a/n: Enjoy. Hope I didn't leave you all hanging.

Blood dripped from his head down onto her pale face. The drops of crimson left stains that spilled to the floor. He held back the cries of anguish that were screaming to be let loose.

The angry gash that stemmed across her throat only brought more pain to his heart. He saw the blood that had now stained her clothes. How he wished he could make it disappear. His vision was nearly failing him, he had exhausted himself. If an enemy were to appear, he would be felled. That seemed like a distant thought compared to the tragedy in his arms.

Ino. He had lost Ino. It didn't make any sense! Kisame had been with Itachi trying to recruit missing-nin to Konoha. What was he doing here? Why did he kill Ino? He hadn't bothered asking when he had felt the killer intent aimed at him and Ino. He let his rage consume him, and it cost him information that he desperately needed.

The memories of what happened were vague, he remembered becoming something entirely different than himself. It wasn't the Kyuubi either, he often remembered what happened after he became one with the tailed beast. This new manifestation of his bloodline was too much, it nearly killed him, but it was worth it. He sent Iwa packing with the amount of damage he caused their frontal assault. If Toraske was alive, he'd be cursing his name.

He felt a disturbance behind him and turned to see Kakashi eyeing him, pity in his eyes. It angered him, melted his psyche to his pain. He was going to lose it again. He held his emotions at bay, too prideful to accept the man's apologies.

"You..." Kakashi faltered on his words, "Iwa has retreated. You left them decimated and scared. I've never felt power like that before. I could see the path you left in your wake, everything is dead. The trees, the ground, the ozone practically reeks of decay."

The blonde didn't reply. He was unable to speak as his body was in a stasis. All the power he had used to destroy the enemy, it came at a price. His bloodline had flooded his body with such darkness that he could feel himself decaying on the inside. Kyuubi was fighting whatever it was as best as it could.

Kakashi eyed his student with sadness, he too knew the pain of loss. There was nothing that could heal it. Like a bottomless pit of self pity that few often escaped. He allowed loss to consume most of his life, which is why the memorial stone was like a second home.

Kakashi went to put his hand on Naruto's shoulder, but was stopped when he heard something land behind them.

"Naruto-Kun!" His heart dropped, he mustered the energy to turn his head. His grey eyes shimmering at the sight before him. Ino Yamanaka, in her battered state, was standing before him alive and well.

She stopped short when her eyes landed on her own body. The confusion and conflict sitting just beneath the surface of her face. Kakashi pulled a kunai and got into a defensive position in front of Naruto.

"You dare mock the dead? You are not ready to face the consequences of your mistake." Lightning crackled around Kakashi as he prepared himself to end this imposter.

"Hold on! That's not me in his arms!" Ino dropped to her knees, staring into Naruto's eyes as they bled color in his iris. "Naruto-Sensei, whoever you have in your arms is not me. Please believe me..."

Kakashi kept the Rakiri alive in his hand, his eye morphing to the blood red of the Sharingan. He eyed the Ino before him in shock, look
Naruto's eyes, like a storm now, focused on the Ino in his arms. His bloodline activated, becoming black as night once more. He watched the platinum hair of his apprentice change into a more sandy blonde. The body proportions changing feature by feature. It was not Ino Yamanaka in his arms, but Temari of the sands.

Ino gasped as she saw Naruto drop the body of his girlfriend. He fell onto his back, unconsciousness finally claiming him. Kakashi took hold of Temari, eyeing Ino sadly. "You can take Naruto, we need to get back to Konoha ASAP." Ino continued to stare at the body in Kakashi's arm. She couldn't believe someone had killed Temari of the sand.

"Hai! We need to get Naruto to a medic quick."

Sakura stared at the man before her. The pain and guilt in her heart made it hard to breathe. Namikaze Naruto, Rokudaime of Konoha, was struggling to breathe. Drenched in sweat, steam rose off his body as the vapors evaporated off his body. His temperature was well over 115 degrees Fahrenheit.

"I know you probably can't hear me, but I'm going to talk anyways." She ran her hand through his hair, "I still dream of you. Making love to me like you used to..." Tears began to spill from her green eyes, "Sasuke hates to touch me, hates to talk to me really. I regret, every fucking day, I regret leaving you." A tear spilled onto Naruto's face, burning off at contact.

"I just had this idea, this thought..." Her head rested on his chiseled chest, the heat soothing her aching mind. "That I wasn't good enough for you. When I saw Sasuke in that bed, I still felt this wanting. This need. How could I do that to you? After all that you did, you made me better, but I still couldn't look past Sasuke..."

