Author's Note from Panda: spoiler warning for chapter 26 of Legacy of Heroes.

Hidden somewhere in the treetops, Videl and two of Naruto's Shadow Clones were keeping out of sight. They had awoken Videl from her genjutsu and were preventing her from going anywhere. Which only served to make Videl more and more antsy.

"Seriously, what the hell is going on?" Videl pressed.

"We told you. The boss is fighting Itachi. One of the guys from this organization that is after the boss. So we gotta stay out of sight for your safety." One of the clones repeated.

"That's not good enough!" Videl snapped. "I wasn't to give that guy a piece of my mind!"

"Videl, please. This guy is not some thug that you can smack around. This is a guy who could give Pervy Sage a run for his money. He'd kill you." The other clone stated.

"Yea right. If I had a Zenni for every time I've heard a line like that, I'd be richer than my dad." Videl scoffed.

The clone looked Videl dead in the eye, for a second she believed that she was looking at Naruto. She saw the raw concern in his eyes, the worry.

"You're serious..." Videl breathed out.

"He's evil Videl. He's evil and he's willing to do whatever it takes to get to me. To hurt anyone I care about, and I care about you." Naruto said.

Videl gasped and a blush appeared on her face. "R-really...?"

Naruto nodded. "You're my friend. I know we haven't known each other long but I consider you and Gohan to be my friends. And I won't let anyone hurt my friends." Naruto stated firmly.

Videl bit her lower lip and smiled. "Thank you..."

Naruto nodded and returned to keeping a lookout.

'And now somehow I feel a little jealous of Sakura.' Videl thought to herself before shaking off such a ridiculous thought. That's when an explosion went off far into the distance and the two clones exploded into clouds of smoke before evaporating.

"Oh no..." Videl breathed out as she ran to the area where the explosion was.

She quickly made her way to the area of the explosion and stood in awe at what she saw.

"Sasuke..." Naruto whispered. He couldn't believe his eyes. Right there in front of him was the man he had been training all these years for. The man he was supposed to save. Yet he just came out of the blue like it was nothing.

"That's him?" Gohan asked.

"Sasuke...leave here, it is still much too soon for our meeting." Itachi said emotionlessly.

That confirmed it for Gohan, yet something didn't sit right with him. Naruto looked like a deer in the headlights.

"Oh I think now is the perfect time. I'm all trained up and your crony isn't here to help you. This make it the perfect opportunity to kill you, brother." Sasuke spat.

Gohan checked out both Sasuke and Itachi's power. Itachi completely buried Sasuke in terms of power, but skill was yet to be determined.

"Sasuke!" Naruto called out to his friend, hoping to get his attention.

Sasuke quickly looked over at the two intruders to his revenge. The stranger with the strong build was a wild card, but the blond idiot...

"Stay out of my way, Dobe! Itachi is mine!" Sasuke spat.

"No. You're not strong enough to fight him." Gohan said sternly

Sasuke's attention turned back to the mysterious man, whom he assumed was with Naruto.

'No headband. A mercenary he hired to take my back to the Leaf?'

"Who are you to tell me what to do? Stay out of my way or I'll kill you..." Sasuke said to Gohan.

"Try it. You wouldn't be able to touch me."

"You really wouldn't." Itachi agreed.

The killing intent given off by Sasuke was palpable. Even Gohan felt a bead of sweat dripping down his forehead. This wasn't about him being able to kill Gohan, it's that he would do is as easily as he would with a fly. Something annoying that stood in his way.

"Don't even try it. You won't win." Gohan warned. To assert his point, his eyes flashed teal for a moment and his energy rose.

"Then stay out of my way." Sasuke ordered as he turned back to his brother.

'This might work out perfectly. If I can just give my brother the slip I came say that I was outnumbered and would have been unable to capture the 9 Tails.' Itachi thought.

"Sasuke wait, don't fight him!" Naruto pleaded. "We can take him down together and then you can come home..."

"I said butt out, Naruto! This is my vengeance and I won't have you interfering!" Sasuke barked at his former teammate and ex-best friend. All parts from a life he had since severed to gain the power he had acquired for today. They would not hold him back now.

"You're making a mistake. I don't know what the story between you two is, but dedicating your life for revenge is foolish." Gohan said firmly

"You hired this clown to take me back to the Leaf, and you didn't even tell him about why I left? He doesn't even know about the Uchiha massacre?" Sasuke spat at Naruto.

"I'm new in town, you could say. I only met Naruto two days ago. But I know that if we all calm down we could reach a kind of consensus." Gohan said, trying to play peacemaker.

"There won't be any consensus. There is nowhere for you to butt in on. My older brother thought to slaughter our entire clan to test his strength. Only leaving me alive because I was not worth killing that day. And now, nearly 10 years to the day, I shall finish what he started and kill the only other Uchiha alive. I will avenge my clan and if you try to get in my way I will kill you like he killed my parents all those years ago!" Sasuke shouted, his eyes furious and misty from the memory of it all. Gohan could sense it. There was no light left in the boy's eyes. Only darkness and misery.

