"RASENGAN!"

"CHIDORI!"

The sound of two pwerful jutsus collided at the Valley of the End. The place where the famous battle of The Shodaime Hokage; Hashirama Senju, and Madara Uchiha took place. Now it is the location for another duel between two friends; Naruto Uzumaki, and Sasuke Uchiha. Naruto jumped from the foot of Hashirama's stone statue, while Sasuke jumped from the foot of Madar's statue. Naruto's Kyuubi enhanced Rasengan, and Sasuke's Cursed Seal of Heaven enhanced Chidori collided in a black ball of energy. Unfortunately ffor the former, the black chidori ripped right through the spiraling sphere, as well as the orange wearing boy's heart.

Naruto hit the ground with a dull thump. Lifeless, and a giant hole in his chest that was bleeding profusely. Sasuke put his hands on his knees, and stared into Naruto's dead blue orbs. In the reflection of the puddle that Naruto was laying in, he saw his eyes change from crimson red with three tomoe, to black with three elipses in an atom shape.

'So this is the price of power.' Sasuke thought. "To kill your best friend, and regret it...is this what I really wanted?" The young Uchiha whispered to himself, tears stinging on the corners of his eyes. "I'm sorry Naruto. I guess you really don't know what you have until it's gone, huh?" he said to himself with a sad smile.

"You know, we can save your friend." Came a happy-go lucky voice. Sasuke jerked his head to the source of the voice, only to see a...venus flytrap?

The plant appendage rose from the ground, and with it came a body that was dawning a black cloak blazoned with red clouds. Sasuke's eyes widened. 'This guy is wearing the same cloak as Itachi! Are they accomodated in some way?' He thought in alarm. The venus flytrap opened, to reveal a head with a white half, and a black half. It had green hari, and yellow eyes. The white half had a goofy grin, while the black half didn't have a mouth.

Sasuke's eyes widened even more at what the plant guy said. "You can save Naruto? He's dead. That's not possible!" Sasuke shouted. The plant being chuckled in a dark voice that Sasuke could only assume was the black half. "Yes, it is possible. Are we going to tell you how? No."
The black half said with amusment. The plant being walked past Sasuke, and picked up the lifeless Uzumaki boy.

"What are you doing?" Sasuke asked. The plant being's eyes narrowed. "If you want your friend to live, you will not speak of a single thing you saw here. Got it?" He said in a low voice. Sasuke could only nod dumbly. The white half smiled. "The name's Zetsu by the way." He said before sinking into the ground.

o0o0o0o

Kakashi Hatake was leaping through the trees as fast as his legs could take him. His ninja hound, Pakkun sniffed. "We have to hurry. Sasuke's scent is still there but Naruto's is fading away." Pakkun warned. Kakashi's eyes widened. 'Naruto's scent is fading? Does that mean...oh Kami no!'

Kakashi arrived at the Valley of the End to see obvious signs of a great battle. He scanned the rubble, and found the thing that worried him the most. Sasuke was sitting on a rock, near a puddle of blood. Kakashi jumped down into the valley, and sprinted to the scene. Sasuke looked at his sensei in the eyes. "Sasuke...what happened here? Where's Naruto?" Kakashi asked sadly, fearing the worst. Sasuke shook his head.

"I don't know. I remember being knocked out by Naruto, and when I came to he was just...gone." Sasuke said sadly. It was obviously a lie, but Kakashi didn't need to know that. Kakashi glared at the Uchiha. "Gone? What do you mean gone? Who's blood is that?" Sasuke looked at the puddle of crimson red liquid. "Not mine, I can tell you that for sure. Before Naruto knocked me unconcious, I stabbed Naruto with a chidori while under the influence of the Curse Seal. From the amount of blood that he lost, he most likely..." Sasuke swallowed a lump in his throat. "...dead."
Kami, he should get an award for best actor.

