Chapter 78: War Begins

The cool breeze hit his skin sending pleasant sensations across his body, his long blonde hair were wildly flowing in the air effectively shadowing his entire face. He really needed a haircut, that thought alone made him smile.

He was wearing a dark blue jacket which was the only thing protecting him from the cold weather of the night, a small shorts were protecting the lower half of his body. His scarf was missing as he allowed his pale, handsome face to feel the beauty of nature.

The cigarette in his right hand was burning idly, it had already burned halfway through and yet he had not taken a single puff despite the cold weather.

"One day your suffering will come to an end, just as mine ends today"

He still remembered Hiruzen's dying words, his last message for him. It had almost been a week since that day, but he still remembered each and everything that had happened. It was imprinted deeply inside his brain.

Now as he observed the reconstruction of Konoha, it made him wonder how much things were going to change. Not just for this village, but for Suna too.

Tobi had again surprised him, the Akatsuki leader had defeated the Suna defense forces. The Sand Village was now effectively under his control, just 2 days back he had appointed Gaara as the new leader of that village. The Kazekage's youngest child would govern the wind country, and would only be answerable to Naruto himself.

Sound Country was already being ruled by him, and with the fall of Konoha he had already captured more than half of Fire Nation.

The pieces were already falling into pieces and he was on his way to become the First Emperor of the world. The drums of war were beating loudly everyday, the defenders of the ninja world were up in arms against him. While the reformists who wanted change had aligned on his side.

It was a worldwide civil war, or revolution.

"Those are not good for your health..."

He threw the cigarette down the cliff as Haku came beside him. On the outside she seemed like her normal self- beautiful, calm and carried herself with such grace which he had only seen in Kurenai. Yet he could sense the annoyance in her heart, and with good reason.

"You've been avoiding me..." said Haku flatly, as he simply stared at the village.

"I've been avoiding a lot of things. You're just one of them..." answered Naruto, no hesitation visible in his voice.

"Are you okay, Naruto?" asked Haku worriedly, and saw him smile that serene smile which she had come to love.

"I'm dealing with my issues. The Battle of Konoha changed me in more ways that you can imagine..." explained Naruto, gaining an inquisitive look from her.

"You forgave Hiruzen, after everything he did to you. You spared the lives of all the civilians who abused you for years...Why?" asked Haku, she clearly seemed frustrated with the choices he had made.

And she was not the only one, majority of his soldiers, supporters, even Sasuke disagreed with the choices he had made.

A tired sigh escaped from his lips, he never expected them to understand why he did it but was glad they accepted his decision regardless of their misgivings.

Turning towards her, he saw the same bitterness in her eyes which he had once when he learned the truth of Rei's death. Both of them were alike, in more ways than anyone could imagine. He saw himself in her, gently putting a hand on her cheek he pushed away a strand of hair that was falling over her face.

"Life's too short for revenge and grudges. We have to let go sometimes, or we ourselves would be crushed under the burden..." said Naruto kindly,

"I once had a loving family. Wonderful parents who loved each other and cared for me, then the civil war started and my father found out my mother was a member of the Kekkai Genkai clans. Just like Hiruzen he forgot all the bonds we shared and sided with the bloody Mist Village, he tried to kill my mother and me; and my mother had to sacrifice her life to save mine. The man I once loved more than anything betrayed me and made me an orphan, there are somethings which can be forgiven and some that can't..." explained Haku bitterly, pain and anguish was visible in her voice and words.

She closed her eyes when he hugged her, his broad arms and warm chest giving her comfort. He simply held her against him and the pain seemed to wither away...

"Seems we both have fucked up families. If it makes you feel any better, my parents sealed a monster in me. Talk about tough love..." joked Naruto, as she chuckled on his sarcastic remark.

"It must have taken a lot of courage to make the decisions that you've made till now. You never cease to amaze me..." said Haku truthfully,

He let go of her and now stood beside her, their eyes observing the peaceful village. It was hard to believe that it was ground zero of a full scale war barely a few days ago.

"I did it for myself. I wanted to remember Hiruzen for the man I loved once, and I saw a glimpse of that man at the end. He had suffered too, Haku. I loved him, he was family. He asked for my forgiveness, and even if he hand't I would have still forgiven him. Regardless of his intentions, Hiruzen was one of the few people who showed me kindness. He took me in his home, gave me a family, had my back. Sure he did make a mistake, but he did more for me than my parents ever did. I will never forget that, for me Hiruzen will always be the kind, gentle grandfather who guided me...and not the harsh, Hokage who put duty above family." stated Naruto clearly,

"And the villagers? They didn't ask for forgiveness, they still hate you. Even more now..." said Haku

"They are of no concern to me. They've already paid the price for their mistake by losing their freedom. They're slaves and I am their ruler. That's the harshest punishment they can get, the boy whom they hated more than anything now rules over them. Talk about karmic justice, the same goes for Gaara. After years of living a hellish life, I've returned with only one goal"

"What is it?''

"To save my dying world..." answered Naruto, determination burning in his eyes.

"Naruto..."

"But to do so, I can't be the killer I once was. To honor my friend's memory, I must be someone else. I must be something else..."

Haku smiled on hearing his goal, this was just like him. The more she tried to understand the mystery which was Naruto, the more she fell in love with him.

"I sometimes wonder how can you endure everything? I don't know what I would have done if I was in your place..." said Haku calmly,

"I don't have a choice, Haku. From the start people have looked to me for leadership, for me to take the lead. I can't afford the luxury of falling to pieces, I have to make the right decisions. If I grieve or indulge in my personal wishes, the other's don't get to do that" explained Naruto seriously,

"You're still a human being, Naruto. You're allowed to have feelings, you can't hide behind your mask forever..."

"I'm not..." said Naruto defensively,

"Then what about us, Naruto? Where do we stand?" asked Haku straight forwardly, she saw surprise in his eyes for getting right to the point.

He took a deep breath and aimlessly glanced at the dark sky, he waited for a few moments before looking back at her.

"It is because of the life that I live, I can't be with the people I love. I just can't..." said Naruto sadly, and she grasped his arms.

Her gaze was fierce yet it had a desire in it, the same one which he had seen in Kurenai once.

"When I looked into Hiruzen's eyes that day, I realized something. One day it will be me, this life...that I have chosen it only ends one way" answered Naruto calmly, his voice was heavy as he looked away from her.

He couldn't look in her eyes right now, because if he did he would crumble. And that was the last thing he wanted right now...

