DISCLAIMER: No matter how much I want it, I do not own Naruto. I am still only borrowing the characters and promise to return them in good condition – well, maybe slightly battered!

Chapter Forty-Nine:
Epilogue

The secret I keep, hid under lock and key
I keep it caged, but I can't control it
Cause if I let him out, he'll tear me up
And break me down
Why won't somebody come and save me from this?
~Skillet~

The scenery passed by at a measured pace as the trio continued towards their mission destination, a village between grass and fire countries. The silence lay thick and heavy like a winter blanket. Naruto and Sai kept glancing at Sasuke, waiting for him to say something.

Finally, Sai called them to a halt for the day. With a practiced ease, the trio quickly and efficiency set up camp. It was Sasuke who finally broke the long, uncomfortable silence. "The both of you are annoying. It's no big deal."

"What are you talking about?" asked Naruto innocently.

"Tch, don't act stupid. You two don't have to tiptoe around me; I'm fine. I wanted to date other women and now I can."

"I thought you loved her," said Sai.

"Love is for the weak," he stated flatly. "I'm done talking about this now. Drop it or would you rather we discuss the issues in your love lives?"

Sai lifted his brow. "And what issues are you speaking of? I do not have any difficulties with my sexual life."

"Yeah, neither do I."

"Don't play dumb with me Naruto Uzumaki. You've been friend-zoned with the girl you've been obsessed with since you were five years old. Do you want to talk about that?" he asked cruelly. "Do you honestly think I've been fooled or even Sai for that matter. We both know that's why you keep hopping from girl to girl like some kind of manwhore. And you," he said, pointing at Sai, "You still don't even have a clue about what to do with a woman. Ino wouldn't date you if you were the last man in the Land of Fire."

"Shut up, you don't know anything Teme!" shouted Naruto. "You're the giant asshole who dumped the sweetest girl in Konoha because you want to sleep around. I think that makes you the manwhore!"

Sasuke, in a sudden fury, unthinkingly lashed out with his fist and slammed it into his brother's face. You don't know anything either, Dobe!" he yelled back.

The two stared daggers at each other. Naruto's eyes were blazing and full of passionate fury while Sasuke's were cold and fathomless; neither willing to give an inch.

Naruto rubbed his jaw and spat out a glob of blood. "You can be a real bastard sometimes, you know that? I'm going to work out for a while before it gets too dark," he muttered before spinning on his heel and stalking away.

Sasuke ran his hand in frustration through his hair and held back a retort. He wanted to apologize but the words just wouldn't come out. He watched impassively as his brother went far across the field and began to viciously punch and kick a tree.

Sai crept up silently behind him and said, "He is only concerned about you. We both are. We are your brothers Sasuke. We care about you; you know that."

Sasuke paced the campsite in anger. She alone had managed to rattle the icy control he had honed over the years and he didn't want Sai to see his expression. It unmanned him, the way she made him feel. He hated the guilt and anger he felt.

Finally, he gave up and turned to Sai. The raw pain was evident in his eyes as he said, "I didn't want too, really I didn't. I had to because of her father and clan politics. It was tearing her apart."

Sai hesitated for a brief second and then nodded. "We know… at least, that's what we figured." He turned to stare at Naruto and without looking at his brother, murmured, "Fix it."

Sasuke grudgingly conceded. He made his way over to his best friend and stood behind him, waiting patiently for Naruto to acknowledge him. The massive trunk took on a significant amount of damage before the teen stopped.

Naruto leaned his head against the tree and sighed heavily. As far as he was concerned, the Teme was already forgiven. "Sometimes," he said, turning around with a smirk on his lips, "I don't know whether to laugh at you or pity you."

Sasuke stabbed him with an impatient glare. "What's so amusing?"

"You."

"Me?" Sasuke clenched his hands with impotent annoyance. He was many things; arrogant, commanding, fiercely lethal, but he was never, ever amusing. "What's so funny about me?"

