Author's note: AHH! I went back to work and college is a killer! I'm sure finals will be over by the time I'm done with this chapter! I will try to update every week during my summer break, how's that?

Chapter Eight: Iridescent

Konoha

Day Five

0700

"We have a problem…"

"Isn't this a treat…?" Naruto snapped. "You hardly ever call me."

"This is an emergency," the fox hissed. His miniature shook his head in annoyance.

"Let me sleep…"

"You don't get it! We have the advantage!"

"I don't care!" Naruto shouted. The Kyuubi narrowed his eyes at the boy.

"Why are you angry?" the fox snapped back. He was ready to argue with anything at the moment. He was frustrated with all of this. Here was his vessel that used to be a boy and now was in his natural form.

"Why do you think?"

"You don't have to take it out on me! None of this is my fault!" Naruto's tails were a mad fan, waving angrily. The fox shook his head and turned away. "Maybe it's time you and I came to an agreement," the fox said at last.

Naruto cocked his head. "An agreement…? How so, fox?" The Kyuubi snorted and turned back to glare at Naruto.

"You really want to talk to him about this, Kurama…?" Naruto spun to see the black fox stalking towards them.

"What in the…?"

"Shut up," the dark creature snapped before turning to the Kyuubi. "I thought you and I had a deal. I would let you feed off our hatred and you wouldn't socialize with this brat." The massive demon shook his head. "Come on, Kurama! You really want to trust him?"

"Kurama…?"

"I said hush!" Naruto shut his mouth.

"I figured that it was time I did away with Naruto's true self and started talking to this one. Maybe we'll get somewhere!"

"We're getting places! If only the orange one would shut up and just let us work!" the dark creature snarled. ""He tries so hard to save these people that only hated him! You and I could destroy them! This form is perfect!"

The Kyuubi narrowed his eyes. Naruto stepped back. "Don't I have a say so in this…?" he asked.

"No…" the Kyuubi muttered. "But neither does your True Self." He indicated to the dark fox. "I called you here for a reason, Naruto. My name is Kurama…"

"You… have a name?"

"If you had bothered to ask a while ago, we might have gotten along better," Kurama pointed out with a shrug.

"Why are you telling me this now? I thought you hated me."

"I do," the fox snapped. The dark fox was shifting angrily, seeing his control slipping away from him. "But you can't survive in this world without my help!"

"Am I picking up some caring on your part?" Naruto asked, cocking his head.

"Don't flatter yourself. If you die, I go down with you," Kurama snapped.

"I could offer you that and more!" the dark fox snarled, desperate to gain the upper hand. "We can make them pay, Kurama! You and I! We don't need the brat!"

"Silence!" Kurama shouted, making the black fox scurry backwards angrily.

"You'll regret this, Kurama," he hissed before disappeared down one of the darker corridors in the room. Naruto sighed and turned back to the fox's cage, only to find it beginning to blue.

"Time to wake up, Kit… I'll figure this out and call you when I'm ready…"

"Kit…?" Naruto asked, but the familiar shape of the cage vanished and faded into a white wall. Naruto blinked. He was in the hospital. That much he knew. The building was now more of vet's office than a hospital. A vet's office at the zoo, that is. The door was cracked to allow entrance since most of the doctors in the hospital now lacked thumbs… or hands for that matter. Naruto rolled over gently and noticed that there were no IV drips in his arm… leg?

The fox stood slowly and leapt from the bed. He landed lightly and looked around the room. The first thing he noticed was the blue and gray mass sleeping soundly just outside the reach of the door. Naruto smiled at Kakashi. The man turned lion must have been there for quite some time and Naruto knew that Kakashi wouldn't dare let him leave… not with the wounds he had suffered. But Naruto needed time to clear his head and think about the conversation he had with the fo—Kurama… he corrected silently, and the black, demonic presence that seemed to have been unleashed by this whole thing.

