Author's Note: Sorry I took a while. But here it is. It's a long one too. ;p

The plane on which they walked was barren and grey, as if nothing but sorrow could exist there. Not even the laws of physics existed here. The land made of little islands that floated in midair, threatening to be knocked into another by any outside force. Rivers of black flowed above in a perfect, winding stream. While bellow floated debris of battles long past. The sky was an ominous red while clouds of pink provided a change of scenery above and below them.

"It's like the sharingan..." Itachi breathed, as if he stepped into the world of torcher he'd created.

"It is. Through the sharingan you bring your victims to this place. This is all that remains of Makai." Lulu informed the two. "Though we are granted safe passage through this place, anyone else would suffer the pulls of the different parallels, dimentions, and worlds."

"Is that why they scream so, even before I deliver my first strike?" Itachi inquired, reaching up to run his fingers through the red river in an attempt to distract himself from the voices that danced on the wind.

"Yes." Lulu responded, taking a few stepps forward, her face solemn but her strides resolute.

"Will this the future of our world?" Sasuke jogged up to Lulu, not wishing to leave her side for a moment. The whispers of the land tearing at his mind and bringing tears to his eyes.

Lulu turned to him, but his face trapped the words in her throat. Both males looked to her in askance, their eyes glazed with fear, sorrow, and regret. "...No." Lulu finally said, pulling the youngest of the two into her arms and smiling reassuringly to the eldest. "Because we won't let it. The King's grave is not far off."

"But what about the others?" Itachi pressed, refering to the voices that drifted in and out of earshot, slicing at his mind and attemting to rob him of his sanity.

"Fear not the spirits. They are mearly what remains of the dead. The soul has already passed on to another life, leaving the anger. The hate. The sorrow. Do not lend these wraithes your ears, they only mean to add you to their ranks." Lulu ran her fingers through Sasuke's hair as she spoke, calming him in an almost motherly fashion. "We should hurry, every moment is a moment the celestials won't get back."

They had split up after what had seemed like an hour of searching. That way they could cover more ground.

"That must be it!" Sasuke called over his shoulder, hoping one of the other Uchiha would hear him.

"Where is it?!" Itachi called back from a platform above him.

"Down there." Sasuke pointed once his brother leaped down to join him.

"Let's wait for Lulu to get here, then we'll go down." Itachi recommended, eyes darting this way and that until they settled on Lulu's approaching form to his right.

When Lulu arrived she did a quick primp. Adjusting her purple lipstick, fixing her hair, and rearranging the belts of her dress. All in the span of a minute before she turned to the youngest of the three. It was amazing how she was able to move so nimbly with that floor length dress with all those belts and heels. Soon I'll be a woman, just like her. Itachi thought, secretly idolizing the last female Uchiha...well, she won't be the last for long. He wished as what was left of his family conversed.

"Ready?" She asked, looking both in the eyes.

"As ready as I'll ever be." Sasuke admitted, already missing his team.

"Let's go." and with that the two lept to the lowest platform where the only building stood.

The shrine was simple, almost shabby as if quickly made. The building itself having only two stories. But it's aura cackled with an electricity that made your hair stand on end. It's lone archway loomed overhead, leading way to a lone tree that was as tall as the shrine, but not as dead as the land.

"The mother tree!" Lulu gasped, pressing her hands to the barren tree's wide trunk. "She lives." Lulu could have cried at the sight.

"What is the mother tree?" Sasuke whispered, not sure if he wanted to interupt his aunt.

"The mother tree is the heart of Makai. If she lives then we may have a chance." Lulu smiled, leaning against the tree. "She is Makai's historian, Makai's keeper, Makai's mother. Though she can't bring Makai back to what it was, she hold's all of Makai's power."

"What's her name?" Sasuke found himself asking, wondering how he knew it had a name.

"Reidou." Lulu then looked up to the tree's branches. "Reidou-sama, would you grant us safe passage to the late king's tomb?"

The wind howled then, forcing the clouds to spiral and the sky to clear above the floating island.

"I grant you safe passage." a woman's voice echoed, startling the two male shinobi. "But under one condition."