"So, that's it? You're just gonna spend the rest of your life running away from love? You're doing the same thing to me which Kurenai did to you. I'm sorry, I can't agree with you on this. Because from the things that have happened in my life, I have learned that life is precious and there is so much more I want from it than just this crusade..." said Haku harshly, and started walking away from him.

"Haku, I'm really sorr-"

"Save it. Don't come talking to me for anything other than professional duty. We're done talking until you stop isolating yourself, stop being a tragic hero..." said Haku angrily,

"I don't expect you to understand, but I want to protect you..." said Naruto calmly,

"I don't need your protection. Every idiot realizes his mistake one day, you will too in time. When that day comes, I will be waiting. Until then, we're done..." said Haku harshly,

"Why are you doing this, Haku?" asked Naruto painfully, making her scoff.

"It is for your own good. Deep down your desire is to have a family someday, a wife, children and live the rest of your days in peace. But you're so afraid of becoming like your parents, of making the same mistakes they did that you push everyone away. You're a good man, but you're a fucking idiot!" yelled Haku fiercely,

She surprised him by coming forward and giving a bone crushing punch to his gut, before he could reel in the shock she grabbed his face and kissed him.

He had barely felt the touch of her lips, before she turned around and started walking away. Her words had hit straight home, and he knew she was right. As she took each step away from him, he knew she was getting further away from him. He was losing her, just like he had lost Kurenai.

Could he truly stop the past from repeating itself? Could he truly not become like his parents? Could he be the man she wanted him to be?

"Haku..."

A frustrated snarl escaped from her lips but she stopped. She heard him walking towards her, and after a deep sigh she turned around and looked at him harshly.

"What?'' snapped Haku, making him flinch.

"Calm down. Just...give me sometime to think about this..." requested Naruto, but she shook her head.

"I've already given you more than enough time. You just can't make up for your fucking mind..." answered Haku,

"Why are you cursing so much? You never do that..." said Naruto meekly, as she rolled her eyes in exasperation.

"Because that's what people do when they're pissed. Which I am right now. You say you are different than your other Root comrades, but you're just as dumb. You can't understand emotions of people, much less a love of a woman. Danzo fucked up your mind completely, or you're just a dumbass..." replied Haku teasingly, and smirked when his eyebrows twitched.

"You're being mean, Haku..." complained Naruto

"And what are you going to do about it? Command me to go away- Naruto Uchiha commands you to not love him, because he's afraid of love and women. I can totally see you doing that..." mocked Haku,

"Oh, I like her already. She's got balls, ugh...that came out wrong" said Kurama bemusedly, his laugh irritating his container even more.

"Goddammit, Kurama. Don't make me regret giving you free will again..." replied Naruto irritatedly,

"Is that what you call forgiving me? Free will? Because last I checked I'm still locked up in a cage..." retorted the fox sarcastically, but deep down the fox knew he was in this boy's debt. Naruto was far more merciful and kind than the fox had imagined him to be.

After his ordeal with Hiruzen, the boy had came to his cage. Kurama, who had seen the entire conversation with Hiruzen had simply asked for forgiveness. He could still remember Naruto looking at him with those calculative eyes...

"Just stop being miserable, you annoying fox..."

Kurama had never laughed so hard as that day in centuries, things were still a little frosty between them. They were a long way from trusting each other, at least Naruto was.

But the boy had taken the first step towards reconciliation, after months of being pissed at his best friend and partner Naruto had finally decided to forgive him. He needed the fox, just as much as the fox needed the boy.

"What do you think of her? Of all of this? Am I making the right choice?" asked Naruto doubtfully,

"I don't know about that. But what I do know is that if you turn away now, then you'll be making a big mistake. You took a leap of faith with me, she has done more for you than I ever did..." advised Kurama, as the boy sighed.

"I'm fucked up, Kurama. I just don't want to let her get hurt, from anything. Even if it means from myself..." said Naruto worriedly,

"Maybe. But she will be definitely be crushed if you push her away. You need her as much as she needs you. And Naruto, before you make a decision I want you to know that possibly there will come a day when Kurenai sees what Haku sees right now. What will you do then? Think about it..." suggested Kurama,

Naruto was silent for a few moments, he had not left a single loophole in sealing Kurenai's memory on her request. She would never remember what they were, but if somehow she did and came back to him. Then what?

"Oh, fuck..." thought Naruto tiredly,

"We'll cross that bridge when we get there. For now, I..." said Naruto hesitantly, the boy was clearly conflicted.

"I understand. Good luck and Naruto...thank you" replied Kurama gratefully, making the boy smirk.

"You owe me one..."

"More than one, my friend..."

Haku flicked his forehead making him snap out of his trance, he glared at her but she returned his action with equal passion. Their little staring contest continued for a minute before Naruto wrapped his arms around her.

"I love you, Haku..."

He had finally said it, after months of flirting and dancing around, after repeated denials and attempts to push her away, he had said the truth in the most unromantic, idiotic, lazy and careless way. She was probably out of her mind when she felt her heart overcoming with joy, tears came in her eyes as she wrapped her arms around him.

Her legs felt weak, but he held her.

"You're an idiot, but you're my idiot..." said Haku, tears falling from her eyes.

He looked in her eyes as she saw the fear in him. He was afraid of falling in love again, afraid of hurting her, she could see he still blamed himself for the way things ended with Kurenai. But what he didn't understand was that Kurenai made her choice, she chose to be a true Konoha ninja.

And Haku chose him, for her Naruto was her home, a person whom she could find shelter and solace in.

And the same could be said for him.

"I don't know how we're going to do this, or where we go from here. But I will try, Haku. I really will..." promised Naruto, and she smiled on hearing his honest answer.

"We're both fucked up, Naruto. I've lived a crazy life, and your heart is already broken by another woman. She still holds that heart, and there is nothing I can do which can change that. But what I do know is that I want this, badly. I want us..." said Haku possessively, as her lips kissed his cheek passionately.

He let her kiss him, across his cheeks, across his neck. For a moment, he remembered the love between him and Kurenai. Then the memory where she chose Konoha over him, she was his first crush, first love, the woman he had loved truly and always will.

But something's were probably never meant to be, he had to stop living in denial. He had to accept reality and move on, Kurama was right...

All his life he had lived for others- for the village, for his friends, for family, for Kurenai. He never let his desires flourish, because they were not important.

But Haku had taught him life was too short, he had even seen it in Hiruzen's eyes. Naruto himself had lived a life full of regrets, and he doubted he could continue adding up to his list of regrets. Maybe this was selfish, but he needed this as much as Haku. He needed someone..

He didn't want to be alone...