"That's only what I led you to believe." Itachi stated.

"SHUT UP!" Sasuke cried as he lunged at Itachi with his sword drawn. His Sharingan spinning, anticipating every move that Itachi could make to ensure that his blade would find its mark, all the while Itachi's Sharingan anticipated every possible way to counter attack. They clashed in a stalemate, Itachi grabbing Sasuke's forearm to stop his blade from swinging any nearer to its target. Sasuke quickly switched with his right arm charged with a Chidori he extended out into a blade. Itachi caught Sasuke's second forearm as well.

Here, their differences in experience became apparent when Itachi used his feet to kick out Sasuke's legs, bringing the younger Uchiha to his knees and his face in striking distance for Itachi's follow up kicks.

Sasuke rolled back, disarmed from his sword but not weaponless. He threw a handful of shuriken he kept sealed away in his wrist bindings and threw them point blank at Itachi, who slashed at them in an elegant dance with Sasuke's own blade that blocked all the shuriken before arcing perfectly towards Sasuke's neck. He stopped his swing right as the sword drew the blood of its owner.

"Still too weak." Itachi said emotionlessly, his words cutting deeper that a sword ever could.

"Sasuke!" Naruto shouted out as he and Gohan dashed to help the avenger. Itachi just looked at them with his blood red eyes opening up to swirling blackness.

'Amataratsu!' Itachi thought as black flames sprouted along the dirt, creating a wall of intense heat to separate the Uchiha's from the outsiders.

Gohan was about to fly through the flames, thinking them no more dangerous than regular flames, when he was tackled to the ground by Naruto.

"Don't touch them!"

"Why? It's just fire." Gohan replied.

"I've seen these before. Pervy Sage told me that it's called Amataratsu. The divine flames. They burn anything they touch and can never be extinguished. You touch them, you're dead." Naruto warned.

Gohan jumped back quickly. "Damn. Thanks man."

"Don't mention it. Pervy Sage taught me a few tricks to dealing with this kind of jutsu. You're supposed to seal them away, but we don't have time for anything this big." Naruto hastily explained.

"So then what do we do?" Gohan asked nervously as he noticed that the flames were starting to creep closer towards them. Swallowing up bits of grass, sticks, and rocks. Even a tiny puddle didn't seem to deter the flames. The water didn't evaporate, the flames just crawled over them as they would any other solid.

"We go around it." Naruto said. 'Or over it.'

The blond created a single Shadow Clone at the edge of the flames. Without waiting for Gohan to voice any protest. He ran up to the clone and jumped into is intertwined hands, the clone acted like a trampoline, throwing his original up and over the black flames, just barely grazing the hungry tongues of the fire.

Gohan flew high up in the air and over the wall of flames, hovering over the two brothers as they fought to the death. Except, Itachi was winning by a landslide.

"Sasuke!" Naruto shouted. "Sasuke wake up!" He cried as ran over to section of grass with nothing in it. Gohan thought that Naruto was losing his mind. Did he not see the battle still going on?

"Naruto! There's no one there!" Gohan called out.

"What are you...?" Naruto shouted before the realization hit him. "Oh that's right. I keep forgetting that you're worse at genjutsu than I am." Naruto called back. He motioned for Gohan to come closer while Sasuke and Itachi traded blasts of Fireball jutsu.

Gohan flew close and Naruto put his hand on the Saiyan's shoulder.

"Release!" Naruto shouted. In a flash, the two brothers were gone and in their place was a dazed and non-responsive Sasuke left kneeling before Naruto. Like a man who had seen the face of god, or more accurately the devil.

"I gotta learn to resist that." Gohan mused as he took out another senzu bean.

"That won't work for Sasuke. Unless that thing cures illustrations." Naruto said as he tried to shake Sasuke awake.

"You mean illusions?" Gohan asked.

"Yeah that. Same thing happened the last time Sasuke met his brother. He put Sasuke under this really powerful genjutsu that poisoned his mind. He was in a coma for over two months before Granny Tsunade could cure him." Naruto said as he tried slapping Sasuke awake.

"Let me try something." Gohan offered. He held up a single finger that had the tiniest spec of Ki at the tip. He placed it to Sasuke's forehead and Gohan sent a pulse through Sasuke's body, causing him to wake up.

"Ugh..." The boy groaned like he was just coming down from the worst hangover imaginable. He looked up and saw the nervous faces of Naruto and that nosey do-gooder. Yet no Itachi in sight.

"Sasuke, you're safe now..." Naruto said.

"YAAAHHH!" He cried as he lashed out at the two with his Chidori in hand. The lightning jutsu cut through both Gohan's skin and Naruto's jacket before the two of them could back step out of the way.

"GAAH!" Gohan cried out. "What the fuck is your deal?! Is that how you treat people who revive you?!"

Sasuke got to his feet like a wild animal, looking left and right for any trace of his brother. He was so close. So fucking close!

His Sharingan scanned the horizon, looking for the faintest glimpses of- THERE! He saw the tiniest flame of Itachi's Chakra signature. He was still nearby.