"Name your price." Lulu pressed.

"I wish to be with my children again. Would you give me a home in your plain? Makai is no more and my children need me." The tree sounded so sad, so forlorn that they all wished to embrace and confort the disemboddied voice.

"You need not even ask." Lulu smiled kindly, looking like a child against the knarled bark.

"Thank you. Princess."

"Yes?" Somehow Itachi knew that the entity were adressing him.

"In order for me to enter your plane, you must take your place as princess and my priestess." Reidou informed, one lone root rising from the barren earth and reaching out for him. "But by taking the tittle of princess means that you will no longer be eligable to be king. Would you be accepting of this?"

"If I were king then I'd lead my people to ruin. No, my wish is to take the tittle of Princess."

"Then come Minku-hime, we must purge you of your sins and purify my new home."

"Yes Reidou-sama." Itachi knelt before the tree, it's root pressing against his forehead before rings of light, almost exactly like the ones that brought them there appeared around the two.

"My queen. My prince. You will continue on your own. In that shrine you will be separated and you will each be put through trials. The king is gone, but his power is not. You will prove yourselves worthy of your tittles and the powers it brings."

"What about Itachi?" Sasuke inquired.

"Her new name is Minku. She has already taken her trials, and though she had originally failed, she has earned her name." Reidou corrected kindly.

"What trials?" Itachi, no, Minku questioned.

"The trial all Uchiha were given, weather or not they had the capabilities to use the Mangekyou Sharingan and what they would do for it. Though Itachi aquired it, he did it in the worst way." She spoke as if the Itachi of then and the one of now were two different people, and for all intents and purposes, they were.

"There was another way?!" Minky exclaimed in shock.

"The original way was through these trial's, but another way was to make a great sacrifice. And sacrifice you did in the end. While Itachi slaughtered his family and killed his friend, Minku risked her life to aid the celestials, cast asside the tittle of prince, and is now offering herself to a life of servitude."

"If you did not have the Mangekyou Sharingan then you would have earned it now." Lulu finished.

"Come now, we have a long way till we clean the name of the royal family." and with that, both the mother tree and Minku vanished in a beam of light.

"Good luck...my sister." Sasuke murmured, watching the sky where the beam vanished.

"Sasuke, our trials await us." Lulu was nervous. You could tell by how she fidgited with her sleeves and bangs.

"I'm ready." The two then entered the shrine.

As soon as he entered the shrine, Lulu vanished.

"Lulu!?" Sasuke cried out, searching around him frantically, not ready to be alone.

"When have you been such a coward?" a voice snickered at him.

"Who's there?!" Sasuke demanded, drawing a kunai and getting into a defensive stance.

"Nobody but you." it laughed before it also vanished, taking with it the ominous feeling that crawled down his spine and the voices that hissed into his ears.

Sasuke waited a moment longer before replacing the kunai, finally taking in his surroundings.

While outside it was a run down shrine, inside was a complex catacomb of stairways and levels with hidden entrences. Their was a stair way that went down to a lower level.

Their was a stairway to either side of him, leading to a balcony of sorts where statues of the nine tailed beasts stood sentry, their eyes forever staring.

"I'm already missing you my love." Sasuke sighed once his eyes locked with the Kyuubi's before decending the stairs. At the landing there was a pedistal with a miniature figurine of Shukaku stood. Behind it being a large gap filled with a pool of a green liquid that even he couldn't jump, but the only door was on the other side.

How was he going to get across? He couldn't jump it. He couldn't fly. And there wasn't a jutsu of anykind that hid the floor and swimming didn't look that safe either.

Sasuke leaned againsed the pedistal and sighed.

"Young prince who seeks passage to the lower levels." A voice spoke, sounding exactly like Gaara. "Before you is a lies a pool of liquid sorrow, capable of melting all that lives. Beyond lies the lower levels and the next riddle. Get across."

"Some help you are. Don't I get a hint?" Silence was all that answered him. "See if I let you sleep with my Sakura after this." he growled before aproaching the ledge. "Okay, you can melt all that lives. Great, now if only I could die, swim accross, then resurrect myself." Sasuke scanned his surroundings for something, anything that could be used as a bridge of some sort.