Naruto slapped him on the back, leaned in and said in a conspiring undertone, "Well, other than the fact you should wear a sign that says 'Interact with at your own risk'; there's nothing at all wrong with you." He started to walk back to the camp when Sasuke cleared his throat.

"I'm…"

"I know."

"It's just…"

"I know."

"Tch."

"We're brothers right? Until the end..."

"Hn."

"Eloquent as always Teme." Naruto, wanting to change the subject and lighten the mood asked, "Did you get a chance to see little Tōbo before we left?"

He nodded, "I gave Chūjitsuna and Kiba a gift."

"I still can't get over the fact that he's a father. I mean, we're talking about Kiba here. Kiba…" Naruto shook his head in wonderment. "That's so weird."

"What's so unbelievable about that, Dickless?" asked Sai as they approached. "They are married now and it was his duty as future clan head to have an heir." He gazed at the two, happily noting that the tension between them had been erased. "What with the impending hostilities, it would only make sense."

"He's seventeen years old. Well anyways, I'm not planning on doing anything that stupid so soon."

"What are you talking about Baka? Everything you do is stupid."

"Shut up Teme or I'll beat you the way I did in the chunin exams."

"Tch, you didn't beat me, I beat you."

"Alright you two, we all know the way it ended. The winner of the final match was…"

An unexpected mist rose surrounded them like fine particles of smoke, twirling up from the forest floor. The woods had fallen oddly silent and the trees that had once appeared so peaceful now looked ominous and threatening to their eyes.

Years of preparation and training kept their faces impassive and their bodies tensed in expectation. Naruto's nose, Sasuke's eyes and Sai's ears searched for the cause for the unsettling silence which hung over the forest. They were ready for the nearly silent approach of the two figures that appeared from within the white mantle that covered the glade. This was the day they had prepared for - the day of reckoning.

Black cloaks

Red clouds

Akatsuki

The trio ignored the layer of mist as it settled on their skin and tickled the base of their necks. Sasuke's powerful katana was slowly unsheathed, ringing as it emerged fully from its scabbard. He glanced over at his brothers and noted their grim visages. Both of their eyes were lit with determination. "Naruto," he ordered, "You take the big, blue guy while Sai and I handle the other one."

With a slight nod, he said lowly, "Be careful."

~o~O~o~

His teammate was right; the boy is very audacious. Kisame stared as Naruto stood in the middle of the clearing, sword held out in his hand with a cocky expression on his face.

He boldly shouted, "So, you think you can capture me; the great Naruto Uzumaki?" He rested his free hand on his hip, threw his head back, laughed impudently and added, "Well good luck with that, Fish-man!"

Time seemed to stand still, holding its breath as the missing-nin and the Konoha shinobi stared at each other, the mist embracing each other like a lovers. His sword, Samehada wriggled and growled in his hand, eager for a taste of the other shinobi's chakra. Kisame's lips curved upwards, rows of jagged teeth bared into a sinister smile while his dark eyes narrowed dangerously. He stepped forward purposefully. "Fish-man?" he growled, "Like I haven't heard that before. My name is Kisame Hosigaki, otherwise known as the Monster of the Hidden Mist."

Naruto had fought many men and women in his years as a shinobi and thought he was prepared for anything. He was wrong. Kisame moved with frightening speed, his huge body blurring as he brought Samehada crashing down at Naruto.

He was barely able to bring his own sword up in time to prevent himself from succumbing to the skillful attack. The impact was so jarring it threw Naruto back. Kisame saw an opening and charged at the shaken and seemingly defenseless teen, however Naruto countered by directing the mist to encircle them and disappear within it.

"You forget, boy! I have shark-like abilities, my sense of smell is far superior to an ordinary human's, I don't need to see you to rip you into pieces."

Naruto snorted and said derisively, "How could I forget that, Fish-man? You created this mist in the first place. But I know something you don't know… You can't even tell the difference between the scent of clones and the real me."