Naruto slipped out the cracked window and gracefully jumped onto the ground from the second story window. He flicked his tails at the window he had just left and walked towards his old apartment. Since their strange journey to an alternate universe, Naruto had moved in with Kakashi and his family and old team. The house they now lived in was huge, but Naruto would never forget the small, single bedroom apartment that served as his home for the first decade or so of his life.

He went to walk up the stairs leading to his old home, but stopped. A small cat walked from the open door, followed by a large dog. Naruto sighed. Guess it wasn't mine anymore… he thought, but that didn't stop him from feeling the pain of not being able to visit his home. He flicked a few of his tails and turned.

He ran. He didn't know where, but he ran. Suddenly he wanted to be as far away as possible. He didn't stop until he was well passed the village gates and in the forest surrounding his home. The boy stopped at a lake that often served a thinking spot for people in the village. No one was there today, however. Naruto stared at the glassy surface of the lake as he dug his paw into the dirt on the shore.

With an angry snarl, the fox lunged, shattering the glass. He dove as far as his lungs would allow and then stayed there, staring at the sun shine through the water above him. This whole mess was because of him. If he didn't have that stupid creature inside of him, none of this would have ever happened.

His lungs began protesting for air. Naruto hissed, releasing what little he had left and then lunged towards the surface, breaking just as the edges of his vision became fuzzy.

"I was wondering if you were gonna come up!"

Naruto spun to see a black tiger with orange stripes. "Obito!" he snapped and paddled towards the far shore. "How'd you know I was here?" he asked.

The tiger grinned. "Kakashi's not an idiot, you know. I was watching from the outside. I followed you here." Naruto spat and then jumped away when Obito tried to nudge him comfortingly. "Why so angry?" the man asked.

Naruto shook his head. "It's nothing…"

"Diving in a lake and then staying down isn't 'nothing', Naruto," Obito countered quietly. "What were you doing down there?"

"If you think I meant to drown myself, that's not what happened," Naruto snapped, suddenly defensive.

"I didn't say that…"

"But you thought it!" Naruto growled. Obito flattened his ears in annoyance.

"You've gotten a temper these past few days, Naruto!" he snapped, the fur along his back rising. Naruto's tails thrashed wildly. Both creatures looked ready to kill one another. Obito was the first to break their stare down. "This is stupid!" he growled, pulling away from Naruto. "We shouldn't be fighting…" Naruto also seemed to be slipping out of his anger, leaving a confused expression on his face.

"Stop that, Kurama!" he growled, using the fox's name in hopes to gain the creature's cooperation.

"It's not me!" the fox returned almost instantly. "It's your own hatred!"

"The black one?" Naruto asked. The fox shook his head.

"Worse… I think…"

Naruto shook his head and looked at Obito, who was staring at him with a concerned expression. "It's nothing…" Naruto muttered. He looked up at the sky. "I guess Kakashi wants me back at the hospital, huh?"

"I don't see the point," Obito offered. "They can't do much. No one in there is trained to treat animals, and even if they were, they wouldn't have the means to treat them anyway, right?" Naruto nodded. They had no jutsu in these forms. Obito smiled softly, but Naruto didn't bother with it. He turned away and started towards the village gates. "Naruto!" Obito called. "Wait… please…"

Naruto stopped. "What?"

"I'm worried… About everyone."

"So am I," Naruto whispered. Obito shifted as if he had something to say. "This isn't my fault!" he snarled.

"I didn't say it was…" Obito muttered. Naruto dug at the ground in agitation. "Never mind… just go…" Naruto turned on the tiger. The two faced off again, but Obito didn't look angry, just sad. Naruto, on the other hand, was staring intently at the tiger's neck, imagining how easy it would be to use his bigger, more muscular body to overpower the other creature and slice his throat with his sharp teeth and powerful jaw. The image of Obito's blood washing over his feet as he slowly bled to death not only didn't disturb Naruto, it almost thrilled him.