Taking a deep breath, he pushed the memories of the past into a deep part of his heart. It would always be there, that love which he had for Kurenai will never go away but he had to start living in the present. Just like Kurama had said,

A Leap of Faith...

Taking that jump, he grasped her cheeks and looked into her eyes. She was as beautiful as the moon, for a moment he got completely lost in her beauty. He was not much of a romantic person, but right now he felt he could stare in her deep blue eyes for eternity and die a contended man.

But he wanted more, so he bent down and claimed her lips. He felt her smiling as she melted into the kiss, by now he realized she was no novice. He kissed her gently first, just as she liked it. He let them enjoy the sensations of their lips touching each other, slowly he deepened the kiss. By now, Haku had taken the lead and pushed her tongue against his.

They pushed harder, each of them struggling for dominance. He silently smirked when he overwhelmed her and gained his victory, she smiled into the kiss and wrapped her arms around his neck. His arms snaked around her waist and he lifted her up, Haku quickly entangled her legs around his waist as he held her against him closely.

Words couldn't describe how happy he felt in this moment, he felt at peace. For the first time in months, he felt free. He was truly living a real life now...

That emptiness which had emerged in his heart during the fight against Hiruzen slowly vanished, he realized that the emptiness was always there in his life from the start. It was Kurenai's love at first that filled that hole, now that it was gone and the hole had started to grow another loving woman had came in his life. She had healed him...

He thanked the gods for letting him be lucky in this area of his life.

He gently broke the kiss after a few minutes, and Haku saw his eyes were moist on the corners.

"What's wrong?" asked Haku worriedly, she put her hands on his cheeks and stroked away the strands of blonde hair that were falling over his face.

"Nothing, I'm just happy. Truly happy..." said Naruto, a bright smile was visible on his handsome face.

"You're not messing with me are you, mister?" asked Haku teasingly, as he shook his head.

"Thank you for being so harsh with me. I would have probably made a huge mistake if I had let you go tonight, the truth is I need you much more than you need me. I'm just a little thick-headed and stubborn..." said Naruto embarrassingly, a blush creeping up on his cheeks.

"Just a little?" teased Haku, as he rolled his eyes.

"Fine, a lot. You happy now?" asked Naruto sarcastically, and received a kiss in reward.

"Much..."

He kissed her again, and this time she felt the desire awaken in her. He was not fairing much better, as she felt his hardness against her ass. A blush crept up on his cheeks, it was hard for him to control his desire. He looked into her eyes asking the unsaid question, and without a second thought she gave him a eager nod.

"Let's have some fun together, your highness..." teased Haku, saying the last part huskily near his ears.

He leaned closer to her, his lips now kissing her ear gently eliciting a brief moan from her.

"Your wish is my command, my captain..." said Naruto teasingly,

Holding her tightly, he made them shunshin to Kakashi's old apartment. The place was empty since Kakashi and Anko had moved into a bigger apartment, not that it mattered right now since Kakashi was enjoying the cold cell of a nice jail. He still had to deal with that issue in the morning, kami knew how much he had to force Sasuke to stop him from killing Kakashi.

Talk about a revenge obsessed person.

Naruto wondered whether his decision to tell the truth of the Uchiha massacre to Sasuke was the right move or not, but he had done it regardless. He had also told Sasuke about his Root past, his best friend had listened to everything and said only 5 words...

"I need some time alone.."

It had been a week and Sasuke had never left the Uchiha clan compound. Naruto had asked Guren to keep an eye on his friend, and she had reported seeing Sasuke walking aimlessly through his clan territory everyday. Sometimes the boy would stare into homes, reminiscing memories. Naruto knew his friend needed help, Sasuke was already impulsive, if he didn't receive help his friend might just go bat-shit crazy.

And a crazy Sasuke was not good for anyone's health.

"Kurama, remind me to talk to lazy Kakashi and Emo Sasuke tomorrow..." said Naruto absently, as he kicked open the door of the apartment making Haku laugh.

''Do I look like a damn secretary to you?" asked Kurama irritatedly, as a devious smirk came on the boy's face.

"No, you're not my secretary. You're my bitch..." joked Naruto, and laughed when the fox slammed his tails against the cage bars.

"LET ME OUT AND HAVE A ONE-ON-ONE FIGHT, YOU PUNY HUMAN!"

Naruto cut off the link but he still felt the Kyuubi yelling obscenities and curses on him. Meanwhile, Haku was simply staring at him as he carried her inside the apartment, still holding her lovingly in his arms

She realized that he was the one. He was her destiny. It didn't matter to her right now that he had loved another woman in the past. All that mattered was that he loved her now and she was his princess. She was in his arms and tonight this was how it was meant to be. She slipped her arms around his neck and turned her face up to his. They weren't in an exotic garden at twilight, but this was how it was meant to be. She knew the moment his lips met hers that he had always been her destiny.

The kiss was everything she had dreamed it would be, gentle as a whisper, almost hesitant at first, and then as he felt her response it deepened. Naruto Uchiha knew how to kiss. Her body, barely touching his in the beginning, seemed to melt against his without any effort on her part. The kiss deepened again as lips and tongues melded.

She had waited for him for a reason. There was only one way this night was going to end for them.

Naruto wanted to pull her clothes off and devour her, right there, right that minute, but he knew he couldn't. He had to do this gently. He had to take his time. Slowly, though, and by degrees, by kisses and then by touches, he realized that Haku might be a virgin, but she wasn't entirely inexperienced. Her knowledge coupled with her innocence was like an added aphrodisiac to him.

They left a trail of clothes as they progressed from the kitchen to the bedroom until they were finally naked on the bed. She was the beautiful, blue-eyed girl of his dream, the girl who had given him the gift of love with her kiss, and he wanted her more than anything in the world right now. And yet at the moment she was ready for him, when her hands and lips and whispered words were urging him to complete the act they had started, he hesitated.

At first Haku couldn't understand Naruto's hesitation and then she understood it completely. In the end she was the one who pushed him onto his back and straddled him. He tried to say her name but she leaned over him and put her mouth on his. It wasn't Kurenai Yuhi's name she wanted on his lips at this moment but hers, however now was the wrong time to be jealous about a woman from the past. She was awkward, but she managed to accomplish what he had hesitated to do.

The sharp intake of her breath was involuntary. She stopped and held herself still as she grew accustomed to this new feeling, not quite pain this first time, but not quite pleasure either.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Naruto said. "I don't want to…hurt you. I would…never…hurt you."

"I know you wouldn't." Haku kissed him again. He was the man she loved. She knew he would never hurt her. That's why he had hesitated, but when it came to love, someone had to be the first and for her it was Naruto. She was so ready that she didn't have to move much after that and then it was better than anything she had ever felt before in her life.