Sasuke took off sprinting into the woods after him, not even bothering to pick up his sword along the way.

Naruto and Gohan quickly gave chase after him.

"Sasuke wait! SASUKE!" Naruto screamed. He was so close! So damn close!

Gohan put on a fierce look of determination and blasted ahead, cutting off the younger Uchiha in mid-flight, causing him to slam into Gohan like he slammed into a steel wall.

"GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY WAY!" Sasuke screamed.

"No!" Gohan shouted firmly.

Blind with rage, Sasuke charged at him with a Chidori aimed directly at his heart. Gohan was an experienced enough fighter to instinctively know how to grab Sasuke's arm, but that didn't mean a damn thing when Sasuke could extend the Chakra outward to pierce Gohan through the chest.

In that moment, Gohan felt a white hot pain seer though his chest as he felt himself losing consciousness. Unknown to them, a girl in the bushes saw the whole thing and screamed.

"GOHAAAAN!" She screamed at the top of her lungs.

Sasuke dropped Gohan to the ground where he slammed hard on the grass, completely lifeless. Videl ran to his side, tears running down her face hoping he was still alive.

"Gohan! Please be okay!" She cried as she shook Gohan in order to wake him, but he wouldn't move. "Gohan! Wake up! Don't you dare die on me!"

"Sasuke!" Naruto roared as he lunged at the crazed Uchiha who desperately tried to scamper away and resume the chase with his brother.

Videl looked at Gohan. His chest was completely still, indicating he wasn't breathing. Thinking back to her first aid classes, she checked his carotid pulse.

Nothing.

"No..." Videl cried shakily.

Naruto meanwhile tackled Sasuke to the ground and wrestled to keep him still, but the boy was frantic. He punched at Naruto who returned the blow with his own punch to the face. The two just kept exchanging blows, one after around in a desperate attempt at dominance.

But they both stopped. They had just picked up on a new, strong energy that was surging wildly and they couldn't make it out what it was.

Naruto looked back and saw that Videl was still crying over Gohan's body, but he saw a faint aura surging around her.

That gave Sasuke the opening he needed to thrust his palm up at Naruto's chin, knocking him backwards and freeing the two from their scuffle.

"No..." Videl sobbed as her aura grew more violent, storm clouds appearing overhead.

"No..." She cried again.

She picked her head up and glared at Sasuke, tears streaming down her face. "No..." She growled. "You killed him..."

She slowly stood up and walked slowly towards him, her hair braking out of her hair ties and started spiking up. "You killed him..." She growled again as her aura slowly switched to gold.

Sasuke spat out some blood and looked at her without any sense of fear or regret. "So what?"

That just enraged her more and her hair flashed from black to gold and a lightning bolt struck down next to her. "I'll kill you for that..."

Naruto looked on in awe at what he was witnessing. He knew Gohan could do that, but her? He had no idea.

"I loved him...and you killed him..." Videl growled, more lightning crashing around her as her eyes flashed back and forth from blue to teal.

With every step she took, pebbles rose up from the ground that were created by the cracks she made with every step. Her aura was completely gold now and was violently surging around her.

Sasuke wasn't intimidated, his rage only grew and grew as he could no longer sense his older brother. He had slipped through his fingers. Again.

"Grrr...SO WHAT?!" Sasuke screamed at the girl as her power continued to rise dramatically. "He got in the way of getting my revenge! That pain you're feeling! That choking, suffocating pain is what I feel EVERY DAY EVER SINCE MY BROTHER KILLED MY CLAN! NOW YOU CAN FEEL IT! JUST A FRACTION OF MY PAIN!" Sasuke screamed to the Heavens.

"You know nothing of pain..." Videl growled as she gave of a killing intent stronger than anything Sasuke had ever seen.

"NO YOU!" Sasuke screamed as he gave off a killing intent that dwarfed Videl's entirely. Her pain was great, like an immovable boulder, yet his was a mountain.

"DON'T COME IN HERE AND CLAIM LOSING YOUR DAMN BOYFRIEND MEANS JACK COMPARED TO LOSING YOUR ENTIRE FUCKING FAMILY! DON'T EVEN JOKE ABOUT YOUR PAIN BEING EQUAL TO MINE! YOU SPOILED BRAT!"

"I don't give a shit about you or your family of losers." She spat. Sasuke's little sob story only made her angrier. "You took away the only thing I had left! I have NOTHING NOW! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" She screamed out as her aura exploded, creating a shockwave that Naruto and Sasuke had to dig their feet into the ground just to stay standing until it settled.

Videl appeared before them, her hair completely spiked up and gold, her eyes were white with rage and her aura was surging around her violently.

"I'll smear you across the grass for what you've done." She growled demonically.

Naruto looked on in awe, as well as a bit of confusion. She had powered up greatly, but she still seemed rather weak. She was nowhere near Gohan's level.

'She wouldn't be able to do anything to him.' Naruto thought.

