AN: This is the first thing that I have written for fun. I hope it turns out well. Any feedback is appreciated. If anyone finds any grammar errors just let me know. Also I don't know whether to thank or hate Saramoon5 for getting me started in writing. Her stupid plot bunnies decided to migrate to my mind. THIS CONTAINS SOME SPOILERS IF YOU HAVN'T READ THE MANGA! Anyway...obviously Naruto belongs to Kishimoto.
"I haven't forgotten what happened on that day, next time I will protect you MY way"
He stared at the blood-drenched body that lay before him. He had done it. He had finally done it. He had succeeded in killing his brother. Sasuke paused momentarily before making any movements, just to reassure himself that he had accomplished his goal and that it wasn't just another genjutsu or a clone. The stillness of the cavern after the battle was eerie and strange yet there was no hint of the world beginning to dissolve. It wasn't a genjutsu. No, this was really the end. He had been waiting for this moment, the moment that he would avenge his clan, for many long years but now that it had finally come Sasuke felt a twinge of regret.
Itachi's words echoed in Sasuke's head "A man whose eyes tamed the nine-tails and controlled it like a pet. An invincible immortal. That's who Uchiha Madara is."
Sasuke realized that although this was the man that he had blamed for the death of his family and entire clan, he was not the one pulling the strings. No, that was Uchiha Madara. Was he really an immortal? How could the man that wiped out the clan that he had founded still be alive? And most importantly, how could he kill someone with that much power on his own?
If Madara could indeed control the powers of the kyuubi then it was doubtless that he would be going after Naruto. Sasuke thought bitterly of his ex-friend and rival. If he did truly intend to kill this Uchiha Madara he would have to confront Naruto, either as a friend or an enemy. Now that he possessed Itachi's mangekyo sharingan he would just need to figure out how to unlock its power. If he could gain control over Naruto's demon then he could take down Madara.
He figured that it would not be too difficult to track down the dobe since he was doubtlessly close on his trail not to mention that he wasn't the sharpest kunai of the bunch. He would simply backtrack slightly, avoiding the current location of Team Hebi. He sure as hell was not going to resort to joining with his former "team". They were much too troublesome and would most likely prove a pain when it came to the inevitable reunion with Naruto.
Sasuke slowly turned away from the cloud cloak-clad corpse and exited the cavern. "Guess your eyesight was poorer than you thought Itachi. But thanks to you, mine won't fade."
Zetsu watched as the raven-haired boy strolled out of the cave. Pein had warned him to not interfere with the activities of the two brothers. He was right in following these orders. Once the young man had vanished out of Zetsu's senses, he phased the rest of his body through the cool stone wall of the cavern and approached Itachi's motionless body.
"It's too bad that Itachi's dead, he was a great asset to our cause" said Zetsu's white half.
"It doesn't matter anymore. Let's just retrieve his ring and dispose of his body", replied the darker side.
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"God dammit!". Naruto was pissed. Not just the normal variety either. No, he was fuming, almost quite literally courtesy of the slight kyuubi aura that surrounded him. Who the hell was that man? Tobi was what he had called himself but who was he? He was indeed a member of the Akatsuki, the same group that had been trying to extract the blonde's biiju from him and the same group that that Sasuke-teme's brother belonged too. Naruto's eyes were fading from a blood crazed red back to their familiar shade of blue.
The battle had not gone as well as it should have. The lush forest that had been present upon their arrival was patchy at best. Kunais could be found buried in the trunks of some surprisingly still standing trees. The forest had become the site of an intense battle. Despite how clueless this Tobi person had appeared he was actually quite a skillful fighter. And besides, he had that damn Uchiha sharingan. How could he have the same eyes as that Sas…it didn't matter anymore at least to Naruto. This battle had already delayed him enough as it was and drained a good quantity of his chakra not to mention that of his comrades.
Despite having so many allies present, Naruto had done most of the fighting with occasional assistance from Sai and Kakashi until a certain point. Yamato stayed nearby simply for the purpose of ensuring everyone else's safety in the event that Naruto lost it and began his decent into his kyuubi possessed state. Sakura was busy treating various injuries that had occurred to the Konaha ninjas from various chunks of flying debris and logs. She herself was for the most part unharmed and had remained conscious for the duration of the battle.
"So….who the hell was that anyway?" was how Kiba eloquently phrased his question.
Uneasy glances flickered from the surrounding faces. Everyone had seen it. That man had been a sharingan user, which meant that he was indeed an Uchiha yet nobody wanted to be the first one to say it.
"It doesn't really matter at this point who he was," Kakashi said as he walked toward the center of the group, breaking the silence, "the real question is how do we find him?"
"You're kidding me right Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked. "He's gone for now. Why does it really matter. We've been sidetracked enough. Let's just get back on the trail and find Sasuke!"
"Hold it right there Naruto-kun." Yamato had approached Naruto without him realizing it and had put a restraining hand on his shoulder. The eager blonde had already begun to move out at the thought of retrieving his former teammate. "We can't simply run off on another chase after a battle like that. We need to rest before we move on. Your chakra supply has been depleted severely not to mention that everyone needs a break after an experience like that. What would happen if we did encounter Sasuke-kun in our current condition?"
Naruto clenched his fists at the though of having to wait another moment until resuming the search for Sasuke. They were right. Maybe he did need a rest, they definitely did. "Alright Yamato-taichou. But after this we're going to track down that Sasuke-teme dattebayo!"
Not a single one of the Konoha ninjas could remain in a worn out state with the hopefulness that emanated from the golden-haired boy filling the air. Hinata, Sakura, Sai and Yamato gave satisfied smiles, while Kiba, Kakashi and Shino simply nodded in agreement to Naruto's words. Akamaru gave a thunderous bark of approval as the group gathered together to discuss tracking.
AN:short chapter but that's just how it split. They'll get longer.