Yea! The revealing chapter!

Uh, that somehow sounds wrong…

Anyway, please read.

Dozo.

Loight

09CHAPTER 09

Team seven walked through the forest quietly. The sun was hiding, the clouds were dark and low, and the wind tugged roughly against their clothes as it rushed past them. It was going to rain. It was so clearly shown. And Naruto hated rain. Perhaps that was what made the blonde so irritated – that, and the small fact that he was annoyed of the silent and egoistic ANBU walking with them as well.

"Why does he have to go with us, again? What's so special about him? He's not even part of team seven!" Naruto was muttering under his breath. He glared at the jounin with them when the man hit his head with the orange book. The blonde could almost see the gentle smile under the dark mask.

"Now, now…you shouldn't say that about the young man…" he chided. Naruto pouted and crossed his arms. Inwardly, Sakura sighed. She had also wanted to know about the ANBU. Still, Naruto had definitely gone over the line with his complains. She chided the blonde as well and smiled apologetically at the young man walking with them. She had a suspicion that the ANBU was a teenager – the ANBU was still shorter than Naruto, and possessed the obvious light tone of a growing young man – and respected the masked stranger. And despite the seemingly blank look the strange bird-like mask was giving her, Sakura didn't feel the least put out about it. Instead, she felt warm and safe. She started when Kakashi froze suddenly.

Team seven was instantly on alert. Even if they had no idea what the man was wary off, they had every right to trust their ex-team leader and teacher's instinct. It was far better than their own, anyway. They were barely aware as a clang of metal against metal was heard. It was only at the dark chuckle did they realize that the ANBU now stood behind Naruto, his kunai in a deadlock against Itachi's own. The blonde chuunin couldn't stifle his gasp of surprise at the sight. Had it really happen so fast that he hadn't even realized the movement?

"Do you intend to hide forever, Uchiha?" the owner of the dark chuckle stepped up to the dimming light, his large grin full of sharp teeth clearly discernable despite the shadows. Naruto and Sakura frowned at the question. 'Uchiha'? But wasn't the only Uchiha there Itachi? If that was so, why was Kisame, as Itachi's partner, saying that to the other? It didn't make sense. Apparently, Itachi didn't understand it as well. His red eyes narrowed dangerously as he turned to the blue-skinned man. An expression of realization, so slight no one could really tell if it was there, came upon his face. A deep frown now settled itself on him.

"Kisame, we're here to get the Kyuubi," Itachi's neutral, albeit slightly puzzled and annoyed, snap was directed towards the grinning being – for certainly, Kisame wasn't human. And no one would be touching his brother anytime soon. Besides, it was extremely suspicious to him that Kisame – Kisame of all people! – was finding an interest in the younger Uchiha. If it were Orochimaru; now that Itachi understood. He was more than appalled, of course when his 'weaker' partner didn't even turn to glance his way. The 'fishy', with pun intended, Akatsuki told him languidly to shut up.

"I have no interest in the petty mission, stupid mortal. It means nothing to me," were his exact words. Perhaps, if the shark-person's eyes hadn't suddenly turned a dazzling pale blue of the skies as compared to his usual pallid yellow, Itachi might have collected enough from his sudden derailed self to retort coldly. Kisame, on the other hand, wasn't bothering with his 'mortal' partner as he watched the ANBU heatedly. He wanted blood, and he wanted it now. "Come on, Uchiha, release that caged bird in you!"

Kisame's grin didn't waver as another ANBU, the exact replica of the one still holding the kunai against Itachi – "A kage bunshin (1)!" was Naruto's awed whisper – appeared behind him. The grin only grew wider. His voice seemed to vibrate with power as he whispered, "Now that's more like it, little birdy…"

With a quick spin of legs, the ANBU had Kisame slammed hard into the ground. A large cloud of dust covered the area. Itachi made a sound of being irritated and jumped from the silent ANBU. With barely a sound, he released his own kage bunshin to surround the four shinobi. The ANBU nodded slightly to Kakashi and vanished with his accustomed warm gust. Itachi's frown grew deeper. No one got away from him so easily – and this especially applied to his baby brother. Kisame was gone, anyway—

"Aw, the widdle biwdy can't defeat me with his widdle scuff of boots?" the familiar dark chuckle startled the wary shinobi a few feet away. The large and too white teeth glinted almost maniacally in the shadowed sunlight. The startling blue eyes, bluer than even those of Naruto's, narrowed at the slim, masked figure standing quietly before him. His tone turned sharp and dangerous. "I told you to take off you mask, didn't I? Why don't you ever listen to me?!"

The ANBU stayed quiet as the larger figure stalked towards him. An eerie silence fell over the forest as the large shark neared the slender teen. A deep snarl was heard. The larger man was literally looking down into the masked face of the ANBU. With a speed that seemed unnatural even to the shinobi, Kisame yanked the mask off the smaller's face. A collective gasp – actually only from Naruto and Sakura – was heard. For staring coolly back was the still – though half, now – masked face of the younger Uchiha; Sasuke. Another deep snarl came menacingly from the blue-skinned man. "You really make me mad, Suzaku…"

And Itachi decided then that enough was enough. The target was distracted, anyway. It was a good opportunity given to strike.