"No you won't." Sasuke stated as he looked into her eyes with his Sharingan again. Once again her eyes went wide before glazing over as she fainted right where she stood, her aura being snuffed out like a candle.

"Videl!" Naruto cried as he caught her before she hit her head. He carefully cradled her in his arms as he placed her down on the ground. That damned Sasuke used genjutsu on her again.

"Fucking fan girls." Sasuke spat as he stood up to try and walk away. His shouting match had calmed him down somewhat and he knew that the only logical move now would be to head back to Orochimaru's for more training. That girl and her boyfriend were the culprits of the energy surge. That would satisfy the old snake.

"Where do you think you're going!?" Naruto barked at Sasuke, his own rage boiling up from the Uchiha hurting both his friends.

"Shut up loser. Just take those two and get out of my sight." Sasuke said as he walked away. "I'm never coming back to the Leaf village. So get over it." Sasuke added.

"You are coming back home. Dead, alive or unconscious. Either way, I'm dragging your ass with me. I promised Sakura-chan I would bring you home and I plan on keeping that promise." Naruto growled.

That made Sasuke stop mid-step and turn around. "Chh, like I care about some stupid promise you made to another one of my dumb fan girls. Get it through your thick skull, dead last. She never liked you and never will. Now get over her and get over me, you loudmouthed, idiotic, demon." Sasuke spat, his words like spears being thrown at Naruto's heart.

Sasuke turned to walk away, only to feel a kunai being thrown past his cheek and embedding itself in a nearby tree. He could feel some of his hair falling away and the blood dripping down his cheek. It was on now.45rt

"You got something to say? Dobe..." Sasuke said before he was punched square in the face by Naruto and sent hurling back into a tree. He felt his skull rattle and his nose drip with blood that he wiped away. Naruto had definitely improved over the past 3 years. He was faster and quieter than Sasuke ever thought possible for the loudmouth.

"You're coming home whether you like it or not." Naruto said sternly.

Sasuke wiped away the blood dripping down his nose. "Fine. Round two then." Sasuke spat as he harnessed his Chidori into a long sword.

The two shinobi let the wind howl for a bit, neither one of them taking their eyes off of the other. A lone stick broke off from the wind, the dice was cast and the two friends charged at one another.

A mile away, a very pissed off Toad Sage sprinted through the trees.

'Damn substitute clone. Took me a lot longer to beat than I anticipated. Sweet Sage I'm getting old.' He thought as he zeroed in on his pupil's Chakra signature.

'Brat is still in the fight, so that's a good sign, but I can't sense Gohan or Videl though.'

It wasn't long before he came near them when he spotted Gohan laying in a pool of blood with Videl laying nearby, a crater around her body.

'Damn...' He cursed mentally as he landed to check on Gohan. He placed a hand on his chest to see if he could sense any energy flowing through him. 'He's still alive, but barely.' He took out the senzu bean Gohan had given him and made Gohan swallow it, hoping that it would be enough.

He saw the hole in Gohan's chest slowly close, knowing that the bean was doing its job. He then made his way over to Videl. She was out cold, but alive.

'Poor girl must have taken a beating.' He rolled her over and saw she didn't have a scratch on her, yet she was lying in a crater.

'Genjutsu knocked her out. Still doesn't explain the crater.' Jiraiya thought as he undid the genjutsu clouding her mind.

Videl moaned and slowly woke up to find Jiraiya standing over her. "Jiraiya...?"

"What happened?" Jiraiya asked.

"I... was knocked out and then Naruto's clones kept watch over me until I woke back up. Then I heard a battle and came to check it out. Then this kid came and-" Videl stopped when she remembered about Gohan, her rage boiling over once more.

"That fucker KILLED Gohan!" Videl pointed to the boy fighting Naruto. Just seeing him made her aura erupt again as she started transforming again.

'So, she's one of those Saiyan's too.' Jiraiya thought as Videl finished transforming.

"I'll kill him..." Videl growled.

"Videl..." came a soft voice from behind her. She turned around to see Gohan alive and well.

"G-Go...han...?" She gasped out in shock.

"Videl..." He wheezed out. That chidori did more than pierce his heart, it also shocked his lungs. Making it difficult to breathe.

Tears streamed down her face as she pounced him for all she was worth.

"I thought you died...I was so scared I wouldn't see you again..." she sobbed.

The warm sensation of Videl's energy soothed his aching body, making it easier for him to breath. But what got him so stunned was the fact she was a Super Saiyan.

"Videl? You're a Super Saiyan?" Gohan asked in shock.

"I'm a what?" Videl asked as she looked down at her golden glowing form. As soon as she noticed it though, it dissipated and she was back to normal.

"H-how... how can I..." Videl breathed out in shock.

"Deal with it later. We've got bigger problems." Jiraiya said as a hundred Naruto clones charged right into Sasuke's fireball jutsu.

"We should help Naruto." Gohan declared before looking at Videl. "Can you transform again?"

"I... I don't know...I can try." Videl said with uncertainty.

"No don't." Jiraiya said firmly.