Sobs caused her to buckle to her knee for a moment. The weakness caused a moment of surprise, she didn't think she could feel so low. "And I couldn't face you, then to make matters worse, I accepted his proposal." An empty laugh escaped her lips, "I couldn't even face the man I loved, I didn't have the courage to face you. When I finally mustered the strength, I went looking for you and acted as if everything was right as rain..."

"I was a fool, I still am a fool..." Sakura ran her hands onto his chest, feeling the muscles tense underneath her ministrations. She continued down his abs, down to his pelvic bone, and left her hand right above his sheet where his manhood lay dormant. She wanted to touch him one last time, feel him in her hands. She craved his breath on her neck.

"Haruno." The voice sounded hollow, "You were right about one thing…" He sat up and moved her hand off his body, "You are a fool." With those final words, he was gone in a flash.

He appeared in his office, causing the man in his seat to stumble for a moment. "Hokage-Sama! What are you doing out of the hospital!" Hiashi went to help him to his desk, but was turned away by Naruto who walked to his desk with no issue. "Haruno-San had informed us that you were in an extremely volatile condition, your body was trying to kill itself from the inside."

"I appreciate your concern, but my tenant has healed my body completely. It is his price to pay for his atrocities done in this world." Naruto took a seat at his desk, "Temari of the sand is dead, killed by Hoshigaki Kisame. I need to inform Gaara."

"That's impossible…" Hiashi's eyes suddenly had a steel like quality, "Kisame is here in the village with Itachi, introducing the missing-nin to our forces."

"Where?"

"The village stadium."

Naruto stood, and appeared on a street not far from the stadium. Stepping into a shunshin, he appeared at the entrance of the stadium memories danced in his head of the chuunin exams, but he buried them down, intent on facing Kisame.

The man came into view as Naruto trekked into the battleground. He was by Itachi, alive and well. He tightened his fists, the killing intent leaking from his body like a bursting dam.

The killing intent got the attention of all those present, "Well if it isn't the savior of Konoha himself." The shark man gave a toothy grin, and began to walk towards Naruto when Itachi stopped him.

Itachi went forward in his place. "Hokage-Sama, what are you doing here?" Naruto attempted to walk past the man, but was stopped by a hand on the shoulder. "You have fury in your eyes, and are directing killer intent at Kisame, what has happened that makes you so blind in fury?"

"He killed Temari." It was a cold whisper, but one everyone heard.

"That would be impossible." Itachi looked Naruto in his eyes and manifested the Sharingan. Naruto was given vivid details of the happenings of Itachi and Kisame, not once had the blue skinned man left his side. Naruto's eyes bled black and Itachi's mind was brought into his. Itachi relived the battle of the border through Naruto's perspective, the pure shock of his power caused Itachi's hair to rise on his neck. "This man you killed was not Kisame, while you are no doubt extremely powerful, Kisame would not go down so easily Hokage-Sama. I believe I know of a perpetrator."

They returned to the realm of the living and Naruto stared Itachi down, "Who?"

"Someone you are keenly familiar with Hokage-Sama. I believe it to be Yakushi Kabuto. He has taken a piece of all of Akatsuki's DNA, and has learned to create pseudo clones. He birthed the technique and showed it to us all so that we could be at more than one place at a time. The drawback is that it is only thirty percent of the originals power."

Naruto's fists bled, his eyes a myriad of color. "He will die by my hands." Naruto continued forward, taking in the sight of all the missing-nin before him. He didn't need to ask how many, he had relived Itachi's life the past few weeks through his genjutsu.

"Welcome to Konoha. I will not misguide you with lies. We are at war, your sole purpose is to fight for me. Do so, and you will be free to become a citizen of my village. No more hunter-nin coming for your heads, I would know, as I used to be one." He gave a low chuckle, "Should we win, the prize of victory is much more rewarding the the price of death should you continue your life on the run."

"I once fought a missing-nin who was pure of heart. He did not deserve the title. Some of you have left your homes for better lives, I can appreciate that, which is why I'm even offering this chance to you. Should you betray me…" Killer intent flooded the stadium, the power of the Kyuubi just bubbling to his skin, "I will not hesitate to end your life."

He left it at that. Turning back to Itachi to get more info on Kabuto and this technique.

Ino stood by the body of Temari. Watched as the mortician took note of the damage to her body. It was mangled beyond belief, such a horrid death. Several broken ribs, 2 puncturing her lung. A dislocated shoulder, a torn rotator cuff, several stab wounds to the gut, a final blow to the throat. The mortician stated she died a very painful death, as evident in the hormones found in the blood. It was a slow and drawn out end.