There was nothing.

"...what would the others do?" Did shadow clones count? It was worth a shot. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" A perfect Sasuke clone poofed into existence within moments. Sasuke checked himself out before sending the clone into the pool.

Nothing happened. He was still there, fully submerged and swimming with ease. The clone then began to shift into his snake form and slithering back up.

Sasuke smirked as an idea came to mind with a memory of Naruto and his multiple shadow clones. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" Sasuke cried out again, creating many more shadow clones and having them transform completely into snakes. Then then began to slither over to the gap, biting eachother's tails until one reached the other ledge. Both end snakes winding around something to hold the makeshift bridge steady.

"Gotta remember to thank Naruto for the idea." Sasuke said to himself as he crossed, only slightly disturbed by fact that he was walking on himself. Once he reached the other side, the clones vanished and he decended down the stairs to the next level.

The next room was almost identical to the last, only this time it was the nibi that sat on the pedistal and the pit was filled with spires that looked sharp enough to cut through diamonds. Platforms floated high overhead, moving about in random directions. Sasuke aproached the figurine and tapped it's head, almost as if petting it.

"Young prince that wishes to reach the other side and the lower levels, welcome." A Sakura sound-alike purred huskily. "For each platform that will take you across safely you must answer a riddle. Here is the first:

A hoard of rings am I,
but no fit gift for a bride;
I await a sword's kiss.

Answer this for the first of six, and pet me to give me your answer"

"You're worse then your boyfriend." Sasuke grumbled. "What ring is unfit for a bride?..Unless it's not a ring for your finger." Sasuke then proceded to pace. "Rings can also be links, like in a chain. But what wait's for a sword's kiss?" Sasuke looked at the spikes bellow and the moving platforms above, walking backwards and looking around.

"Ow." Sasuke jerked forward, a rock with a sharp edge had poked his back. "Armor!" Sasuke exclaimed, rushing over to the little statuette and stroking its head. "The answer is chainmail."

"Correct." the Sakura sound-alike purred before a platform lowered around the middle of the room, to far for him to leap to, but it was a start. "Here is your second riddle:

My life can be measured in hours,
I serve by being devoured.
Thin, I am quick
Fat, I am slow
Wind is my foe.

What am I?"

"Okay, time and an element." Sasuke looked around the room, racking his brain. His eyes settled on the dancing firelight of the torches that illuminated the room. "A candle." Sasuke thought allowed before petting the figurine again. "The answer's a candle."

"Correct." what was most likely the second to last platform lowered.

"Screaming, soaring seeking sky
Flowers of fire flying high
Eastern art from ancient time
Name me now and solve this rhyme"

"...Fireworks?" Sasuke asked while stoking the nibi's head.

"Correct." a platform lowered, almost a foot away from his ledge.

"It cannot be seen, cannot be felt
Cannot be heard, cannot be smelt.
It lies behind stars and under hills,
And empty holes it fills.
It comes first and follows after,
Ends life, kills laughter."

"That's easy, darkness." Sasuke beamed at himself, almost greatful to Orochimaru and his unintentional help for this riddle.

"Correct." another platform lowered.

"A harvest sown and reaped on the same day
in an unplowed field,
which increases without growing,
remains whole though it is eaten within and without,
is useless yet the staple of nations."

"Another easy one." Sasuke stroked the smoothe stone. "The end was a give away. The answer is war."

"Correct." The farthest platform fell, leaving only one riddle to be solved. "Your final riddle is thus:

Greater than a God,
More evil than a devil.
The poor have it,
The rich don't need it.
If you eat it, you'll die.
What is it?

"...I don't know, nothing is greater than a god, they're god's."

"Correct. You may proceed to the next room." Sasuke didn't realize that he was still touching the statue, but it turned out well in the end.

"This is to easy!" Sasuke laughed as he leapt from one platform to the next.