"Huh? Why?" Gohan asked.

"Just watch. You want to understand Naruto. You need to watch this." He said.

Gohan was about to protest but stopped. He nodded as he and Videl watched. Videl not moving from his arms.

'I don't ever want to lose him again...I never truly realized it until now, but...I can't imagine my life without him...' Videl thought. Unknown to her, Gohan heard every word.

'I guess...I do love him...' Videl thought. The mere notion made her chest warm up and a light blush appeared on her face.

'I do...I really do. Damn, my dad would be pissed if he knew.'

Gohan heard every word she said in her mind. He couldn't believe it. It wasn't that long ago that she was trying to take him down and invade his private life. Now, he has inadvertently won this girls heart. It made him feel...good. warm and fuzzy even. He subconsciously wrapped his arms a little tighter around her, to which she accepted without hesitation.

Naruto meanwhile was in for the fight of his life.

Again and again Naruto and Sasuke clashed. Like two great storms they shook the world beneath them. For as precise as Sasuke's attacks were, Naruto's unpredictability would counter them and make Sasuke's main ability with his Sharingan all but useless. For all of Sasuke's quality jutsus, Naruto would match him with quantity of Chakra.

The two leapt back from their latest clash, preparing for their final attack.

Naruto grit his teeth and crossed his fingers, already raw from so much Chakra being pumped through them.

"Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu!" He cried as a thousand duplicates poofed into existence. Gohan and Videl were in awe of the seemingly endless am out of Chakra that Naruto possessed.

They all charged at Sasuke, sounding like stampede of a raging army. Yet the Uchiha kept his cool. He charged up his Chidori in his left arm again and felt his entire limb being stabbed in the nerves by the lightning Chakra running through it. But still Sasuke forced it. He didn't care. He would finish what he started beneath that waterfall and finally acquire the power necessary to kill his older brother.

The clones charged closer and Sasuke threw thousands of tiny lightning Chakra needles into the crowd. In an instant, thousands were cut down and exploded into an impenetrable cloud of smoke. The Chidori sent another wave of pain coursing through Sasuke's arm and he fell to his knee to rest.

'He's certainly improved.' Sasuke thought.

Sasuke was able to catch his breath and stood back up. When the smoke cleared, he witnessed Naruto creating a Rasengan in his right hand.

'Of fucking course.' Sasuke thought as he forced himself to stand and to summon up one last Chidori. His Chakra was dangerously low. He'd have to close one eye just to keep his Sharingan going.

Naruto sprinted at him first, his face full of determination, yet you could tell that this would be Naruto's final attack as well. Sasuke ran towards him. The two of them didn't know it, but at that moment the both of them thought about Team 7.

"CHIDORI!"

"RASENGAN!"

Both attacks collided with such force that the energy between them created a reaction, causing both of them to detonate.

BOOOM!

The explosion had such force that it blew the two apart.

Naruto landed hard up against a tree, his head bashing on a knot that knocked him out.

Sasuke meanwhile was sent into a jagged boulder. He handed right on a rounded point neck first. The impact was so hard that the rock severed his cervical spin in two, snapping his spinal cord and the very end of his brain stem. Sasuke's eyes rolled into the back of his head and his body went limp.

"Naruto!" Videl and Gohan cried as they ran to check up on him.

Jiraiya meanwhile ran over to Sasuke to check him out. What he saw wasn't good.

'Neck is broken...' Jiraiya thought. He checked Sasuke's pulse and to see if any chakra was flowing. "He's dead."

Alas, no one heard him as they were busy stirring Naruto awake.

"Come on buddy." Gohan urged. He then remembered something his mom used to do to him when he wouldn't wake up to study. Knowing Naruto's favorite food, he hatched an idea.

"Hey man, if you don't wake up I'm gonna eat all this ramen."

"You bastard, you'd better save me some." Naruto said before he was fully awake.

"It's got extra pork and teryaki steak. Mmmm it smells good..." Gohan fake teased.

Then Naruto shot up and grabbed Gohan by the neck. "Gimme!"

"I don't...really have any..." Gohan wheezed.

"You better buy me some when we get back to the Leaf." Naruto growled.

"Deal." Gohan wheezed.

Naruto let go of the half saiyans neck just as he remembered something.

"Sasuke, where is Sasuke!" He cried as he looked over and saw Sasuke laying on his back as Pervy Sage knelt over him.

"Is he unconscious?" Naruto asked no one in particular as he forced himself to stand up.

"Naruto, you should rest." Videl insisted as she tried to hold him back.

"No you don't understand. This is great. I did it..." Naruto said in disbelief. There Sasuke was. Unconscious. And he, Naruto, was awake and well. With his friends beside him. Orochimaru nowhere in sight. It was perfect.

Naruto stumbled as he walked towards Sasuke.

"This is great. We can take him home, and Sasuke will be safe. Sakura will be so pleased. This'll be the best present ever." Naruto said, completely ecstatic.

Jiraiya shook his head. "He's dead..."