The ear shattering and inhuman roar accompanied him in his attack.

-line-

At two corners of the not-so-small Hidden Village of Konoha, two pairs of equally strange eyes and their heads snapped towards a silent cry. Their calm composure was instinctively switched to one of dread and fear. It frightened the 'mortals' around them.

"He is here!"

-line-

Naruto couldn't help but cover his ears as the loud cry reverberated in his ears. Once again, he was barely aware of the clashing of metal against metal. He looked up in shock – once again – at the sight of his team leader Kakashi, his kunai in a – déjà vu – deadlock against Itachi's own. The gray-haired jounin seemed to smirk behind his mask. "Well, Itachi, shouldn't you be retreating right about now?"

To Naruto's utmost disbelief – and humor, if he were in that mood – Itachi smirked back. The kunai was pushed harder against Kakashi. A loud 'poof' alerted him to the pink-haired kunoichi who was currently on a joy kill ride against Itachi. Even as he turned to help his newly found girlfriend, he heard Itachi's retort – and he had no idea why it stuck in his head. "Despite the unexpected outcome of the simple mission, and I admit that I was astounded at it as well, it still has to go on. And I can deal with you myself just fine."

There was the loud screech of metal sliding against metal. The skies let out its first grumble.

"Mangekyo; Sharingan!"

-line-

Sasuke forced his limbs to still. He was afraid—

Wait, no, he was terrified. He knew, as he stood unmoving before the fully-possessed-by-a-crazed-celestial-beast-man that he could die anytime. He wasn't sure that he could stand up against it again. Yes, he had stood up against the beast before – oh, about a few centuries ago – and had barely escaped with his sanity, and now, he was expected to fight the bloody spirit again.

You know I can hear your thoughts, widdle bwother…?

Sasuke cursed inwardly and cringed at the cold, echoing chuckle in his head. He kindly told the voice to shove off. It did, only to still be heard outside. The raven rolled his eyes. He couldn't believe his luck in having two maniacal brothers – one a normal want-to-test-my-skills-gone-crazy, though insanely strong as a mortal, brother, and the other just a plain crazy, insanely strong as a celestial spirit, brother. He crossed his arms as the larger person went on laughing as befitting his mind – maniacally.

"Are you quite done, yet? First you scream and now you giggle— Doesn't your voice get tired of it?"

Pale blue eyes snapped dangerously to the small figure. A dark growl bubbled from the blue throat. "You know I can snap your puny neck in half so easily?"

Sasuke felt the adrenaline tingle in his limbs and smirked. "Don't underestimate me, my celestial brother Shoryuu…"

The two figures abruptly vanished – one in a sharp snap of cold wind, and another in a warm gust of air.

-line-

Naruto could feel his adrenaline pumping steadily through his veins. The Kyuubi's chakra threatened to unleash itself fully in the wake of the battle. Naruto could barely restrain it. In his peripheral vision, he saw Sakura crouched in defense at his back. Before him, Kakashi parried a volley of dark shuriken.

Itachi was finally caught by a carefully aimed kunai thrown by Kakashi and Naruto was instantly on the move with his well-practiced rasengan (2). The bleeding Akatsuki unexpectedly turned into a log, however, and Naruto heard the smirk that was behind him. He turned too slow, it seemed, to Sakura's scream of fright and Kakashi's silent warning. It was too late to pull a kage bunshin, now. All he could do—

Naruto blinked as he rolled onto the ground, a little winded but with barely a scratch on his body. What—

He watched with wide eyes at the calm, slender figure that looked more than a little worse for wear. Sasuke…

The heavy body of the blue-skinned man, still grinning madly but certainly weak, slid from the raven teen's grasp limply. Sasuke's eyes were glowing a deeper crimson red that rivaled the Sharingan and even Naruto's Kyuubi eyes. Quiet words passed pale, pink lips as he looked at the fallen Akatsuki. "Sayonara, ani." (3)

With another inhuman scream, the man known as Kisame writhed in agony as he burned with a strange, glowing blue fire. Naruto held Sakura tight as she sobbed and held her hands against her ears. Naruto looked stricken and even Kakashi and Itachi – the elder Uchiha was currently on the ground, shocked to the spot after the more unexpected yank of his cloak by his own baby brother – looked even the slightest disturbed about the scream. Sasuke's face betrayed no emotion despite the torn mask. His face even seemed coldly beautiful in the pale flames. The strange blue eyes locked with Sasuke's flaming ones. A pained grin was seen. "I will kill you brother! I swear upon that! In my next life, I will kill you! For now, enjoy my curse of ever-lasting tragedy for all your lives…"