By the time he reached the ninth level he was beyond exhausted. He was hurt and bleeding. And he feared he dislocated his arm and maybe broke a rib or two. But more then ever, he missed his team. Just by Naruto being there would give him strength. Sakura would be right next to him, healing his wounds and joking lightly. He even missed Lulu, wishing for her guiding presense.

"Alright Kyuubi." Sasuke panted. "Show me what you've got." Sasuke then carrested the Kyuubi's figurine, eager to get out of there.

"Welcome." Instead of a disembodied voice like all the others, a kneeling figure slowly appeared in front of him, forcing Sasuke to back up and stare in awe. Soon after the gap vanished and a stone floor took its place.

He looked just like Naruto. Only his skin was flawless. His hair was a little longer, the golden strands glowing like the sun. The only difference being the nine long tails, each with a ribbon and a bell tied to the ends. That, and his eyes were the Kyuubi's signature red.

"Naruto...no, Kyuubi." Sasuke caught himself, the will to fight draining from his form.

"I'm whomever you want me to be." he cooed, aproaching the tired Uchiha at a leisurely pace.

"What do I have to do to pass through." Sasuke tried to keep his mind in order. This wasn't Naruto.

"Steal the bells." the kyuubi whispered into Sasuke's ear.

"Done." Sasuke then made a quick grab for the nearest tail, only to have the Kyuubi jump and backflip out of the way.

"Try again." the Kyuubi taunted, looking rather lazy, but at the same time, very aroused. "I could give them to you." He began, spinning out of the way as a shadow clone launched itself up from the ground. "You could please me."

"What?" Sasuke didn't know what startled him more, the given alternative or how the Kyuubi appeared behind him, his hand's caressing Sasuke's member.

"Please me. I know you want to. Your yerning for him gave me this form. Take advantage of it. It's a win win scenario. I've been alone for so long." the Kyuubi ground against Sasuke's back.

"No!" Sasuke was appauled that the Kyuubi would even think that he would take the offer. The anger giving him the strenght to lash out, catching on of the tails and removing the ribbon with the bell. "No matter how much you look like him, you're not him!"

"Aren't we?" the Kyuubi didn't seemed fazed in the least that he lost one of his bells.

"No. For one thing, Naruto's far sexier then you." Sasuke spat, forming several shadow clones and charging the fox, distracting him from the one that snuck up behind him. Before the Kyuubi could react the clone had grabbed two more ribbons and had loosened a third.

"I highly doubt that little runt has the sexapeal needed to keep you interested. While he's still a novice in the art of seduction, I wrote the book on the matter!" Appearantly the Kyuubi's sexapeal was something he prided himself in.

"Really? I would think that the Nibi wrote the book." Sasuke goaded, sweeping his leg across the floor in an attempt to trip his opponent.

"The cat only has looks and grace going for her, she's to naive for anything more." the Kyuubi hissed, leaping over Sasuke and rolling out of the way of an axe kick. "I've got the whole package."

"Eh." Sasuke shrugged to the best of his capabilities, favoring his dislocated arm as he moved. "Could've fooled me." he narrowly missed the Kyuubi's attempt to impale him with his claws, reaching out and grabbing another ribbon with it's bell. "Four for me!"

"You got lucky!" Kyuubi pointed before performing a roundhouse kick, striking Sasuke's injured ribs.

Sasuke cried out in shock and pain, collapsing on the ground while cluching his side. He tried to get up, but it hurt like hell. "Looks like I'm gonna need my other armed." Sasuke cringed, he had hoped he could put off popping it back into place when he met up with Lulu, that way she could heal him properly. So much for that idea. Sasuke thought bitterly. He then slowly rose to his feet, ignoring the pain in his side and bracing himself for the pain before popping his arm back into the socket. "Fuck!" Sasuke cried out before panting tiredly.

"Poor baby." Kyuubi didn't sound in the least bit sorry though, he was more turned on then anything. "You could avoid this. All you have to do is please me."

"...Alright." Sasuke groaned, discarding his weapons and removing his shirt slowly, not because of the pain, but because he knew how much Naruto went wild for the slow unveiling. The stripper in him coming out as his stripped, stopping once he unbuttoned his pants. "You want more, strip me yourself." Sasuke's eyes became half lidded and his voice deepened.