Naruto tried to wait. He really tried, but this beautiful blue-eyed girl had wrapped herself around him, had taken him in all her innocence, and he had waited for her for so long that he couldn't wait any longer. He shut his eyes and surrendered to the feeling. The only thing that even remotely compared to it was the way he felt when he had been with Kurenai.

Afterward he couldn't hold her close enough. He couldn't stop gently stroking her hair. He must be doing something right to have found a wonderful girl like her, to have her here in his arms, to be the first man she had ever let love her like this.

An hour later, both of them lay exhausted in the bed. Their bodies wrapped up against each other, Haku had placed her head on his chest and was contently listening to his even breathing. One of his hands was gently rubbing her bare back, while the other was running soft strokes across her cheek.

Neither of them had said a word, and were simply enjoying the silence and the beauty of the cool night.

Deciding to be bold, he gently cupped her chin and made her look up at him. There was a serene smile on his face, which made her smile too.

"Would you like to go out for dinner sometime?" asked Naruto hesitantly,

"Are you asking me out on a date, Nidaime?" questioned Haku mischievously, as he rolled his eyes.

"Yes"

"Your wish is my command..."

The door to his cell opened slowly and the familiar figure of Naruto walked inside. A knowing smirk came on Kakashi's face when he saw the look in Naruto's eyes and on his face. Even in his prisoner uniform, Kakashi still managed to look the same masked ninja he had always been.

"I know that look..." said Kakashi coolly, as Naruto looked up at the ceiling.

"I don't know what you're talking about..." replied Naruto evasively,

"Come on. Admit it you got laid yesterday..." said Kakashi flatly,

"No, I didn't..."

"Oh, please. Come on, just give me a few details. Was it hot? Give me something, Naruto. You even took away my precious...." whined Kakashi, as Naruto rolled his eyes. Sometimes he wondered who was the adult between them.

"You know I can't let you have any piece of paper or pen. It wouldn't take you a second to write some information and send it to your defeated comrades with Pakkun's help..." stated Naruto flatly,

It was Kakashi who rolled his eyes and lifted his shackled arms and the chakra suppression seals on them were a dead give away to his helpless state.

"Nope. You're too smart and sneaky to be given any freedom. I know you better, Kakashi..." said Naruto seriously, as the copy ninja gave him an eye smile.

"I can't live without my precious..." complained Kakashi, making Naruto sigh.

"Look, I'll give you your damned book if you agree to join me. Even let you go out and live like a normal ninja of my army..." offered Naruto,

"Are you going to let me go? Anko will be missing me..." said Kakashi smartly, and was surprised when he saw a cold look arriving in Naruto's eyes.

"I've already repaid my debt to her. I don't owe her anything else, so you can forget about playing that card..."

"Then why didn't you kill me?"

"You know why..."

''Sasuke would have gladly done it, if you didn't want to do it yourself..."

"Leave him out of this. He's already fucked up enough..."

"Oh, he is..."

"I'll make this clear. You're not going back to your comrades, and I'm not killing you. Unless you join me, you can rot in this prison...knowing you, without your precious you'll go crazy in maybe another week"

"You wouldn't...''

"I will, and you know it. Tell you what, you join me and I'll not let a tiny harm come on Anko. No matter the situation..."

"Tempting, but you're not gonna harm her anyway. I know it..."

"Teme..."

"Got under your skin, didn't I? If you're in such a hurry, why not just cast your ultimate genjutsu on me? Make things easier for yourself..."

For the first time Kakashi saw something different in Naruto's eyes. He didn't want to conquer him, but wanted to persuade him.

"I'll come by tomorrow..." said Naruto seriously, and saw Kakashi staring at him.

"I'll think about your offer..." replied Kakashi finally,

"Very well..."

"At least tell me about the girl. Is it Guren?" asked Kakashi teasingly, and saw Naruto rolling his eyes.

"No"

"Tayuya?"

"Are you crazy?"

"Karin?"

"Gross..."

"Tsunade? Oh you lucky bastard, Jiraiya would be so jealous. She has nice assets..."

"I'll kill you, Kakashi..."

"Not her, damn. Oh my god, SASUKE?"

"I'LL BURN YOUR PRECIOUS TO ASHES!"

"NO! Okay, someone else...That Reich Captain? What was her name Haku?"

Kakashi narrowed his eyes when Naruto looked the other way, a smirk came on his face as he finally got the truth out of his adopted son or brother, whatever both of them preferred to call each other.

"I'm happy for you..." said Kakashi honestly, a true smile visible on his face.

"You are?" asked Naruto, surprise visible in his eyes.

"Of-course, why wouldn't I be? Your ambition is different from your personal life, and you've been through a lot. Kurenai is not coming back either- So, yeah you do get a free pass and my blessing..." said Kakashi happily,

''You're not a priest..."

"But I'm your father, no scratch that your elder brother. Dad seems too old me for me..." said Kakashi nonchalantly,

"Fair enough, Nii-san. Happy now?" asked Naruto sarcastically,

"See you tomorrow?" said Kakashi coolly, but Naruto sensed the lingering hope in the man's voice. Living in a jail was not a pleasant experience, but it was better than being dead or being one of Naruto's mind controlled soldiers.

"You know I won't leave you..." replied Naruto comfortingly, as Kakashi gave him an eye smile.

"Stay safe, Naruto..."

"You too, Kakashi..."

"Hey, it's not like I'm going anywhere..."

"You better not, because I just received the latest ICHA ICHA: Desert Safari edition..."

The door to the cell quickly closed and just in time as Kakashi leaped like a monkey and grabbed the bars tightly. He saw Naruto running away and the boy's laughter was echoing across the entire cell block while Kakashi screamed...

"GIVE ME PRECIOUS!"

Sasuke was idly staring at the blank wall of his room, in a matter of a few months his life had been turned completely upside down. He was now a traitor of his village, had murdered more people than all his classmates ever could. Had subdued a Kage, helped his new leader win an invasion.

His best friend turned out to be a secret Anbu captain, and just thinking about Naruto's story made his head spin. The blonde idiot was more fucked up than him, the difference was that Naruto could control his hatred while he couldn't.

His own elder brother had massacred their clan because it was a mission. The Uchiha's were planning to rebel, and now that he knew why he was glad Konoha was destroyed or he would have done it with his own two hands. He would have murdered every man, woman and child and he would have laughed in front of their corpses.