A single tear flowed from Kakashi's visible eye. It couldn't be true. Minato-sensei's legacy was dead, kaput, no longer in existance. He really did fail. Kakashi sighed sadly. "Since he's not here, he probably got washed away by the river. Looking for him will be futile." Kakashi said dejectedly "Let's go back to the village." He said in a low voice, while putting Sasuke on his back.

o0o0o0o

Zetsu rose from the ground in a dark cave, Naruto in his arms. In front of him was a wooden throne with a very old man positioned in it. The old man opened his red eyes with three tomoe, which seemed to glow in the dark cave. "What is it Zetsu?" The plant being stepped forward, and showed the old man the body in his arms.

The old man looked between Zetsu, and the dead boy with an annoyed look on his face. "Why have you brought me a boy Zetsu?" The white half smiled. "Well, Madara-sama. This boy is no ordinary boy, no he is very special." the now named Madara narrowed his eyes. "How so?"
The black half chuckled. "It's his learning speed. He doesn't know that many jutsu, but he learns them at an astonishing rate. He learned the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu in just two hours." Zetsu informed making Madara to raise an eyebrow. "He also learned an A-class jutsu that took the creator three years to make, in only a single week. He doesn't even know the secret to the Kage Bunshin." Madara smiled.

"This is good, you really have brought me a gem, Zetsu." Madara said with excitement making Zetsu beam in pride. Madara's lone sharingan morphed into an eerie purple with black rings going outward. He clapped his hands together, and uttered. "Gedo: Rinne Tensei no Jutsu."

A head with the Kanji for 'King' on it rose from the ground, and opened its mouth, and a green ball of energy came out and enveloped Nartuo's lifeless body. The blood returned to his pale skin, making it return to its tan color. Madara turned to Zetsu. "Get my blood as well as a piece of Hashirama's flesh ready." Zetsu nodded, and ran off to get the required items. Madara smiled at the boy. 'This will be fun.' he thought.

o0o0o0o

Naruto opened his eyes to nothing but darkness. 'Where am I? Am I dead?' He thought while looking around. He tried to sit up, but was forced to lay back down because of the pain coming from his chest. He looked down at the source of the pain, and saw a lightning shaped scar on his chest.

"You are in the realm in which is eternal." A voice said, answering Naruto's thoughts. His head snapped to the voice,a nd saw the oldest man ever. He was definitely older than Sarutobi-jiji when he was alive. The old man was sitting on a wooden throne with a black robs, and holding a...scythe?
The Kusarigama seemed to gleam in the dark as if it was confirming his suspicions. Naruto's eyes wided. "NO NO NO NO NO! I CAN'T DIE! I'M TOO YOUNG! I HAVEN'T EVEN GOTTEN A GIRLFRIEND, OR BECOME HOKA-"

"Silence child." The old man said, cutting Naruto off. When Naruto calmed down, he got a glimpse of the old man's only visible eye. It was crimson red with three tomoe. 'He has the same eyes as Sasuke! Does that mean...' "You have a sharingan. Are you an Uchiha?" He asked. The old man smiled.

"You truly are sharp, child. My name is Madara Uchiha." Madara informed making Naruto's eyes go wide. The Legendary Uchiha chuckled. "So you have heard of me?" he asked, amused.

"Of course, who couldn't have heard about the two creators of Konoha?" Naruto stated. The Uzumaki's face then got serious. "What do you want with me Jiji? I can't stay here, I have to get back to Konoha, back to my friends." Naruto said, trying to get up from the bed, but still being forced to lay back down.
Madara kept his emotionless face. "It is futile. Only Zetsu can leave here. Even I can't leave." Madara said, surprising the blonde Uzumaki. "I also implanted my blood, as well as a piece of flesh from Hashirama Senju into your body to get your body working again."

Naruto looked thoughtful for a moment. "If you're an Uchiha, does that mean I can use the sharingan?" Madara nodded, making Naruto let out a 'YATTA!' He calmed down after a few seconds. "Wait...you implanted a piece of the Shodaime Hokage's flesh into my body. Will I be able to use Mokuton?" Naruto asked. "With a little work, yes you should be able to use Mokuton jutsu." Naruto promptly fainted.