The Kyuubi was thoroughly pleased, the golden fox strutting over to his darker combatant. "This will definately please me."

"I can tell." Sasuke then grabbed the hair at the back of the Kyuubi's head and pulled him down for a searing kiss. His other hand traveling lower to caress the fox's firm ass before they massaged the base of his tails.

The Kyuubi moaned his approaval, arching and grinding against Sasuke wantonly. His eyes closed in bliss and his lips parted to groan and mewl freely.

This was when two shadow clones yanked at four of the remaining ribbons, causing him to yelp in pain.

"You really think I'd cheat on Naruto that easily?!" Sasuke then elbowed the fox's throat, making him cough and gasp for breath.

"A fox can hope." Kyuubi spat, infuriated that he'd been tricked so easily. This left him with one bell. One. Fucking. Bell. Kyuubi was NOT happy.

"One more." Sasuke rang the bells before securing them in his pouch before replacing it on his leg. He didn't bother putting his shirt back on. It was to hot anyway.

"Yes. One more." The Kyuubi repeated. The two then launched into another round. Neither of them speaking. Just fighting without the aid of spells or jutsu. Just their own strength. And Sasuke was losing.

But then, by some miracle, the remaining bell, the loosened ribbon, came undone. At first, both of them were to shocked to move, but once the bell chimed it awoke the two from their shock.

The Kyuubi dove after it, his fingers barely grazing the smoothe metal surface before Sasuke gave his tails a vicious yank. This caused the Kyuubi to howl in pain and curl into the fetal position, giving Sasuke the chance he needed. He snatched it up and rant to the side of the room where the next door should be.

"Congratulations." All anger vanished from the Kyuubi's voice as he rose, not in Naruto's form, but as a shoulder height, nine tailed fox. "You've passed my test." he grinned.

Sasuke arched an eyebrow.

"You had to prove your cunning in this level, and you did. You have earned your passage, and your tittle." the nine tail then pressed his nose to the wall, causing the stone wall to shift until a stone archway formed.

"Sasuke!" It was Lulu, looking a little worse for wear, but she was alive and happy to see him.

"Lulu!" Sasuke rushed into her embrace. Glad to see she's safe. "How did your trials go?"

"Pain in the ass. Really got me good, but I'm here. What took you so long?" Lulu began healing him as she spoke, turning him this way and that until she was sure she got everything.

"The Kyuubi decided to look like Naruto and tried to get me to sleep with him." Sasuke tried to wave it off, but he had to admit it, he was more than a little horny and he couldn't wait to get back to Naruto. Then they won't leave the room for a whole month...maybe longer.

"You ready for the final test?" Lulu asked.

"What? I thought that was the last one." Sasuke was exhausted, he didn't know if he wanted to take the last trial yet.

"Don't fret, we're together and I don't think we'll have to do anything physical." Lulu reassured him, leading him to the center of the large room they were in. A statue stood tall, reaching the ceiling. It was almost like a totem pole, with all the nine tailed beasts in order, with Shukaku at the top and the Kyuubi at the bottom.

"Took you long enough." it was the voice from the entrance, it sounded like it came from behind the totem.

"I thought you'd never arrive." It was another. But this one sounded like Lulu. "Your final test..." Out stepped a clone that looked exactly like Lulu.

"Is to tell us what you would sacrifice." Following Lulu's clone was one of Sasuke's.

Then all faded to black and all Sasuke could see was his clone.

"What would you sacrifice for this power?" the clone questioned, eyes unblinking and seeing everything like the statues that guarded this shrine.

"If this power would save and protect my loved ones, I would sacrifice almost anything." Sasuke didn't even need to think about it. He knew the moment he spoke with Reidou.

"...Good answer." And with that the two merged, tripling Sasuke's power and granting him something more.

Author's Note: How'd you like it? To tired to beta, but to nice to let you wait another day. But rest assured, I will get ahold of spell check again...once someone gives me their microsoft word. Then I will start revisiting all the chapters and touching them up, fixing as many errors as I can find. ;p