If previously he hated Uchiha Itachi, now he wanted nothing more than to rip that man to tiny shreds. Despite all the injustice done to the Uchiha clan, Itachi had remained loyal to a corrupt village? He murdered their parents, their mother for Konoha?

"I swear to you, Itachi. I'll hunt you down to the bottom of hell itself, and I will kill you. I will kill every single Konoha ninja, civilian. You will pay for what you did to father, mother and my clan..." thought Sasuke fiercely,

"Yo"

"Just what I need, another Kakashi clone..." said Sasuke irritatedly, and saw Naruto sitting on the window of his room. Gods, the boy was so much like Kakashi that sometimes it freaked him out.

"And just what I need, meeting an Emo in the morning..." retorted Naruto coolly,

"Then go away. Nobody asked you to come here..."

"Jerk"

"Bitch"

"So are your marbles in place? Or do I need to go call Tsunade?" asked Naruto seriously, his voice losing all playfulness.

Sasuke wanted nothing more than to be left alone, but looking into Naruto's stubborn gaze was enough to show him he was not going to win this battle. His best friend was one of the most stubborn people he had ever known.

"I'm fine..." lied Sasuke, making Naruto snort.

"And Jiraiya is not a pervert..." replied Naruto sarcastically,

"What do you want?''

"Got a little party tonight. All officers will be there, I want to introduce you to them...maybe get you familiar with a few interested girls" hinted Naruto, and saw the irritation in the Uchiha's eyes.

"I'll pass..."

"I'm not asking, Sasu-chan..."

"Stop being annoying, Naruto. Leave me alone..."

"Not an option. You still want to kill Itachi?" asked Naruto quickly, he just had a plan that might work.

"What makes you think I don't?" questioned Sasuke heatedly, making Naruto raise his hands in surrender.

"Just asking. Sure, killing Itachi Uchiha has been added to Reich's hit list..."

"I'll take him down. This is my business..."

"Not before I give you some training. You're tough, but I've fought with your brother. I know how he fights, and frankly in your current state he'll kick your ass..." stated Naruto frankly,

Naruto smirked when he saw Sasuke's interest peaking, now came the time to seal the deal. Gods, he was an awesome manipulator...

"Tell me everything you know about him. Jutsu, weapons, everything..." demanded Sasuke, the boy was certainly persistent.

"One condition..."

"There's always a frakking catch..." complained Sasuke, as Naruto raised his eyebrows.

"Frakking? You meaning fucking, right?" asked Naruto curiously,

"That word's old. Frakking sounds much better and modern..." said Sasuke triumphantly, and was surprised when Naruto shrugged.

"Sure, frakking it is then. Remind me to make the necessary change in literature and history..." replied Naruto coolly, and saw a faint smile arriving on Sasuke's lips.

"You sure you aren't Kakashi disguised as Naruto? I can hardly make the difference..." said Sasuke teasingly,

"Hey, I lived with that masked bastard for years. I inherited a lot of things from him..."

"Most of them annoying..."

"What was that?"

"Nothing. What do you want from me? I want information on Itachi...and you to train me" said Sasuke begrudgingly, if there was one thing noticeable about Sasuke was the boy's pride. He was a true Uchiha- arrogant, egoistic, loner through and through. Not that Naruto was much better, but he had some Senju blood in him.

So he was balanced, so to speak. At least that was what the Nidaime Otokage believed.

"You'll not be a loner. I'm officially appointing you as my Knight of Honor, you'll accompany me to all diplomatic, strategic meetings, and social occasions. That includes parties, and hangout with the girls I choose for you..." said Naruto happily, the expression on Sasuke's face made him want to die laughing.

"You want me to be your bodyguard and your playboy?" asked Sasuke incredulously,

"You are more than qualified for the first position, and I need someone strong and powerful to watch my back. Who better than my best friend, and the second position...you were already a playboy ever since the academy. So it shouldn't make much of a difference now..." said Naruto nonchalantly, by now he could see little smoke coming from Sasuke's ears.

The boy was frakking pissed.

"And if I refuse?" asked Sasuke defiantly, he would be damned if he lost so easily.

"Oh, your loss. I'll just tell every female in the empire that you're gay, even print your photo in the special magazine for men. Then you'll have an entire army of fanboys after you, and down goes the dream of reviving the Uchiha clan..." threatened Naruto, and laughed when he saw all color draining from Sasuke's face.

"You wouldn't..." said Sasuke, even his voice was trembling at this point. The boy gulped nervously when Naruto gave him his famous prankster smile.

"Try me, just try me...Uke-chan"

Sasuke glared daggers at Naruto, if looks could kill Naruto would be ashes. Instead the blonde devil was whistling idly, the bastard knew he had won the argument.

"Fine. We have a deal..." said Sasuke begrudgingly, and saw Naruto clapping happily. A million dollar smile was visible on that blonde idiot's face.

"Finally, I'll get you laid with one of the girls tonight. It will be frakking awesome..." said Naruto creepily, making Sasuke take a step back.

"I never agreed to that and frakking is my word..." said Sasuke quickly,

"Not anymore. And oh you did agree to sleeping with beautiful girls. See clause 7 of our contract..." replied Naruto playfully, as he tossed a scroll to Sasuke which had many conditions written in it.

"You're crazy..."

"I prefer the term extraordinarily smart..."

"I swear I'll kill you for this one day, Naruto. I swear to the gods..." promised Sasuke, embarrassment evident on his face and in his eyes.

Naruto turned around and gave Sasuke a playful wink which further infuriated his best friend.

"You can try. But until then you're my bitch...the party starts at 7. Be there, I don't want my bodyguard to be late. And your partner for tonight is Karin"

Naruto quickly jumped away from the window as a kunai barely passed over his head, he could hear Sasuke cursing him loudly which only made him chuckle. The horrified look on Sasuke Uchiha's face was priceless. Karin had fallen in love with Sasuke the minute she saw his handsome face, it was quite a relief for Naruto to lose a fangirl of his own.

Not so much fun for Sasuke.

The mere thought of Karin pestering Sasuke for hours and having her way with him satisfied Naruto's deepest fantasies. Maybe he had been around Anko for too long, he was definitely a sadist.

"You need to keep his darkness in control. Otherwise he might become a threat..."

He still remembered Haku's words, she had suggested him to remove Sasuke from the plan since he was unstable. But Naruto had flatly refused, he had already lost everything from his past life. Sasuke was among the handful friends he still had, and the boy was his cousin. A brother...

And Naruto would rather go to hell than turn his back on Sasuke. It may be a pain in the ass to keep Sasuke in check, but it was better than letting a crazy Sasuke run around in an already fucked up world.