And with a final guttural moan and maniac laughter, the man vanished. Unabashed shock and silence overcame the forest again. The slight rustling of the torn clothes Sasuke now wore as he turned to his other brother broke it. "Itachi…"

The only living Akatsuki in the forest path stared coldly down at his younger. His three tomoe Sharingan spun wildly. "Otou-tou…" (4)

Sasuke sighed as he stopped just a few steps away from his brother. "Aniki…the past is the past. Let it rest as that. The Sharingan…" – here, Sasuke touched Itachi's face. Itachi was too shocked to move away. No one had touched him like that since his clan's massacre. "The Sharingan, you will unfortunately no longer own. Now sleep and awake a new man…"

A strangled cry escaped the older Uchiha and his eyes abruptly rolled back into his head. Sasuke caught him as he collapsed and lowered himself to the ground gently. He sighed and kissed his older brother's cheek as he had done in the past. "I'm sorry, 'nii-san…"

-line-

A relieved sigh. Then, almost immediately after, a frustrated one.

"Ugh, I know I shouldn't feel happy, but I can't help it! He had been a total shit in the past."

Confused and concerned looks were shot his way but the longhaired shinobi with his strange eyes smiled. He easily shot back to his friend, "It's okay. I feel the same, you know?"

The other snorted. "And you're supposed to be the 'Tiger of Justice'? It makes me afraid of my own morals…"

"Aw, wisecrack, I didn't know you doubted your morals."

"Shut up. And don't call me wisecrack," the spikier haired teen grumbled. Both sobered up suddenly. "Got to go…"

The older nodded curtly and turned to the questioning team. He smirked at their confusion. "Shoryuu's dead."

But the main cause of confusion to the people around them was that they were on the opposite ends of the Village. Tenten's question of disbelief summed up everyone's thoughts easily.

"Who the hell are you talking to, Neji?!"

-line-

Shikamaru yawned as he peered over Naruto's shoulder. A small frown graced his face at the scene.

"So the drama's over?"

The blonde's yelp of shock twitched a smirk back onto his face. It amused him very much how jumpy chuunins were. Then again, he had been a chuunin himself. He sighed at the cycle of thoughts that began to grow from just that one point. So troublesome…

"Nara," a calm voice broke the cycle. Shikamaru allowed a lopsided smile on his face. He threw in a respectful nod for the heck of it. Still feeling in the mood, he greeted the raven on the ground before him rather cheekily, "Yo, boss."

A soft smile returned the light tease and Shikamaru danced a small victory at the achievement. He, a plain shinobi – though a genius with an IQ of 200 and with the fate of having the power of one of the four celestial beasts – had made Uchiha Sasuke, the ice princess of Konoha, smile. Okay, maybe the other members of the more infamous team seven had done that first, but he was still the first outsider to have done it.

"Don't call me that, Shikamaru. I don't think it suits me," Sasuke rolled his eyes slightly. His face grew solemn as he turned to the unconscious man in his arms. "Take him to Tsunade. Let no one else see him before she does."

Shikamaru was silent as he moved automatically to sling the man across his back. He was barely surprised that the man was light. He was Genbu, after all – the great and wise tortoise should be able to carry a mere 'mortal' without much effort. He paused as Sasuke stood slowly. He caught the mesmerizing orbs of fire and nodded at the silent order. Tell her not to hurt him. Tell her he does not remember. Tell her I forgive and he repents. Tell her…tell her that I still love him…

The young jounin smiled sincerely and bowed low. "Yes, Suzaku-sama."

Next stop, the Hokage Tower.

-line-

Sakura watched, quite dumbfounded, as Shikamaru bowed low – and did he just seem respectful?!– to Sasuke. It dumbfounded her even more when the pineapple haired teen replied reverently, "Yes, Suzaku-sama."

The name seemed to strike a chord of curiosity in Sakura. Where had she heard it before? She blinked as Shikamaru's form vanished in a splash of water. The strange teleporting techniques the lazy jounin and Neji were using were still very strange to her. It didn't really follow any chakra laws, either way…

"Why—Wh—What the hell was that, Sasuke?!" Naruto's loud voice easily broke the awkwardly settling silence that followed. Sasuke's eyes were dark obsidian again when he looked to the blonde. Sakura's eyes caught them and beseeched him for an answer as well. Kakashi only smiled kindly and lifted his orange book. Sasuke sighed.

He would have to have a long talk with his teammates.

TBC

BLEARGH

:watcheva:

(1) kage bunshin means shadow clones for those of you who don't know…

(2) Rasengan – the spinning sphere of controlled chakra that the Yondaime, Jiraiya, and now Naruto, uses.

(3) "Sayonara, ani." – simply means "Goodbye, my older brother."

(4) Otou-tou – little brother

yahr. That's that then. Hopefully it wasn't too confusing..? sigh…

well, next chappie's about the strange village. I just wanna move real quick to all that jazz, you know. I guess that's why I don't have explanations…ah, well. You want me to explain more, I guess you'll have to ask me in your review or mail me…

yea.

Thankiez for reading.