She heard the door open and saw her sensei walk in. He looked indifferent on his facial features, but he could not hide the storm in his eyes. She could see the fragile state of mind he was in.

"Has the mortician finished his autopsy?" He came forward and placed a hand over Temari's still open eyes, slowly drawing them closed.

"Yes." It came out shaky and weak, "But you shouldn't read it."

"I must." He walked to the man who stood quietly off the the side, taking his report from his hands. She watched his knuckles turn white, the paper crumpled in his hands. For a moment there was silence, then he turned to her.

"It was Kabuto." Naruto faced her, his eye letting a single tear cascade to the floor. "I should have killed him when I had the chance, this is my fault."

"You didn't know he would do this."

"No, but I should have expected it. When I killed Orochimaru, I heard that Kabuto had taken his place. I heard he wanted to make me suffer and pay for my acts of defiance against his master." The paper burst into flames. "This is the price I pay for my anger and rage."

He met her eyes, "I have to confess something to you."

Ino stayed silent as he took a step closer to her, his hand shaking as he reached out for her shoulder.

"When I saw your dead body, I lost myself. Completely lost myself. A state of darkness took over my mind, my bloodline clouding me much more than it should have. I couldn't take the loss of you." His voice flowed like silk through a needle eye, "When I finally saw that it was not you who was dead, I felt relief. I felt such utter relief that I allowed myself to fall into unconsciousness."

Ino couldn't believe her ears, she didn't even know what to say.

"I am torn over the loss of Temari, but I was broken when it was the loss of you." Naruto ran a hand down her cheek. "I was growing fond of her, but it was because I never thought someone would try to love me. She was the first person since Haruno to come to me for affection, but it was not love."

"No…" His breathing was coming faster than what he was used to, "No, I believe I love you Ino."

Her breathe caught in her throat. Of all things she expected to hear today, this was the last thing that came to mind. She didn't know what to say. For once in her life, she was at a loss for words.

Naruto took a step closer, "I'm a monster of my own design Ino. If you don't love me after what you felt on the battlefield…. I would understand, and I wouldn't hold it against you."

Her shock turned to anger, "Don't you dare call yourself a monster! You saved my life, you saved everyone on the battlefield. You risked yourself to save everyone."

"I never asked you to love me because I thought it would be selfish of me. I've known of my feelings for you, but I didn't want to push the boundaries. I understand that you've gone through a lot, and yet here you are. I'm not worth much. Temari…" She glanced at the broken body on the table, "She was royalty, beautiful, strong… what am I compared to her?"

Tears began to pour down her face, "How can you love someone as plain as me?"

Naruto had never seen this side of her. She was always strong and forceful. Always prideful and arrogant in her ways, brash like he was. To see her insecurities come to surface. He pulled her into his arms.

"You are worth everything."

Screams resounded throughout the battlefield. The trees were marred with the blood of Iwa. The black form of Naruto appeared before a jounin who was leaning against a tree, trying to hide from the beast of Konoha. His eyes were a pure white, like fire spilling from his skull. The jounin began to beg, but the words were useless. This thing before him was no longer a man.

The skin was blackened, a pure onyx color that reflected no light. It looked as if his body was consuming the very light around them. He tried to run as the beast came forward. His body wasn't responding, and when he looked back, the beast had his hand in his chest.

Like cancer, blackness spread from the appendage, and soon his body was decaying. Skin began to flake off his body, floating into the sky like ashes in the wind. The beast ripped his arm out just as the body fell apart. A beastial scream escaped his throat as he charged the rest of his prey, destroying his enemies with a touch of his hand, moving faster than sound.

The body of Temari was in his arms as he stepped into the office of the Kazekage. Gaara's eyes were wide in shock.

Their eyes met for a moment, the pain in Naruto's eyes bled into Gaara's.

"What is this…"

"She was on her way back here to aide you…" Gaara moved forward to take her in his arms, his red hair spilling on her face as he cradled her body. "She left with her guard a few weeks ago, and when I appeared on the border, Yakushi Kabuto brought me her broken body. He was in the form of Hoshigaki Kisame. I lost it. I killed everything I could get my hands on."

"How did she die." The voice was hollow, reminiscent of the old Gaara.

"It was a quick death…" He didn't let his voice waver as he lied through his teeth.

"Yakushi Kabuto, who is this man that has robbed me of my family?"