Besides, he liked annoying the hell out of Sasuke Uchiha. And he had learned a new thing from his best friend...

"Frakking"

Kurenai groggily opened her eyes, she just had the weirdest dream. In her imagination, she saw herself being friends with the worst traitor of Konoha, Naruto Uchiha. Her mind was definitely fucked up if she saw images of her and that traitor going on missions, chatting, even romancing.

"You will see everything little by little, and your curse is that all of it shall be true..."

A cold shiver ran down her spine when she remembered Sasuke's words and what he had done to her. That boy had broken some kind of seal in her brain, or at least put a crack in it. She didn't know whether he was bluffing or there was actually any kind of seal in her brain.

But the more she thought about it, the more the memories of Naruto assaulted her mind.

She opened her eyes completely and saw herself sitting in a plain bed, the room was nothing fancy either which made only one word arrive in her mind...

"Hospital..." groaned Kurenai,

"Perfect assumption. Still better place than being captured in an enemy cell..."

She snapped to her right and saw Jiraiya- The Toad Sage sitting on the window. The man had an unreadable expression in his eyes as he wrote down something in a book.

"Jiraiya-sama! You defeated the enemy?" asked Kurenai in surprise, and Jiraiya sighed when he saw the foolish hope in her eyes.

"How long do you think you were out?"

"A couple of hours..."

"You have been unconscious for more than a week, if not for Fire Country's best doctors you'll be in a permanent coma. Somebody completely messed up your mind, someone with a sharingan is what I'll bet my money on..."

He let her absorb the shock. Her hands trembled as she probably remembered what had happened to her, and who had done it to her in the first place.

"Konoha?" asked Kurenai in fear, things were already bad when she was still fighting. If she had also fallen, then...

"Lost. We lost the village and more than half of Fire Nation by now..."

She took a sharp breath, her eyes widened in horror and disbelief. The village was lost? And half of the Fire Country too?

Jiraiya saw she was about to start a series of unending questions and quickly raised his hand making her stop before the tirade even began. He was here for a reason, and the visit had to be short. He had to get back to the front-lines quickly...

"Here's the report. We lost Konoha, half of Fire Nation, The Third Hokage fought till his last breath against the enemy and was finally killed by Naruto after a prolonged battle..." said Jiraiya flatly, his face an unreadable mask. If there was any sadness or anger in his heart, then the Sannin was hiding it extremely well.

"What about Kakashi? Anko? Sakura? All the genin? And my task force 1 soldiers?" asked Kurenai worriedly, she did well in hiding the pain she felt on hearing about Hiruzen's death. If Jiraiya could control his emotions, then so would she.

"Kakashi was captured, last I checked he's still alive. Naruto won't kill him, so you don't need to worry about that. Anko is here, she's pissed as a mad bull but alive. Sakura made out alive with some other genin. Hinata Hyuga is missing, I've still got Hiashi on my ass demanding to find his daughter. Rock Lee didn't make it out of the hospital, the enemy got to him. Strangely, your lover Naruto spared the boy. He even asked Tsunade to start healing Lee..." explained Jiraiya frustratedly, he wanted to hate Naruto so much.

But after hearing the boy's merciful acts, Jiraiys'a anger towards the boy had increased. They were still enemies and he would kill Naruto for what he had done to Konoha and Hiruzen, but he could now see why Tsunade chose the boy.

Kurenai grasped her head in pain, so many things were spinning out of control. But her mind narrowed down on one thing which Jiraiya said...

"What do you mean by lovers? I barely knew Naruto..." said Kurenai in protest, and saw Jiraiya's eyes widening in shock.

"So that's what he did. Sneaky bastard..."

"What did he do? Tell me..." demanded Kurenai, a new fear creeping up in her heart. Sasuke's words came flooding back in her mind. What if all of the things the Uchiha said turned out to be true?

"My best guess, Naruto would have revealed something important to you about his plan. Maybe even asked you to join him, now that I think about it that was the first thing he would have done. Both of you have been in a relationship for almost 5 years now, the strongest couple I had ever seen after that idiot boy's parents. You both went to hell and heaven for each other..." said Jiraiya honestly,

"I don't believe it..."

''Deny it all you want, but it's the harsh truth. Ask Anko, you trust her since she's your best friend. She'll back my claim, but you already have an idea about it...don't you?'' asked Jiraiya knowingly,

Kurenai sighed and then explained her battle with Sasuke and what he did to her. Jiraiya jumped from the window and stepped beside her, he slapped a seal on her forehead which glowed blue.

"So, it's true. You won't like to hear this, but there's a memory seal in your head. And if we go by Sasuke's testimony it was made by Naruto...and if it was made by him, then I can only think of one person besides the boy who can remove it. The question is do you want to? The truth is ugly..." warned Jiraiya

"I need some time to figure everything out..."

"Fair enough. The doctors tell me you're physically fine, that's good news..."

"How did I get here?"

"Asuma brought you here. Brave lad, he also saved the young genin...he's dead"

Kurenai felt her eyes becoming moist, she had known Asuma briefly. He was a good comrade, and a friend. He had saved her life and now he was dead, she couldn't even get a chance to thank him...

She was silent for a few minutes before she looked at Jiraiya with ice cold eyes, the look of a leader.

"What's the situation? And what are we doing to take our home back?" asked Kurenai fiercely,

Whatever tragedy had befallen upon them, they would fight back. She won't let her people be defeated so easily, her mind and heart were now completely conflicted when it came to Naruto. If those memories she occasionally saw were true, then she loved this man. And after hearing his merciful acts, she couldn't help but gain a begrudging respect for him. Even in war, Naruto was true fighter and an honorable leader.

But he was also the one who destroyed her home, took her friends. Could she truly love a man like that?

However, the more her past memories came back the more she felt conflicted.

"The Damiyo died of a heart attack a few days ago. His health was already frail since the past few years, but rumor has it that he didn't die a natural death...''

"Are you telling me the Damiyo was murdered?" asked Kurenai in shock,

"Possibly, so are majority of his children. The few that remain have pledged their loyalty to the new Damiyo formerly known as Princess Karen..."

Kurenai took a deep breath to calm her nerves. She had heard about Karen, the woman was a hardliner and the only one among the Damiyo's children who was a fighter and skilled in ninja arts. She was also a cruel bitch, victorious but cruel.

"With everything going on, the useless politicians would be blaming Naruto for this tragedy. Karen orchestrated the perfect coup, but to kill her own father and siblings is disgusting..." said Kurenai bitterly,

"So, beauty with brains. A deadly combination, it seems you and I share the same taste in women, Naruto" thought Jiraiya curiously,

"People have killed their family for less..." answered the toad sage frankly,

"Nothing is more important than family. At least not to me..."