"We'll take him home, and team 7 will be whole again. We can laugh about this whole mess and go on missions again..." Naruto said as he drew closer and closer. Why did Sasuke's breathing seem so shallow?

"Naruto did you hear me? I said that Sasuke is dead." Jiraiya stated, the words heavy and foul tasting in his mouth.

"What are you talking about Pervy Sage? He's not dead." Naruto stated as his eyes gazed upon Sasuke's unfocused ones. His face twisted in pain and agony.

"Naruto..." Videl whispered as she stepped forward to comfort him, but Gohan held her back and shook his head. This was something he needed to realize on his own.

At that moment, Naruto was caught between two worlds. One where Sasuke was alive, and the other where he lay dead before the orange ninja. He felt the push and pull of the two realities struggling to gain control over him.

Naruto leaned forward and took Sasuke's pulse. Damn it, he was never good at this kind of stuff. He could never find a pulse, not even his own.

"He broke his neck when he landed against that rock. The explosion is what did it..." Jiraiya informed.

Naruto checked the back of Sasuke's neck. Sure enough, there were broken bones when he felt it and a void where there should be bone but wasn't.

Naruto staggered back and fell on his rear. What had he done? He only meant to bring Sasuke back home, safe and sound. Not this...

He jumped back on top of Sasuke's body and started shaking it.

"WAKE UP! WAKE UP YOU BASTARD!" Naruto screamed, his voice cracking from the effort. "YOU'VE GOT TO AVENGE YOUR CLAN! TO APOLOGIZE TO SAKURA! TO COME BACK HOME AND BE BACK WITH TEAM 7! YOU'D NEVER DIE SO EASILY BEFORE SO WAKE UP!"

Sasuke didn't respond.

"WAKE THE FUCK UP YOU FUCKING BASTARD! FUCKING TEME!" Naruto cried as raindrops hit Sasuke's face.

"That's enough, Naruto!" Gohan shouted as he pulled Naruto off of Sasuke, all the while the blond was kicking and screaming.

"No-NO!" Naruto shouted. He tried kicking Sasuke's foot to get a reaction out of him, yet nothing.

"Naruto, please..." Videl pleaded. "He's gone, Naruto..." She said softly.

Naruto struggled against Gohan and Videl's hug, but his own strength started to fade...

"H-he's...gonna catch a cold if he's caught out in the rain..." Naruto stated.

"Naruto..." Videl tearfully replied. "It's not raining..."

All eyes turned to Naruto, who's cheeks were saturated from tears that wouldn't stop falling.

"I killed him..." Naruto whispered. "I killed my brother..."

"No, it wasn't your fault..." Videl said softly.

"No... no... I did it..." Naruto sobbed.

Videl just tightened her hug around him. "It wasn't your fault..."

"No, it really wasn't." Came a deep voice up in the trees.

"Itachi..." Gohan growled. The man who had started it all.

Itachi descended from the trees and went directly to his brother's corpse. Though he didn't show it, he mourned for the loss of the last of his family. "Rest easy, my brother..."

"GET AWAY FROM HIM!" Naruto shouted as he stood up to attack the last remaining Uchiha.

"That's enough Naruto!" Jiraiya barked, getting his student to freeze. "He's on our side!"

"Wait, what?" The trio asked in confusion.

"I am one of Jiraiya's spies to gather information on the Akatsuki for the Leaf." Itachi informed them.

"What? How could you work with a man who killed his entire family?" Gohan demanded.

"Because the Leaf council ordered me to kill my family." Itachi replied.

"Liar!" Naruto spat, earning shocked looks from Gohan and Videl. "The Leaf council would never do that."

"They did." Jiraiya confirmed.

"W-what...?" Naruto asked in shock.

Itachi sighed. "At some point in time, my clan became corrupted and were about to stage a coup to overthrow the Leaf government. The council elders, Homura, Koharu and Danzo, ordered me to kill them before they could stage their coup. I chose to leave Sasuke alive because he had nothing to do with it. He was far too young. I wanted him to become strong enough to kill me for what I was ordered to do. It pained me to kill my own family, but if I didn't, they would have done it and taken Sasuke's life. I fled the village and joined the Akatsuki after that and have been Jiraiya's informant since. We've been staying one step ahead of their plans from the get go."

That's when a realization hit Naruto. "You were the one that said the Akatsuki wouldn't be back for three years. The reason I'm on this training trip with Pervy Sage in the first place."

"Exactly. I have been giving Jiraiya all the information he needed about the Akatsuki's plans." Itachi confirmed.

"The Akatsuki are planning to extract all of the Tailed beasts from their Jinchuriki hosts to create a super weapon that would utterly throw our world into darkness. This is their vision of peace as it seems. So, we've been keeping track of all the Jinchuriki in the world and watching the Akatsuki's movements." Jiraiya added.

"So what can we do?" Gohan asked seriously.

Itachi looked at the trio and cast his genjutsu, causing them all to faint.

"What are you going to do?" Jiraiya asked.

"I'm going to alter their memories so they don't remember anything about me or Sasuke within the last 36 hours." Itachi informed.