Kisame stopped, now smelling the three other Narutos. He swung Samehada in a circle, cutting through two of them and then spun around. His foot rammed into the last clone's belly, sending him sailing across the clearing before evaporating into a smoky cloud. Suddenly he caught a steely glint from the corner of his eyes a brief second before it hit him, knocking the cloaked man out of the mist.

"I don't think you did your research properly," proclaimed Naruto as he waved his hand, dispersing the Hidden Mist Jutsu. "I can use the water element as well. Are you sure you wouldn't rather play a rousing game of Go instead of fighting me?"

"No," he said with a trace of humor in his voice. "I would much rather play, Stick Samehada in the Jinchuriki." He charged Naruto, swinging his massive sword with practiced ease.

Dust flew up from the ground hiding everything in its dense blanket. Kisame stood in the center of the devastation, patiently waiting for the cloud to settle and collect the body.

A disembodied voice rang out, "You know, that wasn't very nice of you. You could have at least given me a warning or something. I could have been killed!" A figure was outlined in the haze. Naruto emerged with a frown on his face and covered in dirt. He shook his head, sending more dust flying. "Oh and by the way… your swordsmanship is terrible. Who taught you how to use that thing?"

"Tch, you're annoying." Disbelief clouded Kisame's face before he smiled wide in anticipation. "Good… I like a challenge."

He charged forward, the two swords clashing, with neither opponent giving way to the other. After several minutes, Kisame stated, "It looks like we can't settle this with just our kenjutsu."

"Yeah," grunted Naruto as he ducked under another vicious swipe of Samehada. "I figured. You think you can take me with ninjutsu too?"

With several hand seals set in motion, a spiraling vortex of water exploded from Kisame's mouth forming a massive wave which headed straight towards Naruto.

"Water Shockwave Jutsu," said Naruto as he easily evaded the attack. "Not bad."

Without warning, the ground beneath him heaved and rippled like waves on the ocean before erupting upwards in a shower of rich brown earth, fragrant grass, and cool water. Kisame emerged from the depths and cut Naruto in half, smoke wafting around him in a white mass.

"Shadow clones… impressive for one your age."

The high-pitched whine of shuriken cut through the air in a symphony of destruction. Kisame raised Samehada to block the incoming missiles but was unable to avoid the ones that struck from behind. He was knocked forward, blood gushing from the many wounds inflicted as the jagged edges sliced through his flesh. He staggered slightly before disappearing, a log falling from whence he stood.

From the aerie branches of a tree, Naruto remarked casually, "Ah, the replacement technique… can't go wrong with the basics."

"It's time to stop playing around kid. I've got orders to bring you in." Samehada smashed into the trunk, felling the ancient tree with ease and then Kisame created a gigantic shark out of water. He thrust both of his hands forward and sent it towards the teen.

Immediately Naruto countered with a huge blast of compressed air. The two techniques collided and a huge explosion rocked the forest. The shark absorbed the chakra from the wind release jutsu, growing larger and more powerful. It closed in on Naruto, forcing him to evade. He got too close to Kisame. He wasn't so lucky escaping the mighty sword. The drain on his chakra was shocking.

Naruto stumbled. He slowly stood up and shouted, "I won't lose to you." He charged Kisame and swung his sword, this time Kisame blocked with only one hand using Samehada.

Kisame smiled and pushed Naruto back, he then threw Samehada at a staggering Naruto. It flew right through him, leaving only a puff of smoke.

"What! Another clone?" shouted an annoyed Kisame. His brow puckered and he studied the area. Calmly, he gracefully deflected the shurikens Naruto threw with practiced ease. Samehada twirled, swinging tenaciously from his hands, moving with great determination closer and closer to the teen.

The battle raged on for several minutes with each shinobi gaining numerous injuries. The damage inflicted by Kisame's sword was what was causing the most harm. Every time the sword barely touched him Naruto's chakra drained at an exponential rate. He thought to himself, "I can't keep this up forever, my chakra and stamina are burning out fast."