Kurenai froze in shock when Jiraiya took up a hat from a table behind her, the mere sight of the thing made her tremble. Without a word he placed it on her, as she looked at him in disbelief.

"Congratulations, Godaime (Fifth). You are the new Hokage of Konohagakure, the Will of Fire burns brightly in you and by the order of the Damiyo I bestow this title upon you. May you serve your people with the best of your abilities and guide them with your wisdom in this need of hour..."

By the time Jiraiya was finished with his speech, Kurenai felt dizzy. The Toad Sage handed her a glass of water, which she quickly drank. Her fierce ruby eyes glared murder at him.

"What kind of sick joke is this?" asked Kurenai furiously,

"This is no joke, Kurenai. Why do you think I was waiting for you to wake up?" asked Jiraiya sarcastically,

"You're the most powerful ninja of our village. You should be the leader, why me?" questioned Kurenai confusedly,

"Powerful-yes. Wise- No. With the war raging on I have to be on the front lines and gather information all the time, I don't have any time to spare for this job. Besides, I'm not the right person for it. Karen agrees with this decision..." explained Jiraiya patiently,

"What about Kakashi? Shikaku Nara? Inoichi? Or any of the other clan heads? Surely they are more qualified than me..." argued Kurenai, this was all too much for her to accept.

"Kakashi is captured, Shikaku and Inoichi were killed when Naruto went all Kamikaze in his Kyuubi form. Some of the clan heads didn't make it, those who did have their hands full in maintaining order in their clan. There is chaos everywhere, we lost several ninja in the invasion. Hundreds were captured by Naruto and turned against us...that boy used his genjutsu on our captured soldiers and made them attack Iwa. He even let them destroy a few towns and cities..." said Jiraiya gravely,

"Oh my god!"

"Yes, you're right. The Fourth Great Ninja War has started, Iwagakure and Earth Country have attacked us. The Tsuchikage was always itching for a fight, Naruto made our soldiers massacre hundreds of Iwa ninja. Entire Iwagakure is out for blood, Konoha and Suna are under Naruto's control now. I still can't figure out how the boy got the Sand village, except for reports that 2 of his men went in and killed or subdued all Sand ninja. A new Kazekage has been appointed but he is loyal to Naruto only...

...Otogakure and Sound Country are also under Naruto's rule, and from the latest reports a large contingent of Reich soldiers and Oto ninja have landed in Water Country. Kiri has barely recovered from the civil war, my spies tell me it won't last long against Naruto's army. The only good news that I have for you is that Kumogakure and Lightning Country are staying out of this mess for now" concluded Jiraiya,

"I need a drink..." said Kurenai weakly, to wake up from a coma and find out you're the Hokage and are representing your village in a world war was probably the worst news any Konoha ninja had ever faced.

"I figured you would need one after hearing about this mess. Here, just take a sip or you'll knock yourself out cold. It's strong..." advised Jiraiya,

She drank a sip of the sake from the flask and put it on the table beside her, taking a deep breath she looked at Jiraiya seriously.

"You're the highest ranking officer left in our forces after me. You also have the leadership skills which you aptly displayed in the Wave invasion. You displayed willingness to go to any lengths for the safety of the village after adopting the secret mission of subduing Yakumo and now choosing the village over your love. I've read your file and in my eyes you are the perfect person for this job, that's why I recommended you. The Anbu commander is missing, or else he would have gotten this job. Do you understand what we're up against, Kurenai Yuhi?" asked Jiraiya seriously,

"Yes, and I'll do everything in my power to help win this war. But why me?"

"Because you're the only weakness of Naruto Uchiha. He loves you, he still does..." said Jiraiya frankly,

"I don't believe it..."

"Trust me when I say how Naruto feels about you. Kurenai, you may have chosen the village over him. You're a loyal ninja and if my guess is correct then you refused to side with Naruto, even tried to stop him or persuade him from starting this madness. He loved you enough to wipe out everything from your mind, make you hate him, give you a clean slate. Free from guilt...that is the extent to which he would go for you, perhaps even more'' hinted Jiraiya,

''What are you saying?" asked Kurenai hesitantly, she was not liking the way things were heading. But she had no choice, her people's existence was at stake.

"I'm taking you up as my student. Whenever I'm free and back, I will train you. I will teach you everything I know, even give you the Toad contract. You will work hard and get strong enough to face him..."

"He's a Kage level ninja..."

"And you have the determination and strength to be one. Your loyalty towards your people and your patriotism will become your strength, and I will make you stronger. Follow my training and do whatever I say, then I believe one day you will be able to fight Naruto Uchiha" promised Jiraiya

"And?"

"He loves you, and a man who loves tends to make mistakes. When you fight, he will definitely slip and hesitate. You will use that chance to kill him..." said Jiraiya coldly,

Kurenai felt as if someone had jabbed a cold knife through her heart. Hearing Jiraiya's master plan made her nervous. The ninja in her was amazed by the marvelous plan, it was deception at its best. Naruto would never see it coming and they could end this madness by making him a scapegoat of this war.

However she didn't know why, but she refused to do such a heinous thing. And that was making her mad, why was she caring about a traitor?

If only Sasuke was here right now, she would kill him with her bare hands. That boy had messed her head up, previously she was so sure of her beliefs about Naruto and his war...

But now...

Jiraiya placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and gave her a reassuring smile.

"I'm not asking you to kill him with your own hands. I just want you to fight against him for our people, he's the enemy Kurenai. You just have to keep him busy. I've got another capable ninja who will finish the job. If things go bad, he will rescue you. I dare say he's as much powerful as Naruto..." said Jiraiya seriously,

"It's Itachi Uchiha, isn't it?"

She saw the shock in Jiraiya's eyes, what the Toad Sage didn't know that she had seen Itachi fighting along side Hiruzen on that day. A lot of people had seen him, most of them were dead so it was nothing but a rumor now. But she knew the truth...

"Yes'' said Jiraiya tiredly,

"Why is the butcher of the Uchiha clan on our side? If I am to consider even doing this thing, I want the truth..." said Kurenai flatly,

"Believe me the easier way would have been to send you running back to Naruto, make you pretend that you realized your mistake and still love him. But Naruto knows the real you, he knows Kurenai Yuhi would rather die than betray her village. He would easily see our deception, that's why we have to follow the plan I explained to you. It's our only shot for stopping this madness, people are dying. Naruto doesn't care, the question is whose side are you on? And what will your actions be?" asked Jiraiya seriously,

Kurenai went towards the window and observed the beauty of the capital of Fire Country, sooner or later she would have to meet the Damiyo. She didn't know why Naruto did all of this, but her heart was telling her that there was more to this than she was thinking.