Jirayia nodded. "Also, remove from their memories of Videl unlocking her power and see if you can't seal away what she unlocked until a certain moment in time."

"Right." Itachi replied as he got right to work altering their memories. After a short while, he was done.

"I altered their memories so that all they would remember is being in a resort hotel for a week when the pirate invasion came. They have no memory of myself or Kisame or what I told them, nor do they have any memory of Sasuke showing up." Itachi informed.

"Why a resort town?" Jiraiya asked.

"Because the town you're staying in is a shithole." Itachi said simply.

"Yeah, fair point. I guess that means that we have to move on." Jiraiya shrugged.

"They'll be out for 2 days at most. I also removed the memories of the girl's transformation. I had extreme difficulty sealing away her power. She has an incredible amount of untapped potential."

"That seems to be a thing with these two." Jiraiya agreed as he picked up Gohan and put him over his shoulder, carrying Videl and Naruto under his arms. "Are you going to take Sasuke?"

Itachi nodded. "I'm going to take him to my family's secret burial grounds. there, I will give him a proper burial."

Jiraiya nodded and turned to leave. "See you around."

Itachi nodded before picking up his brother's body.

'Sasuke, my brother...I wish you would've listened to me...' He thought before turning into a flock of crows and vanishing from sight.

Meanwhile in the shadows, a black and white man in an Akatsuki cloaked looked on at the interaction.

"It seems the young Uchiha has perished..." It whispered.

"Yeeeeesssss... Lord Madara will be displeased..."

"No matter... One less pawn off the board won't make a difference..."

Two days later, in a remote spot inside a rather stylish little hut.

Videl was the first to wake up, with what seemed like the worst hangover ever.

"Ugh...no more doubles before bed..." She groaned. She looked around the rather lavish room, Gohan sleeping next to her and Naruto in an adjacent bed.

'Holy crap. How much did I drink last night? I do not remember going to sleep here...' She thought. The last thing she did remember was her, Gohan and Naruto all winning big at the roulette table with Jiraiya sitting nearby laughing with two call girls on either arm.

Gohan was the next to wake up, with the same headache.

"Jesus...never drinking again..." Gohan groaned.

"Gohan?" Videl said to get his attention. He looked over and for some reason remembered seeing Videl in a stripper's cowgirl outfit.

"Ugh, what happened last night?" He asked while pinching his nose to cover his nose bleed.

"I don't know...you don't happen to have anything to do with this, do you?" Videl growled.

"Uh...you don't remember last night?" Gohan asked.

"Why? Oh God! We didn't do anything, did we?!" Videl exclaimed, subconsciously covering up her lady parts.

"Do what?" Naruto yawned as he woke up from the yelling

"Naruto. You we're there, what happened last night?" Videl asked hesitantly.

Naruto though back and remembered all the money the won and lost on blackjack. He and Gohan were wearing tuxedos, Videl was in some kind of sparkling ruby red dress with a long gown and plenty of leg to show off. Then these ladies in really skimpy kunoichi outfits came by and wrapped their arms around Naruto and Gohan.

"I do not remember." He said, remembering Videl's temper after that.

Videl sighed. " I wish I could remember...wait, what about when we got back to our room?"

That's when they heard a quick knock from the front door and in walked Jiraiya carrying four plates of scrambled eggs and grilled fish.

"Oh good, you three are up. I was worried that I'd have to eat these myself and ruin my girlish figure." Jiraiya teased as he set the plates down on a nearby table.

"Yea right. My Sexy Jutsu is better."

"Your...what?" Videl hesitantly asked.

"What? It was a joke." Jiraiya said.

"No, I mean what Naruto said." Videl clarified.

"You mean my Sexy Jutsu? I... really don't think you wanna see that." Naruto said hesitantly.

"Why not?" Videl asked with curiosity.

"Yeah, show her Naruto. It's, in my mind, your greatest ever self-taught jutsu." Jiraiya encouraged.

"Um...I really don't think I should..."

"Just show me." Videl said sternly.

"Alright..." Naruto sighed. If he was gonna go out. He might as well go out with a prank. He leapt out of his bed and made a single hand sign.

"Sexy Jutsu!" He shouted and was immediately covered in smoke.

In his place stood a naked blond woman with huge tits, an hour glass figure, blond pigtails, and an ass you could bounce quarters off of.

Gohan fell over backwards with a nose bleed, passed out.

Jiraiya couldn't stop drooling and Videl just rolled her eyes.

"That's supposed to pass of as hot?" She deadpanned.

This got confused looked from Jiraiya and Naruto.

"Come again?" Jiraiya asked.

"Look, if you really want it to be sexy, you need to change it up a bit." Videl started. "First off, the boobs are all wrong. they shouldn't sit up that high unless you had a massive boob job. They should be more tear drop shaped. Also, your waist and legs, far too skinny and your abdomen looks like you just got squeezed in a vice. Do I look like that?"

Naruto, or Naruko in this case, looked at Videl who was wearing her sports bra and spandex shorts. She had a point. Her figure was completely different than what he transformed into.