As a diversion, he threw another kunai at Kisame, who easily dodged it by jumping into the air. A split second after the kunai left his fingers, Naruto was airborne. He punched him hard, sending him back to ground level to the surface of the lake they had created with water jutsus.

Kisame landed on top of the water. A hand reached up and yanked him down into its depths while the real Naruto took off toward his team. He hated to admit it but the last strike left him barely standing with his legs shaking as if he could fall at anytime.

Naruto managed to escape, but he was now almost completely out of chakra, due to Samehada.

~o~O~o~

Sasuke and Sai breathed a sigh of relief as they saw Naruto come bursting through the trees and into the glade. Their relief quickly turned to disappointment as Kisame came crashing after him in hot pursuit.

"You didn't defeat him yet?" yelled Sasuke as he angled his head away from the gleaming metal weapon intent on beheading him. "We could use a little help here."

Noting the wide path of destruction wrought by the three in front of him, Naruto blinked and commented flippantly, "This is just like Nadeshiko Village."

Sasuke; remembering relatively peaceful mission for the female warriors, growled out in frustration, "This is nothing like Nadeshiko Village. Now go and make yourself useful. We've killed this guy twenty three times and he still won't stay dead!"

"Hey, Fish-face's sword sucked out all my chakra. I am a kinda at a loss."

"What you need to do…" Sasuke shoved Naruto out of the way as the scythe whistled a mere breath away from his head. "is to get angry!"

"Are you sure? You told me to never do that again."

"Just take our party far from here."

Sai's ink lions snapped and growled menacingly at the two Akatsuki ninja as they attempted to get closer and added, "Excuse me, but I do not believe that my definition of a party is the same as yours."

Naruto frowned, his brows gathering together slightly. "You know what can happen. I still don't have full control over him. I don't like it..."

"Just do it."

Naruto nodded and without another word, took off in the opposite direction. Sasuke didn't have any time to give him another thought. The dead man's weapon just struck out again. His eyes widened in apprehension; Sai wasn't quite fast enough. There was a small trickle of blood on his cheek. He knew what that meant.

Although Sai didn't feel the wound, he knew something was wrong instantly. "He got me, didn't he?"

"I won't let him kill you."

"You know as well as I that the only way to stop that from occurring is to prevent him from dying. How do you propose that?"

Now Sasuke was desperate to finish Hidan off. He couldn't - wouldn't allow Sai to die. Everything they tried had failed. All that was left was a desperate move. "I think I know a way." He initiated the sequence of hand seals needed to perform the summoning jutsu.

The sky was ablaze with orange and red flames as he landed the massive force. Kajiarashi had arrived and he was all grown up. Fire burned his skin to a cinder and his body started to disintegrate as he passed through the hellish waves of fire that trumpeted his entrance into the forest. He became a living creature of pure flames. No less would be fitting for a near godlike figure such as he.

Hidan stood to witness the might of the one he thought never his see in his life, which stretched outward into eternity. The ground shattered into a million cracked pieces and dirt flew to either side of him. The power of his fall was such that a small crater with two large footprints in the center was created.

The bird sprang into the air, knowing what would come. Hidan jumped and swung his scythe as it passed over his head, throwing a hail of lightning down on him. He rolled out of the way and jumped back to his feet, cursing and threatening the creature with the power of his Jashin deity.

Kajiarashi turned in slow motion and let out a piercing cry. It chilled Sasuke and Sai deep in their souls but Hidan merely laughed in a show of bravado. Wicked clawed talons stretched out and sliced his chest in a stream of gore and ripped flesh.

The monster called Hidan heeded the fact that he was facing one of far greater power and started to fight Sai's ink lions behind him to escape the madness of the bird-shaped being with the fires of hell burning where his eyes should be.

He turned and began to run towards the horizon. It was a wasted effort. The crimson being that landed and stood before him had power beyond his feeble understanding and it did not hesitate to use it.

Kajiarashi opened his mouth wide and swallowed the undying Akatsuki ninja.