=Three Years Later=

It has been three years since Naruto was brought to Madara, and he has grown into an intimidating person, his hair was more shaggy, looking more like his father; Minato Namikaze. His hair was now jet black due to Madara's blood. Over the three years, Naruto had grown to the height of 6'0, and his whisker marks have grown more distinct, and feral looking. His normally skin and bone frame had grown to a very muscular, yet lean build. Madara put Naruto through training so intense, it would make Ibiki Morino look normal. Due to the ridiculous training, Naruto's sharingan matured to three tomoes, and Madara used the Tsukuyomi on him to give Naruto the Mangekyou Sharingan.

At the moment, Naruto was doing pushups with Zetsu sitting on his back. Madara was watching his pupil with pride. The Legendary Uchiha had actually grown quite fond of the boy. At first, his loud, brash attitude annoyed him to no end, eventually though he got used to it, and it amused him at times.

"497...498...499...500!" Zetsu jumped off the Uzumaki's back as he finished his exercises. "Naruto." said teenager looked at the Old Uchiha, showing his attention. "Today is the last day that you will spend here, It has officially been 3 years since you came here. When I give you my gift, this place will be open to you for as long as you live. When you leave, I want you to take over the Akatsuki, and get them on your side under the name of Menma. You will be an orphan with no knowledge of any surname." Madara informed, throwing Naruto a mask. The mask had red rings around the eyes, a seemingly third eye around the forehead area, and red ears. Naruto looked at the mask in confusion. "People that you will come into contact with may recognize you." Madara explained. Naruto nodded his head in acceptance, and placed it around his face.

The first day of training, Madara burned the ugly orange jumpsuit that he always wore. His outfit now consisted of adark blue-grey robe with grey lining and a fur collar, a tattered blue cape, and fingerless black gloves. Under the robe, he wore no shirt, black baggy pants, and black shinobi sandals.
"When do we start?" Naruto asked making Madara smirk. "Now. Zetsu prepare my eyes for transplant."

=Amegakure: Akatsuki HQ=

Naruto, and Zetsu stood outside the Akatsuki Headqurters in Amegakure. Zetsu walked up, and deactivated the Genjutsu that was over the entrance to the large building. They walked town a hallway that led to a large lobby that had multiple members of the Akatsuki either sparring, or just having a good time. Hidan, and Deidara who were sparring stopped to look at the newcomer. They immediately paled at the intimidating aura that he possesed. "Zetsu, who's the gaki?" Came the voice of Kisame Hoshigaki; A large man with blue skin, hair, and gills like a shark.

"A new member." Was all Zetsu said in response. Kisame's sword Samehada, growled. "I know." Kisame muttered narrowing his eyes. 'This kid's chakra feels familiar. Samehada thinks so as well.'. Itachi Uchiha was sitting in the corner, silent with his ever present sharingan activated.
'Naruto Uzumaki.' He thought with narrowed eyes, immediately recognizing his chakra.

Zetsu led Naruto to a flight of stairs that led to the top of the tallest tower in Amegakure. At the top of the stairs, Zetsu knocked on a door. An authoritative 'Enter.' was heard behind the door. Zetsu opened teh door, and revealed a man with spiky orange hair, multiple piercings on his face,
and those same errie purple eyes that Madara had. Next to him was a woman with blue hair, bright orange eyes, and an origami flower in her hair. "Pein-sama. I have a possible new member, very promising if I may add."

Pein nodded. "Send him in." On cue, Naruto walked through the door, and Pein's eyes narrowed. "What's your name?" He asked.

"Menma." Pein nodded his head. 'This kid's strength is on a whole different level, easily S-Class. He could be dangerous if I'm not careful. Usually I would need for him to prove himself, but he seems cpaapble enough.' He thought reaching into a cabinet, and pulling out a scroll. Pein opened the scroll, unsealed an Akatsuki cloak, and tossed it to Menma.

"Welcome to Akatsuki."