"That transformation is kinda insulting. No woman could possibly look like that without being anorexic." Videl lectured.

Jiraiya looked on with absolute shock. Was Videl really giving Naruto instructions on how to perfect a perverted jutsu?

"See my legs? They're toned and full, not super skinny. My waist is the proper size and my abdomen is proportionate to my hips, narrowing in slightly. I'm a size 36 bust and mine don't sit up that high."

Naruto was standing there taking notes.

"Why are you giving him advice?" Jiraiya asked.

"Hey, I'm a girl who's comfortable with my sexuality and my body. I can see this as a pretty good distraction technique." Videl shrugged. "Now, with all of that in mind, try it again." Videl instructed.

Naruto did so and this time transformed into a blond haired version of Videl with pig tails and Naruto's whiskers.

"There ya go, that's much better." Videl praised, then she heard a thud. She turned aorund to see Jiraiya laying on the floor with the biggest shit eating grin and blood pouring out of his nose.

Gohan woke up for a moment to see the new version of Naruto's jutsu and sprayed blood out of his nose before passing out again.

"See? The guys will drop like flies with that now." Videl smirked.

Naruto undid the transformation and had a beaming smile. "Wow, thanks Videl! I gotta say, I half expected you to pound me."

"Who said I wouldn't?" Videl smirked as she cracked her knuckles.

"You can strike me down, but others will rise in my place!" Naruto said as he gestured towards both Jiraiya and Gohan still laying in pools of their own nosebleeds.

"And I'll punch them as well." Videl said before cocking her fist back and slamming her fist into Naruto's nose, sending him crashing to the floor.

'I can die happy.' Gohan thought as he regained consciousness, although he couldn't remember why...

"What did you say..." Videl growled.

"Say what? I didn't say anything." Gohan defended.

Videl smirked. "Yea, you better keep it that way."

"Hey Videl!" Naruto called to gain her attention. " Reverse Sexy Jutsu!" He shouted and transformed again.

This time he transformed into a naked Gohan with Naruto's blond hair and whiskers.

Videl's eyes went wide and her nose sprayed blood. She fell over and passed out after she let out a girlish squeal.

"What the hell is that!?" Gohan cried.

"Reverse Sexy Jutsu. I used you as a reference." Naruto smirked.

"So... many...muscles..." Videl said with a grin on her face, still knocked out.

"Well someone has a muscle fetish." Jiraiya mused.

"Better keep that in mind Gohan." Naruto teased slyly

"S-shut up!" Gohan exclaimed in embarrassment, but it was about to get worse.

"So... big...and... hard..." Videl said again, causing Gohan to go completely red in embarrassment, Naruto and Jiraiya burst out laughing.

"Well, enough of this foolishness." Jiraiya sighed. It was time to set his plan in motion.

His mood then turned serious. "Naruto, I have some info you're not going to like."

That's when the house began to rumble.

"Will you get these brats out of me! (Ribbit!)" The walls bellowed.

"What was that?" Gohan asked.

"Oh that. That's just Gamaterrance throwing a fuss again." Jiraiya explained.

"Oh. Well get on with it." Naruto pressed.

"Right...well I just got word through my spy network. Sasuke confronted Itachi a year ago." Jiraiya stated.

"What...?" Naruto replied.

"They clashed, but Sasuke lost...not just lost, but killed. Itachi killed Sasuke."

"You...you're not serious..." Naruto stated.

"Very." Jiraiya said, completely serious.

Gohan and Videl felt the temperature in the room drop 20 degrees.

"And you confirmed this?" Naruto asked.

"Yes I did. Several sources all told me the same story. Not even Orochimaru is that good at covering his tracks. I'm sorry, Naruto." Jiraiya said sadly. It tore him up to give to tell his pupil this news. In more ways than one.

Naruto just grew silent, he stood up and walked across the room.

"So it was all for nothing." He said before angrily kicking over the kitchen table and storming out of the frog hut.

"My furniture! Ribbit!" Gamaterrance shouted as Naruto briskly walked outside.

Gohan and Videl followed quickly behind him.

"All these years, all of the searching, the training, it was for fucking nothing!" Naruto yelled as he punched a hole through a tree.

"What the hell am I going to tell Sakura. I promised her I'd bring him back..." Naruto cried.

"I'm promised her, I PROMISED MYSELF!" He cried.

"Naruto..." Videl whispered as she tried to comfort him, but he slapped her hand away.

"Videl, I'm sorry but I want to be alone." Naruto said firmly

"Naruto, we're you're friends." Videl pleaded.

"I know...but I just... I just need a damn minute..." Naruto choked out.

Gohan urged Videl away to give Naruto some space. She wanted to protest, but knew it was the best thing to do right now. So the two walked away, sad for their friend.

Naruto just sat down on a nearby tree trunk to look at the lake. Seeing the light reflecting off the sunrise, he couldn't help but think about his once best friend.

'Sasuke, I'm sorry...' Naruto thought to himself.