Sai placed his hand upon on the wound on his cheek and asked, "But will he not die in your stomach?"

With another piercing shriek, the flames on the Phoenix burned hotter and higher. Sasuke and Sai shielded their eyes. It consumed the creature completely, leaving a hairless, fat pink body which was burnt in spots with loose wrinkly skin.

"In a hundred years…" was all the creature said before it diminished even more and then disappeared.

"Hn," muttered Sasuke, "Looks like you won't be living forever."

"Yes, life would not be so precious there never was an end," replied Sai sagely.

~o~O~o~

Sasuke was kicking aside the nearest flaming log that littered the clearing to make sure it didn't impede his movements when the explosion rocked the ground beneath his feet.

He flowed upright, his startled gaze sweeping the surroundings.

The trees in front of him were flattened; the massive trunks still smoking and the dirt that filled the air settling on top of them. He and Sai turned shocked gazes at each other.

"Who do you suppose that was… Kisame or Naruto?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Who else but my brother could cause such a loud disturbance?"

They raced towards the location of the blast and where Naruto hopefully was.

The land was flat and devoid of any vegetation. Slightly smoking piles of ash was all that remained of the once majestic forest. Naruto kneeled at the center, fighting control of his body. His chest rose and fell in pained gasps as the tailed beast shroud faded slowly from his body, leaving his clothing in tatters and his body drenched in blood. He didn't know whether it was his or Kisame's, but hoped it was the latter.

He and Sai cautiously approached the Jinchuriki. "What the…" breathed Sasuke as he tugged out the kunai stuck in the smoldering remains of Kisame's torso. "We were supposed to capture one alive."

Naruto looked away in embarrassment. "Oops."

Oops?

That crazy, idiot of a brother had released the equivalent of a holocaust, destroyed their chance at capturing an Akatsuki member alive, and all he could say was "oops"?

"I said to make yourself useful, not cataclysmic," snapped Sasuke.

With an indignant huff, Naruto protested, "Hey, I don't critique your battle techniques."

Sasuke's expression hardened with grim satisfaction as he glanced toward the charred trees decorated with bits and pieces of human entrails and blue colored skin. He sighed and commented, "Well, no one said it would be easy." He watched as Naruto bent down to the ground and picked up the massive sword.

The sky was lowering, pregnant with rolling thunder. Naruto stood there, on the cusp of adulthood, his cheeks flushed, his soft hair ruffled by the wind, his eyes shining with exultation, awe, and fear. The future was uncertain, people were sure to die in the unavoidable confrontation with the Akatsuki… friends, enemies, and the innocents. He looked at his teammates with a frown and worried. They had been lucky.

They survived today.

But what about tomorrow?

Then, as if gaining confidence from Samehada itself, he turned it in arc above his head and let out a roar of victory…

...a roar of challenge…

He silently promised, 'They will survive.'

And Naruto Uzumaki never went back on a promise.

AN:

Well, that's it! The story is finally complete beginning with Broken. Thanks to everyone that followed/favorited/commented on each my chapters! I never would have made it this far without the support of my readers. Never, in a million years could I have imagined that I would write such a long story - especially full of the action scenes that I really have a hard time writing. I know that I went way off my plot there in the middle and I truly appreciate those of you that stuck with me on this journey. It's been fun. Yeah, you all probably want to know who won in the chunin exams, but I prefer to leave that all up to you! About Kisame, I had a beta who suggested that Naruto get Samehada instead of Bee. It was then (way back in chapter 3) that I pictured the end - with Naruto standing over Kisame's corpse, flushed and triumphant, holding the sword. I had to roll with it. I hope you liked it.

I doubt I'll ever write a story so full of action again. It's just too hard. Those that write it well, I say good for you. I envy you. I have started my next fic already. It's called The End of Shadows. It's a Sakura/Naruto romance! And while it's not an official continuation of this fic, it was originally intended to be. I decided not to continue with this one.

Until next time...

Ja Ne,

AZFAERYDUST