"He was the apprentice of Orochimaru before Sasuke defected. I've heard it in passing that he has taken the reigns of Oto now that Orochimaru is gone." Naruto's fists crashed through a wall, "I should've ended his life when I had the chance."

"No. His life is mine." Naruto had never seen such pure rage in his friend, not even when Shukaku was feeding his psyche lies. "I've heard rumors that Iwa was going to cut off our supply routes, so I was preemptive. I've laid traps of my own design out in the desert. They'll be in for a surprise should they come for my village."

"So what do we do now." Naruto eyed his fellow Kage.

"We begin to beat upon the drums of war."

They appeared in a flash of yellow before the ruins of an old Oto base.

"This is where I ended the snakes life. I've never felt such pleasure from taking a life before." Naruto walked forward to the man who was sitting upon the caved in entrance.

The man kneeled as the Kate's came forward. "Naruto-Sama, I received your correspondence." The man pulled a scroll out and handed it to his employer, "This is the location of the new base of Otogakure, I have it on good faith that this Kabuto is there now. I've heard from multiple sources that he now dons the cloak of black and red as Itachi once did."

"I knew it." Naruto held in his rage, "Madara's hands are in everything."

He unfurled the scroll and memorized the location, showing it to Gaara before he burnt it. "Thank you Koji, I am now in your debt, tell me what you would like in return for this information."

"I am not greedy, but the information did come at a steep price. I lost a few informants along the way, but I will be sure to replace them. Anything you can spare will aide me in upping the amount of men I can acquire."

"Done. I will have a summon contact you with the proper payment. May your allies rest in peace."

Koji bowed and was gone in a swirl of leaves.

Gaara raised a quizzical eye to Naruto, "You seem to know a lot of people."

"One thing I've learned is that power goads many into following you. Koji knows he is a pawn in my chess board, and he accepts that. He is also aware that I am better as an ally than an enemy."

"Too true."

They began their travel to the location on the map. No back up. No allies to aide then should they fail.

It took a full day of sprinting to reach the location set on the map. They eyed the entrance to the village, and both decides that they would enact their revenge now.

Sand rose from beneath the guards, swallowing then without a sound. Blood bubbled up from the ground as the Kages walked forward. No alarms blared, no one came out to investigate. They walked into the labyrinth like halls and continued to walk until they came upon a grand hall. Men were being trained in mass to use their modified bodies to their fullest potential.

They saw men with metal fused to their bodies, some with fake eyes, others with beast like qualities. A few looked like the product of genetic modification. Have features of animals rather than humans. It made them sick.

"Yakushi Kabuto. Where is he?" Suddenly it was silent, all eyes resting on the two men who had stepped into a lions den.

Laughter filled the hall as the men began to eye them like meat. Their laughter turned to horror as Gaara began to release a killing intent more akin to the devil than a mortal.

"Yakushi Kabuto, his location or your lives."

A man stepped forward, his teeth looked like those of a lions, with the canines much too enlarged for his mouth.

"You two come in here, throwing your killing intent trying to scare us? Look around you buddy, you're surrounded."

He didn't get to continue as a blade of sand separated his head from his shoulders.

"Yakushi Kabuto, where is he?"

Sand began to spill from his gourd, pooling into the room, gathering all the lingering dirt and sand in its path. Soon the room was covered in sand, "I will ask one more time…" Half of the men were taken into his sand, fighting as hard as they could against their bindings, but it was all for naught as Gaara crushed anyone who was trapped in his sand.

"WHERE IS HE!" The yell brought the terrified men out of their shock, as they tried to run, Gaara's sand found them all and slaughtered then without mercy. There were a few who were able to fend his sand off effortlessly, but they were taken care of by Naruto as he sped through the room killing man after man. Blood spilled onto Gaara's sand, staining it with the color and stench of death.

In a matter of seconds, the two Kage had decimated the room of men. The sound of clapping came from another corner of the room. There Kabuto stood, a man on each side of him. Naruto's fists clenched in fury as he took in the sight of the First and Second Hokage.

They had been sealed into the death god, how were they here now?

"Naruto-Kun! Gaara-Kun! How nice of you to make an entrance. I heard of your loss, such a shame, she was a beauty in her own right." He began to approach the current Kage when a spear of sand impaled him through the chest. Kabuto laughed as he slashed the sand in two. "Such things cannot kill me. I am Orochimaru perfected"

Gaara let out a guttural roar as he charged to the creature before him, obviously no longer human. Naruto prepared himself as the Kages turned to face him, "You are the son of the Yondaime."

The first Hokage smiled at him, "You look powerful, please defend yourself." With that darkness claimed Naruto's senses.