"KIT!"

Naruto blinked. Obito was staring back at him, his eyes wide and fearful. Naruto's feelings had obviously been shown in his face. The fox flattened his ears and stepped back. "Are you okay…?"

"Y-yeah… I just want to be alone…" he whimpered. Obito nodded and this time he didn't try to stop Naruto.

The Great Naruto Bridge

Day Five

0715

"You lied to me!" the horse bellowed to nothing. The creature before him was unseen. He didn't even know if the thing had answered his summons. He slammed his hoof into the ground angrily. "Show yourself!" he shouted, his mane flaming higher and hotter, almost getting a blue hue to it. He looked up at the sky, blinking at a dark form descending towards him.

Nagato stumbled back to allow the massive, serpentine creature room to land on the bridge. The beast was huge, though not quite large enough to eat the horse in one bite. Pain stomped his hoof in agitation and a bit of fear. The creature was darker than night, covered in fine, pitch black scales that didn't reflect the sun as much as it seemed to deny the touch as it shone through the dark storm clouds.

The head was the most impressive feature of the beast. Two long whiskers flowed from the dragon's wolf-like snout. The head was covered in black, velvet-like fur instead of the scales that covered the rest of the body. It had two, saber-canine that stuck out of its mouth. It could tear apart a victim in seconds; and its claws were no different. The clawed hands gripped the wooden bridge with almost enough force to destroy it, and Pain didn't doubt its ability to do just that. To top off the impressive design of the serpent, a long, membrane sail went from the top of the beast's head the tip of its tail, fanning out to make a rudder for flight. Overall, Pain knew he had met his match.

"It is you who has failed me!" the dragon howled. Pain shook his head. "You had him! And then you let those moronic Konoha ninja take him back! It is about time you gave up your hold over the Akatasuki!"

"And who do you think you are?" Pain snorted. "You have no right to kick me out of this group!"

The Dragon bellowed and a massive fireball flew towards the horse. Pain whinnied and jumped back. He was at a disadvantage in this fight. The dragon could fly and he was stuck on the bridge that was now flaming. The dragon seemed to understand this as well. He pushed off the bridge and hovered over the flaming structure. Pain turned and fled, running away from the Land of Waves and towards the forest opposite the bridge.

The dragon howled and lunged towards the fleeing beast. Pain bucked wildly, getting the creature in the lupine snout. The dragon screamed in pain and the horse fled faster, regaining his balance. He made it to the tree line and broke into a faster run when his pursuer came behind him, weaving through the trees like they weren't there. Dodging was a little harder for the horse, but he managed. He wasn't as big as the dragon, so he didn't have to move as much; but for every sharp turn, the dragon matched it with expert precession.

Pain began to panic. His mane flared and the forest around him lit up like a candle. Pain was hoping to take out the raging beast with the elements, but nothing seemed to be slowing the chase. Pain felt his sides heaving. In this form, he didn't have the luxury of not feeling pain and exhaustion. He screamed and spun around, ready to face the dragon with the best he had. The dragon stopped before the horse as Pain reared to smack his opponent with his hooves.

He didn't hit his target and he cursed. The forest around them was ablaze with the fire from both Pain's attacks and the fire balls of the dragon. The serpent wove around Pain, circling him. The tail rammed into the horse's side. Pain screamed again. He shook his head and kicked out with his hooves. He cursed not having any jutsu and he cursed the horrid thing that did this to them. This must have been his plan! We could have done this without the jutsu! I was a fool…

The two massive forces stared each other down. Pain felt as if one of his legs might be broken or at least sprained, and blood poured from the dragon's snout. It lunged and Pain spun, bucking the creature again, this time getting it in the throat. A gurgling scream came from the monster as it began thrashing in pain. Nagato was swift. He spun on two legs and brought down his hooves on the dragon's jaw and neck. Blood gushed from the monstrosity's mouth. Pain reared for a second strike, but the tail whipped around, throwing him against and through several burning trees. His mane was all but extinguished, a sign of exhaustion and defeat. The flames licked at his black flesh. Unlike his mane, these flames could kill him. Pain tried to stand. His legs shook and his sides heaved as blood poured from multiple gashes and burns gotten from his flight through the trees.

