'But the Kyuubi-'

"We'll get the beast later. It was just something that we could have attained as a bonus here tonight. Now that that option has been thrown out the window, we need to get out of here. And fast. We don't know if he's already alerted the Hokage of what's going on or not."

Kazuki t'ched. He didn't like this one bit. But he did acknowledge one point: if Sasuke had informed the Hokage of this…..

Even he was smart enough to realize that his chances would drop down to zero.

'Fine then. I'll follow your advice.'

Kazuki didn't hear a response. But he didn't have to.

Sasuke t'ched as well when he saw Kazuki running through a familiar set of handseals. Copying his example, he screamed out just before he finished, "Mito, get down!"

Realizing what was about to happen as well, Mito was smart enough to drop down to the ground just as both Uchiha inhaled before exhaling.

"Katon: Gokakyu no jutsu!"

"Katon: Gokakyu no jutsu!"

The two fireballs met head on, clashing with one another. Mito began to crawl her way out of her living room as the heat from the resulting clash began to become unbearable for her.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes at seeing that Kazuki was actually being able stand his own as they began to try and push each other back through each's fireball.

'What's going on?' Sasuke wondered. Normally, Kazuki wouldn't stand a chance against him once he began to really put more force into his attacks. Not this time, though. Just what was going on?

But then Sasuke's eyes widened as he felt a new presence behind him. Having to focus too much with what was happening in front of him, Sasuke wasn't able to dodge fast enough as something from behind him actually managed to stab him with a kunai. However, the Uchiha had still been able to move to the side just enough to stop his heart from being pierced. Instead, he was only stabbed through the shoulder.

This distraction was enough to give Kazuki the edge he needed in order to win the fireball clash between him and Sasuke.

Seeing this, Sasuke knew he didn't have any choice as he activated his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, his Susanoo springing into life around him in its first stage.

Kazuki couldn't believe what he was seeing as the roof began to collapse due to the Susanoo being too big to be contained inside the house. Using this to his advantage, though, the boy jumped out of the house and back into the outside world just as the roof over the living room finally collapsed completely. The dark substance that was attached to his body was also able to hatch back onto him after having attached himself into the house so that he could get an open shot at Sasuke by using one of Kazuki's kunais. Which he had. It was the only reason that they were now able to make it out of here in one piece.

Sasuke held his stabbed shoulder with gritted teeth, looking over to where he had last seen Mito. But thankfully, it looked like she had made it to her room back in time before the roof had collapsed.

Looking over to where Kazuki had taken off to, Sasuke deactivated his Susanoo, knowing that there were two choices in front of him at the moment. One of them was to head to the Hokage so that he could inform him of what was going on. Or the other one was to head straight after Kazuki right now. If he went to the Hokage, he knew that there was a chance that he could lose Kazuki. And that was something that Sasuke could not allow.

"Sasuke, what's going on?"

Said Uchiha turned around in order to see Mito standing by the doorway of her room. She had seen Sasuke activate his Susanoo as well, which only made her have even more questions than before.

"It's nothing that you should concern yourself with," Sasuke answered without missing a beat. "And you don't have Anbu watching you?"

Mito shook her head. "No. I told Saru that I didn't need them and that they were a bother. Looks like my stubbornness nearly caused me my death tonight."

"Like I said, don't worry about it," Sasuke said as he turned back to look towards the village. "You're safe now. But you better stay here until help from the village arrives."

"And you? Where are you going?" Mito questioned with a curious look.

Sasuke closed his eyes, a bitter smile appearing on his face. Not that Mito could see it.

"I'm going after that idiot."