She doubted she could follow Jiraiya's plan word for word, she would have to make her own choices while protecting her people to the best of her abilities.

If she truly loved Naruto, and he loved her. Then maybe she could make him stop, negotiate a truce. That was a far better option than fighting against Naruto and his army, she had already seen how strong they were. More conflict would only result in the deaths of the rest of her people.

Karen wouldn't care as long as she got her lost territory back, she would hire new ninjas and take over leadership of Konoha. The reason for this would be the utter failure of the village for protecting Fire Nation. Jiraiya was naive or he didn't want to see the bigger political game at play.

The only reason Karen was even willing to support the Hokage and his warriors was the harsh fact, that Naruto would kick all their asses if they stayed divided. That strong a foe he was, a man who was brave and powerful enough to take on the entire world.

She glanced at the Hokage hat on top of her head. Not only was she surrounded by crony politicians, fighting a full scale war, protecting her people, but she also had a lover who was now the worst enemy of their world.

Jiraiya was right, she was the right person for this job. They needed someone who could think, she would make herself stronger in time and fight back with the help of her soldiers. They needed her brains now more than ever...

"Naruto, I will find a way to stop you. Through negotiation or war, this I promise as the Fifth Hokage of Konohagakure" thought Kurenai fiercely,

She confidently turned around, and the look in her eyes completely mesmerized the Toad sage.

"When do we start?"

Tobi glanced at the report in his hand. Everything was going exactly as per his plan, he had to give Naruto credit. The boy was a force of nature, Naruto was the brains behind this entire war. Not to mention the leader of their army, the mastermind.

The Akatsuki was his special force team, doing the boy's dirty work. Operating from the shadows, supporting the boy's war. They were his war machine...

Of-course they had their own agenda but Naruto didn't need to know about that.

He saw Zetsu attaching a young brown haired man to the Gedo Statue, the man was heavily wounded and tired but alive.

"The Gedo Mazo is ready for sealing. I'll use Tenzo for making our army, how long do I have to finish this task?" asked White Zetsu curiously,

"1 year"

"Why a year? I thought we'd have even lesser time..." said Black Zetsu

"Iwa, Suna, Konoha, Oto and Kiri are entering into war with each other. Of course Oto, Suna and Konoha are in fact the empire, and are on the same side. But the other players don't know that or can't do anything about it. The war has not yet fully started, let the villages take heavy losses. Naruto believes once the casualties increase, the villages will have no choice but to put their Jinchuuriki at the front-lines. When those people get tired of fighting their enemies, we'll capture them and seal the Biju. I dare say Naruto is a thousand times more smarter and cunning than his own father..." explained Tobi, the Akatsuki leader was completely impressed with their results so far.

"The child is the father of the man..." suggested White Zetsu

"Correct"

"You're wrong. Kumo has not entered the war, they were smart enough not to take the bait. They have the Nibi and Hachibi, and are the strongest village and nation now that Konoha and Fire Nation have crumbled. Even with the resources at our disposal, I can't find their Jinchuuriki. The Raikage has sensed something is not right with this conflict and concealed his weapons..." said Black Zetsu, he was the only one who was not smitten by Naruto, unlike his partners.

"A is a buffoon but his people aren't. They must have advised the Raikage to take this move, but Naruto had already anticipated this" said Tobi proudly,

The Akatsuki leader pointed his finger towards a corner, and after a moment Black Zetsu sighed in defeat. While White Zetsu grinned happily...

"I take my words back. Naruto is a genius..." said Black Zetsu begrudgingly,

Tobi stepped towards the edge of the cave, as he smelt the flames of war burning brightly every day. Soon, his plan would come to fruition...

"Kumo's greatest weakness will lead to their fall. It's time for the Rise of the Akatsuki"

Kabuto watched in fascination as Orochimaru operated on a set of bodies placed beside each other. In a way, their exodus from Otogakure was a blessing. Orochimaru's goal of destroying Konoha was already fulfilled by Naruto, and now the boy had started a war.

The Fourth Great Ninja War.

A catastrophe where ninja, civilians, men, women, children always died, got injured, disappeared, get experimented on. The worst nightmare of the world.

And a blessing from the divine for Orochimaru.

For months, Kabuto had seen his master holed up in a cave inside Fire Country. He was frustrated since their plan was foiled, but Orochimaru had merely smiled and asked him to have patience and suggested that in fact everything was turning in their favor. Kabuto had not understand the veteran Sannin's words then..

But now he did understand them, and his respect for his master had increased greatly.

Slowly, Orochimaru had recovered from his wounds. The newly starting war had opened up an unlimited supply of test subjects for the scientists. He already had enough lab rats to experiment for an entire lifetime. The Sannin had changed into a much more powerful body, and was working on a cure for Kimmimaro. When it was accomplished, Orochimaru would have the perfect vessel.

They had already started their recruitment's and slowly were building their own little private army of cursed seal warriors, loyal only to Orochimaru.

"Kukuku, things are getting better and better for us. Don't you think, Kabuto?" asked Orochimaru in his creepy voice, as his student adjusted his glasses.

"You're right, Orochimaru-sama. Things turned out exactly the way we wanted to, well not exactly but in our favor regardless. With the ninja villages fighting at each others throats, we're free to do whatever we want and no one would bother us" said Kabuto, earning an appreciative smile from his mentor.

"Good analysis. How goes the work on my secret project? You know we can't disappoint dear Naruto-kun. He must pay for his actions..." said Orochimaru wickedly, as he cut open a man's heart.

"I'm making progress but it will take sometime, Orochimaru-sama. Maybe 1 year or 2, not more than that..." answered Kabuto,

"Then make sure we meet our deadline. I want to give Naruto-kun a surprise, I want to rock his world completely with my gift. Ain't I generous, Kabuto?" asked Orochimaru humorously, making his assistant smile.

"That you are, Orochimaru-sama. That you are..." said Kabuto,

Orochimaru's gaze shifted towards a photo of Naruto that was lying atop a dart board, ever since that humiliating defeat the Sannin had worked day and night for getting even with the boy. He had offered Naruto a place by his side, an honor a worm like him didn't deserve. But the past was the past, Naruto had caused him pain.

It was just right that Orochimaru returned the gesture in kind, with some extra compliments.

An Eye for An Eye...

The Fourth Great Ninja World Had Begun...