He lifted his head weakly and stumbled back as the dragon hovered before him. "You've outlived your usefulness…" the beast hissed before it struck like a cobra.

Tanzuka Town

Day Five

1043

Kabuto was tired and annoyed with this whole thing. He was still stalking Sasuke, though the latter knew that he was there, so that nullified his whole mission. But he knew that if he went home, Orochimaru would skin him alive and make a rug from his purple hide. The horse snorted as he watched the winged humanoid stalk through the town's deserted streets. Kabuto followed silently. At least he put on pants, the horse though bitterly. Where the wayward Uchiha acquired pants was behind Kabuto and he didn't really want to know at this point.

Sasuke was looking for anything that would lead him to his brother, but Kabuto knew that after the storm they just had, they would never find a trail, but he didn't even bother to try and deter Sasuke from his manic mission. "This is stupid!" he snorted.

"Why don't you just go home, then?" Sasuke asked. Kabuto cursed. He hadn't noticed that Sasuke had stopped. "Run home to your little master, Kabuto," he suggested.

"Partner," Kabuto muttered, though he knew what Sasuke said was true. "Because I have my orders."

"You could help," Sasuke offered without looking at his indigo stalker. Kabuto rolled his eyes and dug a hoof in the muddy ground. "Or you could continue to complain about our plight."

"Look who knows fancy words," Kabuto spat. Sasuke sighed and continued walking. "How'd you turn into a human, anyway?" he asked suddenly.

Sasuke shrugged. "I wanted it… and then I got it."

"Well, whoop-dee-doo for you," Kabuto snapped.

"You asked," Sasuke pointed out with a shrug. He continued walking with his equine shadow following closely behind. Sasuke suddenly stopped. He spun and grabbed Kabuto's white mane and swung onto his back.

"Oh, no! You do not!" Kabuto reared and bucked, but Sasuke stayed on. "You have wings!"

"So?" Sasuke asked. He dug his feet in Kabuto's side. "Just go!"

"Go where?" Kabuto asked as he took off in a fast gallop.

"You'll see!"

"But I'm the one running!"

"But you aren't the one driving," Sasuke pointed out in a matter-of-fact tone. Kabuto jumped into the air and bucked again, but still didn't dislodge his passenger. The horse landed heavily and ran faster, digging his hooves into the ground to go faster. Sasuke was doing surprisingly well riding bareback, but Kabuto would never admit to that.

Kabuto snorted and took off towards the entrance of the town, having no choice but to let Sasuke steer him in the direction he wanted to go. As he continued, he let his mind wander. He found a rhythm that worked for both mount and rider and stuck with it. Sasuke didn't complain and Kabuto was finding it almost disturbingly natural for him to follow Sasuke's subtle steering. He hardly had to think as they rode towards wherever Sasuke saw fit, and he just let himself sink into the steady pace he had set.

When the two eventually stopped, Kabuto's sides were heaving. Sasuke absently patted Kabuto's neck. The horse looked at where they were. They had gone far. Storm clouds still covered the area, so he couldn't tell the time, but by the way his legs felt, he was sure they had been running for at least two hours.

They stood at the edge of a cliff overlooking a forest… and in the center of that forest, they saw a massive structure. "What is that….?" Kabuto asked. Sasuke clicked his teeth and urged the horse forward, going down a small path the lead down the cliff. He repeated the question and Sasuke didn't look anywhere but straight.

"It's our destination… The Uchiha Hideout…"

Author's note: YYAAAYY! I FINISHED IT! XD Be proud of my, you readers you! Hope you enjoyed it!